Guest spot by Jonathan L. Ferrara, author of The Blackwell Family Secret: The Guardians of Sin

A lot of people don’t understand that being an author isn’t just about writing a book. That’s actually only half of the battle. With millions of books out there, marketing is the key to any successful author. Nobody is just going to find your book, purchase it, and spend the long hours reading it. They want to know that they aren’t wasting their money and time on another so-so book. You have to be able to tell your story, not just by writing it, but by verbalizing your exciting tale. You need to turn heads without reading a single word of the manuscript.  

            I worked many years in retail, working as a manager for the Disney Store. I never saw myself as a salesman and I kind of just stumbled upon the job to pay my way through college. I learned some amazing strategies by working in retail. I even learned that Disney is a perfect example to how an author can market their book. Every day while I was at work it was up to me to sell the merchandise, not by handing the shopper a Disney shirt and saying something like “buy this it’ll look great on you,” but by bringing the characters on the shirt to life, by telling the character's story and making the shopper excited. The same goes for a book. As an author, it’s up to you to bring your own characters to life by sharing your story before a reader even gets the chance to read a single word from your book. What’s exciting about your novel? Why would a reader be interested in your characters? What makes your novel different from all the others? Start with a catchy hook line and then let the rest of your story unfold.   

            When it comes to my novel, “The Blackwell Family Secret: The Guardians of Sin,” I found that what made it most interesting was the unique way I portrayed the Seven Deadly Sins. I didn’t just use Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride as the wicked words we’ve come to know, but gave them life by making characters out of them. I told a story about their origin and how they effect mankind today. Of course my book has much more going on than just the Seven Deadly Sins, but it would be impossible to explain a whole story in just a few short sentences. When I start to market I go straight to the sins because it’s interesting and unique and can capture attention.    

            "Somehow I can't believe there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secret of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four C's. They are Curiosity, Confidence, Courage, and Constancy and the greatest of these is Confidence. When you believe a thing, believe it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably.” - Walt Disney. That’s one of my favorite quotes, and I hold it dear to me. I believe in the story I wrote, and I market it so that I may share this belief with others. Every author should believe in their story and give it the chance it rightfully deserves. If you believe in your tale then be excited about it with all your heart and the rest of marketing is simple.  

/////////////////////////////////////////

Jonathan L. Ferrara is the author of the debut, young adult urban fantasy, The Blackwell Family Secret: The Guardians of Sin, just released by Dragonwell Publishing. He was born in San Pedro, California to an Italian fisherman and a mother from New York. Growing up with one older brother, Jonathan had several hobbies: finding the best hiding spots to jump out and scare his mother, discovering new fantasy book series, and imagining outrageous, whimsical worlds full of magic. He is now happily married, residing in California in the City of Angels. He has two wonderful children-his dog Koda and cat Merlin. Visit his WEBSITE.