Make a Plan!
Whether your book is about to be published, or you’re developing a book proposal, or learning about the publishing process as you write, the question of how to market your book can feel confusing or intimidating. No matter the size of the press you are working with, authors are expected to bring their audience to the publisher and take an active, and often leading, role in promoting their book. So what, exactly, do you need to do? And do you really need to be on all those social media platforms? Book promotion doesn’t have to be a burden. In fact, it can be fun, sustainable, and a chance to strengthen your community and writing life.
Through big and small group discussions, brainstorms, writing prompts, and real life examples, we will explore how to strengthen your community, identify your book’s audience, and create a plan to connect with your readers. We will cover strategies to communicate about your book effectively and you will leave with a marketing plan outline. You will be able to apply the work you create in this class to a book proposal, use it to promote a forthcoming book, or employ it as a tool kit to build your community and presence as a writer. Published authors and those just starting their career as writers in all genres are welcome - when it comes to marketing we all always have more to learn, especially because media, technology, and culture are always evolving, and it’s more fun to learn together!
About Eleanor:
Eleanor C. Whitney is a writer, educator, marketer, and musician living in the California high desert. She is the author of Riot Woman, a celebratory but critical look at the Riot Grrrl movement, and Promote Your Book, a guide to book marketing. She holds an MFA in creative nonfiction from CUNY Queens College. Her work has appeared in LitHub, Windmill Magazine, The Coil, and the Weird Sister Collection, published by Feminist Press. She has built community at and served as a marketer for the Brooklyn Museum, the New York Foundation for the Arts, as well as a variety of growing tech companies and serves as the Promotions Editor at MAYDAY magazine.