Dee Palmer's Blog, page 5

You say it best…When you say nothing at all

Hello…A strange post because really I don’t have very much to say. I just feel like I haven’t checked in here for a while. I am pretty active on Facebook in my reader group..link below if you’re interested…but be warned it’s utter filth..Yay!! and NO REPORTING!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/902682753154708/

But I also know not everyone is on FB…I know I wasn’t until this time last year…but then I wasn’t anywhere social media-wise.

I’ve been busy finishing off my new book which my Beta readers loved…phew! It’s now with my editor and depending on how much I have to change I am hoping for a May 30th release date but don’t shoot me if I’m a day or two out. I know you’re excited

Time Hop- 1 Year- Publish-iversary

I published my first book Never a Choice on March 20th 2015.

I knew nothing…I pretty much still fumble along as best I can but a year ago I had read one book on self publishing and I just went for it.

I had obviously written the books I had scheduled to publish and had a professional editor but other than that I was very much on my own…so what have I learnt since then?…What words of wisdom could I offer to anyone just about to press that button?

Um…I actually wouldn’t dream of being that presumptuous to offer advice but I have learnt a few things…

The internet is dark and full of terrors…well duh! But what I mean here is there will always be piracy and it’s devastating when and I mean when it happens to you. Protect yourself as much as you can…sending ARC’s to trusted sources etc…and comfort yourself that those that get books from pirate sites probably wouldn’t have bought your book anyway and hopefully their computer will get a nasty virus and they’ll have all their personal date cloned…we can but hope ;)
Bloggers are people too…I know shocker right! But most are lovely book lovers that do their very best to share their passion but that doesn’t mean they HAVE to do the same for you…they really don’t…If they do…FANTASTIC…really that type of exposure is invaluable so say THANK YOU!! and if they don’t, remember your relationship with Bloggers is the same as any relationship so say THANK YOU regardless-manner cost nothing…no-one likes to feel used.
.Treasure your team…if you are lucky (and I consider myself uber lucky) you will pick up readers who love your work and want to help…they may understand to some degree that you are the weeny tiny fish in a massive ocean and offer to spread the word about your books…embrace these lovely folk for the kind hearted generous souls they are. I have a few very active ladies on my street team…dear friends now…and I am unbelievably grateful for all their help promoting…especially since FB tries to hinder them at every turn…You ladies rock!! This is very much an extension of my previous point…value the relationships.

Not a great revelation I’m sure but like I say I’m still very much learning…I know to give myself time for proper edits and proofreads and I know to appreciate everyone reads a different book…still don’t get how people can rate a book they didn’t finish but hey you can’t win em all…You really can’t so don’t waste your time chasing…focus on those that do…they are a lot more fun to hang  with.

New book with my Beta’s…coming soon…keep an eye out

xdee

Init-to-winit

I’m not competitive…oh wait I was a little competitive when I played tennis years ago and I’ve been banned for life playing monopoly with the family (it’s not a game!). So I may be a little, anyway I have entered the Inkitt Swoon Romance writing competition with my first book. Never a Choice

If you’ve read it and like, loved or floved please spare a minute to vote. The link wasn’t live when I posted this on FB so if you looked and couldn’t find and though meh…please check again. I will be forever grateful, as always

http://www.inkitt.com/stories/61659

 

 

Winners :)

I had a competition running for my subscribers and would like to announce….you know just incase you think I had forgotten…I hadn’t …although that does happen.

Anyway winner os a signed book, swag and a Amazon gift card is…

Amy Adkins from the USA and Diane Maag

Gift cards have already been sent and I am on it with the posting stuff :)

A big THANK YOU!! and Congrats :)

xdee

Your Pleasure is how much??

Ok so I have had one or two people mention that they loved my first book (yay!!) but wouldn’t be reading the others because of the price…Hmm, now I actually believe I was a Catholic in a previous life because my instant go-to emotion is guilt but here’s the thing…Yes its a ‘thing’.

What price do you put on things that bring you pleasure. I am taking the massive assumption that reading does give you pleasure…like T.V..Cinema…drink? I know the magical price seems to be $2.99 and mine are $4.20…but with some fairly basic maths over the series…you know because you read the first one for free…that works out at $9 for three books…sort of like $2.99. They are £2.99 in the UK and I suppose I could level the costs but the thing is I happen to live in rip-off Britain…our Petrol costs more…our Levi’s cost more…our drink and although our food maybe the same price…have you seen our portion sizes?? So I make sure the price everywhere else in the world is comparative  to the UK.

Having spent £6 or $9 for my Choices Trilogy you will notice one thing…they are pretty long books…not novellas…full length novels taking an average of 10 hours to read. (It is an average and helps with my need for basic math). Thirty hours of pleasure for $9 … thats…well you get the idea.

