Michelle Booth's Blog, page 3

Chattering parrots – inspiration for Mimic

I spent a lovely couple of days with my fiance (and dog!) at a fabulous guest house in Wales last week. It is called, appropriately-enough, The Guest House, and it was a wonderful find. Great food, lovely hosts, and comfortable beds. What more can you ask?

Well … parrots!

There were 3 resident African Grey parrots – the same breed as Mimic in my book, ‘Mo – The Talking Dog’. I’m writing the follow-up at the moment (the trip was part work as I like to get away to write sometimes).

Jenny, one of the owners of  The Guest House, was able to give me lots of stories about her parrots. They really do converse, not just repeat things.

We heard them talking to each other, and Jenny told us that they request certain items of food. She offered one a grape and he said he didn’t want that, he wanted a biscuit. She insisted on the grape, not the biscuit – and he insisted on the biscuit, not the grape!

I read an article this morning about a 2011 study using African Grey parrots (they seem to be the smartest). The scientists have proven that the parrots use reasoning.

I think Mimic needs to feature more in the next ‘Mo’ book, he obviously has a lot of potential for character development!

If anyone has any parrot stories they would be willing to share, I’d love to hear them.

If you would like to get to know some parrots, I highly recommend The Guest House Abergavenny – and the food!

You may also like:A Little About MeDo You Struggle To Get Up In The Mornings?With A Little Help From My FriendsMo The Talking Dog Is Live!

The post Chattering parrots – inspiration for Mimic appeared first on Michelle Booth.

Goodreads Technical Issues

The Goodreads site is having some technical issues at the moment. Please bear with them. They are very professional and will no doubt be working frantically to fix the problem(s). Goodreads technical issues are fortunately quite rare!

The main difficulty seems to be with logging in. People are seeing an error message saying that Goodreads is busy. Keep trying and you will generally get in.

The other issue is being unable to rate books. You may see an error message when you click on a star to rate a book, telling you that you are not able to rate at the moment. I found that when I went to the My Books page my rating had actually registered!

I hope it isn’t the popularity of my ‘Goodreads for Authors’ book that has given them these problems! I’m sure they’ll get them sorted out soon.

You may also like:A Little About MeAre You An Expert?With A Little Help From My FriendsBook Review: Successful Minute Taking

The post Goodreads Technical Issues appeared first on Michelle Booth.

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How To Win Goodreads Giveaways

The idea behind Goodreads giveaways is that publishers offer paperback books as prizes in individual contests.

Lots of publishers do this months before books are published (which is amazing, if you win one of those, you get to read it months before anyone else!), to generate some publcity and eagerness for the book’s release.

Why would they do that? Because reviews are really, really important.

It makes sense. If you were visiting a foreign city and wanted something to eat, you probably wouldn’t choose an empty restaurant on a quiet sidestreet, but one which looked popular and thriving.

It is the same with books. Sure, it’s nice to be one of the first to discover a new book or author, but in these troubled economic times, not many of us are willing to risk hard-earned cash on books we may not like. We are much more likely to buy books that our friends have read and recommended to us.

Publishers know that, so they are willing to give away some copies of books in order to get good reviews.

OK, that’s half the story. The other half is how you win giveaways. I found out this information when researching my book, ‘Goodreads for Authors’, which shows authors how to use the site and interact with their readers.

In the Goodreads Giveaway terms & conditions, they state that:

‘If more people are interested in a book than there are copies available [which is nearly always the case], we will pick the winners at our discretion. The factors that go into our algorithm are: randomness, site activity, genre of books on your shelves, current phase of the moon, and more.’

(!)
That means that their algorithm chooses the winners, but it takes things into consideration. Bear in mind that Goodreads know that publishers are going to keep continuing to give their books as prizes in these giveaways while it works for them – that is, while they generate reviews (on Goodreads and elsewhere, such as Amazon).

So it makes sense that the things that will influence their algorithm is if the people who enter the giveaway have written reviews before. They are much more likely to review the book they win than someone who has never written a review.

1. Write some reviews of books you have read
People can be put off writing reviews, feeling it will take too long or be overly complicated. It doesn’t have to be! All you need to convey is that you enjoyed the book and would recommend it. That could be as simple as:

101 Dalmatians – “This book is so much better than the Disney version. I highly recommend it.”

Mo The Talking Dog – A delight for both children and adults.”

Twlight – A Parody – A clever book that pokes gentle fun at the Twilight series without causing serious offence to the fans. Very funny.”

Simple. Some people write much longer reviews, and you can if you want to, but you don’t have to. As far as I can tell, the chances of winning giveaways are not improved if you write long reviews.

2. Be active on the site
The Goodreads terms for giveaways mention ‘site activity’. That probably means it is less likely that you will win a giveaway if you haven’t been on the site for 6 months. Their algorithm probably deliberately chooses from people who have been active recently.

