SPECIAL GUEST: Henri, the Ghostest with the Mostest, author of THE SEARCH FOR THE MILLION $$$ GHOST

Good morning, everyone. Today we have a rather different kind of interview but one I think you'll find quite entertaining. I have a client from Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours here with me, but that's not the different part. How can I put this?

He's a ghost. There. Just come right out with it.

Today is his last virtual book tour stop and being as I'm his dreaded tour coordinator, I thought it would be fun to ask him a few questions about virtual book tours from his perspective. He's promised to be on good behavior, but you never know about Henri. Henri de Montmorency to be exact and he's the co-author of The Search for the Million $$$ Ghost, along with Heide Kaminski, Pamela Lawnizak and myself.

Now, I've been watching Henri from the sidelines and he's not doing too bad...he missed a couple of tour stops but he claims he had good excuses which he doesn't want to air in public. Between you and me, I think he's a bit overwhelmed with being an author being as its his first time being one and also his first time in 21st century America. And, also, he's a bit lazy, but he's actually doing a great job as a first time newbie.

So, I give you, Henri de Montmorency, the Ghostest with the Mostest, co-author of The Search for the Million $$$ Ghost....

PUYOBP: Welcome to Pump Up Your Online Book Promotion, Henri! Can you tell everyone how you came to co-authoring The Search for the Million $$$ Ghost?

Henri: Are the cameras on yet?

PUYOBP: Henri, this is online. No cameras. You don't need cameras.

Henri: Not even a polaroid?

PUYOBP: I'll take a picture later. Henri, how did you come to write the book?

Henri: You already know the answer. Why do I have to tell you something you already know? Can't you ask me something you don't know? Like what color my boxers are? Or, what did I have for breakfast? Or, are ghosts real? I think you think I'm a figment of your imagination, don't you? Would it be too bold to tell you I do have a life and I do have things you don't know about?

PUYOBP: Henri, I know you're real. Why do you think I don't know you're real?

Henri: Well, for one thing, you treat me as if I'm not.

PUYOBP: I do?

Henri: Yeah. You do.

PUYOBP: Henri, I don't know what gave you that idea. I know you're very real. Why would you say such a thing?

Henri: Because you don't treat me like you do other mortals.

PUYOBP: I'm not understanding your point, Henri. You blog. You go on virtual book tours. And, besides, I never considered you a mortal. Do you consider yourself a mortal and wish to be treated as one?

Henri: I would appreciate that.

PUYOBP: Okay, I know what the problem is. How long have you been in the 21st century?

Henri: Almost five years.

PUYOBP: Do you like it here?

Henri: I love it here.

PUYOBP: What is one thing you wish more than anything to happen to you while you are here?

Henri: I want to get on the NY Times Bestseller list.

PUYOBP: Okay, I'm getting it now. You're thinking that because you're a ghost, the NY Times Bestseller list is reserved for mortals, don't you?

Henri: Well, you don't see a ghost up there, do you?

PUYOBP: I don't know, Henri. Maybe some of them are ghosts but materialize for public functions. Did you ever think about that?

Henri: I think I would know a ghost if I saw one. Wouldn't you?

PUYOBP: Not necessarily. I mean, I think I would pick up weird vibrations from someone that would lead me to wonder, but to actually know for sure without a benefit of the doubt, I don't think I would know that.

Henri: We're good, aren't we?

PUYOBP: And this is the reason why you are here, Henri. Get out there and show mortals that ghosts are people, too. Show them you have talent. Get on the NY Times Bestseller list if that's what you want, but do it honestly and without trickery.

Henri: Are there tricks to getting on it that I don't know about?

PUYOBP: No tricks, Henri. We have an author coming up next month by the name of Jane Green and I asked her what's the secret. She said lots of good luck and hard work. Are you prepared to work hard for that, Henri?

Henri: I think I am.

PUYOBP: No thinking about it. If that is your goal, you must aim to write the best book you can and do a lot of crossing your fingers. Do you know, Henri, that there are thousands and thousands of books being published each year and only a small, small part of them get on that list? And, did you know, Henri, that it takes a very unique book, one that stands out from the crowd? And did you also know that even if you don't get on that list, it doesn't mean you don't have a good book?

Henri: I think I have a good book.

PUYOBP: Well, I think you have a good book, too, Henri. But, be satisfied of what you have accomplished. It's a dream for many writers and you have accomplished their dream. Who knows...maybe you'll become a star in your own right. Did you ever think about that?

Henri: No, not really, but I do have beautiful 21st century women coming to my blog at http://www.henritheghost.blogspot.com/ if that counts.

PUYOBP: That's a great beginning because you have already started building up your fan base, but you need to do lots of other things, too.

Henri: Like what?

PUYOBP: Like start on another book, perhaps? Do you have any plans for that?

Henri: Lots of mortals have asked me this question. I'm thinking about it. I'm going to Camp SoYouWannaSeeAGhost in a few days. I'm thinking about journaling about my experiences there and, hopefully, I'll plant a seed for that next book.

