How to Promote a Memoir, Promotions for Autobiography

Promotion Techniques for Memoir and Autobiography

Fundamental Promotion Techniques for Your Memoir

Promotion is always ongoing – memoirs are no exception – and your marketing plan should examine a number of different angles. There are traditional methods and promotional events you can arrange, but there are also many non-traditional areas just waiting for your memoir. Your mission should include tapping the traditional promotion ground, while considering (and exploring) alternative marketing tactics that may benefit your sales as well as your reputation.

Looking for advice on a particular promotional avenue? Jump directly to your area of interest:

For the self-published author, often the hardest part of publishing is learning how to promote your book. Getting started can be rather intimidating for a new author, but as an independent do-it-yourselfer, we know you'll be up for the challenge. With a little guidance and maybe a little help from Wordclay professionals, you'll become a promoting machine before you know it (or you'll know where to start at the very least).

Last But Not Least: The Final "P" of Marketing

In marketing, there are "Four P's" to any successful marketing strategy: product, price, place, and the fourth and final "P" is "promotion." Promotion is the active, driving force that spreads the word about your book and includes: advertising platforms, forms of media, events, marketing products and networking avenues of all kinds. Your promotional efforts should encompass various forms of media and utilize all kinds of channels, avenues and efforts, also known as a "Marketing Mix."

When it comes to promotion, you've got options galore. But, don't forget about the basics you've already established in your marketing plan. Think back to the fundamentals: Who is your target audience? What is your budget? Knowing how much you can spend on marketing will limit the types of promotion you use.

But don't fret!

There are a great number of low-cost marketing (or guerrilla marketing) tactics out there for authors who don't have huge bags of cash lying around. Also, remember the third "P" of marketing and all of your "Place" ideas? Namely, where can you find your audience? Keep this in mind to help you stay focused on reaching your targeted group.

Let's first take a look at the traditional promotion categories:

Book signings:

Once you've published your book, you can begin to arrange book signings. Visit a bookstore you've targeted for a signing and present your best case. Tell the person behind the counter that you're an author, and you would like to speak to a manager. Dress appropriately, as though for a business meeting; always remain professional, and never plead your case. The evidence you present to any manager or owner should speak for itself.

Speaking of the evidence, make sure to bring a copy of your book as well as documentation of your sales and publications. It's best to create a press kit that you can leave with a manager, which includes information about your book, any press releases that have been distributed and a record of any media coverage you've received. You can purchase starter press kits through Wordclay for a professional touch. If you have other events planned or additional books, don't hesitate to tell the manager. They want to “keep up with the Jones's bookstore” down the block as much as you want to publicize your book. If you've displayed success in the past (especially the recent past), you will more than likely draw a crowd, increasing the chances of new customers buying books from their location.

On the subject of bookstores, walking into a Borders or a Barnes & Noble might not be your best initial approach. Start with locally-owned and managed bookstores – they love promoting local talents. Once you've generated enough community buzz, then you can approach the chain bookstores with more confidence and experience. As you expand into the regional and national markets, don't forget about independent bookstores. Most literary individuals (and memoir readers!) frequent independent establishments instead of impersonal bookstore chains, not to mention the fact that the events conducted at independent bookstores are often times more impressive and intimate, allowing you to connect with your audience on a personal level.

Meeting up-close-and-personal to arrange a book signing is your best bet. Show the manager you mean business by showing up and proving you're a perfect fit for their store. Calling bookstores in order to arrange a signing can be more difficult and is often met with distrust. Of course, if you're setting up a signing out of town and a visit is out the question, be sure to offer to mail or e-mail any supplemental information about your book.

Once you have a book signing arranged, you should consider ways of drawing your crowd to the event. The most effective methods of making communities aware of your event is through posting flyers at coffeehouses, literary centers, galleries, wherever you believe people of interest frequent. You can make your own promotional materials, or you can always order materials from Wordclay's Services Store and allow one of our professional designers to generate flyers, posters, whatever your heart's desire, listing all your event information, including time, location and other attending authors.

TIP: One of the benefits of marketing the memoir is that any venue has the potential to host a reading and/or a book signing. If you make note of a particular venue in your book, or perhaps an organization specializing in the theme of your memoir approaches you, the possibilities of appropriate hosting sites can range from bookstores to anywhere.

