Benjamin Jones's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing"
A Writer's Website & Why You Need an Online Store
For an independent/self publishing, author having a website is akin to having a drivers license – everybody should have one. Believe it or not, there are some of us who haven’t taken that necessary step and setup their own website so, if you’re one of those, stop reading this post and head over to www.weebly.com, www.webs.com or any of the other sites where you can setup your own site for free. We’ll give you a minute to do that before proceeding…..
Alright, now that that’s taken care of (and all joking aside), one of the first things I did when I seriously started pursuing this writing career of mine was to start my website and begin building my “brand” as your website becomes the main way that people really begin to notice you and your work and becomes a “one stop shop”, serving as nucleus of your writing world on the web. Something I have found useful (which I didn’t think of when I first got my website) was the ability to cross promote with other authors. I have linked up with fellow authors on Twitter and have put either a banner ad or a link to their book on my page in exchange for them doing the same thing for me on their site. It’s not only a good way to build publicity for your site but also a good way to link up/network with other authors.
There are many things that people put on their websites but I find these to be the core pages that every writer should have:
•Contact page – it’s imperative that people be able to contact you, be it via email, Twitter, Facebook, etc… It allows you a chance to interact and build a fan base, especially via social media such as Twitter and Facebook.
•Reviews page – if you have gotten any reviews on your work then you need to show them off (even put a few on the front/home page of your site to entice potential readers/customers to keep reading). I don’t know about you but, if I read/see that someone likes something, then I’m going to be more inclined to check it out for myself. Be sure to provide a link to the original source of the review so that people don’t think you made it up. Also, you can use this page to provide little snippets/excerpts of your work to entice people to buy (or create a whole new page for this purpose). Give the reader a little bit to get them interested so they’ll want to buy the rest.
•A page for updates – as you continue to build your fan base you will want to let your fans/readers know what’s going on with you and your work so update your site often to keep them coming back.
Besides the above things the other necessity is an online store which I feel is important enough to warrant it’s own separate paragraph. When I first decided on setting up an online store for my site I thought that it was going to be hard but it is/was surprisingly easy. After setting up my site I then headed over to Paypal where I already had an account due to my eBay usage and clicked on their “Merchant Services” link and from there it was setting up descriptions and prices for my items, copying the HTML code for the checkout button onto my site and then voila – my store was up and running! As a note: I’m sure there are other sites that will let you setup an online store through them but Paypal is the one I use and the only one I’m really familiar with.
Why would I need an online store you maybe asking? The real question is why wouldn’t you want an online store? Yes you can have your books on Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, etc… w/out having them listed on your site but let’s take a look at the benefits of having your own online store:
•If people are already on your site then they are more willing to buy if the link/page is right there as opposed to having to go to a different page and find it. You can always post links to the other places where your book is located on your online store page but have the focus be on your site first because….
•You keep more of the money! Amazon and Barnes & Noble (and the rest) can get your book in front of more eyes but they’re going to keep more of YOUR money for that service. Using Paypal I get to keep about 95% of the sale price where some places the royalty rate is anywhere from 35 to 70%.
•You can sell stuff other than books. You can have posters, magnets, calendars, t-shirts or any other number of things to go along with your book and any extra income is good income.
These are just a few of the reasons why you should have an online store on your site.
In conclusion, if you don’t have a website, GET ONE! If you have a website make sure that you have an online store where you can sell your books (and merchandise). Remember that your website is an extension of you and should be looked at as a part of your “brand”. Make it accessible to the readers, keep it updated regularly and let the reader know about the author as well as the books you’re writing.
Good luck and happy writing!
Ben Jones.
Alright, now that that’s taken care of (and all joking aside), one of the first things I did when I seriously started pursuing this writing career of mine was to start my website and begin building my “brand” as your website becomes the main way that people really begin to notice you and your work and becomes a “one stop shop”, serving as nucleus of your writing world on the web. Something I have found useful (which I didn’t think of when I first got my website) was the ability to cross promote with other authors. I have linked up with fellow authors on Twitter and have put either a banner ad or a link to their book on my page in exchange for them doing the same thing for me on their site. It’s not only a good way to build publicity for your site but also a good way to link up/network with other authors.
There are many things that people put on their websites but I find these to be the core pages that every writer should have:
•Contact page – it’s imperative that people be able to contact you, be it via email, Twitter, Facebook, etc… It allows you a chance to interact and build a fan base, especially via social media such as Twitter and Facebook.
•Reviews page – if you have gotten any reviews on your work then you need to show them off (even put a few on the front/home page of your site to entice potential readers/customers to keep reading). I don’t know about you but, if I read/see that someone likes something, then I’m going to be more inclined to check it out for myself. Be sure to provide a link to the original source of the review so that people don’t think you made it up. Also, you can use this page to provide little snippets/excerpts of your work to entice people to buy (or create a whole new page for this purpose). Give the reader a little bit to get them interested so they’ll want to buy the rest.
•A page for updates – as you continue to build your fan base you will want to let your fans/readers know what’s going on with you and your work so update your site often to keep them coming back.
