Thursday, August 27, 2009

Review Sites Anyone? by Christine Duncan

I know it always sounds like such BS to any unpubbed author but learning how to promote your book when it is published is almost as time consuming and difficult as it was to learn to write the books. There are so many different aspects of promotion out there to keep in mind from arranging in-person talks and booksignings to doing blog tours. Blogging, twittering, talking on Facebook and Goodreads are familiar to me now, and I think I'm getting a little more efficient about my time on the net. (I can say that because I have touched Instant Messenger or personal email yet today. Catch me after I have and the update might be different.) Getting a buzz going about your mystery can be downright difficult

I thought I had promo down pat this time. I put together a media kit to email to bookstores so I could have that in front of them when I called to ask about a signing. I designed a press release customized several different ways so that one emphasized the local author aspect, one emphasized a news aspect and still another talked about the underlying theme of the book.
I arranged a virtual tour, printed up ARCS and sent them for review and talked up the book everywhere.

But I got my print copies of Safe House today and although I'm so excited, I'm also worried! Things have changed in the time since the first book came out. Review sites have disappeared. I have a couple of reviews for the e-book and I tried to send ARCS to anyone remotely interested late last year. And now, I need to send print copies out to the review sites who wanted to have books upon publication. I know to send to Mid-West book review but who else is there?
Sigh
And I need to learn about making a book trailer. Fast. I guess what I really need is to figure out how to go without sleep for a couple of months. Too bad I don't like any of those energy shot things they have out now.
Do they still make No-doze?


Christine Duncan is the author of the Kaye Berreano mystery series. Book two, Safe House is available now.

7 comments:

Jean Henry Mead said...

I would be happy to review your new book, Christine. I agree that promoting books takes an inordinate amount of time, energy and savvy. It also takes time away from your current work in progress. But it's something we can't avoid.

Best of luck with sales,

Jean
Seniorsleuth@aol.com

Kevin R. Tipple said...

There are still plenty of legitimate places to have your book seriously reviewed. And there are many more people and places that will "review" the book only positively. And, of course, there is always that certain number one reviewer on AMAZON.

So, do your homework and know the work of the reviewer before you send the book. In the long run, it will be worth it.

Good luck!


Kevin R. Tipple
http://www.kevinrtipple.com/

Morgan Mandel said...

Windows Movie Maker, which is in the XP version, maybe others, has an easy movie maker you can use for doing trailers. Just make sure to save the project often, since it has a habit of quitting when you don't want it to.

Morgan Mandel
http://www.morganmandel.com
http://choiceonepublishing.com

Dana Fredsti said...

I am dreading promo time for the next MFH book (must finish!) 'cause things have changed so much over the last two years! Book trailers? Gah!!!!!

Best of luck, Christine!

Rev. Dr. Anthony Burton said...

Hey, Christine, don't forget The GenReView, a genre fiction review site that has been up since May and has been getting a lot of traffic. Drop by there and see if we can help you. (I say it that way because it's my site.)

http://www.thegenreview.com/

Tony Burton

C. M. Albrecht said...

I downloaded a free program called Microsoft Essentials. This includes Moviemaker and I used that to make some You Tube trailers. They ain't Steven Spielberg, but for an amateur with no money, they aren't to bad. The program takes a bit of practice, but isn't really hard (and remember, unlike my 6-year old great granddaughter,I'm computer illiterate}. You can check some out on You Tube: Evidence by C. M. Albrecht, and The Sand Bluff Murders by C. M. Albrecht. I made a couple more too. Not that they've helped sell any books, but I had fun making them. Good luck! Carl

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