One thing I often hear from other authors is that they want to do more events, but don’t have the time or resources to travel.
Well, this is me. In my pajamas.
In my non-writing life, I am the Director of Marketing for a national healthcare organization, a mom to two non-stop children, and an involved member of my extended family and community. My ability to travel for author events is REALLY limited!
And I’m guessing you might be in the same boat.
But from October through December last year, I did over 35 promotional events. And most of them I did from my dining room table. Even with an exceptionally limited travel schedule and budget, I was still able to connect with readers across the country. And it was wonderful.
So if you are looking to increase sales and engagement opportunities, but have limited availability to leave your own dining room table, here are 3 options to consider:
1. Remote Author Readings: In today’s tech culture, we have easy access to people across the country. Many schools, libraries, community organizations, and other groups welcome the opportunity to feature an author who can connect with their audience- even if that connection involves a projector and Wifi. If, for example, you have found that high schools are a great audience for your book, don’t feel limited to the schools with your immediate radius. Create a great introductory email and pitch yourself to schools around the country.
2. Live vs Recorded Events: Live, remote author readings are great, but still require you to be at a given place at a given time. Between jobs, family, and various time zones, that can sometimes be difficult to manage (or is that just me?). If you aren’t able to schedule a live event, consider creating a great video recording of your picture book, a select chapter from your novel, or some other reading that connects the audience to your book. As with live events, you want to still engage your audience in your recorded readings. Send downloadable activity pages or worksheets to schools, include audience discussion questions in your video, or collaborate with the event host to identify other opportunities to engage with readers.
3. Guest Blogs and Podcasts: Don’t limit your promotional opportunities to author readings! What inspired you to write your book? What were some of the lessons learned along the way? What does your writing process look like? How do you balance being a writer and working another job? All of these topics (and so many others!) are ripe for guest blog features or podcast interviews. And guess what? Telling your author story is a great way to exposure your work to a new audience of readers. Take some time this week to research blogs and podcasts in your genre or area of expertise and start sending out some inquiries!
By putting these strategies into practice you will open up a lot of opportunities!
How about you? What types of remote events have you done recently? Share in the comments!
