Indie Author Spotlight: Ben Cibula
My name is Ben Cibula and I’m an author from Portland, Oregon. I currently live in Cincinnati, Ohio. I self-published my debut suspense novel, Through Inconvenient Action, about two months ago.
The process of promoting my self-published book despite my dislike of social media and most types of marketing has been alternately sloggish and rewarding. Earlier this month, I held my first book signing at a Cincinnati bookstore called Joy and Matt’s Books. It was a huge day for me and undoubtedly one of my favorite promotional experiences. Here’s what I learned about promoting my book from my first in-person author event.
1. Readers like familiarity. I struggled to name literary comparisons while I was trying to get TIA traditionally published. Admittedly, I’m sure it weakened my pitch to literary agents. My main issue was that I read a lot of classics and older books, and when an agent asks for literary comps, they’re looking for new, trendy, marketable books. I simply don’t read a lot of those, so I struggled with that part of the pitch. Luckily, I was tabling with my partner, who brightly suggested to a bookstore customer that my novel shared its Pacific Northwest setting and off-kilter vibe with the cult-classic TV show Twin Peaks. The shopper’s eyes lit up and they ended up buying a copy of my book. That comparison was a guiding discussion point for the rest of the signing. This showed me that the comp didn’t need to be a new book, it just needed to be a recognizable piece of media. I’m definitely carrying that lesson forward as I continue to promote TIA and plan promotion for future work.
2. Presentation does matter. Sometimes I have a tendency to throw things together efficiently and figure that it’ll be okay. I did not follow that instinct for my book signing, and it paid off. Including a variety of freebies and an inviting display on my table in the bookstore brought people over. Whether it was curiosity about my book due to the banner I had professionally printed, hope for a unique trinket to take home, or allure from the big pile of books on the table, I found that people were drawn in. If I was sitting there at an empty table with nothing except a copy or two of my book visible, I’m certain things would’ve gone differently. Planning my presentation well in advance made it feel easier to promote my book.
3. Play to your work’s intrigue. What I mean is that as a recent transplant from Seattle, Washington, where the book is loosely based, to Cincinnati, Ohio, I have a bit of mystery behind me. People out here tend to romanticize the idea of the PNW, because… I mean, who wouldn’t? It’s a gorgeous region with a reputation for being sort of magical. I knew people would be interested in the book if I discussed its northwest roots, so I did. I’m willing to bet that if you put your heart into your work, there’s a unique or memorable piece that sets it apart from the pack. Focus on that as you’re promoting it, and it will differentiate you.
My first book signing was honestly one of the best days of my life. I met all sorts of nice people, I sold an amount of copies that made me proud, and I put myself and my work out there. I’m grateful, excited for future promotional opportunities, and positive that I have much more to learn as I continue promoting my book.
Thanks for reading! If you’re interested in reading Through Inconvenient Action, you can find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. It’s also available to Kindle Unlimited subscribers for free. Here’s the book blurb:
An unidentified narrator sees an enormous fallen tree appear in an alley that he’d walked through moments prior. As he pursues answers through friends, acquaintances, and blogs, he only finds more and more questions. He discovers that the wooden riddle isn’t as minor or random as it seemed initially.
When he gets pulled into a chaotic world that he never knew existed, he’s let in on a secret that might change the world. As his clandestine ties grow stronger, so does his paranoia. Once all is revealed and the risks of his new path become more serious than ever, he may be the only one who can prevent catastrophe.
In addition to writing fiction, I run two blogs (Somnambulances, my main blog, and Should You Read It? 500 Words, my book review blog) and just launched a tool to help authors get their books published (WestQuery). To learn more about me and my work, visit BenCibula.com
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