Book Launch Q&A: Gordon J. Campbell, Author THE COURIER #booklaunch @gcampbellgordon @pumpupyourbook

Gordon Campbell is a Winnipeg born Canadian who’s spent most of his life in Japan. He’s worked as an English teacher, a market entry consultant with a focus on the medical and sporting goods industries, and as a sales director for a corporation with multiple product lines.

He’s presently working on the second novel of a series initiated with The Courier, and its protagonist, Gregg Westwood.

Gordon leans on his experiences built around decades working and traveling in Asia. He’s trained at several karate dojos, run full marathons, and skied black diamond hills in the Japanese Alps.

He played American football at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and started in the Canadian championship game known as the Vanier Cup. Gordon is a member of Psi Upsilon Fraternity, Sinim Masonic Lodge, and the Tokyo Valley of the AASR.

When he’s not writing, working, attending one of his daughter’s vocal concerts, pumping iron, or at a lodge meeting, you’ll find him dining with his wife Mako at their favorite local bistro.

Website → https://www.gordonjcampbell.com/

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/gordonjcampbellauthor/

Twitter → https://twitter.com/GcampbellGordon

 

An expatriate businessman, Gregg Westwood, leaves the Officers’ Club at an American Air Base in Japan unaware about the impression he’s made on two intelligence agents. They sized him up as someone with potential for strategic deployment, and more importantly, he’s under the radar.

Gregg’s exploits start with what he thinks is a one-off assignment as a courier, and the straightforward task spirals out of control. He’s forced to rise to the occasion and use every resource available to survive. Even his family is jeopardized which forces him to return to Japan to settle scores.

The Courier is one man’s struggle to fight for survival in a world that he’s not been trained for and where violence and retribution are the names of the game.

Praise:

“The Bottom Line: One of the year’s best thrillers.”
–BestThrillers.com  

“With such fine attention to detail in creating some amazing scenes, I give The Courier 4 out of 4 stars. Campbell creates an amazing and well-edited adventure that could even someday work on the big screen. Readers that enjoy action adventures or thrillers will likely enjoy this one as well.”
–Official review by Kendra M Parker, OnlineBookClub.org

“The Courier is an exciting ride from start to finish. I couldn’t put it down and wanted more when it finished.”
–Gyle Graham, entrepreneur and longtime Tokyo expatriate

“The Courier would transform well from a thriller novel to an action movie.”
–Michael Harrison, marketing expert and martial artist

Amazon → https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07W89JND1?

After your book was released, what was the first thing you did when getting ready for your book launch?

The Courier is my first novel and the beginning of a series featuring the protagonist Gregg Westwood. I coordinated the initiation of my author’s website, Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram accounts with the book launch.

After that, what was your next step?

We solicited professional reviews and received some positive results with www.bestthrillers.com and www.OnlineBookClub.org. The perfect four-star response from OnlineBookClub and BestThrillers’ generous bottom-line statement gave the novel credibility.

Did you do anything different to spice up your website in lieu of your upcoming book release?

The site was launched shortly before my novel and was shiny and new. The website was created by Stuart Grant, who works closely with self-publishing legend Mark Dawson. He developed the site to host my blogs and encourage the creation of a mailing list supported by Mailerlite.

Did you ever consider using a PR agency to help you promote your book or did you prefer the DIY route?

I’ve signed on with Dorothy Thompson’s PUMP UP YOUR BOOK virtual book tour.

Were finding reviews a top priority for you, and, if yes, how did you approach that?

Reviews are a top priority and are forever elusive. The Courier received some helpful customer reviews soon after the professional critiques were published. The positive feed-back seemed to prime the pump.

What are your views on social media for marketing your book?

We’re paying close attention to the experts successfully marketing their novels through social media. There is an incredible source of useful data posted on the web almost every day.

The Courier's most significant breakthroughs to date have resulted from indirect exposure to social media. For example, the Pacific Stars and Stripes Newspaper hosted a give away of The Courier, and a Facebook posting from one of the excited winners resulted in sales.

What social media has worked best for you?

We're still gathering data, but we're hopeful about exposure from Facebook and Twitter.

Did you write a press release, and do you think it worked for you?

The initial press release was updated with comments from bestthrillers.com and became more powerful. It now starts with the following line:

The Bottom Line: One of the year’s best thrillers.

Did you have other books you offered for free in order to help sell your present book?

We didn't offer free books, but individuals signing up for our mailing list received a top-secret report detailing Gregg Westwood’s bio.

Did you set up book signings and, if so, how did that work for you?

I didn’t set up a book signing at a book store. We facilitated a giveaway of signed copies of The Courier by the Pacific Stars and Stripes, who published a full-page interview. It was tremendous exposure.

What was the best money you ever spent on your book launch?

I’d say the work done by my developmental and copy editors was the best investment. The professional book cover and book bub advertisements were also relevant. The fees charged to have The Courier professionally evaluated and subsequent reviews were worth every cent.