On-line sites – sure.
Blogging friends – thank God.
Bookstores – don’t hold your breath.
Emailing updates to everyone you have ever met – but how many people have you ever met?
No, I do believe that for all of us writers out there with books to sell — and yes, probably even for those famous enough to have their pictures hanging off the sides of buses and on Tube and Subway posters — the best way, the only sure-fire way to sell books is by public appearances. Let’s face it. We writers are the new rock stars, only without the drugs, and the sex, and the groupies – though we do occasionally get some cheap red wine in a plastic cup. In the way rock stars do concerts in order to sell records (I know I’m showing my technological age here), writers do appearances to sell books. Actually, that’s being a bit too cheeky. It’s not that one is solely for the purpose of the other. I actually love doing readings and signings and workshops and book talks. I have even come to the realization that if I was the sort of Emily Dickenson-type writer who sat in her house and wrote all day but never met her readers, I probably wouldn’t be a publishing writer at all. The two feed each other for me.
But it is true that when I am out in the public, I sell books. When I stay at home, I don’t (or at least not nearly as many). The equation is quite simple, really, and I do believe it is true for most of us. But that also means that it is not enough for a writer “just” to write these days. Today’s writer must also be a Project Manager. I have written about how to plan a book tour here. But I think it’s worth reiterating and looking at in another way. The administrative tasks associated with the planning of events is one thing. There are also other crucial steps that need to be considered as well. Once you have the event date set — whether it is a public reading, a private book discussion group, a bookshop signing, a launch (and this goes for fiction and poetry and non-poetry alike) there is still more to be done:
You are the Publicist: contact all the local newspapers, magazines, radio and tv stations you can to get local publicity
You are the Party Planner: make sure the books are there to be sold, there is a cash float so you can make change, order the drinks and get the cups and if there’s also food, get that plus napkins, plates etc. Get there early enough to set up the chairs and tables.
You are the Technology Consultant: arrange for and be there to set up and test whatever equipment you need, ie microphone, overhead projector and screen, video or audio equipment
You are the Performer: Take time out a few hours before the event to make sure you know what you are going to say and how. Practice it several times, whether you have done your talk a dozen times before or not. Decide what you are going to wear — yes, this matters. It doesn’t mean you have to be dressed up, just appropriate and professional. And do whatever pre-performance rituals you need to do. Don’t kid yourself. Any public appearance IS a performance, whether we like it or not. You can’t engage an audience if they can’t hear you. If they don’t think you know what you are doing on stage (or behind a table or in a chair in front of them), they are less likely to believe that you know what you’re doing on the page.
You are the Secretary: after the event, go through your lists and note any new people you have met, update your contacts. Sometimes you will also need to write thank you’s and follow-ups.
and finally – You are the Writer: amid all this, don’t forget to keep making progress on your next book.
So why am I talking about all this now? For several reasons. First, it is a topic of conversation that has come up over and over lately. Based on these talks with people in the industry, this all really seems to be true for all publishing writers, whether you are being published by your best friend’s mother next door, or by a multi-national global corporation. From what I have been told by booksellers and pr people around the world, it is often (though thankfully not always) the case that the bigger the publisher, the less promotion they do. Again, it all falls into the lap of the writer. By all means, get whatever help you can with any of this, but ultimately we must all know that it is really our own responsibility and no one else’s. In some ways, that is very good news for writers. Our destinies are much more in our own hands. But, man — it’s a lot of work.
Second, as a writer and someone who better understands what she’s thinking when it’s written down, I needed to step back for a minute and think this all through. As many of you know, I am in the amazing position of having two books to promote at once, while writing my third novel at the same time. Is this what I really want to be doing with my life? All jobs carry stress, I know. But is this the sort of stress I want my little shoulders to carry? Happily, yes. I love what I do. I love creating worlds in my head and trying to express them with this incredible English language of ours. Plus, I love meeting people, sharing ideas, spreading the creativity. I wouldn’t have it any other way — which is a good thing since I am presently trying to promote my work on three continents.
And third, because tomorrow I’m appearing at another event in London, reading from both my novel, A Clash of Innocents, and my poetry collection, Her Life Collected. If you’re free and in the area, do come by. There will be cheap wine in plastic cups. And there will be books to buy!
Friday Night Writers Series
Swiss Cottage Library, 88 Avenue Road ( 2 minute walk from Swiss Cottage Tube)
6 pm – 8 pm
Admission free. There will also be an Open Mic, so if you are a writer, you can bring something to read. Or if not, just come and listen.
Crumbs; is there time for the writing? I wish I could be there tomorrow but I will be there in spirit! JJx
Sue, it was interesting reading this after just reading an old post putting down book tours (http://theswivet.blogspot.com/2008/09/pimpin-your-book-economics-of-average.html). Admittedly that was about the old-fashioned publisher sponsored tour.
