tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53745257773276503312023-11-16T10:02:36.075-07:00A Place for Aspiring Writers of FictionFear does not exist in this dojo...unless it's on the page!Cheryl Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200308282812031178noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374525777327650331.post-46393305345569534462014-12-14T13:02:00.005-07:002014-12-14T13:13:09.388-07:00The End is Just the BeginningI've made a decision to merge this blog with my author blog. I'm hoping to get all of the changes made this month while I take a little time off to sip some hot cocoa and enjoy a few glasses of moscato (well, writers never actually "take time off" do they?) I still have at least three novel/novella irons in the fire while I juggle family and work over the holiday season. <br />
<br />
I'll be going through this site this month, picking through all the good stuff, and transitioning it over to my other blog, which you can follow <a href="http://cherylbradshawbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
<br />
I will be leaving some of the author book interviews up for now, but most everything else will be transferred or deleted. It's been interesting to look at some of the posts I wrote when first starting out in 2010. The industry has changed immensely. So much so, a lot of the cutting-edge info I offered advice about has now gone the way of the dinosaurs. It's both scary and refreshing to see these changes, and to imagine what more is in store for the future of book publishing. <br />
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Have a wonderful holiday season, and I hope to see you all on the flip side :)<br />
<br />
-CherylCheryl Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200308282812031178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374525777327650331.post-56647910387487433522013-08-20T11:36:00.001-06:002013-08-20T11:47:27.268-06:0099 Cents is the New Free<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">When Amazon first introduced KDP Select in late 2011, I
decided to give it a try. Of course this meant pulling my books from all the
other sites they were listed on, and I wrestled with the decision at first. Then
I stuck a toe in to see what one of my books would do. The results were
impressive. At the time I was trying to build my fan base and get noticed.
KDP Select did this for me in a multitude of ways. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Early on, the KDP Select program worked wonders for my
books. Every book I had in the program made it to #1 on the free books list
during its free promotional days. And when the novel came off its free days, it
did even better because I was making money. I made the top 100 list in the
entire kindle store several times over with almost all of my books. I even had a
short story make it to number 1 on the Thrillers list. Life was good. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">But times change, and as an author, you have to realize a
lot of what we do is trial and error. The same can be said for the vendor sites
where we list our books. I’ve come to accept change comes fast and often, many
times with no forewarning. Adapting to it isn't always fun, but to succeed, it's always necessary. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Amazon has been a blessing to authors, especially those who
are brand new, trying to get their first book out. I’ve always expressed my
gratitude for all they’ve done, and I’ll continue to do so because a great deal of my own success as a bestselling author is because their door was open to me when I was on the brink of tying myself up with a legacy publisher. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">I've been a strong advocate for KDP Select, but for me, it's time to get out of the program.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Why? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you’ve been in the program and are a successful,
established author, you already know why. At some point Amazon started changing
their algorithms. This meant when a book came off the free list, instead of
seeing a huge spike (a lower book ranking) as well as a nice increase in book
sales, it wasn’t happening anymore, not to the extend I'd grown accustomed to. For a while, they tinkered with it, but recently I've been seeing a meager spike, fewer
sales. Amazon is trying something different. Maybe short-term, maybe forever, but for me it means it's time to try something different too. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">In my opinion, a .99 promotion (not all the time, just as a sale) is the sweet spot right now, and I owe much of
the recent success of my giveaways to </span><a href="http://home.bookbub.com/home/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">BookBub</span></a><span style="font-size: large;">. With over one million members, they’re
a force I’m more than happy to reckon with, and I do, about once a month. I know, it's expensive. For me, it's still worth it because my genre has the most subscribers on their daily email list. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The best new trend I'm seeing as a direct result of running a BookBub promotion is sales on other sites such as Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Sony Kobo, all as a result of making my books available again on multiple venues. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Three weeks ago I ran an ad for my boxed set. I made the <em>USA Today</em> Bestsellers List one week later. And that wasn't even close to the best week the set has had since I released it over a year ago. However, the fact the book was listed on multiple vendor sites instead of just one made me eligible for the list. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I suppose the entire point of this article is to woo you into trying something new no matter what you are currently doing. Stick to what works and then magnify it. I abhor change. I am more than happy to stick with the same old, same old. I go to a restaurant, and my husband can order for me. I'm a Plain Jane when it comes to food. But when it comes to marketing my books, the extrovert buried somewhere inside comes out to play. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Take risks. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Try new things. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Even if it's just once. Get out there! </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">As a side note, if you are new, if you are publishing your first book, I still suggest giving KDP
Select a try, even if it's only for three months. The reason why I because no one knows you. You are not established. Not yet. I attribute a good portion of my followers to readers who found me when they downloaded my books during a free promotion. Before that, they didn't have the slightest idea who I was. But it's easy to take a risk when the risk is free, isn't it? Use those free days to get noticed. That’s what they’re for. And when you've added a little more seasoning to your steak, branch out. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Honestly, a year from now I’ll likely be writing an article about a
whole different trend, something else I'm trying. And that’s okay. I tend to do what’s in the best
interest of my books. And so should you. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Best of luck, and may you sell a lot of books--I believe in you! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">-C</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Cheryl Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200308282812031178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374525777327650331.post-86705798196613237482013-02-25T19:15:00.000-07:002013-12-29T15:52:27.894-07:00Ebook Promotions - 10 Things You SHOULD Be Doing<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A couple of months ago my publicist asked me if I would write an article on ebook promotion. I thought I'd share it on here with all of you as well. The information below isn't gospel, but it works for me.</span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>START PROMOTING BEFORE YOUR BOOK IS OUT<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">There are several things a writer can do
prior to their book coming out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A month
or two before the release, I begin putting things in place that will create a
steady momentum once the book is out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One of the first things I do is to create a press release that my
publicist can send to potential reviewers, newspaper agencies, press agencies,
etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also create some kind of giveaway
on my blog to kick things off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I give
away things like Amazon gift cards and other goodies for any reader who
purchases the book in the first month. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This is also the perfect time to schedule
your promotions on the internet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>New
sites go up daily, it seems, but my favorites right now are BookBub, Digital
Book Today, and Ereader News Today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some
sites are more expensive than others, but you should easily earn your money
back on the day your book is promoted, not to mention the boost your book will
get several days after the promotion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>SOFT RELEASE FIRST<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">When I put out a new book, I do a “soft
release,” promoting it to my fans and followers at the beginning to get things
going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll send out a newsletter to let
them know the new book is out and then run some kind of promotion for anyone
who buys it or buys it and leaves a review (NOTE: I never, ever ask my readers
to give me a specific kind of review—all I ask for is an honest review).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of my fans read the book within the first
few days, and if I am lucky, they will like it and leave a review.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is what I am hoping for—to get some
reviews and initial sales before I push for the hard launch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>ENROLL IN KDP SELECT (IF YOU ARE A NEW AUTHOR)</strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Writers have strong feelings and opinions
about the KDP Select program on Amazon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
me, personally, it works, and I am a big supporter of Amazon and all they have
done for writers today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe the
best time to enroll in KDP Select is when your book first comes out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more visible a book is, the more it gets
noticed in the program, and the more lends you will receive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I entered the first three books in my
Sloane Monroe series one year ago, and I can honestly say, the program has
changed my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was doing well prior
to enrolling, but the program took my books to the next level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I highly recommend using the five free days
you are offered each time your enroll/renew, and here’s what I suggest doing: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>When your book is new, enroll in the
program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>One month after you publish your book, schedule
and use your free days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be successful
on your free run, you MUST prepare beforehand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You can learn more about this </span><a href="http://pimpyourbooks.blogspot.com/2012/05/benefits-of-kdp-select-free-days.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">HERE</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more free books you move during the
promotion, the better your ranking will be when your book comes off the free
list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amazon uses algorithms (which is a
topic I’ll save for another day). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I keep my book free for two or three days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As long as it keeps climbing in the free
store, I keep it up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if it slips
past the top twenty, I take it off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
after a few months, take your book out if you want and then you can sell it
everywhere else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trust me when I say
that it’s a lot harder to enroll your books in the program if you have to go
around taking them off all the other sites first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">One side note: In March 2013, Amazon changed the way they pay reader sites. This squashed a lot of sites that used to advertise your freebie. Amazon also changed their algorithms. In the first year of KDP, you could see a massive bump in your rank once you came off free. Now, not so much. So, use KDP Select to help make a name for yourself when you first start out, but long term, keep your options open. </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>PARTICIPATE IN BLOG HOPS<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">There seems to be a lot of confusion about
blog hops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I organize two or three a
year in my writers group, and I always get emails from new writers complaining
about the fact that during the hop, they didn’t see an increase in sales.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Because blog hops aren’t about sales—they’re about exposure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re about people seeing your name and
your books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most people need to see a
product (and your book is a product) several times before they decide to
purchase it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p>B</o:p>ut now back to blog hops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you get the chance to be included on one
that’s organized and has quite a few authors participating, do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It usually requires very little effort on
your part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The organizer does most of
the work for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You create a blog
post, give away a signed copy of your book, maybe donate to the grand prize,
and you’re done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For my hops, when a
reader visits my page, I ask them to either follow me on facebook, twitter, or
sign up for my newsletter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is free
for them, but it benefits me as well. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>GET YOUR NAME OUT THERE</strong> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen
authors create Twitter accounts for their novel or their series, and not for
themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I always hear a noise in my
head—that “X” sound from the game show “Family Feud.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because
the author is going about it all wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Your name is your brand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me
say it again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your NAME is your brand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not your series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not your book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not your character.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>YOU.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get your name out there in every way possible.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>TWEET</strong><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">There is a right way and a wrong way to
tweet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But first, I want to say this: if
you don’t have a Twitter account, now is the time to create one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well, after you finish reading this post, of course. <o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I avoided Twitter for a long time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t want a Twitter account.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I convinced myself that having an account
wouldn’t benefit me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But then a few of
my fans said they were disappointed that I wasn’t on Twitter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See, your fans feel like they connect with
you through twitter—like they have some special insight into your life and what
you’re doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that doesn’t mean you
need to get personal or reveal too much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I don’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I keep it light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ask my fans questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I interact with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I love it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In one year, I managed to cultivate almost 30,000
followers, and as of the end of this year, 2013, I am nearing 50,000. In August of 2012, I was named one of Twitter’s seven best
authors to follow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was such an
honor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And to think, I almost never
joined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Now let’s move on to the wrong way to
tweet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tweet about my books: <o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>When I put a new book out <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>When I run a promotion </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>When I offer some kind of giveaway/incentive</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This is the ONLY TIME I tweet
about my books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My fans don’t want to
get tweets from me all day, every day that shout “buy my book!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s irritating, and it’s rude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I follow the 90/10 rule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>90% of my tweets are non-book related.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I save the other 10% for my promotions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Otherwise, you’ll lose followers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one will retweet you if you keep saying
the same thing all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And during
an incentive, you need those retweets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They sell books, and they spread the word about you and your brand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Long story short, don’t abuse Twitter, and
don’t abuse your fans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Interact with
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s actually a lot of fun. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>CREATE A FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE<o:p> </o:p></strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I created a facebook author page soon after
publishing my first novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of my
friends and family liked the page, but in six to nine months, I only had a
