E. Rachael Hardcastle's Blog, page 15

Why Authors Should Give Their Book Away For Free

As an author, you may think giving away your book for free is a crime. If you've slaved over the words for months, struggled with the editing process and have eventually managed to produce a professional, book store quality novel, you'll no doubt be hoping to earn some royalties as your reward. For a stand alone novel, this is fine, but for book one of a series, giving out some freebies is a brilliant marketing tool.A few quick and easy ways to give your book away for freeUse Draft 2 Digital, where setting your price at zero is acceptable and circulated across a wide variety of platforms.Send it to email subscribers as a gift (PDF format may be more suitable, but others aren't uncommon either).Make it easily available as a PDF on your website.Publish the book with a zero price everywhere else, then contact Amazon KDP and ask them to price match on their website.Run a KDP promotion if you only want to give it away for free for a few days.If you have a paperback version, KDP will let you offer the ebook to those who have purchased a hard copy for free.Benefits of giving your book away for freeNew readers can try your work without losing money if they don't like it (risk-free, no financial loss, ideal for those who usually only read traditionally published books or have just bought their e-reader and are looking to fill it).Great for people going on holiday who are browsing their favourite retailer.More people are likely to download the book on their e-reader if they don't have to pay for it, even if they don't read it straight away.Less of a piracy temptation if people can download it legally for free.If they enjoyed the first one and payed nothing, readers may be more likely to continue the series and pay for the next one, knowing the quality of work is high.You will be more likely to stay in the Amazon Free Bestsellers list for your genre.People may be more likely to leave a review if they got it for free and enjoyed it.Limitations of giving your book away for freeYou won't earn royalties for those downloads.Your book will be easily identified as an indie if it is perma-free.People might download it and never read it.No matter your opinion of perma-free, having a free or low-cost book to hook new readers is a fantastic marketing tool. You can quickly and easily circilate your work to millions of excited readers and any of them could fall in love with your work enough to become fans for life. It's also a good way to build your mailing list or following. Offer something for free in exchange for their email address - they can always unsubscribe later.As always, if you have any questions or need clarification please contact me. I currently have one perma-free book and one 99c book on offer and I can honestly say it works a treat. I have met so many new readers and writers through my offers, so I highly recommend it. If you would like to try either of those, the links are below for your convenience.E. Rachael Hardcastle

How To Format Your Manuscript For Free, Using Free Software

If you've been following my 'Write the damn book' blog posts, you'll know I love free stuff. Open Office is a free word processor that does everything Microsoft Word does and even comes with the other programmes for presentation and finance. I'm going to give you step by step instructions to set up a 5"x8" manuscript using this software, but if you have Microsoft Word I can imagine it's just as easy.The entire process below took me approximately two hours (because I watched the videos a few times). With practice, you could probably set this up in under an hour.Click here to download Open Office.A quick note, I used the videos below to learn how to do this myself, so full credit for these notes goes to the creator of that content.Video One (watch me first)Video Two (watch me second)You will notice I have tweaked the settings in these videos to suit my own needs. They cover a 6x9" manuscript file, but it's fairly easy to set it up for a different book - if you need help, just ask. Also, If you need to print or bookmark this page to follow the instructions, please feel free to do so and let me know how it works out.Step OneFigure out your book's size in cm (UK) or inches (US), because Open Office will change the format of the figures according to where you live. In the UK, the setting seems to be cm, so my book is a 12.7x20.32cm (5x8") paperback with black and white, cream paged interior.You can amend the template to include hyperlinks when you're done if you need to adapt the manuscript for an e-book.You may also want to find out what your book will cost to print when it's completed. Based on a 600 page book, through Createspace you're looking at $8.05 for printing and $4.88 for shipping if you're just ordering one. If you want to convert dollars to pounds, type in google 'dollars to pounds' and you will get a handy calculator up on screen.Step TwoStart a new document and open up the Styles and Formatting window. You need to look at page formats first, because you're going to have to set up two different styles. The first is called 'Blank' which will be used for titles and copyright, and the second is called 'Basic' which is used for everything else.Now you need to right click and create a new page style - give it the relevant title and then follow the settings below for each one.Title "Blank"PortraitMirrored PagesMargins - inner .75" and Outer, Top & Bottom - .5"Title "Basic"PortraitMirrored PagesMargins (same as above)Header OnTurn same content left and right option off (take out the tick)Header spacing - .10"Header height - .50"Do the same for your footerNOTE: You can add an additional option for your header and footer where you can outline or create a border around them. I use a black 1.10pt option for both, which appears as two thin lines. You will see on the little image to the left that you can click the section you want to outline. Ensure you select the footer or header when you do this, or you may change the wrong setting by mistake!Step ThreeNow we need to create our paragraph styles and formatting, which should be in that same section somewhere. You're going to modify the below styles according to these settings. To mofidy them, right click and select "Modify".TitleIndents and spacing 2" above and .8" belowCentre alignment24pt Constantia font (or whichever you would like to choose) - no bold, italics etc. I like to use caps for titles, though.SubtitleIndents and spacing 1.0cm above and 0.20cm belowCentre alignmentThe same font as the title but use size 18pt instead.SignatureIndents and spacing is the same as the titleCentre alignmentFont is the same as the title but use size 14pt instead.Text BodyIndentation to the first line should be .5"Justified alignmentYou can change the font, but I like to stick to size 10pt or 12pt Times New RomanHeading 1Indents are 1" below and .2" aboveFont should be 18pt (same as your title and subtitle) with no bold or italics (I do not use caps for headings)Centre justified.NOTE: I like to use my character map to spruce up my chapter headings, but be sure to check which are accepted when the file is converted by your publisher. Alternatively you could use something like ~ Chapter One ~ to make the header look nice.Header Left10pt font sizeLeft alignmentHeader right10pt font sizeRight alignmentStep FourYou now need to create two new paragraph styles. Right click and select 'new' to do this, and give each one a title as follows:CopyrightLinked with -none-Indents 1cm aboveLeft alignmentTimes New Roman font in size 12pt, no bold or italicsText Body FirstLinked With -text body-Indents back to zero (o.oo)Justified alignmentNOTE: this is for the very first paragraph at the beginning of a chapter, so you can do some lovely drop caps here if you want. To add a drop cap, go to the drop cap tab and turn them on (tick). The number of characters should be 1 and the lines should be 3; this means when you write 3 lines, the first letter in that paragraph will become larger and fit across all three lines (there should be an image example when you set this up). Character style - select drop caps.Step FiveEither start writing or copy and paste your information in, then double click the paragraph style relevant to that page.Note, however, when adding another page where there is a new heading etc and not just continuing text in that chapter, use Insert, Page Break and select whether you want it to be blank or basic (as per your creations). This will determine what the page looks like. If you select the Basic option, you can also tell the document when to start counting your pages. You don't want page one to be the title page, so wait until you actually begin your Prologue or Chapter One before you use this, and of course, begin at page one!Click into the footer and go to Insert, Fields, Page Number.Click into the header on the left page and, in capitals, write your author name, E. RACHAEL HARDCASTLE. Do the same on the right but write the book's title, FINDING PANDORA. Change accordingly to your own details, of course.You can also use a basic copyright template so the page looks professional and accurate. I usedthis resource hereto copy a free template and then filled in the details.I Googles 'copyright page of a book' to find this.And that's it!As always, if you need help or clarification and the original videos are of no help, get in touch and I will do my utmost to assist you.E. Rachael HardcastleIf you would like to download my free novel, Finding Pandora: World, please go towww.books2read.com/findingpandora.

