The adventure of publishing books

[DISRAELI]

A couple of years ago on ATS I started a thread called "The adventure of publishing a book", trying to journalise the different stages of getting my first books from manuscript into print. I've just had another book published (what do you mean, you've never heard of it?), and I'd like to do something similar for the still-new process of trying to get one better known with a bit of publisher support. The first time round, I was giving them regular plugs on my Twitter account with a few campaigns of Promoted Tweets, and I'm sure that was the reason why the titles were getting high placings on Google queries. But the sales figures told me later that Google is not enough.

PPP (as I've been calling it for some time now) came out on the day before Good Friday. In the morning, a big box landed on my doorstep with a couple of dozen copies and some promotional material. Then I was rather alarmed in the afternoon to receive an e-mail from the publishers saying they had prepared a book trailer for me. How many books would this trailer be carrying, when would it arrive at my front door, and where would I store it all? It was something of a relief to click on the link provided and discover they meant the attached video clip.

That was the digital marketing department. I would quite like to hear soon from non-digital marketing. E.g., I need to know what their plans are about review copies. I can send out a few review copies and gift copies of my own, once I've dealt with "friends and family", but I don't want to overlap. And advertising. All I could afford the first time round was classified ads ("The Christian Century" and "The Spectator"), and it doesn't look as though that got me anywhere. Though I've now signed up to be able to campaign on Reddit, where it should be easier to define the target audience. That's in addition to offering book recommendations when I comment on questions.

And what to do with the promotional material? I'm not sure where to send those bookmarks. There are 100 copies of an order form, with a retail price in pounds and euros. I can't send those to bookshops, because they say nothing about discounts. Theology colleges for their students, rural deans (I'm an Anglican) for their clergy, very large churches for their congregations? Anyway, I'm going to advise the publishers to update those forms. They are still couched in terms of ordering books by post and paying by cheque, at a time when cheques in this country are growing obsolete even faster than cash.

And there are ten posters designed to promote "Meet the author" days. I was rather hoping the publishers themselves would be arranging things like that. Or is my agent supposed to do it? I need a literary agent. Where can I get an agent? I was hoping to make contact with one at the London Book Fair last year, but ran into the Catch-22 situation that I should have set up an appointment first. Got to make contact before you can make contact.

Anyway, I've kept the lanyard. Waste not, want not. It won't be the last time I want to walk around a place identifying myself as an author.

.A trailer

[Byrd]

Holy mackerel!  You've got a WONDERFUL publisher!  Usually we have to do these things ourselves.

Some items from my experience (not sure what genre you're in.  I'm published in the science fiction/fantasy category) :
* you need the agent BEFORE you sign the contract.  However, it's not too late to get one and the fact that you've got a book with a publisher will help you land one faster.  Have the agent review your contract and be sure you understand what rights you gave the publisher.
* Bookmarks are useful for handing out at events.  They're mini sign boards that raise awareness of your books.
* Most authors have to arrange their own events - I've had a publisher arrange ONE (exactly) signing for me.  Call up a local book store and ask if they'd like you to sign some books.
* It's helpful to join a professional organization for your literature type (they've got them for science fiction, for mystery, for romance and many more.)  Those authors will give you good tips (and can recommend agents to hire or to avoid.)  Sometimes you can arrange to do an event with a group of authors.
* If your literature category has conventions, it is VERY helpful to attend and to have (pay for) an authors table.  You might not get many direct sales there but it does bring attention to you.
* If you attend conventions, then learn to do panels.  That's the best advertising to a target market.  Handing out bookmarks and coupons can bring some sales.

That's all I can think of at the moment.  If you find this helpful and have other questions, don't hesitate to DM me or ask here.

[DISRAELI]

Holy mackerel!  You've got a WONDERFUL publisher!  Usually we have to do these things ourselves.

