ThrillerFest Marketing Panel

M.J. Rose, David J. Montgomery, Sarie Morrell (photo credit: J.T. Ellison)

I was on the Marketing Panel at ThrillerFest, along with author/marketing guru M.J. Rose and publicist Sarie Morrell.

Here is some of the information that came out during the panel:

• No single strategy works for everyone. There is no magic bullet. Lots of little things can add up to success.
• Authors need to spend a portion of their advance (at least $5000) on marketing themselves and their book.
• Authors need to become marketing partners with their publishers.
• When talking to your publisher, don't demand. Offer.
• Advertising can help, but you need to be careful about how you spend your money. If you're going to invest in ads, you really need to know what you're doing.
• A one-time ad in the New York Times is not going to do much for you. Something like AuthorBuzz is a better investment.
• A professional-looking website is essential. It doesn't have to be fancy or expensive, though. Don't spend all your money on this.
• Authors should do everything within reason to make sure reviewers receive their book. Never assume that your publisher will take care of this, even if they tell you they will.
• Your in-house publicist is incredibly busy and is likely working on dozens of books simultaneously.
• Find out who the reviewers are who write the most about your genre. Get them your book, even if you have to send it yourself.
• Independent publicists can help, but you need to make sure you get a reputable one.
• Authors must be realistic about what a publicist can do for them, and understand where they are in their career and what they can expect. There are no guarantees.
• Don't feel bad if you can't do as much as J.A. Konrath!

Above all, I would advise every writer to educate themselves as much as they can about this business. Ignorance is a sure path to failure.