WELCOME MWD SUBSCRIBER GERRY WILSON
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12 September 2024
MWD Subscriber Feature: Author Gerry Wilson
Please welcome MWD subscriber, Gerry Wilson with a guest post on her publishing journey with her newest book That Pinson Girl.
That Pinson Girl, my debut literary historical novel, was released February 6, 2024 from Regal House Publishing, an all-women-owned press in North Carolina. This book has gone through many incarnations since I started it around 2010-2011, and I’m thrilled to see it in print. But the publishing process has been a steep learning curve! One aspect that has consumed much of my time and attention is publicity.
It’s been a little more than two years since I signed the contract with Regal House, so I’ve had plenty of time to think about how I might promote the book. And think I did! I bought books on the topic. I watched online webinars and signed up for newsletters and took a couple of online courses. When it came down to it, though, I realized that much of the responsibility to promote the novel was mine. (I LOVE Regal House—they have done a beautiful job!—but like most small presses, they don’t have the “woman-power” and resources to do a lot.)
My “plan” consisted of the following (none of these ideas originated with me, but they are tips that I found helpful in the process, and I’m happy to share them):
1) Develop a “Street team”
I asked several friends (authors and/or avid readers) to help me push the book out around the launch date by featuring it on their social media platforms and/or reviewing it on Amazon and Goodreads. I sent either print or PDF ARCs to all who agreed to be part of the team. (An expense; more on that later.)
2) Increase social media presence
I invested in a Canva subscription and learned to create my own graphics for social media. I created book trailers using Canva (also some book merch that I then got commercially printed); it’s a fairly intuitive app, but all of this takes time. One invaluable tip I’ll pass along is that it isn’t necessary to create a presence on every social media platform. Choose one or maybe two where you’re most comfortable and focus your efforts there. For me, those outlets are Instagram and Facebook. I use WordPress and was able to spruce up my website myself.
3) Pitch book events, reviews, and “companion” articles
I’m basically an introvert, so for me, reaching out to people, especially those I don’t know well, is HARD. But I made myself do it. Don’t hesitate to “shoot high” where potential events (or blurbs or reviews, for that matter!) are concerned. Write a polite, concise introductory letter and include your “press kit” (which you can also create yourself; you can find great examples online).
Reviews have been tough to get and are probably the most anxiety-producing part of the whole business—for me, at least. Prepare yourself to be thick-skinned where reviews are concerned. Bask in the good ones but remember how subjective it all is! Not everybody is going to love our books the way we do. (That said: I fight the urge to check Goodreads and Amazon multiple times a day to see if anyone else has reviewed the novel.) Your press may very well reach out to the trades for reviews. Find out what they do and then do your own search for appropriate (and possible) outlets.
As for “companion” articles: It takes time to write and submit and wait for results! A valuable suggestion I’ll share: target pieces that aren’t directly about the book but are peripheral to it. For example, I recently sent out a couple of memoir pieces relevant to themes in That Pinson Girl.
4) Research podcasts
I sought help in soliciting podcast interviews (see below) because it was the media outlet I was least familiar with. If you go it alone, take the time to research podcasts. You will likely find a few that seem friendly to your kind of book, and when you do, be brave and pitch yourself and your book.
5) Get as much help as you can.
One of the surprises for me as a debut novelist with a small press has been how expensive it can be to launch a book. When I started looking around for a publicist, I experienced sticker shock! Many publicists seem to require a “full package” and/or an extended contract period. I found it all very discouraging—my funds are limited—until I connected with a young publicist who was willing to work “part-time” for me and perform certain tasks that were outside my wheelhouse. Ours has been a pleasant (even fun!) collaboration. I have loved being hands-on rather than turning everything over to someone else. The novel is my baby, after all; I have the most at stake. Regardless of where you are on the affordability scale: if you’re in the market for a publicist—Do. Your. Homework! Ask questions. Ask for references. Don’t be afraid to say what you can comfortably afford to do and how much personal effort and time you can put into promoting.
6) Sales?
. . . are unknown at this point. Fingers crossed!
I want to close with a thank you to Joy Held for featuring That Pinson Girl on her blog. She was one of the first to shine a spotlight on the novel, and she featured it again just recently, near the launch date! I love her WriteDay boxes; each one has been a fun surprise and has given me a lift when I most needed it! We haven’t talked about self-care here, but that’s such an important part of this journey.
Thank you, Gerry, for these wonderful ideas. Best wishes for continued success with TPG.
Would you like to be the next MWD featured subscriber? I would love to include you and your work. Email me any time to schedule.
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JOY E. HELD is an author, educator, editor, entrepreneur, and literary citizen responsible for this site and its contents. She is the author of
Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity (Headline Books, Inc., 2020)
Writer Wellness Workbook: A Guided Workbook and Journal to Accompany Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity (Headline Books, Inc., 2023)
The Mermaid Riot (Fire and Ice YA, 2024) Young Adult Historical Fantasy
She writes spicy historical fiction under a pen name.
She is the winner of multiple writing and book awards:
West Virginia Writers, Inc. Annual Writing Contest, Honorable Mention, Novel, 1998.
New York Book Festival, Honorable Mention, Writer Wellness, 2020.
Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Finalist, Writer Wellness, 2021.
Northeast Ohio Romance Writers of America, Member of the Year, 2020.
Northeast Ohio Romance Writers of America, First Book Award, 2020.
She is an adjunct faculty member in the Southern New Hampshire University Online MFA Creative Writing.
She is a proud graduate of Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA with an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction.
She is a member of The Authors Guild and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
Joy is the founder and CEO of My WRITEDAY Subscription Box for writers and readers.
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My ideas are not ever meant as a substitute for consulting with a qualified health professional.
Such useful--and calming--advice. Thank you, and best of luck with the novel.