You wrote a book, or maybe your fourth. Got it published, either on your own or through an independent publisher, or (ooh-wee) one of the big houses. That makes you an author.

You tell your mom, your dad, all your friends (a little sheepishly—the title of author doesn’t seem to fit just right), but the smile of satisfaction is hard to conceal. A few days go by, a couple of weeks, and that package arrives; it’s your book. Seeing your name on the cover, feeling the heft of the pages, prideful accomplishment fills your heart. You begin reading page after page, realizing you are amazing.

That is what every new author, and probably seasoned pros, goes through. I know I did. I heard many others relay the same story. It might be the one underlying reason why we write in the first place, to say we did it. As writers, we have a story we simply must get out there. But once it is, how do we reach out to our audience?

Reach Out with Giveaways

You can count on your parents to tell everyone they know about your book. I gave my mom, and my children (all adults) a copy of Killer With A Heart, the first book I published. Dad had already departed this world for better surroundings. Your friends will want copies too, some will even buy one. Most will expect you to give them one for free. My friend Brian bought an autographed copy of Killer— autographing a copy is a real thrill, it never gets old—but he had no plans to read it. He wanted to be able to sell it when I became famous. I don’t hold that against him.

Another friend wanted me to give him a copy of The Emerald Lady, so he could read it and tell everybody about it. I was not too thrilled about that. After all, if he tells everyone the story then they wouldn’t have to read it or buy it. Which brings up the second reason why we write.

So many people want you to give away what you toiled over for years. In this business, and writing is one, there is a certain number of freebies you must be willing to hand out. You’ll be giving books away in the hope of getting reviews and press coverage, it’s just business. I’ve been to the trade shows, expos, and book fairs from New York to Florida to California, and everyone is looking for the freebie.

I am also an independent publisher. When I go to these events it’s not just my books, I am also trying to drum up support for all my other authors.

The expense of going to the events is on me, but the added cost of bringing a couple of hundred pounds of books and then giving them away is an unbelievable expectation. But so many expect just that.

Giveaways at Events

At the Book Expo of America or the American Library Association you give books to the people who decide what goes on the bookstore and library shelves across America. Giving books to them is part of the business. But when I go to the Miami Book Fair or the Los Angeles Book Fair, I can’t afford to hand out a book to every person who walks by. And that does not guarantee your book will be read or talked about. Many people hand me books at these events, and I haven’t read them. Either I don’t have the time, or I am just not interested in the story. But they reach out to you anyway because they don’t want the expense of shipping them back. The big publishers can afford to print a couple hundred promos. Other companies are charging their authors a small fortune, so they are not losing any money.

At these events, I charge for an autographed copy, just enough to pay the cost of printing and shipping. I don’t go to these events to make a killing, just a name for myself and my company, RockHill Publishing LLC. And it seems to be working, the company is getting plenty of submissions, and the books are moving, very slowly. But that is the thing about writing a book, once you are done you must reach out to the public.