Congratulations, you got your first book contract and now the publisher wants you to go out and talk about your book. Where do you go? What do you do if you are a new author just starting out and don’t have an advance?

I found myself in this position a few years ago and discovered innovative ways to get my name out there. I looked for free places to go to chat with readers, introduce myself and “pimp” my book. I also talked to established authors on marketing ideas and made up a ton of free promo items at home off my computer like bookmarks, post cards and other items to send to review places/conventions as promotional items to get readers interested in my work.  

Blogs are great, yahoo loops, interviews, spotlights, a professional looking website and more all help get your name out to the readers. I try to do a blog spotlight a month and a few interviews or chats a week if possible. I go on loops and start asking reader questions, use my signature line with links for readers to go to.  I just started using Twitter, which I’v heard helps readers get to know you better.

It doesn’t have to cost a ton of money for you as a beginner author to get your name out there. All you need is perseverance and a little ingenuity to make your name known.

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Raine Delight is the author of the Devon Falls series now available at Aspen Mountain Press

This entry was posted on Friday, January 22nd, 2010 at 9:13 am and is filed under Tips and Tricks, Marketing and Publicity. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.