Aaron M. Patterson's Blog, page 9

Airel and Her Humanity

I wanted to touch base with the book I just released called Airel. As we get reviews and comments on Facebook and Twitter I have had one come up a few times that I wanted to address.

On one hand I don't feel the need to explain myself but I like to open up and let you see the other side of writing. The main question, is in the book, Airel comes across as a girl who does not want to get wrapped up in a guy. She even scoffs at girls that make a boy their all, and fall into this crazy love and lose their heads.

After all this, she goes on and does that very thing and gets lost in Michael. One reviewer said this was an error on my part but missed the humanity in all of us. I wanted to make her real, and in a lot of ways she is real to me. And we all do things we say we will never do or have huge flaws in out thinking. Airel is the same way and her lesson is to learn how to live and be happy with just being her.

Now this was not a error, but put in with thought as in real life we are all like this. I know most books have a perfect set of rules and if they say they are spunky they stay spunky all through the book. But to me that makes them un-real. Flat and we all know that is not how we real people are.

So, in closing, most things I do have a good reason, it is for you the reader to find out what I mean or am trying to get across. The reviewer got it right, Airel was one way and did something that was not in her DNA, but guess what? She is not perfect and written to be that way.

Read and enjoy. learn and grow. I hope as you read and watch Airel grow as a person that you will give her some room to make mistakes and learn some things the hard way. I wish she could be perfect but she just is not.

The other thing to keep in mind is some girls are giggly, some are tom-boys, some are super emotional and some never even cry. As you read know that Airel is who she is, and if you are the kind of person that never cries or get excited, you may not connect with her as much. But again, that is all a party of being human. we are all different.

Thank you all so much for reading and keep giving me feedback as I write Michael I am excited to see how she changes and what will happen to her and him in the future.

Guest post: Death Before Breakfast

Gwyneth is a sweet person and a great writer. I remember having "The Talk" with her at the beginning of the year about marketing and online social media. She really took it to heart and went from the low 100k on amazon to the top 1000. Now this month she is set to blow out her all time high from last month! I am so happy for her and she has worked so very hard. Gratz and keep up the good work!


About Gwyneth Bledsoe

Gwyneth is the English author of Amazon bestselling eBook "Death Before Breakfast" of the British Detective Mystery genre, set in England and Paris, France. The Paperback version is also available on Amazon, as is the MP3 downloadable Audio Book. She is currently writing the sequel, "Death At The Races." Gwyneth read avidly in her teens, especially Agatha Christie novels, so it is especially gratifying to find her book ranked #3 in bestselling British Detective novels, behind the #1 Sherlock Holmes and the #2 Agatha Christie collections. Gwyneth lived in England until her mid-twenties, until a sense of adventure and a job took her across the channel to Paris, France. She did not look back and continued on to California and now Idaho where she lives with her American husband and works for a Christian non-profit organization, helping churches help people.

Death Before Joy

It is with mixed emotions that I see my first novel, "Death Before Breakfast," advancing rapidly up the Amazon rankings since mid-June, a significant time for me when our close-knit family sat by my mother-in-law's bedside holding hands as she passed from this life to the next. I wished she could have seen the success of my book, but her passing has given me great pause to think more deeply about the implications of dying, an inevitable event that I write so readily about in my murder mysteries. Within days of her military graveside service, I was seeing the word "JOY" everywhere I went, and have come to the firm belief that she is experiencing eternal joy and that death was just a doorway into a greater experience of life. One day I would like to explore this concept in a novel, where perhaps death is just the beginning – a transition from one country to another where a different language is spoken, and amazing vistas await us, like the Tetons or The Grand Canyon, in contrast to the dirty tenement buildings of south London where I once lived as a student. You are invited to follow Chief Inspector Jack Lawrence and Sergeant Rodney Wilson as they weave their way from London to York to Paris in their search for a murderer, the identity of the victim and the writer of an anonymous letter. I write to develop characters, to introduce my audience to the English culture and to encourage other unknown writers to find a publisher and penetrate the e-reader market.

