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RITA ARENS: What is the best thing an author can do pre-publishing to market and ensure she has platform?
COLLEEN LINDSAY: One of the most important things is streamline what you do to compliment what you do in online world. Focus on the narrative. If your readers on are Twitter, be there. Historical fiction, focus on that on your blog.
LAUREN CERAND: Work on building your virtual community. Seek out people who inspire you. Interact with them by leaving intelligent comment on their blog.
LYDIA HIRT: Connect with reviews, so they know who you are.
RITA ARENS: Jean - who was not on Twitter or Facebook, right? So what’s interesting is that everyone has someone they know and Jean has to take a fast on-ramp to social media. What would you do in your next book to make sure you’re there?
JEAN KWOK: I’m American and Chinese and live in Holland. I was isolated without connections and knowledge. When my book got taken and I got the contract, the publicity started months before. I had earlier reserved my website name and not by the title of the book, because the title can change. The best is yourname.com. When it all started hitting, I realized I had to start Facebook and Twitter but didn’t really know how to use them or see how valuable they were. But the longer I’m a published author I realize how valuable they are. I was a beginner and it’s smart to build up your audience and publications beforehand. I’m still a beginner but I’m on and available.
RITA ARENS: Any questions? No, good. So let’s talk a little about BlogHer and being published. If you’ve got a book in you and you’re trying to build up your audience, there are many ways to do that out there. You can actually post on BlogHer; we have seventeen people that read those posts each week. When you get to the point in your book you’ll say, I’ve marketed to everyone I know and now I need to find people I don’t know.”
COLLEEN LINDSAY: It’s so important not to write into a vacuum. So if you’re not ready to publish, you still need a community to critique your writing. Book Country is where most of the writers go to have their work critiqued. This is a place just for these writers to come get free help, several people have found agents, people get recognized, and it’s a place to build community.
LAUREN CERAND: So much about publishing and you’re viewing it from the outside, it’s about these connections you don’t have. You don’t know how to contact people. These communities are an amazing look into how to connect and built your platform. I think in a few years someone will radically transform the internet to work it easier.
RITA ARENS: Normally I don’t like organized Twitter things. But I have found several I think work. Follow agents, they write about things you realize you want to write about.
LAUREN CERAND: TO get published is for you to give someone what they want when you want it. If you do the research and find the agent that is looking for that, they will call the editor.
COLLEEN LINDSAY: There is also a Canadian woman who has been keeping a list of publishing agents on Twitter. I think it’s high spot? Look it up on Twitter. There are some organized chats on Twitter; we do one at 9pm. I ran something called ask Agent and it’s taken a life of its own. There is also a figlet chat. Fabulous writing community if you know younger people who are writing.
RITA ARENS: Let’s talk about a pre-deal session – public versus private persona. This is a room full of people who tend to be a bit more professional. Can we speak on how to get published and keep a balance between private and professional life?
LYDIA HIRT: Do not just say, “Go by my book.” Do not mention one retailer. Keep things positive. People think they know you better than they really do. Do not share things publicly you don’t want people to know. There will be bad reviews of your book. We are a face of your book; please do not respond to that in an inflammatory way. Don’t take to it publicly.
COLLEEN LINDSAY: I want to talk about pre-publication. Bloggers write about all the queries they’ve sent out and all the rejections letters and we google that. Keep it private. Keep it offline. Don’t put it on the internet.
LYDIA HIRT: It’s like dating; let them think you’re doing something glamorous Friday night,
JEAN KWOK: Things can come back to haunt you. Before I got published I googled myself and the only Jean Kwok was one who worked at a condom factory and that was not me. And now I get like 4.5 million hits. Being an author is a job. Things are going to follow you after you get published. It’s great to be personal and warm. But nothing you can be embarrassed about. Nothing a stalker can pick up on.
LAUREN CERAND: We all have this fantasy that someone is going to call us and say they want to publish us. That happens to people who know who their readers are, what they are. You need to have a sense of that to be much more attractive. You may not have a lot to offer but you can still be a participant of all of that. Be the writer that you want to see in the world and it will come to you.
COLLEEN LINDSAY: Chuck Wendig is an example of someone who knew who is audience was, and an agent came to him because he was so funny. He has done self publishing as well.
JEAN KWOK: The amazing thing about social media is it’s the great equalizer. If you get in touch with me it’s hard – emails go through several people before they get to me. Facebook I see immediately. Many famous people handle their social media themselves. I can’t speak for everyone but most people do. Famous people want to be friended. A published author or agent is not going to read your manuscript – but sometimes I start to believe in someone who has commented, invested time, commented, etc. And I will pass on someone who is working hard.
RITA ARENS: Any questions before we switch to post?
AUDIENCE MEMBER: I started blogging a little bit giving my book out in bits and pieces and then someone sent an email saying, “Don’t give it away.” Then I started blogging about other things in the same tone. And now I’m not sure what to do – keep unraveling or keep it private?
LAUREN CERAND: If you end up publishing that content it will end up being edited and transformed. You could say, “This is a taste of this, if you want more you can read it here.”
COLLEEN LINDSAY: If it’s already in a blog, people won’t pay for it.
LYDIA HIRT: We are publishing the Bloggess and she has a huge following, huge voice, but her book is all new material. This is completely new stories.
JEAN KWOK: As an author, you have to be very careful. I would never put anything I planned to publish on the blog. You might put something that alluded to it, but not the whole thing. If the publisher is paying for it, why would they if it’s already up there?