Some items from my experience (not sure what genre you're in.  I'm published in the science fiction/fantasy category) :
* you need the agent BEFORE you sign the contract.  However, it's not too late to get one and the fact that you've got a book with a publisher will help you land one faster.  Have the agent review your contract and be sure you understand what rights you gave the publisher.
* Bookmarks are useful for handing out at events.  They're mini sign boards that raise awareness of your books.
* Most authors have to arrange their own events - I've had a publisher arrange ONE (exactly) signing for me.  Call up a local book store and ask if they'd like you to sign some books.
* It's helpful to join a professional organization for your literature type (they've got them for science fiction, for mystery, for romance and many more.)  Those authors will give you good tips (and can recommend agents to hire or to avoid.)  Sometimes you can arrange to do an event with a group of authors.
* If your literature category has conventions, it is VERY helpful to attend and to have (pay for) an authors table.  You might not get many direct sales there but it does bring attention to you.
* If you attend conventions, then learn to do panels.  That's the best advertising to a target market.  Handing out bookmarks and coupons can bring some sales.

That's all I can think of at the moment.  If you find this helpful and have other questions, don't hesitate to DM me or ask here.

Thank you for your very helpful comments. There are special factors involved in that my book field is theology (though PPP is actually history and theology in combination), and religion is no longer an area of "general interest" in the UK as compared with the U.S. so I can't see bookstore appeal to the local populations gettting me anywhere. I'm not part of the academic world and I don't have any pull with church authorities.

This also restricts the availablity of conventions. When I published the first two books, someone on ATS waa advising me to go to the "big religious conventions", but of course I'm on the wrong side of the Atlantic for the ones he had in mind. Here the most obvious opportunity is Keswick. I have indeed had thoughts about Keswick. I think I would have to book a room and/or work out some arrangement with the local bookstore for that week, perhaps inveigle the local church into providing people who could help set it up. I could wander around all week wearing my London Book Fair lanyard, and leave bookmarks in places where the cleaners won't feel obliged to remove them.

[Byrd]

Thank you for your very helpful comments. There are special factors involved in that my book field is theology (though PPP is actually history and theology in combination), and religion is no longer an area of "general interest" in the UK as compared with the U.S. so I can't see bookstore appeal to the local populations gettting me anywhere. I'm not part of the academic world and I don't have any pull with church authorities.

This also restricts the availablity of conventions. When I published the first two books, someone on ATS waa advising me to go to the "big religious conventions", but of course I'm on the wrong side of the Atlantic for the ones he had in mind. Here the most obvious opportunity is Keswick. I have indeed had thoughts about Keswick. I think I would have to book a room and/or work out some arrangement with the local bookstore for that week, perhaps inveigle the local church into providing people who could help set it up. I could wander around all week wearing my London Book Fair lanyard, and leave bookmarks in places where the cleaners won't feel obliged to remove them.

I would think that at any fair or meeting where the clergy are invited would be a good place to do some marketing, then.

And are you confident enough in yourself to set yourself up as a speaker for certain topics?  Libraries and book clubs and so forth often need speakers.

[quintessentone]

Congratulations on publishing your historical take on subject matter directly related to the Old Testament.

Even though I am into reading the unpublished/discarded gospels at this point in time, your subject matter would be something I would be interested in reading, for a comparative analysis but I am not willing to pay for a book, per se.

For me, as perhaps a person that could be considered your target audience, I would prefer to watch a short video on a streaming service (or Amazon) that I already subscribe (pay). Why not consider making your own video to relay the book's subject matter and reach more people and make yourself better known?

[DISRAELI]

Congratulations on publishing your historical take on subject matter directly related to the Old Testament.

Even though I am into reading the unpublished/discarded gospels at this point in time, your subject matter would be something I would be interested in reading, for a comparative analysis but I am not willing to pay for a book, per se.

For me, as perhaps a person that could be considered your target audience, I would prefer to watch a short video on a streaming service (or Amazon) that I already subscribe (pay). Why not consider making your own video to relay the book's subject matter and reach more people and make yourself better known?

