Guest robot: Lisa Burton – An invitation

Posted on March 27, 2017 by Sue Vincent

How much would you pay to reach a potential audience of say, a hundred thousand readers? And what if, instead, you could do that for FREE, with no strings attached?

Writers need to promote their work… interviews, guest posts, radio shows…they are all excellent ways of getting your work seen and, hopefully read. There are any number of sites willing to make holes in your hard-won and often meagre royalties by offering you advertising space, or nameless (and possibly non-existent) followers and who will charge you to appear on their blog or website. While everyone needs to make a living, and while there is nothing wrong with investing money, as well as your time to promote your work, why pay for what you are being offered for free?

There are very many people offering guest spots to writers. WordPress bloggers will also post their links across many social media platforms, getting your work seen by even more poeple so that even just between, say,  The Story Reading Ape, Lisa Burton, Sally Cronin’s Smorgasbord and this blog, you will reach that magic hundred thousand pairs of eyes.

Yet we struggle to fill the slots reserved for guest posts…

My guest today is the gorgeous Lisa Burton from Entertaining Stories and #LisaBurtonRadio who looks at some of the reasons why this might be so…

 

Thank you so much for inviting me to your blog today. As you said, I’m Lisa Burton, and I am a robot girl. I started life as a character in a novel. My author, Craig Boyack, didn’t like to just leave me at the end of my book, so he gave me a job.

I’m his personal assistant, and help him with his writing career. That lasted a year or two until he got the great idea of making me his spokesmodel. This worked out really well, because Craig is a bit of an introvert. Who am I kidding, he’s like a creature of the night, you have to invite him inside.

Most authors are introverts, and don’t try to get all up in your face about things. This is good, because they aren’t pushy salesmen, but it’s bad too. They could do more to promote themselves.

Which brings me to you at Daily Echo, and to me in a way. There are several of us out there who offer guest posting opportunities for our fellow authors. I could name about five others, but let’s stick to present company.

You reached out to Craig, and he talked to me about it. It seems like we have a common problem: We have a hard time getting guests to fill the available slots. That’s why I’m here today. I host Lisa Burton Radio (https://coldhandboyack.wordpress.com/lisa-burton-radio/) , a show where I interview the characters from books. We’ve been able to keep a fairly regular program every Thursday, but I still find myself struggling to fill all the spots.

Our spots are so good for authors, and they’re completely free. When I post here, I’ll reach new readers who’ve never heard of me. They can take advantage of your spots as easily as I can. In fact, after that, they can kick one of their characters off the couch and send them to talk to me. Add in another four or five blogs that offer a similar service, and it’s a week long blog tour that’s focused on readers and writers. The point being, it could be better targeting than a paid blog tour that costs a fortune.

Now, while I’m here, I have to talk about Craig a bit. He writes as C. S. Boyack, and you can find all his books on Amazon. He writes in the speculative genres, and you will find science fiction robot girl come on, paranormal, and a bit of fantasy.

This year he expects to release The Enhanced League, which is a book of short stories about a futuristic baseball league where performance enhancing drugs aren’t just acceptable – they’re encouraged. In fact, Craig just ordered the cover and I’ll have to meet with the artist for my promotional posters. I go on the blog tours too, and when I do, I give out posters that promote the content in the books. People are welcome to download them and use them as background images on their phones, iPads, computers, whatever.

He also intends to release a novel called The Yak Guy Project. He just needs a couple of days to finish it first. This is kind of a portal fantasy about a millennial who finds himself on an alternate world. It’s almost a zen journey in a way, and it’s been fun to work on.

Watch for me on the tour trail, and I’ll be winging my way to blogs and handing out my posters. I usually take the formerly haunted biplane, but lately I’ve been using the rocket-pack if I have to cross oceans.

It was fun visiting here today, and I hope I convinced more authors to take a chance and help readers find their books by visiting our sites. I’ll drop off all Craig’s contacts for you to post here.

Find and follow Craig (and Lisa!)

Blog    My Novels    Twitter    Goodreads    Facebook   Pinterest   Amazon

Find all books by C.S. Boyack on Amazon

The Experimental Notebook of C. S. Boyack

A speculative selection of micro-fiction and short stories. These were designed to be short reads for your commute, coffee break, and other times when readers are pressed for time. This book contains a bit of science fiction, some fantasy, and paranormal stories.

