Moving right along. The PCIP came in for Catscapades, True Cat Tales yesterday and the book is now with the printer! Also the promo material is trickling in. Late last evening UPS delivered our advertising magnets. The postcards are on the way. My webmaster has not completed the work at my website. I will let you know as soon as the new book is up.
There’s a lot involved with running a publishing company, isn’t there? And probably the most difficult aspect of running any company is relying on others for the tasks you cannot do yourself. What is the alternative? Learning how to do everything? You’d really be stretching yourself to the limit if you had to do it all—build/maintain the website(s), design the books and covers, take care of the publishing details, such as getting the barcode and PCIP information, chase down the best prices for promo material, etc. PLUS the writing and promotion.
I guess there are authors out there who do it all. I actually hire a web person and I have live-in help with the mundane and time-consuming publishing details as well as the book design work. For the Catscapades book, I worked with a professional photographer. So there are more than just my hands in the pie. I did this book listed at Amazon.com, yesterday. Don’t look for it, yet. The listing doesn’t go live for 10 days or so.
I’m chomping at the bit to start the prepublication promotion for Catscapades. Can’t do it until the book is up at my website. Maybe today. Cross fingers!
I did manage to write and submit 8 new articles to 8 different magazines and ezines this week while in wait mode. Why do I keep writing and publishing articles? It’s promotion. Sure, I thrill at helping people—so many authors NEED so much help. But I also submit articles to a variety of publications in order to keep my name in front of people as a professional in the industry. It is a promotional tactic designed to sell books and to attract new clients.
I’m still fine-tuning the revision of Over 75 Good Ideas for Promoting Your Book. (New title, Over 100 Good Ideas for Promoting Your Book.) I finished the March edition of the SPAWN Market Update. If you have a book to promote or you are a freelance article writer, you really must join SPAWN so you have access to this amazing newsletter. http://www.spawn.org
On top of it all, I’ve had a little client work. I love it when my clients are thrilled with the improvements I provide for their articles, chapters and/or book proposals.
Oh, by the way, I’m starting a new 6-week article-writing course February 24. If you’re interested in learning how to support yourself or you wish to promote your book by writing and submitting articles to magazines, this is the place to start.
http://www.matilijapress.com/course_magarticles.htm
Author Survey
The mini-publishing survey continues. I have had a dozen responses, so far. I’m eager to get many more so I can put together a meaningful article (which I will share here) reflecting what is and what isn’t working for authors today.
In order to do this up right, I need your input.
Please take time to respond to the questions below. The author with the best responses will receive a copy of my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. Deadline March 10, 2010.
1: How many books are you promoting?
2: What type of books are they—titles/genre/subject?
3: What is your primary book promotion activity?
4: What are some of your secondary book promotion activities?
5: How are they working for you? (Details, please.)
6: What has been your best book promotion resource—organization, book, mentor/individual, website, blog site…?
7: Are you open to new book promotion ideas/resources or not?
8: Are there ideas you’d like to try, but you don’t know how to get involved (article-writing, getting more book reviews, public speaking, having a book trailer made…)?
Send your response to Patricia at PLFry620@yahoo.com