Interview with Cherrie Woods, Author of Where Do I Start? 10 PR Questions and Answers to Guide Self-Published Authors
Author’s Bio: Cherrie
Woods is a 15-year public relations (PR) veteran who has a client list that includes
self-published and traditionally published authors, visual artists and cultural
and non-profit organizations. She has held staff and senior management
positions in public relations at a variety of organizations including Baltimore
City Dept. of Public Works, Reginald F. Lewis Museum, the Detroit Institute of
Arts, Toronto Social Services and Public Health and Harbourfront Centre. Woods currently serves as the membership chair on
the board of the Baltimore Public Relations Council and was the president of
the National Black PR Society-Detroit Chapter (2005 to 2007). Woods is also a member
of the Black Writers Guild of MD. Her latest venture is a PR workshop for
authors called, “Promoting Your Own Book.”
What inspired you to write your book?
When I shared that I was a
PR professional with other authors, I was inundated with many questions. Most
self-published authors had little to no knowledge of how to do their PR, could
not afford a publicist and had no idea what a publicist could do to help them. Some
who had hired a publicist shared horror stories of paying considerable sums to
a publicist and not believing that they got a good return. I shared with
authors that there are existing books on PR for self-published authors, but
they countered that these books were long and complicated and they wanted
something simple, clear and easy to understand. My book was published January
10, 2016 and to date, the feedback is very good!
Is there any particular author or book that
influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?
Many authors have
influenced both my love of reading and my appreciation for their book content
and presentation. They include Donna Hill, Judy Blume, Margaret Johnson-Hodge,
Bernice L. McFadden, Eric Jerome Dickey and V. S. Naipaul on the fiction side; Iyanla
Vanzant, bell hooks and Nathan McCall, on the non-fiction side, and on the
poetry side (I’m a published poet) my
brother David Woods, Maya Angelou and Sonia Sanchez.
Is this your first book?
How long did it take to start and finish your book?
This
is my second book. I began to write this book in March 2015 and completed it in
October 2015.
Do you write with an outline, or just let it flow
organically?
I employ a combination of
both methods.
Do you listen to music when you write? If yes, is
there a theme song for this book?
I actually write best in
complete silence. Which means early morning is my best time for writing,
What are the keys to success in getting your book out to the
public?
Know your presentation
strengths, know yourself, and of course know your book really well. In
addition, know your genre and read the work of established authors in your genre. And of
course, register for one of my workshops
and if you have a budget, consider hiring a publicist who has worked with
authors (preferably me) J.
What advice would you give to new authors?
New
authors need to understand the book industry, network, attend conferences,
speak to other authors – traditional and self-published, attend authors book
readings, analyze the published books in your genre - their presentation,
formatting, etc.
How about sharing an excerpt from Where Do I Start? 10 PR Questions and Answers to Guide Self-Published
Authors
One of the first questions
I ask self-published authors is this: “What is the genre of your book?” Your
book’s genre defines and determines the direction of your PR and marketing
efforts. If I could get $20 for authors who don’t know the answer to that question,
I probably wouldn’t be a millionaire —but I would have considerably more money
than I do now.
"What is the genre of your
book?" Genre is the type of book that you have written. The overall genre of
your book may be fiction (not true), nonfiction (factual) or poetry. However,
there are several subcategories including health and fitness, self-help,
science fiction, mystery and suspense, romance, American poetry and poetry
anthologies. Knowing your genre will also help you select the right reading
opportunities, the best media to pursue for interviews and the best collateral
to develop for your marketing campaign.
What’s next for you?
I’m working on a second
book of poetry and a second guide for authors, Where Do I Start? 10 MORE
Questions and Answers to Guide Self-Published Authors” and a guide for visual
artists. Also, I am hosting a PR
workshop for published authors only, “Promoting Your Own Book for Published Authors” on Saturday, March 26th for only $75 (which includes a FREE copy of my
book, Where Do I Start? 10 PR Questions and Answers to Guide Self-Published
Authors). Register soon at www.eclecticpr.com
(limited capacity). This workshop is for all
authors – traditionally and self-published.
Where can readers find out more about you and your book(s)?
- Website: www.eclecticpr.com
- Facebook: Cherrie Woods
- Twitter: @CherrieWoods
- Blog: no Blog yet – maybe you can teach me how to blog Ms. Dee
- Book buy Links:
It’s been a pleasure
having you here with us today. I know my readers will enjoy getting to know you
and your work.
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