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Writer to Writer

Rie Sheridan

Shameless self-promotion

Last month, I told you the story of a dream come true. After decades of work, I could finally consider myself a published novelist. Now was the time I got to sit back and let someone else do all the work. I had sent my firstborn off to school, and the teacher could do the rest, right?

Wrong.

Just when I thought the dream was fulfilled, I found out how hard the next bit would be. It was time to start marketing the final product. And marketing it is. Just the same as if I had opened a retail clothing store and wanted to attract customers. Now, we as writers hate to think of our precious babies in those terms, but it is a business that we are engaged in, and the earlier that we realize that, the better. It is hard work to get the message out there to the public, but I have discovered that there are many ways to do so.

As I mentioned in last month's column, the first thing to do is network. From my network contacts, I found publishers for several other manuscripts since that first sale. I got a cover quote from my favorite fantasy writer of all time. I hooked up with a web design consultant. Networking is the single most important skill I have learned so far in the marketing field.

First, I discovered that once you have an accepted contract, you find out if there is a weblist associated with the publisher. All of the electronic publishers I know of have one of these lists. I now belong to three of them. They give me the opportunity to interact with the other authors in my publisher's stables, and are a valuable way to make friends in the business and learn where the pitfalls lie. Since I am so far working exclusively with electronic publishers, I applied for membership in the professional organizations for e-writers, first EPPRO (Electronically Published Professionals) http://eppro.homestead.com/, which is free for qualified members, and a good place to start, and more recently, EPIC (Electronically Published Internet Connection) http://www.epicauthors.org, with a yearly membership fee of $30, which I can halfway cover with my royalties to date.

If I am someday lucky enough to capture a traditional print contract, my next illusive goal, I plan on joining the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, http://www.sfwa.org/, but they have very strict membership guidelines, and even with four books now, I still haven’t qualified. Many of the large national organizations still only consider print books to count, though hopefully this barrier will be removed in the future.

I also have become something of a web designer. The WVU class on HTML was a great place to start, and FrontPage is my personal choice for software package at the moment. It takes hours of work to build a website, but it is worth it for the chance to have people find your work in one location. It is much easier to point potential editors or publishers to my resume and work samples online. My personal domain name is "riewriter.com." Circumstances required me to abandon it for a time, but I am in the process of resurrecting it. Nothing beats a catchy domain name with your name built into it, I have found. Having a domain name that is distinctive and easily recognizable is another essential marketing tool. I publicize my site everywhere I can. It is incorporated it into my email signature, and I use it whenever I contact someone new or write a professional message. (I do turn it off for personal messages to friends, there is such a thing as overkill.) My website has a links page, and I trade links with fellow authors.

There are still several website services where you can get free or inexpensive space. My current site is with Angelfire, http://angelfire.lycos.com/, at http://www.angelfire.com/tx5/riesheridan. I didn't have the skills to build my own site at first and discovered that there are several author communities will host a site for you if you provide relevant information. A good example is Author’s Den, http://www.authorsden.com/. I built a site there, but I’m still working on getting it into the right category of authors! I also volunteer to write copy for local newsletters. For example, I co-edit the Georgetown chapter of the AAUW newsletter, with a monthly column. I do features for the Habitat for Humanity occasionally. I format one of my publisher newsletters and the Word of Mouth review newsletter. This last is done in return for free advertising in their newsletter, and they have a circulation of over 2000 people I would never reach otherwise. I find it is a great way to get your writing read and your name seen. The more name recognition I can build for myself, the better. There is no way to stress that enough.

I submit stories to e-zines, I have now reduced the contents of my "writing trunk" to one or two really lame stories that probably should be unpublished, and have finished the first new stories I had written in years and found them homes too. Some of these have actually brought in hard cash, others are "sold" for links in widely read websites. It is building that recognition that is the important part.

I trade columns with other authors so both of our websites benefit. This is the way to build a fan readership, every writer wants one of those, right? I have my own weblist called "RieReaders," we are small, but it is a start. And it is a forum for discussing my writing, and letting people know when something new is coming out.

All of the methods mentioned so far are free or very low cost. But there comes a point when you have to decide where to go next. After researching, I have decided to participate in my first real paid advertising for my next book. I have recently joined the other writers at NovelBooks, Incorporated in purchasing catalog space in a mailing that will go out with the spring Bowkers advertising. (Bowkers is a company that advertises book releases, and mails to libraries and bookstores throughout the country.) I will also be one of the featured authors in an ad in the May/June Affaire de Coeur romance newsletter (with a widespread circulation, and respected reviewers) because of the key romance element despite the fact that my book is a fantasy. I have learned that romance is a good selling point even if I never thought of my story in those terms, but hey, if it has the feathers, sell the goose.

I am currently working on arranging a local booksigning, and there has been interest expressed in the possibility of using The Blood that Binds as a discussion novel for a reading group with a question-and-answer session after the book is read. My first book tour, limited, but a start. I talk up my book whenever I get a chance. There is a copy of my cover art on my desk at work. It is also my screensaver. I have Lynn Flewelling’s quote sitting in a frame on top of my computer. (Free advertising for both of us.) We had a hobby showcase at the plant, I put in my book, and plugged the release date. It is amazing how many people say they want a signed copy. (Whether they actually buy one or not is waiting to be seen.) One of my publishers told me this month that I am their highest-selling author-to-date. Of course, since they opened their doors September 1, that isn’t saying much, but I’ll say it again, it’s a start.

Next Month, How Far Do You Give? The Editing Process