You can find me on Facebook as "Gwyneth Bledsoe, Author" and also at www.gwynethbledsoe.com.

Writing is like Poop!

I know, we don't say poop, but I just did. Hee hee. If you write you know that ideas come in the strangest of places. This one came, well, I bet you can guess where I came up with this one.

I was thinking of my days in the gym and how it was a good thing if you pooped a lot. It is a sign of a healthy system. So the more you poop the better you feel. Are we all feeling a bit uncomfortable?

Now you are wondering what this has to do with writing. Well, as a good story hit-man I can take this out.

Like poop, the more you do the better you get or feel. Writing is like this. Sometimes you write crap, sometimes it is good but you need to keep doing it. Keep your writing mind healthy, keep the flow moving and even if it is a bunch of crap, at least the good writing can move in afterward.

What am I trying to say? Just write, even if it is nothing but crap.

Cheers

"John Locke is not a real published author unless I say so!" -The Big 6

*Warning Rant*

I woke up to this post on my Twitter feed and after reading it had to first smack my face, throw up and after all that read it again just to find out that yes, in fact it was posted by a real human. The Shatzkin Files posted this on John Locke.

Here is my take.

First off, this entire post is about what could have happened, might, maybe, but more important, DIDN'T. It is like a friend of a lottery winner trying to tell everyone else what they would spend the money or how it should be done.

We all know that JL has made headlines as the indie author that has sold one million eBooks. Now out of the woodwork come these talking heads that want to over think how he did it and what he should have done.

What is the goal of all this? To keep us thinking that the big publishers still have something to offer. He will run the numbers on a .99 book or a 9.99 book. How is that even in the same ball park? I mean, he sold the books he sold because of the price and his marketing. One without the other would not work as well and to compare what he would have made if he was with a big publisher is just stupid.

The fact they will never tell you is that JL would have never sold the books he sold if he was with a big publisher. No publisher would have taken him on, and even if he did get a deal they would not market him like he marketed himself. The price of his eBook would be to high and the small number he sold through them would put him out of print in 13 months.

So, I ask you, why are we trying to shove him into this box? Why not just say, good job john? Are we that scared to leave the old system? Is it that bad out there?

He was smart, he sold his books at a low price, built a fan base and made himself worth a ton of money. Now if a publisher wants him they will have to pay out the nose. It is not the money, I am so tired of all these talking heads and writers who just think of the money and how much the book is and what it cost and are you worth it and is your writing worth a buck and are you selling yourself short and is this a run on sentence?

Look, it is about FANS, let me say that again, FANS! If you build fans the money will come. He reached a million people and it doesn't matter if he gave out all those books for free! That group if they liked the book will come back and pay for the other books. I wonder why this is such a mystery in the publishing world.

So could he have made more money if he sold the books at 9.99? Well DUH, if he sells them at a higher price he makes more. Come on! But would he have sold a million? Nope. Not a chance, sorry but it wouldn't happen. Also, if he sold through a publisher for 9.99 he would make only 1.75 per book when he could do it himself and sell the book at 2.99 and make 2.10 per book. Lets do that math!

This blogger did at least say as much: Of course, if Locke himself sold the ebooks at $2.99, he'd be taking in six times more per book, or about $2.10 a copy.

But, either way, he seems to be leaving a lot of money on the table. Without a publisher's efforts, he's certainly leaving a lot of marketing on the table too.

The only thing here is the marketing he is leaving on the table. What marketing? Really, you think a big publisher is going to market you better? Come now, let us not be dumb. The only person going to market you is you. If they do anything it comes out of their royalty. Besides, why would they market him, he is a small fish, cuz we are talking all this before anyone knew who he was... You can't backdate your rules and treat him like a bestseller before he was. Now I would say he could get some marketing out of the publishers, but not before the million books.

