Book Launch Q&A: Susan Wingate, Author HOW THE DEER MOON HUNGERS #booklaunch @susanwingate @pumpupyourbook

Susan Wingate is a #1 Amazon bestselling award-winning author of over fifteen novels. Susan writes across fiction and nonfiction genres and often sets her stories in the Pacific Northwest where she is the president of a local authors association. She writes full-time and lives in Washington State with her husband, Bob.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: www.susanwingate.com
Blog:    www.susanwingate.com/blog
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/susanwingate
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorsusanwingate

For those who enjoy reading books like Where the Crawdads Sing and My Sister’s Keeper
MACKENZIE FRASER witnesses a drunk driver mow down her seven-year-old sister and her mother blames her. Then she ends up in juvie on a trumped-up drug charge. Now she’s in the fight of her life…on the inside! And she’s losing.

HOW THE DEER MOON HUNGERS is a coming of age story about loss, grief, and the power of love.

HOW THE DEER MOON HUNGERS Won “Best Fiction” in the 2020 Pacific Book Awards.

ORDER YOUR COPY

Amazon → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08676VMT3

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

I hired two publicists. Dorothy Thompson with PumpUpYourBook.com for an online blog tour, and David Johnson with Strategic Vision PR for national coverage.

After that, what was your next step?

After that, I had more direction from the publicists so I got a Gleam.com account for a book giveaway and set up a Book Launch Party on Zoom. After that, I set up a Facebook Book Launch Party to announce the Zoom meeting and giveaways.

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

Yes, I did! I created a landing page that highlights my latest upcoming book with an option to get a pre-order copy or to enter the site.

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

Reviews, in my opinion, lead in priority for readers of novels. If books get great reviews, if they win awards by far those novels get read more often than books that do not get good reviews or awards. So, for me, getting reviews is of the utmost importance for a book’s success.

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

It’s the way we do book marketing now. Especially, during these COVID times. But I’ve always seen social media as a way to market my work.

What social media has worked best for you?

Facebook and Pinterest are leaders in book marketing for me.

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

I wrote one press release for HOW THE DEER MOON HUNGERS after it got a 5-Star Review from Foreword Reviews. My publicists has and will be putting out more press releases until (and after) the book launch.

Did you revamp your author’s page at Amazon in any way to prepare for the launch (https://authorcentral.amazon.com/)?

Not much. I only refreshed what was already there.

Did you create a book trailer?

I actually did! It’s a short, 30-second thematic. Here’s the link: https://youtu.be/YGAvzimdEK4

Did you time your book launch around a certain holiday?

Not for this novel. Although, I have in the past. And, unless my birthday becomes a national holiday, HOW THE DEER MOON HUNGERS will be released a couple weeks before my birthday.

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

I think anytime you hire a publicist is money well spent. They’re so much better at these things because that’s what they do all day long. Plus, they help with your book launch, attend the party and, with David Johnson, will manage the goings-on of that party. Thank goodness too because I’m going to be a nervous wreck!

Any tips for those authors wanting to set up a successful book launch?

Here are a few steps I took for the book launch of HOW THE DEER MOON HUNGERS:

1.      I went online and downloaded tons of information about how to create a successful book launch,

2.      I paid for ads around the date of the launch,

3.      I entered several book awards,

4.      I hired two publicists―one for an online blog tour and one for a national tour

5.      I got reviewers to read my novel (start early here),

6.      I ordered swag (bookmarks, mugs, goodies with DEER MOON imagery) for the party but also for book club gifts,

7.      I did a ton of work that I can’t list right here but promise to for a blog post.

Thank you so much for having me and for allowing me to tell you all about the book launch of HOW THE DEER MOON HUNGERS. Sincerely, Susan Wingate.