I've been talking for ages about how authors can use technology to personally connect with fans.
From your living room, you can chat by video with fans during conferences or book tours, IM with fans during specified times on your Web site, or use teleconferencing to talk to to book club groups.
Libba Bray, author of Going Bovine and The Sweet Far Thing knows what I'm talking about. She held a virtual conference with fans in Miami - while she stayed in Brooklyn.
Using SKYPE, Bray talked to fans. Her image was seen on a large screen at Books and Books in Miami, according to Miami News.
Read "Virtual Book Tour Hits Books and Books" by P. Scott Cunningham
It was just a matter of time…Dean Koontz has done "live" "virtual" appearances using Second Life, after all!
Dean Koontz is the bomb at this stuff. He was so far ahead of everyone. And did you see the Stephen King book that linked on Facebook? That was seriously awesome.
I think, too many times, authors believe they MUST be a Koontz or King – or any other big name – to make this work for them.
I did telephone conferencing with book clubs/readers groups back in 2000 and am doing it again this year (using Skype, now,of course). Cory Doctorow did a virtual signing in Second Life in July 2005. This really isn't all that new. What's new is a publisher has gotten their publicist on it.
Lisa -
I absolutely agree. I cannot tell you how often I've felt like I was talking to air when telling authors about these options. Maybe with the publisher backing – and with media publicity – these will seem like more viable options to them.
And YOU GO GIRL for doing telephone conference nearly ten years ago. You were so far ahead of the game. I'd love to know how SKYPE works out for you – and how it differed from your previous effort.