The Author Interviews, Round 3: #2: Bryan Aiello

Twitter is a fantastic place to meet new people, and it was yesterday that I met Bryan Aiello, who agreed to let me pick his brains about writing and reading. His answers are honest but short, so I've included all of them in one post for your convenience. If you would like to support Bryan, follow him on social media and get chatting about his work.Tell us a little about yourself - Perhaps something not many people know?I'm a U.S. Army Vet living in New York City. I graduated from the University of South Florida. I'm the father of twins. I was in a play in college once. It was the worst experience of my life. I went from fantasizing about being an actor to never wanting to do it again.What made you want to become a writer?I have always been a storyteller and love to make people laugh.Million dollar question, are you working on another book?Of course!Los Amigos is currently a novella in first draft form. At 15k words I call it a modern Mexican fairy tale. Its an urban noir story about revenge and striving to be more then you are allowed to be. I will be returning to this story after I finish my first draft of the Greek from Nowhere. It will end up a lot longer.TGFN is a science fiction story about a war vet and a geneticist who gets stuck thousands of light years from earth on a space station facing a sentient tech that is deciding whether to kill them or not. I think there is 80k worth of story here and I am halfway done writing itI also am in the early stages of a story I am calling the King of Thebes. I am attempting to tell the lost sophocles tragedy of Liaus Rex. Its at 30k right now and I think it will end up being a battle story between Liaus and Kreon where Kreon ends up his slave and Jocasta's his bride.Have you written any other books that are not published?I am have collected my short science fiction stories and my short fantasy into two separate books and will be publishing them soon. I’m still working on which titles to include.What do you think about the ebook revolution?I think traditional publishing is dying. There have been lots of abuses there and I am not sad to see it go. I like a future where the artist is not beholden to a brick and mortar establishment. The only negative is the slush pile that once got weeded through on a publisher's desk but is now readable competition.What is your advice to Indie Authors? On writing? Marketing?I struggle with marketing. My current marketing strategy is to write more. Always be writing to paraphrase the cliche. I think writer's block is just the physical manifestation of laziness and a word count doesn't grow itself.Do you still write? If so, what does your typical day look like?I wake at 2am, write for three hours and aim for a thousand words. I get my wife and kids up and out to work and school, come home, nap and then work on short stuff in the afternoon.What is your writing style?I write in third person omniscient and enjoy short punchy sentences. I like to think my style is very similar to noir in that my settings are dangerous, the outlook is bleak and the character struggling with personal demons.Pen or type writer or computer?Computer. Google Docs actually.Do you write alone or in public?Alone and first thing in the morning. I love the hush of approaching dawn and a steaming cup of fresh coffee.Music or silence?Music. I discovered that music written for gaming is intended to help players be focused. So I listen to a lot of gaming soundtracks.Do you set goals of certain number of words a week or just when inspiration strikes?At a very minimum I aim for 350 words on each project I work on during the day. I prefer more and usually won't stop writing until I have run out of time.What tactics do you have when writing? (For example: outline or just write)I am the boxer type. Meaning I have an idea and I beat it into shape by going over and over and over it.I never outline, but I also never stop thinking about where I am and what comes next naturally.I prefer to have an ending place in mind, though; an anchor to pull me towards the end of the story.What has your experience been like as an new Indie Author? Bruises, Highlights, and lessons?Love is not guaranteed, but can be earned. I want to tell a good story and hope to find an audience that wishes to read my story.What have you put most of your effort into regarding writing?The editorial process.How did you get connected with so many authors for your interviews?Twitter is amazing for connected like minded people.What is/are your book(s) about?My story is about a nigerian, who escaped his gang war infested country and winds up in West Atlanta working for drug dealers as muscle.It’s an old story:He falls in love with the wrong girl. Loses fifty thousand dollars earmarked for a drug buy. Chases her home to the appalachian mountains while he is being chased by the dudes who had been expecting to be selling some drugs and instead owe money to the wrong people.I also explore the collateral damage of addiction and ignorance in the face of a dangerous world.Does your book have a lesson? Moral?Don’t do drugs, don’t look for quick easy ways to get rich and never try to escape your past.What is your favourite part of your current book?In TGFM I have this ancient planet size A.I. who calls himself the Dark Universe. He started this whole novel.If you were running the 100 yard dash with a new writer. What writing, publishing wisdom would you bestow upon him/her before you reached the 100 yards?Write everyday.Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?I am the puppet master.If you could spend time with a character from your book who would it be? And what would you do during that day?Major is the Nigerian former child soldier. I feel like he has the best story. I would like to hear his wisdom on how to get up in the morning when you are weighed down by tons of guilt and a bleak future as an unregistered illegal alien in a world that wants you to do only one thing, be a warrior.What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author?Mistakes matter. Clean prose will beat a great story any day.What has been the best compliment?I made my mom cry once with a two line poem. Thats when I realized I could affect people with my words.What is something memorable you have heard from your readers/fans?I like the word wow. I love when someone needs to comment so bad and all they can say is wow.What book have you read that has most influenced your life?Zen and the Art of Motorcycle MaintenanceFactotumWho is your favourite author and why?Bukowski, because he beat the keys to his typewriter like life beat the shit out of him.What is the most amusing thing that has ever happened to you?Sentience. The awareness of looming death is the funniest thing ever.Do you have any hidden or uncommon talents?I am an undiagnosed engineer with no math skills who solves problems through trial and error.What gives you inspiration for your book(s)?I love images for inspiration.Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?I consider everything fodder for fiction.Could you tell us a bit about your most recent book and why it is a must-read?I think the most redeeming aspect of my novel is my characters. I dig deep into what they are and what made them that way. It's how my imagination works.What do you love most about the writing process?The page and word count.Of all the characters you have created, which is your favourite and why?I wrote a first person love story and when I was done I recognized so much of myself in the protagonist. It did not work out for the guy, just like things don't always work out for me.What is the biggest surprise that you experienced after becoming a writer?I am not alone. So many writers are out there trying to do the same thing as me, find an audience and the time to tell stories. The struggle is real for so many.Tell us a little about your plans for the future. Where do you see yourself as a writer in five years?I would like to see myself working on team orientated projects, like film, graphic novels, or video games as well as pushing towards finishing more works.Favourite fiction book?The one I currently can't put down. Best feeling ever to be fully engaged with a book.Favourite non-fiction book?Freakanomics and any autobiography.Which of your books do you like the best?It is always the one I am currently working on/ finishedWhere can we find you online?Twitter @bryaielloDetinationwrite.wordpress.comReddit /u/voyage_of_RoadkillAny website or resources that have been helpful to you as a writer?Maybe it’s too simple of an answer, but Google and Wikipedia are invaluable to me.Have you thought about joining with another author to write a book?Not a book. Other mediums most definitely.If you could have been the author of any book ever written, which book would you choose?The complete works of Shakespeare. The Bard has eternal life.Do you consider yourself to be a successful writer? If so, why? If not, what would make you successful?You have to write to be a writer. I am good at that part of it.What genre do you consider your books to be? Have you considered writing in another genre?I write noir/crime, and fantasy/science fictionWhat do your friends and family think of your writing? Are they supportive?My wife is my first reader on everything. She is my family.Planner or pantser?Pantser?Do you do book tours?I would, I love to travel.What character in your book are you least likely to get along with?Money. He is a murdering psychopath looking to advance in life through pure brutality.What would the main character in your book have to say about you?'2am really?'Who is the most famous person you have ever met?I talked to Zach Braff on the phone once when working for Amazon.com. I gave him a fifty dollar discount just because I was a fan.If you could write about anyone fiction/non-fiction who would you write about?I like the idea of people being ordained into a position by a God. So kings or pontiffs are very interesting to me.Do you have any writing-related qualifications?I did my undergrad work in Creative writing/English literature.You are living in the world from your latest novel. Where are you? What is it like?I think Atlanta Georgia and Huntington West Virginia are hard places to call home. Both are honor cultures. Fight to survive places. The biggest meanest Alpha dog does the best.You are your most recent protagonist. Who are you? What is the first thing you do?I am a Greek guy from Queens who is severely injured in a battle on the border of Mexico and Texas. I have positronic parts in my brain and left lung and my left arm and leg are completely replaced with robotics.My name is George Malakos.The first thing I do is look out the glass domed top of the space station I call home and marvel at the fact I get to live in space.Where do you get your ideas?The ether.Why do you write?I feel it in my soul, a yearning to make something, build something, describe how life feels.How do you deal with bad reviews, rejection and criticism?Work harder.What do you find difficult about writing?Commas.Do you ever outsource (editing and cover design) your work?I am my only employee.What is your opinion on the indie vs traditional publishing argument?I think traditional publishing is struggling in an internet dominated world. Amazon rules the rooast and has the right idea going forward.Talk us through your creative process from start to finish.I write without hesitation and then go back and edit. I am constantly tinkering with the story. I could be three hundred pages in and go back and edit the first fifty because of an idea that strikes me. I also want to tell many stories and view my current effort as a burden standing in my way of the next one.What advice would you give to aspiring writers?Write everyday and never use writer's block as excuse. Study craft. Study marketing. Read everything.Give us your top three book marketing/ promotion tips.Write on social mediaBlogEngage wherever possibleWould you agree a good book must withstand more than one read?No, there are too many books to read to ever re-read something.What do you look for when shopping on Amazon for a Kindle book? Are any of them more important to you than others?I use Reddit as a first stop in my book shopping. I watch for suggestions on topics I find interesting.Do you have a favourite genre to read?Astronaut autobiographies, these people are superhumanWhat would it take for you to leave a book review?Lots of inspiration.After downloading book one of a series for free or discounted on Amazon, do you ever go back and pay more for book two? If not, why?I will if I loved the first one.Do you ever visit an author's website? If so, what do you look at?Always. I look for examples of marketing and how they engage.If an author offered you a free book, would you sign up to their mailing list?Sure, but I am currently reading like 75 books and things tend to get lost easily.Do you ever enter giveaways and/ or order signed copies?No.Do you use a bookmark or fold the pages?Ereader only.Are you more likely to buy a book if there are various formats available?Only ereader format.What are the biggest giveaways that a book is self-published?Cover?How do you go about world building? Do you make a map and if so, how?I think the best fodder for fiction is reality. The rules that govern the world I live in should govern the world I intend to build.What additional material or goodies go into your novels?I strive for as much reality as I can muster mister.What is your favourite distributor for Indies? Amazon, Nook etc…I don't think I have a favorite distributor yetThank you to Bryan for taking the time to answer 80 writing and reading questions! If you would like to contact him, please do so on the provided social media links in the interview. You can also support him by purchasing a copy of one of his books (as seen throughout the interview). My free book is also available via the link below.As always if you need help or clarification you can also get in touch with me. We all wish Bryan the very best with his writing.E. Rachael Hardcastle

