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This is where the publisher and the writer cross over a
little. There are certain routine things
that need to be done after a book is published. They are not exactly heavy
marketing tools but they nevertheless improve the book’s visibility and make author
and publisher look professional.
PLR
Public Lending Right
Register your book for PLR. Even if you’ve only written a chapter in a
book, you can get some PLR. Don’t forget to register for Irish PLR at the same
time. The amount varies from year to year. But it means that you get about 6p every
time your book is borrowed from the library, up to a maximum amount of about
£6,000 per author. They use sample libraries to monitor this and then apply the
same findings to similar libraries throughout the country. Soon technology should
be able to monitor every single book individually.
ALCS
Author’s Licensing and Collecting Agency Register here. This can be very lucrative as well for
any articles or academic papers you have had published. There is a pot of money
that is divided between all authors registered and you are also given specific
amounts according to how many times your work has been recorded or photocopied.
It also gathers PLR from other countries on your behalf. It uses a similar
monitoring system to PLR (see above). Not long ago the university where I worked
was monitored. Every time we photocopied from a published book we had to photocopy
the title page and write on it how many copies we’d made and pop the page into
a box.
“I hope my MA supervisor appreciates this,” I said to a
colleague. I’d just made twenty copies of a couple of pages of his book.
“You should copy some of your own,” said my colleague.
Now That sounds like cheating. However, I do often use my own
work with students, so why not?
Other web sites
Are you a member of a professional organisation such as the
Society of Authors or the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
Are you attached to a university and might they consider this research? They
encourage you to list your publications.
CV and Publication list
Update this every time as you get out get new publications.
It’s not a bad idea to keep your CV on Linked-in. Download a copy every time
you update.
Your own web site
Not got one yet? There are arguments that say you can have
one before you’re published. Certainly as soon as you’re published you should
have one. Weebly, one-com, Blogger and WordPress offer cheap / free solutions.
You really want one that you can author yourself, though it’s a good idea to
get advice form an expert when you set up the template. And do get a proper
domain name.
Set up a Facebook page
You might consider having one for you as an author and then
a separate one for each book. Keep it going forever. Have a call to action
button on the landing page i.e. a link to where visitors can buy the book.
Facebook reminds you if you haven’t been to your page for a
while.
Blog
Consider writing a blog if you don’t already. It might be
about writing or it might be about your book. You might keep a blog for posting
excerpts of your work. You might keep separate blogs for separate items – I do.
You can also share posts with other bloggers and go on blog tours.
Video
Make a book trailer for each publication. This is so easy
with Vimeo. Post it on You Tube, Take care not to use copyright material. Free
pictures are available at Free Pics and free music at Free Music Archive.
Book Bub
Another place to advertise your books. It's also good to
join as a reader. You can sign up for
deals to get your book on to lists that are emailed out.
Author Central
Register with Arthur
Central. This is on Amazon and allows Amazon readers to find you. Add each publication
as it comes out and you’ll soon have real evidence that you are a writer. If
you have a chapter in a book or a story in an anthology you may have to prove
this to Amazon. However, this is quite straight forward. You can mention where you
are listed as an author in the book or if they’re still not convinced can ask
your publisher to write to them. We always list our authors in such a way in
our books that Amazon often finds them anyway.
Good Reads
You can create an author profile on Good Reads. You can link this to your blog
so that people who find and follow you on Good Reads. Don’t forget to be a reader
here as well. It learns your reading preferences and recommends texts you might
like. It’s a good place for getting and posting reviews. Be generous with your
reviews if you want people to be generous with you.
Amazon Associates
This is where you can earn a little every time someone
clicks on a link from your book. You can paste just the cover of your book –
small medium or large – on to your blog or web site. Or you can use an image
plus text or just text. You can also of course advertise other people’s books
if you wish. I’m intrigued that with my own account people frequently buy such
items as dog food or lawn sprinklers. They buy books as well, thank goodness, and
on those books I also get a royalty from the publisher.
Postcards
Make postcards. Book covers look so good on a post card. Vista Print is a good option. They’re also
good for business cards. If you run out of business cards have the next set
made with the cover of your latest book and a link to where you can buy it on
one side of the card.
Linked in
You can and should list your publications on Linked in. Why
not also write a post about each new text?
Twitter List
Mention your book from time to time on Twitter. Remember the
20/80% rule, So every time you mention your book you should post four other
tweets about something else.
As a publisher and an editor I go through a shortened version
of this list:
Blog
Linked in publisher site
Twitter List
Facebook page
Good Reads, where I post a review even though I’m the publisher.
Good Reads doesn’t mind. Unfortunately you can’t do this for Amazon; they don’t
like “connections”.
For my own short stories I also use a shortened list:
Twittter
list
CV
Publication list
Website GillJames
Writer
Facebook page
Linked- in
Blogger
It’s routine stuff really and can be a bit tedious. But why
not play some good music as you do it and just remember it’s making you more visible
and helping you to come across as professional.
