Mark Cain's Blog: Bobbing for Apples, page 3
April 10, 2019
My new website
Hi all. I’ve created a new author web site in preparation for my summer release of BEELZEBUB: A MEMOIR. It’s
markcainwrites.com
I hope you will visit the site. Lots of content there, including an award-winning short story, me playing Rubber Duckie on the tuba, and a new blog where I am considering what comedy is all about. Sign up for my mailing list please. My goal is 2000 subscribers, so tell your friends!
Whoever signs up will get an excerpt from the new BZ book!
markcainwrites.com
I hope you will visit the site. Lots of content there, including an award-winning short story, me playing Rubber Duckie on the tuba, and a new blog where I am considering what comedy is all about. Sign up for my mailing list please. My goal is 2000 subscribers, so tell your friends!
Whoever signs up will get an excerpt from the new BZ book!
July 25, 2018
CIRCLES IN HELL boxed set and free audioc0des
I wanted to let all of you know that I have released the first four volumes of the CIRCLES IN HELL series in a boxed set edition. That’s HELL’S SUPER, A COLD DAY IN HELL, DEAL WITH THE DEVIL, and THE RELUCTANT DEMON, making for a fairly complete story arc. The boxed set is available in ebook and audiobook formats.Speaking of the audiobook, I have some free codes to give out in exchange for fair reviews. You have probably read all of these books, but if you’re interested in re-experiencing the story and hearing Michael Gilboe’s wonderful narration, or if you have friends or family members who’d like to take a listen, private message me on Goodreads or write me at HellsSuper@hotmail.com.
I have a favor to ask. If you have not written reviews on Amazon and Audible for the books in the CIRCLES IN HELL series, could you please take a moment to do so? We independent writers rely heavily on reviews for publicity. Thanks in advance.
Mark
February 7, 2018
Avengers Assemble!
Or Minions Migrate! Or something.
Actually, I want to pick your brains. I'm having fun writing the CIRCLES IN HELL series, but I need to find a way to gain more readers to keep this a going concern.
And that means I need to get better at marketing. Ugh. I think I'd rather date Uphir.
Help me out, if you can, by answering these two questions. you can post them as comments here or PM me on Goodreads or write me at HellsSuper@hotmail.com.
I still don't know why more readers don't guffaw about the Hotmail account. It could have been gmail or something else, but Hotmail is way funnier.
Sorry. Off point here. Now to the questions:
1. How did you find the CIRCLES IN HELL books to begin with? Just stumbled across them? Searched for them? What?
2. If you searched for them, HOW did you search? What were your search terms? Did you scan the satire category or humorous fantasy category? Something else?
CIRCLES IN HELL has had modest success, but I think there are more readers out there who would enjoy the books. Want to help me find them?
Thanks in advance for any ideas.
Mark
Actually, I want to pick your brains. I'm having fun writing the CIRCLES IN HELL series, but I need to find a way to gain more readers to keep this a going concern.
And that means I need to get better at marketing. Ugh. I think I'd rather date Uphir.
Help me out, if you can, by answering these two questions. you can post them as comments here or PM me on Goodreads or write me at HellsSuper@hotmail.com.
I still don't know why more readers don't guffaw about the Hotmail account. It could have been gmail or something else, but Hotmail is way funnier.
Sorry. Off point here. Now to the questions:
1. How did you find the CIRCLES IN HELL books to begin with? Just stumbled across them? Searched for them? What?
2. If you searched for them, HOW did you search? What were your search terms? Did you scan the satire category or humorous fantasy category? Something else?
CIRCLES IN HELL has had modest success, but I think there are more readers out there who would enjoy the books. Want to help me find them?
Thanks in advance for any ideas.
Mark
January 31, 2018
I’M NO ANGEL: free audiobook codes
Now that the audio version has come out, I’m offering up free copies to interested listeners in exchange for doing a review on Audible. I’m giving the CIRCLES IN HELL gang/fan base (we need a name for you people: want to be Minions?) first crack at the codes, since a knowledge of the previous books is kind of important to appreciate this one.
If you’re interested, PM me at Goodreads or write my author email address, which is HellsSuper@hotmail.com.
First come, first served until the codes are gone.
Mark
If you’re interested, PM me at Goodreads or write my author email address, which is HellsSuper@hotmail.com.
First come, first served until the codes are gone.
Mark
January 25, 2018
New book is a best seller
I'm No Angel has started out well. It's the top-selling humorous fantasy on Amazon at present. It's also doing pretty well in the satire category.
Thought you'd be interested.
I see that a number of you are reading the book right now. Please take the time to review it, for good or ill, when you're done. Reviews are very important for a book during this early period. They also help with a publication's longevity. Thanks in advance.
