I'm happy to be the second stop on Pamela S. Thibodeaux's virtual book tour for her book, Tempered Dreams! Pamela just so happens to be one of my clients for my new virtual book tours company, Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours! I'm happy to host her today so that she can give us her insight and experiences with online book promotion. I'm sure you'll enjoy her interview and if you have any questions for Pamela, please leave them in the comment section.Just to let you know, Pamela is an award-winning author, as well as the Co-Founder/President & Treasurer of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.”
You can visit her website at www.pamelathibodeaux.com.
PUYOBP: Thank you for stopping off at Pump Up Your Book Promotion, Pamela!
Pamela: Thank you, Dorothy for having me here and hosting my Virtual Book Tour.
PUYOBP: It's my pleasure! In case everyone doesn't know this, Pamela is one of my clients for Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours. Pamela, can you tell me what you would like to gain from your virtual book tour?
PUYOBP: It's my pleasure! In case everyone doesn't know this, Pamela is one of my clients for Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours. Pamela, can you tell me what you would like to gain from your virtual book tour?
Pamela: As you know, Dorothy, promotion is a huge part of becoming the next 'best seller.' It is also an absolute necessity for those of us who are published by a small press publisher in lieu of Big Name publisher. Although selling books is important, for me it is more about the message than the money. After all, the Bible promises that if I "seek first the Kingdom of God, all these things will be added unto me" and that "God will bless the work of my hands." My prayer for this book tour is that more people will be made aware of me as an author and the type of books I write.
PUYOBP: What prompted you to sign up? Were you frustrated at book sales or did you just want to test the waters and see what a virtual book tour can do for you?
Pamela: Both. As I mentioned, promotion is an absolute necessity for any author, but especially so for those authors who are published by a small press publisher, e-publisher and/or self-published. After reading about your success with your own book tour, I talked with my publisher and we both agreed that this would be a great way to garner more publicity and of course (hopefully!) increase sales.
PUYOBP: It most definitely is. I believe that I can attribute to my own book tour being a success in that I targeted my audience. Seems everyone is publishing their own e-books nowadays as a way to bring in a little money on the side and I believed that authors could really make some money off of theirs by putting a little more into their promotional strategies than just publishing the book and putting the cover up on their websites. There are so many ways you can promote books online, it's not even funny and I guess what I wanted to do was help them find these ways without having to search all over the Internet for them. So, the main thing was, I found a need and I filled it. That's what a lot of authors have to consider before they even put pen to paper; of course, those needs change everyday. But, another thing you need to consider before you even write your book is whether or not there will be an audience for it. Pamela, your book, Tempered Dreams is an inspirational romance. Who would you say your audience is and how have you found ways to target them?
PUYOBP: It most definitely is. I believe that I can attribute to my own book tour being a success in that I targeted my audience. Seems everyone is publishing their own e-books nowadays as a way to bring in a little money on the side and I believed that authors could really make some money off of theirs by putting a little more into their promotional strategies than just publishing the book and putting the cover up on their websites. There are so many ways you can promote books online, it's not even funny and I guess what I wanted to do was help them find these ways without having to search all over the Internet for them. So, the main thing was, I found a need and I filled it. That's what a lot of authors have to consider before they even put pen to paper; of course, those needs change everyday. But, another thing you need to consider before you even write your book is whether or not there will be an audience for it. Pamela, your book, Tempered Dreams is an inspirational romance. Who would you say your audience is and how have you found ways to target them?
Pamela: Although I do write "Inspirational" my goal is to reach readers outside the traditional "church" and CBA readership; those who wouldn't normally pick up a "Christian" romance; those who are disappointed with the normal Christian romances, and yet, equally disappointed in the explicit and sometimes vulgar portrayals of intimacy in other novels. I guess the best way I've been able to target them is through interviews, reviews, word-of-mouth promotion and of course by my tag line…Inspirational with an Edge!
PUYOBP: I can certainly vouch for that. Can you tell us how you have been promoting Tempered Dreams online so far?
PUYOBP: I can certainly vouch for that. Can you tell us how you have been promoting Tempered Dreams online so far?
Pamela: Oh boy, you name it and I've probably tried it…banner exchanges, interviews, reviews, press releases, listing the book at every possible "free" site I could find (though there are probably tons I've missed). I write articles and include bylines in every single one, contests, and all sorts of ways!
PUYOBP: Exactly. The key is to be proactive. Your book will not sell unless you do the selling, and I'm sure every author realizes the importance of having a hands-on approach with their own book promotion. It used to be a time when publishers had the funds and the time and it's just not that way anymore with all the books being published each year. So, the best way I feel an author should go about promoting their books would be exhause every means they can find, both offline and online, to get those books sold. Tell me, have you seen any advantages online promotion has over offline so far?
PUYOBP: Exactly. The key is to be proactive. Your book will not sell unless you do the selling, and I'm sure every author realizes the importance of having a hands-on approach with their own book promotion. It used to be a time when publishers had the funds and the time and it's just not that way anymore with all the books being published each year. So, the best way I feel an author should go about promoting their books would be exhause every means they can find, both offline and online, to get those books sold. Tell me, have you seen any advantages online promotion has over offline so far?
Pamela: Well, you can reach many more readers online than in person at any given time. However, I still like the one-on-one I get being face-to-face with readers.
PUYOBP: I understand where you're coming from; in fact, that's what they say offline booksignings are for - the people contact. In what ways have you been promoting offline?
PUYOBP: I understand where you're coming from; in fact, that's what they say offline booksignings are for - the people contact. In what ways have you been promoting offline?
Pamela: Book signings, speaking engagements, readings, book fairs, library promotions…again, you name it and I've probably tried it or have it on my "to do" list to try at some point.
PUYOBP: Well, you have a great attitude. I love to see a pumped up author. I appreciate you stopping by, Pamela. Do you have any book promotion words of wisdom for us?
PUYOBP: Well, you have a great attitude. I love to see a pumped up author. I appreciate you stopping by, Pamela. Do you have any book promotion words of wisdom for us?
Pamela: Thank you for having me Dorothy. About the best advice I can give anyone is if it looks good, try it and although free is always better, you have to spend money to make money but use your promo $$ wisely. If you are one of the chosen few who receive an advance from your publisher, earmark that money for promotion. If not, set a budget! Promotion can get expensive. Keep track of what you do and, if possible, the results of that effort and repeat your best efforts with each new novel. If one thing doesn't work as well for you as someone else claims, try something different and never be afraid to try something new. As I told the members of the Golden Triangle Writers Guild when I spoke at their March meeting…nothing on my (or anyone's) list of promotion tips is going to work, on the other hand, everything is going to work…it's all about timing…when it's your time to shine, (or rather in God's perfect time) everything will pull together and work for you.
PUYOBP: Thank you for coming, Pamela, and have fun on the rest of your book tour! In conjunction with the tour, Pam is offering a coupon for 25% off the purchase of Tempered Dreams (or any of the Tempered books). Simply email her with 'Virtual Book Tour' in the subject line and she'll send you your coupon with instructions on how to redeem. Be sure to stop off at The Book Pedler tomorrow as Pamela continues her TEMPERED DREAMS VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '07!
Click here if you would like to see Pamela's official tour page.
You can purchase TEMPERED DREAMS at Amazon by clicking here.
Pamela's tour is brought to you by the Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours, a full service virtual tour booking agency.
Tags: How to Pump UP Your Book Promotion, online book promotion, author publicity, book promotion, book promotion tips, virtual book tour, Pamela S. Thibodeaux, Tempered Dreams
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