Graham Downs's Blog, page 36

Twitter Marketing Strategy: Follow Lots of People

This past weekend, I came across a post on the Awesome Gang blog, entitled How To Find Followers on Twitter That Want To Read My Book.

As I understood it, Vinny (the author) was saying that you as an author should scour Twitter, looking for people who read books in the genre you write (or are otherwise interested in that genre), and follow them indiscriminately, hoping they will follow you back.

I commented on that article, saying that I've never been a fan of that approach. I know that it works for some people, but in the end it just makes me feel "dirty". Personally, I try to be as authentic as possible on Twitter. I only follow people I'm interested in, and expect other people to do the same, by only following me if they're interested in what I have to say. I don't follow hundreds or thousands of people a day (which is what Vinny seemed to be suggesting).

Another reason that I disagreed with what he had to say in that article was because getting people to buy my book is not the reason why I'm on Twitter in the first place. Of course it would be nice if someone who finds me through Twitter ends up buying one of my books, but there are just so many other aspects to my personality. Aside from being an author, I'm a Christian, I'm a computer programmer, I like to play games occasionally, and I'm a husband to the most beautiful woman I've ever met. And I tweet about all these things, not just my books.

My comment caused a bit of a discussion with Vinny, who in the end agreed with me, saying that you need to reach out to people, looking to make genuine connections. That's kind of what I was getting at, but I'm still not a hundred percent satisfied.

I tweeted about the article yesterday morning, hoping to get some other peoples' perspectives on it:

I personally don't like this strategy, but it works for some. >> How To Find Followers That Want To Read My Book http://t.co/Ozv5sbdyH4

— Graham Downs (@GrahamDowns) March 30, 2014

So, as a reader, how do you feel when authors follow you? Are you inclined to follow them back or, as I suspect, does it depend entirely on whether you have a connection with what they have to say? Does it make you more (or perhaps less) inclined to buy their books?

As an author, how do you do Twitter marketing? Do you try to follow as many readers in your genre as you can? What about your tweets: do you keep them as specific to your writing as possible, or do you like to show off all the different layers of your personality? Somewhere in between?

I'd love to hear what everybody thinks. Pop your comment into the box below, and let's start a discussion!

* The image used in this article comes from Flickr. It's an image entitled marketing-strategy-plan, by a user called DigitalRalph. The image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Crossword Puzzle - March 2014

Do you like crossword puzzles?

Well, you'll love this one!

I've decided to try something new this month. Normally, my crossword puzzles are released on the last Tuesday of every month, and the answers are released on the first Tuesday of the following month. The first person to send me the answers before then receives a mention on this blog.

Recently, though, I've begun thinking that a week is a bit too short to expect anyone to answer it in. Therefore, this month, you will have three whole weeks!

So print out this puzzle, solve it, and send me the answers via Facebook, Twitter, or Google Plus. The answers will be posted on Tuesday, 22 April 2014, and if yours are the first correct answers I receive before then, you'll be immortalised on this blog!

So without further ado, here it is. Have fun!

Across
1 A Latin-American (6)
3 Merged with Exxon in 1999 (5)
5 Counts down to something (5)
8 Fencing sword (6)
12 About nothing (3)
13 Shows authenticity (8)
16 American war (3)
17 Female sheep (3)
18 Unit of current (3)
19 British exclamation (3)
22 Type of poem (3)
24 Booyens, South African race walker (3)
25 Someone who can't swim does this (8)
27 Electrically charged atom (3)
28 Annoying (6)
29 The Blade Runner (5)
31 Concubine (5)
32 Body art (6)
Down
2 Water you can't drink (3)
4 Waters, arsonist (6)
6 One thousandth of an inch (3)
7 It wasn't built in a day (4)
9 A question (3)
10 Dutch cheese (4)
11 One who frolics (6)
13 Island state (6)
14 Having run away (4)
15 Do over (4)
20 A smell (4)
21 Carries oil (6)
23 Europeans not in the UK use it (4)
25 What I hope this puzzle is (3)
26 What's up? (Bugs) (3)
30 Military rank (3)

Stopping Through

This month's prompt comes from Newcastle Hotel Room by user Rob Davies.

Readers: Why You Should Join Scribd

You may have seen the posts on Facebook (here and here) and Twitter (here and here) recently, about the fact that A Petition to Magic and Heritage of Deceit are now available on Scribd.

I think that this is a really wonderful idea! For those who don't know, you pay Scribd $8.99 per month (that's the cost at the time of this writing), and you can read as much as you want from their growing catalogue of books. And the catalogue certainly is growing. They claim to have over 100 000 books to read as part of their monthly subscription package, but there are probably a lot more: Smashwords announced a deal with Scribd last year, where they would begin distributing their over 250 000 books to Scribd (That's where A Petition to Magic and Heritage of Deceit come from).

