I know relatively few of us have hit the bestseller list recently, gone on whirlwind book signing tours and have to deal with masses of raving fans….but just in case you find yourself with a book coming to the shelves at some time, you might want to check out this guide:
Some really good points here that can help you plan ahead for any sort of event and present both the book and yourself in the most professional and relational way possible.
Even once a book has been printed and has amazing cover art, the author’s job is not done. Even if your publisher ponies up for a tour, radio interviews and whatever other publicity efforts, you’ve still got to make your own efforts to keep word about the book circling, finding new readers and presenting the title to new audiences.
What worries me is that some people might actually have trouble with the first point in the Public Speaking section. But the fact that it’s been included means there’ve been times when authors simply didn’t show up for their own events.
And, holy geez, we got new computers at work and the new screens are so big I’m afraid I’m going to get sucked through them into another dimension. (I know. Entirely unrelated to anything previous in the post, but it had to be said.)
I see that smile.
I came over from the contest. Public speaking. Makes my stomach lurch. Couldn’t a writer be eccentric and skip that part? =/
Technically, no author is required to do any of this promotional work for their book. The author does have a choice as to what they will and won’t do…people have comfort levels, sure. That’s natural, and some people have a better public speaking presence than others (though it is certainly a learned skill that gets easier over time). But there are plenty of other ways to promote a book other than standing before large crowds, wiping the sweat off your palms. There’s online chats, forums, radio interviews and so on that don’t require that big public appearance. You can do what you feel comfortable with, in the end.