couple hundred followers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To me, this
was nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had thousands of friends on
my personal page.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I almost deleted
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I published a boxed set which
included the first three mysteries in my Sloane Monroe series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it took off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started getting up to ten new followers on
my author page a day, none of them being friends or family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You can now promote yourself on Facebook
too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like their ads because they’re
cheap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have less than 1,000
followers, you can run an ad for three days that posts not only to the side of the
pages of your fans, but to their followers sidebar as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All for around $15.00.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>AUTHOR FRIENDS = POWER<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">What does having author friends have to do
with promotion?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I was writing my first book, I
interviewed traditionally published authors on my blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked them for their advice for new,
up-and-coming authors, and many were happy to oblige.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the biggest names in the business
offered tips on getting started, and I learned that making author friends was
pivotal to success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It IS who you
know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I created an author group on Facebook in
2010 and have almost 1,600 authors to date.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We share our books, help one another promote, and offer tips and a
helping hand to the newbies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of the
authors have become life-long friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The group also helps me stay in the loop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whenever there’s new news in the industry,
I’m the first to hear about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>CREATE AND MAINTAIN A NEWSLETTER</strong><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">When you’re first starting out as an
author, you might only have a newsletter that consists of friends and family,
and that’s okay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t grow to
thousands overnight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s more like a
slow trickle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main thing is to have
a way for readers to contact you, and it should be on everything—your blog,
website, author product pages, in your books, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep it consistent and keep it the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When a fan emails you, add them to your
newsletter list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I send out an email
quarterly and try to match it up with a book release, especially when it’s in
the soft release phase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your most
devoted fans will buy the book as soon as it’s released, as long as they know about
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>TRY NEW THINGS</strong><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I mess around with my prices several times
a year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also mess around with
different genres.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But let’s start with
price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s fun to find a reason to
change the price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One that I use is my
birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On my birthday, I lower the
prices of most or all of my books, just for the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also run a promotion to go along with
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another time I lower the price is
after Christmas when all those readers have a brand new kindle in their hot,
little hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t lower the price for
a long time—usually no more than three days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The benefit of this if you do it right is that you’ll sell more books
than you were and your rank will lower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The lower the rank, the more your book is seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more it’s seen, the more copies you’ll
sell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Now let’s talk about genre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t move around too much, but there are a
lot of different options you can try with your book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of my books are in the mystery/thriller
genre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, they have just a touch of
romance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While not the main theme, I can
still put them in romantic suspense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
can also put them in action & adventure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I can also put them in genre fiction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sometimes it’s nice to shuffle things around a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, lettuce is best when it’s fresh
and new.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, too, are books in
categories that attract an entirely new audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Cheryl Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200308282812031178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374525777327650331.post-44396879401924725642012-11-01T20:29:00.001-06:002012-11-01T20:29:59.672-06:00The YAY or NAY of book signings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4iHJETnviTpVAwBtqB0GnGiKvo_N9_SJsToUvpoFBdTic0w1aFZ58DZhi6X3tPnhreqPrGEIvygFGr2pWxc23Zcj39wiGk_sMKm5eJqja9nZL5vBzbahovD8U2r_pa1rYx1FUNCcSGvXO/s1600/BookSign.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4iHJETnviTpVAwBtqB0GnGiKvo_N9_SJsToUvpoFBdTic0w1aFZ58DZhi6X3tPnhreqPrGEIvygFGr2pWxc23Zcj39wiGk_sMKm5eJqja9nZL5vBzbahovD8U2r_pa1rYx1FUNCcSGvXO/s320/BookSign.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I live in a fairly small town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many people here know I’m a writer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can tell because they come up to me, they
whisper about me, they talk to my relatives about me, they chase me down the aisle at WalMart…Okay, so that last one is a story we'll save for another day, but you get the idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll be honest, it’s pretty amazing to
meet people who are fascinated by what I do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
And for that reason, w</span>henever I am asked to do a book signing locally, I do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I sell out every single time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We aren’t talking about thousands of books,
but that’s okay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s not why I do
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I was fist starting out, the people in my town rallied around me, buying my book and spreading the word around town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So doing a book signing here is more about
showing my appreciation than the money I get from doing it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although, money isn’t so bad either. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My publicist recently tried to schedule a book signing for
me that was four hours away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
declined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then she said, “What if I can
schedule a TV interview for you in the same town that morning?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Book signing, back on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I don’t like to travel to do them,
for the most part. I don't like to spend a whole day on something like that when I could be writing instead. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next time you consider pimping yourself via a book signing, ask
yourself these questions first: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>How far away is the signing and how much money
will it cost you in gas? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Will you have to stay overnight?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If so, how much will the hotel room cost? Food? Entertainment? (one bonus is, at least you can write it off)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>How many hours will you spend that you could
have spent writing? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve been to plenty of author book signings, and unless the
person was named Stephen King, the lines usually weren’t that long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been in a bookstore many times without even
knowing beforehand that a signing was going on, and there, sitting all by his
or her lonesome, is the author looking quite forlorn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess what I’m trying to say is: get your
expectations in check before doing the book signing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And make sure you are fine with shelling out a
bunch of dough and not getting a lot in return.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m not saying your signing won’t be a success, maybe it will be, and I hope it is. But try not to expect it just in case it's not. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is one place I like doing signings: conventions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But you have to make sure you are at the type
of convention where a person would actually be interested in buying your
book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did one last year at a conference
for women and it was very successful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The conference</span>
was all about supporting each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
woman in the stand next to me was pimping cupcakes with huge edible flowers on top that she made herself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She did good as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes it just works.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now let’s shift the conversation a bit and talk about setting up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a few rituals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I always bring a tablecloth for the
table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, I am a woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s simple though, black and white.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m
not into huge frills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My books are the
main attraction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the table I have a basket which contains clear bags of candy. The bags are wrapped with
ribbon and my business card is attached.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These I give to anyone and everyone regardless of whether they buy my
book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also have a metal cookbook stand
with two of my books displayed (usually the two most recent books).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My books are stacked behind them, not too
many, maybe five of each. I reach under the table and replenish the supply when
needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The metal stand looks like this:</span>
</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2_xhvr4_uviWlcafoxnHdPbydDTRBlV_aRwE-yjq2rmZoek8EAJKPUhZ3NjR_lGHiKQZBaFu-3t0anLqtlDSI2NF2OARzPSFqAHVP5gOixh4sm_FREyOJGThIFXu-j2RiCYsNJ1uA0cUA/s1600/easel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2_xhvr4_uviWlcafoxnHdPbydDTRBlV_aRwE-yjq2rmZoek8EAJKPUhZ3NjR_lGHiKQZBaFu-3t0anLqtlDSI2NF2OARzPSFqAHVP5gOixh4sm_FREyOJGThIFXu-j2RiCYsNJ1uA0cUA/s320/easel.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p></o:p> </div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next to the table is a giant metal easel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On this I set the poster board I’ve made (see
example at the top of the page).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> This is what my first one looked like (without the easel and before I had more books to my name). </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Make sure you have more than one pen to sign your books with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> There's nothing quite like being properly prepared. </span>My favorite pen is a fine point Sharpie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And always, no matter if they say their name
is Bob, ask them how to spell it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Or you'll end up with the one guy who spells Bob: Bobb or Bahb. </span>Trust me on
this. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
*</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, as to how many books to take with you and what your price
point should be, first consider the venue itself and how many people are
expected. If it's a bookstore, they should be able to give you general idea of what to expect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a smaller venue, I like to
have twenty-five copies of each of my books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I also keep a clipboard handy so if I sell out, I can get the name and an
address of the person I need to send the book to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyone who buys my book(s) also receives a bookmark and a
keychain (if I have a bunch of them handy).</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUctAo6A1EDlfMrLwbAh-7mLaWC6xYiu3Ce6mjRGse4mKxVCvzAvNSmGBoU0F4DzuoC8rB71YjZQwBhoyqVGBdrDASuwlTyaPRYQaXkEYtyhSD-_T9odVH5yorFOOGqRULdROUIPwdSI7B/s1600/keys.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUctAo6A1EDlfMrLwbAh-7mLaWC6xYiu3Ce6mjRGse4mKxVCvzAvNSmGBoU0F4DzuoC8rB71YjZQwBhoyqVGBdrDASuwlTyaPRYQaXkEYtyhSD-_T9odVH5yorFOOGqRULdROUIPwdSI7B/s320/keys.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As to how I group my books together, I sell them as singles
for the price on the back of the book which, right now, is $12.99, BUT I also
box some sets together since I have one series right now, and another one I'm starting in 2013.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ll put three together in the series and charge less, maybe $30.00.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They get a deal, I move more books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you are tight on funds, and the venue is small, don’t
worry so much about taking so many.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maybe start with fifteen or twenty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you
are only promoting one specific book, I’d say fifty or so for a medium-sized signing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have the rest of your life to use them
for promotions, giveaways, or even to sell them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fancy that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I usually drag my husband along with me when I can because he makes me sound like the most talented person in the world, and since I tend to be fairly introverted when it comes to people I don't know, his outgoing nature comes in handy. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now go move some books :)</span> </o:p></span></div>
Cheryl Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200308282812031178noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374525777327650331.post-35763346622842090622012-08-22T15:18:00.000-06:002012-08-22T15:19:31.110-06:00Writing to Infinity...and Beyond! <strong><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6zxZu18gkkV8lTCJ_9QOIzR68Z-fLYymfZ2eiHmz17HDIEEh8iJvd2Sqk3WrEA-p4-3N8kYEsgNKaLBW_tAiGhkMlnmiJN3g1jqfNuX3p_QdPLcy01Pyp1CkhugIn9sv75BfOUP7u4vR/s1600/Writing+Infinity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6zxZu18gkkV8lTCJ_9QOIzR68Z-fLYymfZ2eiHmz17HDIEEh8iJvd2Sqk3WrEA-p4-3N8kYEsgNKaLBW_tAiGhkMlnmiJN3g1jqfNuX3p_QdPLcy01Pyp1CkhugIn9sv75BfOUP7u4vR/s320/Writing+Infinity.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I started writing my first novel a few years ago, I was
determined to publish the traditional way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But I didn’t know anything about anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I only knew how to write and what was
relevant in my own genre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started a
blog and interviewed several famous authors, asking what advice they would give
to an aspiring writer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the authors
I interviewed had indie published with huge success, and after twisting my arm
a bit, she convinced me to indie publish my first novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I literally read every post on J.A. Konrath’s
blog </span><a href="http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing)</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
to get me up to speed and then took the plunge. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I’ve never looked back. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you’re first getting your feet wet, the best thing you
can do for yourself is this: be the sponge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Soak up every bit of knowledge and information you can from successful
indie authors who have gone before you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You need to understand what you’re getting yourself into and decide
whether you have the time to be so much more than a writer, because you’ll have
to be your own publicist too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are a
few things that worked for me: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Indie Writers Unite <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I didn’t know many authors in the beginning so I created the
Facebook group </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/indiewriters/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Indie
Writers Unite</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted a place
where authors could get together to exchange ideas, questions, and information
with each other while getting to know one another in the process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has been the best thing I’ve done for
myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lot
of work, but it’s worth it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the
friends I’ve made on there have become like family to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My suggestion is to seek out groups like this, join, and get
involved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get to know your fellow
authors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Believe me when I say, it IS
who you know in the book business, and having great author friends to hold your
hand when you’re just getting started could mean the difference between a book
that’s ranked 200,000 or 2,000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Knowledge is power. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blog, Tweet, Hang
