Dude, Where's Your Marketing Plan? A Writerly Wednesday Post

I'm 40 days away from my book launch--exciting, no?

But also slightly terrifying. Because this means I have to get more serious about marketing, and having a marketing plan to work from. When Double Vision sold, I started writing down all kinds of brilliant and out-of-the-box ways I could get the word out. Like making an awesome animated book trailer series. Writing articles for parenting magazines. Tweeting a story. Being on Oprah's book club--sure, she doesn't exactly feature my kind of book, but you never know.

So now I'm at the point that I have to turn these fantabulous ideas into an actual plan. Which means about three quarters of them will go in the I-wish-but-it's-not-practical/too-expensive pile (like the Oprah thing). And then there are additions, like sending out postcards. Making giveaway packages. Last week, I got my first invitation to speak at a YA/MG event in a nearby city--cool, right?

Lesson learned: ideas are great, but unless you create an action plan to go with it, they're just air. This marketing plan business is a lot like writing a novel, turns out... Like Yoda said: "Do, or do not. There is no try."

How about you, writer friends? Any recommendations on successful marketing for this newbie?