Let "Joy on Paper" Help You Promote Your Book

Promoting your book isn't easy, especially in this particular day and age. While you'd think that being a local author would be enough to score you some street cred when it came to the local news spots, especially if they want to focus on the achievements of community artists, you'll find a lot of doors getting shut in your face if you aren't the latest acquisition of a big-name publisher. Newspapers and their associated websites will drop your email into the trash without a second glance, and even local radio stations will hang-up on you.

Well, most of them, anyway.

There is someone willing to hand you the mic, though.

If you've never heard of Joy on Paper, then allow me to be the bearer of glad tidings. This show, which goes out live on the air in addition to being podcast, is part of the Tampa area's Tan Talk radio network. WTAN1340 is what you're looking for if you want to tune-in. The host is Patzi Gil, referred to on-air as Patzi with a "Z", and she wants to give a platform to authors just like you.

Seriously, I was on the show recently, and it was a delight. I talked about this very blog, and got to tell a bigger audience than ever before about my book New Avalon: Love and Loss in The City of Steam. Seriously, check out my interview, if you want to get a feel for the show's format, and whether it's right for you.

There's No Such Thing As Too Much Promotion

Before you dismiss the above information as unnecessary, I'd like to remind you there's no such thing as too much exposure when it comes to your work. Especially in an era where everyone is inundated with media trying to grab their attention, it pays to have some extra help in your corner. You'll also be in good company. In addition to distinguished authors like yours truly (I said distinguished, not famous), the show also has guests with names you'd be more likely to recognize. Names like Clive Cussler, for example.

You know, that guy who's sold over half-a-billion books?

You know, this guy?

Whether you're still trying to move your first book, or you're releasing the tenth in a successful series, stop by Joy on Paper to see if there's a slot where you could tell people about it. And, if you decide to reach out, mention that the Literary Mercenary sent you. It can only help your chances.

As always, thanks for stopping by to check up on this week's Business of Writing entry. Hopefully you found it helpful, and you make Joy on Paper one of your regular podcasts. If you'd like to help support this blog, why not stop by The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to put some bread in my jar? And, lastly, if you haven't done so yet, why not follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter?

Authors Live Under The Tyranny of Numbers. Here's How You Can Help!

Authors are like gladiators. We put our all into the production, the show, and the story of our performances. We are surrounded by dozens, even hundreds, of our fellows whenever we come to an event. And, most importantly, we live and die by the roar of the crowd. That roar we're all listening for, the voice of the mob, is what I've come to call The Tyranny of Numbers.

Are you not entertained?

The reason I use this term is because there's a major misconception about how authors find success. Most people believe that talent, sweat, hard work, and putting out great content are the keys to regular royalty checks, and an end to financial worries. And while those things are important, there are other factors completely outside an author's control. Much like how you could be the greatest fighter in the arena, but your fate is still in the hands of the nameless, faceless Crowd.

What Goes On Behind The Scenes

Think for a moment about the factors that can help someone succeed in life. For example, if you come from a rich family, you don't have to worry about not eating right, medical care, or dealing with poor public schools. You're given all the help, training, and attention you need, and you're allowed to find your talents. You have the connections to get into a good college, along with the right on-campus organizations, and then the further connections you need to land a good job. Does all of that mean that this imaginary son of a wealthy family didn't sweat, strain, and labor over his skills and talents to become a notable professional? Of course not. He worked damn hard to become as skilled and talented as he is. But he had help, and that help is, more often than we like to admit, what makes the difference between the success stories, and the unknown stories.

Sheila had already put out 26 books... but she was sure 27 was what would get her noticed.

Let's take a smaller, more concrete example that really happened. As some of you know, I was a contributor at Yahoo! Voices before it died. At the time the site shuttered its doors, I was pulling in over 50,000 hits on my content every month, and making triple digit royalties, along with a smaller, secondary check for up-front advances on new content. It wasn't rent money, not yet, but it was getting to the point where it was patching over a lot of the gaps in my monthly earnings when a client begged for more time to cut a check, or a publication date got pushed back.

Of course, after Yahoo! closed that program (giving me and the other contributors less than a month of warning), I still had all this content I'd created floating around. So I found it a new home, and started expanding my Infobarrel archive. While I have not yet put up every piece of old content I had at Yahoo! at time of this writing, I have republished all the pieces that stood out in terms of traffic, and which were consistent from one month to the next. And, while some of them are getting seen, the numbers are a shadow of their former selves. Which, of course, means the content that was once a growing goldmine is now more like a tip jar, paying me between $15 and $20 a month.

