Introducing Pandora Poikilos - Indie Author and Book Marketing Guru

Note from Suzanne:

Today, I'm thrilled to introduce you to Pandora Poikilos, author of novels and non-fiction, and founder of Orangeberry Book Tours. I first met Pandora when I hired her firm to do my first foray into marketing Mrs. Tuesday's Departure. The event went so well that I will be working with her again in May on another book marketing project. 

I was very happy when Pandora agreed to an interview. As indie-authors, we have a wonderful opportunity to network, learn from one another, and share our contacts. Which is why I'm so pleased to introduce Pandora to you. I believe Pandora has lots of wisdom, book marketing and otherwise, to share.


Today we are featuring her novel: FREQUENT TRAVELLER and including an interview that will provides a unique perspective into her journey as an indie-author and her views on what it takes to succeed in marketing your book.

Frequent Traveller - Synopsis

Catherine Dixon is everyone's dreamgirl. Girls want to be her. Men want to be with her. From her charming smile to her gentle voice, one always turns to take a second look at Cathy. Wherever she goes there isn't an ill word spoken about her. Her job as Vice President of Communications at MoonStar, one of the world's top hotel chains is to make sure guests are happy to the point of perfection.

From the blue oceans of Antigua to the bustling streets of Vietnam, the racing adrenaline at the Green Hell, the devastating natural disaster in Japan and the stunning architecture in Germany, Cathy finds herself in a whirlwind of fine dining, plush clothes and sheer extravagance. But is perfection only a mask for untold disaster? In a job that deals so much with people, Cathy goes home to an empty bed. There are no pictures on her wall, no doting phone calls from a tongue tied lover and no family holidays to boast about.

What is Cathy's secret and how will her world change when the world knows? What is the significance of the blue pendant round her neck? Who is the mysterious man she is seen with every three months? What are the contents of the brown envelope delivered to her on the fifteenth of every month? Will her secrets ever catch up with her or will Cathy continue to sail alongside perfection in the world she has created for herself as a Frequent Traveller? 

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre - Women's Fiction 

Rating - PG13

View the Book Trailer for Frequent Traveller

Connect with Pandora Poikilos on Twitter & Facebook

Website http://pandorapoikilos.com/

Blog http://peacefrompieces.blogspot.com/

Pandora, how long have you been writing?

Oh wow, my first article appeared in a local paper when I was 13. I’m 30 plus now so you do the math. I did stop creative writing for a few years in between when I worked as a Communications Executive for a hotel chain. Between press releases and media kits, I didn’t have much time to think of writing much else. Then in 2010, as we planned for my VP Shunt (brain) surgery, writing seemed to fit as my recovery plan and here I am.

How many books have you written, what types of books do you write, what are your writing goals?

I have written two novels, a short story collection and a non-fiction series (Dora’s Essentials). My first novel was published in April 2011 and I have since become a paid writer which makes me think I’m definitely on the right track. (Here's a link to a complete list of Pandora's books on Amazon.com)

I would like to write a full-length novel of about 100,000 words. Since my surgery, one of the significant changes I have noticed is my tendency to jumble up words when I write. For instance, handsome becomes husband and blogger becomes booger. This makes it extremely challenging when I write and it is a hurdle I would like to overcome.

Why did you create Orangeberry Book Tours?

OBT was created in October 2010. A few writers and I were working on a three month long book launch festival, book tours were my contribution to the festival. The demand was increasingly high and I spent quite a bit of time adjusting the tours to meet the requirements of participating authors and bloggers to what it is today. 

How does Orangeberry Book Tours work and what have the results been for authors who've used it?

The main goal of OBT is to raise awareness for the author and his/her book via social media. This means OBT offers more than blog stops. Hence, the name - BOOK tours not blog tours. I run Twitter Blasts, blog stops and other types of smaller social awareness campaigns which focus on both author and the book.

I understand that a big budget is not something we all have when starting our writing careers, hence, there is a free book tour package (Orangeberry Basic) which allows authors to have a free book tour but they have to host other authors in return.

For those who pay for book tours, the money is then used to finance the Orangeberry Goodie Bag which distributes gifts to blog hosts and the site’s visitors.

Results wise, most authors have experienced increased sales although the exact quantities vary. Some have experienced sales as low as 20 books a day and others have had more than 200 total sales during an Orangeberry Phoenix book tour which lasts for 30 days.

I do want to stress that results differ for each book, and I do point out glaring formatting errors or content issues to authors.

What's the most important thing a self-published author needs to do to help their books gain traction in the marketplace?

First and foremost, pay attention to what others have done - the mistakes they’ve made, the things that have worked for authors such as Amanda Hocking, John Locke and JA Konrath.

Your journey will not be the exact same one as theirs, but work on something that works for you. Be it a writing project, a marketing programme or an advertising campaign, we’re all not going to achieve the same results.

Set your own trail. Be consistent. Keep away from negativity. And then work even harder.

If you’ve started out and you’re still not sure where you’re heading, join up Facebook author support groups such as the Indie Author Group, Author Central and the Indie Exchange. Each have their own “governing” rules but you’ll find loads of support be it from book covers to editing within these groups.

Most importantly, don’t expect overnight success. Rome wasn’t built in a day and people who tell you overnight success is achievable are lying because it just doesn’t exist. 

What are your goals going forward?

Personally, I would like to spend more time writing, even if it’s not to sell my books I would like to just sit in a corner and write. I would like to stay focused on my health and I look forward to helping others with rare diseases similar to mine. 

Work wise – I would like to see OBT grow into a community but I expect that this would take another few years. For my books, as minimal as the target readers may seem, I would like to think that I am able to reach more readers.

Sorry, no ice cream questions...unless of course you'd like to answer them. In which case:

Do you have any pets?

No but I’m seriously considering a dog. We’ll see.

Children?

Nope, Peas and I are in a long-term relationship but this hasn’t really come up.

Favorite place to holiday?

Anywhere by the beach.

One thing you'd like to do before you die?

See, I’ve had brain surgery and pretty much covered my bucket list before the surgery but if I had to pick one, it would be starting a family, I guess.

What do you think of when you see a rainbow?

I’m still here and there’s more to be done.