Book publicity - a disheartening hurdle for an author
July 8th 2008 22:36
When you are unpublished, being published seems like the ultimate achievement. When you are published, getting publicity is the difference between your book being a success and not.
My publicist has been struggling to get any kind of reviews for Things Without A Name because the market is apparently flooded with fiction at the moment, which is rather a pity for writers like me, who spill their life and sweat and tears into a project over a period of two years, only to be told, ‘sorry, it’s not a good time for fiction.’ Fuck, I am so over the marketing aspect of publishing. You can deliver your best work and you are at the mercy of a marketing strategy over which you have no control and a publicity campaign in which you are nothing but a number in a line of other authors who equally have spent years of their lives working on their masterpiece that may or may not get their moment in the sun.
So with a very sweet review in Marie Claire, describing TWAN as a love story, I was very heartened to see a review of it in The Sydney Morning Herald’s Spectrum which, in just a few words really seemed to ‘get’ what the book is trying to do in the broader social context of domestic violence and violence against women and children (I mean, what is up with all these recent family murders?) You might think this would make TWAN 'topical,' if nothing else.
A special thanks must go Lexi Landsman at the AJN as well as the Australian Jewish News for the huge fuss they made in this week’s edition – three full pages of photographs (thanks Ingrid, you were right, they came out wonderfully despite how much I HATE posing for photos) and a wonderful feature talking about the story behind Things Without A Name.
www.joannefedler.com
My publicist has been struggling to get any kind of reviews for Things Without A Name because the market is apparently flooded with fiction at the moment, which is rather a pity for writers like me, who spill their life and sweat and tears into a project over a period of two years, only to be told, ‘sorry, it’s not a good time for fiction.’ Fuck, I am so over the marketing aspect of publishing. You can deliver your best work and you are at the mercy of a marketing strategy over which you have no control and a publicity campaign in which you are nothing but a number in a line of other authors who equally have spent years of their lives working on their masterpiece that may or may not get their moment in the sun.
So with a very sweet review in Marie Claire, describing TWAN as a love story, I was very heartened to see a review of it in The Sydney Morning Herald’s Spectrum which, in just a few words really seemed to ‘get’ what the book is trying to do in the broader social context of domestic violence and violence against women and children (I mean, what is up with all these recent family murders?) You might think this would make TWAN 'topical,' if nothing else.
A special thanks must go Lexi Landsman at the AJN as well as the Australian Jewish News for the huge fuss they made in this week’s edition – three full pages of photographs (thanks Ingrid, you were right, they came out wonderfully despite how much I HATE posing for photos) and a wonderful feature talking about the story behind Things Without A Name.
www.joannefedler.com
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Comment by Louie
Climate Forum
Climate Red
randomthoughts
Phil's Wellness Tips
its like any industry, they publicize their "stars" and leave the rest to wallow...we need to think up a good old fashioned scandal, maybe organise a whole bunch of orblers to throw copies of your book at the pope mobile or something!!!!! (P.S. I hope I don't get arrested for "annoyance" for suggesting such a joke)
or maybe we need to recruit Oprah!!!!
Comment by Louie
Climate Forum
Climate Red
randomthoughts
Phil's Wellness Tips
Comment by Joanne Fedler
Secret Writers Business
Jo
Comment by JP Shaw
Sassy Ink Author
Parent Writer
Comment by Jayne Kearney
Writers In Writing (and other writing)
I saw the review in the SMH. There was also one in one of the Sydney papers last weekend - small but positive. Did you see it?
Marketing and publicity seems to be the evil side of writing (from a writer's perspective). Given that many writers are prone to shyness and introspection it really must be a pain in the butt. We might see the publicity-inflicted scars on yours when you make the cover of Art Monthly.
Jayne
Comment by Joanne Fedler
Secret Writers Business
Jayne, whatever adjectives apply to me, shy is not one of them, hell I am happy to talk to anyone at anytime, and really love the publicity side of things - I used to be a law lecturer and had to face crowds of hundreds - and boys in their late teens and early twenties are an unforgiving lot so I have a very thick skin when it comes to being laughed at. And, modesty aside, I'd bare it all on the cover of Art weekly if it was a good way to drum up some scandal, but somehow it doesn't seem appropriate to promote a book about domestic violence and gender violence ... what do you think??
Jo
Comment by Jayne Kearney
Writers In Writing (and other writing)
Poor you, Jo. But if the lovely JP works some magic you could bare your butt while jumping on Oprah's couch!!! Hmmm..but, yes, I think you are right - not so appropriate. And you only need bare your intellect to thrill us in great numbers.
Jayne
Comment by tlcorbin
Coffee Quip
A Global Citizen
Paranormal Paranormal
Is Why
Alaska Chronicle
Marketing drives me wacko . . . errrr
Comment by Mrs M
Mum's Word
The Pope is in town. Throw a copy at him....that will get you on the 6o'clock news.
Although you might be fined $5000 for being annoying.
Love & stuff
Mrs M