Book promotion for the clueless... but I'll get there in the end!

Book promotion for the clueless... but I’ll get there in the end!

I’ve done it, I’ve finished my book, and requested a print quote to have my files magically transformed into a beautiful book... so now what do I do...?

This is the part I find the hardest, the part where I need to promote my book – but it doesn’t exist in a physical form yet. I’ve researched on line about the next step, but in truth most of the articles are full of buzz words about tried and tested ways of getting a book noticed. Most of these involve a massive investment in money, and sending out emails or letters asking for a piece of the spotlight across the media. This does seem a bit reminiscent of sending out pitches to publishers to add to their slush pile... So what I usually do is take my books out into the world at book signings, but this only generates enough sales to fund the next print run and keep me ticking over.

So how hard can it be to get a book noticed? Harder than writing the book it would appear. But wait a minute, what did I have to overcome to write a book in the first place...?

 I had to learn to type for a start off – I trained as a chef, back in the days when a chef would never need to use a computer, and I never expected to need to type. But I have always loved reading and making up stories, and as my children grew out of picture books - I didn’t.

 About this time my daughter would sometimes ask me to tell her a story instead (or probably as well) as reading one. This got my imagination stirring, and I started to write the stories down – pen and paper at that stage. When I graduated to the computer, writing was very slow, as I had to stop and search for the letters a lot of the time, and I found I made spelling mistakes on a keyboard that I would never have made with a pen...

 I had a deep mistrust of the computer, and liked to print things out in case they were lost. I’ll never forget the first time I used the printer on my own – the printer seemed to know it had the upper hand and started spitting paper out at me like an unruly child, until I had to stop it in the only way that made sense at the time – I pulled the plug out of the wall – that’ll teach it I thought! Of course it later had a tantrum about not being turned off in the correct way, but it only had itself to blame.

So, when I come to think about it, I’ve come a long way, so I will absolutely NOT allow a little thing like not knowing where to start, get in the way of getting my books noticed...!

So if anyone is interested I’ll write a series of these articles and share my journey and if anyone cares to add comments along the way please feel free to do so.

#LostinaBook    Lost in a Book is the name of my imprint. I’m self published and proud of it.