How To Write A Mission Statement

What is a mission statement?Your mission statement is an opportunity to outline who you are, what your goals are, your morals, values, ethics, culture, and what you have to offer. Imagine you're introducing yourself at a public speaking event or someone at a book fair asks about your publishing company. What are you going to tell them? How are you going to squash all the important bits into a short, snappy introduction?Why do I need a mission statement?A mission statement tells the reader who you are, what you do and why you do it. It's a fantastic way to make a first impression on your website, blog or on any printed documentation you're sending out. To write my mission statement, I used Google to search for 'how to write a mission statement' and stumbled uponthis website, which I found to be very helpful.I did not write that information so full credit for the article goes to the creator.How should I structure my mission statement?I used the below segments as inspiration to write my mission statement, then reformatted it to flow a bit better. Here's how I structured the topics:Who Am I?What do I do?Why do I do it?What do I believe in?What are the benefits to others?What problems do I solve?What do I want for the future?Below is my mission statement (seen on my 'About Me' page) with notes to break each part down for you. When you're writing your own, be honest but be professional. You need to show people who you are beneath the exterior 'writer' label. What makes you special and by following you, what will that person gain? I would prefer that you didn't just use mine (because how will you learn?), so I'm going to make it really easy for you to put something together. It took me several drafts to get it just right, so don't worry if your first attempt is a little... deflating.'Hi, I'm Rachael, a high fantasy and post-apocalyptic fiction author from West Yorkshire, UK.- A short, snappy, opening sentence to introduce myself. Who am I? What do I do? Where am I from?I'm a dreamer, a deep thinker, a bookworm and grammar nerd. I write poetry between imaginative high fantasy, post-apocalyptic and science fiction novels.- I have expanded my description a little to give a bit of personal information, but this is of course optional. When they read this introduction, what will they have in common with you? You need the reader to feel they can trust you and befriend you.I believe that through writing we face our darkest fears, explore infinite new worlds and realise our true purpose. I write to entertain and share important morals and values with the world, but above all, I write to be a significant part of something incredible.- Why do I write and what do I believe in? This was a difficult statement to make because I had to be really honest with myself and the reader. I had to sit and effectively analyse my books and who I am to figure out why I do what I do, and what the point is. It was a fun and interesting task and I feel on track to meet my writing goals because of it. I also better understand my audience.All my fantasy and post-apocalyptic books face our planet's struggles because I believe that together we can build a stronger future for the human race.- This is just something I discovered when writing the above, so I added this line as an extension.I support independent publishing so all my stories are written, edited, formatted and published by me, offering a low-cost, epic adventure and a memorable escape from reality for my readers.- What are the benefits to others? What problems do I solve? Here I tell my readers that I support indie publishers and do everything myself. This is hopefully to inspire and encourage them to give it a go too, but also to let them know I'm an ideal person to contact if they have questions in the future. By 'solving problems', I mean what do I offer them that others may not? I like to keep my prices low and I want the reader to feel they have been on an adventure when they read my books.Visit my 'Books' page for more information.- A call to action/ invite to look elsewhere on the website.Here is a brief cheat sheet/ template you can use when writing your own mission statement. All you have to do is complete the sentences:My name is (NAME) and I'm a (GENRE) writer from (COUNTRY). I believe that (BELIEF/S) because (REASON). My books are (DESC) which you can find by visiting (LINK). I support (WHAT?), because (REASON)/ so I (ACTION).And that's all you need to know.As always if you need help with the above or would like some clarification, please feel welcome to contact me.E. Rachael HardcastleYou can also download my free high fantasy novel by visitingwww.books2read.com/findingpandora.