Out and Hustle with your Friends<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blog<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have two blogs, one for readers, one for writers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I keep them separate because my readers aren’t
really interested in all my tips for writers, and they aren’t coming to my blog
for posts like that either. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I started the </span><a href="http://pimpyourbooks.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">writer
blog</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I was writing my
first novel, I spent a lot of time learning about writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I read everything I could get my hands on,
attended seminars, paid attention to what other writers were doing that worked
for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted to share all the
information I’d learned, and a blog was a great way to do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I suggest starting a blog if you haven’t already, but you
need to also figure out ways to drive traffic to it, or no one will see your
posts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Interviewing successful authors helped
me because once the post went live, the author tweeted about it and shared it,
and this attracted attention to my blog as well as new followers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t be afraid to ask a best-selling author
to do a guest spot on your site.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most
times, they are grateful you asked and won’t turn you down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once you get your blog going, get creative with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I recently started a monthly contest called
“Chapter One” where I look over fifty first chapters, choose the one I feel is
the best, and then I interview the winner and tweet about them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also offer an Amazon gift card to the
winner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s one way I can give
back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I love it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Making new author friends is one of the best
things you can do for yourself when it comes to promotion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I started my </span><a href="http://cherylbradshawbooks.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">reader blog</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> after getting a
bunch of emails from impatient fans anxious to get their hands on my next
book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really loved their enthusiasm
for my writing and their interest in getting to know me better, so I created a
blog where I could write about random things that happen in my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s fun and keeps them connected to me while
they are waiting for my next book to come out. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tweet<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve had so many authors ask me this: What’s the best thing
you’ve ever done to promote yourself?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
the internet world, it would be Twitter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have a few rules I follow with Twitter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One is not to spend all my time pimping my
books and instead to interact with my followers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I make exceptions to this rule only when I
have a promotion going, like a free or discounted book, and let me tell you,
Twitter really gets the word out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
you need followers in order to do that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I follow most people back who follow me and do my best to
respond to anyone who tweets me directly or RT’s one of my tweets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a promotion going the other day and
tweeted it several times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the
course of the promotion, it was retweeted about 100 times, and I tried to
personally thank all the people who took the time to RT my tweet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why is this important?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because it shows you care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When someone does something to help you out,
they deserve to be recognized for their efforts in a personal way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tweeted to all my followers, who retweeted
to all their followers, and so on and so forth. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It definitely makes a difference in getting
your name and your brand out there until you become someone like Stephen King who
only needs to write ;). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hustle<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m a multitasker who likes to have several irons in the
fire at the same time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I try to keep an
ear latched to the writing world so I know things like when an excellent
website is opening for promotions, or when a blog tour is starting that I want
to participate in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Speaking of blog
tours, I usually run two every year on Indie Writers Unite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blog tours are excellent ways to introduce
new readers to who you are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have sent
signed books to winners who have gone on to give me five-star reviews because
they liked my books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me, right now,
they’re worth it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being a writer takes time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Newbies are often overwhelmed when they realize how much work it really
takes to keep your books moving, but you need to ask yourself what your goals
are as a writer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You probably started
writing because of your passion for words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Don’t you want to share that passion with the rest of the world?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I imagine you do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the right tools, a good book, and a lot
of dedication, you can achieve great success as an indie writer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Best of luck to you all!</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Cheryl Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200308282812031178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374525777327650331.post-89571389986115298422012-08-15T10:49:00.000-06:002012-11-16T15:09:10.117-07:00Pricing Your eBooks -- What Works, What Doesn't<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
I get asked a lot for my opinion on eBook price points, so today I'll talk about what works for me. <br />
<br />
When I first published, I started out at .99 and I kept my books at this price for one year. <br />
<br />
<strong>WHY?</strong> <br />
<br />
<u>A few reasons:</u><br />
<br />
1. I didn't have an established fan base. <br />
2. I was just creating my brand. <br />
3. At the time, .99 eBooks were hotter than the Vegas strip in July. <br />
<br />
Note that third one. And not the "stripping" part ;) One year ago, a majority of books in my genre in the top twenty were .99 books. And many of those were John Locke's novels, but there were several other 99 cent books as well. Then something happened. Amazon changed their algorithms (in my opinion) and now many of the .99 books aren't being promoted like they used to be. I do still see them pop up now and again on my "recommended book" lists, but not like they used to. <br />
<br />
One year ago, half of the top twenty eBooks in the mystery & thriller genre were .99. Not only that, to see a book priced above $3.99 was rare in the top twenty. Now, (August 2012) here's how it shapes up: <br />
<br />
#1 $12.99<br />
#2 $12.99<br />
#3 $12.99<br />
#4 $1.99 (this is a 60 page Kindle Short) <br />
#5 $12.99<br />
#6 $12.99<br />
#7 $9.99<br />
#8 $4.99<br />
#9 $14.99<br />
#10 $.99<br />
#11 $12.99<br />
#12 $4.99<br />
#13 $9.99<br />
#14 $12.99<br />
#15 $14.99<br />
#16 $4.99<br />
#17 $13.99<br />
#18 $12.99<br />
#19 $12.99<br />
#20 $3.99<br />
<br />
There's only one .99 book in the top twenty, and it's so short, a person could finish it in thirty minutes, hence the price. There's not another .99 book on the list until #69. In fact, in the top #100 right now in mystery & thriller, only three novels are .99. Hmm. <br />
<br />
Amazon does an excellent job at promoting indie authors, and they have outstanding platforms as well such as their Thomas & Mercer imprint, among others. But I heard a rumor last year that the "Bix Six" publishing companies were a little miffed their books were being outsold by indie books. While I'm not sure that's true, one look at the difference in the current top 100 list makes me wonder what happened and why...<br />
<br />
But let's get back to my thoughts on eBook pricing. When I first started out, for me, .99 was the way to go. At that price readers who'd never heard of me weren't afraid to "take a risk" and check out my books. They didn't have much to lose. Many newbies either don't grasp the importance of this concept or don't care. They price their book at $5.99 or whatever amount they think is fair, telling themselves their novel is worth much more than a mere .99. And although that's probably true, here's what ultimately happens: no one buys their book. I wouldn't even spend $5.99 on a book by an unknown unless I'd seen rave reviews or heard about it. I'll admit it--I'm a tightwad. But how many others out there are like me? More than you think. <br />
<br />
It's hard for me to say if the same strategy I used is as effective now given all the recent changes this year, but with the right promoting, I still feel it's the way to go. At first. Not forever. <br />
<br />
Once you develop a fanbase, I suggest raising your price. Especially as you continue putting more books out. This was really hard for me. I kept worrying about what all indie writers worry about--<em>what if no one buys my books when I raise the price?</em> I went from .99 to $2.99 with the release of the third novel in my Sloane Monroe series. I priced all three at $2.99, and ever since then I've made more money than I ever did at .99. Now I'm gearing up to price one of my books at $3.99 to test the waters. I'll put one little toe in at first, swish it around, and see how it goes. <br />
<br />
<strong>eBook Price Sweet Spot</strong><br />
<br />
Are there certain prices that seem to keep readers buying more than others? Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, seems to think so. In a recent inteview he said books priced between $2.99 to $5.99 are selling better than .99 to $1.99. Click <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/suwcharmananderson/2012/08/03/mark-coker-indie-authors-are-underpricing-their-books/" target="_blank">HERE</a> to read the rest of the article. <br />
<br />
Of course, free books sell better than anything else, but I would only suggest doing this for short periods of time as an incentive and to build your brand and get your name out there. <br />
<br />
<strong>Don't Be Afraid to Try New Things</strong><br />
<br />
My birthday is in August. I'm always looking to try new and exciting incentives, so I decided to make all three novels in my Sloane Monroe Series .99 for one day only on my birthday. <br />
<br />
Before I get into the results, I want to suggest you put your price change in the afternoon before your incentive to ensure enough time is allotted for the change. And then at that same time the day of the promotion, you need to change your price back on Amazon. Barnes&Noble and Sony Kobo updates a lot faster. <br />
<br />
Now to the results. Here's how many more books I sold than the day before the incentive: <br />
<br />
Black Diamond Death +66<br />
<br />
Sinnerman +77<br />
<br />
I Have a Secret +400<br />
<br />
Whispers of Murder (Novella) +17<br />
<br />
So in one day, I sold 560 more copies of my books than the previous day. And yes, they were .99, BUT I still made more more money than the previous day. That wasn't my goal though. My goal was to improve my rankings, and I did. <br />
<br />
Better Ranking = More Sales <br />
<br />
I Have a Secret outsold everything else, seeing a ranking increase from 6,346 to 281 in the kindle store because I ran a promotion on <a href="http://ereadernewstoday.com/bargain-kindle-books-4-great-books-for-8-7-12/6716747/" target="_blank">eReader News Today</a> to go along with my own promotion. <br />
<br />
Good luck everyone, and may your books do well at any price point :) <br />
<br />Cheryl Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200308282812031178noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374525777327650331.post-1859418883033301812012-05-08T09:50:00.003-06:002014-07-23T13:41:54.624-06:00Pimping Your New Release - My Checklist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>Updated July 2014</b></div>
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<br />
I've changed a lot of things since I posted this a couple years ago. Here's a list of what I'm doing now to promote a new release.<br />
<br />
<b>BEFORE RELEASE DAY</b><br />
<br />
Before the release date I create buzz by getting my fans ready for the release. I give an approximate release date, release the first chapter of the book, create a banner teaser, post the book cover.<br />
<br />
<b>RELEASE DAY</b><br />
<br />
New banner goes up. I post links for the book on Facebook, Twitter, my authors pages, etc. I create a blog post to announce the new book.<br />
<br />
Once or twice a month I do a "Free Giveaway Sunday" on my Facebook page. If I have a new release out, I'll give away copies of the book one Sunday and things pertaining to the book during that month. <br />
<br />
<strong>UPDATE</strong><br />
<br />
Don't forget to update all your other book pages when first publishing a new book.<br />
<br />
For me this includes book sites Amazon, Barnes &Noble, Kobo, iBooks, Google Play, and Goodreads.<br />
<br />
On my product pages, under the description, I always put "Also by Cheryl Bradshaw" and then the titles of my other books. It's great to show you are established with more than one title under your belt, and it's also a free way to promote yourself and let readers know the order of a series.<br />
<br />
Add book to my page on Author Central.<br />
<br />
I also update all blogs, websites, Facebook pages, etc. with the new book, links, banner, etc.<br />
<br />
<strong>BOOKMARKS</strong><br />
<br />
I usually update my current bookmarks whenever a new book comes out. I use Print Runner. I sent bookmarks to fans, my street team, etc.<br />
<br />
<strong>NEWSLETTER</strong><br />
<br />
I send out a newsletter every time I publish a new book or run a sale.<br />
<br />
<strong>CREATE A PROMOTION/GIVEAWAY</strong><br />
<br />
I create a targeted Facebook ad for my new release, and I plan a BookBub ad as well. After the BB ad, I run ads on Free Kindle Books and Tips, BookBasset, BookSends, and eReader News Today.<br />
<br />
<strong>WEBSITES/PROMO SITES TO UPDATE OR PROMO ON</strong><br />
<br />
Each time you publish a new book, there are certain sites you should be active on that you'll want to update with your latest release. Here's a list of sites I frequent: <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.authorsden.com/">Authors Den</a><br />
You can create your own account and add your books. They have over 1 million hits on their site every month. You also can track your stats to see just how many people are looking at your individual profile and your book pages. All this is free. You can pay to upgrade/advertise. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/program" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
Aside from adding your latest novel, you can and should run a giveaway. Information on that is also on the page I linked to above. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://digg.com/news">Digg.com</a><br />
On Digg, you can submit a link to your new novel. I usually blog about it and then link to my blog. I use this site whenever I run a contest as well or am doing any type of donations. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.reddit.com/">Reddit</a><br />
Reddit works like Digg. You actually can just copy/paste what you submitted to Digg right into the form on Reddit. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a><br />
I have a Pinterest account and an entire board dedicated to my books. To get an idea of what you can do with yours, you can see mine <a href="http://pinterest.com/cherylbradshaw/my-books-about-me/">HERE</a>. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://crimespace.ning.com/" target="_blank">Crimespace</a><br />
On CrimeSpace, you can create an account and then blog or tweet from there about your book(s). This is a site primarily for crime/mystery/thriller writers only. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.librarything.com/" target="_blank">Library Thing Giveaway</a><br />
On Library Thing, you can upload all your books from Amazon and also run giveaways through their authors promotions program. If you've never been on the site before, you can sign up and then find your books and select that you are the author. From there, it takes a day or two to get approved. Then you can list a giveaway and they accept both eBook and print, which is nice! <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.authorgraph.com/" target="_blank">Authorgraph</a><br />
With Authorgraph, you can add your books and be notified when an author wants an autograph for their book. They also feature different authors every month. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://plus.google.com/" target="_blank">Google+</a><br />
Google+ is a fast-growing way to share your information with others. You can create a profile, add your books, your links, etc. But what I like about it is that when someone searches you on Google, your profile comes up on the right, just like it does on Wikipedia. <br />
<br />
<br />Cheryl Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200308282812031178noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374525777327650331.post-18229693908677313722012-05-01T08:47:00.001-06:002014-05-20T08:11:43.199-06:00The Benefits of KDP Select Free DaysBefore you read this article, read <a href="http://pimpyourbooks.blogspot.com/2013/08/99-cents-is-new-free.html" target="_blank">THIS ONE</a>. <br />
<br />
I started in KDP Select in January 2012 and had a really stellar year. Much of my success that year was due to all of my books reaching #1 free when I used my KDP Select free days and then Amazon's algorithms pushing my books up the charts when they came off free. This worked like a charm for a while until Amazon changed their algorithms and books no longer skyrocketed when they went back to regular price. <br />
<br />
I don't expect anything to last forever, and as an author, just because you hop on the "trending train" doesn't mean you shouldn't keep trying all sorts of different things. If you put all your eggs in one basket, when that basket empties, you might find yourself left with nothing. And then it's back to the drawing board. <br />
<br />
Two years later, I have a couple novellas in KDP Select, but my full-length novels are on multiple sites. Do I still think KDP Select is a good idea? Yes, if you are a new author. <br />
<br />
What does a new author need? <br />
<br />
1. To get noticed. <br />
<br />