PUYOBP: Camp SoYouWannaSeeAGhost?

Henri: Didn't I tell you? It's a camp for college kids who want to learn more about spirits and the afterlife. Something about credits. Do you think this would make a good idea for a book?

PUYOBP: You never know, Henri. Lots of ideas come from real experiences. That's what makes a writer a writer. We draw upon our past experiences and use them whenever we can in books, articles, wherever. So, when are you planning on going to this camp?

Henri: Right after the tour is over. I plan on leaving Monday. Is that okay?

PUYOBP: I think that's wonderful. Will you be journaling it?

Henri: You mean, blogging? Darn right I'll be blogging it.

PUYOBP: That's really great, Henri. I'm really proud of you. Can you tell everyone your blog link again so that they might want to check in on you to see how it's going?

Henri: Sure thing. It's http://www.henritheghost.blogspot.com/.

PUYOBP: Well, I guess that's all we have time for. Henri, thank you for coming and I'll definitely be checking out your blog. You enjoy the rest of the summer!

Henri: It's a pleasure. Now, gotta get packing!

Henri de Montmorency, co-author of The Search for the Million $$$ Ghost. Check it out at Amazon and get 32% off regular cover price (it's a steal for just over ten bucks!). You can check out the book's website at http://www.milliondollarghost.homestead.com/ and you can check out Henri's blog at http://www.henritheghost.blogspot.com/.

Tags: How to Pump UP Your Book Promotion, online book promotion, author publicity, book promotion, book promotion tips, virtual book tour, author interviews, guest blogger

Author Interview: Kim Robinson, Author of THE ROUX IN THE GUMBO

We have another special guest here with us today at Pump Up Your Online Book Promotion!

Kim Robinson, author of The Roux in the Gumbo, joins us today and talks about her writing life and what she does to promote her book online. Let's see what she has to say.

PUYOBP: Thank you for joining us on Pump Up Your Online Book Promotion, Kim!

Kim: I am honored to be here. I have admired you for a long time, from your TWLAuthors
site and your Thewriterslife site. You are a wonderful warm person and I appreciate the help that you are extending to me. I would not be able to promote my ebook without your help. I think that Pumpupyouronlinebookpromotion is a wonderful idea and I already know that it is going to be a success because I dreamed about it.

PUYOBP: Well, thank you, Kim. That was so sweet of you to say. I'm loving it. I sit back and scratch my head at how far this little company has become. BTW, folks, this is Kim's last stop on her virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotions. So, let's get started!

Kim, can you tell us what your book is all about?

Kim: The Roux in the Gumbo is my grandmother and great-grandmother’s life story. It starts in the 1800’s in Louisiana and ends in 1997 at my grandmother’s funeral. My grandmother came from Los Angeles to Texas to help me, I was pregnant and bedridden with my second son C.J. My grandmother was at the birth of all my children. She is a huge part of my life. That is why I titled my book The Roux in the Gumbo. A lot of people don’t know what a Roux is so let me explain, a Roux is equal parts of flour and oil that you brown to make a gravy. I brown Mine until it is nut brown which happens to be my skin color so I have something to go by.

Anyway when it is done you add it to your Gumbo or any dish that you are making that requires a gravy and it thickens your soup and gives flavor. My grandmother was my Roux, she gave me my flavor. The name of the book came to me when we were making Gumbo, something that I do every Christmas. So back to the book, my grandmother and I were watching Oprah and she was talking about her upcoming book, my grandmother said, “I had more stuff happen to me then she did someone should write my story.”

Since I was going stir crazy having to lay in the bed it dawned on me that “I could do this. I could write her story.”

So we pulled the computer over to the fold out bed where I had to lay every day for two months until my second son was born. A lot of her stories I had heard several times while growing up, but when we got into she told me things that she had never told any one else in her life. After my son was born she stayed with me for two months before going back home, at the airport I gave a gift, it was a tape recorder with a package of tapes so that when she thought of something she could just record it and when she filled up the tape she could mail it to me. I had tapes coming almost every week. I wrote out the chapters in her voice and then I was so enthralled with Louisiana that I decided I needed to see this place. I have family that is still there and I called my aunt and she invited me to stay with her. I was pregnant with my daughter at the time my children are 11 months apart.

PUYOBP: I understand that your book is not only in print, but in ebook format, and with different publishers. Can you tell us how that happened?

Kim: I signed with Jadore publishing and the first time that it was published was with Whiskey Creek Press but they did not have distribution so I canceled my print contract and with another publisher but they didn’t have distribution either so I canceled with them and when my ebook contract with WCP was up I decided to go with Mardi Gras because several people told me that they were pretty good. So that is where I am now.

PUYOBP: Is this your first experience with ebooks?

Kim: This is my second experience with ebooks and I am hoping that this one comes out better, I did not know how to market my ebook and most people prefer print. I sold over 2000 books out of my own hand without having distribution so now that I have distribution I am hoping that things go better.

