Peter E. Fenton's Blog, page 9

The Woodcarver’s Model Talks Dollars And Sense

The novel is launched, positive early reviews are building and the next wave of publicity is about to hit. One might think that all that’s left is to sit back and watch sales numbers soar and put a down payment on something expensive with the royalty money that will be flooding in.

So the question is, how much do authors REALLY earn? In this blog I want to talk about dollars and sense! But before I get down to the real numbers, I want to give the question a bit of perspective.

For most novels in English, the U.S. is generally considered one of the largest markets. And one of the indicators of success in that market is the New York Times Best Sellers list. If you make this list…well, you’re doing pretty well. But how well do you have to do to make the cut?

In order to make the NYT Best Sellers List you have to sell 5,000–10,000 copies of your book in one week, but it is a little more complicated than that. The list is known as a survey list, which means those sales can not be from just one source (such as one distributor or a newsletter pre-subscription). The list is created by surveying various retailers and numbers of sales across various platforms. Keep in mind that there are literally millions of books on the market and according to some research, 7500 new books are released on Kindle EVERY day. That’s a lot of competition.

The NYT Best Sellers List is updated once per week. Sustaining a position on the list is really tough. If you DO manage to get there, the real money is more likely in a deal to make a film out of the book, but we’ll get into the specifics of money a little further on in this blog.

So given the competition and the challenge of those heady numbers, perhaps it is easier to become an Amazon Best Selling novel? Not exactly. If 7500 new books are released on Kindle every day, then there’s a lot of selection. To hit #1 on the Amazon Best Seller list, you have to to sell between 3500 and 5000 books within a 24 hour period. The GREAT thing about Amazon is that the numbers are calculated daily, so if your book runs hot, and has a big day of sales, and you hit #1 for only one day, you can still claim that you were a #1 Best Seller.

But let’s face it…that’s a lot of books. In last week’s blog I wrote about how you can also place your book in various categories which are more specific, and in this way, you can potentially become a #1 best seller in your particular category. It is still pretty tough, but at least you aren’t competing against ALL books, but rather just against the books in your category. Savvy marketers can use very narrow categories to get a higher ranking, but the more specific the category, the lower number of books one would likely have sold even if you hit #1.

So considering that Gay Romance is a niche market that may appeal to only a certain percentage of overall readers, then it might be better to set one’s sights on a more attainable goal. How about a Canadian Best Seller? But how many copies is that?

According to most surveys, in Canada (which is a smaller market), a Canadian book would likely hit best seller status if it sold 5000 copies.

So now for the part that everyone wants to know about and nobody wants to talk about…MONEY. I mean, let’s just say that a person sells 5000 books. A Kindle book costs $5 and paperbacks are over $10, so the author must be rolling in money if the book is a Canadian Best Seller right?

Well, books that are put out by publishers have costs associated with the staff of the publisher, the cost of editing, cover art, marketing, listing it with distributors, not to mention the cost of producing a hard copy if it is a paperback or hardcover. And if one is self-publishing, you have to pay all of the expenses up front and then try and make it back by selling the book on your own.

Contracts are different for different authors, and of course, the success of a book can depend on the timing of the book, the subject matter, the fame of the author, and the level of advertising (which also costs money).

In general, the authors I know use the “buck a book” average. This means that on average after free promotional copies, online discounts, expenses and various handling fees the author likely sees a royalty of $1 for each book that gets out into a reader’s hands. This is not by any means a highly researched number. It is simply an average that rings true if you are self-published or working with a big publisher. And of course, the larger the publisher, the higher the expenses (but the marketing budgets are higher, and you will likely sell more books).

So if you want to be a millionaire, then sell a million books. And if you want to earn $5000 in Canada, then write a Canadian Best Seller.

There you have it. The truth is, after a year of work writing and marketing a novel, it is possible to earn very little money. So why on earth would anyone bother?

The number one reason among the writers I know is that they LOVE to write. They do it because it’s a passion. They do it because they are compelled to write. They do it because they want to share their stories and experiences with others.

And if you think it’s all doom and gloom, or you’re reading this and you were thinking of becoming an author and this has changed your mind…take heart.

The story you tell may be JUST the thing that audiences are looking for. Your book may be picked up by a bigger publisher who may have the clout to get it in front of a wider audience. You may discover that a book doesn’t take off immediately, and then a few years later, the topic comes into fashion and suddenly your book is the talk of the town. Or down the road, a random person may read your book and decide to purchase the rights and turn it into a best-selling movie.

As the catch phrase for The Woodcarver’s Model says; Sometimes the truth is the hardest thing to reveal.

But the truth can often be comforting to hear. And for me, I know that regardless of the sales on this book, it has already reached out to a lot of people. With positive reviews, good publicity and continued work doing a bit of advertising, the novel will be read by a large number of people who will like it, and will be waiting for my next book.