And here is the meat of the matter: But if the markets are distinct, there is also some great potential reward. If there are people who only choose from the cheap books, there are also people who want to choose from the professionally validated books, the ones from the major publishers. The more you believe the markets are distinct, the more opportunity there could be for Locke in using what he's done to launch himself independently as the springboard to a career as a published author with a major player.

This is what all the big publishers and the blind authors want you to think. That you are no good, you are sub par because you are not professionally validated.

Take that Amanda Hocking, Take that Vincent Zandri!

So we are fed the same lie. You are just a lame writer and have no value unless one of the Big 6 publish your books. Remember that when you see more and more eBook millionaires. Remember that when you read an amazing novel from a new author, that you the reader have no power, that you cannot choose who is a good writer or not, they choose!

It is the men on the hill that make the call, the publishers that decide if we are good enough. Well... what say you? Is it us the readers or them the publishers? You tell me.

Rant over.

Cheers

Let's Talk numbers... Again

If you follow this blog you know about Vincent Zandri and his book "The Innocent." It made headlines by making it to #3 on Amazon Kindle and selling over 100,000 copies from Jan-June.

We if you want the skinny read the post a few down. This is the update, the "Experiment" as we called it. The book was prices at .99 and was ranked #10 at the end of April. We wanted to see if we could raise the price and ride the wave, maybe make some good money and so we jacked up the price to 4.99 and most of the month it sat at 3.99. So here is what happened.

We expected a huge drop but up till the 15th it was holding in the top 75. This was good news as we were sitting at 10k sold with a goal of 20k for the month. At this price we would stand to make about 70k.

But once it hit 75 in ranking it started to drop really fast. This proves that your sales rank will drive sales and is very important to how your book does. We ended the month with 13k sold and a ranking of 300.

The test did not go as well as we hoped but still ended up doing good. In the end we did better at the 2.99-3.99 price point as far as money goes but gave up the large fans base and mass books sold at the .99 price.

The end result was about a 5k increase to the bottom line, but a hugs loss on the people reached. The question is: Is it better to reach a huge amount of people for a time and give up sales, or try to make as much as you can no matter how many sell?

I believe in both. Put books on sale, test the market as each author will have different stats. Some will sell well at a buck and others it wont matter. I have one author that sells just as good at 2.99 as she does at 8.99. So we keep it at 8.99.

We thought that "Godchild" would rise to the top, as it was on tour last month, but it ran out of steam in the top 50. We are still testing to see if we can bring "The Innocent" back in the top 100.

This is still a guessing game but all we can do is keep testing and try to find that sweet spot. The trick is to find where we can reach the most people and make the most money all at the same time, and this all comes down to marketing and a little luck.

Cheers

B&N Must Hate Indie Authors! Or are they just out of touch?

I want to start this off by saying that I have no proof of what I am about to say. i am getting this from other authors, bloggers and... well, I guess that is proof. But the giant B&N have been silent, (Shocker) on the subject. This is yet another example of why I believe that B&N hate Indie authors, or... they have a bunch of out of touch old people working for them. Sorry old people.

The Passive Voice Blog did a story on this last week and others have as well. Here is the deal as I can break it down for my own little brain.

"It looks like Barnes & Noble may be "managing" the Nook bestseller list to make certain worthy (and higher-priced) ebooks do well. Nobody under $3.00 is in the top 125." -The Passive Voice

What does this mean?

Well, this means that because of pressure from the BIG 6 to force the Indie authors out they want more of the top 100 list. So higher priced books will be first on the list and this forces the low priced eBooks down and shoves the books under them even lower in the rankings.

So I ask you, how is this ranking system a real ranking system? I mean is it on sales (unite sold) or not? Why should it matter how much the book sold for? If a mass market paperback sells 100k and the hardback only does 50k, the mass market out sold the hardback. So what! It is books sold, who cares how it sold or for how much.

