Author Marketing Plan Ideas

1. Use website: I already have established two websites that split my writing. www.eugeneorlando.com (for my young adult material) and www.danapalladino.com (for all my adult popular fiction works).

2. Buy copies and resell them locally: I know many people locally who support my efforts to become a published author. I can work to get my book placed in bookstores within easy driving range.

3. Author signings: There are many Barnes & Noble, Borders, Books-A-Million, and local independent bookstores within easy driving distance from the Tampa-St. Petersburg area. I already have a great “in” at the Barnes and Noble in Brandon near my home where I facilitated for a writer’s group and a poetry group and performed numerous special presentations for Michelle LaBarge, their community relations’ director.

4. Interviews in media (TV, radio, newspapers): The Tampa-St. Petersburg area, besides having two very large newspapers (the St. Petersburg Times and the Tampa Tribune), boasts many “throw-away” newspapers such as the Brandon News in my own community. With enough persistence I can get local-author-gets-published stories out of many of them.

5. Locate interest groups on the web: Through newsgroups and specialty sites in the area that my novels cover, I can make my presence (and product) known and promote them.

6. Send autographed copies to reviewers: By selecting carefully review organizations such as the Midwest Review and The Historical Novels Review, I can send out copies for review and promotion.

7. Speak at writer’s groups: There are a number of large writer’s groups within easy driving distance such as the Tampa Writers’ Alliance and many chapters of the Florida Writer’s Association.

8. Place copies at conferences: The annual Florida Writer’s Conference, and Florida Suncoast Writers’ Conference (named one of the top ten in the country by Writer’s Digest magazine) allow book placement for local authors.

9. Attend trade conventions: There are many area and national book trade conventions (particularly for genre works), where authors can rent booth space to “hawk” their literary wares.

10. Listings in author directories and who’s who publications: Get listed in Gale’s Contemporary Authors and any appropriate Who’s Who listing for immediate recognition and availability to media specialists and librarians.

11. Listing in the Accelerated Reading Program (ARP): Every attempt will be made to get my young adult works listed in the ARP, particularly the historical series dealing with ordinary life in the Victorian Era.

12. Seek endorsement from a successful writer of the same genre: I would make the attempt to locate a successful author of the genre of my books and seek their “stamp of approval.” Recently, local author E. Rose Sabin, in her first book A School for Sorcery, obtained a positive quote from Andre Norton, one of the biggest names in science fiction of all time. I would seek the same sort of thing.

13. Lectures and information presentations: Through local sources (Barnes & Noble, Borders, Books-A-Million, etc.) I can offer lectures and informational presentations related to the subject areas or genre of my books. For instance, November of 2003, at my local Barnes & Noble, I will be doing a presentation entitled “Writing and Reading Historical Fiction.”

14. Book fairs and reading festivals: Any that I can get to, I can pre-arranged to sell copies, make personal appearances, give readings, or anything else related. There is the yearly St. Petersburg Times Reading Festival locally.

15. Young Readers Programs: I can seek the approval of any young readers list in young readers programs for my three young adult novels. Organizations such as Virginia Young Readers Program, the Sunshine State Young Reader’s Award Program, and Partnership For Young Readers recommend books.

16. Put up “Meet the Author” flyers: Twice a year I stay at timeshares in difference areas of the country. I can pre-arrange Meet-the-Author events with where I’m staying.

17. Arrange signings at camping sites: Travelers read and Florida is the RV capital of the world. I can offer entertainment readings at campgrounds to every RV park, campground, or state park within driving distance. Of course I will have copies that can be purchased.

18. Set up table in public to sell: Any place that readers go can offer a new author a place to set up a table and hawk their autographed books, hand out fliers, and offer author book-signing itineraries. It is particularly good for small, independent bookstores…or even the book section in a large supermarket.

19. Hand out business cards to everyone I meet: Everywhere I go and stay and talk to people, I can mention my authorship and give out business cards.

20. Mutual book promotion: I can form alliances with authors of the same genre to promote my books. Website link exchanges are also a valid possibility.

21. Sneak books into bookstores: A method that can get your book ordered into a smaller bookstore is to reverse shoplift. That is, place a new copy (say in an airport bookstore) on the shelf. When it sells, the store in all likelihood will reorder at least a few replacements.

22. Offer authors who don’t have websites to get one in trade for a review: That’s right. Some author’s do not have a website. Since I have that skill, I can trade setting one up in return for a book review or endorsement.

23. Collect and print testimonials: Something I’ve already started to do. I get readers to read my books, make a written critique, extract what they say good about it, and procure their permission to use it for advertising.

24. School Book Clubs: Try to get my young adult novels listed in the Arrow book club (grades 4-6) and the TAB book club (grades 7-9) of the Scholastic Book Services. I can also seek a listing in the Weekly Reader Book Clubs, Discovering Books (grades 4-6) and Just For Boys and Especially For Girls (ages 11-14). I would also seek any other listings available.

25. Young Adult Book Reviews: I would try to get reviewed by School Library Journal, Instructor, Learning, Teaching K-8, and any other librarian targeted journal.