And although I can’t reveal much, I can say that the next novel is nearing a completed draft.

I’ll let the dollars worry about themselves, because no matter what I earn, I have a passion for writing, and for me that means writing on future novels makes a lot of sense.

The Woodcarver’s Model is published through Pride Publishing

and is now available wherever books are sold.

To buy a copy click below

Choose Your Store or First For Romance

The Woodcarver’s Model Meets His Readers

On April 19th, The Woodcarver’s Model made his way out to the many fans who ordered the book, and from all accounts he is making a positive first impression. In this post I want to share a little bit more about the marketing of a book, the importance of a strong start and the challenge of keeping a book in front of potential readers so that they can find it amongst the millions of books on sale on any given day.

Last week the novel was introduced to readers through 40 different blogs, Instagram posts, WordPress sites and Facebook groups. Each of these sites has a large group of followers who learn about the book through the launch week blitz. The coverage was very positive and a ton of new readers were introduced to The Woodcarver’s Model.

The Woodcarver’s Model moves up 681, 513 spots in a single day

Of course, the goal is to convert people from simply knowing about the book to actually ordering the book and reading it. And to give a sense of how things are going, Amazon tracks statistics on book sales.

It is important to put things in perspective. There are MILLIONS of books available for sale on Amazon. When a book is listed, and people pre-order the book, all of those sales are held in a virtual queue. On the day the book is released, those sales drop into the system and are compared to all other books that are being sold on the same day. The Amazon program uses an algorithm that ranks unit sales of a particular product against other similar products. At the end of a book’s first day of sales, the number should go from a low ranking to a much higher ranking. In the case of The Woodcarver’s Model, when sales settled at the end of the first day in the U.S. Market in Kindle sales, the book had climbed 681,513 spots to position 68, 728.

Of course as the days go by, new releases are added to the pool and The Woodcarver’s Model’s numbers will steadily drop throughout the first week, and then as good reviews take hold and more people find out about the book and buy it, then the number might go up again. This is why marketing, publicity, and reviews are so critical. Even a successfully launched book that sold a lot of copies on its first day, can drop out of sight as other books are launched.

How many books were sold?

So how many books were actually sold? That information is provided much later by Amazon, and on any given day, the number seen above is calculated by an algorithm, so a sale of 30 books on a slow book sales day could bring your number up or down. It is safe to say that The Woodcarver’s Model had a lovely boost from presales, but the actual number of sales won’t be known until sales reports come down the road. The numbers are calculated monthly and royalties are paid out twice per year from Amazon to the publisher. It should be noted that the publisher also does direct sales, and those numbers are also reported (and paid) monthly to the author.

Authors can go to their Amazon page for the book and track the ranking the algorithm is showing for any book by simply putting in the title. There are three major markets; the European market (mostly represented by the U.K.), the U.S. market (Amazon.com) and in this case, the Canadian market (which is much smaller). There are of course other markets the book is released in, but in markets where the primary language is not English, the numbers will be very small indeed as at present The Woodcarver’s Model is only available in English.

Amazon statistics for The Woodcarver’s Model in the UK on April 19th

The above screen capture was from the end of day on April 19th in the U.K. Market. If you look at the numbers on the lower left section of the image, the Best Sellers Rank is showing the book’s position according to the algorithm, based against all other books on this day at 43,948.

Books are also put into categories to help compare how they are doing in relation to other books in the same category. Rankings are shown for, Gay Fiction Kindle (537), Gay Fiction Books (569) and Gay Romance Kindle (939). These screen shots literally capture moments in the sales of the book and shift as time goes on. If one manages to get your Best Sellers Ranking into the top 100, it shows up on a promoted ad on Amazon. And if you manage to get your book to #1 (against millions of other books), then you FRAME that screen capture and celebrate. Over the life of a book, the number will rise and fall based on marketing activity, width of advertising, reviews and of course word of mouth about a book.

So, how did The Woodcarver’s Model fare in the U.S. at the end of his first day?

The Woodcarver’s Model ranked well against all other books in the U.S.

At end of day on April 19th, The Woodcarver’s Model was at #109, 039 on the Best Sellers Rank, #1815 in Gay Fiction, #3151 in Gay Romance and #4157 in LGBTQ+Romance in Books. It is important to note that while the first number is generally calculated using ALL books out there, the numbers by category are only defined by how many books there are in that category, a number that shifts daily based on new releases. So it is challenging to know if it is a large or small field. In a smaller field, a sale of 30 books could make a book jump up a substantial amount if many of the books in the field have been out for some time and aren’t active sellers at the moment. And while these numbers are fun to look at (and the publisher DOES look at these numbers with great interest) the position of a book is related to many other factors, and during the life of the publication, the numbers will go up and down like a yo-yo (hopefully more up than down).

Now let’s take a peek at the launch day in Canada.