Next, why? I understand they want the top 100 list to be filled with books by well known bestsellers, but really? Are you that lame that you have to have Dean Koontz and James Patterson on your main page, and push out the other hard working Indie authors?

B&N has a bad rap and has had one for years of being "Too good" for Indie authors. They are hard to sell into the stores and now with eBooks they have a platform and website that seems to be built by someone who has no clue how to sell books. The site is hard to navigate, searching books is difficult, there is no tagging system, no good way to find new authors and link them to other authors to make a connection. In all their website is just like their store. You walk in and only see the NYT bestsellers and everyone else is hidden.

If you think I am being to hard I will let the sales numbers prove what I am saying. Last month I sold about 4,000 eBooks on amazon. guess how many I sold on B&N? Come on... take a swing... 100. Yup, 100. This is not just me, most authors will tell you that in pure sales B&N is way behind, almost not even worth being on their site.

Why is it that they claim to have more eBooks than Amazon and the biggest and best bookstore in the world, but can't sell eBooks and lag so far behind it is almost funny?

Want more? The Color Nook! Strike two! I mean come on, they spend the money and time to join the tablet wars with a sub par device and fight Apple, when they are in a long battle with Amazon. What is that? So why would we want to read a book on a LCD screen? Why not spend that same time and money on R&D into Color eInk? To make a color ink on the same screen as the Kindle and Nook? This is one more example of how out of touch they are.

My thoughts are this: B&N if they don't stop the Hate, have a new website created with tags and help promote Indie authors and come out with a good eReader, they will be the next Blockbuster. Amazon is on the verge of taking over the book world and if they do I will be happy on one side and scared on the other. This is not the time to join the tablet wars, this is the time to step up and take back some of the book market.

Do what you will, think what you like, and I'll do the same. Cheers

The Four Letter Word: W.O.R.K.

I get this vibe a ton from authors and other writers, that somehow by being in the same room as me or maybe by chillin with vincent Zandri the books will fly and the money will come in by the truckload. I think we all have this idea that it is the rub factor, can this person rub off on me, make me do better or by some sort of magic something will happen.

I do not say this with a mean spirit or because I think I have done anything special. in fact I wonder sometimes why and how I ever got anyone to read my books. I don't think I am that great of a writer or that I hold some power that makes me a success. That being said I will tall you one thing. I work hard.

Now I cannot claim to have great talent or to have a super brain, but I am a hard worker. And after talent and smarts give out, the hard worker will always win. We all remember the story of The Tortoise and the Hare. It is a simple story we all know about sticking with it, keep going and never give up. Now I like most never thought that story was more than just a kids story. But it is more.

Think about writing, publishing and selling books. It is not all about talent or style. Not about being the smartest person or having the highest ranking wizards review your book. It is about hard work.

What I lack in brains I make up for with stick-to-it-never-give-up-ness! What I lack in talent I make up for in Market-the-crap-out-of-my-and-others-books-ness!

I know we all want a pill, a magic list of how to make it. We want that simple thing we can all do to become a bestseller and so on. so here it is... the list the magic!

W: Work your A#% off!
O: Open up to new ideas! Don't get stuck in the mud, i.e. eBooks etc...
R: Reach out! Brand yourself and meet people. Share and support other authors.
K: keep going! Never stop. Be smart and market all the time but in a cool easy way.

There you go, the magic to the bestseller line. Want to make it big? This is it, not writing the best book, not being super hot, not paying out money to but your way up, good old hard WORK.

Cheers.

PLAN to WRITE

Face it, we are all busy. Kids to take to games and school, work pressure, friends and family that all demand out time and energy. I work with books and the process of publishing everyday and as I am so busy with all the things that are normal in life and because of my job I find it getting harder and harder to write.