What does being active mean? Just getting involved. Most things can be done with a quick click – e.g. voting in a poll, adding a book to your shelves, clicking ‘Like’ on a comment someone else has written. Do one or two things every day and it will be noticed by the Goodreads algorithm.

3. Have lots of books on your shelves
We know how quick and easy that is! Make sure to shelve books in the genres that you enjoy most – they will be the ones that you try to win!

4. Rate books in the genres you want to win
Be sure to rate the books on your ‘Read’ shelf. If you want to win chick lit books, be sure to have some chick lit books on your shelves, and rate them. Do that for every category you want to win books in.

5. Join a few groups
Join a group or two. Try to add comments in a few groups, the discussions are generally very interesting. I participate in groups related to the genres I write in, and the types of books I enjoy reading. I often chat in Twlight groups (I have strong feelings about whether Jacob and Nessie will get together!).

That’s the trick – be active, put books on your shelves, rate/review books, join groups. If you do you have a much better chance of winning.


Goodreads for Authors: How To Use Goodreads To Promote Your Books

How to win Goodreads Giveaways

If you love books you may have heard of Goodreads. If not, you’re in for a wonderful surprise!

It is a site specially for book lovers.

One of the founders, Otis Y Chandler, really enjoyed looking at his friends’ bookshelves when he visited their houses. He was a software engineer, so decide to build a site to replicate the real world.

Goodreads has thousands of virtual bookshelves. The idea is that members of the site add the books they have read, want to read, and are currently reading to their shelves. Their friends can then browse the shelves to see if there are anybooks they would like to read.

There are many more features to the site than that – honestly, you could spend hours there! – but one of the most popular is the ‘Giveaways’ section.

The idea behind giveaways is that publishers and authors offer paperback books as prizes in individual contests. Lots of publishers do this months before books are published (which is amazing, if you win one of those, you get to read it months before anyone else!), to generate some publcity and eagerness for the book’s release.

Why would they do that? Because reviews are really important. Often, the more successful a book is, the more reviews it has. It makes sense. If you were visiting a foreign city and wanted something to eat, you probably wouldn’t choose an empty restaurant on a quiet sidestreet, but one which looked popular and thriving. It is the same with books. Sure, it’s nice to be one of the first to discover a new book or author, but in these troubled economic times, not many of us are willing to risk hard-earned cash on books we may not like. We are much more likely to buy books that our friends have read and recommended to us.

Publishers know that, so they are willing to give away some copies of books in order to get good reviews.

OK, so that’s half the story. The other half is how you win these contests. I found out this information when researching my book, ‘Goodreads for Authors’, which shows authors how to use the site and interact with their readers.

Here’s how to win Goodreads giveaways:

1. Write Some Reviews

In the Goodreads Giveaway terms & conditions, they state that:

‘If more people are interested in a book than there are copies available [which is nearly always the case], we will pick the winners at our discretion. The factors that go into our algorithm are: randomness, site activity, genre of books on your shelves, current phase of the moon, and more.’

That means that their algorithm chooses the winners, but it takes things into consideration. Bear in mind that Goodreads know that publishers are going to keep continuing to give their books as prizes in these giveaways while it works for them – that is, while they generate reviews (on Goodreads and elsewhere, such as Amazon).

So it makes sense that the things that will influence their algorithm is if the people who enter the giveaway have written reviews before. They are much more likely to review the book they win than someone who has never written a review.

Write some reviews of books you have read. People can be put off writing reviews, feeling it will take too long or be overly complicated. It doesn’t have to be! All you need to convey is that you enjoyed the book and would recommend it. That could be as simple as:

101 Dalmatians – “This book is so much better than the Disney version. I highly recommend it.”

Mo The Talking Dog – A delight for both children and adults.”

Twlight – A Parody – A clever book that pokes gentle fun at the Twilight series without causing serious offence to the fans. Very funny.”

Simple. Some people write much longer reviews, and you can if you want to, but you don’t have to. As far as I can tell, the chances of winning giveaways are not improved if you write long reviews.

2. Be active on the site

The Goodreads terms for giveaways mention ‘site activity’. That probably means it is less likely that you will win a giveaway if you haven’t been on the site for 6 months. Their algorithm probably deliberately chooses from people who have been active recently.

What does being active mean? Just going to the site regularly (say a couple of times a week) and participating. Most things can be done with a quick click – e.g. voting in a poll, adding a book to your shelves, clicking ‘Like’ on a comment someone else has written.

2. Have lots of books on your shelves

This is really easy to do, you just click below a book’s cover image to put it on one of your shelves. Make sure to shelve books in the genres that you enjoy most – they will be the ones that you try to win!

