Konn Lavery's Blog: Posts from konnlavery.com, page 39
May 30, 2018
Try New Things
May, almost over and it has not been nearly as crazy as April. The previous month was loaded with trade show work for clients, tax season and the launch of YEGman, wow. Not really sure how I managed to get it all completed. I suppose sleep was sacrificed to the gods. This month, no sacrifices were made to the higher-ups. Thank god(s?). Free time gives us the opportunity to try new things, and that is exactly what I did.
Welcome to another edition of Unprocessed Thoughts
With YEGman launched, media/marketing changes, conventions booked – with some completed – I have had to take a step back and look at where I am going with the writing career. I’ve been pondering the question on and off since the winter, knowing that the backlog of releases was coming to an end and I would need to start planning new stories to release and juggle my contract life. That time is now.
Back in February I worked on a slasher plot outline and put the story aside, letting it sink into my mind and grow into something tangible. It did, I wrote the first completed draft for the story from start to finish this month, reaching 50,000 words. It is far from finished, but a lot of the heavy lifting is done.
What to do with a finished slasher draft?
Here’s some inner workings of my writing career planning: Should I go self published, or go traditional? Truthfully this question enters my mind every time I have a completed draft. It has come up again and I will weight the options for the slasher draft.
To Release Yearly or Not to Release Yearly?
This is another question that enters my mind, do I keep bringing out a new novel every year? Can I handle the weight of the work, keep the quality, and maintain my sanity? Is there a way for me to use my time wiser and write more effectively? Or do I just work on each novel gradually to ensure they are perfect before release. The trap of perfection can be a curse on its own though.
These are the thoughts that float through my mind about each new novel that I write. Not to mention the Mental Damnation series needs to come to a conclusion.
Try New Things
When you really break it down, as an indie author you don’t have to answer to anyone but yourself. You should be aware of your reader-base and the market to make your next move too. You can also move very quickly and realign your goals as you need to if life throws something weird at you.
Flash Fiction
In the spirit of continually offering stories to you guys, the readers, I’ve started doing flash fiction on a monthly basis. This will serve a couple of purposes. One, I get to experiment with the writing craft. Two, you the readers get fun new tidbits. This was also a result of the thought processes mentioned above. This is a lower risk use of time and offers some fun content for everyone while I work on the next novel, whether it comes out next year or not.
Beer Note: Bent Stick Rush Job IPA
For this month, I tried the Bent Stick Rush Job IPA. Bent Stick is a local brewery here in Alberta that makes a number of good beers. I’ll have to make one of the Unprocessed Thoughts beer notes about them. This one in particular though was a fun experiment. It is basically whatever they have at that moment to throw together and make a batch of beer. This one was lighter, quite hoppy and bitter – everything I love! With my hoppy taste buds in mind, I’d give this a 4/5.
The post Try New Things appeared first on Konn Lavery.
May 24, 2018
Runner
Runner is the first of a flash fiction series that will be released on a monthly basis. Each one is going to be a completed transmedia storytelling experience that consists of the story, artwork and an audio component. The story can either be listened to in audio format or read directly below.
The purpose of these flash fictions is to offer some fun tid bits to read while I am working on the next novel for you to CONSUME. Feel free to listen to the story, or read it, and share with your friends!
Runner
by Konn Lavery
The blue wind breaker was zipped up, shin-protection socks on, shoes tied, toque on, and Bluetooth earbuds in. The smartphone was synched to the earbuds with the music app set to the workout playlist. It was everything Dan needed to start his run. As with every day, his head was groggy at six AM. It didn’t help that he had a late work night the day before. His lifestyle hours didn’t bug him, he enjoyed getting up at this time to embrace the brisk morning. It was technically spring but there was no sign of the snow melting any time soon – typical of Alberta.
“Let’s do this,” he muttered while getting up from his seated position. A late-night-early-start day did not motivate him to go for a run, but he knew he’d regret not doing it. The reward is what drove him to get up each morning and endure the cold. The clarity, the physical form, and the sense of refreshment post-run was unmatched.
Dan exited his condo, locked the front door, hurried down the flights of stairs, and out the lobby. He took in a deep breath through his nose, feeling the crisp air enter his warm system. He pressed the play button on the earbuds that wrapped around his skull, bringing the electronic bass to life.
Alright, he thought, recognizing the beat – a favourite track of his to get energized for a work out.
