I don't know if this is the most appropriate place to ask this, or whether it ought to go in the Techniques forum. However, here goes...

I have just self-published my first novel, "Take a Waif". It occurred to me that there might be some mileage in trying to get it reviewed in newspapers and/or magazines, as that would bring it to public attention and make it easier to persuade bookshops to sell it.

Before I make a fool of myself, though, I thought I would see if anyone here has any comments, or possibly past experience. Here are some points I am uncertain about:

1. Which newspapers might be likely to do reviews? I had thought of some of the national dailies, and of sending copies of my book to their literary editors. Does this sound right?

2. Should I put return postage with each copy? I'm inclined not to bother, as after 2 passes through the postal system, the books are likely to be too dog-eared to be saleable.

3. Which magazines would be likely to review a romance novel?

4. Most importantly of all, how likely is it that I would get reviewed, just by sending free copies to people who write book reviews?


Alex

I've no experience of this, but you might consider regional papers. If you got your local Town Evening Post to review it, at least you'd have a local review to present to your local bookstore.

Regional papers, yes, much more likely than national press, and it would be worth trying for some editorial coverage too, regionally and in the local mags and free sheets: they always want material, especially if you can link it with an event like a launch, and it might be easier to get than reviews. Is your novel set locally? That's a good story, as is anything else interesting about you. At least drafting press releases is marginally less hellish than writing synopses. How about offering them articles about 'how I published my own book' - a nice ready-made story for them?

Also, have you got in touch with the Society of Authors? They're a fund of advice and experience, and I know they've got stuff on self-publishing, (some of which I think you can get hold of as a non-member, if you don't quite fit their criteria) as well as members who've done it. I'm sure there are books out there on it too, though they may say 'of course fiction's different' in every other paragraph.

Emma

Alex, I agree with Emma that it's a great idea to try and do a feature about it for the local press. I was also wondering if it was worth asking your local bookshop? I know independents will often highlight local authors.
Good luck with it.
Caroline

Thanks for the suggestions about doing a press-release. I wouldn't have thought of that - I'm not used to thinking of myself as being interesting enough to be newsworthy.

To answer CarolineSG's point, I tried a few local bookshops a couple of days ago, when the books arrived from the printer. I got a rather half-hearted reaction from Ottakars, who lost interest in my "local author" status when they found out the book was a novel, rather than about the local area. Waterstone's, on the other hand, seemed quite keen, so I'm planning to phone round a few more of their shops when I've got time. (My broadband went off mid-morning, and didn't come back till about 3 o'clock, so lots of stuff piled up in the meantime. You know when your knicker elastic breaks just as you're setting off to do loads of really important errands? Well, it was nothing like that.)

By the way, you can find it on Amazon. Let's see if this Amazon link feature here works: Take a Waif (Wow! It does!)


Alex

Alex, the Soc. of Authors does have various guides which might be relevant: marketing your book, self-publishing and vanity publishing (which we know yours isn't) and dealing with newspapers and magazines. They're a pound or two if you're not a member.

www.societyofauthors.net and click on 'publications'

And the good Allison & Busby Writers' Guides series has one of self-publishing too, I see.

Emma

Thanks for the pointer, Emma. I hope I'll soon find time to look at it, around all of the other things I'm finding to do connected with the book. It's a good job I didn't have too much to do in my day job, this week, as my feet haven't touched the floor since Tuesday. (But I could get used to this: it's way more exciting than writing software!)


Alex

Hi Alex,

My writers' group has an anthology of short stories out and we managed to persuade local branches of WH Smiths and Waterstones to take it - also one or two independent bookshops and a post office!

As for reviews - I am still working on that one! One semi review in a local monthly mag associated with the local paper but said local paper is proving difficult to persuade. "Oh we thought it was a press release so we deleted it." Well, of course. I'm quite pleased that they recognised it was a press release but baffled by their response?

Obviously I still have much to learn...

Good luck with your book! Will check out the Amazon link.

optimist

This is the sort of thing that local papers love. My novel is set in Lancaster and involves the local weekly paper at one point. I emailed the news desk to ask about their deadlines, explaining what I was doing, and next thing I knew the features editor was on wanting to do a feature about me and my book. They’re interested because it’s set in their area. I’m also sure that the local paper where I live will be happy to do a similar feature. So that’s two…

Local radio will do the same thing, and don’t forget hospital radio. They are always on the lookout for local interest stories, and their audience changes, on average, once every four days. Record an interview with them and they’ll replay it weekly.

Dee

I've written myself a press release, and I plan to post it to my two local papers along with review copies of the novel. One obvious question, though: should I send it to the Features Editor, or to the News Editor? From what Dee said, maybe the former?


Alex

Alex, I'd say definitely the features editor. When I contacted this particular paper it was for one simple answer – I know the paper hits the shops every Friday… so would a road accident that happened around Thursday lunchtime make it into that week’s edition. The answer was no it wouldn’t, but she thought any novel based in the area would be of local interest and she passed my query on to the features editor who contacted me about an interview.

Basically, I think, if you’ve made a six-figure deal, or perhaps died in the attempt, it would be news… otherwise it’s a feature.

Dee

Yes! Email from the features editor this afternoon! Now I have to take in a copy of the book. Looks like writing and enclosing the book is probably the best way?

Good luck!

optimist

Dee,

If I died in the attempt, and was still writing to see if they'd review the book, would that be news as well?

(This is where I wish I knew how you put smileys into these postings.)


Alex

Alex, treat yourself to a copy of Alison Baverstock's 'Marketing your Book - An Author's Guide'. It's full of excellent advice.

Good luck!

Zoe

Zoe,

Thanks for the pointer. The book arrived this morning, and I'm just reading the first chapter (on "What authors complain about most"). It's scary! Makes me glad I don't have a publisher to screw things up for me!


Alex