Why is that? In many cases the content is the same as it was before, and in some it was improved with better keyword choices, pictures, video, editorial flourishes, and new promotion efforts. Despite those efforts, though, views remain down, and my paycheck remains small. The difference is, of course, that Yahoo! Voices was a huge site, connected to its own search engine, and this gave my content a real leg up on being seen. The sort of leg up where an article like How To Build Batman in The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game would regularly bring in 10k-15k views all on its own. While InfoBarrel is certainly no slouch in terms of tools and experience, it simply does not have the clout or authority that Yahoo! Voices did. And, as such, my numbers remain small.

Numbers Always Seem Easy, But Rarely Are

Numbers are deceptive. For example, I have just over 500 followers on my Facebook author page. Most people would think that, because of that follower number, that I could post a new blog or article, and count on at least a few hundred people seeing it. Maybe 50 or 60 likes and shares to sweeten the pot, too. Or, if I released a new short story or novel, that at least a few hundred followers would want to get a copy. However, in reality, I'm lucky to pick up between 3 and 10 likes from my followers when I post. On very rare occasions, I'll get between 1 and 3 shares on a piece of content. Sales... well, they're far from the triple digits.

That's the same all over social media, too. I've had pages with strong followings (40k+ strong) share my content in an attempt to help me boost my signal, but even in those instances I'm only picking up an additional 500 views or so, with 20 likes, and 4 or 5 shares. Certainly nice to have, but far from what you'd expect from an audience that size.

No matter how you work the figures, they're pretty damn depressing.

The same lessons you learn with blogs hold true with books, as well. For example, a book needs to get around 50 or so reviews before Amazon starts trying to spread the word about you in searches. My latest release, the steampunk noir short story collection New Avalon: Love and Loss in The City of Steam, has an average of 4.5 stars on reviews. However, only 8 readers have stopped by to share their thoughts, so Amazon isn't putting my book into the mix, where it might be recommended to other browsers shopping for short stories, steampunk, etc. So, in an effort to get more readers and reviews, I held a giveaway several months ago. Nearly 300 copies of my book were downloaded, and I figured that out of those 300, maybe 20 or 30 would get read. Out of those who read even a portion of the book, I figured 4 or 5 people would stop by to leave a rating, or a review.

The end result? Nothing. No reviews, no ratings, and not so much as a few sales as a result of word of mouth spreading.

It's Still Possible to Hit The Lottery

All of that sounds depressing, mostly because it is, but it's important to remember that you sometimes hit the lottery when you're least expecting it. One of my most notable moments was when I published my short story The Watchmaker's Daughter (which is in New Avalon, in case you'd like to see what all the fuss was about) on Yahoo! Voices. At first there were some token views, but nothing very impressive. And then, overnight, an explosion of activity. For two weeks or so I was getting 2k-5k hits a day on that story. That was the equivalent of about $4-$10 in real money, but I had done absolutely nothing other than write the story. Where had all this traffic come from?

10 Our Fathers, and 30 Hail Marys?

I'd like to say that it was because my story was so captivating that everyone read it, and passed it around to their friends. After all, it was free to the readers. However, while that might be where some of the traffic came from, I have a sneaking suspicion that it was my title's similarity to a popular song that spurred a lot of the traffic I got. However, while the monetary gains were short-term, the attention the story had gotten did gain me a few new readers, and it helped me complete the other shorts that eventually went into my book.

I'm not saying that skill, talent, hard work, sweat, blood, and ritual sacrifice won't help sell your book, make your blog popular, or gain you a gigantic audience who will hang on your every word. What I am saying is that "little bit" of luck we always throw in as an afterthought is a lot more necessary than we want to admit. Because as soon as we admit that most of our success (or at least the initial success) comes from an outside force, and not the creator, we start feeling powerless.

Instead, I say this. Raise your sword, raise your voice, and give the crowd something they won't be able to turn away from! Every article, every post, every book, is another entry into the lottery... you may not win, but you don't even have a chance if you never step into the ring.

