Before you can sell your book you have to be sold on it. How strongly do you believe in your novel? When I asked myself that question, I braced for doubts. Why would I believe my book is good enough to sell? Anytime you invite doubts--they come. I could imagine an agent clicking the delete key before she'd finished the first paragraph. I could already see the eyes of an editor glaze over with pity as I pitched my book at a conference. Or if I self-publish, I visualized the review that went something like, "Why would this woman think she could write? I demand she refund the money I paid for her stupid book."
Then I recalled a reading group I met at a Romantic Times convention, (more about them in next week's blog) and I know those ladies would love my novel. They would swoon over the hero. They'd identify with the heroine. They'd wait for the next twist and turn of the plot with bated breath. They'd stay up late at night reading. Perhaps I exaggerate, but they would like this story enough to buy it. They are my target audience, and all I have to do is reach them.
Ah, that is the problem with marketing, you see. Everyone has an audience, be it large or small. The problem I have is my readers don't know me from Adam's housecat. (BTW, how does anyone know that Adam had a housecat?)
Henry Ford had the same problem. Yes, at one point in time, no one knew the great Henry Ford from Adam's housecat. Not only that, but the guys who monopolized the car industry didn't want anyone to know him. But Henry knew his car was as good as anyone's, and he could sell it a lot cheaper than those greedy men who held the monopoly. Knowing he had to convince people his car was better, he set up a publicity stunt...a race with one of the power cars. He had to believe in his car because if he lost, who'd want to buy his car at any cost? He was sticking his neck out.
The rest is history. He won the race, got his publicity, built his assembly line, changed the auto industry. That's what faith can do.
Instead of a publicity stunt, I think I'll go at it bit by bit. I'll make contacts with these people who don't know me from Adam's housecat as the opportunity arises, even those who don't want to know me. Believing that God will bring me the opportunities, I'll watch for them, and convince people I can write, and that they'll want to read what I write. I'll learn the techniques of book marketing, even the silly ones, looking for ways to find my target audience and expand it. God will open the doors only when He's ready and I'm ready, so I'll prepare for that time, and have the nerve to stick my neck out, get out of the comfort zone, look like a fool.
Next week...finding your target audience.
What are the best ways to build your reputation in the publishing industry?
I know some have had trouble entering comments, but I really need your input. If you have problems, email me at ehmanders@cox.net. My wordpress blog is http://elainemanders.com
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