R.R. Campbell's Blog, page 21
January 11, 2019
We’re Going to Have a Party. A Book Launch Party!
It’s official. the date, time, and venue for the in-person book launch for EMPATHY: Imminent Dawn have been decided.
Full details follow, but if you plan on attending, you can find them all on the Facebook event page. Be sure to RSVP!
The What
The book launch party for Imminent Dawn, book one of the EMPATHY series.
The evening will feature:
readings by the author
book and swag raffles
author Q&A
interactive EMPATHY-related media
refreshments provided by author
The When
Friday, February 22nd from 6 p.m. til 8 p.m.
The Where
Goodman Community Center, Bolz A – Madison, Wisconsin
Can’t make it to the in-person event? No worries.
I’ll also be hosting a digital launch party on the date of the book’s release, January 28th. Watch for more details on that event as the date nears.
If you’d like your book signed by the author, you can let me know here once you’ve ordered or purchased your copy of the book.
Thanks for reading! I hope to see you at the party!
January 8, 2019
Speaking Appearance: Celebrity Saturday with AllWriters’ Workshop!
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I’m pleased to announce I’ve been invited to lead a session on mapping one’s way to story as part of the AllWriters’ Workshop 2019 Celebrity Saturday series!
On July 27, 2019, I’ll be teaching a five-hour seminar entitled Treasure ho! Mapping Your Way to Story at the AllWriters’ Workshop in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
So what is AllWriters’ Workshop, and what, exactly, will I be covering?
Per their website, their philosophy centers around the notion that “AllWriters’ provides community for writers. We give encouragement. We give education. And we give you great company.”
Where this particular seminar is concerned, I’ll be focusing on how to develop a concept before turning that concept step-by-step into a scene-by-scene outline. With our outlines in hand, we’ll then be in the best position we’ve ever been to take on writing the tale that just won’t let us out of its grips.
Please note this event requires registration in advance, and seats are limited. So don’t delay—learn more about AllWriters’ Workshop and this seminar by visiting this page, which also includes information about the other five Celebrity Saturday events AllWriters will host throughout the year.
Have questions? Reach out to me through my contact page or send an email to Kathie Giorgio, the director and founder of AllWriters.
January 7, 2019
Tune in! Author Interview on WSUM
On January 23rd, 2019 during the 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. hour, author r. r. campbell will be interviewed on 91.7 WSUM. Topics of discussion will include the brain-computer interface, along with the release of book one in his epic EMPATHY sci-fi saga, Imminent Dawn.
Those who live in the Madison, Wisconsin area can set their FM dials to 91.7 FM during this hour to listen to the interview, which will also be available for streaming on the WSUM site at WSUM.org.
January 1, 2019
ICYMI – Book Cover Reveal for EMPATHY: Imminent Dawn
Book Blurb
Four people. One study.
The brain implant to bind or destroy them all.
Art-school dropout Chandra would do anything to apologize for her role in her wife’s coma—including enroll in the first round of human trials for an internet-access brain implant.
At first, the secretive research compound is paradise, the perfect place to distract Chandra from her grief. But as she soon learns, the facility is more prison than resort, with its doctors, support staff, and her fellow patients all bent on hatching plots of their own, no matter how invested they might seem in helping her communicate with her wife.
Making matters worse, a dark wave of uncertainty crashes down on the compound, forcing Chandra to become an unlikely but pivotal player in conspiracies stretching from the highest levels of the North American Union government to the lowest dredges of its shadowy hacking collectives.
To save herself and her wife, Chandra and her newfound friends from the study will have to overcome the scheming of a ruthless tech magnate, the naïveté of an advancement-hungry administrative assistant, and the relentless pursuits of an investigative journalist, all of whom are determined to outpace the others in their own quests to resurrect lost love, cover their tracks, and uncover the truth.
A twistedly delightful clockwork of intrigue and suspense, EMPATHY: Imminent Dawn is an electrifying sci-fi debut from author r. r. campbell.
Add Imminent Dawn on Goodreads now!
Are you a book blogger or reviewer who’d like an ARC in exchange for an honest review? Contact the author.
For information on the availability of preorders, subscribe to the author’s newsletter or follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads.
December 21, 2018
So You’re Planning a Book Launch Party…
Note:
a more in-depth version of this material is available as a podcast.
To listen instead, click here.
On the heels of hosting my own book launch party for Accounting for It All, I thought I’d pass along some bullet point advice you might take into consideration when planning a launch party of your own.
