Since the publication of A Guilty Mind, I’ve spent more hours than I want to count on marketing. I’ve done guest interviews and guest posts on other blogs as well as having some other authors appear on mine. I’ve done a mini-review tour. I’ve met some really great writers (so lucky!) and learned more than I expected about the publishing business and how to market a book. Although I would love to say I’ve achieved bestseller status (I did have one day in the top 100 for crime novels – hooray!), that hasn’t happened. Yet, I can’t complain. I’m still selling books every day. In fact, other than the occasional blip, sales may not be skyrocketing but they are steady.

As I said, marketing has taken hours. The research alone takes time. Engaging in conversations with other writers through Linkedin or FB or Twitter takes time. Some of what you try works and some doesn’t. In truth, part of the reason I think it takes so much time is that what works is a moving target. I’ve appeared at more than a dozen book clubs but my last one scheduled is June 30th. On top of that, my freelance writing assignments take time. Family obligations take time. Darn those piles of laundry! Writing my second novel has taken a backseat to promoting the first. It’s time to focus.

My last scheduled guest post ran on Friday on the blog of Southern Writers Magazine. (The topic was writing conferences and the value in finding one to attend.) I have no more plans to guest post until July. I have not taken any freelance assignments due until after July. I plan to focus on SOE for the next several weeks and get it DONE! My goal is to publish my second novel before the end of the year.

To help me focus, this blog will go dark for a bit. I will be commenting rarely on Twitter, FB, and Linkedin. I won’t be able to keep up and read my favorite writing/author blogs. For several weeks, I will be a social media drop-out.

So, to all the writers who are in the same boat, trying to balance writing with marketing and whatever else is going on with jobs, families, etc., I wish you the best of luck and happy writing. We’re all in this together!

I found this book recently while scrolling through Amazon and downloaded it based on the reviews and comments. Turns out to have been a good move! Lisa weaves a suspense novel around a young, newly divorced detective and a woman kidnapped as a teenager who is still being controlled by her captor. Ironically, real-life headlines have been remarkably close to this story-line recently but it’s a testament to how well-written and believable this story is that you will not be able to put it down. And while the subject matter of abuse can be difficult, Lisa handles it with an empathy the reader can feel. If you get the chance, check out this powerful book.

*****

Finding Claire Fletcher is not a straight-forward mystery exactly but there is an element of suspense as Claire grows stronger and Connor gets closer to finder her. How hard was it to create the “bond” between these characters when they had only spent one night together?

It was kind of a delicate thing.  I wanted to make sure that readers saw a connection there without making that chapter painfully long.  I mean for me, in my mind, Claire and Connor always had an instant connection.  Not even in a romantic way or one based on physical attraction, although there is certainly an element of that.  In my mind, there was just a spark there–two kind of kindred souls.  I know instant connections are hard to find in real life, but they do exist and you never know when a small, seemingly insignificant encounter will set off an obsession for someone.

Kidnapped girls have been in the news lately and there is always the question of “why didn’t they escape”? You did an excellent job in helping me to understand Claire’s situation and the extensive damage her captor had done to her psyche. Did you have to do specific research to understand this phenomenon?

Well there wasn’t much research to be done when I wrote the book. At that time the only child who had been recovered was Stephen Stayner, and that story came out when I was very young.  What I kept asking myself over and over again was: what would make a person who was forcibly torn away from everything they knew and loved and systematically tortured on a daily basis stay in that situation?  What would make that same person unable to reach out for help when all they had to do was walk up to the nearest person and say ‘my name is so and so, I was kidnapped, I need the police’?  I think people find this phenomenon so hard to wrap their minds around, and yet it happens to varying degrees all around us every day.  Women stay with men who are physically and emotionally abusive.  Children don’t breathe a word when a trusted adult is abusing them.  Rapes go unreported every single day.  I did a lot of research on these three issues–domestic violence, molestation and sexual assault.  I think the key for me was the idea that if you torture someone on a daily basis–and I do consider repeated sexual assaults to be a form of torture–every moment of their lives becomes only about survival and nothing more.  They are unable to think past that.  I’ve always likened these children to prisoners of war, and I think that is a good comparison.  Also, if you strip away every single thing down to the most basic dignities like using a toilet, the person becomes completely dependent on their captor.  Where freedom should be their dream in life, something as simple as having a blanket instead becomes all that they strive for.  When Shawn Hornbeck was recovered, I read an article that talked about how children in his situation are infantilized.  That was exactly what I had written about without ever knowing there was a word for it.  Finally this idea that their terror is so great that they cannot reach out for help even given the opportunity–first, what people forget is that usually captors will threaten the person’s family.  From the outside it is easy to say, oh but if you just go to the police then he can’t hurt anyone else.  But if you’re the person he is torturing, I think your thought process is more along the lines of, “He got me, didn’t he?  He’s hurting me, isn’t he?  If he can do this to me, he can do it to anyone.”  The captor becomes all-powerful, and the captive is so beaten down in every sense that their fear is paralyzing.  I think if you’re in it and you’re living it, your perspective is vastly different. 

