Chicki Brown's Blog, page 53
October 27, 2011
Tardy Thursday (belated Writer Wednesday post)
And the Beat Goes On …
If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you've heard me say repeatedly, I love being part of the indie publishing world. Most of this experience is fantastic, but there are some negative aspects. One of them is the yet prevailing bashing of independent books/authors.
Even though I've turned my back on the traditional side of publishing, I read several blogs by trad authors/agents. Lately I've noticed a disturbing trend in the comments on these sites. Many of these commenters seem determined to bash indie books every chance they get. They claim to have tried indie books and were appalled at the poor quality. This statement really annoys me, almost as much as when certain readers say, "I've read romance, and find those books to be pointless stories featuring weak-willed women whose only goal in life is to be ravaged by a long-haired, shirtless man." Obviously, these people read a handful of romances back in the 1970's or 80's and have based their judgment of the entire genre on books written in another decade.
[image error]
Today the self-pub haters are doing the same thing. Most likely they have read a few books they picked using the eenie-meenie-miney-mo process. Just this morning I read a comment, in which one poster said,
"…It really sounds like the biggest reason is because you hope to be the one-in-a-million gutsy makes it biggest off self publishing, and that you are too impatient to go the traditional route.
If you are banking on being the one-in-a-million... Why do you think you're more likely to hit that jackpot this way rather than through traditional channels?
Also, the two year lag in traditional publishing is because they help you make your book BETTER. Editors for grammar, continuity, voice, story, and all kinds of other things. Professionals making your book the best it can possibly be. You want to cut owe kind of corners?
I have yet to read a self published novel that wasn't riddled with problems. Granted, I haven't read your work, and I will be happy to hopefully be corrected on this someday. But at is stands, I think self publishing is the impatient way."
If this person can't find good indie books, it's obvious she has no clue about the hundreds of indie books web sites, blogs and Facebook pages where she could've read reviews. It also seems she never thought of downloading the free sample in order to see what the writing was like before she bought the book. In my opinion, this person and many of the other vocal critics, are the folks that need someone to tell them what to read.
I just finished reading two books published by major New York publishers that contained typos and formatting errors. That's not the author's fault. The responsibility rests on the editorial department of the publisher. It's strange how I never hear the haters bashing big name authors because of the errors in their books.
This hateration was the subject of discussion recently in one of the indie writer groups to which I belong. A member had received a scathing e-mail from a reader that went on a tirade against indie books because she found two typos in her book. Below I copied two of the comments from other members to the author.
"Never, ever let legacy writers (or others) bring you down with their bull crap. They are the real "vanity press" authors now. And, I know because I'm with a traditional publisher as well. The only thing I get out of that is being able to say, "Yes, I have a publisher as well as being indie." If that isn't vanity, I don't know what is. I certainly don't get any money from them. (Last check I got from my publisher was for around $2 and I got it in December 2010. I didn't even deposit it. This year I've gotten a couple of royalty statements, but no check as I haven't made over $5 and my publisher will no longer issue checks under that amount. In contrast, my indie work is bringing in the gold each and every month!)
Another member posted:
"Last week I received a royalty check for seven dollars. Not kidding. I have 3 books still at that publisher. I get the rights to the first book in January and then the other 2 in March. I still have one book at another publisher and I'm waiting for the rights back. I actually had to pay that publisher because they had an overstock of print books, and I bought the final copies so I had to pay them for the books and buy them back before I could get my rights back. I haven't received a royalty check from that publisher in forever. I just received the rights back to a historical romance at a 3rd publisher. The publisher wrote me and said they missed me. I wondered why. My last royalty check there was like six bucks. For four months?"
The concept of a traditional publisher being the "golden ring" for authors is outdated, but it continues to be perpetrated by the uninformed. Attitudes toward indie publishing are slowly changing, but they still have a long way to go …
If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you've heard me say repeatedly, I love being part of the indie publishing world. Most of this experience is fantastic, but there are some negative aspects. One of them is the yet prevailing bashing of independent books/authors.
Even though I've turned my back on the traditional side of publishing, I read several blogs by trad authors/agents. Lately I've noticed a disturbing trend in the comments on these sites. Many of these commenters seem determined to bash indie books every chance they get. They claim to have tried indie books and were appalled at the poor quality. This statement really annoys me, almost as much as when certain readers say, "I've read romance, and find those books to be pointless stories featuring weak-willed women whose only goal in life is to be ravaged by a long-haired, shirtless man." Obviously, these people read a handful of romances back in the 1970's or 80's and have based their judgment of the entire genre on books written in another decade.
[image error]
Today the self-pub haters are doing the same thing. Most likely they have read a few books they picked using the eenie-meenie-miney-mo process. Just this morning I read a comment, in which one poster said,
"…It really sounds like the biggest reason is because you hope to be the one-in-a-million gutsy makes it biggest off self publishing, and that you are too impatient to go the traditional route.
If you are banking on being the one-in-a-million... Why do you think you're more likely to hit that jackpot this way rather than through traditional channels?
Also, the two year lag in traditional publishing is because they help you make your book BETTER. Editors for grammar, continuity, voice, story, and all kinds of other things. Professionals making your book the best it can possibly be. You want to cut owe kind of corners?
I have yet to read a self published novel that wasn't riddled with problems. Granted, I haven't read your work, and I will be happy to hopefully be corrected on this someday. But at is stands, I think self publishing is the impatient way."
If this person can't find good indie books, it's obvious she has no clue about the hundreds of indie books web sites, blogs and Facebook pages where she could've read reviews. It also seems she never thought of downloading the free sample in order to see what the writing was like before she bought the book. In my opinion, this person and many of the other vocal critics, are the folks that need someone to tell them what to read.
I just finished reading two books published by major New York publishers that contained typos and formatting errors. That's not the author's fault. The responsibility rests on the editorial department of the publisher. It's strange how I never hear the haters bashing big name authors because of the errors in their books.
This hateration was the subject of discussion recently in one of the indie writer groups to which I belong. A member had received a scathing e-mail from a reader that went on a tirade against indie books because she found two typos in her book. Below I copied two of the comments from other members to the author.
"Never, ever let legacy writers (or others) bring you down with their bull crap. They are the real "vanity press" authors now. And, I know because I'm with a traditional publisher as well. The only thing I get out of that is being able to say, "Yes, I have a publisher as well as being indie." If that isn't vanity, I don't know what is. I certainly don't get any money from them. (Last check I got from my publisher was for around $2 and I got it in December 2010. I didn't even deposit it. This year I've gotten a couple of royalty statements, but no check as I haven't made over $5 and my publisher will no longer issue checks under that amount. In contrast, my indie work is bringing in the gold each and every month!)
