Shelli R. Johannes's Blog, page 24

My Indelible Story

As some of you know, I decided to independently publish  Untraceable  last September - at a time when I was at my lowest point in my writing career. A time when a lot of people gave up on me. A time when I felt I had failed and had no writing future.





As I started embarking on the indie process, I found out more about the Indie community, (a community I didn't even know existed). I slowly began to realize how many wonderful, committed, and talented authors there were out there - doing what I was doing. Trying to find a way in an industry that we all loved.



And most of all, the indie authors embraced me completely - they were so helpful and supportive and they did not hesitate to take me under their wing and help me.







At a time when I felt so alone.







Over that time, I met 25 wonderful indie authors who I admired and connected with. I reached out to them and formed a support group where we all could benefit from each other's experience. Since last fall, we have banned together to support each other - through the long and often difficult process of indie pubbing - as well as help support other indie authors we meet along the way.







Well tomorrow - we launch that group - the Indelibles! The 25 authors included are listed on the side of the blog and they each have wonderful books to share with you (Books Page).







Launch Party Events



To celebrate the launching of this group, we are having a PAR-TEE!! :)

We are hosting a Kindle Fire giveaway this week.
We are doing a Blog Hop with tons of giveaways from each Indelible on each blog.
We are hosting a special Blogger chat this Wed 1/11 from 8-9 PM EST to discuss writing and books.
And we invite all of you to a special Writer Chat next Wed 1/18 from 8-9 EST to discuss any indie pubbing questions as well as offer more giveaways. (More deets announced Thursday).
Hope to see you there tomorrow! :)



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IndieView: Susan Bischoff (Talent Chronicles)

Today, Susan Bischoff stops by to talk about her indie experience:





Tell us about yourself



I'm just a girl who wants superhero romance! Is that so much to ask? Why must it always be a tragedy? Why does Angel walk away? Why did Wonder Woman go back home after the end of season 1 and WWII, then come back, work with Steve Trevor's grandson, and still not hook up? Seriously! And let's not even talk about Superman Returns, okay? Let's. Just. Not. 

Tell us about your Talented series

The Talent Chronicles is about teens with supernatural abilities in a world where those abilities are illegal. These are kids trying to figure out who they are, while at the same time trying to hide it to avoid arrest by a government agency. The series also has strong romantic elements--because that's what I like. So far, the series has been about a seventeen year old girl named Joss, who has been raised by a very protective dad who has discouraged her from making friends in order to keep her ability a secret. When a new girl at school decides to befriend her, and won't take no for an answer, Joss's world is opened up to new experiences, friends, a boyfriend--and a whole lot of trouble.

How did you get started on your self pubbed journey?

I had become frustrated with the negativity surrounding traditional publishing, to an extent that it didn't seem worth pursuing any longer, and I put writing aside entirely to concentrate on other creative pursuits. When I learned about ebook publishing from some writer friends, it seemed to be exactly what I was looking for. I jumped in and went back to work. 

What advice do you have for authors looking at self-pubbing?

Take your time and understand that it's probably going to take time to get where you want to be. Even most traditionally published authors support themselves in another line of work until they have several books published. So don't be upset when you can't buy a new house in the first year. Seems obvious, but somehow a lot of people seem to focus on a few uber-successful outliers and fail to realize there are outliers in any field. And also on the subject of taking time, take time to make sure you're putting out the best work you can. Find someone who will actually tell you what you need to know about your work instead of what they think you want to hear. There's nothing more valuable than a good critique. 

What is next for you?

Right now I'm working on the third Talent Chronicles novel, Heroes Under Siege. Not sure when that's going to be ready.  

What is your favorite word? What is your least favorite word?

My favorite word is enchanting. 

Least favorite is a bit harder and what comes to mind is the word challenge used when it's really a problem.

What are your new years resolutions for 2012?

I call those New Year's Intentions--to take a bit of the pressure off. This year's Intentions include--but are not limited to--keeping my sink clear of dishes, writing more regularly and working on discipline rather than sporadic inspiration, spending more time with real life people, doing more with my daughter, keeping off the weight I've lost, and I have quite the list of decluttering Intentions. 

