Showing posts with label saundra mitchell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label saundra mitchell. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
GOOD NEWS!
I am so excited to share the news that John Ford's THE MORGUE AND ME and Saundra Mitchell's SHADOWED SUMMER are both Edgar nominees for Best Young Adult!!! Congratulations to them and to all the nominees!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Saundra: Saying Yes to Possibility: The Art & Craft of Self-Promotion
As authors, we're pressed to do more and more promotion on our own- and because we love our books best, we're our own best advocates. Some people will tell you that your own efforts won't make a difference.
But you can see where your book is being stocked as a direct result of your marketing. You will see the increased and regular traffic added to your website; and you'll see it when booksellers and librarians you contacted return the favor. And when a house sees the effort you put into marketing, they're often willing to invest more as well.
We can all raise the visibility of our books, and raising visibility is what marketing is. So let's get started!
Print publications dwindle, newspaper coverage for books shrinks, and everyone agrees that the Internet is the next new frontier for marketing books. But with such a vast resource, where do you start?
1. Bloggers
Since the advent of easy-to-use interfaces, bloggers of all sorts have flourished, but none so much as book bloggers. These bloggers have communities- they share not just reviews, but recommendations, actual books, regular features that discuss covers, trends, themes, and so much more. The Romance community is especially rich, and YA boasts a full-bodied community made up not just of adult writers and librarians, but of actual teen reviewers.
Reaching out to bloggers is your first, best step when it comes to promoting your own books. Make it a point to follow lots of blogs. Pay attention to those who read and like books like yours. Make a note of their review policies- and four to six weeks before your launch, query them. This is a business letter like any other- introduce yourself, pitch your book, offer a copy for review.
Be aware that the Internet is global. Though some sites give a bio that will tell you whether you're mailing to Montgomery or Mumbai, most don't. So be prepared to pay for international postage. In promoting my book, I've sent copies to every single continent except Antarctica.
And remember that even when you buy the book and pay postage, you're not buying a good review- you're not buying a review at all. Just because you send a book doesn't mean they'll ever read it. Or review it. Or review it positively. You can't buy a review- but you can try to raise your visibility. That'll help you keep some center when someone ignores or pans a book you mailed to them.
When: Start 4-6 weeks before your book comes out. Bloggers have big To Be Read piles, and to get your reviews to appear clustered around your launch, you need to start a little early- but not too early!
2. Giveaways
I think giveaways are the most effective tool you have in your Internet arsenal. LibraryThing and Goodreads will run giveaways for you, and many book bloggers will, too. Giveaways are full of so much good, I'm not even sure where to start with the extolling.
They raise visibility, especially when bloggers run them. Bloggers link to each other and many of them have an automatic feature that reposts headlines from other blogs on their sites. Sometimes, they give out extra entries for readers who link back to the contest- remember, the whole point is to raise visibility.
Then, get your book into the hands of actual readers, many of whom are reviewers themselves, or participants on review sites. And again, bad reviews will occur for even the best books. Nevertheless, I've seen time and time again people replying to a bad review with something like, "I've heard of this, I can't wait to read it."
This chill in the face of apparent disaster counts for spoilers, too. Although it makes me wildly crazy to see the ending of my mystery posted everywhere- visibility is visibility. Reinforcing your cover, reinforcing your title- that's your ultimate goal, and if you get some awesome reviews out of it- that's extra.
When: Goodreads/LibraryThing- start 4-6 weeks before your book debuts, or when you get author copies. Bloggers, start 2-3 weeks out.
3. Social Networking
This is the most contentious part of being an author online. Should you do it? How much should you do it? Where should you do it? And in the end, I feel like two things are true: social networking should be something you do for yourself, but if you genuinely enjoy it, it can be promotionally helpful.
The people you meet in debut groups and lit loops, on Facebook and Myspace, are also people who can point you toward opportunities you might have otherwise missed. And you can be that same person for other authors as well.
But I don't want to say join everything! Be a hoover! Because hoovers, frankly, suck. Showing up just to scrape PR off of other people's hard work and goodwill sucks, and we'll talk smack about you. But if you find a community you love, where you make genuine friendships- you're also going to find tons of amazing support and opportunity there.
When: Start when you get your contract, and keep on going.
Again, promotion is all about raising visibility. You probably don't have the contacts to get into print on your own (if you do, use them!) But you do have the ability to make sure the right people know your book exists. Besides readers, who are the right people?
1) Independent Booksellers.
Indies still account for the major motion in book sales for any author. They're the pulse of the industry and you're getting nowhere if you don't have a pulse.
a) Postcards. While your publisher has a sales staff, they have a lot of books to push. You have one, so make the most of your indie outreach. Send at least 200 postcards to independents- to stores that specialize in your genre, and to general stores in your area. Most importantly, WRITE A NOTE. By hand.
While most postcards probably do get thrown out, you're achieving two things: raising awareness because your cover is on the front of the postcard, right? And if they do read the note, you're telling them why your book is ideal for their store. They want to sell books, so help them.
Tell them if you're a local author, that your book is set in their hometown, that your book is perfect for Cat Lovers Books & News because it features tons of cats. Whatever you tell them- have a reason for sending that card that's beyond simply "I have a book and I want you to sell it."
If you have no compelling reason why your book fits their inventory, you're wasting a stamp because they're not wasting the shelf space.
When: After the catalogue in which your book is available is published. There is NO POINT in contacting booksellers until they can order your book.
b) Review Copies. People often wonder what they should do with the review copies their publishers send them. If you get tons and tons, by all means, have a giveaway. But if you get only a few, take them to your local indies. Introduce yourself, leave your book and leave your contact information. The chain stores take orders from a corporate headquarters, but your local indies are- well, independent.
These are relationships that will be valuable to both of you, and not just on launch. If you have a signing, it will probably be with an indie. If you have a launch party, you'll want to have it at an indie. If you do school visits or corporate visits and you need someone on point for book sales- yup, that's your local indie.
