Promotion for the Unpublished: Are You Really Ready to Begin?
Posted By Ann Charles on June 5, 2009
Ann Charles, Author
by Ann Charles
Copyright © 2009 Ann Charles
So, you’re an unpublished author and feel like you’re ready to start making a name for yourself. You have your manuscript in hand and you’re ready to leap into the promotion pool. But are you sure that you’re really ready to start swimming?
Ready to Submit?
Let’s start with the craft side of the business, because having a solid, well-written story is the most important thing you can do as a writer. Let’s add “completed” to that list of adjectives, as well. What use is it peddling your name about if you have no product to back you up? And let’s also emphasize the well-written part of this description? If an editor tosses your manuscript aside before even finishing the first page, you need to take off that new Promo hat and pick up your well-creased Writer cap again.
Note: One of my favorite books for making my submissions sparkle is Don’t Sabotage Your Submission by Chris Roerden.
How do you know if your book is ready to send out to agents or editors? Well, there are several options. You could ask for honest feedback from your critique partners, hire a professional editor, or enter contests which offer reviews of your entry by published authors (for example, the Emerald City Opener contest by the Greater Seattle RWA chapter). You could also read your manuscript aloud while recording yourself and listen to the playback—if you don’t cringe the whole time, then you may be good to go.
Time to Begin Balancing?
Okay, so you have a solid, golden version of your manuscript. But before you tip-toe into the promo pool, you need to ask yourself if one good, finished book is enough. Let’s say you (or your agent) send this book out and within a month—just as you’re getting your feet wet promoting your name—you get ‘the call.’ Lucky you, it’s for a two- or three-book contract! Will you be able to balance writing a 2nd (and/or 3rd) book while promoting the first? Keep in mind that book promotion has to begin months before the actual release date and will probably eat up most of your usual writing time.
You decide to write another book before moving on to promoting yourself. Are two finished manuscripts enough? Only you can answer that question based on your other priorities, such as a full-time job, kids, spouse, need for sleep and food, etc.
Where to Begin?
Now you have your stockpile of manuscripts and they are polished to the hilt. You have your arm floaties on and you’re ready to join the other promoting authors in the pool. Where do you begin? And do you just dive in or wade in tentatively?
Promotion is a big, deep pool. It’s easy to jump in, thrash around, and then drown in details and options. You need to scope out things, make a career and marketing plan, and enter one step at a time instead of launching off the high dive. Baby steps will do you well here and keep you from floundering in water over your head.
All right, enough pool references (sorry, but it’s been a long, cold winter in Seattle and I’m really excited about summer). I’ve given you some stuff to think about here. Some pre-work to promoting yourself. Some questions to answer honestly. Let’s stop there for today and label it as Baby Step #1. We’ll talk more about career and marketing plans soon. Until then, take a close look at your warehouse and make sure you’re really ready to start promoting.
Ann Charles is a Co-Captain of 1st Turning Point. You can read more in About Us.
About the author
Good article, Ann, and I LIKE the pool references.
I look forward to receiving those emails in my inbox telling me that there is a new article waiting on me at 1st Turning Point. Keep up the good work!
Kristie Leigh Maguire - who IS published and in the deep end of the promo pool.
Great advice, Ann! Especially the part about being sure your writing skills are really publishable before submitting. Very few writers get their first manuscript published. New writers need to hope that theirs is the exception in order to keep going through the tough work of completing the first manuscript. But there is a point where hope nudges over the line into self-delusion. It’s always a good idea for writers to keep a core of realism along with eternal hope.
Thanks, Kristie! I’m glad you don’t mind getting those emails in your inbox.
We had so much snow this winter I couldn’t wait to see green leaves again.
Good luck swimming in the deep end. Maybe I’ll see you in there floating sometime.
If you have any advice on promo, feel free to share it with all. Everyone has something to teach, IMO.
