Lance Morcan's Blog, page 103
December 28, 2012
Writers – here’s a recommended marketing plan for your book
Let me recommend Book Club Reading List, a (first class) blog that publishes a newsletter introducing book clubs to authors. They’ve published an excellent article on developing a marketing plan for your book – something that’s all too often overlooked by new and (believe it or not) experienced writers.
As the article’s Author states:
While having a book marketing plan may sound obvious, most survey respondents did not have a marketing plan in place or perform any pre-release marketing whatsoever prior to their book’s launch. In addition, most respondents believed that their lack of planning significantly hindered their book’s success. According to Francene Carroll, author of Shadows of Yesterday, “I didn’t do any marketing for my first book, Shadows of Yesterday … and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this is my worst performing book. I was very naive and didn’t realize how much work is involved in promoting your own books.”
Here’s an excerpt from the article:
A good marketing plan should do four things. First, it should help you identify your target audience. Second, it will help you build a platform to cultivate a relationship with your audience. Third, it will provide a schedule of events and milestones leading up to your book’s launch and beyond. Lastly, it will monitor and measure the success of each activity. Your marketing plan should focus on developing both short tail and long tail sales. Short tail sales events give your book an initial burst of sales right out of the gate, then fade as quickly as they started. These type of sales are crucial when launching your book to gain momentum on Amazon. Long tail sales will provide a steady base of sales that come from a deep online presence and the word of mouth that follows.
For the full article go to: http://bookclubreading.com/articles/how-to-sell-your-book/book-marketing-plan/
Book Club Reading List publishes a quarterly newsletter that introduces book clubs to authors who have agreed to make themselves available to participate in book club meetings. Book clubs can contact authors using details provided on our website and arrange for them to attend meetings by Skype, telephone, or in-person (when possible).
P.S. Season’s greetings and best for 2013. –Lance & James
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December 16, 2012
Amazon review of ‘Fiji: A Novel’ comes with a warning!
A review of our historical, action/adventure/romance Fiji: A Novel – by Amazon reviewer L. Townsend – comes with a warning: “Don’t start this book expecting to be able to put it down before finishing it.”
Review excerpts follow below.
Excerpts from L. Townsend’s review follow:
A Swashbuckling Romantic Adventure Set In The South Pacific!!!!!!
Fiji: A Novel snared my attention from the book’s beginning…
…Lance & James Morcan, the authors, have written an awesome story with a bit
of everything: history, snippets of everyday swashbuckling life in the South
Pacific, a love story, and thrilling adventure.. There’s also shark callers,
flame walkers, convicts, pseudo voodoo and more…
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Fiji: A Novel as the authors developed the characters and the story…
The reader will be treated to a multitude of unexpected twists and turns…
Warning: Don’t start this book expecting to be able to put it down before finishing it.
Also, thank you to the authors for the epilogue which lets the reader know what happens to the tribe, islands, and remaining characters in the ensuing years. A much appreciated wrap to the story.
Bottomline: I look forward to reading more by these authors.
To read the full review, or to access the first few chapters of Fiji: A Novel free, or to buy the novel, go to: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0057YCZM0/
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Latest Amazon review of ‘Fiji: A Novel’ comes with a warning!
The latest review of our historical, action/adventure/romance Fiji: A Novel – by Amazon reviewer L. Townsend – comes with a warning: “Don’t start this book expecting to be able to put it down before finishing it.”
Review excerpts follow below.
Excerpts from L. Townsend’s review follow:
A Swashbuckling Romantic Adventure Set In The South Pacific!!!!!!
Fiji: A Novel snared my attention from the book’s beginning…
…Lance & James Morcan, the authors, have written an awesome story with a bit
of everything: history, snippets of everyday swashbuckling life in the South
Pacific, a love story, and thrilling adventure.. There’s also shark callers,
flame walkers, convicts, pseudo voodoo and more…
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Fiji: A Novel as the authors developed the characters and the story…
The reader will be treated to a multitude of unexpected twists and turns…
Warning: Don’t start this book expecting to be able to put it down before finishing it.