When: After the catalogue in which your book is available is published, and you have ARCs in hand.
2) Librarians.
Librarians are the other gatekeepers of the book world, and you can't afford to ignore them. Libraries are major markets for books, and they're direct access to readers. Again, always remember that promotion is about raising visibility.
Someone who reads your book at the library can still recommend your book to buying friends and family. They'll be the ones to ask your library to buy future works by their favorite authors. Don't ignore the libraries!
a) Postcards. Follow the same rules as you did for sending to indies, though for libraries, it's a little simpler. Unless you're independently wealthy, send postcards to all the libraries in your home state, and again, make sure you write a personal note on each one.
For YA and kids' book authors, I'd also suggest sending postcards to every single school library in your town, in your market. (PB authors, don't bother high schools. YA authors, forget the elementaries.) When reaching out to school libraries, make a note that you're a local author and if you're available for school visits.
When: After the catalogue in which your book is available is published. There is NO POINT in contacting librarians until they can order your book. For school libraries, keep in mind the school year. There's no point in sending a postcard to an empty building, either!
Outreach is the trickiest part of self-promotion, because it requires you to be canny about your own market. And you're required to think about your beautiful book as a product. Since every book is different, every outreach attempt must be different. And sometimes, you can't tell whether they work- until they work. So rather than give you a specific plan, let me give you some general outreach ideas.
Market Outreach: Figure out who your audience is, and give them finished copies of your book. If your book is about martial arts, offer 10 copies to your local dojo, for example. If your book is about zombies, offer 10 copies to a local horror film group. Or, seek out book groups in your area, and offer copies to their members. People who love books enough to join books to talk about them also talk about books when they're not at the club.
But here's the pinch: you have to give them your book and walk away. Feel free to include ONE bookmark or ONE postcard with your URL or other information in each copy of the book, but you have to give up the goods and walk away. People don't like to be pressured; they really dislike it when you're pushy. Give readers the ability to follow up, but don't require it.
When: When you get your finished author copies. Don't use ARCs for this unless you have a metric buttload of ARCs.
Risk Outreach: Risk outreach is the most fun to do, but it's also the biggest gamble. This is writing a letter to your favorite celebrity, and including it in a copy of your book. Or unstealing your book- leaving it in strange places for people to find. Or guerilla readings- getting up in the middle of the mall and reading from your book just on a whim.
It's the long shot that you shouldn't spend a lot of money on, but it's a lot of fun if it pans out. Please don't break the law when you do your risk outreach. Jailtime puts a serious crimp on an adrenaline rush. (Although it might get you some print inches...)
When: When you get your finished author copies.
Possibility Outreach: This is the craft of finding opportunity; this is the art of saying YES. Pay attention to the writing community, to your loops, to the trades. When an opportunity arises, say yes. Whenever possible, say yes.
Yes, you will judge a local book contest. Yes, you will write a few lines on what it's like to be a writer. Yes, you will write a profile for yourself for the State Library.
If a popular blogger is hosting a blogiversary, YES, you will donate a prize. If a 'zine is doing a theme week, YES, you will guest blog. Anytime, anywhere, that you can be visible, that you can make your book visible, say yes.
And I know some of you are hyperventilating now, so let me add the caveat: you don't have to say yes to everything.
My family has limited means and single car- so I have to say no to lots of travel and appearance opportunities. But I can say YES to anything online. If you hate the Internet, you can say yes to events in person. Possibility Outreach is easy- all you have to do is say yes and follow through.
When: Anytime, but you want to concentrate your interviews, your blogs, your visibility in the 2 weeks leading up to your book's release, and the 6 weeks after.
Finally-
To be honest, all marketing is possibility outreach. While it seems daunting, if you break it down into smaller parts- what can I do online? What can I do offline? What crazy thing can I do just because it might work?- it's easier to manage.
We have so much lead time in publishing- instead of worrying about when your next revision letter comes, or when your copyedits will come, or when you'll get news about the next step in the process- be the next step in the process.
I can do this. You can do this. Just say yes.
But you can see where your book is being stocked as a direct result of your marketing. You will see the increased and regular traffic added to your website; and you'll see it when booksellers and librarians you contacted return the favor. And when a house sees the effort you put into marketing, they're often willing to invest more as well.
We can all raise the visibility of our books, and raising visibility is what marketing is. So let's get started!
Point One: Online
Print publications dwindle, newspaper coverage for books shrinks, and everyone agrees that the Internet is the next new frontier for marketing books. But with such a vast resource, where do you start?
1. Bloggers
Since the advent of easy-to-use interfaces, bloggers of all sorts have flourished, but none so much as book bloggers. These bloggers have communities- they share not just reviews, but recommendations, actual books, regular features that discuss covers, trends, themes, and so much more. The Romance community is especially rich, and YA boasts a full-bodied community made up not just of adult writers and librarians, but of actual teen reviewers.
Reaching out to bloggers is your first, best step when it comes to promoting your own books. Make it a point to follow lots of blogs. Pay attention to those who read and like books like yours. Make a note of their review policies- and four to six weeks before your launch, query them. This is a business letter like any other- introduce yourself, pitch your book, offer a copy for review.
Be aware that the Internet is global. Though some sites give a bio that will tell you whether you're mailing to Montgomery or Mumbai, most don't. So be prepared to pay for international postage. In promoting my book, I've sent copies to every single continent except Antarctica.
And remember that even when you buy the book and pay postage, you're not buying a good review- you're not buying a review at all. Just because you send a book doesn't mean they'll ever read it. Or review it. Or review it positively. You can't buy a review- but you can try to raise your visibility. That'll help you keep some center when someone ignores or pans a book you mailed to them.
When: Start 4-6 weeks before your book comes out. Bloggers have big To Be Read piles, and to get your reviews to appear clustered around your launch, you need to start a little early- but not too early!
