Welcome to today’s Author Share about Interviews and Guest Posts. As a relatively new author, I still have a lot of questions about promotion. I’m still not very comfortable with self promotion, but do quite enjoy doing interviews and guest posts. And I love promoting other authors. Which led me to this week’s Author Share questions. I have invited two amazing authors, who are also fantastic at promoting other authors. Tara Finnegan and Maddie Taylor are here today to share some of their experiences. Thanks for joining me today, ladies. Let’s jump right in!

Katherine Deane: Ok, let’s start with the basics. What is the difference between an interview and a guest post ?

Tara Finnegan: Good question. I would say an interview is led by the questions or topics the interviewer wants to deal with, a guest post is led by the guest. So to put it in terms we understand an interview is almost D/s compared to guest post which is more a vanilla “how do you like it, honey?”

Katherine Deane: Great comparison! So the host / hostess really doesn’t have too much involvement with a guest post, correct?

Tara Finnegan. That’s the way I see it. The host may have specific requirements or a preference for a particular topic etc, but the general structure of the post will be up to the invitee. Although I stand to be corrected by Maddie on that. (Or even better again, if she can get some of her hot Doms from Club Decadence to correct me I’ll be very obedient in begging her pardon)

Maddie Taylor: A guest post to me is pure, unadulterated promotion–blurb, excerpt, buy links, yada yada yada. A necessary evil and if done well can tease and leave the reader hungry for more. So hungry that they pop on over to Amazon for a satisfying one-click snack. LOL. Bragging some may say, it’s true, but we all have to promote in this business, like a commercial, and get the word out. I like interactive so much better because the reader can learn some very interesting tidbits about the authors the like. Some, I have found, are much more forthcoming than others, to the point of exhibitionism. Others are closed mouthed and you have to play dentist and pull it out of them one yank or key stroke at a time. I learned to ask open ended questions so I didn’t get yes/no answers. Either way, Tara, thanks for the shameless plug. I have a few single Doms left at The Club who could help get to the bottom of your correction. Do you prefer Master Sean or Lil T? Name your Dom and I’ll send him straight over

Tara Finnegan: I’ll leave that choice in your capable hands, Maddie. I am sure one is as hot as the other, if you created them.

Katherine Deane: Mmm, I would like to stand corrected too! Or OTK corrected? 😉

Maddie Taylor: OTK, paddles, floggers, whips and canes are all possible, dear Katherine. It all comes down to the degree of correction that is required.

Katherine Deane: LOL, Maddie, I’ll keep that in mind 🙂

Does one take longer than the other for either party (the host or the guest)?

Maddie Taylor: Aww! She got serious again, what a sad turn. Okay, I’ll straighten up and be good, for now.

Katherine Deane: It’s sad, but someone has to keep the original conversation going. More wonderful spanky talk later 🙂

Tara Finnegan: My experience is that interviews tend to take longer for both! Obviously, the interviewer will have to come up with the questions, read the replies and then tweak the flow a little, whereas with a guest post, the host only has to copy and paste, checking links and formatting work.

Even the invitee will probably spend more time answering specific questions than they would on a guest blog.

Katherine Deane: And in the case of an Author Shares, there is a lot of back and forth and tweaking, eh? 😉

Even though there is more work for one, is one better than the other? What are the pro’s and con’s for each?

Tara Finnegan: I’ll be interested to hear Maddie’s opinion on this as she does regular interview spots, and probably has it down to a fine art. In fact I don’t do half enough of them as I’m a bit of a lazy blogger, and quite happily go with what the visitor wants.

Maddie Taylor: Thanks for mentioning it, Tara. I have what I call Maddie’s Intimate Authors Corner on my weekly blog; Wicked Wanton Wednesday. I ask my guests if they would participate in the interview and have a long list of questions, both serious (related to writing) and fun stuff (intimate questions like favorite spanking position). To make it worthwhile, I ask them to answer at least 5 questions of their choice. This gives my shy guests a chance to stay clear of the more personal questions and those inclined to let it all hang out a chance to do so. Some answer all 25 questions quite graphically and in great detail. Those are the guests I really enjoy. Naughty me! But to each his/her own.

