About the Author: Collette Scott
Collette Scott obtained her bachelor's degree at Arizona State University where she majored in English literature with a minor in sociology. She is at at the point in her life where she is doing what she wants to do - which is write, write, and write some more.
“This is why it is so important to get your (the author’s) name out there, to create a buzz and make appearances, no matter how badly you would prefer to sit behind your computer and pound out story after story.”
Hello everyone! My name is Collette Scott, and I run a blog.
So what, you say? Well my blog is not just any other blog. Of course, there is a page about my own work for I am an author first and foremost, but I also do other things on my blog that readers may find interesting.
In an age where an overwhelming amount of books are published each year, how hard is it for an author to find an audience? Marketing falls on our own shoulders, where networking becomes even more of a full-time job than the jobs many of us maintain to pay our bills.
"If We Dare To Dream" by Collette Scott
Sales come from word of mouth from our own communities, and nearly every author out there has their own website and blog in order to try to promote their books. Intimidating, isn’t it?
While it’s hard to swim in a pool that’s already overcrowded, some are able to complete the lap. Luck of the draw, fancy marketing footwork, and even really good stories come into play. However, I have read many excellent stories that are even better than some of the bestsellers out there, but unfortunately these are overlooked due to the influx of books and stories already on the market.
This is why it is so important to get your name out there, to create a buzz and make appearances, no matter how badly you would prefer to sit behind your computer and pound out story after story.
Authors do help other authors, and I am proud to say that I have made some wonderful friends who are in the same boat as I am. We help one another as much as we can. There is the lovely and talented Patti Roberts, who I met on Goodreads and who introduced me to ebook giveaways and Twitter. The wonderful Daniel Carter, who found me on Book Blogs and introduced me to Author Central, and Niamh Clune and Brian Bianco, who run Amrita’s Angels and the Orangeberry Book Collective respectively, do their best to keep our momentum going. Last but not least, I cannot forget to mention the exceptional Yamina, who is gracious enough to grant me space to talk about all these wonderful enterprises. I could continue, but in the interest of saving space I should suffice it to say that we are all authors, but we also do what we can to help spread the word to others.
Which brings me back to my blog.
Of course you cannot take without giving back, and that would go against every one of my principles. So what do I do to help spread the word? I love to interview authors. Sometimes there is a book out there that I find interesting without knowing anything about the person who wrote it or what their thought process was behind it. But finding out what was going on in the writer’s mind at the time he or she wrote the book is something that is far too appealing for me to pass up.
In speaking with an author, you may just find that one little thing about the story that seals the deal for you to want to read their book; or maybe that single question you had when you were reading it will finally become clear.
When I have the time, I also read and review the actual stories in addition to the interview.
As I previously said, I have discovered so many authors who should be on the bestsellers list, just from the exceptional quality of the tales they have written. All too often readers stick with the most popular writers, fearful of trying new authors because of the stigma that comes along with it.
That’s unfortunate, because they don’t know what they’re missing! If word of mouth travels well, then Shopefully visitors to my blog can be intrigued enough to try something new.
I am also hosting book giveaways on my blog. Creating a page for authors to showcase their work is a new step for me, but enjoyable nonetheless.
I am currently running a paperback giveaway for author Shawn Lamb, where she is signing three copies of the first book in her series Allon and I will ship them out after the drawing on October 31, 2011.
There is also an ebook giveaway with over thirty authors and three bloggers, once again put together with Patti Roberts in Australia. The quality in these giveaways should not be missed. Though it does not officially start until December, the authors are working hard to get their books in order and their interviews completed so that when the holidays arrive we can all start promoting the giveaway and really make some bloggers happy.
Last but not least, I feature some hot new releases. When an author is trying to get the word out, having their name appear in as many places as possible truly does help in those search engines. Pandora Poikilos schedules these announcements for us bloggers to post. Generating buzz is a good thing, and I hope to see some success come from these initiatives.
And what about me? Well I am working hard on my third book, If We Dare to Dream, scheduled for release on November 15, 2011.
While I read all different kinds of genres, I actually write a mixture of chick lit and romance. Every one of my books has a love story in it, but they also face some real-world challenges. A common theme in my stories is moving on, learning how to pick yourself up after troubles and enjoy life to the fullest.
In the real world, we all face our difficulties head on, but when you have the support of others it can make all the difference between giving up and plodding on to success. I am definitely one to practice what I preach, so in my everyday world I will keep supporting those who struggle daily to have their voices heard. By working together we can succeed, and I am lucky enough to have a great group of people to keep me going.
Thank you for allowing me to talk a bit about my blog. I hope you’ll stop by and take a look at all the wonderful things coming up, and please feel free to contact me at any time.
No comments:
Post a Comment