How To Organise An Indie Book Signing

To some, being successful means selling tons of paperbacks, signing them and then seeing someone reading them on public transport. To others, just having someone purchase a paperback book you've published is enough. I can't promise anyone will read it in your line of sight, but I can talk you through some really easy (free) steps to arrange a book signing of your own to help this dream become reality.Step one - Find A VenueYou've written and published your novel and you're looking for somewhere to set up and sell them. Most large book shops or chain stores won't take a chance on an indie author, but local bookshops might. You could approach them, but they would have to stock the book and be making money to agree, which makes perfect sense.So, it's quite well known that libraries aren't doing great at the moment, and it's probably because of ebooks and a lack of funding. My local library is run entirely by volunteers on money they raise via book sales, donations etc, so you can imagine how hard they work. Think aboutyourlocal library. Are you, like me, guilty of neglecting it? You're an author, so it's important to build a relationship with likeminded people and library staff are, of course, on that list.But you're probably asking yourself why all this matters...This event is not just about you and your books.It should be about the venue and those hosting you, too. How can you make this event matter as much to them as it does you? What can YOU do for THEM? How can you help them to raise funds and draw people in?fundraising- when you set up your book signing, have a 'donations' pot, or donate a percentage of your royalties that day to the library. If you're selling merchandise, for every $1 you make, donate 20c to them and advertise this to encourage your readers to help. More sales for you and more donations for the library.advertising- advertise well in advance (and I'm talking months). Set up blog tours, inform local media and tell them what you are doing to help the library and why local media coverage will help. The more people who turn up and the more media coverage, the better the above fundraising idea will work.donating- donate a copy of your book (signed) to the library or give them a few to sell on as and when they deem fit. Those funds can be used to support the library.participating- can you offer your spare time for future events to help the volunteers at the library and ease the pressure? If you're unable to do so on a schedule or a regular basis, give them your contact details and ask them to let you know as/ when they need someone. You can then attend either as a helper or a guest to show your support.Step Two - Event ProposalYou now need to write up an event proposal to explain what you want to do, how much it will costs and the benefits for both sides. The benefits to the venue should outweigh the benefits to you, and you need to be as approachable and present as possible. Provide contact details and if you can arrange this in person rather than by email, look presentable, take your books and provide a copy of this proposal for them to keep and look over. Remember, they may not be able to decide immediately but make a memorable, positive first impression. You're indie but they don't need to know that (and if they do, they need to be amazed by how brilliantly organised you are!).So, what should you write in an event proposal and what should it look like? Use segments or headers, black size 12 Times New Roman font with aligned edges. If you need to use fancy text for your header, so be it. I did (Homemade Apple font in black) and it worked beautifully.A professional headerwith your name and contact detailsThe date and timeof the proposed event and how long you will need to use the venue forHow much the event will costthe venue (hopefully nothing!)What actually is the event- what's going to happen and why?Whytheirvenue?Benefits to the venueBenefits to the authorHow will you market it?Will you notify local media, will there be any special guests etc?A thank youand a reminder of your contact detailsSign itand hand deliver it, or post it if you don't live local and follow it up with a phone call or emailStep Three - AdvertiseNow you need to attract people to the event. You can use other local events to advertise your book signing, for example near-by literature festivals, carnivals, markets etc and prove that it's child friendly. If you're writing erotica, this may not be the case, but lots of people will be out and about with their family on a weekend, so if they can bring their children, they may be more likely to attend.Here are some suggestions:Set up a Facebook event and invite your friends - get them to share itAdvertise on social media platforms with a digital leaflet and use # (hashtags) to expand your reach. Here is my digital leaflet. I designed it for free using Canva and the background image is actually from my book cover (originally from Pixabay, also for free).Approach bloggers in your area and ask if they would be interested in hosting a guest post around that time (blog tours are a brilliant idea to expand your reach).Word of mouthPrint leaflets (Vistaprint are reasonably priced) and ask if local businesses will put them on noticeboardsProvide the library with marketing matierial such as leaflets, posters or, like me, get some personalised balloons made. I got mine from Ebay.Have freebies or giveaways handy - bookmarks are a good idea consideri (I got mine from Stress Free Print for a reasonable price).Notify local authority figures or celebrities via social mediaUse Facebook groups to post an advertisement or your digital leaflet with a link to the bookUse buy and sell social media groups to advertise your book and your eventWrite to a newspaperWrite to a magazineInform local travel and event websites or companies who can inform their followers of ideal 'days out' in their local areaPut it on your website. You will notice I have a countdown clock running for mine which is a free app with Wix PremiumTalk about it on a podcast, vlog, blog or interviewAdd a second venue to increase interest and hypeStep Four - Check In & Chase UpDon't be afraid to check in with your venue to update them with who will be attenting and of any media coverage. You can ask them to let you know of anything further that needs doing or any ideas they may have, but may not be able to action. Be their friend but be professional. If you don't get a reply for some reason, send a polite reminder or pick up the phone. It is always better to attend in person, however. Use an email such as:'Dear Sir/Madam,I would just like to check you received my email about the event I am hoping to host on (date/ time). I have re-attached the details for your convenience and would be pleased to speak to you in person or over the phone at a suitable time. I can be contacted on (telephone number).Thank you again and I look forward to hearing from you.Regards,(Your Name)'As always if you need help or clarification with anything from this article, please get in touch. I am happy to talk you through my process.E. Rachael HardcastleIf you would be interested in attending the event, or would like to read the book I'll be signing, please feel free to visitwww.books2read.com/findingpandorawhere you can access various files.

