Joy Mutter's Blog: Joy Mutter's blog, page 38

Yesterday's BBC Radio 4 interview

I was interviewed at my home yesterday for BBC Radio 4's Analysis programme by a lovely, blue-haired lady journalist called Jo Fidgen. Our conversation was recorded by another journalist called Joe Kent. They travelled all the way from London to Oldham in order to interview me in my living room. I think I gave them what they needed for the show. Jo is in the process of making a programme on the subject of inheritance which is scheduled to be broadcast on 22.2.2016 at 20.30 and repeated on 28.2.2016 at 21.30. They wanted to interview me because I have had personal experience of being disinherited. I have written about this emotive subject and many others in my autobiography The Mug Trilogy. Disinheritance is also a strong theme in my contemporary fictional thriller Random Bullets. All six of my books are available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions.

My forthcoming Radio 4 interview

I am looking forward to my BBC Radio 4 interview that is scheduled to take place this Wednesday. Two BBC journalists are travelling from London to my home in Oldham to interview me on the subject of disinheritance. Having been disinherited by my father who was also disinherited by his father, it is a subject that I know a fair bit about. It crops up in four of my six books, namely my autobiography The Mug Trilogy and my latest thriller Random Bullets. Wish me luck for Wednesday!

Happy 2016 to one and all!

1.1.2016

2015 was one of my best years on earth due to the fact that I rather surprised myself. A year ago today, I could never have guessed that I would have self-published six books in both Kindle and paperback format. I may have mentioned this before about a million times but I am still in shock!

I wrote two of the books from scratch in 2015, but the other four had been written over the past ten years. I decided not to mess around wasting any more time waiting to be discovered by a literary agent but opted instead to become my own publisher through Createspace and Kindle Direct Publishing. It was an uplifting experience and I recommend it to any writer. Before you ask, no, I do not have any shares in Amazon.

It is now a month since all of my books were self-published on Amazon. Although my book sales could have been better, I have received several four and five star reviews for each book from the people who took a leap of faith and bought one or all of my books. I have posted their wonderful reviews onto my website to encourage me further in my endeavours. Living with Postcards, my non-fiction book has sold the best out of the six, with Random Bullets also doing well, followed by Potholes and Magic Carpets, then A Slice of the Seventies. When readers have finished reading my autobiographical A Slice of the Seventies, as it is the first book in The Mug Trilogy they hopefully might consider buying the other two books, The Lying Scotsman and then Straws. I live in hope.

My plan for 2016 is to continue my disciplined but enjoyable regime of writing from 11am to 6pm each day including weekends. In the first half of 2016, I will hopefully finish writing and then publish my contemporary erotic thriller fantasy called Hostile. This will be followed by me publishing my almost completed collection of short stories. I am thinking of calling this short story collection, each written in different genres, Joy’s Shorts, but I might reconsider.

During the past few months, I have been somewhat reluctantly marketing all of my books more than I thought I would. However, I need to try even harder to spread the word about my books because the competition is so great. At least I now have my 500 printed colour postcards advertising all of my books to hand out to anyone that I meet who asks me about my books. I am also going to order new printed postcards solely for my non-fiction Living with Postcards paperback book. As it is a totally different type of book to my five fiction books, it needs different marketing and targeting. I must aim it towards anyone that is interested in looking at or collectiong old postcards, those interested in nostalgia, ephemera, history and beautiful objects in general.

If 2016 is as exciting and emotionally rewarding as 2015 has been then I will feel as happy and enthused as I am feeling today. I must resolve to try to make 2016 just as emotionally rewarding. However, I need to be realistic and also try to make it more financially rewarding by marketing better. That will be easier said than done because the skill in marketing books is very different to the skill in writing them. Having written, designed and produced the interior and covers and published all of the books myself, at least there are no costs for me to recoup.

My motivation to write more books has never been higher, so I am entering 2016 bubbling over with hope and enthusiasm. I even have an interesting idea for another thriller to write after Hostile and Joy’s Shorts are published, but more of that later.

Happy New Year to one and all!

Just being neighbourly

My next door neighbour knocked on my front door the other evening to ask if I had a copy of my book 'Living with Postcards' that he could buy to give as a Christmas present to his mum. Luckily I had a spare copy. He asked me if I would sign it. I naturally was happy to oblige. I guess that counts as my first book signing and I didn't even have to leave the house!

