Emmy Yoshida's Blog, page 4
April 4, 2013
LAST CHANCE TO GET CORRUPTED FREE ON KINDLE!!!!!!
Hi everyone, just to let you know CORRUPTED; A Tale Of Sex, Scandal & Suspense is FREE for the rest of the day on kindle.
This will be the last free promo day I will be doing for a while so don’t miss out on your chance of being officially Corrupted! The links to Amazon are below.
Thanks, much love peeps, hope you enjoy and any feedback would be much appreciated!
Emmy
CORRUPTED; A Tale Of Sex, Scandal & Suspense
March 19, 2013
How To Write A Winning Press Release For Your Book
In the last couple of months I have learnt a lot about sending press releases and have managed to get quite a lot of publicity for a previously unknown, self-published author. To date I have been in three papers, a magazine, and on the radio, and I did it without any PR training or experience. It has been a very interesting learning experience. I wanted to share what I had learnt about sending press releases as I think it will be valuable information and hopefully help some other writers out there.
Journalists Want Stories
Remember journalists are always looking for their next story, it is their job, and if they are sent something which could potentially save them from hunting for one, then you are making their job a hell of a lot easier for them. If you package it in the right way it should be like selling candy to a kid.
The more sensational the better
Journalism is a business at the end of the day, and journalists are in the business of selling stories. They want interesting pieces that people want to read and the more sensational the story the better.
What is different about your book?
Try to think of unique ways of selling your book to the journalist who will be reading your press release. There are many books out there these days so it is unlikely that you will be given space in a paper for merely publishing a book if you are an unknown author. What is different about your story? Perhaps you travelled in Italy and met your soul mate there and that inspired you to write your romantic novel. Maybe you were bullied at school and decided to write a YA fantasy about a boy who got bullied and became a karate champion; could be a great angle to use for publicity. My book is about a student who became an exotic dancer and is loosely based on my own experiences of working in gentlemen’s clubs in London and Australia, which has proven to be a good way of getting publicity so far. If your experiences relate to the book you have written then highlight this as this will make your press release more interesting.
Come Up With A Catchy Headline.
To start the press release you will need to come up with an interesting headline. Use this as the subject line in your email. It needs to sound news worthy, the same kind of thing you would see as a headline in a newspaper. I have used several so far, for example;
“Student Strippers Exposed In A Sensational New Novel.”
“Young Mum Uses Lap Dancing Experiences For Raunchy Novel.”
I know not everyone has worked as a stripper previously to writing their books, but everyone has their own story to tell in life and different publications will be looking for different things. Try to think of something original and grabbing and maybe tailor it slightly to the person you are sending the press release to.
Get Their Name!
Ring the paper and ask who would deal with features, book reviews etc. Get their name and direct email. You may even get the opportunity to speak to them, so prepare what you are going to say. Make sure you are to the point, most journalists are busy people and you want to get over as much information as you can as quickly as possible. Then tell them you will send them a press release.
Introduce Yourself
Write a very brief introduction at the beginning of the email. For example,
Dear Tony Peters,
I am a local author who has recently published a romantic suspense novel, based on my experiences as an exotic dancer in London.
I would love it if you could feature me in your magazine as I feel the book will appeal to your readers.
Below is my press release and I have attached some photos,
I hope to hear from you soon,
Emmy Yoshida
(CONTACT DETAILS)
Keep It Short & Sweet
I usually stick to about four paragraphs. When writing your press release, ask yourself; what questions would a journalist be asking if they were interviewing me about my book? Make a list and write down all your answers. Try to include the most interesting answers in your press release. Obviously you will want to include who you are and your background, what your novel is about, where it is available to buy etc. If you have impressive sales figures then include them as well. Stick to one A4 sized page and no more. Write it as if it were an article in a tabloid! If you’ve written a book this should be a piece of cake.
Photos
Even if you hate having photos, you should get some done, the more professional looking the better. Attach one or two pictures of you with your book and a book cover image. If they decide to write the story they have all the information they need to do so. Recently I was in a paper I had sent a press release to and I didn’t even find out about it until the following week through a friend. As I was saying before, journalists are busy, they just want to be able to knock out a story and move onto the next one as quickly as possible!
Best Day To Send?
I am still learning about all this myself, but from my experience mid-week is the best time. Mondays a lot of journalists are out writing stories, so Tuesdays and Wednesdays are a good time. Mid-week in general is the best time for cold-calling from my experience doing tele-sales in the past, and that is basically what you are doing, selling yourself!
Follow Up
If you send a press release in the morning then call that afternoon. Chances are the journalist you sent it to will be sitting at their desk and if they haven’t seen your email already then they will open it up while they are on the phone to you. Don’t bug people too much though, if you have spoken to someone more than twice I would leave it at that, they’re obviously just not that in to your story. Don’t appear to be desperate, nothing is more off-putting in any situation than desperation. Fortunately there will be someone else out there who will be interested if they are not.
It’s A Numbers Game
If you ask most sales people the key to their success they will probably say persistence. The more people you send your press release to the better chance there is of it being used. If it’s not working try altering it slightly and making it more appealing.
N.B As I said before I am still learning about all this myself so if you have any winning formulas that you use for press releases or general tips please leave a comment below. I really hope this post helps you to get some publicity for your book!
Corrupted – Book Trailer
Watch the book trailer for my debut novel, CORRUPTED – A Tale Of Sex, Scandal & Suspense
I made it using Windows movie maker.
I will be writing a blog post soon to show you how to make one for yourself using this programme.
