BOOK TOURS: Do you or don’t you?

We welcome Sheryl Browne to the blog today to tell us about her experiences of blog tours.

Have you ever tried to organise your own online Book Tour? I have – and I feel faint at the idea. I lie not. Panic clutches at my insides at the thought of the work involved, let alone how to word those dreaded emails asking overworked – and unpaid – bloggers to read your book when their TBR piles are teetering to the point of plain dangerous. What are the benefits anyway you may ask. Well, apart from the reviews – cue more panic-filled moments – there’s the exposure: getting you and your book noticed where you couldn’t hope to get attention if you exposed yourself naked.

A good book tour, with a mixture of reviews and interviews, allows you to flaunt yourself in your best light, your gorgeous book cover, as opposed to your not-so-gorgeous bod. And in tweeting, retweeting and sharing the posts that bloggers have worked so hard to put together, friendships are forged. You don’t just hit RT and toddle off to the next tweet. Mostly, you are so astounded by the thought and effort that has gone into creating those blogs, the content all about you and your book, including links, Rafflecopter giveways and videos if you have them, you just want to kiss the bloggers concerned. Naturally, you thank people, you chat and you begin to realise that bloggers are batting firmly in your corner. They’re shouting about you because they’ve read your book and they believe in you: the author. That’s one hell of a confidence boost.

So, do I think Book Tours are beneficial? Yes, absolutely. Would I organise one myself? Having tried it once, I think I’d rather flaunt myself naked (or possibly not). My advice would be to hand it over to a book tour organiser. I’ve just toured with Brook Cottage Books and I couldn’t have placed my baby in safer hands. Without going into detail and boring you to tears, I have definitely had one of those years. In short, on the major life events front it’s been not so great, and it left me not knowing whether I was on my derrière or my elbow (a quick thank you here to all those lovely RNA members who picked me up, almost carried me to the conference, and proceeded to feed me chocolate and wine and generally buoy me up). Despite my befuddlement and complete disorganisation, Debbie Johnston took over the reins and organised my tour smoothly and totally professionally. I owe a HUGE thank you to her.

The book on tour was for my new release from Choc Lit, appropriately titled The Rest of My Life (here’s to a slightly less frenetic start to the rest of it!). Did I mention the cover? I think I might have a few bazillion times, but just in case you ran screaming when you saw me coming and missed it, here it is:

Isn’t it just divine? *Sigh*

And here’s a snippet from one of the reviews I picked up on the tour, which had me hooting out loud:

“THIS Choc Lit book will have you giggling a bit, crying a LOT (I love books that spot up my glasses with projectile tears. This book is brilliant and was very hard to put down. It’s one that made me want to forget about necessary real-life things like peeing and sleep.” Thank you so much: Double-Edged Words

While I’m here, I do have a bit of good news to share: a second contract with Choc Lit for my contemporary romance, Learning to Love. Yay!

The book has a temporary cover at the moment, created by yours truly, which couldn’t hope to live up to Choc Lit’s to-drool-over covers, but it’s not bad, if I do say so myself. All of my romance novels are now sporting new covers and I must say I do think they look rather smart.

Thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to share.

Keep safe all.

Heartache, humour, love, loss & betrayal, Sheryl Browne brings you edgy, sexy, poignant fiction. A member of the Crime Writers’ Association, Romantic Novelists’ Association and shortlisted for Innovation in Romantic Fiction, Sheryl has seven books published to date.

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Thank you for such a bright and cheerful blog post Sheryl and good luck with your next blog tour!

The RNA blog is brought to you by,

Elaine Everest & Natalie Kleinman

If you would like to write for the blog please contact us on elaineeverest@aol.com  

New Writers Scheme and Beyond

Today we welcome Natalie Kleinman who is going to tell us about her graduation from the New Writers Scheme

Welcome Natalie.

You are a graduate of the RNA’s New Writers Scheme. Why did you decide to join the scheme?

I was very lucky to be a student of The Write Place where I was pointed in the right direction. Frankly I didn’t have a clue! At the designated time in January 2013 I emailed my application and I have nothing but good things to say about the RNA and its NWS.

Did you find the report from your reader helpful?

Immensely helpful and very encouraging. You can imagine how I felt when I read. ‘Your ability with dialogue is excellent’.

How long after receiving the report did you send your book out into the big wide world?

There were edits to do, naturally, but not huge changes to make. I fired it off pretty quickly.

How did you find your publisher?

Again I have The Write Place to thank. Safkhet was just one of the publishers on a list that was made available to the students. Submission was by email and I was offered a contract within a week

I understand you attended the Conference at Sheffield last year. Would you recommend it to new members of the RNA?

Without a moment’s hesitation. I learned so much in that one weekend, knowledge that has been invaluable. I would recommend it to anyone aspiring to be published.

How about RNA chapters? Do you attend one? What do you gain from your chapter?

I attend the London and Southeast Chapter as often as I can, which is most meetings. Unfortunately I can’t make the next one as I have a wedding to go to. People are so inconsiderate aren’t they?

I suppose I’d better ask about the parties. Great or Fabulous?

Both. People are so helpful and welcoming that after my first party in the summer of 2013, when I went with my ‘comfort group’, I had enough confidence to attend the winter party on my own as they had something else arranged for that evening. Glass in hand, naturally, I moved into a hall so teeming with people there was barely room to stand. At first I only recognised one person…but that was enough. I was taken by the hand, literally, and introduced first to one member, then another, then…

How important is your relationship with your publisher?

It’s very important. While there is necessarily the business side of things to deal with, it’s been a joy to liaise with people who have a wonderful off the wall sense of humour that I can relate to and which frankly suits me down to the ground.

Your book, Voyage of Desire was published two weeks ago. You must be busy with promotions? Is this important and how are you coping?

I had a lovely time organising an online ‘launch’ party (sorry about the pun) on Facebook and am at present in the middle of a blog tour. How am I coping? A year ago I would have had no conception of the amount of work and time involved in promoting a novel. Had I done so I might have headed for the hills. I’m so glad I didn’t. I’m enjoying every moment and have been privileged to meet new people and make new friends. I’m overwhelmed by how supportive other writers have been, helping to promote me on Facebook, tweeting and retweeting. So yes, it’s been important both in terms of raising my profile and affirming my faith in human nature.

Would you encourage new writers to join the RNA New Writer Scheme?

Unreservedly! I have never wanted to go the self-publishing route and there is no question in my mind that without the RNA and its wonderful scheme I would not yet be published. It was wonderful, too, to graduate in my first year.

So, what’s next for Natalie Kleinman, author and RNA member?

I am fortunate enough to have a People’s Friend pocket novel, Secret Love, (DC Thomson) hitting the newsagents and supermarkets shelves on 17^th July. In the meantime I have dug out a manuscript from my bottom drawer and am in the process of rewriting my first book – different point of view, different hero, same basic story. It was written four years ago and I can’t believe how much I’ve learned in that time. I almost put it back in the drawer but I do so like a challenge.

Thank you, Natalie.

Links:

Amazon: Voyage of Desire

Blog: http://writemindswriteplace.wordpress.com/

Publisher:  http://www.safkhetpublishing.com/authors/Natalie_Kleinman.htm

Twitter: https://twitter.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natalie.kleinman


If you would like to write a craft article for this blog please contact us on elaineeverest@aol.com