Pamela S. Thibodeaux's Virtual Tour & the QOTD

“What is difficult is the promotion, balancing the public side of a writer's life with the writing. I think that's something a lot of writers are having to face. Writers have become much more public now.” - Kazuo Ishiguro

Remember yesterday I mentioned a nifty new marketing idea? Well.... it's the Internet Virtual Book Tour. How cool is that? Here's how it all began:

When "Miles From You" was released, I started really thinking about promotion. Though it was "just" a short story, I felt that I could learn a lot from marketing it. Each of my stories has sold successively more copies and I imagine that the latest one is no exception.

While searching the world over for inexpensive marketing ideas, I stumbled across a fellow Wild Rose Press author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux, who has embarked upon a Virtual Book Tour for her book, Tempered Dreams. The idea intrigued me, so I asked her about it.

First off, since she has authored more than one published book, I asked what other types of marketing ideas she's tried. She replied:

"Banner exchanges, interviews, listing my books at every free site I can find - though I've probably missed 1000's. Since Tempered Dreams is actually a reprint, I haven't solicited new reviews from any online review sites, however some have been posted. Here's a review from a reader, Lucille Robinson, on her blog. I've posted press releases and done book signings and speaking engagements. I mail out mall flyers with my bills and hand them out wherever I can and I talk to everyone I can when possible about my books!"

So how does she like the Virtual Book Tour so far?

"So far the book tour has been great and the questions interesting and challenging. As for sales, I have no way of knowing yet, but I believe what the Bible says about God blessing the work of our hands and giving us the power to create wealth. He also promises that if we commit our works unto Him that He will direct our steps and make straight our paths. Therefore only good can come out of this tour."

I firmly believe that online marketing is the wave of the future, and find the idea of a Virtual Book Tour fascinating. Pamela is hoping to have a spot somewhere in the virtual world for every day of the month and this is her schedule for May (of course, she's HERE today!):

May 1 - Writing on the Edge
May 2 - Pump Up Your Online Book Promotion
May 3 - The Book Peddler
May 4 - The Writer's Life
May 8 - Night Owl Romance
May 11 - WOW! Women on Writing
May 15 & 16 - Virtual Book Tour de Net
May 17 - Alison Kent's Blah Blog
May 21 - Over the Hill Boomer Chick
May 23 - Mary Emma's Potpourri of Writing
May 25 - Pump Up Your Online Book Promotion
May 29 - Conversations with Writers
May 30 & 31 - Families.com

So… support the tour and help pass the word. And, if you get a moment, head over to Pamela's blog and tell her hello and happy birthday… that's right. She's celebrating her birthday today, so send her a virtual piece of cake.

Even better: In conjunction with the tour she's offering a 25% discount coupon off of any Tempered title. Simply email her with "Virtual Book Tour Discount Coupon" in the subject line and she'll send the coupon with instructions on how to redeem.

In the meantime, I have to admit that her "Tempered" series sounds fascinating. If you like to read inspirational novels, maybe you should give them a try.

Hey Pamela, thanks for letting me pick your brain!

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Moving on...

I find that most men would rather have their bellies opened for five hundred dollars than have a tooth pulled for five. ~ Martin H. Fischer

A couple weeks back, I had to cancel my DD's dentist appointment because she had a cold. I finally rescheduled for this coming Monday (we were on the cancellations list) and when I got off of the phone to tell her, she cheered.

Cheered.

She WANTS to go to the dentist.

Now, I'm not dentist phobic, and am a little anal about my teeth (I can trace this back to my braces years when the orthodontist showed me that picture of the gross yellow teeth with the white squares in the middle because the person with braces didn't brush well), but I don't cheer when I go to the dentist. I have VERY temperature sensitive teeth, and they can never seem to remember to not spray that ice cold water directly on them. Why can't they have room temperature water in that little squirter???

So, this leads me into my Question of the Day:

Do you like going to the dentist? Hate it? Never go? Are religious about your every-six-month cleaning? Tell me your best or worst dental story.

Have a wonderful weekend!