Monday, January 20, 2014

Online Marketing Symposium! Plus Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit Movie Review, TV Trivia Answers, and Ninja News

Movie Review

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
Staring Chris Pine, Kevin Costner, Kenneth Branagh, and Keira Knightly
It’s a good start to a reboot of the franchise and takes place in current time. Ryan’s first mission as an operative is to go to Russia to analyze some accounts. He’s an ‘analyst out of water’ as he discovers a terrorist plot to destroy American’s economy and forced to go beyond his job description.
The actors all did a good job and I really like Kevin Costner in the film. Branagh pulls double-duty as both actor and director and does it well.
Not a great film, but a really good action-spy thriller. And certainly one of the best films I have ever seen in January. Shame it didn’t do better at the box office this weekend.(Shame what DID do well this weekend.)
Recommended


Ninja News

Yvonne Lewis has been having issues with commenting on certain blogs and with others finding her blog. So if you’ve missed Yvonne, hop over and follow her new blog.

In celebration of her upcoming release, 18 Truths, Jamie Ayres is hosting a special blogfest this week and it includes prizes:
Players tell two truths and one lie. The object of the game is to hop around the blogs and determine which statement that each blogger posted is the false one.Anyone who posts for the Can You Handle The TRUTH? blogfest between January 22nd-28th can enter to win a number of prizes donated by 18 terrific people.

Donna Weaver had a special release last week – Hope's Watch. This eBook-exclusive short story includes special excerpts from both A Change of Plans and Torn Canvas, coming April 2014.
Talli Roland revealed the print version of The Pollyanna Plan, coming March 11.


For those of you who are members of the IWSG Facebook Group - remember that promotions are to be posted on Saturday News & Promo Day only. (And I understand the group is over five hundred strong now!)
Jessica Therrien announced a great opportunity and giveaway:
To celebrate our new blog, the authors at Darkly Delicious YAalong with Book Nerd Tours are hosting a huge giveaway, and we’re looking for authors of Young Adult and New Adult (provided there are no graphic sex scenes) to submit their books for the giveaway. The grand prize will be a Kindle Fire HD loaded with all our books. Giveaway will start on March 1st and run through March 17th.


TV Trivia Answers

On The X-Files, what's Mulder's nickname? Spooky
What show starred Michael Landon as an angel? Highway to Heaven
On The Simpsons, who shot Mr. Burns? Maggie Simpson
What was the name of the charter boat that shipwrecked in the 1960s show "Gilligan's Island"? S.S. Minnow
What 80s show is Frasier a spinoff of? Cheers

What Works – Online Marketing Symposium
A blogfest with information you can use! Hosted by Arlee Bird, Yolanda Renee, Jeremy Hawkins, and Alex J. Cavanaugh.

We want you to tell us your stories of success (or not so successful) as we present a blogging event that will help us learn. Tell us about a marketing idea that you've used and what worked or didn't work. Your post could describe a campaign that succeeded in a big or small way or one that failed drastically. Tell us about a business campaign, an organizational event, a fundraiser – anything where a bit of promotion was necessary! The What Works.. Marketing Symposium is not limited to authors but also to anyone in a business that has a promotional aspect – online or otherwise!

I’ve seen a lot of blog tours in over four years of blogging (and conducted three of my own) and I think they are still very effective. Based on my experience and observations, here are my tips on how to get the most out of a blog tour:

One tour stop a day. If a blog was nice enough to host you, return the favor by making that the one and only, front and center stop. (It’s just being courteous.)

All guest posts and interviews should be unique. No duplicates.

Announcements aren’t tour stops.

If bloggers are announcing the release of your book (or whatever) try to send something a little different to each one.

Select high traffic stops with lots of followers. (Those with smaller followings can do an announcement for you.) You want to get in front of a lot of people, plus putting together a guest post takes time and effort – make it count.

Avoid weekend stops unless that is the blog’s prime traffic and post time.

Announce each stop the day it occurs on your blog, Twitter, etc. (And once you have the exact link, go back and edit it into your blog post.)

Keep your interview answers and guest posts short. (Just being real here.)

Offer a couple giveaways during your tour.

That’s what I’ve seen work best. And I didn’t mention the use of clones, but those also help!

Visit other participants:


Anyone else see Shadow Recruit? Signed up for those blogfests? Part of the IWSG Facebook Group? Get any of the television trivia right? And what online marketing tip would you offer?

Stop by on Wednesday for the announcement of one awesome contest!

158 comments:

Tammy Theriault said...