While I think you are right – getting out there does sell books, I think in financial terms it’s still usually a disaster. I don’t know how much profit you make on the books you sell, but if it’s anything like me, it might be £20. Not a great return for all that effort and expense.
Yet bizarrely I do still do events – because I see selling books as only a small part of it. Some I do because it’s just fun (like the Birmingham open mic session). Some I do because I’m getting a fee. And some because I think the general raising of awareness of the (groan) brand is worth it. Okay just occasionally I do sell a lot of books – but more often it isn’t really the key focus of the event.
Really informative, Sue, and so true. I am just learning so to have experienced published authors like yourself be so frank about the “non” glamour side of writing is very refreshing. Sorry I can’t be there for the reading, it will be a treat for those who know your work to hear it read in the author’s voice. Shauna
Really informative, Sue, and so true. I am just learning so to have experienced published authors like yourself be so frank about the “non” glamour side of writing is very refreshing. Sorry I can’t be there for the reading, it will be a treat for those who know your work to hear it read in the author’s voice. Shauna
Jenny: I wish you were here, too! And time for writing? Well…..
Brian: Ugh, that is of course the knotty question. For me, given what I write (and I’m especially thinking of poetry now) it is rarely about having the finances make any sense. It is more about being able to say such a book sold x copies, and admittedly “brand awareness”. Luckily, I do enjoy it!
Shauna: I also wish you could be there, but alas. But thanks for your kind words here!
It really is hard to find time and focus to write – and many of us publishers are also writers. I’ve had to take a year off writing to get Ward Wood Publishing going, but it’s worth it, because if we don’t provide publishing outlets then we’ll be writing to share on the internet. Or we’ll be sticking our manuscripts in drawers. It has to be done.
Sue’s description of arranging and setting up events does really give good advice. I set up the Friday Night Writers events so that a lot of this is set up for authors from various publishing companies who come as the booked readers, followed by open mic so that people are there to socialise and share their own writing and it’s not just about selling books.
However, it’s true that poetry and literary fiction do mainly sell at events, so authors need to be prepared to be giving events every month at least if their publisher is to break even.
It also seems to be true that authors with major publishers have to do all this themselves. It’s unlikely they would have the kind of network of events we’re setting up and taking part in.
Brian – you can find that you lose money by giving events, especially if you travel a long way to them. Venues can also be expensive which is why I wanted to provide one in London for our authors and visiting authors. There’s not much chance of Arts Council funding so we do have to find ways.
Authors often think we should set up bookshop signings for them all over the UK. This can be one of the most expensive approaches as the authors and publishers have to travel, have to supply the wine, have to supply about 40 sale or return copies for the bookshop to sell and then take back the copies that don’t sell. This can mean hundreds of books being printed and then returned – very costly.
If cost is an issue then it’s best to look for venues near you, set up a venue (libraries are wonderful). Then arrange to take part in events whenever you’re travelling to another area.
If you apply to give an event at a literary festival, the events that pay are the workshops, otherwise it’s also likely to be expensive but your books will go into the bookshop supporting the event.
One of the main tasks for me in supporting the authors is to promote the event so that there will be an audience – many authors just think a venue has an audience for them but this isn’t true, especially in London. So you need to get your events on all the listings sites and main sites like the Poetry Library and Writeoutloud.net You do need to attract every audience member every time, and there is always the risk of an empty venue.
The local newspapers are great at writing a piece about events and the greatest rise to our website traffic is when the Ham and High (Hampstead and Highgate Express) does this. So don’t pooh-pooh your local press!
Before this turns into a blog I’d better stop. You can actually hire wine glasses from Threshers and offer to take more expensive plonk to any events.
Those of us who live in the back of beyond (me) don’t have the opportunity to network, or travel the country for readings. The north of England and Scotland means a train journey of 10 hours. I have done it, and loved it, but have to see it as a personal indulgence. I love to come up to London, which I consider to be my spiritual home, for readings because my daughter lives and works in London and I relish every opportunity see her. Given that I might not sell more than five books at a reading, it doesn’t really make financial sense unless you have (like me) another good reason to be there. Perhaps the really desirable thing would be to have a private income – a day job would do! Yes, that’s the answer – now where is the nearest millionaire when you need him?
Thanks,Adele. As always, you are full of important info. See you at Swiss Cottage.
Oh, Ann. I don’t have much I can say to add to your comment, except that I am smiling and laughing, all these 10 hours away. Let me know when you’re back visiting….
So, this is the world that I’ve worked so hard to join? Has this been a dreadful mistake? I’d like to keep on writing, if it’s possible….but I guess we have to be realists and that, in the end it’s all about marketing. Maybe I’ll be lucky and not get published!
