Day #16 - Bittersweet Final HW Post of BLB24 by Michael Fedor

BLB24 - I will just say at the start how much I have enjoyed the way in which we all made the final BLB end with a bang! Bingo! Cammeraderie. Faraday cages. The promise of Aftershows (please tell me that’s still on the radar @Thomas Umstattd Jr.). So it has been such a wonderful experience, it’s sad to feel like the special magic is coming to an end today with our graduation from the course. I know we will all display our rocket badges with pride and carry forward the lessons and fun through AuthorMedia.social as well as each of us becoming successful, published authors in our own ways. I’m trying to keep tabs on all the intentions to form cohorts of ongoing support and dialog, but I think I lost track along the way. If you are part of organizing those and you are reading this, please count me in. I’ll write your genre just so i can be in your incredible club of positivity and good will. For the record, I write thirllers, political thrillers, technology hard science fiction speculative novels set in the near future. I have plans for historical fiction and nonfiction over the next 10 years, but first things first. ;0)

And now, the Day 16 assignment….

1.     Author book signing at bookstores and libraries – I have done similar events for other purposes in the past and know that you have to build your own crowd in order to get others to want to take a chance on you. An author with no one at their table looks sad and desperate, but an author with people actually waiting in line for an inscription, (s)he has to be someone special. So for my first signing, I’m doing it in my own backyard where I know I can build a crowd for at least 1 hour of the two-hour event. This first event led to an independent bookstore asking about booking me to do a signing for their customers (another local connection). My next shot will be with three county library systems where I have relationships to see if I can get more signings or readings scheduled throughout the 30-day post-launch window.

2.     I was also thinking about doing a book trailer, but time will be my biggest challenge. When I made my Kickstarter video, the software AuthorMedia.com recommended was easy to use and helped me create a truly professional video in under four hours. While a book trailer is exciting to me, I am a little uncertain of its value in selling books without landing on enough eyes. I think I would have to contemplate some promoted posts and paid ads to really have the ad reach enough audiences that would make the juice worth the squeeze.

3.     My series absolutely has day-to-day news relevance during a presidential election year and the aftermath in November – January. Both major parties will host their national conventions During my launch window. For political junkies who are readers, my book might be an interesting piece of political theater while they are already hyped up and consuming endless news about the presidential race (VP pick, convention speeches, appearances, and the unforeseen drama). This year also includes a major third-party candidate (also like my book), so finding a way to contrast that aspect of the race with my book might provide me an opportunity for some attention.  While I am extremely unlikely to be picked up by major news outlets, local news outlets might do a 4-minute feature on a book about the presidential election, especially in swing states. I know I can land a segment on local news in my region as well as local talk radio. I am also targeting political and thriller podcasts as a potential place to be an expert commentator on a presidential race and the many “what ifs” that could unfold between now and Jan 20, 2025.

4.     My book is a little antagonistic to political party faithful, but may find resonance with readers who feel like “there is no good choice” in this election year or who wonder “where are the great leaders and where have they gone?” I am thinking creatively about how to spin this into a fun contest without getting too political. I do not want to be swept into a moment where I am encouraging the creation of Bull Moose Parties in states. I’m retired from politics, remember? I would be excited to see folks “self identifying” as a Moose symbolically in some way. To say there is resonance with the main character’s message in the book and if they had the chance, they are on #TeamPiper or would be a #bullmoosevoter. Perhaps having a Fourth of July competition to share patriotic displays with the book in the picture or video or their Bull Moose pride on display. I could send signed copies of the book to a random winner amongst all the entries or run it via kingsumo and give away a copy of the audiobook as well turning it into a sharing and spreading the word competition in addition to a “get excited as a reader” competition.