I have a few reasons to be relieved today.

Thanks to Alan Miles, my blog is up and running once more. My book, Contraband, was released last Friday.

That project is a five-year adventure, helped along by a band of people I’ve never met, yet I call them friends.

I still marvel at this thing we call the internet. It’s helped me reach individuals I wouldn’t have otherwise. I’ve learned most of what I know about writing through studying material I found on the net. And now, I’ll continue marketing my work, using this wonderful communication tool.

I’m feeling especially grateful. I had a sort of epiphany. The meaning below I took from dictionary.com

e•piph•a•ny

-noun, plural-nies.

a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.

I’ve known for some time now that I need more time in which to write. I have completed novels that must be edited and sent on their way into the world. There are other projects I should start writing. And there are those for which I need time to do mind-maps so I can get them out of my brain and posted somewhere.

I’ve spent half my life working for other people. Now, I need to find a way to make a decent living working for myself so as to be able to concentrate on what I enjoy doing.

Initially, I put out feelers to get started with editing for other people. I’ve done nothing more about that. I must move on this and other things.

To borrow a phrase, I need to start living my life on purpose.

Today I called back the printery.  I wasn’t satisfied with the book markers. I ordered them with rounded edges for a reason – so that the paper would be sealed inside, hence no risk of peeling.  Well, based on how they were done, a few of them have peeled, so the rep said to bring them back if they continue to do that.

If you missed me blasting it on Facebook, my article on Contraband’s release date came out in yesterday’s Sunday Observer ( Bookends).  I gave them a head start because they publish my short stories.  The editor also wants to do an interview once the book comes out.

Today, I got a list of local papers and sent out the press release to a few of them.  I’ll continue to do this for the rest of the week.

I’m thinking that I need to put a folder together where I track what I’m doing each day to market Contraband.  Maybe I’ll use the diary from last year that I only wrote in a couple of times. After all, I do have two other projects that will be printed this year and I’ll have do these things again and again.

There are also the activities I need to remember to do each day, like follow up with my publisher on a question I asked last week.   I’m weighing my mind on whether to do a Facebook ad this month.  I do want to up the count on my fan page, but I also need to keep in mind that I’m on a limited-to-non-existent budget.

And on that note, I do have some good news.  I’ll definitely have to import copies of the book for the smaller bookstores, as they don’t order online.  Knowing I won’t have the money to order the quantity I’d like to invest in, I gathered my courage and spoke to someone who I thought would be receptive to the idea.  I explained that he’d make a profit on the venture from the sales.  That he would fund the purchase of the books didn’t surprise me.  What did, was when he said in his cockney accent, “It’s okay.  I just want me money back.”

The point of that little story is not to assume anything.

Ask and you shall receive.

For the past month, I’ve been busy with matters to do with my upcoming book release.  I completed the edits and then moved on to what I call the peripherals – editing the introductory chapter for the next book, which will be inserted at the back of this one, writing the acknowledgement, jotting the dedication, completing and sending off the synopsis for the follow-up novel.

The reality is now hitting me that writing a book is merely a first step.  The work only intensifies after that.  What amazes me is that I was so caught up in trying to find a publisher, that I never gave a thought to the actual marketing and promotion of the book.  In a perfect life, I’d have had a contract with a major publishing house with an unrestricted budget to spend on my book.  However, the reality is this book will be as successful as the amount of work I put into promotion.

So, yesterday I went and had the book markers done.  I was going to do a one sided marker with the book covers for the novels to be published in April and October.  However, when I got back to office, I got an email from the other publisher with whom I have a contract.  That book is still in the editing queue, so I thought it wise not to include that cover on the bookmark since I hadn’t heard from them.  Since then, I’ve decided to go two sided on the markers.  I’m going to shut my eyes real tight, spend more money and use a soft laminate so these souvenirs will have a longer lifespan.

Today, I’ve been busy checking out bookstores and the procedure to get them to sell my book.  Again, I had some kind of pipe dream where this is concerned.  For books written by overseas writers, I’m sure there is some kind of online catalogue where Jamaican book distributors make their selections.  Not so for local small-fry. I’ll have to send some of the stores a copy of the book for them to review and decide whether they want to stock it.  After that, they take the books from me on consignment and they get a commission on the ones they sell.

We don’t have a lot of writers in Jamaica, so I’m hoping the book will do well simply from the ‘home-grown writer’ angle.

I’ve set myself a target of Friday February 13, to start sending out the press release.  I’ve also done up an Excel worksheet with all the information I’ve collected from the bookstores.  I now need to do the same for the media houses.

