Roll up for the DIY book tour!

February 20, 2010 by Claire Fogg (Publisher, Yearbooks)
Filed under: Marketing Yourself 

Claire Fogg blogWe often ask successful authors what else they do besides write. Writing the book is just the beginning. Well it is, if you want to get your work out there, across to the public at large, and selling in large amounts.

What’s striking is not only the many and varied things that are done in the name of promotion, but also those that aren’t generally done, but could be, if you put your mind to it.

Here are some of the things that authors have told us they’re busy doing:

“I have a daily blog which is hugely time-consuming, but worthwhile, and gives me a wonderful opportunity to connect with my readers. I do signings, a couple of big book tours a year, radio, television, public speaking…” – NY Times bestselling author Jane Green

“I do quite a lot of school visits, so much so that they rather eat into my writing time. I occasionally do author signings – at one of them, memorably, I sold one book in two hours.” – Mary Hooper, author of over 70 books

So blogging, book tours, public speaking, author signings, they’re all part of the routine. Sometimes they’re wonderful, and sometimes they’re just hard work with, dare I say it, no guaranteed return.

But get this, there are alternatives. I was reading about one author who went for a DIY route when promoting his new book. Stephen Elliott, according to his essay in the NY Times, ditched the standard tour and went it alone. He asked people, just regular people, if they’d like to host an event – with him as guest of honour – in their own homes. He met students, artists and sex workers, ate cup cakes, sold books, didn’t sell books, slept on sofas, and – incredibly, brilliantly – managed to wrap up a 33-city book tour under his own steam. It’s enough to make a good story in its own right.

Now that’s not for everyone. I’m not even sure it was entirely for Elliott (who said it was “a little stressful”), but it’s a great illustration of thinking beyond the obvious.

Another new way of promoting a title which shares something of the same DIY ethos comes from an editor at Penguin, as cited in this post at MobyLives. Editor Tom Roberge had such a witty email exchange with his author, drawing out the novel’s similarities with Woody Allen films, that he’s gone public, publishing their dialogue online (See Conversations with Martin Page). What do you think? It’s like an author website, but with a twist, a new angle. And this sort of thing is open to anyone because it’s so easy to set up a site using blogging platforms such as WordPress or Blogger.

What would you do to promote your book, and would you attempt a DIY book tour?

Claire Fogg
(Publisher, Yearbooks)

For info on blogging for authors see ‘Writing a Blog’ in the Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook.

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Comments

8 Comments on Roll up for the DIY book tour!

  1. mark lees on Feb 20, 2010 at 22:34pm

    2. I like the idea of doing a blog, it does seem timec onsuming but I believe it would give extra motivation to getting work done. It could be used give previews or to be a home for entirely new flash fictions or poems.

    It is certainly something I will consider when I have the first draft of my book finished.

  2. Houston on Feb 21, 2010 at 16:47pm

    3. where can I post some of my writing on here, who can I speak to, to get an opinion?

  3. Claire Fogg (Publisher, Yearbooks) on Feb 22, 2010 at 09:49am

    4. Hi Mark Lees – yes, that sounds like a good idea. If you start a blog, it’s best to keep it updated frequently, so it can be time consuming in that sense, but the actual setting up is quick and simple, and the posts you write can be as short or as long as you choose. Best of luck with your writing.

  4. Cressida Downing (Editorial Consultant) on Feb 22, 2010 at 11:56am

    5. Houston, we don’t currently offer opinions on people’s writing on this site, but as Mark Lees suggests, you could start a blog. Or look around for a supportive writers’ group.

    Cressida

  5. Xean Puccio on Apr 23, 2010 at 14:51pm

    6. If I may offer a suggestion, a writers group is one thing lacking on this site that writers would very much appreciate and need to develop their talents. I would look forward to seeing our very own group for members of W&A to support and help each other.

  6. Admin on May 4, 2010 at 10:12am

    7. Xean, many thanks for the suggestion. We don’t have any immediate plans to introduce a writing group, but have you ever considered setting up your own? You could try searching the user profiles on this site and contacting a few people who share similar interests. For more pointers keep reading the series of posts on writers’ groups by Mohana. The fourth (and last) in this series will be online later this week.

  7. Xean Puccio on May 4, 2010 at 14:34pm

    8. Thank you for the suggestion, though I still wish there was an official one. I look forward to reading Mohana’s post as the series so far has been most informative. I’m sure the last one will be the same.

    Xean
    3/5/4/2010

  8. Flugel Meister on May 4, 2010 at 14:57pm

    9. It does seem like a great idea.

    Are there any W&A affiliated writing groups? Or would W&A allow one to be set up if there isn’t one already?

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