For those of you waiting for the audiobook, I gave final approval on the first day that I could, which was the first day of the eBook publication. Audible reports the audio is now headed to retail, so it should be released very soon. I'll let you know when that version of the book is available.
The paperback will be out shortly after I get back home and view a final proof. I'm in Cancun this week. The weather here is miserable, rainy and windy, but at least I am away from home, where the ash juniper, a plant I'm horribly allergic to, is in full bloom, so I have no complaints.
Thought you'd be interested.
I see that a number of you are reading the book right now. Please take the time to review it, for good or ill, when you're done. Reviews are very important for a book during this early period. They also help with a publication's longevity. Thanks in advance.
For those of you waiting for the audiobook, I gave final approval on the first day that I could, which was the first day of the eBook publication. Audible reports the audio is now headed to retail, so it should be released very soon. I'll let you know when that version of the book is available.
The paperback will be out shortly after I get back home and view a final proof. I'm in Cancun this week. The weather here is miserable, rainy and windy, but at least I am away from home, where the ash juniper, a plant I'm horribly allergic to, is in full bloom, so I have no complaints.
January 10, 2018
How I produce a book, and a little promotion
I'm No Angel
, Kindle edition, is done and available for pre-order before its release date of January 16. Order now, if you haven’t already, get your friends to do it too, and help me raise the book’s visibility.
The audiobook will come out on either the 16th or the 17th, with the paperback following shortly thereafter.
The process for getting a book out the door is long and detailed. Writing is the most straightforward of the steps along the way, though of course it’s also the most work. Then comes rewrites, which I’m pretty obsessive about. I probably do my best work in the first revision, but I am constantly polishing. Don’t be fooled by the casual, conversational tone of these books. I work hard to give them that breezy quality.
Then there’s copy editing and proofreading. Tedious but necessary.
At the same time I’m in editing mode, I begin to plan the cover. I present my designer, Dan Wolfe, with either a scene or two from the book or a general concept. Example: the cover for THE RELUCTANT DEMON came from my idea to have Steve look like Rodin’s The Thinker. A few elements I insist upon. The covers must have a cartoonish quality. I like bright and cheery for these tales. When you’re dealing with Hell as your setting, you want the covers to communicate to a new reader that these are silly comedies, not dark ones.
With I’M NO ANGEL, I wanted the audiobook released simultaneously with the ebook. That’s a bit of a trick, but Michael Gilboe, narrator for the entire series, and I are coordinating closely to make it happen. Oh, Michael and I collaborate on the musical intros for the audiobooks. I pick a theme, record a few bars on my tuba (yes, I play tuba - you can laugh now), and send the WAV file to Michael for him to work with.
And so, barring an eleventh hour catastrophe, I’m essentially done at last.
To celebrate the January 16 release of I’M NO ANGEL, book five of the CIRCLES IN HELL series, I am giving away Kindle copies of previous books in the series. For five days recently, I gave away HELL’S SUPER, volume one. Here is the rest of the giveaway schedule, for those of you who are still missing titles from the series.
January 13 - A COLD DAY IN HELL (book two)
January 14 - DEAL WITH THE DEVIL (book three)
January 15 - THE RELUCTANT DEMON (book four)
And don’t forget to order I’M NO ANGEL before January 16!
, Kindle edition, is done and available for pre-order before its release date of January 16. Order now, if you haven’t already, get your friends to do it too, and help me raise the book’s visibility.The audiobook will come out on either the 16th or the 17th, with the paperback following shortly thereafter.
The process for getting a book out the door is long and detailed. Writing is the most straightforward of the steps along the way, though of course it’s also the most work. Then comes rewrites, which I’m pretty obsessive about. I probably do my best work in the first revision, but I am constantly polishing. Don’t be fooled by the casual, conversational tone of these books. I work hard to give them that breezy quality.
Then there’s copy editing and proofreading. Tedious but necessary.
At the same time I’m in editing mode, I begin to plan the cover. I present my designer, Dan Wolfe, with either a scene or two from the book or a general concept. Example: the cover for THE RELUCTANT DEMON came from my idea to have Steve look like Rodin’s The Thinker. A few elements I insist upon. The covers must have a cartoonish quality. I like bright and cheery for these tales. When you’re dealing with Hell as your setting, you want the covers to communicate to a new reader that these are silly comedies, not dark ones.
With I’M NO ANGEL, I wanted the audiobook released simultaneously with the ebook. That’s a bit of a trick, but Michael Gilboe, narrator for the entire series, and I are coordinating closely to make it happen. Oh, Michael and I collaborate on the musical intros for the audiobooks. I pick a theme, record a few bars on my tuba (yes, I play tuba - you can laugh now), and send the WAV file to Michael for him to work with.