2. Giveaways
I think giveaways are the most effective tool you have in your Internet arsenal. LibraryThing and Goodreads will run giveaways for you, and many book bloggers will, too. Giveaways are full of so much good, I'm not even sure where to start with the extolling.
They raise visibility, especially when bloggers run them. Bloggers link to each other and many of them have an automatic feature that reposts headlines from other blogs on their sites. Sometimes, they give out extra entries for readers who link back to the contest- remember, the whole point is to raise visibility.
Then, get your book into the hands of actual readers, many of whom are reviewers themselves, or participants on review sites. And again, bad reviews will occur for even the best books. Nevertheless, I've seen time and time again people replying to a bad review with something like, "I've heard of this, I can't wait to read it."
This chill in the face of apparent disaster counts for spoilers, too. Although it makes me wildly crazy to see the ending of my mystery posted everywhere- visibility is visibility. Reinforcing your cover, reinforcing your title- that's your ultimate goal, and if you get some awesome reviews out of it- that's extra.
When: Goodreads/LibraryThing- start 4-6 weeks before your book debuts, or when you get author copies. Bloggers, start 2-3 weeks out.
3. Social Networking
This is the most contentious part of being an author online. Should you do it? How much should you do it? Where should you do it? And in the end, I feel like two things are true: social networking should be something you do for yourself, but if you genuinely enjoy it, it can be promotionally helpful.
The people you meet in debut groups and lit loops, on Facebook and Myspace, are also people who can point you toward opportunities you might have otherwise missed. And you can be that same person for other authors as well.
But I don't want to say join everything! Be a hoover! Because hoovers, frankly, suck. Showing up just to scrape PR off of other people's hard work and goodwill sucks, and we'll talk smack about you. But if you find a community you love, where you make genuine friendships- you're also going to find tons of amazing support and opportunity there.
When: Start when you get your contract, and keep on going.
Point Two: Offline
Again, promotion is all about raising visibility. You probably don't have the contacts to get into print on your own (if you do, use them!) But you do have the ability to make sure the right people know your book exists. Besides readers, who are the right people?
1) Independent Booksellers.
Indies still account for the major motion in book sales for any author. They're the pulse of the industry and you're getting nowhere if you don't have a pulse.
a) Postcards. While your publisher has a sales staff, they have a lot of books to push. You have one, so make the most of your indie outreach. Send at least 200 postcards to independents- to stores that specialize in your genre, and to general stores in your area. Most importantly, WRITE A NOTE. By hand.
While most postcards probably do get thrown out, you're achieving two things: raising awareness because your cover is on the front of the postcard, right? And if they do read the note, you're telling them why your book is ideal for their store. They want to sell books, so help them.
Tell them if you're a local author, that your book is set in their hometown, that your book is perfect for Cat Lovers Books & News because it features tons of cats. Whatever you tell them- have a reason for sending that card that's beyond simply "I have a book and I want you to sell it."
If you have no compelling reason why your book fits their inventory, you're wasting a stamp because they're not wasting the shelf space.
When: After the catalogue in which your book is available is published. There is NO POINT in contacting booksellers until they can order your book.
b) Review Copies. People often wonder what they should do with the review copies their publishers send them. If you get tons and tons, by all means, have a giveaway. But if you get only a few, take them to your local indies. Introduce yourself, leave your book and leave your contact information. The chain stores take orders from a corporate headquarters, but your local indies are- well, independent.
These are relationships that will be valuable to both of you, and not just on launch. If you have a signing, it will probably be with an indie. If you have a launch party, you'll want to have it at an indie. If you do school visits or corporate visits and you need someone on point for book sales- yup, that's your local indie.
When: After the catalogue in which your book is available is published, and you have ARCs in hand.
2) Librarians.
Librarians are the other gatekeepers of the book world, and you can't afford to ignore them. Libraries are major markets for books, and they're direct access to readers. Again, always remember that promotion is about raising visibility.
Someone who reads your book at the library can still recommend your book to buying friends and family. They'll be the ones to ask your library to buy future works by their favorite authors. Don't ignore the libraries!
a) Postcards. Follow the same rules as you did for sending to indies, though for libraries, it's a little simpler. Unless you're independently wealthy, send postcards to all the libraries in your home state, and again, make sure you write a personal note on each one.
For YA and kids' book authors, I'd also suggest sending postcards to every single school library in your town, in your market. (PB authors, don't bother high schools. YA authors, forget the elementaries.) When reaching out to school libraries, make a note that you're a local author and if you're available for school visits.
When: After the catalogue in which your book is available is published. There is NO POINT in contacting librarians until they can order your book. For school libraries, keep in mind the school year. There's no point in sending a postcard to an empty building, either!
Point Three: Outreach
Outreach is the trickiest part of self-promotion, because it requires you to be canny about your own market. And you're required to think about your beautiful book as a product. Since every book is different, every outreach attempt must be different. And sometimes, you can't tell whether they work- until they work. So rather than give you a specific plan, let me give you some general outreach ideas.
Market Outreach: Figure out who your audience is, and give them finished copies of your book. If your book is about martial arts, offer 10 copies to your local dojo, for example. If your book is about zombies, offer 10 copies to a local horror film group. Or, seek out book groups in your area, and offer copies to their members. People who love books enough to join books to talk about them also talk about books when they're not at the club.
But here's the pinch: you have to give them your book and walk away. Feel free to include ONE bookmark or ONE postcard with your URL or other information in each copy of the book, but you have to give up the goods and walk away. People don't like to be pressured; they really dislike it when you're pushy. Give readers the ability to follow up, but don't require it.
When: When you get your finished author copies. Don't use ARCs for this unless you have a metric buttload of ARCs.
