A Cup of Coffee?
By Pandora Poikilos
There have been several discussions on the importance of
marketing and promotions for self-published authors. How much is too much? If
you do not promote your book, will your book still sell? Yes, loads of questions so before we get to
that how about you and I sit down for a cup of coffee? But first, let's choose
where we get it from shall we?
We have Cafe A. Its windows are dirty, one has a slight
crack and the furniture appears old. Its sign is so faded, you have to strain
to read it.
Opposite the street, there's Cafe B. It’s the same size as Cafe
A but its windows are clean. The signboard is also clean. Not brand new, just
clean. Inside, there is a fresh aroma and the assorted furniture appears
colourful and comfortable.
This is what any book cover should look like. Easy to read with
a clear picture that closely depicts your title or story.
*****
Then, there's the coffee itself. Cafe A serves you lukewarm
coffee in a stained mug, the milk appears lumpy and the coffee tastes bitter.
No extra sugar is given even when you ask. The staff appear distracted and
uninterested.
For the same price, the coffee in Cafe B is creamy. The milk is
frothy and extra sugar is provided even before you ask. Plus, each cup of coffee
is served with a little cream on top and two thin slices of almond biscotti.
The staff are jovial, they ask about your day and appear ready to serve
you.
Welcome to the world of editing and formatting. See, just like a
coffee machine, almond biscotti and all the other additions that cost extra
money, a good editor and a good formatter will cost you more than a few pennies
but the difference they make in the long run is money well-spent. It may take
you months to break even but do you really want to ruin a reader's experience
with your book?
*****
Cafe A appears to have customers so it can’t be all that
bad. There is one customer sitting in a corner, sleeping. Another appears
engrossed on his laptop. However, neither are drinking or eating anything.
Café B isn’t crowded, there are at least ten or more people. But
each customer is having a drink and some are enjoying snacks.
These are your customers. In the publishing world, they are also
your reviewers. Whether they purchase a book for $1 or $10, a customer expects
to be entertained, touched and connected to the story in some way.
Occasionally, you will have a tea drinker who gulps down hot coffee and he/she
will be grumpy. These are your 1star reviews which however hard you try to
ignore, will sting a little anyway. But if you’ve given it your best - this is
your story, your ideas and threads of your life are weaved into it so don’t
change it because a handful of people tell you it’s not their cup of tea.
*****
Café A’s menu is limited. There are three types of coffee, two
types of tea and a cake of day. All items are made by the café’s staff.
Café B has at least 20 different varieties of coffee and tea.
Their snack list varies from biscuits, cakes and even pies. They haven’t made
every single item on the menu but the customers enjoy the variety.
This is a writer’s backlist. Yes, a backlist doesn’t magically
appear overnight but it must be there to ensure you have return customers
(readers). Additionally, if one book doesn’t appeal to a reader, he/she can
support you by purchasing another from your list. How do you achieve a
backlist? Write, everyday or as much as you can. Some writers churn out a new
book once every three months, others take longer. There isn’t a fixed amount of
time but in the long run, it is necessary to keep it coming.
You can also work with other writers on anthologies, series and
non-fiction titles. You do not have to achieve a backlist all by yourself.
*****
A customer who orders takeaway from Café A receives a white Styrofoam
cup.
Café B packs their takeaway in customized thick paper cups which
has an imprint of their logo. Customers can choose to include paper napkins and
when leaving, each customer is given a small brochure which has details like
phone number, address and opening hours.
This is
your advertising, marketing and promotions. Again, some of these will cost you
money. But you cannot make money without first spending it. Organise a book
tour at book stores or an online tour, purchase advertising from relevant
sites, do joint ventures with other bloggers. You will need more than one
campaign and you will need to ensure you and your book stay in focus at least
once every three months. If luck had her way, you can sell tons of books in
just one campaign. But don’t depend on luck, she tends to show up unexpectedly
so keep going till she pops in for a visit. There are tons of ways you can sell
your book without telling people, “please buy my book.” And not all of these
methods will cost you an arm and a leg.
*****
I have
worked in public relations for more than 15 years. I’ve worked on selling hotel
rooms, beauty magazines, gifts and now, books. The one thing any segment of
public relations has in common is details. To others, it may come across as
pedantic, unnecessary and sometimes expensive but the little chocolate on your
hotel pillow, the colourful brochure that makes you want to shop and the book
cover that has you wanting to know more makes the difference to the end user.
How people feel, not what they say or don’t say, that is the key. As writers,
look into as many details as you can. You won’t figure it out in one go but
books are forever, and you’ll have the chance to keep improving yourself in
your next book, and the next and so on.
When I
started working on Orangeberry Book Tours in October 2011, it was challenging
to balance what writers needed, bloggers requested and what readers wanted. But
after a lot tweaking, we’re almost there and I am pretty sure we’ll grow even
more in months to come. Orangeberry is my way of giving back to the writing
community. When I first started self-publishing, I was clueless and wished I
had more info on what to do and how to do it. I learned the hard way and look
forward to sharing my lessons with other writers who are starting their
journeys.
Now,
how about that cup of coffee?
About the author
International
best-selling author, Pandora Poikilos has been writing for more than 10 years
for various media which include newspapers, radio, television and various
websites.
Diagnosed in 2003
with a rare neurological disorder, Benign Intracrannial Hypertension, she has
since undergone brain surgery to have a VP Shunt fitted in her brain. Her debut
novel – Excuse Me, My Brains Have Stepped Out was written when recovering from
this surgery.
She is also the
founder of Orangeberry Book Tours, a marketing and public relations site for
authors and reaches out to readers of all genres. A social media enthusiast who
is passionate about blogging and finding her way around the virtual world, she
wills away time in the real world by reading, writing and people watching.
