Hi, all! I’m especially grateful to Sarah Pinneo for publishing my paean to book clubs on Blurb is a Verb, because I got so many gracious responses from so many of you. I’m delighted to have had a chance to give my book club readers even a fraction of the thanks they deserve.
And I got to make new friends, too, including author Jennifer Miller, whose novel THE YEAR OF THE GADFLY comes out next May. Jennifer’s agent works alongside my fabulous Madame at Foundry Media, and Jen wrote to me to ask:
How could she get in touch with book clubs in advance of her novel coming out?
At first I wrote back that I had no idea how to reach book clubs in advance of a novel being published, since as usual I’d done everything back-asswards and the book clubs reaching out to me was a pleasant surprise. (And continues to be miraculous! Thank you, book club hostesses and readers!)
Then I realized that actually, I have picked up a couple of ideas in the six years since I started visiting book clubs, and while admittedly limited to my perspective, the advice I gave Jen Miller might be useful to many writers longing to connect with their book club audiences. So here goes!:
JENNA’S SIX TIPS FOR REACHING BOOK CLUBS
1. When designing your website, include a book club form so readers who belong to book clubs can request your visit.
2. On Goodreads and similar book-lovers’ websites, let book club readers know you’ll be happy to speak to them in person, by Skype or on the phone.
3. Join Book Club Cookbook and they’ll do advance promo for you. I believe the fee is $300. Your book will be promoted to hundreds of book clubs; then the site founders will give it away to one lucky book club. Ask for Vicki and Judy and tell them I sent you.
4. Consider posting a book club promo ad on Facebook.
Your publisher *might* consider helping pay for, if not footing the bill for, 2, 3, & 4. (If not, start budgeting now!) There are also TONS of book club bloggers online. That’s something I’d ask your in-house publicist to help you with:
5. Identifying powerful and widely read book club bloggers. We love them! And if your in-house person isn’t savvy in that area:
6. I’d consider (and set money aside for) hiring an independent publicist to help you reach book clubs online–Facebook & Twitter are powerhouses for finding them, and so is Goodreads.
Authors, what methods do YOU use for reaching book clubs? Please add your ideas! We writers need to stick together and support each other.
xo and Godspeed,
Looking through magic laptop screen at lovely readers & the writers who want to find them!
P.S., don[t forget to watch for Jen Miller’s THE YEAR OF THE GADFLY!
Jenna,
It may all seem so simple from your years of experience with book clubs, etc. but your handy list of 6 things above is such a wealth of information for those of us who haven’t gotten that far yet. I love your first suggestion to start, and think that must be a key element to an author website. Thank you for your generosity in sharing your experiences!
-Jennifer
Such great advice, Jenna! I’m so happy to have been the inspiration for this post!
Hi, Jen: Believe me, nothing is simple from my perspective! I’m grateful to Jen Miller for asking me the question about reaching book clubs because she allowed me to crystallize what I *do* know. I need readers AND writers like you! Thanks much for your generous comments. xoxo
Hey, Jen! I’m so happy you wrote to me–you really did help me realize that as much as I don’t know, which is plenty, I did have a couple of tricks up my sleeve I’m happy to share. And I’m sure the book clubs you go to will be thrilled to have you. Congratulations on the upcoming release of YEAR OF THE GADFLY ~!
xoxo
Jenna.
It’s hard for me to travel with little ones, so I started close to home when my first book came out. I had a couple of friends in book clubs that I visited. Some of those people were in other book clubs and recommended me. From word of mouth, I was able to visit about thirty book clubs, and the experience was incredibly rewarding. I can’t wait to go back once my new novel is published.
These are great suggestions, Jenna. This also reminds me that I need to contact the book clubs to share my good news. Many thanks!
Jenna,
Thank you for visiting libraries too!
I’m so impressed you manage to write with little ones, Erika, let alone share your literary bounty with book clubs. I know they appreciate it! Write on, girl.
xoxo
Jenna.
I love libraries, Miss Rachel. Especially yours.
xoxo
I’ll add this to my growing list of saved pages! My debut novel The Glass Wives comes out in Spring 2013 . How long before the book release do you (or anyone) recommend contacting book clubs? I know some book clubs ‘schedule’ their books way in advance.
Thank you for the great information!
Hi, Amy: First, huge CONGRATULATIONS on your novel making its debut! As soon as I finish typing this, I’m off to pre-order THE GLASS WIVES. Good for you!
I believe book club readers, like all of us, have ridiculously busy lives, so the farther in advance you give them a heads-up, the better. What I’d do: put a BOOK CLUB FORM on your website that allows readers to book you (pun intended) for dates of their choosing. Then announce, through your website and all forms of social media possible, that you’re scheduling book clubs this way.
You don’t need to stop at social media. Heck, skywriting’s okay too. But I might save that for the book launch.
Kudos to you!