By Whispers Publishing

 

Authors have all heard that they need to build up their reputations in order to find a niche in the marketplace. But there are positive ways to go about it. In Hollywood, bad publicity equals a bad reputation. Think Lindsay Lohan or Charlie Sheen. It’s the same for authors. So how do you avoid getting a bad reputation?

Don’t Spam—if you want reviewers, other authors and your potential readers to be open to you and your work, don’t spam them. No one likes to wake up to find junk mail filling their inbox—and that they received the same email last week! A personal letter is not spam, but sending it to 200 people you don’t really know IS spam unless they’ve voluntarily signed up for your newsletter.

Don’t Burn Bridges—Sure, you might believe wholeheartedly that your book is the best thing to ever grace the bookshelves, but the first time you get a bad review and slam that person for it, you’ve just called down some bad karma. Being coined as difficult to work with is also going to get around the industry. In publishing, you never know how many pen names a person may have. Your editor at one house might be a publisher at another, and they won’t bother to look at your book if you flamed them for their editing skills.

Don’t Forget the Little People—and by this I mean the people who have supported you in your career. That includes readers! Some authors believe they are too good to bother to respond to emails or talk to fans. Don’t forget they’ve put you where you are!

Keeping these tips in mind will keep your reputation unsoiled. While most of us are hiding behind our computers, it’s possible that we’re giving off the wrong vibes. Be kind, use your heads, and have fun!

Whispers Publishing

http://whispershome.com