Post #79 – Women’s Memoirs, Book Business – Kendra Bonnett and Matilda Butler
Only July 27, Matilda posted her interview with the author Tracy Seeley; today I publish my interview with the marketer Tracy Seeley. The fact is, today’s author must be a savvy marketer as well…and that means taking advantage of the Internet. Matilda and I are delighted to be part of Tracy’s blog book tour organized by WOW! Women on Writing and to introduce you to Tracy’s new memoir, My Ruby Slippers: The Road Back to Kansas (American Lives)
Tracy, I know you’ve been busy keeping up with demands from both your digital (blog) book tour as well as your road trip. We appreciate you taking the time to respond to our questions. You have a lot of insight to share with our readers, and I might add that you have clearly embraced the digital world with both arms. You have two blogs, a personal website, Twitter and Facebook page.
Women’s Memoirs: Tracy, there is increasing discussion (and consideration) of alternative forms of book marketing. In particular, authors are looking to the Internet. I’m curious what pointed you in the direction of the Internet? How many different ways are you putting the Internet to work to promote your book? Are you posting on many different writing and journaling sites? I know you have a blog…tell us a little about your blogging experiences as well.
Tracy Seeley: From talking with other writers and reading around online, I knew early on that I’d need to get savvy pretty quickly about using the internet to promote my book. I’d also been keeping track of changes in publishing and knew that presses generally don’t have the funds to do big promotions for most of their writers. This is especially true of small presses like mine, even though they do an impressive amount for me given their limited resources. But I knew I’d have to jump in there on my own behalf, so I started learning how by watching other writers.
I started by having a website built and getting on Twitter. On Twitter, by following writers, journals, reviewers and book bloggers, I joined a great online conversation about books and writing. And I also learned a lot there about book promotion, mostly by observing other writers and reading tips and following links that came across my feed. I also set up a Facebook page for the book, and started a blog.
I was a reluctant blogger at first, but once I found a groove that worked, I loved it. My first blog ended up focusing on books and slow reading, which got some attention from Newsweek and The Guardian in the UK and brought a lot of interesting readers my way from around the world. It’s called, quite simply, Tracy Seeley’s Blog…Where slow reading and slow living meet the digital age.
Since I started my summer book tour, I put that one on hold for awhile. But I have a second blog devoted to My Ruby Slippers, and at the moment, that one focuses on my tour, which I’m combining with a ten-week road trip with my husband in an RV. We knew nothing about RVs when we started out, so it’s been a hilarious adventure. You can follow our escapades at My Ruby Slippers…The Road Back to Kansas.
I’m now near the end of my blog tour as well, which means dropping in at various book and other blogs to write a guest post or do an interview (like this one!). That’s meant writing a lot of pieces about different topics related to writing and other aspects of my life (like breast cancer). It’s opened up lots of terrific conversations and introduced My Ruby Slippers to readers who otherwise might not find it. Books depend so much on word of mouth to find their way in the world, and I’m grateful to bloggers who’ve helped make that happen.
Women’s Memoirs: In addition to the Internet, you say you are also doing some more traditional book marketing, such as your RV road trip. Could you explain your approach. Did you also send out copies of your book for reviews in local papers? Do you give talks at local libraries, schools etc.?
Tracy Seeley: About a year before my book came out, while I was cranking away on internet marketing plans, I suggested to my husband that we hop on the road and do a real book tour, too. I knew that traditional marketing through bookstore appearances was a pretty inefficient way to go, and I’d heard the horror stories of authors giving readings and having only three people show up. But I wanted the adventure and believe in supporting independent bookstores. And because I don’t teach in the summer, I had time for it. My aims were to have fun, to share my work with whoever showed up for events, and to get back to Kansas in person with My Ruby Slippers.
So my husband and I drew a rough circle on the map for a ten-week trip, and I started calling bookstores and libraries. We planned our stops for places where, for the most part, we had friends or connections or friends’ friends or colleagues, which helps boost attendance. I also hired my sister to help with the advance publicity part of things. She sends out review copies and press releases (which I write) about my upcoming appearances, and that often bears fruit with short articles and notices in local papers and on radio stations.
So far at libraries, I’ve been doing traditional readings. But I also have three library stops on the tour at which I give a talk about the importance of local stories, and that’s fun, too. Every appearance gives me a chance to share my work, and that’s a gift—for me and for new readers. That’s how I see my summer tour. Not as a way to sell a million copies, but a way to offer a gift.
