Marketing the Novel - Promoting the Author

(What's outside my window: A gorgeous, sunny day. Not a cloud in the sky. Goldfinches flitting among the branches and diving down to the bird feeder.)

There is a whole other side to the adventure of writing a novel. It's the business side. Marketing is getting your book into the hands of readers. Promotion is building a name, an image.

For those who are not published - yet - you might be thinking this is not a subject of interest to you. If you are treading the journey toward publication, then let me advise you, learn all you can about marketing and promotion now, so you are prepared when the time comes when you will have to step up to the plate. Your publisher will do some marketing, but the bulk of it will be left up to you.

For the prepublished, promotion is just as important as marketing is for the published. You need a website, a blog, a page on Facebook, if you are serious about a career as a writer. You must build, build, build your name.

One popular marketing tool nowadays is the book trailer. Why can't a writer who is seeking publication make a book trailer for the book they are marketing to agents and publishers? Or a 'pitch trailer'? Put it on your website and other sites. Start building interest.

I'll be covering how to build a book trailer in the next post. I will make the steps as clear and as simple as possible. If I can build one, anyone can. I saved a lot of money doing it myself. If you have not seen it, go to my website and it will be on the homepage. http://ritagerlach.com/

So today, think about what you can do as a prepublished writer to promote you and your work. What can you do this week that will start building your image as a writer?
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P.S. I've put up a new site for reviews for Surrender the Wind at

http://surrenderthewindromance.blogspot.com/