How to Prepare for a Book Release by Guest Blogger Lillian Brummet

There are many things that authors can do long before their book is
released, but it is never too late to begin or enhance a marketing
plan. My first suggestion is to get a great stack of paper to jot
notes on. Personally, I reuse sheets of paper that have only been
printed on one side. Make sure you have a couple of pens handy; using
two colors is helpful for organizing and grouping ideas. Oh! – And
have a thermos of any kind of refreshment you choose next to you,
because this is going to take a while!

OK. Got all those? Now is the time to sit at your computer and scan
through the last 6 months worth of the previous postings on every
section of your favorite writer's forum and your publisher's author
forum. It is important to read the messages with headings like "new
author" because the actual message may have crucial information. I
know, this sounds like a lot of reading, but you will get efficient
at scanning messages and determining if they hold useful information
without having to digest every single word.

The reason for all this reading?

You will learn about reviews, marketing, promotion materials, media
kits, book production processes, resources, the publisher's policies,
royalty information, distributor information... it is all there. With
this information you can easily get a head start on your marketing
plan. Another reason for doing this is to find reliable mentors in
your field of interest.

Effective, long-term networking through interacting with your peers
on forums can easily lead up to exchanging of links, promotion
materials and multi-author book events. These individuals will soon
become your online friends who show up and support your media events,
tell others about your work and will help you if they can. Of course,
this means that you might have to offer something first to get the
ball rolling for networking.


~ Lillian Brummet: Award winning author, book marketing guru, owner
of the award winning Brummet’s Conscious Blog, and both the host and
executive producer of the Conscious Discussions Talk Radio show.
(http://www.brummet.ca/)