Below are the interview questions. If you would like to submit your promotional interview for possible inclusion on this blog - copy the questions below and paste them into an RTF document file. Answer all questions completely and you can send your picture to be posted with the interview if you want. All interviews are posted on a first come, first serve basis and you will be notified when your interview is posted. Please complete the Q & A and email to nikki_leigh22939@yahoo.com and put "Promotional Interview" in the subject line.
Nikki Leigh
You have been invited to share your promotional experience with others.
Your Name:
1. Where you are from and where are you now?
2. How did you get started writing?
3. What do you do when you are not writing?
4. What would readers like to know about you?
5. What inspired your first book?
6. How many books have you written?
7. What are the titles of your books and what genres are they?
8. How do you decide on that topic or genre? Why are you specially qualified to write about this topic?
9. How do you manage to keep yourself focused and on track when you’re writing a book?
10. Do you write to make money, for the love of writing or both?
11. What are some traditional methods of marketing you have used? Which were the
most successful?
12. What are some unique methods of marketing you have used? Which were the most successful?
13. Do you sell through a website? If so, what’s the address? If not, why not?
14. Where can people order your books?
15. What format are your books – e-book, print, audio etc?
16. Will you write more books?
17. What do you have in the works now?
18. What does the future hold for you and your books?
19. What was the most successful thing you did to promote your books?
20. What was the least successful thing you did to promote your books?
21. Tell us about your most recent book.
22. What makes this book special to you?
23. What sort of comments have you gotten about the content of the book?
24. What makes this a book that other people MUST read and WHY?
25. What people NEED to read this book and WHY?
26. What sparks your creativity? Any tips to help others spark their own
creativity?
27. What do you think motivates people to become authors? What motivated you to get into this unusual industry?
28. Tell me about the most unusual things you have done to promote any books?
29. If a potential reader thinks that your book wouldn't interest them, what would you say to convince them to buy? I'm thinking something better than "Its the greatest book ever." Give me something more specific :)
30. Why does the topic of your book interest you? Why would it interest potential readers? Give us a hook to reel in new readers.
This interview was done in conjunction with Nikki Leigh, author of the Book Promo 101 series and owner of Promo 101 Virtual Blog Tours. For more information, visit – www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm and www.virtualblogtour.blogspot.com
Showing posts with label author tour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label author tour. Show all posts
Friday, August 22, 2008
Promotional Interview with Dave Richardson
You have been invited to share your promotional experience with others.
Your Name:
Dave Richardson
1. Where you are from and where are you now?
Born and raised in Southern California. Now live in Kansas.
2. How did you get started writing?
My 2nd son, Craig, (I have 4 sons), had tried for years to get me to put down in writing the stories I had related to them regarding my Vietnam experiences. (Incidentally, he has followed somewhat in my footsteps by becoming an Army helicopter pilot who served in the Panama incursion as well as Gulf Wars 1 & 2. He did Medivac [the Army version of rescue] in Panama and Gulf War 2. By the way, I have forgiven him for being in the Army instead of the Air Force!)
I resisted his efforts until I received a preliminary account of the ‘Streetcar’ rescue by Kenny Fields, the last guy I rescued. I thought it might be fun to write a counterpoint narrative, telling the story from my point of view, and found it to be enjoyable.
That was when Craig and I began working in earnest on the project—I wrote the narratives and supplied the photos, while Craig did the maps and supporting documents.
All of my sons, David, Craig, Eric and Mark plus my wife, Kaye, have participated in one fashion or another during the creation of this book.
3. What do you do when you are not writing?
Read; work with computer; enjoy life with wife, Kaye.
4. What would readers like to know about you?
I am a Christian. Decided while in the 7th grade I wanted to attend college, become a pilot with the USAF, retire and teach school—that is what I have done. (I flew a variety of helicopters and taught 8th grade Mathematics.) Wife and I are High School sweethearts. We live on the shore of a small lake in rural Kansas.
5. What inspired your first book?
My experiences as a combat rescue helicopter pilot in Vietnam.
6. How many books have you written?
One.
7. What are the titles of your books and what genres are they?
Vietnam Air Rescues. Historical/biographical.
8. How do you decide on that topic or genre? Why are you specially qualified to write about this topic?
Because I lived it. This book is an auto-biographical summary of my 7 rescues, plus other related instances that occurred while I was serving in Vietnam as a combat helicopter rescue pilot.
9. How do you manage to keep yourself focused and on track when you’re writing a book?
I try to pick a time when I am fresh and not involved in other things; then I ‘write up storm’ for awhile; then quit and do something else. Finally I review what I have just written and make corrections as they occur to me.
10. Do you write to make money, for the love of writing or both?
Originally, I wrote this book for the benefit of my children. Later, when others began requesting copies, I decided to have it published commercially. I found that I do enjoy writing and have been quite pleased to discover that others are interested in what I have written.
11. What are some traditional methods of marketing you have used? Which were the most successful?
Other than giving a few talks locally, this is my first attempt to market my book.
12. What are some unique methods of marketing you have used? Which were the most successful?
See answer #11
13. Do you sell through a website? If so, what’s the address? If not, why not?
Both through a website and directly through Amazon. The website address is: www.vietnam-air-rescues.com. The book is currently available in 2 formats: (1) as a printed book available through Amazon and (2) as a downloadable eBook. Both are linked from the website. I will soon have a third option—in audio book form. In addition, the book is available in Kindle format at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001CDMNYU.
14. Where can people order your books?
See answer #13
15. What format are your books – e-book, print, audio etc?
See answer #13
16. Will you write more books?
Although I have frequently been asked this question, I do not envision writing more books (at least not for the moment!)
17. What do you have in the works now?
Nothing.
18. What does the future hold for you and your books?
Using my 30 minute power point presentation, I plan to offer my services as a speaker at churches, civic clubs and the like, hoping that I can stimulate interest in sales of the book.
19. What was the most successful thing you did to promote your books?
Speaking locally, I have managed to generate both interest and sales. I am hoping this blog tour will acquaint those in other areas with the availability of my book on Amazon. Another idea that has helped was to make, and distribute free of charge, bookmarks with advertising material about my book on them.
20. What was the least successful thing you did to promote your books?
Fortunately, the few things I have done to date have all proven successful.
