Publication - more Speaking and Teaching

22 January 2012, Publication - more Speaking and Teaching

Introduction: I realized that I need to introduce this blog a little. I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon. The working title was Daemon, and this was my 21st novel. Over the last year, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel.

I'm using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I'll keep you informed along the way.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, go to my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

Here is the list of ideas for advertising--there are more and I'll add to the list as we go along.  I'm certainly not an expert in all these, but I've dabbled in all of them.  I'll try to relate my experience and the degree of that experience to you.

1.  Have a website for your novel.
2.  Write a blog.
3.  Advertise.
4.  Literary awards.
5.  Book cards.
6.  Contests.
7.  Interviews.
8.  Blog tours.
9.  Press releases.
10.  Speaking and teaching.
11.  e-mailing.
12.  Gifts.
13.  Book signings.
14.  Book trailers
15.  ...

Remember topic?  People usually don't want to hear about your book.  In fact, the best way to make people fall asleep is to tell them about your writing.  People want to hear about the topic of your book.  Your book isn't important.  You didn't write a book to write a book, you wrote it to get out an idea--right? 

Therefore, offer to teach a class on the subject of your book not on your book.  Now, to be fair, I have been asked to come speak about my books, but I always focused on the topic.  The topic is what excites people.  In developing my talk, I speak about how I developed the topic within the novel.  In most cases, I develop the talk around a topic and introduce the novel as a source of information.  For example, I have been asked to speak about hieroglyphics many times because of my novel Aegypt.  I have also been asked to speak about ancient Egypt because of Aegypt.  I speak on those topics and bring among my novel to sell.  Usually, I sell one or more copies.  I teach routinely about ancient Greece and ancient Greek culture.
I'll write more about speaking and teaching tomorrow.

I'll repeat my published novel websites so you can see more examples: http://www.ldalford.com/, and the individual novel websites: http://www.aegyptnovel.com/, http://www.centurionnovel.com/, http://www.thesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, http://www.thefoxshonor.com/, and http://www.aseasonofhonor.com/.