I got into this because I love to write, in face I make a living doing just that. Is it the perfect life? Close. But like most people taking the time to write for me, to work on my own books is very hard. So here are some tips on how to get going and plan to write.

First, have a plan. What time will you write? How long? Is it going to be a word count goal or a time goal? Will you write every day or once a week? Make a plan, if you don't you will never do it, as life will take over.

Once you have the time set and how long and all that junk, do it. One thing I have to do is on my writing day or the time before I write I must NOT check my phone, Facebook ,Twitter or any social media. It is to easy to get pulled into this world and miss out. I will end up working and not do what I was going to do...WRITE!

Don't get frustrated, go easy and just write. If you are not feeling it maybe work on a short story or on a different book. I write two books at one time that way if I get stuck I can go to the other book. Don't worry about how much you did, just do something! It all adds up.

So, have a plan, stick to the plan and don't check on social media. Get in your bubble, listen to music or go somewhere you can focus. And chill, enjoy the process and have fun. Before you know it you will be cranking out another book or your first book. The only difference between a published author and a writer who never finishes, is one had a plan and worked the plan.

This is simple but hard to do. I know I am not telling you anything new but it does work. I write my first book at the kids nap time and after everyone was in bed. If I can do it, so can you.

Now quit reading this blog and go write!

Write, Publish, Market workshop!

Write Publish Market:

Cutting Edge Information for Writers, Bloggers,

Authors and anyone who wants to publish a Best Selling Book.


Time: 10:00-4:00 Saturday May 21, 2011

Country Inn and Suites, 3355 East Pine Avenue

Meridian, ID 83642

Click here to sign up.



Special Price $79 –

Regular price for this workshop is $199.

Absolutely no refunds however if you are not able to attend, you can transfer your ticket to a friend.

This workshop is limited to the first 44 who sign up.


What to Expect:

A hands-on workshop that will teach you how to navigate the publishing industry, get you started in your book writing process and explain how you can make money by marketing your book and integrating it into your business. Bring your laptop.

Walk away with:

* Techniques that allow the even the busiest people to write a book in 10-30 minutes a day
* Your publishing myths dissolved and understand why anyone can publish
* Writing tips for print and eBook that will save you hundreds of hours
* A publishing plan for the books you have always wanted to write
* An understanding of how writing a book makes you the instant expert in your field or industry
* The ability to turn any speech, article or conversation into book content
* Cutting edge tips and tricks to make money writing, even if you are only a mediocre writer
* Key tips on marketing your book beyond your friends and family
* Clarity on the fact the next three years may be the best time in history to publish and make money in publishing

Write- Publish- Market Agenda:

9:30 Registration and networking

10:00 Breaking the Myths of Publishing and Making your Publishing Dream a Reality

10:45 Break

11:00 Breakouts: #1-Turning any speech, blog/article or conversation into book content, #2-Behind Every Great Writer is an Editor

12:00 Lunch (on your own) Speakers will be available to answer questions

Break to grab lunch or bring your own.

1:00 The Magic of Marketing and Social Media: Turning your Writing hobby into a global business with a zero dollar budget.

3:30 Developing your Writing and Publishing Action Plan


Maryanna Young

Maryanna Young is the CEO of Aloha Publishing and the co-founder of Idaho Book Extravaganza, Idaho's premier publishing show. She is the author of four books including Blank to Book: From Idea to Amazon in 150 days. Maryanna is passionate about bringing out the potential in others as a publisher, speaker and professional business coach.

Aaron Patterson

Aaron Patterson is CEO of StoneHouse Ink and best selling author of four books including Amazon's best selling series Sweet Dreams, Dream On and his new teen book, Ariel. He is an expert in eBook marketing and passionate about sharing the tools that helped him transition from the construction industry to a full time writer.

Kelly Antonczak

Kelly Antonczak is the COO of Aloha Publishing, author of Significance Breakthrough and the co-founder of the Idaho Book Extravaganza held every year in Boise, Idaho. She holds a degree from Boise State University in Communications and Public Relations and loves to be on the cutting edge of social media techniques and maximizing free global website tools such as Amazon for author marketing and book sales.

