Oprah Winfrey: Getting My Library Card Was Like Citizenship

"Books were my path to personal freedom.  I learned to read at age 3 and soon discovered there was a whole world to conquer that went beyond our farm in Mississippi." (Oprah Winfrey)

How did a young black girl raised on a farm with no running water nor electricity grow up to be a billionaire?  It all started with a library card.

Oprah Winfrey spent her childhood on a farm in Mississippi where she wore potato sacks as dresses. The daughter of a broken home, her father remarried.  It was her dad who instilled in her the importance of education, taking her to the public library every two weeks where she withdrew five titles.  "Books were my path to personal freedom.  I learned to read at age 3 and soon discovered there was a whole world to conquer that went beyond our farm in Mississippi."  Not only did Oprah have to read the books she borrowed but she had to present a book report to her parents about each one.  While other children were watching Leave it to Beaver, Oprah was visiting the public library.  

Oprah's passion for reading allowed her the chance to dream.  As she explained: 

"As a young girl in Mississippi I had big dreams at a time when being a Negro child you weren't supposed to dream big.  I dreamed anyway.  Books did that to me.  Books allowed me to see a world beyond the front porch of my grandmother's shotgun house and gave me the power to see possibilities beyond what was allowed at the time:  beyond economic and social realities, beyond classrooms with no books and unqualified teachers, beyond false beliefs and prejudice that veiled the minds of so many men and women of the time.  For me, those dreams started when I heard the stories of my rich heritage.  When I read about Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman and Mary McLeod Bethune and Frederick Douglass.  I knew that there was possibility for me." (http://www.ilovelibraries.org/article/reading-life-oprah-winfrey)

Oprah Winfrey's talk show, which debuted in the 1980's, was seen by more than 40 million Americans each week, as well as millions of viewers worldwide,  Oprah's Book Club, which debuted in 1996, sewed the seeds for new readers.  Ten thousand copies of each selection were sent to over 3500 public and secondary schools.  Oprah's Book Club has boosted sales for authors, who would normally sell thousands of books to hundreds of thousands or even millions.  

Oprah has furthered her love of reading with her Oprah magazine which first hit newsstands in 2000. Among other categories, the magazine has a book review section.  While back on her Mississippi farm, she only had an audience of two for her book reviews, now she has a readership of about 2.5 million.  Upon receiving a United Nations Humanitarian award in 2004, Oprah said:  "Getting my library card was like citizenship."  It paved the way for this self-made billionaire.

Oprah Winfrey at 2 years old, only a year before she learned how to read courtesy http://www.oprah.com/pressroom/Oprah-Winfreys-Official-Biography.

How to Build the Buzz About Your Book

"Most of us wouldn't cook an entree for the first time without following a recipe , and having a marketing plan for your book can make the difference between success and falling flat." 

(Paula Krapf)

Well known authors with many books to their credit can look forward to financial support when they market their novel.  However, for first time or little known authors, this is not the case.  Be prepared to market your own book.  Marilyn Henderson offers several tips to get you started on the road to success (http://www.writing-world.com/promotion/buzz.shtml).

Get acquainted with the managers and staff at local bookstores.  You will have an opportunity to do that in the six to eighteen months it takes for your book to be published, once you've signed a contract.  Attend book signings and buy books.  Become a familiar face at bookstores.  Independent stores are one thing, but big changes are another story:  your book must be in their computer before they will order it.  If you are self-published, contact the Small Press Department of the chain's headquarters to see if they will carry your book.

Reviews are a good way to spread the word about your new book.  Marilyn Henderson recommends that you make a list of magazines, newspapers, e-zines and websites where you can request reviews. Google "review novels", followed by "search within results", followed by "submit book".  Search sites related to your book subject.

Book clubs, a formidable force, can be found in most mid to large cities.  Contact book clubs and suggest that they use your book as one of their selections.  Offer to attend one of their discussion meetings.  

The Internet is also a powerful tool to use in marketing your book.  You might discover a chat room where your book is being discussed.  Once again, it's an opportunity to spread the word about your work.

Not all promotion has to be costly.  Order bookmarks and postcards with the image of your book cover on them.  Marilyn Henderson suggests printing an enticing excerpt on them to peak the reader's interest.  Leave bookmarks by the cash register of your neighbourhood bookstore. Distribute them at writing conventions and workshops.  Have them handy to hand out when the occasion arises.

Now is the time to create your own website, if you haven't already done so.  Post reviews of your book.  Share "free read" scenes.  If your book involves catering, post a recipe.  If your book involves cars, post safety tips about driving on the freeway.  If you've written about bird watching, post a chart of the birds in your region.  Post a well researched tip sheet about your topic.

Turn business or family trips into marketing experiences for your book.  If you are travelling to a city anyway, use your free time to visit the local bookstore.

Marilyn Henderson points out that networking is a vital part of marketing your book.  Hang out with fellow writers and share ideas.  Participate in joint signings, joint book launches and panel appearances at schools, libraries and bookstores.  My husband pointed out that it is commonplace at university for one department, for example, history, to have a joint book launch.  Brush up on your public speaking skills and give talks about your book to rotary clubs, women's guilds, or other groups who would be interested in your topic.

Above all, Marilyn Henderson reminds us that marketing "isn't a one shot deal, it's an ongoing process."  What are you waiting for?  

Note:  For more information, read 1001 Ways to Market Your Book by John Kremer at http://blog.bookmarket.com/2012/02/jack-canfield-on-how-he-got-lucky-in.html.

http://www.bookpromotionhub.com/6713/35-book-marketing-ideas-that-will-you-sell-more-books/