MY BOOK MARKETING COACH IS SOMEONE I HAVE KNOWN FOR A VERY LONG TIME, AND HE WAS ONCE PART OF A BIG COMPANY THAT PRESENTS FAMOUS AUTHORS AND THEIR BOOKS TO THE WORLD. WE WORKED TOGETHER ON VOLUMES II AND III OF MYSTIC ADVENTURES IN BIG SUR, AND HE TAUGHT ME A LOT ABOUT HOW TO PRESENT THE “REAL FACTS”. IN THE PR WORLD, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT YOUR AUDIENCE NEEDS TO KNOW IN ORDER TO BE INTERESTED. THEY PERK UP AND GO TO YOUR WEBSITE, CHECK BOOK DEALERS AND SITES, AND DIVE INTO YOUR WORK IMMEDIATELY. IF ITS GOOD ENOUGH, THEY JUMP TO THE NEXT ONE, AND SO ON. 

AS YOU KNOW, I HAVE WRITTEN AND PUBLISHED SIX BOOKS SO FAR, THE FIRST BEING SENSUAL INDIGO. I HAD GREAT SUCCESS WITH THIS SELF-PUBLISHED COLLECTION OF POEMS, PRAYERS AND PARABLES, AND WORKED LIKE A DOG TO PROMOTE IT. I DIDN’T HAVE A LOT OF CASH BUT I HAD A LOT OF FRIENDS AND KNEW SOME VIPS FROM MY DAY JOB. I ORDERED ONE THOUSAND OF THOSE BOOKS AND LEARNED HOW MANY THAT WAS IN THE YEARS TO COME. LUCKILY, MY BOOK PRODUCER HAD THEM WRAPPED IN CELOPHANE AND THEY REMAIN IN BOXES TO THIS DAY. EACH ONE COMES OUT IN PERFECT CONDITION. 

I WASN’T REALLY SURE ABOUT THE NEXT STEPS FOR A FEW YEARS, UNTIL I BECAME ENCHANTED BY BIG SUR AND OBSESSED WITH THE WILD SET OF  CHARACTERS WHO LIVED THERE IN MY MIND. ONE DAY, I SAT DOWN AT MY WORK COMPUTER WHILE ALL THE GUYS WERE AT LUNCH AND WROTE THE FIRST PAGE OF JASMINE DOGS. IT JUST ROLLED INTO MY HEAD AND ONTO THE SCREEN. ONCE AGAIN, I PUBLISHED THE BOOK RIGHT AWAY, AND URGED ON BY MY FRIEND AND BOOK AGENT, CONTINUED. THE DOGS WERE A HUGE SUCCESS AND I ADDED MUSIC WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY A LEGENDARY LOCAL ARTIST. THIS TIME THERE WERE HOUSE PARTIES, AND BOOK SHOWS AND MORE SUCCESS. I WAS OBSESSED. SOON THE SECOND BOOK IN THE SERIES BECAME JADE BEACH, WHICH WE SPLIT IN HALF BECAUSE I KEPT ON TELLING THE STORY. VOLUME II AND III BECAME THE STARS OF A LIVE SHOW WITH A WHOLE SEGMENT OF GREAT MUSIC, STARRING LOCAL MUSICIANS AND THE MAN WHO WROTE MY FIRST THEMES. THE SHOW WAS A BIG SUCCESS, IN A BEAUTIFUL MUSEUM IN MONTEREY, SURROUNDED BY THE HARBOR. WE PACKED THE THEATER!

I  TELL YOU ALL OF THIS BECAUSE THERE IS A MESSAGE, A VERY IMPORTANT ONE: DON’T EVER STOP PROMOTING YOUR BOOKS!!! EACH BOOK THAT FOLLOWED WAS BETTER AND MORE INTRIGUING, AND I GOT THE FEELING THEY WOULD SELL THEMSELVES. AFTER ALL, PEOPLE DON’T FORGET YOUOR DO THEY? THE LAST TWO BOOKS, BELINDA AND LILY-JADE ARE SENSATIONAL AND HAVE PERFORMED LESS WELL IN SALES, BECAUSE I HAVE NOT WORKED AS HARD ON PROMOTING THEM…. AND I WILL TELL YOU MORE NEXT TIME, SO STAY TUNED YOU AVID READERS AND WRITERS: SUCCESS IS ON THE WAY:DESPITE COVID, DESPITE POVERTY, DESPITE LIFE RUNNING WILD, YOU GOTTA KEEP ROLLING IN  THE PROMOTION!!

 

STAY WITH ME, AND HANG IN THERE… WE’VE GOT A MOVIE COMING!

LOTS OF LOVE,

JW!