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More tales from the book marketing trenches

13 Aug
Sharon A. Crawford's latest in the Beyond series

Sharon A. Crawford’s latest in the Beyond series

I continue with marketing my mystery novel Beyond Blood into bricks and mortar bookstores. And I keep in mind the possibility of book returns and loss in royalties. So I’m not exactly bombarding bookstores. However, I am plugging along to visit the bookstores on my list. At least I’m organized – after a fashion.

Yesterday I popped into another Indigo Bookstore, this one mid-town going north in Toronto. As usual I prepared in my head what I planned to say.

It didn’t go exactly that way. But it doesn’t help if you (read me) have some health issues acting up when you are talking to the bookstore manager. Mine is an on-again off-again (mostly on it seems) sinusitis infection that sometimes goes down lower to glands. It makes me tired sometimes – I also don’t get enough sleep some evenings because late at night I suddenly decide I have a lot of house-related stuff I just have to do and get to bed late. Obviously it is important to be organized in your personal life as well.

So what did happen? First the manager thought I was trying to get the book in on consignment and said no openings for that until next April. I had managed to remember to introduce myself, my publisher and that the book is not self-published. I also mentioned what other branches in the chain it was in and BB wasn’t on consignments there and they just ordered from the distributer. Still not exactly clear because yours truly forgot one important point. Beyond Blood is for sale on line at this bookstore chain. Magic words. He was interested. I also said I do book signings, but he said that branch doesn’t do that anymore because they don’t get the people like they used to. Different demographic now. We talked about a couple of other branches, but I did agree with him. So he took my business card (with the info – including photos of the book covers and one of me – thanks to my son’s design, and web links to more). I got his contact info.

So, we shall see.

Meantime I keep watch on the other bookstores handling Beyond Blood and also book more library gigs where I can read and present and sell books directly. It is also a good way to connect with readers. I have a new one September 3 on my own at Brentwood Library branch in Toronto. Will get that one in the Gigs and Blog Tours page on this blog shortly and also my website www.samcraw.com. Also organizing one with other Crime Writers of Canada in another library branch for late next March. And there will be another bookstore CWC one outside Toronto in late November.

You have to keep plugging and don’t give up.

But get lots of sleep and scrap those late-night house chores.

 

Meantime, if you are in the Toronto area, check out the big Indigo Bookstore in the Manu-life Centre. As of yesterday there was still a copy there. Or go to their online ordering. Print copies and e-copies – Kobo – available (among other places) at https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/home/search/?keywords=Beyond%20blood%20and%20Sharon%20A.%20Crawford And if you want e-copies in either Kindle or Kobo go to my publisher, Blue Denim Press, at http://bluedenim.skemantix.com/books/beyond-blood/

 

Happy reading.

 

Cheers.

Sharon A. Crawford

 
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Posted by on August 13, 2015 in Author Reading, Beyond Blood, Blue Denim Press, Books into Bookstores, Sharon A. Crawford, Writing

 

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Criminals and historical figures on CWC panel

30 Jul
Sharon A. Crawford's latest in the Beyond series

Sharon A. Crawford’s latest in the Beyond series

The bad guys and history guys weren’t there in person. But five of us from Crime Writers of Canada – Rosemary McCracken, Steve Burrows, Sylvia Warsh, Nate Hendley and I told tales of crossing paths with the above and more in our research to write that perfect mystery novel or true crime story.

Rosemary moderated the panel which gave me a breather from that function so I would just have to show up and answer questions. But apparently I had trouble finding the Fairview library branch, or rather the exit from Fairview Mall, where I had to run a few errands first (like glasses cleaner, very important to be able to see through your glasses to read from your books). And I’ve been at this library before and had no trouble then going from the mall across the parking lot to the library. This time I couldn’t find the right exit or even the right level of the mall. Finally I asked at the Guest Service booth.