Dan burst from his walking speed and exited the front of the condo and down the sidewalk, leading to the river valley. He glanced down both sides of the street before making a dash onto the fresh snowy road. At this time of day there was barely any traffic, making crossing the street like real-life Frogger on easy mode.
He breathed steadily, moving on the familiar path as he did with every morning. It led him down a set of stairs, which was a pain to get back up at the end of the run. Past the staircase, the path continued along the bed of the river. From here he could see downtown just south of the river. It was always a beautiful sight this early on.
Dan kept a steady pace, head looking down at the fresh snow. There were a few bike tire imprints but no shoe imprints. It was a big ego boost for Dan. He knew he was the only one dedicated enough to focus on his run consistently throughout the year. Summer time was when all the posers came out and ran.
About two kilometers into his run – or three songs later – the peaceful snow suddenly had footprints and pawprints. They came from the forestry to his right and onto the path. The footprints were slightly behind the pawprints until a splash of red sprinkled over the snow.
What? Dan slowed his pace, looking up to see the pawprints became more condensed and the blood became more prominent. Further ahead, the blood smeared the snow in a wide stroke, spanning for several meters before disappearing into the forestry.
Dan stopped in his tracks, panting as he pressed the pause button for his music. What was he looking at?
“This doesn’t look good,” Dan said under his breath. He unzipped his jacket so he could reach for his smartphone that was kept in the inner pocket. This was too weird not to report to the city.
He took his one glove off so he could swipe his phone and unlock it and dial nine-one-one.
As the phone rang, he turned back to see the path was empty behind him. He was completely alone.
“Hello this is nine-one-one, what is your emergency?” came the operator’s voice.
“Hey, yeah, I’d like to report a slaughtered animal.” Dan said.
“Slaughtered?” the operator asked.
“That’s right.” Dan turned forward again to examine the trail of blood. “I was just on my morning jog down by Bow River and saw some fresh blood, some animal tracks and shoe tracks.”
“Is anyone else there?” the operator asked.
“No, just me. Think I will be heading back though.”
“Alright, for future reference, call for three-one-one for disposal of animals.” The operator said.
“Yeah I know that, but there’s a lot of blood. I’m just trying to do what is right here.” Dan exhaled. Is she stupid? he thought.
“We appreciate your concern, where exactly is this?”
“I had just crossed onto-“ Dan’s sentence cut short as twig snapping caught his attention.
“Sir?” the operator asked.
Where the blood ended, a tall, broad shouldered being – presumably male from the size – burst from the shrubs with a blood-dripping machete in hand. He wore a ski jacket with the hood over his ski-mask covered face.
“Oh shit! St. George’s Island!” Dan shouted while spinning around, dashing back whence he came. His legs stumbled slightly before he regained balance, they were weak from the sudden stop-and-go in his regular run. Dan clenched the phone with one hand and his glove with the other. He could feel his muscles burn from the burst in speed.
He took one glance back to see the man closing in on him. His speed accelerated faster than Dan’s with each stomp he made in the snow.
“God no, God no.” Dan exhaled through his breath. How is he running that fast? This can’t be happening, this can’t be. “What is going on?” he exclaimed.
The muffled sound of the emergency operator came through the phone. In the moment of panic, Dan forgot about the operator on the line.
Bringing the smartphone up to his face again, Dan said, “help! Send help! I’m being chased by a man with a machete.”
“We have a unit on their way. You said by St. George’s Island?”
“Yes! I will be crossing the bridge and heading west, towards traffic.”
“Stay on the line. We’re not far off.”
Dan made a swift turn left onto the bridge, crossing the river. His steps were wobbly from his tiring legs. They were echoed by heavier, stomping footsteps of the man with the machete – he had to be getting closer.
Don’t look back, don’t look back, Dan thought. It was hard not to. His lungs burned, and his legs felt like jelly despite the burst of adrenaline that spiked through his veins.
He reached the end of the bridge at the fork in the road and collided with a passing bicyclist. The impact sent him flying to the side of the pavement, letting go of the smartphone and skidding in the snow. The bike tumbled onto the ground, launching the rider off the seat and shoulder-first onto the concrete.
“Shit!” Dan rolled onto his back and attempted to get up, but his feet slid on the ice hidden below the snow. He looked back to the bridge only to see no one.
Dan stared at the fork in the road, it was empty. He turned to his left – no one, his right, nothing. He looked back towards the island, then the bridge, nobody. The machete-wielding man was nowhere to be seen.
“Christ,” muttered the bicyclist while taking off her helmet.
