The Best Book Festival Ever

I’ve attended many book and author events over the years, but nothing compares to Book ‘Em. I’ve participated in events in Virginia and S. Carolina and this year I’m thrilled to attend the first ever Book ‘Em in N. Carolina. I’m also honored to be on the Book ‘Em committee and will participate in two panel discussions during the event.

If you are a reader, writer, or author, you don’t want to miss Book ‘Em NC!!

Book 'Em North Carolina
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Robeson Community College
Lumberton, North Carolina

Attendance is FREE and open to the public.

Book 'Em North Carolina Writers Conference and Book Fair brings together more than 75 authors, including two New York Times bestselling authors, Carla Neggers and Michael Palmer, more than 24 award-winning authors, and authors of almost every genre for all ages under one roof to sell and sign their books, participate in panel discussions and talks, network and interact with fans one-on-one.

It is open to readers of all ages. There are book readings and events scheduled for children from pre-school to teens. There are panel discussions and talks for writers trying to break into the field or working to increase their sales or exposure. There are talks and events for readers of various genres, including mysteries, romance, true adventure, historical, biographical, and many others.

The purpose of The Book 'Em Foundation and this event is to raise public awareness of the link between high crime rates and high illiteracy rates. Proceeds from the Book 'Em North Carolina book fair will go directly to increasing literacy in Robeson County, North Carolina and to reducing crime in the area.

The Book 'Em Foundation was founded by suspense author p.m.terrell and Waynesboro, Virginia Police Officer Mark Kearney as a partnership between authors and law enforcement. The mission of The Book 'Em Foundation is to raise public awareness of the correlation between high illiteracy rates and high crime rates.




Visit these sites for more information:
Official Website
Twitter
Facebook
Book ‘Em NC Blog


Please join us on February 25th!

Weekend Sillies and Condemned Gingerbread House

Starting your weekend off with a laugh!

The first one reminds me of what someone says right before doing something really stupid and earns himself a Darwin Award.


see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!


see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!


see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!


see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!


see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!


see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!


see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!


see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

And I had to add this photo from last month. We attempted to make a Gingerbread House (it was a gift from someone) but there was no frosting-glue in the kit. So we purchased some tube frosting, hoping that would suffice.
As you can see, it didn't work and our Gingerbread House had to be condemned...

Conductiong a Book Blog Tour - Part II

After six blog tours of my own, there are a few things I have learned. This is a continuation from Setting up a Blog Tour.


Dates are set, you have your topics.

What happens leading up to, during, and after your tour?

Before tour:

List your upcoming tour on your blog and website.

Make sure you know exactly what each host expects and wants.

Prepare all guest posts and complete interview questions. This should not be something you rush through - it will take time. Go over these several times, looking for errors. You don’t want mistakes or poorly written guest posts.

A week or more before your tour begins, send your hosts all information, including:

Guest post/interview

Short bio

Short book blurb

Links to your site and where to purchase book

Jpg images of your book cover and a promo photo if you have one

Your book’s information - price, ISBN, genre, etc.

Html code or link to book trailer

Confirm dates, information received, and time of post with all hosts.

During tour:

Post link to tour stop on your blog and all social sites. Entice your followers, readers, and fans to visit your host’s site.

Check your guest post several times a day and respond to comments. The key to a successful tour is your interaction with the host’s followers. And remember, no matter what is said, remain positive. Even if your stop that day is a review and it’s not the most flattering.

Check back on earlier stops, as some people will comment late.

Be sure you have made it easy for people to follow your blog and other sites. (Because you should gain during a tour.)

After tour:

Thank each host!

For sites featuring giveaways, be sure to get winner’s contact information for sending books or passing along to your publisher.

Thank your followers and fans for keeping up with your tour.

Continue visiting your host sites. If you never visit again, you are sending the message that you were just using them.

Problems can arise at every stage of your tour, so be prepared:

Hosts that forget to post on time. (Or at all.)

