Telling people you have a new book coming

[Michael Hopcroft]

One of the biggest problems I have is that I have a difficult time getting the word out that I have a new book out. I should have a new book, Steel Roses: the HeartQuest Guide to Mecha, out by the end of November, but I'm having a hard time figuring out how to get the word out to people who might buy the book. or indeed, doing the research to determine whether such people exist.

For one book this is problem enough. but I have five books coming out in the first quarter of 2004 and I have very little clue how to successfuly promote them so that their name gets out on the marketplace.

That Powerball jackpot is looking very appealing. it;s frightening what an RPG publisher could dow tih $85 million if he really wanted to.

[xiombarg]

One of the biggest problems I have is that I have a difficult time getting the word out that I have a new book out. I should have a new book, Steel Roses: the HeartQuest Guide to Mecha, out by the end of November, but I'm having a hard time figuring out how to get the word out to people who might buy the book. or indeed, doing the research to determine whether such people exist.

Well, I make it a point to post indie news on rpgnews.com, so you can always poke me there. I know that while it doesn't get the sheer volume of pageviews of gamingreport.com, that it does reach a lot of people, who seem to have pretty eclectic tastes -- Matt tells me Daedalus got a spike after I posted about it, for example.

BTW, "Steel Roses" is a very cool title.

[Ron Edwards]

Hi Michael,

Define "marketplace."

If you're talking about the three-tier system to get into the game stores, you know all about it. You know about GAMA and the GTS, you know about the industry trade on-line lists, and you know about the Games Quarterly Catalogue. You know about fulfillment houses and you know who to talk to.

If you're talking about direct sales through on-line websites, you also know all there is - the various consolidated pages like RPGhost, the importance of a focused and consistent presence at the URLs that work best for you, and similar.

I'm not sure what else there is to tell you aside from these things.

Best,
Ron

[Jason L Blair]

Press releases work wonders. You're a member of the GPA, right? Use their NewsTwo Press Exploder. It goes to all the major RPG news sites.

[Mark Johnson]

Joe Preston had a pretty good Internet based recommendation on your previous thread on this subject here.

Have you considered flash animations?  There are a lot of people who collect and trade them.  The more absurd the better.  If the flash also directly promoted your product, all the better.  How about something like this for your next furry game?

[Jack Aidley]

I don't whether this is appropriate for you, but I think the most effective pre-release publicity gatherer I've seen has been Monte Cook's design diary for Arcana Unearthed.