Connie Johnson Hambley's Blog, page 23

The Power of One

Traditionally published or Indie? Either way, it all comes down to one.

I know you're thinking I'm going to write about how marketing efforts rest on the shoulders of the author regardless of how he or she is published. Well, today you would be wrong.

Today, I'm talking about you, the reader

Authors have different kinds of events available to them to meet readers and promote their books. The typical places authors flock to are events at public libraries, readings at bookstores and other organizations, and book groups. Local street fairs, farmers markets, and horse shows are other events, even if a bit non-traditional.

Any of these can be bruising experiences. Not every event is standing room only and echoing crickets' chirps can be distracting. At a farmers' market, folks may be more interested in scoring their organic arugula than buying a recently released mystery.

Yet, it takes a single encounter to make an otherwise lackluster event shine.

A passerby who stops in her tracks when she spies the book cover and exclaims to her friend, "Oh my Gawd! I just finished that book. You have to read it."The schlumpy gentleman who chats to kill time waiting for his wife turns out to be the editor of a local paper and decides to run an article inspired by the chance conversation.The mother who introduces her shy daughter with the words, "All she does is write, and I want her to keep writing."The group of friends who buys one book among them to share, and then stays in contact.The woman who buys the book as gifts for her extended family.The man who discusses current events and explores what books deepen our understanding of them. Then he extends an invitation to speak to his civic group.The son who talks about his father's immigration to the States and the sacrifices made in providing for his family. No fiction can top that truth.Sure, selling books is a focus for many of these events. But it's not an end in itself. I doubt any of these people know how important their conversations were to me on those days. 
But these brief encounters put a bit more power in my step. 
So, to each individual I have met and will meet along the way, I say, "Thank you."  

Summer Reading: Book Signing Events

If you don't have your summer reading ready to go, here are some events to help you choose the best beach reads. Stop by. Chat with the authors. Buy a book. Perfect!


Vermont Summer Festival Horse ShowsEast Dorset, Vermont July 18 - 19, 2015 9:00-4:00 pm(July 23 - 26 TBD)
You'll find me, content and happy, sitting ringside (beside the grandstand overlooking stadium jumping) and chatting with folks about books and horses. Vermont is my favorite place to be in the summer and being surrounded by books, horses, and mountains is where I hope to find you, too. 
Vermont Summer Festival is a month long series of horse shows that draws the best of the best. Come see future Olympians earn their stripes. Oh, and get a signed copy of my books, too!


New England Author ExpoDaversport Yacht Club, Danvers, Massachusetts July 29, 2015 4:00-9:00 pm
Are you a reader looking for the best in reading and want to meet the authors? Come to the New England Author's Expo to meet authors and other readers to share insights and ideas. Event is free to the public and doors open at 4:00 pm EST. 
Whether your reading taste runs from memoir, local history, or biography to horror, mystery and suspense, come spend a summer afternoon and pick up your beach reading for August. More information can be found on their Facebook page here.



Summer Reading Author Fair
Haverhill Public Library, Haverhill, Massachusetts August 15, 2015 1:00-3:00 pm
Haverhill Public Library is a vibrant participant in their community. As part of their summer reading program, they sponsor an informal fair where readers can chat with authors about books, writing, and inspirations.
Join us on a lazy summer afternoon!

Groton House Horse Trials and BOOKS!

Groton House Farm, located in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, has been the site for a three day horse trial for over three decades. Disciplines of dressage, cross-country, and stadium jumping test horse and rider and give spectators a treat.

Okay, you say. Horses. Big deal. Why should you care?

...Because the essence of the location and all who ride at GHF is infused into my books. Stopping by here provides a window into the psyche of Jessica Wyeth, the protagonist with the sheer grit that makes my stories zing. I haven't met a fan yet who hasn't felt that walking the GHF grounds is like walking in Jessica's shoes. It makes for a really fun experience.

I'll be signing books ringside Friday - Sunday, June 26 - 28, so stop by and say hello.

And one more thing.

I'm featuring the photographs of F. Nicholas Corvinus. Nick's pictures of the wild Carmargue horses of France, are incredible. He captures the rough and gritty nature of these animals with images I love. I'll share some here, but if you want more information, message me or comment and I'll get back to you.