Convert Your Ebook File For Free

Hamster SoftA few months back, I discovered Hamster Soft ebook and video converter software online, which is completely free to use. I have downloaded and tested it myself and use it now and then so I can give an honest glowing review of how easy and quick it is to use.Clickhereto visit the website and download it to your PC.The video below (from YouTube - I did not create this content so credit goes to the channel) shows how the software works. It's a brilliant way to convert a file or a video to use on your website or circulate around your following.Draft 2 DigitalDraft 2 Digital are online self-publishers that will allow you to upload and convert your book file for free to prepare it for circulation across the major distributors. The great thing is that you can then download the file and use it elsewhere for free too.To be honest, I would advise you to self-publish with Draft2Digital anyway as they can reach IBooks and Nook etc in addition to Amazon Kindle, expanding your reach and increasing your readership.I have collated a few of my favourite interviews with Dan Wood below.*Content Warning* - this first video includes bad language and may only be suitable for 18+ years.I did not create this content so credit goes to the channel. I would recommend you subscribe to both these channels as they provide fantastic content to help you with all aspects of your publishing journey.As always if you would like help or clarification on the above, please contact me.E. Rachael HardcastleIf you would like to read my novel Finding Pandora for free you can visitwww.books2read.com/findingpandoraand select your ereader.

How To Design A Free Fantasy Map in Gimp

Why do I need a map at the beginning of my book?Maps help readers to follow the story and add something visual to your novel. Readers have to use their imaginations and the imagery you provide to build the world in their minds, so it's nice to give them a professional map to ease that pressure. It also suggests you care enough about your world to design the landscape.Before you start you should sketch or plan the map out on a piece of paper if possible. This will give you some basic guidelines when you're designing on Gimp or Canva.Option One - Use GimpIf you have ever longed to make your own at no expense, you can use some free software called Gimp to do so. Whilst many use Photoshop to design these maps, I found the above video on YouTube (I am not the original creator - credit for this goes to the channel) that gives you a step by step guide to making a map of your own in Gimp. Gimp does everything that Photoshop does, so it's an ideal place to learn. The video above also tells you where to find brushes for free, so you can add all the amazing elements you need for mountains, trees and buildings.Here is an ongoing map I am building for my WIP Dragonborn. I have never before studied or tried cartography so if I can do it, you can too. Once you have tried a few times and got used to the basics, it's actually quite easy (and so much fun!).Things I noted on my cheat sheet include the following, but as you watch the video you should make notes of your own to make your next map easier to create.Note - if you have not yet watched the video the below bullet points will probably not make sense, so go back and watch the tutorial first.Start a new document for a new mapAdd a white layer* then select 'layer to image size' to correctly crop it*remember you should add a new layer for all aspects including land, ocean, mountains, trees, buildings etcDraw your map on the white layerSelect the water area and click to the white page.Delete it.Do the same for the water you have drawn inland (lakes etc)Click on the white layerRight click and select 'alpha 2 selection'Go to the parchment and delete the land massAdd a layer for the land and use thescript fufacilityShade in your layers to look like land and waterFind a free imageYou can go to www.pixabay.com to download royalty and cost free images to use at your leisure. This is where I found my parchment background before I shaded it in green and blue.Option Two - Use CanvaIf you want to create something for your own use or something basic, you can use a website called Canva. This is also free to use unless you add any of their paid photos etc, which I believe are about $1 each. I designed the below map completely free of charge on Canva (and it only took me a few hours). You can also use Canva to create advertisements, book covers etc.You may want to consider adding the following:Trees/ forestLakesBuildings to mark villages and citiesText to identify locationsMountains (I used arrows)Basic arrows to build a compassOther icons and free images - I used the ghost to mark the demonic areaThe images you see for the trees and the buildings were free graphics provided by Canva, but the background was taken (once again completely free of charge) fromthis website.As always if you need any help or clarification with the above, please get in touch and I will do my best to help you.E. Rachael HardcastleIf you would like to read the first book in my high fantasy series (featuring the Canva created map) free of charge, please visitwww.books2read.com/findingpandoraand select your ereader.