“Did you see the man behind me? He had a- “
“Share the damn road!” the bicyclist snapped.
Dan wiped his face and glanced around one more time to see if he missed machete-wielding man. No. He was gone for certain.
Dan couldn’t help but smile to himself with relief. He got away. He knew running was good for your health but who knew the results would be so sudden.
Want to save this for later?
The post Runner appeared first on Konn Lavery.
May 22, 2018
Pure Speculation Festival 2018
I’ll be at this year’s Pure Spec festival, a friendly little science fiction & fantasy festival in Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Learn more about the festival at their website.
When?
June 15th & 16th, 2018
11:00 am – 7:00 pm daily
Where?
Alberta Avenue Community Hall
9210 118 Ave
Edmonton, AB
The post Pure Speculation Festival 2018 appeared first on Konn Lavery.
The Agony and Ecstasy of the Short Story
Life is like an owl pellet. Why? I dunno. Owl pellets are cool and there are worse things life could be like…the owl itself, for instance.
Thing is, I’ve wanted to write an owl pellet story for a long time and I had an idea once, but it turned into Loud As A Murder. A fine story, but it’s got nothing at all to do with owl pellets, and it took me a really long time to write. Why? Because short stories are hard work. The novel, as a form is orders of magnitude more forgiving than the short story. While novels require a certain tenacity and endurance, there is nothing that will challenge your skill as a writer more than the short form – and the shorter it is the more brutal it gets.
In terms of readers, the ones who love short stories and flash fiction are savage and discerning. With only your writer’s voice you must grab them by the ears and yank them into your world immediately. Your pacing must not waver, your characterization must be on point, and your language must boil over with deliberately curated sounds and crisp images. A prose writer lives and dies by the sword of the short story. You need to know how to do this.
Short story writing takes time and practice. You also ought to have some fun on the way. So how long should it take to write a short story? In my case, three years. There are exceptions, but on average, from the initial spark of an idea to hitting the submit button, three years.
Apparently, this is excessive.
But is it? I’m not working on that story and only that story for three years. I’m doing other stuff. Still, I’ve been at this long enough to see a pattern. Bearing in mind that this is not an instructive document, I’ve broken my short story writing process down into a 36-month timeline.
Month 1
Have idea. Idea is kickin’ rad. Make notes. Do research. Start writing. Stall out at 1200 words.
Month 2-32
Open the document from time to time, usually when you’re avoiding other work. Smile as you read because there’s something special there. You’ve got a hook, voice, characterization, an inciting event…and no fucking idea where it goes next.
Month 33
Finish a project you started roughly 3 years ago and wonder what you ought to work on next. Hey, you’ve got that beginning of a story languishing on your hard drive. The problem is you’re trying to write it around owl pellets and you need to let that go. Power through and complete a rough draft.
Month 34
Your rough draft sucks. You suck. You suck like a mongoose with an emotional eating problem. Do it again, but better.
Month 35
Send 5th draft to crit partner. Crit partner understands the anxious egg-sucking mammal version of you, and also knows stuff about good writing. She offers thoughtful feedback and talks you out of becoming a bricklayer. Rewrite. Suck less.
Month 36
More rewriting. You could do this forever. Maybe another 3 years. Didn’t this story originally involve owl pellets? Now there’s a good idea…
Makes a bit of sense now, doesn’t it? So much of writing isn’t actual writing. It’s thinking, marinating, agonizing, and slowly brazing in the low heat of your cerebral oven. Short stories are particular cuts of creative meat. They need to be prepared just so or they’ll be ruined. It’s time worth taking though, work worth doing, because every bite will be something to savour.
Now ask me how long it takes to write a novel…
About Sarah L. Johnson
Sarah L. Johnson lives in Calgary with her noisy family and two slightly bewildered cats. She wrangles literary events at an indie bookstore for money, runs ultra marathons for fun, has a filthy mouth, and does daily battle with curly hair. Her writing skates across multiple genres: literary, sci-fi, fantasy, noir, horror, and once a romantic comedy that was so very terrible and shall be blasted from the obelisks of recorded history. Her short stories have appeared in a number of journals and anthologies including Room Magazine, Plenitude Magazine, the Bram Stoker nominated Dark Visions 1: A Collection of Modern Horror (Grey Matter Press), and Year’s Best Hardcore Horror Volume 2 (Comet Press) . Her short story collection Suicide Stitch was released in 2016 by EMP Publishing, and her first novel, Infractus, is coming soon.