Another member posted:
"Last week I received a royalty check for seven dollars. Not kidding. I have 3 books still at that publisher. I get the rights to the first book in January and then the other 2 in March. I still have one book at another publisher and I'm waiting for the rights back. I actually had to pay that publisher because they had an overstock of print books, and I bought the final copies so I had to pay them for the books and buy them back before I could get my rights back. I haven't received a royalty check from that publisher in forever. I just received the rights back to a historical romance at a 3rd publisher. The publisher wrote me and said they missed me. I wondered why. My last royalty check there was like six bucks. For four months?"
The concept of a traditional publisher being the "golden ring" for authors is outdated, but it continues to be perpetrated by the uninformed. Attitudes toward indie publishing are slowly changing, but they still have a long way to go …
October 25, 2011
Winners of the Spook-A-Licious Bloghop!
First, I'd like to thank everyone that entered the contest! I hope you'll make my blog a regular stop.The winners, chosen at random, are Laura H, Margaret, Nikki and Meg!
I will be contacting each of you by e-mail.
October 24, 2011
Passing the torch
My schedule for today is frightening so I'm not posting anything here, but here's a good one for you to read instead: http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2011/10/guest-post-by-adam-pepper.html
See ya Wednesday ...
See ya Wednesday ...
October 23, 2011
Sample Sunday
Hot Fun in the Summertime
is a contemporary women's fiction story with romantic elements.
Romance author, Shontae Nichols is spending the summer with seven very friends – four women and three men.
This year her housemates will be a drama instructor, an accountant, a hip-hop video dancer, a cosmetologist, a calculus professor and a film actor.
For eight weeks sibling rivalry, girlfriend drama, and sexual attractions threaten to change every one of their relationships. But when one of the housemates faces a tragedy, it affects how all of the friends view life and each other.
Excerpt:
"Remember I said I had this funny feeling about Devon?"
I crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed, hoping she wasn't about to reveal something about our new housemate that would require me to run a background check on him.
"I couldn't figure out what it was until I got back to working on my story," she continued.
"Nothing like this has ever happened to me since I've been writing."
"Will you please tell me what you're talking about?"
"He is the exact likeness of the hero in my book right down to his voice."
"Fascinating," I said, sounding like Spock from the original Star Trek.
"After Kinnik said who he was, I thought he looked familiar from the commercial or maybe from the few times I'd seen him walking the red carpet with Shari Wilcox on one of those magazine shows. That wasn't it. Here, read this." Shontae got up from the desk and patted the chair so I could sit in front of her laptop.
She pointed to the screen. "Start with the second paragraph."
"Every eye was glued on Gregory when he walked into the conference room. This was the new district director? He looked like one of those models from the cover of Details magazine. The custom-tailored suit he wore emphasized his height and the straightness of his shoulders. Thick but neat brows framed his deep-set brown eyes. I'd never seen such a stunning face on a man. But what did irreparable damage to my nervous system was his voice. When he opened his mouth to greet the staff, it captivated every female at the table, the kind that demanded obedience, in the boardroom or the bedroom. My body immediately reacted in ways I didn't want to be seen in a business meeting. I squeezed my thighs together and tried to will it away.
The passage described Devon perfectly.
"I don't know how that happened. A few months ago I saw this face in a dream and when I woke up I decided to use it in my next manuscript then completely forgot about it until this afternoon. I don't put too much stock in coincidence, but this is scary."
Shontae and I had been friends for a long time. I knew she wasn't easily flustered. That's why I was so surprised at how shaken she appeared.
"Could be automatic writing. It's writing produced without conscious thought; like a written message given through a spirit guide. And maybe Devon was sent here for a reason. You probably don't believe in that sort of thing."
Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Like what?"
"Don't ask me. Is this guy in your book good or bad?"
"Good." She smiled a coy smile. "Very good. He's the hero. They're not the same person, Lin. Devon is an actor."
"Don't say it like it's a disease."
"Isn't it? Look at Kip. The man is so in love with himself and his looks, it's sickening. I think the attitude comes with the job. They have so many women running after them. It can't help but go to their heads."
Now I was confused by the way she'd brushed Devon off. "So if he's your dream man, what's your problem with him?"
"Come on, Lin. The man in my book is a fantasy. I created him to be the way I'd like him to be. My character is a serious businessman who's developed a good reputation in the business world by being honorable and trustworthy."
Right away I knew what her issue was. "For all you know, Devon could be the most honorable man on the planet. You've already made up your mind that he's got issues."
"He gets paid to pretend," she insisted.
"He's not Ronald, Tae. Don't hold that idiot's sins against all men."
Her mouth twisted and her eyes narrowed to slits. "Did I say anything about Ronald?"
"You didn't have to. This is a different summer. Devon's a different man. I know you don't believe in karma like I do, but I think you saw him in that dream to let you know he was coming into your life. Give the man the benefit of the doubt."
Shontae studied my face for a few beats and considered my words. "Yeah, I have to admit it is a little strange."
Hot Fun in the Summertime has been a Kindle bestseller with all 4/5-star reviews! It's available now for only $2.99 here: http://amzn.to/dWZSxA & on Nook here: http://bit.ly/k4Z172
Romance author, Shontae Nichols is spending the summer with seven very friends – four women and three men.
This year her housemates will be a drama instructor, an accountant, a hip-hop video dancer, a cosmetologist, a calculus professor and a film actor.
For eight weeks sibling rivalry, girlfriend drama, and sexual attractions threaten to change every one of their relationships. But when one of the housemates faces a tragedy, it affects how all of the friends view life and each other.
Excerpt:
"Remember I said I had this funny feeling about Devon?"
I crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed, hoping she wasn't about to reveal something about our new housemate that would require me to run a background check on him.
"I couldn't figure out what it was until I got back to working on my story," she continued.
"Nothing like this has ever happened to me since I've been writing."
"Will you please tell me what you're talking about?"
"He is the exact likeness of the hero in my book right down to his voice."
"Fascinating," I said, sounding like Spock from the original Star Trek.
"After Kinnik said who he was, I thought he looked familiar from the commercial or maybe from the few times I'd seen him walking the red carpet with Shari Wilcox on one of those magazine shows. That wasn't it. Here, read this." Shontae got up from the desk and patted the chair so I could sit in front of her laptop.
She pointed to the screen. "Start with the second paragraph."
"Every eye was glued on Gregory when he walked into the conference room. This was the new district director? He looked like one of those models from the cover of Details magazine. The custom-tailored suit he wore emphasized his height and the straightness of his shoulders. Thick but neat brows framed his deep-set brown eyes. I'd never seen such a stunning face on a man. But what did irreparable damage to my nervous system was his voice. When he opened his mouth to greet the staff, it captivated every female at the table, the kind that demanded obedience, in the boardroom or the bedroom. My body immediately reacted in ways I didn't want to be seen in a business meeting. I squeezed my thighs together and tried to will it away.
