Yesterday, we talked about strange places to have book signings. I forgot to mention that I have signed books in the local cemetery twice. Well, that’s because I had a book (two books) featuring the history of the Nordhoff Cemetery and profiles of the earliest burials there.
What are some of the most unique places where you have sold books, promoted your books or received unsolicited, unexpected exposure for your books?
I was publicly recognized as the author of the Ojai Valley history book at my class reunion which took place in Ojai one year and also at the year-end party for those who volunteered or worked for the city in some capacity. (I was on the Historic Preservation Commission for the city.)
I often discover people talking about my work or my books on their blogs or in their articles/newsletters, etc. Be sure to do a search on your name or the title of your book occasionally to find out who is commenting. You might find some great testimonials for your website.
But none of this will happen for you unless you are tirelessly seeking exposure for yourself and your books all the time—in the most common and the most unique places and ways. Here are some of the other opportunities I’ve had as a result of my writing career.
1: I flew business class to Dubai all expenses paid and was honored as the first woman ever to give a keynote speech at the District Toastmasters convention that year. The organizers were familiar with me because of my numerous articles published in The Toastmaster Magazine over the years.
2: I was once invited to photograph a pair of Pallas cats from inside their cage at the Denver Zoo for an article commissioned by Cats Magazine.
3: I’ve enjoyed behind the scenes tours of many places throughout the US—amazing homes, a massive natural gardens, a bird rehabilitation center, interesting factories and so forth because I was writing about them.
4: I’ve received assignments from larger magazines when their editors noticed my articles on certain topics in other publications or at my blog, for example.
5: I’ve interviewed high-profile people for articles and books.
6: I’ve received invitations that might not have been issued if I wasn’t a writer or hadn’t produced books on certain topics. I was selected a Living Treasure in the literary category in my community, for example.
So what’s the message here? You know that I rarely post a blog without something in it for you—something that will assist you along your writing/publishing path. In case you haven’t figured it out, the message is:
• Promote, promote, promote.
• Put yourself out there. Become known among editors in your field/genre and readers in your field/genre.
• Get all of the exposure you can generate through every possible channel. In other words, talk about your book everywhere you go. Constantly come up with article/story ideas and then pitch them. Locate promotional opportunities and pursue them.
• Concentrate on your audience and pursue them with your book or your article/story-writing.
Selling your writing is as simple as getting noticed. And that is your assignment today. Get noticed. You can’t get a story or article published if you don’t come up with the idea, write it and submit it. You can’t sell a book no one knows about. Your success is up to you.
By the way, while you’re sitting around playing computer games and checking your friends’ facebook pages today, visit my websites. Sign up for one of my online courses designed to help you move forward within the writing/publishing/book promotion realm. Purchase one of my books. I wrote them just for you. Send me a few chapters of your current book project for an editorial evaluation and estimate.