To promote a book, an author needs help, and that help comes from people in the media, from book reviewers to journalists, conference organizers, bloggers, and many, many others. Approaching these people properly and following their lead is essential to winning them over to happily helping you promote your book. While good manners and common sense should prevail, all book promoters have their horror stories about difficult authors. The following are the ten most common complaints I have heard from various publishers and book promoters about authors they have worked with or refused to work with.

1. Make cold calls: The telephone is a great means of communication, but it is also a great switch. Before you call someone, visit their website and read all the guidelines. If you can’t get an answer to a question, please send an email. People are busy, so when you call them, you interrupt them. Most people will respond to your email in a timely manner, and if a phone call is needed, you can ask in an email when the best time to call is.

2. Being a bad host: Sometimes it’s not all about the author and the book. Radio and television presenters need guests and they like experts. They especially rely on non-fiction book authors who can inform their audience. In these cases, authors must remember that it is not about them or their book; This is the topic they were invited to discuss. Don’t try to cover your book during the show; it only informs the audience. The host will no doubt mention his book when he introduces it and again when the show ends. Be a good guest by following protocol and satisfying the host’s need to give your audience what they want and might even invite you back.

3. Being impatient: Everyone is busy today. Magazines and other publications often plan issues six months in advance. Newspaper reporters are scrambling to meet today’s deadline. And book reviewers have lots of books to review. Don’t expect people to respond immediately. Don’t expect them to drop everything to read your book or even your press release. Give them a reasonable amount of time. If you contact someone and don’t get a response from them right away, wait a couple of weeks and then follow up, or ask in advance what is the time frame in which your book review or story might appear. Being impatient will only irritate people, and even if they post your news to get you to stop bothering them, they may not be willing to do it next time.

4. Mailing of unsolicited books and manuscripts: When submitting books to publishers, a query letter is usually sufficient. There is nothing worse than receiving loads of unsolicited manuscripts in the mail with no return postage. The same goes for reviewer books, especially when accompanied by a letter saying “Thank you for requesting my book” when the book was not requested. Also, as an author, you are wasting money. Most unsolicited books are never read and are instead donated to a library or Goodwill store, while manuscripts end up in the circular file and you’ll be lucky to receive a formal rejection letter.

5. Post your own book reviews: Any author with any sense should know better than to post book reviews on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online bookstores and give your book five stars. Nothing makes an author look worse. And almost as bad is when mom, your brother and Uncle Joe post the reviews for you; you often know because mom will say, “I’m so proud of you, Mary, for writing a book.” The same is true for your website if you have a guest book to sign tell your family to stay away from it. Your publicist who wants you to look professional will pull their hair out if he has to deal with your mom promoting your book.

6. Printing banner ads and unbelievable testimonials: I know you’ve seen them. AK’s testimony in Hawaii that he doesn’t want anyone to know that he loves a book, yet he still writes a book review. Who is AC? Why do readers care? Find testimonials from authors and experts in your field who are willing to give you their full name. If you don’t know anyone who can give you a testimonial, make sure you find someone. If you still can’t find anyone, don’t print any testimonials on the back cover of your book. No advertisement is better than a bad or false one. AK may be a real person, but for all the reader knows, the author might have invented AK

7. Indulge in complimenting yourself: Authors who praise themselves and their books only show people what a big ego they have. It is likely that this lack of emotional intelligence also manifests itself in the lack of good judgment in writing the book. Don’t make your website read like a commercial for your book. Make it informative, but start with “My book is the best ever written on this subject” and “This wonderful novel was written with moving scenes, engaging characters, etc.” it’s a detour. It’s okay if you have testimonials from others saying those things. Just don’t say them yourself. The same goes for the book cover. Tell people what your book is about, but save the praise for your patrons.

8. Having insufficient material: Nothing irritates a book promoter more than trying to promote a book that isn’t promoteable. What makes a book can not be promoted? There is no website to visit; No placement in bookstores, neither physical nor online. There is no email address to contact the author. Believe it or not, I’ve seen authors say, “Readers can send me a check for $19.95 to my PO Box address, etc., if they want a copy.” People want a chance to see the book and read about it before they mail you a check, and they want to pay online because it’s faster and easier than mailing a check. Create a profile on the Internet and in a bookstore or your books will rot in your basement.

9. Hide your identity: No one can promote your book if you don’t promote it. Readers care as much about the author these days as they care about the book. You need to be a visible presence in promoting your book. No pseudonyms. Your face should be on your website and on the cover of the book with a short bio. You need to blog and promote through social media so that you look like a real person online. You have to make appearances at book signings and other events. It’s hard for a publicist or radio host to say “This is a great book” and get people interested. It’s easier for them to say, “I’ve read this great book, and here’s the author who’s going to tell you about it.” Your book is your child. Don’t send your child out into the world alone. Take his hand and go with him.

10. Expect something for nothing: Nothing is going to irritate a book promoter more than an author who acts as if he and his book deserve publicity and deserve it for free. He takes a lot of time to read a book and write a review or a blog. He costs money to run a website and pay people to maintain it. Even if a service is free, like a journalist writing a newspaper article about your book, appreciate the value of that person’s time and send a thank you note after the story breaks. Always give book promoters a free copy of his book. And don’t complain about the prices. If you can’t afford the service, find one you can afford, but don’t argue about fees. Remember that the publishing world is a small place, you don’t want word to get around that you are cheapskate or lazy.

Authors, now that you know what irritates book promoters, ask yourself if you are guilty. Are people not returning your calls because you are insisting or because you have no idea of ​​the proper ways to promote your book? Now you know. There are no more excuses. Go out and promote your book with newfound confidence and proper promotional etiquette.