[Gary Wassner]

Does that inflame you, or will you pass me by?

How do you best promote yourself as an author with a new series?

[KatG]

Introduce yourself and your name to the booksellers, especially the specialty booksellers. Also the genre reviewers, at conventions, on the Internet. If you can stir up interest in the fan community, start getting your name familiar to them, the hope is that they will pass the word along. At least, that's what I've been taught. I'm a long way from seeing if it works. You'll have to tell us, Gary, how it goes. :)

[Gary Wassner]

Actually, KatG, it's been going very well so far. The websites that cover fantasy have all been very responsive, and SFFWorld has made a tremendous difference in terms of my visibility.

My books are well received by those who read them. The key is to generate enough interest for people to go out and buy them. I am not really worried about whether they will be liked. I am pretty confident that those who enjoy Epic Fantasy, will enjoy GemQuest, or at least most of them will. But right now I am just excited that they begin shipping to the stores January 31! It's been a long road and I can't wait to see them on the shelves. Tomorrow I will start worrying again about how to get the word out. (Just call me Scarlet!)

[kahnovitch]

Does that inflame you, or will you pass me by?

How do you best promote yourself as an author with a new series?

Get your kit off and run around the room with a hard-on perhaps?

Or to put it another way, use whatever means necessary to draw attention to yourself and your work.
Advertising, word of mouth, semi-naked women/men on the cover.

Hit the places your "target audience" hangs out.

[Gary Wassner]

I have a great publicist and she works primarily with authors. You really need an advocate today, unless your publisher is willing to fork over the dollars to build you a nice little display at Barnes and Noble, a la Bob Salvatore (lucky him).

It is hard and sometimes not even appropriate to be too aggresssive in self promotion. I try sometimes, but I truly get embarassed. In fact, I tried here on the book of the month selection, and I was rudely slapped down. So I think maybe a more subtle approach is better. Some people probably don't fully understand how hard it is to draw attention to a new book or series. They therefor are skeptical of authors who try to promote themselves. Most readers assume that just getting published brings readers and store buyers. But the facts are otherwise. Large publishers back list titles so quickly that may authors barely have a chance to find a readership. My publisher, bless them, never back lists, so as an author you have the time to build an audience and a following. But the real question is how do you really get noticed today?

[kahnovitch]

But the real question is how do you really get noticed today?

Tough call if you're not a big name with legions of fans eagerly awaiting your next book.
Too much blatent "in your face" advertising and people will be annoyed and avoid you. However, not enough and you'll be passed by.
The best advertising I tend to respond to, is good recommendations and reviews.
But then of course you have to "be read" to "get read".

[Gary Wassner]

I will get the reviews. It's a matter of time, but I will get them. I have a nice base of support among many of the people who run the fantasy websites on the net. I have been fortunate to have been invited to World Fantasy for the past four years, and I have met a lot of industry people who like what I write. I read from the series for the past four years and I was on some interesting, well attended panels. All that helps. But I have to admit that I get so really frustrated if I can't be proactive about this. I need to do things and not sit and just wait for things to happen. So I am always wondering and asking for suggestions, and this is one of the best places to do that.

[kahnovitch]

I need to do things and not sit and just wait for things to happen.

I'll bet there isn't one aspiring writer on this site, who doesn't feel exactly the same, but then they have those concerns pre-published rather than post.
I'm surprised that the publishers don't do more in the way of marketing their products?

[Gary Wassner]

To be honest, my publisher is doing a lot. I am just very persistent, and I am used to fending for myself in life. I don't like to leave things to others to do when there is a possiblity I can help.

My publisher sends out media kits to all the genre bookstores and majors. They send review requests to all the print and online venues, and they send out pre-publication review copies to the really important ones. The set up signings and readings and book tours. So they do their job. I have no complaints there. And, what they don't do, my publicist does.

But I am concerned with the real readers, and if the readers like my books, like the people here, then the word spreads. That type of interest is more important than media kits and reviews. When people who love fantasy go into their local store and request a book of mine, the store has to order it. And, they rarely order one.

[JRMurdock]

The big way to get noticed, unfortunately, is NOT in your hands. It's all by word of mouth. It's generating talk. That's the hard part. I'd say start a link sharing program with other authors you're associated with, but that can be a double edged sword and you'd need authors you'd want your work associated with who would be willing to participate.

I think what you're looking for we all have sought. It's the secret formula to success. Not just getting a book written and published, but to find the adoring masses who will tell their friends who will tell their friends and so on and so on. All that takes time and in some cases, a lot of it.

You've laid the ground work, the most you can do now is to try and keep what little buzz there is out there and hope it grows and foster it where it does. This is only one fan site. If I recall, you're a member of more than one. Perhaps you need to search high and low and see how many fan sites you can find and direct them all to you. That may be more work than it's worth in the end, though.