RITA ARENS: My book came out in 2008 and it was material that had already been put online. Sleep is for the Weak is such a new idea, but I would never try that now. The world has changed too much, too many blogs to books. In general you want people to fall in love with you as a writer so they want to read whatever it is you put out.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Jenny Lawson is quite salty and uses the F word. I don’t mind that, but my blog is different. On Twitter, I say the F word. Should I stop that?
COLLEEN LINDSAY: Fuck no.
LYDIA HIRT: You want to be the same person, so by doing that you’re being a different person.
RITA ARENS: Your voice is your voice. You are who you are but don’t lay it on too thick.
RITA ARENS: Let’s talk a little about after the book deal. What is a fair expectation of a big six publisher. A debut novel with a small advance?
LYDIA HIRT: It’s different for each novel and publisher. We want to get to know you and will send you a questionnaire. Tell us your followings, fans, tell us who will read your book and we’ll plan a campaign around that. We appreciate your ideas and keep in touch with us. One email with all the questions is better than 8 a day. Present but not bothersome. Tell us your connections. There is no one plan, but the more we know the more we can help.
LAUREN CERAND: I will save you tears by saying adjust your expectations. This is about the evolution of your career. The things you are doing today are things your publisher can help you on. They are not going to transform you. You can say, “I have this amazing access to top notch talent and get my book out to as many readers as I can.” It’s not about one book; it’s about all your books.
COLLEEN LINDSAY: You need to find the right person to ask questions. Your editor is probably the person who can answer most things.
JEAN KWOK: And about the publicity that hits after publication – the great things about social media are that’s what you can control as an author. The publisher has to spread their budget across everyone but the social media is in your own hands, no matter where you are. That is valuable. The publishing house appreciates that too. No one loves your book as much as you do No one worries about your career as much as you do. Social media is where you have it in your own hands. You don’t need a big budget or to leave you home.
COLLEEN LINDSAY: What Lauren said about adjusting expectations is key. We do love all our authors but we love them differently. I you make it hard to work with you, your book is going to suffer. Remember that people are working on dozens of other books that month,
LAUREN CERAND: Play your cards right. It is my job to make sure you get everything that is coming to you as a writer, but if you’re difficult you make that harder.
RITA ARENS: We have BlogHer book club but we also have bloggers that solely review books. They are picky about what they take. Have any of you worked with book bloggers and tips?
LYDIA HIRT: I love book bloggers. They are friends. You establish a relationship with these people. It is wonderful to have this group of people as a sounding board. We appreciate all these bloggers. It’s an important audience and you guys talk to your peers really well.
LAUREN CERAND: The reality is you’ve got to get some buzz. Facebook, Twitter, they might have your book and then read and share it with others. The best campaign you can have is one you can build more on.
JEAN KWOK: I would completely agree with that. I had a book with a lot of buzz but it was created by people like Lydia. Authors are so grateful to book bloggers because they are a lovely group of people. Your hours as a published author are limited, but say thank you. Link up a review on your Facebook page. Write a new answer if it’s the same question. You may get an interview request for a small blog but I always do it. I wanted to say earlier when you talk about how to deal with publicity. You think your book might get lost, have a horrible cover, but I think that’s not true. Usually the people who do your publicity and marketing love your book. If they choose a cover you don’t like, it’s not because they want to screw you. I figure they know what they’re doing but I have faith in them. It might not be in my taste but I trust them. If you think they’ve been sloppy and not thought about it, that’s different. But if you don’t like the colors – well they’ve thought about it and they’re trying to sell your book.
COLLEEN LINDSAY: I would also like to remind you to take the marketing off line. Know your neighborhood book seller. Barnes and Noble, etc, if you know them and they know you, by the time your book is published they’ll want to help you sell the book. They are a key part to your success plan.
LAUREN CERAND: I’ve seen writers that were really obscure and now they’re like total rock stars. I’ve got someone who hated their cover and everyone loves it. But someone in marketing did it; they have your best interests in mind. Let them sell the book. People go into it full of anxiety – focus on what you can do and places you can make a real difference.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: I agree with building your social media network, but it seems overwhelming. What do you use to help your networks build a more attractive community?
LAUREN CERAND: Do you like Twitter? Does Facebook seem soul killing? You have to say, I love Twitter, it’s cool. Other people are like, “I’d rather die.” Then go on Tumblr.
COLLEEN LINDSAY: I had an agent with 2 toddlers and a newborn, zero social media presence. I sold her book; she had to get online and was overwhelmed. So I said, pick one. So she picked one and blogged once a week and it worked. So pick one.
RITA ARENS: Push to Facebook, push to Twitter.
LYDIA HIRT: What we are selling is the book. If the writing is there, it is an art form and the writing makes a big difference.
JEAN KWOK: I left the country 10 times in 12 months, and while it’s a privilege, you have to protect the time to write. The energy to write. Facebook is the great distracter. I make rules for myself. I post once a day on Facebook. Sometimes I do more, but I don’t post all day long. I have a blog and I love it, but for me the blogging takes the same energy as writing. I haven’t kept my blog up because I’m trying to finish my book. It’s a constant balance to keep it going but make sure you have your book ready.
LAUREN CERAND: You have to think of the rate of return.
Colleen Lindsay: Your writing is an art up until you get a paycheck for it. Then it’s a job. If you are spending all of your time doing marketing online and late with your manuscript, you hurt everyone that invested in you.
LAUREN CERAND: You may have to dismantle Tweet deck.
LJ: We can see you. We follow you. Don’t tweet when your manuscript is due.
JEAN KWOK: There are departments that are on a schedule and expect your book to be done at a certain time. If you don’t get it in, it screws up your dates for publishing. For book tours. Everything. Be on time.
RITA ARENS: Thank you!
