Examining Online Media: How To Build An Audience Before Your Book Is Published! By Pat Hauldren

Today, I'm happy to reintroduce you to a returning guest on this blog. Pat Hauldren is a prolific writer and lecturer. Today, she's sharing tips on how you can build an audience even before your book is published.



Examining Online Media: How To Build An Audience Before Your Book Is Published!

By Pat Hauldren



Writers marketing their work can occur in many different ways. In this blog post, we'll discuss how I chose to market myself before my book is even published!



Who am I?



I'm Pat Hauldren. I write five columns for an online news media called Examiner.com. I also write for other venues, like Demand Studios, various freelance writing sites, and two local online news media: North Texas eNews and Beacon-News.com. I also write and publish short stories, poetry, Japanese Noh Drama, and am working on my third novel with requests from five agents. Remember this, because at the end of this post, I'll ask you a question.



What got me started in writing articles along with my fiction?



A few years ago, I realized that just writing a novel was extremely frustrating. (Anyone noticed? LOL) I'm unable to work due to a disability and as a result, really missed the affirmation a regular paycheck offered (not to mention the hit to my poor ego. Believe me, SSD is not much of an ego boost.) I realized that I needed a bit more than hiding at my desk for 6 months or more writing a novel. Even writing short stories, while greatly satisfying to see my story in print and get a bit of $$ in the process, didn't really help my ego, nor my bank account, on a regular basis.



Yes, I admit it. I craved recognition and affirmation that I was a "writer", a "real writer", not just a wannabe hack who likes to talk to herself and daydream. It's a terrible fault, I thought at the time, but came to realize, I wasn't the only one. All writers have this "fault" to some degree. It's what makes us human.



What do to do about it?



I delved into online media opportunities. I tried everything, from freelance writing to pumping out articles like a machine, from reviewing books to blogging. All were very informative, but I wasn't getting much writing done on my novel! So, I had to learn to select the media I wanted, and focus.



I had to sit down and think about what I really wanted out of online media and how best to use those needs without sacrificing my true love, fiction. I had to ask:



What do I want out of writing for online media?



Most of us will agree that we want to grow an audience. But that's more than just wishing, it's a necessity for us authors. Without readers buying our books and other works, we are still writers, but we aren't selling writers.



And so, I write online media, get a few $, lots of name recognition, with millions of readers world-wide, and now, I am conducting classes on how to build an audience while you write your book. And it doesn't matter if it's the first book or the fifth book, it's never too late to start growing your audience.



Question of the day: If an agent or editor has two equally well-written manuscripts in hand and has to choose just one to publish, which one will she choose?



A. Manuscript A: the manuscript sent in on blind submission... OR

B. Manuscript C: the manuscript sent in on blind submission, and writes for online media, states so in her query letter, revealing that she has a "canned" audience lined up to read her book?



Your goal:

I think you can see that our goal here is to get your name out there and build an audience to increase your book sales when you're ready.



Experiment with different online media: Examiner.com, Demand Studios, Suite 101, About.com, Salon, etc. and find one that fits your needs and schedule. Remember, as an author, your goal is to build an audience, not get rich as a journalist, nor limit yourself or stifle your creativity.



If you're interested in learning more about this topic, keep an eye on my website, www.PatHauldren.com/workshops, for upcoming workshops on this subject and many more.





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 -------- Tony Eldridge is the author of The Samson Effect , an action/adventure novel that Clive Cussler calls a "first rate thriller brimming with intrigue and adventure." He is also the author of the Twitter marketing book, Conducting Effective Twitter Contests .