Book Blasts

Getting a book promoted--how is it done? As I have chosen the self-publishing route this time around for my young adult novel, Red Nectar, now I have the opportunity to learn about self-promoting.  First, of course, I told family and friends. The issue with this, however, is that none fall into the age category of the audience this book is written for: ten to twelve year olds.  That, and my circle of friends is limited and my family is small.  Even if every one I knew bought a copy, it wouldn't get onto the New York Times Best Sellers List--my ultimate goal (or maybe a movie--dreaming big is always a good thing!).

My Creative Writing teacher and friend, Dave Holper, suggested buying copies, giving them to every preteen I meet, and asking that it be passed on to others and reviewed on-line.  Okay, great suggestion number one is underway.  Last night I ordered ten copies and will order more when those are gone.

Next, my second cousin, Amanda Branham, has recently started an artwork promotion service. Now we're talking good stuff.  I'll be paying her an extremely reasonable amount to hit the social media waves with giant shocks of Red Nectar advertising.  I can write stories, and let someone else do the promoting and networking! As she loves the latter and I love the former, it's a win-win situation.  Don't you just love when that happens?

Lastly, I am begging, pleading, and beseeching at the top of my naturally quiet voice for The Universe to move mountains and get the word out there about what I think is a really darned good book.  Angels are allowed to advertise, aren't they?

Hey Little Baby went with the prized route of a major publisher, Simon and Schuster.  They got it reviewed in the big time writer's magazines and on-line, and got it selling in books stores and libraries.  Red Nectar is going to show its stuff through the non-traditional path (but becoming more popular) of self publishing. The other picture books, and one chapter book, I've written have been sent to smaller publishing houses.  And now I'm writing for a local magazine, which widens my resume and gets my name out there in the world of search engine optimization.  This is one of the things I love about writing: the diversity.  So the answer to my initial question about getting a book promoted is that, for me, each book will be promoted differently.  But that's today. Who knows what will happen tomorrow?

If anyone out there has a suggestion that worked for them, feel free to share. Creativity can go farther when more than one person adds to the pot of ideas.

Heather Leigh