[Under the “everybody needs an editor” category, the following paragraph was left off this post. Ooops.]
There is a huge industry built upon the dreams of would-be published authors and startup publishers. Look around a little and you’ll find any number of dubious opportunities. For instance….
For $305 ForeWord magazine will write a review of your book and give you the opportunity to have it placed on their website and distributed to other online sites.
Is this worth $305?
Conventional wisdom holds that paid reviews offer little value in terms of selling books. In many instances you can have a colleague write a review and distribute it to the same sites. If your colleague has a name or title people respect, the review may be better received than one from a little-known magazine. Why pay hundreds for something of doubtful value?
Wait, it gets worse.
For $195 more ($500 total), iUniverse will send your book to ForeWord for you. What is the postage on a book today anyway?
Are there better ways to spend one’s money promoting a book?
Here’s a fun idea: The $500, Three-Day, Three-City Book Blitz.
Arrange for three presentations on your book’s subject or, if you are a novelist, on some aspect of your story, in three different cities within driving distance of each other over three days. Think beyond bookstores to Friends of the Library groups or senior centers or fraternal organizations. Be inventive.
Be sure books are available for sale and signing at each event. Alert the media in each city. Mention it in your blog—both before and after. Have pictures taken of you speaking and the crowd and post them on your site and around the Web.
Now for the $500.
Use $300 to pay for lodging and gas. Treat yourself and a companion to a gourmet dinner each night of your trip with the other $200.
Not only will you have more fun, you’ll likely sell more books.
Just a write thought.