21. Tell us about your most recent book.
“Vietnam Air Rescues” comes in several parts. Part 1 is my take on the history of the Vietnam War. Part 2 gives general background on how the rescue system worked. Part 3 presents the details of my 7 rescues. Part 4 is a collection of 30+ anecdotes concerning things that happened to me apart from a particular rescue. Part 5 is a summation of general topics. Part 6 contains a final word. and Part 7 is a glossary of military jargon for the non-military minded. Scattered throughout the book, at appropriate places, are over 100 photos, maps and drawings.
22. What makes this book special to you?
It relates a period in my life that was both stressful and joyous; when I was asked to gamble everything for the sake of others. Fortunately, my training and equipment stood me in good stead. Most important, at least in my view, is that the Lord stood by me and returned me home safely.
23. What sort of comments have you gotten about the content of the book?
Approaching the 100 books sold mark, all the comments I have received have been positive. In addition to the verbal remarks from people who have read the book, there are 5 reviews on Amazon which are all praising the book.
24. What makes this a book that other people MUST read and WHY?
I tried to be both factual and dispassionate in my storytelling. Many people have very different conceptions of the Vietnam War, both positive and negative. I was involved in the effort to save American lives, without regard to politics. I hope people will read about this and perhaps get a new view or slant on what went on—this time from a positive view.
25. What people NEED to read this book and WHY?
Both those who lived through the Vietnam years and those who knew only know about it from history books.
Surprisingly enough, a lot of women have been fascinated by this book. I
would have thought it would appeal mainly to men, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Several women have commented that it has allowed them to understand what happened to their father or husband when they served in Vietnam.
I did not keep a diary while I was there, so I wasn’t able to give a day to day account of my experiences. What I tried to do, and what some people have said they find fascinating, was to record the bare facts and avoid any hyperbole, while still communicating the details of rescue operations.
26. What sparks your creativity? Any tips to help others spark their own creativity?
In my case, there was little creativity involved, as these are tales of what actually happened to me in a manner that is burned into my memory.
In my case, I had constant support and input from my wife and all four sons, who encouraged me and occasionally prompted me to include tidbits I might have forgotten to include.
27. What do you think motivates people to become authors? What motivated you to get into this unusual industry?
See answer #2
28. Tell me about the most unusual things you have done to promote any books?
To date, my promotion has been limited to speaking to churches, civic clubs and historical societies.
One bit of advice I received, which I believe has been of benefit, was to make bookmarks advertising the book and give them away. This has seemed to work quite well.
29. If a potential reader thinks that your book wouldn't interest them, what would you say to convince them to buy? I'm thinking something better than "Its the greatest book ever." Give me something more specific :)
This is a book that is more about saving peoples lives than war itself. I would encourage them to read a single rescue sequence to see if they found the descriptions interesting.
I knew that not all my readers would know about or remember the background of the Vietnam War, so I put in a section detailing my impressions of how and why we, as a country, became involved.
For the same reason, I included a background of life as a Jolly Green pilot and a bunch of anecdotes not directly related to rescue itself.
My hope was that even those who were vehemently opposed to the war would find something interesting they could relate to.
30. Why does the topic of your book interest you? Why would it interest potential readers? Give us a hook to reel in new readers.
I think most people are intrigued by ‘how it really was’ stories. The Air Force rescue portion of the Vietnam War, for some reason, has been mostly overlooked, so this is something new for most readers.
It interests me because I was there and experienced all the various incidents described.
Others, I think, find themselves fascinated by the lengths our country went to in attempting to rescue those in harms’ way.
This interview was done in conjunction with Nikki Leigh, author of the Book Promo 101 series and owner of Promo 101 Virtual Blog Tours. For more information, visit – www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm and www.virtualblogtour.blogspot.com
Your Name:
Dave Richardson
1. Where you are from and where are you now?
Born and raised in Southern California. Now live in Kansas.
2. How did you get started writing?
My 2nd son, Craig, (I have 4 sons), had tried for years to get me to put down in writing the stories I had related to them regarding my Vietnam experiences. (Incidentally, he has followed somewhat in my footsteps by becoming an Army helicopter pilot who served in the Panama incursion as well as Gulf Wars 1 & 2. He did Medivac [the Army version of rescue] in Panama and Gulf War 2. By the way, I have forgiven him for being in the Army instead of the Air Force!)
I resisted his efforts until I received a preliminary account of the ‘Streetcar’ rescue by Kenny Fields, the last guy I rescued. I thought it might be fun to write a counterpoint narrative, telling the story from my point of view, and found it to be enjoyable.
That was when Craig and I began working in earnest on the project—I wrote the narratives and supplied the photos, while Craig did the maps and supporting documents.
All of my sons, David, Craig, Eric and Mark plus my wife, Kaye, have participated in one fashion or another during the creation of this book.
3. What do you do when you are not writing?
Read; work with computer; enjoy life with wife, Kaye.
4. What would readers like to know about you?
I am a Christian. Decided while in the 7th grade I wanted to attend college, become a pilot with the USAF, retire and teach school—that is what I have done. (I flew a variety of helicopters and taught 8th grade Mathematics.) Wife and I are High School sweethearts. We live on the shore of a small lake in rural Kansas.
5. What inspired your first book?
My experiences as a combat rescue helicopter pilot in Vietnam.
6. How many books have you written?
One.
7. What are the titles of your books and what genres are they?
Vietnam Air Rescues. Historical/biographical.
8. How do you decide on that topic or genre? Why are you specially qualified to write about this topic?
Because I lived it. This book is an auto-biographical summary of my 7 rescues, plus other related instances that occurred while I was serving in Vietnam as a combat helicopter rescue pilot.
9. How do you manage to keep yourself focused and on track when you’re writing a book?
I try to pick a time when I am fresh and not involved in other things; then I ‘write up storm’ for awhile; then quit and do something else. Finally I review what I have just written and make corrections as they occur to me.
10. Do you write to make money, for the love of writing or both?
Originally, I wrote this book for the benefit of my children. Later, when others began requesting copies, I decided to have it published commercially. I found that I do enjoy writing and have been quite pleased to discover that others are interested in what I have written.
11. What are some traditional methods of marketing you have used? Which were the most successful?
Other than giving a few talks locally, this is my first attempt to market my book.