In Canada, the market is smaller, so the ranking is higher

In Canada, the market is smaller, however this is where I saw the pre-order of friends and family having the largest impact. On the Best Sellers Rank in Canada, the book is ranked at #19, 902, while it is #389 in the category Gay Literature and Fiction, #391 in Gay Fiction Ebooks, and #433 in Gay Fiction.

Good reviews help direct people to a book

The path to a novel meeting its readers only starts when the book is made available to distributors. Launch week aims to get the word out through blogs and other targeted social media, and then the readers take part in the discussion and start to let others know what they think. And the more reviews there are, the more interest a book gathers.

At this point, many of the reviews for The Woodcarver’s Model are from readers who were provided with Advanced Reader Copies through the publicists. It is important to note that these readers are told to give an honest review in exchange for their free copy and not to simply give a high star rating.

It appears that The Woodcarver’s Model is making a favourable first impression. But the next stage becomes even more important. The reviews that have the most value are from those who have bought the book and then leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads after their purchase. This second wave of reviews is what can propel a book forward after launch week.

So if you ordered a copy, your opinion counts. I encourage you to leave your honest thoughts and a star rating that will help others determine if this book is for them. To review on Amazon you will have to have an account and have met their order criteria. If you ordered the book from Amazon, it will mean that your review will show up as a verified review, because you bought the book from them prior to your review.

On Amazon, click the appropriate link for the below you purchased on and scroll down until you see Customer Reviews above a bar chart. Below that is a heading that says Review This Product. Simply click on that, and follow the instructions.

To review on Amazon.com click here.

To review on Amazon.ca click here.

To review on Amazon.co.uk click here.

And if you have a Goodreads account, you can go to this link and leave a review by clicking here.

A large number of positive reviews from verified purchasers on these sites, gives the novel a better chance of standing out amongst the literally millions of other books out there.

So I hope you enjoy reading the book. I hope you are inspired to share your viewpoint through reviews, and I look forward to next week when I will share how The Woodcarver’s Model fared in his first few weeks and what the next step on his journey is.

Thanks for reading.

Peter E. Fenton

The Woodcarver’s Model Comes Out…Today

Around this time 2 years ago I started writing my first male/male romance novel. I didn’t really know what I was doing, but I had written plays and I felt I understood enough about storytelling and structure to put together a novel. After a year of chipping away, I submitted The Woodcarver’s Model to the Totally Entwined Group (TEG).

In July of 2021, I signed a contract with Pride Publishing (a division of TEG) and since then, I’ve been on an amazing journey. It was only possible for The Woodcarver’s Model to come out thanks to the love and support of an incredible team, and I want to take the time to thank them today.

So first of all, thanks to CEO Claire Siemaszkiewicz for taking a chance on an unknown author and bringing me into the TEG family.

Thanks to publisher Rebecca Scott in England for her endless support and for answering my queries well after hours when she should have been eating or drinking or sleeping instead of replying to emails from Toronto sent in a time zone 5 hours away.

Thanks to my editor Anna Olson in Vancouver. Your editing taught me so very much, and I continue to learn. You were kind, but firm and made the novel a much better book.

Thanks to the line editors Lori and Kristin for final edits after Anna had worked her magic.

Thanks to Kelly Martin in Los Angeles for an incredible cover for the book. A cover is a huge marketing tool, and you matched the tone of the novel perfectly.

A HUGE thank you to TEG’s head of U.S. marketing Lori Bell Blantin in North Carolina. Marketing a book in an ever-changing landscape of publishing is a daunting task. Aside from getting Advanced Reader Copies out and arranging an incredible release blitz, she also took so much extra time with my numerous emails trying to figure out how I could get the novel to more readers and helping me better understand how to support her marketing work.

Thanks to Katie Phoenix from Gay Romance Reviews for handling additional publicity and promotion from Brisbane Australia, while dealing with a 13 hour time difference.

Needless to say, with this many time zones in play, there weren’t many meetings we all attended, but individually this team worked hard to get the book to launch day.

Over the next month, a combination of 40 different romance blogs, web pages and other media publications that are focused on gay romance will feature and review the book. This will connect the book to tens of thousands of potential readers. As people read the book or review it in their publication, these reviews will filter onto the Goodreads and Amazon pages. As these reviews accumulate, the book will be marketed through various ads on social media using the best pull quotes and matching the novel with more interested readers.

The first push for the book lasts about a month. After that time there will be a resting period, and then in the summer, I will get in a larger order of the print copy of the book and do a book signing, and perhaps even visit a few places to meet with the readers. I’ll keep you posted on that.

In the meantime, I am hoping to have a draft of my second novel in good shape for submission to the publisher early in the summer of this year. This is planned to be the first of a series of gay detective novels set in Calgary, so stay tuned for progress as that book makes its way through the process from early draft to finished book.

