Writers Tricks of the Trade Issue 3 Volume 9 | Page 18

margin and publicity obtained by their au- thors (including reviews) affects their bot- tom line, too. They should send their author a thank you (or a red rose!) along with en- couragement to keep up the good work Publishers should also market their books. That means that even if they are too small or underfunded to have a marketing department, they should have a list of re- viewers to query for reviews, a list of influ- ential people to provide blurbs for your cover, access to book cover designers (not just great graphic designers) who know what sells books, and a whole lot more. Ask potential publishers about their marketing process before you sign, but—even if you feel assured after having that conversa- tion—it’s best to assume you may be on your own. And here’s more: Big publishers are re- lying on bloggers for their review process as print journals and newspaper book sec- tions shrink or disappear and as they begin to understand that grassroots publicity— reviews or otherwise—can produce a very green crop. Bloggers, you say? Well, that’s a resource pool you can easily plumb your- self. So, the marketing part of your book that includes finding the right reviewers to read and comment on your book will—in most cases—be up to you and well within your skill set after reading this book. And even when you have the luxury of a marketing department behind you, those authors who know how to get reviews on their own can keep a book alive for an infinite amount of time after their publishers relegate their books to a backlist or their contract expires. F ALL 2019 Note: If it is too late to apply this infor- mation to the process you use in choosing a publisher, tactfully take hold and guide the publisher you have through the review process. There are lots of ways to do that in this book. I love Nike’s advice to “Just do it!” only I add “yourself” to the motto. Many publishers are in your employ. You may be paying them for services. At the very least, when your book sells, it makes money for the publisher. You don’t have to ask for permission (though it never hurts to listen to their reasoning before you make a deci- sion). ----- C AROLYN H OWARD -J OHNSON , author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Sto- ries Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers in- cluding the award-winning second edition of, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by part- nering with your publisher; The multi award-winning second edition of The Frugal Editor; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Pro- posal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers in- cluding A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. Her blog TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, lets authors recycle their favorite reviews absolutely free.. P AGE 14 W RITERS ’ T RICKS OF THE T RADE