Getting published is only the start …

Felicity Pulman, Author

When my first novel was published (Ghost Boy in 1995) I was naïve enough to believe that once the manuscript left my hands, all responsibility for getting it ‘out there’ rested with the publisher.  Not so! It’s been a long, hard learning curve to understand just what a publisher expects from an author and I thought I’d share my journey with you in this, the first blog on our new site, in the hope that some or all of what I’ve learned may prove helpful to you on your own writing journey.

Author talks were my first hurdle. After a series of excruciatingly embarrassing fluff-ups, I realised I needed help and so enrolled in a Toastmasters Course.  It was brilliant in that it helped me overcome my terror of speaking in public, and also taught me how to craft a speech so that it is of interest to the target audience  (eg I’ve spoken at such diverse locations as schools, libraries, universities, writers’ festivals, specialist organisations like the Plantagenet Society, Partners in Crime, the SWW, book clubs, etc)

It’s always helpful to be able to illustrate your talk.  With Ghost Boy, I started with b/w and colour transparencies of maps, old documents, photographs, a family tree etc which I showed on an overhead projector as I talked about researching and writing the novel.  I recently discovered that this is now an almost obsolete technology and I’m going to have to convert it to a powerpoint display.  Fortunately, I now know how to do this after attending a short course put on by Manly Community College (and if I, a dedicated Luddite, can do it, so can anyone.  I was so bad that, after our first session, the teacher asked me if I’d ever used a computer before!)  You can scan and use anything that’s relevant into your pp display. For the Janna Mysteries I have maps, photographs of sites I’ve visited, reproductions of old documents and portrayals of historical figures, etc.  Ditto for the Shalott trilogy, but I’ve also added copies of some of the beautiful paintings of scenes and characters from Arthurian legend (eg the ‘Lady of Shalott’, Guinevere, Morgan le Fay) that have inspired artists through the centuries.

I have also been known to dress up in ‘medieval garb’ when doing a talk (and I love taking on the persona of my characters.)  Other authors might use artefacts or toys as a gimmick – eg Hazel Edwards (There’s a Hippopotamus on our Roof eating Cake) travels around with a stuffed hippo. Geraldine Brooks (Year of Wonders) has a black rubber rat.

Promotional business cards and/or book marks with contact details are a must. If you can make them stand out from the ordinary with a logo or, even better, a copy of your latest book jacket, so much the better. These can be home-made by techno-whizzes, or designed at home and printed/cut by professional printers (like Officeworks).  This is what I used to do, but one of our members, Margaret Zanardo, who is an experienced graphic designer, has designed fantastic new bookmarks for both Ghost Boy and the Janna Mysteries.  These are great to hand around at book fairs, school visits, etc.  (If you’re interested, Margaret’s phone no. is 9970 6628.)

I’ve also written articles based on researching / writing my novels for publication for various specialist magazines or on-line, including Viewpoint, Good Reading, NSW School Magazine and Writing4success – another way to help publicise your books.

If you haven’t already got one, you should think about setting up a website. Originally I paid a web designer but the site was free (geocities).  A word of warning: if you write for children or teenagers, you should know that free sites like geocities are blocked from school computers because of the (often inappropriate) advertising on the site.  I’ve now paid a professional webmaster to design and manage my own (paid) website: www.felicitypulman.com.au    While this is expensive initially, I now only pay for updates and changes plus an annual charge for the site, and it’s paid off in terms of hits from school students and teachers wanting information on my books and/or to make bookings for talks or workshops, plus enquiries from overseas. This is your showcase to the world, and it’s important to get it right in terms of information, contact details, etc.

For the website, and for general publicity purposes, it helps to have some photographs (of the author, book covers, location where the book is set) and also a favourite photograph or two to send out for publicity purposes. The photos my husband took of me were all so awful (blame the sitter not the photographer) that I then organised for a professional make-up + sitting with a photographer.  Tips:  wear white or a colour, NOT patterned fabrics.  I was given a CD of the pix which I’ve put on our computer and it’s easy to zap off a photo in an email – even if they’re now looking a little out of date!

Attached to my website is my blog, so I can keep in touch with fans who write in about my books, and I can ‘advertise’ where I’ll be and what I’ll be doing, and invite people to come along to talks, workshops, book launches, or whatever.  It’s a very useful tool for updating information.

On-line interviews and book-chats on the net are another way to publicise your work.  I take part in an on-line conference every year. I log on and am hooked up to various schools and can then answer students’ questions about my work.  Skype is another way to go – check out the Skype an Author network (to make ‘virtual visits’) on http://skypeanauthor.wetpaint.com   (I have to confess that Skype is still a mystery to me.)

I’m currently navigating Facebook – another great way to reach out into the world and to potential readers.  I have my own page and am now trying to set up a fan page for The Janna Mysteries (being a Luddite, this is all VERY challenging!)  I tend to think that only twits ‘twitter’ but I suspect this is something else I need to master in the fullness of time!

The first thing you’ll notice, when you read the submission guidelines for the various publishers, is that some of them also request a ‘marketing plan’ along with the mss.  Getting an endorsement is always a good start.  Friends of mine who write for children have had endorsements from eg military establishments (for historical novels about war), or the Burns Unit at the Children’s Hospital (Butterflies) and Life Education Centre (I am Jack) by Susanne Gervay.

Show willing to get out there and talk about your book at every opportunity.  Find a ‘hook’ and start with local libraries, newspapers and radio stations for some free publicity.  Think about the school curriculum. If your book slots into it in some way (even if it’s for adults) you could approach schools about doing a free author talk with book sales.  For example, my Janna Mysteries fits into ‘medieval studies’ and also the HSC crime-writing strand.  The Shalott trilogy taps into ‘myths and legends’.  Ghost Boy taps into Australian history: immigration, the early treatment of disease and the class-based structure of society. (Of course, the special ‘Ghost Boy tour’ up at the Quarantine Station is a real bonus in terms of keeping that book alive.)

Also think about specialist clubs and societies who might be interested to hear you talk about ‘the special hook’ in your work: Probus, RSL, gardening, crime, cooking, psychic or whatever.  For example, my Janna Mysteries are set at the time of the Empress Matilda who, with Geoffrey of Anjou, founded the Plantagenet dynasty.  I’ve spoken to members of the Plantagenet Society and also have an invitation to speak to the Richard III society (Richard being the much-maligned and last of the Plantagenet line.)

Publishers are becoming increasingly reluctant to fund/organise book launches, but there’s no reason why you can’t do this for yourself if you’re prepared to spend $$ on a venue, food and drink – how much you spend is up to you.  It’s a good idea, if you can, to tie your book launch in with something else that’s already on and writing-related – eg one of the writers’ festivals at the Writers Centre, or one of our own meetings.  Giveaways are appreciated – maybe bookmarks or lollybags (if you’re a children’s writer.)  When launching Rosemary for Remembrance I gave away little pots of rosemary, and it was a very happy occasion.  Often a publisher will help in terms of printing invitations and mailouts to contacts, printing posters for display, or bookmarks etc.  You can also print up your own posters and ask libraries, shops or anywhere you think is appropriate if they’ll display them.

It’s up to publishers to send advance copies of your novels out for review, but you should also think about your own contacts who might be prepared to read and review your book for special interest magazines etc.

A friend of mine, Sophie Masson, is now making her own book trailers – a short video (1-3 mins) to go on youtube which links to her website.  Check it out: (http://www.youtube.com/sophievmasson). You can pay someone to make it for you if the whole idea freaks you out (as it does me – so I’m still investigating this whole new approach to book promos.)

A recent leap into the Brave New World of technology that I’ve come across is ‘the Amanda Project’ (Harper Collins) to be released in October.  This is the story of a 15 y.o. who disappears, told through an 8-book series plus an interactive website. Through the website, readers can help in the search for Amanda and each title in the series will include contributions from visitors to the website. Check out http://www.theamandaproject.com/tellmemore   (I don’t think I’ll be attempting that sort of writing just yet but it’s an interesting insight into possible future directions of books and the role of the author –  a whole new topic that our members might like to discuss on this blog.)

One final point:  writing is hard and it’s lonely. It’s invaluable being able to belong to an organisation like the Society of Women Writers, with the chance to meet like-minded people and exchange news and views and at the same time learn heaps from our workshop presenters and guest speakers. I really appreciate being a member.

Thanks for taking the time to read all this and I hope you’ve found it helpful. Thank you also to the committee for giving me the honour of being our first blogger!

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