Book Three: Allowing Gestation

When talking about my writing process to book groups, I often compare writing fiction to writing an article or legal brief. Inhaling information and exhaling a document are common disciplines in my writing.

For The Troubles, the second book in the series, I read several books by Gerry Adams, President of Northern Ireland's Sinn Fein party and the voice of Irish resistance to the United Kingdom's presence in the Irelands. I wanted to get a genuine feel for the psychology and emotion behind individuals who would put life and limb in jeopardy to fight against a world power. I'm not a historian or a scholar, but I wanted to get my facts straight. Most importantly, I wanted my characters to be motivated by very genuine concerns.

After reading Adams' books and Margaret Thatcher's autobiography, I found myself taking long walks and mulling over all that I learned and turning conflicting viewpoints over in my head, seeing which facets would fit into the world I was creating inside my story. I knew the shape of my story, but not all of the details and nuances that make a great tale. The political factors provided the hearts and minds of my characters, the horse disciplines the legs, and the tension between the main characters the arms. Allowing myself time to gestate was critical in allowing my story to fully develop.

I'm in the midst of gestating again. Each of my books features an aspect of equine sports. The first was thoroughbred racing, the second steeplechases. This time, the information I'm inhaling involves therapeutic riding. For the past couple of years, I've been a volunteer at a hippotherapy and adaptive riding stable, Windrush Farm. Seeing how the physical and emotional connections to horses can benefit individuals with a variety of challenges has been deeply rewarding. Both The Charity and The Troubles feature characters with special needs. The Charity introduced readers to a school that catered to them. Bringing the therapeutic riding discipline into light is a logical step.

Exactly how that will happen is my challenge. This week I observed a riding class with individuals who have acquired injuries, meaning folks who lost function due to a traumatic injury or serious illness rather than someone born with a disability. I'm in awe of what sitting astride a horse can do for people. When a wheelchair-bound person can experience independence and mobility, something is going very right. I glimpsed how riders regain esteem. I was dumbfounded as I saw horses intuitively understand their riders communicated differently than a able-bodied rider and adapt to them.


This will be a part of the story that gives my book a particular feel. I'm also continuing to research international money laundering schemes, hierarchical management in organized crime (whah!?), IRA cells in the US, and more.

A good book takes time.

Inhale. Gestate. Exhale.

Goodreads Giveaway Ends June 30!

For two weeks only, you may enter a Goodreads giveaway to received a signed copy of The Troubles! Mark your calendars and be among the first to receive your copy! Make sure to add this book to your "To Read" list. Offer ends June 30.

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Goodreads Book Giveaway



The Troubles
by Connie Johnson Hambley

Giveaway ends July 01, 2015.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to Win

Goodreads Giveaway Starts June 15!

For two weeks only, you may enter a Goodreads giveaway to received a signed copy of The Troubles! Mark your calendars and be among the first to receive your copy! Make sure to add this book to your "To Read" list.

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Goodreads Book Giveaway



The Troubles
by Connie Johnson Hambley

Giveaway ends July 01, 2015.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to Win

The Challenge of Yes

Want to learn about yourself? Say "Yes!" to every opportunity.

This might not sound like ground-breaking insight material, but if you try it for a while, I guarantee you'll end up doing something either you swore you'd never do, or you'll swear you'll never do it again.

I was trying to explain to someone why my career path is a bit <ahem> circuitous. I did not end up as a writer in a straight shot from cradle to now. I worked very hard at attaining certain degrees, accreditations, and certifications - none in any MFA program, and all in law, banking, or finance - only to shrug my shoulders when a different venture was presented.

Opportunities popped up by way of casual conversations with friends. When working for a Boston bank (which was after realizing that a career in law for someone who is conflict adverse was not a good choice), a close associate asked if I loved my current job (no) if I was interested in something different (yes) and would I join her and start a company - in children's furnishing. Yes, and I discovered that working in the venture capital and start-up worlds was fascinating. Hating numbers didn't stop me from saying yes to being a professor of finance, even though the thought now makes me laugh. Once, when I went actively looking for a career change, I reached out for advice from a longtime friend who was a biotech recruiter. I was intending to get some insights into effective job hunting strategies that I would apply in the investment or banking industries and to the core of my experience. She told me to not bother looking for a job and asked me to work with her placing research scientists in pharmaceutical firms. Huh? I said, "Yes" and ended up in Beijing and Shanghai where my clients were! Writing for Bloomberg BusinessWeek and Nature came about from out-of-the-blue connections with casual associates. Even today, I help manage an indie rock band because they reached out to me and asked if I would. Sure! Why not give it a shot!

