Countdown to Publication

In two weeks, not only will we have tricked and treated, but Sky Dancers will be available on Amazon.com as a paperback and a Kindle read.  I’ve uploaded the document and am awaiting my proof copy to make sure all is in order before I press the “approve” button that sets things in motion.

Now, in three weeks, I’ll be hostessing a Release Party on my FaceBook Author Page. Actually, it’s going to be more of a Gathering than a release party.

In the book, Sky Dancers have an annual Gathering in the middle of Cinnebar’s desert, the birth-planet of Sky Dancing. All the gathered troupes show off to one another, buy and sell their choice compositions, share stories and celebrate. Music, street vendors, friendly competition.

Think Olympics in a Burning Man setting.

Fun, eh?

I’ve never had a release party, er…Gathering…for any of my books. As I’ve confessed before, I am marketing-challenged.

However, I have hired an author’s assistant who is not marketing-challenged. She is teaching me the ropes, so to speak. And I, shall share with you what I’m learning as we go.

Deal?

Yesterday, my author assistant and I had a lengthy conversation, which was totally overwhelming to me.

What I got out of it was

a) she sure knows her stuff,

b) a good Step One for a marketing “newbie” is the FaceBook launch party, and

c) I need to plan a budget because you don’t just have a launch party when you publish a book. Oh no, you do lots of other things like contact online reviewers and guest blogging sites and things I’ve heard about but don’t really know about.

And you work at it weekly. Marketing is a job….duh.

But let’s set the job part aside for a moment, shall we? When I can wrap my head around all the ins and outs, I’ll pass that along. Never fear.

We closed with focusing on Step One. The launch party…er…Gathering. We focused particularly on what kind of choice giveaways will be there and how to spread the word that it’s happening. I’m going to be giving away some Amazon gift cards and some copies of Sky Dancers, I know that much. (I’m also thinking of some other clever things.) We’ll be sending invitations to various FaceBook reading groups who may be interested in a little Science Fiction romance that’s not-so-fluffy and more space-opera-y.

BTW, there are different kinds of launch parties.  You can have a live event. You can partner up with other authors and have a longer live event. Or, for a newbie (I think we’ve established that that’s my category) the best is an all-day event where it’s not live, but the author pops in on an hourly basis to read and comment on posts, give out some prizes, chit and chat.  I think that sounds like a lot of fun and not too scary. We.Shall.See.

I’m leaving you with two pictures of my beautiful neighbor, Rainier. I know I’ve been posting many pictures of the Big Guy, but I’ve got a teensy weensy crush and can’t seem to stop taking pictures of his many moods. I learned that the Native Americans call him Tacoma. I like that name. So…here’s Mt. Tacoma.

Have a great week, Peeps!