It’s a time consuming business, all this marketing, but the response to the book to date has been very positive. I’ve found that the best way to promote it is to always have a copy to hand. Looking at it on-screen doesn’t convey its weight and volume, and you can’t get any sense of the quality of the paper, or the striking colours on the cover. Trying to generate chatter and maintain visibility about the book requires constant vigilance, and a knack for pestering that conveys enthusiasm and not harassment. There’s a fine line sometimes, but so far everyone’s been too polite to slam any doors. So thank you. It’s my baby, my first book. Of course I’m proud of it; and I have the pictures on my phone ready, whenever you want to see them.
Eight weeks on from the launch, I’m really happy that I used Ingram Spark for the publishing. In Dec 2016, there was a fair bit of angst at that final stage, trying to upload a file to their site, having to convert it to the right sort of pdf file, finding that there are plenty of pdf files that look totally fine, but they’ll get rejected every time. So it wasn’t easy, and actually in the end I stumbled onto Pickawoowoo Publishing Group in WA (yes, that really is their business name) who saved my sanity and got it all done right. Contact them. They’re amazing, and so calm, especially when you’re feeling dangerously close to a meltdown. (http://www.pickawoowoo.com)
The final product looks professional, and has been blending in with other books on the music / bio shelf of Readings stores. Proof that it looks legitimate. Job done.
I had another phone interview yesterday, with Zona Black of the Tasmanian newspaper, The Examiner, and I’m looking forward to seeing her perspective on the story of ‘one of their own’ – the Launceston lad who took his band to Melbourne in the 80’s/90’s in search of their fortune. That interview occurred as a result of the aforementioned pestering, and it has to be said, I don’t give up easily. It should be appearing as a Sunday feature in the near future.
As for other strategies, I’m still working on the radio interview. I’ll let you know how that goes.
Angela J Dawson 