Some not-so-good forays were to say "Yes" to modeling. The glamour of exotic places and beautiful clothes was shaded by creepy guys with hooded eyes - ew - but it paid for college and beyond. Another was to try my hand at being a windsurfing instructor during college. I'm of Irish decent. The sunburn was epic.

What did I learn? I learned that I'm highly adaptable, can absorb lots of complex information and synthesize it into readily digestible communications, I am fiercely determined, am highly attuned to how others hear my message, and I can sell. Oh, and either use sunblock or stay indoors.

Saying yes gave me many different experiences to draw from. Personalities, body types, quirks, perspectives, sights, and sounds have been squirreled away for future use.

Perfect for writing.

Launch Week a.k.a. Who Needs Fingernails?

The time has come. My book-baby is going out into the world.

Remember when you were a little kid and you rode your bike around the block for the first time? Did you look back and see the look on your parents' faces? A mixture of pride and worry furrowed their brows.

I'm wearing that expression now. The training wheels are off and The Troubles is about to start peddling like mad on its own. Well, not completely on its own. After all, I'm a good parent, if a bit helicopter-ish in my devotion. The lessons of looking both ways, wearing helmets and elbow pads have been implemented in the form of critical beta feedback, manuscript reviews, and incisive editing. Orange safety vests of terrific cover design don the exterior. Hard won lessons of life and craft fill the interior.

Handlebar streamers of marketing make my baby a little more eye-catching. Launch events are as follows:

Newspaper Announcements: Poughkeepsie Journal
Stiletto Gang Blog Interview, guest of Marilyn Meredith (May 19)
Hartford Book Examiner, guest of John Valeri (May 19)
Femmes Fatales, guest of Hank Phillippi Ryan (June 2)
Jungle Reds, guest of Hank Phillippi Ryan (TBD) (My earlier Jungle Reds post as a guest of Hallie Ephron is here.)
Writers Who Kill, Blog post, guest of E. B. Davis (September 12)

Book Launch and Reading at Jabberwocky Books in Newburyport, MA (May 29)

...and several private book talks lined up, too!

Like they say in real estate: Location. Location. Location.
Sharing the front page with Ms. Peters and bestsellers is terrific!So, if you see my book-baby out in the world, be kind. Drop me a note to let me know how she's doing. I'm always happy to chat.

"Me, Myself, and I" or "Fully Staffed, Indie Style"

I decided to become an independent author when I realized I was a "Type A" personality in a "Type B" industry.

Type A personalities (for those whipper-snappers who were just being born when the phrase was coming of age) are characterized by a "Let's get this done NOW" attitude. Type B folks, however, are markedly more mellow with a "Chill dude. It'll get done" world view. (Don't know which one you are? Take a test here.) Industries embody these traits. Think 'high tech' versus 'government.' Hmm, better make that 'indie' versus 'traditional' publishing.


Okay, so I'm genetically wired to jump into the deep end. I'm not good at waiting for something to happen, like waiting for a response from an agent or publisher. But it takes more than genes or impatience to make an indie. It takes mad skills . . .and I'm not just talking about writing . . . or marketing.

In between the end zone dance of completing your final draft and collecting the cash from your first sale, there is a whole world of publishing skills an indie needs to become an expert in. One reason many people see a difference in quality between an independently published work and a traditionally published one is traditionally published works have teams of people dedicated to bringing a work to life. The team begins with agents who provide feedback and suggestions to tweak your work. Editors run the spectrum from line editors and grammar cops to developmental edits to sharpen characters and plots. All the while, valuable insight is gathered on what resonates with the reader and what doesn't. The manuscript is worked, vetted, and sculpted. Next up are interior designers to format the text and chapters of your books to enhance the overall reading experience. Do you want your chapters numbered? What graphic would look good? How about a do-dad in between POV or scene shifts? What font looks best? What color paper? Along with that are the experts on cover design. Not just front covers, back covers, too. French folds, anyone? Let's see what the designers and production folks say about feasibility on that, right after they run it by the budget guys. What about inside flap content? Do you want images here, too? No worries, photographers and artists will generate some ideas and the team will decide what to use based upon what marketing research says. Oh, right. Let's get some early reviews and begin positioning the book in front of the book's target audience. Great! Ready to go? Just upload your epub, mobi, and correctly sized pdf to your carefully chosen distributor.

