A Work in Progress

Panel: Julie Barrett, Genese Davis, Gini Koch, Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Joshua Bilmes

Some good nuggets in this sessions, but the discussion around book trailers made me roll my eyes. Blizzard Entertainment has deep enough pockets to produce Hollywood-level trailers; most of the rest of us do not.

(Also, contrary to the statement in the session title, it wasn’t. But maybe then I have more of a clue than most other writers.)

Other Notes:

• The Internet has made it so much easier, but once it's out there, it's out there.
• Social media: social first, media second, self-promotion last. Use it to build relationships.
• People are interested in why, not just what.
• Real interest is more important than just promotion
• Postcards have a high perceived value and be used in a multitude of ways
• A press release is useless without a copy of the book in hand
• The cover is one of the key items in promotion
• The cover is a very small poster advertising your book
• The only job of your title and cover are to get someone picks up the book to turn it around. The back cover is to get the reader to open the book. Cover is the biggest reason to buy the book.
• Trailers. Yea or nay?
• The most important self-promotion you can do is the one you enjoy
• Social media is hard work—to do right