2. To find readers. <br />
<br />
3. To establish a fan base. <br />
<br />
I believe KDP Select is still a great option for newbie writers. Readers don't mind taking a chance on you if your book is free, but as an unknown author, even if you price it for what you think your work is worth, very few readers want to pay good money for an author that is unknown. <br />
<br />
The key to success if you're putting your novel up for free is to let others know about it. To maximize your chances, I've created a list that gives you all the places you should notify when your book is going free. Believe me when I say, it's worth every second of your time to prepare for your free days well in advance. <br />
<br />
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Facebook Groups:</span></strong><br />
<br />
When I first wrote this post, I included about 100 Facebook pages where you could pimp your book freebie (with the group admin's permission, of course). However, one of the latest trends I've seen too much lately is authors marking other authors as "spamming the page" even when you post your book on a site dedicated to author freebies AND with permission. As someone who is opposed to spamming in any way, shape, or form, I was disappointed to see this happen to good law-abiding authors who didn't deserve it. <br />
<br />
The first time some random person reports your post as spam (and you won't even know who reported it as misuse, by the way) you get slapped by FB with a two week probation. Do it twice, you could lose your account entirely. I have an <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CherylBradshawBooks" target="_blank">author page on Facebook</a> and run my own paid ads on there quite a bit, so the risk just isn't worth it, even though I wasn't doing anything wrong. I'd rather pay for ads than go to Facebook jail. So I'd like you all to consider using your Facebook author page to your advantage, and I'll try to carve out some time in the near future for a post on making the most of your Facebook author page. For now...let's move on. <br />
<br />
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Main Book Sites to Notify:</span></strong><br />
<br />
Before we get started, if you would rather pay $25 to have someone else notify 25 sites for you, consider <a href="http://www.ebookbooster.com/newbargainorder.html" target="_blank">Ebook Booster</a> and also additional exposure with <a href="http://fiverr.com/marketing_ebook/promote-your-kindle-ebook-on-the-kindle-owners-association-community-page-with-close-to-10000-fans-as-its-page-owner-on-facebook" target="_blank">Fiverr</a>. <br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://awesomegang.com/submit-your-book/" target="_blank">Awesome Gang</a><br />
<br />
Fill out the form.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://bargainebookhunter.com/feature-your-book/" target="_blank">Bargain eBook Hunter</a><br />
<br />
You can request your book be featured free or pay $10.00 to guarantee placement. See page for details. If you can shell out the five bones for a guaranteed placement, do it. You want as much publicity on your free pages as you can get. Click <a href="http://bargainebookhunter.com/guaranteed-free-placement-form/" target="_blank">HERE</a> for the $5.00 form. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.bookblast.co/advertise.shtml" target="_blank">BookBlast</a><br />
<br />
Fill out the form. They have about 25,000 subscribers and are growing every day. Books must have five reviews. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://bookgoodies.com/submit-your-free-kindle-days/" target="_blank">Book Goodies</a><br />
<br />
Fill out the form.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://bookmarketingtools.com/submission-tool-prices" target="_blank">Book Marketing Tools</a><br />
<br />
So...this site does a lot of the work for you for a price of $14.99. They submit your freebie to 55 websites. This is a great way to go if you don't want to spend hours doing it yourself.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://digitalbooktoday.com/7-promote-your-book-on-its-first-free-day-with-a-paid-promotional-boost/" target="_blank">Digital Book Today</a><br />
<br />
Good news and bad news with this one. If your book is new, it probably won't get promoted. You need a minimum of 30 reviews and an average of 4.2 stars or more to promote your book on the day it's free. You will also need to pay. Anthony charges $30 per day. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://discoverfreebooks.com/promote/" target="_blank">Discover Free Books</a> <br />
<br />
On this site, they are running a promotion where you pay $5.00 and they will promote you all over the place. Check out their page for more details. NOTE: You MUST give them a seven day advance notice minimum. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://ebooksaddict.com/submissions/" target="_blank">Ebooks Addict</a><br />
<br />
Fill out the form at the bottom of the page.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://ebookdealoftheday.co.uk/free-book-feature/" target="_blank">eBook Deal of the Day UK</a><br />
<br />
Fill out the form. They only accept the romance genre. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://ebookshabit.com/for-authors/" target="_blank">eBooks Habit</a><br />
<br />
Fill out the form. They offer paid promotions as well. Books must have at least three reviews and no graphic sex scenes. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ebooklister.net/submit.php" target="_blank">eBook Lister</a><br />
<br />
Fill out the form<br />
<br />
<a href="http://ereadernewstoday.com/ent-free-book-submissions/" target="_blank">Ereader News Today</a><br />
<br />
Fill out form. NOTE: He does not guarantee that he will post your book and selects books with the MOST reviews and highest rankings first. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ereaderperks.com/contact/" target="_blank">eReader Perks</a><br />
<br />
Fill out the form.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ereaderutopia.com/index.php/author-corner/submit-deal" target="_blank">eReader Utopia</a><br />
<br />
You can submit freebies and any books you are promoting up to $2.99. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://flurriesofwords.blogspot.com.au/p/book-advertising.html" target="_blank">Flurries of Words</a><br />
<br />
He charges $5 to list your book for free. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.freebookdude.com/p/list-your-free-book.html" target="_blank">Free Book Dude</a><br />
<br />
Fill out the form. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.freebooksy.com/editorial-submissions" target="_blank">Free Booksy</a><br />
<br />
Fill out form. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://freedigitalreads.com/author-submissions/" target="_blank">Free Digital eReads</a> <br />
<br />
Fill out the form. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.freeebooksdaily.com/p/blog-page_17.html" target="_blank">Free eBooks Daily</a><br />
<br />
$5 to promote your freebie.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fkbooksandtips.com/for-authors/free-kindle-book-submission-form/" target="_blank">Free Kindle Books and Tips</a><br />
<br />
Fill out the form. Book needs to have an average of at least four stars to be considered. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodkindles.net/p/submit-your-book.html" target="_blank">Good Kindles</a><br />
<br />
List your freebie at three different price points, the lowest being $7.95 and the highest $19.95. As far as followers, they have over 1,600 on Facebook, and that's all I could find out on their page. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://indiebookoftheday.com/authors/free-on-kindle-listing/" target="_blank">Indie Book of the Day</a><br />
<br />
Follow the instructions on their site. No erotica. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.justkindlebooks.com/submit-your-book/" target="_blank">Just Kindle Books</a><br />
<br />
Like their page to unlock the form. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.kindle-freebies.com/about.html" target="_blank">Kindle Freebies</a><br />
<br />
On this page they list their email address which you use to email your freebie. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://konthecheap.wordpress.com/contact/" target="_blank">Kindle On The Cheap</a><br />
<br />
From what I can tell, you fill out the contact form. Include name of book, your name, dates it will be free, link.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://kissmyfreebies.com/how-to-list-with-kmf/" target="_blank">Kiss My Freebies</a><br />
<br />
They do have some requirements including a minimum of ten reviews and a 4.0 average ranking.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://kobobookhub.com/for-writers/submit/" target="_blank">Kobo Book Hub</a><br />
<br />
IF your book is on Kobo, they have their own submission form. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=en_US&formkey=dDZHTlg2cUlySDF3QUN6Z2RISlV1Umc6MQ#gid=0" target="_blank">Orangeberry Book Tour</a><br />
<br />
It is $9.99 for two days, and they will pimp you on their Twitter and Facebook pages. You will receive ten tweets, five per day.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.pixelofink.com/sfkb/" target="_blank" title="POI">Pixel Of Ink</a><br />
<br />
You can submit up to 30 days in advance. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://pixelscroll.com/0-99-book-notification-form/" target="_blank">Pixelscroll</a> <br />
<br />
Fill out the form. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://storyfinds.com/" target="_blank">Storyfinds</a><br />
<br />
A continually growing fan base which includes over 17,000 Facebook likes. Excellent and cheap for your .99 sale days. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.talismanbookpublishing.com/promotions/" target="_blank">Talisman Book Publishing</a><br />
<br />
Fill out the form. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.thatbookplace.com/free-promo-submissions/" target="_blank">That Book Place</a><br />
<br />
Fill out the form. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://the-cheap.net/authors/freebie-posts-plus/" target="_blank">The-Cheap</a><br />
<br />
Fill out the form. They charge $25, and I am not sure what the reach is. They have over 4,000 Facebook followers as of 12/2012.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.theereadercafe.com/p/authors.html" target="_blank">The eReader Café</a><br />
<br />
They have a form for freebies as well as <a href="http://www.theereadercafe.com/p/bargain-submissions.html" target="_blank">.99 books</a>. Books must be at least 120 pages. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://wantonreads.com/tell-us-about-your-book/" target="_blank">Wanton Reads</a> <br />
<br />
For romance/erotica. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://wonderworld-variety.blogspot.com.au/p/submission-details-for-authors.html" target="_blank">Wonderworld</a><br />
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It's $8 for one book and one book excerpt. No erotica, no gore. <br />
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<strong><u>TWITTER</u></strong><br />
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Tweet these guys and they will retweet your freebie for you. I have found three that always RT, and they are the ones below in red. As for the others, a lot of times they don't RT. <br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/#!/AuthorKarma"><span style="color: #990000;">https://twitter.com/#!/AuthorKarma</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #990000;">This is a Twitter site. You tweet your book announcement to them starting with the word "announcement" and they will re-tweet it.</span> <br />
<br />
@kindlebookpulse will RT your promo, just send them a DM. <br />
<br />
@kindleebooks<br />
@Kindlestuff<br />
@KindleEbooksUK (THIS IS UK, SO MAKE SURE YOUR TWEET IS FOR UK SITE)<br />
@KindleFreeBook<br />
@free<br />
@4FreeKindleBook<br />
@DigitalBkToday<br />
@kindlenews<br />
@AmazonBookPromo<br />
@WritersNetGuide<br />
@TweetinURBook<br />
@KindleBookBlast<br />
@BookForPromoted<br />
@Superfabbooks<br />
<span style="color: #990000;">@kindle_promo</span> <br />
@IndAuthor<br />
<span style="color: #990000;">@ZilcheBooks</span><br />
@KindleDaily<br />
@AmazonKindle<br />
@HundredZeros<br />
@e_reading<br />
@Free_UK_eBooks (THIS IS UK, SO MAKE SURE YOUR TWEET IS FOR UK SITE)<br />
@BooksontheKnob<br />
@KindleNews<br />
@FreeStuffRocks<br />
@BookBub<br />
@KindleFireDept<br />
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<br />Cheryl Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200308282812031178noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374525777327650331.post-74262714587389331652011-07-27T20:58:00.000-06:002012-06-06T22:11:56.573-06:00Interview with J. Carson Black - Part TwoJ. Carson Black is the bestselling author of seven novels, including her Laura Cardinal series, which currently has under three titles under its belt. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYdZ1-8x5VznHP0NwP9tTDokW3BP1wuAcSbvrv6fzzYN-8I3lcrHCp7DiJ9dG5S6MqQtWhKFUuVmCmof-ghL4OhW3eF0Jy37RBGpD3d3Jxienq0-y27LIsQAVhYYo-G76i98c8rtKBmqPm/s1600/THESHOP.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYdZ1-8x5VznHP0NwP9tTDokW3BP1wuAcSbvrv6fzzYN-8I3lcrHCp7DiJ9dG5S6MqQtWhKFUuVmCmof-ghL4OhW3eF0Jy37RBGpD3d3Jxienq0-y27LIsQAVhYYo-G76i98c8rtKBmqPm/s200/THESHOP.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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She has a total of 12 books; seven published and also one short story. Her Laura Cardinal series has three books in the series: Darkness on the Edge of Town (#59 on Kindle), Dark Side of the Moon (#387 on Kindle), and The Devil's Hour (#362 on Kindle). <br />
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All of her books are doing amazingly well, and she is a truly talented writer. I was thrilled to be able to host her on my blog for a two-part series; the second, catered to the readers and fans of her work.<br />
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<br />
<b>INTERVIEW</b><br />
<br />
<b>Tell me about yourself, how you became to be a writer, and why you are a writer. </b> <br />
<br />
The simple explanation: I can’t not write. I am a writer by every definition of the word, and was a writer from the time I was a child. My first “book” was THE EASTER EEG, written and illustrated by me – a few scrawled words (kind of ) in crayon on the flipside of my dad’s test papers (he was a teacher). My mother was brilliant at appealing to my materialistic instincts to keep me reading. Every Friday night we’d go to a store called the House of Paperbacks, and my parents would turn me loose to buy whatever books I wanted. (Books were about 75 cents then.) I’d pull together six or seven books. I remember buying THE MOUSE THAT ROARED and ANIMAL FARM, and of course---you’ll like this---MY FRIEND FLICKA. When I read Ray Bradbury’s SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES, I wish I’d written that book. I wanted to be an author. I got shunted into music because I could sing well, but eventually I found my way back, and sold my first book, DARKSCOPE, in 1990. It was a horror novel, inspired by THE SHINING and GHOST STORY. <br />
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<b>Tell me about your book – what inspired it?</b> <br />
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My husband and I were watching TV (cable news) and John Mark Karr was being flown to Boulder to face charges for killing JonBenet Ramsey. He’d been flown over from Europe, dining on shrimp cocktail and entertaining his captors---federal marshals, I believe---and now the press was lined up to watch his arrival in Boulder. So the private jet came in, and you would have thought it was the Space Shuttle. All the cameras, all the microphones, an absolute frenzy! Just as it was for Michael Jackson when he went to court. This is the new American way. Celebrity out of nothing. It turned out later that John Mark Karr was playing everybody---he didn’t kill JonBenet Ramsey. But he’d fulfilled his purpose---he’d fed the hungry maw of the media for a short time. Glenn and I looked at each other and had the idea for THE SHOP fully-blown.<br />
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W<b>hat’s your favorite chapter in your book, and why?</b><br />
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It wasn’t a chapter, but was surprised that one of my bad guys turned out to be a lot of fun. The former Attorney General of the United States, Franklin Hubbard, loved his wife and admitted he loved her more than she loved him. He was funny and interesting and was a good foil to my assassin. My assassin planned to kill him, but couldn’t help liking him. There’s a scene on Franklin’s boat where he cooks the assassin eggs benedict, and they get along great. They teamed up together…for a while.<br />
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<b>How did you choose the title of the book?</b><br />
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It just came to us – when Glenn and I watched Karr’s plane come in, we thought there had to be a secret government “shop” to do what we planned, and so the title became THE SHOP. <br />
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<b>How long does it take you to write a book, and what’s your daily writing schedule?</b> <br />
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I’m a slow writer. I can do a book a year. But I will have to pick up that pace now. I try to write 6,000 words a week, when I’m working on a book. That doesn’t take into account all the research and preparation as far as characters, scenarios, etc. <br />
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<b>What made you choose your particular genre?</b><br />
<br />
I love thrillers and I love crime fiction. It’s what I read. There are about 30 authors I love in the genre, and the only thing as fun as writing a thriller, is reading a thriller. <br />
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<b>Are you working on another book now – if so, what would you like to tell the readers about it? </b> <br />
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It’s another thriller, along the lines of THE SHOP as far as the style goes. The book, ICON, stars a movie star, literally – the Tom Cruise of his day, a man named Max Conroy. He escapes rehab in the Arizona desert, but they’ve screwed him up---and now someone is coming to kill him. He teams up with a sheriff’s deputy who has autobiographical memory. His memory plays tricks on him, and she remembers everything. I’m about 25K into it.<br />
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<b>Where can you be found on the internet?</b><br />
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<a href="http://jcarsonblack.com/">WEBSITE</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/twitter.com/jcarsonblack">TWITTER</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/facebook.com/pages/J-Carson-Black-Author-Page">FACEBOOK PAGE</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/facebook.com/summerbookclub">SUMMER BOOK CLUB</a>Cheryl Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200308282812031178noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374525777327650331.post-16858362378623047792011-07-15T12:15:00.001-06:002011-07-15T12:17:17.694-06:00Interview with J. Carson Black - Part OneJ. Carson Black is the bestselling author of seven novels, including her Laura Cardinal series, which currently has under three titles under its belt. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4gEp3MYaV0vLAaQjlScLn2U6J1-DBW4GRlDEmDXUra-FZs_af-2l2I7Z-76dt4QZCGTFWR1n-AwzWBDfXsx9F3wke21lTUHaZyQfSt_YrUUDsmEjsX8QZ4wu-_BlG-1uJElr86CsaueOw/s1600/THESHOP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="200" width="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4gEp3MYaV0vLAaQjlScLn2U6J1-DBW4GRlDEmDXUra-FZs_af-2l2I7Z-76dt4QZCGTFWR1n-AwzWBDfXsx9F3wke21lTUHaZyQfSt_YrUUDsmEjsX8QZ4wu-_BlG-1uJElr86CsaueOw/s200/THESHOP.jpg" /></a></div><br />
