It seems an odd place to stick this chapter, I know. Right in the middle of discussing writing. But it's never too early to begin promoting your work. 

Get yourself onto every social media platform you can. Facebook, yes I know you think this is just where us old people hang out, but there are so many authors on there it will help you when you have questions, concerns, or need help with something. You can also find a lot of groups with cover designers on Facebook. Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and anything else you think will help. The sooner you start building an internet presence the better. If you can afford a website do that as well. There are places you can make a free one, but your URL will be long and cumbersome, while it will be fine for posting online, it will not be print-friendly. 

Business cards are another good thing to have. If you mention to anyone that you're a writer they may want something that will help them find your work. A business card looks more professional than scribbling down your info on a napkin. Vistaprint is a great place to get all kinds of promotional materials and they often run deals or send coupons and their site is very user-friendly.

Once you have all your accounts set up then you need to figure out what you're going to say. Posts about your progress with the novel are good. You can give daily word counts. People love seeing pictures of pets. You can talk briefly about the characters. Discuss your writing process. Anything so long as you're talking. TikTok videos can be you trying to remove your cat from the keyboard so you can write, real-world writer problems lol.

You can even start a blog if you want to and discuss everything from writing to simple experiences of your day. You can do book reviews, some readers like to know what authors like to read. 

Whatever it is you do, just do it. Don't sit on your computer and just write. If people don't know you're out there it's going to be that much harder to promote anything at all. You might post and that right person might be paying attention. An author friend of mine attended a writers' convention and happened to be at the bar with some other writers talking about an idea she had for a book and a publisher overheard it. He offered her his card and told her when it was written to contact him because he was extremely interested in it. Right place, right time, right person listening.

Now, if you get a random deal out of the blue do be aware if it sounds too good to be true, it just might be. There are places that send out random emails saying they want to publish your book and I'm sure a lot of you here have gotten the PMs from places like Dreame and Webnovel. Take any of these kinds of offers with a grain of salt a huge dose of wariness. Places like these will troll for authors new to the scene and make an attempt to lock them into a contract before they learn better. 

Most of these places are referred to as vanity publishers (talking about print publishers, not places like Dreame). They're small companies that seem to offer a great deal upfront but they will often ask you for more and more money in order to complete the deal. Some even force you to order a specific number of print copies of your book once it's published. Sometimes 500 or 1000 copies, which can run a pretty penny. They don't care if you can sell them, they get the money for the books upfront from you. Do you have the room to store that many books or pay for them? Beware of these types of companies, and as always, have a lawyer look over any contract you're offered. 

Real agents and publishing houses get hundred of thousands of manuscript submissions on a daily basis, they do not need to troll the internet in search of authors. 

In addition to maintaining a social media presence, you can attend book events and meet other authors. Local libraries sometimes hold such events. A lot of authors will do comic con events, sci-fi, paranormal, and fantasy tend to do very well at these types of events.

You can join writing groups. Sometimes it helps to have a bunch of other authors as friends on social media, we often share posts for each other so they reach a wider audience.

I'm part of a group here in Vegas called the Coffee House Tours. We partner with local coffee places and have monthly author signings that range from two authors to four at a time. Our events are free for members to join. We help one another to promote books and events.  

You can enter contests as well, not only to get your name out there but if you win it's something you can present to potential publishing houses or agents. If you have a few awards it tells them that your writing might be worth taking a closer look at, even if you didn't win first place. There are free contests and ones that require a fee to enter. If you're still a student you can find a wider selection of contests to enter, some with prizes for college tuition. Always check out a contest beforehand to make certain it's legitimate. 

Once your book is out you'll need to continue to promote and if you're doing events you'll discover a lot of authors have what they refer to as swag. Whether it's bookmarks, keychains, little charms, even wine with a personalized label, they're items you can give away to potential readers or those who buy a book. You can even hold a raffle. A romance author showed up at an event with plastic cups that said  "It isn't what it looks like. Oh, who am I kidding it is, there's wine in here." (always check to be certain a venue will allow you to serve drinks, including alcohol, or food). Not only did people remember her because of that promotion, but the cups also had her website address on them. You want people to remember you. Some of the erotic authors I know found a lady who makes soap in shapes. They give away little penis soaps. It's hysterical, to say the least. Some authors have temporary tattoos or stickers. Do what works for you.