12. What are some unique methods of marketing you have used? Which were the most successful?
See answer #11
13. Do you sell through a website? If so, what’s the address? If not, why not?
Both through a website and directly through Amazon. The website address is: www.vietnam-air-rescues.com. The book is currently available in 2 formats: (1) as a printed book available through Amazon and (2) as a downloadable eBook. Both are linked from the website. I will soon have a third option—in audio book form. In addition, the book is available in Kindle format at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001CDMNYU.
14. Where can people order your books?
See answer #13
15. What format are your books – e-book, print, audio etc?
See answer #13
16. Will you write more books?
Although I have frequently been asked this question, I do not envision writing more books (at least not for the moment!)
17. What do you have in the works now?
Nothing.
18. What does the future hold for you and your books?
Using my 30 minute power point presentation, I plan to offer my services as a speaker at churches, civic clubs and the like, hoping that I can stimulate interest in sales of the book.
19. What was the most successful thing you did to promote your books?
Speaking locally, I have managed to generate both interest and sales. I am hoping this blog tour will acquaint those in other areas with the availability of my book on Amazon. Another idea that has helped was to make, and distribute free of charge, bookmarks with advertising material about my book on them.
20. What was the least successful thing you did to promote your books?
Fortunately, the few things I have done to date have all proven successful.
21. Tell us about your most recent book.
“Vietnam Air Rescues” comes in several parts. Part 1 is my take on the history of the Vietnam War. Part 2 gives general background on how the rescue system worked. Part 3 presents the details of my 7 rescues. Part 4 is a collection of 30+ anecdotes concerning things that happened to me apart from a particular rescue. Part 5 is a summation of general topics. Part 6 contains a final word. and Part 7 is a glossary of military jargon for the non-military minded. Scattered throughout the book, at appropriate places, are over 100 photos, maps and drawings.
22. What makes this book special to you?
It relates a period in my life that was both stressful and joyous; when I was asked to gamble everything for the sake of others. Fortunately, my training and equipment stood me in good stead. Most important, at least in my view, is that the Lord stood by me and returned me home safely.
23. What sort of comments have you gotten about the content of the book?
Approaching the 100 books sold mark, all the comments I have received have been positive. In addition to the verbal remarks from people who have read the book, there are 5 reviews on Amazon which are all praising the book.
24. What makes this a book that other people MUST read and WHY?
I tried to be both factual and dispassionate in my storytelling. Many people have very different conceptions of the Vietnam War, both positive and negative. I was involved in the effort to save American lives, without regard to politics. I hope people will read about this and perhaps get a new view or slant on what went on—this time from a positive view.
25. What people NEED to read this book and WHY?
Both those who lived through the Vietnam years and those who knew only know about it from history books.
Surprisingly enough, a lot of women have been fascinated by this book. I
would have thought it would appeal mainly to men, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Several women have commented that it has allowed them to understand what happened to their father or husband when they served in Vietnam.
I did not keep a diary while I was there, so I wasn’t able to give a day to day account of my experiences. What I tried to do, and what some people have said they find fascinating, was to record the bare facts and avoid any hyperbole, while still communicating the details of rescue operations.
26. What sparks your creativity? Any tips to help others spark their own creativity?
In my case, there was little creativity involved, as these are tales of what actually happened to me in a manner that is burned into my memory.
In my case, I had constant support and input from my wife and all four sons, who encouraged me and occasionally prompted me to include tidbits I might have forgotten to include.
27. What do you think motivates people to become authors? What motivated you to get into this unusual industry?
See answer #2
28. Tell me about the most unusual things you have done to promote any books?
To date, my promotion has been limited to speaking to churches, civic clubs and historical societies.
One bit of advice I received, which I believe has been of benefit, was to make bookmarks advertising the book and give them away. This has seemed to work quite well.
29. If a potential reader thinks that your book wouldn't interest them, what would you say to convince them to buy? I'm thinking something better than "Its the greatest book ever." Give me something more specific :)
This is a book that is more about saving peoples lives than war itself. I would encourage them to read a single rescue sequence to see if they found the descriptions interesting.
I knew that not all my readers would know about or remember the background of the Vietnam War, so I put in a section detailing my impressions of how and why we, as a country, became involved.
For the same reason, I included a background of life as a Jolly Green pilot and a bunch of anecdotes not directly related to rescue itself.
My hope was that even those who were vehemently opposed to the war would find something interesting they could relate to.
30. Why does the topic of your book interest you? Why would it interest potential readers? Give us a hook to reel in new readers.
I think most people are intrigued by ‘how it really was’ stories. The Air Force rescue portion of the Vietnam War, for some reason, has been mostly overlooked, so this is something new for most readers.
It interests me because I was there and experienced all the various incidents described.
Others, I think, find themselves fascinated by the lengths our country went to in attempting to rescue those in harms’ way.
This interview was done in conjunction with Nikki Leigh, author of the Book Promo 101 series and owner of Promo 101 Virtual Blog Tours. For more information, visit – www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm and www.virtualblogtour.blogspot.com
Promomtional Interview with Hugh Ballou
Your Name: Hugh Ballou
1. Where you are from and where are you now?
I grew up in Atlanta, GA in the neighborhood where “Driving Miss Daisy” was filmed. I have lived in the South all my life in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and now in Virginia. Now, I am living in Blacksburg, VA with my wife, Leigh Anne Taylor, who is a pastoral church musician as I was for 40 years.
2. How did you get started writing?
Writing for church publications was a regular discipline for many years. It was a challenge for me to put facts, processes and theory into words that people would actually read and understand. Then, I began writing articles for other publications. Once I began to receive feedback on the articles, I realized that I could put together larger sections of information and then ended up with the idea for my first book. I received a rejection from a publisher, so I decided to self-publish that book to get it into the hands of people who would appreciate the information. I am now in the third printing of that book and it is included in the online catalogue of the publisher that rejected it.
3. What do you do when you are not writing?
I teach leaders basic leadership concepts from my writing and learn more about how to communicate fundamental concepts of leadership. I also continue to work with other conductors of musical ensembles to promote good music and great musical events worldwide. I love the passion of making great music with great musicians. In fact, I learned my leadership skills in my 40-year career as conductor.
4. What would readers like to know about you?
I help leaders create new paradigms for leadership. Presenting leadership skills from the perspective of a musical conductor is a fresh approach to a subject that may be stale in some training arenas. I am also passionate about cooking for my family! Both of the passions are me sharing the best of my God-given skills.
