Year In Review and a Thank You

Hello again, dear readers!

I've been remiss in posting regularly to my blog this year, mainly because I've been so focused on getting as much writing done as possible.  And I succeeded in hitting my goal of releasing three novels this year in my Bartender Babe Chronicles series.  Yay!!!

Another 2016 milestone target was to start a podcast, which I have done with fellow author William Brian Johnson (see Podcast tab above).  We've been having a blast just feeling our way through some of the in's and out's of that whole mess, but I think we're beginning to find our stride (finally).  I was pleased to hear from a listener about how helpful he found Episode 6 to be, where we talked about reviews, how to find reviewers, and how to professionally ask for reviews.  Since I forgot to post the data mentioned there, I will do so below for the indie authors in the audience:

Review List Sites:
1.  indiebookreviewer.wordpress.com
2.  theindieview.com
3.  bookrevieweryellowpages.com
4.  bookbloggerlist.com
5.  tweetyourbooks.com

Also in said podcast Episode 6, I mentioned my top ten pet peeves of things authors do wrong when requesting a review from reviewers.  I talk about this repeatedly in the podcast, but the first thing to remember is to always, ALWAYS follow each individual reviewer's guidelines on their website/blog when sending out that initial request for review.  Then be professional in your request.

Top Ten Pet Peeves:
10.  Not addressing your email request to a real person - instead using Sir/Madam/To Whom It May Concern, etc.
9.    Asking for an "honest" review - as if all reviews we've written before yours are less than honest
8.    Piles request with positive comments of other reviewers - we'll make our own decisions, thank you
7.    Listing personal accomplishments that have absolutely nothing to do with NOVEL writing
6.    Sending the book and/or a bunch of other attachments with your initial request - some want it up front while most don't, and you can find this out by reading each reviewer's guidelines (see above for a reminder if you've already forgotten)
5.    Including a bunch of links for reviewers to discover your book blurb, cover, author bio, etc. - you want the review so don't expect the reviewer to do your work for you
4.    Unrealistic expectations - i.e. expecting a reviewer to read and review your book within days or even weeks of submitting a request when we're usually running months out on our TBR piles
3.    Not including the book title, author name, or book blurb - and the sender's email address gives no clue as to who they are because it's cutsie or disturbing
2.    A request to review a novel outside of specified genres - again, read the guidelines of every reviewer
1.    Expecting reviewers to BUY their book to review - ain't gonna happen

So with those out of the way, podcast Episode 7 is now live if you'd like to listen.  Again, find it under the Podcast tab above.

Another thing I really wanted to do in 2016 was to begin treating my writing more like a business instead of a hobby.  One of those ways I succeeded this year was to write and release more books. Even though this took me away from my more in-depth stories, it did allow me to branch out into other genres I enjoy reading and writing.  However, even though I'm going to spend time in 2017 writing these lighter books, I'll also be working behind the scenes on some deeper and more complex stories I've got percolating around in my head.  When they'll release is uncertain at this time, but for those of you who prefer something more along the lines of the Deepest Darkness series, trust that I'll have more for you again from my publishing quiver.

So continuing with the business model mindset, though I have yet to incorporate, I did begin to keep better track of income and expenses, created a variety of spreadsheets, tracked promotions and their effectiveness, and have started a newsletter in 2016.

I realized a little late in the game how important newsletters are to keeping in touch with fans and followers and the impact that has on growing sales of new releases.  When I ran a BookBub promotion back in 2014, I could've been much more ahead of the game by now if I'd have had this one little piece in place.  So instead of spending so much time and energy on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads this coming year, I'm going to expend more energy with my newsletter.  Just remember to be patient with me as I better learn these rather complicated ropes.  Hey, I'm teaching myself as I go (and for an older dog, it's a little harder to learn new tricks).

The other thing I've done is to start updating front and back matter of my book backlist.  One thing I'd never done was to incorporate a page at the end of each book asking for reviews. After talking with several more successful authors through Kboards.com (if you're an author and haven't spent time there, I highly recommend you do), I figured it was high time I grit my teeth, swallow my squirms with this well-used trope, and go ahead and do this too.  It goes back to that aspect of treating my writing like a business - and like a business, I need reviews to sell books, and to sell books I need reviews.  This makes it easier for a reader to click the link and leave a few kind words if they are so inclined.  Already I've gotten several new reviews these last couple of days (and a couple of signups for my newsletter too).

