R.A. Evans's Blog, page 28

Generating Buzz

I like the way Asylum Lake looks. The cover is suitably creepy and the teaser information is tightly worded and sure to draw people in. But there are thousands upon thousands of titles I am competing with -- and a fair number of which look nearly as interesting. So how do I set Asylum lake apart? Easy -- I generate buzz.

Okay, so maybe generating buzz isn't easy, but it sure can be fun! In case you are new to this blog, and from the count of followers I will put all of you squarely into that category, you may not realize that I am a huge fan of my book. I love the characters, the plot - even the way in which the author writes. Of course, I may be a bit biased. The point is - I want to get others to feel the same way about my work.

In a previous post I wrote about the value of a review, so I won;t continue to bore you with more details in that regard. What I will do is share what I have learned. Facebook is an amazing way to generate buzz. It can work like a chain letter - your friends tell their friends - who tell their friends - who tell their friends...and on and on and on. By creating and regularly updating a page for your book you can interact 24/7 with fans - encouraging them to help you spread the word.

I have also started an Asylum Lake TV channel on youtube where I have posted videos of me reading excerpts from the book, favorite music I listen to while writing, and even some footage of recent events. The key is to cultivate as many opportunities for people to stumble across your book as possible.

Heck, you might even want to consider writing a blog...:)

The Value of a Review

By and large most authors write to have their words read by others. Sure, some of us may write for the shear pleasure - and I have found myself doing so - but at the end of the day we are hopeful that somebody...anybody...will find value in our creativity and want to read more. Sadly, publishing isn't simply an "if you build (write) it they will come" business.

Reviews are an integral part of marketing a novel. They can also be extremely difficult to come by. There are paid sources to gain a review, but I always looked at these as having your mother tell you how good looking you are - it's her job to do that! For me, the challenge of getting Asylum Lake reviewed in mainstream media outlets proved to be a great motivator; it made me work hard not just at writing, but at selling. Trust me, I sent out plenty of free copies of Asylum Lake to media outlets only to never hear back, yet I pressed on and eventually found myself to be successful. The first review is always the most difficult to obtain. My best advice -- start local and then expand. Of course, every author wants to be reviewed in the New York Times - and maybe one day I will - but the satisfaction from seeing my review in On The Town Magazine was tremendous.

I've attached a few of the reviews for Asylum Lake.

Lansing State Journal

Kalamazoo Gazette

FOX 17

On The Town

Revue Magazine

Self Publishing

I am proud to say I am part of the new trend - self publishing. But what does this mean? Some might suggest it means my work wasn't viewed as being worthy of publishing. Hell, I had my own moments of doubt as the rejection letters poured in (137 of them to be precise - although who's counting). In hindsight, which is always 20/20, I am content with where I landed.

The upside - I am in control of everything. The downside - I am in control of everything. Sure, it would be great to be able to rely on a publishing house to market and promote my work, carry the printing costs, book my events, and even manage my creative streaks and personality. Yet what I am finding is this...by self publishing I only have myself to blame for success or failure. Instead of being just another author in a stable of authors contracted by a publisher, I am my own main priority. I know my work better than anyone. I know who reads it and why.

Of course, I also have the luxury of being a marketing/pr professional with a book set in my own backyard. This has helped tremendously, yet I have sales from around the world - thanks to facebook and an awesome website. It's not easy being a self-published author - especially with the stigma attached to it. But in reality, I have nothing to compare this to. I am just enjoying the ride.

Inspiration

People often ask why is my writing so twisted. You can never tell where inspiration may come from. I was in high school when a classmate gained infamy for his heinous act.

Carleton,Michigan -1986:
15 y.o. Phillip Gamble killed his 17 y.o. brother Lloyd as a human sacrifice by shooting him in the head with a shotgun. Phillip Gamble later told police he belonged to a 10 member cult of Satanists who all went to school at Airport High School. A police search turned up a well read copy of the Satanic Bible, ritual robes, an altar, swords, knives and various occult items. Chapter 9 of the Satanic Bible titled “On The Choice of Human Sacrifice” lists sibling rivalry criteria for such a "choice". Rather than kill his brother with a ritual curse as the book suggests, Gamble chose the quick way(because the ritual curse doesn't work). The case was processed through juvenile court. The murder shocked the community and sent parents into panic mode, looking for anything resembling Satanic jewelry or occult books and the like, understandably.

The Writing Process

A common question I get from readers is about my writing process; it seems they just cannot believe that I write from 3-6am every morning. Trust me - its about as glamorous as it sounds. Mountain Dew within easy reach and iPod set to random, I sit hunched over my laptop and peck away at the keys. Some mornings I can bust out about 2,000 words...other mornings I am lucky to get 100. Most often I land somewhere in the middle. While writing Asylum Lake I actually wrote all of Chapter 5 - Crimes Against Humanity - in one sitting.It seems, much like Ellis, I have developed a taste for blood.

Please feel free to submit questions and comments. I enjoy the process of sharing not only the finished product but also the writing process with readers!

Welcome to Asylum Lake

Asylum Lake is a story about memories and how they can attach themselves to places and things...waiting for you to return. Some memories, especially those of the dark and sinister variety, lack patience and will come looking for you.

Dive deeper into the mysteries of Asylum Lake at http://www.asylumlake.com.