Let's Talk Virtual Book Tours with Historical Fiction Author Douglas W. Jacobson

Douglas W. Jacobson is an engineer, business owner and WW2 history enthusiast who has traveled extensively in Europe researching the courage of common people caught up in the greatest catastrophe of the twentieth century. Doug’s first book, Night of Flames: A Novel of World War Two was published in 2007. Doug has also written numerous articles on WW2 resistance organizations and is finishing up his second historical novel focusing on one of the most notorious war crimes in history. Douglas Jacobson will be on a virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours in September and October '09 and is here with us today to give his impression of virtual book tours and online book marketing. Thank you for this interview, Doug. Can we start out by having you tell us briefly what your new book is about? Douglas: Night of Flames is a story of courage. It is a story about common people caught up in unimaginable circumstances who find the strength and determination to survive. The main characters are a university professor in Krakow, Poland and her husband, a cavalry officer, who are separated on the first day of the war. For the next five years they struggle to survive and preserve their humanity while searching for each other across war-torn Europe. More and more authors are realizing the potential for sales that derives from virtual book tours. Can you tell us your personal reasons why you chose a virtual book tour to help get the word out about your new book? Douglas: I am a member of the Historical Novel Society and through contacts with other authors in this genre I have learned of the success many of them have had with virtual book tours. Is this the first time you have heard of them? Douglas: I have heard about them several times over the past year or so, but at the recent HNS conference in Chicago many authors discussed their experiences with virtual book tours. What do you hope to achieve through promoting your book through a virtual book tour? Douglas: Obviously I hope to increase book sales but I also want to establish a niche for my future writing as a historical novelist specializing in the WW2 period. Do you promote online through other means? Website? Blog? Douglas: I have contacted book clubs through Reader’s Circle and other similar sites. Do you promote through Twitter and Facebook? What are your links there? Douglas: I am only just beginning to learn about Facebook and Twitter. What are your experiences with offline booksignings? Which do you prefer – online or offline and can you give us the reasons why? Douglas: I have not done many off-line book signings as such, and the ones I have done have been marginal. I’ve had much more success as a speaker to service clubs and other organization and coupling those with book signings following the event. I’m looking forward to my first experience with an on-line book tour. Here’s a fun question. If money was no object, how would you promote your book? Douglas: I’d donate a hundred thousand dollars to Oprah’s favorite charity. Thank you for this interview, Doug. Do you have any final words? Douglas: I’m looking forward to discussing Night of Flames with readers on-line and sharing with them my enthusiasm and admiration for the real people who endured the largest conflict in world history. To find out more about Douglas' virtual book tour in September and October, click here!

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