All in all, I'm still not exactly where I wanted to be by the end of 2016, but I have accomplished most of my goals for this year - and I have you, dear readers, to thank for what successes I've achieved.  From the bottom of my heart, please know I appreciate you sticking with my writing and thank you immensely for your support and for the encouraging words so many of you have passed along.

Now I'm on to finalizing new goals for 2017.  Fingers crossed!

Happy July Housekeeping Updates

Happy July, dear readers!

Just a how-dee-do housekeeping post today to update you on things both new and old.  After writing and publishing two novels so far this year, I haven't done a good job keeping you up-to-date on what's happening in the little blogosphere corner that is DA Bale Publishing.  So here goes!

As part of the Smashwords summer reading promotion, I've offered up LOOK BEFORE YOU JUMP for their free campaign promotion.  From July 1st through July 31st, you can pick up a free copy of this first novel in the Bartender Babe Chronicles through Smashwords - and only through Smashwords - by clicking HERE and using the coupon code SFREE at checkout.

I've also enrolled my short story THE STUDY for this promotion as well,which you can click HERE to pickup - just use the same coupon code at checkout.


If you take a gander to your right here on the blog, you can also enter the latest Goodreads giveaway for a chance to win one of five autographed print copies of PIERCING THE DARKNESS, the second novel in the Deepest Darkness series.  This opportunity is slated to run from July 1st through August 15th, so sign up before it's too late.

Lastly, we have an Independence Day sale going on here at DA Bale Publishing for the month of July.  We recently partnered with a digital media specialist to offer affordable, professional book cover designs.  You can click on the tab above or HERE to see some of the currently available options.  The good news for the authors in the audience is that during this sale, you can pick up one of these pre-made covers for the low price of $35 - a savings of $40 over the custom design price.  Just email dabalepublishing@cox.net with your cover of choice and your book title and author name, and we'll get a PayPal invoice sent over to complete your purchase.

Watch for some upcoming reviews of some great books I've read the last couple of weeks.  As always, happy reading and have a safe and happy Fourth!

Coming Soon and a Sale

There's a sizzling summer sale going on!

As part of the upcoming release of THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK, the second in the Bartender Babe Chronicles, I've put the first eBook in this cozy mystery series on sale for only ninety-nine cents.

So for the remainder of the summer you can pick up an eBook copy of LOOK BEFORE YOU JUMP for .99.  Then stay tuned for the June 15th release of THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK, and join Vicki Bohanan for an irreverent and fun jaunt through the mysteries of life.

And don't forget!  You can still enter for a chance to win one of ten paperback copies of LBYJ by clicking on the GoodReads link at the top right on the blog.  But hurry before entries close.

Purchase links:  Amazon Apple Barnes & Noble Kobo Smashwords

Enter to Win Autographed Book

As a precursor to the start of my newest series, The Bartender Babe Chronicles, I'm hosting a giveaway over on Goodreads for a chance to win one of five autographed copies of the first in my original series, The Deepest Darkness.

So if you'd like to enter for a chance at a nice paperback copy of RUNNING INTO THE DARKNESS with a signature from little ol' me, click on the widget in the right-hand column and it will take you right over to the contest, which starts today and goes through April 14th.

Then tomorrow we'll celebrate the official release of LOOK BEFORE YOU JUMP.

War on the Horizon in "Shattered Advances"

Today we have TC Squires' young adult novel on tap, something that would garner the attention of your average middle schooler.  It's got action.  It's got sacrifice.  A touch of sci-fi with a bit of intrigue.  Join me in exploring Shattered Advances: The Struggle for Probana.

Book Blurb:
The attacks are becoming more frequent. More calculated. More precise. The Shrouds. They are relentless. Obstinate. Unfamiliar.

And beyond deadly.

Born into the fuming battleground of Probana, Kaene Young is caught in the same treacherous war that claimed his brother six years earlier. His world has betrayed him. His dreams and thoughts are not far behind. The world he once knew has been replaced by this bewildering war, which has transformed a peaceful people into warring machines and wedged them into a slaving state of survival.