Besides the above things the other necessity is an online store which I feel is important enough to warrant it’s own separate paragraph. When I first decided on setting up an online store for my site I thought that it was going to be hard but it is/was surprisingly easy. After setting up my site I then headed over to Paypal where I already had an account due to my eBay usage and clicked on their “Merchant Services” link and from there it was setting up descriptions and prices for my items, copying the HTML code for the checkout button onto my site and then voila – my store was up and running! As a note: I’m sure there are other sites that will let you setup an online store through them but Paypal is the one I use and the only one I’m really familiar with.
Why would I need an online store you maybe asking? The real question is why wouldn’t you want an online store? Yes you can have your books on Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, etc… w/out having them listed on your site but let’s take a look at the benefits of having your own online store:
•If people are already on your site then they are more willing to buy if the link/page is right there as opposed to having to go to a different page and find it. You can always post links to the other places where your book is located on your online store page but have the focus be on your site first because….
•You keep more of the money! Amazon and Barnes & Noble (and the rest) can get your book in front of more eyes but they’re going to keep more of YOUR money for that service. Using Paypal I get to keep about 95% of the sale price where some places the royalty rate is anywhere from 35 to 70%.
•You can sell stuff other than books. You can have posters, magnets, calendars, t-shirts or any other number of things to go along with your book and any extra income is good income.
These are just a few of the reasons why you should have an online store on your site.
In conclusion, if you don’t have a website, GET ONE! If you have a website make sure that you have an online store where you can sell your books (and merchandise). Remember that your website is an extension of you and should be looked at as a part of your “brand”. Make it accessible to the readers, keep it updated regularly and let the reader know about the author as well as the books you’re writing.
Good luck and happy writing!
Ben Jones.
For The Love of Spike
Shelton Lee, better known as Spike, is a man that generally divides people into one of two sides - you either love him or hate him. I fall into the "love him" category. I can't lie, I am a proud card carrying member of the Spike Lee fan club. I wanted (and still want) to be be Spike Lee when I grew up. Before throwing all my efforts into being a writer I wanted (and, again, still want) to be a film director and, to me, then as now, Spike is the gold standard when it comes to directors and, especially, African American directors. I could go on and on and on about Spike Lee and how he, to this day, influences my writing but that's not the topic of this post.
I've always been bothered by the seeming lack of respect for Spike and his varied body of work over the last 24 years. Did you read those last three words - 24 years. The man is almost a quarter of a century in and his box office success (or lack of) has never caught up to the critical success he has received. Why is that?
In my opinion, African American film audiences have never embraced Spike with the same love (at least at the box office) as they do a Tyler Perry film. Check the numbers of their first 10 directorial efforts - the numbers are staggering:
Tyler Perry
Diary of a Mad Black Woman Budget = $5.5 million Gross = $50,652,203
Madea's Family Reunion Budget = $6 million Gross = $63,308,879
Daddy's Little Girls Budget = $10 million Gross = $31,068,283
Why Did I Get Married? Budget = $15 million Gross = $55,862,886
Meet The Browns Budget = $20 million Gross = $41,975,388
The Family That Preys Budget = unknown Gross = $37,105,289
Madea Goes to Jail Budget = $17.5 million Gross = $90,508,336
I Can Do Bad All By Myself Budget = $19 million Gross = $51,733,921
Why Did I Get Married Too? Budget = $20 million Gross = $60,095,852
For Colored Girls Budget = $21 million Gross = $30,920,000 (so far)
Mr. Perry is working with an average budget of $14.888 million (not counting The Family That Preys) and the above films have grossed a total of over $620 million so far for an average of over $62 million which, considering the relatively low budgets, are nothing short of blockbusters.
Let's analyze Spike Lee's first 10 directorial features:
She's Gotta Have It Budget = $200,000 Gross = $7,137,502
School Daze Budget = $6.5 million Gross = $14,545,844
Do The Right Thing Budget = $6.5 million Gross = $37,295,445
Mo Better Blues Budget = $10 million Gross = $16,153,600
Jungle Fever Budget = $14 million Gross = $43,882,682
Malcolm X Budget = $33 million Gross = $48,169,910
Crooklyn Budget = $14 million Gross = $13,642,861
Clockers Budget = $25 million Gross = $13,040,603
Get On The Bus Budget = $2.4 million Gross = $5,731,103
Girl 6 Budget = $12 million Gross = $4,903,000
Mr. Lee has an average budget over those ten films of $12.36 million and the above films have grossed a total of $123,420,000 with an average of only $12,342,000 for each feature. So, based on the figures, Spike's movies actually are LOSING money, granted that changes if you take Girl 6 out of the equation.
How is that audiences, over the first 10 films of their respective careers, have given Tyler Perry more almost $500 MILLION more dollars than they have to Spike? Is it that movie audiences are unwilling to support something that's new to them or different? My problem with Mr. Perry's films have been that, to me, they've all been the same - you've seen one you've seen them all; only thing that changes is the location. The formula is the same: black person + tragedy/crisis + a dash of humor (ie Madea) + a sprinkle of religion = box office gold.
