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Ego: Crash, Boom! Marketing a Two-Year-Old Book
Cross-posted from Surrender, Dorothy
So I just ordered yet another book on how to market your book after a very frank e-mail exchange with my publisher. I admit it -- I put the link and cover on my blog, I self-financed a six-city book tour, I tweeted and facebooked and know that most of the people who know me have indeed actually bought or at least read Sleep Is for the Weak, so I kind of hoped I was done marketing it myself.
(of course I realize how silly that last sentence is)
But in order to interest publishers in my novel, I am worried I need my book to sell BETTER. To sell MORE. Otherwise, agents and publishers might say to themselves, "Clearly no one wants to read this Rita Arens person. She is unable to sell books. We will not give her a book deal." Because that is the way that the world works! It's a business! Even though everyone I know anyone is sick to death of me talking about my silly book!
(how do I get the attention of your mothers and sisters? that's what I need to know.)
I refuse to believe there's nothing to be done. The book won an award! It got great reviews in Redbook and many, many other magazines! Clearly, there are some people in this world who still just don't know that it exists. But there are still women having babies, yes! I know there are! This baby stuff is pretty evergreen!
And I know my book doesn't suck. Because there are 24 amazing writers in there besides me. Even if my ego wanted to tell me that I suck, I beat it back with the knowledge that those other writers have gone on to publish other books and grow bigger as bloggers and they do not suck.
Is it a launch problem or a design problem? I think it's a launch problem.
If they don't want to market my damn book, then I will.
After I stop crying, I mean, throwing glass, I mean considering my very practiced next steps because I am a mature, successful adult writer person who doesn't care a bit what the world thinks of her.
Because even though I'm frustrated and embarrassed and hurt, the right way to deal with this is to market the book. Again. And stop taking it so personally.
It's a business.
So I just ordered yet another book on how to market your book after a very frank e-mail exchange with my publisher. I admit it -- I put the link and cover on my blog, I self-financed a six-city book tour, I tweeted and facebooked and know that most of the people who know me have indeed actually bought or at least read Sleep Is for the Weak, so I kind of hoped I was done marketing it myself.
(of course I realize how silly that last sentence is)
But in order to interest publishers in my novel, I am worried I need my book to sell BETTER. To sell MORE. Otherwise, agents and publishers might say to themselves, "Clearly no one wants to read this Rita Arens person. She is unable to sell books. We will not give her a book deal." Because that is the way that the world works! It's a business! Even though everyone I know anyone is sick to death of me talking about my silly book!
(how do I get the attention of your mothers and sisters? that's what I need to know.)
I refuse to believe there's nothing to be done. The book won an award! It got great reviews in Redbook and many, many other magazines! Clearly, there are some people in this world who still just don't know that it exists. But there are still women having babies, yes! I know there are! This baby stuff is pretty evergreen!
And I know my book doesn't suck. Because there are 24 amazing writers in there besides me. Even if my ego wanted to tell me that I suck, I beat it back with the knowledge that those other writers have gone on to publish other books and grow bigger as bloggers and they do not suck.
Is it a launch problem or a design problem? I think it's a launch problem.
If they don't want to market my damn book, then I will.
After I stop crying, I mean, throwing glass, I mean considering my very practiced next steps because I am a mature, successful adult writer person who doesn't care a bit what the world thinks of her.
Because even though I'm frustrated and embarrassed and hurt, the right way to deal with this is to market the book. Again. And stop taking it so personally.
It's a business.
Comment
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Comment by Rita Arens on November 30, 2010 at 9:39am -
Thanks, Carleen. Hopefully I will learn something worth sharing. In the meantime, I'll just worship your novel-writing skills from over here.
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Comment by Carleen on November 30, 2010 at 9:22am -
Curious to see what you'll come up with! Go for it!
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