David Neth's Blog, page 2
January 11, 2017
Preorder The Crescent Moon!
The Crescent Moon – The Harper witches have grown apart in the ten years since they defeated Toxanna and Will Brown. Each of them are on their own missions in the magical and the non-magical worlds. However, one by one, the witches are warned of a powerful force that has been unleashed that may also be linked to the death of Chris and Holly’s baby daughter. As they fight for answers to this new threat on their own, they soon discover that they have no other options but to ask for help. Unfortunately, family isn’t always the first choice for sanctuary.
The Crescent Moon is a bundle of the short stories Blaze, Timeout, Blown Away, and Deception.
Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play
Available March 4, 2017
January 7, 2017
Deception is now available!
Deception – As a resident of Lily Dale, NY, Holly hasn’t escaped her divine past. The center of spiritualism feeds Holly’s appetite as a witch while maintaining her anonymity.
Since the death of her daughter, starting over was all she wanted to do. But what she wants might not be in the cards. After several tarot readings show nothing but heartache for her future, Holly worries she may be in danger.
Her fears are realized when her next client warns her of a former enemy who never died like Holly thought. In order to defeat this old enemy and truly move on with her life, she may need to swallow her pride and call in old allies.
Available at the following retailers:
Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play
January 1, 2017
Coming in 2017
The Crescent Moon – March 4, 2017
The Blue Moon – May 6, 2017
The Art of Magic – August 5, 2017
The Shocker: Origin – October 9, 2017
A Christmas Reunion – November 6, 2017
December 31, 2016
Year in Review: 2016
It’s easy to think that you haven’t really gotten far when you’re constantly looking at the next step forward. The end of the year is a perfect time for reflection over what you’ve accomplished in the last 12 months.
Mine have certainly been very busy. While I’m not where I want to be just yet, I’ve come a long way since December 2015.
Accomplishments:
Published seven titles
Sold over 800 books in 2016 alone
Increased my mailing list subscribers tremendously
Completed 27 formatting jobs
Got my books into four local stores
Participated in three local events
All of the goals I set for myself for 2016 have been accomplished, and I’ve done even better than I thought. Looking at my monthly sales graph, things really took off in August when I got the third book out and properly ordered my series. The Full Moon became my bestseller (over 350 sold) since it’s the series starter.
Another goal I set for myself as my sales numbers started to increase was to sell 100 books in a single month. For two months, my numbers reached just below that line (87 in July, 97 in August) until finally, in September I sold 135 books. The next month, I sold 153. That lowered a lot in November and I didn’t cross the 100 books mark, but I crossed it again in December without even really trying.
Getting my books into bookstores was surprisingly very easy. All I did was ask. And okay, my sales numbers there aren’t huge with bookstores (15 sold the last time I got in touch with them in October), but it’s another avenue for discovery. Not only that, it allowed me to accomplish another one of my goals: local events.
The first event I did was kind of a dud. I gave out a couple bookmarks, talked to a few interested people, but otherwise sold nothing. The next one I did was at a Barnes and Noble, which obviously attracted more people. I sold eight books. The next month, I had another one lined up and sold four books, one of each.
Not huge numbers, but it’s nice to get out and act like a real author with real readers. Hopefully I can do a couple more next year.
Goals:
Sell 1,000 books in 2017 alone
Break even each month
Write 200,000 words
Sell 100 books a month (or close to it)
Don’t give up
If I had sold 60 more books in 2016, I’d have reached 1,000 sold in my publishing career. I’ll cross that threshold next month, but I want to sell 1,000 books in a single year. I’ll obviously exceed that if I reach another one of my goals: sell 100 books a month. Who knows? Maybe six months in I’ll bump it up to 200 books a month.
I thought I didn’t do much writing in 2016, but looking at my word counts, I actually wrote roughly 50,000 words more this year than in 2015. Without even really focusing on writing! I have two novels to write in the next six months, so that’s at least 100,000 words right there. I still need to figure out my publishing schedule for 2018, so I’m not quite sure how many books I’ll need to write in 2017, but 200,000 words seems like an achievable goal.
Don’t give up. I’ve thought about it many times, but this is what I want to do. And it’s amazing to see how every little effort comes together to help you build the foundation of a career in publishing. Every little bit counts. As long as I keep my goals in mind, I just have to figure out the best ways to reach them.
November 21, 2016
Buy a paperback, get the ebook!
Treat yourself during your holiday shopping this year! Head on over to davidnethbooks.com/promo to shop from over 50 authors across a wide range of genres!
November 17, 2016
November 12, 2016
Go Indie’s now in paperback!
My guide for new self-publishers is now available in paperback! Pick up your copy in time for the holidays!
