Second Printing

[stacer]

I'm not really a marketing person, so I don't really have many suggestions. I've been talking it up to my friends, have a copy here at work for people to borrow if they want. Word of mouth is good, but not wide-scale. All I can say is make as many appearances as possible. And ask your editor what else you can do.

[MsFish]

Is one week's worth of numbers going to hurt things that much?  I mean, it could be a fluke, right?  The numbers might go back up next week.

[Spriggan]

There's an internet/pod cast show that he might be going on, it's an actual radioshow in the southwest that's all about sci-fi/fantasy books and authors.  I also know he's planning on doing signings at BYU (they want him to do the signing during Education Week) and BYU-Idaho but those wont be until augest/september.  There's also a possible book signing in Idaho Falls sometime this summer.  He's also heading to NY in July, I'll probaly be going with him, and they might set something up there.  I'm sure we can get an article in BYU's newspaper too which will help sales, but it won't do us much good until school starts up.

[Parker]

Having worked at a PR firm and having a father who owns one, I really think he needs to focus on getting the word out more in the local market.  The Daily Universe is fine and all, but the Deseret News and the Trib would be much better.  I would also target area papers where there are high concentrations of Mormons.  Idaho, Nevada--California would be awesome.  For some reason, it's been my experience that Mormons will buy something based on the sole factor of the creator's membership in the church.  Quality often doesn't enter into it.  In EUOL's case, where he actually has a great product to boot, I really think it would increase word of mouth buzz.  The same thing happened in a way to Orson Scott Card.  I've heard numerous people around BYU who say they like him "'cause he's a member."  Or look at Steve Young.  The 49ers almost became the official church football team to root for while he was there.  You get a strong LDS following, and then people in the church start talking about it.  That extends nation wide.  It's like a ready-made marketing group.  (Sheesh--this is making me sound really cynical--that isn't what's intended.)  The bottom line is that by getting the word out to church members, I think things could really get going.  EUOL, if you happen to read this, I've called my aunt at the Deseret News--she wasn't there.  I'll call her later tonight though and see what I can find out.

[stacer]

Parker sounds like the guy to talk to.

[Firemeboy]

I had popped into Deseret Book the other day to see if they had my book, and I asked off hand if they had a copy of Elantris.  I explained it was fantasy, but written by a 'local'.  The cashier seemed surprised.

I wonder if since you are a local, and LDS, if Deseret Book and Seagull Book would carry it.  I know their Sci/Fi & Fantasy sections have shrunk, but they still carry Card.

I apologize if this has already been suggested, I haven't read through all the threads.  But I agree with Parker, LDS people like to see other LDS people succeed on a larger scale.

[Spriggan]

You should have then blown the mind of the clerks and followed up "he's a local" with "he teaches at BYU".

[Firemeboy]

I didn't want to witness any uncontrollable weeping.  

[EUOL]

Fire--

I contacted them both.  Seagull said they don't carry non-LDS-themed fiction, no matter who wrote it.  Deseret gave me the email of their fiction acquisitions editor, who never replied to me.

I should send them another one, though.

[Firemeboy]

Tell Seagull the book is analagous to Zeezrom or something.  

Yeah, I'd check back with Deseret Book, and just drop hints about working at BYU, drinking non-caffinated beverages, loving the green jello...  Maybe that will help.

[Parker]

Don't email--call.  Try to find out the phone number and actually talk to them.  It's much harder to ignore a person talking in your ear than a random email from a stranger.  And you can do more convincing that way, too.

[Peter Ahlstrom]

I would never rely on email when it's something important.

[EUOL]

Yeah.  I actually passed a lot of these phone numbers on to my publicist.  I figured that if she called, it would be much more important-sounding than if I called.  No luck yet, though.

[Parker]

EUOL--I'm not sure if having your publicist call is always better than calling yourself.  After all, your publicist is in charge of a whole slew of people, not just you.  Also, you can offer to do personal interviews, etc.  I would suggest at least calling your publicist back and finding out how things went.

[Peter Ahlstrom]

All the "how to market your book" panels I've been to at cons say that you have to do the work yourself if you expect it to get done, and that starting local (with ANY location you have some connection to--your current city, your place of birth, your relatives' hometown, your other relatives' hometown, etc.) is the way to go.