You can follow Susan on Twitter, Facebook, or her blog

You can also purchase Talent Chronicles (Hush Money) at Amazon or B&N

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Bookanistas - January Releases and Discover of the Witches GIveaway

Updates

On the Bright Side Cover Reveal is Jan 18th. Vania at VLC_Photo shot it again and it will be adorable! The ebook releasing on Jan 31st. Paperback will follow in late Feb. If you are interested in being part of the blog tour for tween funny angel book. Please let me know here! :) I have to say reaching tweens is a huge challenge so I'm not sure how this will go but we will see.
I am a part of a new group called Indelibles - a group on 25 indie authors who are fun, fierce and fab. We launch on Monday and are having a contest for a Kindle Fire as well as a Blog hop with giveaway at over 15 blogs! Come back Monday and join us.  There will also be a chat (yes and giveaways with us) for any writer who wants to learn more about indie pubbing on Wed Jan 18th from 8-9 est. Right before yalitchat. Hope to see you there! You can follow our group blog and twitter to get started on the Kindle Fire Giveaway.
Today's Giveaway - I have a new copy of Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. Comment on this post and I will draw a name to win the new paperback. :)
Bookanista - Awesome Jan Releases!





There are some great books coming out this month:





Fracture by Megan Miranda - Jan 17th

[image error]



Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine

-despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?



Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?



For fans of best-sellers like Before I Fall and If I Stay, this is a fascinating and heart-rending story about love and friendship and the fine line between life and death.





[image error] Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi - Jan 3rd! This week







Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered. This was worse.





Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland—known as The Death Shop—are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild—a savage—and her only hope of staying alive.





A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile—everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.





In her enthralling debut, Veronica Rossi sends readers on an unforgettable adventure set in a world brimming with harshness and beauty.







A Million Suns by Beth Revis - Jan 10th! ( sequel to Across The Universe)





[image error] Godspeed was fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos.



It's been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. And everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed. But there may just be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to enact his vision - no more Phydus, no more lies.



But when Elder discovers shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a puzzle that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier, unable to fight the romance that's growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart.



In book two of the Across the Universe trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Beth Revis mesmerizes us again with a brilliantly crafted mystery filled with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship.





[image error] The Boy Project by  Kami Kinard -  (it just came out Monday!) (Middle Grade)





For anyone who's ever felt that boys were a different species....



Wildly creative seventh grader Kara McAllister just had her best idea yet. She's going to take notes on all of the boys in her grade (and a few elsewhere) in order to answer a seemingly simple question: How can she get a boyfriend?



But Kara's project turns out to be a lot more complicated than she imagined. Soon there are secrets, lies, and an embarrassing incident in the boy's bathroom. Plus, Kara has to deal with mean girls, her slightly spacey BFF, and some surprising uses for duct tape. Still, if Kara's research leads her to the right boy, everything may just be worth it. . . .



Full of charts and graphs, heart and humor, this hilarious debut will resonate with tweens everywhere.





What about you? Any new releases you are excited about?





Check out other Bookanista posts:







Elana Johnson offers musings on her Bookanista momentsJessi KirbyStasia Ward Kehoe delights in FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMBNikki Katz is crazy for ASHFALLDebra Driza adores ANGEL FALLLila Roecker shouts for joy over SHATTER ME.



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2012 Indie Book Fair

Did you find a new Kindle, Nook, or iPad under the Christmas tree? Browse the 2012  Indie Book Fair and find a new ebook to break in that reader!





These great new books were released Nov 2011-Feb 2012 by Indie authors, priced right so that taking a chance on a new author doesn't have to break your wallet. (Check out a previous Internet Book Fair for other great Indie finds.)



Head over to Susan Quinn's Blog for some steals and deals 

including young adult fiction and anthologies.http://feeds.feedburner.com/Faerialit...

Happy New year - 2011 recap and 2012 preview

Hey guys - Happy New year!



First I want to thank everyone for all the support this year. wow 2011 was such a roller coaster ride - some ups and some downs.



I started the year with chronic vertigo, in acquisitions, down in book rejection, parted with my wonderful agent, gave up on writing, decided to put out Untraceable, then ended the year with wonderful new blogger friends (all of you), no vertigo, and wonderful sales for Untraceable (the book everyone told me would not sell). All backed by my wonderful family and friends who never wavered on their support for me and who were all healthy and happy.



Honestly? I could cry just talking about it all.



As promised, I wanted to update you on my sales since you all have taken this journey with me. I owe a lot of Untraceable's to you guys - all my blogger buddies who have supported me so openly and actively. So, as I promised I will share personal details. Let me say this is very hard for me to post b/c 1) I have no idea what is good or bad in this industry. I just know I'm doing beyond what I expected for me so that is all I can do. 2) I might be totally embarrassing myself if they aren't that great. and 3) what if everyone assumed or thought i would sell more? Oh well, this is great for me so I am focusing on that. Esp considering last year this time, I had sold none :)



So are you ready for my numbers??



Today - I am ranking #75 in children action and adventure and at about 1,500 in overall ebooks. Very good for someone small time like me.





