There’s nothing like a whirlwind book tour! You know the drill: your pub date is set, your book hits store shelves, and your publicist spends hours tweaking your book tour itinerary. No doubt you’ll be crisscrossing the country, checking into 5-star hotels, where naturally a personal assistant will make certain signings and readings run smoothly, not to mention dinner with the Hollywood mogul—the one dying to buy the movie rights. Yes, your book tour will be demanding. But you’re a pro; you’ll power through. In fact, you’ll barely make mention of it when darting for that poorly planned redeye, flying from L. A. to New York. On second thought, maybe someone’s head should roll. What will your fan base think if you stride puffy-eyed onto the set of Regis and Kathie Lee?
What’s Your Social Media I.Q?
Lesson learned, book promotion stops for no holiday. And launch week doesn’t slow down, even if you have a horrid cold. That was me—doing a groggy stumble and sneeze through a week where I would have traded my Amazon rank for one more hit of Nyquil. On the up side, Ruby Ink’s launch is a marathon, not a sprint.
My biggest accomplishment this week was to create an Instagram account. Next week I’m determined to learn how to use it. All authors, I think, have a true love/hate relationship with social media. For the punch it can pack—if properly applied—we authors sure do go into it kicking and screaming. I’m no different.