You get the idea.

Like any major corporation, the indie can outsource any one of the tasks. Hiring for each step is an expensive proposition but it doesn't eliminate key facts: An indie is CEO of their book. All decisions are the fault (or the triumph) of the CEO.

Image from: http://successorsabotage.com/self-sab..., I am President, Chairperson and CEO. Chief Business Officer. Chief Operating Officer. Chief Cook and Bottle Washer. The Supreme Commander. Queen. Khaleesi.

. . . or simply indie author.

A2R Marketing: Book Launch and Blurbs

Image from: http://theselfpublishingtoolkit.com/b...
During the publishing process, there are occasions when the author has some down time. When the book is with beta readers or is in the hands of the editor, the author has a few weeks where he or she can focus on marketing.

Often overlooked is the tool of blurbs for covers or early reviews. You can write a blurb yourself (a how-to post is here) or it can be from someone else. Blurbs can be a one-paragraph review or as short as one sentence and can be found on back covers (most often), front (usually in their shortest form of a few key words), or the first pages just before the title page. Using blurbs on the book's Amazon page or other marketing materials helps define your work to potential readers. I'm going to focus on those written for your book by someone else.

For an emerging author, these endorsements can be gold. Blurbs help with:
Branding. If you are publishing a mystery, having an endorsement of an established author with several mysteries under his belt will help readers recognize you as a mystery author.Loyalty. Genre readers tend to be loyal to certain authors. The biggest hurdle is getting someone to sample your writing if they have never heard of you. Receiving an endorsement from a known entity breaks the ice by saying, "A writer you love, loves this writer." Placing their confidence in you is easier.Leverage. Name recognition of the person providing the blurb expands the base of those people who could find you.Legitimacy: If you are an indie and have traditionally published authors behind you, you are one step ahead of the pack.  Established authors use blurbs as part of their marketing push. It gives them marketing copy that is a lot more interesting than "BUY MY BOOK!" In fact, the pros just float the blurb without saying much more than than. They trust the reader's intelligence enough to know that they'll figure out how to get the book when it's released. A good blurb draws the reader to the book.

Most blurbs come from other authors, but often overlooked are experts in the fields your book touches upon. (I've written more about blurbs here.) As I've gone through the process of soliciting blurbs for my upcoming novel, I've done some things really well and have sucked at others. Here's what I did well:

I noted what authors wrote in my genre (thrillers/suspense) and geographic area (Boston/Ireland).I made a list of authors that I know personally or have met via social media.I figured out how to reach them directly via email.I had a cover image ready to be sent along with the request.I wrote a pitch that told about me, my book, and my marketing plan.No one wants to back a dud. I told them what my marketing efforts have been and what my plans are for more - this book is part of a series, I have a growing fan base, and am actively engaged in growing this base. Here's what I did wrong.
I did not leave enough time for most authors to read my work. (I gave 3 to 4 weeks. I should have allotted 6 to 8.)I did not reach out to more authors. (I'll admit to being shy.)I was still working on my ARC during the blurb process. They were not reading a finished product and even minor tweaks were disruptive. Lesson learned. I targeted an author outside of my genre. (I write thrillers. She writes cozies. My violence and sex is 'on the page,' hers is 'off the page.' She needs to be true to her core readers to protect her brand. Remember, it's a two-way street.)I targeted authors in the midst of their own book launches. Again, this was a time/timing issue.If you decide to go for blurbs and early reviews, know that you will receive declines. Folks will decline for many reasons - timing, wrong genre, publisher's policy, agent won't let them, etc. It's all part of it. Be gracious. Just by asking you have expanded your sphere and proved your dedication to your career.

At the end of the process, I received some wonderful blurbs from authors I greatly admire and respect. (I'll write more on that soon.) I learned a great deal, too

More on A2R (Author to Reader) Marketing can be found here.