It’s helped that I’m not alone in all this. My husband is a filmmaker, so once I had my itinerary planned out and most of my stops scheduled, he booked his new film into theaters in the same towns I’d be appearing in, or nearby, and then we built in a couple of weeks of vacation. We promote each other’s work, and he’s been especially generous at his film screenings, always mentioning my book and how great it is.
This whole thing has been an enormous undertaking. All the planning, scheduling, making follow-up calls to bookstores and libraries, confirming dates and times, coordinating all my appearances with the publicity department at my publisher and my own home-grown publicist…then tweeting and posting on Facebook about every stop. Whew! But it’s been worth it. We’re having a blast.
Women’s Memoirs: A platform from which to promote one’s book can be a real asset…in everything from securing a publisher to selling success. It can give you a real connection with potential readers. Have you developed a platform and are you using it to promote My Ruby Slippers?
Tracy Seeley: With a memoir like mine, the only platform I have to offer is myself. It’s a book about my story and my relationship with my family and the place I came from. So I haven’t thought about developing a platform in terms of having a particular field of expertise or being famous for some other reason. But through blogging in particular, and then on Twitter and Facebook, I’ve worked hard to engage with others in an authentic way, and to write posts that articulate my sensibility, my way of seeing the world. I consider that a platform: connecting who I am with others.
Women’s Memoirs: I see that you have created an ebook or Kindle version of My Ruby Slippers Any sense of the number of Kindle sales vs. physical book sales? Please explain. How did you create your Kindle version?
Tracy Seeley: The e-book version of my book came as a complete surprise, when my publisher sent me a little email: “Your book is now available for Kindle and Nook.” That wasn’t part of the original plan, since at the time I signed my contract, publishers were still watching and waiting to see what would happen with the e-book market. Clearly, they eventually saw there was an audience for the My Ruby Slippers e-book. So I didn’t have anything to do with the process, and I wish I had more to tell you about how to make that magic happen. It’s also a bit soon to know for sure what the numbers look like, though the e-version seems to be doing pretty well. I try to not to watch sales too closely day to day.
I am very partial to paper books, I have to say. Though I’m glad for people to be able to have my book in whatever form they prefer.
Women’s Memoirs: Finally, now that you’re well into your WOW blog book tour experience, I wonder what insight and advice you can pass along to other writers who are still wondering about the value of blog book tours. Do you have some sense of the value of such projects? Any advice for writers to help them get the maximum value of a blog book tour.
Tracy Seeley: My blog tour has been a complete pleasure. I’ve enjoyed imagining and writing for the different audiences I’m getting to engage with, and I’m so grateful to bloggers for the work they do.
For writers thinking about their own blog tours, I’d first advise getting to know the blogs where you’ll appear. Study their look and their “vibe” so you can write for that particular audience in a way that suits the usual tone and feel of the blog. Second, get organized! I’ve been writing my guest posts and answering interviews at the same time I’ve been on the road, which has been a bit crazy at times. So I made a big spread sheet about what goes where when, what the blog is about, what’s happening during my appearance there (review, guest post, give-away, interview), who runs it along with their contact info and URL, and what my self-imposed deadline is. Once my post or interview appears, I make sure to tweet it and put it on Facebook, and to stay active that day in the comment thread. I like interacting with readers, hearing their thoughts and answering their questions. So that’s been fun. And I like sending traffic to the blog, not only to get the word out about My Ruby Slippers but to support bloggers.
In terms of the value of doing a blog tour, they do sell books—I’ve been really happy with that aspect of things. But my last piece of advice is to think of your blog tour as a way to share the gift of your book. If you only think about selling books, you’re missing all the pleasure of connecting with other people as people, thinkers, readers, and lovers of books.
Women’s Memoirs: Thank you Tracy. It’s been a pleasure having you visit Women’s Memoirs blog. Matilda and I, along with all our readers, wish you success with your memoir, My Ruby Slippers. And I hope you’ll keep us posted on your marketing success and share your insights with all of us.
And if you prefer to read books on your Kindle, here’s a link to that version of Tracy’s memoir.
memoir writing
memoir
book marketing
blog book tour
book promotion