5. What inspired your first book?
After talking to many leaders who struggled with the same issues, I was inspired to share my story with them verbally. Once I discovered that the same issues were coming up again and again, I realized that it was time to write about those topics so I could touch more people. I do not consider myself to be a writer, so to overcome the feeling of inadequacy on that subject I began to write!
6. How many books have you written?
I have written 5 books. Transforming Power is actually the 5th book. It jumped over the 4th book, which is in its final stages. The 4th book, Leaders Transform, will be out early in the fall along with the 6th book, which is a companion workbook for #5.
7. What are the titles of your books and what genres are they?
All of my books are about Transformational Leadership. Leaders seeking to transform organizations, systems, and people’s lives need a constant source of inspiration and a resource for new and revised skills. My books can be categorized as “Leadership Tools” for those who want to keep “sharpening the saw,” as Stephen Covey puts it. I write books for people like me. People who want to read a brief chapter or illustration and get back to work - for people who want practical ideas that are immediately applicable – and for people who want realistic, not academic solutions.
8. How do you decide on that topic or genre? Why are you specially qualified to write about this topic?
Having working in many different situations as leader, I made all the classic mistakes and some really creative mistakes. I want to share the knowledge I gained from my mistakes. I wish I had had a resource like this so I could have made some better choices along the way as a leader! I actually developed and perfected systems and processed that worked. They worked really well! People would ask me, “How did you get that result?” So, I tell then through my writing. Some read, some don’t - some listen, some don’t - some succeed, some don’t – I’m happy if anybody applies anything is suggest and succeed.
9. How do you manage to keep yourself focused and on track when you’re writing a book?
I outlined my first book and put away the outline for 2 years. Once I left a job with a regular paycheck, I needed to get clients. So I needed some credibility and decided to bring out the outline and write the book. In looking over the outline, I decided to start with the chapter “Getting Things Done: Choosing priorities, running meetings and ordering our time.” I knew what to do; I just needed to apply what I already knew. Once I finished that chapter I was obligated to follow what I had suggested to others. My credibility rested in being able to focus and manage my time. So, I scheduled writing appointments with myself and kept the appointments. I finished the book in 30-days, sent it to the printer and was selling it a month later!
10. Do you write to make money, for the love of writing or both?
11. What are some traditional methods of marketing you have used? Which were the most successful?
Word-of-mouth is the most traditional, most successful and most cost effective! People telling people becomes a powerful system. This not only sells books, but it also validates me in my position as mentor of success. Word-of-mouth is also fastest and most thorough, especially when combined with an online viral marketing program such as a blog tour. I have been on a blog tour for the past month and I can see measurable results with book sales online.
12. What are some unique methods of marketing you have used? Which were the most successful?
I asked some business owner who are in similar or compatible businesses to give the purchasers of my book a gift that will assist them in their leadership journey. Everyone that I asked responded positively! So, I created a gift list of over $4,000 worth of leadership resources that are free or are major discounts on products or services – most are free. Each of these businesses also agreed to send out my message about the book to their contact list on a specific day. This is currently bringing wonderful results and a lot of traffic to my site as well as the sites for each of the contributors of gifts. When you ask people to share resources and you are willing to share with them, it works!
13. Do you sell through a website? If so, what’s the address? If not, why not?
I created a website just for the book - http://www.transforming-power.com
On this site I placed reasons people should have my book and told them about the free gifts. I also made a welcome video and told them what I had, why I was good for them and what to do next. I think simplicity is powerful! I can track who comes, how long they stay, if they purchase and were they come from.
14. Where can people order your books?
On http://www.transforming-power.com there’s a link to the book on Amazon.
15. What format are your books – e-book, print, audio etc?
Transforming Power is in print. My other books and in print and also available as eBooks from http://www.leaderstransform.com/products.htm
I am moving toward recording each book in various audio formats for ease of use – just like the books – short and to the point!
16. Will you write more books?
Leaders Transform: A Guide for Transformational Leaders and Leaders Transform: An Expanded Workbook for Transformational Leaders are due out this fall. Also, A Devotional Guide for Christian Transformational Leaders is in the works for next year. All these books follow my leadership coaching model, which groups leadership processes and skills into 4 areas: Foundations, Relationships, Systems and Balance. In my experience, the simplicity of categorizing everything about leadership into 4 topics can help to focus and unify strategies for leaders.
17. What do you have in the works now?
I am working on a 12-month teleseminar with study guide for leaders wanting to transform and organization, systems or people’s lives. This online and at home program will be announced through my online training site, Leadership TeleSeminar (http://www.leadershipteleseminar.com ) and will begin in the fall. This is a way for organizations to get a jump-start on a strategic plan that usually costs $25,000 to $50,000! In addition, many organizations with a strategic plan have parked it on a shelf or in a drawer and that plan is not a part of the DNA of the organization, so it is doing them no good al all! My strategy is to provide traction for plans so that organizations can transform!
18. What does the future hold for you and your books?
I am hoping to get more books into the hands of more leaders. Bloom’s Taxonomy (http://www.officeport.com/edu/blooms.htm) tells us that knowledge is at the base of the learning pyramid. I am currently working with the Cooperative Leadership Institute (http://www.vtcli.com/) to put my training into an online, interactive process. There are many things that leaders can study in books and online to stretch themselves and build some basic skills.
19. What was the most successful thing you did to promote your books?
Contract with viral marketing specialists who understand how to get a process started and build momentum. It is also important that authors participate in their own marketing efforts – either with viral programs or programs with publishers. It’s important to adequately describe what’s so good about the book, why people need it and what you want them to do next (tell them to buy it!).
20. What was the least successful thing you did to promote your books?
Running tradition print ads is like gambling. Most of the money is wasted unless it is in a form that connects with specific, targeted audiences.
21. Tell us about your most recent book.
Transforming Power: Stories from Transformational Leaders for Inspiration and Encouragement is a unique collection of stories that demonstrate the effectiveness of visionary leaders. Every story has a valuable perspective and provides good leadership principles that can be applied in any type of organization. Good leadership is applicable wherever people lead. Each contributing author shares insights from their perspective. My first books are the “How To” of leadership giving strategies and systems for leaders. This book teaches through stories. We all learn in different ways, so it’s important to have a variety of methods for learning. I learn from the “how to” resources, however, I am empowered to observe or to read about accomplishments.
