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Non-FIRST: A Godly Rose


It’s the 15th, time for the Non~FIRST blog tour!(Non~FIRST will be merging with FIRST Wild Card Tours on January 1, 2009…if interested in joining, click HERE!)

The feature author is:
and his book:

Templeton Foundation Press (September 26, 2008)


My Review:
I wasn’t crazy about this book. I was hopeful, especially since I’m teaching on “Loving Beyond Reason” on Tuesday. I don’t know a lot about the author, but the book was a little too universal for my religious convictions. Check out All FIRST Alliances for more thorough reviews.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Stephen G. Post has spent a lifetime studying love in its theological, scientific, and practical dimensions. He is president of the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love (IRUL) and professor of bioethics and family medicine in the School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Post has published one hundred thirty articles in peerreviewed journals and has written or edited fifteen scholarly books on subjects relating to the dynamic of love in our lives. His most recent book is Why Good Things Happen to Good People, coauthored with Jill Neimark. Dr. Post has chaired nine national conferences in his field and has received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Board of the Alzheimers Association. He lives in Shaker Heights, Ohio, with his wife, Mitsuko, and their two children, Emma and Andrew.

Product Details

List Price: $12.95
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Templeton Foundation Press (September 26, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1599471515
ISBN-13: 978-1599471518

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Godly Love and Human Hatreds

In March 2007 I had the honor of spending several days north of Paris with the great Jean Vanier, then in his early eighties. Jean had founded L’Arche (“The Ark”) some four decades earlier, when he was inspired by an experience of Godly love to invite two men with cognitive developmental disabilities into his home. Over the years, L’Arche homes have flourished worldwide as volunteers dwell with the disabled in communities of faith, prayer, and Godly love. I had attended meals in L’Arche homes in Cleveland on a number of occasions, and I had heard the grace said before eating, the hymns sung, and the energy of love that was palpable in the lives of those caregivers and in the experience of those they cared for and lived with.

Jean struck me as one of the most loving, Godly, and humble men I had ever met. He spoke quietly and brilliantly, and he exuded an infectious sense of fun. On one Sunday evening there was a Catholic Mass in an old renovated chapel from the fourteenth century. About one hundred people had gathered there, mostly L’Arche volunteers and people with disabilities. I saw a volunteer wheel one older man named David up to the priest for communion. That night, at dinner, I asked Jean what he thought David had gotten from receiving communion, for David was probably the most severely disabled and agitated person I had encountered there. Jean said, “Whenever David receives communion, he becomes more peaceful, and that is the power of God’s love. Remember, Stephen, we do not know much about the mystery of God’s love and presence.” Jean’s pure, enduring, and expansive love clearly encompassed such a severely disabled man, and counted him among God’s blessed.

Evil in God’s Name

When I encounter a man like Jean Vanier, I feel that we must all stop thinking of God as the epitome of awesome power and strength in the conventional sense. This convention may be partly true, but we need to set it aside; otherwise, we begin to think of God primarily in terms of might, and human arrogance propels us into thinking that because my God is stronger than your God, violence is justified in God’s name. If we think about God in terms of power, then religions become tainted with human arrogance. Far too many prayerful people are carrying rifles in the spirit of pure hatred and pretending that their hatred is somehow divinely sanctioned. This amounts to shallow religiosity, which only causes pain and undermines Godly love. The Lord of power and might is first and foremost the author and giver of all good things, the Divine Entity who nourishes us in love and brings forth from us good works.

We need to stop thinking that our definitions of God are finite and that our knowledge of God’s will is total. Our definitions, even if divinely inspired, are still products of the human mind, and we can never fully understand the Divine. Religious doctrines, if adhered to arrogantly, tend to separate us from one another and shatter the unifying spirit of Godly love that all spirituality seeks to cultivate. When religions place doctrine and force above love, they foment massive evil—from torture to terror, from coercion to conflict. Religious wars exemplify human tribalism and arrogance, both of which bring out the worst in us.

Hatred, hostility, and revenge are such strong emotions that they can crush our fragile sense of Godly love. The pseudospirituality of hatred runs counter to all genuine spirituality, which is always an adventure in love, an expression of love’s deepest desires.

Countering Hatred with Godly Love

The love of power can sometimes overwhelm the power of love, so we must remain humble and guard against this. No matter how little we know about God, we can still experience Godly love. Only by taking Godly love much more seriously than we do now—even inculcating a profound love for one another among ancient, sworn enemies—can we expect to head off a spiral of widespread destruction.

Most of religion and spirituality is rooted in healing emotions, grounded in love. We will never achieve sustained peace in the twenty-first century unless all religions live up to those intrinsic ideals of Godly love, applying those ideals to all of humankind without exception.

The world shows no signs of becoming any less religious; we as humans will always have a passion for Ultimate Truth that provides safe haven and emotional security in times of distress. Yet we will only have a human future if we infuse universal Godly love into the rituals that religions create, and express through our actions spiritual emotions such as forgiveness and compassion. If our religions fail to promote universal Godly love, violence will sweep us all away in a cataclysmic firestorm.

Promoting Harmony and Peace

Godly love alone can realign the world in harmony and peace. Too many kill in God’s name, claiming that they alone know the destiny God intends for humankind. Our limited human knowledge of any divinely inspired destiny to be played out on the human stage belies this specious—and dangerous—claim.

Love is the source of our greatest happiness and security; therefore love is the Ultimate Good, the Supreme Good. Nothing else comes close, for love underlies the creative energy that propels us from birth to death. The withholding of love drives to destruction those deprived of love’s nurturing, its compassion, and its life-giving blessings. This occurs most notably in critical developmental periods during childhood. And it holds just as true for a child in a nursery as it does for an older adult in a hospice.

Our religions, which offer models of righteous living, must put into practice their visions of Godly love, or they risk becoming sidelined, or, worse, irrelevant.