Risk Outreach: Risk outreach is the most fun to do, but it's also the biggest gamble. This is writing a letter to your favorite celebrity, and including it in a copy of your book. Or unstealing your book- leaving it in strange places for people to find. Or guerilla readings- getting up in the middle of the mall and reading from your book just on a whim.
It's the long shot that you shouldn't spend a lot of money on, but it's a lot of fun if it pans out. Please don't break the law when you do your risk outreach. Jailtime puts a serious crimp on an adrenaline rush. (Although it might get you some print inches...)
When: When you get your finished author copies.
Possibility Outreach: This is the craft of finding opportunity; this is the art of saying YES. Pay attention to the writing community, to your loops, to the trades. When an opportunity arises, say yes. Whenever possible, say yes.
Yes, you will judge a local book contest. Yes, you will write a few lines on what it's like to be a writer. Yes, you will write a profile for yourself for the State Library.
If a popular blogger is hosting a blogiversary, YES, you will donate a prize. If a 'zine is doing a theme week, YES, you will guest blog. Anytime, anywhere, that you can be visible, that you can make your book visible, say yes.
And I know some of you are hyperventilating now, so let me add the caveat: you don't have to say yes to everything.
My family has limited means and single car- so I have to say no to lots of travel and appearance opportunities. But I can say YES to anything online. If you hate the Internet, you can say yes to events in person. Possibility Outreach is easy- all you have to do is say yes and follow through.
When: Anytime, but you want to concentrate your interviews, your blogs, your visibility in the 2 weeks leading up to your book's release, and the 6 weeks after.
Finally-
To be honest, all marketing is possibility outreach. While it seems daunting, if you break it down into smaller parts- what can I do online? What can I do offline? What crazy thing can I do just because it might work?- it's easier to manage.
We have so much lead time in publishing- instead of worrying about when your next revision letter comes, or when your copyedits will come, or when you'll get news about the next step in the process- be the next step in the process.
I can do this. You can do this. Just say yes.
Monday, February 9, 2009
News: Shadowed Summer Debut & Sweepstakes
More than two years ago, Sara found a home for my novel Shadowed Summer, and I'm so excited to say that tomorrow, it becomes a real live book on shelves everywhere!
To celebrate this debut, I'm giving away three Extremely Haunted Gift Bags. In them, you'll find signed books, oils from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, Tabasco candies, t-shirts, and more. And just for readers of this blog, if you put in the code CAW, I'll double your entries.
Thank you so much, Sara- you turned a screenwriter into a novelist, and I'm so grateful!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Saundra: Building Your Mailing List- Data Mining for Authors
While authors may enjoy the art half of our industry, the business half can be confusing and overwhelming. For example, we could use a great mailing list- but where do you get the list? The free way is called data mining, and anyone with some time and an Internet connection can do it.
The most important part of data mining is figuring out what you need to know. You need to look at your book and determine who wants to read this, and who will help those people read it.
We'd all like to think the answer to those questions is everybody, but unless you have the funds for 30 million postcards, you might want to focus your efforts.
To start, let me show you how to break down your book into targeted audiences, using my book as an example:
YA novel = I want to target independent booksellers who specialize in YA or children's books.
YA novel = I want to target middle and high schoolers. Best way to get to them? Middle school and high school librarians.
YA novel about ghosts = I want to target independent booksellers who specialize in horror or genre novels.
YA novel set in Louisiana = I want to target independent booksellers in Louisiana.
Author lives in Indiana = I want to target independent booksellers and YA librarians in Indiana.
These are your basic categories- type of book (can be more than one category,) demographic of book, setting of book, author region. Now that you've narrowed your data requirements down from "every single person in the world" to, say, librarians in (your state), it's time to fire up Google.
Here's the beauty of the Internet- chances are, somebody more fastidious than you has already collected the information you need in ONE place. You just have to find it. Some of the best Google tools are simple searches. Start macro, and go micro- choose the broadest possible search terms first, then refine. For example:
indiana libraries returns LibCat, which just so happens to have lists of EVERY SINGLE PUBLIC LIBRARY in the United States, arranged by state, with links to each library website.
Bingo!
Bookmark your state page, open a word processor, and get to work data mining. Start at the top of the page, and go to the first library website. Copy and paste the name and address of the library into your open word processor. Then, click around the site to see if you can find the name of the director, or the specific librarian you need. Try
ABOUT US
CONTACT US
Because these two sections are where you're most likely to find a staff list with titles. And yes- this will take a long time. I like to do batches of 50, then switch off to another task so I don't start making errors.
For each targeted area, you're going to repeat that process, and you have to refine your search terms each time.
Sometimes, you have to go micro to macro- more specific to less specific. For example, "indiana independent booksellers" gives lots of great information returns, but you'll discover that the IndieBound website is hard to use for this because it wants you to search booksellers by zip code. That's great if you want to find one store, but not if you want to find all of them in a given region.
So if I go macro with just "independent booksellers", not only do I find great resources like the Southern Independent Booksellers, Great Lakes Independent Booksellers = regional bookseller groups that often have their own awards, and other resources- but I also find American Booksellers Association- and their search page lets you search by state. Get to pasting!
This works for any major groupings of information you need. Try "school districts indianapolis" (replacing Indy with your town, of course!) to get a list of all the school districts in your region. Then go micro by searching for "[name of school district]".
You'll usually find a centralized page for the entire district, which then gives you links to each school in the district. Target appropriately- again, you'll often want to use ABOUT US or CONTACT US to find out who runs the media center.
Tips and Tricks
Can't Find Staff Information for Schools or Libraries?
1) See if they have a blog. Most people use a variation on their name when they're making blog entries- is the YA librarian posting as Saundra? Then check her e-mail address to get her last name. In the US, school and library e-mail addresses are packed with information:
smitchell@akron.lib.in.us
S. Mitchell at Akron Public Library, Indiana, United States
smitchell@msdlt.k12.in.us
S. Mitchell at Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township, K-12 Schools, Indiana, US
2) Check the activity calendar- sometimes they'll have contact information there that isn't elsewhere on the site.
