I’m Bout It Bout It aka Marketing & Promotion Month 7 (And It.Don’t.Stop.)

Hello World,

Me and my lovely assistant at my first book signing at Lifeway Christian Store...

Wow. I got to thank God.

My book is out (as of Feb. 14), and it ranked as an Amazon Best Seller and was listed as an Amazon Hot New Release!!! My Facebook Fam (friends) are blowing up my page telling me they are buying my book! My folk at church who came to my release party are telling me how much they are enjoying the book! And I’m having book signings and what not!

I planted a lot of seeds (WORKED HARD), and God took care of the increase as only HE can do!!! Since I started writing these posts back in July when I started my marketing and promotion campaign (Check out the first one “I’m Bout It Bout It aka Marketing & Promotion Month 1…”), I had the goal of sharing what I have done to help authors behind me as they prepared to launch their babies aka books into the world, and I hope that some author who Googles marketing & promotion will read these posts and be encouraged…

Let me share some of God’s blessings as I’ve worked to get the word out about my book via my marketing & promotion campaign…(in no particular order as all were important accomplishments for me 🙂

  1. I’ve been featured on six radio programs! If you would like to hear me on “The Business of Wisdom” with Dr. Alvin Jones, please listen here! And I thank Shandra Hill Smith of Pullen Press for being an excellent publicist, and helping me with my radio exposure!!! At my first book signing at Lifeway Christian store, one of the ladies who came said she first heard about me on “Business in the Black” with Twanda Black on WALR KISS 104.1 FM. That was my second radio interview, and I think I sounded a bit rough – but thankfully, someone got the message I was trying to convey!
  2. I had over a 100 people at my book release celebration!!! To see the pics from that awesome night of support and love, please go here! Thanks Dwan Abrams for planning the party and spreading the word about it! And I am sooo very grateful for Sofn’free GroHealthy for sponsoring my book release celebration!!!
  3. Various author friends/bloggers featured my book on their blog!!! Thank you to Kathi Macias (kathimacias.com) who featured me on her blog on the day of my book release. To read the post, please go here. And Tayari Jones (yes, the one and only at tayarijones.com) featured me on her blog as well! To read the post, please go here. And other authors including Victoria Christopher Murray (my soror), Tiffany L. Warren (who is featured in my book), & Tia McCollors shouted me out on their Facebook pages! Tia & author Kendra Norman-Bellamy provided endorsement quotes for my book! Author love is a must!!! And I’m soo grateful 🙂 (I hope I’m not forgetting anyone…if so, charge it to my head and not my heart…)
  4. During October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Blayne Alexander of 11 Alive for The Grio.com interviewed Lola Brown, who is featured in my book, about her two-time victory over breast cancer at 36 years old. To read the story or watch the interview, please go to thegrio.com.
  5. I was really encouraged when just as I started my marketing and promotion campaign, I was featured on SORMAG’s blog – sormag.blogspot.com, which is an important website for authors! To see that post, please go here. Thanks again LaShaunda Hoffman!!!
  6. I’ve also been featured in various print media outlets including UPSCALE magazine as well as local newspapers the Clayton News Daily and the Clayton Neighbor!!!
  7. And last but certainly not least, I want to thank Lifeway Christian Store for hosting my very first official book signing last Saturday! I hope, wish & PRAY it’s the beginning of more to come!

NOTE: This roundup mainly includes the media coverage piece of my marketing & promotion campaign….there were other things that I’ve done which are too numerous to name right now…but I will say this…I revamped my website (thanks Tess), passed out postcards just about everywhere I went, networked at various events in the city and throughout the nation, posted like a fiend on my Facebook page and on Twitter and more…trust me…been hustling…stay hustling…

Again, I gotta thank God…And I gotta thank R., who has listened to me talk about this EREday since July…He is the mostest!!!

Ain’ gon lie…I’m tired…but…it.don’t.stop…

Any thoughts?

This song is apropos today….dreams.come.true…

After the Altar Call Release Party Pics!!!

Hello World,

I promised you pics from my release party and here they are…Enjoy…And let me know what you think…

We held the party at Space Atlanta in the West End area of the A...

 

Greeting guests as they arrive...

 

Enjoying the evening...

 

Hopefully enjoying my book...

 

More guests enjoying the evening...

 

"Into Your Heart" Creative Dance Blessing by Ms. Gwendolyn Fields...