Posted under Tours

This post was written by admin on November 15, 2008

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FIRST Wildcard Tour: The Rosary

It is time to play a Wild Card! Every now and then, a book that I have chosen to read is going to pop up as a FIRST Wild Card Tour. Get dealt into the game! (Just click the button!) Wild Card Tours feature an author and his/her book’s FIRST chapter!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today’s Wild Card author is:
Gary Jansen

and the book:

The Rosary: A Journey to the Beloved

FaithWords; 1st FaithWords Ed edition (October 28, 2008)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

GARY JANSEN is an editor at Doubleday Religion and former editor-in-chief of the Quality Paperback Book Club. His writing has appeared in USA Today, Newsday, and the Chicago Sun-Times. THE ROSARY is his first book.

Product Details:

List Price: $ 11.99
Hardcover: 96 pages
Publisher: FaithWords; 1st FaithWords Ed edition (October 28, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446535842
ISBN-13: 978-0446535847

MY REVIEW:

I did not grow up in a liturgical church, but something about the formality and structure of more-liturgical churches has always intrigued me. Sure, I recognize the dangers of becoming too focused on the process and the formality. That aside, I think there’s also something to be gained from that type of worship as well.

I agreed to be a part of this particular tour out of that curiosity. As I suspected, I really enjoyed this book. Jansen is straight-forward and detailed in his explanation of how to use the rosary as a tool. He also shows how to amend the rosary somewhat for those with a more Protestant background. And I love the art he includes for meditation. I think we so often stay boxed in to our songs and prayers for worship.

Check out the book, even if you’re not Catholic. I think you’ll find it interesting. I’m anxious to try praying and meditating through it now.

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:

What Is the Rosary?

Imagine for a moment that you have just fallen in love with the person of your dreams. Picture it right now. Picture your ideal. Picture your beloved. This person is beautiful, smart, and wise. This person is caring and loves children.

This person values friendship in a way you’ve never experienced, and when you are in the presence of your beloved you feel whole: energized, perplexed, inspired, and amazed.

Now, you’ve experienced loves in the past, but this relationship is different. It’s mutual and nurturing. The more deeply you fall for your beloved, the more human you feel.

Could it be that your soul was asleep for years and that this person has awakened you, has even resurrected your spirit, your will, your desire? You feel changed, because you are changed. You feel that maybe the world around you has been covered in thin diaphanous veils and with each step you take toward your beloved, a layer is removed. Your vision becomes clearer and clearer. Colors are more colorful, sounds are crisper, you hear music in noise. For the first time since you were a child you experience wonder.

So continue imagining your beloved and continue seeing your relationship expanding, growing with each word, with each action, with each hope. Time passes; it has just been the two of you for some time. Then your beloved asks you to meet the parents.

What is your reaction now? Are you anxious? Nervous?

What are they going to think of me? Am I good enough? Are they going to see through to my faults?

It’s one thing to be in a relationship, you think; it’s an entirely different thing to add the parents. You’ve done a pretty good job of hiding some of these things from your beloved, but parents always know, especially mothers.

Your beloved senses your anxiety and reassures you that everything will be fine. The fateful day arrives and you walk to the parents’ home. As your beloved takes your hand, you notice that your palms are sweaty.

Your beloved knocks. The door opens. You meet Mom.

And she turns out to be the nicest person you’ve ever met.

She welcomes you into the family, and she radiates kindness and beauty. All that worrying, all those moments of self- doubt subside, and in a matter of seconds you feel excited to be in her presence. You look around and don’t see the father, but you sense that he is everywhere in this home.

Now let’s take a step back. You have never experienced a love like the one you have with your beloved, and, while you feel an openness, you admit to yourself that this person can be a mystery to you. You have questions. It’s not that you don’t feel close to your beloved, it’s just that you begin to hunger and thirst to know everything about this love that has come into your life. And to be perfectly honest, you feel intimidated, because your beloved is such a complete person, and you feel, more often than not, less than whole.

What were you like as a child? What were your parents doing before they had you? What were your friends like? Did you ever get lost? What were some of the loneliest times of your life? Why did you come into my life?

You’ve held off asking some of these questions of your beloved, but here in front of Mom, you feel strangely comfortable to let loose. It’s as if she is standing there ready to embrace you and help you understand everything. Who better than your beloved’s mother to answer all these questions swirling in your mind? Who better to provide insight than the woman who carried your beloved in her body for nine months and who experienced the pain and joy of bringing her child into the world?

You begin to ask all your questions, and this woman who you’ve just met seemingly transforms into your own mother. She smiles and takes down a scrapbook and the two of you begin looking at pictures. This is a picture of me when I first found out I was going to have a baby, she says. This is a picture of my cousin and me, we were both pregnant at the same time. Here’s one right after the birth. So many people came to visit us. Here are a few pictures of a wedding we attended, and this

is a picture of . . .

So you sit in her presence and page through the scrapbook of their lives. These pictures tell stories, and you begin to understand what was once a mystery. You feel this family’s happiness, their sorrows, their illuminations, and the glory of their lives. All of a sudden, the worries, the fears, the doubts, the brokenness, the distractions that you seem to feel on a daily basis fall away and you are transformed by love.

That is the Rosary.

Wait, you may be saying, what does all this have to do with the Rosary?

Isn’t the Rosary some long complicated prayer where you say the Hail Mary a couple hundred times while holding a set of beads?

Yes, but not exactly. The Rosary is a prayer that is longer than most in the Christian tradition, but it’s a simple prayer, and like all simple things, it is beautifully complex once you get to know it.

Yet, the Rosary is more than just a prayer, it is a journey to the beloved, an invitation to fall in love with Christ by sitting in the presence of His mother and observing through the prism of her life — and your life — the radiance of divine revelation. Anyone can say a prayer or go to church or quote the Bible, but it is only through loving Christ and entering into a relationship that we can, through patience, meditation, and contemplation, align our earthly desires and longings with the will of God.

