Don`t Wait to Start Your Marketing Strategy

Don`t Wait to Start Your Marketing Strategy
By Jo
Fulkerson

Your novel is finished, you’ve had it edited by a professional
Editor, and you’ve done the rewrites. What? You haven’t had an
editor edit your work yet? This is a must. There are many
editors advertising in Writer’s Digest. I have used one in
whom I have the utmost confidence – William Greenleaf. His
website is http://www.williamgreenleaf.com (http://www.
williamgreenleaf.com) email wgreenleaf@email.com
(mailto:wgreenleaf@email.com) Another editing service I have
contacted is A-1 Editing Services – http://www.a1editing.com
(http://www.a1editing.com) I have not used their services as
yet, but they did do a 5-page critique and edit for me at no
charge so that I could get an idea of their work. I am
seriously considering them for my next novel.

Once you have had it edited and done the rewrites, you’re ready
to send it off to the publisher (or get it set up as an
ebook), and . . . And then what? How are you going to promote
and market your newest creation? Any Ideas? Let me strongly
recommend a service which I used and with which I have been
extremely satisfied. Publishersandagents@aol.com
(mailto:Publishersandagents@aol.com) is an email query service
headed by Gini Scott. She works up a solid query letter for
you, emails it to film producers (for scripts) and agents, as
well as book publishers (editors) and book agents. You will be
amazed at the response you will get from her emails (they come
directly to you from the contacts). This is by far better and
easier than looking up the contacts yourself and contacting
them each individually. Let me give you a word of warning: Be
sure and have your response materials ready. Your script
treatment, your manuscript, your bio, your synopsis – all of
the materials that these contacts are likely to ask you to
send should be prepared, corrected, and in your files ready to
send when you begin receiving inquiries.

If you decide to self-publish your work, search all of the
information you need to be able to decide where to have the
work published. POD publishers, such as iUniverse – http://www.
iuniverse.com (http://www.iuniverse.com) – Infinity Publishing
– http://www.infinitypublishing.com (http://www.
infinitypublishing.com) or email: info@infinitypublishing.com
(mailto:info@infinitypublishing.com) – 1st Books – http://www.
1stbooks.com (http://www.1stbooks.com) Trafford Publishing –
http://www.trafford.com (http://www.trafford.com) Book
Locker – http://www.booklocker.com (http://www.booklocker.com)

All of these are sources I have contacted and find their
information worth considering. (For “Sing Me No Sad Songs” I
chose Trafford Publishing.)

Whether you find a regular publisher or self-publish your
novel, or offer it as an ebook, you’re in for a big shock if
you believe you won’t have to promote and market your book
yourself. You will have to do the work yourself. And if you
thought that getting your book finished and polished was a
giant task, you’re going to find out that the work you put
into writing your novel was a walk in the park if you don’t
get your ducks all in a row to begin your marketing strategy.

Among the various marketing strategies I uncovered and recently
began using (I told you that I didn’t plan ahead for my book
promotion) are these: Book Crazy Radio has interviews with
authors via internet radio every Tuesday. http://www.bookcrazy.
net (http://www.bookcrazy.net) for information Brian Jud has
two book marketing services which are well worth considering.
I am using one of these right now.) He also has an ezine for
writers with many promotion tips. Contact BrianJud@aol.com
(mailto:BrianJud@aol.com) for details. BooksAndAuthors@aol.com
(mailto:BooksAndAuthors@aol.com) has some good book promotion
ideas and services.

Other places to find great promotion information are these
newsletters: authorgmooney@getresponse.com
(mailto:authorgmooney@getresponse.com) http://www.
writersweekly.com (http://www.writersweekly.com) http://www.
bookcoaching.com (http://www.bookcoaching.com) email:
Judy@bookcoaching.com (mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com) http://
www.digital-e.biz.com (http://www.digital-e.biz.com) email:
birgitt@digital-e.biz (mailto:birgitt@digital-e.biz). Book
Promotion Newsletter – contact franalive@optonline.net
(mailto:franalive@optonline.net) http://www:oncewritten.com
(http://www:oncewritten.com)

Use your search engine to locate other ezines for writers –
they are an invaluable source of publicity by using your
articles with your signature at the end to direct people to
your book.

Don’t wait! At least by the time you send your manuscript to
the publisher or get it ready for an ebook, you should be
checking ezines for information about marketing. You should
gather all the information you can find relating to marketing
– look up websites, contact them all and find out what kind of
marketing tools are available to you and which ones you want
to pursue.

Keep file folders, with all the information you gather, and
find some way to keep track of what each file folder contains.
Then categorize your folders by subject – Marketing
Information, Info on Publishing, Ezines for Promoting,
Comments – Reviews – Press Releases, etc. You need to be able
to find just what you’re looking for without going through
folder after folder looking for it.

The important thing to remember – Don’t wait until you are
ready to begin marketing your book to begin collecting
information. Be ready to start marketing as soon as your book
is finished and ready to be marketed.

In the case of articles, you should write several articles,
polish each one to perfection, and then contact or send them
to appropriate ezines and newsletters. Send your articles out
every week or two and keep sending them out as long as you
develop new lists of ezines to submit to. Keep writing new
articles which help others to learn from your experiences and
put your signature at the end of each article. Your name, a
published article or book, website, etc. should be at the end
of EVERY article you submit.

Paul White is a 42 year old former teacher. He now helps people
all around the world to become wealthy online. Whatever you
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com (http://www.profitmountain.com) and if you subscribe to
Profit Mountain`s FREE wealth building newsletter, you will
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