And next year the audio book (and possibly a translation into another language) of The Woodcarver’s Model will be released. So there’s lots to follow in the weeks, months and year ahead.

In the meantime, thanks for reading, for supporting and for sharing in the journey of my debut novel. Stories don’t come to life without readers and I am so grateful for any and all who choose to pick up the book. Here’s a little video to share my joy at launching.

Next week, I’ll check in and let you know how the launch went.

Warmest Regards,

Peter E. Fenton

You can get your own copy of The Woodcarver’s Model by clicking here.

The Woodcarver’s Model Goes On Tour

The Woodcarver’s Model will be released one week from today and next week, the book will be going on tour.

In the past, a book tour meant that I would pack a suitcase, gather several boxes of my book and travel far and wide attending readings and signing books at bookstores and libraries and any other venue that would provide a chance for the audience to meet with me.

That may still happen down the road, but in the early stages of marketing a book, The Woodcarver’s Model will be touring on his own. And the book won’t be doing just any tour, the book will be on a blog tour.

So what the heck is a blog tour? In essence the publicists for the book arrange for several blogs that have fans interested in romance books to get advance access to the novel for their reviewers. During the blog tour, the various blogs and newsletters run feature articles on the book. This may include cover images, the description found on the cover, exclusive excerpts, interview questions with the author, and even early reviews from reviewers selected by the blog.

In general, all of this takes place around the time the book launches. In the case of The Woodcarver’s Model, there will be a blitz of as many as twenty different blogs that will publish either a full article or a segment about the novel.

These blogs digitally reach out to thousands of readers all at once, while the author only has to be in one place…at home.

The goal of a blog tour is to connect the author to readers who have an interest in their book. Does it always lead to more sales? Possibly. But the much more important element is that it allows for the book to be talked about and discussed by a wide range of readers. And if readers like the book and review it, then those reviews can make the book more attractive to retailers who may carry the book, which in time may lead to more sales.

So over the next few weeks, I may be sticking close to my computer at home, but The Woodcarver’s Model is going to travel far and wide. And on the 19th of April when the book comes out, e-reader copies will land in the inboxes of those who have preordered their copy, and for those who ordered the paperback…the book will ship on the 19th…travelling directly to you.

Here’s a wish that The Woodcarver’s Model creates many fond memories on his blog tour next week, and in the meantime, here’s a note of thanks to all of you for following along on this journey.

To celebrate the launch of The Woodcarver’s Model, there are TWO exciting giveaways.

If you haven’t already entered, you can go to Goodreads and enter to win one of three autographed copies of The Woodcarvers Model by clicking here.

And if you’ve already ordered your copy or have already entered the Goodreads draw there’s one more chance to win. In celebration of the launch of the book, the publisher is holding a draw for a $50 gift certificate for First For Romance, which will allow you to buy any book you wish from their wide range of romance novels. The draw is coordinated by Rafflecopter Giveaways and you can enter by clicking here.

The Woodcarver’s Model will be released by Pride Publishing on April 19th

The Woodcarver’s Model Sees Stars

In The Woodcarver’s Model the central character Rob Hanson finds unexpected moments of wonder in the world around him as seen in the quote below.

“From encounters with a beautiful young photographer, to a sun-dappled country lane and now this meal, the day had been perfect. He took his wine out onto the porch. It was nearing sunset and a shooting star arced across the eastern sky.”

This week, as an author, I experienced some moments of wonder connected to a different kind of stars.

In a previous post, I talked about Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) which are sent out to readers, bloggers and publications so that they have time to review the book prior to its release on April 19th.

With just two weeks to go, the first starred reviews came out on the Goodreads site, and I am pleased to say that they were very positive.

Now there are those that feel that a review on a reader-based site doesn’t have as much clout as say…a review in The New York Times.

Well, first of all, The New York Times doesn’t generally review small publisher gay romance novels. And regardless of if a review is written by a professional critic, or a reader in a small town in the Midwest, both have one thing in common…they are one person’s subjective response to the material.

The opinion of a reviewer from a big newspaper (who is paid to do their work) may hold more marketing power; but the opinion of a reader (who simply reads for pleasure and takes the time to post a review) actually means more to me.

Writing this book started as a project simply to see if I could do it. Could I put together a story that stayed interesting through over 200 pages, and could I make it something that would be read by more than my friends? And now the answer to that is a resounding yes. How do I know? Because this week I started to see stars.

Thanks to Jerri for writing this five star review on Goodreads.

Just lovely. We have a story of a man finding a home, even when he didn’t know he needed one. Another is almost treading water while he wrestles with his past. Rob and Mitch are so good together. Then lies were told to purposely split them up. Other manipulations are going on to threaten everything. The island is full of quirky characters that have each other’s back, no matter what. The bad guys are bad, and then there’s everyone else. There’s a great view and a really great dog! The slightly witchy vibe just adds to the story. It’s well written, with just enough conflict. One of the best books I’ve read lately!

