Yesterday I was in Portland, Oregon to speak to a women’s group about my novel, The Fence My Father Built. It’s only 100 miles from where I live, but it makes for a long day trip. Today I’m paying physically, even though I had a great time with the women of Christ United Methodist.
Writing Tip for Today: My exhaustion stems in part from a chronic condition I have, Post-polio Syndrome (yes, I’m that old). But everyone has something to deal with, whether it’s age or finances or health or something else. With novelists today pressured to be one-person marketing machines, what can we do to manage whatever is keeping us from publicizing our work?
- TGFI. Thank God For Internet. The Internet has helped all of us, but especially we writers with disabilities. We’re able to reach readers from anywhere on the globe. Blog tours, interviews and web pages help all writers to market and publicize without leaving home. Talk about letting our fingers do the walking.
- Dedicated Publicity Dollars. I know writers who take every advance and invest it in publicity–whether it means taking out an ad, hiring your own publicist or having bookmarks printed. Wherever you are financially, try to set aside even a few dollars for your publicity. Home printers can manufacture professional-looking bookmarks, business cards and postcards. Also, be prepared to give away quite a few extra books (beyond the “comps” from your publisher) for blog contests and for reviewers.
- Stay Close to Home. From now on, I’m going to respect my physical limitations and recruit book events (book groups, signings, lectures or workshops) within a 50-mile radius rather the 100 miles I’ve done before. I’m may not be able to do everything, but I can still do some things to help my books gain exposure. Do you have other ideas on marketing close to home? I’d love to hear them.