Also, thank you to the authors for the epilogue which lets the reader know what happens to the tribe, islands, and remaining characters in the ensuing years. A much appreciated wrap to the story.
Bottomline: I look forward to reading more by these authors.
To read the full review, or to access the first few chapters of Fiji: A Novel free, or to buy the novel, go to: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0057YCZM0/
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December 10, 2012
Canadian readers resonate with ‘Fiji’, our historical novel set in 19th Century Fiji
Coinciding with Amazon’s expansion of its kindle ebooks into Canada, our historical adventure-romance Fiji: A Novel has entered Amazon Canada’s bestseller list in the Historical Books category.
Amazon Top 500 reviewer, Great Historicals, has this to say about Fiji: A Novel in a 5-star review:
Ever since I read the Mutiny on the Bounty Trilogy as a teen, I have been drawn to exotic stories about the South Pacific. Fiji immediately drew my interest and I was more than pleased with this fascinating novel.
If you like your stories straight up, told like it really was, and without any sugar coating, then Fiji is sure to please. This novel transcends gender and will appeal to both male and female readers. The characters in the story fascinated me, evolving and adapting to their circumstances and surroundings. The underlying romance that weaves itself through the story is beautifully written and credible as the couple move from intense dislike to meaningful love.
This book had a bit of everything ‘ sex, violence, humor, historic detail, and plenty of twists to keep one reading. A warning for all readers – in keeping with the authentic tone throughout, you will come across scenes of ritualistic slaughter and cannibalism. A fabulous novel, beautiful for its blunt rawness, exotic scenery, and fascinating storyline. Definitely one to pick up and read. The Kindle version is less than a dollar! A quality book for sure!
To order the kindle ebook version of Fiji: A Novel go to: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0057YCZM0/
Also available as a trade paperback.
December 8, 2012
J.K. Rowling’s latest novel tops the 2012 Goodreads’ Choice Awards for Best Fiction
J.K. Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy has topped the 2012 Goodreads’ Choice Awards for Best Fiction.
Our congrats to JK for yet another literary gem, and to Goodreads for the Goodreads Choice Awards - the only major book awards decided by readers. According to Goodreads’ latest post, a total of 1,156,852 readers’ votes were cast!
The Year’s Best Books
The readers have chosen! Announcing the winners of the 2012 Goodreads Choice Awards. View the full results in 20 categories, and find great books for your to-read list!
1,156,852 Votes Cast
Fiction
Mystery & Thriller
Historical Fiction
Nonfiction
Paranormal Fantasy
Humor
Young Adult Fiction
Goodreads Author
View winners in all 20 categories »
To view the complete list of Best Fiction nominees go to: http://www.goodreads.com/award/choice/2012
Well done Ms Rowling and well done Goodreads and Goodreads’ members!
-Lance
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December 5, 2012
The Ninth Orphan ‘a bone-chilling, page-turner’, says Goodreads reviewer
The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1)
“Plainly and purely awesome thriller that had everything I like in my books.” - Goodreads reviewer Madamoiselle Charlotte. (4 December 2012).
Excerpts from Charlotte’s review:
…Super-real,ever-exciting, so-so-thrilling, and above all,always unpredictable…
…After first 30 pages, I had 50 different endings “planned” for the book. When I got to the end, none of those 50 endings were even close to the real ending. That’s how unpredictable this book was. And in good/mind-blowin’ way, too.
Same with all events in the book. Everything that happened surprised me, shocked me, blew me away completely, all in good way…
For full review go to: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/448716629
To read the first few chapters of The Ninth Orphan free, or to buy the kindle edition, go to: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056I4FKC
Also available as a trade paperback
December 2, 2012
Is this the Golden Age for writers?
