PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island (May 14, 2012) – No matter how proficient one may be in his profession, a broadcast interview can be a daunting experience. When the “on-air” light goes on, nerves supersede knowledge and focus flies out the window. Patricia Raskin ensures this does not happen.

Raskin M.Ed “The Radio Host Coach” owns Raskin Resources, an independent media broadcasting company which produces network and internet radio programs and provides radio coaching for talk show hosts and guest experts. She has a proven track record for helping budding radio hosts and guest experts create goals for interviews, deliver messages efficiently and effectively, know how to direct and redirect questions, and develop an individual style.

When Will Aguila, M.D., a weight loss expert and speaker began to promote his book, Why I Don’t Lose Weight, he had numerous opportunities to appear on radio programs as a guest expert. Although a confident public speaker, radio was a new medium for him. Dr. Aguila recognized that his interview style required guidance.

“I knew I needed a polished performance as I promoted my book nationally,” said Dr. Aguila. “Prior to hiring Patricia Raskin as my radio coach, my messaging during an interview was all over the place.”

“More than helping me sell the book, she helped me sell myself.”

Raskin taught the doctor how to effectively use interviews as part of his book promotion. Book sales soon increased by fifty percent. Dr. Aguila, with the new broadcast skillset he had developed and the popularity of his on-air interviews, then found himself in a position to launch and host his own radio show.

“I never thought I would host my own radio show, much less a highly successful one. ‘The Dr. A Show’ has taken on a life of its own and Patricia Raskin made this process possible,” said Dr. Aguila.

“With Patricia’s infectious tenacity, she guided me from author to interviewer. I learned the details of the radio business and gained the self-confidence I needed to interview such guests as Dr. Oz and Dr. Andrew Weil just 14 weeks after launch,” said Dr. Aguila.

The nationally syndicated “Dr. A Show” can be heard on WHNZ 1250AM every Wednesday from 11AM-12PM in Tampa, Florida, WCKY 1530AM every Saturday from 9am-10am in Cincinnati, Ohio and WTKF/WJNC 1240AM every Sunday from 1pm-2pm in Greenville, North Carolina.

About Patricia Raskin

Patricia Raskin, M.Ed helps clients get a head start on their own radio shows or becoming an effective guest expert. She is also an award winning producer and host of the “Patricia Raskin Positive Living” radio program, and owner of Raskin Resources Productions, Inc.. A sought-after motivational speaker, she is the author of Pathfinding: Seven Principles for Positive Living, and Success, Your Dream and You. As the founder and passion behind positive media programs for the past 25 years, Raskin has hosted and produced television programs on FOX and PBS affiliates, and on the radio on WTKF and the NPR affiliate Public Radio East in North Carolina. For more information, visit www.patriciaraskin.com.

Born and raised in Surrey, England, Cynthia Sally Haggard has lived in the United States for thirty years. She is the author of the Thwarted Queen series, which includes The Bride Price, One Seed Sown, The Gilded Cage, Two Murders Reaped and Rose of Raby. She has had four careers: violinist, cognitive scientist, medical writer and novelist. Yes, she is related to H. Rider Haggard, the author of SHE and KING SOLOMONS’S MINES. (H. Rider Haggard was a younger brother of the author’s great-grandfather.) Cynthia Sally Haggard is a member of the Historical Novel Society. You can visit her at: http://spunstories.com/, https://twitter.com/ – !/cynthiahaggard, and http://www.facebook.com/cynthia.haggard.

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

Thwarted Queen is a saga of the Yorks, Lancasters and Nevilles, whose family feud started the Wars of the Roses. Told by Lady Cecylee Neville (1415-1495), the thwarted queen.

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

Gosh, I’ve done so many things it’s hard to remember. I think the first thing I did was to do Facebook ads.

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?

To date, doing giveaways on Goodreads has been the most effective. My book went from having zero interest to having hundreds of people joining the giveaway.

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

I have done most of my promoting online so far. But I actually enjoy publich speaking and doing public readings, and would love to have more opportunities to talk about Cecylee offline.

Do you use social networks such as Twitter and Facebook to promote your books and have you had any success with it?

Yes, I have used social networking. With Facebook, my impression is that only people who are already your fans get your posts. So, from that point of view it is not so good at reaching new audiences. Twitter, however, is another story, because most of the publishing industry is on it. I have worked very hard to get followers on Twitter, and currently I think I have about 1300 people following me.

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?