I just saw a few others advice on marketing and I totally agree! I love the idea of having a different post for each stop that you do and only do one a day. makes it stretch longer! lots o' hops coming up!

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I haven't seen Shadow Recruit, but I do love Chris Pine.

And great blog tour advice!

Rhonda Albom said...

Finally, a movie I really want to see. I am not sure it is here yet, but I do want to see Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. The truth blogfest sounds fun. And thanks for the tips on Blog tours. Bookmarked hopefully for the future.

Sheena-kay Graham said...

I'm holding my cash for I, Frankenstein. Lots going on and marketing is never an exact science but I do agree that tour stops need posts that grabs readers attention.

Creepy Query Girl said...

Fantastic advice Alex! What a great idea for a symposium!

Kyra Lennon said...

Excellent tips on blog tours! I was just about to write a post about blog tours... I may need to re-think LOL!

Old Kitty said...

I didn't know the swoon worthy Chris Pine has a new film out! Oh and doesn't he just look scrummy in that movie poster! Yikes!!!

Where was I? Yay for Talli!!! And everyone!! Happy Monday Cap'n! Take care
x

Patsy said...

I agree varying guest blog posts is a good idea. You don't want readers to get bored with your book before they've even thought of buying it.

J.L. Campbell said...

Good tips on doing tours. I dunno how people have the energy to do more than one stop per day. The tour itself is enough work.

The Angry Lurker said...

Is this the start of the Jack Ryan the son movies, currently featured in all the recent Tom Clancy books?

Anonymous said...

Hi just testing to see if I can comment

ediFanoB said...

I must admit that I do not spend much time for TV and films. My taste changed in the past years. There are a few series I follow. I prefer reading and there are so many books waiting for me ....

The blogfest is impressive.



Stephen Tremp said...

I'll see Shadow Recruit. Not much else going on with movies this week

Great to see Yvonne up and running again. I'll stop by to say hello.

Great blog tour tips. I do add some lower traffic sites to a tour as a way to give back to the blogging community. Blog Tours also bring traffic to the hosts sites and I like to help people new to blogging or ho would like some additional exposure.

Clare said...

Love the idea of an Online Marketing Symposium. thank you Alex, Arlee, Jeremy and Yolanda for hosting.

I'm not sure blog tours are as effective as they once were, due to blogs being over-saturated with them.

However, word of mouth does go a long way, and the tips you gave for a successful blog tour are spot on.

I think the key is offering readers something unique to draw them in.

M.J. Fifield said...

I've always liked the Jack Ryan movies (well, the early ones anyway; I never saw Ben Affleck's). I'm glad to hear this one wasn't a big disappointment.

Unknown said...

Just saw Shadow Recruit today,loved it. Action packed from start to finish with lots of intrigue packed in.

Good tips in your post about what works with Blog Tours. I agree with J.L. about the work load, they do take a lot of time and effort, but I must admit they are definitely worth it.

mooderino said...

Shadow Recruit looks a bit generic, might catch it on dvd. Now I'm wondering which movie you didn't like at the box office...

mood
Moody Writing

Ellie Garratt said...

Thank you for hosting this Alex. You rock!

I agree with everything you say about blog tours. They do take a lot of time and effort, but the results are worth. It's also been interesting reading your views on Facebook via other participants. I'm getting to the point where I'm thinking of dropping all my book stuff and just treating it as friends and family social media.

River Fairchild said...

Great tips for blog tours, Alex! You do so much for this community. :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Tammy, exactly!

Rhonda, you'll enjoy it.

Kyra, you still can!

Swoon away, Kitty - and go see the film!

Patsy, well said.

Fran, no, it's not the son.

Yvonne, you did!

Clare, that's it - something unique, since they have been overdone.

Carolyn, glad you enjoyed it!

Moody, the one all the reviews said was awful and yet it still made a ton of money.

Ellie, I've managed without Facebook so far...

Anonymous said...

Trying to get my problem sorted
seems a box appears saying this page/s have come unresponsive, either "Kill or Wait" then if I click on Kill it says reload page, on some of the blogs it allow me to comment others not.
Yvonne.

Anonymous said...

Just testing Alex.

Anonymous said...

Just testing Alex

Sandra Ulbrich Almazan said...

I think having clones is key to make marketing work! Otherwise, it's hard to keep up with everything else in your life.

Rusty Carl said...

Glad you liked Shadow Recruit, I haven't seen it, and probably won't until it's available for home viewing, but I do want to see it.