22. What makes this book special to you?
Each author wanted to share from his or her own experience and, almost without exception, these authors responded with a resounding “Yes” when asked to contribute. I know each of these authors and I understand their passion for leadership and for changing people’s lives. As I read and reread each story, I remember, with gratitude, my conversations with each author and their response to my request. This book, in itself, represents transformation. I was able to transform an idea into reality. Once I was able to articulate my goal and share that goal with others, the idea began to manifest itself into physical form. I was the Transformational Leader in this instance.
23. What sort of comments have you gotten about the content of the book?
Several people important to me have written or called to tell me how they loved this book and many have used the same comment – “This is a really good book!”
24. What makes this a book that other people MUST read and WHY?
I get tired of the same old stuff! I know that other people must feel the same way. These are some fresh and exciting perspectives on leadership. Organizations fail because of lack of visionary leadership. Transformational Leaders lead with charisma with a clearly articulated vision. What new leaders and especially older, more mature leaders need most is passion and inspiration! This book provides the fire for that passion!
25. What people NEED to read this book and WHY?
This book is for leaders of organizations, leaders of teams, future leaders, and people who know leaders. Basically, this book helps promote good leadership for everyone. In fact, we are all called to lead somewhere at sometime in our lives, so, why not be ready before that opportunity comes? We each impact others in a positive, negative or neutral way – the choice is ours! Reading Transforming Power will equip people with the positive mental attitude to be that positive influence with everyone they meet. This not theory – it works!
26. What sparks your creativity? Any tips to help others spark their own creativity?
I feel empowered by the words, “I don’t think you can accomplish that.” My response is, “Watch me, and get out of the way!” Barriers and obstacles are opportunities for problem solving. The difference in barrier and opportunity in usually defined as perspective. My motivation is solving problems and helping leaders find ways to strengthen skills to solve their problems. I am empowered by each leader that succeeds – so, hearing that I have made a difference in someone’s live sparks my enthusiasm and creativity.
27. What do you think motivates people to become authors? What motivated you to get into this unusual industry?
It is with great fear of rejection and ridicule that keeps some people from sharing their thoughts with others. I knew that this could be a possibility, however, I also know that I would grow in my own skills when becoming vulnerable and transparent. I teach leaders to be vulnerable in order to be effective, and to lead by example. In order to be effective in leadership myself, I wanted to set the example. People may not think that I am always correct, however, many say that they have learned something of value. Writing let’s me share with more people at the same time.
28. Tell me about the most unusual things you have done to promote any books?
I have loaned books to people for a week and asked them to respond to a specific chapter or point in the book. When I return to collect the loaned book, they write me a check about 90% of the time.
29. If a potential reader thinks that your book wouldn't interest them, what would you say to convince them to buy? I'm thinking something better than "Its the greatest book ever." Give me something more specific :)
If one story in this book could help you thing about creative solutions for your organization or change your life, would it be worth having the book? If you didn’t want to keep the book, could you think of someone who could benefit from some good leadership suggestions? Either way, it’s worth having a copy to read and to share.
30. Why does the topic of your book interest you? Why would it interest potential readers? Give us a hook to reel in new readers.
If an organization is stagnant because the leader is stale this can be an empowering resource. It’s also for leaders who are just “stuck.” It’s worth having the book to get just one idea that could ultimately change someone’s life – it might be the reader who is changed – how powerful is that?
This interview was done in conjunction with Nikki Leigh, author of the Book Promo 101 series and owner of Promo 101 Virtual Blog Tours. For more information, visit – www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm and
www.virtualblogtour.blogspot.com
1. Where you are from and where are you now?
I grew up in Atlanta, GA in the neighborhood where “Driving Miss Daisy” was filmed. I have lived in the South all my life in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and now in Virginia. Now, I am living in Blacksburg, VA with my wife, Leigh Anne Taylor, who is a pastoral church musician as I was for 40 years.
2. How did you get started writing?
Writing for church publications was a regular discipline for many years. It was a challenge for me to put facts, processes and theory into words that people would actually read and understand. Then, I began writing articles for other publications. Once I began to receive feedback on the articles, I realized that I could put together larger sections of information and then ended up with the idea for my first book. I received a rejection from a publisher, so I decided to self-publish that book to get it into the hands of people who would appreciate the information. I am now in the third printing of that book and it is included in the online catalogue of the publisher that rejected it.
3. What do you do when you are not writing?
I teach leaders basic leadership concepts from my writing and learn more about how to communicate fundamental concepts of leadership. I also continue to work with other conductors of musical ensembles to promote good music and great musical events worldwide. I love the passion of making great music with great musicians. In fact, I learned my leadership skills in my 40-year career as conductor.
4. What would readers like to know about you?
I help leaders create new paradigms for leadership. Presenting leadership skills from the perspective of a musical conductor is a fresh approach to a subject that may be stale in some training arenas. I am also passionate about cooking for my family! Both of the passions are me sharing the best of my God-given skills.
5. What inspired your first book?
After talking to many leaders who struggled with the same issues, I was inspired to share my story with them verbally. Once I discovered that the same issues were coming up again and again, I realized that it was time to write about those topics so I could touch more people. I do not consider myself to be a writer, so to overcome the feeling of inadequacy on that subject I began to write!
6. How many books have you written?
I have written 5 books. Transforming Power is actually the 5th book. It jumped over the 4th book, which is in its final stages. The 4th book, Leaders Transform, will be out early in the fall along with the 6th book, which is a companion workbook for #5.
7. What are the titles of your books and what genres are they?
All of my books are about Transformational Leadership. Leaders seeking to transform organizations, systems, and people’s lives need a constant source of inspiration and a resource for new and revised skills. My books can be categorized as “Leadership Tools” for those who want to keep “sharpening the saw,” as Stephen Covey puts it. I write books for people like me. People who want to read a brief chapter or illustration and get back to work - for people who want practical ideas that are immediately applicable – and for people who want realistic, not academic solutions.
