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Michael Reilly is a writer and entrepreneur. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Yale University and a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University. His first published novel, Fresh Heir, was released in May 2011. He is also founder and chief executive officer of FitDivs Inc, a company that promotes and rewards healthy living. Michael resides with his wife and four children in Charlottesville, VA.

You can visit his website at www.freshheirnovel.com or connect with him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Fresh-Heir/168240473246308.

Welcome to Book Marketing Buzz, Michael.  Can we begin by having you tell us a little about your book?

Fresh Heir is a novel about the challenges of parenting in the modern world. It takes a satirical poke at this trend toward helicopter parenting and the tendency for parents to over-schedule their kids for fear they won’t be successful. So many non-fiction books have addressed this issue. My goal was to write a fictional story that would convey my message within the scope of an entertaining read. I hope my readers will laugh along the way, but in the end, stop and give serious thought to the underlying issues.

What is the first thing you did to promote your book once your publisher accepted your manuscript?

Well, I have never actually had a publisher accept my manuscript. I am self-published. I went this route with Fresh Heir because I had written several books in the past that were rejected by agents and publishers. (Yes, I have kept the 100+ rejection letters.) When I embarked on writing Fresh Heir I decided to skip the whole charade. I really wanted to enjoy the writing process without the aggravation of wondering whether it would get accepted. Plus, I had faith that the advancements in the self-publishing world would get me where I wanted to go much quicker. So, with said, once my book was in print, I connected with as many people I knew…family, friends, etc. and asked them to spread the word about my book. I have a dedicated website for the book as well as a page on Facebook.

After that, what happened?

That was just a few months ago. Summer hit, and things have slowed a bit. I had heard great things about PumpUpYourBook.com, so that’s where I have focused most of my attention.

What did your publisher do to promote your book?

I self-published through Amazon.com’s CreateSpace. They sent out press releases to hundreds of media outlets, and of course put me right up on Amazon with both a print and Kindle version.

What’s your opinion on blogging?  Do you see that it is helping sell your book or is it not making much difference in terms of sales?

I think blogging is great promotion and certainly a wonderful way for writers to continue working on their craft. It is hard to say how much it is helping sell my book because it is still early yet for me. I am a new author and realize it will take some time to get my name out there. But I am very optimistic and will continue to blog as much as I can.

I understand using the social networks to promote your books is also an effective marketing tool.  Do you find it is or isn’t?

Absolutely. Anytime you can have dozens of people hooked into your “loop” with the click of a button, I think it is helpful.

Besides blogging and using the social networks to promote your books, what other ways are you promoting your book?

I am promoting primarily right now through PumpUpYourBook.com. I also am working with some local bookstores to carry my book, since it is now only sold online.

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?

It is very difficult to say at this point in time, as it is very early yet in the process for me.

What are your experiences with offline promotions such as booksignings?

I have not done any yet, but as soon as I can get my book in some local bookstores, I hope to arrange some book signings.

Thank you for this interview, Michael!  We wish you much success!

Here’s an interesting LIVE interview with Mashable’s Adam Ostrow!  Social Media Examiner asks Adam such questions as what kind of blogging tips he has for bloggers, behind the scenes happenings at Mashable, and how Mashable decides what is breaking news and what is not, not to mention how Mashable evolved into a major media company and much more!

sme_bw2010_adam_ostrow_v1 from Michael A. Stelzner on Vimeo.

Don’t you all miss those old Saturday Night Live spoofs on Sarah Palin?  God, I miss them.  Thanks to GalleyCat today, I was again enlivened, hilariously entertained and gosh darnit just plumb happy to see her back again.  This time, it’s the ingenious mind of Jean Carper who has a book out called 100 Simple Things You Can Do to Prevent Alzheimer’s and Age-Related Memory Loss. It’s hilarious…watch…

Cherie Burbach is an author, blogger, poet, crocheter, and geek.  She loves football and is obsessed with anything having to do with the Green Bay Packers or Tudor history.

A passionate diabetes advocate, Cherie has written the book, 21 Simple Things You Can Do To Help Someone With Diabetes.

Cherie used her experience with meeting her husband online to pen At the Coffee Shop, a humorous look at the world of Internet dating. Cherie went on over 60 coffee dates in just six months. She met lots of great people and one of those turned out to be the guy she would marry just one year later. Cherie’s new dating book, Internet Dating is Not Like Ordering a Pizza is available now.

She is a staff writer for b5media, and also the author of three poetry books, including A New Dish and The Difference Now.  Her latest, Father’s Eyes, has received the 2008 Editor’s Choice Award by Allbooks Review.

Readers have resonated with Cherie’s honest and inspirational ”This I Believe” essay, which is the second-most popular out of over 40,000 entries on the NPR website. For more information, please visit Cherie’s website, www.cherieburbach.com, her personal blogs, or follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/brrbach.

Welcome to Book Marketing Buzz, Cherie. Can we begin by having you tell us a little about your book?

21 Simple Things You Can Do to Help Someone With Diabetes is equal parts guide and etiquette book and will help people learn what they should (and shouldn’t) say, what they ought to learn to truly be supportive, and even how they can help in the fight for a cure.

The book is short and a quick read (by design) so it’s perfect for diabetics to share with their non-diabetic friends and family.

What is the first thing you did to promote your book?

I first send it out for reviews. Reviews always help sell a book, and plus they also provide some background for others who might want to read it. I also talked about it on my blogs and on Facebook and Twitter.

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?

Twitter has been very effective for this book. I received a lot of responses from people interested in the subject of diabetes and also in the more personal side to the disease. For any marketing tool to be successful, however, it also needs to be supported by the other marketing effects you’ll do for your book. In my case Twitter was successful because I could send them to a blog and website, and they could learn more about me and why I wrote the book on places like Facebook.

Do you do more promoting online or offline and which do you prefer?

I do much more online promotion. I do enjoy offline promotion, but online you can reach so many more people. While only certain people can attend a book signing, anyone in the world can attend a virtual tour.

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?

I own four blogs. My personal blog, my dating blog, a writing blog and a diabetes-related blog. Each blog serves a purpose. The dating blog contains tips about relationships, online dating, and advice. The writing blog lists daily freelance writing jobs, author interviews, and news from the publishing industry. My personal blog is a hodgepodge of my personal essays, pictures, updates on my writing, and whatever else happens to run through my head. Each blog serves a purpose and each helps promote a certain area or series of books.

Do you recommend authors getting publicists to help them promote their books? Do you have one?

I don’t have one, but they certainly can take your marketing efforts to the next level. I think many authors are learning to promote themselves today, which helps them get closer to their readers. Marketing doesn’t have to be hard or complicated, but it does have to be consistent and smart to reach the right people.

If an author prefers to do it alone rather than hire a publicist, where should they start?

Read M.J. Rose’s Buzz Your Book. It contains tons of great ideas on how to get the word out about your book.

Thank you for coming, Cherie! We wish you much success!

Thanks for having me! It’s been a pleasure!

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