The passage described Devon perfectly.
"I don't know how that happened. A few months ago I saw this face in a dream and when I woke up I decided to use it in my next manuscript then completely forgot about it until this afternoon. I don't put too much stock in coincidence, but this is scary."
Shontae and I had been friends for a long time. I knew she wasn't easily flustered. That's why I was so surprised at how shaken she appeared.
"Could be automatic writing. It's writing produced without conscious thought; like a written message given through a spirit guide. And maybe Devon was sent here for a reason. You probably don't believe in that sort of thing."
Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Like what?"
"Don't ask me. Is this guy in your book good or bad?"
"Good." She smiled a coy smile. "Very good. He's the hero. They're not the same person, Lin. Devon is an actor."
"Don't say it like it's a disease."
"Isn't it? Look at Kip. The man is so in love with himself and his looks, it's sickening. I think the attitude comes with the job. They have so many women running after them. It can't help but go to their heads."
Now I was confused by the way she'd brushed Devon off. "So if he's your dream man, what's your problem with him?"
"Come on, Lin. The man in my book is a fantasy. I created him to be the way I'd like him to be. My character is a serious businessman who's developed a good reputation in the business world by being honorable and trustworthy."
Right away I knew what her issue was. "For all you know, Devon could be the most honorable man on the planet. You've already made up your mind that he's got issues."
"He gets paid to pretend," she insisted.
"He's not Ronald, Tae. Don't hold that idiot's sins against all men."
Her mouth twisted and her eyes narrowed to slits. "Did I say anything about Ronald?"
"You didn't have to. This is a different summer. Devon's a different man. I know you don't believe in karma like I do, but I think you saw him in that dream to let you know he was coming into your life. Give the man the benefit of the doubt."
Shontae studied my face for a few beats and considered my words. "Yeah, I have to admit it is a little strange."
Hot Fun in the Summertime has been a Kindle bestseller with all 4/5-star reviews! It's available now for only $2.99 here: http://amzn.to/dWZSxA & on Nook here: http://bit.ly/k4Z172
October 21, 2011
Fun Friday!
I'm at a loss for blog topics, so I've decided to re-run some of the entries from my old blog over at Webs.
This is one I posted back in 2007. It originally camed from author Jennifer Shirk and it's entitled, "Celebrity Hairstyles I've Worn."
I'll start it chronological order with the style I like to call the "Early Oprah." Almost every little black girl wore the braids with bangs in the fifties.
A few years later, the bangs and ponytail look dominated the early 1960's -- the Sandra Dee "Gidget" look.
In the mid-sixties, most black girls tried to emulate the Motown stars. I copied one of my favorite styles from singer Mary Wells. This is how I wore my hair to the senior prom.
In the late sixties, we did our best to imitate the sleeker styles, ala Diana Ross. Lady's Di is on the right with the big curl on her cheek.
By the late sixties, we got militant and proud. For a few years I sported a huge fro like activist Angela Davis.
Jump to the eighties, when I tried to get glam for a few months and look like Ms. Ross again -- with much artificial assistance, mind you!
[image error]
When the nineties rolled around, I was completely enamored with Queen Oprah and wore this style for years.
Actually, I'm still partial to this style, and I'm basically still there. Ms. O is back to the big hair now,[image error]but I'm not going there with her ...
What celebrity hairstyles have you worn over the years?
This is one I posted back in 2007. It originally camed from author Jennifer Shirk and it's entitled, "Celebrity Hairstyles I've Worn."
I'll start it chronological order with the style I like to call the "Early Oprah." Almost every little black girl wore the braids with bangs in the fifties.
A few years later, the bangs and ponytail look dominated the early 1960's -- the Sandra Dee "Gidget" look.In the mid-sixties, most black girls tried to emulate the Motown stars. I copied one of my favorite styles from singer Mary Wells. This is how I wore my hair to the senior prom.
In the late sixties, we did our best to imitate the sleeker styles, ala Diana Ross. Lady's Di is on the right with the big curl on her cheek.
By the late sixties, we got militant and proud. For a few years I sported a huge fro like activist Angela Davis.
Jump to the eighties, when I tried to get glam for a few months and look like Ms. Ross again -- with much artificial assistance, mind you!
[image error]
When the nineties rolled around, I was completely enamored with Queen Oprah and wore this style for years.
Actually, I'm still partial to this style, and I'm basically still there. Ms. O is back to the big hair now,[image error]but I'm not going there with her ...
What celebrity hairstyles have you worn over the years?
October 19, 2011
Writer Wednesday
Now that I've covered the basics of e-book preparation, it's time to address the biggie – getting attention for your book once it has a home in the Amazon universe.
As most of you already know, there are one million – that's right – 1,000,000 books for sale on Kindle, and close to that many on Nook. You've written, revised, formatted, uploaded, re-uploaded. How are people going to know that your baby is out there?
Before I delve into this subject, I have to admit that this is the part of the publishing process I discovered I hate with a passion. Oh, I love the social part – meeting and chatting with all of the fantastic readers and other writers out there. But I can't stand the need to keep pushing my books everywhere. It feels completely narcissistic. Unfortunately, promotion is something that must be done every day. With that being said, there are ways to reach your readers without being a sleazy pimp.
Social networking is the main focus of e-book promotion these days. Of course, it is a necessity to post promo messages on the triumverate – Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus, which I will talk about later.
The first places to start are the discussion forums on both Amazon and Nook. They allow restricted promo posting by authors. I say restricted, because I have experienced scathing rebuke from readers on the Amazon US and UK forums in particular for posting in the wrong place, at the wrong time, using the wrong wording, yada, yada, yada. These folks, especially the women on the Romance forum, are rabid about author promotion.
All I'm going to say about them is, "If you've never written a book and tried to get the world to notice that it exists, have a little compassion. It's a very difficult task." Here's the link to the smackdown I received recently on the UK forum: http://www.amazon.co.uk/forum/kindle?_encoding=UTF8&cdForum=Fx3IRFCNF3E5K2W&cdThread=Tx3A883EC3A8N63
Rather than go into a diatribe about that here, I suggest you read about the experiences of other authors:
http://neilostroff.blogspot.com/2011/08/romance-forum-on-amazon-is-evil.html
http://absolutewrite.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-197625.html
Besides the Big 3, there are thousands of other places where the "e-people" hang out, namely online sites that specialize in e-books.
Kindleboards.com and Nookboards.com are wonderful sites on which to promote. These two sites are not affiliated with Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Mobileread.com, Sonyreaderboards.com, and Goodereader.com/forum are also e-book specific sites. In addition there are sites like Gather.com, Kindlechat.org, LinkedIn that have e-book groups.