Sarah is also the 2018 Writer in Residence for the Calgary based Alexandra Writers’ Centre Society
Find Sarah on:
The post The Agony and Ecstasy of the Short Story appeared first on Konn Lavery.
May 16, 2018
What Type of Research Comes With Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy?
Science fiction and fantasy are two genres I grew up with, both in reading and on T.V. I grew up reading The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. I also read a lot of book that usually took place in different worlds and dimensions, followed a lot of folklore (especially that of the Fae), or took place in different time lines. And, I grew up watching a lot of Star Trek, Star Wars, Stargate and various others on the Space Channel. In book stores, the Sci-fi Fantasy section was, and is, my first stop and happy place.
That love of both genres plays out in the stories that I write. Recently, I submitted a manuscript for publishing. This story has both science fiction and fantasy in it. One half of the story is based in an idyllic fantasy world, complete with castles, princesses, pirates, magical creatures and magical happenings. The other half is more science fiction based, on a planet dealing with the aftermath of an apocalypse that happened some three hundred years before the start of the story. That side has futuristic technology, mutants, and gangs, Post-apocalyptic world style.
Even though I’m writing in a way that lets me make up points and plot and creating my own worlds, there is still an element of research that goes into writing these genres.
Research Science Fiction and Fantasy
Fantasy: A world, a universe, a people, a history is being created. And even though it can all be made up, fantastical, and not bound by the rules of reality, it has to be believable, and to do that, it needs to be research. To create the fantasy world in my book, I needed to be comfortable with Fae legends and folklore, I needed to understand what went on with royal families and I had to do some research on pirate ships and language. Though, I had some leeway on that because, as you’ll find out, the pirate wasn’t a traditional pirate. I tried to hold true to legends and myths while putting my own spin on the story. I also had to study people in our world with very innocent personalities as Aryanna, one of the protagonists, is very innocent in the beginning. She was a struggle to write so that she would come off as believably innocent and not just simple, child-like or two dimensional. And, I had to research some psychology. On the fantasy side, the actions and reactions that people have, both main character and non, are extremely important to the plot. I had to study how people who have lived the perfect, non complicated life would deal with something not fitting into their perfect little box or how someone’s reaction to something that goes against conformity would affect someone else that didn’t understand the big picture. The reactions had to believable and realistic even if the situation was not.
For the science fiction part, there was also research. More in some ways and also very different. Terminology was different. As the majority of the story takes place in the main character’s compound, a place she has built up over time with help, for security and safety, I had to have some knowledge of military lingo both for people and for location. Again, this was able to be little lax because the rules of our world don’t apply there and so I was able to take some liberties. I had to create a world that was dying, yet people could still live on it. Barely surviving but living and creating a life. How? Why? What’s dangerous there? It had to be believable that they could be there so their bodies had adapted. Time to brush up on genetics, biology and adaptations. I researched some symptoms for common sicknesses and stepped them up a little. I will admit that video games like Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas were very helpful for me to watch. I liked that the mutated creatures in that game weren’t all zombies, that there was a well rounded civilization of mutants. In my book, they range from almost human to feral monster, mindless and dangerous. Seeing what some other people had done in video games gave me a clear idea of where to take mine.
I had to research weapons, carefully. They had to make sense with the world. In futuristic and post-apocalyptic era genres, energy weapons seem to be a favourite so I have that in there.
Though the people and the places in these two genres aren’t real, the people and places have to feel real. Even though you can take some liberties and make it your own, you have to make it feel like it could be happening or could happen. The characters have to be relatable, the places have to feel like you could be living there and the events have to feel like you’re witnessing them, feeling them. Research into world building, character creating, and mood setting are a must. You need to be open to getting ideas from all different places. For me it was T.V. movies, video games, books, and good old internet. I actually made my husband either laugh or sigh many times because he’s the gamer, not me and I’d beg him to play Fallout for a few hours while I watched, and listened. But, I did end up trying my hand at it for a while. That was leap because playing video games is hard for me. I actually got my character to level 8 or something! But, it did give me that extra bit of insight and experience (see what I did there) to make some parts of my story more believable.
Stay Authentic
Leslie Hodgins
The post What Type of Research Comes With Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy? appeared first on Konn Lavery.