PUYOBP: Do you have more books published electronically?

Kim: I have two virtual cookbooks that I would love to get picked by a publisher but no wants to do a cookbook I am hoping to get a print contract and maybe a cooking show out of it where I host and the two hundred authors that submitted their recipes can come on and prepare their food and talk about their books.

PUYOBP: What do you think are the advantages of having your books in both formats?

Kim: I think that there are a lot of people who prefer ebooks, and it is better for people who are handicapped and have poor site. Personally my favorite is audio books and with the ebooks I put them in a program called ebook reader and listen to the book.

PUYOBP: In what other ways besides your virtual book tour are you planning on promoting your books?

Kim: I go to a lot of conferences and I speak at a lot of churches telling my testimony to help others and I find places of the grid like antique stores and lots of sign and dines and things like that.

PUYOBP: Have you had any offline booksignings with either of your books and how did that go?

Kim: Many if you go to my website www.kim-robinson.com and look under the table of events you will see where I have been.

PUYOBP: Do you have a mentor?

Kim: Yes I do, all the writers that I have been reading since I was a little kid.

PUYOBP: I know you run Kim’s Crew and are on several boards. Do you think it’s a waste of writing time or do you feel they are valuable in terms of contacts, establishing friendships with other writers, etc…?

Kim: I love talking to other authors this is how I grew It is how I learned everything about writing and it is how I learned about all the events and got to meet authors who would help me get my self off the ground .

PUYOBP: So, what’s next on the agenda after The Roux in the Gumbo?

Kim: Next is my life story about my life. Of being a madam, call girl, drug dealer and drug addict for over twelve years the catalyst for this life was being raped by a preacher at the age of five and not having a relationship with god for over thirty years.

PUYOBP: Thank you for coming, Kim, and I hope you make many sales! Good luck to you and I'll be talking to you soon. ;o)

Tags: How to Pump UP Your Book Promotion, online book promotion, author publicity, book promotion, book promotion tips, virtual book tour, author interviews, guest blogger

A Little Known Fact About Revitalizing Old Blog Posts

As you know, I run Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours, so this morning I was out in blogland checking out some really good leads for my authors when I came upon a blog called The Blog Herald which gives away some really good blogging tips. But, it was yesterday's post about revitalizing old posts to keep the search engines interested that I found fascinating. In this post, The Blog Herald even gives pointers on what to do to fix that. Something definitely to check out.

Because this blog is all about pumping up your online book promotion, I can't stress more about having a blog in which to pump up your book. While websites are static, blogs are not, and this is the reason blogs are the most search-engine-friendly outlet there is.

I had a phone call from a woman yesterday who was interested in buying my eBook, 101 Internet Radio Talk Shows to Promote Your Books. She wanted to know if the radio shows I list are strictly internet radio shows and I wasn't sure what she meant unless she was talking about radio podcasts which some shows do use, but I had to explain that, no, they were real radio stations.

But, being the inquisitive one, I asked her about her book and if she blogged. She went on to tell me that her book was published traditionally, she had been on several radio shows already, and was looking for more ways to promote her books.

So, I mentioned blogging and I asked her if she had a blog and she said, "No, I haven't gotten into that yet."

Before I knew it, I had spent almost a half hour explaining why they were important and even offered to help her to set one up. I took her name and email address and will definitely follow up.
It's amazing how many authors there are out there who have not tapped into blogging. I don't think they are lazy, but that they just don't realize what a great promotional tool it is.

In this one woman's case, she said something that made me realize why else authors wouldn't blog. She said, "Do I have to update it every day?"

I told her it would help, but as long as she updated at least 2 or 3 times a week, that would really make a difference.

I have an author who is finishing up her tour by the name of Kim Robinson. She balked and balked at having to set up a blog. "I don't know how," she groaned.

"Kim," I told her, "you get a gmail account so that you can log into Blogger.com and I'll put the blog together for you."

This was the only way I could get Kim to blog.

The first thing I told Kim was to name the blog the same name as her book. There was good reason for this. For these virtual book tours to work, the author needs to have her own blog so that she can blog about her tour stops as they occur and what better name to have for her blog than the title of her book.

Today, Kim is a blogging fanatic. She's inviting authors to guest on her blog and when she makes a post, she's sending the link through to her groups so that she'll get more traffic. If you would like to see her blog, go to The Roux in the Gumbo. Kim's a nice lady...leave a comment and tell her her mean, old, tour coordinator sent you.

There are a lot of authors out there like Kim. But, in time, I plan on getting to each and every one of them so they can understand blogs are important tools in pumping up your online book promotion. Don't overlook the possibilities.

But, anyway, go check out The Blog Herald and read about revitalizing your past posts. It's something I had not thought about and maybe you ought to think about, too. ;o)

Tags: How to Pump UP Your Book Promotion, online book promotion, author publicity, book promotion, radio talk shows, virtual book tours

SPECIAL GUEST: Lynn Voedisch, Author of EXCITED LIGHT

We have another special guest here with us today at Pump Up Your Online Book Promotion!

