Darklands goes on sale as a paperback today via Feedaread, priced £7.99.
I decided to purchase the distribution package at £88, so that it will also be available through Amazon and other booksellers (though not for a few weeks… watch this space). Since that fee is payable anually, and I am looking at only £1 profit per Amazon sale, I need my marketing efforts to go into overdrive if I’m to make any money at this.
Discussing marketing tactics with my sister the other day, she pointed out that although Darklands largely takes place in another world, and the parts in this world have made up names, they are nevertheless very recognisably Derbyshire. She suggested playing up the local angle, which I think is good advice. I can think of a few local bookshops and libraries which I’ve frequented over the years who might be interested.
Over the coming weeks I’ll be putting together a publicity package. Some posters would be nice. Wonder how much they cost to produce…? Ian will know (Having a graphic designer for a boyfriend has come in extremely handy throughout this publishing venture. I highly recommend it).
My sisters and I grew up in Cromford, which is home to the very wonderful Scarthin Bookshop. That place took a lot of my pocket money and weekend job wages when I was growing up. My mum still lives in Cromford and we all visit regularly. Thanks to facebook I have recently reconnected with a lot of old acquaintances from school days. I am sure a few of them would be interested in seeing what I’ve finally come up with (25 years after telling them I wanted to be an author), so I have hopes of making a few sales there.
I am wondering whether I have the temerity to ask them about doing a book launch at the shop? What does a book launch even involve? Who knows? The only ones I’m aware of are those by Emilly Ladybird, which seem intimidatingly fabulous. All I know for certain is that they involve pimms and cake. Lots of cake.
While chatting with my sister (who is an English teacher) we also concocted a plan for her end of term activities week. She wanted to do something involving writing. I told her how easy it is to produce your own paperback – and we both realised it would make a great project to do at school: some short story writing, the nuts and bolts of self publishing, and a quality paperback to take home at the end of it. Pretty cool, huh? She’s trying to persuade me that if the plan goes ahead, I should come over to the school and give a talk about my experiences with self publishing – which I know would look great on my writing CV, but I have to admit, the prospect fills me with horror.
So there are lots of exciting things on the horizon, and I need to turn the marketing engine up to 11. I’ll keep you apprised of how it all goes.
emma woodcock 