Fellow writers, don’t despair. As this must-read blog just out from Author Solutions shows: the timing has never been better for writers. Read on…
November 25, 2012 by keithogorek
Charles Dickens began his classic novel, A Tale of Two Cities with the line, “It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.” Depending on your point of view and current position, that line might describe what is happening in publishing today. For authors, it really is the best of times because there are more ways to get published than ever before. If you work in traditional publishing, you might think it is the worst of times as the industry goes through a transformation similar to what has already taken place in the film and music industries.
Over the weekend, I read an article by Stephen Marche in Esquire magazine where he offers that this is the absolute best time in history to be a writer. His opening statement declares that writers are whiners, but right now they have nothing to complain about. To read the complete article, you will have to pick up a copy of the magazine on the newsstand, because it is not online yet, but here are few of the key reasons for his claim.
Celebrity authors command more money than ever before. J.K. Rowling is a billionaire. Tom Wolfe got $7 million for his last book. By contrast, Charles Dickens total earnings in present value was around $10 million.
Small presses are putting out more good books than ever before. In 2010, the National Book Award and the Pulitzer for fiction went to small publishers.
Self-publishing has lost its stigma. Books like 50 Shades of Grey have helped demonstrate authors can take control of their own publishing futures and generate great results.
It’s not just the novel. Essays are making a comeback as well. Good writers can use blogs and online content hubs like the Huffpost to practice their craft and get read.
The e-reader is creating a new market, not destroying an old one. People with e-readers read more books than people who don’t have the devices, and on average American adults read seventeen books in 2011. That number has never been higher since it started being tracked in 1990.
In summary, Marche suggests that we are in the midst of a massive rebirth of reading which means there is more opportunity for writers. His closing line in the article says, “The whining by writers is not just untrue; it’s becoming embarrassingly untrue. New advice: Be grateful. Revel.”
Acknowledgement: Author Solutions
-Lance
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November 23, 2012
The Ninth Orphan enters the technothriller bestseller list on Amazon UK
Our international thriller novel The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1) has entered Amazon UK’s bestseller list for technothrillers.
To view or order The Ninth Orphan at Amazon UK go to:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Ninth-Orphan-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B0056I4FKC/
To learn more about The Ninth Orphan go to: http://www.youtube.com/user/SterlingGateBooks
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November 19, 2012
Japanese readers show interest in “The Ninth Orphan” and its Yamashita’s Gold sub-plot
Now that Amazon have added Japan to their ever-growing list of sites to carry Kindle ebooks, our novels are finally available to Japanese readers!
This brings to seven sites internationally, including Japan, that the digital versions of our novels are selling in – the others being the US (also serves India and Canada), Germany, France, Italy and Spain.
Unsurprisingly, the early signs from the Land of the Rising Sun are that of all three of our published novels, Japanese readers are most interested in our international thriller, The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1). Not surprising given a prominent sub-plot in this novel concerns Yamashita’s Gold.
Yamashita’s Gold, also referred to as Yamashita’s Treasure, is the name given to the alleged war loot stolen in Southeast Asia by Japanese forces during World War II and hidden in caves, tunnels and underground complexes in the Philippines. It is named for the Japanese general Tomoyuki Yamashita, nicknamed “The Tiger of Malaya”.
See our YouTube post for more info: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHkla6IseQc
Find out more about Yamashita’s Gold in our novel The Ninth Orphan here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056I4FKC
November 15, 2012
5 stars for The Orphan Factory… “Kept me hooked right from the start”
★★★★★ Excellent – Superbly Done, November 15, 2012
By
Linda Nelson “Author of Aaron & Keja: Time Dr… (New Hampshire) – See all my reviews
This review is from: The Orphan Factory (The Orphan Trilogy, #2) (Kindle Edition)
Excellent – Superbly Done – Action Packed – Suspenseful and Thrilling That says it all for The Orphan Factory. This story kept me hooked right from the start and there was never a dull moment in this Conspiracy Suspense. If you like Conspiracy Theories and Espionage, this a story for you. Twenty-three orphans are the product of a cloning experiment to create super agents of the future.
The Amazon kindle link for The Orphan Factory (The Orphan Trilogy, #2) is:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008M9WWKW/
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