My blog and my website are one. You can find them at http://www.spunstories.com. I usually post at least twice a week. Mondays, I give advice on marketing and publishing. Wednesdays, I do craft book reviews, in which I try to understand from a writer’s perspective what worked (or didn’t work) in the novel I’m currently reading. On that scaffolding, I promote my novel as well, but try to limit my posts to when I actually have an annoucment to make. Last month was very busy as I had nine giveaways on Goodreads.

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

I don’t have a publicist. I think this is a very personal questions, because it depends on how much money you have and how much time you have to market a book. If you can find a good publicist and can afford the cost, then I say go for it! I don’t have that kind of money, so I’ve given myself the whole of this year to become an effective marketer. I’m having to learn by trial and error.

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

You should start by telling all of your friends and family about your book, and asking them to spread the word. Then you systematically need to figure out which marketing strategy works best. And I would say beware of marketing plans that cost thousands and thousands of dollars, because it’s hard to earn that money back. I enjoy blog tours because they’re a very affordable way of reaching out to new audiences.

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

Thank you for having me. I enjoyed talking with you!

Launching Today: Allergies, and Awesome You

Twitter – https://twitter.com/LifeAllergyFree

~ ~ ~ WIN A FREE KINDLE FIRE! ~ ~ ~

I am looking for bloggers who would like to participate in huge Kindle Fire Giveaway sponsored by Pump Up Your Book and eXtasy Books. We are looking for blog hosts to post a pre-made blog post about the company and the Kindle Fire Giveaway (a simple cut and paste).

This tour runs from June 1 – August 31. Incentives include becoming eligible to win the Kindle Fire, getting more follows to either your Twitter or Facebook account (or some other way) and winning $50 GC for the most comments for the duration of the tour.

For more information, visit http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2012/04/17/pump-up-your-book-presents-extasy-books-virtual-publisher-tour-2012-kindle-fire-giveaway/ or email Dorothy at thewriterslife(at)gmail.com if you are interested in participating.

Only blogs that have been up for a minimum of 3 months, have 60 or more blog posts and update frequently, please.

Thank you!

C.Y. Bourgeois is a freshman author and an avid reader. After having spent countless enjoyable hours over the years reading other people’s narratives, she realized that she too has stories to tell.

C.Y. considers herself a native of Alaska, having lived there since the age of two.  She and her husband recently moved to northern Idaho where they now reside with their two dogs and three cats and where she is currently working on her second Shelby Leight novel, Visions of Mortality.

Her latest book is a suspense thriller (bordering on YA) called Visions of You.

Please visit C.Y. Bourgeois’ website at http://cybourgeois.authorsxpress.com/

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

Visions of You is a thriller set in Palmer Alaska in 1975.  It’s about a group of teenagers who lose a friend to a serial killer and become actively involved in trying to stop him.  One of the main characters, Shelby is stunned to discover she has the ability to communicate with her dead friend.  She also meets and falls in love with a young man, Paul, who has inherited a strange affliction from his mother.  She has to deal with that on top of coming to grips with her own, frightening, new-found abilities.  Visions of You dips the reader’s toes in the paranormal, but never completely jumps in and leaves normal.  It’s a fast-paced, believable, coming-of-age story with action, scary twists, some laughs, and a few tears.

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

I’ve been blogging, Tweeting, Facebooking, I’m on Goodreads, and Amazon’s AuthorCentral.  I also purchased some ads on Facebook.

After that, what happened?

Things are still slow.  I’m going to put my book on Pinterest, and Dorothy Thompson of Pump Up Your Book is working with me to get VOY out in the virtual world.  I also have another book, a novella, The Concrete Gnome in the works.  It’s almost finished and I’ll be publishing it to the Amazon Kindle Direct Program.  Hopefully, if people enjoy reading that, they will want to read Visions of You as well.  I’m also writing Visions of Mortality, the second book in the Visions series.

What did your publisher do to promote your book?

They set me up with all the marketing websites and published my book to Kindle, Nook, and every other e-reader imaginable.

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?

Well, I’m a brand new blogger, so I really don’t have an audience yet.  I keep blogging, but I don’t think anybody’s reading it.  So, it hasn’t helped with sales…yet.  I’m going to keep on blogging and try to establish a niche, find a topic that will draw in some readers.

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

I think social networking and online book tours are the way to go nowadays.  I’m planning on a couple of select brick and mortar stops, but being visible on the internet is essential.

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

I’m working with Dorothy Thompson of Pump Up Your Book.  We’re taking Visions of You on a virtual book tour.  I tend to be a bit of a hermit and shy about promoting myself, but I’m really excited about working with Dorothy.

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?

Right now, word of mouth, whether it’s on Facebook or actually in person, has been the most successful tool for me.  Visions of You has some really good (5 star) reviews on Goodreads and Amazon and that helps.