Although the service costs $8.99 per month, you can get your first month's subscription for free. You have to enter your credit card details to sign up, but you can cancel at any time during the month. That means that if you're not prepared to pay their monthly subscription fee (which I think is very reasonable, by the way), you can still sign up, read A Petition to Magic and Heritage of Deceit, and many others, and cancel before the end of the month.

Scribd must be pretty confident that you're not going to do this; they stand to lose a lot of money if you do!

There's another site, called Oyster, that offers a similar service, but it's almost a dollar more expensive, at $9.95 per month. I'm not sure if their catalogue is bigger than Scribd's or not, but they're also only available in the United States. To the best of my knowledge, Scribd is available worldwide, which is a huge bonus if you're like most of the world who don't live in the US. (If you can confirm or deny Scribd's worldwide availability, please let me know in the comments section at the end of this post.)

Scribd is affordably priced, available worldwide, and has been described as the Netflix of books. Are you a subscriber? Why, or why not? Do you think this is a sustainable business model? Let's start a conversation! Pop your thoughts into the comment box below.

Crossword Puzzle - February 2014 Answers

Have you been tearing your hair out trying to get all the answers to the February 2014 crossword puzzle?

Well, be frustrated no more! Now, be prepared to kick yourself as you see the answers.

And here are your answers:

Across
1 Substitute (9) surrogate
7 What you sow (4) reap
8 Handbag brand (5) Gucci
9 Mongrel (3) cur
10 Heritage of (6) deceit
12 Spirit board (5) Ouija
13 Stuart (3) Stu
14 Sex (4) shag
17 Get your attention (4) psst
20 For water or ashes (3) urn
21 Zuck's sister (5) Randi
22 Dainty (6) petite
24 Affirmative (3) yea
25 OS before 7 (5) vista
26 Zn (4) zinc
27 Of Deceits (9) Heritages
Down
1 Take it to the moon (9) spaceship
2 reassemble (7) regroup
3 Colourful flowers (7) orchids
4 German sportswear company (6) Adidas
5 2004 Miss America (6) Ericka
6 Three Kings (4) Magi
11 Chops off (9) truncates
15 More than just a phone (7) handset
16 Capital of Guizhou province (7) Guiyang
18 Stabbing pain after excersise (6) stitch
19 Manuel (6) Trevor
23 It loses in the end (4) evil

Oops! Sorry about the typo in 8 Across! The original clue was Hangbag brand, where it should've been Handbag brand. *blush* It happens to the best of us, sometimes. Hope it wasn't the question that had you stumped. (If it was, please comment below).

It was also very sneaky to put those two questions about Heritage of Deceit in there. I figured that if you'd read the book, you would have gotten the answers. Quick show of hands: how many of you got those questions right? Did you read the book, or was it just logical to you?

Well, I hope you had fun with the February crossword. Come back on the last Tuesday of March for another one!

Crossword Puzzle - February 2014

Last month, this crossword was solved in two days by Denise Smith. Can you beat her? Denise, can you do it again?

So, in case you don't know how this works, here's the low-down: You visit this blog some time on the last Tuesday of every month, to find the monthly crossword puzzle. If you'd rather be sure that you never miss it, you type your e-mail address into the box on the top-right hand corner of this page. You'll receive my newsletter as soon as the puzzle is published. In it, you'll find all sorts of information about me and my books, including a link to each month's puzzle. You print out the puzzle, and solve it. You send your answers to me through one of the following ways: Facebook Twitter Google Plus You come back to this blog, some time on the first Tuesday of every month, to find the answers to the monthly crossword puzzle. If you answered correctly, and you were the first to do so, you will see your name published. How exciting!So, without further ado, here's the puzzle for February, 2014: And here are your clues:

Across
1 Substitute (9)
7 What you sow (4)
8 Hangbag brand (5)
9 Mongrel (3)
10 Heritage of (6)
12 Spirit board (5)
13 Stuart (3)
14 Sex (4)
17 Get your attention (4)
20 For water or ashes (3)
21 Zuck's sister (5)
22 Dainty (6)
24 Affirmative (3)
25 OS before 7 (5)
26 Zn (4)
27 Of Deceits (9)
Down
1 Take it to the moon (9)
2 reassemble (7)
3 Colourful flowers (7)
4 German sportswear company (6)
5 2004 Miss America (6)
6 Three Kings (4)
11 Chops off (9)
15 More than just a phone (7)
16 Capital of Guizhou province (7)
18 Stabbing pain after excersise (6)
19 Manuel (6)
23 It loses in the end (4)

What are you waiting for? Get solving, and get those answers to me. I can't wait to hear from you!

