When you can't be there in person

Susan Meissner here with an idea to chew on. There are a handful of key events that precede a book's release into the wild. Your stellar idea that lands a contract is one. Your timely completion of a stellar manuscript is another. And the sales meeting that takes place in your publisher's conference room five to six months out is another. You're there for the first two (obviously) but unless you live in the same state as your publisher or have oodles of time and travel money at your disposal, you miss that third key event. Yikes. How can you keep from missing out on a key opportunity to communicate your vision for this book to the people who will be selling it?  Here's an idea.

Be there in another way. If you can't be there physically, be there in another way. It can be done. Here's a few steps to get you thinking:

1. Find out ahead of time when that sales meeting is going to take place. Your editor will know because he or she will be presenting your book to the sales team.  Ask for the opportunity to have five to seven minutes of that meeting's valuable time. Always ask. Don't ask for more than a few minutes. A lot happens in those meetings. You're not the only author with a book coming out.

2. You want to pass along to the sales team your passion for this book. No one knows your book better than you. No one believes in it like you do. Get a friend or hire someone to shoot a short, five minute video of you introducing yourself to this team and your passion for this book. Think of it as pitching the idea all over again. You want to sell this book to the sales team like you sold it to your editor. Use your creative juices to describe how this book will make readers feel, why it will make them feel that way, what universal need it addresses and why you know people will want to read it. Include a sentence or two about how the idea for this book came to you, and why this book matters  - not only to you but to everyone who will read it. Be sure to ask if it is OK to send a video. Most coprotate conference rooms are equipped with audio-visual equipment, but don't assume. Don't skimp, either. Make the DVD as professional-looking as possible. But also keep it real. Don't use a script. Don;t rely on cue cards. You either know and love this book or you don't and it willl show in your delivery.

3. Include a small tangible reminder of what your take-away is, something that will remind the sales team of the five minutes they spent with you. My friend Mindy Starns Clark sent tulip bulbs to the sales team when they were being introduced to her then upcoming release The Trouble with Tulip. Last month, when I sent a DVD of me describing my passion for The Shape of Mercy (which will be released by WaterBrook this fall), I included Venuzuelan chocolate (simply the best - absolutely incomparable)  to remind the sales team that love paired with mercy is pure, extravagant and unforgettable. Again, make sure you have the go-ahead to do this. Get a headcount so you know how many people will be there. And make sure you get your gift there on time.

4. Express your gratitude at every corner, on the DVD, attached to your little tangible reminder, in your conversations with your contact person, and whenever you have a chance to connect with your sales and marketing team. Now and in the future.

When something important is happening in the life of your book, and you can't be there in person, it makes sense to explore any opportunity to "be" there in another way. Being there also keeps you feeling like you are a part of the team that will make your book successful. And that's exactly what you are!