I’m thrilled to be taking part in author Stephanie Faris’
virtual book tour for her Piper Morgan releases.
Stephanie is joining us to talk about the ‘5 Things You’ll
Need Before Your First Book Comes Out.’ In addition, Stephanie is hosting a
tour-wide giveaway for a $25 Amazon Gift Card and autographed copies of both of
her books. Please see the end of the post for more details about the giveaway.
Stephanie’s books are a delight. Here’s a brief description
about them.
When
Piper Morgan has to move to a new town, she is sad to leave behind her friends,
but excited for a new adventure. She is determined to have fun, be brave and
find new friends.
In Piper
Morgan Joins the Circus, Piper learns her mom’s new job will be with the Big
Top Circus. She can’t wait to learn all about life under the big top, see all
the cool animals, and meet the Little Explorers, the other kids who travel with
the show. She’s even more excited to learn that she gets to be a part of the
Little Explorers and help them end each show with a routine to get the audience
on their feet and dancing along!
In Piper
Morgan in Charge, Piper’s mom takes a job in the local elementary school
principal’s office. Piper is excited for a new school and new friends—and is
thrilled when she is made an “office helper.” But there is one girl who seems
determined to prove she is a better helper—and she just so happens to be the
principal’s daughter. Can Piper figure out how to handle being the new girl in
town once more?
Please join me in giving Stephanie a warm welcome as she talks
about those five things you’ll need before your first book comes out. Welcome,
Stephanie.
Piper
Morgan Joins the Circus is my third book and by now I have a
routine. There are certain things I do in the weeks leading up to launch day.
Okay, so the list seems to get longer the more I learn, but at least I have a
list now.
When my first book came out, I had no such list. I knew I
needed a Twitter presence, since that’s where all the writers, editors, and
agents are. I also knew I needed a blog, but I wasn’t sure what to do with it.
After three launches, I’ve found the below five things should be the focus of
any first-time author with a book coming out.
A
Facebook Account
Facebook is where you’ll find your friends and relatives.
You’ll also find your fourth-grade teacher, your kindergarten best friend, and
pretty much everyone who has ever mattered in your life. These are the people
who are most likely to buy your book and tell everyone they meet about it. All
you have to do is post a picture of your book and your real supporters will ask
where they can get a copy.
A Twitter
Account
As I mentioned above, Twitter is where you’ll find your
editor, agent, book cover designer, and every other writer who writes for your
publisher. Plus, there are a ton of bookstores and libraries with a presence on
the site. They’ll re-tweet your posts to all of their followers once they meet
you.
A Blog
Many authors say a blog is useless, but even if you don’t post
to it regularly, it can be great for getting search engines to rank your site.
It’s also very helpful when you’re ready to do a blog tour. I tried one of
those blog tour companies and found most of the blogs they place you on have
exactly zero readers. For best results, make your own bloggy friends and form a
network of people who support you and (this is important) make sure support
them in return!
Bookmarks
For kids authors, bookmarks are a key promotional tool. Yes,
kids still read paper-based books. A lot of adult readers do, too. Everyone who
reads on paper needs a bookmark. You don’t have to spend a fortune on a
bookmark, either. If you’re crafty, you can even design your own.
Local
Connections
Yes, the real-life stuff matters, too. You can’t market to
every bookstore and library in the country. Instead, you need to focus on your
own community. Bookstores and libraries love local authors. Introduce yourself
and support your library by sending bookmarks and hosting workshops if you’re
comfortable with public speaking.
Any book launch is terrifying, but it’s also exciting. If you
have the right tools in place beforehand, you’ll find you have nothing to be
afraid of.
Stephanie, thanks for stopping by on your tour. These are
great tips.
Now for those who aren’t familiar with Stephanie, here’s some
background on her.
 |
| Author Stephanie Faris |
Stephanie Faris knew she wanted to be an author from a very young age. In fact, her mother often told her to stop reading so much and go outside and play with the other kids. After graduating from Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science in broadcast journalism, she somehow found herself working in information technology. But she never stopped writing.
Stephanie is the Simon & Schuster author of 30
Days of No Gossip and 25 Roses. When she isn’t crafting
fiction, she writes for a variety of online websites on the topics of business,
technology, and her favorite subject of all—fashion. She lives in Nashville
with her husband, a sales executive.
For more on Stephanie and her writing, visit her website and blog as well as connect with her on
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Amazon.
This is a tour-wide giveaway for a $25 Amazon Gift Card and
Autographed Books.
To enter the giveaway, just click on the Rafflecopter widget
below and follow the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load so
please be patient.
Thanks so much for stopping by during Stephanie’s visit. Isn’t
there just something heartwarming about looking at a child’s book cover? If you’re
an author, do you have any suggestions for things you’ll need before your first
book comes out?
