When evaluating how to best promote your book, a form of advertising that may make sense is to exhibit at specialized trade shows and book festivals. Attending or exhibiting at conventions directly related to your book's subject can be a wise move. This is called vertical marketing and can be extremely effective.
There are trade associations to match you book's subject matter, and most of them sponsor at least one big meeting per year. Two association references are the National Trade and Professional Associations of the United States and Enclyclopedia of Associations. You can also go online and use key word searches to find upcoming shows.
If you write fiction, you should be attending the genre conferences applicable to the type of novels you write. There are special annual gatherings for mystery writers, those who do romance and writers of science fiction and fantasy, to name a few. These events can be ideal places to meet editors who might review your book, to rub elbows with best-selling authors in the genre, and to learn tricks and techniques to make you a better writer and book seller.
Book fairs may offer other opportunities. These tend to be less structured, regional events that give you a reasonably priced opportunity to sell books by renting a table. You can also get to know other authors and publishers, compare notes, and hear a diverse group of guest authors talking about their craft and giving readings.
Around the country, festivals are raising the visibility of a wide variety of books - both fiction and nonfiction. They can be an interesting merchandising tool and provide wonderful networking opportunities. So when you are deciding how to allocate your advertising budget, don't overlook exhibits, trade shows and book fairs.
[The above post was created from excerpts taken, with permission form The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing, 5th Edition, co-authored by Marilyn Ross and Sue Collier.]
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