General awareness/marketing ideas
I'm not exactly sure how long it will take Lulu to print Drive To Nowhere but I understand that it can take 1 to 2 weeks. This really is a long wait, when typically you could go to a bookshop and buy the book straight off the shelf. But when you're self-publishing that's what goes with the territory. Maybe once the book goes into distribution, it will take less time?
So, I await my second printed draft with interest (my first printed draft, a test run, was sent to a few people and I've made some revisions such as small typos, plot inconsistencies and so on). In the meantime, I've submitted my UK Published by You form (I had to remind Lulu four working days after purchasing the package that they hadn't sent me the application form). This was a simple form detailing name/publisher name if applicable/address/content ID of first publication you want to assign an ISBN to. You need to sign and scan/email or fax the form back.
I should hear back from Lulu in the next couple of days with information about my ISBN, but if I don't, I'll have to give them another nudge.
Once the book's sorted, then there's the dreaded marketing of the product to contend with. I'd started up a Bebo page featuring chapters from my book, but in a rude move by them they took my site offline after only five people had visited for somehow contravening their terms of use. What, because I said it was available on Lulu? I still have no idea what I did wrong, and I await the outcome with interest. In the meantime, I realise I can live without them. Having investigated Bebo in the past for articles I have published, I know there's a whole lot worse to be found on there than content that provides a measly link to one's Lulu page.
You've got to spend money to make money, so I'm going to have to order a few dozen copies of my book. I could either sell these direct to people for a couple of pounds profit, or go to a few independent bookstores or send them a copy and convince them to stock it.
I understand that libraries are an interesting way to get your book distributed, so I'm going to look into that. As my book is set in Australia, I'm going to try and send copies to family and friends who might be able to put the book into their libraries — we'll see. I'll dig up some contacts somehow!
So, I await my second printed draft with interest (my first printed draft, a test run, was sent to a few people and I've made some revisions such as small typos, plot inconsistencies and so on). In the meantime, I've submitted my UK Published by You form (I had to remind Lulu four working days after purchasing the package that they hadn't sent me the application form). This was a simple form detailing name/publisher name if applicable/address/content ID of first publication you want to assign an ISBN to. You need to sign and scan/email or fax the form back.
I should hear back from Lulu in the next couple of days with information about my ISBN, but if I don't, I'll have to give them another nudge.
Once the book's sorted, then there's the dreaded marketing of the product to contend with. I'd started up a Bebo page featuring chapters from my book, but in a rude move by them they took my site offline after only five people had visited for somehow contravening their terms of use. What, because I said it was available on Lulu? I still have no idea what I did wrong, and I await the outcome with interest. In the meantime, I realise I can live without them. Having investigated Bebo in the past for articles I have published, I know there's a whole lot worse to be found on there than content that provides a measly link to one's Lulu page.
You've got to spend money to make money, so I'm going to have to order a few dozen copies of my book. I could either sell these direct to people for a couple of pounds profit, or go to a few independent bookstores or send them a copy and convince them to stock it.
I understand that libraries are an interesting way to get your book distributed, so I'm going to look into that. As my book is set in Australia, I'm going to try and send copies to family and friends who might be able to put the book into their libraries — we'll see. I'll dig up some contacts somehow!
posted by kim | 3:11 PM
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