Well, it’s a little crazy.
Most people might think that as a book release date approaches, an author’s work begins to wind down.
“If the book is already written, why are you so busy?” my friends ask.
“Because” I say, “Promo is about to begin.”
In fact, an author’s work ramps up as the launch approaches. Time seems to accelerate. Every task grows more urgent with every hour that passes. From an editorial perspective, there are Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) to review. All those words, paragraphs and chapters present plenty of opportunity for errors. Details must be corrected both in the e-book versions and the print ARCs—things like formatting issues, indents, typos and nits. No matter how many times you scour the text, those diabolical little word gremlins are hard at work defying our best attempts at perfection.
You also have the promo coming at you like a fast pitch to the head. A look at my schedule for the summer leaves me breathless and it’s not even July yet! These days, I spend a lot of time talking to the wonderful folks who are organizing the promos for The Curse Giver. Press releases must be written, reviewed and rewritten. Virtual book tours must be organized, rearranged and adapted. Giveaways have to be scheduled. Reviews have to be collected.
“Wait, reviews?” you say. “The book’s not even out yet!”
Guess what? These days, reviews are necessary even before the book comes out. Word out on the street is that each five star-review translates into hundreds of sales.
Ah, shucks, then. Add begging for reviews to the list.
That’s on top of the interviews, the guest blogs and articles that are piling up on my desk. Don’t get me wrong. I love doing these. They are hard work, especially when you’re doing so many of them. They require a lot of time, because the questions are different and diverse, and I make sure that each interview, blog and article gets my time and full attention. But they are also a great opportunity to get to meet readers, bloggers and reviewers from all over the world, people who are as passionate as I am about fantasy, reading and writing.
So yeah, it’s crazy hectic over here, but that’s okay—no—better than okay, because The Curse Giver is on the way.
The Curse Giver's Galleys
Tags: Book marketing, Book Promotion, Books, Creative writing; writing, Dark fantasy, Dora Machado, Epic fantasy, fantasy, Fantasy romance, love writing, Paranormal romance, publishing, readers, Reading, romance, romance writing, Romantic fantasy, Stonewiser, summer reading, The Creative Process, The Curse Giver, Twilight Times Books, writers, Writing
It seems like a lot more work to promote a book than to write one!
Hang in there, Dora! I know you’re up to the task!