This is routine. This is life.

Mystery and misfortune surround the isle of Probana, though some may quickly come to light as scrutiny of the Council matures. The ceaseless combat has given reason for them to call for additional legionnaires and continue the Guard’s rapid expansion, making adamant room for criticism.

Kaene finds himself stuck in the thick of things and must overcome his besieged world or have his life devastated by the coming onslaught. His heartfelt motivation and equaling persistence could be Probana’s only hope in ending this struggle.

The nation is burning. Communication failing. The Guard’s advances seemingly useless against the Shrouds. Will there be peace for Kaene and Probana? Or will the tragedies created by this war leave everything shattered?

An emotionally equipped tale of a character’s dynamic journey into reality, Shattered Advances brings great elegance and richness into the fictional dystopian genre. A new twist on a never-ending story. We learn that war carries great loss but uncovers our priorities and our resolve to change what we have been given for the better.

My Review:
Kaene's life centers around his family and friends - Mom and Dad, older brother Daiv, younger sister Aery, and best friend Jacob - until the war with the Shrouds.

The Shrouds invaded the northern territory years before.  Every attack since is the same: their ships show up suddenly, wipe everything and everyone out, then disappear without a trace.  No one knows where or when they'll strike next.  The rare survivor can't help understand because they're always found in a coma-like state from which they never awaken.

But a coma might be better than death.  Sixteen year-old Kaene, along with buddy Jacob, are preparing to enter service in order to prepare for the next Shroud attack - whenever that might be.  And Kaene's only hope is to make it out alive, unlike his brother Daiv six years earlier.  No matter how long it has been, Keane is still haunted by dreams of roaring flames and choking smoke.  Is that the fate awaiting him too?

Shattered Advances started out promising but soon became a convoluted tale without direction, making me feel as if Kaene was the one in the coma.  Once Kaene and Jacob head to their training facility, the storyline became disjointed, with scenes thrown in here and there that didn't seem to have anything much to do with the overall story.  It nearly felt like separately written short stories with the same characters were simply thrown together to create a full-length novel.

Kaene meets Cassi and falls immediately in love with her, even though she acts repulsed by him.  Every chance he gets, Kaene tries to woo Cassi only to stumble over himself in the process.  Then Cassi is gone until the end.  Jacob and Kaene have fights and arguments over strange and mundane topics, with reactions so over the top they inadvertently are comical.  Communications are knocked out at the training facility, wait they're back on, no they're back off - off, on, off, on - sequencing and flow were so far off at times I wanted to scream in frustration.

Then several times in the midst of fighting, when the small, rag-tag survivors are completely surrounded by Shrouds with no hope of escape, Kaene passes out and then when he comes to the group miraculously has safely escaped.  The spatial jumps were erratic, jarring, and rather off-putting.

Then there are the Shrouds and this mysterious Council.  The Shrouds are supposed to be the antagonists but we really never see them, never get any sort of idea about why they attack - so much happens with no real sense of motivation.  This Council of Probana is referenced yet never shown either, the elites running the show apparently but so far off in the periphery they don't seem to have any purpose here except for the occasional mention.  I realize this is planned as a series, but if this Council needs to be mentioned in the first book at all, I'd have appreciated a little bit more foreshadowing.  Otherwise, it feels more like blips of filler.

The novel could use some additional editing.  Several times near the beginning Kaene's name was spelled Keane so that I wasn't sure which was correct.  There were constant missing small words within a sentence (a, and, but, the, etc) and some not-so-small missing words or incorrect words (like where instead of went).  There were several moments of telling but for the most part the action sequences were shown in real-time as they were happening, which I did appreciate.  Point-of-view was a constant, with Kaene being the POV character throughout the novel, though there were a few tense shifts that could easily be corrected with simple wording changes.

Once I wrapped my mind around the fact that Shattered Advances was written more toward the middle school age range, I actually enjoyed the early part enough that I was thinking of offering up four stars.  It was once the characters traveled to the training facility, however, the disconnect grew so severe and the character actions, reactions, incidents, and involvements became so convoluted I simply wanted to finish reading so I could move on - and this made me want to give it one star.  Maybe Kaene is one of the coma victims, and he's actually only dreaming, which would explain a lot here.  Ultimately, I have no interest in continuing with the series.  For the promising beginning, I'll compromise and give it two and a half stars.