And thanks for the tips regarding the blog tour stuff. Should I ever do one, it's good to have a bit of a primer to work from.

Robyn Campbell said...

Great advice, Alex! I've been thinking about blog tours. It was something Bish said to me. She thinks that all the tours that come at readers fast and hard are the ones that are forgotten the fastest. And she might be right. She believes that it's best to go to fewer blogs and take it slow and easy. It's hard to figure.

Sorry about the problem Yvonne is having. If anyone knows problems with blogs it's me. *sigh* Is she blogger or wordpress, Alex? Each would have their own problems.

I knew all the trivia answers.

Congrads Donna! YaY! And Talli!

I hope all is well Alex. I'm still not getting any sleep. Since October. I'm staying up with Christopher. I guess I could be considered zombie girl.

I do want to see Shadow Recruit.

I do want to join IWSG. When things settle down with Christopher.

*waves madly*

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

Thanks for the movie review! I'm pretty sure we'll see it, but might wait for DVD.

And I actually got all the trivia right…except for the first one, which I didn't answer. :)

Karen Jones Gowen said...

Very excited about a new Jack Ryan movie! I signed up for the marketing blogfest but can't find out when the day is we're supposed to post.

Michelle Wallace said...

Thanks for hosting this blogfest!
There are still 15 hours left, so if I experience a *light bulb moment*, I still have time to sign up... we'll see...
I really like the sound of the 18 Truths blogfest. Maybe I'll sign up for that one.

Al Diaz said...

Dwarves got all the trivia right. (No, we didn't)
Useful tips for when we write and publish our book. Possible titles, "How to work for a Ninja and not get trampled by clones", "The day we built our first cloning machine" or "Alex, did you miss your left socks?"
They will be best-sellers, we are sure.

Heather M. Gardner said...

Glad to hear JR was good. I was worried. :)
Looks like Costner has 3 films coming out all close together. It's like he turned grey and they had all new parts for him or something.

Great tour tips. These sound spot on.

Heather

Kim Van Sickler said...

Impeccable blog etiquette, Alex. It makes you a nice person, someone we want to support. And that translates into sound marketing. BTW, I'm having the same problem Yvonne is with the "unresponsive" and "kill page" messages coming up on your site and Arlee's. If you hit the wait button and just keep commenting it goes away and you can post.

Optimistic Existentialist said...

I LOVE a good spy thriller. Espionage is my favorite genre. I can't wait to see this movie.

S.A. Larsenッ said...

I didn't know about Donna's short story. I'll have to check it out.

I really want to see Jack Ryan. Thanks for your thoughts.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Thanks, River.

Sandra, want to borrow my clone machine?

Rusty, you need to do one.

Robyn, it's all about a steady pace. Yvonne is on Blogger, but I think the real issue is Google Chrome. And just keep focusing on Christopher. Hopefully you'll get some sleep soon.

Karen, today!

Michelle, maybe something will hit.

Al, my left socks are missing? Oh crap!

Heather, yes he does! Busy man.

Kim, no idea what that could be...

Anonymous said...

Perfect timing on the blog tour tips as I prepare for mine . . . and yours is the first stop next week--YAY :-) Thanks so much for the blogfest shout out as well. You are a true Rock Star *rushes off to recruit clones*

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Those are great tips, Alex. I think it's particularly important to have different content for each stop.

Thanks for the movie review! We might be hitting the theaters today.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

The same post to everyone or recycled for several stops is so annoying! And one stop per day max. No one is going to visit multiple stops for days on end.

Karen Lange said...

Thanks for the info and links! Thanks also for your tour tips. A friend ran my first tour (she'd done tours for others) and she did a great job. Next time around I'll change some things and offer guest posts too. It is a great way to spread the word!

Natalie Aguirre said...

Great blog tour advice. I think the giveaways are key to getting more people to stop by. And I think it's important to branch out from your group of friends to spread the word about your book.

Unknown said...

I agree- blog tours are a great way to get the word out- Haven't seen the new Ryan movie yet, I guess I can't get over anyone but Harrison Ford playing that role.

Shell Flower said...

Your advice on having something different on each blog is awesome. I think people really grow tired of seeing the same cover reveal or whatever all day and start skipping those blogs. Drawing it out longer is smart, too.

Unknown said...

Congrats to Talli and Donna!

Good luck to Jamie and Jessica on their blog hops.

I'm getting kind of sick of remakes, but I understand teens are the target audience not me. To them, remakes and "reboots" are new...

Thanks for the blog tour tips!

Crystal Collier said...

