It?s time to start planning for the Ojai Wordfest. This is an 8 day event in our community in early April during which local authors present 100 activities, events, workshops, presentations, readings, etc. all over town. There might be readings by novelists at coffee houses, workshops at the library, meals in private homes with readings/workshops, lectures at bookstores, including our famous outdoor bookstore and so much more. I have two days to decide what I want to talk about and find a venue. So guess what I?ll be doing this week.
Yup, I?ll be out schmoozing with directors and proprietors of my favorite venues and coming up with ideas for workshops.
I?m talking about this because I thought some of you might want to organize something similar in your town. It?s a great opportunity to introduce local authors to the community while involving merchants as well as local libraries, art centers, museums and so forth.
In my latest book, Talk Up Your Book, I tell you how to locate opportunities like this. I also talk about how to arrange for your own speaking engagements/workshops.
Authors, you can?t wait to be invited. You must be proactive.
And this is a great time of year to start the process. Everyone is looking forward to spring?getting out of the house, learning something new, experiencing something different, socializing and participating. Why not spend the dark, dreary days of your winter planning to ?come out? with entertaining, educational, informational presentations for April, May, June? Wait until the sun comes out, and it may be too late to set something up. Get in the habit of procrastinating and you may never get around to it. And then you?ll wonder why you aren?t selling any books. Hopefully, you will realize that it is because you haven?t been out showing it to potential readers?you haven?t been out talking about it.
Don?t wait until the clouds move on, the snow melts and the rain subsides. Start now planning your spring book tour either just locally, throughout the areas you?ve planned trips this year or make plans to travel outside your community in order to spread the word about your book.
Keep in mind that there?s a lot of opportunity in your hometown. Unless you live in a dit-dot of a place, you should be able to set up two or three speaking opportunities locally (within 40 miles) every month all year round. And the more people you speak to, the more books you?ll sell on the spot, certainly, but also residually.
Would love to have you follow-up with me and report on the engagements you schedule in coming weeks. Also be sure to post them on your website and talk about them before and after in your blog. Need assistance with any aspect of speaking in public or effective communication?presented in a simple manner as all of my books are?order your copy of Talk Up Your Book at Amazon.com or any other online or downtown bookstore.
The publisher tells me the Kindle version of this book should be ready for purchase sometime this week! I?ll let you know.
Announcement
I am currently teaching my online Book Proposal Course. It is not too late to join in: http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookproposal.htm
Source: http://www.matilijapress.com/publishingblog/?p=2504
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