Zed Amadeo's Blog, page 10

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Beach Reads

Time for Top Ten Tuesday again, as hosted by The Broke and Bookish. This week’s theme is the top ten books I plan to have in my beach bag this summer (figuratively, of course). I’m not sure whether the books in my list classify as “traditional” beach reads, but they’re books I want to read this summer regardless, beach or no beach. All book covers are from Goodreads.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman
The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg
Sheepsquatch (Monsters of Pittsburgh Book 2) by Kate Whitaker
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
Gil’s All Fright Diner by Lee Martinez
Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard
Fall From Grace by J. Edward Ritchie
Nekropolis by Maureen McHugh
The Ritual by Adam Nevill

What are your beach reads for the summer? Leave a comment below!

 

 

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Book Review: Succubus by Kate Whitaker

What do you get when you mix Pittsburgh with the paranormal? Succubus by Kate Whitaker, a fantastic urban fantasy adventure.

Succubus (Monsters of Pittsburgh, Book 1) by Kate Whitaker

From Goodreads

I believe that I may have stumbled upon my newest favorite urban fantasy series.

I love demons in my fiction. I think that’s what initially caught my eye when I stumbled across this title on the Internet. This book did not disappoint.

Mina and Rick are demon hunters in the aforementioned city. They don’t just hunt down the supernatural – they are the supernatural. Mina is also a werewolf, while Rick is her Speaker – someone with the ability to control werewolves. The rest of the cast includes Sam, another demon hunter; Matty, Mina’s brother; and Dean, Mina’s ex and Matty’s current lover. The book hints toward further backstory, such as a conflict between Speakers and werewolves in the past, which will likely be illuminated in the rest of the series.

When Mina and Rick go out to a club one night, they find a succubus, a female demon, already feeding on the people in the club and getting them to do her bidding. This triggers Mina and Rick to do what they do best: kick some serious demon butt together. Although they may also share a deeper connection beyond demon-hunting…

I enjoyed how Whitaker took classic fantastical species such as demons and werewolves and injected them with her own originality, creating unique creatures in her urban fantasy setting. The characters are also real, and human despite also being supernatural. I can’t wait to jump into the next six books in the series, each of which is based off of another fantastic creature, and find out what other adventures Mina and Rick and the rest of the gang get themselves up to.

Succubus is available on the Kindle Store or for rental with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. You can also buy the omnibus collection if you want to read all of the stories back to back. A highly recommended beginning to what I’m sure is a great urban fantasy series.

Looking for a new read? Check out more of my book reviews.

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Practical Writing Advice: Selling Your Book

Want new ideas for increasing your book’s sales? Check out Rayne Hall’s Why Does My Book Not Sell? for quick advice on selling your book.

Why Does My Book Not Sell? 20 Simple Fixes by Rayne Hall

From Goodreads

At some point after you’ve written and published your book, you may find yourself asking why your book isn’t selling as well as you had hoped. Have no fear: Rayne Hall’s guide to selling your Book is here!

Hall’s guide is incredibly practical: the book is divided into 20 discrete areas where your book or marketing plan may be lacking, such as your book cover or targeted audience. Each section provides specific ways that you can improve in the area: for book covers, try an asymmetrical design, and for marketing, think about more specifically defining who your audience is likely to be.

What I took away most from this book was the need for targeted marketing. Instead of trying to market my book to all readers everywhere, I found it helpful to take a moment to really describe my target audience: what kind of books they read, how they tend to use the Internet, and where I might find them. This is turn helps me devote more time to developing marketing strategies that are more likely to reach my target audience instead of a broad strategy that might not appeal to readers of my specific niche.

Why Does My Book Not Sell? is probably most helpful for the indie author who already has some footing in their publishing career but in need of further suggestions for ways to sell their book. This guide may also be helpful for the writer who has not yet published but is thinking ahead and already working on a book marketing plan.

Rayne Hall’s book is available on Amazon for 99 cents or for rental with a Kindle Unlimited subscription.

Have a resource that has helped your writing career? Leave a comment below!

For more advice on independent publishing, check out my review of Michael Alvear’s How to Sell Fiction on Kindle.

 

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Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Read Last Year

This week on The Broke and the Bookish, the theme of Top Ten Tuesday is a freebie. I’ve decided to do a countdown of the Top Ten Books I Read Last Year (not necessarily in any particular order).

Top Ten Books I Read Last Year

1. The Pilo Family Circus by Will Elliot

From Goodreads

Jamie, the protagonist of the novel, becomes a clown after being thrust into the crazy eponymous circus. Part horror, part fantasy, and totally bizarre and enjoyable.

2. Geek Love by Katherine Dunn

From Goodreads

Another circus-themed book (2014 was basically a circus-themed year for me), detailing the story of a family-owned carnival as told by the albino, humpback, dwarf daughter.

3. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

From Goodreads

I’m not sure if there’s much more I can say about this book that hasn’t already been said elsewhere. Needless to say, House of Leaves quickly became one of my favorite books. Soon after reading I went in search of books with a similar feel.

4. Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer

From Goodreads

A speculative-fiction work reminiscent of Roadside Picnic. Imagine that a zone suddenly pops up, within which the normal rules of the world no longer apply. Now imagine being tasked to explore that zone and recover data for research.

5. Take One With You by Oak Anderson

From Goodreads

A thriller with lots of emotion and a unique premise.

6. Happy Ever After by Matt Shaw

From Goodreads

I’ve already covered this book in a previous review, but I’d like to reiterate just how much I enjoyed this book, which helped me discover one of my favorite indie horror authors.

7. The Raw Shark Texts by Stephen Hall

From Goodreads

I found this book while trying to find something like House of Leaves. One of those books that leaves you thinking long after you’ve read it.

8. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keys

From Goodreads

One of the few books that have almost made me cry. A real classic.

9. A Perfect Vacuum by Stanislaw Lem

From Goodreads

Reviews of books that don’t exist!

10. John Dies at the End by Daniel Wong

From Goodreads

As a fan of Cracked.com, this book did not disappoint.

 

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Book Baby Shower!

After almost two years since I began this project, I am extraordinarily happy to announce the release of Resurrection, the first novel in the Kindred dark urban fantasy series for Kindle!

Resurrection: Book #1 in the Kindred Series

Resurrection by Zed Amadeo, available on Amazon

As of yesterday, I am officially a published fiction author. Resurrection, the first Kindred book, is now live on Amazon. The book is the first in a series of dark urban fantasy novellas.

Resurrection marks the beginning of the journey of Dina, a woman who was once nothing more than ordinary. After a sudden and brutal attack that nearly kills her, Dina finds her life changing tremendously. Dina’s search for answers reveals a world of magic hidden within her city and the truth behind her attack. No longer wanting to be constantly afraid, Dina begins her training in magic to become a witch, building herself into a being with greater power than she could have ever imagined.

I’ll soon begin posting about the world of Kindred. Stay tuned!

Resurrection is available on Amazon for $2.99 or with a Kindle Unlimited subscription.

Buy Resurrection on Amazon
Resurrection on Goodreads

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Book Cover Premiere for Resurrection!

Wonderful people of the Internet and beyond, I am extraordinarily happy to premiere the book cover for Resurrection, the first in my “Kindred” series of dark fantasy novellas:

My cover was designed by vikncharlie, a freelance designer I found on Fiverr.com (where I also found an editor for Resurrection). If you’re an indie author, I highly recommend using Fiverr to find editors, proofreaders, designers, and other freelance services that can help you create your book.

I’ll be releasing Resurrection on the Amazon Kindle store later this month. Stay tuned for updates!

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Self-Publishing or Traditional Publishing?

In the discussion between self-publishing or traditional publishing, I say…Porque no los dos?

Self-publishing or Traditional Publishing?

A while back I was reading an otherwise helpful writing book, when almost out of nowhere, the author made a somewhat snarky remark about whether or not self-publishing “really” counts as being a published author. I was a little taken aback by this comment, especially since I had found the book useful and encouraging up until that point.

As I am moving forward with self-publishing my own works, I have encountered more debate about this very topic, and people valuing one form of publishing over another. I have heard some self-published authors not being considered as “real” authors, and other indie authors decrying traditional publishing.

I recently read The Book Marketing Bible (which I highly recommend to everyone, whether self- or traditionally published), in which Norm Schriever dedicates a chapter to this topic. I really respected the way Schriever handled this discussion, arguing that there is room for both. Each form of publishing has its advantages and disadvantages, so this battle of one versus the other may not be completely necessary.

I too have gone through making the choice between self-publishing or traditional publishing for myself. After exploring some options in the traditional path, I ultimately chose self-publishing for a few reasons. Completing book-length manuscripts and going through the process of editing has been a significant achievement in its own right for me. I didn’t want to go through the process of writing and submitting query letters to publishing houses when I could be spending that time distributing my works myself. I know that having my works picked up by a traditional publishing house doesn’t necessarily mean that I’ll sell lots of copies of my books. Some books that have tried the traditional route have found more success after self-publishing (such as Machine of Death). While this may necessitate putting more work into marketing my books and finding freelance editors and designers, I have enjoyed learning about publishing and all of the authors, both self- and traditionally published, that I have met along the way.

Who knows: perhaps my works may find more success going down the traditional route, and I’m not opposed to considering traditional options later on in my career. But for the moment, I’m incredibly happy and thrilled about my decision to self-publish. While I believe self-publishing is the right decision for my works at this stage, I do not think that it would always be the best choice for everyone else. I respect the work that both self-published and traditionally-published authors put into their writing and I wish everyone the best success no matter which route you choose.

Writers: what has your experience been with self-publishing or traditional publishing? Do you use one or the other, or some combination of both?

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Practical Writing Advice: Book Marketing

If you’re a newly published author and in need of book marketing advice, take a look at Norm Schriever’s The Book Marketing Bible.

