I-CAN Publicity

I cannot think of a better prerequisite to publicity than that of becoming a published author. Strange? You betcha.

But think on it. Consider how many proposals a year hit an editor's desk. Although I've never actually seen a slush pile, according to rumor, we can safely assume it is a huge, never-ending monster capable of permanently swallowing your precious manuscript.

But you did it! You succeeded, despite the odds! You managed to crawl out from amongst all the other 1"-doubled spaced-Times New Roman or Courier- non-widowed-non-orphaned manuscripts and become noticed. Not just noticed, but read. Not just read, but contracted.

How?

Well, while it might not be the same for everyone, most have followed a similar path. By now you have mastered the following:

· The query letter—which means you're pre-groomed to write the pitch letter in your press kit.

· A well-written manuscript—you know your story so well that Q&A for your press kit should be a breeze.

· How to write a proposal—which means the prep work for your bio, endorsement page and one sheet, is already done.

· Networking—You can try, but you will never convince me that it's more intimidating to approach a bookstore owner, radio station, magazine editor, or book reviewer than it is to stop an editor/agent during a conference to pitch your novel.

Getting media attention is a lot like getting your book published. The skills you've learned to break into this industry will now serve you well in your new small business. Whether you can afford a professional publicist or not, publicizing your book isn't out of your reach, and with a little knowledge, there's plenty you can do. Perhaps the hardest part about publicity, just like becoming published, is learning the system.

From this point forward, we'll start on that path. Next week, we'll discuss working with your publicist, and what you can do if you have no publicist and can't afford one.