Saturday Craft Blog: To Promote or Not Promote
No guest blogger this week! I do have the fabulous Kathleen O’Reilly coming next week, so be sure to come back next Saturday.
However, I do have topic this week spawned by a conversation had recently by a group of Blaze authors.
If you’re unpublished, do you need to promote?
I got to be honest…my first reaction was, “Promote what?”
The key to good advertising is to be able to tell your potential customer exactly what you want them to do. In other words, your advertisement should imply or straight out say, “Buy my book!” because that’s what promotion/advertising is all about.
I have to say that I’m a little perplexed by the advice that an unpublished author NEEDS a website. Especially a professionally designed and maintained website because people, that costs money. And if you don’t have any money coming in, why on earth would you put any out if it isn’t going to directly result with some measurable return, aka book sales?
Editors and agents, the primary “audience” of an unpublished writer, don’t have a ton of free time to peruse websites of potential authors. If you have one, they might follow a link. But the decision to buy or represent your book is not going to be based on your website. It’s all about the book. Good book, good timing, good luck…those things make a book sale, not a website.
Now, one Blaze author mentioned that developing a website is good practice for when you are published. I won’t argue with that. If you are doing your website yourself and if you can make it look professional. But if you, like me, have no skill and will need to hire someone, then wait until you have an income. It’s a better expenditure of your time and money to devote yourself to writing more books rather than learning html. Trust me, writing more books will get you sold a lot quicker than html!
That said, you should probably already own your url. For your name and if you think you need one, a possible pseudonym or two. Doesn’t cost a lot of money, but it’s good to have now. I own JulieLeto.com and JulieElizabethLeto.com and a few others. Just in case!
Now, about blogging. Obviously, the Plotmonkeys agree that blogging is a great way to promote yourself and your books. We wouldn’t be spending the time and money that it takes for this investment unless we did. But here’s the trick…we don’t blog instead of write. We write. We have books to sell. We share the workload and we devote quite a bit of our promotional dollars to promote the blog site, as well as our books. It’s part of an overall plan. The fact that there is new content each and every day makes the blog attractive to readers…that’s what I look for in a blog that I visit regularly, anyway.
So, my opinion on blogging…blog if you love it. Do not delude yourself with thinking that blogging will lead you to a book sale or agent representation. Those things happen from writing a good book and sending it to a publisher/agent who is looking for that type of book.
Are their exceptions? Of course! But they are exceptions for a reason…they don’t happen often enough to make them a rule.
I know a lot of published authors who agonize over how much self-promotion or publicity to do. I decided a long time ago that I would do what I could, but I would never sacrifice my writing time for publicity. Never. The book is what is important, ultimately, to my readers, my editor and my agent. It’s the book that makes the money. Would I make more if I promoted more? Maybe, but maybe not. I’d say it’s a 50/50 proposition. Talk to authors who have been doing this a while and they’ll tell you the same.
So, my advice to unpublished writers…don’t worry about promoting yourself. Worry about writing. A lot.
What you can do is network…but that’s a whole different blog post!
Morning everybody…
Hey Jules, I like the topic for today. I have a difficult time with promotion and such. I remember when I self-pubbed my book of poetry, they publisher recommended buying domain names, etc…I am one of those html illiterate people, so as soon as I heard certain key words, I zoned out…I love the advice you give here…write, write, write…I know that the rest will come in time. I actually sat down and wrote about 1000 words in the book I am working on. I think I am going to do what I have read, you and some other of my fav authors do…let the story direct itself…sorry, went off on a tangent…I will check back in later…I hope that everyone is having a wonderful weekend so far…ttyl
Peace and love,
Paula R.
Comment by Paula R. — April 26, 2008 @ 7:20 am
Let me tell you a funny story….not
I’m a member of RWA Online and it’s always recommended by various members that even unpubbed authors should have a website. They don’t have a book to promote, but they’re promoting themselves, and they need a website. And I have read that agents will often google to see if an unpubbed has a website as a way of gauging how serious they are about their careers.
So…..I got my domain names (like you mentioned: real name, psuedonym). I had some free time back at the beginning of December and since I have Microsoft Publisher on my computer anyway decided I’d go ahead and set up my website.
So then my website said something like this: “Oops…there seems to be a problem with this website…if you’re the owner of this site please fix it.”
Now how professional does that look? Since I recently finalled in a contest, and know that one of my dream editors will be reading my story, I decided it was probably time to get my website fixed just in case she decided to Google me.
I gave up on Publisher and decided to go with Wordpress. I have spent hours and hours over the past 3 nights, staying up until close to midnight each night working on that
website. I now have a decent background in place and have figured out how to write and publish a blog. On my agenda for this weekend is figuring out what to do with alll the sidebar stuff.
But there was no way I was going to give up and pay someone, especially since I don’t have any money coming, and I’m just too damn stubborn to let something like a website beat me! However, once I have it in place, I won’t be spending much time on it.
I don’t plan on blogging everyday, like you said, I’d rather spend that time writing. It’s basically just going to be used as a site to show that I am serious, possibly share good news like finalling in a contest, and have it in place for when it is needed.
