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Whether you are an author or a freelance writer a lot of time is spent promoting your work or your ability to produce a specific body of work. I’m finding in my pursuit of both that it’s not just about the work. Of course the writing must be good, but when I contact editors and media/marketing agencies I am promoting myself as well. The public isn’t just buying our words, it is buying into our persona or brand as well.

How often have do people refuse to see a movie because there’s something distasteful or disagreeable about an actor in his or her personal life with little regard to that actor’s ability to perform exceptionally on screen? I’m certainly guilty of it.

So when you are marketing your book or your writing skills, remember you are not just marketing the work, you are marketing your persona/name as a brand. The work or service you provide will be linked to your name setting a certain expectation to the public and those who buy your future work.

As a successful writer, your career involves more than just writing good material. While producing the best written work is the core of any writing career, getting the attention your work deserves is an important component of your career and is no longer just the responsibility of your agent or publisher. Additionally, it begins long before you land that writing contract or in some cases before you’ve typed “The End” on the final draft of your literary masterpiece.

That’s why it’s crucial to incorporate the business side of your writing career as soon as possible. I’ve introduced you to the benefits working with a publicist in book marketing. It is also important in terms freelance writing as well. We’ll talk more about that later. This series of articles will re-introduce you to Ella D. Curry and EDC Creations. I first told you about Ms. Curry and EDC Creations in August when I wrote the first installment of Author Marking Essentials.

Join me know as we learn more about Ms. Ella D. Curry, EDC Creations and what she is planning for black and multicultural authors, community leaders and the changing face of literacy now and for years to come.

Photo credit: Real You Inc

Every wanna-be writer and actual writer daydreams about their book signing. Picture this: You’re sitting at a table in a popular bookstore in your favorite city or in a locale you’ve dreamed of visiting surrounded be a number of of your books only surpassed by the number people  waiting for you to sign it.  Every person you encounter is waving your book in his or her hand and are just gushing over how your words changed their life. Each patron is hurling questions at you about your inspiring talent and making comments in the hope you’ll let details about your next book slip. It soon becomes obvious from the pillows, sleeping bags and smell of stale coffee that some fans have even camped out all night just to ensure the chance to meet you.

Now you have the pressure of having something inspiring to say to the single mom that took off work to bring her daughter to meet you–in the hopes of teaching the girl that even the seemingly impossible is possible.

You have little old ladies parceling out cash from their fixed income to buy your book feeling comfortable that a few hours of enjoyment is only a cash register ring away.

After your hand begins to cramp and you have no more fascinating words to impart, the store manager closes his doors promising rainchecks and a repeat performance in the coming months.

Wouldn’t be great if that was the play book by which every book signing is executed? Many say book signings are useless to most unless you are already a household name. Many who gathered a strong following from coast to coast or even just in their own backyard enjoy the opportunity to meet their fans.

Potentially all this can be true and more. I’ve witnessed the incredible lines that wait to meet Sherrilyn Kenyon and I’ve heard about the writers who sat at tables only to be greeted by their mother and a few close friends.

If you’re a new writer, the best thing is to get involved in art festivals and writers groups that host book signings. Make friends with bookstore managers who support local authors. Most of all, until you break the big time, know that a book signing may be more about selling yourself as an author and promoting your book as a dynamite read. Remember that short pitch you used to sell the book to an editor or agent? Yeah, you better dust it off and read it over a few times because you’ll need it for those scrutinizing book buyers that haven’t heard about you yet. Good luck and enjoy the ride!

                 They say writing is a solitary affair, but if the writer desires to become an author, then knowing when and how to promote your work is essential for literary survival.

                 In the first article of this series, we discussed the primary tools a writer needs to draw attention to his or her work. Once you have set up your personalized domain name and website and the press kit and Internet marketing tools have been developed, it’s time to gather the elements for the tangible marketing campaign.

                 It is imperative to have little gifts to give perspective readers at the book signings, writers’ conferences and workshops you may participate in. You might be thinking, “Isn’t that bribery?” and “It can’t come cheap.”

                No, it’s skillful book marketing.  Thousands of books are published every month both online and off, what are you going to do to make sure your book stands out?

                  Readers may not buy your book at first glance, especially if you are not a well-known author. Handing out items like bookmarks, buttons and other trinkets that bear your product’s likeness will go a long way to keeping you in front of your target audience. Your next thought might be, “I’m in the industry, as a reader I get a ton of so-called trinkets that stay buried in my conference bag if they make it home with me at all.” True, but that’s why your trinket must be unique and useful. Everyone gives out bookmarks, buttons and book cover flats, but differentiation is key.

                Look, don’t be a tightwad. We’ve all seen those teabag packets with the makeshift address labels affixed to the front to market books. Those don’t work because once the wrapper is removed and the bag is used, who remembers what the tea was associated with anyway. Certainly, those book covers are designed to sell books, but what does one do with book cover flats? I still haven’t figured that out. Don’t mortgage the house to invent some one of a kind marketing trinket but make sure it’s useful and memorable.

                 Debra Owsley, owner of Simply-Said Reading Accessories has a very powerful message to get this point across. Picture the day after a very successful writers’ conference. Numerous bookmarks and author tri-folds litter the ground. How are readers going to remember you if they don’t value your marketing materials? Your book is a homemade literary work of art, right? Well, maybe the marketing trinkets you use to tout your book should be as well. These items have numerous uses. From gift bag stuffers or contest items to viral name spreading tools, your book marketing materials need to stand apart from the rest. Nothing represents individuality like Simply-Said Reading Accessories. With a variety of bookmark sizes and bookplates designed to represent your book in the best possible light you can’t go wrong. Also known for fun book thongs or book jewels that hold your reading spot, readers will know you cherish their time and the money they spend on your books when you give these fun trinkets away as appreciation gifts.                  

                There are many printing companies, which include bookmarks as part of their portfolio, but why not get your bookmarks, bookplates and other trinkets from one supplier? Also, those other printing companies are just that. Printing companies focused on mass-production rather that being a true artisan designing items for the books and authors we all love. That’s what you get with Simply Said Reading Accessories. Look at what’s possible at www.simply-said.net.

 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!