According to Merriam- Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, the word rosary is derived from the Latin word rosarium, meaning rose garden, and has been a form of prayer — traditionally said with the aid of beads, since before the time of the Reformation.

One characteristic that makes this prayer different from many others is the use of repetition. Popularized by the Order of St. Dominic in the fifteenth century, the Rosary is a cycle of repeating prayers that combines meditation with devotion. It is comprised of four sets of mysteries — or time periods — from the Gospels and are named the joyful, the sorrowful, the luminous, and the glorious. Each set of mysteries in turn is made up of five specific events from the life of Christ. A decade, which is just a fancy word for a prayer repeated ten times, traditionally the Hail Mary, is said for each event. There are prayers that begin the Rosary, prayers between each decade and prayers that end the Rosary. While the focus on the Rosary is always Jesus Christ, the guide connecting the mysteries is Mary herself who takes us by the hand and leads us through the miraculous journey of her Son’s life.

While you can pray all four sets of mysteries in one sitting, it is common for people to choose one set and focus attention on those events. The Rosary can be a difficult prayer in the beginning. Many will balk at the idea of repeating the same prayers over and over again (how boring!), but through practice and imaginative meditation, you’ll come to realize, as Romano Guardini notes in The Rosary of Our Lady, that the greatest things in life are repetitious: the cycles of life, the turning of seasons, the beating of a heart, breathing. Life is repetition.

One misconception about the Rosary that makes many non- Catholics suspicious is that it’s a prayer to Mary. This isn’t true. One does not pray to Mary when he or she says the Rosary, a person prays with Mary, the way someone would pray with another person at church or in a prayer group. Imagine this. Suppose I ran into you on the street. You’re a prayerful person, and you know I am too. You are going through hard times. Maybe your parents are ill. Maybe you have lost your job. Maybe you are dealing with a death of a loved one. We talk for a few minutes and as we part you ask me to pray for you. I assure you I will.

Praying the Rosary is no different than that exchange. It is spiritual union, an act of love for the benefit of another. As Pope John Paul II stated in his 2002 apostolic letter, On the Most Holy Rosary, the Rosary is a prayer of learning and illumination that allows, “The principal events of the life of

Jesus Christ [to] pass before the eyes of the soul . . . they put us in living communion with Jesus through — we might say — the heart of his Mother.”

Ultimately, the Rosary is your prayer and can be prayed the way you see fit. It’s a gift from God, and there is much to be learned from such a generous offering. But if the Hail Mary is the one thing that is preventing you from taking part in this divinely inspired exercise, then sit in the presence of Mary and say the Our Father instead. And if the Hail, Holy Queen, which ends the Rosary cycle, is also not to your liking, then recite the Jesus Prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me.”

Posted under Tours

This post was written by admin on November 3, 2008

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Blogging, the series: Kathy Carlton Willis

Today, please welcome Kathy Carlton Willis of Kathy Carlton Willis Communications. As a publicist, Kathy is sharing with us some of her expertise in blogging and blog tours.

How do blogging and/or blog tours fit into an author’s overall marketing plan?
+ Blogging by the author helps set them up as an expert on certain subjects-each blog should fit a niche. It develops a readership and a platform. It also allows the author to network with other bloggers and trade services such as blog tours.

+ Blog tours fit into the marketing plan because they develop a grassroots level exposure to the book, creating buzz thanks to the oldest PR method on the planet, “word of mouth.” Other bloggers will reach readers the author couldn’t reach any other way.

Do you require or encourage authors to participate in blog tours to promote their books? Why or why not?
I do not require it, but I recommend it very highly. I offer it in most of my PR campaign packages because I believe it is a great way to get the word out about their books. Some choose not to take me up on this offer, but most are excited to utilize this method of exposure.

What type of blog tour do you suggest and why? (e.g. a short, blitz-type tour mimicking more of an online press release; a longer, multi-stop tour mimicking a physical book tour; or other structure.)
Normally I use an e-blast that has the press release of the book, including the author bio, the photo of the book cover, photo of the author, and a Q & A style interview with the author. Then, there are times that we add one more element that is customized to fit the theme of the book. We also offer contest giveaways.

What should be the goals of a blog tour and how do you track whether or not a blog tour is successful?
I wish I could track SALES, thanks to blog tours, but I’ve never figured out a way to do that! So, we just look at the readership for each blog and the comments listed from their readers. When I have a high number of bloggers who agree to participate in the tour, it seems more successful than those when I have less volunteers. My goal is to use the blog tour method to create additional exposure for the book. I encourage blog tour hosts to write their mailing lists to let them know the blog tour has posted. This is just one more way to increase traffic.

What does a blog tour accomplish, if anything? What data or analysis has led you to believe that?
I have no data or analysis, but I do know that word-of-mouth is still one of the best ways to create interest in the book. Many consumers need to hear or read about a book multiple times before they ever consider purchasing it-so this helps to increase the number of times consumers hear about the book. It also helps create an appetite for the book-especially when the blog tour host offers to add a book review to the tour. And as a bonus, they also post the review to amazon.com and other online bookstores. So, I’m getting additional book reviewers in the process.

What do you think are the big mistakes writers make when blogging for promotion?
They don’t blog consistently enough to develop a following.
They don’t blog on topic, losing some readers along the way who just want to read about their niche.
They aren’t relatable to the readers-who are looking for a level of transparency and genuineness from the author in order to relate to them in some way.

Do you think the benefits to an author’s writing career are worth the costs of blogging? Why or why not?
I do think it is beneficial because compared to running ads or other forms of marketing and PR, blog tours are relatively inexpensive to run (the cost of the blog tour coordinator, books to give away to the hosts, books or other items to give away in contests, and shipping).

