Hug Everyone You Know: A Year of Community, Courage, and Cancer 
In less than five months, Hug Everyone You Know: A Year of Community, Courage, and Cancer will be sitting pretty on book shelves and e-book libraries on October 3, 2017. I am learning that writing a book is only half of the process in getting it launched successfully and keeping it alive. I am in the process coordinating publicity and marketing campaigns. Press releases, book reviews, and blogger endorsements are a must. One cannot dis the value of collateral material (bookmarks, handbills, pins, and such). I believe my team and I are on track. Here are the highlights.
- You can now pre-order your very own copy of Hug Everyone You Know: A Year of Community, Courage, and Cancer. Be the first on your block, office, and/or book club to hold one of the the first off the press books. Here are three sites where you can place orders:
- The ARCs (Advanced Readers Copy) arrived! The book looks, feels and reads like a … real book! ARCs go out to book reviewers, who will hopefully write glowing endorsements, which, in turn, entice readers to buy my book! The ARCs also give me one last ditch effort to catch the typos. I have always been uncertain in recognizing any spelling and grammar errors. Special thanks go out to Doug Shaw, a master of the English language,
who patiently read through the ARC twice. The first time, he was so engrossed in the story he forgot to look for errors. Great testimony! - My publicists, Caitlin Hamilton Summie and Rick Summie, have been working tirelessly brainstorming, crafting press releases, compiling lists and making sure the world kn
ows my book is a worthy read. There is so much to do! Just as one to-do or two are checked off their lists, another two or three are added. I am so grateful for this incredible duo. It would have been impossible for me to juggle everything and function as a human being at the same time. Go Team! - I got swag. There are page grabbers, buttons, and business cards. I recently had a Folding Party. My bestie fans came over to origami-fold the page grabbers (four hundred in all), in exchange for Prosecco and a Sunday macaroni dinner—fair trade.
- The very talented illustrator, Sara Antoinette Martin, did a fantastic job designing trade bookmarks and handbills. They match the clean and colorful theme of the book cover and communicate needed information.
- Beautiful memes came in from BookSparks. I can use them for digital advertisements.
- I will be attending the Book Expo America (BEA) in New York City on June 1st and 2nd! The agenda is full of hob-knobbing with everything book industry related. I know what I need to bring, but not so sure as to what to wear, and I need to spend some quality time practicing my book pitch. The best part of going to the BEA is to finally meet She Writes Press publisher, Brooke Warner, project editor, Lauren Wise, and fellow She Writes Press authors. Very excited!
- Scheduling of launching festivities and book signing events have begun. Keep an ear and eye out for e-vites and shout-outs.
- A few local book clubs are reading Hug Everyone You Know: A Year of Community, Courage, and Cancer. They will be contributing a list of book club questions. This is so fantastic because everyone loves book club questions!
- Did I mention that you can now be pre-ordered Hug Everyone You Know: A Year of Community, Courage, and Cancer?
https://www.amazon.com/Hug-Everyone-You-Know-Community/dp/1631522620/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1494358766&sr=1-1&keywords=hug+everyone+you+know
Stories Served 