LLUMINA LLUMINARY Gail Farrely...

TURN UP THE HEAT AND PUMP UP YOUR BOOK SALES
By Gail Farrelly

William B. Sprague once wrote, "Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking." Authors attempt to make their books "hot" by a series of planned, carefully orchestrated, publicity efforts.
Sometimes, however, it's possible to turn up the heat just a little bit more
-- and get book buyers beyond the audience specifically targeted. Here are some
examples of how a little extra effort could go a long way in widening your audience:


1. Six to eight weeks before you are making a presentation, take a few
hours to plan on getting the most mileage out of the planned appearance.
Make sure announcements appear in local papers. Try to get a reporter to
come to cover the event. If this is not possible, send a detailed press
release to the local paper. Maybe at some point they will do a story about
you and your book.  Such a story will help to boost local sales and serve as a nice addition to
your press kit. 

2. If you do have an article printed about you, seek to get it
reprinted  elsewhere. Don't be afraid to ask about reprinting possibilities. It 
costs nothing to ask, and newspaper editors are often in the market for
"free" (and interesting) articles. This may be especially relevant when you are
away from home in different media markets. I was at a mystery convention in
Philadelphia and met the editor of the Philadelphia-based Irish Edition.
When she took my picture for future use, I happened to mention a recent article that
had been published about me in New Jersey. The editor sought, and obtained,
permission to re-print it. That was one time I was glad that I was a little
pushy!

3. Check on the online status of printed articles. I write financial
mysteries and was delighted to be featured in a story, "Financial Finagling:
A killing on the stock exchange," printed in the Rutgers Focus. And the
best part is that the story also appeared online and remains online.  An online article can make a nice link on a website or serve as a handy reference for a "cold contact" you may be making via e-mail. 

4. Inquire if your presentation will be videotaped. If it will, be
sure to arrange to get a copy and also find out the broadcast details. You
will want to know when and where it will be shown, so that you can alert
friends, family, and potential buyers about it. Such a videotape can be a
valuable commodity. Maybe it will get you additional TV appearances. You
might think of sending it around to some TV producers as "proof" that you
would make a good guest on a talk show. 

5. Provide one or more handouts (sort of like a business card with a
punch!) at your presentations. Make it something of special interest to
your audience. For example, when I participated in a library forum on an
Irish writer, I provided copies of an op-ed piece that I had published on
St. Patrick's Day. People really respond when they feel you've selected
something that's just right for them.

6. In your presentation, briefly mention some other talks you've given
-- at libraries, luncheons, books clubs, etc. There may be people in the
audience who will then get the idea to invite you to talk to some other
groups. It never hurts to have more invitations.

7. Be sure to remember the organizer of the presentation by sending a
thank you note after the event. Mom was right. This is a good thing to do
-- and not only because it's polite! Often such notes are read aloud at
meetings and/or attached to minutes. It's an inexpensive way to once again
put your name in front of the group. 

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Gail Farrelly (www.farrellysistersonline.com/) has published academic, professional, and
Op-Ed articles, as well as fiction. Her latest book is Creamed At
Commencement: A Graduation Mystery (Llumina Press, 2005). Gail's first
mystery, Beaned in Boston was named to the 1997 Washington Irving Book
Selection List. After the publication of her second mystery, Duped By
Derivatives, the Westchester Library System in New York named her a
Millennium Author.

Get your own book published at www.llumina.com.