Marketing & Promotion Archives - Page 25 of 25

Hello World,

If you have checked out my blog in the last couple of months or so, you know that my book “After the Altar Call: The Sisters’ Guide to Developing a Personal Relationship With God” will be released in February 2012….So leading up until that date, I’ ve been literally obssessed with marketing & promotion because I really do believe that this book will really help women in their walk with God AND let’s face it – publishing is a business….And your girl has to move books if I expect to last in this industry….

So each month leading up until February, I plan to let you know about my marketing & promotion efforts…And y’all let me know what you think because I’m up for any and all suggestions…If you want to read about my first month of marketing and promotion, check out “I’m Bout It Bout It Marketing & Promotion Month 1.”

One critical element of marketing & promotion, I believe, is supporting other authors. It is true that what you sow, you will reap so I’ve been attending the book signings of other authors to support them. And I hope that when my day or days come, I will reap the harvest of supporting other authors….Plus, I love to be around book authors anyway…they are a part of my tribe…lol…

So on Aug. 1, I started off the month by attending a book signing for prolific author Tayari Jones at the Camp Creek Barnes & Noble. She read from her latest book, “Silver Sparrow,” a wonderful novel in which the complex lives of a legitimate daughter and an illegitimate daughter are juxtaposed. The story takes place in our fair city…I have wanted to read her work since I heard about her first book “Leaving Atlanta,” a novel in which Jones explores the tragedy of the Atlanta child murders….As someone who grew up in the A and remembers the fear that gripped the city during that time, I appreciate her work. If you did not get a chance to go that book signing, Jones will also be at the Decatur Book Festival on Sunday, September 4 at 12 p.m. in the Decatur Conference Center Stage (Ballroom B). For more information, go to to TayariJones.com.

The next marketing and promotion activity was the ordering of 1000 postcards which feature the cover of the book, pictures of some of the women in the book and my website information…so if you see me somewhere, don’t act when I put one of my postcards in your sweaty hands and ask you to tell somebody….lol…

I met Rev. Owen Griffiths at the conference...check out his blog oldreligiousguy.blogspot.com...for some reason, I am fascinated with collars...

These postcards came in handy when I attended the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference from August 10-13…It is a non-stop learning event, and a must if you really want to focus on ministry as well as writing! I’ve been twice, and I just adore it! I was able to meet New York Times best-selling author Cec Murphey (who I wrote about in “A Saint & A Sinner”) and other authors…

On Aug. 19, I attended the Atlanta Blogalicious Meetup at Hudson Grille where I was able to network with other bloggers…I never knew when I started blogging in 2008 that I would LOVE it…and so now, in addition to launching my first book, I’m hoping to make this blog be the best it can be…And now I’m thinking of attending the Be Blogalicious conference in D.C. on October 21-23…

Panel Discussion at Atlanta Blogalicious Meetup (from left to right) Danica Kombol, Bren Herrera, Stacey Ferguson & Lamar Tyler

The next day, Aug. 20, I attended the Bronner Bros. International Hair Show where I networked and took in the sights and the sounds of this spectacular show…If you haven’t been, you definitely need to go…In fact, I also went in February and posted lots of pictures…check it out at “Saturday in the A – Featuring the Bronner Bros. International Hair Show.”

Four days later, Aug. 24, I officially launched my new website…Yay…I’m also pleased to announce that my book, which will actually be released on Valentine’s Day 2012, is now available for preordering at Nevaeh Publishing for $14. 95 and (gulp) Barnes & Noble. I have an ISBN number and erething…lol…

Next month, I will be focusing on press coverage and setting up a signing tour…as always, more be revealed…

Any thoughts?

“Yo, I’m strictly about skills and dope lyrical coastin’
Relying on talent, not marketing and promotion.” KRS -One from “Step Into A World”

Hello World,

As hip-hop aficionados know, KRS-One is one the dopest emcees ever but anyone who wants to be successful particularly in a creative field knows marketing and promotion is a must…

Sooo it’s been a whirlwind of month of developing a marketing and promotion plan and getting started on what’s shaping up to be an exhausting but rewarding six to seven months before my book comes out in February 2012. (It still makes me smile inside when I say or even type those words.)

Although according to the Myers-Briggs personality test I am classified as introvert (meaning I get my energy from spending a lot of time alone) a lot of marketing and promotion begins by networking with other people and supporting the success of others in your chosen industry. I have been attending events like crazy this month and on “school nights” too which is typically against my policy.

I started off by attending a book release party at Justin’s Restaurant & Bar for author Curtis Bunn on July 5. His latest book is “A Cold Piece of Work.” Bunn is also the founder of the National Book Club Conference, the event for black “literati.” Dwan Abrams, president of Nevaeh Publishing LLC (the company that is publishing my book) and I hung out at the party together.

Dwan Abrams winning a prize at Curtis Bunn's book release party...

That Saturday, July 9, I attended a meeting of TalkBLACK Atlanta, a black discussion group that meets monthly to talk about issues in the black community. The topic for this month was the black woman which was right up my alley. Although I’m an introvert, I love to talk about controversial topics! Our conversation was heated, but I really enjoyed myself. The crowd was small enough for me not to feel overwhelmed and large enough to have diverse opinions. Also, the meeting was held at Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint, which might become one of my spots in the future…

On July 16, I attended a book signing at the Camp Creek Market Place location of Barnes & Noble for ReShonda Tate Billingsley. She discussed her latest work “Say Amen, Again” and signed copies of the book. I am so inspired by her career path as she started out as a journalist before venturing into the book publishing industry. To date, she is the author of 21 books, and she also is a co-host for “From Cover to Cover” literary talk radio show. In addition, she is venturing into acting, and her book “Let the Church Say Amen” is being made into a movie of which she is executive producer and actress Regina King is the director. And I’m not even listing all of her accomplishments! She’s bad!

Me & ReShonda at her book signing...

On July 21, a friend and I went to a diversity mixer with the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and the local chapters of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and Asian American Journalists Association at 5 Season Brewery on Marietta Street. I liked this spot as well! People were exchanging their twitter addressess as much as they were handing out business cards…I felt so old although I do have a twitter account….Follow me at @jackiehwrites…

That Saturday, July 23, I went to my first meeting of the Faith-Based Fiction Writers of Atlanta which met at Sammiches ‘N Stuff Breakfast and Sandwiches in the Dec. (I also liked this place.) I was invited to another writers meeting earlier in the week, but I was unable to attend because I teach at the gym on that night. And no, I don’t write fiction yet, but they welcomed me into the group anyway…

This past Thursday, I attended the Black Pearls Magazine Chocolate Social at the Westin Peachtree Plaza where I was able to meet various book authors and others in the black book publishing industry from around the country. I enjoyed meeting many of the new authors like Lakia Brandenburg who wrote “He’s Not Perfect. I’m Not Perfect. But Together We’re Picture Perfect.” And I also reconnected with “ESSENCE” best-selling author Victoria Christopher Murray and my soror.

And Friday, I went to TechUptownATL at the Hyatt Regency Hotel where I was able to meet social media superstars Yalanda Lattimore of DryerBuzz.com and Lamar Tyler of BlackAndMarriedWithKids.com. I feel like I already knew them from their online presence, but it was nice to finally meet them in person…