8. How do you decide on that topic or genre? Why are you specially qualified to write about this topic?
Having working in many different situations as leader, I made all the classic mistakes and some really creative mistakes. I want to share the knowledge I gained from my mistakes. I wish I had had a resource like this so I could have made some better choices along the way as a leader! I actually developed and perfected systems and processed that worked. They worked really well! People would ask me, “How did you get that result?” So, I tell then through my writing. Some read, some don’t - some listen, some don’t - some succeed, some don’t – I’m happy if anybody applies anything is suggest and succeed.
9. How do you manage to keep yourself focused and on track when you’re writing a book?
I outlined my first book and put away the outline for 2 years. Once I left a job with a regular paycheck, I needed to get clients. So I needed some credibility and decided to bring out the outline and write the book. In looking over the outline, I decided to start with the chapter “Getting Things Done: Choosing priorities, running meetings and ordering our time.” I knew what to do; I just needed to apply what I already knew. Once I finished that chapter I was obligated to follow what I had suggested to others. My credibility rested in being able to focus and manage my time. So, I scheduled writing appointments with myself and kept the appointments. I finished the book in 30-days, sent it to the printer and was selling it a month later!
10. Do you write to make money, for the love of writing or both?
11. What are some traditional methods of marketing you have used? Which were the most successful?
Word-of-mouth is the most traditional, most successful and most cost effective! People telling people becomes a powerful system. This not only sells books, but it also validates me in my position as mentor of success. Word-of-mouth is also fastest and most thorough, especially when combined with an online viral marketing program such as a blog tour. I have been on a blog tour for the past month and I can see measurable results with book sales online.
12. What are some unique methods of marketing you have used? Which were the most successful?
I asked some business owner who are in similar or compatible businesses to give the purchasers of my book a gift that will assist them in their leadership journey. Everyone that I asked responded positively! So, I created a gift list of over $4,000 worth of leadership resources that are free or are major discounts on products or services – most are free. Each of these businesses also agreed to send out my message about the book to their contact list on a specific day. This is currently bringing wonderful results and a lot of traffic to my site as well as the sites for each of the contributors of gifts. When you ask people to share resources and you are willing to share with them, it works!
13. Do you sell through a website? If so, what’s the address? If not, why not?
I created a website just for the book - http://www.transforming-power.com
On this site I placed reasons people should have my book and told them about the free gifts. I also made a welcome video and told them what I had, why I was good for them and what to do next. I think simplicity is powerful! I can track who comes, how long they stay, if they purchase and were they come from.
14. Where can people order your books?
On http://www.transforming-power.com there’s a link to the book on Amazon.
15. What format are your books – e-book, print, audio etc?
Transforming Power is in print. My other books and in print and also available as eBooks from http://www.leaderstransform.com/products.htm
I am moving toward recording each book in various audio formats for ease of use – just like the books – short and to the point!
16. Will you write more books?
Leaders Transform: A Guide for Transformational Leaders and Leaders Transform: An Expanded Workbook for Transformational Leaders are due out this fall. Also, A Devotional Guide for Christian Transformational Leaders is in the works for next year. All these books follow my leadership coaching model, which groups leadership processes and skills into 4 areas: Foundations, Relationships, Systems and Balance. In my experience, the simplicity of categorizing everything about leadership into 4 topics can help to focus and unify strategies for leaders.
17. What do you have in the works now?
I am working on a 12-month teleseminar with study guide for leaders wanting to transform and organization, systems or people’s lives. This online and at home program will be announced through my online training site, Leadership TeleSeminar (http://www.leadershipteleseminar.com ) and will begin in the fall. This is a way for organizations to get a jump-start on a strategic plan that usually costs $25,000 to $50,000! In addition, many organizations with a strategic plan have parked it on a shelf or in a drawer and that plan is not a part of the DNA of the organization, so it is doing them no good al all! My strategy is to provide traction for plans so that organizations can transform!
18. What does the future hold for you and your books?
I am hoping to get more books into the hands of more leaders. Bloom’s Taxonomy (http://www.officeport.com/edu/blooms.htm) tells us that knowledge is at the base of the learning pyramid. I am currently working with the Cooperative Leadership Institute (http://www.vtcli.com/) to put my training into an online, interactive process. There are many things that leaders can study in books and online to stretch themselves and build some basic skills.
19. What was the most successful thing you did to promote your books?
Contract with viral marketing specialists who understand how to get a process started and build momentum. It is also important that authors participate in their own marketing efforts – either with viral programs or programs with publishers. It’s important to adequately describe what’s so good about the book, why people need it and what you want them to do next (tell them to buy it!).
20. What was the least successful thing you did to promote your books?
Running tradition print ads is like gambling. Most of the money is wasted unless it is in a form that connects with specific, targeted audiences.
21. Tell us about your most recent book.
Transforming Power: Stories from Transformational Leaders for Inspiration and Encouragement is a unique collection of stories that demonstrate the effectiveness of visionary leaders. Every story has a valuable perspective and provides good leadership principles that can be applied in any type of organization. Good leadership is applicable wherever people lead. Each contributing author shares insights from their perspective. My first books are the “How To” of leadership giving strategies and systems for leaders. This book teaches through stories. We all learn in different ways, so it’s important to have a variety of methods for learning. I learn from the “how to” resources, however, I am empowered to observe or to read about accomplishments.
22. What makes this book special to you?
Each author wanted to share from his or her own experience and, almost without exception, these authors responded with a resounding “Yes” when asked to contribute. I know each of these authors and I understand their passion for leadership and for changing people’s lives. As I read and reread each story, I remember, with gratitude, my conversations with each author and their response to my request. This book, in itself, represents transformation. I was able to transform an idea into reality. Once I was able to articulate my goal and share that goal with others, the idea began to manifest itself into physical form. I was the Transformational Leader in this instance.
23. What sort of comments have you gotten about the content of the book?
Several people important to me have written or called to tell me how they loved this book and many have used the same comment – “This is a really good book!”
24. What makes this a book that other people MUST read and WHY?
I get tired of the same old stuff! I know that other people must feel the same way. These are some fresh and exciting perspectives on leadership. Organizations fail because of lack of visionary leadership. Transformational Leaders lead with charisma with a clearly articulated vision. What new leaders and especially older, more mature leaders need most is passion and inspiration! This book provides the fire for that passion!
25. What people NEED to read this book and WHY?
This book is for leaders of organizations, leaders of teams, future leaders, and people who know leaders. Basically, this book helps promote good leadership for everyone. In fact, we are all called to lead somewhere at sometime in our lives, so, why not be ready before that opportunity comes? We each impact others in a positive, negative or neutral way – the choice is ours! Reading Transforming Power will equip people with the positive mental attitude to be that positive influence with everyone they meet. This not theory – it works!