If my lovely neighbour had been better prepared for Christmas, he could have bought my book or one of my other five books from Amazon at http://amzn.to/1Jl0Org.

By: admin

Hi Bantal,

Thank you very much for your lovely, encouraging comments. I made this website myself with no help from anyone. I have never made one before, but as I self-published all of my books through Kindle Direct Publishing for the eBook versions and also produced all of the covers and interior book designs through CreateSpace, I am used to getting to grips with software. I was a graphic designer for twenty years and taught myself all of the software to earn a living. I am so pleased that you liked my website.

Kind regards,

Joy Mutter

By: bantal

I really like your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you create this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you? Plz respond as I’m looking to create my own blog and would like to know where u got this from. cheers|

bantal

All six of my books now available in paperback!

Yesterday was a very special day for me. I self-published all six of my books as paperback editions. They went live on Amazon in the evening. The speed of publication took me by surprise because I was told that it would take a few weeks before they went on sale, but no, it was immediate. As soon as I pressed the 'Approved' button, they were on sale.
I was so impressed that I even bought a copy of one of my own books, 'Living with Postcards' and had it delivered to my mother over in Jersey. She will be pleased, as she thinks all of my other books have too much sex in them ha! I hope that she approves of my dedication to her in the front of the book.
Last week was frantic for me. I was working on my own for twelve hours a day in order to achieve my publishing goal. I almost fainted with excitement as the first printed proofs were delivered into my trembling hands. The Kindle versions are fine, but every author knows that nothing compares to holding your own printed books in your hands.
I amended each proof, changed the size of each book and made the covers myself. Still, all that is behind me now and I can continue working on books seven and eight. One book is another erotic thriller with an even bigger fantasy twist than in 'Random Bullets' and the other book is a collect ion of short stories in various genres.

Random Bullets, my sixth book

On 27th September 2015, with very little splash, bunting and brouhaha, I self-published 'Random Bullets' on Amazon at the eye-watering price of £0.99. It is an erotic thriller with a fantasy twist. The low price of my latest eBook is in line with my policy to keep all of my books affordable for everyone. I mentioned the fact that I had published 'Random Bullets' on Twitter, Vine, on my Facebook author page and my website with very little effect because I have only sold three copies in three weeks or so. Luckily, I have now steeled myself for receiving very little response, so I expected as much to happen. I know that the biggest threat to my love of writing is a feeling of despondency due to realising that nobody gives a hoot whether I have published a new book or not. Only acclaimed, long-standing authors have readers panting for the release of their latest oeuvre. Realism has crept into my life over the three months since I published my first five books on Amazon following my initial unsustainable euphoria.

I am now working on a collection of short stories of mixed genres and thoroughly enjoying the experience. I am sticking to my timetable of writing from eleven in the morning until six in the evening. Decent book sales would be a very welcome cherry on the cake, but unless I throw time and money into promoting the books it is unlikely to happen. I am more interested in writing than in promoting the end result, but I probably will change the emphasis at some point over the next few years. There are apparently many con artists out there keen to profit from promoting an author's books, especially if the author is self-published. I do not want my enjoyment of writing tainted because of falling foul of this type of unscrupulous business. At this point, my books can take their chances with a minimum of publicity amidst the millions of others on offer.

Ironically, I have just listened to a televised discussion of the topic of authors buying reviews of their books. I wonder whether the public will suspect book reviews in future and not rely on them to make their book purchasing decisions. Until recently, I yearned for more starred book reviews, but only genuine ones. I would only be interested in receiving honest, above board reviews and would not dream of buying one to appear more established and venerated than I really am. Authors who buy their reviews have muddied the waters for everyone. What price literary fame based on dishonesty? I hope this shady practice of buying book reviews will be stamped out so that the true value of a book review can be restored.

Where is everybody?

With considerable difficulty, the first part of the task is complete. I am finally a published author, ten years after starting to write my first book. There are now five, almost six of my e-books available to purchase on Amazon by anyone with the urge to buy them. The past year has seen me emailing chunks of each work off to be scrutinised by an ever-increasing number of literary agents. I emailed my last offering to eighty-five agents, but it has so far turned out to be a fruitless occupation, although not all have yet replied. I impatiently decided to shun them all just as they had ever so politely shunned me. After a sudden rush of blood to the head, I opted to self-publish. Some literary agents had made encouraging noises, particularly over my penultimate book, ‘Potholes and Magic Carpets.’ However, as they have hundreds of book samples thrust at them weekly, they said that they did not have space on their lists for little, old me.

