Jennifer Becton's Blog, page 40

Benefits of NOT Marketing in 2013?

Planning for 2013

At the turn of a new year, everyone in the book world and their less-knowledgeable sister (that would be me) is making predictions and doling out advice about the coming year. Authors, publishers, and book distributors share their words of wisdom, and I try to consider each piece of advice seriously, test it against my own experience, and decide how to proceed.

Today I’m considering the following blogs by J. A. Konrath, Mark Coker of Smashwords, and Dean Wesley Smith.

They say: At the moment, the consensus for 2013 seems to be that competition in the bookselling world will be stiff as more writers publish independently and back-list titles start appearing in ebook format. The mad dash for ereaders seems to be over, and that means the free-for-all style ebook loading will dwindle too.

My experience says: Bookselling has seemed more difficult for the past six months, and a look at my spreadsheets confirms this fact. I have seen slower sales across the board, and the power of KDP freebies has also waned. More on that below.

They say: Stop wasting money on marketing and start writing more books.

My experience says: Okay, here is where we have to consider the sources. Smith and Konrath have been at this a long time. They may not be the biggest names on the planet, but they do have names, and they have more shelf space than I do already. They do have more draw just by virtue of the fact that they have been writing longer. They may be able to stop marketing, but can I, as a writer with fewer years under my belt?

Besides, it just sounds wrong. Selling will be harder so don’t market? Seems like that’s just what authors need to be doing.

Having said that, the advice to write more does make sense. The more titles you have, the more your sales of one book will bleed over to benefit your other titles. Readers who like your first offering will likely try the second, third, and so on. Coker calls it “passive discoverability,” which basically means you depend on “retailer-operated merchandising systems, search engines, reader reviews, and social media hyperlinks.” None of these guys recommend paying for ads.

After knocking this idea around a bit,  I think they could be right. The marketing money I invested in 2012 did not see the same return as the previous year, and though I justify the expense as good exposure, that’s hardly concrete evidence that my money was well spent. I doubt I’ll be paying for much ad space in 2013 because of this.

However, I won’t be dropping of Facebook or Twitter or quitting this blog. I still see value in social media interaction. I will also continue to build an email list and return email I receive.

They say: Amazon is not going to be the power player it was in the past. Kobo, Apple, and BN are apparently poised to fight back against Amazon’s exclusivity clauses in KDP Select in a big way in 2013. (Please read Coker’s comments with the knowledge that while he is in business with Amazon, he is also their direct competitor. He lost a lot of writers when Select started, and it colors his opinions.)

My experience says: Yay! This is great news. Lots of people despaired over Amazon’s aggressive tactics with Select, but look at the results. Other companies are stepping up their games, which means our books will have the opportunity for more visibility in 2013. I plan to opt out of Select, which has been less successful in the past 6 months with regard to visibility and financial incentives.

To sum up: my main focus this year will be on writing, but I still intend to keep up my social media marketing. My own data supports many of these experts’ findings, and I’ll be adjusting my schedule and priorities accordingly.

What does your data show?

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!
And don’t forget to pick up your gifts!
Death Benefits and Charlotte Collins are free on Kindle for two days only! (December 24-25, 2012)

It Really Happens

Don’t run in these if you’re faking an ankle injury.

Lest anyone thinks I’m making up some of the crazier frauds in the Southern Fraud series, check out this little news story about a woman who was busted for worker’s comp fraud. She had been receiving benefits after claiming an ankle injury that prevented her from being able to walk without crutches, and then she was caught on tape running in high heels–something I can barely do with two good ankles–in a public park, where she subsequently performed oral sex on “a boyfriend.”

After pleading no contest to the fraud, she got nine months in jail and must pay $79,000 in restitution.

Now that’s a freaky fraudster Julia and Vincent might encounter!

How to Build an Email List

Today, I’m at a totally redesigned Indie Jane to tell you how to build an email list without resorting to spam or driving yourself insane with Excel spreadsheets.

Incidentally, you can sign up to be notified of the launch of At Fault by typing your email address here:

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When Real Life Attacks

Lots of people have been emailing, Facebooking, and tweeting me about At Fault. Thank you for that! It’s so exciting to know that other people care about Julia, Vincent, and Tricia and want to know what happens next in Mercer, Georgia.

I know it seems like a long time since Death Benefits came out, and I really hate having made the wait so long. Unfortunately, it couldn’t be helped. In July, my friend Laura and I launched Riding Fear Free: Help for Fearful Riders and Their Teachers, and after that, I intended to go right into At Fault. However, that’s not quite how it happened.

Real life attacked.

Fatty patches over the ribs and tail head are signs of metabolic disorder. Lush pasture can be too much sugar for horses prone to EMS (equine metabolic syndrome).