Claire’s sister is skeptical, sure that Claire is dead. Claire’s father also gave up and her parents ultimately divorced. Did you find this to be common among families who have suffered the loss of an abducted child? Is there a famous case that may have inspired your story?

I read a lot of books about children who were missing–and never found–and found that the strain it puts on the family is just unimaginable.  From my reading, it seemed that many couples did not stay together.  The case that really set off my obsession with missing children was Jacob Wetterling (Minnesota). His parents stayed together.  But in the case of Jaycee Lee Dugard, her mother and stepfather who were together at the time and had a younger child together did not stay together.  No one knows what goes on behind closed doors, but I think relationships are hard enough without adding something so traumatizing and life-altering.

Brianna resents Claire and tries to maintain her position in the “family.” Claire cannot understand why Brianna is there “by choice”. What does Brianna’s presence add to the story?

Brianna is really meant to represent all those people who look at these kids and say, “Why the hell didn’t they leave?”  I think that question is always the elephant in the room,  and Brianna gives voice to that.

Because the subject matter, pedophilia, is unpleasant and at times grisly, did you find these chapters difficult to write?

They were very hard to write.  I often cried after writing many of the scenes.  At the same time, I felt it was important to really bring some of the more traumatic events to the forefront to give people an understanding of just how badly kids in Claire’s situation have it.  If you can understand how truly terrible something like this is on a visceral level, then maybe you can begin to understand why these children are unable to break free.

I think I read that you wrote Finding Claire Fletcher several years ago. How has the story evolved? Would you call your debut novel a labor of love?

Well it started out as 175,000 words which I cut down to 140,000 and then eventually to 105,000.  Claire’s chapters have not changed very much over the years.  Her words are almost exactly what they were in the first draft.  The rest of the book has changed drastically over time to accommodate the large cuts I had to make in terms of word count.  The plot is very different than what I started out with–originally it went forward much further in time.  This book is definitely a labor of love for me.  I feel a very special connection to this book.  When I was writing it, it felt more like I was channeling the words than creating something.  I don’t think anything that I have written before or since has meant as much to me as Finding Claire Fletcher does.

As an author, you chose to go with a small publishing house. This is becoming a popular trend in publishing. What can you tell other authors about the process?

Sapphire Star is really wonderful about working collaboratively with their authors to present not only the best product possible but something the author is happy with and can be proud of.  In terms of the actual process–I wrote my synopses; I was able to make suggestions about cover art; both my books went through several rounds of intensive editing with several sets of eyes on them.  Very grueling but worth it.  ARCs go out to reviewers.  A final read-through is done before the book is released into the world. Then marketing begins both on the publisher’s part and on mine.  I was in a social media stupor for about a month after my release.  Now I’m doing it all over again.  SSP has been a great fit for me.  They are really open to new ideas and are genuinely author-centered which is a huge blessing.

Tell us a little about your background. Did you always want to write? Do you hold another job while writing?