The Book Marketing Bible by Norm Schriever

Image from Goodreads

As I’m learning through my journey into self-publishing, writing a book and marketing that book are two very different arenas. After having put so much effort into producing that piece of writing, you can’t help but care about it like it’s your own offspring. But if you want to sell copies of your book, you’ve got to share that enthusiasm with an audience. That’s where this guide comes in handy.

The Book Marketing Bible, as predicted by its subtitle, has a list of  99 tips you can use to help market your writing. Tips are often accompanied with potential tools and resources for launching them into action. For example, if you want to create a book trailer, Shriever provides suggestions on music and pacing to create an impactful video that could help increase interest in your book. Some of these suggestions were options that I had not previously considered, such as releasing bonus material as a fan guide or registering a hashtag for my book.

Before delving into these practical tips, the first half of the guide contains advice for getting yourself into the proper book marketing mindset. This part of the guide is useful for creating a solid author platform, encouraging you to think about why you write and what you want to provide to your audience, helping you ground your future book marketing efforts. I finished this book feeling even more pumped and excited about my soon-to-be published novellas and ready to strategize my marketing efforts.

Overall, The Book Marketing Bible is a wonderful guide for not only selling your book, but changing the way you think about marketing your writing. Schriever’s guide is available on Amazon for $2.99 or for rental with a Kindle Unlimited subscription.

Have a writing resource that has been especially helpful? Leave a comment below!

For more book marketing advice, check out my review of How to Sell Fiction on Kindle by Michael Alvear.

 

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Practical Writing Advice: Publishing on Kindle

If you’re planning on self-publishing via the Amazon Kindle store but are unsure of how to begin, How to Sell Fiction on Kindle by Michael Alvear has practical tips to help you market your book on Amazon.

How to Sell Fiction on Kindle by Michael Alvear

Image from Goodreads

I have found the process of self-publishing to be simultaneously exhilarating and overwhelming. I am thrilled that Amazon provides authors with the tools to publish their work, but I’m also concerned about how I’ll be able to best utilize these tools over the course of my publishing journey. How to Sell Fiction on Kindle by Michael Alvear has been incredibly helpful for planning my marketing strategy once my book is available on Amazon. Among other topics, Alvear’s guide contains strategy regarding:

Content to add to your AuthorCentral page
Creating and formating an effective Book Description
Coming up with titles and subtitles
Utilizing Amazon’s “Look Inside” feature
How to price your books
Using one book to promote your other books
Keyword research to increase your book’s visibility

Although I’ve read other books recommending that I perform keyword research on Amazon to target my book’s particular niche, How to Sell Fiction on Kindle was especially helpful for this aspect of marketing. Most other sources have suggested either manually performing keyword research word by word in Amazon’s search engine or purchasing keyword niche software. But if you purchase this book, you’ll get access to a database of niche keywords categorized by genre and subgenre that you can put into your book’s title, subtitle, and book description to help you reach more readers.

How to Sell Fiction on Kindle is available on Amazon for $4.99 or for rental with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. I am looking forward to implementing Alvear’s tips as I prepare to self-publish my stories on Kindle, and I hope you will also find useful advice within this guide.

Have a self-publishing resource to recommend? Leave a comment below!

For more information on publishing on Kindle, check out my review of How to Sell Your Books by the Truckload by Penny C. Sansevieri.

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Practical Writing Advice: How to Sell Books on Amazon

If you’ve ever had questions on how to sell your eBooks on the Kindle store, you are not alone. How to Sell Your Books by the Truckload on Amazon.com by Penny C. Sansevieri can serve as a practical guide to navigating self-publishing on Amazon.com.

How To Sell Your Books By The Truckload On Amazon.com by Penny C. Sansevieri

Image from Goodreads

Over the course of my journey into self-publishing, I have read a dizzying number of eBooks on the subject, some more helpful than others. How to Sell Your Books by the Truckload by Penny C. Sansevieri is one of those gems that is packed with practical tips on how to sell your book on Amazon.

If you’re already somewhat familiar with the Kindle store, you probably already know about placing your book into the proper category and creating your Author Central page. Sansevieri provides advice on how to best utilize these tools to increase book sales. For example, she provides suggestions on how to perform keyword research on Amazon to make sure that your desired audience is able to find your book more easily. Sansevieri also gives advice on how to set up and use your author page. In addition, How to Sell Your Books by the Truckload provides guidance on using the features of Amazon’s book promotion features and pre-order options for marketing your book.

How to Sell Your Books by the Truckload is a quick read with practical advice that can help you improve your book’s sales on Amazon. Instead of figuring out self-publishing all on your own, Sansevieri’s guide provides tips you can incorporate into your book marketing plan that could help improve your book’s presence on Amazon. Sansevieri’s guide is available on Amazon for $1.99 or for rental with a Kindle Unlimited subscription.

Have a self-publishing resource to recommend? Leave a comment below!

For more information on how to sell books on Amazon, check out my review of Matt Shaw’s Self-Publishing.

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