Tag: media opportunities

How This Author Became a Big Deal in Moulton, Alabama

rock star author picWhen my Andy Warhol appointed fifteen minutes happened back in 2012 and my book was topping the charts, I didn’t have to look for promotion opportunities. They found me. I was asked to give interviews, guest blog, even teach courses on how to self-publish. Some of those efforts helped me connect with readers and some did not. Among the requests I received was an email from a woman in Moulton, Alabama asking me to send her a print copy of my book. Sending out print books can be expensive and you often wonder whether it’s worthwhile. When my moment in the sun was shining so brightly that I could hardly see, I didn’t have time to research every opportunity that came my way. I just kept saying “yes”.

The woman in Moulton claimed to be a reviewer for a number of small newspapers in the area. She’d read the blurb of my book, saw that it was doing well and wanted to read it. But, she wasn’t interested in any of those eBook thingies. She wanted a print book. I suppose I could have got on the Google (as I heard it said recently) to verify her identity, but I didn’t have time for that. I was busy watching my dashboard change every copy of My Temporary Life I sold. So, I sent out the print version. And, I waited for something to happen. Continue reading “How This Author Became a Big Deal in Moulton, Alabama”

Be Ready for that Media Opportunity

One thing I’ve learned about this industry is that opportunities come up in a flash, and usually the first people to respond get them. The difference between being prepared and NOT being prepared can cost you. And it’s literally as simple as being organized.

KS Brooks Book Cover Folder
Go ahead, mouse over, see what happens.
Click once to enlarge.

I have a folder in Dropbox with all my book cover jpgs, my two author photos and a couple of other folders with high resolution versions and thumbnail size versions. (I keep it on Dropbox so I can access it from virtually anywhere. You never know when you will be asked for something!) I’ve made sure they’re all named clearly, so it’s easy for the recipient to identify. It also helps, if they don’t rename the file, with search engine optimization. It never hurts to take advantage of every opportunity to get your title in front of someone. Plus, it looks far more professional to have the book cover for Night Undone labeled as “NightUndone.jpg” instead of “niteundonecoverartsmall.jpg”. My author photo is labeled as “AuthorKSBrooks.jpg” instead of  “DSC00013”. Now, you might be thinking, I’ll just put “Author Photo” as the file name. Well, you and about a billion other authors thought that. It’s not going to make your photo easy to find. Continue reading “Be Ready for that Media Opportunity”

Always Look On the Bright Side of Life

A few weeks ago I was out shopping with my husband when we came across a card. It made my husband guffaw. On it was written:

Dear Optimists,

If you continue to look always on the bright side, you’ll eventually go blind.

Regards

The Pessimists.

It summed us both up perfectly. I always believe something good will happen, while my husband believes that the worst will always occur, and is bemused by my perpetual optimism. Continue reading “Always Look On the Bright Side of Life”

Be Prepared

K. S. Brooks' Desktop Folder
K. S. Brooks’ Desktop Folder

One thing I’ve learned about this industry is that opportunities come up in a flash, and usually the first people to respond get them. The difference between being prepared and NOT being prepared can cost you. And it’s literally as simple as being organized.

I have a folder on my desktop with all my book cover jpgs, my two author photos and a couple of other folders with high resolution versions and thumbnail size versions.  I’ve made sure they’re all named clearly, so it’s easy for the recipient to identify. It also helps, if they don’t rename the file, with search engine optimization. It never hurts to take advantage of every opportunity to get your title in front of someone. Plus, it looks far more professional to have the book cover for Night Undone labeled as “NightUndone.jpg” instead of “niteundonecoverartsmall.jpg”. My author photo is labeled as “AuthorKSBrooks.jpg” instead of  “DSC00013”.

You may think “whatever, the name of the file isn’t that big of a deal”, but honestly, it’s how you’re being represented to whomever you’re sending the files. I’d say about 90% of the files I receive (and I receive a LOT of them on a daily basis) are not properly labeled.  So when I save them to my desktop before uploading them for a post, many times I’m forced to rename them. When I go to look for them, if they’re “DSC00013” – that makes it a little more difficult to find. If you’re sending these files to a reporter or editor, do you REALLY want to make more work for them?  I’d say no. Continue reading “Be Prepared”