Neil D. Ostroff's Blog, page 24

Creepiest ever!

I love the new cover for my Kindle version of FROSTPROOF. http://www.neilostroff.blogspot.com As I’ve mentioned before, I’m slowly taking back all my rights to my paperbacks and republishing only electronically. I believe the traditional book is going the way of CD’s and I’m excited to be at the threshold of this new medium. With my seventh novel soon to be published electronically, I’ve now got more than half of my books out there for the entire world to purchase. It’s a pretty cool feeling. Once I send the new FROSTPROOF off to my editor, I’ll start getting a marketing plan together. Of course, the usual routine of placing the book on the dozens of writer’s site to which I belong will take a few days, but after that, I’m thinking of placing a few sponsorships for summer readers. I’m also going to place a few more sponsorships for DROP OUT since the book is slowly gaining steam and an audience. This brings the point as to how much money I should spend and the estimated return in sales. As I’ve said many times, the exposure these sponsorships bring outweighs the cost, but I think it’s time I concentrate on making sales. I think this new cover is powerful enough to attract interest, I’ve just got to find the right format in which to promote. My previous sponsorships for my middle-grade sci-fi yielded marginal results but my sponsorships for my adult books went really well. I need to concentrate on the adult market for a while until Kindles and Nooks become like cell phones to kids. Everyone will have one. By the way, here’s a great new FREE ebook from Smashwords about how to market. It’s got some great tips. THE SECRETS TO EBOOK PUBLISHING SUCCESS. The book identifies the best practices of the most commercially successful Smashwords authors. https://www.smashwords.com/books/view... As always, I’m writing, writing, writing. IMAGINATION is coming along nicely and may be my best, if not most hallucinatory, novel I’ve ever written. Still anticipating a late summer completion. And look for the new Kindle edition of FROSTPROOF coming soon.

Praise from strangers

Every once in a while I come across something that makes all the hard work trying to make it as a writer worth it. I’ve had these moments in the past, like when I discovered an article about me written in Italy and I had to have it translated just to read it. http://sftech.blog.tiscali.it/2012/01...
Another was when KND praised DROP OUT as a sleeper hit. http://fireapps.blogspot.com/2012/04/... And still others are when long ago friends, newly reunited thanks to Facebook, tell me how much they like my books. But the best is still when the review comes from a total stranger. I recently discovered this review on Amazon.com from someone I have never met. Now, this is far from being the only good review I’ve gotten from strangers, but I take extra pride in this one because the reviewer seems to have summed up my intentions for the book so perfectly and succinctly. Here it is:
A struggle of man against himself. April 13, 2012
By Sunday S. Smith
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
About the Book:
An elevator ride cut short by the crash of an airplane into one of the twin towers is the opening of this book. We follow Nathan Cruz as he tries to rescue people while trying to reach his wife who is several floors above him. He has contact with her by cell phone but the fire is keeping her where she is and a blocked stairwell is preventing him from going to her. Neil saves dozens of people and eventually is seen as a hero by everyone else but himself. He has failed.
Ten years later we find Nathan has dropped out of life and is living on a small boat in the Florida Keys, keeping himself in food with fishing and the gathering of eggs from his pet chicken. A hurricane is quickly approaching the Keys but Nathan is determined to ride out the storm, though even the most seasoned of residents are telling him to evacuate. The storm is so powerful that Nathan loses his small craft but manages to make it to shore. There he spots a lone figure, struggling against the storm. Intrigued that someone is still around, he follows the figure who, as it turns out, is Miriam Kanter, a fellow individualist who was determined not to leave. She invites him into her shelter and it is there that Nathan's life changes drastically.

My Take:
Some books just stay with you. Some scenes continue to stir up emotions and ride with you like a backseat driver, popping up now and again to remind you of something or in this case remind you of a feeling. In Heir to Power (Michele Poague), it was the scene when Kinter holds one of their band as he dies; in Eragon it was the tomb transformed into crystal. But with some books, there are so many pieces that hang in there. I believe for many of us this will be one of those books.
When I started to write this review, I kept trying to figure out just how to tell you what the book was like. To me it is important that you, as my reader, don't get mislead about the nature of a book. Meanwhile, as I struggled, one book kept knocking on the door of my emotions - The Old Man and the Sea. They say there are only three basic plots - man against other men; man against nature; and man against himself. Like The Old Man and the Sea, Drop Out is about man's battle with himself, told in crisp scenes and realistic dialog that keeps the pages flowing smoothly.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone, but especially those readers who enjoy an in depth study of man's battle against his own nature. If you are looking for quick reads with huge climaxes and twists and turns, this may not be the book for you but if you are looking for something that will touch you deeply and stay with you long past the final page, this is the book.
There is some sex that is somewhat graphic (and my readers know I don't like sex for the sake of sex) but it is dearly important to the story.

Thanks you so much Sunday Smith. You really made my day.
http://www.neilostroff.blogspot.com

A sleeper hit

That’s what Kindle Daily Nation called DROP OUT. http://fireapps.blogspot.com/2012/04/... But then again, I’ve posted this many times and guess what… it’s still sleeping. Though the book is my best seller out of my six novels, it still hasn’t reached the great heights I had hoped. Right now I’m a few dozens copies behind my sales goals for this month, so for the next three days I’m going to hunker down and market like a crazy man. Now that half my paid sponsorships are over I can say with confidence that they did not boost sales the way I had hoped. I’ve tried many marketing schemes over the last year and documented them throughout this blog, and I’m sad to say that not one has lived up to the potential I had hoped. Perhaps, I have my goals set too high? After all, from what I’ve read on other blogs, the fact that I sell books at all is kinda a miracle considering the amount of self-published and traditionally published books that are out there. The fact that strangers have forked out $1.99 on an unknown author like me does inspire me to continue with my craft. And as I’ve posted before, many fans have emailed me telling me how much they love my books. Since I write in several genres, I am starting to build a widespread audience base. I’m hoping this audience will create pre-buzz as I continue to write and publish more books. Speaking of which, I’m about to get in contact with my cover artist to turn FROSTPROOF into a new Kindle version. I’m also going to convert PULP next month. My KDP Select 90-day exclusivity is beginning to expire on my books so I’m excited to start marketing to Nook and all the other ereading devices out there. My newest novel IMAGINATION is going well, however I didn’t get as much written as I had wanted to when I was on vacation. I find that as I’m getting older, the all-consuming obsession to write sometimes wanes in my quest to catch a lunker fish off the dock. I’m also attempting to do some internet radio spots. Here is a list of some if anyone is also interested.
Author Talk - http://www.maldene.com
Bookmark - http://bookmarkradio.com/
Julia Widdop’s Blog TV - http://www.blogtv.com/people/juliawiddop
Bookworm - http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1856...
Author Spotlight - http://www.chattininmanhattan.com/con...
Various Listings - http://www.blogtalkradio.com/writing
Launch Publicity - http://www.launchpublicity.com/
The Authors Show – http://theauthorsshow.com
Authors Radio - http://www.globaltalkradio.com/shows/...
Authors On Air - http://www.blogtalkradio.com/stations...
Sound Authors - http://www.soundauthors.com/
Author Talk Radio - http://toginet.com/podcasts/authortalk

I’m still not getting any new sales from the U.K. which is extremely strange because last month I had almost half of my sales from there. I’m hoping it’s a glitch in KDP’s system and not a reflection of times to come.
http://www.neilostroff.blogspot.com

