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| The first and last time I'll ever be shelved alongside John Green |
To publish a successful book, be sure you've got the following:
1. word of mouth (the everyday reader kind)
2. publisher support (this might come from a stellar marketing plan or in-house enthusiasm)
3. mysterious things out of everyone's control that are often unnameable and unknown (these also can "doom" a book, like having a release in the midst of a blizzard/flood/hurricane)
4. magic
5. great trade reviews -- I'm not convinced everyday readers even know these exist, but librarians and booksellers certainly do (and often base their purchases on them)
6. a great cover
7. a lot of reviews by "regular" people at Goodreads, Amazon, on blogs, and the like (this connects back to #1, but is less organic, more strategic, and less powerful, I think)
8. ...and to give your book a second wind, make sure it's nominated for awards
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486. author efforts
How much of a book's success is in the author's hands? Is it even possible to measure an author's promotional reach? The first question is easy: only the author's efforts are in her control. But do writers really live this way? The second question is the more challenging one. I know of no hard and fast evidence that shows how an author's promotional work affects overall sales, but I have to believe my one small voice doesn't have the power to influence as many people as the other things on this list.
So where does that leave me?
Strangely comforted, believe it or not. I can't make anything I write a hit. No one honestly knows how to make this happen, though we keep trying (and for those of us in publishing, it's part of our job to do so). What I can do, though, is focus on promotion that excites me and drop the need to try everything.
How much of a book's success do you think comes from an author's efforts? Anything you'd add to my list?
Love the photograph of May B sharing space with TFioS!
ReplyDelete"Author's efforts" are a finely balanced thing. I am almost always turned off by excessive self-promotion of a book. What draws me in is the author being genuine, so I can glimpse some essential humanity in them and, in the best case, a commonality with me.
Having said that, there is so much noise out there it seems like a miracle when any book becomes part of the cultural conversation. It doesn't hurt when an author is as energetic, personable, and intelligent as John Green--who also has the gift of writing stories that fundamentally connect with his audience. In his case, success begets success.
Yes to "excessive self-promotion" and "so much noise". And yet that draw/need to join in is so strong! There's an "I must do something!" sort of worry that drives me, at least. I hope to harness that, examine it, and let my choices be ones that satisfy me.
DeleteI align with Michael, to much self promotion of a book turns me off. It's fun to have an author you enjoy reading express some of their other passions, or even talking about other books that they recommend. It provides for more of a connection to them and their style. It's one of the reasons that I've followed this blog for so long, there is always something interesting or even entertaining to follow along with.
ReplyDeleteI agree about talking books! Love, love, love to know what others are reading. That connection between author and reader is so satisfying.
DeleteHappy to hear PM speaks so directly to you, Brenda.
Great picture!
ReplyDeleteI agree - I think author promotion is really hit and miss, especially for MG. I do know of some cases where YA authors received zero help from their publishers and were able to tap into the online YA community and work some magic.
But I think that's the rare case. Even with excessive self-promotion, an author's reach is pretty limited. I remember doing what the internet lists told me debut authors should do to promote my debut book, STORYBOUND. I never knew how much (if any) return came from my investment. And then when STORY'S END came out, my publisher did one "big" thing, and with that single thing, I could immediately see huge results.
Anyway, I agree with you that I'm not convinced author promotion makes a big difference. I tend to think the key thing is to have an online presence to connect with readers and then do whatever components you enjoy doing.
One of the things I love -- believe it or not! -- is thinking what organizations/ people might be interested in my book. Then I send postcards geared toward those specific groups. Somehow this is very satisfying for me but certainly isn't for everyone. As for results, I know they're not big by any means, but I feel like I'm doing something I enjoy, and realizing I might find a reader along the way is fun.
DeleteI think a problem is thinking that endless tweeting and author efforts are one and the same! As Caroline says, there are other ways to reach out, and there's no point repeating yourself or doing what doesn't work. The 486 steps are not sending the same tweet out 486 times to the same 486 people :)
ReplyDeleteOops. Already did that. :) Kidding!
Delete"I think a problem is thinking that endless tweeting and author efforts are one and the same!" Kell is right! They are not the same thing at all. Endless tweeting is easy and mindless. That's why people do it. Real promotion takes time and energy and requires *giving* of yourself. Taking the short cut, easy route usually backfires.
ReplyDeleteAnd that's a great picture of May B next to TFIOS!
"Real promotion takes time and energy and requires *giving* of yourself."
DeleteExactly! I'm in the process of applying for marketing grant through SCBWI. Even if I don't get it (I've probably applied for every SCBWI grant I'm eligible for!!), I've had the chance to think through what I want to do. It's a good practice, either way.