To purchase click here on Amazon.

Author Bio:

A recent graduate of Ouachita Baptist University, T.C. Squires is an emerging star in the vastly expanding

world of fiction writing. Drawing inspiration from the children he teaches, he has released his first two books in the series, The Struggle for Probana, a remarkable tale of epic scope that will bring you hours of entertainment. As a part time writer, T.C. spends his days teaching Outdoor Education at a non-profit camp in East Texas, while his nights are spent enjoying and writing about the beautiful creation that surrounds him.

Goodreads:  www.goodreads.com/book/show/17566003-shattered-advances

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/theprobanaseries

Let's Review - Midnight Son

Let's take a few minutes today to spend a little time way down, down, down deep below.  South Africa is where we're going in Taz Roux's suspenseful romantic tale Midnight Son.  Time to take a gander.

Book Blurb:

Caoimhe is trying to rebuild her life after her husband walks out on her. On the first weekend she has to face alone, she hopes to escape from the thoughts she doesn’t want to face by reading a damaged book she bought cheaply at a second hand book shop.

 

Right from the start, she notices parallels between her life and that of Duane, the luckless main character in the book. As her empathy with the storybook character grows, she starts fantasizing about Duane and dreaming vivid dreams in which she alters the outcomes of his unfortunate experiences.

 

By chance, Caoimhe’s sister finds her an expensive apartment which is renting out cheaply, but it is surrounded by mystery. The owner of the apartment had vanished on Halloween eleven years earlier, and the only indication that he may still be alive is his indirect contact, every year on the anniversary of his disappearance. 

 

Caoimhe moves to the apartment, but she can no longer ignore the strange coincidences between her life and the book, which now seem to involve her mysterious missing landlord as well. As she tries to unravel the puzzles, reality starts blurring into fantasy.

 

Meanwhile, the next Halloween is approaching.

My Review:
Caoimhe (pronounced Kee-va) is a young lady who has been beaten down by life with her soon-to-be ex-husband.  Over the years, all of her friends slowly drifted out of her acquaintance because of his attitude.  Not only did he leave for another woman, but he left Caoimhe high and dry when he cleaned out their bank account.  Now she can no longer afford their tiny apartment and has little to live on until her next paycheck and only her job to look forward to each day.

I immediately connected with Caoimhe when she's standing in the used bookstore trying to decide if a worn book is worth the few cents she has left in her pocket.  Earlier at the grocery store, she'd felt the keen embarrassment at checkout when, after carefully calculating what she had in her cart, discovered that she still didn't have enough money to get the most expensive item on her list - a simple bottle of shampoo.  Then needing to save the precious fumes of gas remaining in her car, she'd trudged home carrying the heavy bags in the midst of a sudden downpour.  Then she slopped into the front door only to slip and fall in the foyer - but instead of injury, her hip is saved by the cushioned padding the new book provides.

And thus begins the mystery surrounding Midnight Son.

As Caoimhe begins reading the book over the course of the next few weeks, her life begins to change in ways that mirror the events of the book's protagonist - subtle at first and then growing as she realizes her life has become entwined within the pages.  There's a sense of reality to Duane's story that comes crashing into her reality.

Duane is in the medical profession, as is Caoimhe, trying to save lives.  Duane's love life is also a shambles.  They both end up getting a kitten.  They both like or have experienced similar things.  Duane takes on a partnership of a clinic to try and save it.  Caoimhe is trying to save patients who were part of a clinic study.  The clinic names...

I don't want to give too much away, but needless to say I felt like some of the surreal moments as Caoimhe pieces the puzzle of the two worlds together were a bit like the movies "Lake House" meets "Inkheart".  Interesting premise and a nice, slow build that kept me reading.  Even though I'm not a big romance person, the romantic elements never felt overly gratuitous nor made me want to gag.  There was enough mystery and other life elements to balance it out.  I really liked Caoimhe's desperate attempts to find out what was causing severe renal failure and death in so many of their patients.  I'd like to have seen this expanded a bit into a larger segment of the story.

