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!

I started writing when I was nine-years-old. I used to write short stories on my dad’s notepads. One day he read one and he said to me, “You are a writer.” It stuck. My dad is still my biggest supporter and he is also my mentor in many ways. I went to college at The University of Southern California. My parents though didn’t think that “creative writing” at USC was a major that would likely be lucrative in the long run, so I figured I would be logical and look at writing in the journalistic field. God (the Universe), etc. had a different plan for me. Soon after I graduated from USC I gave birth to my first son. He was six weeks premature and he had some health issues, which caused me to decide that going into a career at that time would not benefit my son. So, I stayed home with him and I wrote my first book. That first book is tucked away in a box somewhere because it’s pretty darn bad, but it gave me the confidence I needed to know that I could start, write, and finish a book. From that point on, it took me twelve years to become a published author and several manuscripts. It has been a wonderful and amazing process, and although many challenges have presented themselves along the way, I have never quit writing. It is my passion!

My other passion is Horses. These amazing animals are very dear to my heart and I have been known to take in “strays.” My daughter and I are very active in the horse world. My daughter is involved in pony club and three day eventing.

I enjoy work with other writers when I can , especially kids. I designed a program for young writers to help them learn how to write short stories and picture books to writing complete novellas for older kids. I have mentored several students now and it’s a joyful experience to see young writers and their creative minds at work. It is something I am working on expanding with some local teachers in my area.

Family and friends are extremely important to me. I am the proud mother of three amazing kids who have always supported me and are just great, awesome human beings (yes, I know I sound like every mother in the world about their kids, but I really mean it). My husband is my best friend and a very patient man, which is a real positive—he is married to a writer after all. We also have three dogs, a kitty, and eight horses.

When not writing, riding, or being a taxi-cab driver for my youngest, I try to find time to do a little yoga, meditate or cooking. I love cookbooks and cooking!

A.K.’s recent release is Daddy’s Home.

You can visit her website at www.michelescott.com/books/ak-alexander.

Welcome to Book Marketing Buzz, A.K. Alexander (Michele Scott).  Can we begin by having you tell us a little about your book?

The book is about a killer who is seeking his “perfect family,” by stalking single moms and their kids. When things don’t work out so perfectly he kills them. Holly Jennings is the investigator on the case and being a single mom herself the case becomes personal. She is also working on her own inner demons as she finds herself determined to catch the bastard.

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

I was traditionally published by one of the big 6 for several years. I now do everything myself, which has worked out very well. The first thing I do to promote any book is send out my newsletter to my readers. Once they are engaged, they tend to spread the word.

After that, what happened?

I have a list of things that I do with each book and I am not sure what works the best, but I do them all and the combination seems to be the key. I create a book trailer, I blog, I social network, I do virtual blog tours, and I work with other authors to cross-promote. The most important thing I have found is having a relationship with the reader. I answer e-mail I receive and I am truly interested in that person. I tend to cultivate friendships with my readers and have ongoing dialogue with them. The readers are truly what makes the writing so great to do.

What did your publisher do to promote your book?

Back in the day when I was traditionally published, I still did all of the marketing myself. Unless you are one of the stars in the publishing house you can’t expect a lot from them. I did get some book marks few times.

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 when I have something I think may matter to the readers. I think blogging creates a loyalty from readers. I don’t know if it sells books all that much but it does allow the communication between the readers and yourself. It is those readers that then turn around and tweet, etc about your books. It’s word of mouth multiplied by the masses.

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 it is very effective but you can’t always be shoving books in people’s faces. You have to also be open and willing to share bits and pieces of your life.

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

Book trailers, advanced reads go out, Bookrooster.com, BookDaily.com, Pump Up Your Book tours, and working together with a network of other authors.

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?

Write a great book, then put it out there. I can’t choose one thing. I really can’t. It is a culmination of things and it is a lot of hard work. However, I do think a great website is still your primary marketing piece. The other would be excellent covers!

What are your experiences with offline promotions such as booksignings?

Booksignings have never been huge for me. I have done some promotional contests, and release parties and they tend to generate some sales, but not tons.

Thank you for this interview, A.K. Alexander!  We wish you much success!