Hopefully you all found this week's installment on The Business of Writing helpful, if not particularly uplifting. If you'd like to help me bump my numbers, why not visit The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a patron? As little as $1 a month gets you my undying gratitude, as well as some sweet swag. Lastly, please like, share, and if you'd be so kind, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter!

And if you'd like to check out my books, like New Avalon or my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, just head over to My Amazon Author Page!

Like and Share This Post

Most people think that authors are literary rock stars. They sit in their posh studios writing down made up stories, and when they're done cashing their million dollar checks they take vacations to go to book signing events or conventions to rub elbows with the unwashed masses.

It's not like that. It's more like this.

We who are about to write, salute you!

In the coliseum of modern entertainment, authors have become the new gladiators. We create a personal experience, a unique brand, and in many cases a persona just to get noticed. We practice, sharpen, and edit ourselves until we reach the peak of our game. We are not there to perform for the publishers, the Caesar who sits above the game and decides yay or nay on whether we publish or perish. We are there to perform for you. The Mob.

The Truth of the Metaphor

It's a little sad, but it's true. As I said in this post, publishers are not interested in art. They're not interested, by and large, in literary merit. They don't really care if the books they publish are going to remembered for years to come as the books that set the standard of the age. What publishers care about is whether or not they sell books. As with the gladiators of old, the arena masters care about how well their staff of authors plays with the crowd. The louder the crowd roars, the more support they throw behind a particular author, the longer and more fruitful that author's career will be on the bloody sands of the bestseller lists.

So if you want to see an author succeed, you need to raise your voice and make sure those on high can hear you loud and clear.

How to Support Your Favorites

Now that your illusions about how easy your favorite artists have it has been irrevocably shattered, you might start to worry. After all if the audience goes silent then it doesn't matter how long the gladiator in question has been the champion; the blade's coming down. Unless you and all your fellow fans start making yourselves heard, that is.

The best way to do that is of course to buy books. Publishers notice when people buy books, and they make sure to do more promotion for authors who's books fly off the shelves. Unfortunately money is not an easy-to-come-by commodity, no matter how big of a fan someone is. Fortunately you can raise a ruckus even if your pocket book is a little on the lighter side.

The next best thing you can do is to help promote authors you like. For instance, if someone wanted to help promote me, I would ask them to follow my blog here, and to drop by my author Facebook page, to follow me on Tumblr, and to drop by my Goodreads page to see what books I have available. I would also ask my readers to leave reviews of the books they'd read, and to help me signal boost posts about my work. Sometimes all it takes is for one person to start the wave for the rest of the bleachers to join in, and that will catch everyone's attention.

Is That All it Takes?

Yes and no. If an author writes a novel that is a smash hit, but doesn't do anything else (the literary equivalent of pop music's one-hit-wonders) then that one splash in the pond is going to stagnate pretty quickly. The same is true of an author's fan base. Someone who writers a book review that goes viral has done a great service for that author in the short-term. But the wheels turn on constant awareness. Authors have to keep writing, and fans have to keep talking them up.

Lastly, remember this. Cheers are contagious, especially in crowds. The louder you cheer, the more interested your fellow mob-members are going to be. Pretty soon they're going to be cheering right alongside you.

The Literary Mercenary's Guide to Shameless Self Promotion

There's a popular myth in some writing circles that all you have to do is write a solid, entertaining book, and everything else will take care of itself. With very few exceptions, this is a sure-fire way to commit career suicide. Writing the book is important, it's necessary, but it's only the first leg of the journey. The next step is letting people know you actually have a book for sale.

Or two, or three... hundred.

But wait, isn't that the publisher's job? Isn't that the whole reason that you give the publisher such a big cut of the sales, so that they do all the promotional work for your book and you can just sit back and collect royalties? In some ideal, golden-aged world that would be true. For those of us who haven't been made the gilded child of a massive corporation looking for a new book sale messiah, and who don't have a famous name that's pulling people in like flies to honey, it's your collective job to reach out to your potential fan base. It isn't going to be easy, it probably isn't going to be fun, but if you want to grow your following and actually sell books, then you're going to have to learn how to promote.

Setting Up Events

Events are typically what people think of when they think of book promotion. An author reads a short story to an eager audience on open-mic night, or holds a book signing at the local store with crowds of curious fans. These are good ideas, and they've become industry standards because they actually work. However, there's no reason to limit yourself when thinking about different venues to get yourself and your work out there.