Lynn Voedisch, author of Excited Light joins us today and talks about her writing life and what she does to promote her book online.

PUYOBP: Thank you for coming to Pump Up Your Online Book Promotion, Lynn! Can you tell us what your book is about?

Lynn: It's story about a 10-year-old boy, growing up with a single, alcoholic mother, who confides his sorrows to his toy duck, Dudley. One night Dudley answers him, and he starts receiving comforting words that seem angelic--and maybe they are. She tries to be a good mother, but the disease is too strong for her. He uses his knowledge to help his mother when she becomes involved in a reckless romance that brings her to the point of death.

PUYOBP: Interesting that you mention alcoholism as I'm about to write a memoir which will center around alcoholism within my own family. I wish I had had my own Dudley duck back then! Who are you published with and how have your experiences with them been so far?

Lynn: It's published by ASJA Press, which is an imprint of iUniverse. It seems like a small distinction, but the American Society of Journalists and Authors is a difficult organization for which to qualify, so anything published by ASJA Press is going to feature seasoned writers.

PUYOBP: Interesting. I wasn't aware that ASJA was an imprint of iUniverse. See? I've learned something new already! Can you tell us ways you have been promoting online?

Lynn: When the book first came out, I e-mailed just about everyone I ever knew in my life and told them to buy the book on January 4. I ended up with an Amazon number of 515 that day. Of course, I've never come close to that number again, but it was a heady experience. I've also been flogging the book endlessly in my blog, www.xanga.com/bastetmax. And I take part in Internet discussion groups, always putting a little signature line at the end, that mentions my book and where to buy it. I have a mailing list called WithWings (write me if you'd like an invitation). I'm truly amazed that about 50 percent of the time when you ask someone if you can be a guest on their blog or Internet radio show, they will say yes. So, I have some nice opportunities coming up this summer.

PUYOBP: Oh, I love it when an author takes their campaign in their own hands. I was surprised myself when I emailed a radio show and they responded positively, which only proves that if you are determined and have the time to do all the work yourself, you can do this without any outside help. Very encouraging to my readers, Lynn. Tell me, I know this blog focuses on online promotion, but what have you been doing offline to promote your book?

Lynn: I bought an ad in a New Age publication and I can tell you right now that it was an expensive flop. Ads don't work. I do have lots of friends in journalism and I've been twisting arms and cajoling favors. So far, not much has worked there, except that I might have a shot at a radio spot on our local National Public Radio station. I'm also going to do a book signing at an angel museum in Wisconsin, and that ought to be fun.

PUYOBP: I know what you're saying about ads. I have found a better way which I talk about from time to time and that is to get an article printed in their magazine instead. Free promo and sometimes they actually pay you for it. So, instead of you paying them, they pay you, and you get promo for your book out of it, too. Way less expensive. On to the next subject, I noticed in your bio that you wrote for the Chicago Sun-Times. How did you fall into that job?

Lynn: I answered an ad. No kidding. Let's back up: I had an English degree from Grinnell College, where I was the editor of the school newspaper, so I had experience. I had just moved back to Chicago from Los Angeles, where I had done some vacation fill-in work for the Los Angeles Times. The suburban edition of the Chicago Sun-Times needed an entertainment writer and I applied. From there I went downtown and had a great career interviewing everyone from Nick Nolte to Mikhail Baryshnikov. I spent seventeen years there.

PUYOBP: Interesting. You really lucked into that because there are writers who spend years trying to get a paying gig at newspapers. What would you say to these people who want to pursue that field?

Lynn: Get published early. Start in high school and college. Collect those bylines, because that's what's going to get you a job. A master's degree in journalism is of no more use than doing stringer work for a local newspaper. Once you are out of school, I don't recommend working for free. It tears down the pay scale for all of us. Get a job at a local newspaper and work your way up.

PUYOBP: I understand you also appeared on television. Can you tell us about that?

Lynn: I did a couple appearances on "Chicago Tonight" on our public television station discussing arts-related events in Chicago. For some reason, I didn't feel nervous at all. I feel the same way about radio. Maybe it's because I interviewed all those celebrities for so many years.

PUYOBP: LOL, you have more guts than I do. I don't mind radio, but appearing on TV sends my heart to palpitating. I guess the more you do it, the easier it comes, though. Tell me, what's next for you, Lynn? Do you have more books in the works?

Lynn: I've actually written two other manuscripts and am working on a third. My agent is trying to sell a manuscript now in New York, but it's incredibly slow. Some days I just want to scream, Dorothy. Fortunately, the manuscript I am working on now--which involves some powerful women of the ancient past--has been fascinating work. The research just keeps me going. I'm hoping that novel has the appeal of "The Red Tent." Women love to read about those of us who essentially were left out of the history books, but were powerful nevertheless.