The "high volume" sites where authors can request or buy a feature are the best sources for wide exposure, but their waiting lists are outrageous. You may wait for three months before your book comes up in the queue.
e-Reader News Today (I posted a feature here and sold 264 books in one day!)Pixel of InkKindle NationThe Frugal e-Reader
Goodreads, Librarything, Wattpad and Scribd shouldn't be overlooked. Within the past year or so scores of web sites and blogs dedicated solely to the promotion of independent books have appeared. If you do a search for the word, "indie" on Google, an extensive list will come up. Each of these sites has its rules for posting/features.
If you write genre fiction, like I do, there are hundreds of web sites, blogs and FB pages dedicated to your genre. Most are happy to do features, interviews and reviews, but most have waiting lists so you must be patient and get in line. Finding these sites takes a little research, and reading their submission rules is essential.
The cardinal sin when it comes to online book promotion is authors not engaging with the members/participants of the site. They want to hear you saying more than just "buy my book." Readers are much more receptive if you share interesting articles and news stories related to your particular genre or writing and publishing in general. Once in a while it's even okay to share funny stories and videos, as long as they don't make you look like an idiot.
Now, back to the Big 3 – Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus. Twitter is especially author-friendly, and the reading/writing community there is just awesome. When you make connections on Twitter, followers are loyal to send your messages to their followers. This give and take can result in exposure you could never get by yourself. The #hashtags dedicated to books also help to multiply the number of people that see your message. For instance, the hashtag, #novelines lets you post sentences from your book. People looking for something to read check the #novelines posts daily. Using #hashtags is crucial. Without them, your tweet just goes to your followers alone, whether it's 25 or 100 or 500. When you add the hashtag, #romance to your tweet, it goes to everyone following that hashtag, which is probably tens of thousands.
If you're Twitter challenged, I suggest you learn how to navigate this social network ASAP.
Facebook allows you to post longer entries, but the reposting of comments isn't nearly as good as on Twitter. There are many Facebook pages now dedicated to indie authors and e-books. You can simply do a search for "indie" or "ebook" using the Facebook's search feature.
I haven't joined Google Plus yet. Just haven't had time …
As an independent author, other great spots for support and exposure are the indie author groups like Worldwide Indie Authors and the Independent Author Network As a member of these groups you will not only discover promo opportunities but gain invaluable information and ideas from other members.
Another important part of marketing your e-book is getting reviews. In the past, finding reviewers to read indie books was next to impossible. That is no longer the case. In fact, I have an extensive list of indie book reviewers. If you contact me, and request it, I'll send it to you.
Getting reviews is one area in which I have lacked. I figured I'd just wait for reader reviews; only it wasn't as easy as I'd expected. A lot of readers shy away from leaving reviews on Amazon and B&N, particularly if they weren't crazy about the book. A time or two I have posted on Facebook and requested honest reviews from people who have already read the book.
I guess I need to add that all of this should be in addition to posting on your own blog and web site.
I know it sounds like a lot, and it surely is . My only advice is to try a few things at a time so you don't get overwhelmed. If you join groups, set your e-mail to receive daily digests to keep your inbox from being deluged with group messages.
Well, I could go on about this forever, but this entry is already too long.
As most of you already know, there are one million – that's right – 1,000,000 books for sale on Kindle, and close to that many on Nook. You've written, revised, formatted, uploaded, re-uploaded. How are people going to know that your baby is out there?
Before I delve into this subject, I have to admit that this is the part of the publishing process I discovered I hate with a passion. Oh, I love the social part – meeting and chatting with all of the fantastic readers and other writers out there. But I can't stand the need to keep pushing my books everywhere. It feels completely narcissistic. Unfortunately, promotion is something that must be done every day. With that being said, there are ways to reach your readers without being a sleazy pimp.
Social networking is the main focus of e-book promotion these days. Of course, it is a necessity to post promo messages on the triumverate – Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus, which I will talk about later.
The first places to start are the discussion forums on both Amazon and Nook. They allow restricted promo posting by authors. I say restricted, because I have experienced scathing rebuke from readers on the Amazon US and UK forums in particular for posting in the wrong place, at the wrong time, using the wrong wording, yada, yada, yada. These folks, especially the women on the Romance forum, are rabid about author promotion.
All I'm going to say about them is, "If you've never written a book and tried to get the world to notice that it exists, have a little compassion. It's a very difficult task." Here's the link to the smackdown I received recently on the UK forum: http://www.amazon.co.uk/forum/kindle?_encoding=UTF8&cdForum=Fx3IRFCNF3E5K2W&cdThread=Tx3A883EC3A8N63
Rather than go into a diatribe about that here, I suggest you read about the experiences of other authors:
http://neilostroff.blogspot.com/2011/08/romance-forum-on-amazon-is-evil.html
http://absolutewrite.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-197625.html
Besides the Big 3, there are thousands of other places where the "e-people" hang out, namely online sites that specialize in e-books.
Kindleboards.com and Nookboards.com are wonderful sites on which to promote. These two sites are not affiliated with Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Mobileread.com, Sonyreaderboards.com, and Goodereader.com/forum are also e-book specific sites. In addition there are sites like Gather.com, Kindlechat.org, LinkedIn that have e-book groups.
The "high volume" sites where authors can request or buy a feature are the best sources for wide exposure, but their waiting lists are outrageous. You may wait for three months before your book comes up in the queue.
e-Reader News Today (I posted a feature here and sold 264 books in one day!)Pixel of InkKindle NationThe Frugal e-Reader
Goodreads, Librarything, Wattpad and Scribd shouldn't be overlooked. Within the past year or so scores of web sites and blogs dedicated solely to the promotion of independent books have appeared. If you do a search for the word, "indie" on Google, an extensive list will come up. Each of these sites has its rules for posting/features.
If you write genre fiction, like I do, there are hundreds of web sites, blogs and FB pages dedicated to your genre. Most are happy to do features, interviews and reviews, but most have waiting lists so you must be patient and get in line. Finding these sites takes a little research, and reading their submission rules is essential.
The cardinal sin when it comes to online book promotion is authors not engaging with the members/participants of the site. They want to hear you saying more than just "buy my book." Readers are much more receptive if you share interesting articles and news stories related to your particular genre or writing and publishing in general. Once in a while it's even okay to share funny stories and videos, as long as they don't make you look like an idiot.
Now, back to the Big 3 – Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus. Twitter is especially author-friendly, and the reading/writing community there is just awesome. When you make connections on Twitter, followers are loyal to send your messages to their followers. This give and take can result in exposure you could never get by yourself. The #hashtags dedicated to books also help to multiply the number of people that see your message. For instance, the hashtag, #novelines lets you post sentences from your book. People looking for something to read check the #novelines posts daily. Using #hashtags is crucial. Without them, your tweet just goes to your followers alone, whether it's 25 or 100 or 500. When you add the hashtag, #romance to your tweet, it goes to everyone following that hashtag, which is probably tens of thousands.