In case you didn’t know already, I’m a horseperson, and I own a National Show Horse (that’s Arab x Saddlebred) mare named Darcy. This summer, she began getting fat, and then she quickly began showing signs of metabolic disorder: either insulin resistance (kind of like human diabetes, but not really) or Cushing’s disease (a tumor of the pituitary gland). These diseases can be scary, and a horse can quickly degenerate into a sick, foot-sore pathetic creature. Both can end up being fatal if left untreated. So this change in Darcy’s health basically turned my schedule upside down. (Translation: I freaked out.)

Darcy Lecter

In an effort to get her weight under control, I was at the barn daily to exercise her, and she was wearing her Hannibal Lecter-esque grazing muzzle to try to cut down on the her grass intake, which she hated. (It sounds counterintuitive, but sometimes grass isn’t good for all horses. I learned that the hard way.) When I wasn’t with Darcy, I was doing research into the diagnosis and treatment of equine metabolic issues. And when I wasn’t doing that, I was worried that her feet would fall off. And in case you don’t know the old adage, “no hoof, no horse.” It’s true.

When it became clearer that Darcy’s issue wasn’t just too many calories, I called in a vet, which started another crazy chain of events that lasted two months before I ever got a real diagnosis. (Thank you, Dr. Storey!) Darcy has compensated insulin resistance, which means she was headed on the path to laminitis (bad hoof condition and lots of pain) but wasn’t sick enough yet.

Then, thanks to another wacky train of events, I sprained an ankle right on the heels of her diagnosis, and that meant I couldn’t continue exercising Darcy or overseeing her care and diet. I couldn’t even walk. Knowing how dangerously close she was to laminitis, I got desperate and begged to move her to a dry lot (no grass, which is the main cause of her condition) where she could be on a safe diet of hay and beet pulp and yet still live like a horse in a small herd.

Darcy (in pink) with a pasturemate on her new dry lot, where she gets safe hay, instead of dangerous, sugary grass.

I’m so grateful that she has now moved and is already showing signs of improvement. And that means I can finally return to my normal schedule (well, except for the walking thing. My ankle is still really slowing me down). So after a crazy three months of stress, I can finally focus on At Fault, and though it won’t be out by Christmas as I’d hoped, it is actually progressing nicely.

As a thank-you for your patience, I’ve decided to write book 4 in Southern Fraud next (instead of my usual genre hopping), shooting for a summer release date of the yet-to-be named title.

If you haven’t already signed up for my email list, do so now, and you’ll be the first to know the moment books 3 and 4 come out!

My Thoughts on the Kindle Paperwhite

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As an author, I try to keep up with the latest ereader technology so that I can ensure that my books proved the best possible reading experience. (Plus, I like new toys.) So I ordered the new Paperwhite. A few people have asked how I like it, so after a few weeks of use, I thought I’d do a post about it.

The Good

Resolution: The improved contrast of the screen is lovely.
Book Light: This isn’t a back-lit screen, which I despise reading on. This has small LED lights positioned in front of the display to illuminate the text. Some people have talked about shadows at the bottom of the screen, and I can see what they’re talking about, but they do not reach the text on your standard Kindle book, so it doesn’t bother me. Here’s a link to a video so you can see for yourself. The book light cannot be turned off completely, but at its dimmest setting it is about the same as the Kindle Keyboard in look. At its brightest, it’s like reading on bright white paper. Also, the book light makes reading in the car a pleasure.
Ability to Borrow Kindle Books from Prime: I couldn’t read borrowed books on the Keyboard, but this one is fully equipped for the Prime lending program.
Time Left in Chapter Feature: The Kindle calculates your reading speed and can tell you have many hours/minutes you have left in the chapter/book. Kind of cool, but can be distracting if you leave it on screen (instead of hiding the dialog box) while reading.

The Room to Improve

No Text to Speech: This feature seems to be disappearing as Amazon implements its Whispersync between Audible books and Kindle books. I liked the robo voice.
Experimental Browser Still Experimental: Sometimes it’s difficult to tap links and the scrolling is buggy. In all, it’s sufficient, but could be better.
Touch Screen Is Not What I’m Used to: My phone has a hair-trigger touch screen, and the Paperwhite requires a firmer touch or tap. This is not necessarily bad for everyone, but it took me time to get used to the difference.

In summary, I like the Paperwhite, would buy it again, and would recommend it to others. I also really like the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Leather Cover. Its magnetic closure automatically puts the Kindle to sleep when you close it and wakes it when you open it.

Charlotte Collins en francias

The cover of the French edition of Charlotte Collins appeared as if by magic on my Facebook wall yesterday, and I am just thrilled with the way it turned out. (To read more about the advent of the French language edition, read this blog post.)

