We have a very special guest today at Pump Up Your Online Book Promotion! Welcome Theresa Chaze, author of the magical fantasy novels, Awakening the Dragon--Book One of the Dragon Clan Trilogy and Dragon Domain--Book Two of the Dragon Clan Trilogy.Theresa Chaze is here with us today to tell us how she pumps up her own online book promotion!
Welcome to Pump Up Your Online Book Promotion, Theresa! Can we begin by having you tell us what your book is about and why you wrote it?
Both Awakening the Dragon and Dragon Domain are magical fantasy novels, which contain suspense, romance and karmic justice. The difference between my work and most others is that the magic rituals are real and they do work.
Why did you choose this genre to write?
Back in the 80's, I found Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern and fell in love with the genre. Soon after I discovered Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover series and I became totally hooked. But even further back was a novel called "Space for Hire" by William Nolan. It was a tongue in cheek detective fantasy/sci-fi novel. With sci-fi and fantasy, you can create new worlds with flexible reality rules It is a safe way to explore the inner and outer universes.
Did you choose it or did it choose you?
I have always liked movies and books that were suspenseful. But unlike a straight mystery or horror novels, you have flexibility with the situations and the challenges you put your characters in. It's a thin, but exciting line to walk. Go to far and the audience won't be able to suspend its disbelief. Don't go far enough and you’re just another fantasy novelist. What I have done is extended the magical reality. As spiritual beings, we are all made of pure energy. Magic or prayer, which ever term you want you use, is the focusing of our energy to create situations or manifest blessings according to our will. When Rachael and Cheyenne transform into dragons, their bodies don't literally change. Instead, they have the ability to bi-locate as their consciousness rises up and becomes their dragon spirit. Their human body remains in the same location, which is why they are so vulnerable when they transform. As the dragon spirit, they have all the power and wisdom of their dragon clans; yet, if something happens to their body, they have nothing to come back to and they would be dead. In Charmed, the sisters were able to cast spells and transport themselves to other locations. In the TV show, they physically take their body to the new location. In real life, it is the etheric body that travels. Those who are spiritually advanced are capable of being physically in one place, while spiritually being in another. This is bi-location. It is the basis of remote viewing.
In regards to promotion, what have you been doing to promote your book online?
Online, I have several blogs, including blogger, yahoo 360, and an Amazon author page. In addition, I publish an ezine, Messages From the Universe. I also publish press releases and content articles on a variety of topics. I belong to Witchvox, Pagan Space, Gather, MySpace, and several online groups. I also placed per click ads with Adwords and Yahoo. The more footprints you leave on the net the more you will broaden your audience.
If you go to my site, you can read excerpts of both books, and download a free ebook called, Sisters, Mothers, Daughters. By the end of the year, there will be a second free ebook; it will be articles on how to heal yourself emotionally and spiritually. My free ezine is also available for download. I have three ebooks for sale on my site, both novels and an ebook of shadows, Out of the Shadows and Into the Light. The later contains Wiccan wisdom and rituals for the modern world. What is different about this Book of Shadows is that it is all original and represents more than one tradition. Many of my teachers would not have called themselves witches; they were very spiritual woman who had the ability to see and hear other realms.
I have also appeared on podcasts and have video book trailers available on YouTube. The audio is actually me.
Of all the promotional items (bookmarks, press kits, etc) you have used to promote your book, which one was used most effectively?
I have placed ads with Circle Magazine, Sage Woman, and Pan Gaia, with fourth coming out this spring in New Witch. I also have coffee mugs, bookmarks, note pads and pens that I give away. The most effective is the bookmarkers. Not only are they inexpensive and easy to carry with you, but they also give more information. The other three are great for book signings, but they are bulky to carry around.
I have been interviewed locally both on radio and TV stations. It helped with the locally book signing; it had the best turn out the store ever had for a book promotion.
Do you feel that the Internet has opened doors for authors who never dreamed they would ever see a publishing contract and how has it influenced you in regards to your own publishing journey?
Most definitely, the net helps. Not only with promotions and marketing but also with making contacts and research. Out of professional self-defense, I’ve started my own publishing house, Valkyrie Publishing. Not only do I publish my own work, but I also help others successful publish and market their own work. After doing the research, I learned just how badly the POD publishers have been conning writers. It is simpler and cheaper than most people think; in addition, you don’t have to worry about being cheated out of your royalties.
Originally, I started with ebooks. But as of this past summer, I expanded into print and became a publishing consultant.
If you were in the middle of Manhattan (or any busy thoroughfare) and you wanted to call attention to your book, what would you do and what would you say?
I would get a group of friends together and do a healing ritual for Mother Earth, complete with candles, incense and drums. I would invite the public to join in by calling whichever deity they worship. If I could magically bring together the world religions in peace, it would make the national news and open the door for a clearer understanding between the faiths. The thing is we can all get along, but we need to separate our egos and politics from our spirituality. We can all get along as long as we come from respect.
If you could trade places with any author just for a day, who would it be and why?
