Bryan Thomas Schmidt's Blog, page 40
January 19, 2012
Write Tips: Five Tips For Social Media Promotion Success
This post originally ran as part of the blog tour for my debut novel, The Worker Prince, at the blog of Patty Jansen. Social Media has taken over the world, or at least parts of it. Its rise in popularity has been stunning. It's literally changed the way most of us use the web forever. [ Read More ]
January 18, 2012
Books Read In 2011 Per Goodreads
Supervolcano: Eruption by Turtledove, Harry Pathfinder Tales: Death's Heretic by Sutter, James L. Firebird (Alex Benedict, #6) by McDevitt, Jack Anniversary Day ( A Retrieval Artist Novel, #8) by Rusch, Kristine Katherine Owl Dance by Summers, David Lee * Blood and Other Cravings ed. Datlow, Ellen Downpour (Greywalker, #6) by Richardson, Kat Greywalker by Richardson, Kat The Flying Machine [ Read More ]
January 16, 2012
Write Tip: How To Get The Most Out Of Your Book Sell Sheets
In our previous Write Tips post, we talked about Why Your Book Needs A Sell Sheet How To Make One. This time, let's focus on how to use the Sell Sheets once you have one. Right off the bat, here are some ways you can put Sell Sheets to work: 1) Market To Bookstores – When given [ Read More ]
January 15, 2012
Goodreads Etiquette
Dear Goodreads friend, I'm so honored and excited to be in a community of book lovers, fellow authors and readers. It's just the coolest thing. But there's one habit I must mention which is a turn off. If you add me as a friend, and I don't know you, don't immediately email me about buying your book. Folks, I have books too. But that kind of thing is just as obnoxious here as it is on Facebook, Twitter, etc. It does not make me want to buy your book. Instead it makes me want to unfriend and ignore you. I'm here to get to know books and people who love them first. Selling books is second. Yes, I'd love to have you read my books. Yes, I'd love more reviews. But this is social networking and, as such, it's social first, sales as a side effect. Please keep this in mind when adding me. It's happening more and more and I promise you, it's not working with me any more than I suspect it's working with most others here.
Thanks.
Bryan
Thanks.
Bryan
January 14, 2012
On Girl Scout Cookie Boycotts, Boy Scouts & Other Insanities
Okay, this is ridiculous. Folks, come on. I get livid when people complain about the Boy Scout's moral policies because the Boy Scouts were founded as a religious organization and they have a right, as do churches, to set moral standards for their members. The fact that they are the "only act in town" doesn't [ Read More ]
January 12, 2012
Write Tip: Why Your Book Needs A Sell Sheet & How To Make One
Book sell sheets are a key component of publicity for books in traditional publishing. Having a professional sell sheet can help distinguish your book from thousands of others and really help it get noticed. It's important that it stand out from the crowd, because a mid-size bookstore can receive a hundred or more sell sheets a year. For [ Read More ]
January 9, 2012
The Returning: Thoughts On Novel Revision
Revising a novel or story is something everybody goes about in their own way. Each of us have strengths and weaknesses, for example, so what needs work varies on an individual and even per project basis. As I prepare to revise my second contracted novel for publication, the fourth novel I've revised ever, I wanted [ Read More ]
January 5, 2012
Write Tip: Thoughts On Choosing Point Of View
There are many decisions one makes when writing fiction. One of the most important is the choice of POV character and whether it's first person or third. Often, when dealing with multiple POV characters, the choice is based on who has the most to lose or gain in a particular scene. But sometimes other factors [ Read More ]
January 2, 2012
Life, Death and Other Ruminations (Thoughts On Suicide & Depression)
Okay, it's Write Tips day, I know. Mondays I always post them. But this week I don't have one ready, and part of the reason is that I just can't get suicide off my mind. I got news yesterday that takes me back to a dark time in my own life. When I was in [ Read More ]
January 1, 2012
Hello 2012! Good Riddance 2011! (Predictions & Reflections)
Well, 2011 is gone and I am as glad as anyone it will never return. I thought 2010 was a bad year but 2011 was so much worse. In may 2010, I lost my full time job. By the end of the year, my part time one also went away due to my out of [ Read More ]