Any other additional thoughts on blogging and blog tours?
I would highly recommend authors be willing to post blog tours for other authors on their sites, to develop a network so that when their own books are ready to go on tour, they already have a long list of blog tour hosts ready and willing to return the favor.

Thanks so much for being a part of our series, Kathy!

To read the other interviews in this series, click here.

You can read the summary posts and discussion of what I’ve learned through these interviews over on my personal blog, click here.

Posted under consulting, interview, lessons learned, marketing

This post was written by admin on April 24, 2008

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Blogging, the series: Kelly Blewett and Liz Johnson

Kelly Blewett (WaterBrook Press) and Liz Johnson (Multnomah Books) graciously agreed to participate in my interview series. You can check out their publicity efforts on their blog WaterBrook Multnomah Publicity.

How do blogging and/or blog tours fit into an author’s overall marketing plan?
The obvious answer is that it depends a great deal on the book and the author. For fiction titles, especially new authors, blogging and blog campaigns are an integral part of the campaign. For authors working to establish themselves in a genre or the CBA market, blogging is an excellent grass roots way to create a buzz about their book. Personal blogging can also tie in with other publicity and marketing efforts. For example, if an author has a booksigning or interview coming up, he or she can blog about it before and after the event, adding excitement for those reading the blog and those able to participate in the event. For nonfiction authors or more established fiction authors with a strong platform, personal blogging is important so that fans can keep up. Fans like to feel involved and connected to favorite authors and reading an author’s blog can be like reading an interview with them everyday.

Do you require or encourage authors to participate in blog tours to promote their books? Why or why not?
We always encourage our authors to participate in the blog tours, leaving comments and reading posts. It’s a great way for the author to see how his or her book is affecting the reader. As we mentioned before, it’s also a great way for the blogger, maybe a new fan, to feel connected to and appreciated by the author.

What type of blog tour do you suggest and why? (e.g. a short, blitz-type tour mimicking more of an online press release; a longer, multi-stop tour mimicking a physical book tour; or other structure.)
At WaterBrook Multnomah, we’ve modeled our blog campaigns similarly to groups like the CFBA—offering a short, blitz-type tour. Ours are usually 4 to 5 days long. From our experience this can have great results in increased sales and better Amazon.com ranking numbers, giving the book more credibility on certain sales sites. For example Jeffrey Overstreet, author of Auralia’s Colors noticed more Amazon activity during his 5-day blog tour than he did over 25 radio interviews. Often repeated words and phrases in a blog tour can also affect Search Engine Optimization, which is key to hitting the first page on Google or Yahoo.
We haven’t tried the more extended blog tours, although several of our authors enjoy running those and feel that they get good results from month-long, or longer, campaigns. Logistically, our publicity department is better able to serve our bloggers and our authors by running the shorter campaigns.

What should be the goals of a blog tour and how do you track whether or not a blog tour is successful?
The goal of a blog campaign should be to increase the awareness that leads to sales of the book that is being toured. There are several ways to measure awareness, including Technorati.com, which offers graphs and numbers of mentions of a specific word or phrase over a given time period. This is a good indicator of awareness—who’s blogging about the book. Sales departments can often offer information about sales by month or week. We noticed specifically an increase in the number of books purchased by Amazon the month directly following a 2007 CFBA blog tour of Sally Stuart’s Christian Writer’s Market Guide. This told us that they had sold so many books that they needed to restock.

What does a blog tour accomplish, if anything? What data or analysis has led you to believe that?
As mentioned above, awareness and sales should be the accomplishment of a blog tour. We’ve seen increased awareness in every blog tour we’ve done and sales data has shown increased sales via online venues in many of our campaigns.

What do you think are the big mistakes writers make when blogging for promotion?
From a publicity standpoint, we’ve found that it can become easy for authors to think blogging is the only promotion they need to do. The truth is that it’s very important, but definitely not the only thing to focus on. As writers are given the chance for radio interviews, to write articles for other magazines, or other opportunities, we encourage them never to turn down an invitation—unless there are extenuating circumstances. Every publicity opportunity is important—you never know who will listen to or read something. Smaller media can lead to bigger media!

Do you think the benefits to an author’s writing career are worth the costs of blogging? Why or why not?
Usually the highest cost of blogging is time. Authors are usually on tight deadlines, so blogging can take away from precious writing and editing time. But within reason, it’s a wonderful thing. Each author needs to carefully examine his or her schedule and see how much time can be dedicated to blogging. But making that time is important for reaching new fans as well as keeping those who wait a year or sometimes more for the next book. Even if an author blogs just a couple times a week, fans will appreciate the time and the author gets the chance to begin building excitement over upcoming projects.

Any other additional thoughts on blogging and blog tours?
Thanks for the opportunity to share with you and your readers!

Thanks, Kelly and Liz!

To read the other interviews in this series, click here.

You can read the summary posts and discussion of what I’ve learned through these interviews over on my personal blog, click here.

Posted under consulting, interview, lessons learned, marketing

This post was written by admin on April 17, 2008

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Blogging, the series: Jeane Wynn

As we move into the next phase of interviews in this series, I’m excited to welcome Jeane Wynn of Wynn-Wynn Media. Jeane is a publicist (not to be confused with publisher), and I’m excited to share with you her perspective on blogging and blog tours.

How do blogging and/or blog tours fit into an author’s overall marketing plan?
Every type of media is essential to book promotion these days, from print to broadcast to online venues, especially blogs. Blogging is really just good, old fashioned grassroots word-of-mouth marketing. It enables us to get books directly in front of particular audiences who are smart, inquisitive, well-read, and amazingly discerning.

Do you require or encourage authors to participate in blog tours to promote their books? Why or why not?
Yes, we certainly encourage author to participate in blog tours. Though we have never had an author refuse, we have had authors who might not have initially grasped the enormous potential and the positive impact a blog tour can have. In those cases, we are able to cite specific examples of blog tour successes and once they have a full understanding of the importance of blogs, there is genuine enthusiasm for blog tours.