26. What sparks your creativity? Any tips to help others spark their own creativity?
I feel empowered by the words, “I don’t think you can accomplish that.” My response is, “Watch me, and get out of the way!” Barriers and obstacles are opportunities for problem solving. The difference in barrier and opportunity in usually defined as perspective. My motivation is solving problems and helping leaders find ways to strengthen skills to solve their problems. I am empowered by each leader that succeeds – so, hearing that I have made a difference in someone’s live sparks my enthusiasm and creativity.
27. What do you think motivates people to become authors? What motivated you to get into this unusual industry?
It is with great fear of rejection and ridicule that keeps some people from sharing their thoughts with others. I knew that this could be a possibility, however, I also know that I would grow in my own skills when becoming vulnerable and transparent. I teach leaders to be vulnerable in order to be effective, and to lead by example. In order to be effective in leadership myself, I wanted to set the example. People may not think that I am always correct, however, many say that they have learned something of value. Writing let’s me share with more people at the same time.
28. Tell me about the most unusual things you have done to promote any books?
I have loaned books to people for a week and asked them to respond to a specific chapter or point in the book. When I return to collect the loaned book, they write me a check about 90% of the time.
29. If a potential reader thinks that your book wouldn't interest them, what would you say to convince them to buy? I'm thinking something better than "Its the greatest book ever." Give me something more specific :)
If one story in this book could help you thing about creative solutions for your organization or change your life, would it be worth having the book? If you didn’t want to keep the book, could you think of someone who could benefit from some good leadership suggestions? Either way, it’s worth having a copy to read and to share.
30. Why does the topic of your book interest you? Why would it interest potential readers? Give us a hook to reel in new readers.
If an organization is stagnant because the leader is stale this can be an empowering resource. It’s also for leaders who are just “stuck.” It’s worth having the book to get just one idea that could ultimately change someone’s life – it might be the reader who is changed – how powerful is that?
This interview was done in conjunction with Nikki Leigh, author of the Book Promo 101 series and owner of Promo 101 Virtual Blog Tours. For more information, visit – www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm and
www.virtualblogtour.blogspot.com
Monday, August 11, 2008
In Detail With Dave Richardson
Tell us the book title and your author name.
When I first wrote the book in 2002, I titled it, “An Old
Helicopter Pilot Remembers
What inspired the book?
My 2nd son, Craig, (I have 4 sons), had tried for years to get me to put down in writing the stories I had related to them regarding my
I resisted his efforts until I received a preliminary account of the ‘Streetcar’ rescue by Kenny Fields, the last guy I rescued. I thought it might be fun to write a counterpoint narrative, telling the story from my point of view, and found it to be enjoyable.
That was when Craig and I began working in earnest on the project—I wrote the narratives and supplied the photos, while Craig did the maps and supporting documents.
All of my sons, David, Craig, Eric and Mark plus my wife, Kaye, have participated in one fashion or another during the creation of this book.
What makes this book special to you?
What makes this a book that other people MUST read and WHY?
I tried to be both factual and dispassionate in my storytelling. Many people have very different conceptions of the Vietnam War, both positive and negative. I was involved in the effort to save American lives, without regard to politics. I hope people will read about this and perhaps get a new view or slant on what went on—this time from a positive view.
What people NEED to read this book and WHY?
Surprisingly enough, a lot of females have been fascinated by this book. I would have thought it would appeal mainly to males, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Several women have commented that it has allowed them to take a peek into what happened to their father or husband.
I did not keep a diary while I was there, so I wasn’t able to give a day to day account of my experiences. What I tried to do, and what some people have said they find fascinating, was to record the bare facts and avoid any hyperbole, while still communicating the details of rescue operations.
What sparks your creativity? Any tips to help others spark their own creativity?
In my case, there was little creativity involved, as these are tales of what actually happened to me in a manner that is burned into my memory.
In my case, I had constant support and input from my wife and all four sons, who encouraged me and occasionally prompted me to include tidbits I might have forgotten to include.
What has been the biggest stumbling block in your writing? Can you share some tips to help others get past similar problems?
Motivation, motivation, motivation. I initially wrote this as a bit of private correspondence to my sons, then expanded it to the general public when it became obvious there was some interest.
As I mention in my ‘Note to the Reader’, this is the 5th edition of basically the same work. Each time, I had to consider to whom I was now writing. This affected not only what I included, but how I phrased it.
What do you think motivates people to become authors? What motivated you to get into this unusual industry?
See answer to 2nd question.
Tell me about the most unusual things you have done to promote any books?
To date, my promotion has been limited to speaking to churches, civic clubs and historical societies.
One bit of advice I received, which I believe has been of benefit, was to make bookmarks advertising the book and give them away. This has seemed to work quite well.
NON FICTION - Why are you the BEST person to write this book? What in your background or in your research makes you qualified to do justice to this topic?
Because I lived it. Others, even those who also performed rescues, who might attempt to create a similar book would, of necessity, come up with a completely different type of book.
This is because of the personal experiences involved. I was startled recently to have another rescue pilot confide to me that he had admired the way I did things and had attempted to pattern himself after me. I would never have imagined anything like that. It is totally amazing how each of us affect the lives of others without realizing it.
NON FICTION - If a potential reader thinks that your book wouldn't interest them, what would you say to convince them to buy? I'm thinking something better than "Its the greatest book ever." Give me something more specific :)
This is a book that is more about saving peoples lives than war itself. I would encourage them to read a single rescue sequence to see if they found the descriptions interesting.
I knew that not all my readers would know about or remember the background of the Vietnam War, so I put in a section detailing my impressions of how and why we, as a country, became involved.
For the same reason, I included a background of life as a Jolly Green pilot and a bunch of anecdotes not directly related to rescue itself.
My hope was that even those who were vehemently opposed to the war would find something interesting they could relate to.
NON FICTION - Why does the topic of your book interest you? Why would it interest potential readers? Give us a hook to reel in new readers.
I think most people are intrigued by ‘how it really was’ stories. The Air Force rescue portion of the Vietnam War, for some reason, has been mostly overlooked, so this is something new for most readers.