And so, barring an eleventh hour catastrophe, I’m essentially done at last.
To celebrate the January 16 release of I’M NO ANGEL, book five of the CIRCLES IN HELL series, I am giving away Kindle copies of previous books in the series. For five days recently, I gave away HELL’S SUPER, volume one. Here is the rest of the giveaway schedule, for those of you who are still missing titles from the series.
January 13 - A COLD DAY IN HELL (book two)
January 14 - DEAL WITH THE DEVIL (book three)
January 15 - THE RELUCTANT DEMON (book four)
And don’t forget to order I’M NO ANGEL before January 16!
December 26, 2017
HELL’S SUPER free th
If you follow this blog, then you probably already own HELL’S SUPER. But maybe you have friends and family who haven’t. Spread the word, especially to all those who recently got a Kindle as a gift.
They need things to load onto their new presents, right? So...
To celebrate the January 16 release of I’M NO ANGEL, book five in my CIRCLES IN HELL comedy/satire series, I am offering book one, HELL’S SUPER, for free from now through December 30.
I will be offering one more giveaway leading up to the January 16 publication date, so stay tuned...
They need things to load onto their new presents, right? So...
To celebrate the January 16 release of I’M NO ANGEL, book five in my CIRCLES IN HELL comedy/satire series, I am offering book one, HELL’S SUPER, for free from now through December 30.
I will be offering one more giveaway leading up to the January 16 publication date, so stay tuned...
December 21, 2017
I’M NO ANGEL available for pre-pub order
The publication date for I’M NO ANGEL, book five in my comedy/satire series, CIRCLES IN HELL, is January 16. The audiobook will be released on or near that date.
If you want to be the first on your block to find out what Steve is up to these days, you can order the kindle edition prior to publication, and it will be delivered automatically to your Kindle account on 1/16. Here’s a short URL to take you right to the book, where among other things, you can check out the cover:
www.amzn.com/B078B18NJ3
You might wonder why an author puts a book up for sale prior to the publication date. In a word: visibility. All pre-pub orders get counted as sales on the first date the book is available. That helps the book’s sales ranking, which brings it to the attention of new readers. Healthy sales and new readers will motivate me to continue the series. :)
Mark
If you want to be the first on your block to find out what Steve is up to these days, you can order the kindle edition prior to publication, and it will be delivered automatically to your Kindle account on 1/16. Here’s a short URL to take you right to the book, where among other things, you can check out the cover:
www.amzn.com/B078B18NJ3
You might wonder why an author puts a book up for sale prior to the publication date. In a word: visibility. All pre-pub orders get counted as sales on the first date the book is available. That helps the book’s sales ranking, which brings it to the attention of new readers. Healthy sales and new readers will motivate me to continue the series. :)
Mark
December 14, 2017
Advance readers sought
To all,
As you know, I’M NO ANGEL, CIRCLES IN HELL book 5, will be published in January. I’ve decided to make it available for prepublication orders, but to do this, it would be helpful to have some reviews.
I’m looking for advance readers who have read the other four books in the series and who would be willing to read and then write a review of this new one. I’d need this review before the end of December to do me any good, and I apologize in advance. I know this is a rotten time of year to ask for that.
I’ll of course give you a free advance copy, in your choice of MOBI or PDF format. If you also would like a copy of the audiobook, I can probably do that too, though not until after the ebook is released. So ... you’d have to read and review the ebook before you would get the audiobook.
If you’re interested, please write me at HellsSuper@hotmail.com. Thanks,
Mark
As you know, I’M NO ANGEL, CIRCLES IN HELL book 5, will be published in January. I’ve decided to make it available for prepublication orders, but to do this, it would be helpful to have some reviews.
I’m looking for advance readers who have read the other four books in the series and who would be willing to read and then write a review of this new one. I’d need this review before the end of December to do me any good, and I apologize in advance. I know this is a rotten time of year to ask for that.
I’ll of course give you a free advance copy, in your choice of MOBI or PDF format. If you also would like a copy of the audiobook, I can probably do that too, though not until after the ebook is released. So ... you’d have to read and review the ebook before you would get the audiobook.
If you’re interested, please write me at HellsSuper@hotmail.com. Thanks,
Mark
December 4, 2017
New Circles in Hell book
Book five, I’M NO ANGEL, is currently being recorded by my narrator. Both ebook and audiobook will be released in January.
I’M NO ANGEL picks up where book four ended, so Steve fans will have something to look forward to.
I’M NO ANGEL picks up where book four ended, so Steve fans will have something to look forward to.
Bobbing for Apples
A free-wheeling journey to wherever my mind happens to be at any moment. I may be spending time down in Hell with my new book's main character, musing about life's absurdities, or maybe visiting with
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