And thanks to Jacquie Stewart who wrote this four and half star review. (For those who aren’t sure, pov means ‘points of view’).

I stayed up to finish this because it was quite addictive reading with a fast moving and often dramatic plot. While there are a few niggles, such as Mitch’s past being revealed and then glossed over, overall it was a great read. Told in multiple povs, there is a little bit of on page steam and also an encounter with someone else outside the main pairing. Those things didn’t bother me, this was more about the various plots and Rob and Mitch finding love.

And this review by a friend I do know who wanted to read and review, but only on the condition that the review would be HONEST. Thanks John. This made me smile.

A delightful main course of gay romance with small sides of sex and violence. Dessert was sublime. You’ll recognise many of the characters amongst your own friends or family which brings an immediate intimacy to the book, reminds you of, or just like so-and-so. It has a comfortable and familiar feel right from the start. Too short—I wanted to spend more time with these characters.

I know that the novel will be read by some with joy, and for others it may not be to their taste, so I’m not expecting all glowing reviews. But for just this moment I want to enjoy the wonder of early reviews and say thanks to every person who takes the time to read, and to comment, and to share their thoughts on sites like Goodreads. Your opinions matter to me and also to other readers trying to find books that match their tastes.

For me it just goes to show that if you shoot for the stars, you just might find them in places you never expected.

If you want to follow all of the reviews for the novel, or leave a review after you have read the book, you can find my Goodreads page by clicking here.

To celebrate the upcoming release of the book, Goodreads is offering a chance to enter to win one of three autographed copies of The Woodcarver’s Model? To enter click here.

The Woodcarver’s Model will be released by Pride Publishing on April 19th

Getting To Know The Woodcarver’s Model

It is now twenty-one days until The Woodcarver’s Model is released, and the preparations are underway for reviews, interviews and a host of other activities to connect the book to readers.

One of the most important tools to get fans interested is an excerpt from the book. Blogs and other publications like to share a little bit of the writing to get their readers excited, and also to give them a sense of the central character and their journey.

General excerpts are usually from near the beginning of the book to avoid spoilers. And then individual blogs get “exclusive” excerpts which might fall later in the book, but don’t spoil the plot.

So for those who are curious, here’s a few small excerpts from the opening of novel.

He closed the door behind him and leaned against it as if his weight would hold out the world. How many of them had there been? When was he going to learn to think before he acted? This time he could have died. His heart raced. Fucking idiot! Where the fuck had Yussuf gone?

Rob woke with a start. From the look on the face of the passenger in seat 2B, Rob must have gasped or yelled. He was breathing heavily. Rob pressed the call button for the flight attendant. There was time for one more gin and tonic before they landed.

Once in the airport, after passing through customs, he retrieved his luggage from the baggage carousel. One large green canvas duffle bag (which looked more like it had been dragged by the plane rather than stored in its cargo hold) was all he had, other than his beaten-up leather shoulder bag. He made it out to the cab stand and took the next available taxi.

“Queen’s Quay Terminal building, please,” he said to the driver, then closed his eyes. He didn’t want to appear to be rude by not talking. So Canadian, he thought. The oh-look-I’ve-fallen-asleep ruse usually fended off any attempt at mindless chatter from a driver. And he didn’t need to see the sights. The ride from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport to his home on the lake shore was nothing to see. It was all highway, industrial complexes, stubby office buildings and shopping malls. The trip showed Toronto as the ugly, unimaginative metropolis that it was, until they hit the expressway by the lake. Then it all changed—the lake, so big that it looked like a sea, the gaudy glamour of the Palais Royale dance hall, and the century-old buildings of the Canadian National Exhibition—they still made Rob smile. A quick left onto Queen’s Quay and he was almost home.

During the cab ride, he thought of his last night in Mogadishu. Of returning to his hotel room after dinner with his photographer.

The Hotel Mustaqbal on the traffic-jammed Wadada Uganda was one of the better accommodations in this war-torn country. Clean rooms with a fair certainty of hot and cold running water. What else could he have asked for in Somalia?

When he’d entered the room, he had sensed, without even turning on the lights, that everything had been tossed. He’d frozen, not wanting to make a sound in case the intruders were still there. Whoever had done this was probably looking for his computer, jewellery, identity papers—anything of value. The joke was on them. He’d learned years ago never to travel with electronics, other than his phone, and he kept that and his identification on him at all times. And he wrote everything in notebooks. He never had to worry about notebooks. No one wanted them, they didn’t break and they didn’t run out of power in a jungle. He’d once lost his pen in Tierra del Fuego but was still able to finish writing using a charred stick from the fire.

As he had surveyed the damage in his hotel room, he’d heard a noise. Out of the corner of his eye, he’d seen a figure make for the window. It was Abdi, his driver. Abdi had thrown himself out the window onto the fire escape. Rob had chased him. Why? He didn’t know.

