Lorilyn’s Guest Interview: Eddie Snipes and Book Launches

Last updated on June 10, 2025

I recently met Eddie Snipes when he joined the John 3:16 Marketing Network. He launched his book, I Called Him Dancer, on April 1, and it hit the bestseller list in two categories on Amazon.

Following his launch, Eddie shared some of his thoughts with the John 3:16 Marketing Network authors, and I asked him if we could pass along his insights in a blog interview. Words of wisdom can help all of us become better at marketing our books. Enjoy, and please feel free to share your thoughts on this vital topic.

Question by Lorilyn: Eddie, if someone were to ask you what you learned from marketing your book, I Called Him Dancer, over the last several weeks, what would you tell them?

1. Self-Evaluate

Authors must first step back and evaluate their plans. We all claim to be in this for the Lord, but are we? If we are honest, there is a bit of selfish ambition in all of us. And we must guard our ambitions to keep them in check. Otherwise, we’ll find ourselves with a runaway ego or grumbling with disappointment.

When we present something for an audience to hear or read, it’s only natural to want that message to reach as many people as possible. However, not every message reaches the masses. You may be called to reach one person, or you may be entrusted with a bestseller. If it’s truly a ministry, is it for us to decide?

I say all of this because, as Christians, we should examine our motives. There is nothing wrong with marketing your work, but it’s essential to maintain a balance in perspective.

Having said this, let’s take a look at marketing. Unless you have already hit the bestseller list, no one knows who you are. Plopping a book on Amazon’s store won’t sell books. To sell books, people have to know your book exists. The real nuts and bolts of marketing don’t begin when you publish; they start now.

2. Networking is crucial.

Networking is all about relationships. To establish relationships, you must get involved in the world of writing. Writers’ conferences are an excellent opportunity to meet like-minded individuals. Facebook and blogging are great ways to meet people. You don’t have to have a popular blog to be a successful author. If you enjoy blogging, do so. At a minimum, every author should have a landing page to direct readers to. But if writing blog entries is a burden, don’t burn yourself out or beat yourself up over it. It is a tool, but it isn’t a necessity. But getting involved with other authors is.

Identify a list of blogs that align with your style and interests, and start commenting. Be an encourager. Over time, you will build a relationship, and when it comes time to publish, other writers will be eager to help you. An example of this is a very popular blogger and speaker I am familiar with. When it came time to market my book, her blog had a three-year waiting list for author interviews. It would not have been fair to bump another author down the list, but she still managed to help my book by posting a blurb and giveaway at the end of the current interview. Fellow authors will do that for friends, but don’t expect much if you approach someone you’ve never interacted with.

Helping others is a great marketing tool. Promoting other authors on Facebook, Twitter, and if you blog, do so there. Then others will be willing to return the favor once you publish. No one wants to feel used, so build relationships now, before the time comes to market your book.

John316 marketing is a great tool in your selling arsenal; however, don’t rely exclusively upon one networking tool. Think of launch day as it is intended to be. A launch. Once launched, you face the challenge of sustaining marketing efforts. Otherwise, your book will fall to the ground and be forgotten. None of us wants our work to find its place in the graveyard of forgotten books. Writing is not for the faint of heart. As the Bible says, the race isn’t to the swift. It takes persistence and endurance

3. Looking for a break.

Every bestselling author got a break. Is it luck? Not really. Think of marketing as a wall of doors. Most doors will not open, but some will. You cannot know which doors will open until you knock and ask to be invited in. Authors must be thick-skinned, for most doors will be closed to anyone who is unknown. Sometimes the person behind the door will be hurtful. Don’t give up on all the doors because most don’t yield success. There are thousands of doors to try, and you won’t find the ones that can benefit you unless you keep knocking. Who knows, behind a door may be someone who believes in your book and will give you that special break that pushes you over the top. As the cliché goes, “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” In a nutshell, an opportunity is what you are looking for. And you probably won’t find it without perseverance and being prepared.

4. Make it easy for readers to find your book.

Post it everywhere and use every opportunity to make it easy to find and buy. Make it available as an ebook in as many formats as possible. Use Smashwords.com to reach the e-book markets for Apple, Sony, Barnes & Noble, and more. Amazon has great tools for the Kindle format. All these tools are free. The goal is to get the book as high as possible in the rankings. This is so readers can find your books. Each category has a top 100 list, but unless you can get in the top 20, readers probably won’t find your book. Readers seldom browse through more than two pages of information.

John 316’s strategy is great for getting your book off the launch pad, but one day of ranking won’t keep you airborne for long. The goal is to get a sustainable ranking. There are some good ways to do this. Facebook and blogs are the best tools for no-name authors. Do blog tours. You’ll be surprised how many readers will buy it because they read about it on their favorite site. Don’t give a bland author interview, but make yourself likable with humor, anecdotes, and tidbits about yourself that intrigue readers.

5. Take advantage of social networking.

Facebook is a great tool, but it requires a large number of contacts to be effective. Begin friending people – even those you don’t know. Remember, this is a marketing tool. You can create another Facebook account for personal friends if you’d like. Focus on other writers. Writers write to other writers because they are also trying to expand their professional network. Currently, I have over 2,200 Facebook friends. Only a fraction of those will respond, but each one is a potential contact. And a potential promoter. When your book is released, consider hosting a giveaway where Facebook friends can earn entries by sharing links to your book on their profiles. Or links to your landing page. Each person who posts expands your marketing exponentially.

Twitter isn’t as effective as Facebook. The response is usually relatively low. Yet, it’s still a free marketing tool, and since tweeting takes only seconds, it’s still worth the effort. At this stage, every little bit counts.

6. Price your book reasonably.

Unless you have specialized knowledge that’s in high demand, you won’t sell many books if you price them over $10. The best marketing in the world can’t overcome an overpriced book. Avoid vanity presses like the plague. Most make their money by selling you overpriced packages and care nothing about selling books. There are exceptions, but few.