If you're Twitter challenged, I suggest you learn how to navigate this social network ASAP.
Facebook allows you to post longer entries, but the reposting of comments isn't nearly as good as on Twitter. There are many Facebook pages now dedicated to indie authors and e-books. You can simply do a search for "indie" or "ebook" using the Facebook's search feature.
I haven't joined Google Plus yet. Just haven't had time …
As an independent author, other great spots for support and exposure are the indie author groups like Worldwide Indie Authors and the Independent Author Network As a member of these groups you will not only discover promo opportunities but gain invaluable information and ideas from other members.
Another important part of marketing your e-book is getting reviews. In the past, finding reviewers to read indie books was next to impossible. That is no longer the case. In fact, I have an extensive list of indie book reviewers. If you contact me, and request it, I'll send it to you.
Getting reviews is one area in which I have lacked. I figured I'd just wait for reader reviews; only it wasn't as easy as I'd expected. A lot of readers shy away from leaving reviews on Amazon and B&N, particularly if they weren't crazy about the book. A time or two I have posted on Facebook and requested honest reviews from people who have already read the book.
I guess I need to add that all of this should be in addition to posting on your own blog and web site.
I know it sounds like a lot, and it surely is . My only advice is to try a few things at a time so you don't get overwhelmed. If you join groups, set your e-mail to receive daily digests to keep your inbox from being deluged with group messages.
Well, I could go on about this forever, but this entry is already too long.
October 16, 2011
SPOOK-A-LICIOUS: BLOG HOP TOUR - OCT 17-24
SPOOK-A-LICIOUS:
WHERE BOO-KS DEVOUR YOU
BLOG HOP TOUR (OCT 17-24)
TOUR RULES:
1) HAVE FUN!!!
2) INVITE ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!!! SPREAD THE WORD!!!
3) THIS TOUR STARTS: Monday, October 17, at Midnight (Arizona Time)
THIS TOUR ENDS: Monday, October 24, at Midnight (Arizona Time)
Winners will be drawn and posted October 25th! ***
4) MEET AND MINGLE WITH ALL THE AUTHORS & BOOK PAGES! EXPERIENCE A NEW DESTINATION AT EVERY STOP! PARTICIPATE IN EVERY BLOG CONTEST AND BE ENTERED FOR CHANCES TO WIN MULTIPLE PRIZES! EVERY BLOG VISITED IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO WIN!!
5) PARTICIPATION AT ALL BLOGS IS RECOMMENDED, BUT NOT REQUIRED. REMEMBER, THE MORE BLOGS YOU HOP, THE BETTER YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING PRIZES. EVERY AUTHOR & BOOK PAGE IS WAITING TO MEET AND INTERACT WITH YOU, SO PLEASE BE SURE TO SHOW THEM SOME LOVE!
6) HAVE FUN!
***Authors & Book Pages have full discretion to choose an alternate winner in the event any winner fails to claim their prize(s) within 72 hours of their name being posted or after notification of win, whichever comes first. Anyone who participates in this blog hop tour is subject to these rules***
NOW FOR THE CONTEST:
None of my stories are paranormal or horror. I write contemporary romance, women's fiction and faith-based romance.
4 WINNERS will get a copy of one of my books
If she'd stayed any longer, her husband would have killed her.
Desperate to escape his drug-induced brutality, wealthy socialite Marcia Hadley disappears from Santa Barbara, California and flees to Atlantic City, New Jersey. She's sold everything she can, rents a seedy inner city apartment and attempts to disappear as Dani Reynolds, cocktail waitress at Frenzy, a neighborhood nightclub.
Taylor Villanova, the club's sexy bouncer recognizes her naiveté and volunteers to teach her about surviving and thriving in the inner city. Fearful and suspicious of men, Dani is at first repelled by Taylor's violent profession yet drawn to the compassionate nature that contradicts his macho persona. But when her well-laid plans go awry, and Dani discovers someone is following her, she must put her complete trust in him.
Her time is running out …
Seven very different singles – four women and three men – rent a New Jersey beach house for the summer: author Shontae Nichols, self-employed accountant and realtor, Linda Harris, Linda's sister, hip-hop video dancer Kinnik Watkins, cosmetologist, Jovita Blassingame, Calculus professor Curtis "Doc" Whetstone, actor and drama instructor, Kip Lee, and new housemate, up and coming film actor, Devon Burke.
During their two month stay, romances bloom, friendships are tested and when a tragedy strikes one of the housemates, they all learn the answer to the age-old question: Can men and women ever be just friends? [image error]
Newlywed author Shontae Nichols Burke is trying to adjust to her life in Hollywood as the wife of actor Devon Burke, one of the film industry's brightest upcoming stars. She's left her home and her friends and moved to Los Angeles. They both have blossoming careers. She's attending movie premieres and living a life she only dreamed of.
Unknown to Shontae, someone else also believes Devon Burke is the love of her life. When this disturbed woman insinuates herself into their lives, Shontae learns that all Hollywood drama isn't scripted and finds herself in a fight for her marriage that's worthy of the big screen.
Rick Gardner never intended to visit one of Atlanta's premiere strip clubs, but his fellow attorneys choose that venue to celebrate his latest courtroom victory. A born again believer, Rick knows Dreamland is the last place he belongs. Still, he's confident he can withstand the temptation. Until the beautiful woman sent to entertain them walks in … He is every Christian woman's idea of the perfect catch. He was raised in a Christian home and recently rededicated his life to the Lord. He owns an impressive house and attends one of the best churches in the city. So why is he about to throw all of this away for a woman who is totally wrong for him?
This is a Blog Hop!
