No Payne No Gain: Promotion Plan

By James S. Payne

When crafting a proposal to submit to a literary agent, the section on how the proposed book will be promoted by the author is the single most important section of the proposal. The promotion section explains how the author will help get the book marketed and sold. Examples include:

Pre-sold books: Purchase 500 books from the first printing at a reasonable discount.

Visit bookstores: visit (specify number) bookstores in (author’s) geographical area. All bookstores that are members of BookSense will be visited and given a complimentary copy of the book. The author will discuss, in person, possible future readings and book signings.

Send book reviews and excerpts: Send book reviews to specific magazines and excerpts to newspapers, to specifically stated sources.

Radio: Place an ad in Radio-TV Interview Report and conduct radio interviews as requested. This could generate a significant number of reviews.

Print media: Send news releases to local and regional newspapers.

Website: Establish a website and web page and an 800 number that will be used on all publicity connected with the book.

Blog: Establish a blog and respond in a timely manner.

This is not an exhaustive list but it is offered to help new, unknown authors get started. Most successful authors spend as much time promoting their work as they do writing it. They make a fundamental shift in their thinking from having something to say to having something to sell. For want-to-be authors this is not a pretty picture, but it is a realistic one.

Dr. James Payne, a nationally-recognized scholar, educator and speaker, is a professor of Special Education at the University of Mississippi and a Fulbright recipient. He is the developer of the PeopleWise Event Management System and the PeopleWise Profile System.