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.

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!

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!

PHISH NET STALKINGS, by Denise Robbins, L&L Dreamspell, 332 pp., $16.95 (Kindle $4.99).

All she wanted was to find love. Was that too much to ask? How difficult could it be to find one man, the perfect man for her?

After dating the losers of the century, Jane decides there has to be a better way. She turns to an online dating service. After all, they guarantee a ‘happily ever after’ or your money back.

Jane East, CEO of Not-So- Plain- Jane’s organic cosmetics wants to fall in love with a man who makes her toes curl when he kisses her. Unfortunately, the one man who makes her toes curl also wears ladies’ pink underwear and a badge. The pink underwear she could probably deal with, but the badge is a different story.

Ever since seeing her mother and granny Pearl murdered by men with badges, Jane has a fear of cops and anyone who carries a badge. Especially, because the killers are still on the loose and searching for her.

Former FBI Cybercrime special agent turned small-town Chief of Police, Cooper Chance, gets caught with his pants down and his family jewels tucked in pink ladies’ underwear with lacy frills when he meets the woman of his dreams. That’s not his only issue. The woman has a fear of cops. If he can get past her guard, maybe he can save her life.

BOOK EXCERPT

Cooper went into his office, shut the door, and closed the blinds. “No way can I pull this off,” he protested holding up the leather skirt and heels. He stripped down to his skivvies and slid into the black leather skirt. “No way!” His damn boxers hung too low, below the skirt hem.

“Shit,” he growled and raked fingers through his hair. Just listen to him, he already sounded like a girl talking about hems.

“That’s why we included the ladies’ panties,” someone shouted back. Muffled chuckling rumbled behind his locked office door.

He riffled through the pile and found a pair of bright pink panties with ruffles and the tags still on them. “You’ve got to be kidding!”

The raucous laughter and low snickering that met his complaint burned his ass. What made him think that becoming the Chief of Police of a small town would be simple, easy? He must have been nuts. At least if he had been in a big city, like New York, Boston, or Minneapolis, he might not have felt so ridiculous. He would have fit in with any number of transgenders who walked the street. But here, in Manchester, New Hampshire he would stick out like a wolf in a pack of cats.

“Do women really wear this kind of underwear?”

“Panties,” one of the men shouted from the outer office.

“Panties,” he grumbled out the corner of his mouth. He held the silky material and eyed it with caution half expecting his men to supply him with a thong. Air wheezed out of his lungs when he saw that there was material on all sides and not some tiny strip that would ride up his ass. Just the thought of it made his shoulders shiver.

Before he lost his nerve, Cooper stripped off his cotton boxers and stuffed his beefy legs into the pink panties. When the underwear reached halfway up his thighs, he heard a popping noise. He glanced down and saw the elastic in the leg holes had ripped apart. “Not one size fits all, are they?”

You can visit the author’s website at http://www.deniserobbins.com.

Join Kenny Scudero as he tours the blogosphere April 2 – 20 2012 on a virtual book tour to promote his new humorous fiction book, Comfortably Awkward.

Comfortably Awkward is Kenny Scudero’s debut self-published novel. He is a twenty-two year old author from New York City who looks forward to a bright future in writing. Kenny recently graduated from St. John’s University where he majored in Sport Management. At St. John’s, Kenny was Sports Editor for the University newspaper. After graduating from St. John’s, Kenny had trouble finding a job and wrote “Comfortably Awkward” based off that frustration. He is currently working on his second novel.

Comfortably Awkward centers around Albert Ferenzo whose life is a series of ironic events that may or may not have a reason behind them. While struggling to find a niche for himself, Albert blames the corporate world for hindering his dream of making money and living a prosperous life. After playing the good guy his entire life, Albert decides that the only way to get ahead in the world is to be the bad guy. Albert questions his own fate as he drives himself to insanity in an effort to find happiness. The destinies of Albert and everyone around him intertwine as he finally realizes what life is all about or at least, he thinks he does in this revolt against normality.

