Writing a book is not finished when you add the last word to the last chapter. Nope, you still need to respond to editor comments and choose a traditional or independent (indie) publishing path. And then there’s the massive undertaking of getting people to read the book. I say massive because each year three to four million new book titles publish and in today’s market the average book sells less than 300 print copies in the United States over its lifetime!
So how do authors get their books to stand out above the stack? It’s not enough to produce a well written manuscript lauded with top-notch reviews. Although quality
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writing is still an important ingredient for success, it doesn’t go very far without being paired with excellent marketing. And therein lies the rub. Publishers have shifted most book marketing to authors.
In order to sell my dwarfism memoir trilogy, I needed to be proficient in both writing and marketing. For me, it was a case of on-the-job training. I immersed myself in articles and webinars on publishing and greatly benefited from coaching by Ava Pennington, an author and teacher at writers’ conferences and faith-based and general market events.
As a result, my marketing strategy included: creating book launch teams; developing an author website—“a voice for people with dwarfism & disability,” https://angelamuirvanetten.com; writing a weekly blog post; being active on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest; presenting workshops at LPA national and district conferences; and contributing articles and interviews to magazines and websites.
I also prepared media kits for each book with the goal of attracting podcast, radio or TV interviews; all of which involve talking. The listing of disability focused podcasts on which I have been featured are on my website at https://angelamuirvanetten.com/media/ and listed below:
- Coach Ang and Samyuktha. “Author Spotlight: A Champion for Change,” Season 3, Episode 2. A Little Perspective. October 29, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g69a1m3ktEc
- “How to Advocate for People with Disability and Dwarfism,” Season 4, Episode 27. Joni and Friends Ministry Podcast – November 10, 2022.
- Betsy Fasbinder. “Angela Muir Van Etten: Always an Advocate.” The Morning Glory Project Podcast – January 19, 2022.
- “Always an Advocate,” Episode 32. Florida Disability Rights, You First Podcast – November 18, 2021.
- “Marriage Story: A Couple with Dwarfism Navigates Life’s Detours with Love and Faith,” Season 2, Episode 37. Joni and Friends Ministry Podcast – October 22, 2020.
- “A Voice for People with Dwarfism and Disability,” Season 2, Episode 36. Joni and Friends Ministry Podcast – October 15, 2020.
Please contact me at angela@angelamuirvanetten.com if you’d like to schedule an interview, speaking engagement, or guest blog post.
You may also want to read:
- Angela Muir Van Etten. “Tips for Achieving Positive Media Coverage.” Blog post, February 27, 2023. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/tips-for-achieving-positive-media-coverage/
- “Always an Advocate” Book Media Kit. October 8, 2021. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Media-Kit-Always-an-Advocate.pdf
- “Pass Me Your Shoes: An Interview With Angela Muir Van Etten.” Hello, Little Lady written interview – October 22, 2020.
- “Pass Me Your Shoes” Book Media Kit. October 8, 2020. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Pass-Me-Your-Shoes-Media-Kit.pdf
- Shirley Marlow. “In No Small Feat, She Finds True Stature as a Writer.” Los Angeles Times. July 4, 1989. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-07-04-mn-3313-story.html.
- Abby Karp, “Little People’s Biggest Problem: Small Minds.” The Baltimore Sun. July 3, 1989. Newspapers.com archive.
One reply on “Successful Authors Write and Talk”
Wow, this is all very impressive, Angela. I hope it all works out and you sell loads of copies of you books.