Always sign the book... even if it's not yours.

Ask yourself who your audience is, and then look for opportunities to reach out directly to that demographic. If you write science fiction or fantasy, then you should look into becoming a panelist at a convention where you can weigh in on industry issues connected to your work. If you're a young adult author, then make sure local high schools and middle schools in your area know you live nearby, and offer to speak to students if the school would like to have you in. If you're any kind of successful then organizations like colleges, local writing groups, and other sorts of people collections will typically be more than happy to have you come on over and speak. In fact, if you know how to make up fliers, you can even get a space at your local library free of cost (in most places) and see who's willing to come in and listen to you talk.

Traditional Media

Though we live in a world of instant gratification and 100 character updates, don't count traditional media out when it comes to your writing career. Most writers who don't have a big name, a blockbuster novel, or real clout (see for example most writers who are self-published, or who work mostly with small presses) will probably find a lot of doors shut in their faces when it comes to this step. Newspapers don't want to waste word count on an author no one's heard of, and magazines won't grant an interview to a nobody. However, sometimes being a local is enough to get their attention. Once you have the attention of an editor, if you can make a good case you can expect at least a little ink to flow your way in fairly short order.

Where the hell is the refresh button?

Persistence is the key when it comes to traditional media. Check with all newspapers and magazines no matter how big or small they are. Talk to your local radio stations both private and public to see what they have to say about your work and if they'll have you on as a guest. Professional tip: If you have a local event going on, traditional media is much more likely to cover you. An author they've never heard of has released the first book in an epic trilogy? Yawn. There's going to be an event at the local Barnes and Noble you say? If we can get some pictures, maybe that would interest some people over in the Arts and Entertainment pages...

Social Media

This is where a lot of authors unfortunately lose their minds, as well as any sight of their goals. Social media is like a bloody battle where making any progress at all is likely just as much an accident of your backswing as it is due to the countless hours that you practiced and refined your pitch so it would thrust home with your audience. While it's possible to save a lot of frustration by avoiding social media, this is a prime example of no guts, no glory. You need to be on as many stages as possible if people are going to notice you.

Your career moves at the speed of Google. Watch for trees.

Where should you go? Well, Facebook is a good start (you can find my author page there, for instance), along with Tumblr (my personal favorite), and the professional social media page LinkedIn (yes, I'm there as well). There's also Twitter, the recently re-invigorated MySpace for those who enjoy a dash of undeath with their social media, and as a place just for authors, Goodreads (you knew this link was coming).

Just having a social media presence isn't enough though; any 12-year-old can manage that. What you need to do, as the author, is to wrangle your audience and to keep them entertained. Let them know who you are, and what you're about. Update with news about your projects, your upcoming events, and post links to your stories, your reviews, and any write-ups about your events (see how cyclical this madman's mess is becoming?). Answer their questions, build a rapport, and try to recruit folks by always, always, always including links to your social media in articles published about you, or which you write yourself. Lead by example when possible.

Forums, Blogs, and Video Channels

The natural extension of social media is, well, the rest of the goddamn Internet. Climbing electronic Everest isn't going to be easy though, and it's very likely you'll have to fight hordes of trolls, deal with storms of withering abuse, and comment sections a mile long about how incompetent you are, and how unoriginal your stories and opinions are. I suggest you wear goggles and cover your mouth, this part gets nasty.

This guy's got the right idea.

If you have a forum presence as it is, then you're ahead of the game. Whether you talk about gaming, cosplaying, cross-stitch, ritual mutilation, or some other activity, you have a voice in a community. Use that voice! This is key for any forum you go to, or any comment board you stake your flag on; don't just shout advertising in their faces. If you do that you're going to alienate your audience at best, get banned from the forums as a spammer at worst. Instead, talk to the community like you're a real person. When they acknowledge your right to be there, mention that you're an author. Field some questions, and only when you're sure they won't go for your jugular should you post a link to your book(s). It's slow, but it's a decent way to find new fans who at least share an interest with you.

The same is true for blogs. Starting your own blog is a great first step to building an audience (either that or I'm just sitting here and typing at myself), but it's not the only step. You need to provide something more than a constant barrage of "buy my book"; you need to offer them real information, real entertainment, and the ability to feel connected to you. If you know other bloggers then you should talk with them to try and get yourself, your blog, or your work featured over on their site. Guest blogging for someone that has a bigger audience than you do is a great way to build connections, and maybe to leech off a few of their fans for your own.

