• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Chandler's Ford Today

  • Home
  • About
    • About Chandler’s Ford
    • Chandler’s Ford War Memorial Research
  • Blog
    • Blogging Tips
  • Event
    • Upcoming Events
  • Community
    • Groups
    • Churches
    • Schools
    • GP Surgeries
    • Leisure
    • Library
    • Charities
      • Eastleigh Basics Bank
      • Cat & Kitten Rescue in Chandler’s Ford
    • Fair Trade
      • Traidcraft stalls in Chandler’s Ford
    • Chandler’s Ford Parish Council
  • Contact
    • Subscribe
  • Site Policies
  • Site Archive
    • Site Archive 2018
    • Site Archive 2017
    • Site Archive 2016
    • Site Archive 2015
You are here: Home / Arts / LOCAL AUTHOR CYBERLAUNCH NEWS – ALLISON SYMES – TRIPPING THE FLASH FANTASTIC

LOCAL AUTHOR CYBERLAUNCH NEWS – ALLISON SYMES – TRIPPING THE FLASH FANTASTIC

October 9, 2020 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Just a quick post from me this week to flag up my cyberlaunch for my second book from Chapeltown Books, Tripping the Flash Fantastic, on Saturday, 10th October 2020.

Tripping the Flash Fantastic – cover from Chapeltown Books

I’m holding this event on Facebook from 7 pm to about 9.30 pm. Would love it if you could join me. (And if you can only pop by for just two minutes, you’ll still be most welcome!).

The lovely thing about online launches? No worries about social distancing etc! And they give an author a chance to celebrate the fact their “baby” is seeing the light of day!

See https://www.facebook.com/events/1246876649024453 for more details. Meanwhile I am delighted to share a link to my book trailer. I share one of my stories from the new book here – Time For Some Peace.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Learning From Past Experience

This is the first time I’ve set up an event of this kind as for my first book, From Light to Dark and Back Again, my publisher, Chapeltown Books, did this for me. I was grateful for that as I had heard of online events, had even “gone” to some, but had no idea how to set one up. I’ve learned a lot since then! Also this was partly because my book was the first in their single author flash collections so they launched the event and I was co-host on it.

Now this was only back in 2017, hardly a lifetime away (!), but in the time since then, I’ve learned so much about marketing, have been on a podcast and have taken part in a couple of radio interviews (Chat and Spin Radio). It feels like a lifetime away to me!

Being interviewed on the radio has been an interesting experience and a fun one. Pixabay image.

And do check out Chat and Spin Radio expecially if you are a writer. Our own Richard Hardie has been on Chat and Spin Radio too again recently too. See https://chatandspinradio.com/ for more.

Where the “action” takes place on a cyberlaunch

Now with my events page, there is also a discussion thread. When the event happens on Saturday night, this is where the “action” will be. I will be your host!

See https://www.facebook.com/events/1246876649024453/?active_tab=discussion

Meanwhile I’ve been posting on the discussion page since last Saturday, 3rd October with blog and interview links and videos as a “warm-up” for the main event. Please do check these out.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The joys of technology

Technology has come to my aid here as it is so easy now to record yourself reading a story and videos can be a big draw. Certainly I love hearing a story and I hope those who look up my videos enjoy the tales I share there. Did I have any idea I would be making videos when I began writing seriously? Absolutely not!

Mind you, the smart phone as we know it now was not about now. I had the old style Nokia and the most advance thing on that was the old game of Snake! Anyone else remember that? It was a step on from the old “ping pong” tennis game but that is about all to be said for it!

One advantage I think flash fiction writers have is that our stories are easy to share as “advertising”. I sometimes share stories on my website and Facebook pages for that reason.

Showing someone what you can do writing wise can have a powerful impact.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

What to expect from the cyberlaunch itself?

Well, I will be holding a quiz, a raffle, a caption competition and I am inviting questions in from anyone on aspects of flash fiction writing/working with a small press. There will be prizes too. I hope to share from reviews for Tripping the Flash Fantastic so far (and naturally I hope the cyberlaunch will end up generating more of those!).

And I will be sharing links to the podcast I was on as a guest with Wendy H Jones earlier this year. (It does feel a lot longer ago than that but then this year I think has distorted all sense of time passing for most of us. I refuse to believe that is just me!).

The tools of the trade. Pixabay

Marketing is not something you just do and then it’s done. As well as my creative writing, I will be marketing both of my books in different ways as an ongoing task. The nice thing here is you can be creative with how you market your books and that can be great fun. I’ve loved reading and recording the stories I’ve been sharing on my discussion page this week.

Making the book trailer was good fun too.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The importance of preparation

As with any party, good preparation makes a huge difference as to how well or otherwise it might go and I have spent this week (and before) preparing a lot of material for this event. I don’t yet know if I will use it all. I didn’t on the launch for From Light to Dark and Back Again but it did make me feel less nervous knowing I had a safety net of material to use.