1. Spartan Heart By Author Kristine Cheney (Paranormal Romance)
3
2. Books Read N Makeup Done
1
3. Heather Hiestand (Victorian Fantasy Romance)
4. Lisa Greer (Gothic Romance)
1
5. A Writers Haven - Paranormal Romance
1
6. J. F. Jenkins Writes
7. Books-n-Kisses
8. Kay Springsteen: The Romance of Your Life
9. Lisa Beth Darling (Erotic Paranormal Thrillers)
10. Lindsay Downs
1
11. Jean Joachim, Stories of Love and Passion
12. Chynna Laird (YA Suspense)
13. Joselyn Vaughn - Hauntings of the Heart
1
14. JoAnne Kenricks Book Macabre!
15. Boo!
16. Pandoras Box By Author Gracen Miller
1
17. Sherry Gloag
18. Andis Realm: Home to Author Andrea Buginsky
19. Wiccan Haus with Dominique Eastwich
20. Death at Penumbra eMag.
21. Tarah Scott
22. T. C. Archer
23. Felicia Rogers --Dreams. . .
24. The ParaNormal Romance Party
2
25. ECHOES AT DAWN BY KATHLEEN ANN GALLAGHER
26. Queentutts World of Escapism
27. Kim Bowman
28. Deena Remiels GHOSTLY Place
29. Elaine Cantrell
30. E. B. Walters Weblog
31. Sister Scribe with Author Chicki Brown (Contemporary Romance)
32. One Writers Way/Historical & Paranormal Romance
33. Karen V. Wasylowski, But I Digress. . .
2
34. Randi Alexander has a Scary Vampire Cowboy Story!
35. United By Books
36. Meg Mims - Western Historical Suspense
37. JeanBookNerd Haunted Giveaway
1
38. Bona Fide Reflections
39. Morgan Kearns - Paranormal Romance
2
40. Euterpe YA Books
41. Lisas Lair --- Lisa Kesslers Blog
1
42. A World of Words
43. I. O. U. SEX by Sandy Nachlinger & Sandra Allen
44. Roxanne Kade - The Bloody Crescent Book 1: Therian
45. Shadows of Romance
46. Simply Sexy Stories By Nichelle Gregory
47. Delicious Romance by Rachel
48. Close Encounters with the Night Kind
49. SexxyBlogger
50. Mr. Darcys Bite
2
51. Sara Trimble
52. beauty by shaq Huge giveaway
1
53. Darhk Portal
You are next... Click here to enter
This list will close in 8 days, 10 hrs, 25 min (10/24/2011 9:59 PM CST)
What is a blog hop?
Get the code here...
WHERE BOO-KS DEVOUR YOU
BLOG HOP TOUR (OCT 17-24)
TOUR RULES:
1) HAVE FUN!!!
2) INVITE ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!!! SPREAD THE WORD!!!
3) THIS TOUR STARTS: Monday, October 17, at Midnight (Arizona Time)
THIS TOUR ENDS: Monday, October 24, at Midnight (Arizona Time)
Winners will be drawn and posted October 25th! ***
4) MEET AND MINGLE WITH ALL THE AUTHORS & BOOK PAGES! EXPERIENCE A NEW DESTINATION AT EVERY STOP! PARTICIPATE IN EVERY BLOG CONTEST AND BE ENTERED FOR CHANCES TO WIN MULTIPLE PRIZES! EVERY BLOG VISITED IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO WIN!!
5) PARTICIPATION AT ALL BLOGS IS RECOMMENDED, BUT NOT REQUIRED. REMEMBER, THE MORE BLOGS YOU HOP, THE BETTER YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING PRIZES. EVERY AUTHOR & BOOK PAGE IS WAITING TO MEET AND INTERACT WITH YOU, SO PLEASE BE SURE TO SHOW THEM SOME LOVE!
6) HAVE FUN!
***Authors & Book Pages have full discretion to choose an alternate winner in the event any winner fails to claim their prize(s) within 72 hours of their name being posted or after notification of win, whichever comes first. Anyone who participates in this blog hop tour is subject to these rules***
NOW FOR THE CONTEST:
None of my stories are paranormal or horror. I write contemporary romance, women's fiction and faith-based romance.
4 WINNERS will get a copy of one of my books
If she'd stayed any longer, her husband would have killed her.
Desperate to escape his drug-induced brutality, wealthy socialite Marcia Hadley disappears from Santa Barbara, California and flees to Atlantic City, New Jersey. She's sold everything she can, rents a seedy inner city apartment and attempts to disappear as Dani Reynolds, cocktail waitress at Frenzy, a neighborhood nightclub.
Taylor Villanova, the club's sexy bouncer recognizes her naiveté and volunteers to teach her about surviving and thriving in the inner city. Fearful and suspicious of men, Dani is at first repelled by Taylor's violent profession yet drawn to the compassionate nature that contradicts his macho persona. But when her well-laid plans go awry, and Dani discovers someone is following her, she must put her complete trust in him.
Her time is running out …
Seven very different singles – four women and three men – rent a New Jersey beach house for the summer: author Shontae Nichols, self-employed accountant and realtor, Linda Harris, Linda's sister, hip-hop video dancer Kinnik Watkins, cosmetologist, Jovita Blassingame, Calculus professor Curtis "Doc" Whetstone, actor and drama instructor, Kip Lee, and new housemate, up and coming film actor, Devon Burke.
During their two month stay, romances bloom, friendships are tested and when a tragedy strikes one of the housemates, they all learn the answer to the age-old question: Can men and women ever be just friends? [image error]
Newlywed author Shontae Nichols Burke is trying to adjust to her life in Hollywood as the wife of actor Devon Burke, one of the film industry's brightest upcoming stars. She's left her home and her friends and moved to Los Angeles. They both have blossoming careers. She's attending movie premieres and living a life she only dreamed of.
Unknown to Shontae, someone else also believes Devon Burke is the love of her life. When this disturbed woman insinuates herself into their lives, Shontae learns that all Hollywood drama isn't scripted and finds herself in a fight for her marriage that's worthy of the big screen.
Rick Gardner never intended to visit one of Atlanta's premiere strip clubs, but his fellow attorneys choose that venue to celebrate his latest courtroom victory. A born again believer, Rick knows Dreamland is the last place he belongs. Still, he's confident he can withstand the temptation. Until the beautiful woman sent to entertain them walks in … He is every Christian woman's idea of the perfect catch. He was raised in a Christian home and recently rededicated his life to the Lord. He owns an impressive house and attends one of the best churches in the city. So why is he about to throw all of this away for a woman who is totally wrong for him?
This is a Blog Hop!
