Thursday, September 12, 2013

NETWORKING - Not for the faint at heart - Part 1

Several years ago I was part of The Writers forum on AOL. I was HOSTWRTRRmAngel and hosted a workshop on Wednesday nights called The Writers Zone. We had topics for new and seasoned authors. I was blessed to have veteran authors like Vicki Lewis Thompson, Shirley Jump, Stella Cameron and the late Charlotte Maclay share their wisdom from the trenches. With all of their experience the one thing hard for some of our workshop participants to grasp was dealing with the act of selling their book to readers.

Apparently, many of these want-to-be authors wrote then assumed someone else would do all the publicity work. They could hide away in their jammies and write. Um... NO! Even back then, the author still needed to do some jaw work. With the dwindling number of hard publishers and the explosion of eBook, the ability to market yourself and your book is even more important. So how do we do this?

First off, in the words shared to me by Boroughs Publishing CEO, Chris Keesler (years ago when he was with Dorchester), "Don't be nervous." I equate that statement to "don't be afraid." Don't be afraid to put yourself out there. You have to let your DESIRE to live your dream to override your FEAR of rejection.

People do not bite. Really? What bites us in the ass is our own fear of rejection. But more on that later.

In today's publishing world, our marketing begins long before we ever sell a book.
In real life, you have to attend writer functions such as local groups, workshops and conferences. You have to put your hand out and introduce yourself. Be prepared with a very short blurb about what you write.
"Hi, I'm Angela Drake. I write sub-genres of romance. My characters tell me what they're up to. What do you write?"

Then be prepared to LISTEN. Show them the same courtesy you expect. Have business cards handy that will direct them to your website/ blog. You might even choose to have the QR Code Graphic on your business card they can just scan if they choose that will take them directly to your website/ blog. The one below is from a blog called 'Readers are Leaders'. The link will take you to an post Kara wrote on QR Codes.


Another blog full of information, including apps for creating your own in 4 easy steps, is from BlogHubspot 

I plan to redo my business cards with a QR code link to my blog. That will never change. When my book, Somewhere Down the Line, is released in a few months, I'll create the QR code that will link to my Amazon author page. 

So now, I have you meeting people in person. Next Thursday we'll talk about networking opportunities on the net - and I'm NOT talking about social media... okay a little bit. But that is not the focus.. just one of the avenues. 

Until next week!
Keep taking the dictation! 
Angela



15 comments:

  1. Everything you've said is so true! Fear of rejection is one of the hardest things to overcome. Very wise words, indeed. I can't wait for next week!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Pamela. Your encouragement and friendship mean a lot to me. Hugs & Blessings ~Angela

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  2. I think it's fine to be nervous, just not to let that nervousness stop you from doing what you need to do to get your work noticed. I'm looking forward to your next post on online networking.

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    1. Hey Sharon. Thanks for stopping by. Networking is just the 'promoter' in me. I hope my tips help. Hugs and Blessings ~Angela

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  3. Yep, you have to put yourself out there if you want to succeed. You can't wait for things to happen. You have to MAKE THEM HAPPEN.

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    1. Hey Lisa.
      I love your final three words!
      Hugs

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  4. I met a person once who thought she could just type up a manuscript, sell it, and get rich. She had no clue what was really required.

    Writing is more a marathon than a sprint. (Okay, tacky overused cliché)

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    1. exactly, Chuck. People really need to look over the full job description of this profession before applying ;-)

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  5. Angela, it's easy to say, we're going to be brave and not care if we get rejected (or get bad reviews), but it's hard to do. Good post. Barb Bettis

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    1. Yes, it is, Miss Barb. But we have to keep at it. ;-)

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  6. Angela, it's easy to say, we're going to be brave and not care if we get rejected (or get bad reviews), but it's hard to do. Good post. Barb Bettis

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  7. Good idea about putting the QR code on your business cards. Darn! I just had mine redone, too. Oh well. Will do the next set.

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    1. ;-) And that's where the networking comes in LOL Sorry we won't see you at ORACon2013. Hopefully the Oct. meeting.

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  8. I'm about to have business cards made. Thanks for the reminder about QR codes. Even more importantly, thank you for this gem: "You have to let your DESIRE to live your dream override your FEAR of rejection." I should tattoo that on my arm. :-)

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  9. I'm about to have business cards made. Thanks for the reminder about QR codes. Even more importantly, thank you for this gem: "You have to let your DESIRE to live your dream override your FEAR of rejection." I should tattoo that on my arm. :-)

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