Reasons You Should Read Fiction

Be honest: when was the last time you read something purely for your own enjoyment? Where you weren't required to read it for work, and where you weren't trying to learn something specific? I'm not talking about social media updates, either. I'm talking about fiction.

I'll bet that, even though it wasn't your intention, you did learn something. I'll bet that you learnt how much fun it can be to immerse yourself in a fantasy world, to forget about all your worries and troubles and, like a child, imagine, again. I'll also bet that you found out that a book is infinitely better than a movie, because you're not being told by someone else what the characters and their surroundings are supposed to look like.

If my wager would be a winning one, then I'm happy to tell you that you are not alone; millions of people across the world are rediscovering reading for pleasure every day. But there are also some more practical reasons that you should read fiction, according to a recent study. Reading:

Improves Emotional IntelligenceThe bottom line of the study is that you should read fiction, because reading fiction (granted, it talks about Literary Fiction) will improve your emotional intelligence levels. EQ is quite a buzzword these days, and with good reason: who doesn't want to understand other people better?

Increases EmpathySimilar to increasing your emotional intelligence, you should read fiction, because it helps to understand the motivations of others. This kind of makes sense, because reading fiction is naturally all about placing ourselves into the minds and lives of other people. What's more, this possibly obvious fact is scientifically confirmed by the study I mentioned above, as well as an earlier study.

What is surprising, though, is that the study found that reading non-fiction had the opposite effect!

Helps you deal with ambiguityThis is also somewhat related to the above, because fiction is full of characters with ambiguous personalities and motivations, dealing with ambiguous situations.

Still, it bears mentioning as a separate benefit, because one of the things that we struggle with most as human beings, is not knowing. And "not knowing" something is often a fact of life!

If you're the kind of person who has to have all the answers, all the time, and you can't handle situations where you're not sure, do yourself a favour and pick up a story with loads of conflict. See how those characters handle it, and you might learn a thing or two!

... And FinallyWell, I alluded to it in the opening paragraph of this post, but the number one reason I think you should read fiction, is because it's the most fun you can have with your clothes on. And, if you're reading alone, or in an environment where such things are acceptable, you don't even have to have your clothes on!

So whether you're a confirmed, avid reader, and you're looking for something new, or I've convinced you to re-kindle your love of stories, why not take a look at My Books? Grab one of them in either paperback, or your favourite ebook format, and get reading!

Are you a confirmed bibliophile? Did you used to love reading, but can't remember when last you read anything that you weren't required to read? Or, has the desire to read never entered your conscious mind? I'd love to hear from you. Let me know in the comments below!

[*] The image used in this blog post, of a woman reading a book, was taken off openclipart (Original image here).

Writing Prompts: He hadn’t seen her since the day they left High School

This month's writing prompt comes from Writing Prompts 101. It's the second writing prompt example on that page.

I thought it sounded like a really cool concept, and as soon as I read it, my imagination started running wild. So, I just started typing, and didn't stop!

Here goes:

John was running a grimy cloth over the empty bar. It was 12:30, and the afternoon was starting out pretty slow. The bar should be filling up pretty good by now, but other than a young couple sitting at a table in the corner, it wasn't happening. He wondered where everyone was.

It was so quiet in the place that you could hear a pin drop. Or the door opening. John looked up at the entrance excitedly, pleased at the prospect of a customer. Nothing could've prepared him for who he saw. At first, he didn't recognise her, but after a few seconds, it dawned on him. It was Cathy. She'd changed quite a bit in the ten years since he'd last seen her. She was a lot heavier now, and her eyes had a depressed look to them, but there was no mistaking that face. He wondered if she would know who he was.

Cathy shuffled up to the bar, and plonked herself on a stool. As John approached, she barked her order at him without looking up.

"Whiskey. Neat."

"Cathy?" asked John, "Don't you remember me?"Cathy looked up from the bar with bleary eyes. She lazily inspected John's face, then responded, "Look, mate. I don't know who you are, and I don't care. Just give me my drink, okay? I'm not in the mood."

John signed and poured her a shot of whiskey. Maybe she honestly didn't remember him, but maybe she didn't want to admit that she did. She seemed to be in a bad way, after all, and maybe she was embarrassed or something.

Cathy downed her whiskey in one gulp, slapped the glass down on the bar, and barked, "Another."

John calmly re-filled her glass, and asked. "You sure you should be drinking so much? Don't you have a job to get to when lunch-hour ends?"

"Not any more," replied Cathy before slamming back her second shot. "My stupid boss just fired me. So who did you say you were again? How do you know my name?"

"We were in Matric together," replied John. "Do you really not remember? I was one of the kids always making trouble in the back of maths class. We used to tease you for being such a nerd." Then he added, "I'm... sorry about that."

