CHAPTER TWO
B IS FOR BALANCE
WRITERS ’ TRICKS OF THE TRADE
CHAPTER TWO
B IS FOR BALANCE
Writing and promotion ~ Both are time consuming — but necessary
Whether it ’ s in print , electronic or both , you finally have a book . Don ’ t think that ’ s all there is to it , because the work and balancing act begin now .
If you ’ re self-published perhaps only friends and family know about your book . Unless you ’ re ordering small quantities produced with print on demand or POD technology , you probably have a garage full of copies . If you ’ re published by a royalty-paying publisher , but there is no promotion on your part , sales could be flat or nonexistent . That doesn ’ t make for a happy publisher . People simply don ’ t buy something they don ’ t know exists .
In this day and age , there are many ways to promote yourself and your book , ranging from becoming an internet guru to doing personal appearances . These avenues of promotion all have one thing in common — they ’ re time vampires . How often have you sat at the computer and although it seems like no time has passed , you swear the clock must be wrong . How can it be that three or four hours have passed ?
Local appearances involve preparation and driving time .
There is no “ free lunch ” here . If the venue is out of town , add transportation , hotel costs and other factors . What ’ s the thing that ’ s
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