Friday, July 27, 2007

Atlanta Visit Makes Me Feel Like a Real Author


At the International Christian Retail Show in Atlanta, my publisher's booth had banners with their new titles, and mine was up there! Even though I’d just recently turned in another round of edits, I spotted a copy of my novel Desert Medicine and ran up to grab it, amazed at the quick turnaround. But the book was just for show: A wrapper with my artwork was pasted onto someone else's book!


I got to meet, again, the wonderful folks at Kregel Publications. The highlight of my visit was meeting with the sales representatives and talking to them about my novel. This is the advice they gave me:


  • Connect with “frontliners” (the people working the bookstore counter) and get them to read my novel. Bookstore customers don’t just buy what’s new: They buy what’s good, based on recommendations from a person they trust, such as the frontliner at their favorite bookstores.

  • Create a readership via the Internet.
    So, my next steps in marketing Desert Medicine (which will be released in November) are to start sending out a newsletter to my email list (create a readership via the Internet) and to visit local bookstores (connect with frontliners).

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Photo: I hold the mock-up copy of my novel, Desert Medicine, at Kregel's trade show booth, on July 10, 2007 in Atlanta.

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