Clones, huh? I'm going to have to get me a couple of those for the next time around.

Yolanda Renée said...

Thanks Alex, great tips from the master, and on IWSG page too!

Thanks for hosting the fest - it's a blast seeing the response!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for hosting the bloghop this week, Alex! I think it's a great idea and look forward to seeing what everyone has to say.

I've not seen Shadow Recruit. Will save that one for DVD rental, although I love Costner and Pine. It's just that I think that story has been overdone. So, movie rental it will be.

Unknown said...

Love me some Chris Pine!!! I love the Jack Ryan character as well. Hopefully I'll get to see this one.

Looking forward to visiting some others for the marketing hop. Thanks so much for hosting!

Kimberly said...

There's lots of cool Ninja News! Thanks for hosting the symposium, which is such a great idea. I really like your tips on blog tours.

Toi Thomas said...

Great adive about blog tours. I'm still scared of the idea of doing one, but I guess I should try.
Great review, it's pretty much what I expected.

Ray Rousell said...

I didn't know there was a new Jack Ryan film and strong cast too! I'll put that on my "to watch" list!

Arlee Bird said...

Your advice on book tours is excellent. Your tours have always been very well handled. Great addition to the marketing knowledge pool for What Works....

Lee
Tossing It Out

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Keith, you'll enjoy it!

Jamie, you're welcome. Will post my entry on Wednesday.

Elizabeth, go and enjoy.

Diane, I know I won't.

Melanie, but Alec Baldwin did it first!

Shell, people do skip when it's the same old thing.

Yolanda, I hope what I posted on the IWSG was good!

Liz, at least it was an original story.

Toi, you should!

Ray, you'll enjoy it.

Jeremy [Retro] said...

Alex,

Wonderful ideas for the "book tours" that is what worked best for mine... sadly it ended up in many sleepiness nights and rift in my personal life. I don't think I could ever do that again, this year I want to focus on more design and clients who want to commit... not just take what I have to offer. Last year a good friend wasted my time for a few months developing a look, that later they paid someone to steal my idea to achieve what they wanted.

You have always been a solid player in this world, I would love to have your devotion and skills.

Jeremy H.

There's no earthly way of knowing.
Which direction we are going!
[Being-Retro]

Jo said...

Best comments should be awarded to the dwarves today. Did you miss your left socks by the way?

Not doing marketing, not selling anything.

Gossip_Grl said...

Shadow Recruit is on my list of to rent from Redbox but I'm not sure when it is even set to be released to DVD. Great tips for the Marketing Symposium also. Ugh on the trivia answers I think I got one right, but I should have known the other answers. Happy Monday!

Leovi said...

Wonderful, I'm sure we will learn a lot with "What Works"

Hart Johnson said...

Wise advice Alex! You do these things just right!

Brian Miller said...

some good stuff on promotion there alex...when the time comes...smiles.

ah, i wanted shadow recruit to be really good...the promos for it were....i will see it though...i need something...ha....

Charles Gramlich said...

So far, I've generally liked Chris Pine in everything I've seen him in.

Bish Denham said...

Great advice for promoting through the blogs. As long as I remember it's all about having fun, I should be all right. :)

Anonymous said...

Sound advice as usual, Alex. And the movie sounds good too.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Thanks, Lee!

Jeremy, I'm sorry! That's terrible.

Jo, I didn't until they pointed it out.

Brian, it's good though.

Bish, it should be about the fun!

Cathy Olliffe-Webster said...

So what movie DID do well on the weekend??? (must google...)

Thanks for the all the advice on the blog tour, Alex! You da man!

Tyrean Martinson said...

Alex - thanks for the blog tour info and thoughts! I am going to keep those in mind for the next time. :)

Anonymous said...

Heading to see Shadow Recruit this afternoon. Great tips about blog tours and I always thought the way their are doing them now kind of dilute the effect by having several stops on the same day. I'll keep it in mind when I run my blog tour.

A. B. Keuser said...

I would totally sign up for this... except, I have done pretty much NO marketing for my novels. With the exeption of people I know, people who read the blog, and random sales just by talking to people in person/on twitter/facebook/blogs, I pretty much just put my books out there and let them do their own thing.

Andrew Leon said...

One day, I might organize a blog tour thing. Maybe.

SittieCates said...

This is such a good event. Thank you!

I've done a book tour. I just had a few stops. I'll probably do it again, but I hope to have more stops by then. In a way, it helped in introducing my works to others.

The Musings of a Hopeful and Pecunious Wordsmith

Chrys Fey said...

