Guest spot by Jonathan L. Ferrara, author of The Blackwell Family Secret: The Guardians of Sin
A lot of people don’t understand that being an author isn’t just about writing a book. That’s actually only half of the battle. With millions of books out there, marketing is the key to any
successful author. Nobody is just going to find your book, purchase it, and
spend the long hours reading it. They want to know that they aren’t wasting their money
and time on another so-so book. You have to be able to tell your story, not
just by writing it, but by verbalizing your exciting tale. You need to
turn heads without reading a single word of the manuscript.
I worked many years in retail,
working as a manager for the Disney Store. I never saw myself as a salesman and
I kind of just stumbled upon the job to pay my way through college. I learned
some amazing strategies by working in retail. I even learned that Disney is a
perfect example to how an author can market their book. Every
day while I was at work it was up to me to sell the merchandise, not by handing the shopper a Disney shirt and saying something
like “buy this it’ll look great on you,” but by bringing the
characters on the shirt to life, by telling the character's story and making
the shopper excited. The same goes for a book. As an author, it’s up to you to bring
your own characters to life by sharing your story before a reader even gets the chance to read a single word from your
book. What’s exciting about your
novel? Why would a reader be interested in your characters? What makes your
novel different from all the others? Start with a catchy hook line and then let
the rest of your story unfold.
When it comes to my novel, “The Blackwell Family Secret: The Guardians of
Sin,” I found that what made
it most interesting was the unique way I portrayed the Seven Deadly Sins. I
didn’t just use Lust,
Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride as the wicked words we’ve come to know, but
gave them life by making characters out of them. I told a story about their
origin and how they effect mankind today. Of course my
book has much more going on than just
the Seven Deadly Sins, but it would be impossible to explain a whole story in
just a few short sentences. When I start to market I go straight to the sins
because it’s interesting and unique
and can capture attention.
"Somehow I can't believe there
are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secret of making
dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in
four C's. They are Curiosity, Confidence, Courage, and Constancy and the
greatest of these is Confidence. When you believe a thing, believe it all the
way, implicitly and unquestionably.” - Walt Disney. That’s one of my favorite quotes, and I
hold it dear to me. I believe in the story I wrote, and I market it so that I
may share this belief with others. Every author should believe in their story
and give it the chance it rightfully deserves. If you believe in your tale then
be excited about it with all your heart and the rest of marketing is simple.
/////////////////////////////////////////
Jonathan L. Ferrara is the author of the debut, young adult urban fantasy, The Blackwell Family Secret: The Guardians of Sin, just released by Dragonwell Publishing. He was born in San Pedro, California to an Italian fisherman and a mother from New York. Growing up with one older brother, Jonathan had several hobbies: finding the best hiding spots to jump out and scare his mother, discovering new fantasy book series, and imagining outrageous, whimsical worlds full of magic. He is now happily married, residing in California in the City of Angels. He has two wonderful children-his dog Koda and cat Merlin. Visit his WEBSITE.
Leave a Comment