Throughout the novel, Caoimhe realizes her friends really do like spending time with her (just not her ex), she is more than capable of standing on her own two feet, and that she is very competent in her field.  She also earns the respect and admiration of her peers for her ability to first recognize that a medical problem exists, and then for her diligence in trying to solve the mystery.

So even though I liked the story, I have to point out a few touchy issues (yes, I'm a stinker that way).  Point-of-view was first person in Caoimhe's scenes with clean scene breaks to where she's reading about Duane.  Duane's scenes at first threw me until I realized these were actually Caoimhe reading, though they are written from Duane's POV as if he's a character in the overall story and not just a character in the book Caoimhe picked up.  Once I figured this out, I didn't mind this aspect and it made more sense as I slowly got into the story.

Tense shifts occur frequently within scenes and sentences from present to past as if the novel was originally written in present and then changed to past or vice-versa.  It becomes mostly past tense, however, from about the middle to the end.  Some missing words and minor duplications or misspellings along with overuse of comas peppered the story, but eventually I was able to read past most of this since I was enjoying it.

The only other thing I'd have liked to see was the ending drawn out just a bit more with a little more explanation of how what happened to Duane occurred.  It would have also been nice if there would've been some sort of award or recognition ceremony from the medical community for Caoimhe and to tie together the real-life events with the book's events.  I'm just saying here from my own personal reaction, but it just felt as if the end needed something bigger to solidify what Caoimhe accomplished between the two.  I can't say anything more here without giving away an important component to the ending, so I'll leave it at that.

So if I haven't yet confused you with my ramblings and attempt to avoid spoilers, I want to say I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Midnight Son once I got into the story.  It's not rocket science.  It isn't chock full of action.  It's not earth-shattering.  But it's a nice, suspenseful story dealing with the ups and downs of life and how sometimes the seemingly insignificant mysteries can impact not only our lives but the lives of others - but only if we take the time to become aware and then fearlessly act.

I find it hard to assign an adequate ranking here.  Structural problems and errors would probably make me give a two, but story would be a four.  So lets average it out and call it a very solid and enjoyable three stars.

Author Bio:
Taz Roux grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa, the daughter of a reserved computer programmer and a volatile journalist.  She has written for as long as she can remember, mainly to entertain her friends, with the occasional poem, article or short story getting published - when she puts her mind to it.

Ms. Roux lived on the outskirts of Maputo, Mozambique for almost four years, just after the war, when people were still ducking RPG rounds and landmines. Books could only be obtained by asking someone to bring them from South Africa. She was considerably more revered for the stories she wrote than for her work in the medical field. That sparked the idea of writing for a larger audience.

She is currently living in a quiet corner of her hometown with her children and a mute cat, putting another of the stories in her mind on paper.  Visit her website at http://rouxtaz.wix.com/tazroux

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00FYX70EC
Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7362702.Taz_Roux 

EBook Marketing for the Indie Author

For the past month I've promised and now I'm delivering a smorgasbord of marketing tips my fellow authors and I have utilized to find readers and sell eBooks.  Remember, these are just ideas and should in no way be misconstrued as a guarantee.  These authors have also graciously offered copies of one or more of their books for several lucky commenters, so stay tuned below to find out how to win.  Now onto the meat and potatoes!

Marketing your novel can be one of the most intimidating experiences for the self-published, independent author.  Without a marketing degree or industry contacts like the major publishers, the full brunt of the responsibility can feel like you’re swimming against the current in a turbulent storm.  Couple that with a lack of computer savvy in today’s wired world and you may feel like throwing up your hands and quitting before you even get out of the gate.

I’m here to tell you – DON’T QUIT!

Let me start by saying that I’ve been there.  The eBook universe was changing the publishing landscape on a daily basis by the time I finished my first novel.  After spending ample time querying, I decided self-publishing an eBook was for me.  The Internet was rife with self-publishing success stories, and the stigma associated with such was dissipating. 

So I built an online presence then realized the dream of publishing my first novel.  I basked in the joy for a while as I worked the social media components like most of the “how-to” books instruct.  I blogged, Facebook’ed, tweeted – you name it.  Sales were minimal.  Soon they were anemic.  What was I doing wrong?

Reality check time – nothing’s wrong.  The truth is the Internet has become flooded by other independent authors doing exactly the same things.  Once again the publishing world is in flux.  So what practical ways could I utilize to find actual readers out there? 