We had a good audience turnout. Rosemary got us panelists talking and the stories that came out. Sylvia’s Dr. Rebecca Temple mysteries are set in 1979 Toronto, but Find Me Again also goes back in time to Catherine the Great. She did most of her research on the Internet. You can’t exactly interview Catherine the Great. Nate, who writes about true crime (Crystal Death), has met the criminal element – bikers and the like. Rosemary, whose protagonist Pat Tierney is a financial advisor (Safe Harbor), writes about finances as a journalist, so has information and connections there. Steve writes the Birder mysteries (A Siege of Bitterns), so birding features in his novels (Steve is a birder), but he had to do some police research. My Beyond books (Beyond Blood) are set in the late 1990s (so far, the third one I’m working on goes into the twenty-first century). As mentioned in last week’s blog post (https://sharonacrawfordauthor.com/2015/07/23/researching-mid-stream-for-your-novel/), I have a police consultant and have to keep any police procedure in that time period. I also have to be careful with technical devices. No social media. Internet connection was via dial-up until late fall 1999, cellphones were just that and they folded closed and had antennae. But there was email and that figures in my Beyond books. In this third one I write, I may have to talk to a psychic, so that should be interesting.

We also read excerpts from our books and answered questions on marketing your book.

Authors and audience connected so well, we had to be reminder by the librarian that it was time to leave.

In August I take a break from actual gigs. So will be spending more time researching and writing that third Beyond book. With a bit of final arrangements for fall presentations and readings. It promises to be a busy fall. Check out the Gigs and Blog Tours page on this blog and also my website http://www.samcraw.com/ for updates as I get them in there.

Meantime, the photo at the top of this post still connects to where you can get e-copies of Beyond Blood and Beyond the Tripping Point. Print copies available (among other places) at https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/home/search/?keywords=Beyond%20blood%20and%20Sharon%20A.%20Crawford

Cheers.

Sharon A. Crawford

 
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Posted by on July 30, 2015 in Author Interviews, Author Reading, Beyond Blood, Book Promotion, Plot and Characters, Public Libraries, Research for fiction, Sharon A. Crawford, Toronto Public Library

 

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Behind the scenes of author presentations

11 Jun
Sharon A. Crawford's latest in the Beyond series

Sharon A. Crawford’s latest in the Beyond series

Authors don’t suddenly appear at libraries, cafes, pubs and other venues to read. There is work involved, especially with the organizers. And when you have two different events on consecutive evenings, it can get shall we say busy?

Especially when Mr. Murphy (that rascal from Murphy’s Law) gets into the act.

I help organize crime readings/presentations for Crime Writers of Canada. Most of these are in libraries but some occur in cafes and pubs. This week there are two, one this evening and one tomorrow evening. I’ll list them at the end.

First, way back before the reading time, I have to contact the library branch or café or pub. Sometimes I email; sometimes I phone and sometimes it is in person. Whichever way, there is always follow-ups re details between the venue and myself and of course, lining up authors. Then some to and froing by email to authors, to the venue, re publicity – who does what – and actually doing it. Being somewhat old school (well, in age) I like to print some flyers and the like, but I also do a lot of social media, e-newsletters, etc.

I also have to organize the presentation setup. Sometimes I get lazy and just introduce the authors and have them talk about their books and writing, read a bit, and then answer questions from the audience. Other times I organize an interview or panel setups (with some reading and q and a). The latter two are the way of this week’s two presentations. Fortunately, my cohort in crime, Rosemary McCracken is helping with the interview setup for tomorrow’s presentation. (More below).

However, sometimes when things seem to be going along well, Mr. Murphy appears.

For example, an unexpected rental fee for microphone equilpment at a café or pub. Or bad weather – blizzards or heavy rainfalls (the later has happened and the event was cancelled – which meant contacting authors and the library. This one started as an email, then phone conversation between one of the other authors reading and myself. We decided it would be best to cancel – if the library agreed. Fortunately, I got the librarian on the phone and she cancelled the event. The other author I had to email because I didn’t have his phone number. And he was from just east of Toronto. Fortunately, he had the sense to phone the library to find out.)

This weather for this evening’s event is for dry warm weather – so far. Tomorrow’s? More showers, maybe some scattered thunderstorms. Keeping toes crossed here that all goes well including the event. And that means not just the authors able to make it okay but people to see and hear us.