PUYOBP: I just have to ask. What do you think about virtual book tours?

Lynn: I tried a few amateur tours and I think they work, Dorothy. I know I sold a few books on Amazon. And my blog readers were interested in the guests.

PUYOBP: They sure do work, Lynn. But, the most wonderful thing about these tours is that they are perpetual. They never go away because as long as the blog host keeps your interview up, the search engines find you for years to come. I tell all my clients that even though you may or may not sell a lot of books at the time, as long as your interview is archived, it may pay off later on down the road. I do have to mention that I've been watching your Amazon rankings and I don't know if the tours had anything to do with it, but it looks to me that your books have been moving. I, for one, have been very impressed.

Well, I guess that's all the time we have. I thank you for stopping by, Lynn, and I hope you have continued success with our book tour and please keep in touch and let us know how it's going. You're one I will be watching. ;o)

Lynn: Thanks a lot for having me here.

There you have it. I see bright things ahead for Lynn! You can visit Lynn's website at www.lynnvoedisch.com. Lynn's tour is brought to you by my company, Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours. If you would like to learn more, you can visit the website at http://www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com/.

Tags: How to Pump UP Your Book Promotion, online book promotion, author publicity, book promotion, book promotion tips, virtual book tour, author interviews, guest blogger, Lynn Voedisch

SPECIAL GUEST: Vicki M. Taylor, Author of TRUST IN THE WIND

We've got a special guest today! Vicki M. Taylor, author of Trust in the Wind, joins us today at Pump Up Your Online Book Promotion!

Vicki is an award-winning author who writes dramatic fiction with strong, unforgettable women. You can visit her website at http://www.vickimtaylor.com/ or her blog at www.vickimtaylor.com/blogs. You can order her books from any brick and mortar store or find them online at Amazon.com, BN.com, or if you'd like to purchase an electronic copy, you can go to Fictionwise.com.

PUYOBP: Thank you for coming to Pump Up Your Online Book Promotion, Vicki! Can you tell us what your book is about?

Vicki: Thanks for having me. I'm happy to be here. Trust in the Wind is about a fiercely independent, young teenage mother who only wants to make a good life for her son, Joey, and herself. It tells what happens after she meets a county sheriff who makes a lasting impression on her young son and gets under her skin as well, no matter how hard she tries to fight it. The sheriff has issues of his own; invisible demons that haunt him, and a job with a lot of risk. He too fights the attraction he feels for the small family he befriends, but can’t seem to help himself. He’s putty in little Joey’s hands. The drama increases ten-fold, when little Joey is kidnapped.

PUYOBP: Who are you published with and how have your experiences with them been so far?

Vicki: My publisher is Mundania Press, LLC. www.mundania.com I think they're a great publisher. They put out quality books. They're always willing to work with their authors on whatever the author needs for booksignings, promotion, marketing, reviews, etc. They'll do as much as they can to help. Of course, they can't do it all. The author really must take responsibility for their own marketing and promotion.

PUYOBP: Can you tell us ways you have been promoting online?

Vicki: I have a website, a writers' forum, a blog and a Myspace page. I participate in various e-groups for readers and writers. I attend author chats. I use my signature in e-mails, and I visit special interest forums and use my signature there to promote myself and my writing.
Then, of course, there is the Virtual Book Tour I'm in the process of now.

PUYOBP: Can you tell us ways you have been promoting offline?

Vicki: I haven't done much offline promotion lately. I've had booksignings in bookstores and malls. One of my biggest offline promotions is my bookmarks. I hand them out to everyone and I send them to conferences that I don't attend to have them put in the conference goodie bags. I have a business card with the covers of my books on the back, titles and ISBN numbers on the front, along with my website address and contact information.

PUYOBP: What is the most important piece of advice anyone has ever given you about the publishing industry?

Vicki: The best piece of advice I received was "put the butt in the chair and write the book". No one is going to do it for you. You can talk about writing all you want. You can go to conferences, meetings and workshops, but it all boils down to one thing. You have to finish the book. The second best piece of advice? Read.

PUYOBP: What’s next for you? Do you have more books in the works?

Vicki: There's always another piece of work. Whether it's a book, a short story, or a personal essay. I have to be working on something. Sometimes all at the same time. I have a romantic/suspense that is receiving great responses in a couple of contests. It was a finalist in
the 2007 Golden Acorn contest (an RWA chapter contest). The results will be posted mid June. Keep your fingers crossed! I'm working on a women's fiction novel about a 39 year old mother of five who wants to adopt a pregnant 14 year old and the tragic consequences.

PUYOBP: Thank you for stopping by, Vicki, and much success to you!

Vicki: Thanks for hosting me during my Virtual Book Tour. If anyone has any other questions, I'd be happy to answer.

Tags: How to Pump UP Your Book Promotion, online book promotion, author publicity, book promotion, book promotion tips, virtual book tour, author interviews, guest blogger, Vicki M. Taylor, Trust in the Wind

Would You Like To Be On The Radio?

