Thursday, April 4, 2013

St Louis or Bust!



This year, we have an opportunity to send five authors to the International Christian Retailer's Show (ICRS) in St. Louis where our authors will have an opportunity to meet and network with bookstore owners, book buyers, and readers - by the thousands! They'll also be given an opportunity to each have a one-hour book signing, where we'll give away copies of their books to those in attendance! And they'll have the opportunity for media interviews, too. 

The five authors we'll be featuring during ICRS are:

  • Grandparenting Through Obstacles: Overcoming Family Challenges to Reach Your Grandchildren for Christ
  • Prophecies Fulfilled in the Birth of Jesus
  • Prophecies Fulfilled in the Death and Resurrection of Jesus
  • Prophecies Fulfilled in the Life of Jesus.
  • Stalking Willow
  • Charisse (The Ties that Bind Series)
  • Parenting on Your Knees: Prayers and Practical Guidance for the Preschool Years
  • Really Rare Rabbits (children's series)
  • For Such a Moment (Mended Vessels Series)

We need to raise $3500. The authors are all paying for their own travel and accommodations for the trip, so the $3500 will be used for the promotional package used during ICRS, and toward the cost of the books we're required to offer for free during the book signings. The books are not allowed to be sold during this time, because they're used as "samples" to give away to book buyers in hopes they'll stock our books in the future. Any funds raised over the $3500 will be put toward marketing - we love to market our authors, and use creative ways to get word out to readers. 

Due to the generosity of our authors, we have some awesome rewards planned for contributors to this opportunity. A few contributors will have the opportunity to have dinner with all of the authors and their publisher in St. Louis! Others will receive a Skype session with the author of their choice for their book club, and digital copies of their books for club members (and some exclusive content too!) We're giving away t-shirts, Magnificent Hope and Radiant Joy merchandise (Radiant Joy is still a secret, so keep an eye out for her arrival!), manuscripts critiqued by professional editors and authors, a basket of gift items from our missionary author who lives in Bolivia, and even lunch with the publisher! Because of the timing of the project and of some of the rewards, we've had to put limits on the amounts available for some. So if you see something you want, grab it quick before someone else takes your spot!

We're raising the funds on FaithFunder - click here to choose your reward and contribution level!  And be sure to check out the fun video we made of our authors!

Why are we doing this?

Most authors dislike the marketing aspect of the publishing business. As publisher, I work around the clock trying to get word out about our books. Why? 1) Because I believe in our authors! I'm proud of their books, and want to get them out to as many readers as we possibly can. 2) Our books are our mission - and readers are our mission field. Every book that goes out has the potential to share the Gospel message in some way. The more exposure we can give the author - the more marketing, the more promotion - the bigger that mission field gets. 

Won't you please help us promote these authors?

THANK YOU!! 


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