Benjamin Jones's Blog - Posts Tagged "festival"
February 20, 2011
Afternoon everyone.
Let's see, what's going on with me? Sold my first paperback book the other day (granted, it was to my boss but $10 is $10) so that made me feel good. In the meantime I'm still promoting/plugging the books heavy on Facebook and Twitter and I'm getting a lot of hits to my site (www.whatishub.net) but hasn't translated into any sales yet. No worries, though - I know they're coming.
The main thing I'm concerned with right now is getting everything together for the Underground Horror Fest 2 on March 12th in Tulsa, OK. Should be upwards of 1000 horror fans there and, since that's my fan base, I should (hopefully) be able to move all the books I have and make a lot of new fans. I just put in an order for 100 bookmarks to give away as well as a table top stand (thinking about getting some posters as well to give away) so things should be very nice. I plan on taking LOTS of pictures while I'm there so be sure to check back here for those when they're posted.
Reminder that you can win an autographed copy of HUB Volume 1 & 2 on www.whatishub.net. Getting a lot of entries so make sure you enter today for your chance to win. Also, just added something new to my site where visitors can ask me questions and I will pick a few each week and answer them on my site. So, if you have a question for me, run to www.whatishub.net and ask away.
HUB Volume 3 is coming along. For all you fans of Michael out there, expect some really exciting and unexpected things featuring him in Volume 3. I'll let you know this, volume 3 is called the Tipping Point for a reason and will lead up to a very excitng (and probably longer) volume 4 next year.
Okay - more later.....
Let's see, what's going on with me? Sold my first paperback book the other day (granted, it was to my boss but $10 is $10) so that made me feel good. In the meantime I'm still promoting/plugging the books heavy on Facebook and Twitter and I'm getting a lot of hits to my site (www.whatishub.net) but hasn't translated into any sales yet. No worries, though - I know they're coming.
The main thing I'm concerned with right now is getting everything together for the Underground Horror Fest 2 on March 12th in Tulsa, OK. Should be upwards of 1000 horror fans there and, since that's my fan base, I should (hopefully) be able to move all the books I have and make a lot of new fans. I just put in an order for 100 bookmarks to give away as well as a table top stand (thinking about getting some posters as well to give away) so things should be very nice. I plan on taking LOTS of pictures while I'm there so be sure to check back here for those when they're posted.
Reminder that you can win an autographed copy of HUB Volume 1 & 2 on www.whatishub.net. Getting a lot of entries so make sure you enter today for your chance to win. Also, just added something new to my site where visitors can ask me questions and I will pick a few each week and answer them on my site. So, if you have a question for me, run to www.whatishub.net and ask away.
HUB Volume 3 is coming along. For all you fans of Michael out there, expect some really exciting and unexpected things featuring him in Volume 3. I'll let you know this, volume 3 is called the Tipping Point for a reason and will lead up to a very excitng (and probably longer) volume 4 next year.
Okay - more later.....
H.U.B. News + Festival Updates
Hello all and welcome!
A lot has been going on with me over the 96 hours so I'll get right to it....
Today I knocked one of my things to do off of my "21 Month Writing Plan" and that was the acquisition of my ISBN number for the paperback version of H.U.B. 1 & 2. It felt really good to get that and knock that off my list.
Big shout out to Melissa (@mizzezmellymel on Twitter)! She is an up and coming author you need to look out for! I felt honored that she asked me for advice on publishing; it always makes me feel good to share my experiences with others. Follow her on Twitter - she's awesome: www.twitter.com/mizzezmellymel !
H.U.B. Volume 3: The Tipping Point is coming along nicely. Work continues on this latest round of editing and I'm hoping that, since I'm on my annual March Madness vacation from work, I will be able to get more work done it. We'll see how that goes. Once the editing is FINALLY done I will then pass it off to be critiqued and go from there.
Last Saturday (3.12.11) I was able to attend, with my lovely wife, the Underground Horror Fest 2 in Tulsa, Oklahoma (pics of which are posted on the "pics" page (where else would they be?)) and there were things that I liked and didn't like about it.
I felt that the promoter overstated the amount of people they were expecting to receive. I was told 1000 people so I was look "cool!" but it turned out being closer to 100 (probably closer to 60). But, out of that small number of people I did manage to sell 6 books and, probably more important than that, I gave out a LOT of business cards and bookmarks with my site and book information on it. I met a ton of nice people and got the chance to speak with a representative from Soonercon (which takes place June 3rd - 5th in Oklahoma City, OK - www.soonercon.com ) and he gave me his card and everything and, after emailing him and checking out the soonercon site, it looks like I will be attending that as well.