If you analyze spikes films they are never the same and they always offer a different perspective. In the first ten films alone you have a story about a woman and her three lovers, a story about light skinned vs. light skinned blacks, hate and bigotry in Brooklyn, a jazz musician, interracial love, a WONDERFUL biography of Malcolm X, a portrait of a family in 1970's Brooklyn, drugs, the Million Man March and finally ending with the story of a woman who is a phone sex operator. We haven't even gotten to He Got Game, Inside Man, Summer of Sam, 4 Little Girls, Miracle at St. Anna, etc...
So what does this say and what is it saying about our movie habits? What it tells me is that the numbers don't tell the whole story. What it tells me is that we're stuck in a box, afraid to venture out of our comfort zones and would rather give our money to see men in dresses (Tyler Perry as Madea and Martin Lawrence in Big Momma's House) instead of supporting one of the greatest film directors of the last quarter decade.
There needs to be a balance. I can't lie, 90% of the music and movies that I see that are produced by African Americans is pure GARBAGE. Just because something is made by someone that has the same skin tone as you doesn't mean that it's good. I hate hearing people say that "support such and such because they're black". My answer is why? Just because that person looks like me doesn't mean that they have talent. I'm not saying that Tyler Perry doesn't have talent as he wouldn't be where he is today if not for talent but we've got to start supporting Spike (and other up and coming artists of all races) who are just as talented (if not more so) but aren't reaping the same benefits that they have deserved.
Next time you're at Blockbuster or on Netflix pick up one of Spike's joints and re-discover Spike Lee. I guarantee you that he has something for you. Don't wait until he's gone like everyone did when Michael Jackson passed away to proclaim how great he was - show it today by not forgetting about him while he's still alive. If it wasn't for Spike, chances are there would be no Tyler Perry.
I've always been bothered by the seeming lack of respect for Spike and his varied body of work over the last 24 years. Did you read those last three words - 24 years. The man is almost a quarter of a century in and his box office success (or lack of) has never caught up to the critical success he has received. Why is that?
In my opinion, African American film audiences have never embraced Spike with the same love (at least at the box office) as they do a Tyler Perry film. Check the numbers of their first 10 directorial efforts - the numbers are staggering:
Tyler Perry
Diary of a Mad Black Woman Budget = $5.5 million Gross = $50,652,203
Madea's Family Reunion Budget = $6 million Gross = $63,308,879
Daddy's Little Girls Budget = $10 million Gross = $31,068,283
Why Did I Get Married? Budget = $15 million Gross = $55,862,886
Meet The Browns Budget = $20 million Gross = $41,975,388
The Family That Preys Budget = unknown Gross = $37,105,289
Madea Goes to Jail Budget = $17.5 million Gross = $90,508,336
I Can Do Bad All By Myself Budget = $19 million Gross = $51,733,921
Why Did I Get Married Too? Budget = $20 million Gross = $60,095,852
For Colored Girls Budget = $21 million Gross = $30,920,000 (so far)
Mr. Perry is working with an average budget of $14.888 million (not counting The Family That Preys) and the above films have grossed a total of over $620 million so far for an average of over $62 million which, considering the relatively low budgets, are nothing short of blockbusters.
Let's analyze Spike Lee's first 10 directorial features:
She's Gotta Have It Budget = $200,000 Gross = $7,137,502
School Daze Budget = $6.5 million Gross = $14,545,844
Do The Right Thing Budget = $6.5 million Gross = $37,295,445
Mo Better Blues Budget = $10 million Gross = $16,153,600
Jungle Fever Budget = $14 million Gross = $43,882,682
Malcolm X Budget = $33 million Gross = $48,169,910
Crooklyn Budget = $14 million Gross = $13,642,861
Clockers Budget = $25 million Gross = $13,040,603
Get On The Bus Budget = $2.4 million Gross = $5,731,103
Girl 6 Budget = $12 million Gross = $4,903,000
Mr. Lee has an average budget over those ten films of $12.36 million and the above films have grossed a total of $123,420,000 with an average of only $12,342,000 for each feature. So, based on the figures, Spike's movies actually are LOSING money, granted that changes if you take Girl 6 out of the equation.
How is that audiences, over the first 10 films of their respective careers, have given Tyler Perry more almost $500 MILLION more dollars than they have to Spike? Is it that movie audiences are unwilling to support something that's new to them or different? My problem with Mr. Perry's films have been that, to me, they've all been the same - you've seen one you've seen them all; only thing that changes is the location. The formula is the same: black person + tragedy/crisis + a dash of humor (ie Madea) + a sprinkle of religion = box office gold.
If you analyze spikes films they are never the same and they always offer a different perspective. In the first ten films alone you have a story about a woman and her three lovers, a story about light skinned vs. light skinned blacks, hate and bigotry in Brooklyn, a jazz musician, interracial love, a WONDERFUL biography of Malcolm X, a portrait of a family in 1970's Brooklyn, drugs, the Million Man March and finally ending with the story of a woman who is a phone sex operator. We haven't even gotten to He Got Game, Inside Man, Summer of Sam, 4 Little Girls, Miracle at St. Anna, etc...
