Comments on: Panic http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/05/10/panic/ A mutual support group for SF/F Novelists Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:41:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: Kelly McCullough http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/05/10/panic/#comment-2703 Kelly McCullough Mon, 12 May 2008 21:32:37 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/05/10/panic/#comment-2703 Simon, yeah, it's so tough to decide what you should or shouldn't do in terms of promotion. I've tried to limit myself to things that are inexpensive and I don't do anything I don't actually enjoy on the grounds that if I'm not having any fun chances are the people who are interacting with me aren't having much either. Jeri, the wedding's a good analogy, especially the part about remembering to enjoy yourself. This business is such a crazy mix of incredibly slow and drop-dead sudden it can drive you crazy some days. There's no job I'd rather have, but it does have its pluses and minuses. Simon, yeah, it’s so tough to decide what you should or shouldn’t do in terms of promotion. I’ve tried to limit myself to things that are inexpensive and I don’t do anything I don’t actually enjoy on the grounds that if I’m not having any fun chances are the people who are interacting with me aren’t having much either.

Jeri, the wedding’s a good analogy, especially the part about remembering to enjoy yourself. This business is such a crazy mix of incredibly slow and drop-dead sudden it can drive you crazy some days. There’s no job I’d rather have, but it does have its pluses and minuses.

]]> By: Jeri http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/05/10/panic/#comment-2702 Jeri Mon, 12 May 2008 21:00:27 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/05/10/panic/#comment-2702 As someone whose book releases tomorrow, I can relate. You reach a certain point where you realize, like you said, that you've done all you can, and it's up to the readers now. Time to focus on that next book (which tends to be due around release date, anyway, publishing being the sadistic business that it is. ;-) It's like planning a big party or a wedding--prepare for what you can control and take the rest as it comes. And most important, remember to enjoy yourself! As someone whose book releases tomorrow, I can relate. You reach a certain point where you realize, like you said, that you’ve done all you can, and it’s up to the readers now. Time to focus on that next book (which tends to be due around release date, anyway, publishing being the sadistic business that it is. ;-)

It’s like planning a big party or a wedding–prepare for what you can control and take the rest as it comes. And most important, remember to enjoy yourself!

]]> By: Simon Haynes http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/05/10/panic/#comment-2697 Simon Haynes Sun, 11 May 2008 04:13:44 +0000 http://www.sfnovelists.com/2008/05/10/panic/#comment-2697 I'm in the same boat - exactly 16 days to the book launch, and three weeks until the official release. I've been planning my campaign for some time now, and May is action month. I've talked my publisher into (something I can't announce yet, curses) and I've also employed Google adwords (cheap), and I'm doing a fridge magnet giveaway (costly, but 1200 spoken for so far, all in my target audience.) There are also school visits and lit festivals to attend, which don't have a lot of impact on sales but do give me a chance to be a bit more visible. Over the past three years I've steadily built up a mailing list of 1000 people, and because I only update them once every 2-3 months they're pretty patient with me. There's also the monthly book draw I've been doing since 2005. That list has 2500 names on it, and it's easy enough to give away half a dozen books now and then. They all visit the web page to see whether they've won, and that's a chance to slip in an announcement or a link. Again, it's not cheap, since I post many of the winning books internationally, but my publisher comes to the party with free books from time to time. Like you I'm writing a series, although I'm aiming for 10-15 titles overall. Therefore, every little effort now is likely to have a snowball effect with each release. Yes, I could leave it all to my publisher, but I'm not going to. And now, back to the design of my new bookmarks ... I’m in the same boat - exactly 16 days to the book launch, and three weeks until the official release.

I’ve been planning my campaign for some time now, and May is action month. I’ve talked my publisher into (something I can’t announce yet, curses) and I’ve also employed Google adwords (cheap), and I’m doing a fridge magnet giveaway (costly, but 1200 spoken for so far, all in my target audience.)

There are also school visits and lit festivals to attend, which don’t have a lot of impact on sales but do give me a chance to be a bit more visible.

Over the past three years I’ve steadily built up a mailing list of 1000 people, and because I only update them once every 2-3 months they’re pretty patient with me.

There’s also the monthly book draw I’ve been doing since 2005. That list has 2500 names on it, and it’s easy enough to give away half a dozen books now and then. They all visit the web page to see whether they’ve won, and that’s a chance to slip in an announcement or a link. Again, it’s not cheap, since I post many of the winning books internationally, but my publisher comes to the party with free books from time to time.

Like you I’m writing a series, although I’m aiming for 10-15 titles overall. Therefore, every little effort now is likely to have a snowball effect with each release. Yes, I could leave it all to my publisher, but I’m not going to.

And now, back to the design of my new bookmarks …

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