I always wanted to write.  I’ve been writing books–whole books–since I was eleven years old.  By the time I was 18 I had written 4 crappy young adult novels.  In my twenties, I started a bunch of things that I didn’t finish.  Then I wrote one book before Finding Claire Fletcher, which was terrible and is currently taking up residence on my hard drive.  Writing is something I’ve just always done no matter what was going on in my life.  I have a Bachelor’s degree in English and a Master of Education.  I’ve worked as a bookstore manager, karate instructor for children, Certified Nurse Assistant and now I’ve settled in as a paralegal, which I really enjoy.  I work full time.

I’m paraphrasing but you’ve said on your blog that it’s hard to get everything done. Promoting your current novel, gearing up for the second, and writing the third must be challenging. How do you do it all? Do you have a strict schedule?

Actually, I’m not really sure how I do it all.  It’s incredibly hard sometimes.  I work full time.  I have a five year old and a husband. In the last year we’ve dealt with some health issues within our family.  Nothing life-threatening but something that requires daily vigilance.  There really is no time at all for writing.  When I’m working on first drafts, I just keep a small notebook in my purse and any chance I get, I whip it out and write a little–in line at the post office, waiting in the doctor’s office, etc.  When I need to work on my laptop for revisions or editing, I usually have to forego sleep.  I wait till everyone else in the house is asleep and I work during the night.  (Or I do it while my husband is engrossed in something on the military channel.)  I have to sacrifice sleep sometimes or nothing would ever get written.  Now that our phones are able to access Facebook, email, twitter and all sorts of social media, that part of it has become so much easier for me–I do a lot of stuff from my phone whenever I can.  Still, I often get the will-you-PLEASE-put-away-your-phone/computer? from my husband and daughter.  I have to force myself to get out of the book and back into the real world sometimes!  I don’t have a strict schedule, I just try to squeeze every last second out of each day that I possibly can.

Your second book, Aberration, is due out in June. Tell us what we have to look forward to and when we might expect your third book.

Aberration is a bit of a departure from Finding Claire Fletcher.  It is a much more typical crime thriller but it’s got some twists in it that I hope readers will enjoy.  It’s not as emotionally dense as FCF.  I’m currently working on finalizing a draft of my third novel which is called Hold Still–again a much more traditional crime thriller.  That features a single mom detective from Philadelphia who is hunting down a group of serial rapists.  I haven’t sent this to my agent yet so I don’t know if I’ll be able to sell it at this point.  I’ve also started writing my fourth book which will feature Claire and Connor again, only the story won’t center around them this time–they’ll be more like intrepid crime solvers.

*****

In exciting news, Lisa just recently learned that Finding Claire Fletcher has been nominated for the eFestival of Words Best of Independent eBook Awards in three categories: Best Novel, Best Thriller and Best Hero/Heroine for Claire Fletcher.  I say CONGRATULATIONS! It is well-deserved.

To Learn More about Lisa, you can visit her at:

Quick Synopsis of Finding Claire Fletcher:

Newly divorced and with his career in jeopardy, Detective Connor Parks takes solace in the arms of a beautiful woman he meets at a bar. The next morning, Claire Fletcher is gone, leaving nothing behind but an address and a decade-old mystery. The address leads to the Fletcher family home where Claire’s siblings inform Connor that their fifteen-year-old sister was abducted from a city street ten years ago and is presumed dead.

During those ten years, Claire endured the cruel torture and depravity of the man who abducted her. Paralyzed by fear and too ashamed to return to her family, Claire is resigned to her life as Lynn, the identity her abductor forced upon her. Every time she attempts escape or betrays him in the smallest way, someone dies. Even now, her clandestine run-in with Connor Parks may have put his life at risk, as well as the lives of her family.

Connor is convinced that not only is Claire Fletcher alive, but that she is also the woman he met at the bar. Driven to see her again, he begins his own investigation, off the clock and without the police department’s consent. He is determined to find her and unravel the mystery of her abduction and odd reemergence. But finding Claire Fletcher proves more dangerous than he anticipates. In fact, it may be deadly.

Finding Claire Fletcher is available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Thanks, Lisa, for visiting today!!

Last year, another local author created Celebrate With A Book to bring together local writers and let them showcase their work. The second Celebrate With A Book will take place this weekend and I am looking forward to being a part of it. In the spirit of the event, I wrote a guest blog for the event titled When It Comes to the End of a Book, What Does the Author Owe the Reader?