3) Check out the gallery- sometimes, there will be pictures of library events, nicely labeled with people's names!
Further Refining Your Search Results
If getting more specific with your search terms isn't helping, try using modifiers. Did you know you can use quotation marks, and plus and minus signs in Google to refine your search terms?
shadowed summer = A regular search, this returns information about my book, but also poetry with those words in it, anything about summer, anything about shadows- it's kind of a mess. So I can refine my search like this:
"Shadowed Summer" = using quotes tells Google to search for that phrase exactly. Now all my search terms are either about my book, or they're probably poetry that features the words "shadowed summer" in the lines.
"Shadowed Summer" -poem = Using the minus sign tells Google to EXCLUDE anything that includes the following term in the search. Now I'm finding anything that has "Shadowed Summer" in exactly that order, plus Google is now removing any searches that are specifically about poetry.
"Shadowed Summer" +"Saundra Mitchell" = Using the plus sign tells Google that you want search results for your initial search term that ALSO include the additional search term. Now I will only get results for "Shadowed Summer" that also include my name on the page.
You can use multiple + and -, but Google, like anything else, works best when you refine, rather than overspecify.
Weigh Your Sources
Sure, there's all kinds of information on the web, but some sites are more accurate than others. Weigh your sources when you search for information- a dated government website listing all the libraries in your region is probably more accurate than an undated Geocities website made by an unknown author.
If a website seems sketchy, or incomplete, check the information there against other sources. It's especially important to have accurate contact information- you want to send your postcards to the librarian in charge of youth services now, not the one who retired in 1998!
Accept Limitations
Sometimes, you just cannot find the name of the librarian in charge at a particular institution. Sometimes, you can only manage a last name. Or an initial. Or nothing at all. And that's okay.
You can still contact an organization by phone or by e-mail to request specific information. And, some pages have Instant Chat help- just type your question, and get an answer in real time.
Don't waste a lot of time searching when you could resolve your question with one phone call, IM or e-mail. Take a quick look at CONTACT US, ABOUT US, the blog, the pictures, and if you can't find the info you need, send an e-mail and move on.
Stay Organized
You will end up with multiple files but fewer headaches if you organize like information with like information. One file for regional booksellers. One file for school libraries. Etc., etc., etc..
I like to keep my lists in Word. It doesn't do a better job than notepad, but when it comes time to use that information, I can change the color of each address after I use it- that way I don't multiple-mail people- harassing them, and wasting my postage and time!
Another way you can organize your mailings is to print your labels on a sheet of plain paper, then on the sheet of labels. Staple these together, so when you remove a label, you can see the address through the backing paper. When the whole page is empty, you can see which addresses have already been mailed.
And... those are the basics of data mining: tighten your focus, macro to micro, refine, refine, refine. That's all there is to it- now all you need is time and patience. And cocola. Cocola makes everything better. ^_^
The most important part of data mining is figuring out what you need to know. You need to look at your book and determine who wants to read this, and who will help those people read it.
We'd all like to think the answer to those questions is everybody, but unless you have the funds for 30 million postcards, you might want to focus your efforts.
To start, let me show you how to break down your book into targeted audiences, using my book as an example:
YA novel = I want to target independent booksellers who specialize in YA or children's books.
YA novel = I want to target middle and high schoolers. Best way to get to them? Middle school and high school librarians.
YA novel about ghosts = I want to target independent booksellers who specialize in horror or genre novels.
YA novel set in Louisiana = I want to target independent booksellers in Louisiana.
Author lives in Indiana = I want to target independent booksellers and YA librarians in Indiana.
These are your basic categories- type of book (can be more than one category,) demographic of book, setting of book, author region. Now that you've narrowed your data requirements down from "every single person in the world" to, say, librarians in (your state), it's time to fire up Google.
Here's the beauty of the Internet- chances are, somebody more fastidious than you has already collected the information you need in ONE place. You just have to find it. Some of the best Google tools are simple searches. Start macro, and go micro- choose the broadest possible search terms first, then refine. For example:
indiana libraries returns LibCat, which just so happens to have lists of EVERY SINGLE PUBLIC LIBRARY in the United States, arranged by state, with links to each library website.
Bingo!
Bookmark your state page, open a word processor, and get to work data mining. Start at the top of the page, and go to the first library website. Copy and paste the name and address of the library into your open word processor. Then, click around the site to see if you can find the name of the director, or the specific librarian you need. Try
ABOUT US
CONTACT US
Because these two sections are where you're most likely to find a staff list with titles. And yes- this will take a long time. I like to do batches of 50, then switch off to another task so I don't start making errors.
For each targeted area, you're going to repeat that process, and you have to refine your search terms each time.
Sometimes, you have to go micro to macro- more specific to less specific. For example, "indiana independent booksellers" gives lots of great information returns, but you'll discover that the IndieBound website is hard to use for this because it wants you to search booksellers by zip code. That's great if you want to find one store, but not if you want to find all of them in a given region.
So if I go macro with just "independent booksellers", not only do I find great resources like the Southern Independent Booksellers, Great Lakes Independent Booksellers = regional bookseller groups that often have their own awards, and other resources- but I also find American Booksellers Association- and their search page lets you search by state. Get to pasting!
This works for any major groupings of information you need. Try "school districts indianapolis" (replacing Indy with your town, of course!) to get a list of all the school districts in your region. Then go micro by searching for "[name of school district]".
You'll usually find a centralized page for the entire district, which then gives you links to each school in the district. Target appropriately- again, you'll often want to use ABOUT US or CONTACT US to find out who runs the media center.
Tips and Tricks
Can't Find Staff Information for Schools or Libraries?