Katherine Deane: Is there a protocol for getting hosted on someone’s blog? Do I, as an author with a new book, just go out and ask? Or do I wait for someone to offer? Or is there a happy medium?

Tara Finnegan: Hmm, I don’t really know the answer to this. I think it’s ok to put out a post and issue a general request. Anyone who can fit you in, will. Those who have a full schedule don’t feel under pressure, as you haven’t contacted them directly. I find people tend to be very generous in offering blog days if you ask.

Maddie Taylor: I usually book a month in advance for my Wednesday spot, put out a call for guest spots and authors IM me. When it’s my turn, I’ll usually go to former guests and see if they have a space for me. So as a hostess and a guest, I guess you could say I go both ways. LOL Speaking of which, Katherine has a post coming up on my blog on July 22nd. When are you dropping by, Tara???? See how easy that is 🙂

Katherine Deane: Holy cow, Maddie, you are good at this!

Should I offer something in return? (copy of the book, space on my blog for one of their releases?)

Tara Finnegan: I think it is polite to offer a return date, even if you leave it an open date that they can call on you for in the future. There should be no need to offer a copy of the book, unless you are actually asking them to review it for you. I honestly don’t think anyone would expect that. Remember how many of their books you have bought in your lifetime 🙂

Maddie Taylor: I agree with Tara, returning the offer is the polite thing to do. I usually stay away from offering a free book for a review because I think a reader should be under no obligation to give a good review in return for a freebie. In this biz, I think we have to be prepared for any reviews, the good, the bad, and the ugly. I let my publisher handle ARC’s in exchange for honest reviews.

Katherine Deane: Ooh, good point. Can you actually ask someone to review your book in addition to the promo- (in exchange for a free book?), or is that rude since you are already asking them to promote you? Is there a protocol on this?

Tara Finnegan: Again I don’t know if there is a protocol. What I’ve done in the past is if someone says they are going to read it before the interview/ blog day and post a review as part of the post, then I might offer a copy. I have never asked anyone to review for a blog post. Maddie may have more of an idea, as she has so much more experience than I.

Maddie Taylor: I’ve always wished there was a New Authors 101 class out there that would cover all of this, offering helpful tidbits on social media, how to promote your books, how to blog, what is expected of me, etc… Wouldn’t that have been helpful, Tara? I do try to reach out to new authors and offer advice if they are interested. I had to learn as I went and so many experience authors helped me along the way that I think helping newbies is paying it forward.

Katherine Deane: A new author’s 101 sounds very helpful!! I am very thankful for all the help my fellow authors gave me as well. 🙂

Can I post on my own blog or another person’s blog, on the same day I am being promoted by the other blogger, or is this considered rude?

Maddie Taylor: This has happened to me before because I am terrible with a calendar. I’ve double booked and been double booked. It didn’t bother me either way. I say just give each blog equal time that day if it happens. Also, I have offered the ‘double bookie’ a different date if they’d like. That is how Tantalizing Tuesdays began on my blog… Sh… don’t tell anyone. LOL

Tara Finnegan: Lol, I’m like Maddie, as in I don’t really keep a calendar. But also, I think the first couple of weeks of a release it’s really important to spread the word as much as you can, so I think doubling up then is fair enough. It’s marketing.

Katherine Deane: You ladies are awesome at what you do, on both the author side and the promoting side. Thanks for sharing your experience with me today. 🙂

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From what I have taken from today’s post, author promotion is not just a one person job. It takes a team of supporters. It also seems like the wonderful old “back scratching” way of doing things. Or the golden rule. However you want to coin it. 🙂

There are several different ways of conveying the message, to give everyone an opportunity to see something different without getting bored.

And with a little respectful support, and willingness to help each other, the word will get out.

Thanks for stopping by today for Author Share – Interviews and Guest Posts. I would love feedback. What do you prefer to read as far as promotion goes? Any other tips or suggestions?

🙂

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Today’s hostesses:

Tara Finnegan:

Blog:http://tarafinneganromance.blogspot.com

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TaraFinneganRomance?ref=hl

Twitter:https://twitter.com/TaraFinnegan6

Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/Tara-Finnegan/e/B00CQ7L6G2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1405880383&sr=8-1

Maddie Taylor:

Blog : http://maddietaylorromance.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maddie.taylor.121772?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaddieTWrites