Advice from the Trenches II

This just in from Quang X. Pham, author of A SENSE OF DUTY: My Father, My American Journey (Ballantine Books, 2005), who attended the same Book Promotion 101 session as Kathryn Jordan (see post below).

Quang X. Pham writes:

I went through a media training session with Kim-from-LA [she & colleague Bill Applebaum presented at the workshop] and that really helped with my appearances on NBC, Tavis Smiley Show on PBS, C-SPAN BookTV, NPR and many other regional radio and television interviews. Have energy, be passionate, lose the frog in your throat, don't blab forever...

My wife threw a launch party for 200 attendees (including media) on April 12, 2005, the day my father-son memoir went on sale. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

My first printing was 15,000 and the book went into a second printing six weeks after publication. My publicist sent galleys and books along with pitches. I sent out another 100 at my cost, resulting in a dozen reviews and interviews in niche publications and newsletters (and Amazon.com). After the first three weeks (unless you're James Frey), authors are on their own!

Niche venues, like Kathryn Jordan said, are much more productive than chain bookstores. Service organizations, friends of libraries and colleges worked the best for me. THEY HAVE BUILT-IN MAILING LISTS.