Allison Mewes

Allison is the owner of Blue Bamboo Project Services and married to a deployed solider in the US Army. She professional marketing project manager with 13 years of agency and client-side project related experience including an emphasis in social media strategies. Allison's first book is Top Secret however she may reveal the contents at an upcoming workshop.

Click here to sign up.

Guest Post by Estevan Vega: Adapt or Die

As the World Turns…Adapt or Die
By Estevan Vega

I thought the first part of that sentence was way too cheesy and hugely soap of me to leave as is; the cute little tag at the end makes it really shine.
Glad you agree.

For those of you who don't know, the world is changing. But it doesn't stop there. Yes, along with a number of floods, earthquakes, tornadoes (minus Helen Hunt or the ever-charming Bill Paxt…wait), and shady politicians, the world of commerce is changing. The world of information. The world of books.

Unless you've been hiding in a cave the last decade, you have noticed a significant hiccup in the routine. You used to be able to waltz into a record store (I know, what's that?) and purchase a CD, or second scenario, you hoped to God they carried your favorite artist in a Wal-Mart/Best Buy. If you were looking for a Friday night flick, you hopped into your car and sped to Blockbuster. But in case you are one of the few humanoids who can't read the apocalyptic signs, allow one with the third eye to help out. Record stores, made famous for ridiculously high prices, have all but become obsolete. Likewise, many Circuit Citys have been chased out by Best Buys. And more recently, Blockbuster has suffered a devastating blow, now forced to close hundreds of stores, many near my house. Very inconvenient. I mean, aggravating. I mean, sad.

But it doesn't stop there. More good news. For many. Borders filed bankruptcy earlier this year. Are times-a-changin' or what? I never thought I'd actually see such heavy hitters knocked out. But it happened. Why? Because just as the music and DVD herd have thinned, other forms of entertainment are thinning. Books. One of the last great treasures, are losing value to many. For years, the industry has been down-sizing, hurting publishers, but even more so, killing the species known as genus author. Now, of course, this is much more frustrating than witnessing the demise of my childhood escape store, Blockbuster, because I am an author. No, seriously, I am. You don't have to check Google or anything. But what am I to make of this ever-changing, ever-turning world of entertainment?

Well, to put it simply: it's time to adapt to the times.

While I still have a deep appreciation and love for print books, e-books are the machines storming into Zion right now, and guess what, Neo's not here to stop them. But this is not all doom and gloom for the author. No, in fact, it's dank. Or, awesome. Like never before, authors can connect with fans the way artists have been forced to connect with crowds at a rock show. People may not be shelling out cold, hard cash for records, but they'll see a band light up the stage come Saturday night. Similarly, a customer might hesitate to buy an expensive hardcover but be more inclined to click a button and have that same book at the mercy of their fingertips in seconds, without ever leaving their couch.

Like being able to change the channel without getting up, e-books are changing the face of the industry, the face of entertainment. They're immediate. They're now. If an author is going to make it, he/she must establish an online presence; find some niche, some way to connect to your audience. Find what your audience needs and give it to them. If a three minute song can make a person laugh, and if a 90-minute romance can make a chick forget she just got dumped, then a book, delivered on time and by an ever-sexy Amazonian website, can change even the most primitive author into an adversary to be reckoned with. Perhaps writers have just been given a get-out-of-begging-for-your-big-break card.

This is the future. Adapt or die.

-evega


Estevan Vega grew up in Connecticut and published his first book by the age of fifteen. His writing has been likened to that of Stephen King and Ted Dekker because he is known for penning stories that bridge the gap between the ordinary and the supernatural. Arson is his third novel and book one in the Arson trilogy. Look for its re-release this summer, as well as the upcoming release of book two in the series.