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 Once the hard work of writing your literary masterpiece is finished and it has landed a contract, you are set to embark on your national book tour and countless standing-room-only book signings. Then the only thing left to do is to hit the writers’ conference and talk show circuit.  

 

 While this may be the sequence of events in an author’s wildest dreams, they are generally not the reality. Only the very popular and bottom-line raising writers get book tours and promotions at the expense of others. The rest of us, especially multicultural authors, must hock our literary wares like any other salesperson. “I’m a writer, not a car salesman,” you might say. Well, in this publishing age, it is expected that authors will do more than write a great story in order to ensure their profits. In order to keep the book contracts and royalty checks coming, authors are required to participate in more aspects of the publishing industry than in the past. Publishers are less willing to absorb all the risk involved in launching the work of new authors or authors with mediocre sales.

 

 Writing success has a lot to do with marketing and branding. Yes–branding isn’t just for companies anymore. No artists, regardless of their product, can reach the highest pillars of success without branding themselves. Artists are known not just by the work they produce but also by their public persona. This notion is not restricted to Tinsel Town either. While the work of many writers tend to take on a life of its own, (think J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter or Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter series) most writers share the spotlight with their creations. Authors of color must work even harder to get their work noticed by a broader audience.

 

For those multicultural authors aspiring to the levels of Rowling, Kenyon or even Beverly Jenkins, be prepared to get not just your book out there but your name as well.  Publishers will provide some marketing materials in the form of book cover postcards or flats, but they reserve the bulk of their marketing budget for their big sellers. The rest is up to you. Here’s just a short list of what you’ll need:

 

·  Author’s website with your own domain name

·  Business cards

·  Internet banners featuring your book

·  Press Kit

·  Social networking presence

 

Not included in the list above are many more sources of book advertising, which we’ll discuss in future articles. For now, your question may be “How am I going to accomplish this?” Many authors join writers’ communities where they can seek advice while many others outsource these tasks. This article will give you a source for your author’s website, press kit and Internet banners.

 

There are many literary promotion companies but selecting the best for you may depend on your target audience and your desired results. You want a promotion company with a passion for the types of books you write. If you write ethnic fiction or romance, you would not entrust your publicity and promotion to a company that focuses on nonfiction fare. Also, if one of the princes or princesses of Internet publishing is representing your work and not one of the publishing kings of New York City, you will require a promotion company with a big email list. They should have a stronghold in publishing cyberspace. Here are a few things to look for:

 

1.      What does the promotion company’s online presence look like?

2.      Do they appear to be web savvy?

3.      Who are their clients?

4.      How are they promoting them?

5.      Where do their promotions appear online, if Googled?

6.      How big is their reach?

7.      What services do they offer and are the prices reasonable?

8.      Is there a variety of promotion packages for varying budgets?

 

Of course, you’ll want to determine your monthly promotion budget and estimate how much you are willing to do for free on your own. However, having a partner in the form of a literary promotion consultant can go a long way in developing buzz for your multicultural or ethnic book and supporting its presence instead of just creating a flash in the pan.

 

One company that meets the above criteria and can assist in satisfying the needs mentioned earlier is EDC Creations. With stellar skills, such as graphic design, web design, branding, product and event promotion, imprinting, and press kits as well as a huge email list and online presence, EDC Creations leave no publicity and promotional rock unturned. Whether it is live podcasts, email blasts or Web 2.0 design, EDC Creations provides deep penetration in the multicultural and ethnic fiction markets. The mark of a truly well rounded literary promotion company is not only in the services it provides but also in the relationships it creates.

As a newly published author, I have had great pleasure in showcasing and expanding my creative talents as a client of EDC Creations. At EDC Creations, you are more than a client, you and your talents are embraced in the family-like fold held together by the desire to provide great ethnic and multicultural literary products to a growing segment of society that craves it.

For more information on EDC creations, click on the banner!

 

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