As an indie author, I’m used to having maximum input (read: total and complete control) on all the decisions concerning my books, and strangely enough, one of the most fun parts of my adventure into foreign rights has been relinquishing control and seeing what my publisher Bragelonne does with my work. What art would they pick for the cover? And would I be able to see the French influences in the design?

I love the cover. It’s absolutely nothing like what I did for the US edition, but I think it works well.

Here’s the US edition for comparison:

On the French cover, the woman in the top third is simply lovely, even if she’s a bit more embellished than I picture Charlotte as a character. She has the correct bearing, very demure and shyly attractive. In the center third, the font is large and clear and the background isn’t so embellished that it detracts from the main image statements and title. Now, the bottom third threw me a bit. Parliament? It’s a lovely image, but most of my book takes place outside of London. However, upon further reflection, I think I understand the choice. It’s a clear statement of setting, which I think is necessary since there is no indication on the cover that this is an Austen-related tome. I wonder why that was not included, but hey, they are supposed to know their market, so I will just see what happens.

I look forward to getting the translated text and reading it myself, but for now, I get to enjoy a cover I didn’t have to create myself!

Winning!

Congratulations to Rina, whose blog post comment entry won the ebook of Caroline Bingley!

My deepest thanks to everyone who took the time to visit the blog and enter the giveaway.

Have a great weekend!

Celebrating Austen’s Minor Characters and a Giveaway!

The love of Jane Austen persists for many reasons: heartfelt romance, witty dialogue, and themes that remain relevant today. But her characters, the people who populate her novels, are her most fascinating creations.

Not only does Austen give us interesting, complex heroines like Elizabeth Bennet and Emma Woodhouse, but she creates compelling heroes, like the enigmatic Mr. Darcy and the moral Mr. Knightley. But her minor characters truly round out the world of her novels by presenting the varied (and often opposing) views on society and differing theories on the best way to navigate life.

Charlotte Collins is the soul of practicality. On the verge of old maidenhood, Charlotte does not have the luxury of seeking out true love, nor does she believe such a thing exists. Her future comforts, and perhaps her very survival, depend on her making a suitable match, not a love match. She represents Regency society, which viewed marriage as a means to security. Her choice to marry Mr. Collins highlights how very different are Elizabeth Bennet’s views of marriage and love.

And Caroline Bingley, well, she’s a peach. She is an excellent example of a Regency social climber. Born to a father who earned his fortune in trade, Caroline desperately tries to hide that fact by insinuating herself with Mr. Darcy, who flatly rejects her. The lengths to which she went to separate Jane and Bingley and Lizzie and Darcy not only show a bit about Caroline’s unkind personality, but her actions say even more about Regency society. With the growth of the middle class, traditional societal structure was crumbling. Where would wealthy tradesmen fit into a society that valued aristocracy? Caroline, in her own way, was fighting for her life. Being known as the daughter of a tradesman was anathema to her, but to be Mr. Darcy’s wife….

But what happened to these characters after the action of Pride and Prejudice? Did Charlotte come to regret her decision to marry the odious Mr. Collins? Did she ever have the chance to make a different choice about love? Or was she doomed to suffer her husband’s prattle for the rest of her life? Did she ever experience true love?

And Caroline: did she remain a heartless shrew for the rest of her life, or did she see the error of her ways and repent? How did she deal with Jane and Bingley’s marriage, and how did she cope when Elizabeth became mistress of Pemberley? Would she marry the first wealthy aristocrat she could find, or would her heart get in the way?

I wondered these things, and I had fun exploring Austen’s characters in The Personages of Pride & Prejudice Collection.

If you’d like to read about what might have happened to Austen’s beloved characters, please check out the links below and be sure to register to win a free ebook edition of Caroline Bingley.

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Status of At Fault

Thank you to everyone who has written to ask about the release date of At Fault. I’m flattered that so many people are eager to read what happens next in Mercer, Georgia.

I am still not ready to pin down a launch date for the book.

This has been a high-volume year for me. Death Benefits launched in February, and Riding Fear Free was released in July, so that makes At Fault the third book for this 12-month period. I think a book every 6 months is about my speed; it’s where I feel most comfortable in terms of stamina and writing quality, but I’m honestly giving it my best shot to have it out sooner.

That being said, the events in At Fault set up the major plot points for the rest of the series, and I want to make sure I have thought of everything and put all the actors in motion so that everything comes together correctly. It’s as if I’m doing the research for 4 books and not just 1 because what happens in book 3 marks a big change for Julia.

So that’s my totally vague update. I apologize for the wait, but I am doing my best to make At Fault worth it. Thank you for all your notes of encouragement, and please be sure to sign up for the pre-launch email list in the sidebar on the right.