Vacation realization

Back from vacation and had a great time. Too bad taking a vacation from writing and marketing didn’t do for my sales what it did for my soul (raise it to a higher level). As I mentioned before, it’s amazing how quickly your literary presence drops off when you’re not posting and promoting your books every day. While in the Florida Keys, I watched my blog hits drop like lead balloons and my book sales drop to November levels. Especially, in the U.K. which for me, sales this month have been dismal. I think one solution for next time to maintaining a presence is to pre-write blog posts and marketing promotions for the length of time I’d be away. It’s not that I don’t write on vacation, it’s just that I don’t like to market when I’m on vacation. The scenery and location of south Florida inspire me to no end and I’ve written some of my best stuff propped on a wicker chair staring out across the emerald waters. But when it comes to the business side, it just doesn’t stir when I’m relaxed. As a result, I’ve fallen a little bit behind in my sales goals this month. I must get motivated! I’ve still got ten days until May and now that I’m back, it’s time to blitz again starting with getting FROSTPROOF on KDP and having control of the royalties. And then a full out marketing explosion for DROP OUT which continues as my top seller.
http://www.neilostroff.blogspot.com

Allow me to tease

Those who follow my blog and my other posts on the numerous writer’s sites that I belong to, know that I am on vacation. So, instead of boring you with details of the fried Grouper sandwich I had for lunch and the long, saltwater swim I took after (waiting thirty minutes of course), I’m going to post a long sample of my current best selling book, DROP OUT. I’ve received more than a hundred emails from people telling me how much the book affected them and their views on the meaning of life. So, without taking up any more of your time with introductions, I give you DROP OUT.
http://www.neilostroff.blogspot.com

Enjoying the moment

At this very moment, I am sitting on a veranda in Summerland Key Florida staring out at a vast expanse of glacial-clear, maroon-colored, water while whispering palm fronds provides the backdrop to seagull cries, and yet I cannot write. Well, that’s not exactly true because I am writing this, but I can’t seem to concentrate on my current novel. Perhaps, I’m too relaxed? Too contented? With the knowledge that my books are selling, I no longer feel that intense pressure to create for hours on end. As I get older, I find myself enjoying life more instead of sealing myself in a room even while on vacation. I paid my dues in my twenties when eight to ten hours a day would be devoted to my books. I paid my dues when I’d say no to friends and parties because I HAD to finish my latest novel. I paid my dues when every spare minute of my time was spent querying agents and researching markets. I spent fifteen years of my life totally focused and concentrating on making it as an author… and now it’s time to relax and enjoy. Instead of working on IMAGINATION (my latest) this morning I am going to the beach to take a long walk, and then I’m going to do some fishing. Of course, I’m not totally ditching my grassroots authorship, I’ve got two hours this afternoon devoted to writing. That’s enough for today.
Okay, back to business. The KND kids author spotlight did yield sales of SILENT INVASION but not the amount I was expecting for such a big promotion. It goes back to my theory that kids aren’t buying up books on Kindle the way adults do. DROP OUT is still by far my best seller with sales already nearing triple digits for this month. All my books have sales so far, but I’m still falling short in the U.K. by a large percentage. I’m not sure if KDP isn’t posting sales or if there is a glitch. It just seems strange that sales were soaring across the pond and now they’ve dropped to almost nothing. When I get back from vacation I’m going to concentrate on turning it around. I’ve also noticed my blog hits are falling a bit as I’ve not been doing much promotion while I’m down here in south Florida. I will say the new electronic marketplace moves at a lightning-speed pace and just a few days away from the computer can mean losing the interest of thousands of people. The hardest part for me is trying not to think about that and enjoying the moment. I know, I know, I sound like a whining baby, but I’m just so obsessed about my writing career.
http://www.neilostroff.blogspot.com

Promo machine!