Also, this month I am speaking at an event as part of a fundraiser. 15 copies of my book and an evening with the author were auctioned off at a school fundraiser. That event has spawned interest from another nonprofit group. I am grateful to be able to help out all while spreading the word about my book.

Our blogs and social networks allow us all to participate in a vibrant and growing writing community. But do you know much about the writing community in your own home town? More importantly, are you a part of it?

Gina’s Library is a big supporter of books and authors. She works with both individual authors  and organized book blog tours. That’s a big task and one that is sincerely appreciated.

Today, I am appearing on her blog to answer the question about what an author is looking for in reviews. This has always been a hot topic but one that has heated up recently in light of Anne Rice’s facebook post regarding unfavorable comments on a reviewer’s blog. One of my favorite writers also weighed in with her thoughts (see here). Gina had already asked me to write on this topic, but with that as the backdrop (cue timing), I wrote a few comments on what reviews are and what we, as authors, should take from them. You can check out the post on Gina’s blog here.

I also had the pleasure of appearing on the publishing blog of DA Bale. She is the author of Running Into the Darkness and she is also an editor/formatter. She has an upcoming blog tour in June for her book and I’m looking forward to hosting her this summer. Because she is such a great source of information for writers, we continued the discussion on digital vs. print publishing. I discovered some interesting information when I looked into some digital sales at some major publishing houses. You can see my comments here.

If you get the chance, check out both sites and let me know what you think! Thanks to both great ladies for all their support.

My thoughts:  There are many camps out there insisting that you, as an author, need to create a platform. I can’t disagree but I believe that some writers are under the impression that a popular blog with lots of views will translate into sales. This may work if you are a blogging personality on food and publish a cookbook but not necessarily if you are publishing your first fantasy novel. Will you make writer friends? Yes. Will you get the opportunity to promote those writer friends? Yes. Will you enjoy it? Yes, but that will probably not show up in your Amazon sales and maybe not in theirs either.

I think the same goes for tweeting and facebook. Really! I’m not trying to discourage social media. In fact, there is no question that getting the word out about your book is a good thing (and it’s free!!), but while writers are also usually avid readers, they cannot possibly buy and read every single book published by their writer friends. In fact, not even some of the friends you’ve had since grade school will buy or read your book and they know you personally. They want to and they mean to but they won’t (reasons may vary).

While I think it’s true that fans may search for your author page, most of them are not interested in your blog posts about advertising or kindle free days or even creating characters. We write these blogs for ourselves and to learn more about writing and publishing from each other. It keeps us up to date on the latest happenings in the publishing process. To me, this is the most important purpose of many of the blogs out there.

As authors we should promote and use social media as much as we possibly can, but we should also be realistic about our goals. Perhaps Mr. Nougat is right that Google+ is a great way to network. Blogging, FB, and Twitter may have been enough at one time, but the effectiveness of social media is a moving target. Either way, head on over to Mr. Nougat’s blog and take the poll. I did.

How do you feel about social media and book sales? Has it worked for you in the past or present? What kind of social media do you think is most important?

Mark Coker wrote a great article late last year with several publishing predictions for 2013 (full article here). Obviously, no one can perfectly predict the future but Mr. Coker has already come pretty darn close. Several things struck me when I re-read the article.

1. Mr. Coker predicted that there would be a glut of self-published books and that it would also become increasingly hard to sell those same books. I can’t say that he’s wrong. Let’s be honest. The act of self-publishing is easy. Anyone can do it. And with the media stories about self-publishing successes and sensations, more people are willing to dip their toe in the water. As the pool of self-published books swells, it becomes increasingly difficult for a single book or author to get their work noticed. This is a common theme on many writers’ forums and websites. It’s occurred to me that perhaps Amazon has been cutting revenues to sites that advertise “free” days as a way to trim some of that glut. Just a theory…

2. The international market is a wonderful opportunity for ebooks and self-publishers.  It’s been reported that Apple already sells e-books (excuse me, ibooks) in 50 countries (and counting). Both Amazon and Barnes & Noble must continue to expand to other countries to catch up or they will be left behind.