Total sold = approximately 2,700 copies!



Smashwords - 44
B&N - 150
Amazon - 2257* (without amazon promotion 1000 copies = 1257)
paperback - 100 (as you can see this is a small percentage of my sales.


*Let me say that Amazon did run a special promotion on my book and put it for free for 2 days (while still paying me my royalty on 99 cents) and it really bumped my numbers. During that time - there were about 1000 downloads. It got my in top ranking and kept me there once price returned to normal. Since then it has been about 100 in sales a day. So in all fairness - this was not my doing. I had only sold about 600 prior to that promotion and 600 since. I have no idea why they chose me for this.



So again -  if you don't count that 1,000 they got me - I only sold about 1,000 to 1,200 copies on Amazon for the month - still beyond my wildest expectations.



My Kindle Nation ad I told you about (that I purchased before my book came out for 170$) ran for 3 days the week before Christmas and was very successful. Enough to where I made back more than I put in my money. I think I sold about 150 copies that day plus it kept me in top 5,000 ebooks so if you are wondering - it is definitely worth the investment! So, I say do it.



2012 Untraceable Updates





I have several ads scheduled for Jan and Feb on pixel of ink ($170), bargain books for nook (free), frugal ereader (50$) and digital reader (free) = total of $210. My price is returning to its normal price at 3.99 this week so it will take me about 80 books to make that money back which I HOPE I can sell in Jan :)



I am on Untraceable book tour with the awesome Teen Book scene in January (yay) and with wonderful Katie at Mundie Moms the beginning of Feb. I never turn down a blog visit so feel free to email me if you would like me to visit your blog ;) (shelli@srjohannes.com)
My special edition of Untraceable - which will have the original ending - is scheduled for March.
Uncontrollable is scheduled for summer 2012. I will give you a hint. This time Grace encounters the endangered red wolves being reintroduced in North Carolina.
I am also working on a new project for late next fall.


On The Bright Side - my tween angel book is coming Jan 31st



The book is currently in copy edits. 
If you have a blog that focuses on MG or tween, please sign up here :) I would be honored to visit on your blog.
The cover for the book was shot this weekend with Vania at VLC Photo - and it is amazon.
The huge cover reveal on Mon, Jan 16th. (yay!)
Indelibles Launch

I started a marketing/support group (similar to the Tenners) that consists of about 25 AMAZING Indie Authors. We will be officially launching on Monday, Jan 9th with fun giveaways. We will be having a "Blogger chat" on Jan 11th and a writer/author chat on 18th to answer questions on self and indie pubbing. So put those dates on your calendar and join us for a Q&A and giveaways. More info next Monday on 9th.

IN HIS EYES Anthology - scheduled for Feb 14th

This is a Valentine anthology from authors in the Indelibles. The anthology is a awesome collection of short stories - which are all from the POV of HOT male characters.(who can deny that??) My story will include Mo and his perspective on Grace. So check it out!

RT Convention - scheduled in April

I will be selling and signing books at the RT Convention in Chicago in April so come and see me if you live close by. :) More deets as it gets closer.

Blog Updates I am redesigning my web site - so stay tuned. 

I am also adding Tween Tuesdays where I will talk about tween books and tween marketing along with my tween book journey.
I will still be doing Bookanista posts on Thursdays and any IndieViews with Indie authors on Fridays.
Also - I will have a surprise post once every month (and you won't know when) - Blogger Appreciation Day - one day a month where I will feature a wonderful blogger who has support ed me and give away prices to you all - just to say thanks for your support.
The topics will not happen every week but these will be the daily themes. I promise I will do as much as I can. One HUGE pet peeve of mine is when authors/writers work hard to get a blog following, have bloggers help them launch a book, and then come back and say "they are too busy" to blog. THAT IS NOT ME AT ALL! So I will do as much as I possibly can to keep a special connection with all of you. No matter what is happening! 

So, tell me - what are your plans for this year? Personal or writing wise? Any special events coming up for you?http://feeds.feedburner.com/Faerialit...

Cover Reveal! Kate Hawkings

[image error] The Sphinx Project By Kate Hawkings





Not many people can say their entire existence has been one big lab experiment: poked and prodded by scientists, genetically modified to be the best and endure the worst, subjected to daily tests and trials that would kill a normal human. All Michaela wants is her own life, to be able to go to school, flirt with boys, maybe eat ice cream now and then. So when the chance to escape finally comes, Michaela and her sister grab it, taking their friends with them.