That’s tough. My first instinct would be to channel Marion Zimmer Bradley. I wouldn’t want to actually trade places with her, because she is dead. I would have her tell her fans how much my work follows the path she blazed and since she is no longer able to write, she would like them to read me. On the other hand, Anne McCaffrey is still alive and an endorsement from her would be gold.
Lastly, how do you determine your book's success?
As a writer--success is if people enjoy and learn from my work. As a publisher, success is the number of books sold. I would also be really cool if Oprah had me on her show to talk about my work and about the Wiccan religion or if Angelica Huston would produce and direct my movie scripts or my novels.
Thank you for coming, Theresa! Can you tell us where everyone can pick up a copy of Awakening the Dragon and Dragon Domain?
Both are distributed by Ingram and Baker & Taylor, so they are available through most bookstores. In addition, they are on Amazon. However, two things about ordering online. The previous versions are still listed. Please only buy the new versions that have been released by Valkyrie Publishing. They both have the Dragon Clan Trilogy listed in the title. Plus, I have my own store through Amazon. It’s listed as Easternguardian. When you buy books from me, I will autograph them. The direct link is can be found here.
However, there are also ebook versions of both novels and Out of the Shadows and In
to the Light on my site at http://www.theresachaze.com/. If you have any questions about my work, publishing or Wicca, you can email me from my site as well. Thank you for hosting me.
Tags: online book promotion, virtual book tour, Theresa Chaze, Awakening the Dragon
12 comments:
Hi. Thank you for stopping by and visiting my tour. If you could ask me a question on any topic and have me answer it here, what would you ask me? Remember, that by leaving a comment or asking a question, you are automatically entered to win a free copy of Awakening the Dragon--Book One of the Dragon Clan Trilogy.
Also where do you buy most of the books you read--in stores and online? If you buy on online would you be willing to pay a little more if the author would autograph it?
I think it would be great for like-minded authors to choose a day and time to do a healing ritual in their local town. I certainly would participate, and I suspect that since I live in the buckle of the bible Belt, it would be interesting to media.
What is your opinion?
MagiCat
I wouldn't limit it to one specific group or religion. I think if everyone should be able to participate. When you get down to the basis, all religions have the same foundation.
Don't lie.
Don't cheat.
Don't steal.
Don't deliberately hurt others.
And if you make a mess clean it up.
Once you get past all the politics and dogma, this is what they all believe. If we could get back to that we could find common ground and a way to respect each other. When we have respect, we have the way to live peacefully.
It is just the egos and the power tripping that causes the fear and the conflict.
A ritual I wrote a couple of years ago had members of every religion calling in their Deity and asking for she/he/it to bring wisdom, justice, respect and love back into the world so that we could have peace. No one would have been excluded. It was a rolling ritual that last a year and a day. Those who wanted to be pillars, repeated the call once a day for the entire year and a day. We performed the ritual online and there were many people who accepted the responsibility to be a pillar. It was a very beautiful event.
Hi, Theresa! Hope the tour is going well. It has been a wonderful experience for me! You book is on my "to buy" list! Man, there are a lot of them now. It's so great to be introduced to such wonderful authors. Thank you to Dorothy and Cheryl for that!
Jean
Jean,
Thank you. Please let me know what you think of them. The sequel Dragon Domain--Book Two of the Dragon Clan Trilogy is also available. If you go to Amazon, I have a shop set up and I sign all the books that are bought from me. I'm listed as Easternguardian.
I think it's great that you had such a positive experience at your book signing. My in-person appearances, though quite heavily advertised, didn't do particularly well. Then again, South Carolina isn't exactly a hotbed for epic fantasy.
Although I have had good book signings, I was referring to Amazon. I sell my own books through them. If you set up your own shop, you increase your profit and you have direct access to your readers.
My personal experiences at signings is that the heavily advertised one where we had 6 authors didn't do well. It was a sunny day in April and nobody wanted to be inside, I suppose. The one where we had family there did very well (yes family bought a few books but we sold others to folks we didn't know.
You asked where we buy most of our books. I buy mostly online from amazon, primarily because I live in the country and don't drive, so getting to a "real" bookstore isn't happening.
For fiction authors, it is often hard to get media attention even if you know that you are the news more than your book. SO my question is...How did you get the media to interview you?
The Story Lady
Hi Story Lady,
I worked in broadcasting for a while, so I had contacts. In addition, writing and publishing articles on the net brought other sources to me. One of the local stations learned that I did Tarot Readings online and they contacted me. There are also an increasing number of podcasts, Like Janet Elaine Smith's, who are willing to interview people about their books as well as the publishing industry. If you want to get the media attention, leave as many footprints on the net as possible. The more you become an expert, the more likely the media will find you.
When you have book signings, contact the mediat ahead of time with information about you book but something unique about yourself or the event. The more unusal you make it, the more likely you will get attention.
Great interview ladies and loved the communication on the comments.
Best of luck!
Cheryl
Theresa,
The interview was wonderful. The information I found very useful.
I have been to your web site, I love it. It's very heart warming to find someone in the trade. I have lost contact with my sisters/brothers do to death or lost over life changes. Look for me on you web-site to talk.
Michelle May
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