I plan to have a box of Kleenex at my side as I watch “Oprah’s Next Chapter” on OWN this Sunday…a month to the day that beloved music icon Whitney Houston passed away, Oprah will air her interview with Bobbi Kristina, Whitney Houston’s daughter; Gary Houston, Whitney Houston’s older brother; and his wife Patricia Houston, who was Whitney Houston’s manager….The family “addresses the rumors and speculation surrounding Houston’s death” according to Oprah.com The interview will air at 9 p.m. /8 p.m. CST. (According to the AJC, Oprah flew to Atlanta to interview them…)
While I am eager to hear their thoughts on Whitney’s untimely death, I wonder is it too soon for them to be speaking publicly about it all…Have they even had the time to process it all much less speak to the masses about it…
What say you? Will you be watching? It is too soon?
Me and my lovely assistant at my first book signing at Lifeway Christian Store...
Wow. I got to thank God.
My book is out (as of Feb. 14), and it ranked as an Amazon Best Seller and was listed as an Amazon Hot New Release!!! My Facebook Fam (friends) are blowing up my page telling me they are buying my book! My folk at church who came to my release party are telling me how much they are enjoying the book! And I’m having book signings and what not!
I planted a lot of seeds (WORKED HARD), and God took care of the increase as only HE can do!!! Since I started writing these posts back in July when I started my marketing and promotion campaign (Check out the first one “I’m Bout It Bout It aka Marketing & Promotion Month 1…”), I had the goal of sharing what I have done to help authors behind me as they prepared to launch their babies aka books into the world, and I hope that some author who Googles marketing & promotion will read these posts and be encouraged…
Let me share some of God’s blessings as I’ve worked to get the word out about my book via my marketing & promotion campaign…(in no particular order as all were important accomplishments for me 🙂
I’ve been featured on six radio programs! If you would like to hear me on “The Business of Wisdom” with Dr. Alvin Jones, please listen here! And I thank Shandra Hill Smith of Pullen Press for being an excellent publicist, and helping me with my radio exposure!!! At my first book signing at Lifeway Christian store, one of the ladies who came said she first heard about me on “Business in the Black” with Twanda Black on WALR KISS 104.1 FM. That was my second radio interview, and I think I sounded a bit rough – but thankfully, someone got the message I was trying to convey!
I had over a 100 people at my book release celebration!!! To see the pics from that awesome night of support and love, please go here! Thanks Dwan Abrams for planning the party and spreading the word about it! And I am sooo very grateful for Sofn’free GroHealthyfor sponsoring my book release celebration!!!
Various author friends/bloggers featured my book on their blog!!! Thank you to Kathi Macias (kathimacias.com) who featured me on her blog on the day of my book release. To read the post, please go here. And Tayari Jones (yes, the one and only at tayarijones.com) featured me on her blog as well! To read the post, please go here. And other authors including Victoria Christopher Murray (my soror), Tiffany L. Warren (who is featured in my book), & Tia McCollors shouted me out on their Facebook pages! Tia & author Kendra Norman-Bellamy provided endorsement quotes for my book! Author love is a must!!! And I’m soo grateful 🙂 (I hope I’m not forgetting anyone…if so, charge it to my head and not my heart…)
During October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Blayne Alexander of 11 Alive for The Grio.com interviewed Lola Brown, who is featured in my book, about her two-time victory over breast cancer at 36 years old. To read the story or watch the interview, please go to thegrio.com.
I was really encouraged when just as I started my marketing and promotion campaign, I was featured on SORMAG’s blog – sormag.blogspot.com, which is an important website for authors! To see that post, please go here. Thanks again LaShaunda Hoffman!!!
And last but certainly not least, I want to thank Lifeway Christian Store for hosting my very first official book signing last Saturday! I hope, wish & PRAY it’s the beginning of more to come!
NOTE: This roundup mainly includes the media coverage piece of my marketing & promotion campaign….there were other things that I’ve done which are too numerous to name right now…but I will say this…I revamped my website (thanks Tess), passed out postcards just about everywhere I went, networked at various events in the city and throughout the nation, posted like a fiend on my Facebook page and on Twitter and more…trust me…been hustling…stay hustling…
Again, I gotta thank God…And I gotta thank R., who has listened to me talk about this EREday since July…He is the mostest!!!
I love it that via YouTube, anyone can be a movie or video maker and create something that the world can enjoy….Watch this hilarious video in which these guys demonstrate five steps to scoring a church girl….funny lines include…
1. And this is my favorite for obvious reasons – “What you doing after altar call? Make you repent next week!” (Halleluyer 🙂 lol…)
2. “Dang, you got a fat butt. Shoot, that’s that fatted calf!” (Would that work on you ladies?)
3. “No more Jezebel, I got a Ruth experience call me Boaz!” (That might work on me….lol…)
Y’all let me know what you think…And support these guys – CGP Entertainment which includes Anthony Davis, Kevin Fredericks and Jason Fredericks!!! Check them out on Facebook – Facebook.com/ThePlaymakers1!!!
