Author Name: Jay Thomas Willis
Book Title(s): Implications For Effective Psychotherapy With African-Americans; As Soon as the Weather Breaks; The Cotton is High; Born to be Destroyed; Paranoid but not Stupid; Why Black Americans Behave as They Do; Hard Luck; When the Village Idiot Get Started; Educated Misunderstanding; The Devil in Angelica.
Marketing Subject: Getting Professional Marketing Help
Most authors probably could use professional help in marketing their books. But it’s more expensive than most of them can afford. And such organizations frequently promise more than they provide.
I tried several professional publicists: two of them didn’t deliver on the service they promised, and the other turned out to be a scam. If you’re going to enlist the services of professionals, be sure they are reputable, and at least capable of following through with the services promised. In other words, do your research. Most writers live on a shoe-string budget and can’t afford the cost of professional publicity.
Marketing your book can be a difficult task. After writing it, it can be demanding to find the time to market it. In addition, some writers don’t like speaking before crowds, meeting the public, or other types of engagements. But even if you are going to market your own book you’ll need to be proficient at these things.
Only you can make the decision as to whether you need help. If you are not selling many books, you probably need help. If you have tried for a long time to market your books unsuccessfully, you probably need help.
In order to find someone to help you market your book, it will be good to first check them out with the better business bureau, check the organizations track record, what books have they been successful in promoting. They should be familiar with your book’s topic and market, with adequate references, have samples of work they’ve done, and specific books they’ve promoted. Talk with other people they’ve promoted, and get the results of these promotions. Find out exactly how they charge for their services, so you won’t be in for any surprises. Don’t get in over your head; you know what you can afford. Be aware that some promoter will promise more than they’re willing to provide.
Like everything else, some are good at what they do, and some are not. If you find one that will provide the services they promised, and you can afford it, by all means it should prove worthwhile. A publicist can give you the services you need to effectively market your book at the highest level: including TV and radio publicity, tours, book signings, and many other services.
Involving a professional publicist is an important decision. Be sure they know your book and your audience, and that you feel comfortable with them. Take the time to find out about the person or organization you are hiring to help you with your success. A professional PR person can make the difference between success and failure in marketing your book.
