Chances are that as a writer you love books. Hence, it’s only reasonable that you’ll meet people who love books as well. Anyone from a bookseller to people in local writers groups to librarians are all people who can play a hand in promoting your work. Booksellers and librarians are particularly important contacts for your first book. Their support is critical to success. Usually, if you know the person well enough to contact them, a bibliophile is more than happy to help you. After all, they’re excited for your triumph, and they’ll look forward to reading your book. If you want to make contact at this point, a simple postcard announcing the selling of your book to a publisher is sufficient. Until the book is out and you can talk to audiences at a signing, it’s best not to call. Most booksellers and librarians won’t set up a signing or event without the book in hand, and it will be months before the advanced copies are ready. Plus many places don’t want to schedule events too far in advance. Things can change and cause problems.

Another networking opportunity will be the people in writers groups. You can always go to talk to writers groups about your writing and career. The largest part of good promotional work is getting your name out there and increasing the recognition of your name as a commodity. If the reader can’t remember your name, it’s difficult to order your book.

When you visit a writers group, let the group observe some of your promotional effort firsthand. You could buy them a copy of this book as a way of helping them. Many unpublished authors don’t know what to expect from a book signing or how to go about setting one up. In this way, you’re helping them to further their career as well as promoting your own work.

Be forewarned though, I rarely sell many copies at writers groups. The writers want to pick your brain, but without buying a word from you. Some authors require a minimum number of copies sold as part of their contract on these venues.