November 11, 2016
Guest Post: How to Motivate Yourself to Write a Book
This week Lucy Adams joins me on the blog to share her insights on what to do when you just plain don’t feel like writing, even though you know you need to in order to meet your goals. Take a look below at what she has to say.
It is no secret that many authors – both beginners and experienced – from time to time face the lack of motivation for writing and/or subsequent editing/finalizing. Have you even experienced the lack of will? If you write constantly, then, I bet, you have!
Days are passing by and you gradually lose your spirit along with the desire to write…What to do and is there a cure? I believe there is, and I’m gonna prove it in the lines below.
Running beforehand, I should mention that some may find the proposed approach too complicated, but be sure, you’ll feel the difference once you try it. If you have unanswered questions, feel free to ask them on this useful site.
To Do or Not to Do – That is the Question
Our daily routine consists of various affairs and responsibilities, from morning breakfast to watching TV before going to bed. So how to allocate time for a thoughtful and calm work on the book?
Let’s start with the fact that all routine things can be divided into four large groups, using two main criteria: urgency and importance. On a scale of urgency, affairs are divided into urgent – that requires immediate execution – and non-urgent – that we can postpone. On a scale of importance, we can allocate important or unimportant affairs depending on our personal priorities.
And now let’s form the four groups:
Urgent and important (study, work, sleep, eating, attending a birthday, an anniversary, force Majeure related to the health and safety). In general, if you do not take into account the work and study, urgent and important affairs take no more than 20% of the total time.
Non-urgent but important (for example, sports). We are well aware of how much they are important and useful, although they can be postponed for “better times.” Here we assign the attention that should be given to relatives and friends, hobbies (in our case – writing), self-education, and self-improvement.
Urgent but unimportant . These affairs arise by coincidence or someone’s will. For example, bonuses for daily visits in applications. Although the importance of these events is uncertain, we do them because of the urgency.
Non-urgent and unimportant . Basically, it’s entertainment – watching TV, browsing, etc. These things eat our time, but don’t bring any tangible benefits. We are attached to them by force of habit and laziness.
So, now when you are aware of this fundamental classification, I want to ask you: which of these groups is the most important? Which one defines your achievements and success?
Think #1, huh? Well, you’re mistaken. 99% people in the world have to study, work, sleep, and eat, but very few of them are really successful. It won’t make you different from millions of others.
So the right answer is #2! The fulfillment of these cases allows us to develop and grow, becoming better every single day. But, unfortunately, these affairs are not urgent, so many of us set them aside. Sports and diet get delayed until Monday or until the beginning of next month. Smart and useful books are lying on the nightstand for weeks and months. Just because reading is not urgent!
The same applies to writing. We wait for the Muse and the appropriate mood while the text is lying aside and waiting until we finally decide to add a few more pages. Of course, only if all the TV shows are covered.
The reality is that useless #4 affairs rob us of the precious time we could spend on the #2 achievements. Count all the time that you waste on #4 and I bet you will discover that this time is enough to write a few dozen full-length novels!
Well, I’ve just described the situation and don’t want to moralize anymore; the conclusions are up to you.
Priority
Undoubtedly, prioritizing, being part of time-management, is crucial. But nothing can help you if writing doesn’t excite you. Sit and think about the meaning of writing. Why do you need it – as a hobby, a source of income or just to spend/waste time? What place do you expect the literary to occupy in your life in 5, 10, 20 years? Decide on writing – whether you’re a stranger or a professional in it. And that’s a very important question.
When planning the pastime, just weigh the priorities. To view a movie or work on a book? To meet with friends or add a few more paragraphs to the story? Depending on the priority, writing may come on the forefront or stay in the background.
When you understand and weigh the priority of daily activities, getting rid of non-urgent and unimportant affairs, it turns out that you have enough free time to complete all the important and useful things from the #2 group. As well, you’ll find the true meaning of writing for you.
Do things you love and be in harmony with yourself and the outside world. See you soon!
Lucy Adams is a blogger and essay writer from BuzzEssay. She feels comfortable in a huge variety of niches, from psychology to marketing and business. Simply put, Lucy is a generalist. Feel free to suggest your craziest ideas and add some value to your website at no cost. Fast and grounded response guaranteed.
November 7, 2016
Enter to win a copy of Snow After Christmas!
I’m giving away THREE paperback copies of my holiday short story, Snow After Christmas! Click here to enter to win if you live in the US, Canada, or the UK! Now through the end of the month!
November 6, 2016
Sci-Fi & Fantasy Weekend Sale!
This weekend only shop from over 100 science fiction and fantasy books across all ebook retailers! Each book is only $0.99! The Harvest Moon is included!
