No Debate.

I've seen many debates on the subject of self-promo and authors having to do their own marketing. "Does it really sell my book?" is the common cry.

Well you know what, no one knows what sells books or why certain books sell better than others. Not even the publishers. And they've been at it long enough you think they would know, but every time they take a chance on something it does not work. Look at Curtis Sittenfeld. Her first book, PREP, was a humongous hit. So she got a great (huge) advance for her second book. Which flopped. Now out comes her third and lo and behold, it's a nominee for best book on several lists. No one can predict which books work and which ones don't and no one know why either eventuality happens.

They also don't know, definitively, how well author signings, blogs, websites, contests, give-aways or book covers work. Technology can tell you how many "hits" your site gets, but not whether those translate to sales. Everyone has ideas. Educated guesses based on years of experience, but they can't be sure.

Look at the tried and true author reading/signing. A recent poll published in Publishers Weekly revealed that book buyers did not buy books because an author had a signing. They bought books because they were on a subject that interested them or they had gotten to know the author from various venues including websites.

Which says to me that, among other thigns, the on-line marketing presence of an author is where an author's energy should be devoted. Make friends and influence people, as Dale Carnegie said.

Websites, Facebook, Blogs, Twitter, and so on and so forth. Sharing bits of yourself, and your work. Attracting like-minded individuals to your 'cause' whatever it may be. Research. Study. What works for you? What doesn't?

Don't just HAVE these social networking tools, use them wisely. Otherwise you're there, but there's no there there. Be cagey.

Who are you trying to appeal to? How can you tie in the area of interest with your books? What do people want? They want to get to know you - makes them feel "in touch" and that helps them want to buy your book. They want to share information - so make sure you have the capacity to have an exchange. For example, they love freebies. Gve away stuff. Excerpts of your book, fun things like a free copy of a chapter. Or a contest where they win a free copy of your book. Or something that may go with the book. Do you write gardening mysteries? How about a free collection of herb seeds and some planting implements. A romance with a pastry chef? How about a little baking collection to make some scruptious cooks?

If you don't want to give away things, how about giving away advice? A weekly column sharing recipes (see above). Or gardening tips (ibid). Or offer free tarot readings to compliment your tarot card reading paranormal heroine.

Get an interview of someone in the arena in question to talk and answer questions on your blog (you know, have Martha Stewart answer gardening questions ....). Utilize your blog to share your talent - and your voice. Have an interview with your hero. Make up a fun contest to share a virtual "date" with your hero. Things to make people think, and laugh, and engage them with your writing world.

There are so many ways to attract customers and appeal to them. But just "being there" doesn't do it.

A crappy website or a dead blog is as effective as going to a party and standing in a corner not speaking to anyone. In other words, it's NOT effective.

So decide what you can handle. The time you want to spend (many on-line opportunities are absolutely free). Study some marketing guides. Understand the point of the practice of marketing and promotion. There are specific books that address on-line marketing and promotion. Check out the bookstore and buy one (support your industry, folks). There are various industry folk who blog, twitter, and have e-newsletters that you can learn a ton from. Study everything you can. What other authors do. As a reader, what, of these activities, appeals to you? Why do YOU buy a particular book? Study websites and blogs - especially those for authors in your genre; see what the compeition is doing, especially the SUCCESSFUL competition. Check out the designers for the websites you like. If you are going to put up your own website, know how an effective website is not designed. Pretty doesn't cut it. Know where a visitor's eyes go, how long text should be (before the reader gets bored), how many SECONDS you can have for your site to load before the visitor has moved on (which means be careful of those bells and whistles that slow down the load time).

Bottom line - you're selling yourself. You are the product - you are an author. And once you've sold them on YOU, they'll want what you can provide: entertaining reading not just for one book but for years, and many books, to come.

That you must be a good writer - hone your craft, be unique, and get sold - goes without saying. But just having a good book is only half the job.

Getting people to pay to read it is the other half.

Put on that hat!

It's a Doggie-Doggie World

Face facts. You may be a writer, but until you are Stephen King, Nora Roberts, James Patterson or Danielle Steele, you ARE going to be your own marketing agent. No two ways about it. Promo, marketing, advertising - no, no one can "prove" how many "hits" you get on your website or blog. No, they can't swear that you'll make NNN dollars in sales if you run a print ad. And does getting a great review or a bestseller ranking ratchet up the profile and ka-chign? NO ONE CAN TELL YOU.

But what they can tell you is if you don't create a platform, if you don't brand yourself, if you don't have a web-presence and if you haven't calculated your own marketing plan, well, you're doomed to remain in the literary minor leagues forever.

So deal with it. There are going to be the times when you have to take off your creative beret and pull on that nifty fedora and be a business person. Sell yourself. That's writing. That's life.

That's the writing life.