Readings:

Often supplemental to book signings, readings are arranged in a similar way. Visit your local bookstore, present your case in a well-organized, convincing manner and await their response patiently. The benefit of readings is that they can take on many forms. While signings are generally confined to bookstores (though this is not always the case), readings can be conducted anywhere.

You can arrange a reading of a chapter on a radio station. You can attend open mic nights, read from your book and sell copies afterwards. If you live near a university, you can always contact the creative writing department and see if you can piggyback on a reading already organized. You can record yourself reading aloud and post sound clips on your Web page. The possibilities are endless!

Think of the flamboyantly theatrical poet Dylan Thomas, and his recorded (and re-recorded) poem, “Do not go gentle into that good night.” Everyone has heard this poem at least once in their lifetime, and it's almost like a classic hit song now. The reading of this poem alone has done wonders for Thomas's claim to fame, and a reading of your stories could have a similar impact – who knows?

Audio books are grossing millions each year, and the sound of your voice may stir up fond connections within your audience. If listeners get a segment or line from one of your stories stuck in their heads, repeating it over and over like music, it's only a matter of time before they stop and order your memoir.

Consider recording your memoir onto compact disks and marketing in the audio realm. Or have a recognized personality read your work aloud and publish the album as a collaborative piece – this not only opens up new, rich marketing avenues, but also gives you the combined selling power of two individuals instead of just one, namely you.

Generally speaking, readings are free, open to the public and often encourage a relaxed, conversational approach to literature. It may be the perfect way for you to unwind, talk shop and get some new fans. Reading your memoir aloud might lend your book the personal touch that some readers need in order to really commit to writers and their work.

Book tours:

Book tours are larger scale projects that are actually a string of signings, readings, interviews and other events. Organizing a book tour takes time, energy and diligence. More often than not, a hired publicist will arrange book tours, but individual authors are always more than welcome to tackle these as well. Before you begin arrangements for a tour, make sure all your ducks are in a row. Do you have the funds to leave your job and travel for a few weeks? How many copies of your book should you bring with you on the road? Have you arranged for proper accommodations? Is anyone willing to sponsor your tour?

As an emerging writer, you'll likely be footing the bill for your first book tour, but keep in mind, the more successful your first tour, the better your chances of getting financial assistance and better venues in the future. If you have a particular marketing point to your memoir – perhaps a regional voice with a trendy political subject – you may want to appeal to grant foundations and political organizations that share your views for possible funding as well.

Book tours can be as exhilarating as they can be exhausting, so make sure to factor in relaxation time. In order to make the best impression, you want to stay energetic and healthy. What venues will want to rebook you if you cancelled the first time around due to sickness or sheer exhaustion?

Since a book tour can last many weeks and contain multiple events, investing in a marketing calendar or planner might better suit your needs.

Interviews:

Of course, interviews are a great way of both publicizing your book as well as confirming your professional reputation with your public. Being able to hear your voice and see your mannerisms will create a personal connection between you and interested listeners, which can be of particular importance to memoirists. This book is your memory; it's your confession; and your words and insights will be the only ones that do your life justice.

Once your memoir becomes available, you may consider notifying your local media outlets and suggesting interviews. The best way to inform radio, television and other media outlets of your title is by distributing a professionally written press release.

If you've worked within a media outlet, you understand the importance of an informative, yet brief release that immediately catches the eye of editors. If you're not 100 percent certain you can successfully draft and distribute a press release, you can always purchase this service through our Services Store. One of our seasoned promotional writers will draft your unique press release using Associated Press Style guidelines, and Wordclay will distribute it to media outlets within the cities you select, so that you can reach your targeted audience(s).

TIP: When dealing with media, retailers, and anyone else in the market, always remember to be professional and polite, and always follow-up with your contacts. If you distribute a press release to the media, contact them within a week or two. Do not expect results without a follow-up effort. Yet, always be considerate of an organization's right to turn you down, and simply move on to the next. With those who initially are not interested in an interview, book signing or review, you may consider following up 90 days later, unless told otherwise.

