Category Archives: Goodreads

Trailer fun!

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I’ve been trying not to be too impatient–really, I have! Ken Spurgeon and his crew took lots and lots of digital footage (if “footage” applies to digital movie-making, which it probably doesn’t). I know it was a really big job to edit it all, line up the transitions between shots, find the right music and add it in, record and then add the voice-over, etc. And it was the holidays–Thanksgiving, Christmas, and also New Year’s all fell in the weeks after the trailer shoot.  On top of all that, my editor (Kira Lynn) and the publicist (Lynn Kelley) have also been ready to begin promoting A Voice for Kanzas, and both planned to use the trailer in their efforts. We were running up against a bit of a time crunch to get it ready for an upcoming presentation Kira will do this week for Kane Miller’s sales reps, so I was thrilled when Ken let me know he had the final version ready.

After a few technical issues with the first uploaded version, Ken was able to put the finished trailer on YouTube, and we were off and running! First, I embedded the video (Really! HTML and everything!) on the home page of this website. Then I put it on my Goodreads author page. Then I added the link to my status updates on my regular Facebook page and also on my Facebook author page. A few friends reposted it. Lots of friends “liked” it. I announced it to my Apocalypsies buddies. I emailed friends who might not have seen it yet. I posted on my local writers’ list serves. Then Ken asked if he could send out a message to friends of Lone Chimney and also post it on the Lone Chimney Facebook page. I said, “Yes, please do!”

Of course, my website address is printed on my bookmarks and postcards, so that may also guide those who might be interested in the book to the trailer. And I’ll use the trailer when I do personal appearances (if it’s appropriate) and I’m sure I’ll run it at my book launch party.

And I have to express my thanks again to Ken and the Lone Chimney crew, as well as to all the wonderful actors who came out to help with the trailer.

Maybe my trailer won’t go “viral,” but it won’t be for lack of effort! If you haven’t seen it yet, please take a look–I put it right at the top of the home page!

Do you have other ideas for ways to use a book trailer? If so, please let me know!

Plugging into Goodreads

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If you haven’t yet discovered Goodreads, you should! It’s a sort of social networking site for people who love to read. I set up an account last spring, after hearing my Apocalypsies pals gushing about it. I immediately added books to my “read,” “to read,” and “currently reading” lists. I posted ratings of some books I’ve read. I added a few reviews of books I’d read recently. Beyond that, I didn’t get too involved with it.

After I created my reader account, I noticed that many of my Apoc friends were listed as “Goodreads Author.”  Susan Raab discusses this in her book, and I wanted to also be listed that way. A few weeks ago, I was approved as a Goodreads Author. They sent me an email notification, along with a pretty exhaustive list of “dos and don’ts,” and a link to a page with suggestions and details of how to get started. I have to admit it was a bit overwhelming.

My notification also arrived the week I was heading out to Wichita to film the trailer. After that was Thanksgiving, then the end of the school term, with all the extra papers to grade. “Goodreads Author Page” has been on my to-do list now for almost a month. Now that the semester is finished, I’m finally getting around to it.

Goodreads does a great job of providing information to help authors get started. The site is pretty easy to navigate, even for me. I was a little frustrated when my photo appeared in thumbnail form, but not on my profile page, but I eventually figured that out. The thing that stumped me though was the “widget” option. I had seen the widget on Kimberly Sabatini’s blog, and I wanted one! I also wanted to add the “Add to Goodreads” button to appear next to my book cover on my site. Goodreads has all the information about how to do this, but the minute I saw HTML code that had to be uploaded I panicked. Luckily my son is fluent in HTML, so he managed to get the widgets loaded for me.

I’m excited to get more involved in Goodreads, both as a reader and as an author. I’ve been able to add a feed from my blog to my author page, and I’ll also be able to add events, contests, and reviews when those things come around. My next step is to add my Apocalypsie pals as friends and find out who else I know in the Goodreads world.