Allan Krummenacker's Blog, page 32
February 8, 2013
Taking Pre-Orders For Signed Copies...
I'm taking pre-orders for personalized/signed Trade Paperback copies of my novel "The Bridge". If you're interested, the cost will be $15.00, plus $3.00 shipping and handling (Media Mail) for here in the US. For 1st class or overseas, it will cost extra. Leave me a message down in the comments section below or e-mail me.
I Have A Guest For You All... Meet Nicole Field
I have a special treat for you all today. I have a guest blogger today. I've been wanting to do this for some time. I know you're familiar with some of MY views and ideas, but I wanted to give you some points of view on writing from other authors. So please help me welcome the author of the novel "Gothic" Nicole Field!
Hey all! I'm Nicole, I'm from Melbourne, Australia, and at the moment, I'm busily writing a paranormal romance / urban fantasy series starting with the title Gothic.
Allan has kindly invited me here today to talk about my thoughts on plot and character creation. Lucky for me, I have many ideas on both of those things!
Many years ago, a tiny nugget of a plot appeared to me in a dream. I remember seeing a vampire standing at the door to a house that he hadn't been invited into and couldn't get in. In the doorway, there was a strong, young woman standing in defence of the person inside the house who was refusing to see the vampire at the door.
This scene stayed with me. I wrote a couple of notes into a notebook at the time to make sure it stayed fresh, but otherwise I left it alone and went onto other things.
About a year after that, I was in the middle of my Honours year. That was a really stressful time. I was having to nitpick and agonise over every word that I was putting together for this thesis. The marks and feedback I was getting from the coursework weren't as good as I could have hoped. I was stressing out, and I needed a distraction.
I started writing. I didn't care whether the words were perfect or not. I just started writing, all stream of consciousness, about a human girl who was, through no fault of her own, stuck in the middle of several supernatural beings. This girl, later named Dahlia Noone, had a werewolf for a father and a vampire for a godmother. In the course of a week, the first draft of Gothic was written.
At this point, I had about four pages steam of consciousness style. I knew I had enough characters to play against each other and flesh out the world of a story. All I needed now was a story or plot for them to revolve around.
For that, I needed one last character.
This antagonist surprised me. He ended up being none of the characters who'd come to me in the early dream, nor the later brainstorming. He was, however, in the early drafts. A bit part character I hadn't thought much about, who could, without too much effort, be brought into the forefront.
It's difficult to say too much more on that character without spoiling the plot for Gothic, so I will finish with two last thoughts on plot and character creation:
Evidently, for me, the plot comes second to the characters that I want to write about, at least it has in this instance. That's not always the case. I've recently written a post on my blog about J. K. Rowlings' new book The Casual Vacancy, observing how that is a character driven story, as opposed to the 'good vs evil' plot that dominated the seven Harry Potter novels.
Finally, the last very important aspect I found for cementing my characters was envisioning the main characters in famous faces of shows I enjoy watching. Melissa George, Ian Somerhalder and Ksenia Solo all appear in my mental cast list.
Well, that's about all we have time for today. Thanks to Allan for letting me feature here today as an guest blogger. For any interested in Gothic, buy links are included below:
Gothic is available from Amazon (Kindle):http://www.amazon.com/Gothic-ebook/dp/B009UVPUU0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1350968011&sr=1-1
Barnes & Noble (Nook):http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gothic-nicole-d-fergusson/1113580789?ean=2940015534795
And the publisher website, Leap of Faith (ePub, MOBI, PDF, HTML):http://leapoffaithpublishing.com/#ecwid:category=2613677&mode=product&product=16309809
For my own websites, find me here:https://twitter.com/faerywhimsy and here:http://nicole-d-fergusson.blogspot.com.au/
Nicole D. Fergusson.
Hey all! I'm Nicole, I'm from Melbourne, Australia, and at the moment, I'm busily writing a paranormal romance / urban fantasy series starting with the title Gothic.
Allan has kindly invited me here today to talk about my thoughts on plot and character creation. Lucky for me, I have many ideas on both of those things!
Many years ago, a tiny nugget of a plot appeared to me in a dream. I remember seeing a vampire standing at the door to a house that he hadn't been invited into and couldn't get in. In the doorway, there was a strong, young woman standing in defence of the person inside the house who was refusing to see the vampire at the door.
This scene stayed with me. I wrote a couple of notes into a notebook at the time to make sure it stayed fresh, but otherwise I left it alone and went onto other things.
About a year after that, I was in the middle of my Honours year. That was a really stressful time. I was having to nitpick and agonise over every word that I was putting together for this thesis. The marks and feedback I was getting from the coursework weren't as good as I could have hoped. I was stressing out, and I needed a distraction.
I started writing. I didn't care whether the words were perfect or not. I just started writing, all stream of consciousness, about a human girl who was, through no fault of her own, stuck in the middle of several supernatural beings. This girl, later named Dahlia Noone, had a werewolf for a father and a vampire for a godmother. In the course of a week, the first draft of Gothic was written.