She has a total of 12 books; seven published and also one short story. Her Laura Cardinal series has three books in the series: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Darkness-Edge-Laura-Cardinal-ebook/dp/B003TFETK0/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1310752685&sr=1-4">Darkness on the Edge of Town</a> (#24 on Kindle), <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Side-Laura-Cardinal-ebook/dp/B003VIX140/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1310752685&sr=1-1">Dark Side of the Moon</a> (#149 on Kindle), and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Devils-Laura-Cardinal-Three-ebook/dp/B003XVYHHK/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1310752685&sr=1-2">The Devil's Hour</a> (#182 on Kindle). <br />
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All of her books are doing amazingly well, and she is a truly talented writer. I was thrilled to be able to host her on my blog for a two-part series; the first, catered to her fellow writers. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMCtyNFVcCpjUZRzcZZnM-JzZxca8Vr22ch-kg8bjoAKZTcq_ymaQQ9LzpX1Tw0435iqW94MFIYreEhn8haWM9i5kGPYPMx16KQ0frEUaWbPydFM09b7UXD68-lPiqjONLUR0PnPyJYQPp/s1600/J-Carson-Black_headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="150" width="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMCtyNFVcCpjUZRzcZZnM-JzZxca8Vr22ch-kg8bjoAKZTcq_ymaQQ9LzpX1Tw0435iqW94MFIYreEhn8haWM9i5kGPYPMx16KQ0frEUaWbPydFM09b7UXD68-lPiqjONLUR0PnPyJYQPp/s200/J-Carson-Black_headshot.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>AUTHOR INTERVIEW</b><br />
<br />
<b>How long did it take you to achieve the success you are having with your books right now?</b><br />
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My husband and I first put up DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN in June. we sold one book. The following month, we sold two. I didn’t crack 100 books sold until February. Then sales went up precipitously! <br />
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<b>What was the best thing you did marketing wise that you believe helped you get where you are today?</b><br />
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The single best thing I did was become a member of the Kindle Boards Writer’s Café. That ‘s when I saw what was possible. I know that doesn’t sound like marketing per se, but seeing all the success stories focused me like nobody’s business. I’d see someone who was successful commentating on a thread and I’d ask them how they achieved their success. That’s how I found out about the Victorine Method – drop the price of your books down to 99 cents, and a week later the books took off. <br />
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<b>What do you do to market yourself? What works, what doesn't?</b> <br />
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I don’t do a lot---some interviews and guest blogs, some blogging. I have a Facebook and Twitter presence. I think it comes down to the quality of the book, the quality of the cover, and the quality of the product description. If you have several books, as I do, you want that look to be as uniform as possible to create your brand. <br />
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<b>What tips/advice do you have for other writers?</b><br />
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Write the best book you can. Do scrupulous market research on your genre and the kinds of books that are selling, the kinds of covers that are selling, and write a great product description. (Try it out on a lot of friends, and ask for honest answers.)Cheryl Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200308282812031178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374525777327650331.post-48818506684709736822011-06-14T09:21:00.000-06:002011-06-14T09:21:34.690-06:00Blog Tour Tuesday with my Guest - Danielle BlanchardDaniella Blanchard is the author of a couple saucy and steamy books that are brand new to the Kindle. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5GAfQ97jipL6MD-AQJeFDIOAkR5i6NruTQ0-tqKhpQXIb_lDBG0MnHnL4pp-VNFZtBc6vSNRMWCo7k711f1OfUllxsFuqYgqaowKTX1u7mYEm2GHSjEQm_Z4qCs-Je8MZOh4Z0sAfkmr/s1600/Danielle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="200" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5GAfQ97jipL6MD-AQJeFDIOAkR5i6NruTQ0-tqKhpQXIb_lDBG0MnHnL4pp-VNFZtBc6vSNRMWCo7k711f1OfUllxsFuqYgqaowKTX1u7mYEm2GHSjEQm_Z4qCs-Je8MZOh4Z0sAfkmr/s200/Danielle.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Her first is called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Proposal-Book-Beautiful-People-ebook/dp/B0050CNZRI/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1308064045&sr=1-1">The Proposal: Book One (The Beautiful People), </a> and the second is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hook-Up-Beautiful-People-ebook/dp/B005347L5U/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1308064570&sr=1-2">The Hook Up: Book Two (The Beautiful People)</a>. Both are under $1.50 on Kindle. <br />
<br />
<b>AUTHOR INTERVIEW</b><br />
<br />
<b>1. Tell me about yourself, how you became to be a writer, and why you are a writer.</b> <br />
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I am a writer because it is the one true gift that has been given to me. I wrote my first short story in 2nd grade and have never looked back. I finished my first novel when I was fifteen and decided to write a novel in the spirit of Jackie Collins at the age of 19. I finished it several years later and it has been on various desktops and laptops for many years. I finally decided to publish it myself after all the rejection letters I received (all very nice by the way; the book wasn't what the agents were looking for and I can understand that and appreciate that). Perhaps they are correct and this isn't the right time for my novellas but I adore writing and this was my slice of mindless summer reading. I love literature as well and consider this my true calling but I also adore I was able to come up with something fun and airy for anyone to enjoy who likes books about the entertainment industry.<br />
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<b>2. Tell me about your book – what inspired it?</b> <br />
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The book was inspired by my love of everything from Jackie Collins. She is the original feminist; women can do everything! I realize that sentiment is a bit blase now but I love her ballsy way of writing and her sheer guts for pushing the limits. The Beautiful People series is a take on her vision of Hollywood with a twist. Most of the characters are multicultural and come from all walks of life. Some are straight, some are bisexual and some are gay. I think I have pretty much summed up America in the 21st century. It was very important for this not to be a run of the mill book about Hollywood. You still have the "ladies who lunch" types and there is plenty of gossip and fun to be had for anyone who reads the book. I just hope I have added a more modern twist to a stale genre. I am the first to admit that Jackie Collins, Joan Collins and Danielle Steel paved the way for this type of literature but I can only hope I have "kicked it up a knotch" as Emeril Lagasse would say, and added a bit of extra spice!<br />
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<b>3. What’s your favorite chapter in your book, and why?</b><br />
<br />
Now, you are asking me to play favorites and that, I try not to do. Without a doubt, in the first novella: The Proposal: Book One, "Chapter Eleven: Christina (Nina)". I love this character. Perhaps it is because she is blonde and beautiful; she is a ball-breaker, she pulls no punches. She is real and fake at the same time but more than that, she shows heart and you can see a los tand lonely young woman who has experienced real heartache but has a knack for not showing it. I suppose she is a lot like me (without me being blonde and blue eyed). I think she is one of the best characters I have ever created.<br />
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In The Hook Up: Book Two, one of my favorite chapters is "Chapter Twenty-Four: Hooking Up & Breaking Up". I suppose that is because there is so much excessive energy and there is so much going on. Many of the characters are in turmoil and again, it features Christina, one of my favorite characters. She has broken off a relationship with one man and is hooking up with a rock star in a band. Everyone thinks she has gone insane but there is a plan in her madness and she sets herself on a path that no one can predict. I like to weave excessively complicated plots because sometimes, people don't understand where they are leading but I always find a way to explain them and wrap them up in the end. This is one of my favorites about being a writer.<br />
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<b>4. How did you choose the title of the book?</b> <br />
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Choosing a title for your work of fiction is never an easy task but it has to be done for us all. My working title was Film Star (a famous song put out by the British group Suede) but that got changed to The Beautiful People (a notorious song by Marilyn Manson) once I realized I was going to release this behemoth in novella form. Then it was as simple as coming up with titles for each novella. The Proposal: Book One was easy as there are all sorts of proposals (sexual and otherwise) in the novella. The Hook Up: Book Two, was also easy as there are many of those in the second novella. Heartbreaks & Lust Aches: Book Three took a bit more time. I have managed to name all eight novellas though they are all under the series title of The Beautiful People. I wrote them down on a napkin one day in between picking up my daughter from school and taking her to an after-school function!<br />
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<b>5. How long does it take you to write a book, and what’s your daily writing schedule?</b> <br />
<br />
It all depends. The Beautiful People took almost three years to write as I had written it on this really old word processor that was on its last leg. I had then had to transfer it to my desktop. My ex-husband fried that so I was only left with a rudimentary copy of the novel in Microsoft Works form. I then had to rewrite it into Word form and it has been officially finished for the past year. My current series, Murder, Inc.: The Pop Stars series has been in the making for over seven years. DeGeneration, my literary masterpiece, has been in the works for almost a year, give or take. I am almost 1/3rd of the way done but have not been able to write for the past 6 weeks. The Beautiful People series monopolizes all my free time!<br />
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In an ideal world, I would like to set aside at least 2 hours of writing time per day but lately, that has not happened!<br />
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<b>6. What made you choose your particular genre?</b> <br />
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I don't know--fate? I love literary novels and that is what I feel I am particularly good at as it takes a lot of research and planning. I have always been fascinated by German and French history. My literary novel written at thirteen was about a complex family living in Nazi Germany during World War II. In the late 90s, I came up with a sequel to that novel which focuses on the later generations. The very wealthy family has now acquired tremendous political power and are on the verge of winning some major races in the German elections. A bloodless Fourth Reich, if you like. DeGeneration is also a very literary piece of work. It is convoluted and very complicated novel to write and to read.<br />
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As for The Beautiful People series and Murder, Inc.: The Pop Stars series, these were supposed to be my "money-makers". Light reading when you must endure long hours on a flight or mindless reading on the beach. They were never about me flexing my real might as an author. I suppose I wanted to see if I could write something easy and fun. It proved I could and I was quite proud of myself for these entertaining reads.<br />
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<b>7. Are you working on another book now – if so, what would you like to tell the readers about it?</b> <br />
<br />
Oh, where to begin with the masterpiece that is DeGeneration? It is a play up of the title of our generation (Generation X, the generation I am proudly a part of, even if I am on the tail end) and the word, degeneration, which means to go back as opposed to going forward. In many ways, we are the first generation since the Baby Boomers who will do much worse than our parents. Most of us aren't looking forward to any kind of pension. We are listless, lost and I feel a sense of apprehension in the air. The title is just the beginning.<br />
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My book revolves around two best friends: one American and one French. The American has shed her cozy life in the States and moved to France. She comes from a well-to-do family, extremely educated and knows French fluently. She falls in love with her best friend's brother who is quite the player. Like many Europeans of his time, he lives for himself, has a successful job, doesn't really ponder the meaning of life and kind of just goes through the motions. This is the first time either one of them has ever been in love. Their love is obsessive and all-consuming. They make their partnership permenant but something happens to change the course of their life forever. They part and once again come together again at the wedding of the American's best friend and her partner's sister. They must work through their issues if they are to survive as a couple.<br />
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It is at best described as a deconstruction of a relationship. Yes, we, as humans (whether hetero, homosexual, bisexual, transgender) get together but what happens to tear us apart? Why do we find ourselves separating from those we love? It is above all, a human story because we all want to be loved as human beings and it seems it is harder to connect to one another in a world where machines control more and more of our lives (or shall I say technology). <br />
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It is a novel I am truly proud of and can't wait to finish if I am being completely honest. I think it is some of the best work I have ever done. <br />
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<b>8. Where can you be found on the internet?</b> <br />
<br />
Many, places but I will only list a few:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://thebeautifulpeopleawritersjourney.blogspot.com/">BLOG</a><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Beautiful-People-series/147734061962544">FACEBOOK</a><br />
<a href="http://twitter.com/#!/vegasgyrl007">TWITTER</a><br />
<a href="http://about.me/danielleblanchardbenson">ABOUT ME</a> <br />
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I am not all that successful yet so I am still very gracious to hear from anyone who has purchased my book and wants to give me a shout out. My novels are located on all the usual suspects (Amazon Kindle, CreateSpace in paperback, Smashwords and Barnes&Noble.com). Thank you all for reading! And thank you, Cheryl.Cheryl Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200308282812031178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374525777327650331.post-88999445233217101762011-05-27T15:15:00.003-06:002011-05-27T16:36:58.966-06:00Guest Post by Cheryl ShiremanCheryl Shireman, an author who I also consider a friend, is the author of six books, two of those are novels, including <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Life-But-Dream-ebook/dp/B004JU21YU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1306527007&sr=1-1">Life is But a dream</a> that is burning up the charts right now. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GS6ClosMm_1TzUCLSMvU6RH3w-S7N511YKgBDZJ08UUvlQMyQM1zzadd3t7j_amrIUpzwdUz_e6IKE8Sg2Fr-xuftqriTecx8A1ECA9nvhrhVkD9hJsj4ofqJWNRdhLci3iBv8GmDs8o/s1600/CherylShire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="200" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GS6ClosMm_1TzUCLSMvU6RH3w-S7N511YKgBDZJ08UUvlQMyQM1zzadd3t7j_amrIUpzwdUz_e6IKE8Sg2Fr-xuftqriTecx8A1ECA9nvhrhVkD9hJsj4ofqJWNRdhLci3iBv8GmDs8o/s200/CherylShire.jpg" /></a></div><br />
At this moment, Life is But a dream is ranked #346 on Amazon and is #16 in Women Sleuths and #25 in Literary Fiction, which is an amazing achievement for an indie writer. <br />
<br />
<b>INTERVIEW QUESTIONS</b><br />
<br />
<b>1. How long did it take you to achieve the success you are having with your books right now?</b><br />
<br />
Well, I published Life is But a Dream just over four months ago and I am currently selling about 100 copies a day on Kindle. So – four months?<br />
<br />
<b>2. What was the best thing you did marketing wise that you believe helped you get where you are today?</b><br />
<br />
Actually, I have not done much to “market” myself other than two things –<br />
I have done several interviews on various websites and I also participated on a website called <a href="http://www.freebookfriday.com/">Free Book Friday</a>. Every week they showcase books in four categories – Fiction, Teens, Romance, and Indie. The book descriptions and an interview with the authors are posted on Saturdays. Then, readers enter to win a free autographed copy all during the week. The following Friday, the winners are announced. I have been fortunate enough to participate in promotions for both of my novels – Life is But a Dream and Broken Resolutions. When they told me that over 900 people entered to win Life is But a Dream, I was just stunned! My most recent book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/You-Dont-Need-Prince-ebook/dp/B004S2KLTG/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1306530817&sr=1-4">You Don’t Need a Prince: A Letter to My Daughter</a> will be promoted starting May 28th.<br />
<br />
<b>3. What do you do to market yourself? What works, what doesn't?</b><br />
<br />
I put up a <a href="http://cherylshireman.com/">website</a>. My husband designs websites (webendev.com), so that certainly makes things easier for me. I started a <a href="http://cherylshireman.com/blog/">blog</a> and have had a lot of kind responses to that. I became more active on Twitter and Facebook. I joined Kindleboards and “hung out” in the Writer’s Café so I could learn more about Indie writing. I joined a Facebook writer’s group (which I LOVE) called <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_182561635089661&ap=1">Indie Writers Unite</a>! Imagine a cyber coffee shop with a bunch of writers hanging out with each other and talking shop. I can’t honestly say that I have noticed a spike in sales after doing any of these things. It has been more of a gradual but consistent increase in sales every day. For one three day period in late April I had a spike in sales, but I still have not determined what caused that. On April 28th I woke up to find Life is But a Dream in the #3 spot on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/movers-and-shakers/digital-text/ref=zg_bs_tab">Amazon’s Movers and Shakers list</a>. What a morning! Number 1 was a book by Bob Greene (Oprah’s trainer), and he had just been on Oprah that week! I took a screenshot of the Amazon page so I could save it forever. My brief moment of glory. Ha!<br />
<br />
<b>4. What tips/advice do you have for other writers?</b> <br />
