Publicizing Your Book
- Authors Pam Withers and James McCann, both of the Children’s Writers and Illustrators of BC (CWILL), weighed in thoughtfully on the subject of self-promotion for authors this morning. I’d like to share their ideas with you (N.B. James was a bookseller with Vancouer Kidsbooks for many years):
From Pam Withers:
Recent discussions around facebook, myspace, blogs, etc. have inspired me to
share this great quote with those who write fiction. Publicity is good, but in
the end, we should put most of our effort into our writing.from Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maas (Writer’s Digest Books):
“Two thirds of all fiction purchases are made because the consumer is already
familiar with the author… The next biggest reason folks buy fiction is that it
has been personally recommended to them by a friend, family member or bookstore
employee… Reviews? Few see them. Awards and nominations? Most folks are
oblivious to them. Covers?.. only wrapping. In reality, there is one reason, and
one reason only, that readers get excited about a novel: great storytelling.”Pam Withers
- From James McCann in response:
-
That’s a great quote Pam, though I would disagree about the covers just
being wrapping. You’re more likely to sell your book to a first-time
reader due to a great cover than you are because of great writing. After
all, how can a first-time reader unfamiliar with your work know your
writing is any good? They can’t. Yet it takes only seconds to decide the
fate of a book based solely on the artwork presented.We have a saying in the bookstore industry: “While you can’t judge a
book by its cover, you can certainly sell one.”As for what I think the spirit of the quote said, I agree with it 100%.
(That time is best spent foremost writing, and secondly promoting.) I
was given the same advice from Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Dean Wesley
Smith at the Surrey Writers Conference a few years back. In fact, they
went as far as to say the author should spend zero time in publicity, as
they feel what sells your first book most will be your second book.James