Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Authors’ Blogs Pre Book Pub

Here’s a nice example of what an author can easily do to generate interest in his or her book pre-publication. The Complete Gettysburg Guide by J. David Petruzzi with maps by Steven Stanley is at the printer now. It is stunning, with more than 60 full color photos and 70 full color maps. J.D. Petruzzi recently posted a sample map from the book on his popular blog here. Check out the Comments section – 16 comments and counting. Posting brief excerpts, sample maps, and updates on your book before it is released is a great way to increase buzz around your book in advance.

If you are an author in the pre-publication stage and posting about your book on your blog, here are some questions you can ask yourself that should lead to plenty of posts, and good content for your readers!

- If you are still conducting research for your book, did you recently come across an obscure source or new material?

- Did you receive an update from your publisher regarding a release date?

- Do you have a sample cover for the book? (This is important because the minute people start seeing your book’s cover, it starts branding the book.)

- Did someone prominent in your field agree to write the Foreword? Did you just receive some nice advanced praise for the book from another author or expert that your publisher will be using in their promotional material?

- Do you have any material you can post from your book such as an excerpt, map, or new photo that readers will find of interest?

1 comment:

J David Petruzzi said...

It definitely helps to generate interest, and is also a great way to let folks know what's really in the book. The pages on Amazon and such only do so much - but when a potential buyer can really see what, for instance, the maps look like, then it generates further interest.
Steve has also put sample maps and pages on other sites, and it has generated a lot of positive comments!
J.D.