So what does this say and what is it saying about our movie habits? What it tells me is that the numbers don't tell the whole story. What it tells me is that we're stuck in a box, afraid to venture out of our comfort zones and would rather give our money to see men in dresses (Tyler Perry as Madea and Martin Lawrence in Big Momma's House) instead of supporting one of the greatest film directors of the last quarter decade.
There needs to be a balance. I can't lie, 90% of the music and movies that I see that are produced by African Americans is pure GARBAGE. Just because something is made by someone that has the same skin tone as you doesn't mean that it's good. I hate hearing people say that "support such and such because they're black". My answer is why? Just because that person looks like me doesn't mean that they have talent. I'm not saying that Tyler Perry doesn't have talent as he wouldn't be where he is today if not for talent but we've got to start supporting Spike (and other up and coming artists of all races) who are just as talented (if not more so) but aren't reaping the same benefits that they have deserved.
Next time you're at Blockbuster or on Netflix pick up one of Spike's joints and re-discover Spike Lee. I guarantee you that he has something for you. Don't wait until he's gone like everyone did when Michael Jackson passed away to proclaim how great he was - show it today by not forgetting about him while he's still alive. If it wasn't for Spike, chances are there would be no Tyler Perry.
Social Media and Writing
How has social media (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc...) impacted your writing?
To me social media, Twitter & Facebook especially, have proved to be invaluable sources of not only getting the word out/advertising for my book but also, and probably most importantly, friendship with authors & fans as well as providing me the chance to link up with authors out there such as myself who are new to the game and trying to make a name for ourselves.
If it wasn't for Twitter I would have never met Tiffanie Minnis and I probably wouldn't be where I'm at today with H.U.B. and this blog. Through meeting her I became of a member (and now a co-manager) of The Writers Movement and it has led to SO MANY great things already with a ton more coming down the pipe.
I love being able to interact with my fans on a real time basis on Twitter and Facebook and, through my website and blog, being able to cross promote with other authors and help each other.
So, what are your thoughts on social media and writing? Let me know!
To me social media, Twitter & Facebook especially, have proved to be invaluable sources of not only getting the word out/advertising for my book but also, and probably most importantly, friendship with authors & fans as well as providing me the chance to link up with authors out there such as myself who are new to the game and trying to make a name for ourselves.
If it wasn't for Twitter I would have never met Tiffanie Minnis and I probably wouldn't be where I'm at today with H.U.B. and this blog. Through meeting her I became of a member (and now a co-manager) of The Writers Movement and it has led to SO MANY great things already with a ton more coming down the pipe.
I love being able to interact with my fans on a real time basis on Twitter and Facebook and, through my website and blog, being able to cross promote with other authors and help each other.
So, what are your thoughts on social media and writing? Let me know!
Interview with Amanda aka Moonlight from Vampires.com
I recently chatted with Benjamin Jones, the author of the new series Humanity's Ultimate Battle (H.U.B.), on Horror Fest, his vampire loves (and hates), his writing and much more. Check it out and let us know what you think in a comment below.
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I am 33 years old husband to one and father of two girls. I'm also an avid Red Sox and Celtics fan. Being a writer is something that I've always wanted to do and I feel that I have a lot to tell the world - I just have to get the people to listen. I've been seriously writing for about 15 years now.
Can you tell us about your book H.U.B.?
Humanity's Ultimate Battle (H.U.B.) is an epic series set in a world where vampires have "come out" to humans and are attempting to live peacefully amongst them (some of them are, anyway). There's a mutual distrust between the humans and vampires going on, which is to be expected, and, at the same time, a rogue group of vampires is attempting to draw both sides into war as they feel that vampires should be the top of the food chain.
How does H.U.B. differ from other novels about vampires?
How H.U.B. differs is that the world of vampires, and how they interact with humans, is more "real world" based. You get to see different sides to vampires and humans that you don't get with other novels: you see the vampires that want to be peaceful and just live their lives; you see the politics of both humans and vampires; you see the humans that act just as monstrous as the vampires, etc... Taken from a real world aspect, you could look at the vampires in H.U.B. as illegal immigrants and you get to see how they live, how they're treated, their fears, etc...
Where did you get the idea for H.U.B.?
The idea from H.U.B. started off as a joke really. One day at work I was eating lunch with a co-worker and his wife and the topic of a certain set of books/movies that involve glittery vampires came up and we were discussing all the things we disliked about it (how they were slated towards young girls with all the romance crap) and we started talking about how it would be if we were to write our own story about vampires and take it back to the classic days when vampires were to be feared, not loved. From that moment on the idea took off and has been rolling along ever since.
What got you interested in writing about vampires?
I've always been a sucker for horror movies/books as some of my earliest memories was my mother taking me to see Cujo and Evil Dead at a very young age which probably warped my mind a little bit. Vampires (and zombies to great degree) have always been a fascination of mine.
Ok, here’s a question I ask all folks I interview: I’ve noticed that most of the authors I follow on Twitter talk about the music they’re currently writing to. What kind of setting/atmosphere do you find most conducive to your writing?
Music is my second love and I do my best writing when listening. Actually, now that I think about it, I don't write without my iPod being on. I find that my best writing comes from listening to some hip hop music. My writing necessities are my iPod, a pen and some paper (and occasionally a drink of some sorts). LOL As long as I have some music nothing else really matters.