If yes to the above question, what type of blog tour do you suggest and why? (e.g. a short, blitz-type tour mimicking more of an online press release; a longer, multi-stop tour mimicking a physical book tour; or other structure.)
We have done both types of blog tours and had successes with them, but we really prefer the short blitz-type tours done in conduction with the books’ release.

What should be the goals of a blog tour and how do you track whether or not a blog tour is successful?
Our goal for a blog tour is to provide opportunities for blog owners—who are increasingly becoming experts in certain niches and specialties—to have an opportunity to be among those who shape opinion and have a say as to the quality of what is being published. As the popularity of blogs increases, amazing regular people are able to build and grow audiences who come to trust and respect their opinions. So, in addition to the many traditional media members who get to express their opinions and exercise their influence, we are thrilled that many of those in the new media are also able to do the same. The general goal of all publicity campaigns is to increase exposure of the author and their title. That goal can be, and in fact is, furthered by the number of—and quality of—the blogs that cover an author and their works. We represent the best authors working today, so we know that when we get their material in front of bloggers, the results will be positive.

What does a blog tour accomplish, if anything? What data or analysis has led you to believe that?
Blog tours are the modern-day word-of-mouth promotion. It’s really that simple. For years, Ron Popeil has offered discounts on his products if buyers would just tell their friends about his products. He did that (and became a millionaire) because he knows that we are more likely to trust our friends’ and family members’ opinions than we are slick advertising and high-priced spin. Likewise, blogs are online communities whose readers are invested in the opinions of the blog authors. They may not agree with everything the blog owner posts, but they come to know them, trust them, and respect their opinions. And, though it can be hard to pin down hard and fast numbers, especially in an area that is truly still emerging, we are able to come up with approximate numbers regarding blog tour successes, and we’re very happy with them. All buzz is good buzz, and blogs definitely produce a buzz.

What do you think are the big mistakes writers make when blogging for promotion?
Authors’, and indeed all bloggers’, biggest mistakes are usually that they do not post often enough. Authors should blog about their books, release dates, reviews, and anything else that pertains to the book. Authors need to make sure they schedule time to post several times a week, especially as their release date approaches.

Do you think the benefits to an author’s writing career are worth the costs of blogging? Why or why not?
They definitely are. Just think about it; as far as reader care goes, an author can’t ask for a better opportunity than having their readers come to them. For years (not that long ago), to have the kind of contact authors are now able to have relatively cheaply via a blog, one would have to invest great sums of money in mailing lists and direct mail campaigns. Some of the most affordable aids to success are often overlooked because they are so simple. We encourage authors to take advantage of the huge opportunities they have in blogging because it enables an author to connect with their readers and peers with immediacy. That said, there are times—when a writer is on a tight deadline, for example—that it is certainly okay to slow blog posts, though they should not be abandoned altogether. The ability to connect with readers and to have a reader to be able to see what is happening with their favorite author is truly invaluable.

Any other additional thoughts on blogging and blog tours?
If an author is hesitant to blog because he or she doesn’t want to share personal information, they shouldn’t hestitate because blogging does not have to be about personal things as much as it is about connecting with readers who want to see into the lives of writers they admire. Who among us hasn’t thought how thrilling it would be to sit near a fire in a cozy British pub discussing Narnia or Screwtape with Mr. Lewis himself? No one would think of asking him about the mundane personal duties of his day, but most would love to get a glimpse inside the brilliant mind. Blogging is one of the best modern equivalents of that fireside conversation, wherein readers are privy to immediate information that isn’t the “official” marketing or catalog copy, press release, or standardized meta data. Blogs are the perfect place for writers to write and share just for the sake of connecting, and that’s why they are worth an author’s time and efforts.

Thanks, Jeane! Hopefully Jeane’s new website will be up and running soon. Bookmark it and check back.

To read the other interviews in this series, click here.

You can read the summary posts and discussion of what I’ve learned through these interviews over on my personal blog, click here.

Posted under consulting, interview, lessons learned, marketing

This post was written by admin on March 10, 2008

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Blogging, the series: Marcus Goodyear

Marcus is another friend I met through blogging. He did a series on what worked and didn’t during a blog tour, so when I was asked to coordinate Mary’s tour, I immediately contacted Marcus to gain some insight. We’ve been friends ever since. I appreciate Marcus’s desire to give back to the writing community and the fact that he’s just an all-around great guy. I encourage you to get to know him!

1. How long have you been blogging and why did you start?
I’ve been blogging at GoodWordEditing.com since December 2006. Before that I had a blog called HillCountryWriter.blogspot.com, from September 2005 to December 2006. Before that, I had a LiveJournal account, though I don’t even remember the name of it. I blogged on LiveJournal in 2003 and 2004 before I left teaching. I didn’t even know to call it blogging at the time.

2. What are three (or less) keys to your success in promoting your books through blogging?
Blogging is just an easy vehicle for participating in viral, word of mouth marketing. In order for that to work well, Andy Sernovitz says you need 1) something people want to talk about, and 2) an easy way to share it.

So blogs (as a tool) and blog tours (as a strategy) are the easy way to share. But they don’t give you anything interesting to say necessarily. You must have something interesting to share.

Some people like to say the medium is the message, and that’s true to a point. But that doesn’t mean you can expect the medium to perform without any message at all. You must have something interesting to share. You must.

3. What do you think are the Big Mistakes writers make when blogging for promotion?
They don’t comment on other blogs enough. They don’t link to other blogs enough. They expect the community to come to their site like they would go to a book store. And that doesn’t work.

You want to know a blogger who does this well? L. L. Barkat. Her comments are EVERYWHERE. Mary DeMuth and Camy Tang are really good at it too.