May 15, 2018
Kelsey Rae Barthel Debut Dark Fantasy Release – Beyond the Code
This month’s guest is Kelsey Rae Barthel who grew up in the quiet town (500 people) of Hay Lakes in Alberta. After graduating high school, Kelsey moved to Edmonton and eventually began working in the business of airline cargo. However this never stopped her from writing, which led to her first release, Beyond the Code.
Thank you, Kelsey Rae Barthel, for joining us, can you give a brief introduction of yourself?
I’m Kelsey Rae Barthel. I’m a short, 30 year old woman who loves anime, DND, fantasy, coffee, and above all else, writing. I always loved writing short stories when I was growing up but I could never come up with enough story to make more than that until I grew up and moved to Edmonton. I think my experiences on my own and the friends I made really helped me come out of my shell and let my creativity thrive. Now, I have more stories then I have time for.
Tell us about your debut novel, Beyond the Code which was released earlier in 2018.
Beyond the Code is the story of Aurora Falon. As Aurora, she is a pampered heiress of an influential and wealthy family. But as Luna, she is a powerful Knight is a secret Order of warriors with supernatural abilities. She serves her Master, Cole Iver, and together they worked to bring another Master, Damon Lexus, to justice for using her Knights to gain power in dishonorable and devious ways. When they get closer to realizing their missions success, Damon goes against the laws of their Order and has Cole Iver assassinated. After a failed attempt to take justice into her own hands, Aurora realizes how broken the Order they served was and with the help of the Hunter sent to execute her, they start a new mission, topple the Order and give the Knights the freedom to choose their own destiny.
Is this the first novel you have written?
Yes it is.
Reviewers have said Luna, the protagonist, is a strong female role. Her description on the synopsis sounds pretty badass. Can you share some of the process in developing her character?
Growing up as a tomboyish girl who hung out with boys mostly, strong female characters have always resonated with me. But being strong doesn’t always just mean being tough. It’s a lot to do with being the best person you can be while standing strong for your ideals. I made Luna to be what I wish I was. She’s powerful, skilled, hardworking, and kind but not a push over. But, as a writer, I knew that she had to be flawed because, frankly who isn’t in some way. So I also made her a bit naïve in the beginning and, through the events in the book, but a wedge in her ability to trust people. I also don’t like how, in some stories I’ve seen, that the main character, even though they are relatively new at something, they are always the best at it very quickly. Luna is badass and skilled in battle but that came from years of dedicated training and a drive to be strong for someone she cared about.
The cover artwork is quite stylized, how did the creative process go for the cover design?
That I can’t take credit for. Through my publisher, Inkshares, they connected me to a fantastic company called CoverKitchen. I gave them a general idea of what I wanted and through some creative back and forth, we finalized this design. I couldn’t be happier with it and I have been getting a lot of positive feedback.
What’s next now that Beyond the Code is out?
Well, I am stumbling through the world of book marketing to try and make Beyond the Code successful. Luckily, I have the help of Creative Edge Publicity. They have been getting me book signings and interviews like this one in the hopes to build my platform. Also, I am currently working on the sequel to Beyond the Code, working title, Beyond the Masquerade.
I always ask this question for the readers… For aspiring writers, what would be one piece of advice you would give them?
Don’t be afraid of the work. If it’s in you, it’s hard to imagine yourself doing anything else but you have to be willing to work at it. No matter how good you think you might be, you can always be better.
Let’s thank Kelsey Rae Barthel for joining us to talk about her writing!
You can find Kelsey Rae Barthel’s work at the links below:
You can also follow online her at:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37957052-beyond-the-code?from_search=true
The post Kelsey Rae Barthel Debut Dark Fantasy Release – Beyond the Code appeared first on Konn Lavery.
May 9, 2018
Tosca Lee, New York Times bestselling author
This month we have Tosca Lee, New York Times bestselling author as a guest to the blog. She is known for her work such as The Legend of Sheba, Demon: A Memoir, Havah: The Story of Eve, and the Books of Mortals series. She is also a fan of video games! Let’s welcome her to the blog.
Hi Tosca Lee, thank you for joining us to the blog, can you give us a brief introduction about yourself?
Thank you for having me!! I’m a girl who grew up with one foot in the make-believe world, who has always loved stories, music, and the arts. Today I’m an author of nine novels (my 10th, a brand new thriller called The Line Between, releases this coming January), am a new wife and step-mother to four, and a city girl who now lives on a farm. (You can follow all my crazy adventures—and our brand new German Shepherd puppy, Timber—on Instagram.)
You have a new novel, The Progeny, can you tell us a bit more about it?
