September 21: the twenty-first day of InSeMaMo
Today's challenge is to set up a public appearance.
Face-to-face meetings are three times more likely to sell books than any online strategy you can devise, because meeting you in person is more memorable for readers than any number of on-line mentions.
So get out the reader profiles you did on day one of this challenge (find that challenge here) Review where your target market is likely to be found. You're going there.
Here are some suggested places for a start: coffee shops, restaurants, book stores, church groups, senior centers, retirement communities, hospitals, libraries, writers' groups, schools (from primary up to college and university, depending on your book), shopping malls, book fairs, conferences/conventions, author events, storytelling nights, community events, historical societies, service clubs, legions, locations similar to the setting of your book...there's no end to the places you can make an appearance. All you have to do is decide which ones your readers are likely to be at. I once read one of my stories to a knitting group while they knitted. They loved it! Give a reading at a medieval fair from your medieval historical fiction novel or attend a convention on the subject of your non-fiction book.
And what do you do at these places?
It can be casual - let your readers know when you're going to be in a city, and set up an hour or so in a coffee shop to meet with them. If you're at a conference or book fair, have a meal with them. Don't try to sell them anything, just let them get to know you a bit. You'll convert those readers into dedicated fans.
Or it can be more formal - make a presentation, sit on a panel, or give a book reading. Get out that list of skills and expertise you wrote on yourself (Find that challenge here), and list the subjects you can talk about. A talk that goes with a reading is more effective and interesting than simply reading a passage from your book. Push yourself - you can do it. I once offered to read a story at a weekly lunch hour series. All the performers on other weeks were musicians. I was pretty nervous, but it was great. Not many people came prepared to buy books, but one woman did, and she liked it. Turned out she was a book reviewer at bookreporter.com, and she reviewed my book! I spoke at a library once - a mucky night, only 2 people came out. We had a great chat, no one bought books, but I was asked to do an interview on CBC radio in advance - pure gold. You never know.
So make a list of places you could speak/read/meet your target readers and set one up. Then tell us where you're going and what you'll be doing.
Today's challenge is to set up a public appearance.
Face-to-face meetings are three times more likely to sell books than any online strategy you can devise, because meeting you in person is more memorable for readers than any number of on-line mentions.
So get out the reader profiles you did on day one of this challenge (find that challenge here) Review where your target market is likely to be found. You're going there.
Here are some suggested places for a start: coffee shops, restaurants, book stores, church groups, senior centers, retirement communities, hospitals, libraries, writers' groups, schools (from primary up to college and university, depending on your book), shopping malls, book fairs, conferences/conventions, author events, storytelling nights, community events, historical societies, service clubs, legions, locations similar to the setting of your book...there's no end to the places you can make an appearance. All you have to do is decide which ones your readers are likely to be at. I once read one of my stories to a knitting group while they knitted. They loved it! Give a reading at a medieval fair from your medieval historical fiction novel or attend a convention on the subject of your non-fiction book.
And what do you do at these places?
It can be casual - let your readers know when you're going to be in a city, and set up an hour or so in a coffee shop to meet with them. If you're at a conference or book fair, have a meal with them. Don't try to sell them anything, just let them get to know you a bit. You'll convert those readers into dedicated fans.
Or it can be more formal - make a presentation, sit on a panel, or give a book reading. Get out that list of skills and expertise you wrote on yourself (Find that challenge here), and list the subjects you can talk about. A talk that goes with a reading is more effective and interesting than simply reading a passage from your book. Push yourself - you can do it. I once offered to read a story at a weekly lunch hour series. All the performers on other weeks were musicians. I was pretty nervous, but it was great. Not many people came prepared to buy books, but one woman did, and she liked it. Turned out she was a book reviewer at bookreporter.com, and she reviewed my book! I spoke at a library once - a mucky night, only 2 people came out. We had a great chat, no one bought books, but I was asked to do an interview on CBC radio in advance - pure gold. You never know.
So make a list of places you could speak/read/meet your target readers and set one up. Then tell us where you're going and what you'll be doing.
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