After successfully carrying out some interviews, it's also important to revisit those interviews in which you participated. For example, a recording of a radio interview can easily be converted into a pod cast and posted to Web sites. Even referring to your interview within blogs can drive Internet traffic to an archived article about your book. You can make your coverage and media exposure work for you weeks after a single appearance.

Reviews:

In order to maximize reviews of your work, it's necessary to divide your memoir into two phases: (a) before you publish and (b) after you publish.

• Before you publish:

If you've published excerpts of your memoir or other creative non-fiction pieces in magazines or literary journals, you may want to contact the editor and ask for a few lines about your writing. Ask them the reason the editors chose your work for publication within their pages, what emotions or thoughts your work evoked in them and if your style is reminiscent of any established writers.

Or perhaps you know a fellow author who's willing to submit a few words about your memoir or an old writing professor who has always enjoyed your work. Better yet, if one of more of the individuals mentioned within your memoir agree to give testimonials that reinforce your book's accuracy. What's the harm in sending them a draft of your manuscript and asking for a review?

Once you have a few good reviews and secured the permission of the reviews you've solicited, you can then post these on your cover, back cover or within the first few pages. Not only will these brief quotes lend a credibility to your work that readers might otherwise have to search out on their own time, but it will also pave the way for further reviews after you've officially published.

• After you publish:

After you've published your book, and it's available for order, you should consider having it reviewed by professionals. Since media outlets are extremely busy and often have a book review queue filled for months, blind book submissions to magazines and newspapers might not be the most effective use of your marketing time.

Of course, if you have friends who review books for magazines, you could send them a copy of your memoir. But, in most cases, in order to hook bigger media outlets into reviews, you may need to start smaller. Consider sending copies to book groups or online communities that review books frequently.

Also, be on the lookout for media outlets and organizations that specialize in the theme of your memoir. For example, if your memoir focuses on your experience as a Chinese-American living in New York, you should consider soliciting Chinese newsletters and stations for brief reviews.

Professionals posting reviews about your memoir will spark discussion and drive readers to order your book, if only to participate in the ongoing blog conversation. Even a poor review can earn you marketing points. Not only can you personally benefit from the constructive criticism, but you'll enjoy the talk (and perhaps defense) of your book.

Print advertisements:

Buying space in a magazine or newspaper and submitting an advertisement for your memoir has the potential to intrigue readers, but this is also a dangerous game. Make sure you do your research before you purchase ad space. Remember your target audience. You want to select a periodical that will pique your particular audience's interest. Obviously, a memoir with erotic undertones would not have a good advertising home within Reader's Digest or another more family-oriented publication. But an ad in your local alternative paper might help motivate your community for an upcoming signing or reading.

Remember your budget as well. Advertisements often cost a great deal of money, and can eat away at your reserve marketing funds quickly. Pace yourself. Once you've done the research and selected the publications that best fit your audience and budget, time your ads to maximize your earning potential.

Be Resilient: Promote Actively. Contact the appropriate media when you're ready for interviews, discussions and public exposure. Once you've arranged an interview with one syndicated radio station, call others, tell them about your upcoming interview and see if they're interested in arranging another. E-mail national magazines that may be interested in publishing some of your newest excerpts in their next issue. Continue networking with publishers, editors, agents and other writers. Attend book fairs and literary conventions. Submit your work to creative non-fiction contests, some of which can be linked to from our “Other Resources” section.

Marketing Your Memoir Online

While there are traditional methods of marketing memoirs, new, innovative ways of publicizing your book have been surfacing since the birth of the Internet, namely online communities, blogs and online advertising. These methods can perform a vital role in your book's promotion, and allow you to actively engage your audience on a daily basis.

Online Communities:

If there's an idea, then there's already an online community. You and your memoir could fit perfectly into one of these communities. Do a quick search for "writing community" and read through the results. You may want to narrow your focus even more, by selecting "Korean writing community" or "memoir community" or other themed communities that may work for your book. You'll be surprised when you find that more than one actually suits you.

Become a member and make some friends . Mention your book on your profile and perhaps post a excerpt for all to read. Embed a link to the order form for your book. Participate in literature conversations and debates. Once you've become a well-known personality within the community and have other members interested in your writing, it should be easy to convince them to purchase your book, attend your upcoming event or refer your memoir to a friend.