After speaking to three authors who have had books published through established publishing houses, I realised that I did not want to work for any publishers in any case, with their deadlines and intrusive input. I have always been a fairly strict self-disciplinarian and do not need anyone to crack the whip to force me to write. Having decided to change tack, I launched myself onto an unsuspecting world, rejecting the constraints and shackles of a traditional publishing house.

The plan was for me to trot along to my friend Diane’s house and pay her husband to upload my books onto Amazon. That particular day, Diane was busy making jam and suggested meeting up the following week. As there was far too much fire in my belly to wait until the following week, I gritted my teeth, girded my loins and decided to tackle the task myself.

I researched the Kindle direct publishing process, watched several YouTube video tutorials on the subject and dived headfirst into the absorbing world of self-publishing. After a few extremely helpful telephone calls and some online correspondence between Diane and myself whenever I hit a brick wall, my first book disappeared up the chute. With the click of a button, it was suddenly made available to the world through Amazon, much to my delirious, giddy delight. I could not have managed it without Diane’s initial assistance and encouragement, for which I am eternally grateful.

Silence then followed with zero response for the first few hours. What had I expected? Did I honestly think that clamorous applause would ring out across the world because a woman in Oldham had published her first book? Irrationally, maybe I was, such was my over-excitement over what I had just achieved. I had no way of knowing what to expect, because I had never even used Amazon to buy other author’s books, having always been an iTunes customer. I was so hyped up on adrenaline and over-work after succeeding in my ambition after a decade of trying, it was hard for me to come to terms with the fact that the world fundamentally did not give a damn about my book, not deep down, not like I did. Why should they?

To blot out the deafening silence, I immediately ploughed my way through publishing the remaining four, already written books. Over the next couple of weeks, I learned more about the entire process. I was engrossed to the point of obsession, twiddling with my laptop for over twelve hours each day, revising each book countless times until I was satisfied with content, layout and covers. Having earned a living for over twenty years as a graphic designer who has laid out artwork for other author’s books, it is a joy to lay out my own literary works.

I eagerly looked at my sales figures at least six times a day during the next few days and was ecstatic when the first book of my Mug trilogy was purchased by a mystery buyer in America. Oddly, my first three buyers were from America, despite me being a British author. I am doing much of what new, self-publishing authors should do; I bought a domain name, set up my first author’s website and created my page on Author Central. I promote my books on Twitter, Vine, Spreaker, LinkedIn, Facebook and anywhere else that I can think of. I am mindful that too much self-promotion could be irritating and counter-productive. However, such was my initial over-excitement that I am embarrassed to admit that I even informed my neighbour, three taxi drivers and two Tesco deliverymen about my book publishing enterprises. I could sense their polite indifference.

My mother eventually managed to access my Amazon Author page and telephoned me from Jersey to rave about how much she loved my non-fiction, ‘Living with Postcards’ book sample. Gaining any sort of praise from my mother has always been quite an achievement and her words touched me deeply.

‘I shan’t be buying any of your books until they’re in print,’ she added. I smiled and sighed. So like my mother. She eventually bought all five books and I am now awaiting the backlash, as most of my books have a fair sprinkling of sex in them and three are mainly autobiographical.

It has been three weeks since all of my five books were published on Amazon. There have been nineteen book sales worldwide during that time, nine books of which were bought by either me, my mother or my sister, who is reading her way through ‘the Mug Trilogy.’ They have both given me welcome, constructive criticism which I have acted upon. Perhaps there might be an increase in sales when the price is discounted to $1.99 for a week in late August, a normal part of the traditional, Amazon book-selling strategy. I am still finding my feet as far as the pricing of my books goes. I am considering permanently lowering the prices because they are only e-books, despite my decade of hard work to produce them. It takes much longer than three weeks to build even minor publishing success, especially as an unknown non-celebrity.

I am content now that my life-long ambition of becoming a published author has been achieved. Am I disheartened by the understandably slow response? I was initially mildly deflated, but that sinking feeling has diminished and will never deter me from completing books six, seven and however many books I am lucky enough to produce in my lifetime. Book sales are a secondary incidental to me because I am aware that the competition from other writers is intense and growing daily. Fortunately, my main pleasure comes from the writing process itself. I was never in it for the money, which is just as well.