But they weren't the only ones to find their way out of those labs. Following close behind are another breed of creature, one that doesn't know the difference between right and wrong, who exist only to feed their own hunger. The appearance of a strange boy who seems too much like them to be a coincidence makes things even more confusing. But as the world begins to literally fall apart around them, Michaela must accept his help, especially when she could lose the very thing she holds dearest: her sister.



Add it on Goodreads

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Bookanistas: Cover Love

Two books standout this week:





The first is If I lie by Corrine Jackson.





[image error] A powerful debut novel about the gray space between truth and perception.

Quinn's done the unthinkable: she kissed a guy who is not Carey, her boyfriend. And she got caught. Being branded a cheater would be bad enough, but Quinn is deemed a traitor, and shunned by all of her friends. Because Carey's not just any guy—he's serving in Afghanistan and revered by everyone in their small, military town.Quinn could clear her name, but that would mean revealing secrets that she's vowed to keep—secrets that aren't hers to share. And when Carey goes MIA, Quinn must decide how far she'll go to protect her boyfriend…and her promise.

I love black and white photos. So I like the monochrome with the splash of bright color in the title. This cover also gives me the feeling that this girl is sorry about something and sad. And for some reason, her boyfriend is turning away from her.

You can follow Cory on her blog, Twitter, and Facebook============

The next is a relaunch of a cover for Sleepers by Megg Jensen. Now on sale for only $.99

To celebrate the re-launch of Megg's bestselling novel, SLEEPERS in January of 2012, Megg is giving it a new cover with artwork from the incredible PhatPuppy.

Synopsis: An adoptee raised in a foreign land, sixteen-year-old Lianne was content with her life as handmaiden to the queen, until a spell cast on her at birth activated. Now she's filled with uncontrollable rage and access to magic she thought had been bled from her people years ago. Even her years of secret training in elite hand-to-hand combat and meditation can't calm the fires raging inside her.Her heart is torn between two boys, the one she's always loved and the one who always ignored her. But when the kingdom threatens to tear itself apart due to rumors surrounding the queen's alleged affair, who will Lianne protect and who will she destroy?  

This is the old one

This is the new one.







What do you think? I like the new one better. The black and blue is much more mysterious than the red and orange.

You can follow meg on her blog, Twitter or Facebook.





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Sneak Peek: On the Bright Side

Here is a sneak peek at the first two chapters of my tween angel book, On the Bright Side.



You can add it on Goodreads now and sign up for a free arc/blog tour here.



For more about this story's journey, go here.







Open publication - Free publishing - More angelhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/Faerialit...

IndieView: Magan Vernon

Magan Vernon is the author of the newly released book "How to date an Alien"



High school senior Alex Bianchi's estranged father gets her an internship at Circe Operations Center to pad her college applications. But Circe isn't your typical military base. It's an alien-run operation center and not all of the aliens are friendly, especially the one that tries to kill Alex on her first day. When Ace, a dark-eyed Caltian, enters and saves the day, she can't help but be drawn to him. Can these star-crossed lovers survive when they're on the brink of intergalactic war?



Today, Magan stops by to tell us about her journey down indie lane:



=====================



The story gets told many times, how I went from a contemporary romance writer to an Indie published YA author. But what most people don't know is how Shelli's marketing helped me along on my  journey.



It was last January/February, I was just finishing up on my final edits of How to Date an Alien when Shelli ran a contest on her blog. She had people post a pitch and 'Pay it Forward' blog post to the people that had helped us out on our writing journey. I did both of these things and ended up getting an honorable mention on Shelli's blog.



I didn't get the attention from HER agent, but I did get the attention from another amazing agent who emailed me right away to say that she saw my entry and wanted to see my manuscript. I was floored. I thought 'this is my big break!' I sent off my query and first five pages and almost immediately she asked for a partial. Soon that partial turned into a full and I thought things couldn't get better.



Unfortunately, that full turned into a rejection. She said she loved the story, but it just wasn't right for her client list. I still admire this agent very much and she became my "kick in the pants" to know that my story was good and I shouldn't give up.



So I sent out more queries. I was getting tons of requests from different agents and even interest from editors, but then the rejections started pouring in. I knew the story was good (I'd had many agents tell me that), but it just wasn't right for what they were looking for right now or not what editors were looking for.



I wanted to give up, so I started on another science fiction story and brought in a few pages to my local RWA group. That is when I first met GP Ching. She read the first two chapters of the new story and kept saying, "You need to come to the Darkside Publishing."



