Preditors and Editors ™
A guide to publishers and publishing services for serious writers
How to Promote Your Own Writing
An opinion by John D. Harvey, writer and former editor.
Here are a few ideas that I have picked up over the years. They come from a number of years in the public relations/communications industry, my own writing experiences, and the experiences of my peers.
There was a time when publishers (magazine and book) used to work very hard at promoting writers. A minority still do, but most do not. This is not an indictment against publishers, but the fact remains that selling your story is just the first step in getting it read.
Associations/Organizations
There is networking/promotion value in joining the trade associations associated with your brand of writing. Whether it's romance, horror, science fiction, or mainstream, there is an organization that's made for you. In fact, once you search the field, you will probably find dozens of writing organizations that you could join, ranging from regional groups to outfits as large as the Writer's Guild of America.
My recommendation is that you look at each group's dues structure against their benefits and see who will provide you with the tools to attain your networking goals. To start, join a maximum of 2-3 trade groups.
Why so few? I worked for three years in the association industry and discovered that over 90% of all trade association members don't know how to make effective use of ONE membership. Paying your dues is Step 1. Now you have to dive in and participate
in the discussion lists, attend association-sponsored conferences and workshops, read association publications for pertinent information, participate in committees/task forces that will promote you and your industry at the same time, etc., etc.
So, learn how to really get value out of 1-2 memberships before you shell out a lot of cash. At the end of your dues cycle, re-examine your membership to determine if it provided a return on investment.
Follow Industry News:
If you read Rumor Mill on a regular basis, then I'm preaching to the choir. Though I also encourage you to subscribe to such good publications as Hellnotes and Scavengers Newsletter, among others.
Don't just read these publications for content. Read them to see who is being mentioned, where, and why. Keep track of editors, columnists, and reviewers who seem sympathetic to your kind of writing. In the same vein, note the editors, columnists, and reviewers who dislike your genre or style and steer clear of them.
It's a good idea to construct a database to keep track of these contacts and the best way to reach them.
Learn to Write for Promotion:
Writing for promotion is very different than writing fiction. One of the first things you should do is learn how to write a press release. Press releases combine the concise journalistic style of writing with a marketing slant. While press releases shouldn't be bland, they shouldn't read like advertising copy, either.
A lot of variables will determine when you should send out a press release and who should get it. Don't blanket the market every time you submit a story to someone. If you get a reputation as a press release spammer, editors and reviewers will rapidly learn to ignore you. Press releases MUST be newsworthy and MUST be relevant to the magazine/column/newsletter where it lands.
Items that warrant a release include having a story accepted by a major or well-respected market, being invited to join a panel at a local con, winning an
award/scholarship/grant, launching a Web site, etc.
Delivering a press release is another issue. Be prepared to send most of your releases via email, though some editors still like to get hard copy. Make sure you note a particular editor's preferences in your database.
While it's not required, you should try to have photos/graphics available for every press release you send out (though this isn't always possible or relevant). If nothing else, you should have recent headshots or a good photo of yourself for distribution.
You do not need to include graphics with EVERY release you send. A line at the end of your release reading "Photos available upon request" will be enough. Be prepared to send your graphics electronically. Have your photos scanned as both jpeg and tif images at 266 dpi. This will meet the needs of most publications.
Media Campaign & Release Links:
How to Conduct a Press Campaign
http://home3.americanexpress.com/smallbusiness/resources/expanding/ campaign/
How to Write a Press Releases
http://home3.americanexpress.com/smallbusiness/resources/expanding/ pressrel/
These links come from American Express' Small Business division and cover the basics nicely.
Get a Web Site
If nothing else, register yourname.com and hold onto it until your ready to launch a site. On average, reserving a domain name is $30/year. It doesn't hurt to grab yourname.net, and yourname.org as well.
What you should do on your Web site is a whole other HUGE topic. My recommendation is that you examine the Web sites of other successful writers in your genre and follow their lead. There are hundreds of resources out there on good site design, style,
organization, etc. Web sites are a big part of self-promotion these days. Be prepared to put a decent amount of sweat equity into your site.
Other recommendations include subscribing to Web promotion services like www.selfpromotion.com and www.submitit.com to START promoting your Web site via the search engines and indexes. I capitalized start because many people think that registering in the search engines is all they have to do to promote their site.
That couldn't be more wrong. Your Web address should appear on your stationary, envelopes, business cards, press releases, and all other collateral and promotional material. Whenever you sell a story, you should ask your publisher if it's possible to get
your Web address published in your short bio or in the editors comments (the worst that can happen is they say 'no'). You should submit your site to online and print industry newsletters and forums, etc., etc.
Another good idea is to sign up with an email list provider like Yahoogroups.com (formerly egroups.com) or Listbot.com. Email lists make life easier when it comes to getting the word out to your fans and sending press releases to the media. They're also
cost effective. You can get a good service ranging from free to $100/year.
Also, make sure your site is up to date (I should follow my own advice on this oneŕyikes) and has new content on a regular basis. Web sites with outdated or stale information are death to self-promotion.
Form Relationships
Web sites are nice. Press releases are nice. Email is nice. That said, nothing is quite as
effective as forming relationships and friendships with people in the industry. At the very least, try to have at least one phone conversation with the people reviewing/publishing/editing your work. It's not always easy or possible, but even making the effort means a lot to editors/publishers/reviewers. Attend as many cons as you can afford. Join a good writing group. Send thank you letters and holiday cards to the people who've been good to you. All this has nothing to do with public
relations/marketing/advertising. It has everything to do with treating people right.
Well, those are my ideas. I'm sure I've missed a few things and I'm sure that there are those of you who may not agree with my assertions. That's okay. Debate is a good thing.
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