Only time will tell. But it can get nerve-wracking. My point? When you go to see and hear authors read, remember that there is work involved in putting these events together.

And the two events this week where some of us Crime Writers of Canada authors are appearing.

Tonight, June 11 at the Bloor/Gladstone library branch, 1101 Bloor St, West, in Toronto from 6. 30 p.m. to 8 p.m. I’m moderating a panel featuring Rosemary McCracken, Steve Shrott and Steve Burrows.

Tomorrow, June 12, at the Red Rocket Coffeehouse, 1364 Danforth Ave., Toronto, from 7.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. Rosemary McCracken and I share the interviewing duties and authors will also read a bit and answer questions. Also featuring Karen Blake-Hall, Steve Shrott, Linda Cahill, Robert Hoshowsky, the latter a true crime author.

And of course we authors are bringing copies of our books, hopefully to sell some.

See Rosemary’s blog post on Moving Target today for some more details. https://rosemarymccracken.wordpress.com/2015/06/11/busy-days/

And if you are in the area, drop in at one of the locations for an evening of crime – between the book covers.

Cheers.

 

Sharon A. Crawford

Sharon A. Crawford is the author of the Beyond book series. More info at www.samcraw.com and www.bluedenimpress.com – my publisher – you can also purchase e-books – both Kindle and Kobo from Blue Denim Press. Click on the Beyond Blood Book cover at the top of this post.

 
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Posted by on June 11, 2015 in Author Reading, Beyond Blood, Beyond the Tripping Point, Sharon A. Crawford

 

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Serendipity Book Marketing

04 Jun
Sharon A. Crawford's latest in the Beyond series

Sharon A. Crawford’s latest in the Beyond series

Last Saturday I was the guest speaker for an English Conversation drop-in seminar for new Canadian citizens at a local Toronto library branch (Brentwood). From what was discussed by email with the organizers, I was to talk a bit about writing memoirs using the senses. However, I could bring copies of my mystery books to sell.

So armed with memoir writing handouts and my books I arrived early.

And received a very pleasant surprise.

I already knew one of the organizers, Bill, who attended my memoir writing workshop at another library branch. So, from our phone conversations and emails I knew of this plan he had concocted and yes, I knew he was interested in buying my books as well as others – librarians and seminar participants.

What I didn’t know was all the enthusiasm I would receive about my books and being a writer. As I’ve mentioned before, we writers sometimes forget that this is what we do (just like some people are lawyers) so we take it as second nature.

We, or at least I, never forget we do want and need to sell book copies. But I try not to be in people’s faces about it.

The whole two hours was all about my books – characters and plot – and writing, but with a twist. The participants are newly-arrived in Canada and their English varies from good to just learning. Part of these seminars’ focus is on the idiosyncrasies of the English language. So when a slang phrase or cliché came up, Anna the librarian or Bill would ask the others if they knew what it meant so that started a lively discussion. I caught on to this and started to do the same as for some reason I began involuntarily using a lot of slang terms. And near the end I was allowed to sell my books – sold all of the Beyond the Tripping Point short story collection copies I had brought along and half of the Beyond Blood novel copies.

And Bill, Anna (and Lidia, the other librarian who also facilitated this session) want me back to do a guest spot in one of their evening sessions. Not sure if its fiction writing or memoir writing, but I will be ready for either or both and yes, I can sell books.

Lidia also had me sign the contract to teach a different memoir writing workshop for library patrons in the fall. And yes, I can sell books then, too.

The point here is – no matter how you organize promoting your books, you may miss something – often something pleasant and rewarding – not just book sales, but that magical connection with others who are interested in writing and your books.

Meantime I’m preparing for two gigs with other Crime Writers of Canada members coming up June 11 and June 12. See my website www.samcraw.com and go to Beyond Blood for a list. More on that in next week’s posting.

Cheers.

 

Sharon A. Crawford

Sharon A. Crawford is the author of the Beyond book series. More info at www.samcraw.com and www.bluedenimpress.com – my publisher – you can also purchase e-books – both Kindle and Kobo from Blue Denim Press. Click on the Beyond Blood Book cover at the top of this post.

