Getting Busy Marketing

In between writing, illustrating, reviewing, and research, I have been working on marketing my books. It is something that I wish I could spend more time doing. No matter how good a book is, it will not sell on its own.

I have worked diligently on setting up my website and blogging when I get the chance. I created Facebook and Goodreads pages to get as much information out via the internet. Now it is time for me to work on my pitch sheets.

A “pitch” sheet, also called a sell-sheet, is an overview about the author and their book being pitched. Like a mini-proposal, it is a simple, easy-to-read, one-page information sheet; focusing on the single title, or series, you are pitching to a particular publishing house. A one-sheet is a similar document that gives information on all the works of an author. Author Kaye Dacus has a nice post about them on her site.

Here is an example of my pitch sheet for A Tale of Two Squirrels:

As you can see, they do not need to have a lot of flare, but color can help. Many authors use them as a leave-behind after editor pitch sessions at conferences. They also come in handy when you want to have your book reviewed or when you marketing your works at the local bookstores.

My biggest difficulty with marketing is feeling comfortable selling myself. I try to be humble and down-to-earth, and using a one-sheet or pitch sheet can really help display your quality of work without coming off as pretentious.