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First – write. I often hear people say they want to write, but they don’t have time. You do have time, but you will probably have to sacrifice other interests – such as watching television, following facebook and twitter, or reading the books of other writers. Especially if you have children. If you have children at home, they should be your priority. Enjoy them while you can. Soon they will be out of the house and you will wish you had another afternoon to color in a coloring book or build a tower with Legos. Savor those moments. Write before they get up, or after they go to sleep, or while they are at school. If you don’t have children at home, then you really don’t have any excuses. If you are not writing, then you probably like the idea of being a writer more than the actual act of writing.<br />
<br />
Second – be nice. There is so much negative energy in the world. Don’t add to it. Find ways to encourage your fellow writers as well as those who are just beginning to write. Writing is a tough and solitary profession. We all need encouragement and support. This is especially true of Indie writers who are really on their own without the support of an agent, publisher, editor, and marketing team. Use every opportunity to support other writers. Choose to be kind.Cheryl Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200308282812031178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374525777327650331.post-79099411660978572382011-05-23T08:45:00.001-06:002011-05-23T08:49:58.226-06:00Guest Post by David LenderDavid Lender is the bestselling author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Trojan-Horse-ebook/dp/B004JF4J54/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1306162137&sr=1-1">Trojan Horse</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Gravy-Train-ebook/dp/B004TZKE0S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1306162093&sr=1-1">The Gravy Train</a>, both of which are selling well on Amazon, with The Gravy Train currently at 75 and Trojan Horse at 108 in the Kindle Store. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSK-HaTzbu1d80scK4e8BwB9PrqL3qghcwnLbmSCt7153i9gVRvNCjYnXaDgz96xYG_wDoyG2VPCO5WjiaQdw4mb0AkZhdaWrmv-EYBTsaGOuVVxJeUzebPrSi-g7ajdr86_Tc8Gweac79/s1600/DL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="200" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSK-HaTzbu1d80scK4e8BwB9PrqL3qghcwnLbmSCt7153i9gVRvNCjYnXaDgz96xYG_wDoyG2VPCO5WjiaQdw4mb0AkZhdaWrmv-EYBTsaGOuVVxJeUzebPrSi-g7ajdr86_Tc8Gweac79/s200/DL.jpg" /></a></div><br />
His latest novel, Bull Street, should be out in the next couple weeks. I was privileged to do the copy editing for him and can tell you that if you enjoyed his last couple novels, you will enjoy this one as well. <br />
<br />
What I like about the way David writes is that he does a great job of creating a mental picture in your mind and he understands the importance of showing instead of telling. He also offers great detail in his novels and understands how to put words together so they convey what they need to. He's expressive and not every writer can do that, which I find refreshing. <br />
<br />
I've enjoyed the opportunity of getting to know him a little bit this year and of becoming familiar with his writing. <br />
<br />
<b>AUTHOR INTERVIEW</b><br />
<br />
<b>1. How long did it take you to achieve the success you are having with your books right now?</b><br />
<br />
It’ been over fifteen years since I decided to start writing. That’s been an evolving process, including finding someone to teach me. I wrote my first novel—that’s all I’ve been interested in writing—fifteen years ago. I’ve had a career as an investment banker, which is a demanding profession that leaves little time for much else. But I made a commitment to writing, and just muscled it into my schedule. I started getting up at 5:00 a.m and then writing for about an hour before heading to the office. In my investment banking career I always wrote with a mini-cassette dictaphone. I was used to working that way, so I hired a typist in my neighborhood and bought a transcription machine. I’d leave the tapes in my mailbox and she’d pick them up and drop off the transcriptions in hard copy and on a floppy disk. I’d outline on the bus or train, in the car service, on airplanes, anyplace. I did rewriting and editing drafts wherever and whenever I could. <br />
<br />
It took me about a year to finish my first thriller. I showed it to a friend’s brother, a successful commercial thriller writer. He said to consider it a Master of Fine Arts and move on. I did. I wrote the second novel over the next year the same way as the first.<br />
<br />
Then I educated myself about the agency and traditional publishing businesses, targeted my queries and sent both novels around. In the course of that, a well-connected friend sent Trojan Horse to a prominent literary agent. Her reaction was, “Not bad for somebody who doesn’t know what he’s doing.” She introduced me to some thriller editors. I started working with a seasoned publishing exec who’d edited Robert Ludlum’s first nine thrillers. Eighteen months later, after one of the most intense meat grinders I’ve ever experienced, a finished Trojan Horse emerged.<br />
<br />
Around that time I got caught up in my career again, so I didn’t send Trojan Horse out to more than a dozen agents; nobody bit. And so it wasn’t until about three years ago that I got serious again. I signed up for Thrillerfest in New York and spent the Agentfest day of face-to-face pitching to agents. Some people in all walks of life are knuckleheads. Agents are no exception. I had some offers, but who wants a knucklehead working for you? I kept writing and querying. I did Thrillerfest again the next year. Nothing.<br />
<br />
Then I got a Kindle for my birthday last year, and one of my brothers converted Trojan Horse to a .mobi file to read it on his Kindle. It started me thinking. I educated myself about Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing platform and decided to try it. I started reading blogs about what was going on, observing the market. After about a month of screwing around with pricing at $9.99, $6.99, $4.99 against established authors I got real and changed my price to $0.99 and Trojan Horse took off. It’s now been in the Kindle Top 100 for over six weeks.<br />
<br />
<b>2. What was the best thing you did marketing wise that you believe helped you get where are you today?</b><br />
<br />
I’ve done some Book of the Day sponsorships on Kindle Nation Daily, BookLending.com, eReader News Today, The Frugal eReader and Kindle Author. I seek out opportunities to guest blog and appreciate invitations to be interviewed on various blogs. I am in a writing group on Facebook and try to help out my colleagues and they help me out. I’ve sent out some review copies to local newspapers and reviewers. It’s all little bits and pieces, but I think it all helps to get the word out.<br />
<br />
I can’t put my finger on any one thing as pivotal. Luck helps. Timing, too. This is a unique time in the life of the epublishing business. It’s like a rising market that lifts all stocks and makes people think they’re great stockpickers. I’m grateful for the reception of Trojan Horse, but I’m going to continue to work hard, write the best stuff I can, have it edited, proofed, properly formatted, etc. Now The Gravy Train is out and is doing well, also in the Kindle Top 100. I’m releasing Bull Street soon and am into my next novel in earnest. I believe it’s important for readers to know you will be there consistently writing the best quality books you can for them to read, that you’re in it for the long haul.<br />
<br />
<b>3. What tips/advice do you have for other writers?</b><br />
<br />
First, if you’re going to epub, treat it like a business, because it is. Educate yourself about what’s happening out there. Look at what successful authors are doing with pricing, their platforms, their content. Read blogs and other tools to learn the business. Joe Konrath. Kindle Review. Kindle Nation Daily. Read Steve Windwalker’s book on pricing ebooks for Kindle. See what people are talking about on the KindleBoards. <br />
<br />
Write the best material you can and find people to edit, proofread, format and produce professional covers for it. Buy a Kindle and a Nook and see what your books look like on them, and on the mac or pc versions of Kindle and Nook before you release them. Then spend at least a few hours of every day staying current with the blogs, maintaining your social network presence, corresponding with your readers and doing everything you can to expand your readership. Don’t spend all day writing. But do set goals for your writing; number of pages or words per day, or on average per day over a week. Keep grinding. That’s what I’m doing.<br />
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For more on David Lender, visit his <a href="http://www.davidlender.net/Author_Site/Home.html">WEBSITE</a>. And thank you David for sharing your insight with your fellow writers!Cheryl Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200308282812031178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374525777327650331.post-49408690462395232222011-05-03T10:49:00.008-06:002011-05-04T09:46:27.914-06:00Guest Post by Heather Killough-WaldenHeather Killough-Walden is the author of several novels which you can find <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&search-alias=digital-text&field-author=Heather%20Killough-Walden">HERE</a> on Amazon.com. She is also the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of the Big Bad Wolf series and The October Trilogy.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFY1fivvDnQsbW9hy9eAf-7GH3ncJBaWi55M3-Aj9xYAEtcB0jHx5LOFHiTB3-a0A-wpKtsmfjXBVg2n0cYuq1tJxTorJFbEV3i9f0JJ1JjngcbfjPLBNU2EqAY8v8w9oc6grqBqMipOf/s1600/hkw-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="200" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFY1fivvDnQsbW9hy9eAf-7GH3ncJBaWi55M3-Aj9xYAEtcB0jHx5LOFHiTB3-a0A-wpKtsmfjXBVg2n0cYuq1tJxTorJFbEV3i9f0JJ1JjngcbfjPLBNU2EqAY8v8w9oc6grqBqMipOf/s200/hkw-1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Her novels are fantastic and offer readers that rare opportunity to step out of their lives for a moment and to be swept away into a world of fanstasy and suspense. All of her books are well written and appeal to a multiple of audiences. <br />
<br />
To give you an idea of her current success, check out these numbers on Amazon from just a few of her novels (current as of this moment):<br />
<br />
<b>THE HEAT</b><br />
#98 paid in Kindle store<br />
#4 in Romance Vampires<br />
#4 and #5 in Romantic Suspense<br />
<br />
<b>THE STRIP</b> <br />
#114 in Kindle Store<br />
#6 in Romance>Vampires<br />
#9 Romance>Contemporary <br />
<br />
<b>SAM I AM</b><br />
#180 in Kindle store<br />
#7 Children's Fiction>Love and Romance<br />
#14 Children's eBooks<br />
<br />
<b>HELL BENT</b><br />
#165 in Kindle Store<br />
#9 Fiction>Action Adventure<br />
#32 Thrillers>Suspense<br />
<br />
<b>THE CHOSEN SOUL</b><br />
#559 in Kindle Store<br />
#10 in Fantasy>Epic<br />
#11 Science Fiction>Adventure<br />
#11 Romance>Fantasy<br />
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And that isn't even the best part. All of Heather's novels are only $1.00 on the Kindle right now. <br />
<br />
I had the chance to interview Heather and I asked her to share some of the secrets of her success with other writers. <br />
<br />
<b>1. How long did it take you to achieve the success you are having with your books right now?</b><br />
<br />
It took quite a while. I did the query letter routine for ten years without success and publishing houses almost never accept unsolicited manuscripts any longer. I have more than 300 rejection letters in my closet. Finally, Amazon Kindle came around, providing for people like me a venue and platform through which to share their work with the world. I hastily posted a vampire romance I wrote called The Third Kiss: Dorian’s Dream. It shot to #1 in vampire romance on Amazon and prompted a call from an incredibly prominent (and very good) agent. That agent, the CEO and chairman of Trident Media Group, managed to secure a number of publishing deals for me in record time. I have the best agent in the world!<br />
<br />
The entire process, from the time I finished my first novel to the time that I signed my first deal took approximately ten years. I felt like giving up a hundred times. Maybe more. But Churchill’s famous speech kept ringing in my head and I hung in there. I’m very, very glad that I did. <br />
<br />
<b>2. What was the best thing you did marketing wise that you believe helped you get where are you today?</b><br />
<br />
Again, that would have to be simply posting my work on Amazon. Amazon also possesses a number of blog sites and lists that you can join as an indie author in order to promote your work. I have to admit that I’m relatively shy, so I only posted on one or two of these. However, I priced all of my books at $1.00 and that, combined with the incredibly popular paranormal genre and (I’d like to think, lol) my writing skills, ensured that the books sold anyway, thrusting me into the top ranks on Amazon. I recently made it to the USA Today Bestsellers List, in fact. It’s an incredibly momentous occasion for me.<br />
<br />
<b>3. What do you do to market yourself? What works, what doesn't?</b><br />
<br />
At the moment, Trident Media and my print publishers are in charge of a lot of the marketing for my upcoming print publications (The Lost Angels series, due out in the UK in July and here in the US in November). However, for my electronic works, I have created a number of mild marketing techniques. <br />
<br />
Once I had enough readers, I developed a newsletter through which readers learn of upcoming releases, contests, awards, etc. A good friend of mine handles the list for me. I also have a Facebook page and I love to friend readers and carry on conversations with them; they’re all very unique and precious individuals and I am more grateful for their loyalty than I can say. I have a website as well, and through that website, I keep readers informed of what is going on in my literary career, I have a blog, and I thoroughly enjoy feedback. Now that my books have sold a good number of copies, Amazon also does a bit of marketing on my behalf by suggesting my books to readers for me. That’s a big, huge help.<br />
<br />
<b>4. What tips/advice do you have for other writers?</b><br />
<br />
I have very often felt like giving up on pursuing my writing career. The rejections really hurt, and when you get enough of them, no matter how good you are, a part of you begins to believe them. <br />
<br />
Plus, if you’re not selling books, then you’re not making any money, and in so many peoples’ terms, that means you’re not “successful.” Like it or not, you’re judged on your financial worth. Add to that the fact that being poor can be literally painful at times, and you have one disheartening situation.<br />
<br />
So, to those writers out there struggling day after day, rejection after rejection, Ramen meal after Ramen meal, I take a page from Winston Churchill and say this:<br />
<br />
“Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty. Never give in….”<br />
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Want to learn more about Heather Killough-Walden? Visit her <a href="http://www.killough-walden.com/">WEBSITE</a>.Cheryl Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200308282812031178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374525777327650331.post-5532951297948005522011-04-26T08:20:00.000-06:002011-04-26T08:20:00.839-06:00Book Review: Spotlight on Michael Robertson's Regret (writing as Dan Dawkins)Oh what a tangled web we weave...this is a good way to describe Michael Robertson's novel Regret. What initially attracted me (besides the fact that it was nicely formatted and easy to read) was the use of language throughout the novel. He does a great job of turning a phrase. I also enjoyed many of the chapter endings and thought he did a good job of creating a hook that makes the reader want to keep reading. Here's an example of that: <br />
<br />
"It was only a few hours after this that I awakened naked in Jenna's hotel, her body pressed against mine, under the sheets of the bed, and had then been propelled into the unbelievable and despair-filled horror that would become the rest of my life." <br />
<br />
A lot of books these days are predictable, but not this one. There were twists and turns that I didn't see coming, and I can usually guess what's going to happen next, so I really enjoyed the suprise that came with not knowing what to expect. <br />
<br />
The novel is well written and well thought out, and I highly recommend it. And you can get it for .99 right now on the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Regret-ebook/dp/B004M8S7WO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1303794747&sr=1-2">KINDLE</a> and the <a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Regret/Dan-Dawkins/e/2940012105301/?itm=6&USRI=regret">NOOK</a>. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4o2yskSz9b3SFwjr4bldOInfrW7EV_tKsBr-UeU807nGyF8eI112_Yw11xCUM6zmQ7LnEBNiJnQMCc_WvmHkO-C-Cgqh8Kkk3QjCJGiqSoCpt1vnluxWiK-T32Gysd_7WBoXFVpJ5AhRO/s1600/REGRET.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="200" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4o2yskSz9b3SFwjr4bldOInfrW7EV_tKsBr-UeU807nGyF8eI112_Yw11xCUM6zmQ7LnEBNiJnQMCc_WvmHkO-C-Cgqh8Kkk3QjCJGiqSoCpt1vnluxWiK-T32Gysd_7WBoXFVpJ5AhRO/s200/REGRET.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>AUTHOR INTERVIEW</b><br />
<br />
1. Tell me about yourself, how you became to be a writer, and why you are a writer.<br />
<br />
Before you can even begin to write, you have to read—A lot! I was fortunate enough to have a mother who loved to read and did her best to pass the fascination with books onto me. She didn’t have to try very hard. From since I can remember I’ve always had a book by my side. I wrote a few stories when I was young, and enjoyed it, but didn’t really start and try my hand at seriously writing fiction until I was about 20. I’ve written two novels since then, but only published the second one, Regret. <br />
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2. Tell me about your book – what inspired it?<br />
<br />
Regret is about a young author named Dan Dawkins who, just as all the pieces of his life begin to fit together, experiences a great tragedy, for which he blames nobody but himself…at first. As he tries to outrun his past he begins to become less and less stable, eventually adopting the persona of a character he’d written about. A character that isn’t so nice. The new Dan begins to think of revenge instead of guilt, and the outcome is pretty shocking. The story itself is a first-hand account told by Dan, detailing everything that happened, and offering up and explanation. This is why I published the book under Dan’s name, since it really is his story. <br />
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As far as inspiration, it’s hard to say. Regret is a classic case of the characters doing things that the writer didn’t expect. When I started writing the book the plot was a good bit different than the final product. Somewhere around the first 100 pages the story completely changed (for the better) and I never looked back. <br />
<br />
3. What’s your favorite chapter in your book, and why? <br />
<br />
A few of my favorites I can’t talk about because I don’t want to give anything away. But, I really enjoy the chapter where Dan spends his first night at The Sanderson Homestead. It’s where he meets Ralph, who some of my readers tell me is their favorite character in the book, and it was a lot of fun to write, bringing Ralph to life in that chapter. <br />
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4. How did you choose the title of the book? <br />
<br />
I wrote the entire book without a title. Then I did all my edits without a title. The title is literally the last thing that I figured out with this book and ultimately settled on Regret because in the end regret is just about all Dan Dawkins had left.<br />