 

 
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Posted by on June 4, 2015 in Author Reading, Beyond Blood, Beyond the Tripping Point, Plot and Characters, Public Libraries, Sharon A. Crawford, Short Story Collection, Toronto Public Library, Uncategorized, Writing

 

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Accidental Book Marketing

28 May
Sharon A. Crawford's latest in the Beyond series

Sharon A. Crawford’s latest in the Beyond series

Last weekend one of my stops at the annual Toronto Doors Open was the MZTV Museum of Television & Archive in the Zoomer radio complex.

So what does all this have to do with book marketing? Especially as it wasn’t even in the actual radio studio.

It was the accidental run-ins with someone I know and someone I don’t (but quickly did). I looked up from the exhibit and saw a familiar face from my gardening club. We looked at each other and started talking. She asked how I was and what I was doing. And so I said I write mystery books and have two in the Beyond series out now. I might have mentioned then about doing readings with other Crime Writers of Canada authors or maybe that came later.

Immediately she launched into a possible speaking engagement for me – not with the gardening club, although one story in Beyond the Tripping Point is set in a garden centre. My gardening friend also sometimes goes to a local Toronto Heritage Club, which meets once a week and is looking for speakers. It may be a bit of a stretch for mystery writing with novels set just north of Toronto (I did tell her where they were set) but there are possibilities for heritage to connect with mystery and maybe even my Beyond series. One is the location (which is fictitious but based on what’s there – I used to live there), so might be able to do a comparison fiction and reality heritage of the area. There is also the topic of the history of mystery fiction set in Toronto and written by Toronto authors, which could lead into my Beyond books. At her request, I gave her my business card which has photos of the two Beyond books on one side with the publisher’s name, and the flip side my headshot, contact info and my mission statement for all my writing and editing – “We make words sparkle.”

And with speaking engagements comes the possibility of selling books.

The other one was a chance encounter outside the Zoomer Complex with a lady who asked me if I knew who was in the photo in the window. Although I could name only two people, we started talking. She seemed fascinated and very respectful to be talking to a writer – something we writers often forget as we take our writing as second nature. We talked about mystery writing, my books, the radio personalities and shows on 96.3 classical radio and the tour we had both been on inside there. We continued our conversation on the bus. She is interested in buying my book at a bookstore and possibly going to one of the library readings I’m doing with CWC in June and July. I gave her my business card and we said the usual “nice to meet you” when I had to get off the bus at the subway station.

So, sometimes by keeping your mind open and attuned to marketing your books, but not pushing it, opportunities can pop up in unusual and unexpected places.

And for some excellent author etiquette for book promotion, read my friend and colleague Rosemary McCracken’s post on her blog Moving Target

Etiquette on the book front

Meantime, I’m preparing for those future readings and presentations. Check my website www.samcraw.com under Beyond Blood for my upcoming gigs.

Cheers.

 

Sharon A. Crawford

Sharon A. Crawford is the author of the Beyond book series. More info at www.samcraw.com and www.bluedenimpress.com – my publisher – you can also purchase e-books – both Kindle and Kobo from Blue Denim Press. Click on the Beyond Blood Book cover at the top of this post.

 
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Posted by on May 28, 2015 in Author Reading, Beyond Blood, Beyond the Tripping Point, Book Promotion, Sharon A. Crawford, Writing

 

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Authors helping authors

07 May
Sharon A. Crawford's latest in the Beyond series

Sharon A. Crawford’s latest in the Beyond series

I have always tried to help other writers in whatever way I can – and I don’t just mean editing their writing or consulting for a fee. And this is so true for authors promoting their work – published and unpublished. We all have strengths and weaknesses here (and sometimes we don’t always know what they are at first).

Sometimes it is a good idea to mutually help each other – using our individual strengths. You know the old saying “two heads are better than one.”

Last evening I had a chat covering all this with another published fiction author (suspense romance) Karen Blake-Hall. When we met I had no idea that our conversation would lead to this mutual help to promote our books. Karen has a sales background and is willing to help me with using social media. Yes, I use some, but could do much more with social media and boy did, Karen have ideas.