They’d both hit the main street running. Rob had run right past a man leaning against a car talking to someone in front of the hotel. He’d kept going for another few hundred yards before realising it had been his guide, Yussuf. It was a few blocks later, on a small side street, that Abdi had yelled something in Somali to a few men. One had pulled out a gun and started firing at Rob. Rob had been pinned in a doorway, shards of concrete flying all around him, when he’d heard more shouting. More firing. Where the fuck was Yussuf? Then there was silence. Finally, a familiar head had poked around the corner.

“It’s safe now, boss. You come. Come!” Yussuf had waved him to follow. In his hand, he’d held an old CAR-15 automatic rifle. A body lay in the street. Rob hadn’t stopped to see who it was.

Life as an adventure travel writer was not what he thought it would be when he began this job. There was adventure, and there was this. One of these days, the adventure was going to win and all of the Yussufs in the world would not be able to save him.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a romance if the central character wasn’t lonely and in need of someone in their life. Here’s another excerpt from near the beginning of the book where Rob tries to convince himself (and a friend) that he’s just fine.

“…I hope the trip went without a hitch.”

He stopped smiling. “As hitchless as a trip can go.” Why worry her with the details?

“So…any hot guys there for you?”

Here it comes. The lecture. She did this every time.

“Well, there was Abdi, but I think he was just interested in my money.”

He heard her sigh on the other end of the line. “Is it too much to ask that you find someone and settle down? How long has it been?”

“We’re not going down that road. Not now.”

“I just want you to be happy.”

“I am happy,” he said. In my own little screwed-up way.

She wasn’t giving up. “You know what your problem is, don’t you? You’re terrified of commitment.”

“That’s not true.”

“You avoid any chance of it.”

“How do you figure that?” he said, a little too quickly.

“Well, for starters, your only close friend’s a girl, and we both know I don’t have a chance, but you don’t have any guy friends at all… I mean, to increase your odds of a successful relationship, you have to start somewhere.”

“Don’t be silly. I have plenty of guy friends.”

“Name one.”

He struggled for a moment before coming up with, “Carl at the gym.”

“The towel guy? Do you even know his last name, or maybe where he lives, or whether he’s a dog or a cat person?”

“Last names among gay men are not necessarily…necessary.”

“Do you have any guys you’re close to?”

“Why would I need to? I have you.”

She shot back, “I think you’re using me as a shield so you don’t leave yourself open to meeting a guy you could fall in love with.”

“Wha… That’s crazy talk.”

Rob wasn’t ready for this conversation. Why did everyone assume that he needed a relationship? He didn’t need anyone to get in the way. And as for any physical needs… Well, if he couldn’t handle them himself, he could easily find someone who could. Like Carl from the gym. Whatever his last name was.

“Sorry, hun. I’ve got a call coming in that I have to take,” he lied. “Dinner later this week?”

“Of course. Love ya.”

“Love you too.”

“Now, if only you could learn to say that to a guy.”

“Gotta go.”

He disconnected from the call. Rob took a deep breath, then took a long draw on the bottle of Wheel Rat beer in his hand and stared out into the harbour. I’m fine with things just the way they are.

The Woodcarver’s Model will be released by Pride Publishing on April 19th

The Woodcarver’s Model Goes To His First Party

In my posts, I’ve been focusing on the journey of a book from the writing process, through to the marketing leading up to the novel’s release.

This week, I want to talk about one of the coolest ways that authors let other people know about their books.

One author coordinates a party attended by other authors who have followers who all join together in a virtual chat room. Think of it as a fan convention done online.

So what does this type of party involve?

Basically, on a particular date between set hours, the host of the party opens up a Facebook group page, and attendees can drop in and interact through a live chat box on the screen. They can ask questions of the authors if they wish. They can also participate in contests to win prizes. Participation is through typing. You aren’t on video so you can come to this party dressed however you like. And the best part is you can attend, and never leave the comfort of your own home.

Each 30 to 60 minute slot of time is moderated by a different author who provides content (book covers, information about their books, information on the author) and creates fun ways to engage with those that attend.

Guests can drop in or stay as long as they like, and it’s free.

In essence the idea is to bring the fans of different authors all together in one virtual room. It’s also a fascinating look at the world of romance writers from all over the world.

Mimi B. Rose has asked The Woodcarver’s Model (along with his writer, Peter E. Fenton) to come to her party on April 1st. The party will run from 4-10 PM EDT (Toronto time) and Peter E. Fenton will be moderating the party from 5:30 to 6:00 PM EDT.

There will be more information as to how to join at the end of this blog, but first a little information on four of the authors who will be in attendance represented by my publisher through the Totally Entwined Group.