I still haven’t permanently found that sweet spot, but what I want to share with you in this article are specific things both my fellow indie authors and I have utilized to find readers in the virtual world of eBooks.

1.         Utilize established news outlets and bloggers

Recently I had a spate of sales through Amazon that caught me by surprise – over seventy eBooks in a twenty-four hour period, which was huge for me.  A friend had sent me a link to a news outlet that regularly highlights independent authors.  Figured there was little chance the commentator would pick little old me to highlight, but after debating over it for several months I finally decided it couldn’t hurt to at least try.  I sent a brief email outlining my book title, the synopsis, and the Amazon link for my novel Running into the Darkness and thanked him for considering my book.  A few weeks later, I was shocked to discover he’d chosen my book!

If you’d like to try this specific tactic, the site link is http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/.  Email Glenn at pundit@instapundit.com.  He gets many requests daily so there’s no guarantee he’ll post your book, but I believe one of the reasons he picked mine was because of the brevity of my email.  Just give the facts as mentioned above.  He’s an Amazon affiliate so avoid any other links. 

Since then, I’ve picked up some residual sales from word-of-mouth.  It also gave me the confidence to approach other news feed sites with a brief request.  There haven’t been any other takers as of yet, but I figure the only things the effort hurts are my wrists. :-)  No matter who you contact, remember you are a professional and act as such.  If they don’t respond, let it go and move on to the next contact.  Don’t keep hounding anyone.  Sometimes we all feel desperate, but never EVER act like it.  Keep in mind what your momma taught you – treat everyone with respect no matter what.

2.         Target your audience

Marketing takes a ton of work, so why not reduce that effort a little bit by utilizing a couple of specific tactics here.  With the Halloween season rapidly approaching, fellow indie author William Brian Johnson (http://fatherthunder.blogspot.com and www.ruminationofthunder.com) has a fun approach this time of year to marketing his horror novel Hell to Pay.  Brian explains that he “…found a group of like-minded writers that promote themselves over Halloween on a blog hop called the ‘Coffin Hop’.  We do guest blogs, giveaways, baskets and I’ve met some interesting folk.”  This example can be utilized for other seasons throughout the year: romance at Valentine’s, inspirational at Easter, Christmas…you get the picture.  With my political thriller, I even try to take advantage of the election season every other year.  Search the Internet for other authors and groups within your genre and work together to promote one another.  The old adage applies here…you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.

Another way to target your marketing efforts is to remember to utilize your genre identifiers.  Heidi Ruby Miller (http://heidirubymiller.blogspot.com), author of Greenshift and Ambassadora, explains it well.  “Use your Amazon tags wisely.  You only have two major categories and seven keyword categories.  Take advantage of both your general markets and niche markets so that you can optimize the search results for your book.  For instance, my latest novel Greenshift is listed in the broad main categories of Science Fiction and Space Opera, but I’ve included appropriate niche tags that are already popular like galactic empire, science fiction romance, futuristic, military science fiction, fantasy romance, science fiction adventure, and series.”  You’ll choose your two main categories when uploading your eBook on Amazon.  Once your book page is live, scroll down toward the bottom to input your seven keyword categories.  As Heidi said – choose wisely!

Nicole Loughan (www.littlespotforstories.com), author of novellas To Murder a Saint and All Saints’ Secrets, had another great idea for targeting your audience.  “Another thing I did that I think was helpful was getting Facebook announcements from my Alumni Association.  I went to Michigan State University, one of the largest universities in the country so I have a huge amount of alumni available to sell to.”

3.         Participate in a blog tour

Now first thing I’ll say here is that this is an investment in your writing career.  It is unlikely you will recoup the associated costs through your book sales during the actual tour.  However, it’s a great way to ramp up interest in your novel and accumulate needed book reviews over a short period of time.  Reviews help sales!

There are many blog tour companies out there.  A quick Internet search will offer plenty to choose from.  Some are al-la-carte while others charge an all-inclusive rate.  Some are a rip-off.  Others are so-so in what they offer.  Just do your homework.  The most expensive is not necessarily the best.  And if you’ve written a thriller, don’t choose a tour company that focuses on romance.  Yes, they’ll take your money just the same, but it will be money poorly spent.