If vampires were discovered to exist today, do you think our society would accept them or try to destroy them?
Definitely destroy. As detailed in my series, I think there would be a small percentage of the population that would want to embrace them but the majority would be too afraid of them to do that.
Who’s your favorite fictitious vampire (other than your own)?
I would have to say Blade, though the third movie sucked ass!
What is your favorite vampire book/movie/show?
30 Days of Night as I felt it was more "realistic" to how I perceive vampires to be. The vampires in 30 Days of Night were bad ass and blood hungry and that's a lethal combination.
Tell our readers why they should check out your book - in 3 words: (bwahaha)
It's f**king awesome! LOL
And finally, what other projects are you currently working on? Any goodies we should watch out for?
I'm currently working on the second draft of H.U.B. Volume 3: The Tipping Point which I have slated for 9.10.11 release date. I'm also editing a romance novel entitled Head Above Water that will be out sometime this year as well. Also, I will be working on a collaboration project with fellow author Tiffanie Minnis (author of ~D.I.V.A.~ Domestically Involved in Violent Affairs) that I'm hoping will be ready by the 4th quarter of this year.
For fans in the area, I will have a booth at the Underground Horror Fest 2 in Tulsa, Oklahoma on March 5th (the first of many festivals that I'm hoping to hit this year) so come out and show some support!
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I am 33 years old husband to one and father of two girls. I'm also an avid Red Sox and Celtics fan. Being a writer is something that I've always wanted to do and I feel that I have a lot to tell the world - I just have to get the people to listen. I've been seriously writing for about 15 years now.
Can you tell us about your book H.U.B.?
Humanity's Ultimate Battle (H.U.B.) is an epic series set in a world where vampires have "come out" to humans and are attempting to live peacefully amongst them (some of them are, anyway). There's a mutual distrust between the humans and vampires going on, which is to be expected, and, at the same time, a rogue group of vampires is attempting to draw both sides into war as they feel that vampires should be the top of the food chain.
How does H.U.B. differ from other novels about vampires?
How H.U.B. differs is that the world of vampires, and how they interact with humans, is more "real world" based. You get to see different sides to vampires and humans that you don't get with other novels: you see the vampires that want to be peaceful and just live their lives; you see the politics of both humans and vampires; you see the humans that act just as monstrous as the vampires, etc... Taken from a real world aspect, you could look at the vampires in H.U.B. as illegal immigrants and you get to see how they live, how they're treated, their fears, etc...
Where did you get the idea for H.U.B.?
The idea from H.U.B. started off as a joke really. One day at work I was eating lunch with a co-worker and his wife and the topic of a certain set of books/movies that involve glittery vampires came up and we were discussing all the things we disliked about it (how they were slated towards young girls with all the romance crap) and we started talking about how it would be if we were to write our own story about vampires and take it back to the classic days when vampires were to be feared, not loved. From that moment on the idea took off and has been rolling along ever since.
What got you interested in writing about vampires?
I've always been a sucker for horror movies/books as some of my earliest memories was my mother taking me to see Cujo and Evil Dead at a very young age which probably warped my mind a little bit. Vampires (and zombies to great degree) have always been a fascination of mine.
Ok, here’s a question I ask all folks I interview: I’ve noticed that most of the authors I follow on Twitter talk about the music they’re currently writing to. What kind of setting/atmosphere do you find most conducive to your writing?
Music is my second love and I do my best writing when listening. Actually, now that I think about it, I don't write without my iPod being on. I find that my best writing comes from listening to some hip hop music. My writing necessities are my iPod, a pen and some paper (and occasionally a drink of some sorts). LOL As long as I have some music nothing else really matters.
If vampires were discovered to exist today, do you think our society would accept them or try to destroy them?
Definitely destroy. As detailed in my series, I think there would be a small percentage of the population that would want to embrace them but the majority would be too afraid of them to do that.
Who’s your favorite fictitious vampire (other than your own)?
I would have to say Blade, though the third movie sucked ass!
What is your favorite vampire book/movie/show?
30 Days of Night as I felt it was more "realistic" to how I perceive vampires to be. The vampires in 30 Days of Night were bad ass and blood hungry and that's a lethal combination.
Tell our readers why they should check out your book - in 3 words: (bwahaha)
It's f**king awesome! LOL
And finally, what other projects are you currently working on? Any goodies we should watch out for?
I'm currently working on the second draft of H.U.B. Volume 3: The Tipping Point which I have slated for 9.10.11 release date. I'm also editing a romance novel entitled Head Above Water that will be out sometime this year as well. Also, I will be working on a collaboration project with fellow author Tiffanie Minnis (author of ~D.I.V.A.~ Domestically Involved in Violent Affairs) that I'm hoping will be ready by the 4th quarter of this year.
For fans in the area, I will have a booth at the Underground Horror Fest 2 in Tulsa, Oklahoma on March 5th (the first of many festivals that I'm hoping to hit this year) so come out and show some support!
January 25, 2011
Morning/afternoon all and thanks for stopping by once again!