All in all, it was a positive experience (it was my first festival/convention/book signing) so it served as a good jumping off point to get my feet wet. In hindsight the venue was probably not the best for HUB (probably needed something more geared towards writers) but it served it's purpose. I sold enough books to cover the cost of the table I had so it's all good. As for whether or not I attend the Underground Horror Fest 3 next year, that I'm not so sure about. This has nothing to do with the festival in general as the host, Art Sunday, is a real cool and nice guy, I just don't know if it's for me.
Moving on, working with a translator to get the ebook version of HUB Volume 1 & 2 translated into different languages which will be a HUGE stepping point to get the HUB brand globally recognized. Gonna try and get it out there in as many languages as possible (Spanish, Portugese, French, Klingon, whatever) to get the book in front of as many eyes as possible.
In closing, reminder to visit www.whatishub.net to pick up your paperback copy of H.U.B. Volume 1 & 2 for the low price of $10.00 + tax (free shipping + it's autographed). Also, visit the new site for Benjamin Jones at www.benjaminjoneswrites.weebly.com .
More later....
A lot has been going on with me over the 96 hours so I'll get right to it....
Today I knocked one of my things to do off of my "21 Month Writing Plan" and that was the acquisition of my ISBN number for the paperback version of H.U.B. 1 & 2. It felt really good to get that and knock that off my list.
Big shout out to Melissa (@mizzezmellymel on Twitter)! She is an up and coming author you need to look out for! I felt honored that she asked me for advice on publishing; it always makes me feel good to share my experiences with others. Follow her on Twitter - she's awesome: www.twitter.com/mizzezmellymel !
H.U.B. Volume 3: The Tipping Point is coming along nicely. Work continues on this latest round of editing and I'm hoping that, since I'm on my annual March Madness vacation from work, I will be able to get more work done it. We'll see how that goes. Once the editing is FINALLY done I will then pass it off to be critiqued and go from there.
Last Saturday (3.12.11) I was able to attend, with my lovely wife, the Underground Horror Fest 2 in Tulsa, Oklahoma (pics of which are posted on the "pics" page (where else would they be?)) and there were things that I liked and didn't like about it.
I felt that the promoter overstated the amount of people they were expecting to receive. I was told 1000 people so I was look "cool!" but it turned out being closer to 100 (probably closer to 60). But, out of that small number of people I did manage to sell 6 books and, probably more important than that, I gave out a LOT of business cards and bookmarks with my site and book information on it. I met a ton of nice people and got the chance to speak with a representative from Soonercon (which takes place June 3rd - 5th in Oklahoma City, OK - www.soonercon.com ) and he gave me his card and everything and, after emailing him and checking out the soonercon site, it looks like I will be attending that as well.
All in all, it was a positive experience (it was my first festival/convention/book signing) so it served as a good jumping off point to get my feet wet. In hindsight the venue was probably not the best for HUB (probably needed something more geared towards writers) but it served it's purpose. I sold enough books to cover the cost of the table I had so it's all good. As for whether or not I attend the Underground Horror Fest 3 next year, that I'm not so sure about. This has nothing to do with the festival in general as the host, Art Sunday, is a real cool and nice guy, I just don't know if it's for me.
Moving on, working with a translator to get the ebook version of HUB Volume 1 & 2 translated into different languages which will be a HUGE stepping point to get the HUB brand globally recognized. Gonna try and get it out there in as many languages as possible (Spanish, Portugese, French, Klingon, whatever) to get the book in front of as many eyes as possible.
In closing, reminder to visit www.whatishub.net to pick up your paperback copy of H.U.B. Volume 1 & 2 for the low price of $10.00 + tax (free shipping + it's autographed). Also, visit the new site for Benjamin Jones at www.benjaminjoneswrites.weebly.com .
More later....
March Madness
March Madness has totally consumed my life and will continue to do so for the next two weeks, no matter that my brackets are totally screwed and I have NO chance of winning the pool we have going on at work (never mind the fact that my 10 year old daughter's bracket looks better than mine), the point of it all is that I love the tournament and all the screaming at the TV and headaches that it brings me.
Moving along.
Over the weekend while I was out with my daughter I happened to stop by a bookstore in my neck of the woods (it's actually the only bookstore around for a good 10-15 miles) that I had seen but had never stepped foot into. If you happen to be in the Little Elm, TX area it's called Camelot. Anyhoo, the store is owned by a kind fellow named Kelly McQueary and I asked him what were the chances of my book (H.U.B. Volume 1 & 2) *cough* www.whatishub.net *cough* could be placed in his shop to sell. I was pleasantly surprised when he took me up on the offer and, not only that, said that he would let me even do a signing there when I was ready. Also, he took five copies of my book and has placed them in his store and I'm going to check back with him in a couple of days to see if he had managed to move them or not. Let's hope that he did (for his sake - I would hate to go all Jack Bauer on him). I kid, I kid.
