Teaming up for exposure

Last Friday I attended a Word Book Night Eve event at Portsmouth Library.  My good friends the Deadly Dames were doing a panel event there.

The Deadly Dames are a group of crime writers who have banded together to give talks about crime and their different books. Chaired by my friend Carol Westron, over the last few years I've seen them go from nobody to great strength.  The group includes romance and crime writer Joan Moules, historical and contemporary crime novelists Charlie Cochrane and Nicky Slade, and cozy crime and comedy crime writer Eileen Robertson.  Carol, Joan and /Eileen were already friends of mine when the group formed, but through it I've come to know Nicky and Charlie as well.

Their first 'gigs' were at local libraries, some events very well attended, others with only half a dozen people in the audience.  But they persevered through the disappointing events, and have now appeared at international crime conferences and at the RNA AGM in London.  They have grown familiar with each other's work, and with working together as a group.

As I sat and watched them give yet another polished performance last Friday it struck me that this was an excellent way for a writer to raise his or her profile.  Banding together with other writers in your genre gives each one of you more clout.  I've appeared as an honourably Dame with the panel, at Purbeck Literary Festival a couple of years back.  And I sold some books there.

Which, I think, is one of the best bits of being on such a panel.  You're giving the audience added value, and you can cross-sell each other's books.  We all know we can't spam people with 'buy my books' messages on social media, but talking on a planel does give you a legitimate reason for talking about your book and selling its premise.

By entertaining people, offering added value as business people say, you increase the chances that the audience will get interested in your book.  And if you're really lucky, some of them will buy it when the talk is over.