Let's say that my novel is due to be published sometime mid-to-late 2008.
How soon is too soon to begin publicizing? I've always heard that one should wait until about 2-3 months before the book's publication date because it's not good to stir up a premature buzz; however, I've also read some articles that have contradicted this, including a well-known publicist who said, basically, "The time to get a move on is NOW."
I've already mentioned the novel in places such as Myspace and various writer forums I belong to, and hopefully by first of next year, I'll have my website up and running. I figure that's a good way to start insofar as just whetting readers' appetites. But what I'm really wondering is, for instance, when I should begin contacting my local media--newspapers, TV and radio stations, ect. Also, since the novel is set in a small town that is actually an hour north of where I live, I would also want to notify the local media there, as well. (Many of the residents I spoke with during my research are, of course, already aware of the novel, but I'm talking about a publicity campaign aimed at the general population).
I do feel that it's too soon to be creating a buzz right now. If the novel's publication is still over a year away, that would be too much too soon. People might become interested, then quickly lose interest as months go by and the product remains unavailable. Also, this is often an unpredictable business-there's always a chance the publication date could be pushed back even further. So the question is, if not now, what would be a good timeline to begin publicizing the book? Should the local media campaign be conducted according to the same timeline as the national campaign, or would it be a good idea to jumpstart the local campaign a bit ahead of the game?
Also, if the film rights for the novel are already being optioned, when is it (or is it ever) a good idea to mention this when publicizing the novel, especially at the local level? Naturally this is exciting news that could certainly drum up local interest, but as anyone who knows anything about this business is well aware, deals in Hollywood get talked about, negotiated, and ultimately dropped all the time. The last thing I'd want is to make too much a deal of a movie being made and then end up with egg on my face when people realize no such is happening. So when would be the ideal time to make mention of the fact? Only after a definite deal has been signed in blood? After production begins? When? (or is this one of those things where the author would be better off just to sit back and let word-of-mouth take its course?).
These are going to be important issues for me to deal with in the coming months and I'd really appreciate some advice before I make a bumbling mess of the whole campaign.
How soon is too soon to begin publicizing? I've always heard that one should wait until about 2-3 months before the book's publication date because it's not good to stir up a premature buzz; however, I've also read some articles that have contradicted this, including a well-known publicist who said, basically, "The time to get a move on is NOW."
I've already mentioned the novel in places such as Myspace and various writer forums I belong to, and hopefully by first of next year, I'll have my website up and running. I figure that's a good way to start insofar as just whetting readers' appetites. But what I'm really wondering is, for instance, when I should begin contacting my local media--newspapers, TV and radio stations, ect. Also, since the novel is set in a small town that is actually an hour north of where I live, I would also want to notify the local media there, as well. (Many of the residents I spoke with during my research are, of course, already aware of the novel, but I'm talking about a publicity campaign aimed at the general population).
I do feel that it's too soon to be creating a buzz right now. If the novel's publication is still over a year away, that would be too much too soon. People might become interested, then quickly lose interest as months go by and the product remains unavailable. Also, this is often an unpredictable business-there's always a chance the publication date could be pushed back even further. So the question is, if not now, what would be a good timeline to begin publicizing the book? Should the local media campaign be conducted according to the same timeline as the national campaign, or would it be a good idea to jumpstart the local campaign a bit ahead of the game?
Also, if the film rights for the novel are already being optioned, when is it (or is it ever) a good idea to mention this when publicizing the novel, especially at the local level? Naturally this is exciting news that could certainly drum up local interest, but as anyone who knows anything about this business is well aware, deals in Hollywood get talked about, negotiated, and ultimately dropped all the time. The last thing I'd want is to make too much a deal of a movie being made and then end up with egg on my face when people realize no such is happening. So when would be the ideal time to make mention of the fact? Only after a definite deal has been signed in blood? After production begins? When? (or is this one of those things where the author would be better off just to sit back and let word-of-mouth take its course?).
These are going to be important issues for me to deal with in the coming months and I'd really appreciate some advice before I make a bumbling mess of the whole campaign.
