The publishing industry now includes a variety of self-publishers,
e-publishers, and other forms of independent publishing, and misinformation about writers and their need to promote abounds, both online and off.
Many newly-published authors mistakenly believe they cannot or should not promote; while others begin promoting by spending large amounts of money on advertising that is not properly targeted for their needs.
In other cases, writers join groups or associations thinking that membership in one of these groups is all they need for success. Unfortunately, some of these groups were formed with other intentions, and the focus of the group is actually quite different.
While workshops and short-term classes are available, the high costs of these often put them out of the reach of many indie authors, and provide no further support beyond the duration of the workshop. Often workshops and classes apply only to writers of non-fiction, and cannot address the specialized needs of fiction authors.
This leaves the newbie author with few options in learning the basics of promotion, and generally they find themselves learning by trial and error what book promotion is all about.
The WOLves program was established in response to this need for a way for newly-published authors to learn the basics of promoting their works; while avoiding the most common, and most expensive mistakes, and keeping attention on the needs of the fiction author.
While a number of resources are made available, including links to a wide variety of business, marketing, and promotional websites, the heart of the program is the forum.
Authors read the basic text, Wild West Marketing--Book Promotion for Greenhorns, and can ask questions of both the author of the book itself, as well as other experts with many years of experience in promotion. In addition, members of the program are encouraged to use the forum to launch cooperative promo events both on and offline.
Cooperative promo is a new entry into the field of book promotion. These events are conceived by authors who have online capability and can connect with writers and indie publishers all over the world. A cooperative event can happen on or offline, and is most often a combination of both. With individual members utilizing their own personal networks to promote group events, using the skills taught by the program, all participants in an event can benefit, with the event itself attracting far more of the general public (and potential readers) than has been possible in the past.
