Cheryl, tell us about your experience as a writer.

I’ve been an avid reader ever since I can remember, and my love of books led me to wanting to create my own stories. I was the child who didn’t turn the light out when her mother told her to–the child who read under the covers with a flashlight when her parents got upset that she was still awake far into the night. I hated putting a book down until I’d read the very last page. This spawned the yearning to want to write stories that made others feel this way. One of the greatest compliments a writer can get is: “I couldn’t put your book down.”

When I was 14, I worked for a small BC newspaper. I had a weekly column about the mediocre happenings in my town and I was paid for it. Being a journalist at such a young age was exciting, but I really had no idea how unusual it was–until I was an adult. At 16, I wrote my first book, a horror novel titled Beckoning Wrath. I took it to school to show my Language Arts teacher and someone broke into my locker and stole it. I was devastated; someone had stolen my words–MY words. It was many years later before I wrote another novel.

I went from being a hairstylist with my own salon to being a wife and mother, then a daycare provider. In between I worked for various companies in sales, marketing, advertising and even motivational speaking. They all seemed unrelated at the time, but now I realize that each of these jobs prepared me for my future as a published author. Writing a book is really the easy part; it’s the promotion of it that’s challenging.

Now, after having 4 novels published–Whale Song (2003), Divine Intervention (2004), The River (2005) and Whale Song (special edition 2007), I can’t imagine doing anything else. I work as a writer full time, splitting my time between writing my books, writing blog posts and articles, and marketing. Being able to do something you love is a blessing.

Your novels all made the Amazon.com’s bestsellers list. Is it a relief to know your books are consistently well received?

I knew shortly after the original Whale Song was published that I had an audience that wanted more. Bookstore managers were telling me my signings were very successful, and very quickly I became the local author in a major Canadian city with the highest and most consistent sales. It was a relief, but so much more. It was like a light went off in my head–a light that said: “This is what you’re supposed to be doing, Cheryl.” So I wrote the second book and never looked back.

Having my novels make the Amazon bestsellers lists was very rewarding, but receiving emails from fans or talking to them at events is even moreso. Knowing that my words have affected peope has had a huge impact on me as a writer. It made me realize that I owe my writers not just a good story, but one with well defined characters and an insight into the minds of these characters.

Does being compared to authors like Michael Crichton and Dan Brown put pressure on you or does it motivate you to push the boundaries of your writing?

It does both. Being compared to great authors like these so early on in my career made me realize I have to live up to my audience’s expectations, not just my own. It’s also very interesting to see which authors people compare my work to (Crichton, Brown, Patterson, Atwood, Tanya Huff, JD Robb or Nora Roberts, Kay Hooper.) But it also makes me strive to write better with every book. There is an advantage to conducting solid research on my topics. When The River was first compared to Michael Crichton’s Timeline, I felt completely honored. He was an idol of mine and he researched his topics until he could make them completely believable.

Cheryl, you have held hundreds of book signings and done numerous interviews.  Have they become a routine or do you always enjoy the promotion process?

Book signings and other events never seem routine for me. I’m promoting different books, creating new promotions, using exciting ways to promote them, and best of all, meeting new people every time. I love meeting people and chatting about books. I love when a reader first discovers me. Don’t get me wrong–events are WORK. They can be tiring physically. But I always feel blessed to be able to do them.

One thing that might separate me from many other authors is that I don’t rely solely on those I personally invite to events. I look at EVERY single person who walks into a bookstore as my potential reader, and I greet them with excitement and enthusiasm. I’m not your typical shy, loner author–but I used to be. What changed is my confidence after being so well received, and the passion I feel for each of my novels and the yearning to share them with everyone I meet. I want to impact my readers’ lives through my stories. With interviews, I’m more interested in letting listeners know the benefits to reading a Cheryl Kaye Tardif novel, what some of my themes are, what they’ll take away from their reading experience.

How has your strong presence on social media websites helped your career?

Having a strong internet identity or presence is vital to every author (and business person) in today’s world. The amount of business conducted online now is staggering, and authors would lose half their market if they don’t capitalize on it. I’ve always been a strong marketer (because of all those jobs I had before), and I’ve been creative enough to figure out how to use my old skills in today’s computer age. Social networks are key to an author’s success, but it goes far beyong using them to sell books.

Social media sites are for connecting–and that’s the key. As an author, you can connect to potential readers, sure, but even more you can connect to other authors, media, reviewers, bloggers, film producers and more. I have found New York Times bestselling authors who are interested in reviewing my novels because I’ve established a friendship, then asked if they’d be interested. I’ve had TV, radio and newspaper interviews because I tweet on Twitter or send out a MySpace bulletin. I’ve had invitations to appear on other people’s blogs because they’ve seen me somewhere online. I’ve had film producers email me because they found out about me on a social network. I’m currently discussing 2 films and a TV series with 2 different, successful producers. One potential deal comes with a major book contract.

It is not enough to have a website anymore. Authors must have a site (no free sites with ads), a blog they post to at least once a week, memberships to the main social networks (Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn), memberships to main book cataloguing sites (Shelfari, Goodreads, LibraryThing) and they should belong to writer’s sites like AuthorsDen, RedRoom or specific Ning sites for authors.

You are also a Book Marketing Coach, Cheryl. Tell us more about your service.

Becoming a book marketing coach was a natural progression. I’ve been doing it for years–for free. I’ve coached many authors, and even my last publisher and the other authors in his “stable”. It was just an unofficial role up until a few months ago. Watching others succeed after using some of my techniques is very rewarding. I’ve always been one to help other authors. So early this year, I settled on using my nickname “Shameless Promoter” and began a side business as a coach. There’s nothing better than seeing another author finally “get it”–finally understand what they need to do and why.

I work personally, one on one, with no more than 5 clients a month. I’ve worked with published authors and helped them market their books online and offline. I teach them based on their own budget and needs. I’ve also worked with writers who are not yet published. I can teach an author everything from constructing a website that will bring in traffic to how to blog to how to write query letters that demand attention. I also teach specialized topics like how to get major sponsorships from corporations and businesses, and/or how to bring in charities so they also benefit. I’ve been securing sponsorships for years, in various amounts for various events and products. My last secured sponsorship was a $10,000 deal, and I consider that a small deal. Any author can be taught these skills, if they’re willing to learn. And I can teach them at their own speed so they aren’t overwhelmed.

For more information on my book marketing coach services and to read endorsements from other authors I’ve helped, visit http://www.shamelessbookpromoter.com. I currently have a special on, so until the end of August my hourly rate and package rates are discounted. Email me at cheryltardif@shaw.ca for rate enquiries.

To learn more about Cheryl Kaye Tardif’s critically acclaimed novels,  you can visit her website and blog or follow her on Twitter.

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