By Charles Taylor
Most writers will never see their works on the best sellers list or be invited to appear on Oprah’s show. Are we destined to a life of obscurity, typing away in our home offices in seclusion hoping someone will notice us, read our manuscripts and introduce us to the cheering masses?
Getting noticed is becoming increasingly important to authors hoping to make a livelihood out of writing. Entertainers have long known about the importance of promoting their brand. Admittedly some have gone to extremes to become better known but you can’t argue with their success.
Is there a way for budding authors to become household names without selling their souls? Is there a way to go viral without looking like an idiot in the process? Of course if I had the answers to those questions I would be making the rounds on national talk shows-in short I would be getting noticed.
However besides luck, I do think there are ways that authors can increase their chances of becoming luminaries. One way is to create a game plan. This could be as sophisticated as hiring a professional publicist, creating a newsworthy event, or simply asking for exposure.
Years ago a Kwanzaa book that I published was featured on the Black Entertainment Network (BET) with its millions of viewers, during the Kwanzaa celebration season. Every time BET displayed its Station Call Sign, my book would appear. While it didn’t boost sales dramatically it was still good to be noticed. All I did was send BET a complimentary copy of my book, wished them happy Kwanzaa and gave them permission to use the book if they had plans to promote Kwanzaa on the air.
More recently my Juneteenth book has garnered some publicity for me. It is presented to the governor of any state that makes Juneteenth an official state holiday or observance. To date over 40 states have done so. You’ll find photos of my book in the hands of governors ranging from former Republican governor Sarah Palin (Alaska) to former Democratic governor James Doyle (Wisconsin). In this case my book is tied to the movement to make Juneteenth a national holiday, similar to Flag Day.
Both books received greater publicity than they would have gotten if I would have only followed the traditional marketing path. It all started by me just asking. It’s not any more complicated than that. Of course the content of both books is first-class and readers have responded very favorable to them.
I’m now trying to get a fun and entertaining children’s musical that I’ve written staged on cruise ships. Kids absolutely love the play and its powerful message of unity and tolerance resonates with adults as well. The play shows how a little village girl helped to bring the divided worlds of beasts and villagers together. http://roartheplay.com/newsite/. Do you have any ideas on how I might approach cruise ships-just asking?