Have seen a nice uptick in sales so far this month, especially on the Amazon Kindle. Have had 9 sales this month so far with 6 days left to go and that's pretty big for me. Get your copy of HUB Volume 1 & 2 Collection on the Amazon Kindle by visiting http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00492CQ9S
You can also visit Smashwords and get your copy by clicking http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...
Okay, now that the promotion is out of the way, steadily working to get copies of HUB Volume 1 and 2 printed up in time for the Underground Horror Fest 2 on March 5th. I'm confident that everything will work out. The person that I'm going to be dealing with is a good fellow by the name of Chris Leepow who is also the designer of the cover for the e-book version of HUB Volume 2: Blowback. If all goes as planned I will FINALLY have printed up copies for sale within the next month and that is very exciting to me.
HUB Volume 3 is now officially on the second draft. Identified what new chapters I wanted to add and where I want to put them and now, starting today at lunch, I will start the re-writing process to get it up to par and make it bigger and better than the previous two volumes.
Haven't had a lot of query responses lately from the agents I submitted query letters to which leaves a lot of emails and letters to be responded to. I know that the response from some of them was that the volumes seemed too short but, maybe if I was to combine 3 volumes at a time, they would be more inclined to represent it; something to think about.
More later. By the way, be sure to visit www.whatishub.net! You know you want to!!
Have seen a nice uptick in sales so far this month, especially on the Amazon Kindle. Have had 9 sales this month so far with 6 days left to go and that's pretty big for me. Get your copy of HUB Volume 1 & 2 Collection on the Amazon Kindle by visiting http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00492CQ9S
You can also visit Smashwords and get your copy by clicking http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...
Okay, now that the promotion is out of the way, steadily working to get copies of HUB Volume 1 and 2 printed up in time for the Underground Horror Fest 2 on March 5th. I'm confident that everything will work out. The person that I'm going to be dealing with is a good fellow by the name of Chris Leepow who is also the designer of the cover for the e-book version of HUB Volume 2: Blowback. If all goes as planned I will FINALLY have printed up copies for sale within the next month and that is very exciting to me.
HUB Volume 3 is now officially on the second draft. Identified what new chapters I wanted to add and where I want to put them and now, starting today at lunch, I will start the re-writing process to get it up to par and make it bigger and better than the previous two volumes.
Haven't had a lot of query responses lately from the agents I submitted query letters to which leaves a lot of emails and letters to be responded to. I know that the response from some of them was that the volumes seemed too short but, maybe if I was to combine 3 volumes at a time, they would be more inclined to represent it; something to think about.
More later. By the way, be sure to visit www.whatishub.net! You know you want to!!
January 27, 2011
Welcome back!
Where to begin.... The majority of my time is spent working on the second draft of H.U.B. Volume 3: The Tipping Point whether it be during my lunch hour at work or working on it while watching TV at home.
Haven't received any query responses from agents in a while and I don't know if that's a good or bad thing per se.
My head feels like CRAP right now - think I'm coming down with some kind of head cold or something. Not sure what that's about because I felt fine this morning but, oh well, what can you do?
I should be placing the order for the printed up copies of HUB Volume 1 and 2 early next week and I'm excited about that. I can't imagine how I'm going to feel when I get those 100 books and to be able to feel the weight of it in my hands and see my picture on the back and know that this is MY book. I know that it's going to be amazing. I'm hoping that the paperbacks will open up more doors for me as not everyone is on the e-book bandwagon yet. I can't really blame them - if I had the choice I would want paperback as well.
Words of wisdom to my fellow writers out there - don't ever let a lack of sales or a negative review lead you to believe that you don't have talent because you do. Everything isn't for everybody and it only takes one person to recognize your talent and that one person can completely change your life. I remember getting my first review for HUB and it made me so happy because it reinforced to me that I wasn't putting all this hard work into this project in vain. I know it's going to grow and I know that people are going to love it.
KEEP THE FAITH!
Where to begin.... The majority of my time is spent working on the second draft of H.U.B. Volume 3: The Tipping Point whether it be during my lunch hour at work or working on it while watching TV at home.
Haven't received any query responses from agents in a while and I don't know if that's a good or bad thing per se.
My head feels like CRAP right now - think I'm coming down with some kind of head cold or something. Not sure what that's about because I felt fine this morning but, oh well, what can you do?
I should be placing the order for the printed up copies of HUB Volume 1 and 2 early next week and I'm excited about that. I can't imagine how I'm going to feel when I get those 100 books and to be able to feel the weight of it in my hands and see my picture on the back and know that this is MY book. I know that it's going to be amazing. I'm hoping that the paperbacks will open up more doors for me as not everyone is on the e-book bandwagon yet. I can't really blame them - if I had the choice I would want paperback as well.
Words of wisdom to my fellow writers out there - don't ever let a lack of sales or a negative review lead you to believe that you don't have talent because you do. Everything isn't for everybody and it only takes one person to recognize your talent and that one person can completely change your life. I remember getting my first review for HUB and it made me so happy because it reinforced to me that I wasn't putting all this hard work into this project in vain. I know it's going to grow and I know that people are going to love it.
KEEP THE FAITH!