I am booked for the National Black Book Festival in Houston in June (by booked I mean that I have placed my non-refundable deposit down) but, with the way my funds are and the way gas prices are, I may end up eating that deposit and instead attending Soonercon which is June 3rd through the 5th. A table for those 3 days is only $85 compared to the $250 for the NBBF, not counting the gas prices, hotel room costs, etc... I met a man by the name of Ryan Baker who does Marketing & Publications work for soonercon when he stopped by my booth at the Underground Horror Fest 2 in Tulsa and he was very nice and gave me all the information so I'm 99.99987% sure that Soonercon will be my next festival. What do you guys think?
I'm in the process of getting my new site (www.benjaminjoneswrites.weebly.com) up and running correctly and also in the process of updating the HUB site (www.whatishub.net) to make them look better.
Work continues on H.U.B. Volume 3. I should be done typing it up shortly. At the same time I'm working on Head Above Water to try and keep myself busy and away from the Playstation 3. I have a lot of big plans and the only way I can make them happen is to keep the pen moving on the paper. I told my wife I was going to spoil her one day and I plan on doing that.
In the coming days I should be receiving the contract from the translator I'm working with to get the e-book version of H.U.B. Volume 1 & 2 translated into other languages so I'm very excited about that. Any opportunity to reach more people is a good thing.
More later... big things are on deck. Stay tuned boys and girls.
Moving along.
Over the weekend while I was out with my daughter I happened to stop by a bookstore in my neck of the woods (it's actually the only bookstore around for a good 10-15 miles) that I had seen but had never stepped foot into. If you happen to be in the Little Elm, TX area it's called Camelot. Anyhoo, the store is owned by a kind fellow named Kelly McQueary and I asked him what were the chances of my book (H.U.B. Volume 1 & 2) *cough* www.whatishub.net *cough* could be placed in his shop to sell. I was pleasantly surprised when he took me up on the offer and, not only that, said that he would let me even do a signing there when I was ready. Also, he took five copies of my book and has placed them in his store and I'm going to check back with him in a couple of days to see if he had managed to move them or not. Let's hope that he did (for his sake - I would hate to go all Jack Bauer on him). I kid, I kid.
I am booked for the National Black Book Festival in Houston in June (by booked I mean that I have placed my non-refundable deposit down) but, with the way my funds are and the way gas prices are, I may end up eating that deposit and instead attending Soonercon which is June 3rd through the 5th. A table for those 3 days is only $85 compared to the $250 for the NBBF, not counting the gas prices, hotel room costs, etc... I met a man by the name of Ryan Baker who does Marketing & Publications work for soonercon when he stopped by my booth at the Underground Horror Fest 2 in Tulsa and he was very nice and gave me all the information so I'm 99.99987% sure that Soonercon will be my next festival. What do you guys think?
I'm in the process of getting my new site (www.benjaminjoneswrites.weebly.com) up and running correctly and also in the process of updating the HUB site (www.whatishub.net) to make them look better.
Work continues on H.U.B. Volume 3. I should be done typing it up shortly. At the same time I'm working on Head Above Water to try and keep myself busy and away from the Playstation 3. I have a lot of big plans and the only way I can make them happen is to keep the pen moving on the paper. I told my wife I was going to spoil her one day and I plan on doing that.
In the coming days I should be receiving the contract from the translator I'm working with to get the e-book version of H.U.B. Volume 1 & 2 translated into other languages so I'm very excited about that. Any opportunity to reach more people is a good thing.
More later... big things are on deck. Stay tuned boys and girls.
Same Day, Different Page
As the days in the calendar turn so do the pages in my notebook.
H.U.B. Volume 3 has been completed and I have sent it off to my good friend Benjamin Rogers (check him and his work out at http://benjaminrogers.wordpress.com/ - he's a fellow author/writer that you need to check out) to criticque. So, I'm hoping that he enjoys it *crosses fingers* I feel very good about it; Volume 3 raises the ante some more from volumes 1 and 2, bringing back old friends and saying goodbye to others (but I'll never tell who - you'll have to wait until 9.10.11 to figure that out). Keep checking www.whatishub.net to get the latest and greatest info on the HUB series.
Going back to my good friend Benjamin Rogers for a moment, I was fortunate enough that he let me preview his upcoming novel entitled Azrael and I must say that it is definitely going to be something that you want to read. I was hooked from the second paragraph of the prologue and I know you will be too. So, be sure to check out his upcoming novel when it's released and also check out his book Faith & The Undead which is available now (you can find my review of it on the REVIEWS page of this site). Not only is he a great writer but he's also a great person.