On my side, as I admitted to her, I am better at the in-person promotion. A blogger once told me I am good at connecting people with what they want and need – in person and by email (All those business networking lunches, dinners, etc. in the past are paying off). And I am good at public (as in physically there) presentations and readings). Still need a little bit more promo slants there, though and Karen came up with something she does that would work for me, too. I also connected Karen with the TV and radio programs where I was interviewed.

I am glad to do so. For those of you who might have the idea that authors helping each other will interfere with their book promotion and sale results, think again. Think of a variation of the old saying “safety in numbers” – i.e., “more exposure and more fun in numbers.” Still don’t believe me? Read my guest blog post from March 9, 2015 on Shannon A. Thompson’s blog at http://shannonathompson.com/2015/03/09/author-and-reader-connection/

 

Often I help emerging authors –whether through writing workshops, my East End Writers’ Group, word of mouth, email, etc. And their thank you and getting some good, some success, out of what I have to offer gives me a good feeling.

I do believe that what you sow, you shall reap – in other words what goes around comes around.

It might not be right away, but it will happen. And good Karma is better than bad Karma. So why not work together?

Authors helping authors. It’s win/win.

And here is a link to Karen Blake-Hall’s website. Take a look and maybe some of her e-books will interest you. http://karenblake-hall.com/

Cheers.

Sharon A. Crawford

Sharon A. Crawford is the author of the Beyond book series. More info at www.samcraw.com and www.bluedenimpress.com – my publisher – you can also purchase e-books – both Kindle and Kobo – there.

Beyond Blood Book cover at the top of this post links to my Amazon author profile. If you buy a copy there, please do a review there.

 
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Posted by on May 7, 2015 in Author Reading, Beyond Blood, Blue Denim Press, Book Promotion, Other authors, Sharon A. Crawford, Social Media Book Promo, Writing

 

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Don’t forget the ears – Promoting your book on radio

30 Apr
Sharon A. Crawford's latest in the Beyond series

Sharon A. Crawford’s latest in the Beyond series

In this graphic online world we sometimes forget there is another older way to promote your book. And it can be done online – live streaming or download or via the website’s Archives. The word is “radio” and although your audience can’t see you they can hear you.

I’ve had that radio interview experience a few times lately for my mystery novel Beyond Blood. None were straightforward. But all were interesting and satisfying.

Probably the closest to “straightforward” was a phone interview for a local (Cobourg, Ontario Canada) radio station. The q and a was normal but it felt a little strange reading an excerpt from Beyond Blood into my wireless phone.

For another radio station I was interviewed in a closet. No brooms or mops but lots of chairs piled up. The location was the Cobourg Public Library and the occasion was Word Northumberland in October 2014. The radio host had a micro digital recorder and among the chairs we did the q and a. Fortunately, I didn’t have to read in the closet. That was done on the small stage in the corner of the publishers and authors exhibit room where authors took their turns reading excerpts from their latest books. And yes, those segments were recorded.
Perhaps the most interesting is the interview I did with Nancy Bullis Tuesday night at 10 p.m. for her Howl show. Love that title. And love the location even more. CIUT 89.5 FM is the long-running University of Toronto radio station. Nancy has been hosting Howl for fifteen and a half years. But they weren’t always at this Hart House location. Until fall 2010 they were in another building closer to a main drag – Bloor Street – and Howl was broadcast live at 2 p.m. on Sundays. Nancy said she always ran into the annual Santa Clause parade just as it started.

But the curious thing is the studio’s actual location – if you can find it. Took me two preliminary visits and a chat with the station manager to find out exactly where on the third floor of historic Hart House it is situated.To make the search more confusing, the first recording studio you see is NOT the correct one. You have to walk along an inner corridor in front of that one until you come to another door which leads you to another corridor with the correct studio at the end.

I had no trouble finding Hart House or its west wing as instructed. Apparently some interviewees can’t do that and land in the east wing. Nancy has chased after lost interviewees before.

But not me. I found it without any problems the night of the interview; my research paid off. When Nancy arrived (and she was early too), she found me chatting with Robert the technician. Nancy and I had a preliminary chat then went inside the studio – the recording part in the front and the actual place where the interview occurs in a small room behind. We sat at a small oval table with huge table-top mics. Nancy checked to see which ones were working and then gave me mic instructions – how far away to put my face from the mic. She adjusted the mic a bit.