3. Mr. Coker has suggested the big 6 will become the big 4. Traditional publishing is due for some re-organization and re-tooling. Publishing is a business and as such, net revenue needs to grow. The bottom line counts! Physical books are not going away but nor are they a growing share of overall book sales. Consolidation and improved long-term strategies are in order. Maybe those mergers won’t happen in 2013, but they will happen.

4. The stigma of self-publishing will continue to disappear and self-published work may be seen more in films and TV. This seems like a logical conclusion to me (I believe it’s already happening?). Just as record labels have trolled YouTube and other outlets for up and coming musicians, film companies and networks will look to well-liked self-published works for something new and creative. Hollywood loves a rags to riches story. And while it’s true that Hollywood has always had their blockbusters, it’s often the indie films that take home the prizes.

None of these predictions seem farfetched in light of the sizable ebook market and self-publishing success stories. Barnes & Noble continues to stay in the fight but it’s survival remains to be seen. We’ve already seen some significant deals and announcements in 2013 and we’re only halfway through April. There’s no question, it’s a great time to be a writer. The real question is, what can we expect for the remainder of the year?

The tips boil down to:

• Look at Your Reviews – The bottom line is that reviews help sell books. You don’t have to wait to pursue this strategy. In truth, this is a marketing tool that should be constant. How many reviews do you need? Well, no one can say what the magic number is but why wouldn’t you want as many as you can get? All writers need reviews. I recently got an email from a traditionally published writer who’d just released his latest book and he asked for reviews. EVERYONE needs them. But understand, not everyone you ask will write one. Even your family and your closest friends, even people who profess to love your book, will not always write them. They might forget or maybe they’re just not comfortable doing it. Be respectful and professional when seeking reviews and even more important, be grateful. For more help, seek out book bloggers, virtual book tours, or a publicist.
• Redo Your Cover Image – Great idea if you’re aren’t getting favorable response but in truth, this should be professionally done before you publish. Do your best the first time!
• Is Your Book Priced Too High? – I hear all the time about writers experimenting with the price of their books as well as using the Amazon Select Free Days to jumpstart sales. I can’t attest to how well this method works as I haven’t tried it but do your research before you do. Check out other books in your genre and don’t do it in a vacuum. If you discount or go free, advertise to get the maximum mileage out of the change.
• Look at Your Sampling to Sales Ratio – This is relevant if you have used Smashwords. If you published solely with Amazon, you won’t know. My only issue with this is if you do determine your sample is not selling your book, the only way to change that with Amazon is to rewrite the first several chapters. If that’s necessary, there may be bigger issues.
• Are you targeting the right audience? – Have you listed your book in the correct category? If you aren’t sure or want to get more specific, don’t hesitate to contact KDP support. Also, check out this link from Indies Unlimited for some additional advice on categories: Helping You Become a #1 Bestselling Author.
• Pride Goes Before the Fall – There are dozens of posts about bad reviews or comments on Amazon, B&N, Goodreads, etc. Everyone’s heard it but it’s true. You can’t please everyone all of the time. It’s okay if a bad review hurts. Can you learn anything from it? If not, remember the books, movies, and TV shows you didn’t like and everyone else was raving about. Reviews are subjective.

Mark Coker clearly didn’t get where he was without knowing a few things about publishing (Thank you, Mark). One thing I noticed in Mr. Coker’s article is that he doesn’t talk about blogging, tweeting, or Facebook. I don’t think it’s because he doesn’t think you should but more because it may not be as big a factor in your overall sales as the six tips he mentions.

Another important thing to remember is that there is one factor that no writer can control – LUCK. Success is a lot of hard work and a little bit of luck (read about Hugh Howey here) – no matter who you are. This is not to say that all the work is a waste of time. My point in mentioning it is that in order to find or make your own luck, you still have to be in the right place at the right time and that does take work – lots of it.

Hopefully, these tips, along with some good luck, will be useful when you launch your book as well as after it’s been selling for several months or even years. The success of your book takes nurturing all the way through! Good luck!