“The Experimental Notebook of C.S. Boyack” is a delightful – and occasionally scary – collection of short stories that combines humor and horror with a dash of fantasy thrown in for good measure.
Boyack wanders all over the literary map with this small collection and readers will, I think, be delighted with the tales he has to tell. A young woman who has been abused by a bully sees him get his comeuppance from a very unusual source; an alchemist plots his revenge on the world in the ruins of his home and… well, suffice it to say that Boyack will hold your attention with this collection.”  Extract of Amazon review by  Mike Billington author of Corpus Delectable

The Experimental Notebook of C. S. Boyack II

A second collection of short stories and micro-fiction. Every story can be read in a single session. This time there are a few tributes to the pulp era. Stories include science fiction, paranormal, and horror.

“The second Experimental Notebook by C. S. Boyack is another adventure into some entertaining and downright genius short stories. The beauty of most of the stories is they grab you right in the beginning and then lead you down a path you never expected. It is a path that you are glad you traveled but where it comes out is an unusual surprise. “Extract of Amazon review by  John W. Howell  author of My GRL.

Will o’ the Wisp

There is something evil up Bergamot Holler, and it’s been targeting the Hall family for generations.
Patty Hall is fifteen years old. She loves stargazing, science fiction, and all things related to space exploration. This leaves her perfectly prepared for the wrong problem.
Patty is afraid her mother will send her to a care facility if she tells her what she’s seen. If she doesn’t figure things out soon, she’s going to join her father in the Hall family cemetery plot.
Patty has to come to grips with her own physical handicap, face the wilderness, and an ancient evil all alone if she’s going to survive.
Will O’ the Wisp is suitable for young adults. It involves elements of suspense, and is set in the mid 1970s.

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About Sue Vincent

Sue Vincent was a Yorkshire born writer, esoteric teacher and a Director of The Silent Eye. She was immersed in the Mysteries all her life. Sue maintained a popular blog and is co-author of The Mystical Hexagram with Dr G.M.Vasey. Sue lived in Buckinghamshire, having been stranded there due to an accident with a blindfold, a pin and a map. She had a lasting love-affair with the landscape of Albion, the hidden country of the heart. Sue  passed into spirit at the end of March 2021.
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79 Responses to Guest robot: Lisa Burton – An invitation

  3. coldhandboyack says:
    March 27, 2017 at 16:19

    Reblogged this on Entertaining Stories and commented:
    Lisa the robot girl pays a visit to Daily Echo with some great promotional opportunities. Stop by and say hi.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  4. coldhandboyack says:
    March 27, 2017 at 16:20

    Thanks for hosting Lisa today. I’m impressed with how you fleshed this out. I’ll share it everywhere I can.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  5. Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life. says:
    March 27, 2017 at 16:29

    Reblogged this on Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life and commented:
    When was the last time you were a guest on another blog, or was interviewed? Sue Vincent has a guest today robot Lisa Burton who is the personal assistant to author Craig Boyack and she conducts interviews with authors.. but struggles to fill the slots. As Sue points out that between Sue, The Story Reading Ape, Lisa Burton’s interviews and my blog you could be reaching another 100,000 eyes for your book and your blog. I often say that modesty does not become a writer.. Thanks Sue for the mention and I hope that it encourages more to take up our opportunities for FREE book, author and blog promotions..

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  6. Pingback: Guest robot: Lisa Burton – An invitation – Defining Ways

  7. robbiesinspiration says:
    March 27, 2017 at 16:54

    Thanks, Sue, for this post. I shall repost it onto the South African author group pages for you all. I am very grateful for the exposure you all give to all authors and to Mike and I, specifically [and I also love your interesting blogs which is an added benefit].

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  8. Lucinda E Clarke says:
    March 27, 2017 at 17:05

    Much against my will I let Amie my character appear on Lisa’s radio show and I’m also featured on Sally’s blog this week, and it does help sales, so there’s no reason not to get involved.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply
  9. Mae Clair says:
    March 27, 2017 at 17:05

    Great post and wonderful to see Lisa here. One of my characters was a guest on Lisa Burton Radio a number of months ago and she had a blast 🙂

    As pointed out, when other bloggers are willing to host you, it’s a great way to spread news on new releases and promotions among other things. You’re all wonderful in what you do and I would be delighted to guest on any of your blogs. I need to be better at carving out the time to write guest posts.

    What a great supportive author blogging community we have!

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  10. S.K. Nicholls says:
    March 27, 2017 at 17:18

    Love Craig’s blog and his books. Both are most interesting and Lisa is a dream spokesperson.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  12. Sue Coletta says:
    March 27, 2017 at 17:38

    All hail Lisa the Robot girl. LOL I loved having one of my characters on Lisa Burton Radio. I plan to have her back when the second book releases (if Lisa will allow it; last time they almost got into a cat fight and ruined the studio). Working on the guest post today, Craig. Thanks again!

