The Book Tour - Plotting and Scheming

Now that I've finally gotten an ISBN for Flagrant Foul, I figured it would probably be the best thing to spend the six weeks that it will probably take for it to appear on online stores like Amazon (though you can buy it on flagrantfoul.com now!) drumming up some publicity...again.

I know what you're saying, fellow Questers. I already did all of this already. True, I was on Pete Klein's Adirondack Book House radio show in July and received a good review from Shannon Yarbrough, but really, was that enough?

Nope. Not even close. So, with the leaves turning and the time to promote more appropriate (Flagrant Foul, of course, takes place during basketball season), it's time to begin plotting anew, and maybe this time, someone will actually buy a copy (as opposed to the copies I've given away).

Where do I start this time around?

Good question.

First, there's the Quickest Blog Book Tour Guide Ever, a great site that details the 10 steps every Quester should take to plan and execute and effective blog book tour. So, where am I at on the list?

Let's see...

1. Start your own blog - Well, that's an obvious check.
2. RSS feed and bookmark link - Check (And while I have your attention, be sure to Digg this entry!)
   
3. Cyber-schmooze - Yep. As a matter of fact, if you're not already following me on Twitter, Facebook or MySpace, go ahead and do so!

So now, I'm at Step 4, choosing my tour hosts. Now, this has always been the stumbling block for your hero, so I'm going to have to get creative on this one.

Now, I've also posed the question, why not a Twitter Book Tour? Sure, people can throw questions at me and I can answer them. Create some publicity that way.

As you can see, I'm still thinking about that one...

The Twitterverse is Calling...

Finally, an instance where following people isn't considered stalking!

Microblogging, or micromedia (depending on you you ask) is spreading like wildfire. Forms of it have shown up on most of the social networking sites, such as MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn. In the last couple of years, though, it's taken on a life of it's own.

Welcome to the Twitterverse.

Like most Questers, I, too, have been drawn to the ability to unveil a random stream of consciousness on a regular basis. While like most social media, it's a good place to keep in touch with your friends, it's also a pretty good tool to get the word out about your book.

Plus, if you look in the right place, you'll find a few sites to help you with your Quest.

Lulu's on there - http://twitter.com/Luludotcom

And a new one I found, and an excellent source for Quester, Blog Book Tours - http://twitter.com/blogbooktours (Oddly enough, Blogger thinks they're a spam blog, to which I do not concur!)

I can be followed, too - http://twitter.com/bobmcdonald

After All That???

Now that it's the beginning of August, I must take personal stock in how the Quest is going.

Um, not so good...

Sales so far:

Flagrant Foul (from lulu.com): 0
Dilemma (from lulu.com): 0
Dilemma (from Mobipocket/Amazon): 0
Average daily hits on http://www.flagrantfoul.com/ (Main site, not the Quest): 1.17

So, I take this to mean one of three things. Either...

A. I'm not applying myself.
B. My books really are crap.
C. This is a tough, tough racket to break into.

For the time being, I'm going to choose Answer C, and press on. And instead of moping, I'm going to just turn it over to you guys. How has your Quest been going? What's your experience been like so far. I've got a couple of different Quest reports posted already. Come join in! I know I'm not the only one!

Putting the Q! in Quest (aka the Australia Experience)

Make a mental note - The Aussies are your friends.

During the brief time on this Quest, I have found a surprising section of folks Down Under who, like me, are fellow Questers and are willing to help out writers get the word out.

First, there's Metha Metharom. The Brisbane native and author of numerous books in his own right, has set up both an Author's Spotlight and a Book Review blog. I have been fortunate to be featured in both, though I blame myself for the 3-star review of Flagrant Foul. Rule No. 1, folks: ALWAYS give the reviewer a full copy of your book!

And from the Victoria province, there's Kevin Balshaw. Talk about someone who's been busy. For proof, just go to his Q!2write Web site. Not only are there a ton of resources for the up and coming writer, there's a showcase of books and writer bios! Plus, I've been promised that there will be more to come in the near future.

I expect plenty more from this part of the world as time progresses!

Get Back in Line!

As I'm patiently waiting for my proof copy of Dilemma to show up at my doorstep, I am often brought back to the original question of why this book got in front of the ISBN line instead of Flagrant Foul, which is the basis of the Quest. As I've posted previously, I thought it to be a test of what an ISBN could do to increase exposure (Paraphrasing, of course).

But now, maybe that's not the real reason...

While the Quest, along with every other bit of promotion (radio, reviews, etc.), is primarily dedicated to Flagrant Foul, Dilemma remains, in fact, the first story in the Forester rotation. And as such, there is ample justification as to why it is already available on Amazon as a Kindle Book, along with the aforementioned Published by Lulu venture.

Regardless, the Quest will continue, now for both books. The question that remains, of course, will be which one will come out of the gates of popularity first?

(BlogTalk) Radio Days

Long, long ago, I often wondered what it would be like to be able to put together a radio show on the Internet. Those dreams were dashed by the fact that at the time, the cost and time of putting it together, not to mention the level of technical expertise, became major deterrents.

Fast forward to 2008, and the landscape has changed considerably. And I plan on using it as part of the Quest.

BlogTalkRadio, for those of you who didn't know, allows anyone anywhere to have their own live, streaming broadcast, complete with audio archives and everything! All you need is a phone line (users call a number provided to broadcast) and you're all set!

How will this help the Quest? Do a BlogTalkRadio search for books or writers...

I've lost count on the number of shows solely dedicated to books and writing. And I fully anticipate requesting an audience with all of them. But baby steps, first.


The first appointment will be with Pete Klein on Saturday, July 12th at 6:30 pm. We'll be talking about Flagrant Foul, and, most likely, the rest of the Forester series. Be sure to listen and I'll even take some questions!

The Bowker Stamp of Approval

Shortly after my previous post, I received a message from a representative from R.R. Bowker, which is, of course, the the agency that distributes ISBNs in the U.S. In short, he provided some very useful information, including a link (Click here) of all the Bowker-authorized companies. Lulu is definitely one of them.

This, of course, tells me a couple of things. First, and most importantly, regardless of the option (in this case being selecting the Published By Lulu service), I made the right choice by sticking with Lulu. Secondly, folks are actually reading this thing!

So, thanks to Bowker for the information, and I hope to hear even more in the future!

The Turning of the Promotional Wheel

I realize that the Quest can never get off the ground if nobody on the planet knows about me or the book. And it's great advice for anyone looking to get their project off the ground. So, with that, here's some things I've come up with.

Social Networking - I have dropped my info in the following places:

LinkedIn
MySpace
Plaxo/
Gather
Facebook

You get the idea. Be everywhere, not to mention my Twitter page.

I'm confident to reach the end of my Quest soon. Give it a ahot yourselves and see what you come up with!