Mimi B. Rose’s book Heart’s Ease launches March 29th

The host author Mimi B. Rose will open the party room at 4 PM EDT. Her latest book is Heart’s Ease. It would fall into the category of a contemporary paranormal erotic romance featuring wereshifters (people that…you know…have a thing for full moons). For more information on the book and Mimi, click here.

Raven McAllan and Cassie O’Brien’s new book launches April 12th

From 4:30 -5:00 PM EDT, Cassie O’Brien will be introducing her work which includes the upcoming novel The Baron’s Saving Grace. This is part of a series of Celtic romances. For more information on the book click here.

Kristian Parker’s books include historical gay romance.

From 5 to 5:30 EDT, Kristian Parker will be hosting and sharing a bit about his recent releases and upcoming books. Kristian’s writing ranges from historical romance to his upcoming novel The Rule Of Three that explores what happens when a gay couple’s relationship is tested after a handsome stranger arrives to town. This is part of the Village Affairs series. For more info on the author and his books, click here.

The Woodcarver’s Model launches April 19th

From 5:30-6 EDT I will be moderating. Do you have a burning question you want to ask me? Do you want a chance to win a free advance copy of the The Woodcarver’s Model (in e-reader form…the paperbacks will be available for shipping shortly after April 19th). Come join the party. For more info on the book click here.

And of course, this is less about having you come to the party, and more to share with you some of the ways that romance books are marketed. It’s a fascinating world.

If you’re interested in attending, feel free to leave a comment. Invitations are through Facebook, so I will invite you via Mimi’s page through your Facebook address. I will also be sharing that invitation to members of my Peter E. Fenton Gay Romance Facebook page.

In the meantime, thanks for reading. In upcoming posts, I will be talking about blitzes, blog tours and how grateful I am to the publisher for working so hard on my behalf.

Until next time.

Peter E. Fenton

The Woodcarver’s Model Gets Some Coverage

Along with the work that Pride Publishing is doing to promote my new novel, I also have a second company called Gay Romance Reviews that is working on promotion.

Today they sent me the press kit they had assembled along with a dizzying array of presentations of the book. There were images that suggested the The Woodcarver’s Model might be a good read at the beach.

Other images suggested that it might be nice to curl up with the book at the cottage on the dock with a nice cup of cocoa.

But the images that I found most intriguing were the seasonal images like the one below that suggests that this is perfect fall reading.

And that’s when it started to occur to me that my past work has involved writing plays, and that marketing a play is MUCH different than marketing a book.

The Woodcarver’s Model is in preorder right now, which means that people can be the first to put in their order and get their copy on the very first day when it is released in e-book form on April 19th.

With the plays I have written, this would equate to when tickets went on sale for opening night.

The set for the 2014 Theatre NorthWest production of one of Fenton & White’s plays, Bemused
design by Ted Price
(Photo Credit Memories By Moira)

But the thing is, a play usually has a limited run. A novel, on the other hand, doesn’t have a closing date and once it’s created, it will be available for years to come.

Presales help a publisher gauge interest in the work, and can help them to determine how big the first print run on the book will be.

Often a first book will have a surge of sales, and then purchases will eventually taper off.

But later in the year, let’s say on Pride Day, suddenly promotion for the book might start to appear with an image like the one below, and there may be another surge in sales.

Later, when a second book is released, promotion not only relates to the new novel, but the reader is also encouraged to read the first book by the author.

The Woodcarver’s Model will in fact have an audio book version that will come out in 2023 as a second stage of marketing, and around that time, it is hoped that my second novel (the first of a three part gay detective series set in Calgary, Alberta, Canada) will also be appearing.

So when it comes to promotion, even though The Woodcarver’s Model may be revealing a bit of flesh, it is also important that he is…well covered for all marketing seasons.

This week, I did a small promotional video to let the world know the book is coming out and other videos are sure to turn up as time goes by.

Check it out here. Make sure to turn up the volume for the best impact.

In the meantime, to all those authors or writers who didn’t sell a lot of copies at first, take heart. The life of a book (and the marketing life of a book) is a long one indeed.

The Woodcarver’s Model is currently in preorder and will be released on April 19th with Pride Publishing

The Power Of Platforms

These 1993 shoes were designed by Vivienne Westwood of England.

The Woodcarver’s Model has now moved into a new stage of marketing. This blog post is about platforms, and I’m not talking about stages that people stand on or those shoes that make one walk a little taller.

Prior to writing this book, I had dabbled in the world of social media.

I had a Facebook account that was primarily used to interact with friends. It was also a handy way to remember birthdays.

But the world has gone digital and that means that fans need to be able to access authors through a wide range of social media platforms.

As of today’s writing, I have a designated author page on Facebook, titled to encourage “search engine optimization” so Google pulls the name of the book first.

I now tweet on my twitter account. This is a handy way to keep in touch with the many many other authors out there.

While words used to be enough, a picture is worth a thousand words so an Instagram account became important. In my case, it is a “bookstagram” which features pictures of books I like. This tells my readers a bit about my personality.

