How to Get Published

by Jessica James

Look between the pages for new ideas to market fiction

Photo by galleryquantum

If you’re like me and have finally gotten that novel published, you’re beginning to realize that writing it was the easy part-now you have to sell it.

There is probably no tougher job in today’s marketplace than promoting fiction, so I thought I’d share a few ideas that have worked for me, including a cross marketing plan that is just coming to fruition.

First, as you’ve probably heard over and over, it’s important to know your audience. You likely have your primary and secondary target markets listed in your marketing plan (you’d better anyway), but take another look at other possible target markets you can go after.

If your book is a mystery, is the lead character a policeman? A reporter? A baker? Does he own a dog? Does he live in the South? You can play up any one of these factors to target your book to a new, very specific, audience.

For example

My novel is a Civil War historical, but it is also a love story, and it takes place entirely in Virginia. This gives me three obvious targets, but I’ve taken it a step further.

Since I am a “horse person” and have a horse in Shades of Gray that plays a fairly prominent role, I sent an email to the International Equine Artists Guild to see if any artists would be interested in working with me. (I made an assumption that starving artists are probably a lot like starving authors, and would therefore be interested in getting publicity for their art through a cross promotion plan).

I received a few replies, one of which was from an artist who resides in Virginia (where my book is set) and who already had a piece of art that fit the description of the horse, “Justus.” (I call that fate).

The artist is now in the process of making “Justus” prints as well as “Justus” note-cards which she will sell on her Web site and at the art shows/festivals she attends. I promote the art on all my promotional literature, sending people to her Web site to buy it. Likewise, she promotes my Web site and takes my literature and book with her to art shows.

This relationship cost me no money and the time commitment was minimal. The benefits are many. I have my book in front of people that I would never in a million years have the time or the opportunity (or the money) to reach, and the blurb on my promotional literature that “Justus” now has his own line of note-cards adds to the perceived value of the book.

Once we get everything up and running, I will also have a unique topic for a new round of press releases to newspapers and horse periodicals, which will help me reach even more potential readers.

If you’ve run out of ideas to market your novel, take another look-you might have a gem hiding in those pages somewhere.

Jessica James is the author of Shades of Gray: A Novel of the Civil War in Virginia (Patriot Press, 2008)

Tags: book marketing, cross marketing, marketing, marketing ideas, sell

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009 at 2:00 am and is filed under marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.