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Friday, July 19, 2013

Author Interview - April M. Reign Discuss the Secret to Being Prolific and Effective Video Promotion


April M. Reign is the author of several fan-favorite series (e.g. Dhellia Series, Mancini Saga, Disciples of the Damned Series, etc.) I met her on Twitter. However, after following her on Facebook I became a huge fan. Not just of her writing, but of the way she interacts with her fans.

And her fans love her. I wanted to find out how she was so prolific and how she managed her brand. I was fortunate enough to be granted an interview.


1. You are very prolific. From the looks of it, you have 5 series (including HASH, book 1 in the Imprint Trilogy), several standalone books and you’re also branching out into horror. What’s your secret for getting so much work done?

My secret is consistency. Every day, I sit in front of my laptop and I write. I may only write 200 words (on a bad day) or 3000 words (on a good day) but there is never a day that goes by when I don’t write. Consistency combined with my overly active imagination gives me the foundation to create new storylines and constantly provide new books for my readers.


2. With so many projects on the go, is it difficult keeping your stories straight? Have you ever mistakenly put a character into the wrong series?

I don’t usually put a character into the wrong series but I do have a tendency to mix 3rd and 1st person narrative. I’ve written three of my series in 1st person and two in 3rd person. At times, it gets confusing. (smile)

As far as keeping my stories straight, (Laugh) I have to reread each book in a series before I can write the next one, so that I keep the voice of my characters the same. With so many series going at once, I find this is the best way to keep it all straight in the chaos that I call my…creative mind.


3. You are a very proud mother. What do you think is the greatest lesson you’ve been able to teach your sons? What’s the greatest lesson they have taught you?

Yes, I am a very proud mother of two amazing sons. Although, I’ve taught my boys many lessons in life, I’d have to say one in particular stands out above the rest… Finding and following their dreams.  Hard work, perseverance and determination are important factors in achieving their dreams and making them reality.  I’ve tried to lead them by example.

They have taught me a thousand different things. But if I had to choose one, I’d say they’ve taught me the importance of being patient.

4. You also have very devoted fans: almost 25,000 on Twitter, over 3,000 on Facebook, and you have comments on all your blog posts. Does that put more pressure on you creatively or does it inspire you to work harder?

Both! I have supportive, amazing readers. They’ve watched me grow as an author. I can honestly say that my readers inspire me to work harder, and create different worlds where they can truly get lost. 

Of course, that also puts creative pressure on me, but I thrive in the midst of pressure.




5. “The Dhellia Series Fun Video” is a superb video. Very simple and yet highly polished and professional. Who did the video and what was the process like for you? What do you think makes for good video promotion.

Well, I’m not an expert on video promotion. One day, I was browsing the internet, and I saw this cool thing called a whiteboard video used as advertisement. I searched high and low for someone to create this video, but every company I researched had prices that ranged from $1500.00 to $10,000.00. That was certainly out of my price range for promotional tools. Then I found a person on a discount website that could do the video for me at a reasonable price.

I love the video and it gives The Dhellia Series a thirty-second opportunity to shine.



6. Lastly, if you could give fellow writers one piece of advice on how to promote their products what would it be?

Be consistent with writing. One published story is an accomplishment, but a reader who enjoys your work will want to read more than one story. Are you giving them a selection? Sometimes individuals will wrap themselves up in promoting one story and they will forget to write the next. Your name is your brand, write the next story and your fans/readers will follow you.



Links:


April M. Reign's Website
April M. Reign's Amazon Author Page
April M. Reign's Goodread Page
April M. Reign on Smashwords
April M. Reign on Twitter
April M. Reign on Facebook














BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:

Amazon: M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook
Smashwords: M Joseph Murphy Author Page on Smashwords
Kobo: M Joseph Murphy Books on Kobo

25 comments:

  1. Love her writing, her books keep you turning the pages, Dhellia's my favorite but I really enjoyed HASH.. I wish her the best in the path ahead, and keep on writing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for reading the interview. I know April appreciates it.