1) See if they have a blog. Most people use a variation on their name when they're making blog entries- is the YA librarian posting as Saundra? Then check her e-mail address to get her last name. In the US, school and library e-mail addresses are packed with information:
smitchell@akron.lib.in.us
S. Mitchell at Akron Public Library, Indiana, United States
smitchell@msdlt.k12.in.us
S. Mitchell at Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township, K-12 Schools, Indiana, US
2) Check the activity calendar- sometimes they'll have contact information there that isn't elsewhere on the site.
3) Check out the gallery- sometimes, there will be pictures of library events, nicely labeled with people's names!
Further Refining Your Search Results
If getting more specific with your search terms isn't helping, try using modifiers. Did you know you can use quotation marks, and plus and minus signs in Google to refine your search terms?
shadowed summer = A regular search, this returns information about my book, but also poetry with those words in it, anything about summer, anything about shadows- it's kind of a mess. So I can refine my search like this:
"Shadowed Summer" = using quotes tells Google to search for that phrase exactly. Now all my search terms are either about my book, or they're probably poetry that features the words "shadowed summer" in the lines.
"Shadowed Summer" -poem = Using the minus sign tells Google to EXCLUDE anything that includes the following term in the search. Now I'm finding anything that has "Shadowed Summer" in exactly that order, plus Google is now removing any searches that are specifically about poetry.
"Shadowed Summer" +"Saundra Mitchell" = Using the plus sign tells Google that you want search results for your initial search term that ALSO include the additional search term. Now I will only get results for "Shadowed Summer" that also include my name on the page.
You can use multiple + and -, but Google, like anything else, works best when you refine, rather than overspecify.
Weigh Your Sources
Sure, there's all kinds of information on the web, but some sites are more accurate than others. Weigh your sources when you search for information- a dated government website listing all the libraries in your region is probably more accurate than an undated Geocities website made by an unknown author.
If a website seems sketchy, or incomplete, check the information there against other sources. It's especially important to have accurate contact information- you want to send your postcards to the librarian in charge of youth services now, not the one who retired in 1998!
Accept Limitations
Sometimes, you just cannot find the name of the librarian in charge at a particular institution. Sometimes, you can only manage a last name. Or an initial. Or nothing at all. And that's okay.
You can still contact an organization by phone or by e-mail to request specific information. And, some pages have Instant Chat help- just type your question, and get an answer in real time.
Don't waste a lot of time searching when you could resolve your question with one phone call, IM or e-mail. Take a quick look at CONTACT US, ABOUT US, the blog, the pictures, and if you can't find the info you need, send an e-mail and move on.
Stay Organized
You will end up with multiple files but fewer headaches if you organize like information with like information. One file for regional booksellers. One file for school libraries. Etc., etc., etc..
I like to keep my lists in Word. It doesn't do a better job than notepad, but when it comes time to use that information, I can change the color of each address after I use it- that way I don't multiple-mail people- harassing them, and wasting my postage and time!
Another way you can organize your mailings is to print your labels on a sheet of plain paper, then on the sheet of labels. Staple these together, so when you remove a label, you can see the address through the backing paper. When the whole page is empty, you can see which addresses have already been mailed.
And... those are the basics of data mining: tighten your focus, macro to micro, refine, refine, refine. That's all there is to it- now all you need is time and patience. And cocola. Cocola makes everything better. ^_^
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Saundra: Building Your Own Press Kit
One of the most basic tools in your PR and marketing portfolio is your press kit. A press kit provides basic biographical information and information about your work, in an easily accessible kit for reviewers and journalists. It makes it easy for people to write about you- always a plus- and it saves work for you, because you can avoid collecting and providing the same information repeatedly- definitely a plus.
There are 5 basic elements in a press kit:
1) Your biography
2) Contact information
3) Your photo
4) A synopsis of your most current work
5) Representative art for your most current work
Biography
Your press kit biography is a chance to present and brand yourself as a particular kind of author. Ideally, you should include a short, medium, and long biography in your press kit- each serves a different purpose.
Short should be no more than 50 words, about what you'd put on a magazine byline. Medium can be about 150 words- ideal for reprinting on websites- use the bio that would be on your jacket flap as an example.
Long can be as long as you like, but one page single-spaced should be more than enough. No one will be reprinting this bio, but this is where you get to brand and present yourself. Include your professional successes, especially ones that you want to emphasize (bestseller status, awards, grants, fellows, MFAs, etc., etc., etc..)
But also include the personal information that makes you interesting- and that you don't mind being asked about. Consider this document the base of every single profile and human interest story written about you. Hi, I'm Saundra Mitchell- I write books, but I also make paper! I'm a screenwriter, I've been a phone psychic, and I do radio shows about urban legends!
Present it in a voice that cultivates the image you want to portray of yourself. I'm a funny writer, I'm a literary writer, I'm an edgy writer- whatever. Take Meg Cabot's writing vlogs for example- her voice is informative, but she doesn't take herself at all seriously.
Once you have all three of your biographies written, compile them into a single document. At the top of the document, include your name, your e-mail address, and your URL. Don't include your mailing address or your phone number, because you're putting this on your website for any n00b to download.
Then, include your bios under these headers: SHORT BIO (WORD COUNT) MID BIO (WORD COUNT) and then just BIOGRAPHY (no word count required.) Don't use special formatting (bold, italics, bullets, etc.,) and single-space.
You will want to provide this document (along with any others in the kit) in both Word .doc format, and plain TXT. It's the standard showing of fealty to Bill Gates, because most people use Microsoft products whether they want to, but also a nod to the fact that some people like to use vi editor in UNIX.
One you have everything in your document, save it as a .doc . I don't think there's a single word processing program out there that doesn't give you the ability to save cross-format into .doc (see abovementioned fealty to Gates,) but if you've managed to stumble across the only one that does, then have a friend convert it, and skip to the TXT instructions.
The reason we had no special formatting is because now you need to SAVE AS. Click on SAVE AS instead of SAVE. When you get the dialogue box that lets you put in a filename, keep the same filename (that way you don't get confused later,) but select ASCII TXT (.txt) from the pulldown menu beneath it to save as text.