I’m usually useless with microphones. I get too close, too far away or worse – have to adjust the mic because someone taller used the mic before me. When I try to adjust these mics, I either can’t move the stand part and/or the mic comes off and I feel like a would-be rock star who can’t sing. That’s me. So I use my loud outside voice.

With the CIUT radio interview, no mic problem I guess. My publisher’s editor listened to the show live while driving home and said the interview was good. I gather he could hear it all right.

So what went on in the interview? Nancy asked questions and I talked about how I got into writing mysteries, about research, some of the characters (the fraternal twin PIs Dana Bowman and Bast Overture) and Dana’s son, David, plus a couple more eccentric characters, Great Aunt Doris and the stuttering Detective Sergeant Donald Fielding, and if my characters appear in both my books.

We also talked about that other Beyond book – the short story collection Beyond the Tripping Point (Blue Denim Press, 2012) and the four linked stories connected to Beyond Blood and why the two weren’t published in chronological order.

And where I am reading in the near future. I also managed to get in my website address somewhere in the conversation. Those two are very important.

Speaking of reading – I did read a short excerpt from Beyond Blood. And it didn’t feel like I was reading to a wall or a wireless phone.

Until Wednesday, May 6 you can check out my interview at http://www.ciut.fm/shows-2/ciut-audio-archives/ scroll down to Howl and click on Howl. You need an MP3 player to listen, from what I see there. But remember, I am not technically inclined.

And for those who must have their visual, you can see and hear my interview about Beyond Blood and writing on thatchannel’s Liquid Lunch at http://youtu.be/i2bBaePIWgY

 

Cheers.

Sharon A. Crawford

Sharon A. Crawford is the author of the Beyond book series. More info at www.samcraw.com and www.bluedenimpress.com

Beyond Blood Book cover at the top of this post links to my Amazon author profile. If you buy a copy there, please do a review on amazon.com.

 

 
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Posted by on April 30, 2015 in Author Interviews, Author Reading, Beyond Blood, Beyond the Tripping Point, Blue Denim Press, Characters and plot in fiction, Reading out loud, Writing

 

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More Marketing your book mayhem

02 Apr
Sharon A. Crawford's latest in the Beyond series

Sharon A. Crawford’s latest in the Beyond series

Marketing your fiction book (or any book) can be unpredictable. You never know what will work. Fortunately there are many options and I am amazed at what individual authors come up with. It may all seem like a maze of unchartered territory, hence the word “mayhem.”

Here are a few tactics I’ve picked up from talking to other authors about how they market.

Some authors go into the bookstore(s) where their book is for sale and they switch the book from spine out to front of book out, sometimes even moving the book to the big display table at the front of the store.

Then there are those big ads in public transit – in subways, buses and streetcars. Each public transportation system has their own set-up and if you want to go this route, you need to talk to them. Word of warning. Once your ad’s time period is up, they discard your posters – you might want to make arrangements to pick them up so you can use them elsewhere. If your publisher has already printed posters, you could use some of those. Not enough? Get an e-copy of the poster and head to your local Staples, UPS store or the like to get copies made. No posters? If your publisher won’t design one or you are self-published, see if any of your friends or family can design your poster or do a work trade with a designer and then continue as mentioned above.

I’ve found a book launch can do wonders for book sales. You don’t need to book an expensive place that charges a large fee for the privilege of letting you have your launch there. I know authors who have had successful book launches in their homes (it is work, but a book launch anywhere requires work as well – from PR to posters). Other authors who belong to a literary club can rent a room at a discount. Some pubs have separate rooms where you can launch your book and they won’t charge as long as you can guarantee to fill the place with patrons who will buy their food and drink. Cafes usually don’t charge either. And then there are bookstores, but they will want to handle sales and take their cut – anywhere from 30% to 60%. But your book is in the bookstore.

