Your publisher will take charge of a course in miracles free. Or maybe you self-published your book, and it is such a fascinating topic and since you have a web site for the book you are sure that readers will gravitate towards it, no?
Well, not so fast. Your publisher may be shipping out your book to a million journalists, but they get literally stacks of books every week and don’t have time to even glimpse at them all. The truth is that the best person to sell your book is YOU. Here are a few simple tips to getting your book published.
1. Get an agent in New York City. Sure you can self publish your book, but the simple fact is that if you have an agent in NYC who sells your book to an editor in NYC, you will be better off. They all have lunch together, network, spread the word, you know what I mean. Write 20 query letters to agents that fit your book that you find from Writer’s Market. Read a book like How To Get Your Nonfiction Book Published to figure out what to do. But just because you went this route, it doesn’t mean you should assume anything other than…
2. You can’t count on your NYC based publisher to sell your book. There is so much noise in publishing, tens of thousands of books coming out every year, that people tune it out. That is why you need to understand that…
3. You are the best publicist for your own work. You are the author. You know the content and can best get people excited about it. If you contact someone you know they will feel a personal obligation to pay attention to what you say. You can do little things like…
4. Give away copies of your book. People like getting freebies/presents and then they will feel obligated to read it, and if they like it they will spread the word. You can get your publisher to send freebies as ‘review’ copies to anyone you know, which reminds me that you should…
5. Get in the habit of keeping a running tally of journalists/contacts. Your book may be based on research that journalists have contacted you for over the years. When your book comes out, get your publisher to send them a copy, and then send them a personal note. You are a contact for them, and they will want to pay back the favor.
6. Contact the alumni magazines for the college you graduated from (or where you currently teach) and tell them about your book. They like to write articles about alumni, and it is free publicity.
7. Send an email to everyone in your address book announcing your book publication.
8. Print out flyers announcing your book and leave them on counters (with a copy of your book that people can leaf through) outside of places you give lectures. And…
