How did you get your books into readers' hands or to be featured in speaking events?

I found it important to give audiences a really good program or presentation, not simply hawk my book or say why anyone should buy my book. When my first novel was published, I offered a program called "Teachers: the Real American Heroes," which featured stories about real life teachers heralded as heroes for their work with children. Since my novel centered on a high school teacher who is forced to become a hero in defending her kids when a terrorist cell takes over her school, it was a logical connection to talk about how my novel told the story of teacher heroism in a fictional manner.

Boots on the ground efforts - which also includes mass-mailings to bookstores, libraries, senior centers (depending on your book's genre/topic). Whether an author has a publisher or self-publishes, the majority of marketing efforts are done by the author. As a fellow author recently told me, "No one can market your book better than you." Part of that reason is that your book is your baby; you are passionate about your book; no one else has that going for them regarding the marketing of your product.

Exposure, as you already know, always helps.  Our readers read an article written regarding the contact/call center industry and the author indirectly plugs their book.  By consistently providing content, for review to be included in our monthly newsletter, with links and social media, you can become an expert and can acquire speaking engagements.

I hope this helps.

since our guide is a senior resource directory with invaluable info to offer it is truly different then a normal publication you would be reading . We list all senior resources, housing etc becomes a bible when making choices as a senior . The events we offer are our advertisers speaking on their topic of expertise. Sorry I am not of any help here different publications!

Having a website, preferably with the book's title in it, is a good start. Customers don't need to be able to buy the book through the website -- they can be directed to Amazon or wherever to do that, but they should learn about the contents of the book and about its author and about any other published work from the author from the website.
   To get speaking events, explore your local library(ies), any organizations like AARP, book clubs, Chamber of Commerce, Rotary clubs, ladies' clubs, etc. in your area. Often these groups are looking for interesting speakers and their members will buy the book once you introduce them to it.

Many illustrators and writers like myself do presentations at schools, school districts etc.
Make contacts through librarians, art teachers and specific grade level teachers in grades appropriate for the reading level of your book. You may be speaking to multiple classes, do an auditorium presentation or just an individual class. The teachers can send out a notice ahead of time that you will selling and signing books, so the teachers can give you an idea of how many books to bring. Always bring extras. 

After 20 years of on and off writing during life’s changes and upheavals, I was lucky enough to secure an agent who got my 1st book out to six publishers and obtained a 2-book deal. Within 2 weeks. Then the publisher took over. After that, I began to visit independent and chain bookstores with a 2-page fact sheet in hand and pitch myself to have book signings at their stores. I also hit all the local libraries with the same pitch. A lot of new writers find they have to do most of the work to get the word out and themselves in the public eye. I have 4 signing events in the next 30 days that I set up myself. 
Hope that helps.

I'm going to approach this as if this is your first book. While you are getting starting in the industry, you'll have to work for nearly every sale and review. Join bookclubs online (facebook has groups for nearly every genre), and offer to swap reads and feedback with other authors. Amazon won't allow you to swap reviews, but you can set up a group of  people who will share their work and provide a review online, as long as it's not a one for one relationship (just insure that you aren't reading and reviewing the work of the person reviewing yours.)

Promote your work wherever you can. Bookfunnel is one option, as well as doing Amazon giveaways. If you have a website, give away the first few chapters for free. Have you created a press release for your book? If not, do so and send it to the local papers. Each of these steps adds credibility to you as a professional author.

As far as speaking events, you'll need to start small. Approach your library and see if they have a writer's group. If so, contact them and see if they'd be interested in having you as a guest speaker. It's a lot more comfortable to start with a small group of interested writers than trying to entertain a roomful of people who've never heard of you.

The more books you have out, the more credibility you'll get. I intentionally wrote several short stories first to include in anthologies, so when my first novel came out, it wasn't alone on my author's page.

You'll also want a separate Facebook page for you as an author. Stay away from polarizing topics there, unless you are trying to only sell to people that see things as you do. I try to keep it fun and only use it to promote my own works maybe one time in ten posts.

Good luck and keep writing!

James Peters

You have some good responses here. Whether you publish with a traditional publisher (like Random House) or a hybrid-publisher (like Publish Authority), you'll find that publishers will have you be responsible for a great deal of the marketing and book signing efforts. If you aren't publishing with a traditional publisher, there are a couple of things I haven't seen mentioned here: Create a book launch check sheet to keep your publication and release on track; prepare an in-depth publicity/marketing plan to include identifying pre-publication reviewers, podcasts, book clubs, book stores, etc. for interviews and presentations/book signings, etc.. And then, like the best-selling author and writing advocate Steven Pressfield says, "Do the work!" You, the author, can go through this process by yourself in self-publishing your work. However, it pays to work with a professional who can help you navigate through the publishing and marketing 'land mines' you might otherwise encounter. Good luck!

There are multiple paths. But the most relevant answer is personal contact. I talk to bookstore owners to get my books on their shelves. I take part in multi author promos. I go to book festivals and talk to readers. I use social media to talk to readers and have a website I can send them to for my Dale's page and my blog. I ha e an email list and I grow that list organically.