And I am always surprised at the authors who go on tour, and then never leave comments at the blogs of the people who are promoting them! These authors are telling bloggers that they don’t care about what we say. Probably, they just don’t fully understand social media. It’s social. You comment. You respond. You engage. You discuss.

When authors stay out of the discussion, it feels weird at best.

4. What should be the goals of a blog tour and how do you track whether or not a blog tour is successful?
Become a real person to readers and bloggers. When bloggers know you, they want to buy your books. When blog readers know you, they want to buy your books. They can get to know you through your comments, posts, interviews, etc. on a blog tour.

You can also think the direct marketing route of building email lists and recruiting RSS subscribers. If you are dedicated to providing information through those routes–like Randy Ingermanson has proven to be–that can be really successful.

Thank you so much, Marcus! Great insight here.

Be sure to go explore Marcus’s blog. He has a ton of great resources on there!

To read the other interviews in this series, click here.

You can read the summary posts and discussion of what I’ve learned through these interviews over on my personal blog, click here.

Posted under consulting, interview, lessons learned, marketing

This post was written by admin on March 6, 2008

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Blogging, the series: LL Barkat

LL Barkat is one of those friends whom I met exclusively through blogging. We’ve never met in person, although I do look forward to the day that I can sit down with her and a cup of her homemade tea. I was originally attracted to LL’s blog because she can take everyday experiences and draw out a spiritual truth. I also appreciate her commitment to building community and “spurring each other on toward love and good deeds.” I love her perspective on blogging.

1. How long have you been blogging and why did you start?

18 fascinating months. As to why I started, can I quote my own blog post?

Here’s what I said in part:

“Over a year ago, I heard Andy Crouch’s public declaration: ‘Blogging is a waste of time.’

His declaration coincided neatly with a bit of advice I received from a Simon & Schuster Director of Marketing and Promotion. ‘You should start a blog,’ she said. ‘We ask all our authors to start blogs.’

The S&S person’s enthusiasm tempted me to begin blogging post-haste. But I admit it was the nonconformist in me that provided hidden energy. I wanted to confront Andy’s bald-faced statement. I wanted to become a blog scientist of sorts, to test out the veracity of his assertion.”

2. How do blogging and/or blog tours fit into your overall marketing plan?
Can I be honest? Many blog tours bother me. When I’m blogging and I come across them, I tune out. Worse, I often have this odd sensation that it’s not for real. I feel like it’s a “rigged” effort and I’d rather come across posts from people who just blogged about a book because they really loved it. Bottom line: blog tours tend to lower my respect for the book being highlighted.

One exception is the Sci-Fi tours I often come across when I visit my colleague Mark Goodyear’s blog. Maybe these tours don’t bother me because I feel like they are a club kind of thing. Sci-Fi people talking to sci-fi people. I never read the full posts, but I always comment on something in them, because I respect Mark and support his efforts regardless of whether these fit with my own interests.

As for how blogging fits with my marketing plan, I feel that an author must respect the medium. It’s a social affair. I show up week after week and if people like me and my work, then they do. If not, well, I can’t force it.

If people are attracted to my writing, this may ultimately turn into book sales, but my experience has been that blogging is more likely to create unexpected and important connections. Would I, for instance, have met Scot McKnight if not for blogging? And would he have given my book such a strong endorsement? I doubt it. Yet even with that, it is not something I could have “planned”. We happened to meet, to genuinely like each other’s work, and so it went.

Beyond this, I think blogging is part of marketing at a much different level. It’s not about me selling to people. But I do learn what sells, what interests others. And this is the early part of marketing . . . finding ideas that the marketplace has a positive response to. In fact, my latest book idea, which you can see here: God in the Yard came from this kind of “market research”. But of course that’s almost a ridiculous thing to say. I never set out to test the idea. Rather, it was an organic occurrence. I did a series of posts on Wendell Berry and living small and focused, and people showed a deep interest. Bing. I realized there was something deeper that just might be worth exploring in a longer work.

3. What are three (or less) keys to your success in promoting your books through blogging?
It remains to be seen whether my book will be a success due to blogging. In fact, I expect blogging will only be an enhancement to what my publisher is doing. I’m happy to be with InterVarsity Press because they have reach into established groups, and I think this will be the main cause of my book’s success.

4. What do you think are the Big Mistakes writers make when blogging for promotion?
Self, self, self. Bloggers generally want authentic connection, so the promotion of self is inappropriate to the medium. That doesn’t mean that a writer can’t talk about his life work and books. I do. But it’s just a small part of what I discuss. My larger focus is on other people, their cares, sorrows, dreams and struggles. As I’ve said elsewhere, I write to love. It’s really hard to do that and always be talking about one’s self.

5. What does a blog tour accomplish, if anything? What data or analysis has led you to believe that?
For this, you must go to my Mount Hermon co-presenter Mark Goodyear. He’s the stat man. And as I recall the stats weren’t so great. On the other hand, he and I have discussed the success of a book that tipped to best-seller status as a result of about 300 blogger’s efforts. This is mentioned in the book The New Rules of Marketing & PR.

That said, I don’t think the bloggers that New Rules mentions participated in a tour. They received books and maybe they blogged about them and maybe they didn’t. The effort had, I believe, a more natural feel to it from the user side.

6. What should be the goals of a blog tour and how do you track whether or not a blog tour is successful?
Hmmm…. As you can probably tell, I don’t have plans to do a blog tour. It would be a compromise for me to do so. That doesn’t mean I won’t engage my blogging community in ways they find affirming. For instance, you can take a look at my two book club efforts to see how I plan to serve my readers in what may be understood as a reciprocal relationship.

This site is mostly for readers who just want to say something about their experience with the book: Stone Crossings Book Club Blog.

And this site is for readers who really want to go deeper, approximating a true book club experience where people can hear and see each other and participate creatively: Stone Crossings Book Club Wiki.