“I’m so excited to have Kenny on tour with us in April,” says Dorothy Thompson of Pump Up Your Book, an innovative public relations agency specializing in online book promotion and social media marketing for authors.  “He’s been such a pleasure to work with and we’re both excited for the tour to start.  He’ll be appearing on blogs around the county answering questions, writing guest posts and will be appearing in two AuthorVids which will give you a more personal look at this talented author as well as a spot on Barry Eva’s talk show, A Book and a Chat.  He’s also offering book giveaways and it’ll be a wonderful experience for him as well as for his readers.”

You can visit Kenny’s official tour page at http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2012/03/11/pump-up-your-book-presents-comfortably-awkward-virtual-book-publicity-tour-april-2012.

Pump Up Your Book is an innovative public relations agency specializing in virtual book tours. You can visit our website at www.pumpupyourbook.com.

Richard Alan lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with his wife, Carolynn.  They are the proud parents of three wonderful adult sons.He is a Vietnam combat and 101st Airborne Division veteran.

After an education in mathematics, a 17 year career in manufacturing engineering and a 22 year career in software engineering, he has started a career as an author.  Richard writes novels about people trying to find their life-partner, soul-mate, the person they are meant to be with for life.  His first two books, Meant to Be and The Couples, are available on his website and most online retailers.

Richard’s other interests range from mathematical analysis and photography to anything with an engine.  His current projects include writing the third (Finding Each Other) and fourth novels in the “Meant to Be” series, and discovering the properties of functions of p-adic numbers.  Having completed a potting bench for his lifepartner, Carolynn, he is busy driving her to watch salmon runs, visit National Parks, and anywhere that provides an opportunity to view her avian friends.

His latest books in the Meant to Be Series are Meant to Be and The Couples.

You can visit Richard Alan’s website, VILLAGE DRUMMER FICTION at www.villagedrummerfiction.com.

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

Meant to Be is about the joy and sorrow of striving to discover a life partner, a soul-mate, a person with whom we are meant to spend the rest of their lives with.

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

I am self-published.  The first thing I did was arrange a book signing at local bookstore.  I used e-mail and Facebook to advertise and I provided a poster to the book store.  They also had their own advertising.

After that, what happened?

With the help of my wife, I created and maintain a Facebook fan page.  I learned to Twitter and am growing my Twitter network.  I write a blog, and belong to numerous groups of authors who help each other.  I am doing a virtual book tour with “Pump Up Your Book” and I am participating in the Fourth Writers Platform-Building Campaign.

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’ve only been blogging for three weeks.  It has not impacted my sales yet.  My network of really good bloggers is growing rapidly, so I hope to see a change soon.  The writers’ blogging community is very generous with their advice and support.

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

It is too early to tell, but I have seen others obtain success over time.  It appears to be the most effective tool available at this time.

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

I have been giving the first book away to many people, to increase awareness of my writing.  I believe once people read it, they will want to read the subsequent novels.  Although each book stands on its own, I think they are more fun and interesting if you follow them in order.  We also have a lot of friends and family who are spreading word.

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?

Selling to friends and family has been the most effective, but that does not generate enough sales.  I haven’t found the best tool yet, but I hope the multiple social network efforts will do it.

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

I’ve done three book signing events.  They were not very effective.

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

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk with you.

A multi-published author and former RWA President, Jill Limber’s latest books are Montana Morning, A Heart That Dares and The Right Track. As a child, some of Jill’s tales got her in trouble, but now she gets paid for them. Residing in San Diego with her husband and a trio of dogs and one very ancient cat, Jill’s favorite pastime is to gather friends and family for good food, conversation and plenty of laughter.

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

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

This book was my first contemporary romance. Up until I wrote The Right Track, I had written historicals. The Right Track is set on a private railroad car that I have travelled on many times as the chef, so I didn’t have to do a lot of research. Crossing the U. S. by train is an amazing way to see our beautiful country.

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

Told all my friends and reader via my website and with postcards and emails.

After that, what happened?

I got a lot of nice response and the book sold well.

What did your publisher do to promote your book?

They put a nice low price on it—that helps!

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?

It is hard to gage how much promotion of any kind helps sales unless you do a day-by-day analysis, and that is very time consuming. But I love the feeling that I am connecting with readers, so I do love blogging.