I have big news! 101 Internet Radio Talk Shows to Promote Your Books is officially released!

If you are in the market to get on the radio to tell everyone about your books, there are 101 radio shows looking for you!

It doesn't matter if you have a platform (although that would definitely give you a few brownie points); radio show hosts need guests to fill blank airtime. And you have to remember, authors ARE celebrities and listeners love to hear all about your books!

101 Internet Radio Talk Shows to Promote Your Books is for the lazy author. Hate booksignings? Hate traffic? Hate to leave the comfort of your home? This ebook is for you!

It's a fact. The average booksigning event sells 2 books. Two books! Is that worth your time?

How would you like to get your book in front of hundreds of listeners in one crack?

How would you like to learn how to approach these radio talk shows without making one telephone call?

How would you like to sell your books in bed hair and jammies?

How would you like to sell your books and all it would cost is a copy of your book in some instances?

Most lists for these radio talk shows cost in the hundreds, but you can purchase 101 Internet Radio Talk Shows to Promote Your Books for under ten bucks!

Yes, my friends, under ten bucks. The cost for this ebook is only $7.99!

If you would like to learn how to promote your books by guest appearing on Internet radio shows, go to www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com/radioebook.html and you will learn how to sell your books without even leaving your home.

101 Internet Radio Talk Shows to Promote Your Books is part of the Pump Up Your Book Promotion Campaign to help authors learn how to promote and sell their books. The radio shows listed are even used by my company, Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours, to land our authors on radio talk shows. All 101 shows listed have descriptions to see at a glance whether a particular radio show is geared toward your book and also comes with contact information.

If you're in the market to sell your books on Internet radio talk shows, give it a try....it's a deal that can't be beat.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled program...;o)

Tags: How to Pump UP Your Book Promotion, online book promotion, author publicity, book promotion, radio talk shows

GUEST BLOG: How New Fantasy Author Sandy Lender Gets Noticed by Sandy Lender

How New Fantasy Author Sandy Lender Gets Noticed
By Sandy Lender

When I announced in TheWritersLife group that I planned to put together an Online Book Tour for Choices Meant for Gods, List Mom Dorothy Thompson watched in the wings for a few days before saying something to the effect of "Woman. Do you want to explain how you're doing this on PumpUpYourOnlineBookPromotion?"

My response was "you better believe it." I'll just add that date to the tour list here.

So here's how I did this, which is not a guidebook, by any means, although I'm turning it into a pretty doggone long article for my publisher's website at the moment so all his authors have it to go by. What I did was pretend I was important. I think that's the first step. If you exude confidence, people are going to think, "hmm, who is this?" Honestly, I learned that from a few years in the public relations field.

I put together a professional-looking group page on Yahoo where potential hosts of the Online Book Tour could download images, my bio, a short and long synopsis of the book, some FAQs (read: an already-prepared interview), two guest blog articles, a press release announcing what we were doing that they could send to their local newspapers if they wanted to get themselves local publicity (read: pump up their own promotion), and a blog announcement to post on their site to get folks aware that they were having an author stop by. That group site also contains a calendar where each host's tour stop date is listed with a nice little reminder that pops up and "pings" them on their special day (at least it pings them if they signed into the site when they got their invitation). The site has links where each tour host is listed. In a separate file in that Links section is a list of special links where hosts can find my page on Amazon.com and my page on my publisher's site, a link to a review, a link to my page on www.authorisland.com, etc. Important places are highlighted for the hosts' convenience, is what I'm saying, and when the hosts were invited to join the group, these things were pointed out.

I stay on top of the blog the day of the event. Notice I'm calling the activity an "event." My tour isn't a blog tour. It's an Online Book Tour. I'm supporting a book, not a blog. The book is called Choices Meant for Gods (and it's available now at B&N, plug plug plug). And I'm not just doing interviews on blogs. I'm also doing guest posts, like the post you saw at www.alisonkent.com/blog on May 25 or the post you'll see tomorrow at http://www.spiritualvisitations.blogspot.com/ (or this one today!). I'm also doing author chats like the one you can participate in at 8 p.m. eastern June 28 at http://www.cassidymckay.com/. I'm participating in Author Day when I'm the guest author at BrendaWilliamsonRomanceParty@yahoogroups.com. I have a web presence at http://www.bloggingauthors.com/ all through the month of June. So, it's not just a blog tour with interviews of me answering the same questions all the time. On the days when you see interviews, like yesterday at http://blog.myspace.com/raven_bower, you're seeing different people asking different questions with different groups of visitors asking different follow-up questions. I was really impressed with the questions from the New Zealanders at http://yewalus.blogspot.com/ on June 6.

So gearing up to do an Online Book Tour takes getting confident and getting creative to get noticed. There are a ton of us authors trying to make a splash online these days. I've said this before on this tour; there are more than 400 titles being released every day in the book publishing industry. Think about that competition for a minute. It's enough to make you cringe. How do you compete for space on the book shelves at the brick-and-mortar stores? How do you get noticed there? One way is to call up and beg.