3. Rate books in the genres you want to win

Be sure to rate the books on your ‘Read’ shelf. It just takes one click of a star from 1 to 5. If you want to win chick lit books, be sure to have some chick lit books on your shelves, and rate them. Do that for every category you want to win books in.

4. Join a few groups

Join a group or two. Try to add comments in a few groups, the discussions are generally very interesting. I participate in groups related to the genres I write in, and the types of books I enjoy reading. I often chat in Twlight groups (I have strong feelings about whether Jacob and Nessie will get together!).

Shat’s the trick – be active, put books on your shelves, rate/review books, join groups. If you do you have a much better chance of winning. Click here to enter some Goodreads Giveaways. Find the books you want to win by scrolling through the lists or searching for tags, then just click ENTER TO WIN.

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You can only win physical books, eBooks are not eligible for giveaway contests.

Please let me know if my tips on how to win Goodreads Giveaways work for you!

 

 

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The post How to win Goodreads Giveaways appeared first on Michelle Booth.

New book coming out this week - Goodreads For Authors

I’m happy to announce that my new book, ‘Goodreads for Authors’, will be published this week, under my pre-marriage name Michelle Campbell-Scott.

I have been researching and writing this book since late last year, with the help of the wonderful Anna Maria of Coo Farm Press. Anna is a researcher and proof-reader who has a passion for books. It makes it a lot more fun working with someone who really believes in books!

I’m now thoroughly in love with Goodreads. I had been a member for about a year, but with no understanding of how it worked or what I was really here for.

Having to study it for weeks has made me understand it and the ethos behind it, with the result that I’m an an enthusiastic Goodreads convert!

The site was founded by Otis and Elizabeth Chandler in 2006. Otis loved looking at his friends’ bookshelves in their homes and wondered if it would be possible to set up a site which represented people’s bookshelves. The amazing result is the site we all know and love.

I have thoroughly enjoyed studying Goodreads for the past couple of months and will continue to immerse myself in it. It is now the main place I spent my non-writing time!

My book will be available on Amazon in Kindle format on February 20th and on other sites (and formats) at the end of March.

Goodreads Giveaway Tips

Goodreads is the social site for people who love reading. It is amazing! What is even more amazing is that you can win free books on the site (see How To Win Books On Goodreads, below).

At its most basic, it’s a way of cataloguing your books on virtual shelves, but it is much more than that.

If you make friends with people on the site – and add friends from the physical world, social networking sites and email contacts – you can see each other’s books and get/make recommendations. I have discovered authors via friends and picked new books thanks to their reviews. You start with three shelves, to show books you have already read, books you are currently reading and books you want to read. Then you add shelves, with names of your choice:

There are also discussion groups – you’ll find me talking extensively about Twilight! – and book clubs.

Also fun is the opportunity to compare books with friends and other Goodreads’ users. This shows you how you have rated books compared to their ratings, and brings up books they have reviewed to give you the chance to add them to your shelves – either ‘To Read’ or ‘Read’.

Bookshelves on Goodreads. You get three standard ones and can add as many custom ones as you want.

One of the most popular areas of the site, that many members visit every single day, is the Giveaway section. You can find it at: http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway.

It has lists of contests to win free books (paperback versions, not eBooks) and the winners receive the books in the post. Authors are encouraged to offer their books free on Goodreads for these contests. The idea is that many of the people who win a free book will be good enough to write a review of it on Goodreads (some people are so enthusiastic that they write reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, Shelfari, and elsewhere!). Reviews help book sales, so publishers and authors are keen to do this.

Goodreads recommend that authors/publishers offer about 10 books per contest. Some offer more, some less, but there will often be more than one chance of winning each book.

Of course, lots and lots of people enter these contests to win books so how do you go about increasing your chances of winning? Try these tips, which I unearthed while researching my book, ‘Goodreads For Authors’.

 

How To Win Books On Goodreads

Be sure to have a good number of books on your Goodreads shelves. There isn’t a minimum but a good rule of thumb is 20, because that is the amount you need in order to trigger the Goodreads Recommendations Engine, so it is obviously a number that brings you to their attention as a committed user of the site.
Have books on your shelves that are in the genre of the book(s) you want to win (you can select the contests by genre). Remember that the incentive for authors giving their books away is that they may get some reviews. Goodreads are more likely to pick you as a winner if you read books in the same genre, it shows you are keen and therefore more likely to read and review the book. If authors get reviews, they are more likely to offer free books in future, so keeping the Goodreads Giveaway section busy and popular!
Rate lots of books and write as many reviews as you can. Rating is easy, you just click a star underneath the book. Writing reviews takes longer but isn’t difficult. Some people are scared of writing reviews but they don’t have to be lengthy, you can just say you really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to other [the genre] fans. Don’t worry that the author will object if you write a less than glowing review – Goodreads tell authors not to respond to reviews. They want to keep the site independent, lively and honest.

