Monday, February 21, 2011

You May Have Noticed...

That my blog now looks pretty spiffy!!
It's all thanks to Yvonne at Pear Creative.
She's also the genius behind my book cover and trailer. If you're looking for brilliance, efficiency and a great team to work with, she's your gal! She gently pointed out that my poor blog
was in need of an upgrade - except she didn't exactly say it that way.
So anyway, here we are!

Just a few weeks away now from my release, and I have to say I feel pretty good. I am still working on some interviews that need to be in for around that time, but aside from hiring the Goodyear Blimp (now there's an idea), I think I'm doing pretty much everything I can to make sure my launch is a success.
My friendKatie talked about this the other day. Jody Hedlund has also had some great discussions on all the pros and cons of putting yourself out there to promote your book, social networking and the like.

How much should you be doing to promote yourself? How much money should you spend? Where's the line between healthy advertising and being downright obnoxious?
These are choppy waters indeed. Sometimes I wonder if people are already sick of hearing about Yesterday's Tomorrow. Have I done too much too soon or am I on the right track?
I'm not sure we can lose sleep over such matters. The truth is, only time will tell.
And more importantly, the book will speak for itself.
I can spend thousand of dollars promoting a garbage can if I want to, but at the end of the day, it's still just a garbage can. Nothing really special about it.

So until the book's release, all it is right now is anticipation. Not that that is a bad thing, but for me, it's more than a little nerve wracking.
My first reader comments have been positive, but once it hits the big bad world, I dunno.
I'm hoping for the best. Am I preparing for the worst? Probably not. Do I need to? I'm not sure.
There will be bad reviews. That's a given. Oprah probably won't call. That's a given too.
So how do we find the middle ground in the frenzy of a new release and wanting it to do well? Because I do want it to do well. I have a publisher and an agent who have taken a risk on me. I want them to breathe easy in knowing they did the right thing.

I'm asking a lot of questions here. I'm not sure there are any right answers, but for you, if you've released a book, how did you handle it all? And if you're still dreaming about it, how do you think you'll handle it?

14 comments:

Jessica Nelson said...

Eeek! Not sure how I'll handle it, but how exciting! Like you said, the book will speak for itself. I'm sure it's challenging getting out there but it seems to me you're on the right track. :-)

Wendy Paine Miller said...

Lookin' goooooood!

I'm waiting for my book to speak for itself. I think it's time for it to yell out a little. Might need an agent to help me with that some. ;)

Seriously love the look around here!
~ Wendy

Bonnie R. Paulson said...

Trust me, the book does speak for itself! Cathy is awesome!

Jill Kemerer said...

Oh how exciting! Don't worry about being out there too much. Our networks can be limited, and that's why it's good to throw a blast out--to add onto new networks. Your book looks amazing!

Your header brought a big smile to my face. What a sweet dog! Border Collie? He looks so fluffy! We have a mini-dachshund and she's a delight!

Angela C. said...

Congrats on your upcoming book release!!

Catherine West said...

Thanks everyone! Bonnie - shout it girl!! haha!!
Jessica you'll be fine, and I think networking is so good because when it's your turn to promote your book, we'll all be behind you! Ditto for you, Wendy!!
Jill, yes Noah is a border collie. The second love of my life, but sometimes my husband questions the ranking. :0))
Thanks Angela!

Keli Gwyn said...

I love your blog's banner. Very classy.

Sarah Forgrave said...

Wow, great new look!!! Self-promotion is such an animal. So far, you seem to be taming the beast. :)

Katie Ganshert said...

With my release more than a year out, I'm still processing and thinking about it. I'm sure when the time comes for me to be more proactive about promoting my work, I'll come a'knocking for some advice. :)

Aron White said...

Cathy,

I like the changes you made to your blog. Great banner :)

I'm looking forward to your book release. My father served in Vietnam back in the late 60's and anytime I hear a story relating to the war, it always seems to touch a bit of personal note and I have to think of my dad :)

I just self-published an ebook and to answer the question you posed, releasing a book is fun, but also nerve-racking. Since I don't have any publisher support, it's just me, myself, and I and social networking/word of mouth has been a big relief. :)

Congrats again on your book :)

Lisa Jordan said...

I love that photo of you and your dog in your header. Beautiful blog.

I'm newly-contracted and my book comes out in November, so I'm thinking/planning how to market and spread the word. Some of it is lots of fun to dream about, and other parts scare me silly.

Kristen Torres-Toro said...

I love it! Congrats!

Lindi said...

Love the blog, Cathy. It has a great look.
I can't wait to have you on our blog. And yes, networking is a great resource.

Heather Sunseri said...

Oh, Cathy, I love, love, love the new blog look! Congrats! And I'm so excited for your big launch. Wish I could provide some advice for you, but alas, you're a few thousand steps ahead of me.