In my current hometown, the Barnes & Noble in the center of downtown is local-author friendly. Praise the Lord. So I called up the PR gal and introduced myself as a new local author. Fabulous! I asked if I could do a book signing some day this summer to help her move some books through her store. Her answer was yes. I nearly fell in the floor.

But how to get noticed in that huge store? First, they set my table up by the front door. Phew! Next, I set up a display that would knock your socks off. I'm a fantasy author, so I dressed the part. I put on a long purple gown with the exaggerated handkerchief sleeves and slapped an amethyst appliqué on my cheek (like the main character Chariss in Choices Meant for Gods) and had myself looking the part. Next, I put an ancient wood box on my table for people to put their entry cards in so they could win the SWORD I had on the table. Let me tell you folks something. Books…you expect to see books in a book store. Swords…you don't expect to see shiny weaponry in a book store. The sword garners attention. It gets noticed.

How else does a new fantasy author get noticed in the book publishing industry? Well, I've got this blog called Today the Dragon Wins at http://www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com/. But as my friend Dorothy Thompson will tell you, you can't just build a blog and watch traffic arrive. You have to pump up that blog and get people to notice it. I have six blogs now (four of which don't get the attention from me that they should). The two that do are managed by me and my main male character Nigel Taiman. Nigel manages Nigel Presents Sandy Lender at http://sandylender.blogspot.com/. Between the two of us, we're registered with Technorati.com and pinger.blogflux.com and we use html metatags like they're going out of style. We link back and forth and we comment all over the blogosphere (both of us…yes, Nigel has his own e-mail address and blog account).

Now how about Amazon.com? My ranking there is currently making me suicidal, despite all the truths I know about it, but I've got an article up on Amapedia and I've got a couple conversation topics started and "watched". I've got seven 5-star reviews (a few from people I don't know!) and a list of tags and search words (which I've added to) that will make your head spin.

I could go on but Dorothy would probably shoot me for making this guest blog too long. These are just some ideas and suggestions that my publisher and I have gone over to help get a new author noticed "out there" amid those 400 new titles a day. The Online Book Tour, the big presence for a book signing, the pumped-up blogs, and using various elements on the page at Amazon are just a few things I've tried so far. Choices Meant for Gods isn't selling like hotcakes, but it's not cooled off yet, either. And it's sitting on the new fiction table at the front of the store at Barnes & Noble right now looking pretty doggone fancy, if you ask me! Woo-hoo! Now, if you're not walking into a B&N today, you can get your copy here.

I wish everyone much success with these and other ideas!

"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."

Tags: How to Pump UP Your Book Promotion, online book promotion, author publicity, book promotion, book promotion tips, virtual book tour, author interviews, guest blogger, Sandy Lender, Choices Meant for Gods

All for the Sake of the Al'Mighty Pen

Interesting story in the NY Observer a couple of days ago.

The title was what caught my eye: "My Book Deal Ruined My Life."

Say it isn't so.

Here's part of it:

Brendan Sullivan, 25, moved to New York after studying creative writing at Kenyon College in Ohio. He hasn’t landed a book deal for his novel, but is determined to find a publisher. “Writing has ruined my life and cost me many, many girlfriends,” he wrote in an e-mail. “I have thrown away several careers and one college degree to spend my time working in bars, D.J.’ing in bars and drinking my rejection letters away. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy, and I’ve made many of them since I started …. I also abandoned my agent with words harsher than those I’ve saved for lost loves.”

That's only one case. The article quotes other cases where one's life was disrupted by the al'mighty pen.

Six years ago, I had a life. I was thirty pounds lighter, I actually knew where all members of my family were going after they told me and rather enjoyed frivolous waste-of-time shopping trips where I had nothing to do all day but ogle clothes I only wish I had the money to buy.

I showed up for work on time and actually volunteered for overtime to increase the paycheck so I could have more money for said shopping trips.

The car got washed and the garden got watered, not to mention my body took on a golden glow from all those trips out in the summer sun.

Relatives were visited, neighbors were checked in on and playing in the park with my dogs was an every day thing.

Clothes were thrown out on the line to save on the electric bill instead of tossed in the energy-guzzling dryer and food actually was prepared up on top of the stove (or the grill) instead of the microwave.

All for the sake of the al'mighty pen, I have given up all those things.

Every morning, there is a mad dash for the computer to either read email from my writing group, write in my blog or start working on a scene in a novel that was hauntingly driving me to write it down, lest I forget it.

All for the al'mighty pen do I do this because...

I'm not quite sure.

I'm thinking it might be a disease that inflicts ordinary people that drives them to give up on what they used to know as everyday life and turn it into a frenzied marathon of writing, editing, revising, writing some more, sending said writing to agents and publishers, reading the rejections, screaming, writing again, sending again and repeating the whole process over and over until you finally give up and start on another novel and repeat the same process over and over.