    Sue, I’d love to do an interview for your blog. Is there a certain procedure I need to follow?

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  13. Pingback: Smorgasbord Blogger Daily – 27th March 2017 – D.G. Kaye, Sacha Black and ABBA, Darlene Foster and Sue Vincent with Lisa Burton | Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life

  14. P. H. Solomon says:
    March 27, 2017 at 18:48

    Reblogged this on Archer's Aim and commented:
    Here’s a good guest post from Lisa Burton. I’ve been chomping at the bit to do more of these myself and I’m about ready!

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  15. Sarah Brentyn says:
    March 27, 2017 at 21:51

    I assumed most of you lovely bloggers who have a guest series are booked for weeks/months. I need to get off my virtual arse and… Hmm…and what? Tell my introvert to take a vacation?

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  16. John W. Howell says:
    March 27, 2017 at 22:08

    Super post, Sue. My character had a great time with Lisa.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  18. Madelyn Griffith-Haynie, MCC, SCAC says:
    March 28, 2017 at 21:55

    This was truly fun to read. As a big time extrovert and one of the oddballs who LOVES public speaking, it’s difficult for me to understand why you guys aren’t swamped with requests for a platform. If I wrote fiction I’d be bugging Craig and Lisa to interview one of my characters for sure!

    As it is, I’m still wrestling with the idea of doing the work to publish any of my self-help books 🙂 – which I’m sure many writers find difficult to understand.
    xx,
    mgh
    (Madelyn Griffith-Haynie – ADDandSoMuchMORE dot com)
    ADD Coach Training Field founder; ADD Coaching co-founder
    “It takes a village to transform a world!”

    Like

    Reply
    • Sue Vincent says:
      March 28, 2017 at 22:16

      You shold get them out there, Madelyn… a lot of people wold be glad of them xx

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      • Madelyn Griffith-Haynie, MCC, SCAC says:
        March 28, 2017 at 23:34

        Thanks, Sue. Money and time – always the stoppers. Getting things published – as you most certainly know – usually takes both.

        Admin tasks always seem to take me longer than the average bear – and if you don’t spend half your waking hours marketing there is no monetary ROI (not that it’s all about the money, but I do have to keep a roof over my head!)
        xx,
        mgh

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply
        • coldhandboyack says:
          March 28, 2017 at 23:41

          Laughingly, I also do public speaking. I’ve presented to over a hundred at once, and even a couple of State Senate committees. The introvert thing is that it drains us and we need to crawl in our culvert for a few hours after the fact. You should get your stuff out there and see what happens. I admit things sell when I’m promoting, but during the writing phase the sales drop off again. I can’t seem to do both at once and keep the full time job.

          Liked by 2 people

          Reply
          • Madelyn Griffith-Haynie, MCC, SCAC says:
            March 28, 2017 at 23:46

            I can’t seem to do the admin to get the books published at all – at least not so far anyway. Some day, maybe.

            As what I refer to as an “ADD extrovert, ” I need more quiet time to recenter than many without ADD, but speaking live to large groups *gives* me energy vs. taking it from me (which many consider the dividing line between intro- and extroverts.)

            Different strokes . . .
            xx,
            mgh

            Liked by 2 people

            Reply
            • coldhandboyack says:
              March 28, 2017 at 23:55

              That’s pretty definitive of extroverts. There are people out there who will format and publish it for you for a fee. I’ve used a formatter before, and will do so on my next book of shorts. She sent me a file, which I uploaded.

              Liked by 1 person

              Reply
        • Sue Vincent says:
          March 29, 2017 at 00:34

          Tell me about it 🙂

          Like

          Reply
  19. Helen Jones says:
    March 29, 2017 at 09:32

    I’ve been Lisa’s guest and your guest several times now (and I’m very grateful to have been). I agree, there are some great opportunities with generous bloggers such as yourselves, and I know I wouldn’t have the reading audience I do without the support of so many generous bloggers! So people, if you have a character who’d like to be interviewed, head over and see Lisa!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  20. Helen Jones says:
    March 29, 2017 at 09:33

    Reblogged this on Journey To Ambeth and commented:
    A great post from Craig Boyack via Sue Vincent, part of the wonderfully generous blogging community. If you have a character needing an interview, visit Lisa – her show is excellent!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  21. Vashti Quiroz-Vega says:
    March 29, 2017 at 19:10

    Hello Sue! Great post. It was fun reading Lisa’s perspective and I guess she’s right. The majority of us are introverts and a bit shy as well. What you offer is a great opportunity. Thank you! 😀 xx

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

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