My Kindle ebook of the week sponsorship for the kid’s corner has begun. Sales are slow however, I’m guessing because of the Easter holiday. Perhaps, they will pick up more when my author spotlight interview comes out. That’s right, I was chosen for author spotlight on Kindle Nation Daily. This is a great FREE promotion offered by Kindle for me. They will post an interview, a picture of my book SILENT INVASION, links to buy the book, and links to my blog, all for nothing. They claim the spotlight will reach more than 70,000 opt-in readers. As you can imagine, I’m very happy about that. The author spotlight will be on the site either tomorrow night or Wednesday. I’ll post it. Also, I continue to reap sales of DROP OUT from my Kindle Fire Department sponsorship and I’ve begun to show some numbers off of the select lending program for my other books. I’m almost halfway to my sales goals for the month. One other plus, most of my books on the ninety-day Kindle exclusiveness are nearly up. That means I can re-publish with Smashwords and sell to the Nook again, possibly doubling my audience. I’ll probably find a few sponsorships for the Nook and I’m dying to start getting involved in the Nook forums and discussion groups. On a slight downer-side, my sales in the U.K have dropped off significantly. By my own admission, I haven’t been paying much attention to the overseas market and it obviously shows. I’m off to the Florida Keys soon to do some serious marketing and writing. Hopefully, warm, salty breezes, the cries of wayward seagulls, and the gentle rustling of palm fronds will conjure weird tales from my IMAGINATION (first draft nearly complete).
http://www.neilostroff.blogspot.com

Ye Old Query

Continuing my series on effective query letters that got interest in my books by industry professionals, I’m posting the original query letter for DEGENERATES that drew huge interest several years ago before anyone had heard of Kindle and ebooks. I had several agents request the entire manuscript from this query and it is this query that got my first power agent Gary Heidt really interested in my work. As I’ve posted before, Gary eventually signed me after reading the query for SILENT INVASION, but he always believed in DEGENERATES as a good story that needed to find its niche. Although Gary was unable to sell the novel, my subsequent indie published version has had many sales and those sales continue to increase. And just today I got the direct deposit into my bank account of my latest royalties. They are half as much as what my royalties will be this month so things are definitely heading in the right direction. I’ve got a couple of big sponsorships coming up in the next two weeks so this should boost sales even more. I have DROP OUT scheduled for a sponsorship on Kindlefire.com for April 4th and the one I’m really excited about is a whole week on Kindle Nation Daily’s new YA site starting on April 6th. This one is for SILENT INVASION, and I got the sponsorship for half its normal cost because of a promotion they were running. If all goes well, this could be the first sponsorship that may make the sales worth the price. I’ll post the results of both promotions when they are complete. Here’s the long ago, days of handwritten query letters and telephone calls, version of the DEGENERATES query. Just reading it brings back memories of those horribly long, wasted hours addressing these pleading bits of self-promotion.

Dear ?
Who are the degenerates, what are their pasts, and what random tragedies bring them together? DEGENERATES is a 65,000-word character-driven thriller that offers a raw, powerful look at a segment of our society founded on drugs, violence, and day-to-day survival.
DEGENERATES tells the downward spiral and interlocking stories of an alcoholic writer, a self-destructive teen, a burnt-out waitress, an abused young wife, a good-natured cook, a tormented serial killer, and a cop unwittingly assigned to stop him. Marred with addictions, poverty, and personal loss, each degenerate overcomes incredible obstacles and finds his or her own salvation working in a restaurant named City Café. They form new friendships and relationships, and in a short time turn their lives around — until Tommy Fielding is hired. Seeming innocent at first, Tommy is a schizophrenic who believes murder will ensure for him an existence of perfect happiness. What happens next places the group in grave danger and leads them into a horror that will change everything they have achieved.
Written in short, captivating chapters, DEGENERATES is more than a story; it is also an anatomy of the human condition, exploring the daily dramas of those less fortunate. Born from stories told to me by hundreds of restaurant employees that I’ve worked with over the years, the novel will especially appeal to fans of Bret Easton Ellis, and Michael Chabon. I believe DEGENERATES would fit well among the genres your agency represents.
My publishing history spans sixteen years and over forty magazines. My degree in psychology, coupled with my experience writing psychological profiles for the New York Judicial System helped create the complex character biographies in this book. I’ve worked in restaurants for more than fifteen years as a chef, bartender, and manager. Please feel free to call or email. Thanks for your time.
http://www.neilostroff.blogspot.com

Best self promotion!