If you’d like a recommendation to make it easier, I’ve participated in tours with Tribute Books (http://www.tribute-books.com/blog_tours.html) and highly recommend Nicole and the gang for their professionalism in communication and organization.  They gather the tour stops, create a website with all of the tour dates and stops displayed and a banner you can utilize to drum up interest on your own website/blog.  You choose whether you want stops for reviews, guest posts, interviews or even a mixture to keep it interesting throughout the month-long process.  They blog, Twitter, and Facebook your tour and ask you to do the same leading up to and during the tour.  You can even have a giveaway as part of your tour promotion.  There are several different packages to choose from, and they’re all reasonably priced.

4.         Give ‘em away

This may sound contradictory to what you hope to accomplish as a published author – I mean, you spent months and years working to create your masterpiece(s) and should be rewarded for your hard work.  But the reality is that in the whole publishing realm you are a virtual nobody at this point.  What you’re trying to do right now is get noticed, get your book into as many hands as possible, and garner reviews to help sell future books.  Forward thinking at work here, folks!

Smashwords (www.smashwords.com) is a site that allows you to publish your book in all eBook formats – if you’re not on it you need to be.  Once you’re published here you can also go in and create coupons on your books for percentage discounts up to 100%.  Just access the Coupon Manager from your dashboard, create the coupon, discount, and expiration date then send the code or use it to gift a copy to whomever you wish.  Best of all, this method doesn’t cost you a thing!

Rafflecopter (www.rafflecopter.com) is another site that is a great way to offer professional-looking giveaways.  The basic level is free and the next level costs just $7.99 per month.  You can build your giveaway by choosing the prize(s), the dates of the giveaway (I recommend 30 days), and even allow your entrants to Tweet about, like your Facebook page, or comment on your website/blog.  Once you’ve built your giveaway and expiration date, the site prepares a widget code that you post under HTML on your website/blog.  You can even provide the widget to others to post on their sites to help promote your giveaway.  Entrants simply click the box to login and enter for a chance to win whatever prize you’ve set. At the end of the giveaway period, you go into the site, click on choose a winner and send them an email with their prize.  The nice thing about this is that it collects the names and email addresses of the entrants so you can create a fan base to notify when you have new book releases.  However, avoid abusing this information by sending random emails – makes you nothing more than a spammer and nobody likes a bunch of spam filling their inbox.

GoodReads (www.goodreads.com) is a wonderful site that connects writers AND readers.  If you’ve not created your author profile here, do it as soon as you are finished reading this article (and remember to connect your books to your author page).  Readers can find your books and put them on their “to read” shelf.  You can let these potential readers know about your giveaways for your books when you have them.  Many GoodReads participants also leave reviews and comments on your novels and make recommendations to other GoodReads readers.  It’s a great way to help spread the word. 

But we were talking about giveaways here so let me offer you another of Nicole Loughan’s suggestions.  Even though the focus of this article is on eBook marketing, she had great results with a GoodReads giveaway of physical books at www.goodreads.com/giveaway.  Nicole says, “What you do is offer a physical giveaway of your book for a 30 day period of time and people sign up to win a free copy.  Between the two, more than 1,000 people signed up for the giveaway.  And 600 of them added me to their to read list.  Not that all of those people have purchased yet, that would be nice.  But a few definitely did.”

5.         Above all – ALWAYS present yourself as a professional

This should be understood, but you might be surprised what you’ll find out there in the indie world both in the material published and in author image.  As a reader, I make a point of trying to support fellow indie authors’ works.  But I’ve gotta tell you, sometimes it’s nigh impossible. 

Many times I’ve downloaded material to my Kindle and just about had a cow when within the first few pages there were so many basic punctuation and grammar errors or formatting disasters.  The storyline may be enticing and totally unique, but I never get that because I can’t get past all of the problems to even get into said storyline.  You aren’t doing yourself any favors if you rush to publish without taking the time to get your manuscript into the best shape possible. 