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5. How long does it take you to write a book, and what’s your daily writing schedule? <br />
<br />
Regret took me a little over a year from first day of writing to final draft. Since I work my full-time job and at the end of the day just don’t always have the motivation to sit back down at the keyboard, to say that I have a writing “schedule” would be a lie. I simply wrote when time would allow and I felt that I was focused enough to do so. Sometimes this would mean starting to write at 9PM and go till midnight, sometimes it meant getting up at 5am and writing till it was time to go to work. Sometimes it meant actually writing at work (Shhh, don’t tell my boss). The most important thing, though, is that I wrote it. And that’s what matters. <br />
<br />
6. What made you choose your particular genre? <br />
<br />
They say that writers tend to write what they know, and what they themselves enjoy reading. Horror, suspense, and thrillers are my favorite genres, and really all I can ever imagine myself writing. I’ve written a couple short stories that don’t really fall into these categories, but they were simply ideas that wouldn’t go away. <br />
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7. Are you working on another book now – if so, what would you like to tell the readers about it? <br />
<br />
Well, I have a collection of short stories and one novelette coming out in May called The Teachers’ Lounge, also being published as Dan Dawkins (readers of Regret will understand), and after that I’m going to start focusing on my newest novel. I don’t have a title yet (of course) but it will be a more supernatural tale compared to Regret, full of mystery and tension. It’s going to be a lot of fun. <br />
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8. Where can you be found on the internet? <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.DanDawkinsBooks.com ">WEBSITE</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dan-Dawkins-Books/195607027132876">FACEBOOK PAGE</a><br />
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TWITTER:@DanDawkinsBooksCheryl Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200308282812031178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374525777327650331.post-13899314077345827462011-04-04T08:29:00.003-06:002011-04-04T09:03:46.501-06:00Book Review: Spotlight on Indie Writer Gary Ponzo - A Touch of DeceitToday I am spotlighting Gary Ponzo. His latest novel is called A Touch of Deceit, and it's doing well in the Kindle market. Really well. One of the reasons for this is that I believe his book offers something a little different than many others out there, and the fact that he incorporates his Sicilian background into the story also helps. <br />
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The novel opens well with the line, "There was a time when Nick Bracco would walk down Gold Street late at night and young vandals would scatter." I like this because it incorporates action right from the start and gives readers plenty of things to question such as: <br />
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1. Who is Nick Bracco?<br />
2. What's so special about Gold Street?<br />
3. Why were vandals afraid of him?<br />
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This keeps the reader reading, which is exactly what should happen. And from there the story moves along well and at a fast pace and Ponzo adds several cliffhangers at the end of chapters to keep the readers turning the page.<br />
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I liked the many visuals offered throughout the book such as, "The evil seeped through the door like toxic waste." He also sets up scenes where you think you know what's happening and it turns out to be something else. <br />
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The terrorist aspect of the book reminded me of a good episode of 24 and he switches it up and allows you to see what's going on through different perspectives with multiple POV. <br />
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Overall, I found Gary Ponzo's novel entertaining and full of suspense. <br />
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The Interview: <br />
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<b>1. Tell me about yourself, how you became to be a writer, and why you are a writer.</b> <br />
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I've always written even as a young child. I guess it became apparent I had some skill when my teachers seemed to pick my work to copy and show the rest of the class. The most memorable came as a senior in high school when I'd forgotten to write an English assignment and scribbled a couple of paragraphs while taking the bus to school. The next day my English teacher gave me an "F" on the assignment and wrote, "Who are you kidding" on top of the paper. Naturally I thought she was referring to the jumpy script from writing on a bus with worn out shocks. When I meagerly asked why I received an "F" she flatly told me I couldn't have written that work, it was simply too good. Of course I was flattered, but needed to prove my innocence. She told me to sit down in front of her and write two paragraphs of an action scene. I did it. When I was done she'd read the work and looked at me with a red face and said, "Why are you wasting your time in my class? You never raise your hand, you never join in conversation, you barely complete assignments--why are you not getting serious about this skill you have?" Of course it took me many years to take her advice to heart. Too many. <br />
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<b>2. Tell me about your book – what inspired it?</b><br />
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My book is political thriller about an FBI agent, Nick Bracco, who recruits his cousin Tommy to track down a terrorist. Tommy, however, is in the mafia. It's this relationship between law enforcement and those who break laws which sets up the drama of the novel.<br />
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My inspiration was born out of working in my father's candy store when I was just sixteen. I used to work alone on weekends and my father had some Sicilian friends watch over me while I was working, especially at night. I guess I knew they were mafia at the time, but to me they were family friends. They'd sip coffee and talk about their kids, baseball, my school. I wanted to show how these people were actually very patriotic, so when a terrorist comes to America to bomb soft targets, these Italian Americans show how much they value their American side.<br />
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<b>3. What’s your favorite chapter in your book, and why?</b><br />
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Probably the climax. When Nick finally does come face to face with this terrorist, he finds a way to straddle the line between becoming a vigilante and legally protecting his country. I think it's my most powerful chapter in the book. <br />
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<b>4. How did you choose the title of the book?</b><br />
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I wanted to come up with something which would display the undercurrent of using the mafia to scour the underworld for these terrorists. The FBI become's desperate and actually hands over classified files to these Italian Americans to help find these assassins, so they use a Touch of Deceit. It also can refer to the time Nick Bracco lies to the president about capturing this terrorist so he won't acquiesce to the terrorist's demands.<br />
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<b>5. How long does it take you to write a book, and what’s your daily writing schedule?</b><br />
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This one took me over a decade because I was still publishing short stories and trying to make a living and be a dad and a husband too. I write mostly at night when the family is asleep so I'm not interrupting anyone's lives for me to get my story down. But if I focused just on writing novels I could probably get one done in six months. <br />
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<b>6. What made you choose your particular genre?</b><br />
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I guess it's what interested me. I'm Sicilian and I thought a Sicilian protagonist was interesting, but once I realized he would be an FBI agent, I knew my story would be a little different than most in that genre. <br />
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<b>7. Are you working on another book now – if so, what would you like to tell the readers about it?</b><br />
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Yes, because of the success of A Touch of Deceit I'm furiously working on the sequel, A Touch of Revenge. A week doesn't go by without receiving a comment from one of my readers about the progress of the sequel. It's a very rewarding feeling knowing there are literally thousands of people waiting to read what I'm writing. I'm very blessed. <br />
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<b>8. Where can you be found on the internet?</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.garyponzo.com">Website</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.strongscenecontest.com/">Strong Scenes Blog</a>Cheryl Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200308282812031178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374525777327650331.post-60586522373472786892011-03-07T15:56:00.004-07:002012-02-17T19:18:33.041-07:00Self-Publishing: How to Find a Great Graphic Artist/Book Artist/Cover DesignerThe first and most important part of finding a great graphic artist is making sure they are skilled in YOUR genre. Some are multi-genre, while others are experts in one specific area. <br />
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On my author group, Indie Writers Unite, I have a Yellow Pages document of cover designers that you can get quotes from. <br />
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When I wrote, Black Diamond Death, I was still getting my feet wet in the industry, and I went with a talented lady, and I thought the cover turned out good, but then I found someone who took it to the next level. So sometimes it's trial and error, but it's a great feeling when you find that perfect fit. <br />
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To point you in the right direction, a good place to start is by looking on my Yellow Page list on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/indiewriters/">Indie Writers Unite</a>. <br />
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<b>And here are a few recommendations that are affordable: </b><br />
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<a href="http://flipcitybooks.com/">FLIP CITY BOOKS</a> - Christine DeMaio Rice<br />
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She is quick, sharp, and affordable--and she can do any genre. Tell her I sent you. <br />
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<a href="http://www.adorkabledesigns.net">ADORKABLE DESIGNS</a> - Jack Wallen<br />
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Jack is both a talented writer and designer. <br />
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<b>Medium--but still affordable--designers</b><br />
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Author J.A. Konrath uses <a href="http://extendedimagery.blogspot.com/">Carl Graves</a> as his cover artist. <br />
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<a href="http://www.aulicinodesign.com/mystery_2.html">Bob Aulicino</a> has designed covers for J.A. Jance and Lawrence Block.<br />
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And <a href="http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/how-to-design-a-book-cover-6-hours-of-work-in-2-minute-video_b11240">here's</a> something really cool - it's a video that shows how a book cover was made. Love it! <br />
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Now, as one final item of note - I want to caution you all NOT to pay too much. I believe all the graphic artists I have listed here to be honest and fair, but please be careful. I received quotes from under $100 to almost $1,000 SHEESH! <br />
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I believe anything up to about $500 for both an eBook cover and a paperback cover, complete with spine, is acceptable. <br />
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Some authors also offer pre-made covers, where they just take a stock photo and slap your title and name on it. It's a good option if you are writing just an eBook novella or novelette that won't be in print. But you need to understand going into something like that--it's a possibility you'll see your cover on another authors book as well. Stock covers can be bought by anyone.Cheryl Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200308282812031178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374525777327650331.post-54678321651510174702011-03-07T14:51:00.005-07:002011-03-13T23:18:04.628-06:00Self-Publishing: Book and eBook Cover Artists/Graphic Artists and Why You Need OneSo you've finished your novel and you have decided to publish it yourself. Well, to do that, you need a graphic artist (unless you are talented enough to do it yourself, and if you are - bravo!) For the rest of you, here's some help... <br />
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The first thing I want to say is that you don't just want to hire the first person who comes along. Here are my recommendations: <br />
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1. When you query a graphic/book cover artist, check out samples of their work and if they don't have any, request them. And here's why. Book covers can increase or decrease your sales so you want a cover that reflects the fantastic book you wrote. <br />
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2. One of the coolest things about self-publishing is that you are in control. Usually you don't even get a say with the cover of your book when it's being distributed by a publishing house so here's where you can get creative, and also - you can tell the artist that you like it, don't like, want this change and that change, etc. You CAN be picky, and you should. After all, this is your baby we're talking about, right! <br />
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For an idea of the process and how it works, let's use an example from my novel Black Diamond Death. <br />
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The first thing I did after choosing the person I wanted to design the cover was to tell her in a few sentences what the book was about and what I thought the cover should look like, and then I let her do her thing. <br />
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Here's the metamorphasis: <br />
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These were the first images that I got back, and I chose the first because I thought the background was lovely, and in my novel, it's a clear day when the skier is on the slopes and in the second and third photo, I thought it looked like she was caught in a tornado of some kind. I also didn't like the font or the colors, so I made some suggestions and actually sent her a few novels with fonts that I did like. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1J55OVj5jwOPLJ1-OiXa9eolMJeTg3-ZKt6jtgWimjERCRzJurCG041shHhEgZMxOteTqom9aGTFzkPDoqnq2aPjWslzuDjAf98aaYbBvACIpWIjAMCTFQ14NSWBuCtMTfifdfARhoIdj/s1600/BDDeath2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="200" width="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1J55OVj5jwOPLJ1-OiXa9eolMJeTg3-ZKt6jtgWimjERCRzJurCG041shHhEgZMxOteTqom9aGTFzkPDoqnq2aPjWslzuDjAf98aaYbBvACIpWIjAMCTFQ14NSWBuCtMTfifdfARhoIdj/s200/BDDeath2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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These next two were starting to look a lot more exciting to me. I liked the first one quite a bit, and I didn't like the second one at all - mostly because I thought it looked like he was in a cartoon. But, cool graphic. And then I decided, well - I didn't like the skier because my skier was a girl and this person looks like a dude.<br />
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So then, she sent me these two options for women skiers, and I loved the second one. <br />
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Now we had the new skier and the graphic artist was ready to make the final adjustments to the cover and add the tagline. <br />
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And I know I'm partial because it is my own book cover, but how amazing is my graphic artist? It doesn't get any better than this.Cheryl Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200308282812031178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374525777327650331.post-2124116112852686662011-02-28T17:35:00.001-07:002011-02-28T17:36:20.127-07:00Featured Author - Jacquelyn MitchardI think the world of Jacquelyn Mitchard. And it's not just because she kept trying to write out something for my blog in the midst of everything else she was doing this month (although in my book she gets a gold star for fabulousness for that). Jacquelyn is a gifted writer and has written many books including <i>Deep End of the Ocean</i> - you know, the one that was made into a movie starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Whoopi Goldberg and was an Oprah Book Club choice...yes, that's the one ;) She also has a great blog which I highly recommend, and she is wonderful about sharing her wisdom with new authors. <br />
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<i><b>FOR NEW AUTHORS: TEN PUBLISHING MYTHS DEBUNKED</b> <br />
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By: Jacquelyn Mitchard<br />
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MYTH: If my book is published by a large press, such as Harper Collins, I’ll only be a face in the crowd to my editor. <br />
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TRUTH: A good editor at a large publishing house, a small independent or a copying machine in your basement will give you professional treatment, understanding and support. Your book’s success matters to your editor and your publisher.<br />
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MTYH: Agents are crooks and the best writers don’t need them.<br />
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TRUTH: Bad agents are bad and bad lawyers are bad and bad doctors are bad and bad singers are bad. A professional, powerful, thoughtful, determined agent is the angel in your corner. Make sure that agent is a member in good standing of the Association of Author Representatives and then, trust your gut. But negotiating the world of e-rights, not to mention a, b, c and d rights, is a full time job and not yours.<br />
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MYTH: No one can get published anymore. The market is too tough. You have to be an established “name.”<br />
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TRUTH: It is much more difficult to get a novel published now than it was a decade ago. Many doors are at least opened to “name” authors. That said, Charles Bock’s ‘Beautiful Children’ Kathryn Casey’s ‘Minotaur’ James Syrie’s ‘The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen’ and Ann Wentz Garvin’s ‘On Maggie’s Watch,’ were all first novels that generated lots of buzz and, in some cases, lots of $.<br />
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MYTH: I need an advanced degree to write fiction.<br />
