Launch Lowdown: Alex J. Cavanaugh CassaFire

During A to Z, I introduced an occasional series spotlighting recaps of book launches. I am proud to bring this series back today with the Launch Lowdown from Alex J. Cavanaugh. I love having Alex on my blog. He's a fabulous guest. And he's got wonderful information to share having completed not one but two book launches. So let's jump right in:

We probably already know, but tell us who are you? What have you written?
I’m Alex J. Cavanaugh (also known as the Ninja Captain) and I’ve written two science fiction books, CassaStar and CassaFire.

Tell us about the book you launched.
My latest book is CassaFire, a sequel requested by my fans:

Byron’s days of piloting Cosbolt fighters are over. Keeping a promise to his fallen mentor, he now serves on an exploration vessel. The detection of alien ruins sends them to the distant planet of Tgren. Are the ruins a key to the Tgren’s civilization or a weapon of unimaginable power? Tensions mount as their new allies are suspicious of the Cassans. To complicate matters, the Tgrens are showing signs of mental powers. Forced to train Athee and further develop her flying aptitude, Byron’s patience is strained. Add a reluctant friendship with a young scientist, and he feels invaded on every level. All Byron wanted was his privacy…

Who published your book?
Dancing Lemur Press LLC

Did you have a marketing budget?
Most of my efforts were low or no cost and focused on a lot of blog appearances.

When did you launch?
February 28, 2012

What did you do pre-launch?
A whole lot! Oh wait, you want details, don’t you?

Once my publisher had sent me the cover art and book trailer, I posted those on my site. Around October I started contacting potential blog tour hosts and set dates. Not long after I announced the Catch Fire! Blog Party – those who signed up to post about my book on release day were entered to win free books. I also sent my publisher a few more reviewers and they created a prize package for my tour. Yeah, it was a lot!

Tell us a bit about the launch events.
The day CassaFire was released, I had a guest post at Edi’s Book Lighthouse and close to three hundred bloggers posting information about my book. It was wild! I’m glad I took the day off, because it took me eleven hours to visit all of those blogs.

What surprised you about the whole process?
I think what surprised me was the amount of people who posted about my book that day. It was both overwhelming and humbling.

What worked? What would you do differently?
I don’t think I’ll do another single day event like that again, as it was SO overwhelming. My first tour had nineteen stops, and I was glad I limited it to just ten this time. The prize package was a great idea, and since I was posting news and trivia every day on my blog (in addition to visiting a host) my blog comments never dropped. Both books have gone on to be Amazon Best Sellers, so something worked.

For my third and final book, I’m going to have to think of something Ninja epic!

Wait, final book? In this series or ever? You'll have to tell us more about that sometime...

What words of advice can you give us?

Plan ahead! Select good hosts and make sure you are both in agreement on the guest post/interview. Visit the host sites during your appearance and continue to check on them days later. And bring your Ninja Army!

Thanks again, Laura!

No, thank you, Alex! You got a Ninja Army because you built it. You're a wonderful example to us writers. Be proud! 

Alex's info:

http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/AlexJCavanaugh 

Alex J. Cavanaugh has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and works in web design and graphics. He is experienced in technical editing and worked with an adult literacy program for several years. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Known online as the Ninja Captain, he’s the founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. He lives in the Carolinas with his wife.

L is for Launch

...book launch and the launch of a new occasional series, that is.


I am very intrigued with the idea of how to put on a successful book launch, and in an attempt to gather info for one day when I have my own book launch (positive thinking!) I am starting a new occasional series of interviews with authors who have launched their own books. 

I am so thrilled to introduce my very first interview for this series - Fiauna Lund is an old friend from high school. Well, not old because that makes me feel elderly, but you get what I mean. She has always been such a sweet, funny, unbelievably supportive, creative soul and I was so happy to reconnect with her on Facebook - especially when I realized she was writing books! She is an inspiration to me, both as a writer and a mother. 


But enough of the intro, onto the fabulous interview:
Welcome, welcome, Fiauna! I'm so glad to have you!

Now tell us what have you written? 

The Sprightling Diaries: In the Twilight

Tell us about the book you launched. 

In the Twilight is a ‘tween fantasy-lite about a town with a centuries-old secret and one girl’s discovery that it is her duty to keep that secret safe. Fourteen-year-old Avril Holly lives in a world full of secrets. Not only is she half faery, sprouting wings at twilight, but suddenly she also has the power to read minds. When she is attacked walking home in her otherwise safe community, she finds she must learn to use her new power to keep her community safe and their faery heritage a secret. 

Who published your book? 

My book was published by Shady Hill Press, a small publisher located in Salt Lake City.

Did you have a marketing budget? 

The only marketing budget I had to stick with was what I could pull out of my own pocketbook.

When did you launch? 

The book launched in December of 2011, right before Christmas.

What did you do pre-launch? 

Pre-launch I used social media (blogs, blog tours, and Facebook) to make the public aware of the forth-coming book. I did a “radio” interview at a local studio that was released on the publisher’s website and blog. A friend of mine also put together a blog tour for a group of 20 debut authors. Right off the bat, In the Twilight was featured on those twenty blogs. That really helped me develop my community of authors for support. And, believe me, that support means a lot when your baby—oops, I mean book—launches.
Tell us a bit about the launch events. The launch was very low-key. In December, the week that the book was released, I held a book signing at a local mall book store. I handed out promotional items like wristbands and flyers to passers-by as well as pitched my book to anyone who dared to stop and listen. I also typed up a press release that the publisher used in a mail marketing campaign directed at book buyers and distributors. 

What surprised you about the whole process? 

I was surprised at how much I was required to do as far as marketing was concerned. I am a writer, not a salesperson. To say that once the book is published the real work begins may be cliché, but it’s true. And the marketing side of publishing really saps creative energy.

What worked? 

Books sell two ways: word of mouth and point of purchase. Get your books in the hands of people who will talk it up and you may sell books. But people won’t buy books they can’t find. Do whatever is within your power to get your book on store shelves. A good press release will help with that.

What would you do differently? 

Going forward I would like to find representation from a good agent. Bigger publishers have PR people to guide authors through the launch process and marketing. Unfortunately, no big publisher will look your way without proper representation.

What words of advice can you give us? 

Set your goals and have realistic expectations. You know your book better than anyone else—it’s your baby. I’ve been told that writers don’t make bestsellers, publishers do. Given that fact that annually about 170,000 books are published every year and only 2,000 of those will sell 50,000 copies, your chances of becoming a bestselling author are pretty slim. That doesn’t mean you are not a success. If your goal is to write a bestseller, get a reputable agent and get your book in the hands of the big publishers.
Beyond that, trust your gut. In order to sell your books, you must also be able to sell yourself. You can’t sell yourself (or much else) if you don’t feel right about what you’re doing or how you are going about doing it. I’ve wasted energy and time trying to market in ways that didn’t feel authentic, in ways that stopped me from being comfortable with myself. In the end, instead of selling more books, I only lost creative energy. So, I say, be confident. Stand tall. Avoid negativity. In writing your book, you’ve done something most other people only dream of. And that is success!

Thanks, Laura. You are awesome!

Aw, I'm blushing. Especially because I am not nearly as awesome as you. Thank you for edumacating us all, Fiauna! I hope you'll come back again soon!

You can purchase Fiauna's wonderful book, as I did, here. I haven't read it yet, I must confess, because my too be read pile is VERY TALL. It's about 2 down from the top though.

So what did you think about this new series? Would you like to see more book launch tales?