Gordon Kessler (http://gordonkessler.com), author of numerous novels and writing tools like Novel Writing Made Simple, offers some helpful guidelines in regard to getting your product into publishable shape:

a.       Give it a catchy title that fits your story’s genre

b.      Give it a professional, attractive cover design – when readers come across your novel, it’s the first thing they see, and that image needs to draw them in to take a closer look

c.       It should be professionally formatted – the way your book is laid out on the inside is incredibly important.  Since readers can sample your book on online bookseller sites, they’ll probably take a sneak peek at your story opening before they decide whether or not to buy

d.      Ensure your book description (synopsis) is every bit as enticing as your novel.  Think of it as a movie pitch to a producer.  Give them a great opening line (a hook), then pitch the story in movie-trailer fashion

Heidi Ruby Miller also offers this little tidbit of advice, “Keep writing and writing well.  The next book will sell the previous books, especially if they are part of a series or within the same genre.  But don’t hurry a product out to readers that isn’t your personal best – they notice.”

For a reasonable editing option, try a website called Grammarly (www.grammarly.com).  They offer an affordable online site to check your manuscript for grammar and punctuation errors.  Again, we’re talking an investment in your future as a published author.  Once you put something out there for public consumption, your abilities are on display for the world to see.  Grammarly is one way to help ensure that whatever you put out will be seen in the best possible light.

Make sure your image is consistent.  Utilize the same photo of yourself on your website/blog as well as all social media profiles.  And when you use social sites, do more than just constantly yammer about your own novels.  Most of us don’t like pushy salespeople that come across as the proverbial used car salesman – so don’t act like one yourself.  Use the opportunity to also talk about what you’re reading, promote other authors, your interests (besides books), or maybe an insight you’ve had.  Otherwise your followers will stop paying attention to your posts – you may even drop off of their radar completely.  Just keep your image open and friendly to your audience.  Perhaps then they’ll keep coming back for more – and that’s the ultimate goal when you’re trying to find that marketing niche.

So there you have it, dear readers!  As an author, when you’re marketing your books you’re actually marketing yourself.  Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there in new and interesting ways to find your audience.  William Brian Johnson even incorporates his novel sales into his storm photography booth at craft fairs, which I thought was pretty unique.  The more eyes that see your book and the more hands you can get it into will only help in the long run.

Let me end this article with a final word from Heidi Ruby Miller.  “Don’t panic.  The long tail is your friend.  There are millions of readers, which means you could see a jump in your sales at any time and for apparently no reason next month, next year, five years from now.  No more trying to sell yourself in just a two-week shelf window.”

Now get out there, write your best, and then find your readers!

 

EBook give away time!  William Brian Johnson is offering one copy of Hell to Pay, Heidi Ruby Miller one copy each of Ambassadora and Greenshift, Gordon A. Kessler one copy of Novel Writing Made Simple, Nicole Loughan one copy of To Murder a Saint, and me one copy of Running into the Darkness.  Leave a comment on this blog post (and a means to contact you like email in word form ex: dabalepublishing at att dot net) by October 31st, 2013 and be entered for the drawing of one of the six eBook prizes.  You will be contacted after said date if you are a winner.

Techie Challenged

Welcome to the New Year!

Personally, I'm not much on those pesky New Year's Resolutions - who really keeps them anyway?  However, for 2012 I've made some personal (what I like to call) goals when it comes to my writing. 

Last night I stayed up until - well I guess you could say instead - this morning I stayed up until 1:30 trying to spend time getting more comfortable with the world of social media marketing.  Technology and I don't get along as well as we perhaps should - I call that being "Techie Challenged".  Part of my problem has been the fact that I normally just don't have the time to sit at a computer (unless I'm doing something I consider productive - namely writing) scrolling through websites, reading a ton of information, and just chatting with unknowns.

But last night I was invited to join an author's group on Goodreads, which is thus far my favorite social networking site.  For hours I read many of the threads of conversation, started a thread about critique groups and editing, and interacted with several fellow authors from across the country (heck, maybe even around the globe).  It was a blast!

Plus I learned alot about the importance of just making acquaintences without trying to push my story.  Perhaps that's a mistake I've made through other social sites.  However, I'm finding Goodreads to be my site of choice, mainly because it is comfortable corresponding with fellow authors in a relaxed setting, whereas on Facebook and Twitter it "feels" more like marketing and is missing that sense of connectedness.

So for the New Year, I'm making Goodreads my focus for interacting with and learning from my fellow authors about this mess called technology.

Then there's also that writing goal.