K. Victoria Chase's Blog, page 20
February 6, 2012
MARKETING MONDAY - AUTHOR/READER GROUPS
Since I've started this journey of writing fiction, I've come across some particular advice that is meant to help establish new authors in potentially gaining readers. One problem I've read on many a blog is the problem new authors have in finding those who read in the genre they write. What is the key? Getting involved in author and reader groups.
What are these groups? Below I list a few I have been visiting lately. A pro is meeting new people and gaining "friends" who will see posted conversations and notices I as an author may wish to produce. A con? You have to spend a great deal of time on these sites to get involved and read the conversations of others, which takes away from writing as does this blog. However, I have enjoyed the good news I've read from others, gained great tips from those more knowledgeable than myself, and I look forward to being more involved.
GOODREADS
- This is a site where you can find books to add to your personal bookshelf, post reviews, and start conversations with other readers/authors.
- One benefit I've read is that authors who offer a book for sale/free on this site have seen very positive feedback and sales.
- See my montages on the left
ABSOLUTE WRITE FORUM
- One of the best sites I've found where you can research agents and publishers, get advice on writing/editing/submitting, and connect with others writing/reading in your genre.
- The "Background Check" section lists a great many threads for agents and editors where people who have had dealings with them, publish their experiences.
YAHOO GROUPS
- Usually you have to be invited to join these but these are even more intimate, where you can interact with various authors or even gain tips from particular groups such as those who discuss marketing tips.
WORLD LITERARY CAFE
- Authors and readers connect with each other through reciprocal 'friendships' where you can find authors to promote on your blog (and vice versa), advertise your books, receive free ebooks, find beta readers and join critique groups.
- I joined a Twitter list where I have followed more than 100 members and I have also been followed by almost as many.
- I joined a Facebook list where I have "liked" the pages of 100 authors and so far I have received far less likes back, not even 50, but I hope more will come out of the woodwork.
- I have yet to join the Amazon tagging list. I want to create an author page first and I'm still waiting for my book cover.
THE BOOK CLUB NETWORK
- I have only recently joined this network but it appears you can network with other readers, join book clubs that read and discuss books, and view the blogs of your fellow bloggers.
Are you involved in any of the above groups? Do recommend others?
February 5, 2012
'PROMISE ME THIS' BLOG TOUR!!!!
I am so thrilled to be apart of Tyndale House's blog tour featuring Christy award-winning author CATHY GOHLKE.
Promise Me This, set during pre-World War I era, is a beautiful love story between a street rat, Michael Dunnagan, and a young woman born to privilege, Annie Allen. They catch a glimpse of each other when they are still children. Annie's older brother, Owen, shows the young Irish lad charity and gives him a job. Promising his sister a new life in America, Owen buys passage on the ill-fated Titanic and tells Annie that he will send for her soon. Also seeking a fresh start, Michael stows away on the Titanic. Only Michael survives, but the brotherly bond between Owen and Michael is so great, Michael promises to one day bring Annie to America.
This is the first book by Cathy that I have read and I must say, I enjoyed it. Her voice is hauntingly romantic, and I felt as if I were watching, instead of reading, a BBC movie based on a novel from ages past. In fact, if it hasn't been optioned for film, it should be; just saying.
Annie and Michael come from very different backgrounds and each of them face painful struggles attached to their circumstances. Through their present situation of being separated and the pain of losing a loved one, I was very engaged and eager to see how these two young individuals would fight through their grief and connect with each other. Cathy has written obstacle after obstacle into her characters' lives and watching them grow and mature was a pleasant experience. Grief, anger, bitterness, revenge...all our explored in this wonderful story about compassion and forgiveness.
One of my favorite scenes was the sinking of the Titanic. Spread over several chapters, Cathy takes you on a visual tour moving you across the ship from trapped lower level passengers, to upper-class ticket holders being safely loaded into boats, to an elderly couple content to leave the world together, and finally to that famous band that went down playing their instruments. The way she wrote that historical event was fascinating. I believed she captured the range of emotions that must have occurred on that sad night, and I had a vivid image of being safely beside Michael on a lifeboat watching the "unsinkable" ship slip beneath the icy surface and into a watery grave. Even her images of battles occurring during WWI were brilliant, exciting and graphic.