Ann
Hi Judy,
Very wise words! I like the idea of a core of realism. It’s fun to daydream about the life of a writer, but reality shows us a different picture. Those who are ultra-successful also work their hindends off writing and promoting and trying to meet all of the deadlines and demands placed upon them. It’s not anything like Romancing the Stone portrayed, darn it…well, maybe except for the crying part when you write “The End” and have to say good-bye to your characters.
Ann C.
Hi Ann: Really enjoyed your article and I love this website. I do believe that, especially if you write more than one genre, it’s good to get your work out there if you feel it’s ready, even if you don’t have a whole slew of similar stories ready to go. I’ve written both historical and contemporary romantic suspense. I queried agents with both and landed my agent (Kevan Lyon) with a contemporary that ultimately hasn’t sold. We’re now pitching my historical suspense. I’m working on two follow up stories in both genres at the moment. I think as writers, we have to be ready to produce, promote, and whatever else is required if we should be so lucky as to land a two or three book contract! One thing I’ve learned - if you have a deadline, you somehow make it!
Robin,
Glad you enjoyed the article, and I’m really really glad to hear you like the website. Jacquie, Wendy, and I (along with our crew) have spent a lot of time building it, and we’re still only in “phase 1″ of this puppy.
Wow! You are busy. Good luck with landing a contract for your work. Have you recieved good, helpful rejections on your contemporary from editors? How about anything back yet (good or not-so-good) on your historical suspense?
“I think as writers, we have to be ready to produce, promote, and whatever else is required if we should be so lucky as to land a two or three book contract! One thing I’ve learned - if you have a deadline, you somehow make it!”
Yes (nodding enthusiastically here). I recently was asked to add more paranormal to one of my mysteries. So, I’m giving that a try and trying to get it back asap. Years and years ago when I was relatively ‘young’ at this writing life, I felt like, “This is my story and I won’t change it.” Now, I say, “Sure! No problem! How soon do you need the revisions?”
It’s a business. Whatever it takes to make my business succeed.
Thanks for your comments and thoughts! Again, good luck! Share your “good news” with it when it comes, please.
Ann C.
In my opinion, “Promo” before you have a contract is not the same as “Promo” once your book is scheduled for release, as I am sure you said, Ann.
Before you have a contract, promote yourself in the nicest possible way. Make friends. Be a friend. Network. Build up a mailing list of willing supporters (never harvest names, always remind people how to unsubscribe, never spam strangers.)
Titles, plots, ideas cannot be copyrighted. Editors and agents probably are not spending their time on the internet reading excerpts, other authors are. (I might be mistaken about that.) IMHO, the only place to post an excerpt from an unsold manuscript might be on Publishers Marketplace, on your paid author page, with a listing of the rights you wish to sell.
What you might risk (if promoting your book before it is sold) is important contest judges and others remembering your story but not your name, then seeing your genuine work on their desktop and thinking “That has soooo been done already!”
Of course, if the contest in question is a national popularity contest, the above point doesn’t apply, because your friends and acquaintances will be voting for you, their friend, not for the quality of your writing. Moreover, if the contest requires that you post a series of excerpts online (as a recent contest run on Gather.com did), then of course you do whatever it takes to win.
Hi Rowena,
‘“Promo” before you have a contract is not the same as “Promo” once your book is scheduled for release’
Good point. I should always make that clear. Promo pre-contract is promoting your name and ability to be a professional author (mostly), via presenting, writing articles, creating a ‘clean’ and interesting website, volunteering for writing-related organizations, joining social networking sites, etc. You don’t have a book to promote, so you’re just trying to get your name out there in a positive light for other authors or foks tied into the profession to see. You may be able to make a little cash in this phase, but usually, not much (in my experience so far).
Promo post-contract is promoting your book along with your name. While you’re still wanting to get your name out there in a postive light, you have a product to sell. The game changes in this phase, and you, Rowena, would be a good teacher from whom to learn about what it takes to promote your book and how to shine and attract readers. I look forward to learning more about the business from you. You’ve already taught me a lot, especially with your LinkedIn article.
Ann C.