It’s been a while since I posted all the sites I use to market and promote my books. I figured since I have so many new blog followers (I’m up to 111 so far; thanks all for following) it would help anyone looking for greats sites to promote on. I’m just going to list them in no particular order. They’re easy to sign up and have friendly people in their forums. I recommend you download all your books to these sites for the exposure. I also post my blog on these sites and participate in groups. It has definitely driven sales.

The book marketing network.com
Authors Den.com
Bookblogs.com
Mycreativeintent.com
Booktown.com
Google stream
Wringroom.com
Storylink.com
Goodreads.com
Scribd.com
Linkedin.com
Kindle Boards
Kindle direct publishing
Amazon.com meet our authors forum
Twitter
Shelfari
Biblioscribe
Digg
Reddit
Stumbleuponit

--I also highly recommend the sites below for writing advice. You can post samples, or stories, or just ask a question. The people here are very friendly and have given me great free editing and advice over the years. But DO NOT self-promote here.

Bestsellerbound.com
Absolutewrite water cooler.com
Mywriterscircle.com
Writers-network.com
InkN’it.com
Wherewritersmeet.com
Mywriterscircle.com
Authonomy.com

--Here is a list of sites I recommend all authors put their books on for display. I don’t participate much on these, but I always add my book, summary, and link to my account when I publish a new one. It’s all about exposure.

Writing forum.com
Figment.com
Writerface.com
Writing.com
Writersnet.net
Book daily.com
Published.com
Bookhitch.com
Writetobreathe.com
Indieauthorsunite.com
Worthyofpublishing.com
Booksie.com
Bookpleasures.com
Blogcatalog.com

--Well, there it is, the secret to my promotional efforts are now laid bare. I spend between two and five hours involved in daily marketing and promoting on these sites, including posting on forums without self-promotion. But as I posted earlier, Kindle Boards allows you to place a picture and link of your book after each post so it’s like promoting anyway. Also, I’d like to announce that INSECTLAND is going to be free for Kindle on Sunday and Monday. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005P81J48 Sales have been lagging so I hope this will boost interest. And Smashwords still has my books at a deep discount until tomorrow. http://www.smashwords.com/profile/vie... I hope this list helps. Feel free to print it.
http://www.neilostroff.blogspot.com

Numbers torture me

I just checked KDP unit sales and I sold nine books yesterday. Four in the U.S. and five in the U.K. Three months ago, I’d be thrilled at those numbers, but after the last two months of relatively heavy sales, these seem kind of low. Now, my depression will set in until those numbers get back up into the twenties. Lately, I’ve noticed a building obsession with checking my sales throughout the day. Having the ability to see books downloaded in real time is an amazing tool for keeping track but it can also drive you freaking crazy. In the pre-electronic age, authors never knew what the sales of their books were until the quarter was up. Having that “ignorant bliss” kept the steam rolling, and usually by the time you got the sales figures you’d be well on your way into your next project. This obsessive checking I do causes my mood to fluctuate greatly throughout the day. A few sales in the morning and I’m off to a wonderful breakfast. No sales at night, and I go into a depressive fear-sleep that I will never have another sale again. And then morning comes and I see a few sales and everything is okay again, for a while. Sometimes, I wish there was a setting where I could only see my sales figures once a week. I don’t have the will power to halt this addiction myself.
As far as the release of DEGENERATES this weekend, I guess we’ll see how it went on Monday. I’ve posted on most of my forums and started a few threads about the story. I also booked sponsorship on Kindle Nation Daily for the end of next month. For anyone who writes for a younger audience, KND is giving a full week on the front page of its new site for half the price of a normal sponsorship. I bought one for SILENT INVASION for the week of April 6th, figuring with Easter, there will be a lot of kids out of school and surfing the net. We’ll see how that goes.

http://www.neilostroff.blogspot.com