Comments on: Promote yourself http://www.dystel.com/blog/2010/02/promote-yourself/ Mon, 26 Jun 2017 15:15:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.15 By: DGLM http://www.dystel.com/blog/2010/02/promote-yourself/comment-page-1/#comment-16009 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:13:51 +0000 http://032453b.netsolhost.com/blog/2010/02/promote-yourself/#comment-16009 I'm of two minds on book trailers. I think they're fun and can be great tools, but I also feel like the amount of time and money it takes to create one doesn't necessarily pay off in direct sales.

If you can find a way to make one inexpensively, there's nothing at all to lose. But they tend to be the sort of advertising that hits the people who were already going to buy the book anyway, at least in my opinion.

]]> By: Jennifer Schubert http://www.dystel.com/blog/2010/02/promote-yourself/comment-page-1/#comment-16008 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:17:57 +0000 http://032453b.netsolhost.com/blog/2010/02/promote-yourself/#comment-16008 Jim, if you're still checking in on the comments, I'd be curious about your opinions on book trailers. Worth it? A waste of time?

It's definitely a whole new world for authors and their books!

]]> By: Mary Witzl http://www.dystel.com/blog/2010/02/promote-yourself/comment-page-1/#comment-16006 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 07:39:23 +0000 http://032453b.netsolhost.com/blog/2010/02/promote-yourself/#comment-16006 I loved Salinger when I was a teenager. I reread Catcher in the Rye in my 20s and loved him still. I reread him as a parent and felt like I'd really lost something: Holden Caulfield sounded whiny and difficult. My favorite Salinger work of all time will always be his short story, 'De Daumier-Smith's Blue Period', a perfect blend of self-deprecatory humor and youthful awkwardness and hope, all the embarrassment and horror of being young and stupid and living to remember it. I don't want to reread that one.

As for publicizing my own work, I suppose I could be grateful for having a largish family. The only trouble is, we're all cheapskates. I'll have to figure something out, should the happy day ever come.

]]> By: Lauren http://www.dystel.com/blog/2010/02/promote-yourself/comment-page-1/#comment-16004 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:15:20 +0000 http://032453b.netsolhost.com/blog/2010/02/promote-yourself/#comment-16004 Don't think J.D. Salinger was overrated — don't really know how he was rated. But I don't think he could have been OVERrated. I think every one of his lines was perfection. Here's to different tastes! On the subject of your blog, thanks for your continued advice.

]]> By: Pam Harris http://www.dystel.com/blog/2010/02/promote-yourself/comment-page-1/#comment-16003 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 23:44:01 +0000 http://032453b.netsolhost.com/blog/2010/02/promote-yourself/#comment-16003 I'm such a fan of your blog, and I learn a great deal about the publishing industry from it–but I'm not sure if I agree with calling someone overrated so soon after his death. I think we need to give time for his friends, family, and fans to mourn before the bashing begins. I mean no disrespects from my comment–it's just my opinion.

]]> By: Melissa Sarno http://www.dystel.com/blog/2010/02/promote-yourself/comment-page-1/#comment-16002 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:09:57 +0000 http://032453b.netsolhost.com/blog/2010/02/promote-yourself/#comment-16002 Definitely agree with you on the J.D. Salinger front.
I have definitely noticed that writers now have the responsibility of promoting their own books. I'm just glad there are so many tools to do so and that I'm aware of it beforehand. Seems like a good idea for writers to start personal branding and connecting with readers before they even have a book deal. That way writers are not scrambling to create an online presence later.

]]> By: The Daring Novelist http://www.dystel.com/blog/2010/02/promote-yourself/comment-page-1/#comment-16001 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:54:58 +0000 http://032453b.netsolhost.com/blog/2010/02/promote-yourself/#comment-16001 I read Seth Godin's books and blog religiously, and I think he has a good sense of why the author is more important. It isn't just that publishers are slashing budgets, but that the world has changed. Getting the attention of the audience is no longer a matter of throwing money at big, established venues. It's a "long tail" world – where the personal touch is really important. Authors are in a better position to take advantage of these changes.

(And I agree about Salinger, and I suspect he agreed too.)

]]> By: Kristi http://www.dystel.com/blog/2010/02/promote-yourself/comment-page-1/#comment-16000 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:34:00 +0000 http://032453b.netsolhost.com/blog/2010/02/promote-yourself/#comment-16000 This is an interesting article and points to the increasing responsibility of an author in terms of publicity. It's no longer just about writing the best book you can — although I still believe (and hope) that's step #1. Yet, I also think authors need to possess a basic understanding of marketing techniques. As I've been revising my ms, I've been reading marketing blogs and books so when my book gets published (hey, I'm an optimist), I can start promoting long before it hits the shelf (or iPad). :)

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