Thank You!

Thank you WritingHood for the wonderful buzz you gave us today!

http://writinghood.com/writing/100-sites-for-fiction-writers-42-book-marketing-buzz/

Looking for a cheap place to promote your books?  Get a few author friends together and take turns running a booth at your local farmer’s market!  Divide the price into how many are coming and not only will this be fun and inexpensive but it’ll give you another place to sell your books while you’re walking about the market when it’s not your turn!

This just popped in my email a little while ago and I thought I’d pass it over to you all.  They are open to submissions now and best of all, it’s FREE!  In case you want to leave a small donation, they have a place for that, too. ;o)

Dear Author,

Since you have a book [or more than one!] that you’d like to promote, now is your opportunity to do so. The cost? FREE! 1st Author Interviews is a new site that is aimed at getting authors more attention. Whether your books are e-books or from a legacy publisher, ALL authors are welcome. Even if you’re already established, this is just another way to expand your readership base.

Here’s the link for the submissions, or use the one in the body of the email below. Oh, and please keep the excerpts free of profanity —this is a family-friendly site!

Feel free to forward this email to other authors! We want to showcase a wide variety of talented authors.

Please send ALL submissions to: 1stauthorinterviews@gmail.com

Use your BOOK TITLE in the subject line and copy and paste the information below.

Book Title:
Publisher:
Author:
Genre:
Kindle link:
B&N link:
Smashwords link:
Author’s website OR blog URL:
Brief summary: [up to 150 words]

Excerpt: [400 words maximum]

THE INTERVIEW:

Question: Why did you write this book?
Question: How did you come up with the title?
Question: How did you choose your genre?
Question: What inspired you to be a writer?
Up to 4 Bonus Questions! Here you can ask and answer whatever questions you want about your book. [300 words maximum].

Optional: You may include a small photo of yourself.

Please submit one interview per book title. Thank you!

Warm Regards,

K.J. Robinson
Site Owner

–
http://www.1stauthorinterviews.com

For Authors Seeking an Audience

1st Author Interviews is a unique website that allows you a chance to personally promote your book and allows your reading audience a chance to get to know you! You’ll attract more readers, giving them the opportunity to get to know you and your work better. You get your material out there in front of readers, literary agents, publishers and development executives from films, cable and TV. 1st Author Interviews is your first stop to getting your book promoted to that vast online audience. We offer this outlet to any traditional or self-published author, whether in e-book or print formats.

Sorry guys, this is only for chick writers!

Women Writers, Women’s Books at booksbywomen.org was launched on May 1, 2011 to highlight contemporary women writers and contemporary women readers.

“We welcome contributing writers who write about writing, who you are as writers and women (writing women), and what you are writing.”

All you have to do is click on the register link below the login box at http://www.booksbywomen.org/wp-admin and wait for your confirmation email.

Sounds like a great book promotion opportunity!

Laina Turner-Molaski is a businesswoman, mom, author, Professor, and a major supporter of shopping. She has an undying love for shoes and coffee, which is why she created her main character and alter-ego Presley Thurman.

With a lot of letters after her name and a ton of student loan debt, she is always working to pay the bills. While she enjoys her day job, her passion is writing, and she uses a lot of company time writing her fiction or working on her social website for women, Chiczofrenic.com. She is hoping to sell her book before she gets fired from her day job for goofing off.

Laina is currently living in Indiana, with her family, and is always writing something, whether it’s blogs, articles, business journals and books or ideas for her next novel. She is continuously doing what she loves which is writing or drinking coffee.

You can visit her website at www.lainaturner.com.

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

Stilettos & Scoundrels is about a young woman, Presley Thurman, who gets fired from her job and takes another as a journalist. Her first assignment turns from interviewing a Senator to investigating his untimely death.

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

I got a website up and running and started working on a social media and blogging presence.

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 by far.

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

I do more online due to cost and reach. However, I much prefer in person book signings as I love people and talking about my book.

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

I use both and I have had great success.But I spend at least a hlaf hour daily on it. It can be time consuming.

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 promotes me as I am the brand and my book(s) the product. I try to blog at least 3 times a week and it has ben very effective in promotions.