One comment she made struck me as particularly accurate. She wrote, “By the time a self-published author has made a success of his or her book, all the hard stuff is done, not just writing the manuscript but editing and the all-important marketing.” Ms. Miller is so right. The majority of self-published books that succeed did so because the author wore a lot of hats. The author did the work (or hired someone) to do what would have been done by an agent, an editor, a publisher, and a publicist. This is all in addition to writing the actual book. Whew! She argues that these same successful self-publishers are willing to listen when traditional publishers come knocking. Her point – they’re tired and after all, who wouldn’t want someone else to do all the work?

Traditional publishing does have it’s advantages. It’s still more about the print book than the e-book. It’s the best avenue to put the author’s print copy in a physical bookstore in addition to just being saved on a virtual shelf. I understand that desire. I’m a self-published author who has made her book available as an e-book and as a paperback. My book is available at every on-line book retailer. Still, that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t want to walk into a Barnes&Noble and see my book on the largest and most prominent table. I’m not crazy!

But…

While Ms. Miller is right that the print market is currently still 75% of book sales and I believe her when she says that independent bookstores are having a resurgence, those numbers are likely to change in the next decade based sheerly on demographics. The youth of today are digital. Those of us in my age bracket (we don’t need to get specific) like to think of ourselves as digital but we’re only kidding ourselves. We are digital friendly only. The kids, however, don’t know anything else. The news that they can read a book on their phone. Ancient news. Why do they need print? My children don’t have textbooks for all their classes. Their world is always a touchscreen away. I’m a book lover and I love turning the pages of a favorite book, but I see the print market share dwindling – not going away – just dwindling a bit as future generations of buyers make the term ‘tech-savvy’ seem quaint.

What I don’t think Ms. Miller addresses fully in her article is that authors who are not best-sellers don’t get the same level of services they might have in the past. I know traditionally published authors who have had success but when follow-up sales were less than expected, the marketing and publicity dried up. The best-sellers get the lion’s share of the marketing money, the mid-listers get limited, short-term support, and the rest often get nothing. In fact, I hear more stories every day about traditionally published authors being asked to take on more of the marketing of their books and their brand. Publishing is a business – plain and simple. The inequities will continue and this will drive many authors away. As Mr. Hughes points out, “The publishing houses stay afloat only because the megahits pay for the flops, and there’s generally enough left over for profit.”

What makes the debate interesting is that both sides are right. Print books are not going away and neither are e-books and self-publishing. But the dynamics of how each business will look in 5 years, 10, or 20, are completely unknown. One thing is for sure though, change is constant.

Many authors are able to set up their own virtual tour/blog hop/book tour without using a service. In many of these cases, they already have a virtual network – one they carefully cultivated before they published their books. However, one thing I have seen with this approach is that often the network is filled with other authors who are also promoting their books. I wholeheartedly endorse this practice but I wonder how many readers are being reached using this method. I’m not saying I don’t believe authors don’t buy other authors’ work. Some do and I certainly have. In fact, I currently have several on my kindle waiting for me. (I love having guest posts by other writers because I learn so much!) But even if your fellow writers buy your book, are you reaching your wider target audience – whether it’s readers of paranormal, historical fiction, or thriller? The point is, if you set up your own blog tour, be sure to appear on blogs where you can safely assume the visitors don’t just write, but READ your genre.

Obviously, another option is to pay for your tour. While doing some research recently, I’ve noticed that blog tours are not just for the independently published. In fact, some services will only arrange tours for authors who have been traditionally published. This tells me how popular the idea has become. A summary of services:

