http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/authors/how_to_promote_your_novel_guest_essays_bbq_sauce_86609.asp
Monday Jun 09, 2008
How to Promote Your Novel: Guest Essays & BBQ Sauce
About three months ago, I recommended that book publicists (and suffficiently motivated authors) discover John Scalzi's "Big Idea" series, a category of posts on his blog where guest writers discuss some of the concepts underpinning their latest books. Last week, the featured guest was N.M. Kelby, who revealed how a madcap Florida murder mystery like The Bad Girl's Bar & Grill was born out of a visit to a puppet workshop in the coldest throes of a Vermont winter.
(Insert the now-standard disclosure of interests I wish I'd come up with myself: "Whatever. Google me.")
Kelby (who's in the middle of a big tour that extends into the fall, including an October date here in New York) told me last week about another one of her inspirations, a blog called The Homeless Guy by Kevin Barbieux, who has lived extensively on the streets of Nashville, though he was able to move into an apartment last month—and, after learning of his literary influence, is doing his best to get his public library to bring her in for a reading. The influences run in the other direction, too: BBQ specialist Ardie Davis decided the novel needed an official barbecue sauce, so he made one, "slightly spicy with a little bit of orange." I can't wait to taste them... and I already have a good idea about which bloggers I'm going to make sure get my extra jars, and the copies of the novel that go with them...
In the Age of the Internet, how does an author spread the news that he or she has written a novel? How DO you tell the world?
Begin by researching, looking for websites that specialize in your genre. John Scalzi’s site zeroes in on science fiction, the “Literature of Ideas” and he is eager to get ‘big ideas’ out there.
But you’re a yet-to-be published author. Will this pro even bother with you? Oh, yes, IF you’ve got a ‘big idea.’
Therein lies the rub: too many authors have long SF stories filled with all kinds of futuristic technology and exotic characters but NO ‘big idea’ or if they DO have one, bury it so deep in the manuscript that an editor will tire and give up looking for it.
Selling a novel is not unlike the old ‘cat in a bag’ scheme. Problem is that the writer believes that because the ‘bag’ is so beautifully designed and intricately woven…No, NO, a thousand times no. It’s all about the ‘cat,’ the ‘big idea’ that separates this novel from all others.
In seeking to publicize your novel, always start with the ‘cat’—MAKE the ‘big idea’ hit home and you’re halfway to a book contract. Play with the ‘bag’ and you’re dead.
Of course, if your novel is going to be published and you’re looking for something ‘official’ to tag onto it. VISA paid dearly to be the ‘official credit card’ of the 2008 Olympics. I don’t think they’d take to kindly if you linked your novel to VISA, copyright infringement and all.
But what about stuff with a long-expired copyright. Hmmm…
Beetoven’s 5th Symphony is the ‘official score’ of this novel. How’s that for good company?
Monday Jun 09, 2008
How to Promote Your Novel: Guest Essays & BBQ Sauce
About three months ago, I recommended that book publicists (and suffficiently motivated authors) discover John Scalzi's "Big Idea" series, a category of posts on his blog where guest writers discuss some of the concepts underpinning their latest books. Last week, the featured guest was N.M. Kelby, who revealed how a madcap Florida murder mystery like The Bad Girl's Bar & Grill was born out of a visit to a puppet workshop in the coldest throes of a Vermont winter.
(Insert the now-standard disclosure of interests I wish I'd come up with myself: "Whatever. Google me.")
Kelby (who's in the middle of a big tour that extends into the fall, including an October date here in New York) told me last week about another one of her inspirations, a blog called The Homeless Guy by Kevin Barbieux, who has lived extensively on the streets of Nashville, though he was able to move into an apartment last month—and, after learning of his literary influence, is doing his best to get his public library to bring her in for a reading. The influences run in the other direction, too: BBQ specialist Ardie Davis decided the novel needed an official barbecue sauce, so he made one, "slightly spicy with a little bit of orange." I can't wait to taste them... and I already have a good idea about which bloggers I'm going to make sure get my extra jars, and the copies of the novel that go with them...
In the Age of the Internet, how does an author spread the news that he or she has written a novel? How DO you tell the world?
Begin by researching, looking for websites that specialize in your genre. John Scalzi’s site zeroes in on science fiction, the “Literature of Ideas” and he is eager to get ‘big ideas’ out there.
But you’re a yet-to-be published author. Will this pro even bother with you? Oh, yes, IF you’ve got a ‘big idea.’
Therein lies the rub: too many authors have long SF stories filled with all kinds of futuristic technology and exotic characters but NO ‘big idea’ or if they DO have one, bury it so deep in the manuscript that an editor will tire and give up looking for it.
Selling a novel is not unlike the old ‘cat in a bag’ scheme. Problem is that the writer believes that because the ‘bag’ is so beautifully designed and intricately woven…No, NO, a thousand times no. It’s all about the ‘cat,’ the ‘big idea’ that separates this novel from all others.
In seeking to publicize your novel, always start with the ‘cat’—MAKE the ‘big idea’ hit home and you’re halfway to a book contract. Play with the ‘bag’ and you’re dead.
Of course, if your novel is going to be published and you’re looking for something ‘official’ to tag onto it. VISA paid dearly to be the ‘official credit card’ of the 2008 Olympics. I don’t think they’d take to kindly if you linked your novel to VISA, copyright infringement and all.
But what about stuff with a long-expired copyright. Hmmm…
Beetoven’s 5th Symphony is the ‘official score’ of this novel. How’s that for good company?
posted by Kevin at
5:18 PM
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