Posters, reviews & promotion…

Moving right along, we’ve gotten a couple of versions of the promo posters that are going out to bookstores here in the area.  One version has a color sat image with hurricane Rita bearing down on Texas, while the other is in black and white. 

Also, the fantastic London Fashionista Vicki Day reviewed "Tormenta" on her blog , which receives over 9k hits a day.  Of course she is raving about it.  Vicki sat in while I was composing the story on my site, and followed along on the daily, sometimes twice a day entrees as this dark tale poured out of yours truly.  Here’s hoping that all of her considerable contacts across the pond can sway buyers over this way (Hello, New York?)

I’ve no clue what the publisher is planning for promotion; I’ve not met with or spoken to my BA about all that.  However, we’re moving right along with our own brand of spreading the word.  The big task at hand now is getting word around the regional area and I’m pretty sure that’s where most of the work will begin.  No one is talking about NOT going national, or international, should things swell to such ranks.  However, the goal was to achieve 50k readers (people who bought and read a copy) in the greater areas of Houston/Galveston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin/Waco and San Antonio.  With demographics of around 20 million in those areas alone, and with a story based and set in Texas, the rest ‘should’ be quite natural—so long as people know it’s out there…

Of course, all my old gang out in the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida are ordering like mad and I’ll be pretty busy the next few days signing copies to send back out to all of you—thanks for those orders, by the way.  I’ll have to set up a signing out there, probably in February, but it’s still too early to set up dates yet.  There’s no telling what this little story will do, but I’m hoping for the best anyhow.

More to come…

S

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Start the presses...

Happenstance and good luck put my first of two days off the day job with my final proofs.  I held my breath and opened the file, read a few breathless lines and smiled as I exhaled.  Finally, I see what my work looks like after a good editor has finished with it.  The feeling of seeing your words and thoughts come together in tight format is like nothing else, for me. 

Some folks like to jump off of bridges while shackled to rubber bands or strapped to parachutes.  I send in work that I hope will come back looking like this…

Sure, we had a few (eleven) small corrections to make as we dusted off the finished product.  But that is exactly what we now have: Tormenta, as a work of American Fiction is headed for print production.

It won’t be long now, gang…

S

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Trailers, Text and Typos…

The experience of having your book published is one most people never think about when they are in the check-out aisle.  So, just for starts, let me say that “Tormenta” will not be available through Wal-Mart; they would be happy to sell the book, they just want to make ALL the money for my work.  Sorry, Wal-Mart, but no thanks.

Even though this book will be available for shelf space in just about any brick-n-mortar bookstore in the country, not all will see enough reason to keep copies there, and I’m not planning any trips to Montana, or Meridian, Mississippi to sign copies...yet, anyhow.

All of the changes in the book publishing industry has scattered talent, money and resources to the heavens.  Lots of it is laying around online now for writers to pick up and make do as best we can.  In many ways, I’ve found it better for breaking-in and making a splash, but in others, it’s been a real bitch.  Being snubbed by those that hold what you want to have is no fun.  But we live and die for our art, don’t we?

We’re coming down to the final few weeks before the release date.  Pre-orders will begin this week, Wednesday, to be specific.  This is when you’ll have your chance to grab a copy at a great price (Yes, one I’ll still make a little money on).  There will even be an option to click on that will get you a signed copy, if you don’t want to wait for me to get around to your neighborhood to sign one for you. 

This is an important part of the process.  This is the first time my publisher will have the chance to see how well the book will be received—sales wise.   We need all of you followers of the blog, as well as those of you who follow me on facebook—or at least look in on occasion—to put up!  Hey, it’s cheap, it’s a good story, and you are among the many who know the author, right?

Right…however, we are taking on a still semi-new approach here, after all.  We are going to push our marketing via the internet and need to utilize social networking; we need to make that little video trailer get seen and seen often.  So, when you finish reading this blog, please go ahead and start passing the word around or forward the trailer link.  To people who don’t know me, and don’t know about “Tormenta”.  But, if we all spread the word around the networking sites, we can reach far more people and achieve far more sales, which allows S. Bond Herndon to go on telling stories for you!  We need to go ‘Viral’ baby!

I’m getting the edited files back for review on the 9^th of November and I’ll keep you all posted as things progress.  Here’s hoping that my editor is doing her job well and that I won’t have to die of oppressive sadness due to overlooked typos and misplaced commas... much like we did the first time around. But that, my friends, is another story.

More to come soon!

S

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