It will tell you that you are going to lose special formatting, but you can click okay with impunity because you don't have any special formatting, right? Right!
Contact Information
No point in making a press kit if the press can't find you! This is a simple document that should include:
Your name, your e-mail address, your URL: again, anyone can download this, and you don't want whackadoos with your home address. If you have a PO Box for fan mail, go ahead and include that.
Then, include:
Your agent's name, your agent's company (if any,) and your agent's e-mail address. Most people don't need this information, but certain professional people will- namely, people interested in getting rights clearances for your work, people who want to acquire subsidiary rights, people who want blurbs, etc., etc..
Those folks would generally rather talk to your representation than to you, because all you can do is giggle wildly on the phone and go, "Seriously? You want to know if there are comic book rights left on my contract? WHEEEEEE!"
Don't lie. You know it's true.
Anyway, save this as a Word .doc and as ASCII TXT as well.
Your Photograph
Sorry guys. The media likes pictures, so you should include one in your press kit. It doesn't have to be your official author photo, but if you're like me, that's the only photo you dare show the public.
Whichever photo you choose, you'll want to include a high resolution (at least 1200X1200) version of the photo, suitable for being reprinted in newspapers and magazines.
Then, you'll want to include a medium resolution version (around 300X400 or thereabouts) that people can use on their website. That's large enough to let them add any frames or borders they might use for site consistency, or to resize as they need.
Finally, you need a thumbnail version (no bigger than 100X200, and a little smaller would be better.) This is suitable for use on forums, or in very short reviews or blurbs about your work.
Windows and Mac both have native image tools that will allow you to resize a large image file, or you can use online utilities like Shrink Pictures. I believe Flickr and Picasa will also resize for free.
Once you have all three photos, you'll want to compress them so it doesn't take 5 hours to download your press kit. Windows can do this natively, or you can download WinZip; Macs can also do this natively, or you can download ZipIt. (These are both pay-software titles, but they both include a free evaluation period.)
Zip all three files into a single file called portraits.zip, so you can keep track of the file later.
-------
Those are the three elements which comprise your base press kit. Your bio, contact info, and photo only change when you want them to, so you can carry them over for each press kit you make. Each? Buh? Yes, you'll want to keep your press kit current with your career. And that's why we move on to:
Synopsis of Your Current Work
It's exactly that- a document that has your name, your e-mail address, and your URL on the header, and then the synopsis of your book. You can write a long or short one- I use one that's slightly shorter than what would be on the jacket flap. That way, if people just want to print a blurb about the book, they can use it wholesale.
Again, this too should be saved in .doc and TXT format.
Cover Art
Like your author photo, you'll want to provide your cover art in three resolutions, for the same reasons. Again, you want a large one (at least 1200X12000), a medium one (around 350X400) and a thumbnail (100X200 or smaller.) These are approximate resolutions- each file has its own dimensions, but as long as the first number is around the suggested size, the second number will adjust itself accordingly. :)
Again, zip these together into a single file, named something like coverart.zip
Compiling Your Press Kit
You will want to compile your press kit into two versions- high bandwidth and low bandwidth.
High Bandwidth: Include all of your files in this one. You should have your biography in .doc and TXT, your contact info in .doc and TXT, your synopsis in .doc and TXT, and two zip files: authorportrait.zip and coverart.zip
Collect all these files and zip them into a single file, called yourname-presskithb.zip . This is suitable for folks on DSL or better to download, which should be most journalists and reviewers.
Low Bandwidth: In this version, include only the document files, leave out the two image files. Even when the images are compressed into zip files of their own, they're still pretty large, so we're omitting them.
Zip these files together into a file named yourname-presskitlb.zip . This version of your press kit will download even if somebody's still on a 7600 baud dial-up Internet connection (or if they don't need your pictures, just your text. I won't judge.)
Distributing Your Press Kit
You (or your webmaster) can upload both files to your server, and then create links directly to them. When someone clicks on a .zip link, they will download automatically.
You can also e-mail these press kits, although I would suggest asking if they need a photo before trying to send the high-bandwidth version out.
Also, you can burn copies of your press kit to CD to send via postal mail. If you do this, I suggest burning all the files without putting them into a zip first.
You have 800MB of space on a writable CD, and putting more data on a CD doesn't add to the mailing weight. It just makes it more convenient- someone can drop the CD into their drive and automatically access the files, rather than having to unpack them first.
And that's how you create your own press kit. Costs you nothing but time, but it's a great tool to make available to journalists and reviewers. It makes their job easier, which makes you an appealing subject for consideration! Have fun, and happy compiling!
There are 5 basic elements in a press kit:
1) Your biography
2) Contact information
3) Your photo
4) A synopsis of your most current work
5) Representative art for your most current work
Biography
Your press kit biography is a chance to present and brand yourself as a particular kind of author. Ideally, you should include a short, medium, and long biography in your press kit- each serves a different purpose.
Short should be no more than 50 words, about what you'd put on a magazine byline. Medium can be about 150 words- ideal for reprinting on websites- use the bio that would be on your jacket flap as an example.
Long can be as long as you like, but one page single-spaced should be more than enough. No one will be reprinting this bio, but this is where you get to brand and present yourself. Include your professional successes, especially ones that you want to emphasize (bestseller status, awards, grants, fellows, MFAs, etc., etc., etc..)
But also include the personal information that makes you interesting- and that you don't mind being asked about. Consider this document the base of every single profile and human interest story written about you. Hi, I'm Saundra Mitchell- I write books, but I also make paper! I'm a screenwriter, I've been a phone psychic, and I do radio shows about urban legends!
Present it in a voice that cultivates the image you want to portray of yourself. I'm a funny writer, I'm a literary writer, I'm an edgy writer- whatever. Take Meg Cabot's writing vlogs for example- her voice is informative, but she doesn't take herself at all seriously.