1. Spartan Heart By Author Kristine Cheney (Paranormal Romance)
3
2. Books Read N Makeup Done1
3. Heather Hiestand (Victorian Fantasy Romance)
4. Lisa Greer (Gothic Romance)1
5. A Writers Haven - Paranormal Romance1
6. J. F. Jenkins Writes
7. Books-n-Kisses
8. Kay Springsteen: The Romance of Your Life
9. Lisa Beth Darling (Erotic Paranormal Thrillers)
10. Lindsay Downs1
11. Jean Joachim, Stories of Love and Passion
12. Chynna Laird (YA Suspense)
13. Joselyn Vaughn - Hauntings of the Heart1
14. JoAnne Kenricks Book Macabre!
15. Boo!
16. Pandoras Box By Author Gracen Miller1
17. Sherry Gloag
18. Andis Realm: Home to Author Andrea Buginsky
19. Wiccan Haus with Dominique Eastwich
20. Death at Penumbra eMag.
21. Tarah Scott
22. T. C. Archer
23. Felicia Rogers --Dreams. . .
24. The ParaNormal Romance Party2
25. ECHOES AT DAWN BY KATHLEEN ANN GALLAGHER
26. Queentutts World of Escapism
27. Kim Bowman
28. Deena Remiels GHOSTLY Place
29. Elaine Cantrell
30. E. B. Walters Weblog
31. Sister Scribe with Author Chicki Brown (Contemporary Romance)
32. One Writers Way/Historical & Paranormal Romance
33. Karen V. Wasylowski, But I Digress. . . 2
34. Randi Alexander has a Scary Vampire Cowboy Story!
35. United By Books
36. Meg Mims - Western Historical Suspense
37. JeanBookNerd Haunted Giveaway1
38. Bona Fide Reflections
39. Morgan Kearns - Paranormal Romance2
40. Euterpe YA Books
41. Lisas Lair --- Lisa Kesslers Blog1
42. A World of Words
43. I. O. U. SEX by Sandy Nachlinger & Sandra Allen
44. Roxanne Kade - The Bloody Crescent Book 1: Therian
45. Shadows of Romance
46. Simply Sexy Stories By Nichelle Gregory
47. Delicious Romance by Rachel
48. Close Encounters with the Night Kind
49. SexxyBlogger
50. Mr. Darcys Bite2
51. Sara Trimble
52. beauty by shaq Huge giveaway1
53. Darhk Portal
You are next... Click here to enter
This list will close in 8 days, 10 hrs, 25 min (10/24/2011 9:59 PM CST)
What is a blog hop?
Get the code here...
Sample Sunday
Today's sample is taken from my Kindle bestselling novel,
Hot Fun in the Summertime
.
Here's a short description of the story:
Seven very different singles – four women and three men – rent a New Jersey beach house for the summer: author Shontae Nichols, self-employed accountant and realtor, Linda Harris, Linda's sister, hip-hop video dancer Kinnik Watkins, cosmetologist, Jovita Blassingame, Calculus professor Curtis "Doc" Whetstone, actor and drama instructor, Kip Lee, and new housemate, up and coming film actor, Devon Burke.
During their two month stay, romances bloom, friendships are tested and when a tragedy strikes one of the housemates, they all learn the answer to the age-old question: Can men and women ever be just friends?- - - - - - - - - - - - -
And here's the excerpt:
The men were stretched out on the deck listening to my sister describe her latest job when I stepped outside. She'd landed a well-paid spot in hardcore rapper Q.E.'s latest video. I wasn't thrilled about it. To make matters worse, Quentin Edwards had the reputation for being mean and ruthless. He'd been arrested for a variety of offenses in this country and overseas. All Kinnik cared about was money and exposure. The exposure was what concerned me the most. The dancers in his videos were known for being as close to naked as the industry allowed.
"I've never met QE," Devon said. "I saw him at a party, but we weren't introduced."
Kinnik leaned toward him like he had a string around her neck. "What party was that?" Her eyes glittered with curiosity.
"The after-party for the Maxim 100 issue."
Her eyes widened with recognition. "That's right. Shari made the top ten."
"Yeah. She's made it the last two years."
"So, you two aren't together any more?" Her eyes studied his face.
I almost howled when Devon checked her. "Come on, if you're in the business, you know she's seeing Jarelle Smith, linebacker for the New York Giants. It's been in every magazine in the country."
Kinnik averted her gaze from his. "Oh, yeah. That's right."
I don't know why she didn't leave well enough alone. Kinnik thrived on playing games. I could tell from her tone of voice, the same tone she'd used from the time we were kids and she lied to Mama about something. My little sister loved to manipulate people and had learned early in life how to get what she wanted. It usually worked too. We had different fathers. She was the pretty one, because her daddy was one of my mother's better-looking boyfriends. The family always joked that I got the smarts and she got the looks. It took a long time to get over the hurt of hearing something like that over and over again. But as I got older, I understood it was true, even though I never let it come between us. Kinnik was my only sister, and I loved her. Eventually I learned I could go further using my brain than she could with her looks. I'd been trying to make her understand that her looks were going to fade one day. She didn't want to hear it, because she was convinced by the time her age started showing that she'd be married to the world's biggest music producer, and he'd pay for any plastic surgery she needed.
Available for $2.99 at
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004DI7KI0
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/k4Z172
Here's a short description of the story:
Seven very different singles – four women and three men – rent a New Jersey beach house for the summer: author Shontae Nichols, self-employed accountant and realtor, Linda Harris, Linda's sister, hip-hop video dancer Kinnik Watkins, cosmetologist, Jovita Blassingame, Calculus professor Curtis "Doc" Whetstone, actor and drama instructor, Kip Lee, and new housemate, up and coming film actor, Devon Burke.
During their two month stay, romances bloom, friendships are tested and when a tragedy strikes one of the housemates, they all learn the answer to the age-old question: Can men and women ever be just friends?- - - - - - - - - - - - -
And here's the excerpt:
The men were stretched out on the deck listening to my sister describe her latest job when I stepped outside. She'd landed a well-paid spot in hardcore rapper Q.E.'s latest video. I wasn't thrilled about it. To make matters worse, Quentin Edwards had the reputation for being mean and ruthless. He'd been arrested for a variety of offenses in this country and overseas. All Kinnik cared about was money and exposure. The exposure was what concerned me the most. The dancers in his videos were known for being as close to naked as the industry allowed.
"I've never met QE," Devon said. "I saw him at a party, but we weren't introduced."
Kinnik leaned toward him like he had a string around her neck. "What party was that?" Her eyes glittered with curiosity.
"The after-party for the Maxim 100 issue."
Her eyes widened with recognition. "That's right. Shari made the top ten."
"Yeah. She's made it the last two years."
"So, you two aren't together any more?" Her eyes studied his face.
I almost howled when Devon checked her. "Come on, if you're in the business, you know she's seeing Jarelle Smith, linebacker for the New York Giants. It's been in every magazine in the country."
Kinnik averted her gaze from his. "Oh, yeah. That's right."
I don't know why she didn't leave well enough alone. Kinnik thrived on playing games. I could tell from her tone of voice, the same tone she'd used from the time we were kids and she lied to Mama about something. My little sister loved to manipulate people and had learned early in life how to get what she wanted. It usually worked too. We had different fathers. She was the pretty one, because her daddy was one of my mother's better-looking boyfriends. The family always joked that I got the smarts and she got the looks. It took a long time to get over the hurt of hearing something like that over and over again. But as I got older, I understood it was true, even though I never let it come between us. Kinnik was my only sister, and I loved her. Eventually I learned I could go further using my brain than she could with her looks. I'd been trying to make her understand that her looks were going to fade one day. She didn't want to hear it, because she was convinced by the time her age started showing that she'd be married to the world's biggest music producer, and he'd pay for any plastic surgery she needed.