And did I mention that in those thirty hours…if you let you imagination be that way inclined…you would have been wined..dined, tempted, teased and fucked three ways to Sunday by the hottest CEO this side of the Atlantic..Daniel Stone…Luck you!

The upshot is I am really really happy you enjoyed my book and it is of course your choice to read more…or not but I think it I charge a fair price…I daren’t do the math for the hours it takes to write and produce because this is by no means a pity piece. I love being able to write and even if I will still feel guilty that this is an issue for some of you…I’ll bare the guilt…I’m not going to change…I will however being putting the odd sale out and do giveaways on my reader page…so there is always that. I hope that is ok?

xdee

Fantasy vs. Reality

My stories are contemporary, set in the real world but lets not go crazy…they are fantasy and why might that be??

Sometimes reality isn’t sexy…(I know it’s a shocker! and its a damn site more than sometime), anyway, sometimes it’s really really nice to escape and those precious hours in your head are just enough to get you through the next day. It really doesn’t mater how you escape but I know for me, its important that I do…For everyone else’s safety and for my sanity. So for me its reading…a lot…and writing.

I love that my stories take people away, excite, frustrated and maybe make them fall in love a little. That is truly awesome to me. I would like to think they have enough reality to make them credible but also enough fantasy to do the job ;)

My next book is very much in the ‘fantasy’ section of my bucket list and I am excited to get started next week. I have released my first teaser in my reader group on FB ‘Dee Palmer Chosen Ones Reading Group’- So if you want to share the journey it starts right here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/902682753154708/?ref=bookmarks

I’ll leave you with some reality

 

vs. fantasy.. xdee

 

So you want to sign at an event? Here are some things I’ve learned

Super helpful blog post as I start to get ready for the few signings I have this year…might struggle with the “don’t get drunk bit ” ;) Thank you Chelle xdee

Kobo Writing Life

By Chelle Bliss

There’s been a lot of buzz about author events recently and I wanted to throw a couple things out there. There are so many misconceptions, unrealistic hopes, and harsh realities that many do not understand.

Here are a few questions I’ve been asked and what I’ve learned thus far.

Am I going to make money at an event?

No! Most events are expensive, unless they’re near your hometown and there’s no need to pay for travel expenses. If traveling far from home, the cost of an event can climb quickly.

If you’re an author and expect to make money at an event… think again.

Let me break down the expenses of my last event in Nashville.

My Out of Pocket Costs for myself and my assistant:
Hotel: $500

Airfare: $800

Food & Misc: $500

Table Fee (yes, authors pay to attend): $250

Cost of Books & Swag: $2,300

View original post 1,118 more words

Happy New Year

Phew! It’s nice just to take a moment because I find the whole festive season and New Year utterly exhausting…hubby goes a little psycho-santa  and since I’m more like the grinch I just go along with all the madness, bite my tongue and clear up the after-math.

So New Year..resolutions and all that…get fit, lose weight, dry January blah…blah…yes I’ll be doing all of those things but specifically I just want to get back to writing. I have 3 main projects I will be working on. The first is actually complete. The new novella which is initially being released on January 28th with the box set for a special price of 99p/99c. This book will also be released on its own in February.

Secondly, the last book in connection with The Choices Trilogy…Jason and Sam’s story, which I will be starting next week with a tentative release in May.

Thirdly, I also have a completely new trilogy which is as yet is untitled. I really don’t like to keep you waiting so be assured I won’t release the first book until I am happy they are all written and ready to be released.

If you have read my stories and are yet to join my reader group please pop over…you are very welcome :)…its a bit of fun xdee

https://www.facebook.com/groups/902682753154708/?ref=bookmarks

Last But Not Least…

This may well be my last blog post of 2015…kind of depends if I get too drunk and decide to recklessly go on-line. I can’t deny it’s a worry and I can make no promises ;)

I have had a great year, mostly because I got to make new friends in a book world I never knew existed…I made kinky friends in secret groups that make me blush and I made the kindest, sweetest friends with people so generous with their time that they give it freely to help me…promote and generally shout about my books and I couldn’t love them more for it.

I hope you all have the best Christmas, enjoy the time with loved ones, eat too much, drink too much and remember…as one of my Chosen Ones you are always loved…by me

xdee

Shiny red background with starlight raining down

 

Free Xmas Story

This might be a little early…I don’t even have our tree up yet but like everyone else, things get a little crazy this time of year and I get daggers thrown at me for the amount of time I spend on my laptop as it is. So I wanted to get this out now in case I don’t get the chance later. I have a free Xmas story on my webpage for subscribers…which is a taste of what I hope to be working on over the festive period and in to the New Year.

If you would like to take a peek click here, subscribe and take a quick break with Jason and Selina.

http://eepurl.com/biZ6g1