I am doing a blog tour now and it is very important to check the number of followers they have, and even comments/shares they get on each post, because if there are no comments or shares then you may be wasting your time promoting with them.

Thanks for the tips!

L.G. Keltner said...

Thanks for the excellent advice on blog tours. If I do one in the future, I'll be sure to take your tips into consideration!

Suzanne Furness said...

I think, as many have already said earlier, variety is key. The exact same post appearing on numerous blogs and I will definitely only skim.

ilima said...

These are great tips on blog tours. I'm bookmarking this page. I also want to go see Jack Ryan with the hubs but I've been homebound for medical reasons. Hope to get out soon.

Jay Noel said...

Taking notes....taking notes...taking more notes....done!

I will take this tips to heart. This really does help me out A LOT.

SC Author said...

Love the tips! This blog hop is such an incredible idea; thank you. SO much information, and it's fantastic.

Rebecca M. Douglass said...

I'm bookmarking the advice on blog tours, as I need to organize one pronto for my new release.

Hops have done the most to increase my blog followers, but I think only a very few actually actively visit and I have about 4 regular commenters, so I'm not sure if blogging translates to sales at all. . . maybe because I have a platform for a bit of quid pro quo.

Angela Brown said...

I agree with you regarding the blog tours. Providing unique info helps readers want to follow along with the tour.

Mel Kinnel (@TizMellyMel) said...

I've been eyeing Shadow Recruit. I do like Chris Pine.

cleemckenzie said...

I think you're so right about tailoring your posts for different blogs. I often see the same posts for a book dozens of times. What's to say after you've responded to the first one?

Great hop and I'm learning!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Karen, don't do that!

Cathy, one that was trashed by reviewers, which is why it stuns me people still went to see it.

Sydney, enjoy! Yeah, more than one stop isn't effective.

AB, today is a good day to learn how to do it then.

Chrys, so true!

Suzanne, exactly.

Ilima, I'm sorry!

Jay, that's good to hear!

Rebecca, it's pretty much all I do and it's definitely made a difference in my sales.

Lee, exactly!

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Great advice on the blog tour. I find them every stressful but I haven't tried one since I'm a full time writer.
I want to see Shadow Recruit because I enjoyed the early Jack Ryan novels and I like Chris Pine.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Great advice on the blog tour. I find them every stressful but I haven't tried one since I'm a full time writer.
I want to see Shadow Recruit because I enjoyed the early Jack Ryan novels and I like Chris Pine.

Sarah Allen said...

Chris Pine is a major hunk :) Guess I gotta see this movie!

Sarah Allen
(From Sarah, with Joy)

Pat Hatt said...

What? No love for Ice Cube lol Didn't except Ryan to be the greatest movie, but okay it was. Some great tips. But short? The cat is too mouthy for that lol

Miranda Hardy said...

This is such a great meme. I'm heading everywhere to get more tips. Such great advice. Thank you, Alex.

I haven't seen that movie and I'm intrigued. I haven't seen a lot of movies lately. I'm way behind. Lol

Juliana Haygert said...

I liked Jack Ryan's trailer. I hope I like the movie as well.
Now I'm curious about which movie DID do well ...

Beverly Stowe McClure said...

Great advice, Alex. I'm saving it, especially the clone part. :)

Robin said...

I really like Chris Pines. I have now watched quite a few of his movies and liked them all. I really want to see this one.

I agree about posting something new and different on each blog tour stop. No one wants to read the same thing over and over.

Patricia Stoltey said...

I'm definitely going to spend some time today checking in on that marketing blogfest. Sounds like a great idea.

Empty Nest Insider said...

Great tips for blog tours that I will definitely have to keep in mind. I'll have to also check out some of the other marketing tips. The truth blogfest sounds like fun too.

Julie

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Susan, then you will like it.

Pat, your posts are not long - trust me! And it wasn't Ice Cube - the movie was panned, so why did so many still go see it?

Beverly, feel free to use my clone machine.

Robin, exactly.

Unknown said...

Looking forward to reading those blog hop posts- maybe I will learn a thing or two.

Roland D. Yeomans said...

I believe most blog tours are floundering. Blog tours focused on a debuting book are now drawing less of an audience -- unless they are for an already popular authors who really do not need them anyway.

The blog tours that do well are the ones that embrace the entire blogging community as this Online Marketing one and Michael de Gesu's recent coffee bloghop.

People want to read a post that holds something of interest and fun for them.