The major benefit of online communities is that you can promote your book by being yourself, actively talking about writing and posting your new pieces and opinions within blogs.

Be on the lookout for other communities as well, ones that might not have such an obvious link to your memoir, but may have other connections, such as politics, style, members, message or inspiration. The more places you frequent and provide valuable feedback, the more likely you'll drive other members to your profile and your book.

Back to top

Blogs:

Start your own creative blog or jump on an existing one – whatever direction you choose to take, posting regularly on blogs is a perfect way to actively engage Internet surfers. When you provide interesting and relevant comments on articles, both within your personal blog and responses to articles you found on other blogs, other people will notice and look for you in the future. Link back to your own blog and feature your book on the page, perhaps as a widget.

TIP: Start your own blog for free at wordpress.com.

Set aside maybe an hour a day to read your favorite blogs, research articles and post your responses. The more you post and actively participate within blogging communities, the more traffic you'll notice on your Web site(s). But make sure to post regularly. As much as your insights will be valued, blog followers will respect your consistency as well. They'll begin to expect your presence and trust your words of advice, which will only encourage them further to purchase and read your book.

Don't stop there. Go outside merely discussing your book and post about articles you've read in your favorite publishing periodicals, interviews you caught the night before, writing strategies, themed Web sites (common to your subject), any topic to get the conversation rolling. The more you post, the more Internet searches will bring up your name and the keywords you often use. Essentially, you're building a cyber net to catch your audience, and the fewer holes you have in your net, the less potential readers will escape your grasp.

Back to top

Online Advertisments:

Print ads work, but don't forget about the Internet. Anyone can purchase pay-per-click ads through popular search engines, such as Google, Yahoo and MSN.com. There are also static and active ads that you may consider designing or having designed for various Web sites. For file sizes, dimensions and other relevant information, we recommend that you contact the Advertising Representative of the Web site that's piqued your interest.

If you know of other writers or memoirists marketing their work, you may want to partner with them, exchange ads to post, include them in your e-newsletters, perhaps even comment on their blogs. Partner with other online communities that review books, read memoirs and actively engage members on a regular basis. Collaborate and post responses to articles from other members as well as other authors with whom you've teamed up. Get excited about the future of literature and other writers. The more knowledgeable you are of your community, the more readers will trust your words and order your book. Remember, knowledge is power!

Launching your own Web site or writing blog can help act as advertising too, if you can keep up with certain trends and tactics to optimize your site for search engine results. For those interested in learning more, search the Internet for "SEO" best practices.

TIP: Giveaways on your Web site or blog help create a buzz. You've got the material and goods that readers want. Give away a sneak peak into your book, or e-mail a free chapter to readers. You can even give away a couple of free books to readers who register.

The newest trends in book trailers are filtering through the Internet even now, and you can always post your own at such places as YouTube, Myspace or Facebook. If you lack audiovisual experience, you may want to contact trailer professionals, some of which can be located on the Book Marketing Network at http://bookmarket.ning.com .

Whatever you decide, keep in mind this rule of thumb: Avoid floating head shots for solid minutes, but rather use your trailer to tell a vivid, memorable story about your book, its conception, its topic, its publication and its importance to the world. For more information on book trailers and generating them, we recommend you watch a few online and connect with Internet video specialists.

Never Surrender : Create Your Marketing Plan and Start Promoting!

With the help of these promotional ideas, while also keeping your other marketing fundamentals in mind (product, price and place), compile your marketing plan, and review it to ensure that you have clearly defined your goals. The performance of your marketing plan should be defined in quantifiable objectives by which you can measure your progress and success.

Make sure your plan is focused and, most importantly, achievable. Goals of selling one million copies or appearing on Oprah or Larry King, although grand, are not very realistic. Neither is affording various television and newspaper ads if you have a small budget. Set goals that you can conceivably achieve with the resources and time you have at your disposal.

Now that you have a better understanding of the marketing basics, it's time to sit down and brainstorm. Start your marketing plan and develop your strategies with Internet research, active engagement and the development of your literary product. By setting goals, staying focused and utilizing the resources available to you through Wordclay, you will undoubtedly discover a world of success within the publishing industry.