By Cheri Lasota
Marketing is a life-long learning process. The moment you think you’ve got it, another technology comes along to trip you up. Yet knowledge sources abound. Some of the best advice you’ll ever receive is from mentors in your field. Seek out person-to-person meetings with published authors, writers groups, editors, and agents. Each source can give you a well-rounded perspective on the publishing business.
In addition, the Internet has instant and (usually) free information to cull from. Many published authors frequent writers forums and are willing to share their experiences and give advice on what types of marketing have worked for them. You can also post excerpts of your work in progress for feedback from forum members. Marketing books are plentiful. Two writer-oriented books I recommend are Levinson, Frishman and Larsen’s Guerilla Marketing for Writers and Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s Frugal Book Promoter.
Agent and editor blogs are also especially helpful, as they often answer direct questions from writers and give tips on how to hone your query. I highly recommend agent blogs by Nathan Bransford (nathanbransford.blogspot.com) and Bookends LLC (bookendslitagency.blogspot.com) as well as the now-retired but beloved Miss Snark (misssnark.blogspot.com/)—don’t worry, her archives are available. (more…)