Those Who Do and Those Who Don't

Much like how the the moon and stars rose to prominence, writers who 'make it' appear to do so mysteriously or even magically. Unlike the moon and stars, these writers all followed their own sentient path - they marketed and promoted their product.

Getting down to the nitty gritty of marketing and promoting often leads authors to an edge of the abyss of obscurity. As I've posted numerous times, writing the book is only 10% of the work, if that. The real nuts and bolts of attaining 'successful writer' status always involves before, during and after "The End" work.

I have been studying writers who go on to a certain amount of what I feel is success. One critical element they all share is a dogged persistence to promotion. In fact, one writer I'm paying close attention to - Rebekah Hunter Scott - has found a passion for book promotion. She loves it!

Rebekah did not expect to love marketing and promotion.  She blogged fourteen months out from the publication of her book. She joined social groups online and in St. Augustine Florida related to her book topic.

When she blogged, she followed my advice and wrote a minimum of two a week. When she joined these social groups, she jumped in with both feet. Heck, she took on the President position for one year of one of the moms clubs she joined (her book is Motherhood is Easy...as long as you have nothing else to do for the next 50 years).

Rebekah also continues to submit her book to reviewers. Countless blogs have reviewed her book as well as some print media. She constantly queries magazines and has landed one excerpt (July 2010) and one article (TBA) with American Baby magazine and one article(TBA) with Parents magazine. These magazines have circulations in the millions.

Contrary to what you may think, this kind of exposure does not necessarily turn into big dollars. In fact, an author could conceivably see very little from magazine articles. There are many factors that go into a book's success. For instance, American Baby would not allow an internet address in her byline. We wanted www.motherhoodiseasy.com but all we got was the author's and publisher's name.

Fortunately, Motherhood is Easy is a very memorable, absurd phrase that is highly searchable on Google. Rebekah dominates page one on this particular search. How will that affect online sales? Ask me in a month or two...

The point is, Rebekah is querying magazines, blogging religiously, joining groups related to her book, keeping new content flowing, setting up book signings and marketing and promoting every single day.

I've taken some very valuable and humbling lessons from Rebekah. When my book came out, I did not have fourteen months of support blogs under my belt. My blog on fatherhood (my book is Fatherhood 101) even now has only seen sporadic postings.

I did not query any magazines and I only dabbled a little in the fatherhood movement so far. Without these underlying support mechanisms, my book sales have reflected my effort. The sad thing is Fatherhood 101 is a good book. Good books do not guarantee sales. Only good marketing and promoting will get you there.

I use myself as a case in point to show that even though you mess up, you can learn from your mistakes, regroup and move forward.

Another thing I've noticed about Rebekah's marketing is that she has a very broad market yet she's been smart and targeted more of a niche by writing with a sassy, fresh voice that appeals to today's generation. The great thing is her book translates well into any age, but Rebekah's focus has been on reaching the twenty to forty year-olds instead of ALL mothers.

As a father, I found her book to be a riot. I've read it five times and I laugh every time I read it. Rebekah doesn't go out pursuing the 'dad market' but I've noticed her reviewers broaden her market for her. One reviewer laughed so hard reading the book she had her husband read it. He got such a kick out of the book the reviewer put that information in her blog. Without diverting from her target niche, Rebekah just got a plug to another potential market from someone she's never met.

I know it's not difficult to foresee what happens if you don't market and promote. Intellectually we can all fill in those blanks. Watching successful marketing happen is an education that's priceless.

Nothing started off like gang-busters. The weekly blogs. The query letter after query letter. Joining a moms group. All these things evolved over the course of fourteen months. The day American Baby called was huge. Their bite along with Parents Magazine are rewards for months and months of persistence.

I think as writers we hear this kind of stuff, but we don't always process the information when it comes to OUR writing. For some inexplicable reason, most writers proceed like these things do not apply to them. I know I did.

I knew all this info. I'd been schooled by a competent mentor, great writer's conferences and all the writing mags and books a writer accumulates, yet I did not do as Rebekah and other successful writers have done.

The great thing about this business is that it is a learning business. So you fall flat on your face. You blow it. You do virtually zilch marketing and promoting. You learn the err of your ways and you step back up to the plate.

I've read, heard AND observed that writing is an exercise in perseverance. Now I own a working model in my head of what it takes to move forward. Yes, there are other aspects, networking, speaking, workshops, etc., but I could spend weeks on those topics alone. The bottom line is - if you're writing a book, you should be promoting it.

Don't wait until it's published. Don't expect it to happen on its own. And don't give up. I'm sure Rebekah does not look at herself as a 'successful' writer. It's still early. After all, the book's only been out five weeks. It appears to readers that it came out of nowhere. I know better and so do you.

Plan for your book's success by being one of those authors who DO and avoid the pitfalls of the writer who DOESN'T. And enjoy the trip.