Lastly, videos. Not everyone should make videos. If you choose to, even if it's just rolling shots of you reading snippets from your book, make sure that you're smooth, that your lighting is good, and that you take a bit of time to tell the audience who you are, what they're about to hear, and let them know what they're in for. At the end of it all, make sure you thank them for watching, and list any and all pertinent information about yourself, the story, where they can find it, etc. Strike while the iron is hot, and that includes the opinion of people who might have stumbled on you by total accident, and now really, really want to have your book in their hot little hands.

Promotional Material

Seriously, you'll never guess what it's about.

It's an unfortunate truth that most people have the attention span of a goldfish coupled with the memory of an aging poodle. If you had the force, verve, and sheer luck to get someone really interested during a talk, don't just expect them to remember who the hell you are and what the hell you wrote. They won't. That's like feeling a fish bite, then waiting for it to throw itself into your boat. You need to help them along, and the best way to do that is with promo materials.

These things come in all shapes and sizes. Most authors turn their business cards into promotional materials, featuring a design from a cover, and links to their blogs and their published works. That's good, but it's just a start. Several authors I've spoken to swear by promotional bookmarks, where they can list out their credentials as well as hook people with a catchy design on a practical item. Others print up post cards, and others might make up stickers or give away other, small items. What you choose depends on your budget, but once you have them, take them to every meeting and keep a few in your pocket just for good measure. Most of them will probably be thrown in the garbage, but people will have to look at it before they chuck it.

Offline Networking

This strategy is known by many names; communication science, interpersonal studies, and my personal favorite, fucking talking to people. Everyone reading this, even Taliban insurgents living in caves, knows people. You have parents, siblings, co-workers, LARP buddies, sword fighting peers, and a number of other folks primed for conversation. What's more, if you can convert even one of those people into a fan, then they act as a carrier for your message. They tell their friends, their friends tell still more friends, and you've gone old-fashioned viral. Word-of-mouth is a powerful force when it comes to books, and it can often lead to otherwise impossible connections. After all, your mother's best friend's landlord's nephew's fiancé just might have a senior editor at Random House as a father.

There are opportunities every day for making offline networking connections. You might be sitting at lunch chatting with your best friend about your newest plot when someone at the next table leans over and asks if you're a writer. You can smile, say yes, and offer them a bookmark. Hell, sign it for them if they want. It makes people feel special, it wins you admiration, and it could lead to a whole slew of positive results. You just need to make sure you keep your professional face as ready to hand as a business card and a pen.

You'll meet all kinds. Shut up, and take their money.

Other Marketing Tips

Firstly, for those who have an ebook and are looking to get some free marketing for it, I recommend checking out this list from Galley Cat here. There's some good stuff on that list, even if not all of it is right for your particular book.

There are so many things you can do that it can be hard to figure out precisely where you're going to strike gold. However, there are a couple of things you should definitely keep in mind in order to get the best results.

First and foremost, get your face as well as your name out there. Authors aren't typically thought of as on-camera personas, but a lot of the time a reader is buying you just as often as they're buying your book. If you're using a pen name, then create a persona. Make your audience pay attention to that persona, and make it a package deal with your other characters.

You're welcome.

Cut down on your negative statements, particularly about other professionals. No one likes to be trash-talked, and even if you can make a living burning down potential bridges, it isn't always a good idea to do so.

Keep your readers updated, particularly on your social media pages. No matter how great your books, you're bound to lose readers if you don't keep them in the loop about what's going on with you, your career, and your life.

Lastly, and this is a rule not just for you but also for your work. You can do nearly anything as an author. You can be profane, you can be disgusting, you can be controversial; you cannot be boring. As soon as you stop being interesting, that is when your numbers fall to zero, and people move on to find someone else to fulfill their entertainment needs.


As always, thanks for dropping in and staying for the whole of the mission briefing. If you've got any questions or concerns, drop them down in the comments below or put a message in the line at one of my social media pages mentioned above. The Literary Mercenary operates free of charge, but always appreciates support. Prod at the links on the page if you want to keep up going, or check out some of my stories available as ebooks. A good place to start looking is right here on Amazon, for those who are interested.