What are your experiences with offline promotions such as booksignings?

I haven’t had any book signings yet.  That’s something I’m working on.  I have my heart set on having one in Palmer.  I just need to get ahold of the bookstore to set it up.

Thank you for this interview, C.Y.!  We wish you much success!

Thank you for the opportunity to talk with you about myself and my book, Visions of You.

Jaimie Hope was born November 3, 1976 in New York. It wasn’t until high school, where she joined the newspaper staff, that she decided she wanted to be a writer. After graduation, writing was put aside for a while. The author went to college and received an Associates degree in 1999. Then she moved to Florida where she was an active volunteer in the local historical society and remained active in the arts. It wasn’t until 2005 that Jaimie wrote her first children’s book, The Adventures of Baby Jaimie, published in 2006 and Who Says You Can”t Go Home? in 2008. The Adventures of Baby Jaimie: Baby Jaimie Goes to School in 2010. Her Autobiography, Roll With It followed by the third volume in her children’s series, The Adventures of Baby Jaimie: Baby Jaimie Gets Stage Fright, and her first Paranormal Romance, When You Come Back To Me Again were released in 2011.

My website address: http://www.jaimiehope.com

My Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jaimie-Hope/255441457835397

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/JaimieHope

My blog: http://jaimiehope.wordpress.com/

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

My book, The Adventures of Baby Jaimie: Baby Jaimie Gets Stage Fright is the third volume in my Adventures of Baby Jaimie series. In this book the main title character, who happens to be disabled,  is going to be in her first play.

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

The first thing I did was make an announcement on Facebook.

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?

So far I would have to say releasing a press release on Briefingwire.com has been the most effective.

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

Most of my promoting is done online. Online promoting seems to be further reaching and more effective, therefore I prefer online promoting.

Do you use social networks such as Twitter and Facebook to promote your books and have you had any success with it?

I am on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Linkedin

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 do have a blog, but I’m not a very good blogger. I have been trying to make more of an effort to update it once a month, but it’s not going well. I created the blog in the first place because I’d heard it was a good way to promote my writings. I haven’t found mine to be very effective. I don’t think I have more than one follower. I’m not even 100% sure I have one follower.

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

I have one for this book, but I have yet to figure out what she’s doing for me. Now that I have one I don’t think they are necessary and probably wouldn’t recommend another author to get one.

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

I do the same things now that I have a publicist that I did before I had her. I write press releases and post the links to them on my social networks and my blog. That was where I started and I would recommend that beginning to anyone.

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

Thank you.

Caroline Alethia is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in newspapers, magazines, on radio and in web outlets. Her words have reached audiences on six continents. She lived in Bolivia and was a witness to many of the events described in Plant Teacher. You can visit her website at www.plantteacherthebook.net.

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

Plant Teacher takes place in Bolivia from 2007 to 2008 during President Evo Morales’ much-contested consolidation of power. The book follows the lives of a community of Americans living in the country during that time.

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

When I looked into the economics of going through a publishing house versus self-publishing, it seemed like self-publishing was the way to go. Agents and publishers, in this day and age, expect you, in any case, to market your book yourself, and they take a large bite of the royalties. I have just begun an Internet tour of blog sites, and I think that this approach will become the model of the future. Most books are purchased over the Internet today.

After that, what happened?

After making the decision to self-publish, I built a website with many bells and whistles including a promotional video, book excerpts, a blog, and podcasts. Starting with just my circle of friends and their friends, I was fortunate that the book began selling right away and several people wrote strong reviews on Amazon. I also sought out Huffington Post contributor, Joel Hirst, who was favorably impressed and described Plant Teacher as “compelling” and “powerful.”

What did your publisher do to promote your book?

I turned to an Internet publicist to help me promote Plant Teacher. This individual has the inside scoop on the many blogs focused on books and writers, and she has arranged an “Internet tour” where I can reach my market, people who purchase books over the Internet, directly on their platform.

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 makes a big difference, and website hits bear this out. Blogs are one of the key ways that many readers decide what books are of interest to them.

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

I probably haven’t utilized this realm as much as I should. I envision a Facebook page for one of my main characters that remains stuck in time—before Plant Teacher begins. I have not robustly promoted this page yet, but I hope to grow it over time.

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

Plant Teacher is currently being translated into Spanish. Once the Spanish-language edition is ready, I intend to promote it via Latino media in the United States. This is a growing and largely untapped market, and I think a story about modern Bolivia will resonate with Latino audiences.

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 important to have an attractive, interesting website that fairly captures the tone and spirit of your book. Potential readers will go there to make a decision on whether or not to buy your book, and what they see on those pages needs to be enticing to them.