• Novel Publicity:  The website states the cost is $1000 and is a full-consultation service. An excerpt from their site says, “The virtual book tour includes twenty blogs over a four-week period. If 20 high traffic bloggers are unavailable for your tour, we may assign some bloggers that have been evaluated by us but have not yet reached the 100 hits per day milestone. If we do need to use low-traffic bloggers, we will provide you with more than 20 total bloggers to ensure the maximum PR bang for your buck.” What is interesting here is that they guarantee the sites you visit will have 100 hits per day or some combination of sites to reach that. An interesting point…
• Sizzling PR Romance:  This company provides a variety of services and prices can start as low as $5. Although the name indicates romance, it’s not just the Harlequin variety but also paranormal romance, urban fantasy, erotica and more. The website says, “The author has the option of guest blogs, interviews, character interviews, excerpt posts or combination for each tour. Giveaways are also accepted and handled with the author’s permission. Review copies will be sent out (if the author wishes) to every tour stop at no additional charge. If the author is only interested in having the book sent out for reviews, the price is $5. Sizzling PR is open to any thing the author might have in mind.”
• Reading Addiction Virtual Book Tours: Prices range from approximately $25 to $200. This company has a variety of packages and will provide a la carte services. They represent most genres and guarantee book reviews within their tours.
• Bewitching Book Tours: Prices range from $35-$155 for a variety of services and time frames (1 week to 1 month). The company specializes in paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and paranormal erotica book tours but will represent almost all other fiction genres as well.
• Tribute-Books: This company’s services range from mini-tours to more involved tours or reviews only. Prices start as low as $75 and go up to $325 for larger packages. They prefer young adult, mystery and romance. Any other fiction genre can email them directly for availability. Tribute-Books does not represent non-fiction.
• Virtual Book Tour Cafe: To learn prices and specific packages, you must visit the site and complete the submission form. Virtual Book Tour Cafe represents most genres but reserves the right to not represent your book if they don’t feel it is a good fit.

Are there others? Yes, of course, but this is an idea of what is out there. Some companies, such as TLC Book Tours, will only represent traditionally published authors (as mentioned earlier). If you choose to hire a service, be sure to read the testimonials provided by the sites and look over their list of authors. Are they experienced in your genre? Take a look at the book’s Amazon site. How long has it been since their tour? If it was recent, does the book have many reviews and what is the book rank? Of course, as you may not know where the book started, the information is only partially relevant. But, if that book is doing better than yours, maybe it’s a good investment. Either way, do your research. This will help you to determine if it’s important to add this to your marketing strategy.

Although the idea of spending money is not anyone’s favorite idea, traditionally published authors usually have some level of publicity assigned to their books (even if sometimes nominal and short-term). My theory here is that if you’ve treated your book in a professional manner thus far – editing and cover design – why stop now? Maybe a book tour isn’t the right vehicle for you but many of these companies offer a variety of services. Some will help you develop your FB page and presence, website, or help you get reviews. It’s really another form of advertising. If you can do it yourself successfully, then that is great news!

In the end, although I’m not sure if a virtual book tour is critical to any book’s success, I don’t see how it can hurt. If you break even or come close to it, then it’s a positive marketing move. Even if you lose money in the short run, you may see a few pros such as reviews or a better facebook page that will pay off later. I’m a writer. And while I can certainly learn some aspects of marketing, I’m not a professional. Virtual book tours are another tool at an author’s disposal. To use or not is up to you.

If you have a story regarding virtual book tours, positive – negative – or anywhere in between, I’d love to hear it.

Like many online ads, the cost can be centered around the number of clicks and you can set your daily limit of what you are willing to spend. I set my ad up so that I could spread it over several days to see if there were any measurable results. I have to say, I like the way you can target your ad, change your ad easily, and play with turning it on and off. The results, while not staggering, have given me a slight, but very steady uptick in e-book sales. I exhausted my free days and added some paid days. (Clearly this is FB’s transparent but brilliant strategy). While this is not the cheapest type of advertising, based on my modest results, I would recommend experimenting with it for a brief period. If it works for you, do it. If it doesn’t, then cancel when you feel it is no longer cost effective. You should also try different days. My instinct, although unscientific, is that more people/readers spend time on FB on the weekends and nights than during the day while working. Don’t really know if this is true anymore but just a thought.

It’s also time to give a great big thank you to Southern Writers Magazine. They have an informative blog as well as a great print and online magazine. I have recently written a guest blog for them about attending writers’ conferences (I’m a big fan) that will be published in the near future. I am also grateful they featured my novel on the “Must Reads” page of their March/April issue. I altered my FB ad to reflect this and I think it works well (see above).

As always, marketing and publicity is a learning experience! What any writer wants is to put their book in as many readers hands as possible. Happy reading, writing, and selling!