The new publicity

[mgilmour]

Oh! And aside from putting links to reviews, interviews, and like prominently in your blog navigation, also don't forget to ensure you have a Wikipedia page, where you should also do the same!

@Kissmequick @Anne Lyle @Clifford Beal @M Harold Page

@Gary Compton - make sure all your authors set up a Wikipedia page for themselves, providing a short biography and references, once published! And one for yourself.

Brian, as a matter of interest how do your authors get around the "Conflict of Interest" clause that Wikipedia abides by? I looked at setting up my own Wikipedia page and backed off because of this.

 

[Stephen Palmer]

I would be interested to hear if anyone here does manage to set up a Wikipedia page. Please let me know.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Brian, as a matter of interest how do your authors get around the "Conflict of Interest" clause that Wikipedia abides by?

I'm afraid I'm not a big user of Wikiedpia, and it appears that I've wrongly presumed that it shouldn't be difficult to set up a page. In which case, I'd recommend seeing if the publisher will do so.

 

[tinkerdan]

Ian Sales has a Wiki page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Sales

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Ian_Sales
As you can see someone disputed it but the single argument seemed to work in this case.
(It's actually a pretty good argument IMHO.)

But it does seem to indicate that you have to have a good argument behind submitting a page.
Also internally it makes sense when you check this page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BSFA_Award

Before posting yourself on Wikipedia you might want to read and understand this page.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:No_original_research

 

[mgilmour]

I think that it is fine for one author to create another authors wikipedia page but it is not fine for an author to create their own. This is all around the "conflict of interest" rules. So what authors really need is to write their own wiki page and then give it to someone else to post.

 

[Stephen Palmer]

Yep. Tried that. I'm still not notable enough

 

[tinkerdan]

You need to send in your avatar photo:

Yep. Tried that. I'm still not notable enough

:: it has a sort of spy vs spy look to it that i'm sure will add some notoriety.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Yep. Tried that. I'm still not notable enough

Then I wonder what their criteria for notable enough can be. I certainly think of you as a notable writer, you have so many published books and they're so innovative.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

There is nothing transparent or democratic about Wikipedia, it's amazing though, and can be like the HHGTTG.

 

[Kerrybuchanan]

There is nothing transparent or democratic about Wikipedia, it's amazing though, and can be like the HHGTG.

What is this?

 

[HareBrain]

Quite right, Kelly -- it should be THHGTTG.

 

[Kerrybuchanan]

Thank you, BunnyBrain x

 

[Ray McCarthy]

How long before someone (individual or publisher) uses Mockingbirds, Parrots and Eggs to promote a book?

Twitter, Facebook etc are exploitive. If the owner isn't exploiting you, then someone else is trying to.

My experience of Linkedin was terrible.

Also NONE of these new media/Social media "get" security or privacy. The ECJ has ruled that USA-EU safe harbour agreement is worthless and thus Facebook doesn't meet EU dataprotection rules. The Irish data commissioner had refused to accept the case against Facebook. Now their remedy is to advise EU citizens not to use Facebook!
Actually 29 of the top 30 "Internet Exploiting" companies in the World have HQ for EU in Ireland, not just for tax reasons but the "ah it will be fine" attitude to regulation that allowed Anglo Irish Bank (a pyramid scheme so successful that most of the other Banks and Building societies copied lending strategies to "be competitive" with Anglo Irish and thus came within a hair of destroying Irish Economy).

 

[Denise Tanaka]

And the press kit it is not something that just goes to the media, Gary. The author (or whoever is acting as the TBP publicist) could send it to the organizers of local book festivals the author would like to attend (in the hope that the press kit would inspire them to send an invitation) or to whoever it is that organizes events at any library near the author where the writer might like to give a talk. If two or more TBP writers (and that would include those who have stories in Malevolence) live within a reasonable driving distance and would be willing to get together and do a group talk at one or more of their local libraries, you could send the press kit to those libraries and tell them your authors would love to do a panel or make an appearance as or at one of their events (if they hold events and have writers come in to give talks). Of course someone would have to do the research and find out what is coming up and who is willing to host an event, and then the best person to contact in each case.

These are things the writer could do with a press kit, or if they're shy about approaching any of these places but willing to make the appearance and do the talk, things that you as the publisher might do. If you do it, you can say that you are the publicist at TBP -- because you are -- and that you are putting together a tour for your author (and then do that, by contacting more of these places, and getting creative with other ideas) and it will all sound very official and important.

The first step, though, is the press kit.

I'd like to jump in and comment on what a spectacular idea this is, to have a pre-packaged press kit for each author at TBP. It would put you heads and shoulders above a lot of small presses who don't.

So many writers, like me, have no experience in salesmanship and view it as a daunting chore. It's human nature to avoid learning a new skill if it appears overwhelming. People are more at ease - and more likely to succeed - if a scary big task is broken down into manageable steps.

In my day job, we help our clients navigate the U.S. immigration seas. We have a library of prepared templates and sample instructions for all the various processes. If someone needs to get an appointment at the embassy for a visa stamp, we have a packet for them. My good god, if we just gave them a hyperlink to the Department of State's website or U.S.C.I.S. and told them to go read those instructions? Insert inappropriate expletive here. And I cannot tell you how many times people have messed up filling out their own immigration application or went to some fly-by-night legal aid clinic, wound up in serious doo-doo, and they come to our attorneys to dig them out of that mess.

Hey, @springs and @GaryCompton, re. this press kit thing, would you be interested in my helping hands?

 

[Jo Zebedee]

That's very kind, Denise, but I'll step aside and allow @Gary Compton to come back to you - it's really his baby.