Marketing Q&A With Author S.R. Carson

Looking to improve your marketing and publicity efforts? Check out our Book Publicity Tips series where we ask real authors to share their experiences, thoughts, and advice to assist both new and established authors.

What is the best way to respond to a negative review?

I haven’t had many negative reviews but they happen. Heck, I can’t please everyone and be all things to all people. My most bizarre one was probably from my ex-wife, or at least, that seems most likely. So I think the best thing to do is to ignore the review completely, and immediately blame your ex!

Have you ever had a book signing?

Yes, I have, and I enjoyed it immensely with a good showing. It was at a café/bar. Of course, the wine helped a lot. In fact, I recommend serving wine at book signings when possible. My signature is unreadable at best, but  after a good cabernet, it actually becomes somewhat readable!

How important is social media to your marketing efforts?

I don’t know, really. I am clearly inept at marketing, basically, because I’m a doctor who has never had to advertise; people just came to me to be treated, and my reputation was built by word of mouth. I am not so good at social media, and I guess old fashioned word of mouth doesn’t work the same in this case.

How important are friends and family when you market your book?

Quick Answer: forget family completely. I mean, with regard to marketing. Friends? Well, don’t depend on them to market you, just keep them as friends. It’s your enemies that you have to market to successfully without them realizing you are doing it.

How frequently do you post on Twitter? Do you have a method to increase engagement and interaction? Do you have favourite hashtags?

I post something or RT maybe every other day. Not convinced I like Twitter because there seem to be a lot of fakes and selfish people. I try not to push my books, but instead, interact with funny posts or responses to get people interested in me as a person, not a book hawker. I don’t try to maximize followers just for volume. I need real responders and interesting people, not just large numbers of tweeps.

Author Bio

Dr. Carson is a surgeon who save lives with humility and dedication. He has successfully transferred some of this energy into writing, which he pens with emotion and realism.

To Love With Hate is his debut novel described as a “boiling cauldron of intense psychological suspense.”

In Code Blue: A Doctor’s View of His Own Near Death Experience, he describes how he witnesses his own NDE and how it profoundly changes his life and those of those participating.

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