The White Room Ep.17: Aliya Dalrae

The Author Interviews, Round 3: #1: Andrew Hiller

The first interview of this round is authorAndrew Hiller, whose bookA Climbing Stockwill be released on April 1st 2017.Tell us a little about yourself - Perhaps something not many people know?A few years ago, I got to sleep over at Dave Goelz’s house. Dave is the original puppeteer and actor behind Gonzo, the Great and a ton of other Muppets. At night, we worked on skits, told stories, and in the morning, we recorded them. The work was for a two part documentary on Jim Henson I was crafting for NPR. You might know about that, but what most people don’t know is that when we were in the studio and I got my chance to voice a Muppety character, I slipped in a poem I wrote in high school. It worked perfectly!Getting to be a Muppet was geek heaven. Working and interviewing so many members of the original Jim Henson gang is something I will always treasure!What made you want to become a writer?As both a writer of news and fiction, the five “W’s” are really important to me, but where some people focus on “what” and “who,” it’s “why” that really excites me.Every story I craft begins with either a “huh?” or a “ha!” That is, my stories stem from something I can’t figure out or something that makes me laugh. I get caught in these webs of wonder and start twisting ideas, turning them upside down, spinning them ‘round, and once I truly get ensnared, the tale begins to reveal themselves. After that, you get to wander, study and play.The best part of writing is the opportunity to constantly learn, to play, to gain access to places, ideas, and people, and to test ideas. When an idea teases me, I’m in the library, I’m online, I’m on the phone or on a campus talking with subject area experts. I find the best ones share with me that giddy excitement and childlike exuberance. They’re experimentalists. They’re dreamers. The best stories are stories of discovery.On a simpler level, I write because I need to. It’s a release. It’s oxygen. It’s problem solving. Sometimes, it’s community. I share my writing because my readers can teach me and hopefully we get to share a few laughs and thoughts.What has your experience been like as a new Indie Author? Bruises, Highlights, and lessons?It’s Friday night and a guy approaches my author’s table at Mars Con. I ask him to take a peek at what I’ve brought (two books, a couple paintings, and my Jim Henson audio-documentaries). We chat for a while and he decides to buyA Halo of Mushrooms. I continue on, swapping writing stories, talking about my favourite writers, and enjoying the cosplay. When I come back Saturday morning this same man approaches my table.“Damn you,” he says, “for selling me that crack.”I pause uncertain what to do with the remark.“I’m already halfway through your book!” he continues.I smile and ask, “So, you liked it?”“I love it!” he shouts loud enough to make heads turn.When you write, all too often you don’t know how people respond to your work, things like that fill up your heart and soul.What is/are your book(s) about?A Climbing StockMany years ago, Jacque was tricked into selling his last cow to M. Au Paulet for an amount that wasn’t worth beans.Today, John, the owner of a small failing business, is tricked by a strange little man to sell his company for three thousand shares of an unknown stock called Beomicroscopy Endoscopic Arterial NeuroSurgery.To his surprise, the BEAN stock grows rapidly.So rapidly, in fact, that he finds himself questioned by the FBI, FTC, and practically every organization with an F in their name. In order to preserve his name, John breaks into BEAN headquarters.Whisked away, John must fight bureaucrats, dragons, labor unions, and a very powerful corporate giant. But despite all the obstacles John won’t quit… not ‘til the cows come home.A Halo of MushroomsIt tells the story of a healer who steals one of the last mushrooms of the first faerie ring in order to try to find an environment fit to transplant it. He is pursued by those who would consume the mushroom, hoard it, or obliterate it in the hopes that evolution will replace the dying wonder.The story takes place largely on Earth and travels from the Great Lakes to Malawi, but takes place largely in a bakery. It is also possibly the only fantasy ever written in which the resolution relies partly on dessert.What is your writing style?I’m a pantser. I start with a question or a laugh and just launch. Usually, it’s a race to keep up with my thoughts. I’ll pop in a CD that fits the emotional tone of the piece I’m working on and just sprint forward. I do very little reading back as I go and almost no editing. I want to get the story down in its most raw/undiluted form. I usually can knock out a novel in about three weeks this way. Then, it takes me about a 6 months or two years to edit it before I give it to beta readers, a professional editor, and do final revisions. It’s during that time where I will research, interview, and fact check. Sometimes, that changes a lot, but often it more sands and refines the texture of the piece. I respect those who outline, but I find it confining. I worry that if I did that I would become so locked into structure that I will fail to notice how the story wants to evolve.The process is very different, of course, if I’m on deadline or when I’m writing for the radio. There, it’s research first, write a set of bulleted questions, fact check, fact check, fact check, and then go into the interview. Even then though, you want to ditch the prepared questions. You want to have them ready, but listen attentively so you can follow where the interview should go. The trick is to be so prepared that you never need to use or look at your notes because your guest or expert will always say something which should generate a follow-up. More importantly, if you stick to your list of questions, all too often, both you and the people you are speaking to go on auto pilot and you get the canned/prepared statements that they’ve delivered a billion times. You want your work to sing. You want it stand out and be original."My inner environmentalist loves the idea of an ebook."Million dollar question, are you working on another book?There are a couple of new stories actually that won’t let me sleep at night. They keep pestering me and whispering in my ear. They dance, seduce, tempt, and parade about. They also bribe. Luckily, I’m a sucker for those voices. I’m a very willing dance partner and happy to both lead and follow where my stories want to take me!What do you think about the ebook revolution?I have very mixed feelings. On the one hand, my inner environmentalist loves the idea of an ebook. An ebook saves a tree, it weighs practically nothing, and it’s portable. Besides, another book squeezed into the bookshelf might cave in the whole house! On the other hand, I love traditional books. Used bookstores are amongst my favourite places. I love the smell of the pulp, the feel of a weathered spine, the browning of the pages, and I relish being able to excitedly hand a treasured paperback to a friend and shout, “READ THIS!”If you were running the 100 yard dash with a new writer. What writing, publishing wisdom would you bestow upon him/her before you reached the 100 yards?In your first paragraph activate at least three of the five senses. If your reader gets to see, smell, hear, touch, taste, or feel something they will be likely to be drawn into your world. It’s a lesson I borrowed from Ray Bradbury.Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?I prefer my characters to hijack the story. I rein them back in during edits. Every so often I even take them hostage. Turnabout is fair play!Even though I’ve spent a large part of this interview talking about ideas and whys, it’s the characters that drive you story. They need to be behind the steering wheel. We must care about them as they suffer, struggle, win, lose, fail, falter, and succeed.What is the biggest surprise that you experienced after becoming a writer?I once was tasked with covering the National Kite Festival for Metro Connection on WAMU 88.5 FM (DC NPR). I conducted the interviews, cut the tape, and wrote my script. In it, I decided to introduce the piece this way—Why is it that when people say they are going to “stop and smell the roses” it’s always interpreted as a good thing. It’s a time to slow down and enjoy the beauty that surrounds us, but when someone says to you, “Go fly a kite…”Anyway, I file the story and it airs on Friday. Over the weekend, I decide to go to the festival to see if what I previewed matched reality. To my surprise, I heard six different people from six different groups quote me. My work resonated! It was really cool.Many thanks to Andrew for this interesting interview, and of course if you would like to support the author you can visit his website or click below to purchase the book. Thanks!

