tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377586.post3698757486020844331..comments2024-03-27T02:13:13.079-04:00Comments on Original Content: This Time Last YearGail Gauthierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01673131515563387968noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377586.post-1874554237203075102007-04-24T13:32:00.000-04:002007-04-24T13:32:00.000-04:00I used to belong to an on-line writers community w...I used to belong to an on-line writers community where people (many of whom had well known publishers) were seriously into marketing. They went to workshops on it and recommended books on the subject.(yeah, I've read one) Some of them said writers should plan to use their advances for promotion, hiring their own publicist or spending money on promotional materials. (My understanding is that many children's writers don't make much beyond their advances, thus this seems a great deal like gambling the farm.)<BR/><BR/>Anyway, that was what inspired me to make such an effort last year. As I said, I did get a little attention from traditional media that I wouldn't have had otherwise, and the book got a good deal of attention from bloggers. But it's hard to tell if any of it had an impact on sales.<BR/><BR/>I think that unless you have something really bizarre happen promotion-wise--picked up by Oprah, for instance, who doesn't read kids books--it's difficult for any writer to tell if time spent promoting has made a significant difference. <BR/>Whereas, if you use that same time to write a book or some short stories/essays that get published, you can see a result for your work.Gail Gauthierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01673131515563387968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377586.post-51353130571009337242007-04-24T07:33:00.000-04:002007-04-24T07:33:00.000-04:00>>But instead of making calls and mailing packages...>>But instead of making calls and mailing packages to people who have no interest in receiving them, I'm working on a new book.<<<BR/><BR/>I was so glad to read that comment! I totally agree with you. I hate marketing and have come to think that it is just not worth the time (and money) compared to the time spent writing my next book. Glad I'm not alone!Barbara O'Connorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11772206568826059623noreply@blogger.com