Others, I think, find themselves fascinated by the lengths our country went to in attempting to rescue those in harms’ way.
NON FICTION Is there a way to tie your book topic to current events? If so, tell us about how you could do that. I have a blog to feature information and examples about tying books into current events that might be a good place for you to promote your book.
Not directly. The war in
If there's anything else you would like to share, this is the time and place.
I appreciate your efforts to assist me in the promotion of my book.
Thank you for visiting with me and in closing, give us your website address and a link to order your book.
For anyone who would like to take a look inside the book, I compiled a "sampler" which gives you excerpts from the book and the entire first rescue along with pictures from the book. To download your free sampler - visit www.nikkileigh.com/var/htm
Website: www.vietnam-air-rescues.com
Order link: http://www.amazon.com/Vietnam-Air-Rescues-Dave-Richardson/dp/1434891348/
We've posted an excerpt from the book to share Dave's first rescue - visit http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/08/sample-for-you-rescue-1-vietnam-air.html
Feel free to ask questions or leave a comment at every stop on the tour to increase your chances to win a copy of this exciting book. For full details about Dave's tour and to see the schedule - http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/07/vietnam-air-rescues-author-dave.html
In Detail With Dave Richardson
Tell us the book title and your author name.
When I first wrote the book in 2002, I titled it, “An Old
Helicopter Pilot Remembers
What inspired the book?
My 2nd son, Craig, (I have 4 sons), had tried for years to get me to put down in writing the stories I had related to them regarding my
I resisted his efforts until I received a preliminary account of the ‘Streetcar’ rescue by Kenny Fields, the last guy I rescued. I thought it might be fun to write a counterpoint narrative, telling the story from my point of view, and found it to be enjoyable.
That was when Craig and I began working in earnest on the project—I wrote the narratives and supplied the photos, while Craig did the maps and supporting documents.
All of my sons, David, Craig, Eric and Mark plus my wife, Kaye, have participated in one fashion or another during the creation of this book.
What makes this book special to you?
What makes this a book that other people MUST read and WHY?
I tried to be both factual and dispassionate in my storytelling. Many people have very different conceptions of the Vietnam War, both positive and negative. I was involved in the effort to save American lives, without regard to politics. I hope people will read about this and perhaps get a new view or slant on what went on—this time from a positive view.
What people NEED to read this book and WHY?
Surprisingly enough, a lot of females have been fascinated by this book. I would have thought it would appeal mainly to males, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Several women have commented that it has allowed them to take a peek into what happened to their father or husband.
I did not keep a diary while I was there, so I wasn’t able to give a day to day account of my experiences. What I tried to do, and what some people have said they find fascinating, was to record the bare facts and avoid any hyperbole, while still communicating the details of rescue operations.
What sparks your creativity? Any tips to help others spark their own creativity?
In my case, there was little creativity involved, as these are tales of what actually happened to me in a manner that is burned into my memory.
In my case, I had constant support and input from my wife and all four sons, who encouraged me and occasionally prompted me to include tidbits I might have forgotten to include.
What has been the biggest stumbling block in your writing? Can you share some tips to help others get past similar problems?
Motivation, motivation, motivation. I initially wrote this as a bit of private correspondence to my sons, then expanded it to the general public when it became obvious there was some interest.
As I mention in my ‘Note to the Reader’, this is the 5th edition of basically the same work. Each time, I had to consider to whom I was now writing. This affected not only what I included, but how I phrased it.
What do you think motivates people to become authors? What motivated you to get into this unusual industry?
See answer to 2nd question.
Tell me about the most unusual things you have done to promote any books?
To date, my promotion has been limited to speaking to churches, civic clubs and historical societies.
One bit of advice I received, which I believe has been of benefit, was to make bookmarks advertising the book and give them away. This has seemed to work quite well.
NON FICTION - Why are you the BEST person to write this book? What in your background or in your research makes you qualified to do justice to this topic?
Because I lived it. Others, even those who also performed rescues, who might attempt to create a similar book would, of necessity, come up with a completely different type of book.
This is because of the personal experiences involved. I was startled recently to have another rescue pilot confide to me that he had admired the way I did things and had attempted to pattern himself after me. I would never have imagined anything like that. It is totally amazing how each of us affect the lives of others without realizing it.
NON FICTION - If a potential reader thinks that your book wouldn't interest them, what would you say to convince them to buy? I'm thinking something better than "Its the greatest book ever." Give me something more specific :)
This is a book that is more about saving peoples lives than war itself. I would encourage them to read a single rescue sequence to see if they found the descriptions interesting.
I knew that not all my readers would know about or remember the background of the Vietnam War, so I put in a section detailing my impressions of how and why we, as a country, became involved.
For the same reason, I included a background of life as a Jolly Green pilot and a bunch of anecdotes not directly related to rescue itself.
My hope was that even those who were vehemently opposed to the war would find something interesting they could relate to.
NON FICTION - Why does the topic of your book interest you? Why would it interest potential readers? Give us a hook to reel in new readers.
I think most people are intrigued by ‘how it really was’ stories. The Air Force rescue portion of the Vietnam War, for some reason, has been mostly overlooked, so this is something new for most readers.
Others, I think, find themselves fascinated by the lengths our country went to in attempting to rescue those in harms’ way.
NON FICTION Is there a way to tie your book topic to current events? If so, tell us about how you could do that. I have a blog to feature information and examples about tying books into current events that might be a good place for you to promote your book.
Not directly. The war in
If there's anything else you would like to share, this is the time and place.
I appreciate your efforts to assist me in the promotion of my book.
Thank you for visiting with me and in closing, give us your website address and a link to order your book.
For anyone who would like to take a look inside the book, I compiled a "sampler" which gives you excerpts from the book and the entire first rescue along with pictures from the book. To download your free sampler - visit www.nikkileigh.com/var/htm
Website: www.vietnam-air-rescues.com
Order link: http://www.amazon.com/Vietnam-Air-Rescues-Dave-Richardson/dp/1434891348/
We've posted an excerpt from the book to share Dave's first rescue - visit http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/08/sample-for-you-rescue-1-vietnam-air.html
Feel free to ask questions or leave a comment at every stop on the tour to increase your chances to win a copy of this exciting book. For full details about Dave's tour and to see the schedule - http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/07/vietnam-air-rescues-author-dave.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