What are your experiences with offline promotions such as booksignings?

I am planning to go all the way with Internet promotion. I have a full-time job that is very satisfying to me, and I think I can balance promoting Plant Teacher with continuing with my day-job by relying on blogs and Internet promotion.

Thank you for this interview, Caroline. We wish you much success!

Jessica Chambers has been inventing stories even before she was old enough to hold a pen. She has a passion for writing contemporary novels packed with emotion, complex relationships and often a touch of mystery.

Visually impaired from birth, Jessica currently lives with her family and Staffordshire bull terrier in the English town of Windsor. In addition to devouring fiction of all genres, she loves watching TV quiz shows and admits to being extremely competitive when it comes to a game of Trivial Pursuit.

Her latest book is Dark is the Sky.

You can visit her website at www.jessicachambers.co.uk.

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

Of course! Thanks so much for having me here. I think of Dark is the Sky as women’s fiction with an edge, blending emotion, complex relationships and mystery. Twelve years after tragedy tore their family apart, the Camerons are reuniting for the first time since that fateful day. They hope that they will at last be able to put the past behind them and lay their ghosts to rest, but of course, nothing is ever that simple! Some wounds run too deep to heal, and some secrets are too destructive to remain hidden. As the web of hostility and deceit begins to unravel, and the truth about what really happened on that long ago summer’s afternoon finally emerges, family ties are tested to the limit.

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

Besides bombarding family, friends and anyone else unfortunate enough to be in my address book with ridiculously overexcited emails? Well, I’m no expert when it comes to marketing, so the first thing I did was to find out as much about self promotion as I could. There’s tons of helpful advice online so that even a novice like me can put a marketing plan together, and that’s exactly what I did.

After that, what happened?

In the midst of finally taking the plunge and joining social networks, chiefly Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads, I received my revisions from the publisher and the dreaded editing process began! Actually, it was all far less painful than I anticipated. I belong to an online critique group, a wonderful collection of both published and aspiring authors. With so many discerning eyes to help me, I was able to turn my rough draft into a polished manuscript, and this hard work certainly paid off later on.

What did your publisher do to promote your book?

All Things That Matter Press is still a relatively small publisher with a limited budget, and no one ever made any secret of the fact that much of the responsibility for marketing would be down to me. However, everyone at ATTMP has been enormously supportive, constantly providing new marketing tips and ideas, and always sharing my reviews and other news on the publisher’s own blog. I’ve certainly never felt like I’m on my own.

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’m quite a private person, so blogging isn’t something that comes naturally to me. Nor, as with so many marketing strategies, is it a quick fix. It takes months of regular posting, at least twice a week, to gain a readership. I’ve been blogging on and off for a year or so now, but it’s only during the past couple of months that I’ve really started to take it seriously. So, to answer your question, I can’t say it has been instrumental in my book sales as yet, but it’s a platform to build on for the future. I’m in this for the long haul!

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

Perhaps not so much in terms of direct sales. It has, however, been invaluable when it comes to connecting with others in the book industry, whether it be fellow authors, reviewers or publishers, and this has opened up far more marketing opportunities than I would otherwise have had. I admit I do love the retweet function on Twitter, and how what you have to say is so often shared far beyond your own followers.

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

I’ve just created a book trailer, which was enormous fun to put together. I’m also working on getting reviews, and have been overwhelmed by the positive feedback Dark is the Sky has received so far. Now that my book is available here in the UK, I’ve had some promotional postcards printed and am going to talk to the local libraries about ordering in my book. I’m even discussing the possibility of recording a podcast with a fellow author, but that needs some more research. On top of all this, I’m writing the next novel. There just aren’t enough hours in the day!

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?

Oh, without a doubt, it would have to be my book trailer. I only uploaded it to YouTube recently, but already it has received some great comments and impacted on my sales. I just think video is such a creative way of introducing readers to your books. For anyone who’s interested, you can check out the trailer for Dark is the Sky here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fgrT4eiYS0

What are your experiences with offline promotions such as booksignings?

Well, what with me being based in the UK and my publisher in the US, all my promotion thus far has been done online. I have heard though that book signings and other author events can be extremely successful in terms of sales and building a readership, so I’m certainly considering organizing one in the future. Always assuming, of course, that I can get over my shyness!

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

Susan Spence has always been intrigued with life in the west in the 1880s. She researched historical accounts and first-person narratives as she prepared to write A Story of the West. A lifelong resident of the west, she currently lives in Montana on an old sheep shearing station with lots of furry critters and one partially furry critter. This is her first novel, and she is busily working on a sequel due out in late spring.