Also, my friend Elizabeth Lafond has a new book of poetry out entitled Poetry From Beyond The Mist. Check her and her work out at http://elizabethlafond.wordpress.com/ Her and Ben are really great people.
Okay, back to me.... Signed a contract today to get H.U.B. Volume 1 and 2 (the e-book) translated into Portuguese to help try and get the HUB brand out to the world. Hoping that I can get the book also translated into other languages, specifically Spanish and French. There's a LOT of people out in the world and that's the potential for a lot of new fans/consumers.
Confirmed to be at Soonercon in Oklahoma City, OK on June 3rd thru the 5th so, if you're in the area, stop by and check out the HUB table. I'm really looking forward to this convention and feel that it will be another great stepping stone to make 2011 much better than 2010. Get more info on the convention by visiting www.soonercon.com
Now that H.U.B. Volume 3 is completed (for the time being) work commences again on Head Above Water, my romance novel. While working on it the other day I realized that it's probably going to take a little bit longer to edit it than I thought but, regardless, it'll be ready when it's ready - can't rush greatness. I'm looking forward to getting this book out to see the reaction. It's not everyday that an author that makes his debut on the writing world with tales of vampires and killing makes his next work to be that of romance - go figure. I am truly a complicated but simple man. I never want to be locked into a Horror (or any) genre; I am a writer, period.
There's a lot of good stuff cooking (can you smell it?) and I'll be posting more about it as it comes down the pipe. Stay tuned.
H.U.B. Volume 3 has been completed and I have sent it off to my good friend Benjamin Rogers (check him and his work out at http://benjaminrogers.wordpress.com/ - he's a fellow author/writer that you need to check out) to criticque. So, I'm hoping that he enjoys it *crosses fingers* I feel very good about it; Volume 3 raises the ante some more from volumes 1 and 2, bringing back old friends and saying goodbye to others (but I'll never tell who - you'll have to wait until 9.10.11 to figure that out). Keep checking www.whatishub.net to get the latest and greatest info on the HUB series.
Going back to my good friend Benjamin Rogers for a moment, I was fortunate enough that he let me preview his upcoming novel entitled Azrael and I must say that it is definitely going to be something that you want to read. I was hooked from the second paragraph of the prologue and I know you will be too. So, be sure to check out his upcoming novel when it's released and also check out his book Faith & The Undead which is available now (you can find my review of it on the REVIEWS page of this site). Not only is he a great writer but he's also a great person.
Also, my friend Elizabeth Lafond has a new book of poetry out entitled Poetry From Beyond The Mist. Check her and her work out at http://elizabethlafond.wordpress.com/ Her and Ben are really great people.
Okay, back to me.... Signed a contract today to get H.U.B. Volume 1 and 2 (the e-book) translated into Portuguese to help try and get the HUB brand out to the world. Hoping that I can get the book also translated into other languages, specifically Spanish and French. There's a LOT of people out in the world and that's the potential for a lot of new fans/consumers.
Confirmed to be at Soonercon in Oklahoma City, OK on June 3rd thru the 5th so, if you're in the area, stop by and check out the HUB table. I'm really looking forward to this convention and feel that it will be another great stepping stone to make 2011 much better than 2010. Get more info on the convention by visiting www.soonercon.com
Now that H.U.B. Volume 3 is completed (for the time being) work commences again on Head Above Water, my romance novel. While working on it the other day I realized that it's probably going to take a little bit longer to edit it than I thought but, regardless, it'll be ready when it's ready - can't rush greatness. I'm looking forward to getting this book out to see the reaction. It's not everyday that an author that makes his debut on the writing world with tales of vampires and killing makes his next work to be that of romance - go figure. I am truly a complicated but simple man. I never want to be locked into a Horror (or any) genre; I am a writer, period.
There's a lot of good stuff cooking (can you smell it?) and I'll be posting more about it as it comes down the pipe. Stay tuned.
Cross Your Fingers...
So yesterday I put a copy of my novel, Head Above Water, into an envelope, along with my bio, contact info, etc..., into an envelope and sent it off to the main guy at the Arkansas Literary Festival. If they like it, and I need you to cross your fingers that they do, they will select me to be a featured author at the festival in April of next year.
So, keep me and my book in your thoughts in the hopes that I make it onto the panel and be that featured author that I know I am. :-)
More later....
So, keep me and my book in your thoughts in the hopes that I make it onto the panel and be that featured author that I know I am. :-)
More later....