A Guest Post - Writing With Auto-Immune Disease by Helen Domi

Imagine trying to write with all the symptoms of flu – aches and pains, temperature, trembling limbs and debilitating exhaustion. You’d probably give up and wait until you get better. But what if you don’t get better? What if you have all these symptoms, on and off, every day for the rest of your life? That’s what it’s like being a writer with an auto-immune disease."I know that I have to listen to my body, that my health is more important than following so-called rules just to prove I’m worthy of being called a writer."I fell ill three years ago. After having got through an extremely stressing period of my life, during which I separated from my first husband, I met another man, fell in love and thought I’d found my happily ever after. Then, out of the blue, this. I had what I thought was flu but was actually mononucleosis (which I now know can trigger auto-immune disease in certain people) but I didn’t seem to get better, in fact I started to get worse.Anyone who has an auto-immune disease will recognise the symptoms: low-grade fever, aching joints, non-refreshing sleep, permanent exhaustion and the best one of all – brain fog. Oh, that joyous feeling when even the simplest of words escapes you and no-one can understand what you’re trying to say! I am both fortunate in that I work as a freelance translator/writer from home, and unfortunate that I need my brain to function properly most of the time in order to be able to work. And obviously, sitting in front of a computer for long periods of time doesn’t help my aches and pains.At first I tried to fight against my body and illness, to push through the tiredness: I was stronger than this, it was just a case of mind over matter. So I would struggle on, determined that it wouldn’t change my life, and I would inevitably end up having to spend days just lying on the sofa with barely enough energy to get to the bathroom and back.Three years later, I’m older and wiser. I take each day as it comes, everything depends on how I wake up in the morning. On a good day I can get on with my translation work, take a break, then do some writing. I start early in the morning, as I know that I can only work until about midday, when my body tells me to stop. On a so-so day, I might only do some translating and just jot down ideas for my book. On a bad day or, as I call it, sofa day, I won’t work at all and just spend the day on the sofa, reading or watching TV.Sofa days and brain fog days are the worst, when you know you should be doing something but your body and brain say no way. It’s usually on those days that I see tweets from well-known authors saying that if you’re serious about writing you must write every day, even if it’s only for ten minutes. Well, I am serious about writing but some days, even ten minutes are impossible. I don’t let it get me down any more; I know that I have to listen to my body, that my health is more important than following so-called rules just to prove I’m worthy of being called a writer. Whatever I don’t write today, I’ll write tomorrow; if I don’t finish my book in a year, it will be in two, or maybe more. I have to trust that my readers will understand and have the patience to wait for me.Writing is my life and, unfortunately, auto-immune disease is also my life. I am slowly learning to reconcile the two the best I can, with the help and support of my wonderful second husband and my two sons. My advice to others in this situation: don’t worry if there are days that you aren’t able to do anything, be kind to yourself and take all the time you need. You will get there!