I also have a Goodreads page where people can leave reviews, a website with this blog, and a designated Gmail account.

I haven’t yet succumbed to TikTok, but it appears that since the written word of Facebook has evolved into the visual world of Instagram, it is logical that the next step is videos on TikTok (or Youtube if I dare).

Each of these platforms has their own symbol which links to my social media platforms. On my website, you can find them at the top of the page.

The goal is to populate the blog, Goodreads page and Facebook accounts with content once per week, and the Twitter and Instagram accounts with something daily. It all takes time, but the publisher assures me that now that we are in the preorder stage and all of these platforms are established, that it will create a way for me to connect to my readers from around the world.

But there are other platforms to think about.

In the past, one simply went to a bookstore to pick up the book.

Now, the digital market is the place to be.

And hungry readers are now reached through sales platforms. The publisher puts in a great deal of time making sure that the book is accessible in as many places as possible. The Woodcarver’s Model is originally offered on preorder only in digital form, and then based on demand, over time the bigger players (such as Amazon) offer the print version (so if you want a print version … hang on … that format will become available closer to the release date on April 19th).

The idea of preorder is to build excitement towards the book and avid readers get their copy on the very first day it is released. It is the equivalent of going to the opening night of a play.

The Woodcarver’s Model is already available for digital preorder through all of the usual outlets that include everything from Amazon, Indigo/Chapters and Barnes & Noble to Kobo and the publisher’s own site First For Romance.

But is was rather surprising to find out that the book is also available (in English) on international sites such as Amazon Japan (where the book can be ordered for 574 Yen).

I think the most extraordinary place I’ve seen the book was on a German woodcare site.

Well, you kind of have to see it to believe it.

To see the page, click here and scroll down the page until you find the book.

So all of this to say that when it comes to marketing a book, one has to stand tall on your platforms and hope that the readers can find you amongst the thousands of other books that are released each month.

I’m doing my best, and I know that the publisher is getting me out there far and wide, and for that I am truly grateful.

The Woodcarver’s Model is now in preorder and will be released by Pride Publishing on April 19th. It is available wherever books and digital books are sold around the world.

*(And through one German site focused on wood products).

Peter E. Fenton Reaps Rewards From Reviews

Last week I wrote about how technology has changed the way a novel is put together.

This week, I want to write about how a book gets marketed.

The first thing to note is that the road to sales isn’t necessarily through selling books to friends and family (although everyone interested in the book, is of course welcome to get a copy).

In fact what the publisher wants is to get the word out through reviews.

As the book reaches its preorder period (in the case of this novel, between March 8th and April 19th) if a large number of reviews accumulate, this helps the novel land on lists of books that are trending and spurs interest in readers around the world to pick up a copy.

So where do those reviews come from?

The answer is a three letter word…ARC.

ARC stands for Advanced Reader Copy.

An Advanced Reader Copy is a free advance copy of the book that is provided to bloggers, reviewers, and yes, even friends so that they can read the book before anyone else and post a review.

The goal is to get a minimum of fifty reviews, and hopefully over one hundred reviews prior to the release of the book.

There are of course, rules attached to being provided with an ARC

*The reader must commit to reading the book within 2 weeks of receiving the ARC

*The reader has to commit to putting up a review on Goodreads that includes a star rating and a few sentences (literally just a few sentences) about the book.

*The review must be honest. It doesn’t matter if it is a 1 star review, a 3 star review or a 5 star review.  The publisher wants volume of reviews that show diversity of opinion…not that I’m encouraging a bad review. But a string of 5 star reviews published by friends may also flag the book. A large number of reviews WITH comments that range from 3 to 5 stars makes the book look desirable to read.

*The review shouldn’t contain spoilers

*Readers that receive an ARC, must commit to the fact that it is copyrighted material and that the reader can not in any way share the book with another person or distribute it in any way.  (Some people put them up on a website, and then people can access the whole book for free.  That is illegal).

SO, here’s where joining this blog offers you your first big perk.

If you want to be one of the first to read The Woodcarver’s Model and can commit to the above rules, I can provide the first 25 readers who express interest with an ARC authorized by the publisher.

In order to leave a review, it will require you to open a Goodreads account (which is free and simply involves putting in your email and a password you create).

If you are interested, contact me at peterefenton@gmail.com and I will send you out the file. If you have an e-reader, the file can be sent as an Epub file or a mobi file. Or I can send it as a PDF.

And just because you get an advanced copy, doesn’t mean that down the road you can’t pick up a copy of the book.

This is simply a way for you to get a first peek at the The Woodcarver’s Model and start the process of getting those valuable reviews onto the Goodreads page.

This offer is only available to current subscribers to the blog.

So let me know … and if you want to wait … I’ll be letting you know more about the preorder process which begins on March 8th.

Best Regards,

Peter E. Fenton