Sarah Sundin, @sarahsundin
When my first novel came out, I was at the post office with a giant box of books to mail and a yard-long postage receipt, and I said to myself, “I didn’t learn about this in Author School.”
Because Author School isn’t a thing. But it should be.
Let me pick up my pointer—because teachers really need pointers—and we’ll begin our first lesson in Author School…mailings.
Even though I live in a large town, the clerks at my post office know my name and don’t even ask to see my ID anymore. Authors do a lot of mailings. That box o’ free books from your publisher to use for giveaways? They have to be mailed. The postcards and bookmarks? Have to be mailed. I soon learned that I needed systems to manage all the information.
Reader mailing addresses
You will receive addresses from readers as they request bookmarks and receive books in giveaways. Collect the addresses in a database for your eyes only. I use it to send postcards when new books release and also for future bookmark requests. A simple Word document works well, but other programs can be used as well. Two nice things about Word documents—they’re searchable, and you can easily print envelopes. I also copy & paste into mailing-label templates and print labels for postcard mailings.
Book Giveaways
Many publishers provide you with a box of books to give away. Isn’t that fun? But if you aren’t careful, you can pass them out like candy, run through your stock, and forget you’d promised five more copies for blog giveaways. Whoops.
Start a list in a spreadsheet or even handwritten on a piece of paper. Number it with the quantity of books you have, and keep a running list of the people you promise books to. I include close family and people who helped with research or story development. List all giveaways—on your own blog, with interviews on other blogs, and Facebook parties. Include the date and the name of the winner so you can follow up. As soon as you promise a book for a giveaway, write it down! Mark off your list when you mail the books.
You will be contacted by bloggers who want to review your book. Yay! However, reviewers can quickly drain your stash. Consider the blog’s audience and whether it will reach your potential readers. Don’t be stingy, but do be frugal.
I recommend keeping a reserve for unexpected opportunities, not only to promote but to bless. A fabulous multi-author blog hop! A raffle benefitting a local charity! A reader who has particularly touched your heart! Your favorite missionary home on furlough! Those opportunities will make you glad you were frugal.
Bookmarks & Postcards
Some publishers provide bookmarks and/or postcards for their authors. If yours doesn’t, consider having them printed. I mail postcards to everyone on my mailing list, although it’s expensive and soon I’ll probably restrict it to those who aren’t on my email newsletter list.
Bookmarks are remarkably effective low-tech marketing. Ask bookstores and libraries if they’d like some to distribute. Offer them to readers to pass out to family, friends, and their local bookstores and libraries. Carry them with you—when people ask about your books, give them a bookmark. Then they have the title, cover, your name, and your website.
Mailing bookmarks and postcards to readers can get pricey, so some authors limit them to pre-order campaigns or for when readers send self-addressed, stamped envelopes. Others toss them out like confetti—like me. Make a decision that fits your style and budget.
To track reader requests for bookmarks and postcards, I use a spreadsheet. This has columns for the reader’s name, if I have their address (which I copy from their email into my reader mailing address database), and the number of bookmarks and/or postcards they requested. When you have multiple books, use something to differentiate each title (I use three-letter abbreviations—“SBU” for The Sea Before Us). I also have an “other” column for notes or other requests, such as for signed bookplates, etc.
The Post Office Run
When it’s time to visit my friendly neighborhood post office (they really are friendly!), I gather my mailing supplies, books, bookmarks, and postcards. I open my laptop to my reader mailing address database and my book and bookmark request spreadsheets. Then I package away, highlighting the completed requests on my spreadsheets.
Make sure postage is a part of your budget, and remember that postage is tax-deductible for business purposes. Woo hoo! And always be friendly, patient, and courteous at the post office. Because it’s the right thing to do.
Class is over for today. Thank you for not chewing gum, passing notes, or pelting me with spitwads. I’ll see you next time at Author School.
In 1944, American naval officer Lt. Wyatt Paxton arrives in London to prepare for the Allied invasion of France. He works closely with Dorothy Fairfax, a “Wren” in the Women’s Royal Naval Service, who pieces together reconnaissance photographs with thousands of holiday snapshots of France—including those of her family’s summer home—in order to create accurate maps of Normandy. Maps that Wyatt turns into naval bombardment plans for D-day.
As the two spend concentrated time together in the pressure cooker of war, their deepening friendship threatens to turn into something more. But both of them have too much to lose to give in to love . . .
Sarah Sundin is the author of ten historical novels, including The Sea Before Us. Her novels When Tides Turn and Through Waters Deep were named to Booklist’s “101 Best Romance Novels of the Last 10 Years,” and Through Waters Deep was a finalist for the 2016 Carol Award and won the INSPY Award.A mother of three, Sarah lives in California, works on-call as a hospital pharmacist, and teaches Sunday school. She also enjoys speaking for church, community, and writers’ groups.Please visit her athttp://www.sarahsundin.com.