To summarize how to Goodreads Giveaways: rate and review, keep genres in mind and have lots of books on your shelves.

As an added bonus, lots of the books in the contests are offered pre-publication (publishers like to build up a bit of enthusiasm about a book before they release it) so you may even get your hands on a book before everyone else is able to buy it!

 

 

 

You may also like:A Little About MeEinstein's Desk Was As Cluttered As Mine!With A Little Help From My FriendsWould You Like To Read A Bit Of 'Mo'?

The post Goodreads Giveaway Tips appeared first on Michelle Booth.

New book coming soon … Goodreads For Authors

I’m happy to announce that my new book, ‘Goodreads for Authors’, will be published this week.

I have been researching and writing this book since late last year, with the help of the wonderful Anna Maria of Coo Farm Press. Anna is a researcher and proof-reader who has a passion for books. It makes it a lot more fun working with someone who really believes in books!

I’m now thoroughly in love with Goodreads. I had been a member for about a year, but with no understanding of how it worked or what I was really there for.

Having to study it for weeks has made me understand it and the ethos behind it, with the result that I’m now quite evangelistic about the site.

It was founded by Otis and Elizabeth Chandler in 2006. Otis loved looking at his friends’ bookshelves in their homes and wondered if it would be possible to set up a site which represented people’s bookshelves. The amazing result is Goodreads. People indicate the books they have read, or own, and give them a star rating – or write a review of them. They make friends on Goodreads (often friends from the physical world or other social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter) and their friends can browse their virtual bookshelves.

It may not sound like fun but it really is! I have made contact with friends from years ago just by finding out that we have similar taste in books, and we’ve renewed contact.

There are also lots of contests and opportunities to win books in the Giveaway section.

For authors, who also tend to be book-lovers, it means that we can show our readers and potential readers what our reading choices are. We can also interact in book discussion groups – you’ll find me wittering on about Twlight! – and post videos, blog entries and more.

If you’d like to connect with me on Goodreads my URL is: http://www.goodreads.com/michellebooth.

My book will be available on Amazon in Kindle format on February 20th and on other sites (and formats) at the end of March.

I have used my pre-marriage name for this book as it isn’t in my usual genre (children’s). I don’t want children looking for my books to have to wade through a load of stuff for authors!

 

 

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The post New book coming soon … Goodreads For Authors appeared first on Michelle Booth.

Would You Like To Read A Bit Of ‘Mo’?

Thanks for the wonderful India Drummond, I learned how to embed Kindle book samples in websites today! I’m so excited I just had to share a little of my popular children’s book, ‘Mo’!

Click here for the embedded sample.

You can find the instructions for embedding Kindle books in this post from India.

I love computers, and the Internet. Nowhere else are you constantly learning yet don’t feel a bit stupid for not knowing before!

 

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The post Would You Like To Read A Bit Of ‘Mo’? appeared first on Michelle Booth.

Book Review: Under The Dome

I really am not a horror fan so not an expert on Stephen King but I read that this book is different to his usual. I gave it a chance because I loved his non-fiction book ‘On Writing’, which is a must-read for all writers.

I also met his UK editor at a writing conference. She was a charming, slender woman who turned into a fiery tiger when anyone tried to belittle Stephen’s writing. She said no matter what your personal reading preferences are, you should be intelligent enough to appreciate a guy who has stayed at the top of his game for decades, writes books that millions of people want to read, creates characters that become nationally-known (Annie Wilkes from ‘Misery) and plots that keep people guessing.

She went on to say that she also defends him because he is a really lovely man.

So I was convinced enough to give him a try!

As a ‘Simpsons’ fan, I Googled to see which came first – ‘Under The Dome’ or ‘The Simpsons Movie’. Both feature a town which is trapped when a giant dome appears overnight.

Apparently it is a coincidence. Stephen started writing this years ago as ‘The Cannibals‘.

From the first couple of pages I was hooked. His descriptions – particularly of gory stuff, his forte! – are amazing. The dome is see-through so people driving or flying towards it have no idea it’s there until they are mincemeat on the floor. He doesn’t go into so much detail that it puts you off your dinner (it takes a lot to put me off mine) but enough to be realistic and eye-popping.

This is a brick of a book – heavy to hold up in bed – but there are no wasted words. It kept me reading furiously until almost the end, where I felt it lost its way just a little. I was disappointed with te ending but not so much that I regretted reading it (which has happened with other books).

Interestingly, this is the only novel in our house that has been read and thoroughly enjoyed by me, my son and my fiance. Is that Stephen’s secret? Being able to appeal to men, women and numerous age groups takes massive talent.

 

 

You may also like:Welcome!A Little About MeEinstein's Desk Was As Cluttered As Mine!Chattering parrots - inspiration for Mimic

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