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Young Writers Society


Selling Yourself



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Wed Sep 17, 2008 8:57 pm
ankhirke says...



I don't know if this should go under the advice forum or not, but I figured it had a little to do with my publishing efforts, if not necessarily my current projects. Please move it if you see fit.

I just wanted to talk about how we, as writers, can sell ourselves. Yes, I am talking about the traditional concern of query letters, agents, and publisher marketing departments, but I also want to know about more timely concerns. With more and more people self-publishing in an already extremely competitive market, self marketing - self selling - is becoming more important than ever. The online world is the perfect place to do it. But it takes a lot for a blog to become big, for a website to become popular or to even attract enough visitors to pay the rent. But when they do, the payoffs are enormous.

So I just wanted to get the community's thoughts on the issue. How do you sell yourself, and how can we young writers start building an audience even before we get published?

~Annie
  





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Thu Sep 18, 2008 1:13 am
thunder_dude7 says...



Well, before publishing novels, publish at least a few short stories, enter online contests...all of that will build up your query letter.

As for building an audience, here's a stratagy I've thought up: Most magazines that are made up of short stories are focused on one genre. There's a sci-fi/fantasy magazine, and I'm sure there are similar ones. Try consistently publishing to one magazine quite a few times, writing pieces of the same genre as your novel. People will eventually think, "Hey, this person writes a lot of good short stories. I wonder if they have any novels?" They will likely proceed to try and look you up. If the magazine will let you(And the chances of them doing this will go up as you publish to them exclusively), post a little note to readers at the end of a short story letting them know that a novel is being published by you, and be sure to tell them when it will hit the shelves. Also, remind them to request that their local bookstore or library purchase the book.
  





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Fri Sep 26, 2008 8:31 pm
TheWordsmith says...



Blogging is supposed to be good,

But it takes a lot for a blog to become big


Exactly.

Thunder_dude was right, for writing for magazines. You could also do a column in a local newspaper about the subject you are writing about. Join a writer's group, where you will hopefully make friends, some of whom might be published. Get people to blurb your book- Stephen King would be a good (and over-asked) person for the horror genre.

Speaking of which, it'd be funny to find a person whose name/initials is/were JK Rowling or Stephen King (etc) and get/pay them to blurb your book... and I don't mean the actual authors, either.

These may good ideas for before you're published, but how about after you're published? Well, the Internet, local news stations, a writers group, a discussion/book signing with your local library or bookstore or school, join and speak for a group who has the same interest as a subject in your book, etc.
Donate a book, carry a copy around for a few months after it's published. Offer to sign a few copies of the bookstore's copies of your book. Send signed copies to all your faraway relatives and friends and let them speak for you. Write a really good book and let word of mouth do the dirty work. The list goes on, but I don't want to bore you.
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Fri Sep 26, 2008 9:34 pm
thunder_dude7 says...



Quick add on. The magazine thing can be done in addition to the blogging. When you have an auidience, people will look you up, which allows your blog to grow.
  








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