Networking and promoting, what works?

[Jessica Crawford Vernold]

What methods of book promotion and marketing have worked best for you? Basically, how do you get the most bang for your buck? I am looking to network with people like everyone here. I would love to here ideas and advice on how I can promote my book and site, what has worked best for everyone else, and trade secrets. If we can network to help each other, that is great.

[Andrew Levkoff]

I just saw a car covered with book art for the first time the other day. Is it working? Did it cost much? I thought at the time that the author would have to drive very slowly across the entire U.S. to get a good return on investment.

Andy

andrewlevkoff.com

[Jessica Crawford Vernold]

I just had mine done. I love it. I only spent three hundred becasue I know the owner and got it at cost, so for me it is a reasonable investment, plus I love how it looks.

[Andrew Levkoff]

So, Jessica, let's see a picture!

[Jessica Crawford Vernold]

[Jessica Crawford Vernold]

This is just the back. The image is the same on both sides as well. What do you think? Eyes catching?

[Andrew Levkoff]

Excellent! As long as you can see out the window. What do the kids think?

[Jessica Crawford Vernold]

I can see. That's why it is perforated. The kids think it's awesome. I had a great artisit though.

[Abraham Lopian and Julie Snyder]

That sounds like a great idea!  Let us know how it works. That is expensive marketing though isn't it?  My friend has a sign shop and I thought it was about $5K to have your car wrapped.  Keep us posted.

[Richard Lee Byers]

I've found self-promotion to be really tough, and often, when I do see an up-tick in sales, I don't know which of my self-promotional efforts, if any, is responsible. For what it's worth, here's a list of things I've done/am still doing, with a comment or two.

 

I blog.

I've done blog swapping. (It's my impression that this didn't do anything for me.)

I give my eBooks to people who want to review them. (Anybody want to review them? Email me at [e-mail])

I give interviews to bloggers and podcasters. (Anybody want to interview me? Email me at [e-mail])

I get the HARO emailings and respond to every solicitations than I'm an appropriate source for. (This has gotten me a podcast interview, the chance to write a whimsical essay for a poker site, and quoted as a source in a couple different articles.)

I write a monthly column for the online science-fiction news magazine Airlock Alpha.

I have my Amazon Author Central page fully operational.

I have a presence on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Goodreads.

I also participate on sites that cater specifically to readers of the kind of material I write, like Candlekeep, a Forgotten Realms site (among other things, I write Forgotten Realms novels), and the New Pulp forums.

I attend science-fiction conventions as a program participant. (Anybody want me as a guest at your convention? Email me at [e-mail])

At SF conventions, I have given away CD's with a couple of my stories (samples on the work that's in my eBooks) on them.

I probably do other crap, too, but right now, I'm blanking on what it is. One thing you'll notice about most of the items on this list (going to conventions is the big exception) is that while they may or may not be effective, at least they don't cost much money. Time, yes, but money, no.

[Jessica Crawford Vernold]

Thanks for taking the time to list those. I know there a couple things there, I haven't tried yet.

 

[Shilpa Mudiganti]

This is a great list for guidance, Richard. Thank you for sharing it with all of us. 

Yes, self-promotion is really tough. They say writers need to have thick skin for reviews. But I guess it now applies to promotion as well. 

I consider interacting with your targeted readers is really important to promote your book. 

[KW McCabe]

That is actually a really awesome list- I'm copying it down so that I can start doing some of those things....