Kate Flora: I was digging through some old files this week, looking for information on the history of the New England Crime Bake. What I found along the way amused me and perhaps will amuse you as well.

Back in 1993, when I sold my first book, my husband Ken congratulated me and said, “Now you have two jobs. Your job as a writer and your job marketing the books.” Like many another writer, marketing is not my forte. I like the part of the writer’s life that involves being all alone, at my desk, living in my head, watching my characters and story evolve. But he was right. Since 1994, when Chosen for Death was published, I’ve been looking for creative ways to promote the books.

While I was digging, I found two very amusing attempts at promotion. First, a cardboard gun, imprinted with book information, that, when it is pulled forcefully through the air, makes a bang and a small banner pops out. That one was fun. Alas, when I went to get more for the next book, the price had gone up so much it was out of my price range. Then there was the giant red plastic paperclip, imprinted with my book information. Like the gun, it was soon too expensive for an ill-paid author to afford.

Brother John in the Educated Death tee shirt

Publishing is a very insecure business. Writers’ series are always being dropped, even when they’re earning money. Publishers are always drawn to the bright and shiny new object over the steady and reliable author. So when my Thea Kozak series looked like it was about to die, I made a bunch of tee shirts with the book title and the message: Buy This Book or Thea Dies. Thea didn’t die, but that was because another publisher, Jim Huang at The Mystery Company picked up the series. I am forever grateful.

Then there are the postcards. I still have postcards for many books in my files, in case someone out there collects author’s postcards. Sometimes I did postcards. Sometimes I did bookmarks. Sometimes I did both. And sometimes, according to my files, I didn’t do either of those things. But it may simply be that I have a very small office with 20+ years of  manuscripts, research files, correspondence, clippings, files from my service on local and national boards promoting mystery writers, and books. Tons and tons of books. It is a miracle that the floor hasn’t collapsed and dumped the whole mess onto the living room floor below.

Author photos? The first time my publisher asked for one of those, my cleaning man, known as The Dread Cleaner Robert, had been a professional photographer, so he snapped a bunch of photos and I sent them along to New York. Photos one and two are from Robert. Then I got a professional one. Then, too busy to get a photo taken, I headed out into the yard in our rental in Florida and our house guest took a picture. Most recently, I’m back to a professional photo and Ali Rosa, from Ali Rosa photography, make my 75-year-old self look pretty darn good.

I also used to do a newsletter, which I am about to revive. If you’d like to be on the mailing list for recipes, new publications, and general stuff about the world of publishing and promotion, send me an email from my website, http://www.kateclarkflora.com or at writingaboutcrime@gmail.com

And by the way, got any great ideas for my next promo?