My publisher books a bistro, café or pub and he does pay a fee. But he charges an admission to anyone coming (except the authors whose books are being launched, any guest authors reading and any guests of the authors launching who are on the complimentary book list). Guests paying an admission are entitled to one book published by my publisher – the guest’s choice – and the cost is below the book’s regular price.

Self-published authors can also borrow a page from trade publishers’ book launches – launch books by more than one author at a time.

Another author looks at what areas in subject matter her books cover and proceeds accordingly to email information about her books to universities and colleges around the world. This is not a “buy my book” email but an information one. The universities and colleges can do what they like with her books. And they have. Her books appear on university curriculum world-wideand in college bookstores. As she says, you never know when someone doing a PhD will buy your book for their dissertation.

And don’t forget social media.

I’ve found getting the word out about your book works best when you combine the in-person with online.

Don’t forget to brand you and your book. And I’m not referring to branding cows. Get one good headshot of you taken and use it for all you PR. Mine is at the top of this blog (and my website, etc. etc.). With smartphones, digital cameras and iPads, it’s not expensive. (My son took my photo with his iPad.) You want people to remember that face. Also a good small and large jpeg of your book cover. And brand your books. My mystery fiction is branded as the Beyond book series and each book begins with the word “Beyond.”

These are just a few marketing techniques.

And now I better get back to my own marketing.

Cheers.

 

Sharon A. Crawford

Sharon A. Crawford is the author of the Beyond book series. More info at www.samcraw.com and www.bluedenimpress.com including a link to a radio interview at http://bluedenimpress.com/authors/sharon-a-crawford/ Online TV interview from Liquid Lunch is at http://youtu.be/i2bBaePIWgY

Beyond Blood Book cover at the top of this post links to my Amazon author profile.

 
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Posted by on April 2, 2015 in Author Reading, Beyond Blood, Beyond the Tripping Point, Blue Denim Press, Sharon A. Crawford, Writing

 

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Marketing from both sides of the publishing fence

26 Mar
Sharon A. Crawford's latest in the Beyond series

Sharon A. Crawford’s latest in the Beyond series

This evening Shane Joseph, the editor at my publisher’s (Blue Denim Press) and I are doing a presentation on marketing your fiction book. Two points of view – author and publisher – will be covered at the Beaches Branch of the Toronto public library system.

For those who can’t make it for obvious reasons – you don’t live anywhere near Toronto, Ontario Canada, I’m not exactly going to give a rundown of our content in this post. But, there are a few Marketing Your Fiction points I will mention.

Marketing your book – whether self-published or published by a trade publisher is hard work. You start way before your book is being published and you continue long after. It is a constant learning experience and I have found that learning how others market their books – whether through social media or through workshops or networking – can only help. And not just you and your book. For example, if you attend another author’s book launch, you can meet many new (to you) authors and do what authors like to do most (beside sell book copies) when in the same room – talk about writing and all that goes with it.

Author readings and presentations at cafes, pubs and libraries are another good way to see what is going on with other authors and their books and where you can fit in. Joining a writing organization that focuses on your writing genre is also helpful. For example Romance Writers and Crime Writers of Canada. Often joint presentations can be enlightening as you can again learn from each other.

And it’s not just other authors you can learn from. Don’t forget the publishers. Even if you go the self-publishing route, remember that publishers know what is going on out there in the publishing world and can provide information from their viewpoint.

Another trick I have learned is to attend talks, panels and the like where a publisher and/or a literary agent talk. Not just for their knowledge, but after the talk, you can go up to them, introduce yourself, make a positive point about their talk, and give them a soft pitch about your book – basically to find out if you could email them a book query. Sometimes the publisher will say to skip just that and send a few chapters to them, not the general submission email. The point here is you are no longer part of the slush pile. You have established a connection with them.You can start your query or cover letter with something along the lines of you and the publisher (or agent) talked at such-and-such a time and the go into your query.

The blurb for Shane’s and my presentation this evening reads as:

Marketing Your Fiction Book

Thursday, March 26, 2015

7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Beaches Branch Toronto Public Library (Program Room)

2161 Queen Street East, Toronto

Join Sharon A. Crawford, author of the Beyond mystery series, and Shane Joseph from Blue Denim Press, for a lively presentation about marketing your fiction book. Sharon will discuss how the synchronicity of series characters and plot affects book marketing, while Shane will outline recent publishing innovations. No admission charge.