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TRUTH: You may wish to sturdy for your MFA to do deeper into your fiction and poetry. In teaching, an advanced degree is an enormous advantage. In being published, it is neither an advantage nor a disadvantage.<br />
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MYTH: The biggest of the big writers don’t write their own books.<br />
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TRUTH: A few (such as James Patterson) produce detailed outlines that are then written in first draft form by a salon of newer writers whom Patterson encourages and nurture in their own work as well. Most writers whose names you know as important, however, write every page just as I am writing this blog.<br />
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MYTH: You have to be under the age of 30 to really make it. Editors want to have a long term relationship with the writers they “raise” from their first books.<br />
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FACT: If you write a great book, no one cares about your age. Many authors (such as Lisa Genova, ‘Still Alice,’ and ‘Left Neglected’) are 40 or older and have been very successful in other fields before their first novels are published. Orange Prize short lister Patricia Kesling Woods was 53 when ‘Lottery!’ was published. Editors do want a long- term relationship, so walk two miles every day and eat your bran flakes. They do not want to hold hands with a neurotic adolescent. Being a person who has found herself as well has her voice is no disadvantage. <br />
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MYTH: a professional editing job, pre-submission will mess up my book’s vision.<br />
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TRUTH: Good editing before an agent ever sees your first 50 pages is a wonderful idea if you can afford it. Professional editors with proven track records probably do the best job but the “second eyes” of a friend in the craft is a terrific boost.<br />
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MYTH: All top-notch writers live on the east or west coats.<br />
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TRUTH: Elizabeth Berg lives near Chicago. Jane Hamilton lives in Wisconsin. Billy Bryson lives in England and Carl Hiassen lives in Florida. Chris Bohjalian lives in Vermont and Jodi Picoult lives in New Hampshire. A very famous writer once told me that living in New York City actually kept him from writing because there was so much more temptation to participate in social and cultural events. <br />
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MYTH: Other writers will steal your ideas. Agents will steal your ideas and give them to more established authors.<br />
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TRUTH: This is called paranoia and results from extraordinary stress and pre-publication blues. While I have never personally known a situation in which this happened, the lawsuit based on the PROOF of its happening would set you up for life and let your write your first ten books without having to wait tables.<br />
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MYTH: I have young kids. I cannot write. I have a job. I cannot write.<br />
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TRUTH: When I wrote my first novel, I had four kids under the age of ten, and was a widow, and had three day jobs .I had no money. I was besieged by grief. As Jane Hamilton said to me at the time, “These are very good excuses. However, they are excused.” You are barking up the wrong writer with this song. The truth is that children do better if they pay more attention to you than you pay to them. The truth is that you don’t have to be a bad parent to be a good writer. And you do not have to be a woman. Andre Dubus III (‘House of Sand and Fog,’ ‘Townie’) is one of the best family men and one of the best writers I know. He also is a full-time professor. <br />
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Jacquelyn Mitchard is the author of ten novels for adults, including The Deep End of the Ocean and the upcoming Second Nature: A Love Story. she also is a frequent contributor to magazines such as Parade and Real Simple and adjust professor of Creative Writing in the MFA program at Fairfield University.<br />
</i>Cheryl Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200308282812031178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374525777327650331.post-77569718609918412432011-02-28T09:13:00.000-07:002011-02-28T09:13:00.777-07:00Featured Author - Chelsea CainChelsea Cain has published 12 novels, her first in 1996 at the age of 22. Her newest novel <i>The Night Season </i> will be released in March 2011. Her novel <i>Heartsick</i> made it on NPR's 100 Best Killer Thrillers list. What's great about Chelsea is her sense of humor which translates into her books. To get a good idea of what I mean, here's what she sent me for all of you: <br />
<br />
<i>What I Wish I Knew About Getting Published Before it Happened To Me<br />
By Chelsea Cain,<br />
Author of The Night Season<br />
<br />
•Travel with a corkscrew. Otherwise you will end up having to buy one every time you want to take a bottle of wine back to the hotel room.<br />
•Never get photographed holding a glass of wine. The glass always looks askew, and you will look drunk.<br />
•When an agent/editor says they "don't love it," it means they hate it.<br />
•Every copy counts. You'd be amazed how few copies you have to sell to get on the bestseller list.<br />
•Don't tell people you will read their manuscripts. You won't, and then they'll think you're an asshole.<br />
•If there is a mistake in your book, readers will find it and they will mention it over and over again.<br />
•The Oregon State Bird is the Western Meadowlark.<br />
•Sometimes you will give readings, and no one will come. The resulting crushing despair will pass.<br />
•The best signing pen is the extra fine tip Sharpie. The regular tip Sharpie emits more fumes and will make you high after about a half hour.<br />
•Always ask people how they spell their names before you write an inscription, even if you are certain that there is only one way to spell "Pat."<br />
•Protect your writing time at all costs. When you are published at a certain level, you will find that you have very little time to write, among all the events, social networking, interviews, book tours travel and endless online Q&As. Marketing is important, but only if you have a book to promote.<br />
•Get a really good accountant.<br />
•Make friends with booksellers, they are some of your most important allies.<br />
•No red wine before photo shoots -- it stains your teeth.<br />
•Don't put a heart on the cover of your book if you want lots of men to buy it.<br />
•On a related note, don't put the word "heart" in the title of your book if you want lots of men to buy it.<br />
•If you have any say, go with trade paperback, as opposed to mass market.<br />
•When you start to panic because of a publishing issue, wait 24 hours before you send the frantic email to your agent/editor/publisher. This will save you having to write the second email where you apologize for the first.<br />
•People like it when you look like your author photo, so don't go dying your hair platinum right after the book comes out.<br />
•Get a P.O. Box.<br />
•Few of your friends or family will ever truly understand exactly what you do. Tell people you are a nurse or a ballerina.<br />
•It is perfectly natural to hate your copy editor.<br />
•If you have to sign 1000 tip-in sheets, you probably want to do this over time rather than waiting until the night before.<br />
•Trust your translators. They are collaborators and they know their cultural markets way better than you do.<br />
•If you happen to know a language your book is translated into, never ever read it.<br />
•Some people like to see their names in books; some people do not.<br />
•Do not, under any circumstances, start checking your sales ranking on Amazon.<br />
•If you go to Book Expo America, wear really comfortable shoes. Even then, bring band-aids.<br />
•Sign stock anytime anyone asks you to.<br />
•Norwegians are awesome.<br />
•At some point you will be doing an event, and someone will bring you a used copy of your book to sign and you will open it only to find that you have already signed it to some dear friends who immediately unloaded it at the used books desk at Powell's. Do not feed sad. It will make a funny story later.<br />
Copyright © 2011 Chelsea Cain, author of The Night Season <br />
<br />
Author Bio<br />
Chelsea Cain's, author of The Night Season, first three novels featuring Archie Sheridan -- Heartsick, Sweetheart, and Evil at Heart -- have all been New York Times bestsellers. Also the author of Confessions of a Teen Sleuth, a parody based on the life of Nancy Drew, and several nonfiction titles, Chelsea was born in Iowa, raised in Bellingham, Washington and now lives in Portland, Oregon, with her family.<br />
<br />
Chelsea Cain's newest thriller, The Night Season, is out March 1, 2011.<br />
<br />
For more information about the author please visit http://www.chelseacain.com/ and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter</i>Cheryl Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200308282812031178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374525777327650331.post-27343026994364139762011-02-25T09:16:00.015-07:002011-02-25T09:16:00.364-07:00Featured Author - Lisa GardnerOne of the things I like about Lisa Gardner's website is that she includes a link for aspiring writers called <a href="http://lisagardner.com/writers-toolbox">WRITER'S TOOLBOX</a>. There's some great stuff on there, so take some time to check it out. She has published many books (both romance and thrillers). She sold her first novel when she was just 20, and her latest novel <i>Love You More</i> comes out next month, March 2011. She has 12 New York Times bestsellers and won The International Thriller Writers award for her novel <i>The Neighbor</i>. <br />
<br />
She sent along some advice that's short and sweet but certainly relevant: <br />
<br />
<i>My best advice is to sit at your computer and write. Every day. Get to know your market and go for it. You can’t get rejected if you never submit. Those rejection letters are just more steps on your path to publication. <br />
<br />
Sincerely, <br />
<br />
Lisa Gardner<br />
</i>Cheryl Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200308282812031178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374525777327650331.post-54602725466255198452011-02-23T11:24:00.002-07:002011-02-24T10:45:04.144-07:00Featured Author - Karen KingsburyKaren Kingsbury has written over 40 novels and has made it both on the USA and New York Times Bestseller list. Her novel <i>Like Dandelion Dust</i> was released in theaters in 2010 and she has three others that are either in production and scheduled for production. She has also written music and wrote on an upcoming album for Marie Osmond - the song is called <i>Tell me to Breathe</i>. Her books include series books and childrens books, and what's refreshing about her books is that they are uplifting. <br />
<br />
Karen's mother, Anne, was kind enough to respond to my request and her comments are below: <br />
<br />
<i>"Thanks for asking about writing tips. Karen has put together a list of "Writing Tips" on her web site. We have heard from many writers that these were helpful to them. Click <a href="http://karenkingsbury.com/writingTips/">HERE</a> for her tips. <br />
<br />
Additionally, if you search the Internet under "Christian writing tips" loads of information comes up from many well known authors. There are also online writer's associations such as the Christian Writer's Guild - which will lead you through a course that helps you write your book. If you're interested in this, that's something Karen recommends. It is run by a good friend of hers - author Jerry Jenkins.<br />
<br />
Here's another author's blog with writing tips: http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/ by Randy Ingemanson<br />
<br />
Here's a website that has very good information on how to submit a manuscript to an agent: http://www.wordserveliterary.com/<br />
Then click on "Submission Guidelines".<br />
<br />
Karen didn't struggle to get published like most authors do. A New York agent discovered her because she was a news reporter for the LA Times and was covering a trial. The agent asked her if she could make the story into a book and she did and received a four book contract from a big publisher. The rest is history as they say! <br />
<br />
When you get time please stop by Karen's Facebook page. Karen posts there almost every day! There's a link on her website.<br />
<br />
"Unlocked" which is Karen's new "stand alone" book released on October 12th. You can also watch her new talk show on her website. Karen interviews those who have inspired this story. She also introduces "Cody Coleman" who is a character in her "Above The Line Series"!<br />
<br />
Thanks so much again for your letter, and for taking time to share your thoughts."<br />
<br />
Blessings,<br />
<br />
Anne Kingsbury<br />
Karen's Mother and Assistant<br />
www.karenkingsbury.com<br />
</i>Cheryl Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200308282812031178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374525777327650331.post-88767063361612951302011-02-20T09:38:00.003-07:002011-02-20T09:38:00.155-07:00Featured Author - Marta PerryMarta Perry aspired to write from the tender age of eight. She has several different series of books in the romance and suspense genre and writes an Amish series as well. She is also a New York Times bestseller. She has written and published over 40 books and I was honored to have her do a guest blog this month. <br />
<br />
<i>"When I was getting started in writing, the internet didn't exist, I hadn't heard about organizations like RWA, and I'd never even met another oddball person like me! Aspiring writers today have so many wonderful opportunities to network with other writers and to learn from the best, and I would urge them to take full advantage of that. Seek out groups, either in your community or online, who have the same aspirations you do, and who have the same level of commitment. (Beware the group which turns into a coffeeklatch, talking about writing instead of actually doing it!) I think it's also helpful if the other folks in the group are at your skill and experience level or a little farther along. Remember, you need honest critiquing and encouragement, not criticism.<br />
<br />
Above all, aspiring writers must read, read, read, especially in the genre in which you want to write. Know what the classics are; know what the bestsellers are; know what's selling now, not what sold last year.<br />
<br />
And write, write, write. It's my personal belief that all of us have a certain amount of dreck that we have to write before we can get down to the real stuff--the things that only we can write, the stories only we can tell."<br />
<br />
Wishing each of you all the best in your own writing journeys,<br />
<br />
Marta Perry<br />
www.martaperry.com<br />
www.booksbymartaperry.blogspot.com<br />
<br />
Visit me on Facebook at Marta Perry Books<br />
MURDER IN PLAIN SIGHT, Amish suspense, HQN Books, Dec., 2010<br />
SARAH'S GIFT, Pleasant Valley Amish Book 4, Berkley Books, March, 2011<br />
VANISH IN PLAIN SIGHT, Amish suspense book 2, HQN Books, June, 2011<br />
</i>Cheryl Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200308282812031178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374525777327650331.post-55872965752298335032011-02-17T05:07:00.003-07:002011-02-18T09:26:41.299-07:00Featured Author - D.B. HensonOne of the reasons I chose D.B. Henson is because of her story. It's not typical like those who went the usual route trying to get an agent as far as being rejected and then plugging along like this for a time before becoming published. <br />
<br />
D.B. took advantage of what the new era has to offer - the power of the internet. She published herself, and in doing so, landed an agent. Her first novel <i>Deed to Death</i> is an Amazon Kindle bestseller, and I'm sure this is just the beginning of a long and prosperous career. For those of you toying with the idea of self-publishing, this is for you. <br />
<br />
<i>"My story is not typical; I did not choose a route to publication that would lead to rejections. When I was finishing Deed to Death, my first novel, I read about Joe Konrath’s success self-publishing on Amazon. Rather than querying agents which could take months, I decided to follow Joe’s lead and upload the book to Amazon myself. I reasoned that if the book sold, it would help me to secure an agent for my next novel. I had no idea Deed to Death would become so popular. It caught the attention of Noah Lukeman, president of Lukeman Literary Management. He just recently sold the book to Simon & Schuster. <br />
<br />
The best advice I received was from Joe Konrath – to self-publish. Had I not gone that route, I would probably be sitting amidst a pile of rejection letters. <br />
<br />
Question: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers about the industry? <br />
<br />
Answer: The industry is rapidly changing. I believe the future lies in e-books, however, I think there will still be a market for paper books for several years to come.<br />
<br />
Question: What books did you read that you feel are must reads for new writers? <br />
<br />
My agent, Noah Lukeman, has written three books I feel are must reads for writers." <br />
<br />
They are:<br />
<br />
The First Five Pages: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile<br />
<br />
The Plot Thickens: 8 Ways to Bring Fiction to Life<br />
<br />
A Dash of Style: The Art and Mastery of Punctuation<br />
<br />
My other favorites are:<br />
<br />
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King<br />
<br />
Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass<br />
<br />
Stein on Writing by Sol Stein<br />
<br />
On Writing by Stephen King<br />
<br />
- D.B. Henson</i>Cheryl Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200308282812031178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374525777327650331.post-70476655142403452062011-02-15T12:35:00.001-07:002011-03-04T12:46:29.853-07:00Featured Author - Janet EvanovichJanet Evanovich has her own unique style of writing that is unlike anything I've seen before, and that makes her stand out among other authors. She has three different series of mystery novels and has written romance as well (she actually got her start when her romance novel was published). I asked her a few questions about her experiences and this is what she had to say: <br />
<br />
1. In the beginning of her career when she was rejected, what motivated her to keep going instead of giving up?<br />
<br />
<i>I actually did give up. I wrote three books and just couldn't seem to get published. I burned all my rejection letters and went out an got a temp job. But four months into my new secretarial career I got a call from an editor wanting to buy my last manuscript.</i><br />
<br />
2. Was there one piece of advice she received from an agent or someone in the business in the early days that improved her writing or helped her to eventually get published, and if so what?<br />
<br />
<i>There wasn't one piece of advice that helped me get published, but after I was published an editor told me to never hold anything back for the next book. Always put all your good stuff in the book you're writing. I think that's good advice.</i> <br />
<br />
3. When her first books were rejected, did she do anything to different with the next book (the first one to be published) that made all the difference, and if so what?<br />
<br />
<i>Those first books were mostly about me teaching myself. Typically, a rejection letter doesn't come with a lot of criticism, constructive or otherwise. It's usually pretty much just a "no."</i>Cheryl Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200308282812031178noreply@blogger.com0