I recently blogged about virtual book tours, the new way of book promotion through the Internet. As a follow-up to that blog, I had the opportunity to speak with author Jean Hackensmith about her experiences with virtual touring and her writing life.
Jean, you’re currently on a virtual book tour to promote your new book, “Checkmate.” Is this your first tour?
No. I also did a Virtual Book Tour last December for the final installment in The “Passage” Saga, titled “The Ultimate Passage.” The tour was a huge success and, I’m happy to say, has generated many new sales, not only for “The Ultimate Passage,” but for all of the books in the saga. My other books are moving, too, so I’m hoping that’s a sign that readers like my work and are choosing to read everything I’ve written.
Virtual book tours are fairly new. How did you come to hear of them and choose this avenue of promotion?
Actually, I kind of stumbled across Virtual Book Tours when I was searching the Internet one day looking for a new avenue in which to market my books. Well, in my opinion, I hit the jackpot. Where else can an author visit with readers and talk about their books while sitting at home in sweats and a T-shirt? The fact that my name pops up all over the web now doesn’t hurt either. The Virtual Book Tours have also driven lots of traffic to my personal web site, giving readers a chance to look at my other books. The comments I’m getting are phenomenal, and I will be forever grateful to Pump Up Your Books Promotion. They’re a great company and fun to work with.
Did you have to do a lot of preparatory work for your tour?
A lot by some people’s standards, but not by mine. I had to do about fifteen guest posts and/or interviews, which I simply find fun. And some of the interview questions really make the author think! I had to look at myself not only as an author, but as a person. I had to define my personal and professional goals…hard work! But well worth it in the end. I also sent out eight review copies of “Checkmate.” One review is back already, and it was awesome. I’m looking forward to seeing the others!
What would you say are the advantages to virtual touring?
As I said above, the main advantage is being able to visit all of my virtual destinations without having to “dress up” to impress anybody. When an author does a regular book tour, readers not only judge them on the book itself, but on their own personal appearance. It’s so much fun to just kick back and be myself. Another advantage is that the guest posts and interviews stay up on the web sites and blogs long after the virtual tour is over. So, not only does an author get immediate exposure on the day they’re featured, but that exposure continues for days and weeks to come.
How long have you been writing?
I actually started writing nearly thirty years ago. I was talking to my mother on the phone one day and, always being a doodler, this…line just kind of came out on the page. Hmmm…I thought. That would make a great first line for a book! I still remember the line: “Jenny McCall awoke with a scream on her lips.” Since I had always been an avid romance reader, it was natural that that’s what I chose to write. The manuscript—a whopping nine-hundred page monstrosity—was done about a year later, and it was awful! I realize that now. I didn’t then, of course. Heck, I thought I was the next Kathleen Woodiwiss! The manuscript was never published, and didn’t deserve to be, but it served its purpose. It infected me with the writing bug. After that, I got my hands on every “How To” book on writing I could find and began polishing my work. I joined writer’s groups and had them critique my stories. I had an agent who worked with me one-on-one to improve my writing. All of that combined led to the professionalism that I hope readers see in my work today.
What is your writing schedule like?
In a nutshell, I’m a night owl. Always have been. It started when my kids were small. I used to write at night, after they were in bed, and it kind of stuck. That is the only way I can stay focused. Even the sound of a TV or radio can be distracting for me. I have to have total silence when I’m writing. Hence, my normal writing time is from about 8:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. Everyone knows not to call Jean before noon! Granted, life can sometimes through a wrench into my writing schedule, but I usually manage to write something every day—unless I’m in the editing process. Then I’m chopping, rewriting, and polishing. My writing also supplements our family income, so that’s a motivator right there. If I’m not writing or selling, there are bills that aren’t getting paid.
What are you working on currently?
My current manuscript, “We The People” takes me completely out of the romance genre. It will more than likely be classified as literary fiction. The book tells the story of a common “Joe Blow” who becomes fed up with the bureaucracy in Washington D.C. and decides to run for President. He runs a grass roots campaign, traveling the country in an old R.V. and doing his rallies in “AmeriMart” parking lots. I’m about 200 pages into the manuscript right now and hope to have a rough draft finished by the end of the summer.
Thank you for joining us, Jean! I appreciate your time and wish you best of luck.
Jean Hackensmith’s novels are well-written, suspenseful and fast-paced, but may not be suitable for those with content concerns.
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