Some of you are aware that I’ve been questioning why some authors of fiction have trouble seeing the value for them in a book like my new one on book promotion.
As you may recall, some fiction authors took one look at my book and said, “It’s a good book with some good ideas, but it is designed for the nonfiction author.”
In my mind, this is so not true. I wondered, why can’t authors of fiction see the value for them in my book? So I polled some fiction authors I know. I approached a couple of reviewers. I ran this question by members of SPAWN through our discussion group.
The general consensus from those who could articulate it and those who tried, demonstrated to me that, while fiction authors certainly use many of the very same ideas I present in my book, they use them differently. And most fiction authors need a certain type of guidance. They need someone to demonstrate other ways to use some of the marketing activities I outline in my book—ways that work best for promoting fiction or for promoting their book in particular.
Now, of course, I do this in some of the listings in my book. I talk about dressing up as one of your book’s characters when giving a live presentation or having audience members participate in a scene from your novel, for example. There are other such suggestions specific to novelists—how to build promotion into a book of fiction while you are writing it, for example, and how to locate nonfiction hooks in your novel to use in promotion. But I am beginning to see that the mind of a fiction writer works a tad differently than some writers of nonfiction and the approach to the concept of book promotion must be a little different in order for most of them to appreciate the value in a book like mine.
Let’s face it, most authors today of any genre or topic do not have a marketing mindset. We may know our topic or how to write in our genre, but the concept of promotion is foreign. New nonfiction authors need guidance in how to pursue some of the various book promotion activities. But, it seems that fiction writers need even more help in this area. It may take some stretching and hand-holding for some fiction writers to look at a list of book promotion ideas and be able to apply them to their own situations.
And that’s why some authors of fiction say that my new book—in fact, almost any book on book promotion—is designed more for the nonfiction author. Nearly every idea and tip in my book, “Promote Your Book,” is equally intended for fiction as well as nonfiction authors. In the future, I just needed to give more detail showing the fiction author how to apply them.
Would you all agree?
Check out my new book, Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author. If you are the author of a fiction or nonfiction book, children’s book, reference guide, etc., this book is for you!
http://amzn.to/oe56Ia