Hope you like it!
The song I used is Dirty Cash – The Adventures Of Stevie V
A classic tune which I think epitomises the stripping world.
March 14, 2013
Book Publicity
Well is’t been a couple of months since the release of my book, Corrupted and so far the publicity side of things is going really well. I have worked hard sending out press releases and calling papers but it seems to be paying off. To date I have been in three papers, I am going to be featured in a magazine article in April (etc) and have also been on BBC radio Sussex. I will be doing some blog posts soon on preparing press releases for your book and how to find a unique angle to get publicity. I have learnt so much already from this voyage of self-publishing, and there seems to be no end to how much there is left to learn about it all. I am looking forward to sharing all with you as most of what I have learnt has been from other people’s blogs. There is an endless wealth of information out there at the click of a button, that’s why so many self published authors are becoming successful and I am hoping I am going to become one of them!
Catch up soon xx
March 9, 2013
Have You Ever Had Sex For Money?
I keep getting asked the same question recently by journalists and so I decided that I wanted to set the record straight, and clear up a misconception about the stripping industry once and for all.
I did not, I repeat, not ever have sex for money. I am not judging anyone who ever has done but it is something I have never considered before and wouldn’t ever do.
There seems to be a common perception that most strippers are basically prostitutes. It couldn’t be further from the truth. There is a big difference between dancing and having sex. In the clubs that I worked in if a customer even so much as tried to touch you the door staff were on them like a shot. There are more cameras and security in these places than there is at a maximum security prison.
The majority of the women I worked with were also intelligent, strong, adventurous people. Most of the girls were doing it to fund their studies or were free spirits travelling the world and using their income from working in gentlemen’s clubs to do it in style. It certainly beats working in a cafe every day for a pittance and only being able to afford to drink at the hostel bar.
Another thing people don’t seem to get is that most exotic dancers usually earn a lot more than prostitutes so why would they even consider crossing that line? I used to get propositioned quite often by men while I was at work, usually they would offer a grand and I would think to myself are you stupid, that’s what I earn most nights anyway. The most someone ever offered me was $20,000. I flatly refused because for me sex is a personal thing. Money comes and goes but your memories stay forever and I never wanted to sell myself and have to live with that.
I know some people look down on strippers. They see them as money grabbing, man-eating whores, with no morals. But I can assure you they have morals they just aren’t conforming to what everyone else thinks they should be doing. They are certainly no more promiscuous than your average modern day girl. When you are a dancer you are in a safe place where no one can lay a finger on you, and you are in control. It can be quite an empowering experience and the whole point of a strip tease is exactly that. Look but don’t touch. I don’t think there is any shame in the naked body, and if men want to pay a fortune to see someone naked then that’s their choice. We are in a society with double standards. Women are supposed to be empowered and sexually liberated but when a woman is daring enough to follow her own rules then she is classed as a slag. A good looking woman is often judged as being a bimbo. There are so many words for different prejudices these days. Sexism, racism, fatism, ageism, but what about the prejudices and judgments that pretty women need to endure on a daily basis because people assume they are stupid? Maybe there should be a new word for that. Bimboism perhaps?
So many intelligent people study and get great degrees these days only to be unable to find a decent job. You tell me what’s more stupid, working every day doing a boring telesales job for peanuts, or working two nights a week as a dancer, earning what most people earn in a month in one night and having that extra time to study, or travel, or simply to enjoy this gift we call life before it passes us by. I am by no means trying to glorify stripping because it is a hard job and has many pitfalls too, but the girls who do it are not usually your stereotypical slappers with only two brain cells to rub together. Often they are intelligent and confident and using their God given gifts to get what most of us are slaves to our whole lives; money.
I am sure many people will read this and disagree but unless you have experienced these places first hand then I don’t see how you can judge. Most of the men who come into strip-clubs are looking for someone to keep them company. In fact in most high class gentlemen’s clubs more often than not you are getting paid to sit and talk to men, sometimes not even a single garment is removed for your customer. High class strippers are entertainers, they are NOT prostitutes.
So next time, before you judge a girl because she is a stripper, a glamour model or even if she is a bloody prostitute, please think twice. We all have the right to live our lives the way we see fit and just because someone is or has worked in the sex industry, it does not mean they are stupid.
If you would like to find out more about what it is really like to work as an exotic dancer then check out my book http://www.corruptedbook.com A dramatic suspense novel which is guaranteed to keep you up all night! Ciao. Anyone who wants to have a debate with me on this subject then please feel free. My gloves are off and I’m ready for you!
February 14, 2013
CORRUPTED FREE KINDLE DAYS!
Hi everyone, Happy Valentines Day! To mark the occasion CORRUPTED; A Tale Of Sex, Scandal & Suspense if FREE on Kindle for 3 whole days’ 14th Feb-16th Feb!
Corrupted is a gripping suspense novel based on the adventures of a wild and naive student who becomes a stripper in London. Guaranteed to keep you up all night!
Below are the links for the UK and US Amazon.
Please tell all your friends. It will definitely keep you warm under those sheets this Valentines!
January 31, 2013
Coming Soon To A Store Near You, My Debut Novels Hits The Shelves !
Well I have finally reached the thrilling part of my journey that every author longs for… seeing my book on the shelves of a book store. It has been a long time coming but it is moments like these that make it all worth it; hope this motivates any of you writers out there working on your own projects to stick at it! It truly is a great feeling, but now onto the phase two, getting them to fly off the shelves!
