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By Abigail Davidson
America was built on small towns. Some grew up into cities and some kept their hometown look and feel. Regardless, there is camaraderie among people in your hometown.
Local publicity is a great way to help a first-time author get your “feet wet” in a more comfortable arena. WinePress understands this vital area of promotion and offers the Hometown Promotions package to our authors.
Here are 5 ways to guarantee a warm welcome from your hometown media:
1. Be involved in your community
2. Offer something in return
3. Connect personally
Drop by local boutiques, bookstores, coffee shops, salons, (even City Hall!) – anywhere you can share about your book in a casual setting.
Don’t be afraid to plan ahead – offer your book as a “gift” to sell in local shops once it’s released.
4. Be proud of your hometown
5. Be confident of your message
Abigail Davidson has worked with WinePress Publishing since February of 2005, promoting WinePress authors through radio, television, print and Internet.
She also works closely with other WinePress staff on advertising and marketing to help WinePress authors build a publicity campaign that makes sense for their unique needs.
(By the way: did you know WinePress of Words has a free newsletter? Sign-up for more free articles, tools, and tips)
The editorial team for WinePress of Words includes Carla Williams (Executive Editor), Laura Christianson (Editor and Coordinator), Josiah Williams (Marketing Specialist), and Thomas McGee (Designer and Developer).
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Abigail,
Thank you for your suggestions. To do a book signing, do I just ask the local book store if they will allow me to do this and do they do the publicity about it or do I have to do that?
Also please tell me more about the blog in my name and how I put something on it.
Thanks,
Martha Axmann
She Won the Race
Martha,
Contact the Community Relations Manager at your local bookstore and ask about their guidelines for author signings. Some of the chain stores do their own publicity, but many bookstores will ask you to handle the publicity for your signing. Most bookstores allocate a very small portion of their budget towards author book signings; it’s a good idea to inquire about their policies, and volunteer to do whatever you can to make the signing a success.
If you volunteer to teach a little workshop in conjunction with your book’s topic, for instance, that has the potential to draw more people in than just a signing.