Get Noticed!

I recently received a letter from a woman telling me that her friend was a very talented and inspiring writer, she said:

"I don't know where to begin helping her get her work read. I thought you would be the perfect person to ask. She isn't very internet savvy, so I am helping her in that regard. Any advice, links, contacts, etc. would be most appreciated!"

Good question! Since I AM internet savvy, the web is where I started, and I've seen that the internet has helped many other writing friends get noticed as well. In fact I'm teaching a class next May at the Northwest Christian Writer's Renewal, which teaches writers ways they can use the net to get noticed, and move their way up the publishing ladder.

I like blogging, but I do think that the majority of the time a blog goes unnoticed unless the author of that blog is involved in the blogging community. That and the blog should be kept up daily. There was a time when my little "What Would Jesus Blog" was collecting up to 85 comments/post, but I was commenting back and forth in those days. Once I got busy with CWO, my little blog on the prairie slowed down accordingly. If however, the blogger has a high profile elsewhere, such as a speaking platform, then her audience may already be built in, and the need for community online is eliminated.

Something I learned long ago is that in the two minutes a reader is on your site, you should have answered their question "What's in it for me?" Why is your writing unique, what can your writing give them that a billion other blogs out there can't? Friendship? Biblical insight? Humor?

How about a contest? Contests are a great way to draw readers to your site, and while they are there, they just might love your articles and come back!

Contests are one way of being involved in community; blogrolls are another. I host the world's largest blogroll at Christian Women Online, which includes something like 4,000 bloggers (haven't counted lately), who can all surf through each others sites and get noticed. What they can also do is request an interview so readers can further get to know them.

That's a bit about the net, but what if, like the reader above, the author isn't internet savvy, yet wants to be published? A publisher wants to know how YOU will promote your book. I haven't seen a book proposal that doesn't ask this question yet. So if you are not on the web, what can you do?

Speaking is the obvious for most of us. However as an author we would be expected to speak when promoting our book, so we need to give them a little more of a reason to publish us. Being "an award-winning" speaker, or a "frequent speaker at conventions" may give you that needed edge. That type of platform will not only get readers to notice your book, but it will also help in getting a publisher to notice you. In order to build up my speaking platform, I joined Toastmasters International. My legs are as shaky as the next person, but I'm doing it because I know it's a necessary part of being an author. And guess what? I just won my first speaking award this week! Every little step we take toward our goal adds to our resume, and brings us that much closer to a publishing contract.

If you aren't a speaker, then consider putting your writing to work by producing a "zine." A zine is like a magazine, but smaller. You can often find them at bookstores or at coffee shops, where they are free. Those are the kinds that I like, because you can produce them inexpensively, and have advertisers pay for the print run. Writers have had to get creative to get theirs noticed. I have started seeing them for seniors, parents, etc. What about for SAHM's or Christians? What about for singles?

Here's another idea, which happens to be one of my all-time fav's! Get involved in projects such as anthologies. I occasionally post opportunities here, such as Chicken Soup for the Soul. I have two friends who have been published in Chicken Soup. One is a published author; the other is a stay-at-home mom who thought she'd give it a try. Both have a great addition to their resume, which helps in getting them up the next rung of the ladder. Always keep the ladder analogy in mind--each rung gets us closer to the top!

Note: Don't hope to make big bucks in anthologies. You usually get anywhere from $25-$50 per article, maybe $100 if the publication is huge. And don't expect any pay from smaller publications such as local newspapers. Remember we're starving artists here!

I'll close with one last thought, which can double as a shameful promotion. I don't believe that an author sells books as much as a book sells an author. Once an author has a book in hand, that person can use the book to further promote themselves by sending it out for review, having online blog tours, and book signings. It also looks better if you can approach a publication with that book on your resume. So consider getting a small print run done at a place such as my husbands company www.artbookbindery.com There are other short-run publishers out there, but I'll let you Google those!

Print-on-demand is different from short-run. It doesn't cost the author anything, since readers order direct from the printer, it's difficult to have books on hand without spending a fortune. Without books on hand, you can't approach local bookstores, hold a book signing party or send several out for review. With short run publishing you can order 50-200 books, make a profit on the ones you sell, and get your work out there into the public eye.

There are a few ideas to get you started--just take one rung at a time. With talent, patience and creativity, we'll get to the top!