Writing a book? Want to be a published author? Here
is what Jamie Tremain has learned along the way to becoming published.
While you are crafting your story, there’s something
else you need to think about. Creating and building your online presence in advance
of even searching out an agent or publisher can be beneficial to your success.
Several years ago we, as Jamie Tremain, began
writing not one, but two stories. Eventually we settled on polishing “The Silk
Shroud”. Once we began to seriously
consider that we might indeed be published one day, we decided to venture into
the world of social media. At first it was a blog, chronicling our foray into
the writing world and our journey of writing.
As we became more involved with the writing
community – networking being another vital component to success – we began to
attend writing workshops and even conferences whenever possible. After all,
writing can be a very solitary process. So it’s a welcome relief to enjoy the
company of others. And without a doubt the writing community is among the most
supportive and encouraging you’ll ever find. If possible, join a writing group
where you can have your work critiqued and learn from others first hand.
As our network grew, the name Jamie Tremain began to
gain recognition, and we decided to try our hand at interviewing established
authors for the blog. This was a great success and became another building
block in establishing our brand.
All the while, we continued to write and revise.
Once we felt The Silk Shroud was finished, we began sending out query letters
to both publishers and agents. A very long process and being organized cannot
be over emphasized! A spreadsheet to
track responses and contacts is helpful.
From the blog, we then moved to creating a Twitter
profile and of course, a page on Facebook dedicated to all things Jamie Tremain
and writing.
The more involved we became within the writing
community the more we realized, much to our chagrin, how much of the promotion
and marketing would fall upon us, the lowly author, should a contract to
publish be offered. So we began to really watch how other authors were
promoting themselves. What seemed to work, what didn’t. Everyone is different,
and it can take a while to find your own style. It can be overwhelming to read
all the “advice” out there. We found our own methods which worked for us. We
determined that unless an editor wanted us to do something different, we’d
stick to what we knew and what enabled us to keep the creativity flowing.
The author interviews on our blog became our style
and has received moderate success. Even to the point of “Jamie Tremain” being
approached by publishers and authors to review and/or interview other authors.
We believe that when potential publishers saw that
Jamie Tremain was indeed serious about this writing business, we were not so
easily dismissed, in part because we had built a following. Which translates
into sales.
The norm in today’s world for an author means YOU do
the lion’s share of marketing and promotion. If you already have a presence
online, you’re off to a good start.
Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, Reddit, Goodreads,
along with your own blog and/or web site will become a necessary evil, so the
sooner you see them as tools of your trade the better. Create an account with
VistaPrint or other sites where you can easily create your own promotional
materials. From bookmarks to banners and everything in between. And remember to
keep those receipts!
Can the process be discouraging at times?
Absolutely. Do you wonder if it’s worth it? More times than you can count. But
perseverance and belief in yourself will carry you through. And when that day comes and you hold in your
hand, YOUR book, the smile on your face will let everyone know it was worth it.
Happy writing!
Contact and/or Follow Jamie Tremain:
Web
Site
http://www.jamietremain.ca/
Facebook www.facebook.com/jamietremainwrites
Pinterest
www.pinterest.com/linelbulin
Email
jamietremain@rogers.com
1 comment:
Thanks, Donna, for having us on your blog today!
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