After that, I’ll look at magazines where I can place ads at reasonable prices, and on the net, I’ll be looking at banner ads.

Something else I’m coming to realize…there’s going to be a significant monetary outlay, so I’ll have to pace myself to do this again in October for Dissolution and once more for Hardware.

Am I still satisfied that I’m a writer who has leapt the publication hurdle?

You betcha.

Once upon a time, I dreamed I’d be published by a major publishing house.  My book would be snapped up, oodles spent to market it, and I’d watch the money rolling in.  Then, reality hit.  I did eventually get a contract, the books will be published, but that’s where the dream ends.

I research most of the things I plan to spend lots of time doing, before I begin.   So, when I got the email that said to expect the contract, I immediately started reading everything I could find on book contracts.  I sent it to a relative who’s a lawyer.  He passed it to a lawyer who deals with publishing contracts and intellecutal property rights.

When my cousin gave me their combined thoughts on the contract - which luckily coincided with mine -  I signed the document with lots more knowledge under my belt.  I didn’t get all I wanted, but it made sense to me to get my foot in the door. Negotiating bigger things can come when I have something with which to bargain.

After I sent off the contract, I  turned my attention to the business of marketing the book.  My publisher is in America, I live in Jamaica, so the next question was how to get  the books here, into the stores, and sold.

One of my girlfriends is a manager in a book store, so naturally I spoke to her.  She advised me to contact her closer to the time and reminded me that distribution is very important to sales.  I have another bookstore in mind, one of the biggest distributors on the island.  Now my son is a member of their bookclub,  so the people there know me.  Making my approach won’t be easy — I hate being in the limelight — but at least I have an edge.  The next time I’m in the store, I’ll find out how they make their book selections, and whether they’ll carry my book.

I don’t think it will be too difficult to convince them.  I’m banking on the fact that I’m a home-grown author, and the fact that they’ve always given prominence to books written by locals.  They also have shelves for Caribbean authors.  If I have to buy the books myself and sell it to them, then that’s what I’ll do. Anything to get my work in the public eye.

I write short stories and articles that I’ve sold to one of the local papers, so of course, I’ll be contacting the editor to see whether they will print a release when the book comes out.  Naturally, I’ll provide that press release.  I know better than anyone else what the story is about, and it will make that editor’s job easier to have the material sent print ready.

Networking has eaten up a fair portion of my time these last few months.  The fact is that people need to know I exist and that they trust my skills as a writer, before they run out and buy my book.  So making links is laying groundwork for what I’m selling.  This is not to say that every link I make is a calculated move to sell  my book, however, in the back of my mind, I must remember that each connection I make is a possible book sale. Even if my friends don’t buy my books, there are other people who will take a chance if my story sounds intriguing.  Besides people say that word-of-mouth is the best form of advertising.

Which brings me to my website.  I started out with cutesy pages that fit the theme of each of my novels.  Slowly, I’m overhauling each one, so they look  more uniform and professional.  Who’s gonna take me seriously if every single page has a different theme?  Let’s face it, people come to my website to find content, not eye-catching wall paper.  I like an attractive storefront.  Nothing wrong with that, but the focus has to be on what I’m selling.

Based on an article I read on Rachelle Gardner’s Blog, I revamped my home page.  No more boring ‘Welcome to the website of…’ I replaced all that with synopses from my books to be published.  Makes a lot of sense to grab a visitor’s attention right away.  I also have to present a site that looks as though I’m serious about what I’m selling.

I’m learning as I go.  Sometimes I’m overwhelmed by what I have to do - media page yet to be made, press release to be written, book trailer to be made, what give-aways I’m gonna use, more connections to make, what book reviewers to contact, book signing to organize, radio and  press interviews to set up — the list is never-ending.

I’ve been lucky in that I’ve been watching  published authors from the my writing website, and they’ve been very helpful, for which I’m grateful.  Doralynn Kennedy, Karla Brady, Lisa Lipkind Leibow, thanks a million! Corra - another writing friend - has been very proactive in getting people to read her words, and she’s not even ready to publish yet.  You all inspire me.

I’ve come a long way from the dream world  I inhabited months ago. With contracting markets and therefore less money to go around, the reality is that publishers cannot print and market writers’ books alone.   The job is harder for a small publisher trying to make their mark.  Some require that a marketing plan be submitted with query material.

Let’s face it, a book will be as successful as the amount of time and effort the writer puts into capturing the public’s eye and staying there.

What do you plan to do to make your writing journey a success?