You can visit her website at www.writing-ranch.com.

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

A Story of the West is set during the early ranching days in the American West. True to the difficulties of living on the frontier, it tells the struggles of not only overcoming daily hardships, but also the greed of others. The main character is forced to decide if his life is worth living after getting caught up in events that effectively ruined his life.

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

I self-published, so I haven’t had that experience. The first thing I did when

I completed the self-publishing process was to order a hundred paperback copies. Since I hadn’t told anyone what I was doing, I got to surprise my family and friends when, out of the blue, they received a book in the mail with my name as the author. Then I went out and peddled the rest of them.

After that, what happened?

I had a little bit of success. As a local author writing about the area’s history, there was some interest. I did a few book signings, some at book stores and a couple at fairs. One that I did fairly well at was the local museum. That was cool because the money they took in helps preserve the history of this area.

What did your publisher do to promote your book?

The self-publishing company I used did nothing to promote my book because I didn’t pay for that service. They tried to get me to, but all they offered was to list my book amongst thousands of others at book fairs, where it was unlikely to get noticed. It seemed like a waste of money.

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 blog mainly for enjoyment. I think it’s helped a little, but my followers are mostly people who are interested in my lifestyle. I’ve often thought that I should do more writing for my blog, but since I like photography also, I post photos and tell stories around them. I might start another blog with a literary theme to appeal more to readers.

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

I sold a few books through facebook, but am no longer on it. I can’t imagine myself being a twitter person. If that type of networking is needed to become famous, I guess I never will (laugh). Recently I’ve come across two lists of book review blogs. I went through them and queried the ones who seemed they would be interested in reading A Story of the West. From that I sent off at least a dozen copies for review. I’ll have to wait and see, first of all, what they write, and then the overall effect on sales.

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

At this point I am using only my blog and website.

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?

The local angle, even though it’s limited, has created the most interest so far. People who live here, as well as visitors, are curious to read A Story of the West because it’s part of the history of this area and because I’m their neighbor.

What are your experiences with offline promotions such as book signings?

I did a few book signings, and for the most part enjoyed them. I don’t know what is considered successful as far as numbers sold, but I did sell some books. The problem I had was convincing bookstores to give me a chance, even when it cost them nothing. For the ones I did set up, I hung flyers, sent out press releases to local news media and whatever else I could think of. I can reach a lot more people online, but interacting with people and signing copies of my book for them is really rewarding.

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

You’re welcome. Thank you for the good wish and for having me.

Christopher Cloud began writing children’s fiction after a long career in journalism and public relations. He graduated from the University of Missouri in 1967 with a degree in journalism. He has worked as a reporter, editor, and columnist for newspapers in Texas, California, and Missouri. His work has appeared in many national publications, including Time Magazine. He was employed by Sun Oil Company as a Public Relations executive, and later operated his own PR agency.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christopher-Cloud/144889658941239

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

A Boy Called Duct Tape tells the story of Pablo Perez, a 12-year-old kid without much going for him. His classmates have dubbed him “Duct Tape” because his tattered, discount-store sneakers are held together with…you guessed it, duct tape. He can’t escape the bullying.

Pablo’s fortunes turn, however, after he finds a $20 gold coin on the river bottom while swimming near his home. Pablo later buys a $1 treasure map at the county fair. The map shows the route to the legendary “lost treasure” of Jesse and Frank James. Pablo can’t help but wonder: Is there a link between the map and the gold coin? He, his sister, and cousin are determined to find out.

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

Retaining a good publicist will go a long way toward finding a home for your novel.

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?

A Boy Called Duct Tape features Latino characters, and it only makes sense to target literary bloggers who reach the Latino community.

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

Online.

Do you use social networks such as Twitter and Facebook to promote your books and have you had any success with it?

Yes, I am promoting A Kid Called Duct Tape on Facebook even as we speak. Publicity is fickle. One never knows where the Publicity God will take you after a posting on Facebook. It’s all about exposure.

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?

Until recently, I wrote an Op-Ed column for the Joplin Globe. I write fiction four or five hours every day, and I simply don’t have time to write a blog.

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

Absolutely, and yes, I have one. A good publicist is worth his or her weight in gold. It’s all about having the right media contacts. Speaking for myself, I am swimming in uncharted waters. A good publicist can help me chart a more successful course. In the end, however, you must have a good story. A good story will always find a home.

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

It’s all about target audiences, and a writer should isolate these markets. A Kid Called Duct Tape, for example, has a primary audience of Latino boys between the ages of 9-13, and a secondary audience of middle-grade readers, in general. Isolating literary blogs that reach your target audiences would be my best advice.

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