With that in mind, let’s explore why you should have a party, how to choose where to host it, and what to do at and what to bring to the event to make it memorable for you and your guests.
Why have a book launch party?
[image error]Signing books at the ACCOUNTING FOR IT ALL launch party.
You wrote a book and got it published; celebrate that success with friends, family, and other readers!
Generate additional buzz for your book’s release. Book launches are great opportunities to increase one’s reach in person and online once guests post about the awesome time they had at your event.
Sell and sign books for your most avid fans in person. Creating these connections will go a long way into reinforcing your brand and drumming up more word of mouth recommendations for you and your book.
Where should you host your launch?
As counter-intuitive as it may seem, avoid having your launch party at a bookstore. Why? They’ll want or will take a cut of your sales for the event. The folks who come to your launch party are likely people who will buy your book no matter what, so why not maximize your return on those sales? You can always host a signing or a separate reading at your local bookseller on a later date.
Pick somewhere comfortable and memorable for your guests (and you!). Creating a fun environment in a casual setting will make them more likely to come to future events (and it’ll also make you more likely to host them in the future).
Consider choosing a venue that complements your book’s setting and themes. Does your book take place on a farm? See if you can find somewhere in your local community that offers a rustic, rural setting. Or, if it takes place in a school or your main character is a teacher, consider reaching out to schools, community colleges, or universities near you about hosting your event. Get creative and reinforce your book through the tiny details!
What might you do at your party and why?
[image error]Attendees to the ACCOUNTING FOR IT ALL launch party listen to a reading.
Readings. Picking one or two selections from your novel and reading them aloud will get launch party attendees engaged directly with your book. Try to choose short but riveting selections that don’t give away major plot points. Keep your party guests wanting more!
Author Q&A. Give your guests an opportunity to pick your brain about how you wrote this book, why, and what research might have gone into writing it. For folks who haven’t written a book before, they might be curious about your process as well. You might also consider doing one reading, then opening the floor to questions, then doing your second reading once questions have died down.
Do a teaser from your work in progress or other upcoming release. Whether an additional reading or a book trailer, letting attendees know they can expect more from you in the future will keep them excited about your books and about you as an author.
Raffle. Who doesn’t love free things? Raffle off some swag or a copy of your book to those who sign up for your author newsletter at the event, for example. This will let you expand your reach while also giving guests something to stick around for (aside from you and your wonderful book) when you select the raffle’s winner at the end of the event.
Sell books! Make sure you have enough on hand to meet demand. It’s also worth appointing a close friend or family member to handle selling books during the event so that you’re free to greet attendees, thank them for coming, and generally relax before doing your readings, etc.
What should you bring to your launch party?
Business cards. If you don’t have any printed already, it’s worth getting some made up. Make it easy for readers or readers-to-be to get in touch with you by email or find you on social media!
Bookmarks. The great things about bookmarks are they 1) help us keep track of where we are in books and 2) if branded well, can be used to keep our book at the forefront of readers’ minds long after they’ve finished reading our particular book. By having bookmarks like those available at the launch for people to grab (or, for bonus points, you can just put them in every copy you have available), readers might be more likely to remember to recommend your book to their family and friends as it’ll be fresh in their mind.
Pro tip: find the Little Free Libraries in your town and leave a few bookmarks in each of them. People like free stuff, and if the bookmarks you issue help them find your book, all the better!
Other swag. You might consider getting stickers made up or printing out some quarter-page leaflets with tips for how your guests can best support you and other authors. An example of the quarter-page leaflet I included in the books themselves at my event can be found below.
[image error]Quarter-page inserts can keep the buzz coming long after your launch party has ended.
Poster-sized cover. This is a big one—and not just the poster, I mean. Getting a poster-sized printout of your cover made and then propping it up on an easel will make for a natural anchor point around which your guests can congregate to take photos, and it’s also an opportune place to do signings and generally attract attention for your event. This is the one thing I absolutely recommend doing that might not be among the more standard considerations of business cards and bookmarks.
Change for selling books. If you’ll be taking cash for books, make sure you have change! Twenties are the most common denomination of bill in circulation, so make sure you can give people cash back for their purchases by visiting the bank before your event and getting some ones, fives, and tens on hand.
