Quick Update

Hi Everyone,

Sorry for being so slow to post lately. It’s been busy around here (as usual!) but we are also in the process of hiring an administrative assistant. The reward of having another person working in the office will be great, but it’s been time consuming the last couple weeks going through resumes (Craig’s List really works!), interviewing potential applicants, making a selection, etc. More soon!

Sarah

Donating copies of your book

We received a flier from the Camp Pendleton Officers Wives Club in San Diego, CA awhile back. They are having an auction later this month and were requesting donations of prizes they can auction off to raise money for their organization. Our book Surviving Military Separation came out earlier this year and was a perfect fit for their audience so we donated a few copies of the book to the event. They will be incorporating the book into gift baskets they are creating to auction off. They are also displaying fliers about the book on each of the dinner tables. Whenever you receive requests for donations of your book, think about where it will be placed, who will see it, and if it will lead to future book sales down the road.

Evite your friends to your book event!

Quick tip for publicizing your book signing. I usually tell authors to email and mail their whole database of family, friends, and co-workers to promote a hometown book signing appearance. The Elementary Common Sense of Thomas Paine author Mark Wilensky is working hard to publicize his Tattered Cover book signing on April 29. He sent an Evite to his contacts inviting them to the event. Sounds so simple that I’m surprised I never thought of it before. He can keep track of Yes, Nos, and Maybes, people can leave him comments on the Evite webpage for his event, and he can get a sense of how many people will attend. What a fun way to invite everyone to your book signing party!

Keeping in touch with your readers

Below is a mass email sent out by Playing with the Enemy author Gary Moore to his email database of personal contacts and also the people who subscribe to his Playing with the Enemy newsletter. It’s a great example of how a successful author stays in touch with his readers and followers:

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Title: Happy (day after) Paperback Audio Release Day!
From: Gary W. Moore Author/Speaker

It is out and available! You can find them anywhere fine books are sold and they are available from all the online venues. Playing with the Enemy is out in paperback and audio book and I think you will love the additions. Penguin, my paperback publisher, one of the largest publishers in the world, decided to change the cover and the book subtitle. It is now called “Playing with the Enemy: A Baseball Prodigy, World War II and the Long Journey Home.” I loved the hardback cover but I also love the lighter, brighter look of the paperback/audio book. These new additions have additional information, pictures and a new author afterword. I hope you will check it out!

There's no place like home! Monday night, Barnes & Noble in Bourbonnais hosted the release party for Playing with the Enemy. It was standing room only and the response was both amazing and humbling. Arlene and I are so grateful to all who came to show their support for the launch of the national book tour. Thank you to all.

I am typing this message from Midway Airport as I await my Southwest flight to Cleveland. Please take a look to see where I will be appearing near you. I would love to meet you!

Check out the event schedule!

Gary

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It doesn’t matter if you have one signing set up or two dozen—keep your contacts in the loop. How are you notifying your contacts about your appearances and spreading the word about your title?