Stories of characters in a book probably connect with
stories from the author’s life – and authors can’t help but remember moments that
triggered the tale. So, more work has
probably been accomplished than the author realizes.
Every communication from an author can unleash back story:
- Books typically have several themes, and authors should have strong opinions on those themes. If those themes connect with current events, then draft 500 words – opinion essays, book reviews, feature articles and blog entries for newspapers or television – presenting a perspective drawing on anecdotes from real life or the novel itself. Such expertise leads to speaking engagements and opportunity to tell more stories.
- For profiles or interviews, be prepared to answer the question, “How did you get the idea of this book?” Nicholas Sparks tells that story on his website. And there’s the story behind ideas and their process: Greg Breeding describes the story behind Bono’s song, “One,” in an article for Story Matters, an online magazine from design and publishing firm Journey. “Great ideas do seem to come out of nowhere, but then again, the intentional push against mediocrity is the rich soil where excellence takes root,” he writes. “Hard work doesn’t necessarily produce greatness, but it’s hard to imagine that the really great ideas come without it.”
- Linking articles connected to book themes on an author’s website can attract invitations to write or speak.
- Images can relay stories and increase curiosity. Categories, captions and photos in Pinterest can reveal how an author selects details. Even a quick brief clip of a workshop, posted on YouTube, can introduce an author’s attitude.
- Communications – enchanting, intriguing, instructive or funny – should be concise, focused on one of the book’s theme. Twitter posts, long conversations or stand-alones, can relay a story and raise suspense. Tweets that read like poetry or moments of weakness, blasting a critic’s review, do attract notice.
- Take advantage of read-made social media for storytelling and control the story on LibraryThing, Goodreads or Facebook Timeline.
- No author is going to be an expert at every facet of publicity. Don’t panic. Jacket Copy from The Los Angeles Times gives the best advice – make it fun.
One huge difference between drafting story for novels versus
publicity is timing. Deadlines loom for publicity. Copy must be submitted
quickly. There’s less time or tolerance for a
bad first draft. Writers must be spontaneous, coherent and insightful for
social media and any type of interview.
Practice helps.
Photo of Afghan students participate in online discussion about traditional stories, courtesy of US State Department and Wikimedia Commons.
