On his freelance switch blog, Chris Garrett ran a post on what freelancers can learn from daredevil Evel Knievel, who passed away a few months ago. All the obits did give Knievel credit for being at least as good at marketing as he was at his motorcycle stunts.
One of the lessons Garrett points out is Knievel wasn't the best, but he was the best known. He talked big, he dressed colorfully, and he built up the hype--in some ways, he was a modern P.T. Barnum. How many writers can you think of who are not the best, but are the best known? There are quite a few!
The answer is not (necessarily) dressing up in leathers and having a loud mouth. But it does help to find some aspect of yourself and your writing that can stand out in one way or another. I've mentioned before the Murder Squad, a group of UK crime writers who banded together to publicize their work. Their promo photo of them walking down the street in shades and outfits reminiscent of Tarantino films makes them stand out.
Another example: the New York author who came up with the idea of the world's smallest book tour--in her living room. The idea got her coverage in the New York Times.
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What idea can you come up with to differentiate your writing?