Maybe I’ll see some of you there.

Cheers.

Sharon A. Crawford

Sharon A. Crawford is the author of the Beyond book series. More info at www.samcraw.com and www.bluedenimpress.com including a link to a radio interview at http://bluedenimpress.com/authors/sharon-a-crawford/ Online TV interview from Liquid Lunch is at http://youtu.be/i2bBaePIWgY

Beyond Blood Book cover at the top of this post links to my Amazon author profile.

 
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Posted by on March 26, 2015 in Author Reading, Beyond Blood, Sharon A. Crawford, Writing

 

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When your fiction characters get inside your head

19 Mar
Sharon A. Crawford's latest in the Beyond series

Sharon A. Crawford’s latest in the Beyond series

Are your fiction characters trying to take over your mind? Do you seem to be losing yourself in their quirks and even their talk?

Two of the main characters from my Beyond mystery fiction series (Beyond the Tripping Point, 2012 and Beyond Blood, 2014, Blue Denim Press for both) are doing this. Dana Bowman, the PI mom of six to seven-year old-David (age depending on which book) and the stuttering Detective Sergeant Donald Fielding.

Sandra Kryzakos in her Liquid Lunch interview with me says I’m channeling my characters. She bases this on how I talk about them and how I read excerpts from the books. And to add more fuel to the channelling fire, when I told her about Detective Fielding, I started to stutter and said so.

“Now, she’s channeling,” she said. (Watch this thatchannel.com interview on You Tube at http://youtu.be/i2bBaePIWgY)

Not the first time something like this has happened. Others hearing me read say I don’t read like I’m just reading but I put myself into the characters, into their heads.

Now, are Dana and Fielding getting back at me? Just kidding? Actually I welcome my characters getting into my head. Besides giving me an excuse for if and when I stumble over words, my characters are speaking to me. They give me ideas for what to write in my third Beyond book. They keep me in touch with what is happening in their lives and remind me of what is impossible. They also remind me they are distinct characters and not me.

Although I wonder about the latter. Especially when I find myself sometimes using “Dana’s big bag” to cart groceries and other purchases. For Dana this bag is her purse. To my credit I use another smaller bag as my purse. But just calling the bag “Dana’s bag,” says something. However, I still can’t draw a straight line even with a ruler and Dana is also an artist, sketching the people she interviews and incorporating the interview context into the drawing. And she drives a car and the only driving I can do is to drive people up a wall. She is also not a gardener and I am. Then there is the 25 or so year age difference. (Note: I’m the older gal here).

And of course, I don’t have a fraternal twin brother – don’t have any siblings.

So, I’ll let Dana, Detective Sergeant Fielding and whomever else I write about “invade” my mind. They have stories to tell and I need to tell their story, not mine, in the Beyond books.

Now, if I could only sort out this dream business. Dana sometimes dreams about the future (you have to read Beyond Blood to see that). I’m hoping my horrendous, sometime scary dreams, are not premonitions of my future. If so, it could be a bleak future.

Dana? What do you think?

Cheers.

 

Sharon A. Crawford

Maybe I’ll see you at a future gig. I post my reading and presentation gigs on the Beyond Blood page of my website www.samcraw.com. Keep checking back for updates.

Sharon A. Crawford is the author of the Beyond book series. More info at www.samcraw.com and www.bluedenimpress.com including a link to a radio interview at http://bluedenimpress.com/authors/sharon-a-crawford/

Beyond Blood Book cover at the top of this post links to my Amazon author profile.

And that Liquid Lunch interview link again is http://youtu.be/i2bBaePIWgY

.

 

 
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Posted by on March 19, 2015 in Author Interviews, Author Reading, Beyond Blood, Beyond the Tripping Point, Blue Denim Press, Channelling Fiction Characters, Characters and plot in fiction, Credible Fiction Characters, Fiction Characters, Plot and Characters, Sharon A. Crawford, Short Story Collection, Writing

 

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