If you haven't read anything by Cathy Gohlke, then I recommend you pick up her latest novel,
Promise Me This
. You may visit her website and Tyndale House for more on this author and her newest release.
I was provided a free copy with the promise to post an honest review.
Promise Me This, set during pre-World War I era, is a beautiful love story between a street rat, Michael Dunnagan, and a young woman born to privilege, Annie Allen. They catch a glimpse of each other when they are still children. Annie's older brother, Owen, shows the young Irish lad charity and gives him a job. Promising his sister a new life in America, Owen buys passage on the ill-fated Titanic and tells Annie that he will send for her soon. Also seeking a fresh start, Michael stows away on the Titanic. Only Michael survives, but the brotherly bond between Owen and Michael is so great, Michael promises to one day bring Annie to America.This is the first book by Cathy that I have read and I must say, I enjoyed it. Her voice is hauntingly romantic, and I felt as if I were watching, instead of reading, a BBC movie based on a novel from ages past. In fact, if it hasn't been optioned for film, it should be; just saying.
Annie and Michael come from very different backgrounds and each of them face painful struggles attached to their circumstances. Through their present situation of being separated and the pain of losing a loved one, I was very engaged and eager to see how these two young individuals would fight through their grief and connect with each other. Cathy has written obstacle after obstacle into her characters' lives and watching them grow and mature was a pleasant experience. Grief, anger, bitterness, revenge...all our explored in this wonderful story about compassion and forgiveness.
One of my favorite scenes was the sinking of the Titanic. Spread over several chapters, Cathy takes you on a visual tour moving you across the ship from trapped lower level passengers, to upper-class ticket holders being safely loaded into boats, to an elderly couple content to leave the world together, and finally to that famous band that went down playing their instruments. The way she wrote that historical event was fascinating. I believed she captured the range of emotions that must have occurred on that sad night, and I had a vivid image of being safely beside Michael on a lifeboat watching the "unsinkable" ship slip beneath the icy surface and into a watery grave. Even her images of battles occurring during WWI were brilliant, exciting and graphic.
If you haven't read anything by Cathy Gohlke, then I recommend you pick up her latest novel,
Promise Me This
. You may visit her website and Tyndale House for more on this author and her newest release.I was provided a free copy with the promise to post an honest review.
February 1, 2012
REVIEW WEDNESDAY: BEFORE THE SCARLET DAWN
***One month until my first release!! Be on the lookout for my big cover reveal. :)***
I recently received an Advanced Reader Copy of Rita Gerlach's new, and recently released, novel Before the Scarlet Dawn and I'm happy to provide a review.
This is the first book of Rita's I've read and I can't wait to read her next novel in the Daughters of the Potomac series. In fact, I'm anxious to finish the story because this book will leave you HANGING. The story begins with a young English woman, Eliza, whose life circumstances are so altered, she agrees to marry a man, Hayward Morgan, who has made it clear this marriage is for convenience. They move to pre-American Revolution America to begin their lives as husband and wife. Then it goes south from there.
I enjoyed how the character Eliza tugged at my heartstrings. Here you have a woman who is completely devoted to a man who doesn't love her and it reminded me of the character Anne Elliot in BBC's Persuasion who said, "...women love longest when all hope is gone." So true in Eliza's case. Through her husband's coldness, his leaving her to go to war, Rita has crafted scenes where Eliza goes from utter happiness and hope to depression and despair.
And Hayward. I've already told Rita this, but I don't think I've ever had such a strong burning desire to hate a character. But don't worry, this is a good thing. Rita has created a man who is torn between his growing feelings for his wife, and his upbringing which has taught him to deny those feelings...those very feelings he longed for from his own parents. Yet, the story is open for his redemption. But will Rita redeem him? Is this character redeemable? What am I going to do while I wait for book two?
