There are many tasks involved when you take on the responsibility of promoting your book. And if you publish a book, you most certainly have taken on the responsibility of promoting it. If you don’t accept that responsibility, your book will die. That’s the hard truth of it.
Public speaking is a major book promotion activity that many authors pursue. I’ve written a book about how to promote your book through public speaking, book festivals, signings, conferences, interviews and more. It includes being interviewed for TV, radio, podcasts and such as well. It’s all about public speaking and communication. Allworth Press will bring the book out in the fall. Of course, I’ll announce it here. You can actually see it posted at Amazon.com. It’s called, Talk Up Your Book. The book posted at Amazon has the wrong cover on it, though. I expressed my dislike for the cover and they changed it. I love the new cover. I’ll try to keep an eye on it and let you know when it is up.
In the meantime, if you have a book to promote, I’d like to suggest that you take a weekend or a few days during the week and set up some speaking engagements. I spent a recent weekend contacting writers’ group leaders and writers’ conference organizers and managed to set up speaking gigs in Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Orange County, Camarillo and Ventura California as well as Las Vegas, NV over the next several months. Of course, you don’t have to travel to speak. You can start locally. Here are some ideas:
• Contact the program chair for local civic groups.
• If your book is suitable, offer to present programs in schools.
• Speak to classes at a community college.
• Get a teaching gig through an adult education program.
• Arrange an author appreciation day (or week) at your public library.
• Do book signings at bookstores as well as appropriate specialty stores.
• Contact people you know who belong to groups. Ask to speak.
• Develop entertaining home parties around the theme of your book.
• If your book is conducive to book clubs, seek some out in your area.
• Create a program to take into local companies.
• Contact hotels in your community and offer to present a program for guests.
• Contact radio/TV program directors and ask to be interviewed.
There are a dozen ideas for getting speaking gigs related to the theme of your book. I’m sure you have others. Contact me and I’ll publish them here.
PLFry620@yahoo.com
http://www.matilijapress.com
http://www.patriciafry.com
Check out my appearances page:
http://www.matilijapress.com/activities.htm