I have always loved public speaking. Throw me in front of a crowd, give me a topic and off I’ll go. In thinking about my marketing plans, I knew I wanted to make promo events and public speaking opportunities part of my mix.
So when my publisher emailed me to ask if I’d be willing to participate in a Q&A for emerging writers, the answer was a resounding yes. It would not only be a good opportunity to promote my nonfiction works (How to Market Your Book and How to Be Published), it would also be a chance to do some informal research. Are writers struggling with the concept of marketing? What kinds of questions do emerging writers have about publishing? What are writers most concerned about when it comes to publishing a book?
Preparing for the event
The Centre for Creative Writing at Kellogg College, University of Oxford hosts a bi-annual quick fire Q&A session for emerging writers. The format is simple: a group of industry experts, a bunch of small tables and an open invite to anyone interested in writing. For two hours, I would answer questions and advise on publishing options, book marketing and writing fiction and nonfiction.
Knowing I’d be at a small table in a speed-dating type environment, I designed an A4 poster and borrowed a tabletop display. I made sure my book covers were prominently displayed, along with my publication date. I wanted attendees to know straight away why I was there.
Ideally, I would have also brought along postcards for attendees to take away, but I didn’t have time to get any printed. One for the future!
On the day
I made it to the event location with a few minutes to spare, giving me time to scope out the set-up. I found my assigned table and put out my display. Surprisingly, I was the only expert to bring one along! I settled into my seat, pasted on a welcoming smile, and we were off.
The attendees split up into small groups of 2-3 people, circling around the room so they could visit every expert. A timer buzzed every six minutes, signalling it was time to move to the next table. With so little time, I knew I needed to keep promo down to a minimum. I let my display do the heavy-lifting and focused my attention on answering questions and adding value.
Sizing up the market for my books
The thirty-odd attendees covered the spectrum from undergraduate students to a spry eighty-year-old. There were graduates of creative writing programmes, hobby writers and people who had yet to put the pen to the page. In short, it was a superb representation of my target audience.
Everyone had questions: How do you get an agent? Can you send a book straight to a publisher? Is self-publishing bad? Do I have to write to market? How can I promote a book in a shoestring budget?
As I sat and listened to the attendees, I couldn’t help but think back on the start of my writing journey. I jumped in feet first with no idea of what would happen after I had a completed first draft. Nearly everyone seemed to be in the same boat, even those who were fresh graduates of creative writing programmes.
I made sure I stayed on message: there is no right or wrong way to publish a book, and no matter which route you choose, you will need a marketing plan. Attendees appreciated my candour, particularly about the publishing landscape. By starting from the position of their writing goals and their chosen genre, they were better able to understand why traditional publishing may or may not be right for them.
Marketing lessons learned
I found the quick-fire Q&A format to work well for my topics, and I would definitely do more of these events. I got to speak directly with everyone, providing specific advice instead of a generic overview of the topics of publishing and marketing.
Next time, however, I will be better prepared to promote my work. I needed a postcard or bookmark or other freebie with information on how to buy the books. Once I have printed copies to hand (my books won’t be published for another five months), I will make a few copies available as a giveaway.
Reflections
In the marketing world, we use words like “proof of concept” and “minimum viable product” and “test and learn” all the time. We’re constantly told to forget about perfection, focusing instead on getting our product or our message out into the world. Failure is a fundamental part of the marketing process.
We writers need to build failure into our process. Write a first draft. Share it with others. Fail fast, learn from our mistakes and edit into a new version. We don’t say enough that all first drafts suck. We don’t say enough that a terrible first draft can be edited into something great – even if there’s a giant chasm in between.
Do it. Write it. Edit it. Publish it. Market it. Don’t let the quest for perfection stand permanently in your way.