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    2. Paula,

      How can an author go wrong when they have a supportive reader such as yourself. I cannot thank you enough. :D

      Delete
  2. Great interview! As a fan of April's, I love that she is so great with her fans. She makes the effort to comment on posts on her personal page, author page and fan page on FB. She is a wonderful writer and a super person. She shares things on her pages like where she is in her writing or what she is doing on a weekend or travel pictures. Things that make you feel like you are following a friend. That for me as a reader, makes me enjoy her books even more.

    Thank you April, for your hard work and dedication!

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    Replies
    1. I think what sets April apart from other writers is her devotion to her fans. It's why I wanted to interview her: to show other writers how it should be done.

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    2. Whitsbooks,

      I like to look at my readers as friends and there's nothing better than to interact with friends. Thank you for your kind comments.

      Delete
  3. April is my favorite author. Her stories are sure to be a good read and very entertaining. She writes in different genres so there is something for everyone. Her work is outstanding!

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  4. I would have to agree that consistency is important. You don't get people started reading your work, and then just stop. April makes worlds for them to enter and stay for awhile...

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    Replies
    1. Donald,

      Thank you for your support! I appreciate you.

      Delete
  5. Great interview ! Ive read all of her work and love to read about how she does it! She stays connected to her readers- more so than other authors and that shows in what she puts out there!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Bob! I appreciate your support and kind words. I'm glad you've enjoyed my books and I hope you'll enjoy them in the future as well.

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  6. That was great! April is an inspiration in how far she has come so fast! But personally, I've known her for quite a while (we went to the same H.S.) and I think (besides being a great writer) she is probably a fan fave because of who she is as a person. She is the same wonderful / positive person she was before she started doing all of this. It is just HER. Add to that fact, a wonderful mom who did it all by herself- happily :-)

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    1. Thank you Suzanne. I can't tell you how much your kind words mean to me and I am blessed to have such wonderful readers/friends in my life. :D

      Delete
  7. This is why I'm so impressed with April. Her fans are amazing. After an hour there are 60 page visits and it's already my most commented interview. You guys rock.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! I appreciate the interview questions and the opportunity. :D

      Delete
  8. April is a rare type of person. She is driven to succeed, confident, and engaging. Read the comments here and you get the feel of the overwhelming support she gets from her fans. Combine that with being a top notch parent and you see just how special she is.

    Being an author I can honestly say that I am a bit envious of her. Why not, she has a devoted fan base that follow her from genre to genre and she writes full time. She is at the level many (if not all of us) want to be. That envy doesn't survive long as inspiration pours in and washes it away. Yes, her drive and hard work is inspiring. No, I'm not over the top with this comment...she deserves it. She deserves her success as well. Well done April.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Sb Knight.

      I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your support and kind words. You and many other authors are inspiration to me as well. The creative mind cannot thrive alone. IMHO.

      Delete
  9. April M. Reign is truly an inspiration to us all. Her hard work and dedication is abundant through out her different books and genres. She is not only a wonderful author but a wonderful person too! She makes it a special point to listen to her fans and spends much time responding to everyone. I wish April M. Reign many more successful years! Her hard work is appreciated!

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  10. April is an amazing writer. I just love her and I wish I could visit her head for 1 day. It would probably be tiring but exciting. I have reading several of her series. I just finished The Turning Unleashed. Of course is was great. Keep on writing and I will keep on reading them. XXOO

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  11. In the past I very seldom read fiction....but after srating Hash I am finding my self not able to put the book down. April has inspired me to read for enjoyment and not just purpose.

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    Replies
    1. That is the greatest compliment you could ever give a writer.

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  12. Thanks for a great interview MJM!!

    I love April's books. Faves so far are the Dhellia & DoTD series. Read HASH last week and thought it was fab - really like the direction the book has gone in - looking forward to the next instalment!

    April is so down to earth, approachable and is a really lovely & fun person to talk to - all of this makes it easy to love her!!

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    Replies
    1. It was truly my pleasure. April does an amazing job as an author and an even better job at keeping her fans happy. Her fellow writers can learn a great deal from her.

      Delete
  13. Great interview, the asking and answering. Love the Dhellia video!

    ReplyDelete

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