Available for $2.99 at
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004DI7KI0
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/k4Z172
October 12, 2011
Writer Wednesday - What about covers?
Joe Konrath has been stressing the importance of having the importance of having the right cover for your e-book for years. He says, "Covers sell books. And having a consistent cover style, which can be recognized by fans by sight before they even see the book's title, is smart business."
But many new authors just don't have the funds to pay to have a professional create their covers. Until I started to make some money from my royalties, one of my critique partners did my covers. She has Photoshop skills and did a great job within the limitations of that program.
For my upcoming winter release I had a professional cover done, but I did it economically by purchasing a stock photo from www.romancenovelcovers.com/, the site owned by cover model, Jimmy Thomas.
Like RNC, there are other sites that sell stock covers, like http://www.hotdamndesigns.com/bookcovers.asp and http://shinycovers.com/
There are the photo sites that now offer a way to select their photos and create your cover right on their site, like http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-image-12-colourful-book-ebook-covers-image4290036 ;
The only problem with buying stock cover or using a stock photo is that you take the risk of seeing the same cover on someone else's book. This happens a lot with romance and chick-it books, but apparently also with mystery. There's an entire site dedicated to the subject: http://therapsheet.blogspot.com/search/label/Copycat%20Covers
Whichever way you decide to go, here are some things to keep in mind when creating your cover:
What is the story about and what feeling do you want the cover to evoke in the reader?
What kind of image do you want the book to have?
Pretty and romanticSleek and sexy
Dark and scary
Warm and inviting
Cute and comical
Sharp and intellectual
Trendy
For instance, cartoon covers fit comedy or chick-lit books more than they do a serious romance or women's fiction story. And even if you have a sexy story, do you want a sexy cover? That's what I had to ask myself about my Winter 2011 release, Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing .
The Real Thing ( or TRT) is my second faith-based story, and it's about a married couple. My new cover will most likely raise a few eyebrows, because it's an inspirational story, but it's also a sexy love story. Many readers of inspirational romance strongly dislike sexy covers. I can understand their reservations if the characters are single, but I strongly disagree if the main characters are married. I believe sex is an important part of our lives and good sex is a blessing from God. J
Well, all that being said, here are Michael and Dee Reese on the cover of The Real Thing . I know this one is going to cause a stir for more reasons than one ...
Kudos to Kimberly Matthews-Hooker and Jimmy Thomas for a great cover!
But many new authors just don't have the funds to pay to have a professional create their covers. Until I started to make some money from my royalties, one of my critique partners did my covers. She has Photoshop skills and did a great job within the limitations of that program.
For my upcoming winter release I had a professional cover done, but I did it economically by purchasing a stock photo from www.romancenovelcovers.com/, the site owned by cover model, Jimmy Thomas.
Like RNC, there are other sites that sell stock covers, like http://www.hotdamndesigns.com/bookcovers.asp and http://shinycovers.com/
There are the photo sites that now offer a way to select their photos and create your cover right on their site, like http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-image-12-colourful-book-ebook-covers-image4290036 ;
The only problem with buying stock cover or using a stock photo is that you take the risk of seeing the same cover on someone else's book. This happens a lot with romance and chick-it books, but apparently also with mystery. There's an entire site dedicated to the subject: http://therapsheet.blogspot.com/search/label/Copycat%20Covers
Whichever way you decide to go, here are some things to keep in mind when creating your cover:
What is the story about and what feeling do you want the cover to evoke in the reader?
What kind of image do you want the book to have?
Pretty and romanticSleek and sexy
Dark and scary
Warm and inviting
Cute and comical
Sharp and intellectual
Trendy
For instance, cartoon covers fit comedy or chick-lit books more than they do a serious romance or women's fiction story. And even if you have a sexy story, do you want a sexy cover? That's what I had to ask myself about my Winter 2011 release, Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing .
The Real Thing ( or TRT) is my second faith-based story, and it's about a married couple. My new cover will most likely raise a few eyebrows, because it's an inspirational story, but it's also a sexy love story. Many readers of inspirational romance strongly dislike sexy covers. I can understand their reservations if the characters are single, but I strongly disagree if the main characters are married. I believe sex is an important part of our lives and good sex is a blessing from God. J
Well, all that being said, here are Michael and Dee Reese on the cover of The Real Thing . I know this one is going to cause a stir for more reasons than one ...
Kudos to Kimberly Matthews-Hooker and Jimmy Thomas for a great cover!
October 10, 2011
Progress Report
Back in the olden days when I was in school, I used to hate when the time came for progress reports to go out. Even though I was an honor roll student, I always had the feeling there was something I didn't know that my teachers were just itching to tell my parents.
Now that I write my own progress reports, so to speak, I rather enjoy them. Right now I am revising my upcoming winter 2011 release, Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing . This book was the second manuscript I ever wrote back in 2002. The Real Thing is the sequel to Lyrics , my first manuscript and the book of my heart. It tells the story of an interracial couple who are faced with a devastating event that could destroy their marriage. The story has nothing to do with race. Instead it focuses on the issue of fidelity.
Going in I knew revising the story would be a lot of work, but I had no idea the first three chapters were going to be so hard.[image error]I had included way to much backstory. Once I started the revisions a few weeks ago, I was horrified that I had tried to retell the entire story of Lyrics in the first forty-five pages of the sequel! Of course, I need to let the readers know who the characters are and what their history is, but not by giving a major information dump in the first two chapters. I worked on the first three chapters for two weeks and think I've finally gotten them worked out.
TRT will be the last of my previously written manuscripts I plan to publish for a while. I still have Reasons , a story I wrote back in 2005 about Jan, Verna, Noreen and Kathy, four friends that each have to make a major life decision.
Recently the idea came to me to break this manuscript into separate shorts to publish individually on Kindle Singles. I have already taken part Jan's story and used it in Hollywood Swinging . The rest of her story, which is a May/December romance, is now titled, You Make Me Feel Brand New , and is going to be included in an anthology being put together by WG2E, the Writer's Guide to e-Publishing. The anthology will be published in February 2012.
My last remaining unpublished manuscript is Between Sisters , a story loosely based on my sister and myself. That story wandered like a Hebrew in the wilderness. It went too long and needs to be cut about 35-40 pages. Not a job I feel like doing any time soon. Maybe I'll revise it … someday.
Sixteen months ago I decided to self-publish all of my novels on Kindle and Nook before I wrote anything new. After almost a year and half later, I can't take it anymore. I am just sick and tired of revising. The next project will be a completely new story that I'll start from scratch, and I can't wait to start!
![[image error]](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_jUJt8kCVlU/TZ8qLRySIqI/AAAAAAAAACQ/yxbKGt3C2rw/s1600/HOLLYWOOD+-+FINAL+COVER.jpg){kind=link}