How to raise awareness of your work....

[RobL]

Hopefully not breaking any rules by self-advertisement here, but may be useful for other budding authors - for those who have had their works published, how have you gone about raising awareness of it? Personally i've started a facebook page for it, which has become a lot more popular than i'd first thought, and apart from word of mouth to friends and family who pass it on (again, mainly via facebook) i'm running out of ideas - i've e-mailed newspapers local to the subject matter to see if they would be interested in me writing something for them

[Kate Wills]

erm, might you have in mind that rather attractive looking book on the North East Railway (the publishing of which appears to have solved my annual dilemma of what to buy my husband for Christmas - please don't tell ).

Why not flag it up in the Forum's Classified Ads section?

Have you contacted your lacal radio station for an interview?

Do you offer talks? WFA branches and other organisations are always looking for speakers, providing another advertising and sales platform.

[kenf48]

You could put your Facebook page in your signature.

Ken

[Charles Fair]

I haven't tried facebook so far, other than on my own page. Perhaps I will have to give my book its own page.

Twitter has been useful, and I have also posted it on some of the WW1/military historians groups on LinkedIn.

Amazon is really important. I'm trying to get as many reviews on there as I can, and I'm always encouraging people I know who have bought it to write a short review. (Which reminds me.... Kate, pretty please, I don't suppose the Wills household could please pop a short review on Amazon?)

Its time consuming and I'm sure that I could be spending a lot more time on it than I do.

[Bernard_Lewis]

Print some A4 leaflets extolling the virtues of your book and showing a good image and try and get them displayed in local libraries, archives, museums, the university etc. Post offices if they let you. Obviously include contact details. My library service usually buys 12 copies - one for each branch, the reference library etc.

For the press I tend to write a story as if I'm interviewing myself - the journalist can then either 'top and tail it' with some intro/finale of his own or take it as it comes. e.g. 'Local historian Fred Bloggs told the Bugle 'blah blah blah this is my new book' The book tells how blah blah blah and Fred added 'blah blah blah' etc. Add a couple of images, make sure you name the book and where you can get it from. I'd then try and talk to a local journo and see if you can get him to agree to at least receive the 'story' and images via e-mail. If he's expecting it there is a good chance he'll look at it. If its just an unsolicited e-mail asking 'May I...?' it may just get no attention from him (cough, or her). You're doing the work for him and filling space in the press so it should be a runner...

Any retired rail-mens' clubs around your way? Would they like a talk or at least a poster?

Any railway enthusiast clubs about? Model railway makers and societies? Talk/poster?

Any local history book fairs where you can grab a (cheap) table and try and flog a few?

Local history societies? Talk/poster?

OAP groups/U3A (university of the third age - usually have guest speakers)

Could you get a table in a local book sellers and sit there for a few hours and try and sell a few? Will they allow a poster?

Hope this helps,

Bernard

[EastSurrey]

The local paper, local radio and giving talks have all helped in my case. Waterstones, however, were a dead loss, in spite of me being a local author and the book coming from a leading publisher in the field. Initial interest by a junior employee was followed by complete lack of interest from the three branches within 15 miles.Perhaps if I'd written 50 shades of something, the response would have been different!

Michael

[Glen]

There are an abundence of monthly railway journals, with Railway Magazine being the most well known, but others deal with more historical matters, I would contact them and see if they will review your book. Also Railnews (the railways staff newspaper) would be a good one to contact to see if they will carry a review/write an article. As the subject matter is the NER, have you contacted East Coast/Northern, both have staff newsletters and may be prepared to run an article. (I work for Nothern, so feel free to message me if you need a contact there)

As KenF said - adding a link to your FB profile (or if you want to retail privicy - setting up a FB page just for your book) would help, as I would definetely be interested in a copy when it's published

[RobL]

Hi all, many many thanks for all your replies.

Kate - yes that's the one, hopefully out in plenty of time for christmas! Should have gone to print in the last 48 hours so should be out by this time next month, Amazon is now giving a publication date of 30th November.

I have a number of talks lined up, all in the north east as I presume other areas won't be interested, unless anyone thinks they would be? Living in Hampshire, more local ones would be great!

Haven't thought of radio stations but that's another avenue to explore, thanks.

The facebook page for the book is;

https://www.facebook.com/TheNorthEasternRailwayInTheFirstWorldWar

[kenf48]

there you are! I liked it!!

Ken

[Annie1914]

Me too!

Many of the men on our village war memorial were railwaymen at the Barrow Hill Roundhouse and went on to work with Railway Companies in France.

Annie