By Ken Ishii
It’s the start of a new month and flipping the calendar comes with some excitement for me. This is when I get to sneak a peek at new books coming around the bend here at FSB. It’s like peeling away the corner of gift wrapping. I’ll be sharing the joy each month with an update of new projects we have in store. Below are just some of the titles we started to work on and they’re shaping up to be great campaigns. I left ZooBorns out of the mix because we dedicated a whole post to it last week, but we’re definitely still ‘oohhs’ and ‘aahhs’ over our baby animal newborns.
Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier is the author’s latest novel that, like The Lady and the Unicorn and Girl With a Pearl Earring, transports readers back in time and into the role of a passionate tradesperson. I’m especially happy to see Tracy actively supporting her books by communicating with her fans on Twitter. With this combined effort, we may have another bestseller on our hands.
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Nighttime Novelist by Joseph Bates is not only a motivational book about making the most out of your spare time, it’s also an incredible resource of writing strategies and fundamentals for getting your novel out the door. Despite the name, this book is valuable to screenwriters and playwrights as well with sections to help develop character arcs and three-act structures. Joseph has a well-rounded web presence that includes a website, blog, Twitter profile, and Facebook page.
Black Faces in White Places by Randal Pinkett and Jeffrey Robinson outlines ten strategies for African Americans to achieve success particularly during the current recession. Fans of The Apprentice will remember Pinkett as the first minority winner of the show in season four. We like the ability to pull a ten point list from the book. It makes for effective copy that’s highly portable across various social media platforms. Randal Pinkett is a widely recognized public figure thanks to the help of his website, Twitter profile, and Facebook page.
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche has returned to FSB with a new book called Rebel Buddha: On the Road to Freedom. The author is often praised for his ability to take the teachings of Buddha and make them accessible to contemporary readers who may not be familiar with Zen spirituality. We’re thrilled that the Buddhist community has a strong online presence and that it’s open to all walks of life. The author’s Twitter profile streams words of wisdom and gains new followers on a daily basis. It makes increasing the book’s popularity that much easier. I have to add that it also helps to have one of the coolest covers I’ve ever seen.
It’s great to see authors using social media more and more these days. Sure it helps in marketing their books, but it also solidifies a relationship with readers that goes beyond the pages. It can help predict a demand for future book releases and gives authors an unprecedented opportunity to share their opinions worldwide. Soon the day will come when you’ll learn about new releases from the authors themselves. Until then, I’ll be inviting you to check out some fresh and interesting reads here and on FSB Media.
Tags: authors, books, marketing, networking, new release, publicity, publishing, reading, social media