 

Sis. Uter, one of the women in my book, along with my emcee for the evening...

 

My mom in the center and guests...

 

Dr. Pam Thompson, one of the women featured in the book...

Thanking guests for coming...

 

A young guest obviously enjoying his evening...

 

My three assistants serving food to guests...

 

My nephew congratulating me on my book...

 

 

Emmy Award-winning poet Hank Stewart reciting a poem for us...

 

Hank Stewart again...

 

Dwan Abrams, event planner, and me...

 

Aunt Nev (right) and guests...

 

"Beauty," who is featured in my book, performing for guests...

 

A cool shot...

 

Me along with 2 of 3 door prizes donated by my sponsor for the evening - Sofn’free GroHealthy! The company also donated 100 sample packs for each of my guests!!! Support this company!!!

 

My book and door prizes..

 

Winning door prizes!!!

 

Examining the goods...

 

Members of my family...

 

The pretty cake...with my book!!!

 

Rap artist Mr. Ray...

 

Winning a Kindle!!!

 

Winning a Kindle part two...

 

Signing books! (What's up Elle?)

 

Signing books! (What's up cousin Kisha?)

 

Me & Aunt Sue...

 

My Delta line sisters showing their love...

 

Me & Sherry, my girl and soror from way back...

 

Doug showing support...

 

Soror Mickey showing love...

 

The lone writer...(get it? LOVE.THIS.PHOTO...) All wrapped in love...

 

Beauty & her hubby C-Los of Zonum Media Group showing support...

 

My souvenir bags containing several goodies including sample packs from my sponsor of the evening - Sofn’free GroHealthy

Thank you Dwan Abrams for planning my book release party! Thank you Alex Johnson III for the excellent photography! Thank you Space Atlanta for the venue! Thank you  Sofn’free GroHealthy for sponsoring my book release party! Thank you Nevaeh Publishing for publishing my book After the Altar Call: The Sisters’ Guide to Developing a Personal Relationship With God! Thank you R. for your unwavering support!!! Thank you God!!!!!!!

Any thoughts? 

 

I’m Bout It Bout It aka Marketing & Promotion Month 6 (Book Release Party Details!)

 
Hello World,

You know what. I kinda fell off….What do I mean? This post should have been written in December as it is about my marketing and promotion activities for December, but y’all…I’ve been sooo immersed in doing it all that it was difficult to write it down….Forgive me? At any rate, I want to invite y’all to my BOOK RELEASE PARTY!!! I had originally planned it to coincide with the release of my book on February 14, but it will now be on Feb. 10!!! If you can make it, please come out…see all of the details above…

Also, if you’re a book lover as I am, you also don’t want to miss best-selling authors Victoria Christopher Murray and ReShonda Tate Billingsley as they will be in the A this week to promote their latest release “Sinners & Saints.” They will be signing their book at the Clark Atlanta University Bookstore, 223 James P. Brawley Drive SW, tomorrow at noon and at the Hammonds House Museum on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Below are more details about their discussion &  signing at the Hammonds House Museum….

Best-selling and award-winning novelists Victoria Christopher Murray and ReShonda Tate Billingsley bring their favorite heroines together in a novel that will delight their legions of fans. Jasmine Larson Bush and Rachel Jackson Adams are not your typical first ladies. But they’ve overcome their scandalous and drama-filled pasts to stand firmly by their husbands’ sides. When a coveted position opens up–president of the American Baptist Coalition– both women think their husbands are perfect for the job. And winning the position may require both women to get down and dirty and revert to their old tricks.

Just when Jasmine and Rachel think they’re going to have to fight to the finish, the current first lady of the coalition steps in . . . a woman bigger, badder, and more devious than either of them. Double the fun with a message of faith. “Sinners & Saints” will delight readers with two of their favorite characters from two of their favorite authors.

Your R.S.V.P is requested  – Admission Choices

$15 – Admission FREE with Pre-purchase of book ($15 savings).
$10 – Admission RSVP / general.
$5   – Admission RSVP / members of Delta Sigma Theta, Alpha Kappa Alpha and
Hammonds House Museum.
FREE Admission for Persons Who Join or Renew a Membership to HHM

For more information, please go the Hammonds House Museum website.
 

Also, check out a video about their book…


 

This is all so exciting…

Any thoughts?