Graham Parke is responsible for a number of technical publications and has recently patented a self-folding map. He has been described as both a humanitarian and a pathological liar. Convincing evidence to support either allegation has yet to be produced.
No Hope for Gomez! is his fiction debut.
Visit Graham on the web at www.grahamparke.com.
Welcome to Book Marketing Buzz, Graham. Can we begin by having you tell us a little about your book?
[Graham] No Hope for Gomez! is the strange little tale of Gomez Porter, who is many things; a reluctant antiques dealer, an experimental drug trail participant, a stalker-stalker (someone who stalks other stalkers). And, just recently, he’s also become a fugitive.
Exactly who is after him, he isn’t sure. When he decides to help the police infiltrate the drug trail, as many of its participants are going missing, the chief investigator himself disappears. Gomez decides it’s best to strike out on his own. Hounded by a meddling neighbor, a phone-sex salesman (someone who… no idea), and a crazed stalker, he tries to discover the truth behind the mysterious events in his life.
Oh yeah, and there’s also a nurse with big boobs.
What is the first thing you did to promote your book once your publisher accepted your manuscript?
[Graham] The first thing I did was tell my mother. She has a vast network of avid readers (at time of writing, it topped over six whole people!). Another thing I did was get my website ready. It still looked somewhat crappy. Like it was designed by a six year old, with one hand tied behind his back. I made new graphics, changed the layout, consulted with an artist friend of mine, and now the site looks as though it was designed by at least a twelve year old. So that’s a 100 percent increase! I also incorporated a forum. This way I’ll be able to communicate with readers, and they will also be able to communicate with each other. Which is bound to be more interesting for them. I think a forum is a much stronger marketing tool than, say, a simple blog.
If you had to pick just one book marketing tool that you’ve used to promote your book, which would you say has been the most effective?
[Graham] Entering your novel in free giveaways a very nice way to get some feedback. Not only do the number of participants tell you something about (at the very least) your book’s description, potential readers will also tell you what they liked or didn’t like about the presentation of your book. You can use this information to optimize further send outs.
Do you do more promoting online or offline and which do you prefer?
[Graham] I prefer to do online promotion. You get a stab at promoting your work wold-wide, and, better still, you don’t have to leave your writing cave and venture out into the world.
Do you use social networks such as Twitter and Facebook to promote your books and have you had any success with it?
[Graham] I have things like this set up, but I mostly just let them run their own course. These things are somewhat geared towards one-way communication. I prefer the interaction of a forum.
Do you own a blog and how often do you update it? Did you set up your blog solely to promote your book and what is its effectiveness?
[Graham] I currently have a blog running at GoodReads, and I cross post entries to a blog thread on my forum at www.grahamparke.com. I need the blog as a catch-all for all the ideas I get that don’t fit into any of the novels I’m currently writing. Without the blog, my brain would fill up and become severely damaged (I’d notice the difference, even if no one else would).
Thank you for coming, Graham! We wish you much success!
[Graham] Thank you so much for having me! I’d like to sign off by telling your readers about a little give-away I’m organizing from my forum. It’s a limited edition novelette set in the ‘No Hope for Gomez!’ universe. It won’t be availbe for purchase, but can be found at www.grahamparke.com.
Reviews for No Hope for Gomez!
“Extremely witty and clever writing that contains keen insights into human nature.” — California Chronicle
“The antics in this book will leave the reader laughing. Graham Parke is a genius.” — Readers Favorite
“A veritable page turner of nonstop laughs. Buy a copy and find out for yourself!” — Reader Views
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