Today I’m very excited to have my very first video interview for you with Australian author and publisher Sally Collings. Readers may remember the article she wrote here in June of last year to talk about developments in indie publishing in Australia, and about her company, Red Hill Publishing.
Now Sally, the author of four books with HarperCollins, returns on the tour with her new book, Parenting with Soul. I took the opportunity to talk to Sally at her office in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Here are some of the topics covered in this video:
- How she came up with the idea of a “V-tour” encompassing social media promotions using blogs, Twitter, Facebook, interviews and more
- How she timed the promotion for the book and the V-tour
- The way Sally planned her promotion starting a year before the publication date
- What it’s like interfacing with a publisher like HarperCollins
- Why Sally chose not to publish the book herself
- What all authors should be doing to market their books, no matter who publishes it
- Why Sally prefers giving talks to doing bookstore signings
- Changes in media promotion that work in the favor of writers
- How to find the best sites for your online promotion
- The key distinction to make in approaching online media
- How Sally sells without selling
- Why it’s so important for authors to work on building an author platform
- The importance of creating a marketing plan around your key message and the activities you do well
Note: This is the first video interview I’ve ever done, and it’s not perfect. Shot over Skype, there was a technical problem [i.e. “operator error”] that resulted in a couple of glitches during the first two and a half minutes. Happily, I don’t think they’ll interfere with your enjoyment.
You can find out more about Sally at her author website, SallyCollings.com.
Red Hill Publishing website
Parenting with Soul website
Parenting with Soul in the Kindle Store
