Self Publishing Promotion
Crystalee Calderwood has an interesting post up on her blog today about self-promotion for small press and self-published authors.
I recently sold a rhymed story to a small press. It’s going to be part of an anthology of children’s stories that is due to appear, hopefully, around Christmas, 2010. I will be far from the only author in this collection — and I expect the publisher to do a significant amount of promotion. And I have a couple more rhymed stories in the works that are candidates for picture books. Chances are that when I do sell them, it will be to a small press —
So all in all I expect — and indeed, look forward to — dealing in the future with the same issues that Crystalee is facing now.
Maybe I’ll get lucky and manage to persuade my local Barnes and Noble to carry my book — whatever it may be — I’d like to think that even chain bookstores are open to promoting local authors.
And if they aren’t, they should be.
on July 10th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
I also think they should be. Many bookstores, at the very least, have a section for books by local authors. However, I never see picture books there and I have yet to figure out all the loopholes to get mine there.
Independent bookstores are great about carrying at least a few copies of a book by a local author. The problem is, independent bookstores are a dying breed.
I wonder what it would be like if there were bookstores exclusively for books published by small presses?
on July 10th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Yes, I agree, it’s too damn bad about independent bookstores — they are so much more interesting in their choices than the chains. I work in Waltham, MA, which is luck to still have an independent bookstore that does feature books by local authors — Back Page Books
http://www.backpagesbooks.com/
Long may it wave.
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on July 10th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
I agree independent bookstores should be the natural allies of small presses. We have a great independent book store in Montrose as well as a Country Store that sells books. However, I think we still have to get out on the groups and use “high tech” to sell out books!!
on July 10th, 2009 at 7:58 pm
A local bookstore works with us, in fact I need to take some more copies of 4RV books to them.
One of my problems is I physically can’t get out and about as much as wish. However, I’m still making it to festivals and such. When I go (and pay for booth space), I take copies of every book we have out. More sales are made through those than any other place.
http://vivianzabel.blogspot.com