I was leary. I dreamed of the whole agent-publishing house- journey to publication. But when I got home that night I received another full rejection. I didn't know what to think, so I talked to my husband. He looked me right in the eye and said, "You have been trying to get published for two years, what is the harm in trying a different route and submitting to Darkside? It isn't going to hurt anything."So I did it. And now four months after submitting to Darkside I have my debut novel out for the world to enjoy. I don't regret a single step of my journey and am grateful to everyone who helped me along the way.





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A tween marketing experiment

History

As most of you know I wrote a funny, adventurous "tween angel series" called On The Bright Side that my agent started submitting to editors in Oct 2009. The book went to acquisitions at a couple of the Big 6 houses and I even completed a couple non-contractual revisions for editors. Unfortunately, the book STILL ended up not selling and was pulled in early 2010 for revisions.  





At the time, I was devastated and had no idea stuff like that even happened in the industry. That you could go to acquisitions and do non-contractual revisions for nothing. In the end,  it didn't sell - primarily because editors felt the tween market didn't really exist and my book either needed to be aged down to MG (12) or up to a low YA book (15). Even though I considered aging it up to 15, the option never panned out for me.





If you are interested in more of the deets - here are a few past interviews about On The Bright Side's journey:

Realm Love Joy did a beautiful art rendition of my character in On The Bright Side, Gabby
Beth Revis and I talked about On The Bright Side 
Chuck Sambuchino asks me about my agent and On The Bright Side
Tween Market

Well lately, people have been talking lately about the tween and middle grade market saying ebooks have still not popped in that market yet.





I personally think the ebook market for middle graders and tweens is about to pop. Not only is JK Rowling launching Harry Potter ebooks with Pottermore this year; but now that ereaders are so cheap, I think tweens will be getting Kindles and Nooks this holiday season. If they do, I have found that there are not many affordable ebooks (2.99) out there for that age group. 





On The Bright Side

So guess what? *waits for groans, shaking heads, and "you are crazy" chants to subside.*





Yes....I have decided to go ahead and publish my poor little tween book from 2009 on January 31st, 2012! You can even add it on Goodreads.





I plan to dive head first into the question of "are tweens online and do they have ereaders?" I know, I probably seem crazy and trust me - my husband is shaking his head at my next move. 





But you know what, people thought Einstein was a little off his rocker and look what he did. Okay, bad example, but my marketing mind cannot resist the urge to investigate and poke around. And since my tween book has been edited and ready to go for a couple years... and since it is collecting dust on my shelf of "all the books I have written that ALMOST got bought but didn't", I've decided to take another chance in the indie pubbing world.





I've had SOOOO much fun putting out Untraceable and so much wonderful support from everyone that I have nothing to lose. Bright has no life left in traditional publishing since it went on submission to pretty much every BIG house there was and I personally think it's too cute to just push aside and forget. I don't know about you - but I kinda feel like my books are my kids and to turn my back on them doesn't feel quite right. It feels like I'm abandoning them just because SOMEONE else said they were not quite good enough. And that feeling sucks.





So over the next month - I'm going do some blogging not only to continue talking about the self-pubbing industry, but also to talk about "how can we can market to tweens - especially online" and "do they need their own books?"  Where do they hang out? How do you reach them directly? Do they like ereaders? Can "tween" be a new market outside of middle grade? A market for those kids who have outgrown Harry Potter, but are too young for Twilight and Hunger Games.





On the Bright Side pitch

Tomorrow I will release the first chapter as a sneak peek of On The Bright Side.





On the Bright Side is a hilarious road to guardian angeldom paved with so much drama and due-paying that it makes middle school look painless.

As if the devil's food cake at her wake and the white fat pants she's stuck wearing for eternity weren't bad enough, fourteen year-old Gabby is quick to discover that Cirrus, the main rung of Heaven, is a far cry from the Pearly Gates. Here, Skyphones and InnerNets are all the rage. Until Gabby finds out she has to protect Angela, her school nemesis, in order to move up through the training levels of heaven. Problem is, Angela is now hitting on Gabby's should-have-been boyfriend. (awkward!)

Instead of protecting Angela, Gabby pranks her (like tripping is a sin?) at the hopes of cooling off the new couple. At first, they seem harmless until the school dance sabotage gets completely out of control. Then, her Celestial Sky Agent, who happens to have anger management issues of his own, puts Gabby on probation, threatening her eternal future. 

Determined to right her wrongs, Gabby steals an ancient artifact that allows her to return to Earth for just one day. Without knowing, she kicks off a series of events and learns what can happen when you hate someone to death. 



If you have a TWEEN/MG blog or would be interested in signing up for a blog tour and free ARC, please complete this form for me. 





What do you guys think about the tween market? Is it different than MG and YA? Does it deserve its own spot on the shelf?http://feeds.feedburner.com/Faerialit...