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

Again, this is hard to quantify, but reaching out to readers is always a really good idea. People can’t buy a book they don’t know about.

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

Literacy signings, contests and giveaways.

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 release is so new, it’s hard to say.

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

I have found you meet some wonderful readers at book signings, but sell very few books, particularly if the book is only available in digital form.

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

A former journalist, Kellyann Zuzulo’s interest in Middle Eastern myth and legend stems from her stint as a Managing Editor of Publications for the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, D.C.She is a published author of several genie romance novellas. One book, Angels & Genies, was included in a collection for which Charlaine Harris wrote the foreword. Kellyann lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, three children, and a jaunty terrier named Djin-Djin.

Her latest book is The Genie Ignites.

Visit her website at www.kfzuzulo.com.

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

The genie in THE GENIE IGNITES is Zubis. He’s been cursed for 3,000 years and is waiting for someone to make the final wish and free him. Problem is, nobody wants to free the genie. Along comes Bethany O’Brien, a modern and sassy D.C. journalist who was Zubis’s one and only in a previous incarnation. She has no memory of the great love they shared until he starts appearing to her in dreams, then embassy receptions, and ultimately in a shower in Urbino, Italy. She begins to remember what they meant to each other and that she was somehow responsible for his curse. And that she has the ability to set him free. Her journey to reclaim her memories and her love pit her against a secret society, three governments, and a nefarious genie who wants to kill her. Zubis, meanwhile, will risk his life to keep her safe.

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

I waited until the contract was signed and then I tweeted the news! Twitter is a quick and direct way to get news out when you don’t or can’t reveal too much at once. 140 characters max. It was a good teaser to let my social network know that the book would be coming even though I didn’t yet have a pub date.

After that, what happened?

I had tremendously supportive feedback from my social networks. As more information around the book solidified—like a pub date, a cover, plans for promotion—I tweeted again but also moved the news into Facebook, GooglePlus and LinkedIn. Then of course, the edits came back from the publisher and it was back to work.

What did your publisher do to promote your book?

My publisher has been amazing about a clear plan of promotion, which is part of why I signed with them. The first thing Boroughs Publishing Group did was arrange a book blog tour for the first couple of weeks after THE GENIE IGNITES is released. They’re also previewing the book cover and synopsis at sites around the web.

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?

It’s too soon yet to tell if blogging is impacting sales on this title, because it just released. However, I can tell you that I have seen an increase in sales on other books I wrote when I wrote for blogs or was interviewed. I think blogging is an indispensable form of book promotion. Blogging means exposure, especially on highly trafficked sites. As long as the blog an author writes is interesting or informative in some way, readers will read it. If they like what they see, they will buy that book.

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, social networks sell books. It’s the virtual equivalent of running into a friend on the street and saying, “Hey, how are things? Did you hear that my new book came out?” More often than not, your “friend” will be interested to hear that and may very well go check out the book to see if it’s something they will then buy. That’s all you need.

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

I like to plan a couple of well-placed ads, meaning ads that will target the type of readership I think will enjoy this book. THE GENIE IGNITES is a paranormal romance so I’ll look for paranormal book blog sites that also sell ads. Usually, the cost of such ads is not outrageous. You will pay more for very well known websites, like Smart Bitches Trashy Books, but you’re also guaranteed that a lot of people will see your ad. Print ads are dead for digital books, as far as I’m concerned. You need a clickable ad that will take viewers to a buy button for your book. I have scheduled an ad with Smart Bitches because I’ve advertised with them before and had success.

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?

I’d say a book blog tour. There’s minimal to no cost, just an investment of time with a potentially large return. I like blog tours because they’re a way to interact with readers and share the excitement of what it meant to create your story.

What are your experiences with offline promotions such as booksignings?

I have done book signings in the past and I would have to say that in today’s electronically savvy world, signings are becoming passé. There are so many more dynamic ways to interact with readers while selling books. And that’s what it comes down to…selling books. The interaction you’ll get in the bookstore won’t necessarily be targeted to your readership. When an author wants to physically meet readers, I think more satisfying than signings are  conferences where there’s time to shake hands and have a chat without the pressure of pressing books into people’s hands. Readers need time to decide. At signings, the author can often feel like a huckster…unless you’re JK or Patterson.

