If I’ve learned anything in the last year, it’s what works and what doesn’t when it comes to publicizing a book. Here are a few tips from my last 12 months.
I published Daughter of Spies with an award winning, independent press based in North Carolina. A memoir for adults is a complete departure from my usual fiction for children and adults. In this case, unlike better known authors who have stayed on the same writing path which means they have built a loyal following over several books, I struck out in a new direction. My publisher, Regal House, made it clear from the beginning that they would rely on me to create my own individualized marketing plan, My devoted readers from kids to librarians to teachers who connected to my middle grade fantasy novels or my classic picture books do not comprise a natural audience for a book that deals with everything from a World War II love affair to a childhood in Washington, D.C. surrounded by spies and secrets. So, in a way, I had to start all over again.
Here's my takeaway.
Look for venues that already have a solid subscriber list. Thanks to friends who recommended me and to my own promotional outreach, I’ve given book presentations at venues as varied as the Clark Art Institute, the Johan Fust Library in Boca Grande, Florida, as the keynote speaker for a fundraiser for literacy organization in Vero Beach, Florida and at a private club in New York. Early on, I had a launch event at my favorite New York library in conversation with a dear friend, Tim Gunn, who also grew up in the strange murky underworld that was Washington, D.C. in the 1960s.
Book Festivals are a great way to spread the word. You can apply to be included but I’ve found it’s better if you are invited. And at a book festival, I always ask to be featured on a panel or in a conversation with another author. It provides a more lively experience for the audience and the author is not left sitting at a table, waving people over in a desperate attempt to sell a copy or two. As one example, I’m appearing on a panel called Secrets, Spies and Lies: Intrigue and Deception in Fiction, Memoir and More at the Literary Hill Festival in Washington, D.C. on September 17th. I’ll be in conversation with Ilana Berry, a former CIA spy and now a novelist, and Tom Dunkel, a non-fiction writer and former feature editor. What a great combo. I’m really looking forward to our discussion.
I love independent bookstores but when it came to planning appearances, I stuck to bookstores that were connected to places or people I knew: Politics and Prose in Washington, D.C., ground zero for the memoir, Books and Books in Key West where I’ve spent lots of time and where I have loyal friends and fans, and RJ Julia in Middletown, Connecticut where I had a fascinating conversation with the executive director of the Middletown Historical Society. (My family comes from that town and my ancestors are buried up the hill from the bookstore.) Sadly, my event at Theodore’s Books to be held at Raynham Hall in Oyster Bay, Long Island was cancelled due to smoke from the Canadian wildfires. As a descendant of Theodore Roosevelt, it made sense for me to connect to readers at the bookstore named after our 26th president.
Know your audience. My memoir opens in 1926 with the birth of my mother and covers the years from World War II to her death in 2012. This was not a book for TikTok users or for too many people under the age of 50. I focused my efforts on the group that loves to read World War II history and personal tales of the Cold War, and I tried not to be tempted too far from that path, especially when it came to social media posts.
I received exactly one official review from the Midwest Book Review. This had never happened to me before. In the past, my fiction has been widely reviewed in trade publications like Kirkus, Booklist and Publishers Weekly, as well as in the New York Times, the Washington Post and the LA Times. Times have changed as my publicist warned me from the beginning. More and more outlets for reviewing books are disappearing. Now, you must pitch your book to a reviewer, and they will let you know if they wish to read it. In my case, very few responded. Once again, it goes back to the increasing number of books published every year. In the US alone, 1700-2000 a day.
I relied instead on podcasts and had 13 different and fascinating interviews/conversations with people on subjects as wide ranging as Cold War history, the struggles of caring for parents with dementia, the writing process, alcoholism, spying, family dysfunction. Did those interviews sell books? I hope the word spread that way, but I have no way of knowing.
Offer to appear at Book Clubs. Create a discussion guide for your book and make yourself available on Zoom if you can’t meet in person. I’ve done book clubs at assisted living places, in libraries, through my college, and in people’s houses. This direct connection with an author really does spread the word. And I loved these conversations with my readers.
I started writing this newsletter six months before the book was published and eventually moved it on to Substack. My father was a journalist who wrote three columns a week for an international newspaper syndicate, but from the beginning, I knew I wanted to write fiction. It’s only recently that I have pushed myself to produce essays on topics that would interest other writers, readers, the general public. Some of the titles include How I Found My Way Back to My Mother After I Lost Her to Dementia, 6 Writing Techniques That Helped Me Shift From Fiction to Memoir, What Memoir Writing Taught Me About Myself. I still find it hard to write pieces like these, but I am glad I’ve pushed myself in a new direction.
I’m moving slowly back into my full-time writing mode. I’ve learned over the years that it’s hard for me to sink deeply into the lives of my characters if I’m worrying about practical details like travel arrangements and book promotion. But to my surprise, I find that I’ve enjoyed this marketing journey more than I ever expected to. The sales may not make me rich, but I can rest easy knowing I gave this personal memoir, one so close to my heart, every ounce of energy it deserved.
Thanks for this comment. Good for you to get that pre-ordering done… I let that slide and I probably needed to pay more attention to that initiative. Write on….
So enjoyed reading this and comparing notes with your experience. I'm a month from pub date for my second novel, 12 years since my first, and have times changed in marketing! I heard this from publicists too, eventually worked with a coach @Dan Blank to help me learn and navigate. My other books (nonfiction before novels) were heavily dependent on print, TV, and radio media. Now it's mostly podcasts, working with a launch team, blogger tours, social media, my Substack following, and focusing on pre-orders. It's been a wild ride, a huge learning curve. Pre-order marketing focus put my book into Amazon bestseller for two weeks in three categories, a totally new experience as well. My last books were slow burners and this one is a jet. I like how you aligned your topic (sounds fascinating!) with your choice of venues. My novel is inspired by my mom who was a WWII pilot and I write about female aviators, so podcasts have connected well with that. I'm only a newbie at flying lessons, but I love talking about aviation. Next up is book clubs, and I'm glad to hear they worked for you. Thanks for posting this!