He lives at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in
Colorado.
His latest book is the
thriller/international/action novel, Dark
Spiral Down.
Website: www.mikehoutz.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelhoutz
After your book was released, what was the first thing you
did when getting ready for your book launch?
Quite frankly, I started two months in advance. I was a brand-new author, no platform, no visibility in the marketplace, and I had no clue what worked and what didn’t. I didn’t want to wait until the day it hit the market to start my effort. I spent a lot of time planning on what I ‘thought’ I needed for a successful launch. I wrote out a marketing plan and created action items based on goals. That cost me a chunk of writing time, but debuting requires a significant up-front effort so that you can actually have a second opportunity for launch of Book #2. If you don’t get it right on #1, there might not be a second chance. As it turned out, the day of the mass release, I spent the entire time responding to social media, checking in with my editor and publisher, tracking sales, and doing some other odd business things. I’d done the heavy lifting before then and watched my baby take its first steps. A lot less stress than if I’d waited, and a great deal more enjoyment on what was a really happy occasion.
After that, what was your next step?
Did you do anything different to spice up your website in
lieu of your upcoming book release?
I was very fortunate for some amazing reviews and made those an important part of my personal page. I added the prerelease sales links to Amazon as well. Show them why they should buy your work then make that as easy as possible.
Did you ever consider using a PR agency to help you promote
your book or did you prefer the DIY route?
I did hire a social media PR firm. I’m a middle-aged guy with no experience. I fully understood I needed to work as if no one was helping me, and I did do that. Part of my hiring help was so I could learn from their effort. I looked at this as an investment in my education of that process. But, no one has your own best interest more than you do. Don’t expect to shell out some cash and think you can lean back in your chair. That doesn’t work—not at all. No matter the level you invest in PR, always work as if no one is doing a thing for you. Some of my most important PR came from my own efforts.
I did hire a social media PR firm. I’m a middle-aged guy with no experience. I fully understood I needed to work as if no one was helping me, and I did do that. Part of my hiring help was so I could learn from their effort. I looked at this as an investment in my education of that process. But, no one has your own best interest more than you do. Don’t expect to shell out some cash and think you can lean back in your chair. That doesn’t work—not at all. No matter the level you invest in PR, always work as if no one is doing a thing for you. Some of my most important PR came from my own efforts.
Were finding reviews a top priority for you and, if yes, how
did you approach that?
Other than my winning an award for the manuscript, I knew reviews would be one of the most critical pieces to make this a success. Having others in the industry put their own reputations on the line by recommending my book was something I worked very hard for in the months before the launch. I think it’s really important to know who drives reviews and book sales in your genre. Twitter will show you just by the number of responses to reviews you might read. The most influential usually has a higher response rate with big names tagging on the posts. Reviews are, in my opinion, one of the most critical pieces to marketing your work.
What are your views on social media for marketing your book?
I’m still figuring that out. Twitter was my earliest form of getting the word out—particularly as I formed relationships with other writers and industry folks. Facebook is good for people you already know or have access to through mutual relationships. For me, both worked equally for different reasons. I’m not as good with Instagram. I’m sure I could do better there, but my instinct tells me the first two are better for my genre (and probably my age).
After saying Twitter and FB are equally successful, with a gun to my head, I will say Twitter was better for making connections in the industry and FB has been better for sales.
Did you revamp your author’s page at Amazon in any way to
prepare for the launch (https://authorcentral.amazon.com/)?
I didn’t
have any revamp as this was my very first effort. I went about author central
as I did with my personal website. There’s no gotchas about filling it out. The
header questions are all right in front of you. Don’t skip over anything and
don’t rush your answers. Think them through like you did with your book’s
storyline. What potential readers see in your responses is a what they believe
they’ll see in your book. This is a great opportunity to paint a picture of who
you are. A crappy job there will mean a junk book to visitors.
Did you set up book signings and, if so, how did that work
for you?
I have several pending, including as a debut author at the International Thriller Writers conference in NY this summer. I’ll be fan crushing the big names alongside me. I’ll probably have zero luck surrounded by all the NYT Bestsellers, but I doubt I’ll care if I don’t sign any. That should be a best day ever.
Did you create a book trailer?
I have the
entire sequence in my head. I have not yet, but it’s a big To-Do on my list.
Any tips for those authors wanting to set up a successful
book launch?
As I
mentioned, work as if no one is helping you—even if you hire someone.
Don’t wait until your release day to get to work. The more
you accomplish ahead of time, the more fun you’ll have when your baby is
released into the wild. At a minimum, 60 days before release and sooner if you
are able. Guest blogs, online interviews, and especially reviews should be your
primary efforts for a great launch.