February 1, 2011
I'll start with the two words of the day and they are SNOWED IN! Woke up this morning to get ready to go to work only to see the streets covered in snow and ice - not cool. Looks like it will be the same way tomorrow as well. Oh well.
Moving on..., I have seen a tremendous (for me, anyway) uptick in ebook sales of HUB Volume 1 and 2 for the Nook and Kindle and I am so happy about that. I can only hope that the trend continues and more people continue to take a chance on my work and grow to love it as much as I love to write it.
Speaking of sales, the other day I got an email from Amazon that my first royalty paymnet was going to be deposited in my account yesterday (and it was). My first thought was HOLY SHIT! I JUST GOT MY FIRST ROYALTY CHECK!!! I can't describe that feeling. It made everything "real" to me, if that makes sense. I had just gotten paid for something that I had created and it felt SO GOOD! First thing I did was run and tell my wife, who immediately asked for half the check but that's neither here nor there. Granted, the check wasn't that big - just big enough to buy me a nice bottle of Moscato - but the fact that I had one at all was great. So, today I look through my emails and I come across one from Barnes & Noble and, what do you know, I have ANOTHER deposit getting ready to be made into my account from sales on the NOOK. Another HOLY SHIT! moment. Again, check isn't going to break the bank but it does lift my spirits and make me write that much harder.
Right now, at this very moment while writing this blog, I'm sitting at my desk in my "office" with my notebook and favorite pen working on the second draft of HUB Volume 3: The Tipping Point. Volume 3 continues on the momentum from Volume 2 and contiues to up the ante of the series. Can't wait until it's finished so I can unleash it on the world on 9.10.11! Trying to do some really big things with this volume, including a collectors edition which will include some artwork with it so stay tuned for that.
Will be placing my order to get 100 copies of HUB Volume 1 and 2 Collection to sell on my website and, more importantly, have available to sell at the Underground Horror Fest 2 on March 5th in Tulsa, OK. This festival is going to be a MAJOR jumping off point for me and this series and I know that it's going to be great! Be on the lookout for links to purchase the paperback version of HUB Volume 1 and 2 on www.whatishub.net in the near future. While I'm thinking about it, big shoutout and thank you to Chris Leepow for designing the cover and getting the book printed up for me.
That's it for now. Thanks for stopping by and I will have more later! Go Packers!
Moving on..., I have seen a tremendous (for me, anyway) uptick in ebook sales of HUB Volume 1 and 2 for the Nook and Kindle and I am so happy about that. I can only hope that the trend continues and more people continue to take a chance on my work and grow to love it as much as I love to write it.
Speaking of sales, the other day I got an email from Amazon that my first royalty paymnet was going to be deposited in my account yesterday (and it was). My first thought was HOLY SHIT! I JUST GOT MY FIRST ROYALTY CHECK!!! I can't describe that feeling. It made everything "real" to me, if that makes sense. I had just gotten paid for something that I had created and it felt SO GOOD! First thing I did was run and tell my wife, who immediately asked for half the check but that's neither here nor there. Granted, the check wasn't that big - just big enough to buy me a nice bottle of Moscato - but the fact that I had one at all was great. So, today I look through my emails and I come across one from Barnes & Noble and, what do you know, I have ANOTHER deposit getting ready to be made into my account from sales on the NOOK. Another HOLY SHIT! moment. Again, check isn't going to break the bank but it does lift my spirits and make me write that much harder.
Right now, at this very moment while writing this blog, I'm sitting at my desk in my "office" with my notebook and favorite pen working on the second draft of HUB Volume 3: The Tipping Point. Volume 3 continues on the momentum from Volume 2 and contiues to up the ante of the series. Can't wait until it's finished so I can unleash it on the world on 9.10.11! Trying to do some really big things with this volume, including a collectors edition which will include some artwork with it so stay tuned for that.
Will be placing my order to get 100 copies of HUB Volume 1 and 2 Collection to sell on my website and, more importantly, have available to sell at the Underground Horror Fest 2 on March 5th in Tulsa, OK. This festival is going to be a MAJOR jumping off point for me and this series and I know that it's going to be great! Be on the lookout for links to purchase the paperback version of HUB Volume 1 and 2 on www.whatishub.net in the near future. While I'm thinking about it, big shoutout and thank you to Chris Leepow for designing the cover and getting the book printed up for me.
That's it for now. Thanks for stopping by and I will have more later! Go Packers!
February 11, 2011
Back from hiatus - was on a cruise and, now that I have my land legs back, I'm ready to get back on my bloggin' thing.
While on my cruise to Cozumel and Progresso I had anticipated being able to get some writing done in my free time but, alas, I had underestimated just how much drinking I was going to be doing so I only got about 2 paragraphs of writing done on HUB Volume 3 so I have a LOT to catch up on now that I'm back home. Though I didn't get a lot on paper I did get a lot of "mental writing" done, especially for a chapter that's new to the 2nd draft of HUB 3. It's gonna be a real surprise to all who have read the first two chapters.
I was supposed to go pick up my printed up copies of HUB Volume 1 and 2 today but my contact isn't going to be in the office today so it has to be delayed until Monday. I technically could pick them up today but I prefer to deal with the person I've been dealing with from the start. Plus he's going to give me a tour of the printing facility when I pick up my books and I'm looking forward to that.