Card reader for credit or debit transactions. Taking credit and debit has never been easier, especially if you have a smartphone. I use Square to process credit transactions, and their app is free to download, and the most basic of their card scanners is free to have mailed to you as well. They do take a small percentage of each transaction, however, so you might consider pricing credit sales accordingly. You also don’t need to get the scanner to use the app; you can manually punch in card numbers, too, which is a nice option to have available. And the good news? You can have the funds you bring in through these charges dumped directly in your bank account the following business day. Not a bad deal at all.
Okay, this feels like a lot to do. I’m scared. Please help.
Planning an event of any kind can be daunting, but remember you can space all of this out over the course of months. It’s also worth keeping in mind that, again, you wrote a book. That’ll honestly be enough to excite your party’s guests; don’t feel like you have to go all “I must get an inflatable bouncy castle for this event to really show off my party-hosting chops” or anything.
Just relax. You’ve already done the hard part. Now it’s time to celebrate!
Thanks for reading. For more content like this, subscribe to my newsletter or check out the podcast I did on this very topic. It goes even more in-depth than the above, though the same material is covered overall.
December 18, 2018
Want a signed copy of Accounting for It All? Let me know!
It's true! I've got a *limited number* of bookplate stickers available that are just waiting for a personal attribution and a signature from yours truly.
To learn more, you can visit the official ACCOUNTING FOR IT ALL site at this address.
Have questions? Let me know! I'm always interested in engaging with readers.
-r. r.
December 14, 2018
Imminent Dawn Now on Goodreads!
That’s right; you can now add EMPATHY: Imminent Dawn to your “Want to Read” list on Goodreads.
Not on Goodreads? Now’s the time to sign up. It’s a great way to keep track of what you’re reading and want to read, all while following your favorite authors!
Click here to learn more about Goodreads and create an account. And don’t forget to add EMPATHY: Imminent Dawn to your “Want to Read” list once you’re done.
December 13, 2018
Next Week: Imminent Dawn Character Reveal
We’re now only 46 days from the release of Imminent Dawn, and beginning next week at empathynovel.com, you’ll get to meet its four main characters face to face—so to speak.
Starting on Monday, December 17th, you’ll be introduced to the epic EMPATHY sci-fi saga’s art-school dropout protagonist, along with the ruthless tech magnate, the advancement-hungry administrative assistant, and the relentless investigative journalist who form the foundation of the first installment in the series.
So join me at empathynovel.com from December 17th and every day through December 21st, the date on which we’ll get to see every perspective character side-by-side.
Thanks in advance to artist Maggie Derrick for bringing these characters to life. To take a look at the work she did for my debut novel, Accounting for It All, you can find that here. More from her portfolio can be found at this address.
Thanks for reading. We’ll see you next week at empathynovel.com.
December 7, 2018
Reserve Editing Services Now: 2019 Pricing Cometh!
Since formally launching my editing services, it’s been my pleasure to help dozens of writers hone their craft and build their confidence. As my client list has expanded, so has my knowledge and insight into how to best help writers achieve their goals for their manuscripts.
These factors—coupled with a sharpening of my own approach to the page as a result of my own writerly journey—will mean an increase in the pricing of my editing services beginning in January 2019.
What does this mean for you?
Well, if you book with me on or before December 31st, 2018, you can get locked into 2018 pricing even if your query, pages, or manuscript aren’t ready for assessment until the new year. Oh, and if you’re a previous client of mine, you’ll remain eligible for 2018 pricing throughout 2019, regardless of when you book.
What will this increase in pricing look like?
Query and First Five Pages Critiques will increase from $40 to $50.*
The Fifty for Fifty service will become the Fifty for Sixty service.
Developmental Edits will increase in pricing from $0.005/word to $0.007/word.
Personal Writing Coach services will increase from $0.011/word to $0.012/word.
*In 2019, this service will become eligible for my standard discounts, which will remain in place throughout the year.
Are you a new client who wants to learn more about the services I offer, or a returning client looking for a refresher? You can click on any of them listed above to learn more.
Already know what you’re looking for or have questions on any of these services? Reach out to me through my editing contact page.
December 6, 2018
ICYMI: Book Trailer One – EMPATHY: Imminent Dawn
Like what you’ve seen? Tell me and others on social media with #ImminentDawn.
And stay tuned… I’ll be premiering a second trailer closer to Imminent Dawn‘s debut on January 28th, 2019.
If you’d like these posts or updates about EMPATHY: Imminent Dawn delivered to your inbox, you can subscribe to my newsletter.