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

Thank you so much for hosting me! May all your wishes come true!

Valerie Stocking was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, and wrote her first short story when she was five.  When she was eight, she won a short story contest in Jack and Jill Magazine.  She wrote her first play at the age of ten.  In 1966, when she was twelve, she and her mother moved to a small town in Florida where they lived for a year.  During this time, Valerie experienced difficulties with the public school system, tried a Seventh Day Adventist school briefly, and then dropped out altogether.  It was her experiences during this year that inspired The Promised Land. Later, she would finish high school, graduate from college and earn a Master’s degree in Cinema Studies from NYU.

For nearly 30 years, she wrote and edited in various capacities, including copywriting, newspaper articles, and short stories.  She wrote nearly 20 full-length and one act plays over a ten year period, which have been performed throughout the U.S. and Canada.  She edited books for audio, abridging over 100 novels in a 6-year period.  In 2010, she published her first novel, A Touch of Murder, which is the first of what will become the Samantha Kern mystery series.  It was nominated for a Global eBook Award in 2011 for Best Mystery.

Valerie lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico with her dog and cat, and is working on her next novel.

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

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

Sure!  The Promised Land is about a 12-year-old girl’s coming of age in a small southern town in 1966.  She and her mother have just moved there from a Connecticut suburb, and of course it’s culture shock.  The girl befriends a biracial boy with explosive consequences.  The book also deals with the inadequacies of the public education system, and adolescent drinking and drug use.

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

I made a list of all the people I wanted to send advance copies to.  I also contacted Dorothy Thompson of Pump Up Your Book to query about a blog tour.

After that, what happened?

Once the book came out, I sent the copies to the people on my list.  And I contacted Dorothy right away.

What did your publisher do to promote your book?

They developed and sent out a press release.  They also made a large number of promotional bookmarks for me.

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’ve been blogging on a regular basis (twice a week) since last November.  It really isn’t enough time to have developed a large enough audience to say whether or not it has helped book sales.  I have been looking at the numbers, tracking the people who are reading, and it’s still a small audience, but it seems to be growing.  On Mondays, I do a potpourri of subjects: I talk about my writing, about the 1960’s (a connection with The Promised Land), and paranormal activity.  It seems that most people enjoy the paranormal stuff more than the other things.  I am going to be writing a paranormal thriller soon (I hope!) so I’m doing and writing about research in that area.  On Thursdays, I have a serialized mystery going, called “Color Me Dead.”  It’s a Samantha Kern mystery (she’s the detective in my first novel “A Touch of Murder”).

From what I understand, it can take several years to build a blog, in terms of audience.  So I am going to keep writing, and be patient.

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 have become active on Facebook and Twitter since November, talking about my blogs and my progress with The Promised Land. It’s a great way to get the message out to a lot of people.  I am on LinkedIn, but don’t do much there.  I’ve been adding friends to FB a lot, though.  And I’m getting positive responses.

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

I’ve sent out review copies to a number of people, including a woman who interviewed me before on a radio station in the Four Corners (NW) area of New Mexico.  She told me to send anything else I wrote to her, and said she’d like to interview me again.  In addition, an interview I did for the local NBC affiliate here just aired yesterday.  It will be available for general viewing on my website soon.  I’ve done 2 open mic readings, and a book signing here in Santa Fe.  The big reading/signing here is going to happen April 19, at Collected Works bookstore.  I’m going to be putting out flyers for that, and also contacting a local radio station about interviewing me.  So I’ve been busy!

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?

Facebook.  I can get the message out to a lot of people, numerous times, and it doesn’t cost anything.  Twitter’s good, too, but I find the length limitations frustrating at times.

What are your experiences with offline promotions such as booksignings?

I love book signings!  I enjoy talking to people, despite the fact that I’m very nervous right beforehand.  However, before a person will come to a book signing, they have to know about it.  So advertising it is key.  It’s not going to sell mass quantities of a book, but it adds a personal touch that I like.

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

Thank you!