The Progeny is the story of Emily Porter, who is living a quiet existence in the North Woods of Maine after having the last two years of her memory erased… only to realize she’s being hunted and that everything she erased to protect—even from herself—is what she now needs to survive.
Is The Progeny part of a series or a stand-alone novel?
It’s book 1 of 2— Firstborn, the sequel (out now!) takes up in the exact moment that The Progeny leaves off.
What was the first piece of literature that you got published?
An article about my English Bulldog, Oliver, in a pet-lover’s newsletter when I was in third grade. J
Have you always wanted to become an author?
I actually wanted to be a professional ballerina from an early age until injuries sidelined that dream in my teens. After that, I wasn’t sure—I thought maybe I’d go into advertising or news media. Only during my freshman year of college in a conversation with my dad about one of my favorite novels of all time, The Mists of Avalon, did I blurt out that I’d like to write a book. I’d written my entire life and even won some contests, but had never really thought of it as a thing until that moment.
What was your life like before becoming an author professionally?
Well, my first job out of college was writing on the staff of Smart Computing magazine, so I’ve been writing professionally for a while. But in between that job and the day I quit working to write fiction full time—a time span of 17 years—I wrote what would become my first two published novels, ran for and won the title of Mrs. Nebraska, competed for Mrs. United States and won first runner-up, and worked as a senior consultant for The Gallup Organization traveling the globe. So it was a twisty, winding road that brought me full circle from writing for a living to once again writing for a living (this time in fiction, on my own terms), but I wouldn’t change a thing because I learned so much that has helped and inspired me along the way. J
Your Pinterest is the only spot that mentions you’re a rumored vampire – is this true?
I have a longstanding reputation for sleeping during the day and rising at night. My neighbors, before I moved to the farm, were accustomed to seeing my office light on until dawn. Granted, that started to reverse two years ago when I married a single father and became an insta-mom with three of four kids still at home. These days I really crave my sleep!
Any advice you would like to give aspiring authors?
If you’re not published yet, this is a special, protected time. Write a lot. Be bold, experimental, and audacious. It gets harder to write this way as you publish and become constantly aware of those reading your work, which is why my #1 Rule of Writing is “write like no one will ever read this”—like you’re writing secret stuff in your closet. It helps keep fear from getting in the way.
And of course, read. Read a lot, ask for help, and be gracious to those around you.
Let’s thank Tosca Lee for joining us again to the blog! You can find her work on her website, amazon and the various links below:
Website: www.toscalee.com
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2IoO7BZ
Twitter: www.twitter.com/toscalee
Facebook: facebook.com/AuthorToscaLee
Instagram: instagram.com/toscalee
Pinterest: pinterest.com/toscalee
Read the first four chapters of The Progeny here!
The post Tosca Lee, New York Times bestselling author appeared first on Konn Lavery.
May 8, 2018
The Do’s and Don’ts at a Book Signing
The big day is soon to commence. You’ve followed the details from the last post that dealt with approaching a store, professionalism and planning ahead. The day has been booked and now we need to go over some of the do’s and don’ts at a book signing. A lot of the time you see two extremes when it comes to authors in book signings: At one end of the spectrum they are sitting and not engaging with people that pass by. On the other end they are too aggressive and nag potential customers. The best is to be coherent of your surroundings, be polite and be excited about your work.
The Do’s and Don’ts when preparing for your signing
See a pattern with these marketing-related blog posts? Prepare in advance and be professional, these are you two biggest keys to success when marketing your book. You must make sure you have everything you need in order to have the book signing do well. If it does, the book store is going to want you to come back.
DO have copies of your book ready
If you are from a smaller publisher or self-published, you are going to want to order copies from the distributor. If you are with big house printing – chances are a lot of the items in this post will be covered for you. Having books in storage is very important as an author. Sometimes events pop up or someone you know wants to buy your book – always have books in storage.
Regarding your book signing, it can be hard to know how many books to have available. If you have never done a signing or promoted a book before, order 100 and see how quickly you can move those copies. From there re-adjust your ordering frequency and quantities.
DO promoting for the signing
Advertise the book signing to your fans through your newsletter, your website and your social media. If you are feeling very ambitious, get posters and postcards ready and pass them to the store you are doing the signing at. If you have extras – put them up around town and in cafes and other local stores.
It can be challenging to dictate how effective promoting your book is prior to the event, especially with physical posters. Your energy is better spent online to your fans that will be more likely to come out to the signing.
