It is so professional in here. Immaculately decorated with abstract art, chrome furniture with white, leather cushions, and silver, globe light fixtures poking out of urns on long stems like alien trees. I've never been to such an intimidating office. I wish I wore a suit!
Anyway, I'm here to talk about promotion and publishing. Diane is the queen of promoting – she wrote the book!
All I can do is offer tips from my limited experience so far. And believe me, I'm still learning.
- Research! Buy books like Diane's. Read articles about promoting. Find all the advice and tips you can handle. The more you know, the more you can choose from to pick what will work best for you.
- Buck up! If you want to sell, you have to get out there. No more hiding behind that computer. You have to get a head shot of yourself and lose the Hello Kitty cartoon avatar. You are now a brand and you have to get out there and sell yourself.
- Be innovative! I am impressed by new things an author does to promote herself. Take what works and spruce it up or give it a twist.
- Ask for help! Ask your publisher, editor, self-published friends. And ask your friends and family for help in ways they can - they will step up, but you have to ask. You are not alone.
Since I just started, I don't have much more to say. I've heard the best way to sell your book is to write another one. When people like a book/author, they want more!
Thanks again for having me, Diane, and for helping me spread the word about Pop Travel!
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Find Pop Travel on Amazon and Barnes and Noble
Find Tara: Blog, Twitter, and Facebook.
Sounds an interesting book. I like the idea of pop travel
ReplyDelete"Find all the advice and tips you can handle" That's a perfect line. All you can handle is true for writing and editing advice too! It can be overwhelming.
ReplyDeletePromotion is so hard and constant. Good luck in your first time through it.
ReplyDeleteI've seen this cover on other sites, so you must be doing a good job promoting it!
ReplyDeleteI'm a big believer in asking for help.
ReplyDeleteGreat tips, writers really do need to get out there in order to promote their books properly.
ReplyDeletePromoting is tough but necessary - tips from folks who have gone ahead of you is great advice! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat tips. I'm diggin' that blurb.
ReplyDeleteAwesome advice and all the best to Tara :)
ReplyDeleteExcellent, Tara! And I agree about Diane's book :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck with Pop Travel!
Thank you everyone for visiting. Research should always be first on the list.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with Pop Travel! So true about bucking up. You have to get out there and and hit the streets. One can sell on the street just by walking up to people. Use a card reader with your cell phone so people can use credit cards.
ReplyDeleteIt's all about promoting. It sounds like you're off to a good start with your book!
ReplyDeleteYour list is spot on. And I like how you highlight promotion in the light of ALL books you're writing, not just one book. Point number #2 speaks to that too. You, the author, is now a brand.
ReplyDeleteHelp is always around if you ask. We have some awesome people who know promotion and don't mind giving suggestions. :-)
Sia McKye OVER COFFEE
Promotion is far harder for me than writing the book. Good luck with yours, Tara. Thanks for having Tara as your guest, Diane!
ReplyDeleteMary Montague Sikes
Congrats to Tara. Promoting/marketing sounds way easier than it is :) Never give up is the most important lesson.
ReplyDeleteI've been seeing this book around the blog-o-sphere and sounds like a good one.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips. Your book sounds like an excitng one.
ReplyDeleteTara's book is everywhere!
ReplyDeleteYes, get Diane's book. It's a fantastic resource.
I have heard you need more than one book on the go at once. Self promotion is always going to be hard!
ReplyDeleteI definitely have to reread Diane's book.
ReplyDeleteI have a marketing background, but that doesn't mean promotions is my favorite part about writing.
Good luck with your book, Tara!!!!!
Great tips, Tara! One of the hardest things, okay, two of the hardest things is to ask for help and come out from behind the computer. Yet take every opportunity you can make!
ReplyDeletethank you for all your support, you guys! and I like the additional tips I can take with me!
ReplyDeleteand thanks again, Diane, for letting me come over - you have a supreme following!
Excellent tips! :) Congratulations!
ReplyDeletecan't wait to get my hands on this!
ReplyDeleteExcellent advice.
ReplyDelete(And I need it...here I thought writing the book would be the hard part!)
Great tips! Best of luck with Pop Travel. :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Diane .. Tara offers excellent advice .. especially from what I can see: is get on and write the 2nd book ..
ReplyDeleteI love her set out of 'your office' as she sees it .. great looking place to work from - !!
Cheers Hilary
Hi, L. Diane, Hi, Tara,
ReplyDeleteCongrats Tara on your newest venture. Thanks for the tips.
WE ALL need help in this department and KNOWLEDGE is POWER....
All the best with your endeavors!
Thank you, Tara and Diane. These little tidbits are like pieces of gold. I appreciate them more than long docs/articles on how to market yourself.
ReplyDeleteCongrats and good luck, Tara.
One thing that helped a lot for me, especially because I live in a small town, was asking the book reviewer of a local paper to review my book. I also distributed my books to a few indie bookstores that were willing to carry it. I've sold almost as many copies that way as I have on Amazon.
xoRobyn
Hi Diane and Tara,
ReplyDeleteI'm really delighted to see that "Pop Travel" has arrived on your site, Diane.
Of course, plenty of excellent advice by the both of you. For published, aspiring authors and smug amateurs like me :)
These are great tips! Pop Travel has a nice cover.
ReplyDeletewww.modernworld4.blogspot.com
Great tips (I'm pretty much a hider) - I must try harder!
ReplyDeleteGreat tips! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteTara's book sounds so good!
ReplyDeletelovely to see Tara on here! love that book cover!
ReplyDeleteNutschell
www.thewritingnut.com
Sia, help is there if we ask.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jay.
Elizabeth, writing the book is the easiest.
Robyn, use that to your advantage.
I love time travel...or any kind of futuristic travel for that matter. In my WIP, they have acceleration pod travel. This sounds similar...will have to check it out.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes people, buy L.Diane's book. Worth every penny.
Tina @ Life is Good
I'm obsessed with time travel books. Wonderful post by Tara with some really useful tips. I'm quite a long way from promoting a book, but its still good to know and never too early to learn. I especially loved when she said the best way to promote or sell a book is to write another book. So true.
ReplyDeleteCool tips. I'm too intimidated to promote myself, but I guess once I have a book out, that will have to change.
ReplyDeleteHi Diane, Hi Tara!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your book~
Yes, be brave-I am going to chant that tomorrow, when I attempt to teach art ;D
Thanks you!
Fantastic tips. Help is out there.
ReplyDeleteGood tips and asking for help applies in many aspects of life, not just writing. I'm sure you'll do great Tara. :)
ReplyDeletewow, the sweet comments kept coming! thank you guys!
ReplyDeletei'm working my way down the list to visit you all back!
Speaking of good promotion, I'm seeing Pop Travel all over the blog world. Congratulations.
ReplyDeleteI read about Pop Travel on another site too.
ReplyDeleteMore tips about Promotion always help!
Jai
"Lose the Hello Kitty cartoon avatar..."
ReplyDeleteThanks for the laughs. But you ARE right...
(Trying to play catch up on the blog tour...)