Book publicity Q&A – installment #1 – what do I get asked about the most?
I’d like to give you some insight into the reality of book publishing and publicity and save you time, energy and most of all money. Especially money.
Q: If I have a great proposal, a great book written or at least partly written, and it’s my first book, shouldn’t a publisher want to sign me?
A. Oh, my dear, dear, dear one. If only it were so. After all, you certainly deserve to be published if you made all the obvious steps to get there. My question to you is, what are you bringing to the table BESIDES your great work of art and your proposal (and probably your soul)? If you’re not showing up with an arsenal of platform tools, then you may be jumping the gun and going for a publishing contract too soon.
Q. What??????
A. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard it said or read query letters that suggest all that a fledgling author is willing to do. Things like: “I’m willing to go on a book tour if the publisher wants to send me” or “I’m available to be on tv talk shows and interviews for radio and magazines.” Great, who isn’t? The key here is not to offer what you WILL do but rather show what you HAVE DONE, what you’ve already PROVEN that you can do and then what you expect to build on from your experience?
Q. Come again?
A. That means, what media or other experience do you bring to the fore. And, what are the odds of having that media welcome you back another time. Or, do you have your own radio show, are you a regular columnist for a newspaper or magazine, do you have a blog that has a jillion subscribers? Or, better yet, do you have a radio show, a column AND a killer blog? Not to mention a regular guest spot on one of America’s favorite tv talk shows. (Please don’t tell me you know Oprah’s plumber or that your nephew lives in the same community as Larry King)
Q. Isn’t that really pipe dreaming? After all, I just wrote the book. Isn’t that enough?
A. Sister, brother, cousin – that sounds more like pipe smoking that pipe dreaming! Sad to say, but if you’re not bringing some media vehicle or even lecture circuit audience with you on your way to the publisher, I would highly recommend starting to build some inroads there. Not all at once, don’t get yourself overwhelmed, step by step, effort to start creating your platform.
Q. There’s that “platform” word again. Where have I heard that term before?
A. Three guesses. It’s one of my favorite words.
Q. Very well then, what are some basic steps on my way towards platform nirvana?
A. The wild world of the internet offers so many opportunities, I’d recommend starting with the easiest, the most obvious, and the free-est. That would be social networking. Make sure you’re building a presence on the social networking sites that are the most popular and active, like Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, etc. Learn about the wonderful world of mini-blogging on Twitter. Then look for the nuanced networking sites that are specific to your genre or area. Might as well court the people who like what you like.
Q. How long does the platform building process take?
A. An unanswerable question but a reasonable one. The platform building process is ongoing which means forever. The basics might take many months to a year or even two. It all depends on what you’re able to accomplish.
Q. What’s the single most important piece of advice you can give me.
A. Whatever stage of the publishing process you’re involved with, if you’re not enjoying it, do something else. I insist on making your book future a labor of love and a conduit for your passion. Trust me on this one. Like a lot of things in life, if you feel like you’re swimming upstream, think twice. Then turn around.
All the best. Please continue to send your publishing and publicity questions here in the comments area and I’ll keep answering.
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Thank you for sharing this AWESOME advice!
I remember when I first learned about platforms. It was because of mine that I have a publishing contract. This is excellent information, Kim! Very important.
Great post, very informative and quite entertaining. A great help to all of us just starting out.
Well said!