DON’T wait to the last minute
Order everything you need as soon as the book signing is confirmed to make sure you have the supplies required. The books may have to be shipped to you which has its own set of complications, so order a month or two ahead of time.
The Do’s and Don’ts at a Book Signing
The day of your signing is finally here. You’ve followed the Do’s and Don’ts leading up to the event – today is the big day! Below are some ideas on what to have for the signing and behavior when you are at the event.
DO have an attractive table
What encompasses an attractive table? Some ideas are:
A table cloth to hide underneath the table – you will probably store your books there. People don’t need to see that. Keep their focus on your books.
Signage to tell people what your table is about. People aren’t going to know why you are at a table with a bunch of books. Signage can be a roll up banner, banner flags at the front of the table or a poster on an easel.
Book Stands. They are very critical because they allow the book(s) to stand upright, facing people. If the books are all flat on the table, no one is going to be able to see the cover – and they do judge books by the cover. You only really need one book stand per book.
An author bio plaque. If you have a bio or other credentials worth mentioning, having a plaque describing who you are gives people something else to look at.
DO have takeaways/freebies
Having smaller items at your book signing can help hook people in to come learn about your book. This can be as simple as a bowl of candy or it could be postcards, button pins, or another small item that you are willing to give away to potential buyers.
DO have a newsletter signup sheet
This could be an actual form on your table your you can dress it up a bit by making it a dropbox contest to give people a chance to win a short story or a copy of your book. Gathering emails is a very handy tool down the road when you want to tell people about your next book or event.
DO talk to people
This should be a given, but a lot of the time authors will wait for people to talk to them first. If you see people walking by your table and they slow down to see what it is all about – say hello! If it scares them off they weren’t that interested.
DON’T arrive late
This should be a no brainer, you should be treating this as you would with any other meeting – arrive early. Think about how long it will take you to set up? It takes time for the managers to get the required supplies too (often they supply the table and chair). Don’t show up right at the time the signing starts, that is go time, even if there are no lineups to come meet you.
DON’T hide behind the table
The last thing you want to do is sit behind the table, slouched or keeping your head down. This doesn’t make you look approachable and it doesn’t make people want to talk to you. It is okay to sit from time to time, these signings can be long days. When you do, make sure you are alert and attentive to those around you, sit up straight!
DON’T wing your pitch
This should be another no brainer, but you never know. Practice telling your story in an engaging and short method and keep it to no more than thirty seconds. This will help you when talking to people about your book so you don’t fumble around with your words.
Practice makes perfect
The above Do’s and Don’ts will help steer you in the right direction. Ultimately it is practice that will make you do well over time. Think about how your signing goes, and you’ll quite quickly think about what you could have done better. How could you get more people to come to your table? Was the location/time wrong? Was the signage not prominent?
If you’ve had experiences with book signings or have specific questions share in the comments.
The post The Do’s and Don’ts at a Book Signing appeared first on Konn Lavery.
May 2, 2018
Does the Hustle Stop?
A new book is out – woohoo! You’ve probably been watching the Instagram and Facebook posts leading up to the launch of YEGman and post book release. The noise has paid off well, the book launch was a success. YEGman hit bestseller for Edmonton and sold out at the Calgary Expo. A number of reviews came through and already doing interviews about it. Whew, that was a busy couple of weeks and now it is back to playing catch up with the graphic design biz. Does the hustle stop?
Probably not. I think that’s a good thing?
Welcome to another edition of Unprocessed Thoughts
April was crazy. My days were booked down to the hour. So, this Unprocessed Thoughts is going to be focused on general updates and what you can expect over the next few months.
With all the YEGman hype my time has been pretty swamped with events, engaging with interviews set up by my publicist, and distributing the books accordingly. Where is there time to write? Truthfully there hasn’t been a lot. What little time there is has been focused on research and plot outlining. Basically I am doing the big picture kind of stuff with my idea book which was used as a featured image for the blog post “Why You Should Keep An Idea Book”.
April is done, YEGman is out
Alright, now that we are in the post-launch era of 2018 I will be focusing on writing again – finally! The events slow down. There is one book signing in May, followed by the Calgary Horror Con June 2nd and 3rd. Otherwise it is pretty much one signing a month, unlike last year, where I was signing every week. The purpose of this is to dedicate more time on the craft and get a new book ready for you to read.
Some of you have already finished YEGman!