I discovered there is no magic formula for launches. It’s simply grinding away spending more time than you thought you needed.
Write your plan down. It’s a proven fact that a goal written is many times of magnitude more likely to succeed if it’s in ink.
Your book is only one facet of a writing career. The business side, as unsatisfying as it might be for many of you, can make or break a long-term business plan. If you have to, fake it before you make it. You have to get used to the fact writing is a business like any other industry.
COLE HAUFNER is a reluctant superstar in the
professional mixed martial arts world. After his latest fight, his wife and
child perish in a car crash. His grief deepens when his brother, BUTCH, a Delta
Force operator, is absent from the funeral and reported missing by two furtive
strangers who show up unannounced at the burial. Despairing, and acting on a
tip, Cole travels to his childhood home in southeast China, looking for his
brother.
Butch and his teammate, HAMMER, are the
sole American survivors of a gun battle between their unit and North Korean
commandos, both sides fighting over possession of a stolen suitcase containing
a miniaturized fusion device that could either provide unlimited clean energy
or be converted to an undetectable bomb seven times more powerful than a
nuclear explosion. Leading the North Koreans is the sociopath, Commander PARK.
Pressed into helping the Koreans is a disgraced former CIA operative, BARRETT
JENNINGS.
Cole meets with the uncle who raised him,
MASTER LI, and is warned to stop his search for Butch. Barrett discovers Cole’s
identity (with the help of a genius computer hacker, LILLY), which opens a
twenty-year-old wound when Barrett was blamed for the disappearance of Cole’s
father, along with the man’s invention. Barrett enlists the 14K organized crime
syndicate to help capture Cole. Hammer, separated from Butch during the fight
for the device, thwarts the gang’s attempt to kidnap Cole, and the two then set
off to find Butch and the device. All parties converge on the city library
where Butch, now disguised as a monk, is attempting to communicate with the
Pentagon. Barrett and Park capture Butch, while the 14K gang nabs Cole.
Danger mounts as Chinese authorities begin
investigating foul play within their borders. Cole fights his way free of the
gang and reunites with Hammer. Both men
find Barrett’s apartment and discover Lilly (the man’s stepdaughter), who
divulges Barrett’s identity and plan. Cole clashes with Hammer, who is willing
to sacrifice Butch in order to recover the fusion device. Lilly offers her help
in exchange for her and Barrett’s rescue from Park’s grip. Meanwhile, Barrett
discovers the true nature of the case the North Koreans are pursuing and,
sensing he and Lilly are to be assassinated by Park once he has the device,
frees Butch. Butch, trusting Barrett was sent to rescue him, leads the turncoat
to the site where he hid the device. Barrett, hoping to make a quick fortune
selling it, shoots Butch before escaping with the case.
Cole, along with Hammer and Lilly, arrives
at the location of Butch and finds him gravely wounded. Butch fingers Barrett
for shooting him and for stealing the case. Cole wants only to save his brother
but Butch makes him promise to kill Barrett and recover their dad’s invention.
The revelation that the device is his father’s scientific discovery propels
Cole forward to fulfill his brother’s mission. Cole is forced to abandon Butch
at a hospital. Cole pursues Barrett to a remote dock where the ex-CIA man is
planning to escape China by boat. With the Chinese military now actively
looking for Cole, Cole confronts Barrett and Park sparking a gunfight. Barrett
kills Park. As Barrett turns the gun on Cole, Hammer kills Barrett. Cole,
Hammer and Lilly escape via the boat, and the fusion device is safely returned.
Readers Love Michael Houtz!
“If
you’re in the market for a fast paced, action filled, page-turning thriller,
Mike Houtz delivers a must-read novel. I highly recommend this emotional
rollercoaster of a book for every die-hard thriller reader…Get it ASAP!”
~Lima
Charlie Review
~*~
“…this
work proves that author Houtz is undoubtedly a rising star in the publishing
world.”
~Andrea Brunais, Author
~*~
“Mike
Houtz takes us on fast-pace adventure in Dark
Spiral Down, a thrilling ride along
the border between China and North Korea, where Cole Haufner is in
pursuit of his Delta Force brother and a device that has the potential to
change the world forever or destroy it.”
~Dan Grant, Author
~*~
“Dark Spiral Down is a phenomenal debut
novel by Mike Houtz. This book has everything readers of the genre love: a
great plot, memorable characters, and a powerful voice. It’s a must-read!”
~Ammar Habib, Bestselling & Award-Winning Author, Editor-in-Chief of Thriller Magazine
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