When a blog browser scans the titles of the posts from her favorite sites and sees BUY MY BOOK titles, they mostly veer away, looking for something amusing or of use to them in the pursuit of their own dreams ... not for an info-mercial.

John Locke, snake-oil salesman that he is, had the right idea: write posts that entertain and perhaps even spark reflection -- the visitors to that blog will see the ads for your books on the sidebar -- and may well come to the conclusion that if you are this entertaining in a post, you may well be equally as entertaining in your books.

I will wait to see SHADOW RECRUIT on DVD. Snowball's medical bills have depleted my entertainment budget. But I am looking forward to it now because of your review!

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

Maggie killed Mr. Burns? Why didn't I know that? I'm so disillusioned. But I bet Bart had something to do with it.

Thanks for the useful tips, Alex.

Be well.

xoRobyn

Brandon Ax said...

I was thinking of seeing this might wait for DVD.

I knew all of the trivia answer except the x-files one.

That does seem like a cool Blog fest. I may join if I have time to post in them.

Christine Rains said...

Congrats to everyone on the good news this week! I like your tips, Alex. I agree with every single one. The next time I release a book, I'm going to go about things differently than I did before. Thank you for hosting!

A Beer for the Shower said...

My online marketing tip is just to not be shy. Don't be afraid to ask people to give you a mention. Or to let them host you. The worst that happens is they say no. But you can't just sell books on your own. We all need each other. And more often than not, we realize that and are more than willing to help one another.

Elephant's Child said...

Goodness there are a lot of busy, productive and generous people in the blogosphere. Which is wonderful.

Cathrina Constantine said...

Yay, I got 2 answers correct on TV trivia. Looking for to seeing the new Jack Ryan movie. Congrats to everyone with books coming out. What I don't like about blog tours is when you go from blog to blog and see the same thing for a week or so. I think spacing it out is a better idea. And to hook different people. I need clones!

Unknown said...

Was going to blog about blog tours too until I saw yours! LOL Really looking forward to getting around to the other blogs in the next couple of days. Some great tips out there!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the quick review of Jack Ryan. Looks like Chris Pine is blossoming into the next big action leading man. Nice throwback to get Kevin Costner involved. Keira Knightley is easy on the eyes as well. I'm not too familiar with the blog tour, but your advice makes a lot of sense. Will keep them in mind for the future. Thanks Alex! Buck Inspire

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Alex - I'm looking forward to reading more tips on marketing .. 64 entries - that's great .. and there will be some excellent ideas ..

Cheers Hilary

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Roland, that's why I try to write something interesting for my guest posts.

Robyn, Bart probably bribed her with candy.

Brandon and Bryan, well said! That's what I try to do as well.

Cathrina, I don't like the same stuff either.

EJ, sorry! But your post rocked.

Buck, it was a fun movie.

Chris Desson said...

I enjoyed the last Jack Ryan, and since this one has some good actors in it I'll probably see it. I understand what Yvonne is going through. Well, not exactly, but the frustration. I was having Blogger issues which is why I started the new blog on Tumblr. No matter what the tech and I changed nothing would cure the craziness of my drafts. So he had me create a new one, but still it didn't stop. Computers are great and completely frustrating at the same time.

Nicki Elson said...

Awesome keepin-it-real tips on blog tours. Thanks - and it's good to know that you still find them effective.

Jack said...

I've been tossing around the idea of Shadow Recruit. I don't like action movies so much - more Science Fiction and Fantasy, but the last one I saw was REALLY good and this looks like it is along the same lines.

I will have to keep my eyes out for Hope's Watch and The Pollyanna Plan. Both look like good books.

Truedessa said...

Alex,

I haven't seen Shadow Recruit but, I think I will as I still like Kevin Costner as an actor. Speaking of books I've decided to order your first book out of this series of yours. I have to admit I am a bit curious about all the hype. I'll be sure to let you know what I think after I read it.

Now how about a ninja wannabe riff..haha had to throw that in..
I blame it on Pat and his cat..

Helena said...

I want to see Shadow Recruit, and maybe one reason it didn't do boffo box office this weekend is 'cause on Sunday almost everyone was watching the two play off games. That was certainly Denver's case -- the streets and shops were dead quiet.

Thank you for the marketing/blog tips. I need all the help I can get.

J E Oneil said...

I got the trivia that I answered right, so yay for me.

Good tips for blog tours. I hope I get to use them someday.

Susan Kane said...

What show was #1 this wkend? Jack Ryan is for later this week.

Do not go to see August:Osage County unless you want to feel assaulted.

Anonymous said...