Cathy studied John's face for a moment, the recognition finally appeared in her eyes. "Yeah well," she said, "I didn't much like you in school, and I haven't spoken to you in ten years. I'm not much in the mood for talking, so just give me another whiskey, will you?"

What do you think? Is this a concept that you'd like me to explore further, and maybe build a complete story around it? I'd love to hear from you if it is!

In the meantime, if you enjoy my writing, you can check out my other books, and maybe buy one, at my My Books page.

By the way, the image came from Ewan Munro's Flickr page. You can find the original here.

Crossword Puzzle - January 2014 Answers (Congratulations Denise Smith)

*drumroll*

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner! Congratulations to Denise Smith (click on her name to find out all about her on Facebook).

Her answers reached me on Wednesday, 29 January 2014, and were the first correct answers I received. She sent me a message via my Facebook Page, and as promised, she gets a mention on this blog. Congratulations, Denise!

And now, without further ado, compliments of Denise, here are the answers to the January 2014 crossword puzzle:

Across
1 Lots of skill in something (e.g. Business) (6) - ACUMEN
6 Popular brand of yellow pens, razors and lighters (3) - BIC
8 Kay Carter, country music singer (5) - DEANA
9 A dome atop a roof (6) - CUPOLA
11 Adam's wife (3) -EVE
13 Jewish Meyer (4) - MEIR
16 Archangel (7) - GABRIEL
19 Of an item, only interesting because it's different (7) - NOVELTY
22 The Nanny (4) - FRAN
24 A shade of colour (3) - HUE
26 A Popular History of France (6) - GUIZOT
29 Bar of metal (5) - INGOT
30 Dirt (3) - SOD
31 The Tour de France finishes here (6) ELYSEE
Down
2 Romanized form of Chinese Zhou (4) - CHOU
3 Brand of energy drinks, bars, and cereals (4) - MILO
4 Capital of Chad (8) - NDJAMENA
5 Young buck made famous by Disney (5) - BAMBI
6 Something causing death (4) - BANE
7 Famous brand of cola (4) - COKE
9 A wheel having projections to transfer motion (3) - COG
10 Bar (3) - PUB
12 Unit of electromotive force (4) - VOLT
14 Become longer (8)- ELONGATE
15 Type of bread (3) - RYE
17 Language of the Ainu people (4) - AINU
18 Sports umpire (3) - REF
20 Elizabeth (3) - LIZ
21 Up to now (3) - YET
23 Beatles drummer (5) - RINGO
24 Christian Anderson (4) - HANS
25 Blyton (4) - ENID
27 Not quite certain (4) - IFFY
28 Long woodwind instrument (4) - OBOE

Hope you all had fun playing, and that you'll join me again for February's puzzle.

See you in a few weeks!

Crossword Puzzle - January 2014

Wow! Can you believe it's the end of January already? I hope you've had a not-too-stressful first month back at work. For those of you not yet at work, lucky you!

So here's the January 2014 crossword. Print it out, or save it as an image, and try and complete it. If you get it right, send it to me via either my Facebook, Twitter, or Google+ accounts. I'll be publishing the answers next Tuesday (4 February 2014). If I receive your correct answers before then, I'll immortalise you on this blog.

Oh, and if you don't want to miss another of my crossword puzzles, punch your e-mail address into the box on the right, to subscribe to my monthly newsletter. It's full of news about me and my books (and the occasional special offer), and as a bonus you'll receive this crossword puzzle straight to your Inbox as soon as it's published.

Good luck!

And here are your clues:

Across
1 Lots of skill in something (e.g. Business) (6)
6 Popular brand of yellow pens, razors and lighters (3)
8 Kay Carter, country music singer (5)
9 A dome atop a roof (6)
11 Adam's wife (3)
13 Jewish Meyer (4)
16 Archangel (7)
19 Of an item, only interesting because it's different (7)
22 The Nanny (4)
24 A shade of colour (3)
26 A Popular History of France (6)
29 Bar of metal (5)
30 Dirt (3)
31 The Tour de France finishes here (6)
Down
2 Romanized form of Chinese Zhou (4)
3 Brand of energy drinks, bars, and cereals (4)
4 Capital of Chad (8)
5 Young buck made famous by Disney (5)
6 Something causing death (4)
7 Famous brand of cola (4)
9 A wheel having projections to transfer motion (3)
10 Bar (3)
12 Unit of electromotive force (4)
14 Become longer (8)
15 Type of bread (3)
17 Language of the Ainu people (4)
18 Sports umpire (3)
20 Elizabeth (3)
21 Up to now (3)
23 Beatles drummer (5)
24 Christian Anderson (4)
25 Blyton (4)
27 Not quite certain (4)
28 Long woodwind instrument (4)