New AW Member - New Niche Book

CasualWriter · Apr 4, 2011

Greetings AW community:

I am brand new to writing and publishing, but have recently finished writing a book for college/high school students who want to get into the field of TV news and/or weather. There are many thousands of graduates every year who *aspire* to get into TV, hence my aiming at people who haven't yet gotten into the industry (I, myself, am a TV meteorologist).

I guess I was hoping the book would just magically sell after I wrote it and self-published it, and now I'm coming back from dreamland and realizing that with a niche market like this I need someone (or some knowledge) to help me with getting the word out that this book exists!

Can any of you offer any advice on how to promote my book in a way that would get people to be interested? Any help would be appreciated. I looked through other "niche-related" articles on here and many were smaller and/or more regional than this topic would be.

Thanks!

P.S. Being in the TV biz means I've been denied hundreds of awesome jobs and sent countless rude/nasty/awful emails, so don't hesitate to say whatever your true thoughts are on any post I contribute!

eward · Apr 5, 2011

I have little experience with self-publishing (I put up a short story collection a month ago and I've sold a whopping two copies haha!) but I think you should go wherever your target audience is. Facebook and twitter go without saying, but also check out message boards and blogs. Maybe the IMDb boards? I dunno, where do people go when they want to get into TV? Where did you go to find information?

tirial · Apr 6, 2011

If you have a blog and twitter you can integrate them, making it easier to manage, but they are pretty essential to reach an online audience. Since you are trying to reach students, have you tried campus careers centers or University libraries? If they stock a copy it might help to get the word out.

CasualWriter · Apr 6, 2011

Ahh, good points.

I did buy an ad on TVJobs.com, thinking that would get things rolling - but I'm only getting 8-10 clicks per day on it. That is the site you'd go to find your job listings to send tapes for your first TV job.

I currently have that ad then linking to my blog on the book, and the blog linking to the book's website.

I'll add career centers to my research tasks. I've been researching professors of broadcast journalism to start an email campaign shortly as well.

All your ideas are much appreciated! And eward - you've sold 200% the books I have!

BTW... this picture below, if it still shows up, should say "Get your 1st TV Job! Click here" - that is the banner ad I made for the TV jobs website.

ResearchGuy · Apr 6, 2011

Check out this by Stephanie Chandler:
The Author’s Guide to Building an Online Platform: Leveraging the Internet to Sell More Books

See http://www.stephaniechandler.com/books .

--Ken

Jettica · Apr 7, 2011

Get Twitter and also offer advice to any students. Build a following, make friends. Also maybe you could start a blog that continues what the book started. Talk about your career but also offer to answer any questions from students.

I also second talking to universities and colleges, maybe even high schools. Offer to do talks and things as well as getting your booked stocked in libraries, career centres etc.

CasualWriter · Apr 7, 2011

Thanks for all of the advice you guys! In the past two days now I've started a blog & Twitter page for the book. I think my project for next week will be contacted universities around the region to see who might want a speaker or perhaps even a free copy of the book.

Jettica · Apr 8, 2011

Also might be worth talking to university newspapers and student magazines. They might want to interview you/do a giveaway of your book.

CasualWriter · Apr 8, 2011

Jettica said:
Also might be worth talking to university newspapers and student magazines. They might want to interview you/do a giveaway of your book.

I really like that idea. Hadn't even thought of the newspaper approach. I'd do a local non-university one too, but the only paper in town is owned by our competition in town.

bowiefan1970 · Apr 20, 2011

CasualWriter said:
Greetings AW community:

I am brand new to writing and publishing, but have recently finished writing a book for college/high school students who want to get into the field of TV news and/or weather. There are many thousands of graduates every year who *aspire* to get into TV, hence my aiming at people who haven't yet gotten into the industry (I, myself, am a TV meteorologist).

As far as your TV career, find a developmental market. I live in Victoria, TX, which is a mid-size town. We see a steady stream of people on local TV hone their chops and move to a larger market. As far as your book, I'd target your potential buyers. I'd put up flyers on college bulletin boards. You can even pay people a few bucks to do that in towns far away from you. I'd concentrate also on places where weather is prime-time. For example, Oklahoma, where I'm from. The meteorologists there are celebrities. Best wishes.

benbradley · Apr 20, 2011

CasualWriter said:
Ahh, good points.

I did buy an ad on TVJobs.com, thinking that would get things rolling - but I'm only getting 8-10 clicks per day on it. That is the site you'd go to find your job listings to send tapes for your first TV job.

I currently have that ad then linking to my blog on the book, and the blog linking to the book's website.

I'll add career centers to my research tasks. I've been researching professors of broadcast journalism to start an email campaign shortly as well.

All your ideas are much appreciated! And eward - you've sold 200% the books I have!

BTW... this picture below, if it still shows up, should say "Get your 1st TV Job! Click here" - that is the banner ad I made for the TV jobs website.

This post is a couple of weeks old, but that image just says digitaltalent.

Create a signature here on AW (click on User CP, it's there somewhere) with a link to your blog and book. That's an acceptable form of advertising/promotion here and in many forums (but don't sign up and post everywhere just to promote your book, but you surely know that already). This will help other AW members know "who you are" and what you do, and you might even get a sale from someone interested in a TV career.

ETA: And when you get on Twitter, post your Twitter ID in this thread:
http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=109507

New AW Member - New Niche Book

CasualWriter

eward

tirial

CasualWriter

ResearchGuy

Resident Curmudgeon

Jettica

Superfluously multisyllabic

CasualWriter

Jettica

Superfluously multisyllabic

CasualWriter

bowiefan1970

benbradley

It's a doggy dog world