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

I don’t have a publiscist but I have done a lot of research to find good places to network and promote. A good publicist can be a great help in this area.

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

By building an online platform, then finding places that make sense for them to spend time virtually. Get a good press kit that can be sent out electroically or email and focus on shameless self promotion.

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

Every now and then, I’ll have an author ask me what they should write about when asked to write guest posts or what emphasis they should concentrate on when answering questions in interviews or just what they should do to create the most impact on their book buying public without becoming overbearing, pompous or downright horn-tooting obnoxious.

The first thing I tell them is get out of the mindset that you’ll be getting on peoples’ nerves with all this horn blowing and get on with the matter at hand. You are out to sell your book. Without you tooting or someone else you pay to toot for you, you might as well kiss your book sales goodbye.

Good publicity relies on these things:

1. Perseverance
2. Hard work
3. Dedication

I’m sure that you know this and I’m sure you’ve got all three of those qualities going on for you, but good publicity also requires this:

1. Knowing what common sense rules to follow when promoting your book
2. Realizing that researching your subject in off before, during and after it’s published leads to successful promotions later
3. Networking, schmoozing and generally getting your fans to adore you

Knowing what common sense rules to follow when promoting your book takes practice and experience. Unless you are out there noticing how other authors are promoting, you probably haven’t a clue. Are those emails coming from a certain author, publisher or publicist who has added your email to their email lists getting on your nerves by their promotional email blasts? Number One rule is never sign up anyone to your email list without their permission. I know no one is going to heed my advice but when this happens to me, I’m quick to delete and hit spam. However, if it is someone with whom you have connected in the past, they’re open bait and if they wish to unsubscribe, delete, hit spam, that’s on them but the odds are in your favor they’ll stick with you.

Researching your subject after the book has been written sounds a bit confusing, doesn’t it? Let me explain. Joe has written a book on fly fishing while Mary has written a romance novel. Both Joe and Mary have elected to promote on their own. Joe goes about the normal promotional procedures like putting up a website and/or blog and wishing for the best, but Mary decides she’s going to put her book subject in Google Alerts to find out what others are talking about relating to her book. Mary also loves to blog so she has elected to visit blogs that concentrate on her genre. Mary also has decided to pick out certain topics, locals, etc., within her book and researched them to find other like-minded people out there blogging about the same subjects in her book. Joe feels all alone in his self-promotional journey while Mary has made lots of friends, which has resulted in lots of sales.

Networking, schmoozing and generally getting your fans to adore you rounds out my third point which ties into researching your subject. Once you have found the many people out there who absolutely loves your work and loves to hear as much as they can about your book and you, treasure them like gold nuggets. These are your fans. These are the people who follow you like shadows on a moonlit night. These are the people you need to nurture. These are the very people that you must pay close attention to and never let them feel you’re just another name on another book. They are your book’s lifeline.

When you can find that happy medium between what your book buyers want to know about you and what you should know about them, book promotion gets a little bit easier.

© Dorothy Thompson All Rights Reserved

Dorothy Thompson is CEO/Founder of Pump Up Your Book, an innovative public relations agency specializing in online book promotion. Visit us at www.pumpupyourbook and let us take you to the virtual level!

Garasamo Maccagnone studied creative writing and literature under noted American writers Sam Astrachan and Stuart Dybek at Wayne State University and Western Michigan University. In the mid 90’s Maccagnone decided to fulfill the promise of his writing career, by first penning the children’s book, The Suburban Dragon and then following up with a collection of short stories and poetry entitled, The Affliction of Dreams. His literary novel, St. John of the Midfield was published in 2007, followed by his For the Love of St. Nick, which was released in 2008.

Maccagnone expanded the original version of For the Love of St. Nick and had the book illustrated for a new release in June 2009. My Dog Tim and Other Stories is a literary anthology of the author’s best work.

Garasamo “Gary” Maccagnone lives today in Shelby Township, Michigan, with his wife Vicki and three children. At this time, he is researching the location for his second novel, tentatively titled, He Lay Low.

You can visit Gary online at www.garasamomaccagnone.com.