I'm going to have to remember to hop around the blogfest and see what advice others are giving. Day job wore me out today so I'm chilling.

farawayeyes said...

I haven't seen 'Shadow Tecruit' and probably won't. I did see Chris Pine in an older movie 'Bottle Shick', that was quite entertaining.

That 'Can You Habdke the Truth' blog feat sounds interesting. I'll have to check it out, even thought I'm supposed to be 'on the wagon'.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Christine, sorry you had issues as well.

Truedessa, thank you! I hope you enjoy it.

Helena, and now Denver is going to the Super Bowl!

Susan, something lame...

Faraway, I will be participating!

Nicole said...

Thanks for the blog tour advice! I'm excited to see the Jack Ryan movie too.

Cathy Keaton said...

Good advice on the blog tour issue, Alex! I'm still waiting for certain movies to come out on DVD, since I'm not a cinema-goer.

Cindy said...

Great advice! Weekends are definitely not good for any blog post..interview or otherwise.

TL said...

Fantastic advice, always. I really should be following this particular bit, eh? ;)

Kirsten said...

Great tips on blog fests. I'll be sure to keep them in mind when the time comes!
And, oops, weekends are the best time I for me to post stuff. Maybe I'll have to rethink that, or just schedule the post for a better day?
Still learning ... :)

Tara Tyler said...

i had a much more relaxed blog tour, one stop a week for six months! i think it did well and it wasn't as hectic. i like your advice to not stop at more than one place per day.

jack ryan, was wondering if it was any good. he's a cutie!

and congrats to the authors!

Chuck said...

Hey Alex, long time no comment from me. I want to see Shadow Recruit, but probably on DVD. My wife loves Costner so I know we'll see it.

I may have missed it but did you see/review Lone Survivor? I read the book and the story blew me away! I want to see the movie next week...I think it will be quite emotional.

Anonymous said...

I ate up this information since I'm going to do two book blitzes this year. This will be my first time since for my first book's release I did unorganized interviews and posts based on requests.

T.F. Walsh said...

I actually haven't heard of Shadow Recruit yet... must have been hiding under a rock:) What an awesome sounding blog hop.

Carrie Butler said...

I can't believe I missed the blog hop dedicated to my own industry! *facepalm* Next time...

Great tips, Alex! :)

Unknown said...

I've also found blog tours to be pretty good at getting the word out about my books. They're certainly time intensive, though!

Maurice Mitchell said...

Blog tours can be effective since I'm always impressed when I see an author or book in lots of blogs I visit.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Kirsten, you can always write it on the weekends and schedule it for Monday.

Chuck, buddy! No, didn't see that one. It looks intense though.

Medeia, you will see a big difference with an organized tour.

Carrie, that's all right.

Tracy Jo said...

Thanks for the movie review. We saw HER yesterday. I was surprised that I really liked it. Makes you think about the future and where we are headed. Great tips for blog tours. Have a nice week!

Bob/Sally said...

I'm really disappointed they felt the need to 'reboot' Jack Ryan and concoct a new origin story to cash in on the youth angle. I think tackling one of the latter books (where Jack is President) would have been far more interesting, particularly if they could have convinced Ford or Baldwin to revisit the role. If they wanted to go with the youth angle, Pine would have been far better served playing Jack's son.

Rachel Schieffelbein said...

Great advice, Alex. Thanks! I'm going to check out the others in the hop. I know I have a lot to learn!

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

I haven't seen Jack Ryan, but I'm not really a Tom Clancy fan. However, you do make me want to look up what the box office did this weekend. I'm completely out of touch.

Liesel K. Hill said...

I agree that blog tours are still the best way to get out the word about new books. Mine have definitely been successful! I'll check out that Pot of Gold giveaway. Thanks for posting about it! :D

Notes Along the Way with Mary Montague Sikes said...

Good thoughts on blog book tours. They seem to be successful marketing tools for many authors.

Thanks for hosting the blogfest!

Mary Montague Sikes

Cortney Pearson said...

I haven't seen Jack Reacher yet, but it sounds good! And THANK YOU for the tips on marketing. I'm excited about this blog hop!

Sherry Ellis said...

Good tips for a blog tour! Thanks for hosting this!

Unknown said...

I'm glad you got to see Shadow Recruit. Based on your review, I'm guessing it may be a redbox worthy film for me.

And thank you for the great blog tour tips. I learned so much with my first tour and I think these tips will really help in the future. Hope you have a great week, Alex :)

Vanessa Morgan said...