If there is one tip I would pass on to any writer having a launch, it is this. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Give yourself more time than you think you will need. You’ll appreciate having a safety net there too. And I think that makes two tips shared! Seriously though, it does pay to think things through about how you want your launch to be and then prepare in advance as much as you can to put you in a better position to deliver that launch the way you want it to be!

So onwards and upwards and I hope some of you can come to my launch on Saturday. One other advantage? I will be putting on food and drink and all of it is calorie free! No washing up either!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Related Posts:-

Preparing An (Online) Party

Local Author News – Allison Symes – New Book, New Anthology, New Zoom Event!

Zooming Around and Cyberlaunch Tips

Cyberlaunch Lessons by Allison Symes

Read interviews with Chandler’s Ford writer Allison Symes: Part 1 and Part 2.

Read blog posts by Allison Symes published on Chandler’s Ford Today.

Never miss out on another blog post. Subscribe here:

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • Email

Related posts:

Preparing An (Online) Party Books On The Radio – Local Author News – Richard Hardie/Allison Symes Part 2 – The Writing Game – and What to Watch For Default ThumbnailLocal Author News – Allison Symes – New Book, New Anthology, New Zoom Event! Local Author News – Allison Symes – Share Your Story Writing Summit Update
Tags: Allison Symes, book promotion, creative writing, cyberlaunch, flash fiction, locall author news, Tripping the Flash Fantastic

About Allison Symes

I'm a published flash fiction and short story writer, as well as a blogger. My fiction work has appeared in anthologies from Cafelit and Bridge House Publishing.

My first flash fiction collection, From Light to Dark and Back Again, was published by Chapeltown Books in 2017.

My follow-up, Tripping the Flash Fantastic, was published by Chapeltown Books in 2020.

I adore the works of many authors but my favourites are Jane Austen, P.G. Wodehouse and Terry Pratchett.

I like to describe my fiction as fairytales with bite.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Search

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to Chandler's Ford Today blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Archives

Top Posts & Pages

999, 111, 101, 112? Emergency Numbers You Must Know
101 Things to Put into Room 101
Home
Hook Road Hutments and My Family by Peter Russell - Part 1
My Favourite Short Walk - Itchen Navigation from Bishopstoke to Allbrook
Hidden Hampshire - Woodland Walks: Jermyns Lane
A walk in a park
Meet The Chinese Cop Andy Lai
Cat & Kitten Rescue in Chandler's Ford
Judging a Book by its Cover - Part 1

Categories

Tags

arts and crafts books Chandler's Ford Chandler's Ford Today Chandler’s Ford community charity Christianity Christmas church community creative writing culture Eastleigh Eastleigh Borough Council education entertainment event family fundraising gardening good neighbours Hiltingbury Hiltingbury Road history hobby how-to interview Joan Adamson Joan Adelaide Goater local businesses local interest memory Methodist Church music nature news reading religion review social storytelling theatre travel Winchester Road writing

Recent Comments

  • Allison Symes on Judging a Book by its Cover – Part 1
  • David Lamb on Judging a Book by its Cover – Part 1
  • Allison Symes on Judging a Book by its Cover – Part 1
  • Jim Bates on Judging a Book by its Cover – Part 1
  • Allison Symes on Story Types
  • Jim Bates on Story Types

Regular Writers and Contributors

Janet Williams Allison Symes Mike Sedgwick Rick Goater Doug Clews chippy minton Martin Napier Roger White Andy Vining Gopi Chandroth Nicola Slade Wellie Roger Clark Ray Fishman Hazel Bateman SO53 News

Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal by Joan Adelaide Goater

Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal by Joan Adelaide Goater

Growing up in Chandler’s Ford: 1950s – 1960s by Martin Napier

Growing up in Chandler’s Ford: 1950s – 1960s by Martin Napier

My Memories of the War Years in Chandler’s Ford 1939 – 1945 by Doug Clews

My Memories of the War Years in Chandler’s Ford 1939 – 1945 by Doug Clews

Chandler’s Ford War Memorial Research by Margaret Doores

Chandler’s Ford War Memorial Research by Margaret Doores

History of Hiltonbury Farmhouse by Andy Vining

History of Hiltonbury Farmhouse by Andy Vining

My Family History in Chandler’s Ford and Hursley by Roger White

My Family History in Chandler’s Ford and Hursley by Roger White

Do You Remember The Hutments? By Nick John

Do You Remember The Hutments? By Nick John

Memory of Peter Green by Wendy Green

Memory of Peter Green by Wendy Green

History of Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) Hursley Park by Dave Key

History of Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) Hursley Park by Dave Key

Reviews of local performances and places

Reviews of local performances and places

Copyright © 2021 Chandler's Ford Today. WordPress. Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.