Beautiful descriptions made me feel like I was in Maryland (and not living just a few miles from the border) when it was rough, rugged, and barely untamed. Each scene is part of a roller coaster ride of emotions that will have you craving more even after the final word. The dialogue was smart, realistic, and depending on who was talking, I was screaming my displeasure. At one point, I was even rooting for the "other guy," not Eliza's husband. Is that wrong? HAHA.
Pick up Before the Scarlet Dawn . You won't be disappointed. And don't forget to visit Rita's website.
I recently received an Advanced Reader Copy of Rita Gerlach's new, and recently released, novel Before the Scarlet Dawn and I'm happy to provide a review.
This is the first book of Rita's I've read and I can't wait to read her next novel in the Daughters of the Potomac series. In fact, I'm anxious to finish the story because this book will leave you HANGING. The story begins with a young English woman, Eliza, whose life circumstances are so altered, she agrees to marry a man, Hayward Morgan, who has made it clear this marriage is for convenience. They move to pre-American Revolution America to begin their lives as husband and wife. Then it goes south from there.I enjoyed how the character Eliza tugged at my heartstrings. Here you have a woman who is completely devoted to a man who doesn't love her and it reminded me of the character Anne Elliot in BBC's Persuasion who said, "...women love longest when all hope is gone." So true in Eliza's case. Through her husband's coldness, his leaving her to go to war, Rita has crafted scenes where Eliza goes from utter happiness and hope to depression and despair.
And Hayward. I've already told Rita this, but I don't think I've ever had such a strong burning desire to hate a character. But don't worry, this is a good thing. Rita has created a man who is torn between his growing feelings for his wife, and his upbringing which has taught him to deny those feelings...those very feelings he longed for from his own parents. Yet, the story is open for his redemption. But will Rita redeem him? Is this character redeemable? What am I going to do while I wait for book two?
Beautiful descriptions made me feel like I was in Maryland (and not living just a few miles from the border) when it was rough, rugged, and barely untamed. Each scene is part of a roller coaster ride of emotions that will have you craving more even after the final word. The dialogue was smart, realistic, and depending on who was talking, I was screaming my displeasure. At one point, I was even rooting for the "other guy," not Eliza's husband. Is that wrong? HAHA.
Pick up Before the Scarlet Dawn . You won't be disappointed. And don't forget to visit Rita's website.
January 23, 2012
MARKETING MONDAY - PRESS RELEASE
Marketing Monday is back! Today's topic is something I've been wondering about and I'm not sure if I can offer any definitive evidence on whether it is worth doing or not. If any of my readers have written and distributed (or had someone do this) their own press release for a book, then please chime in. Basically, a press release is announcing the release of your book (with a blurb and picture) with a short bio of the author, contact info for that author, and obviously where readers can purchase the book. You can find a handy guide on formatting here.
But does it drive sales?
Who knows. Possibly.
http://www.directcontactpr.com/free-articles/article.src?ID=122 (says not really-for books unless in specific categories)
http://www.infobarrel.com/Write_a_Book_Press_Release_That_Sells_Books (strong background on author--major selling point)
Isn't a PR expensive?
I've researched a few sites and you can pay a fee anywhere between $30 and $300+ or you can go to a free site. The criticism with the free site, however, is that it won't distribute your release anywhere--it is just listed on the site and is made available in search results if someone happens to google it or look it up on yahoo. But according to a few sites I visited, the freebies will distribute the release to certain media outlets. Hmmm.
List of sites
http://www.prlog.org/ (Free)
http://mediasyndicate.com/ (Free)
http://www.free-press-release.com/ (Free)
http://www.stephanmiller.com/my-link-lists/108-free-press-release-sites-list/ (148 Free sites)
http://www.prweb.com/ ($89-$359)
http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/ ($49-$369)
http://www.rapidpressrelease.com/ ($89-$179)
I've decided that I will use a free site (maybe more than one) and see how that works. If nothing else then I can create a blog post here and just send it out to social media myself.
Thoughts on the Press Release?