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

My Dog Tim: and other stories is a collection of short stories and one novel. The anchor story, which is the novel, is entitled, St. John of the Midfield. It tells the story of Bobo Stoikov, a youth soccer coach who was once one of the world’s greatest soccer players. He escaped communist Bulgaria to live the American dream. Once he arrived, he had no idea what was in store for him.

Some make the mistake believing this is a typical adolescent sport’s novel. It begins that way, but then takes an unexpected turn.

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

I contacted Cheryl over at Pump up your Book. She’s my guiding hand.

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?

In the case of my novel, St. John of the Midfield, I marketed heavily on a major soccer site called topdrawersoccer.com. Besides having a two or three banner ads on their site, they distributed marketing e-mails to their contacts of over twenty thousand people.

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

I like on-line marketing. I’m introverted. I’m not the type to show up for a reading.

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

Currently, I’m on Facebook. It’s been a nice tool, though I make sure I don’t overuse it.

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 don’t blog. I have a web site that is maintained by a friend of mine. She keeps the front page fresh by updating on a bi-weekly basis.

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

I don’t have a publicist. I suppose you have to earn that, or pay for it. I tend to invest mainly in my content, which, I believe, will stand the test of time.

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

Call Cheryl at Pump up Your Book. If you want viral notoriety, she’s a great person to work with.

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

Your book has just been published.  Or maybe it’s going to be published in the next month or two.  Regardless, authors are signing up for virtual book tours the moment they hear about the exciting ways they can promote their books with them.  There is no better vehicle to sell your books online so I don’t blame them.

I would like to provide a checklist of things to consider before booking your tour.  After all, you want you and your book to be in the most tip top shape, so here goes:

Book Marketing Buzz’s 28-point Checklist BEFORE Packing Your Cyber-Bags:

• Do you know which audiences you want to target?
• Are you aware the broader the scope of readers you want to target, the better the tour?
• Have you narrowed your key search words down to the most important and have figured out ways to use them in your interviews and guest posts?
• Have you compiled a list of potential blog stops for your tour along with email addresses if you are putting your tour together on your own?
• Are you making sure these particular blogs are updated frequently and have a full set of archives to make them search engine friendly?
• Can you provide author copies (unless the publisher takes care of it) to reviewers in time for them to receive the book, read the book and post the review by the given date both of you have agreed on?
• Do you have a professional author photo and can you provide your blog hosts with a jpg copy?
• Do you have a landing page (website or blog) where people can go to learn more about you and your book?
• Does your website or blog have clear enough directions on how to buy your book on the first page and are you providing a cover to entice them?
• Does your website/blog have contact information in case people want to get in touch with you?
• Are you keeping your blog updated with fresh content to keep it search engine friendly?
• Do you know how to craft a bio written in third person that includes your book’s title and website/blog url?
• Does your bio ramble or can you say most of what you have to say in one to three paragraphs?
• Are you prepared to learn more about you and your book than you did before the tour took place?
• Are you prepared for the workload that is involved when planning your tour – e.g. having to write several guest posts and fill out an umpteen amount of interviews keeping each interview fresh, different and non-boring?
• Do you have a few guest posts already written for when blog hosts ask for them?
• If not, can you come up with a few ideas beforehand so that when asked for a guest post at the last minute, you’re not pulling your hair out?
• Do you know what kind of guest posts bring in more reaction from the readers?
• Do you know what kind of guest posts bring in more sales?
• Do you know how to use the social networks such as Twitter and Facebook to promote your tour stops on a daily basis?
• Are you set up in google alerts to alert you on how well your publicity efforts are taking you?
• Do you know how to set up press releases to announce your tour or know of someone who can do it for you?
• Have you built up on your communication and organizational skills so you don’t become unglued?
• Have you built up your contact list (your followers)?
• Have you prepared yourself for negative reviews in case they happen and are you willing to accept them for what they’re worth?
• Are you willing to participate in your virtual book tour by leaving a comment at your “stops”?
• Are you willing to thank your tour host after they so kindly posted your interview, guest post, review, etc.?
• Are you prepared to SELL BOOKS?

If you have answered no to any of these, reconsider fixing those problems before you embark on an international virtual book tour.  It’s way better to be prepared and ready than winging it.

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