Ann, the advantage for you is that you’re in an area which seems very supportive and you do manage to sell a large number of books at your first readings. Large in poetry terms!
Some areas do have very supportive regional communities, events and projects.
Having a venue in London is very important as it does help to get authors’ names known here – and we do throw it open for other publishers and authors to use for that very reason. And because that’s more fun and sociable.
The other thing is that there are more ways of sharing these days. I didn’t submit to publishers for many years because I had terrible stage fright so I knew I was no use to a publisher. There was no way I could give readings and help them to break even let alone make any income from my books. I didn’t enter competitions for the same reason.
These days authors can share online by recording using a free download of Audacity and putting the readings somewhere like Soundcloud.com Even a simple webcam video of a reading can work well on YouTube. So you can be seen and can usually do this even with stage fright.
My own collection sold out (quite a large print run) even though at that time I gave no events as I still had stage fright. I was lucky enough to attract a publisher who invited me to submit despite that.
I think that my involvement in organising projects online must be the reason it sold. So you can be a marketable/publishable author even if you organise and participate in other ways apart from reading.
Ann will be at the Poetry Cafe on Saturday July 9th with Joy Howard. Joy is launching her collection Refurbishment and Ann is supporting her with a reading from Too Close.
The Poetry Cafe is another wonderful venue I should have mentioned. Although the hourly rate isn’t low they do vary it according to budget and are very supportive of literary publishers. They really deserved their increase in Arts Council funding. Such a lovely venue in Covent Garden for events and they do much, much more too.
Roger: Oh no! What bad timing this post is for you! But read the other one’s and you’ll see it really all is worthwhile. And you can keep writing, and enrich your life and other’s with your writing, But a dose of reality is good every now and then, if only to keep us grounded. As the Irish say, “you’ll be grand.”
The important thing is to enjoy the events. It’s not all about selling books and sometimes they don’t even sell at events. So long as enough sell overall to break even that’s as much as you can do for poetry and some literary fiction – and novels could take off. You never know.
It’s not just about money and selling although we have to avoid running at a loss. Events are also to let people know you exist and that you write. Otherwise you could be totally invisible, so it’s also about establishing your name. The promotion around each event does get your name out there even if people can’t come and even if they don’t buy.
There are ways to do this if you can’t give events. Organising writing projects online or taking part in them is one good way. You can be part of a network without giving readings. I’m always aware that giving events is impossible for a number of people.
Not a great deal of point in commenting as you would know Sue I totally agree. A very important post for all writers to take on board. I really believe, Sue, that you ought to write a non fiction book about writing.
Glyn: A nonfiction book about writing, eh? I think I’d really like to do that – and it would probably sell and then, maybe go on to sell my novels…hmm…but where to find the time? Thanks for the idea, and the encouragement!
Excellent post, Sue. Sadly can’t be there tomorrow. (Cooking for 50 – another story.)
And, Roger. Hush! Don’t you dare to hope not to be published!
Roger – it’s not all about marketing. In that case I wouldn’t be taking time off my own writing to create a new publishing outlet to keep books going with the chance we may always only break even!
It’s not all about marketing but about doing enough to let the publisher break even so that we can keep having books in print. Without any marketing nobody knows a writer exists. Marketing isn’t a dirty word: it’s really hard to sell books, so we all have to collaborate to work at it together. It’s too much for the publisher to do alone, and too much for authors to do alone.
I don’t think of it as marketing or selling, but helping readers to find books they will enjoy. We’re doing them a favour surely…. We’re not pushing double glazing at them but letting them know which wonderful books they’re missing out on.
And events are fun. That’s the other thing. It’s lovely to build a network of friends by taking part and important to remember to enjoy it all. Money isn’t the main factor, or I’d be putting all this time and effort into a very different type of business. With the hours I’ve worked for years I’d be a millionaire by now in another type of business, instead of putting my savings into financing publishing.
Authors with stage fright can manage too. And people who are housebound for various reasons – so there are other options. I’m just working with a new author who has terrible stage fright. We’re going to have a video of photos around the London settings from his novel while he reads.
I wrote and kept my writing to myself for decades because I had stage fright and knew my books wouldn’t break even for a publisher because of it. We do have to be realistic. Nobody would have known I existed. Nobody would have gone into a bookshop to look for my book and nobody would have searched for it online.
You could write the best book in the world, but if nobody knows it’s there it won’t find any readers. So this is about letting people know you exist more than anything. Some of the best poets are known by far more people than will ever buy their books. Even those shortlisted for top prizes may sell about 300 copies – not enough for their publisher to go into profit. Being known and respected as a writer is really more important than the income, if there is any, or we’d all be doing something else. Our motives are different but a print run has to be paid for.
Very interesting post, and yes there are so many facets to being a writer – it’s exhausting! *Wanders off for a lie down*