For someone who chooses to do a blog tour, I would simply suggest considering different forms than what’s been classically done. So. If blog tour participants are enabled to engage creatively and they actually achieve this, then I believe that’s a measure of true success, because it will buffer some of the “rigged” feeling that’s problematic.

7. Any other additional thoughts on blogging and blog tours?
Just to encourage people to respect the medium. As I said before, this is a social medium. It’s important not to be anti-social at this great blog party we’re privileged to attend. To paraphrase a famous bible guy, “Let everything you do be guided by love.” Even blogging for promotion.

Be sure to stop over at LL’s blog and witness community in action.

To read the other interviews in this series, click here.

You can read the summary posts and discussion of what I’ve learned through these interviews over on my personal blog, click here.

Posted under consulting, interview, lessons learned, marketing

This post was written by admin on February 28, 2008

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Blogging, the series: Dillon Burroughs

To be honest, I don’t know Dillon Burroughs personally. He heard about the series I’m posting from his publicist and kindly offered to participate. Immediately, I appreciated his willingness to share his experience and insight. A quick perusal of his website reveals an impressive resume. Also, in this interview Dillon offers an additional perspective on using Facebook which I think you will find helpful.

1. How long have you been blogging and why did you start?
Four years. I’ve been horrible about starting a blog on a topic or book and then ending it to start a new one. However, blogs are not a diary for me. They serve a specific purpose and I kill them off as soon as that purpose is completed.

2. How do blogging and/or blog tours fit into your overall marketing plan?
Blogs currently play a secondary role. Speaking and direct, face to face contact is still the most effective form of communication, but online communications are right in there at number two for getting the word out.

3. What are three (or less) keys to your success in promoting your books through blogging?
1. Personal: I switched to Facebook almost exclusively at one point because I knew every note would be seen and likely read by the 350 people on my list. It’s only 350 people, but they are people who know me and will spread the word to others.

2. Accurate: Accuracy still counts. If I misquote a person, link, or key fact, there could be big problems…like people not being able to find my book.

4. Why do you focus on Facebook and how effective it is in meeting your goals?
Word of mouth is still the best form of advertising. I work on building friends, not sales. Then I post the latest info just for my friends (359 as of today) who pass along via facebook and word of mouth what they think is worth sharing. This results in reaching thousands of people every time I send a note about a radio interview I’ve done or a newspaper that has featured my book. Word gets around without me even leaving the office.

The other factors are that I am trying to focus on a younger audience, most of whom are on facebook, and the fact that facebook is simple to use. Myspace and blogs are great, but at one point I have five different blogs to keep up. Now I have facebook and I copy and past blogs occasionally to my account at myspace. This has been the best combination to date on keeping it simple and spreading the news to the most people in my target audience.

5. What do you think are the Big Mistakes writers make when blogging for promotion?
They write for people who will never read their blogs. Blogs are most effective for people already connected with you, not strangers. They’ll just look at your bio or watch a video clip for ten seconds and decide based on that.

Dead blogs are also bad. I had to put a note on my Amazon blog telling people I had quit using it, so my friends wouldn’t ask when I was going to update it. If your blog hasn’t been updated at least within the past two weeks, shut it down or update it. Blogs work because they are personal and instant.

6. What does a blog tour accomplish, if anything? What data or analysis has led you to believe that?
I’ve never done a blog tour. Again, I blog to get the word out to my existing contacts so my friends will tell others.

7. What should be the goals of a blog tour and how do you track whether or not a blog tour is successful?
Exposure and book sales. If these cannot be measured based on a blog tour, why do it?

8. Any other additional thoughts on blogging and blog tours?
Blogging is great, but you have to be aware that what you write is there for good. Don’t make comments about your boss or mother-in-law unless you can handle seeing it ten years from now.

Thanks for sharing with us, Dillon.

Please be sure to check out Dillon’s website, as well as his work at the Ankerberg Theological Research Institute.

To read the other interviews in this series, click here.

You can read the summary posts and discussion of what I’ve learned through these interviews over on my personal blog, click here.

Posted under consulting, interview, lessons learned, marketing

This post was written by admin on February 28, 2008

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Blogging, the series: Camy Tang

I met Camy last year at Mount Hermon through some mutual friends, but we unfortunately did not have much time to get to know each other. I do remember always seeing a smile on her face or catching her laughing, though! Camy’s energy and passion are evident even through her blog, and I admire and appreciate her desire to help other writers.

1. How long have you been blogging and why did you start?
I originally started blogging because I like to talk! LOL Seriously, I love journaling and writing and the idea of my stuff out there on the world wide web. But a year or so into blogging, I realized how great a marketing tool a blog can be if done correctly. I took a few workshops and talked with professional blogger friends and started targeting my blog toward my marketing “brand” and my reader demographic. Now, I blog about fun, funny stuff and Asiana, which fit with my tagline of “Romance with a kick of wasabi.”

2. How do blogging and/or blog tours fit into your overall marketing plan?
I blog 5 days a week, and I draw readers to my blog with both fun content and Christian fiction giveaways. People are usually drawn to my blog because of the book giveaways, but most keep coming back because they like my posts, which I try to make entertaining and targeted at my reader demographic. I’m hoping my blog readers will go out and buy my book and tell other people about it.

I did a very successful blog tour last September for my debut novel, Sushi for One, and I’m about to launch another one in March for my second novel, Only Uni. I like to have original content on each blog so there’s something interesting for people to read at each “stop” on the tour. Lots of new readers found out about my book and my blog through the blog tour. I like blog tours because they don’t really take that much time and it’s fun to interact with readers.

3. What are three (or less) keys to your success in promoting your books (or other products) through blogging?
1) Blog in your marketing brand. I blog about fun stuff–nothing serious–because my books are humorous women’s fiction and romance novels, not deep literary fiction books. I also blog about Asiana, since my novels all have at least one Asian American character. I think this is key for people who use blogging for promotion.