It's a disease of the al'mighty pen.

Anyway, what prompted me to get out of bed, empty my bladder, grab a sandwich and some pepsi and turn on the computer at 4 a.m. in the morning when I could still be sleeping is a condition that strikes every known man or woman on the face of this earth if they decide to become a writer. And, God forbid them to want to become a published author because if that happens, they're in for a treat and their life will never be the same unless they take that al'mighty pen, lay it down and refuse to pick it up again.

But, we don't do that.

We can't.

We just can't.

So, I'm sitting here at the computer at 4 in the morning - errr, make that 5 by now - and I come across an article in the NY Observer titled "My Book Deal Ruined My Life" and I'm thinking...no matter how much my life has changed and no matter how much I long for the times when I could kick back and enjoy life without having to turn this blasted computer on, I still think because of the al'mighty pen, my life has become a little richer, and a little more meaningful.

I don't know how or why because that book deal is just not happening; but somehow, somewhere, I just feel it and if I wait just a little while longer, and pray a little harder, and keep on writing and revising and submitting, I'll finally get to where I'm going.

All for the sake of the al'mighty pen that just won't let me let it go.

Tags: Tags: the writer's life, book deals, book promotion, book publicity, author interviews, blogging authors, guest blog, guest bloggers, book blog, online book promotion, book deals, NY Observer

Karen Magill, author of LET US PLAY, on Virtual Book Tour!

We have a real special guest with us today at Pump Up Your Online Book Promotion who would like to tell us ways she has been promoting her book online. Her name is Karen Magill and she is the author of Let Us Play: A Rock 'n Roll Love Story.

Karen comes from a family of writers. Her paternal grandmother, Katherine Magill, was not only a published novelist, but also supplemented the family income with articles. Karen has written from an early age and past writing credits include poetry, a monthly column on music, a weekly newsletter on music and numerous other little things.

It wasn’t until Ms. Magill was disabled by Multiple Sclerosis that she began to pursue her writing career more seriously. Her first novel, The Bond, A Paranormal Love Story was published in 2004 through Lulu. Presently Ms. Magill lives in an eclectic area of Vancouver Canada.

PUYOBP: Thank you for coming to Pump Up Your Online Book Promotion, Karen! Can you tell us what your book is about?

Karen: Thank you for inviting me. This is exciting. Now on to your question.
In an uncertain time in the future, all forms of rock 'n roll music have been banned. Kaya More leads the Let Us Play Organization or LUPO against the government agency PARR, the People Against Rock 'n Roll, to bring it back. She uses her gift of second sight to gain an edge against her sadistic opponent Judah Arnold.

I like to say in the blurbs that things heat up when opponents switch sides and the world joins the fight as the rebels find adventure, music and love.

PUYOBP: Who are you published with and how have your experiences with them been so far?
Karen: I published myself independently with Lulu Press Inc and besides a few bumps - probably more my fault than theirs - I have been very happy with them. I would recommend Lulu if the writer is willing to put in the work on everything themselves. It is a great learning experience.

PUYOBP: Can you tell us ways you have been promoting online?

Karen: First of all, I have made sure that the book is available through Ingrams and at Amazon and other online bookstores. That is important in my mind because many people have a problem with buying online anyway and at least they know those retailers and feel a bit more secure buying from them.

I have a website, blogs, a myspace page. I have belonged to different online groups that aren't writer orientated. If they're writer orientated that's great for learning but how not so for selling I've found.

I have tried the Google book thing where you send them a book and they put the whole thing on and people can view parts of it. That was with my first book. I have done online press releases. Joined groups and given away books as prizes. I try to do inexpensive things and I also try to make myself known on and off the Internet. This is my first blog tour.

PUYOBP: Can you tell us ways you have been promoting offline?

Karen: I have promo items like magnets and postcards to give. I have talked my books up with friends, relatives, and strangers. I always try to have some in stock so that those who do not like to buy online can buy from me. I carry a copy of each with me so that people can see them.

PUYOBP: What is the most important piece of advice anyone has ever given you about the publishing industry?

Karen: I was told to be careful who I took advice from. Everyone it seems knows how to become a success in the artistic field but few have done it. See where the advice is coming from then adapt to my personality. I am going to be a success my way.

PUYOBP: What’s next for you? Do you have more books in the works?

Karen: I am going to keep promoting these books and would like to see if I could change them into screenplay format. The next book I would like to write is Truth, Justice and Rock 'n Roll, TJR, which is the sequel to this one and will focus on a different character in the book.

PUYOBP: Thank you for stopping by, Karen, and much success to you!

Karen: Thank you for having me Dorothy. It has been a pleasure.

Tags: How to Pump UP Your Book Promotion, online book promotion, author publicity, book promotion, book promotion tips, virtual book tour, author interviews, Karen+Magill, Let Us Play: A Rock 'N Roll Love Story