1. Please tell us where your vision for Author Marketing Experts began. What drove you to want to help fellow authors achieve success?
Well it’s always been a dream of mine to work in the publishing industry full-time. I’ve been an author as long as I can remember but it wasn’t until a company I was working at was sold (and many of us were “sold” with it) that I realized I could either head back into corporate America or live my own dream. I opted for the latter. I’ve also always been an author and dreamed of being in this industry full-time so it was a natural fit.
2. Promotion of a new book is so important and some authors believe that once you sell a book, the publisher will take care of it. That’s not always true, is it?
No, it’s not – in fact more and more publishers aren’t promoting the books they publish. Promotional departments are being downsized like crazy and it’s really key that the authors promote their own books and be enrolled in their own success.
3. As with all products, if you want to sell it, you have to promote it. With so many media outlets available, it must be intimidating for a new author. Many authors concentrate on the actual writing of the book, but what about press releases, book signings, media kits, etc. Does Author Marketing Experts assist in all these areas of promotion and marketing?
Yes we do, we can do all the promotion or a small piece of it. We also do author coaching or mentoring meaning that if we have an author who wants to do a lot of the promotion themselves we can offer guidance and direction.
4. Your marketing strategies have been featured in numerous magazines and newspapers. These strategies have been so successful that you now offer workshops. Can you please tell us about these workshops? Do you offer online courses?
Education is a big piece of what AME is about. The reason is because when I was “out there” trying to get attention for my book or just trying to get it published there were few places I could turn to for education. I believe that knowledge is power and the more knowledge an author has the better choices they’ll make for their future. We offer a lot of teleclasses and online (email) classes too. Anyone can go onto the web site at www.amarketingexpert.com and get an idea of the courses we offer.
5. Aside from traditional publishing, there are now other venues an author can pursue to become published. Can you please explain some of them to us?
Well about 6 years ago a new model of publishing came on the horizon called print-on-demand and many publishers have since harnessed this technology to print books. The idea behind print-on-demand is that books are printed as they are needed so there are no overruns or waste. This means that publishers have less in the way of responsibility to the author to sell all of the copies of their book, if the author only sells 50 that’s what they’ll print. This has given birth to a whole slew of authors who are tired of navigating the traditional publishing mine field. Print-on-demand publishers like Outskirts Press and iUniverse are geared to publish a book within 90 days and sometimes less, so if you send your manuscript to them you can see your work in print lightening fast.
6. Some people have mixed feelings about self-publishing, but I have read numerous stories where authors self-publish and then their books are bought by a major publishing house. What can you tell us about this?
Well the stigma that has followed self-publishing for years is that if you self-publish you are considered “scraping the bottom of the barrel.” We know this is absolutely not true. Agents will typically reject 99% of the manuscripts that are submitted to them, publishers reject 98% of what’s sent to them. It’s a tough world to break into. These days publishers want a sure thing, and the reason they like to pick up and republish self-published books is because if a self-published book is selling well they know 2 things; they know they have a book that’s found an audience and they know they have an author who knows how to market their book. When it comes to the publishing industry this is as close to a “sure thing” as you can get. The key to remember is that your book is your resume. Publish something you are proud of. You’d never submit a resume to a new employer that’s full of errors, your book should be no different. Save the science projects for your kids and publish something that is edited and vetted.
7. Please tell us about your writing books: No More Rejections, Get Published Today! and From Book to Bestseller.
Well both of these books grew out of the classes I teach. Get Published Today is focused on the print-on-demand industry and how to publisher your book through his publishing model. From Book to Bestseller is designed to coach an author in every aspect of promotion. From doing book signings to how to get on Oprah, it’s all in there!
8. You’ve also written two fiction books: The Cliffhanger and CandlewoodLake. You’ve received awesome reviews for these books. Please tell us a little about these stories.
Well The Cliffhanger was my first fiction book and it was an Amazon.com bestseller – which I’m enormously proud of! Candlewood Lake was just released and the response to this book has been enormous. It was truly a labor of love and the death of my father inspired me to write it. He grew up in Connecticut where the book is set and always loved it there, he moved to California (where I was born) and always hoped to return, unfortunately he never did. But he met my mother on Candlewood Lake so it’s a very special place in our families history, hence this book (while it has nothing to do with their past) is a real tribute to them and to this wonderful part of the country.
9. I’m amazed at how much you do. You’re successful in so many areas. You’re an author, publicist, freelance writer and an instructor. I must mention that you also write a bi-weekly newsletter that is filled with insider tips on book marketing and promotion. How do you balance all of these aspects of your career? What is a typical work day like for you?
You know I’m wildly blessed in my life. I’m able to do what I love every single day and I think when you live the “dream” working crazy long hours never seems like work! My days are a maze of calls, pitching and emails (oh, all those emails!) and each day is very different but usually since I’m in California and wake up 3 hours behind New York my mornings are dedicated to pitching, once the noon hour hits here it’s 3pm in the East and I can begin to focus on answering emails, and other projects that aren’t as time sensitive.
10. Turning your clients into success stories keeps you busy, but what’s on the horizon for you as an author? Are you working on anything new? Do you have a writing routine you adhere to?
Well I’m so glad you asked! After nearly six years of being self-published I was just picked up by a traditional house for three books: Get Published Today, From Book to Bestseller and (the still to be written) Striking Internet Gold. I’m VERY excited about this and I still can’t believe it, as to my writing schedule – well oddly enough Starbucks as become my writing haven. Typically I’ll allocate an afternoon (or two) and head to my local “bucks” for some getaway/writing time. It’s helpful for me to be away from the constant “ping” of “You’ve Got Mail” and focus on my writing!
11. Lastly, is there any particular advice you would like to share with our readers regarding writing, publishing and promotion?
It’s a big bad publishing world out there. Everything you hear will try to dissuade you from reaching for the stars and living your dream. I see really talented authors everyday who become discouraged and disheartened when they are only inches from their goal. Never, ever, ever give up – ever – but be smart about your success. When it comes to promotion and publishing you can spend a whole lot of money on a whole lot of nothing. Spend your money wisely; invest in your future in the right way so you have the funds to keep the promotion and publishing wheels turning and most important: ask lots of questions. Often authors become intimidated by the scope of it all; don’t be intimidated or afraid to ask anything ever. One question could mean the difference between success and failure and I tell all my students that if there’s ever anything that baffles them to never, ever hesitate to email me their question. If I don’t have the answer I can probably refer them to s omeone who does. Sandy, I’d like to say the same thing to your readers. When in doubt, you always have a place to turn (info@amarketingexpert.com). We’re here to help, in the end, that’s what this industry is all about!
Penny C. Sansevieri, CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., is a best-selling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most cutting-edge book marketing campaigns. Her company researched, developed and implemented the first comprehensive Internet publicity campaign called The Virtual Author Tour™.
She has worked with such high profile clients as world renowned psychic and ghost buster, Jane Doherty, Jac Flanders (of the original Fantastic Four) and Tammi Menendez, wife of Erik Menendez and the first eBay auction of a Princess Diana gown (lot “9” from Christie’s New York). Her clients have been featured in USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Today Show, Essence Magazine, More Magazine, The Bridal Guide, National Public Radio, MSNBC, Something You Should Know, The Heloise Show, and many others.
Penny recently signed a three-book deal with a mainstream publisher: Morgan James Publishing, to re-release From Book to Bestseller and Get Published Today as well as publish her upcoming book, Striking Internet Gold.
Please visit Penny at: www.amarketingexpert.com/index.html or you may contact her via email at: penny@amarketingexpert.com.
