Valerie Coleman is a best-selling author, award winning publisher, and relationship advice guru. With her best-selling book Blended Families: An Anthology, she has managed to help thousands of families navigate the hurdles of parenting and raising children in our constantly evolving society. Valerie Coleman is also founder of Pen of the Writer, which provides literary services, and, as they say, “Taking writers from pen to paper to published.”
With spring right around the corner, Valerie is planning her next event, the Dayton Book Expo, http://www.daytonbookexpo.com. In its sixth year, the all-day event will connect book lovers through panel discussions for aspiring authors, activities for kids, and more. Virgo Girl Media is shining the #VGMSpotlight on Valerie and has all the details on this grand event:
Virgo Girl Media: What is the mission behind the Dayton Book Expo?
Valerie Coleman: The mission of The Dayton Book Expo is to promote literacy in Dayton, Ohio, by connecting book lovers, both authors and readers.
Virgo Girl Media: How has the expo changed since its beginnings in 2009?
Valerie Coleman: The most significant change is that we attract considerably more authors, readers, and sponsors. For 2015, we will have seventy authors; the most authors in our six years of hosting the expo. Another change is the addition of optional promotional opportunities for authors including media releases and a cake celebration for new releases.
Virgo Girl Media: What inspired you to add the Kidz Zone to the Dayton Book Expo?
Valerie Coleman: As authors who travel the country promoting our books, the three cofounders of the Dayton Book Expo—LaTonya Branham, Charlotte Brown, and myself—analyzed the pros and cons of a plethora of book events. We incorporated the lessons learned to ensure that the expo was well received. The Kidz Zone was one result of our analysis. We wanted to promote literacy for children, so we had to meet their specific needs. My Mobile Mommies has been our Kidz Zone sponsor for several years. They provide supervised activities, readings, and fun for the kids while their parents attend sessions for aspiring authors and purchase books.
Virgo Girl Media: Who are some of the authors you are looking forward to seeing this year?
Valerie Coleman: We have authors coming from Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, and New York . We look forward to seeing our returning authors and meeting new ones.
Virgo Girl Media: What do you hope authors get from attending your expo? What do you hope visitors leave with?
Valerie Coleman: Our hope is that the authors connect with a new audience of potential readers and sell plenty of books. One author sold 104 books by launching her own pre-event campaign and capitalizing on the corporate marketing we provided. Although her results are not typical, I share her strategy and other promotional tips to help authors maximize their experience at the Dayton Book Expo and subsequent events. We want readers to meet and support new authors, learn about the book business in our free sessions, and win giveaway items like T-shirts, journals, and more. We want both authors and readers to enjoy the beautiful facility.
Virgo Girl Media: If you had sixty seconds to convince someone that books aren’t a dying world, what would you say?
Valerie Coleman: Although the look of books is changing—hardback to paperback to e-book—people are still reading. Whether it’s to educate, entertain, or inspire, books provide an inexpensive outlet for personal growth and development. Besides, if books are a dying world, someone forgot to tell Amazon.com, which has approximately thirty million books (in various formats) available for purchase. Many authors earn a living writing including Amanda Hocking, who earned millions selling books on Amazon.
Virgo Girl Media: What books do you currently have on your nightstand?
Valerie Coleman: I am so preoccupied with coordinating the Dayton Book Expo and publishing books for clients through Queen V Publishing that I have not had any time to read. When I reach a state of normalcy, I will spend my time writing the sequel to The Forbidden Secrets of the Goody Box, and then read books that focus on marketing and promotion.
Virgo Girl Media: What’s next for the Dayton Book Expo?
Valerie Coleman: In September, we will facilitate the author pavilion at the Dayton Women’s Fair. Several event planners have asked us to replicate the Dayton Book Expo in their cities. With all the behind-the-scenes work required to make the event run well, we have lots to consider before committing.
Virgo Girl’s Five Things to Ask . . .
What would you tell your twenty-one-year-old self?
Valerie Coleman: Girlfriend, love yourself completely before you invite a man into your life. If you’re not whole, you’ll attract a man who is not whole and you’ll have a big mess on your hands! Trust me, I know.
I start my day with . . .
Valerie Coleman: A stretch, a yawn, and then a prayer of thanksgiving.
If you could invite any woman to dinner, who would it be?
Valerie Coleman: My mother. She’s the best! She always has great advice for me and I know that we’ll get along perfectly.
Best advice you have received?
Valerie Coleman: “The best revenge is a life well-lived.” My mother shared these words with me when my heart was shattered by my first love.
Life motto you live by?
Valerie Coleman: “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.” —Lao Tzu
The Dayton Book Expo is Saturday, April 25th, from 11am to 4 pm at David H. Ponitz Conference Center in Dayton, Ohio. Virgo Girl Media is proud to be a sponsor of this event.
