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Beth Kery | Beth Blabbers About Book Marketing

January 26, 2009

I not only have to write this darn book, but sell it too?

My sweet husband bought me several books about marketing my book for Christmas. I’m relatively new at the business of writing, having first been published at Ellora’s Cave in 2007. My New York debut, Wicked Burn, came out in December of 2008. The amount of time (and money) that a writer spends marketing a book came as quite a shock to me, as it must for many authors. Before I entered the writing arena, I always envisioned an author plucking her next novel out on her keyboard, not plugging her published works.

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8 Comments

  • Stacy January 26, 2009 at 7:37 am

    Hey Beth 🙂 LOVED your book and will be catching up with your ebook backlist hopefully soon.

    I’m coming at this topic from a reader standpoint, and I think selling the book is very important, obviously. That is your goal.

    I also wonder if some authors spend too much time on the internet networking and not enough time writing. Maybe that’s the nature of the internet beast. I’m curious: shat are your thoughts on that?

  • Cheryl M. January 26, 2009 at 9:55 am

    Hi Beth!!!!

    I have been seeing your name pop up all over the place lately and hearing some glowing reviews for Wicked Burn. You must be doing something right with your promoting :- )
    I bet it won’t be long before your name is recognized along with the other Ellora’s Cave authors who went “New York”. Congrats on all your success, you deserve it!

  • Sara Reyes January 26, 2009 at 11:05 am

    We all market for everything, even for getting our kids on the “team” whatever it might be. And getting or keeping a job these days is all “marketing.”

    Course not necessarily posting on Yahoo Groups but it is keeping in touch with people and that old networking.

    Everyone I know is affected by the recession so talk about helping each other out is a topic that ALWAYS comes up.

  • Julie Robinson January 26, 2009 at 9:07 pm

    Hey Beth,

    You had a good discussion topic, but I realize I left a comment on your ‘one day contest’ post.

    Sara, you’re right. We are always promoting ourselves, no matter who you are and what you do for a living.

    Julie

  • beth kery January 26, 2009 at 9:13 pm

    Hi Stacy, how are you?

    I think it’s definitely a temptation to over-focus on promotion and sacrifice your writing. Personally, I force myself to write a certain number of words every day. Fact is…if you don’t write, there won’t be anything to sell. lol.

  • beth kery January 26, 2009 at 9:15 pm

    Hi Cheryl and Julie. Thank you for stopping by!

  • beth kery January 26, 2009 at 9:18 pm

    Yes, Sara, marketing is inescapable, no matter what you do. Like I mentioned in the blog, I was surprised at how much thought and energy had to be put into it as an author.

    But that’s just a fact of life, I guess. 🙂

  • Julie Robinson January 26, 2009 at 9:27 pm

    That’s the truth I need to remember Beth. I can’t sell anything if I don’t have anything to sell.
    Jjulie