The short answer is that I have no video-making skills. I have a neglected channel on Youtube which proves the point. I was designed as a writer, so that's the way I'm obliged to go.

[Maxmars]

The short answer is that I have no video-making skills. I have a neglected channel on Youtube which proves the point. I was designed as a writer, so that's the way I'm obliged to go.

Often, I resist offering unsolicited or unwanted advice... seek out associates who respect you and can help. 

Good video creation is not "rocket surgery" as they say, it just takes a vision, a plan and a willingness to adapt to the medium.  You are clearly gifted in the literary sense, but as the medium offers new opportunities for your words to reach people, I suggest you pursue it...  Find someone with heart, patience, (and disdain for gold;) they are out there. Promise.

[DISRAELI]

Well, this week has been what my mother would have called “fun and games”.

I began with my access to internet locations. Started tweeting again. As usual, this had little effect even when I remembered to use hashtags, but I’ve just thought of a way I can tweak the approach by quoting a different sentence each day. Also set up my first paid campaign on Reddit. Focusing on my target audience wasn’t as easy as I hoped it would be. Reddit doesn’t appear to recognise “religion” as an interest group. As a matter of policy, it won’t allow “Christian” or “Bible” as key words. But they let me use “temple” the first time round, and the second campaign is using “prophet”, “priest” and “king”.

When I wrote about publishing the first books, somebody on ATS advised me to go to “the big religious conventions” to promote them. But of course he was thinking of the American conventions, and I’m on the wrong side of the Atlantic for that. We do have Keswick, and my mind began groping towards a way of doing something at Keswick. Obviously the first priority was booking accommodation at the relevant time. I soon discovered, with a few online checks, that I had left it rather late to be booking a room at Keswick itself in July. No matter. I’ve been to the Lake District before, so I felt comfortable about travelling in from Penrith, and the hotel in Penrith had plenty of space.

Then my bank decided to throw a spanner into the works. I was booking the room over the phone and had got to the point of making an advance payment, when I was informed that payment had been declined because of “suspected fraud”. Fortunately there was enough money in a completely different account to pay a deposit, but there was now an urgent need to sort things out. Fortunately, again, this crisis blew up just in time for me to visit my local bank branch the next day, only a week before it would close down for good.

I was puzzling over the question overnight, helped by the fact that I’ve worked in that industry. Was it just the size of the amount? Banks now are getting very protective about older customers, wanting to make sure they don’t get scammed. Did they think I was engaged in fraud myself? Twenty years ago, the same bank was blocking my account on what was probably suspicion of money-laundering. We had just sold my late father’s house, and I paid in the solicitor’s check for my half of the proceeds, and suddenly I couldn’t use my card any more. Of course there was total silence on the matter, because they are not allowed to tell a suspect that he is under suspicion, but I’d been through the relevant course and soon began to guess. Had to spend my lunch hour in the nearest branch giving my best imitation of rage and complaining that they were obstructing my new house purchase (e.g. I couldn’t get a copy of my surveyor’s report). They succumbed.

Or was it just that the software had taken fright on receiving a payment request from a foreign source, i.e. Reddit? It turned out that I was nearly right, but the problem was McAfee. I’m still not sure why. It was only the annual renewal, and I can see no reason why they might have been using an expired card number. Just in case, I tried to update my information with McAfee, and discovered I couldn’t do it without a mobile phone number, which I don’t possess. So I removed that problem by cancelling the subscription altogether, and even that had to be done over the phone for the same reason.

I’m thinking of using the order forms in an old-fashioned mail shot to the clergy. Not the bishops, they’re too busy to take an interest. I’ve been an Anglican long enough to have some knowledge of the structures of the C. of E. I know that the dioceses are divided into deaneries, headed by a rural dean who calls together regular deanery synods of clergy and lay representatives. I needed a list of rural deans (“Please share this with your synod”). Searching around, I remembered the existence of Crockford’s Clerical Directory, and discovered that it can now be found online. I have subscribed. They asked for a delivery address, so I think that may mean that I get a physical copy as well. That would be easier to work with.

