Independent author
Today begins an exciting virtual journey with an organization I’m a member of called RWISA, a division of RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB. There are going to be 19 blogs over the course of six days, which seems like a lot. Should be a chance to highlight some quality authors. [Read more…] about RWISA Blog Hop Tour
So, if you’re curious about this “Killing the Immortals” book you’ve been hearing about and would like to have a shot at winning a free copy, I’m gonna give lots of you that shot. I’ve talked about Goodreads before here, and I definitely recommend joining if you enjoy reading, for all the reasons I detail in the linked blog post. And, in case you didn’t know, I’ve got one more reason: Free books. More specifically, a shot at a free copy of “Killing the Immortals” with my giveaway. Uh-huh. That’s right. And it’s coming soon. [Read more…] about Goodreads Giveaway Contest
It’s been a long road to here, but the end is within sight. I can announce today that the Release Date for “Killing the Immortals” will be July 31. That’s when you’ll see it on Amazon for the first time, and can purchase it for yourself, and buy it as a gift for everyone you know, along with lots of people you don’t know. I mean, who doesn’t want a book they’ve never heard of by some random guy they don’t know? You’re sold, aren’t you? Yeah, that’s what I thought. [Read more…] about Release Date for “Killing the Immortals”
With the Release Day for “Killing the Immortals” fast approaching, I’ve had to shift gears lately from focusing on writing/editing to marketing/publicity. For many authors, this is where shit gets real. “I’m an author, not a marketer” has been the cry from many an author when it comes time to get the word out on their books. And, to be fair, it’s not something that comes naturally for a lot of them, particularly those who didn’t grow up in the social media age and are trying to adjust.
Twenty years ago, the barriers to entry for publishing a book were rather high, and most everyone had to go through a traditional publisher to get their book out there. That also meant going through a literary agent, which meant query letters, rejections, and years of waiting, waiting, waiting. It also meant someone was handling the majority of marketing for you. Your publisher came up with a marketing plan, and you showed up where/when needed. Maybe you did a book signing. Maybe you did a speaking engagement, or a newspaper interview. Whatever it was, your publisher probably lined it up for you.
Today, that landscape has changed. Even if you get a publisher, they only handle so much. Almost no publisher is going to take over your Twitter account; that’s on you. And if you’re self published, you’re everything. I’ve got to not only do it all, but plan it all too. [Read more…] about Release Plan for “Killing the Immortals”
I’d imagine few things make the whole “I’m going to publish a book” thing feel more real than the day you receive your book’s cover from the designer. It’s one of those moments where it starts to come to life, where you see the first artistic vision of the world you created with words.
That’s the step I’ve reached. I’ve been running through some options with my designer, along with a revision or two, and now I’m ready to reveal the cover for my first novel. Take a look below. [Read more…] about Your First Look at the Cover for My Novel
As I move closer to needing to actually sell this novel I’ve written, I have to start thinking seriously about what matters most for doing that — if, for no other reason, than to know where to direct most of the budget I’m willing to potentially waste on getting this thing out into the world of Amazon.
There are plenty of factors that go into that. I talked about three of those in another post. The top one I cited was the book’s cover. Honestly, if your book cover is terrible, I’m not sure much else matters. You can write the next Great American Novel, but if your cover is done by someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing, but once dabbled with Photoshop a few years ago. If your cover looks like it was done in MS Paint, nobody’s ever gonna know if your book is any good. [Read more…] about Why Cover Design is So Important