Hosts that are indifferent or don’t interact with those who comment.

Incomplete posts or links that don’t work.

Hosts that continue to make demands or complain even after your guest spot.

(Sometimes things happen. All you can do is learn from the experience and avoid problematic hosts in the future.)

Your tour is successful if any one or more the following happens:

Your book sales increase during or after a tour.

You are exposed to a lot of potential readers.

Your own sites gain followers. (Hits are good, visits are better, followers best.)

Remember to visit Setting up a Blog Tour if you missed the first part of this series.

Now who is ready for a virtual tour?

Weekend Sillies and New Resident

Weekend Sillies will now start kicking off on Friday as I switch to Monday-Friday posts.

Monday the How to Set up a Book Blog Tour series will continue.

Today it's not just funny cats - last picture is of a new resident in our neighborhood.



see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!


see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!


see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!


see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!


see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!


see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!


see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

This beautiful hawk has claimed our area as his turf and sits on our fence or deck railing every day. This drives Rocko and Spunky crazy.. What Rocko doesn't realize is that this hawk could probably carry one tiny black kitty away.

Setting Up a Blog Tour

This is Part I - I will post Part II next Monday.

A lot goes into setting up a blog tour. I’ve done six tours now, on blogs as well as other social platforms, and hosted many, many authors. For those of you about to embark on a blog tour (or plan to one day soon) below is a list of tips and suggestions.

There are two types of tours - the short burst and the marathon. A concentrated book tour should be ten stops in two weeks maximum. (You will burn out yourself and your followers otherwise.) A more relaxed tour consists of a couple days a week spread over a month or so.

Start contacting potential hosts at least two months in advance. Large blog sites tend to fill up quickly.

Select a variety of venues. Don’t just visit the blogs of other writers. Consider your target audience - what sites are they most likely to visit? Mix it up to get the most bang for your buck.

A relationship with the host site is very important. (This is why paid blog tours tend to be a waste of money - you don’t have a relationship with the host.) Follow and comment on the blog long before you ask the site owner to host you.

Look for large sites with lots of traffic and visitors. 500 followers and 20+ unique comments is best. If it doesn’t have a wide following, you won’t get the exposure you need, and interaction is important.

Many sites post guest guidelines - read these carefully before contacting the host. (And hosts, when contacted, please state up front your guidelines and if you require a review copy!)

Contact the host, providing them with your full book information.

Don’t be upset if they say no. Sometimes your book isn’t a good fit for the site or the blogger is already booked.

Be prepared to suggest post topics and send a review copy if requested. Book bloggers will almost always request a review copy and should be contacted many months in advance. (Book bloggers are a special consideration, because even though they may be doing it for fun, it’s still ‘business.’)

Schedule a variety of stops - guest posts, interviews, reviews, giveaways, and possibly podcasts. Don’t offer the same thing at every stop.

You do not have to do a giveaway at every stop. For some hosts, that is their trademark - they always feature a giveaway - and you might steal their thunder. It also takes away the novelty. The Big Six can afford it, but smaller publishers and self-publishers can’t afford to give books at every stop. And while ebooks might be free, don’t devalue the effort you put into your book by giving it out as if it were nothing.

Coordinate with your publisher.

Consider an announcement day for your book or the beginning of your tour if you have many host offers.

If there are issues with the host, graciously withdraw and find another. The success of your tour does not hinge on just one stop.

There is a give and take - you are gaining access to the host’s followers in exchange for bringing your own followers the day of your post. That is the tradeoff. You can also reciprocate by featuring your host on your site either before or after the tour. In general, most of the online community is generous, unselfish, and willing to spread the word about your new book.

Remember, treat your author status as a business. It takes a lot of effort to put together a blog tour. Make yours count by selecting good hosts and smart post topics that will appeal to your target audience. And don’t forget to have fun in the process!

Remember to come back February 23rd for the second part.