Developing Contacts to Promote Your Book - Part V

Final installment! I was one of the presenters for The Muse Online Writers Conference, which included a week-long forum workshop, Developing Contacts to Promote Your Book. Each day had a specific topic and the participants really got into building their contact lists.

For the first four installments - Part I, Part II, Part III, and Part IV

The whole point of these exercises is to get your brain working. You want to develop these lists while you are writing if at all possible! And as participants in the forum discovered, I’m a stickler for specifics. Generic answers (like ‘everyone’) don’t fly with me! If you are to effectively promote your book, you need specifics and details!

You can share some of your ideas below or copy & paste and work on your lists on your own time. But sharing a few ideas is fun, because it might help out someone else!

Establishing Other Contacts -

The plan is to make a list of all options and begin networking many months prior to the release of your book.

Reviewers

Make a list of potential book reviewers - top reviewers, magazines, newspapers, online reviewers and sites, book bloggers, etc. Don’t limit yourself to places that just review books, either. Remember to coordinate with your publisher’s efforts.

Media releases

Media release options - paid and free services, news media, AP offices, magazines and websites, businesses, etc.

Fairs, festivals, & shows

List all regional book festivals, specialty fairs & festivals, and trade shows.

Personal contacts

Develop a mailing list of all personal contacts - snail mail and email. Consider all personal and business contacts.