How to Keep the Buzz Going Long After the Book is Out

The idea and content from this post come from my friend Kathy Gehrt, a savvy book author and excellent marketer. Check out her book Discover Cooking with Lavender, visit her website and read her blog posts to learn more about this amazing purple flower.

Here are her tips for following up on published article or interviews that can generate publicity for your book.

1. Comment on the article or story online.

2. Post a link on social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and other social media networks.

3. Stimulate a dialogue with people in your community about something in the article.

4. Write a blog about the interview.

5. Provide new information about the topic.

6. Email the article to people in your community who might be interested in it.

And if I may add this one:

7. Offer to post a guest blog about the topic or article.

Here's to smooth marketing and keeping the buzz alive, until next time dear writers and authors.

Tips for Presentations: Make an Event Checklist

One of my goals this year is to cut wasteful spending (sound familiar?), and those cuts include book promotion. I don't do many "free" events like I did last year for my book, where I end up spending big bucks on hotels or drive all day to get there. I have a set price for a fairly simple demo event that's under 100 miles away and if I'm really interested in the venue. If the the event is under 10 miles away, I'll do it free of charge, with the requirement that I sell my own books.

Recently I agreed to do an event at the Slow Roots Food and Music Festival and I had agreed to do the event before going over details. It's a learning experience, I know, and in the early days that followed, I ferreted out details from the hosts. As I requested items, including a fee, my friend Kathy Gehrt suggested writing a post on an event checklist.

So here's one of those useful tip posts to help navigate the waters of event ambiguity.

Here are five tips for your event checklist:

1. Ask a lot of questions

• Who (is your contact? Get email, phone, best time for contact?)
• What (lecture, talk, demo, class, how long, what is the line-up?)
• Where (how far, parking, unloading, general set-up--inside, outside)
• When (when are the biggest crowds most likely? check calendar, write it down)
• How (many other presenters?)

2. Check the organization's web page. Try and imagine that you are at the event. Make a list of things the presenter needs to do to meet your needs. For example--at the Slow Roots Festival I need a two burner set-up, a handwashing station and an assistant.

3. Mention fees long before the event; have a handy list of what you charge.

4. Know the things that are most important for your event.

• Projector
• Stove, burners, kitchen equipment, assistants
• Props and books for show and tell presentation
• Parking arrangements at the event, unloading, prep time and place

5. Make a list of what you need early on. That way, if you need additional items from the hosts, you can ask well before the event and you can be more relaxed the day of the event because you took the time to get organized early.

The less ambiguity and murky details you can clear away before the event, the smoother your presentation will go.