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Writing books can be a fascinating hobby and, if you’re good enough, provide the author with a lucrative career. But there is far more to the overall writing process than simply churning out a good, readable story on, say, a top footballer’s life and career. For the book to be an overall success there has to be a solid follow-up plan in place. No point in sending off the manuscript to the publisher and then sitting back and awaiting the Royalties to pour in. Chances are they won’t.
For me, the marketing process is just as important as getting the story right. The after-care, if you like. As far as I’m concerned, it’s all about the package. The idea; the research; the interviews; the writing, and the editing. The moment the book is with the publisher, you put on a different hat and start working on ways you can publicise your work. Sure, publishers have their marketing departments but I like to take more of a hands-on role and start the ball rolling myself.
I have built up an extensive list of media contacts and try to get my book mentioned in as many places as possible, including social media. And at the expense of the back of a van up the Barras, book signings are also a fantastic way of shifting copies! Writing a book is a lot of work, but when you’ve exhausted every avenue, and eventually sit down and put your feet up – safe in the knowledge you’ve done all you can – you can enjoy that well-earned cup of tea. At least till the feet start to itch and you move on to the next project…
The Alex Totten Story - Totts
The book was serialised in the Daily Record
The following article appeared in the Lennox Herald
The following article appeared in the Perthshire Advertiser
We had mixed opinions on the review of Totts in When Saturday Comes
Journalist David Oliver was kind enough to review the book in the Falkirk Herald
Alex Totten managed the difficult task of keeping up a ball while showing off the book on the back page of the Falkirk Herald
The Falkirk Herald have given the book some good publicity
Newton Mearns: A Football Village
The Eyes Have It: A rather strange pic appeared in the magazine produced by my local council, ER mag
This review appeared in Mearns Press, a local glossy free sheet
The Glasgow Evening Times were kind enough to carry an article on my first “real” book!
My local paper The Extra were very supportive of the project
An appeal for information and pics in The Extra proved very successful
The Barrhead News also ran an article on the book. I had undertaken a lot of research at Barrhead Library
The Glaswegian newspaper ran an article on the book – and even gave it a plug on their front page!
The Extra ran a piece on a book signing in my local Ottakar’s
The Extra also helped promote the book once it was released
I was delighted when the Sunday Post gave the book a full page review
Moody Blue - The Story of Mysterious Marco
The popular football mag, When Saturday Comes, featured a review of Moody Blue
Moody Blue A3 Poster: Marco and former team mate Michael Mols proved massive draws in Glasgow
The Marco Negri story made front page news in the Daily Record
The Marco Negri book proved a big hit in the north of Scotland
The Greatest Ranger Ever?
We gave away free bookmarks with the book on Rangers legend Davie Meiklejohn
Former Rangers stars John McDonald and Alex MacDonald took part in a book signing for the The Greatest Ranger Ever?
The Jock Wallace Story - Blue Thunder
Jock Wallace had a spell in charge of Colchester United and the town's Daily Gazette featured Blue Thunder
This double page spread appeared in the Leicester Mercury, and told of his time with the Foxes
Blue Thunder featured heavily in the Daily Record's popular Saturday Book Club
The Paisley Daily Express ran a feature on Blue Thunder
Daily Record journalist Scott McDermott ran a story on Colin Stein the day after the launch of Blue Thunder
The Daily Record went big on the serialisation of Blue Thunder
The serialisation was front and back page news!
Blue Thunder also had the front page of the Saturday sport supplement "The Winner" to itself
It was said that the book was perfect for serialisation as it had "so many great lines!"
Part of the serialisation of Blue Thunder centred on the day Jock Wallace was turfed out of his beloved Ibrox!
The Frank McDougall Story
The Frank McDougall story featured heavily in the Clydebank Post
Frank McDougall made his name in the Granite City and Sean Thomas Graham wrote an article on the book for the
official club programme.
The national edition of the Sun picked up on the line that Frank McDougall had delivered a KO blow to
Alex Ferguson - great publicity!
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