#HNS2023 Conference Preview by Janis Robinson Daly
Take a walk with me. Let’s go inside a library, poke around the shelves, and find your book. Congratulations! Permission granted to dance a happy jig right there in the stacks. Your book in circulation means more readers will discover your writing and learn about you as an author. But wait, before you leave, turn a corner, and check out the library’s community room. Look at the sign next to the door which lists the great line-up of events they’re hosting. What if you could create a program that features you as a writer, markets your books, and provides value to the library for its patrons?
Join me on Saturday morning to chat about Authors & Libraries: There’s More Than Getting Your Book on a Shelf. Through speaking at over twenty-five local libraries in the first eight months of my debut novel’s release, I’ve discovered an untapped goldmine for author marketing. From creating name and title awareness, to driving book demand, achieving incremental earnings, building a mailing list, and creating social media content, library events rock!
We’ll talk about best practices for creating an event and how to pitch it to libraries. The good news? As a historical fiction writer, you’ve got a head start. A presentation which takes a deep dive into historical events and people creates an engaging talk, one that will capture the interest of library directors and patrons. Using your research notes, photographs, and resources you become an expert on your book’s subject. Haven’t published your book yet? We’ll discuss a few other ideas on how to present yourself as an expert and become involved with the library community.
Library Author Events – Name another marketing tactic which can drive marketing success in sixty minutes? Library card not necessary.
Janis Robinson Daly’s debut novel, The Unlocked Path, released August 25, 2022, from indie press, Black Rose Writing and soared to the Kindle #1 New Release spot for U.S. Historical Fiction five days later. Daly graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from Wheaton College in MA, at the time, a woman’s college. There, she developed an appreciation of the supportive relationships formed among students and a heightened awareness of female-centric issues. Daly is an active member and moderator of three book clubs and belongs to the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, Historical Novel Society, and Cape Cod Writers Center. She has spoken at over twenty-five libraries from New Hampshire to Florida, in-person and over Zoom about the inspiration and writing of her novel. In her other life, she holds a sales and marketing position with an education company.