Wish I’d read this blog at the beginning of December!!
But thanks for sharing it now and it is great advice!!!
Comment by Jodie — April 26, 2008 @ 1:00 pm
Thanks for the advice, Julie. It’s definitely something I’ll keep in mind when I’ve graduated and have time to do something other than strictly academic writing.
Comment by Karin — April 26, 2008 @ 1:13 pm
Great advice, Julie. This makes so much sense. Also, it makes me glad I’m currently in more of an editor, not writer position. Although, my material isn’t nearly as fun as what you write!
Comment by limecello — April 26, 2008 @ 1:20 pm
http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2008/03/28/should-aspiring-authors-establish-a-web-presence/#more-1264
This link goes to someone with a different opinion than mine…but I still maintain that if you don’t have a website, but you’ve written a fabulous book, you will find representation and or a publishing contract.
I do not think, though I could be wrong, that a publisher and/or agent would say, “this person isn’t serious if they don’t have a website.” I’d be shocked…and frankly, I don’t think that would be the type of editor I wanted to have.
I mean…Linda Howard doesn’t maintain her own website…does that make her less than professional? Um, no! And I’ve seen plenty of multi-published, professional authors with less-than-impressive websites.
Anyway, I still maintain that good writing and good timing are key. The rest is fluff and extra.
Comment by Julie Leto — April 26, 2008 @ 2:58 pm
With websites, I think it’s what the writer is comfortable with. Tons of non-author people have blogs and websites, or a myspace page, so it’s not surprising that an aspiring author can use that to showcase your talents. But like anything else with writing, there aren’t rules. People have to find what works for them, their abilities, their monies (or lack thereof). I do think creativity counts in this biz, and if an editor or a publisher sees something in you that they can exploit (i.e. you’re a great promotor, or have a web-following, or whatever), then you get bonus points, but it’s always, always, always about the book first and foremost.
Comment by Kathleen O'Reilly — April 26, 2008 @ 3:28 pm
Great topic…and since this is my first time here, forgive me if I mess something up…all these dancing dudes are distracting!
Jodie, I’m laughing at your trials and tribs with WordPress. I’ve been as frustrated as you are! And, quite frankly, it destroys my creative buzz to get frustrated with WP and doing site maintenance.
I’m now in the process of trying to hand over the whole thing to a designer. I didn’t design the site, but foolishly thought I could learn enough to do updates etc. I’m fine now with text but widgets hate me…and there’s no way I can figure out the middle section with my newest covers….I think that may be sidebar widgets…ARRGGGHHH!!!!
Anyway…my point is that a lot of time and creative energy can be put into websites. And all of it is taken away from your writing energy.
So, I absolutely agree that parking your domain name(s) is a great idea…and a very positive step toward your professional attitude and career, trying to learn website design and maintenance can actually set writers back.
Ok, so I wanted to find a dancing dude to emphasize my point but I’m afraid I’ll lose the whole comment if I mess with this….
Great post, Julie!
Comment by Bonnie Edwards — April 26, 2008 @ 4:20 pm
Kathleen, I think you make an excellent point. My kid has a Myspace page, I have a friend who has a family photo album web, another who blogs about the countries she’s traveling to. So if a pre-pubbed author wants to make a page to talk about their writing, why not? That’s precisely why I’d made one myself. Not to sell a book but because I wanted to share with family and friends what I was working on, what contests I’d finaled in, where my submissions are, etc. Then it was a huge bonus to have it in place after I sold.
BUT, if you’re building a site because you think it will help get a marginally decent story recognized by an editor or agent, it’s wasted energy. You’ll gain a better edge networking RWA, getting interviews with editors, and making friends in the business….oh, and of course, writing a good book.
Interesting discussion, Julie!
Comment by Lori Borrill — April 26, 2008 @ 4:44 pm
Kathleen O’Reilley, if you are out there…I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED “Sex, Straight Up” (I had to get the one before it, too). Awesome!
Comment by katie — April 26, 2008 @ 7:38 pm
Thank you, Katie.
Comment by Kathleen O'Reilly — April 26, 2008 @ 7:40 pm
As a reader, I don’t check to see if an author has a website before I purchase
her/his book! Can you see me: checking out a book in the store, then making
a trip home to Google for a website, then rushing back to the store to purchase
the book - if the author has a website –NOT! It’s the writing, the story, even
the cover, which matter to me!
Pat Cochran
Comment by Patricia Cochran — April 26, 2008 @ 8:08 pm
Patricia, thanks for saying so! I do like author websites for reading excerpts…but it is the excerpt, not the website, that makes me want to buy a book…and I can get those excerpts IN a bookstore, can’t I? LOL!
Kathleen, Bonnie & Lori…thanks so much for stopping by! Added insight is very much appreciated. I’m not an expert on this by any means…just sharing my opinion on the matter and asking questions myself. Thanks for coming by and lending your own knowledge! We at PM appreciate it!
Comment by Julie Leto — April 26, 2008 @ 11:40 pm
tha t is cool love kathleen blaze books.
Comment by kim h — April 27, 2008 @ 3:30 am