Author Event Coaching

How do writer-parents find time for their creative selves when pressed up against child care, bill payments, and day jobs? Fortunately, there are arts organizations interrogating the relationship between writing and parenthood,  forging ways to support writers and artists in connecting to their creative selves.

We’ve all heard it, and we’ve all said it: “I wish I had more time.” Before I had kids, I never felt like I had enough time to write. There was always day-job work to do, or housework, or travel, or grocery shopping, or TV. But now that I have kids—two under the age of six—I’ve learned what it means to actually not have time to write.

The wide-open possibility of an entire year doesn’t always jibe with reality—work, deadlines, kids, travel, housekeeping, health, pets. What has worked for me is mapping out a mix of fixed and flexible goals. This helps me have plan, self-motivate, and stay nimble as new opportunities present themselves.

Marketing, at its core, is about showing others why what you make should matter to them. Which means that marketing doesn’t have to wait until you’ve published a book.

How do you convince a venue to take you on for an event? Remember the four P’s: professionalism, politeness, preparation, and patience.

Strong advocacy from bookstores can make a significant impact on the sales of a book. And writers can be relentless supports of local indies.

The writers who attend my marketing workshop arrive overwhelmed and wide-eyed. Usually it’s because they were led to believe at least one of these common myths about book marketing and have since realized there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye.

How do you hang on to these interested readers and get them to come back the next time you have some fresh writing to offer?

Having marketing goals helps you to focus on your strengths and make the best use of your time and energy. Because you want to be diving into the next writing project, not spending every day on a new marketing plan. 

Whether you're a published author or planning to be, it’s important to make sure you’re prepared for the day when someone wants to feature you: at an event, on a blog, in a newspaper, etc. That’s where a press kit comes in.

About a month before an event with a debut author, I’d get a call from them. They would be bursting with enthusiasm—and terror. They were about to get up and do…what? For how long? Would anyone be there? We would take some deep breaths together and I would answer their questions.

By identifying the key audience for an event or marketing strategy, you are focusing and amplifying your energy to reach those specific readers.

The secret to great marketing is preparation. Making sure you’re prepared for your events and marketing outreach ensures that you have less work to do in the long run—and that you’ll have greater success.