On Going to Market

Having the product:

It is good to wait until you know when the books will arrive before scheduling events. It makes for a tighter working window, but it’s a better fit for us folks who let deadlines slip by all too often.

Still, I made lists, lots of lists, and had a general plan of action.

Display aids:

I put together a really great one for myself, a photo of the book cover in a nice acrylic angled holder. I didn’t think about the retailers who would have my books. They would want something. Ooops. I had to scrabble. But I found some smaller holders, on sale even, and used my printer to save the day.

The genesis speech:

Readers will want to know what your inspiration was, how you did it, something about the steps you took along the way to a finished novel.

Work on the genesis speech … before you need it. You can fine tune it later.

Record keeping supplies:

Receipt and invoice pads are a good way to start, add the tally sheets later. Use something you’re comfortable with because you’ll need an accurate accounting to track your progress and for those end-of-the-year tax forms.

Do be sure to record where sales are made, city and state. Your accountant will thank you later.

Invest in your signature:

Find a good pen with quick drying ink. I went with Pentel EnerGel on the recommendation of Mary Howard, the 2016 Great River Writer’s Retreat winner.

Bookmarks:

I did something a little different with my first batch of 250 bookmarks. I used an example from C. Hope Clark. She created a postcard that featured her four book covers and a polite plea for reviews. I’ve seen similar messages on Facebook, also polite and encouraging, but still dropping hints about how important reviews are for authors. Time will tell if my bookmarks will have any impact.