I am honoured by this. After the launch some attendees contacted me saying they enjoyed the book and can’t wait for more. Wow. Guess I should start getting more work out there. Before YEGman, the last new release was Seed Me in 2016.
So again, this is why I am taking a step back from the events and marketing as intensely. I want to give you all some more stories to consume. A fun hint, this does include something consistently in the blog… stay tuned for that.
Does the Hustle Stop?
At this rate no, but that is self-driven. I am okay with this because doing something you love makes the grind worth it.
Beer Note: Wild Rose Brewery High Harvest
A hemp beer? Neat! I was lucky enough to try this over the weekend in Calgary. It is an unfiltered beer. If you like super bitter and sour beers, this is the one for you. It had a subtle hemp flavor, the hops overpowered it for sure. Knowing my biased hoppy taste buds, I’d give this one a 4/5.
The post Does the Hustle Stop? appeared first on Konn Lavery.
May 1, 2018
You Published a Book…. Now What?
You wrote your book in record time, surpassing all your self-imposed deadlines. The carrier service rings your doorbell, you snatch the box from the delivery guy’s hands barely scribbling your signature acknowledging the receipt of the treasure within the box. You close the door with a bump of your hip and race to the kitchen table. No need for a box cutter you peel the tape securing the contents of the DREAM, your dream of becoming a New York Best Selling Author. That’s right you said it; you will be on this prestigious list. You rip the box open and there it is your master piece, your book. You grin a wide smile from ear-to-ear. You know you will sell the contents of the box and more because you were told you are an excellent writer and your book will be turned into a movie in no time. You scurry up the stairs to your office, pull out the list with all the names of everyone who ever told you they would purchase your book. Tirelessly, you call every name on the list only getting the commitment of five people on the list; two of the five are your parents. You flop in the ergonomic chair you convinced your spouse you needed to be a better writer. Now What? You have two choices: Once you sell the five books, the unsold inventory can be used as doorstops throughout your house. This is an option but is an expensive way to prop open a door. Or you can promote your book to a wider audience.
Here are three simple ways to promote your book:
Establish Your brand. Who are you? Visualize yourself across all media platforms how do you want the public to understand who you are. I decided to brand myself by using a pseudonym (pin name). I wanted to separate my professional life from the books I write. If you write children’s books your website should not have adult content. Look at what your brand says about you.
Social Media Presence. You will at least need Facebook as a social media platform to establish yourself as a writer. This is a great way to highlight your work and post content associated with writing, book promotions and a place to keep your fans engaged which means you must create a separate account from your personal. Rule of Thumb, stay away from political rhetoric on your author page.
Book Signing: You sell more books by inviting your friends and family to a book signing instead of calling them individually. The pressure of everyone making a purchase will influence them to open their wallets. You should have books on hand to purchase along with light snacks. You can read excerpts from the book to entice them to want to know more about the characters and the plot.
The three steps are the first steps in promoting your book. If you want to know more about marketing or self-promotion contact me on social media (McKensie Stewart) on Twitter and Facebook.
You can listen to the Writer’s Edge with McKensie Stewart every Friday 3:00 pm-5:00 pm CST on the Fishbowl Radio Network (FBRN.US; Grey Stream).
About McKensie Stewart
McKensie Stewart is a native of Columbia, South Carolina where she attended Columbia College. Currently, she is an educator, fictional novelist and entrepreneur living in Charlotte, North Carolina. McKensie enjoys long walks on the beach with her Yorkshire Terrier, Jewel, when she isn’t terrifying and romancing her readers. Presently, she is working on her next novel.
Shattered
Emily finds herself metaphorically waking up to face a life she no longer recognizes. She loves her husband Brendon Graham, the Senator for the State of Pennsylvania along with their twins Madison and Connor but that isn’t enough any longer. The ripple effect of her college professor, Dave Banks, taking a piece of her innocence destroys her marriage every day. Even though Emily only shared part of the secret with Brendon; he is on a destructive spiral choosing escorts, booze and heroine to cope with the pain he feels from their loss. Kyndall, the matriarch of the family, and Emily’s mother-in-law will do everything in her power to ensure that her dream of Brendon becoming the President of the United States will come to fruition no matter who she has to kill to make it happen. Emily’s true love, Julia, her college roommate has a huge secret of her own that will shatter any reconciliation between the two of them.
The post You Published a Book…. Now What? appeared first on Konn Lavery.
Posts from konnlavery.com
- Konn Lavery's profile
- 155 followers
