Episode 109: Build Buzz Around Your Book – Interview with MJ Rose

by Gabriela Pereira
published in Podcast

Hey there Word Nerds!

Welcome back to DIY MFA Radio. I can’t wait for you to hear today’s interview with MJ Rose.

A fellow New-Yorker, MJ Rose grew up in NYC, exploring the labyrinthine galleries of the Met, wandering the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park, and reading her mother’s favorite books before she was allowed.

She’s the author of over a dozen novels and co-president and founding board member of ITW (International Thriller Writers). She’s also the founder of the first marketing company for authors (AuthorBuzz.com) and is a book marketing mastermind.

People throughout the book industry consider her an innovator and publishing pioneer. I had the pleasure of hearing her talk about book buzz and promotion at the most recent ThrillerFest and she most definitely knows her stuff. Today we’ll be talking about her new book The Secret Language of Stones and how she has put her own marketing genius to work in promoting her latest book. Listen to the episode here:

In this episode MJ and I discuss:

  • The importance of buzz for your book in getting it published.
  • Whether you should market your own book or hire an expert to market it for you.
  • The best thing you can do to market your book.
  • Interpersonal etiquette, or how best to approach other authors on social media and ask for help marketing your book.

Plus, MJ’s #1 tip for writers.

The Secret Language of Stones

As World War I rages and the Romanov dynasty reaches its sudden, brutal end, a young jewelry maker discovers love, passion, and her own healing powers in this rich and romantic ghost story. The Secret Language of Stones follows the dangerous and sensual journey of Opaline Duplessi, who has the power to communicate with the dead.

Nestled within Paris’ historic Palais Royal is a jewelry store unlike any other. La Fantasie Russie is owned by Pavel Orloff, protégé to the famous Faberge, and is known by the city’s fashion elite as the place to find the rarest of gemstones and most unique designs. But war has transformed Paris from a city of style and romance to a place of fear and mourning.

So it is from La Fantasie Russie’s workshop that Opaline Duplessi now spends her time making trench watches for soldiers at the front, as well as mourning jewelry for their mothers, wives, and lovers. People say that Opaline’s creations are magical. But magic is too closely associated with her mother Sandrine, who practiced the dark arts passed down from their ancestor La Lune, one of sixteenth century Paris’ most famous courtesans.

Opaline does have a rare gift even she can’t deny.  It’s a form of lithomancy that allows her to translate the energy emanating from stones. Certain gemstones, combined with a personal item, such as a lock of hair, enable her to receive messages from beyond the grave. In her mind, she is no mystic, but merely a messenger, giving voice to soldiers who died before they were able to properly express themselves to loved ones. Until one day, one of these fallen soldiers communicates a message-directly to her. So begins a dangerous journey that will take Opaline into the darkest corners of wartime Paris and across the English Channel.

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The Secret Language of Stones is a beautiful follow- up to M.J. Rose’s previous Daughters of La Lune novel: The Witch of Painted Sorrows. (Please note that these are Amazon affiliate links which means if you choose to purchase these books via these links, DIY MFA will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting DIY MFA!)

About MJ Rose

International and New York Times bestselling author M.J. ROSE grew up in New York City mostly in the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum, the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park and reading her mother’s favorite books before she was allowed. She is the author of more than a dozen novels, the co-president and founding board member of International Thriller Writers, and the founder of the first marketing company for authors: AuthorBuzz.com. Rose is considered an innovator and publishing pioneer. She lives in Greenwich, Connecticut.

To learn more about MJ Rose and her fabulous books, follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads, or visit her website.

Resources

Watch the TED Talk that MJ mentions about figuring out your brand.

Link to Episode 109

(Right-click to download.)

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