PROMOBEATS INTERVIEW

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Jura Maclean Sherwood

Please join me in a big Word Museum and PromoBeats welcome to Jura Sherwood.

Moe: Please tell us what name(s) you write under, the name of your book(s), the genre of your book(s), and the formats.

Jura Sherwood: I write under the name Jura Maclean Sherwood. My book Wave Me Goodbye is historical fiction, currently POD and will soon be available in electronic format. Sometime, Somewhere is a romantic time-travel based on a real, historical character. It is due for release 15th July 2003 in POD and electronic format.

Moe: What do you do to promote your book(s)?

Jura Sherwood: I e-mail every member of my family, both here and abroad (I have relatives in England, Scotland, South Africa, Australia and Canada). I also send e-mails to members of the four writing clubs I belong to (Women Writing the West, Willamette Writers, Rogue Writers and EPIC) as well as a blurb for inclusion in the on-line writer’s newsletters. My first publisher sent out prepublication letters at their expense. I try not to spend any more money than necessary to get the word out.

Moe: What method or methods of promotion have you used that works well?

Jura Sherwood:
1 Business cards. I print my own with my book covers on it and hand them out at every opportunity.
2. Television and radio interviews.
3. Book signings and readings.
4. Newspaper articles - (2, 3, and 4 methods require a personal contact to arrange.)
5. Whenever I'm in a group, especially where they give you one of those "Hello, my name is:" name tags, I wear the author badge I made with my name, a picture of my book cover(s) and the word AUTHOR in big letters.
6. I always wear a lapel pin of my book cover. People ask about it and I'm able to give them my business card and tell them where they can order my book.
7. Make sure I let people know I'm available to give talks about my book(s).
8 I had an 18 x 24 inch poster made of my book cover at Kinkos and display it on an easel at every public function I am invited to.

All of the above methods have been successful under different circumstances.

Moe: What method or methods of promotion have you used that have not worked well?

Jura Sherwood:
1. The least effective was putting books on consignment. People steal them or the store doesn't display them effectively.
2. I don't find that printed news releases work.
3. Uninvited review requests.

Moe: Where did you learn how to promote your books? Is there a special place or places where you find good promotion information?

Jura Sherwood: I'm very outgoing, so I have no problem promoting myself. I've read articles in writer magazines about what works and what doesn't and I adapted them to my own needs. I also attended a session on promoting at the EPIC conference last year and picked up several good ideas there, including the lapel pin idea.

Moe: Do you like to promote? Or do you find it frustrating?

Jura Sherwood: I really enjoy promoting. I have a product I believe in and don't mind talking about.

Moe: Have you been interviewed as an author? By which mediums?

Jura Sherwood: Yes, all three. I set them up myself by phoning and talking to whoever scheduled such events. All three worked great to bring people to my book signings.

Moe: Do you have any good promotion tips for your fellow authors that you would like to share?

Jura Sherwood: Have a description of your book memorized so that when people ask you about it you can tell them without hesitation.
Never pass up an opportunity to discuss your book. Keep plenty of business cards on hand. I've given them to people on airplanes, in grocery store checkout lines and even in the Ladies Room. I have the e-mails from those people who bought the book and loved it, to prove it works

Moe: Please add anything else here you'd like to say.

Jura Sherwood: Believe in yourself as a writer and your book(s) as worthwhile reading material. If you don't believe in the stories you write, nobody else will.

Moe: Please add a short bio, your personal web site URL, and your publisher(s) URL for your book's page(s).

Jura Sherwood: I was born in London, England, raised in South Africa and have lived in the US for 50 years, with the exception of four years in Saudi Arabia. I'm a professional genealogist and use my knowledge and research of ancestors for backgrounds for my novels. My books are available on-line at Amazon.com, BAMM, B&N.com, and from all bookstores in the US, Canada and all of Europe.

02/04