I knew about Crockfords from the time when I was working for a one-man Christian publishing company. That’s when I met the genial, clean-shaven post-graduate student Tom Wright, who gave me a lift home from work. On the strength of that, perhaps I’ll send him one of my complimentary copies.

The memory of being a deanery synod representative led me on to the associated memory of being chairman  of Penge Council of Churches (yes, I’ve been an important figure in my time). The national movement has now become “Churches Together”, which is another possible set of contacts. I found a national website, which offers a list of local group websites, which will usually offer me a list of member church websites.

At least I won’t run out of things to do.

[DISRAELI]

Update for the week.

Reddit advertising progressing without further hiccups. I’m not sure why, but somehow I manged to link my Reddit account with an e-mail address I don’t normally check, so that’s where they were sending updates about billing, ad approvals, etc. The week’s total seems to be nearly 100,00 impressions, which is probably OK provided they were the right 100,000.

Also continuing on Twitter, shamelessly combining this with a re-run of my “Four Horsemen not going away” tweet promoting the Revelation book, with “Israel” as one of the hashtags.

A non-digital marketing department of my publishers does exist, because Digital Marketing are passing on my inquiring message. But my experience of digital marketing warns me not to expect too much, despite the original assurance that marketing would be the firm’s responsibility. At least the page assigned to me on their “Authors” pages is a feeble fulfilment of the promise that “you will get your own website”.

I patiently tried different contacts in my attempt to find a literary agent. One said “We get our books from this firm”. That firm pointed out that they were retailers, and pointed me towards a publishing firm. The publishing firm said they normally dealt direct with authors, and in any case what my promotion campaign really needed was a PR agent. Their suggested name is running the Christian Resources Exhibition, so he might well be too busy nowadays. I have found another Christian PR firm online and will try that one.

Meanwhile I will start sending out review copies etc. as soon as I have gone out and bought a few of the larger size of Jiffy bag (a couple of people are getting more than one book).

[Byrd]

Update for the week.

Reddit advertising progressing without further hiccups. I’m not sure why, but somehow I manged to link my Reddit account with an e-mail address I don’t normally check, so that’s where they were sending updates about billing, ad approvals, etc. The week’s total seems to be nearly 100,00 impressions, which is probably OK provided they were the right 100,000.

Also continuing on Twitter, shamelessly combining this with a re-run of my “Four Horsemen not going away” tweet promoting the Revelation book, with “Israel” as one of the hashtags.

A non-digital marketing department of my publishers does exist, because Digital Marketing are passing on my inquiring message. But my experience of digital marketing warns me not to expect too much, despite the original assurance that marketing would be the firm’s responsibility. At least the page assigned to me on their “Authors” pages is a feeble fulfilment of the promise that “you will get your own website”.

I patiently tried different contacts in my attempt to find a literary agent. One said “We get our books from this firm”. That firm pointed out that they were retailers, and pointed me towards a publishing firm. The publishing firm said they normally dealt direct with authors, and in any case what my promotion campaign really needed was a PR agent. Their suggested name is running the Christian Resources Exhibition, so he might well be too busy nowadays. I have found another Christian PR firm online and will try that one.

Meanwhile I will start sending out review copies etc. as soon as I have gone out and bought a few of the larger size of Jiffy bag (a couple of people are getting more than one book).

Are you on any other social media sites?

Check to see if you can add a link to your books in a signature file (I don't do this with my own books because this really isn't the target audience).  I have a few sites where I'm active and have around 1500 followers (both sites combined.)  I usually see sales from announcements and updates there.  Not many, mind you, but a few.

No advice on the agent, however.