Thank you for posting about the "Can You Handle The Truth" blogfest. That one sounds like so much fun. Have a lovely Tuesday.

Kittie Howard said...

Happy to see your suggestions for blog tours -- it was getting to be waaaay too much and needed to be reigned in. Plus, those who write books don't necessarily buy books . . . sometimes a futile circle.

Sharon Bayliss said...

Great tips for the blog tour. Thanks!

Julie Flanders said...

I want to see Shadow Recruit but I'm a little ashamed to admit the main reason is because Chris Pine is gorgeous LOL. But I do think it looks like a good movie!

Thanks for sharing your tour tips and for hosting this great event, Alex.

Ella said...

I want to see this movie! Thanks for the review~ Damn I missed this fest and I have a cool idea to add...life certainly makes me feel like pulled taffy these days...I will be sure to visit all the inspired thought...thanks Captain! I have missed a lot~ ATB off to visit Yvonne!
I am in love with Chris Pine-sssh don't tell ;D

Carol Kilgore said...

I'm #141. Yikes. I'm glad to know Shadow Recruit is good.

Brinda said...

I'll watch the Jack Ryan movie since you recommend it. It doesn't have to be great. Having Chris Pine in it is enough for me. lol

T. Powell Coltrin said...

I don't know if I'll see that movie or not. I just went to see Grudge Match.

Great advice to pass along. I need to check out the other blogs too.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Bob, I'm surprised they didn't make him the son instead. If they'd continued, would've liked to see Baldwin return to the role.

Vanessa, I'm all set to participate in it tomorrow.

Kittie, that is a very good point!

Ella, no worries.

Brinda, you will completely enjoy it then!

Glad everyone got some good information from the symposium!

msmariah said...

Alex-- Thanks for the Jack Ryan review. Although the plot sounds a bit thin. January releases and all! This movie was supposed to be released in December.

Did you ever see that movie "Too Big to Fail?" It was a great HBO production.

I'm going to check out the Marketing Symposium, although I didn't get a chance to participate! I'm sure all of your folks had some great tips!

Unknown said...

I like Jack Ryan, so I'm going to watch Shadow recruit. I'm shallow, I know :).

No marketing tips from me, I'll be content to watch from the sidelines and learn.

klahanie said...

Hi Alex,

I'm very aware of Yvonne's situation with her blog. Good of you to bring further awareness so folks can join in.

In regards to blog tours for books, etc, I, considering how proactive I am, don't have that many followers. However, I do get a lot of interaction on my site. So, it isn't necessarily that the sites with lots of followers is indicative of potential response.

I am part of the Farcebook IWSG.

Gary

David T List said...

This is not the only Symposium post I've bookmarked on Blog Tours. And yet it's full of original advice.

Thank you for the wisdom. I'll need it soon!

Kelly Polark said...

I must have watched TV a lot more long ago, because I would have aced that TV Trivia test (except I did not know Spooky!). :)

Carrie-Anne said...

I got four answers right on the trivia, which is a lot more than I'd get right if it were about modern shows.

Great tips re: blog tours. Hopefully I'll be able to have one someday.

Mina Burrows said...

I'm still trying to visit all the stops from the symposium. Great stuff there. Thanks. :)

Denise Covey said...

I'm looking forward to seeing Ryan...Great tips re blog tours too. I'm pleased to hear they help! I've seen some amazing ideas for online marketing during this bloghop.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Awesome advice! Now just to remember it when my time finally comes to be releasing a book!

The Warrior Muse

Elise Fallson said...

Excellent advice on the blog tours...maybe one day I'll be able to organize one of my own! Shadow Recruit sounds good, I'll keep an eye out for it. Ok, I'm super behind on my blog visits, commence 'freak out' in 3...2...1.......

Cate Masters said...

I've wondered if walking the streets in a sandwich board would help, lol

Jennifer Lane said...

Good advice on blog tours.

I saw Jack Ryan too and was thoroughly entertained. Chris Pine's blue eyes are easy on my eyes, and I loved seeing the backstory of his character in The Hunt for Red October, one of my favorite movies. But my dad, who was visiting, thought it was unbelievable and hokey.

Anonymous said...

Alex, thanks for sharing the link to Yvonne's blog. I'm now able to follow her.

Great marketing tips!

PK HREZO said...

I read this last Monday but forgot to comment when I got sidetracked with all the links. oops!
Anyway, great tips! And since my blog tour is coming up in 2 weeks, I'll especially need it!!

The Happy Whisk said...

Wow, I knew four of those answers. Cool beaners.