Written by Marilyn and Tom Ross   
Wednesday, 27 May 2009

3 Writing Secrets to Give Your Novel a PR Edge

Promoting fiction is never easy. Yet you can craft a manuscript that has built-in promotional and sales angles. It simply takes some forethought and creative planning. By following the secrets revealed below, fiction writers can greatly enhance their chances of getting print, radio, and TV exposure.

1. Provide a local angle.

    Set your story in a real place. People who live in the area love to read about restaurants, amusement parks, streets, landmarks, etc. they know. And if you set your story in your own area, it simplifies promotion greatly. You can easily spin the local PR, then let it ripple outward regionally, then nationally.

2. Carefully evaluate your main characters.

    Does the protagonist have an interesting profession or hobby you can use as a sales hook? One novelist I know sold her book in spelunking shops because caving was the avocational pursuit of her main character. Another merchandised her mystery in Volvo dealerships. Why? Because that make of car played an important role in the story.

3. Revolve your story around an important "issue."

    Add an aspect to the plot that addresses something newsworthy. If there is a dominant thread that deals with a timely topic, you may be called upon when a fast-breaking news story hits. Topics you might consider, for instance, are Internet privacy, battered men, terrorism, fetal tissue, obesity, or medicare woes. You get the idea. By the time you've written at length on the subject, you will become an "expert" on that topic. Monitor the news each morning for references to your theme, then immediately piggyback on it with emails and faxes to the media.

As a fiction writer, you can greatly impact the marketing potential of your book. Use the guidelines above to write a savvy book. Planting interesting angles during the creation process opens doors to lucrative results when your finished book comes out.


Marilyn and Tom Ross are the coauthors of 13 books including the best-selling Complete Guide to Self-Publishing and the award-winning Jump Start Your Book Sales. Through phone consultations and ongoing coaching/mentoring, she empowers authors and self-publishers to realize their dreams. She can be reached at 720-344-4388 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Visit http://www.SelfPublishingResources.com for free meaty information on writing, self-publishing, and book marketing strategies. © Copyright 2005 Marilyn Ross
Comments
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jess or Alex  - HELP!!!   |71.60.95.xxx |2009-06-17 19:00:59
I need names for the characters in my book and i can't figure out the book
cover! ill tell u more when u email me! but make sure your real!
julie   |152.11.189.xxx |2009-07-09 17:58:25
I need names for the characters in my book as well. Maybe we can help each
other. I'm about to email you, and then we'll see how it goes.
Savannah  - Mysterious   |76.206.51.xxx |2009-07-14 22:36:12
i would recommend babynames.com
Elizabeth  - I had the same problem   |201.170.5.xxx |2009-07-31 20:43:20
Hello:

I am writing my first novel, I have never writtten before and I'm
loving every minute of it. I too, have the same problem, I dont seem to find the
right name that speaks to me and hopefully my potencial readers. What I did was
first, think about my characters and who they are based on, and that helped me
to find some names. Others I just began looking on websites that offer name
ideas for babies.
Good luck finding a name.
If it helps you can use mine.

"Elizabeth Lugo"
jess or Alex  - HELP!!!   |71.60.95.xxx |2009-06-17 19:01:06
I need names for the characters in my book and i can't figure out the book
cover! ill tell u more when u email me! but make sure your real!
julie  - re: HELP!!!   |152.11.189.xxx |2009-07-09 17:59:46
I could help you, and you could help me with my story and character names as
well.
chetta caviar  - help   |69.119.178.xxx |2009-07-24 17:53:09
This is my first book ever and i need to know do i have to revise it my
self or can i hire someone to do it.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 27 May 2009 )
 
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