2) Blog consistently. It’s best to blog at least 5 days a week, but some people blog 3 days a week and their blogs do well, also. Some people are frightened away by that kind of time commitment, but I have two tricks I use: (a) Each post is only 250-400 words max–any longer, and readers’ eyes start to glaze over, and (b) I take one day a week and do all my blogging for the entire week. It’s the most efficient use of my time, because I can crank out 5 short blog posts in a couple hours, max.

Have fun doing it. I always tell people that if they try blogging and don’t like it, then don’t do it. People can tell if you’re not enjoying blogging, and a bad blog is worse than no blog at all.

4. What do you think are the Big Mistakes writers make when blogging for promotion?
By thinking that a blog is ALL ABOUT THE BLOGGER. It’s not. Really, it’s all about your blog reader. I focus my posts on my readers and encourage interaction. Of course, I talk about things that happen to me, but I always try to have something for the reader–something funny, entertaining, informative, or a chance to respond. Randy Ingermanson has a good phrase he uses–”value added.” Your blog should have “value added” for your blog readers–something for them, a reason for them to visit your blog.

5. What does a blog tour accomplish, if anything? What data or analysis has led you to believe that?
My blog readers liked my last blog tour because the different stops enabled them to see different aspects of my books or my personality that interested them. I also gained a lot of publicity about my book, which I enhanced with a newsletter contest running concurrently with the blog tour. The blog tour got more people aware of me, my books, and my contest, which gave away an iPod Nano and lots of Christian fiction books. I had lots of people sign up for my newsletter as a result of the publicity about it from my blog tour.

I’m doing something similar in March–right now, I have a newsletter YahooGroup contest for huge boxes of Christian fiction books, and only newsletter subscribers can enter.

6. What should be the goals of a blog tour and how do you track whether or not a blog tour is successful?
For me personally, my blog tours are primarily to entertain. While I know the tour is publicizing my book and my contest, I mostly want to just entertain whoever’s reading. I think that when I go into the blog tour with that attitude, it makes for a funner tour. I also like giving away copies of my book during the blog tour, because who doesn’t like a free book? LOL.

Blog tour success is relative. I think a tour is successful if I have lots of people signing up for my newsletter or if I see a jump in my blog readership, but those are just numbers. I love it when people say, “I won a copy of your book from your blog tour and couldn’t put it down!”

7. What are the components of a successful blog tour?
I firmly believe that original content on each blog is really important. Otherwise, the blog tour just becomes a bunch of blogs posting the same piece of advertisement, and that’s not fun for a blog reader if they’re coming from your blog on the stops on your tour. You don’t need to write a book–short guest blog posts or a limit of 5 interview questions is usually good, in my opinion. Also, original content allows the blogger hosting you to insert their own blog’s marketing brand in the questions they ask you or the topic of your guest blog post. A tour with original content generates excitement about each stop on the tour from blog readers, and that’s always key.

8. Any other additional thoughts on blogging and blog tours?
Even though I like blog tours, I don’t think authors or anyone else promoting something on a tour should feel that they HAVE to do it. Same thing with blogging–people don’t HAVE to blog in order to market. Lots of people will disagree with me. However, I firmly believe that a bad blog is worse than no blog. People can choose what to read on the web, and why would they choose to read your blog or your books if they don’t like your blog content?

Thanks for having me here!

Thank YOU for being here, Camy! I appreciate all of your insight.

Be sure to check out Camy’s blog. In addition to great content, helpful reviews, and insightful interviews, she also runs a ton of give-aways!

To read the other interviews in this series, click here.

You can read the summary posts and discussion of what I’ve learned through these interviews over on my personal blog, click here.

Posted under consulting, interview, lessons learned, marketing

This post was written by admin on February 27, 2008

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Blogging, the series: Mary DeMuth

I met Mary a few years ago at Mount Hermon Christian Writer’s Conference, and I am so thankful that she has become a dear friend since then. Mary is the reason I ventured into blog tours since she asked me to coordinate her tour for her book, Authentic Parenting. Mary is diligent and tenacious in her marketing efforts, and I admire how much she gives back to the writing community. I know you’ll enjoy her thoughts today.

1. How long have you been blogging and why did you start?
Three and a half years. I started to keep our prayer/financial supporters updated on our missionary journey as church planters to France.

2. How do blogging and/or blog tours fit into your overall marketing plan?
I will always do a blog tour for every book release.

3. What are three (or less) keys to your success in promoting your books (or other products) through blogging?
Give away free books. Developing ancillary products that I advertise on my blog. (For instance, 150 Conversation Starters. They also tie into Authentic Parenting).

4. What do you think are the Big Mistakes writers make when blogging for promotion?
Thinking it will make for big exposure and sales. It’s more micro than that. It’s said that a customer needs five touches to make a purchase. Blogging or blog tours is simply one touch.

5. What does a blog tour accomplish, if anything? What data or analysis has led you to believe that?
See this article.

6. What should be the goals of a blog tour and how do you track whether or not a blog tour is successful?
You have to tie it into actual sales. The only way to do that is to sell actual books on your blog or website. Then you can track them. Amazon numbers are fickle and do not necessarily give you the hard data you need.

7. What are the components of a successful blog tour?
Check out this article.
8. Any other additional thoughts on blogging and blog tours?
Do not send out the same content to fifty blogs. Totally boring. Do exclusive interviews or write fresh articles.

Thanks for sharing your insight, Mary!

Mary has two great blogs you will want to check out: Her personal blog, Relevant Blog and her blog for writers, So You Wanna Be Published.

To read the other interviews in this series, click here.

You can read the summary posts and discussion of what I’ve learned through these interviews over on my personal blog, click here.

Posted under consulting, interview, lessons learned, marketing

This post was written by admin on February 26, 2008

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