Authors need to remember book publicity and success takes time and patience.
You have a written the book. You have published it (either through a major
publishing house, a small press, self-publishing, or e-book). It is ready to go out
into the world.
So how do you get people interested in it?
So where are all the reviews, interviews and coverage?
According to Bowker, over 16 million books were published in 2015. Consider the
staggering fact that 248,000 books were published in 2003 and the figures
continued to double every year after that. That’s a lot of competition.
So how do you get your book noticed?
Slowly with patience and effort. There is no other way around it. If you want your
book to be read and reviewed, you have to reach far and wide in the media
landscape. You have to be prepared to send out many review copies, and you
have to wait. Following-up with the media outlets is essential, but you can’t force
people to read and react to your work. You have to change your approach, think
of different angles and find ways to make your story newsworthy. You have to
think like a journalist and constantly scan the news for appropriate angles or
areas where you can offer expertise.
The more coverage you can accumulate, the more news-worthy you will be to
other media outlets. You are building “buzz.” You are building a brand. But it
does take time. There is an old joke said by actors that it takes decades of hard
work and dedication to become an overnight success. The same can be said for
authors. The most successful publicity campaigns often last for years, not
months. Don’t expect to get readers and fans right out of the gate. Yes, instant
successes happen. If you want to be realistic about the process, you have to be
prepared to do the work. You are building an audience slowly. Most “break out”
authors have been working at this tirelessly for a very long time.
But in the end, the patience and hard work will be worth it, when your book takes
off and you have achieved your author brand.
