Talking Virtual Book Tours with Cheryl Malandrinos

Cheryl Malandrinos is a freelance writer, children’s author and editor. Her first children’s book, Little Shepherd, was released in August 2010 by Guardian Angel Publishing. She is also a member of the SCBWI.

Cheryl is a Tour Coordinator for Pump Up Your Book, a book reviewer, and blogger. She is also a former contributor for the Writer2Writer eZine. Ms. Malandrinos lives in Western Massachusetts with her husband and two children. She also has a son who is married.

Visit Cheryl at her newly redesigned website http://ccmalandrinos.com/ or visit the Little Shepherd book blog at http://littleshepherdchildrensbook.blogspot.com/.

Cheryl Malandrinos will be on a virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Virtual Book Tours in November and is here with us today to give her impression of virtual book tours and online book marketing.

Thank you for this interview, Cheryl.  Can we start out by having you tell us briefly what your book is about?

Little Shepherd is the story of five-year-old Obed, a shepherd outside of Bethlehem on the night of Christ’s birth. After the angel announces the Savior’s birth, he is hesitant to join the others to see the newborn King. Once he steps out in faith, he gets a chance to witness the miracles of that magical night.

More and more authors are realizing the potential for sales that derives from virtual book tours.  Can you tell us your personal reasons why you chose a virtual book tour to help get the word out about your new book?

Does it bother anyone that I’m biased? 🙂  I’m in the business, so I’ve seen the impact virtual book tours can make. I toured with Little Shepherd last year around the same time and my book hit the Amazon bestsellers list in its category multiple times while on tour.  I like those results.

Is this the first time you have heard of them?

Actually, the first time I heard of them was not long after Pump Up Your Book opened its virtual doors in 2007 and I began hosting their clients. A few months later, I joined the team.

What do you hope to achieve through promoting your book through a virtual book tour?

I like connecting with bloggers. I’ve met so many wonderful people that way—many of whom have become close friends and/or clients. While the ultimate goal is to sell some books, I know there are no guarantees in this business. Networking is very important for authors, so even if I don’t sell a single book, I still know my VBT is a success when I make new connections.

Do you promote online through other means?  Website?  Blog?

My website was redesigned this year. Readers can find it at http://ccmalandrinos.com. I also have a blog dedicated solely to my book, and I run several other book blogs. It helps that I love blogging.

Do you promote through Twitter and Facebook?  What are your links there?

Yes. Even though I’ve had a personal Facebook page for years now, I recently started a fan page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cheryl-C-Malandrinos/170542359697682  I’m on Twitter @ccmalandrinos and I also have a daily online paper at http://paper.li/ccmalandrinos

What are your experiences with offline booksignings?  Which do you prefer – online or offline and can you give us the reasons why?

I’ve only held one and it was a waste of time and money. I bought extra books to make sure I would have enough. I sat there for seven hours and sold six books to friends. I’m not saying I would never do it again, but I like online tours much more. I’m amazed when I check my Amazon stats and see that I’ve sold books in geographical locations where I don’t know anyone.

Here’s a fun question.  If money was no object, how would you promote your book?

I would give every church across America five free copies.

Thank you for this interview, Cheryl.  Do you have any final words?

The key to virtual book tours is not to judge them solely upon the number of books you sell. If you’ve made new connections, gotten some good review blurbs you can use to promote your book, and increased your online exposure, then your VBT was a great success.

Talking Virtual Book Tours with Children’s Author Cheryl C. Malandrinos

Cheryl Malandrinos is a freelance writer and editor. A regular contributor for Writer2Writer, her articles focus on increasing productivity through time management and organization. A founding member of Musing Our Children, Ms. Malandrinos is also Editor in Chief of the group’s quarterly newsletter, Pages & Pens.

Cheryl is a Tour Coordinator for Pump Up Your Book, a book reviewer, and blogger. Little Shepherd is her first children’s book. Ms. Malandrinos lives in Western Massachusetts with her husband and two young daughters. She also has a son who is married.

You can visit Cheryl online at http://ccmalandrinos.com or the Little Shepherd blog at http://littleshepherdchildrensbook.blogspot.com/.

Thank you for this interview, Cheryl. Can we start out by having you tell us briefly what your new book is about?

Thanks for having me here today. Little Shepherd is the story of Obed, a young shepherd in the fields outside Bethlehem on the night of Christ’s birth. While he wants to join the others to see the newborn King, he’s anxious about leaving his first flock unattended. After some wise words from his father, Obed decides to step out in faith and go to Bethlehem. An encounter with the Holy Family and what he sees upon his return to the fields leads Obed to decide it is a night of miracles.

More and more authors are realizing the potential for sales that derives from virtual book tours. Can you tell us your personal reasons why you chose a virtual book tour to help get the word out about your new book?

I’ve been in the business of coordinating virtual book tours for three years. I knew when my book came out that I would tour with it. I’ve concentrated mostly on online book promotion because I can reach more readers that way. I am however, combining that with a few local events.

Is this the first time you have heard of them?

You and I both know the answer to this one.  I started hosting clients for Pump Up Your Book (formerly Pump Up Your Book Promotion) in April 2007. A few months later, I joined their staff and I haven’t looked back.

What do you hope to achieve through promoting your book through a virtual book tour?

Working online has given me the chance to network with people in ways my parents never dreamed of being able to connect with others. Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks have changed the way we do a lot of things. I can keep in touch with my brother who is in Afghanistan or my sister who lives in Pennsylvania. I can find out what my adult nieces and nephews are up to, even though some of them live hundreds of miles away. I can even check to see if my son is playing around on the Internet instead of working. 

For me, a virtual book tour is all about exposure and networking. If I sell books as a result—which I have during this tour—then great. Sales are not my main goal, though, because no marketing tool can guarantee you’ll sell anything.

Who maintains your website?

I do, but only because I can’t afford to hire someone to do it. As a time management expert, I’m all for finding ways to streamline things. Your time is worth something too. I would rather write than update my website.

Right now http://ccmalandrinos.com doesn’t look the way I want it to, but I hope to be able to hire a designer after the first of the year to spiff it up.

What are your experiences with offline book signings? Do you have much luck selling your book through that method?

My first book signing isn’t until Saturday, November 27^th at the Living Gate Community Church Annual Country Christmas Bazaar and Tag Sale. This event will be held on the church grounds at 151 Taylor Street, Granby, MA from 9 AM to 3 PM.

I’m also trying to plan one at a local bookstore. We’ll see what happens.

Here’s a fun question. If money were no object, how would you promote your book?

If money were no object, I would donate 5 copies of Little Shepherd to all the Christian churches in my area. It’s not so much about selling the book, as it is getting it into the hands of young people.

Thank you for this interview, Cheryl. Do you have any final words?

I firmly believe in the power of virtual book tours. Having coordinated tours for nearly 100 authors, spanning over 125 books, I’ve seen how much fun they are and how they can provide exposure for authors. I recently wrote an article titled, “Why Virtual Book Tours Work”.  This provides some concrete examples of what a virtual book tour can do for you. You can find the article at http://littleshepherdchildrensbook.blogspot.com/2010/10/why-virtual-book-tours-work.html

Thanks for letting me talk about one of my favorite subjects.