Trying to launch a new book during the Covid-19 Pandemic calls for special tactics. Normally, I would be setting up in-person author visits at bookstores and giving presentations and talks at libraries and to book groups. Now, with personal appearances impossible, I’m trying to figure out new, digital ways to let readers know about my upcoming memoir, Wherever the Road Leads. I am in the midst of planning a fun, virtual Webinar-style launch party for the first week of December and I’m turning to you, my friends and readers, to ask a favor.
Yes, you can help! I’ve put together a list of ways you can help get the word out about my new book. I hope you will find something that fits your time and interests. Just a few minutes on line is all some of these suggestions will take—anything you can do will be appreciated. Of course, if you have other authors you love, these suggestions can be used to help them as well.
If you are an e-book reader, you may have already read Wherever the Road Leads and peer reviews are becoming ever more important! Please leave a review of my memoir on your favorite platform: Amazon, Goodreads, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, Onlinebookclub.org. If you have read my novel, Immigrant Soldier, The Story of a Ritchie Boy, it is never too late to help out with a review for that book as well.
Are you waiting to read my memoir in paperback? I have several advance reader copies available for FREE if you commit to posting a review on Amazon and Goodreads or any other book site you use. I can hand deliver if you live in south Orange County, California. The U.S. postal service is so slow right now that regular mail can take up to 6 weeks to arrive anywhere! I know this from personal experience shipping books. Thus I must give preference to local readers, but if you’re a fast and motivated reader, I’m open to mailing you a free paperback.
A few additional ideas:
- If you read my blogs, please send comments via the comment form at the bottom. It’s fun for me to see what you think and your comments will encourage others. Interaction with “fans” is a great way for me to know what you enjoy reading.
- If one of my blogs is a subject that might be of interest to a friend, please share with them. You can also encourage them to fill out the comment form or subscribe to my blog.
- Would your book group enjoy reading Wherever the Road Leads? I will be happy to Zoom with your group when you discuss the book. If you are a local south Orange County, California group and want to purchase autographed copies for your members directly from me, I can deliver the books.
- Instagram – Maybe a picture of you holding up the book or your e-reader and saying how much you liked it. Please include the title in your comment. I can supply you with a book cover image if you prefer.
- Post a comment about the book as a guest on my Facebook author page (Kathryn Lang-Slattery) and follow. Anything from “I can’t wait to read this” to a short blurb review and a picture of you holding the book. You could also post something on your own timeline.
- Share to your Facebook timeline my posts from Kathryn Lang-Slattery about Wherever the Road Leads.
- If you tweet, please say something about my book. Hashtags that link to things like van-life, travel, road trips, reading, and memoirs would work, I think. Other than that, you’re on your own because I am not a tweeter.
- Best of all, if you are not already a member, join an on-line readers’ site. I suggest are Goodreads and/or the Online book Club. Sign on and follow these step-by step suggestions:
- Create an account or go to your existing account.
- Go to your bookshelf and add Wherever the Road Leads, A Memoir of Love, Travel, and a Van to your “want to read” list.
- When/if you read my memoir, please leave a review.
- At that point you can also scroll down to “recommend to a friend” and send your recommendation to anyone on your friend list who you think will like the book.
- When you are on the book’s page, look to the right side and you will see “about K. Lang-Slattery.” Click on that to go to my author page where you can (please) follow me.
- Create an account or go to your existing account.
- Go to bookshelves (blue rectangles on top right of page). Dropdown menu will show “your shelves” – click on that and you will be sent to a page where you can add books you are reading or want to read.
- At the top of this page in small print you will see Find A Book| Shelves FAQ | BOTM | Add A Book | Your Shelves. Click on Add A Book. You should be dropped to the bottom of the page to a large blue square where you can manually add books to your shelves.
- Add Wherever the Road Leads, A Memoir of Love, Travel, and a Van
- Author should be K. Lang-Slattery
- Be sure to add information about shelf (want to read or currently reading). If you have read the book, you can add a rating and a review.
AND Please leave a comment below in the comments section after this blog. You can also receive automatic notice of all my blogs by filling in your email address and clicking on the blue SUBSCRIBE button.
Many thanks! Looking forward to hearing from you!
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