My awesome co-hosts today are Chris D. Votey, Madeline Mora-Summonte, Fundy Blue, and Chrys Fey!
April Question:
Have you taken advantage of the annual A to Z Challenge in terms of marketing, networking, publicity for your book? What were the results?
My fourth book, Dragon of the Stars, was given a release date of April 7, 2015. Right in the middle of the Challenge. While it was a great opportunity to place the book in front of a lot of people, it was a really crap time for promotions or a blog tour. Everyone was participating in the Challenge (2000+ - the largest year ever.) How was I going to promote it effectively?
I started asking around for blog tour stops, offering to work into the letter of the day for the Challenge. To my surprise, people said yes. I set the whole week of the release with stops and three per week for the rest of the month, followed by every Monday for the two months after that. I also created a scavenger hunt, and on the day of release, twenty-five bloggers posted a picture of Mini-Alex with the book in a new location – commenters had to guess where.
The launch was successful and Dragon climbed the science fiction charts on Amazon. The continued exposure helped the book to continue to sell.
Would it work as effectively today? I’d really rather not find out…
Last month we launched the IWSG Goodreads Book Club and we’ve had a stellar turnout of members. The book for April-May is Chapter After Chapter: Discover the Dedication & Focus You Need to Write the Book of Your Dreams. Not too late to join and start reading!
MST3K!
Set your DVRs.
And turn down the lights. (Where applicable.)
Ninja News
Dan Koboldt, author and founder of #SFFpit, will be visiting the IWSG on Monday. You don’t want to miss it!
You can download this short story at iTunes, Barnes and Nobel, Amazon Kobo, and Amazon UK
This free magazine is put together by Jeremy Hawkins and is packed with top-notch interviews. The site will continue, but the magazine might be ending. Time to get yours while you can and support this awesome venture! Download it for free here.
Piper Morgan Makes a Splash by Stephanie Faris
Piper’s mom is helping out at a local pool shop, and the owner wants to shoot a commercial for his store. Piper thinks it’s the PERFECT opportunity to get in front of the camera and experience a little bit of showbiz. But will Piper’s contribution to the TV commercial make a splash—or will it go belly-up?
Find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Indie Bound.
See Denise Covey for details.
The challenge is coinciding with the A to Z Challenge letter of the day to make it easy on participants.
Prayers for a Fellow Blogger
Michael sent me an email and posted about a fellow blogger.
Many of you remember Melissa Bradley and her blog, Melissa’s Imaginarium. She has been fighting cancer for the past few years and just recently went into hospice care. You can read the details at Michael’s blog.
Please send prayers for Melissa. Let her know she is loved.
April Movie Preview
Here are the upcoming theatrical releases for April! As always, descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snark provided by me.
7 –
Desperate to pay the bills and come through for their loved ones, three lifelong pals risk it all by embarking on a daring bid to knock off the very bank that absconded with their money.
Director: Zach Braff
Stars: Morgan Freeman, Joey King, Ann-Margret, Michael Caine
George Burns, Art Carney, and Lee Strasberg…crap, wait! That was the original 1979 film. Never mind.
Shortly after delivering a patient to an understaffed hospital, a police officer experiences strange and violent occurrences seemingly linked to a group of mysterious hooded figures.
Directors: Jeremy Gillespie | Steven Kostanski
Stars: Ellen Wong, Kathleen Munroe, Kenneth Welsh, Aaron Poole
If you don’t enjoy the movie, a full refund is available. Offer void in Utah.
14 –
When a mysterious woman seduces Dom into the world of crime and a betrayal of those closest to him, the crew face trials that will test them as never before.
Director: F. Gary Gray
Stars: Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Scott Eastwood, Charlize Theron
I hope by Furious 20 they aren’t driving around in NOS-powered wheelchairs.
Have you used the A to Z Challenge for marketing? Joined the IWSG Book Club? Ready for the new MST3K? Downloaded CassaDawn and Six Strings for free? And what movies catch your attention this month? (I’m guessing not too many…)
Be sure to catch Dan Koboldt at the IWSG on Monday.
I will be offline the week of Good Friday but be back on April 17.