Once you have all three of your biographies written, compile them into a single document. At the top of the document, include your name, your e-mail address, and your URL. Don't include your mailing address or your phone number, because you're putting this on your website for any n00b to download.
Then, include your bios under these headers: SHORT BIO (WORD COUNT) MID BIO (WORD COUNT) and then just BIOGRAPHY (no word count required.) Don't use special formatting (bold, italics, bullets, etc.,) and single-space.
You will want to provide this document (along with any others in the kit) in both Word .doc format, and plain TXT. It's the standard showing of fealty to Bill Gates, because most people use Microsoft products whether they want to, but also a nod to the fact that some people like to use vi editor in UNIX.
One you have everything in your document, save it as a .doc . I don't think there's a single word processing program out there that doesn't give you the ability to save cross-format into .doc (see abovementioned fealty to Gates,) but if you've managed to stumble across the only one that does, then have a friend convert it, and skip to the TXT instructions.
The reason we had no special formatting is because now you need to SAVE AS. Click on SAVE AS instead of SAVE. When you get the dialogue box that lets you put in a filename, keep the same filename (that way you don't get confused later,) but select ASCII TXT (.txt) from the pulldown menu beneath it to save as text.
It will tell you that you are going to lose special formatting, but you can click okay with impunity because you don't have any special formatting, right? Right!
Contact Information
No point in making a press kit if the press can't find you! This is a simple document that should include:
Your name, your e-mail address, your URL: again, anyone can download this, and you don't want whackadoos with your home address. If you have a PO Box for fan mail, go ahead and include that.
Then, include:
Your agent's name, your agent's company (if any,) and your agent's e-mail address. Most people don't need this information, but certain professional people will- namely, people interested in getting rights clearances for your work, people who want to acquire subsidiary rights, people who want blurbs, etc., etc..
Those folks would generally rather talk to your representation than to you, because all you can do is giggle wildly on the phone and go, "Seriously? You want to know if there are comic book rights left on my contract? WHEEEEEE!"
Don't lie. You know it's true.
Anyway, save this as a Word .doc and as ASCII TXT as well.
Your Photograph
Sorry guys. The media likes pictures, so you should include one in your press kit. It doesn't have to be your official author photo, but if you're like me, that's the only photo you dare show the public.
Whichever photo you choose, you'll want to include a high resolution (at least 1200X1200) version of the photo, suitable for being reprinted in newspapers and magazines.
Then, you'll want to include a medium resolution version (around 300X400 or thereabouts) that people can use on their website. That's large enough to let them add any frames or borders they might use for site consistency, or to resize as they need.
Finally, you need a thumbnail version (no bigger than 100X200, and a little smaller would be better.) This is suitable for use on forums, or in very short reviews or blurbs about your work.
Windows and Mac both have native image tools that will allow you to resize a large image file, or you can use online utilities like Shrink Pictures. I believe Flickr and Picasa will also resize for free.
Once you have all three photos, you'll want to compress them so it doesn't take 5 hours to download your press kit. Windows can do this natively, or you can download WinZip; Macs can also do this natively, or you can download ZipIt. (These are both pay-software titles, but they both include a free evaluation period.)
Zip all three files into a single file called portraits.zip, so you can keep track of the file later.
-------
Those are the three elements which comprise your base press kit. Your bio, contact info, and photo only change when you want them to, so you can carry them over for each press kit you make. Each? Buh? Yes, you'll want to keep your press kit current with your career. And that's why we move on to:
Synopsis of Your Current Work
It's exactly that- a document that has your name, your e-mail address, and your URL on the header, and then the synopsis of your book. You can write a long or short one- I use one that's slightly shorter than what would be on the jacket flap. That way, if people just want to print a blurb about the book, they can use it wholesale.
Again, this too should be saved in .doc and TXT format.
Cover Art
Like your author photo, you'll want to provide your cover art in three resolutions, for the same reasons. Again, you want a large one (at least 1200X12000), a medium one (around 350X400) and a thumbnail (100X200 or smaller.) These are approximate resolutions- each file has its own dimensions, but as long as the first number is around the suggested size, the second number will adjust itself accordingly. :)
Again, zip these together into a single file, named something like coverart.zip
Compiling Your Press Kit
You will want to compile your press kit into two versions- high bandwidth and low bandwidth.
High Bandwidth: Include all of your files in this one. You should have your biography in .doc and TXT, your contact info in .doc and TXT, your synopsis in .doc and TXT, and two zip files: authorportrait.zip and coverart.zip
Collect all these files and zip them into a single file, called yourname-presskithb.zip . This is suitable for folks on DSL or better to download, which should be most journalists and reviewers.
Low Bandwidth: In this version, include only the document files, leave out the two image files. Even when the images are compressed into zip files of their own, they're still pretty large, so we're omitting them.
Zip these files together into a file named yourname-presskitlb.zip . This version of your press kit will download even if somebody's still on a 7600 baud dial-up Internet connection (or if they don't need your pictures, just your text. I won't judge.)
Distributing Your Press Kit
You (or your webmaster) can upload both files to your server, and then create links directly to them. When someone clicks on a .zip link, they will download automatically.
You can also e-mail these press kits, although I would suggest asking if they need a photo before trying to send the high-bandwidth version out.
Also, you can burn copies of your press kit to CD to send via postal mail. If you do this, I suggest burning all the files without putting them into a zip first.
You have 800MB of space on a writable CD, and putting more data on a CD doesn't add to the mailing weight. It just makes it more convenient- someone can drop the CD into their drive and automatically access the files, rather than having to unpack them first.
And that's how you create your own press kit. Costs you nothing but time, but it's a great tool to make available to journalists and reviewers. It makes their job easier, which makes you an appealing subject for consideration! Have fun, and happy compiling!
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