Had a Facebook message from my cousin's boyfriend telling me that he liked HUB Volume 1 and was looking forward to reading Volume 2 and that made me feel real good because I didn't even know that he had even read it. So, shout out to Dale Nabors! Much appreciated!
Underground Horror Fest 2 is less than a month away and I'm trying to get everything situated right in my mind. I need to get some shirts printed up so that my wife and I will be able to sport those (gonna make hers a little low cut in the hopes that she will draw a crowd to the booth - yes it's shameless, I know!).
Did have 2 booksales from my UK Kindle shoppers - thanks a ton! Visit www.whatishub.net for your copy (and also for links to purchase on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, etc...)
Peace....
While on my cruise to Cozumel and Progresso I had anticipated being able to get some writing done in my free time but, alas, I had underestimated just how much drinking I was going to be doing so I only got about 2 paragraphs of writing done on HUB Volume 3 so I have a LOT to catch up on now that I'm back home. Though I didn't get a lot on paper I did get a lot of "mental writing" done, especially for a chapter that's new to the 2nd draft of HUB 3. It's gonna be a real surprise to all who have read the first two chapters.
I was supposed to go pick up my printed up copies of HUB Volume 1 and 2 today but my contact isn't going to be in the office today so it has to be delayed until Monday. I technically could pick them up today but I prefer to deal with the person I've been dealing with from the start. Plus he's going to give me a tour of the printing facility when I pick up my books and I'm looking forward to that.
Had a Facebook message from my cousin's boyfriend telling me that he liked HUB Volume 1 and was looking forward to reading Volume 2 and that made me feel real good because I didn't even know that he had even read it. So, shout out to Dale Nabors! Much appreciated!
Underground Horror Fest 2 is less than a month away and I'm trying to get everything situated right in my mind. I need to get some shirts printed up so that my wife and I will be able to sport those (gonna make hers a little low cut in the hopes that she will draw a crowd to the booth - yes it's shameless, I know!).
Did have 2 booksales from my UK Kindle shoppers - thanks a ton! Visit www.whatishub.net for your copy (and also for links to purchase on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, etc...)
Peace....
February 15, 2011
Hello everyone and welcome back. Hope you all had a great Valentine's Day.
Valentine's Day started off a little "off" for me. I had gotten my wife a box of Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue perfume (or what I thought was perfume) but, as her happy and lovely face began spraying it on, it was quickly realized that I had actually gotten the MENS fragrance by mistake. But, I was able to return the bottle and my wife ended up getting the correct thing by the time we went out for dinner that night so all's well that ends well.
Another great thing that happened on Valentine's Day was that I PICKED UP MY FIRST PRINTED UP COPIES OF H.U.B. VOLUME 1 AND 2! I wish you all could've seen the look on my face and felt how I felt when I looked at those books, seeing my picture on the back of them, and realizing that these books are MY books - I wrote them! I'm sure some of you who have books available in paperback have felt that feeling before - man, it sure is glorious! When I picked them up I was given a tour of the printing facility and it was really cool to actually see how they put the books together and all that good stuff.
Autographed paperback copies of H.U.B. Volume 1 and 2 are available for purchase at http://www.whatishub.net/hub-online-s... for only $10.00 which INCLUDES shipping. You can also enter the contest on the site to win yourself a FREE autographed copy (visit http://www.whatishub.net/contests.html to enter). Tell all your friends. Contest ends at 11:59 PM on March 14th!
Tonight I plan to continue work on H.U.B. Volume 3 so that I can keep hitting you guys with the dope vampire fiction.
More later. Back to looking at myself on the back cover of my book....
Valentine's Day started off a little "off" for me. I had gotten my wife a box of Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue perfume (or what I thought was perfume) but, as her happy and lovely face began spraying it on, it was quickly realized that I had actually gotten the MENS fragrance by mistake. But, I was able to return the bottle and my wife ended up getting the correct thing by the time we went out for dinner that night so all's well that ends well.
Another great thing that happened on Valentine's Day was that I PICKED UP MY FIRST PRINTED UP COPIES OF H.U.B. VOLUME 1 AND 2! I wish you all could've seen the look on my face and felt how I felt when I looked at those books, seeing my picture on the back of them, and realizing that these books are MY books - I wrote them! I'm sure some of you who have books available in paperback have felt that feeling before - man, it sure is glorious! When I picked them up I was given a tour of the printing facility and it was really cool to actually see how they put the books together and all that good stuff.
Autographed paperback copies of H.U.B. Volume 1 and 2 are available for purchase at http://www.whatishub.net/hub-online-s... for only $10.00 which INCLUDES shipping. You can also enter the contest on the site to win yourself a FREE autographed copy (visit http://www.whatishub.net/contests.html to enter). Tell all your friends. Contest ends at 11:59 PM on March 14th!
Tonight I plan to continue work on H.U.B. Volume 3 so that I can keep hitting you guys with the dope vampire fiction.
More later. Back to looking at myself on the back cover of my book....
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.....