At this point, I had about four pages steam of consciousness style. I knew I had enough characters to play against each other and flesh out the world of a story. All I needed now was a story or plot for them to revolve around.
For that, I needed one last character.
This antagonist surprised me. He ended up being none of the characters who'd come to me in the early dream, nor the later brainstorming. He was, however, in the early drafts. A bit part character I hadn't thought much about, who could, without too much effort, be brought into the forefront.
It's difficult to say too much more on that character without spoiling the plot for Gothic, so I will finish with two last thoughts on plot and character creation:
Evidently, for me, the plot comes second to the characters that I want to write about, at least it has in this instance. That's not always the case. I've recently written a post on my blog about J. K. Rowlings' new book The Casual Vacancy, observing how that is a character driven story, as opposed to the 'good vs evil' plot that dominated the seven Harry Potter novels.
Finally, the last very important aspect I found for cementing my characters was envisioning the main characters in famous faces of shows I enjoy watching. Melissa George, Ian Somerhalder and Ksenia Solo all appear in my mental cast list.
Well, that's about all we have time for today. Thanks to Allan for letting me feature here today as an guest blogger. For any interested in Gothic, buy links are included below:
Gothic is available from Amazon (Kindle):http://www.amazon.com/Gothic-ebook/dp/B009UVPUU0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1350968011&sr=1-1
Barnes & Noble (Nook):http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gothic-nicole-d-fergusson/1113580789?ean=2940015534795
And the publisher website, Leap of Faith (ePub, MOBI, PDF, HTML):http://leapoffaithpublishing.com/#ecwid:category=2613677&mode=product&product=16309809
For my own websites, find me here:https://twitter.com/faerywhimsy and here:http://nicole-d-fergusson.blogspot.com.au/
Nicole D. Fergusson.
February 5, 2013
5 Star Review!!!
MY FIRST 5 STAR REVIEW!!! I'm so excited, the reviewer described it as 'Unique' (in a really good way). Check it out at the link below. PLUS... I got contacted by a second radio station who wants to interview me about my book.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Bridge-Para-Earth-Series-ebook/dp/B00B86DR9G/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1
February 4, 2013
Another 4 Star Review And An Explanation...
Got another 4 star review on "The Bridge" which you can see at the link below. And she is completely right about there being grammatical errors in the version she read. She unfortunately got one of the not completely edited copies, for which I profusely apologize. Rest assured The editions here on Amazon and on Smashwords have been edited and corrected, as I am determined to deliver a good product.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Bridge-Para-Earth-Series-ebook/dp/B00B86DR9G/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1
Personalized and Signed...
Ordered some printed copies of my debut novel "The Bridge". Planning to offer sign and personalize them to those who are interested in buying one. I'll give more details shortly. Stay tuned.
January 31, 2013
A Reminder For Potential Reviewers...
If you're part of Goodreads, and a member of the Lovers of Paranormal group, there are still 7 slots open for reviewing "THE BRIDGE". You will receive a free e-copy or PDF of the book that will be yours to keep when you sign up. Remember, I have Epub, Mobe, PDF versions to cover Kindle, Nook, Sony, Apple, and others.
Here's the link:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1183470-r2r-114-the-bridge-open#comment_66775640
January 30, 2013
Another Review of "The Bridge"
Good news everyone...
I just go another 4 star review for "The Bridge". Follow the link below to read it. Mind you it's short, but sweet.
http://www.amazon.com/review/R1AJZDFW...
I just go another 4 star review for "The Bridge". Follow the link below to read it. Mind you it's short, but sweet.
http://www.amazon.com/review/R1AJZDFW...
January 27, 2013
A Review of Isaac Asimov's "Tales Of The Black Widowers"
Tales of the Black Widowers by Isaac AsimovMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Isaac Asimov was one of the most prolific of writers. Known mostly for his Robots and Foundation series and other science fiction classics, he was also a master of the short story mystery. In his Black Widowers series, he introduced us to a group of gentlemen who one night every month, leave their wives to themselves and gather to eat a wonderful meal together. Their waiter, an unassuming fellow named Henry, serves his 'gentlemen' with an easy professional manner.
These men all come from different business backgrounds and personalities, so they are hardly the type of people you'd expect to become a mystery solving team. But they do just that, all while never leaving their table.
Asimov outdoes himself in this series by presenting us with puzzles brought to the table by other guests that the 'Black Widowers' and their waiter Henry listen to and work out all the possible angles until only the solution is left. The stories are entertaining and the puzzles really difficult to solve at times. But he always plays fair by giving us all the clues we need to come up with the answer, if you know what to look for.
There are 6 books in this series and I highly recommend them all to anyone who enjoys a good short mystery to give the old brain a workout.
View all my reviews
A Little About Marketing and Distribution...
Okay, as you all know my first book is out. "The Bridge" is available on Amazon, Kindle, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, I-Tunes, Nook, Kobo, Smashwords, Createspace, and a bunch of other places. How did I do it? And how are the sales coming so far? Are probably what you are asking at this point. Well, I'll be honest, the sales are going slowly. The book has only been out maybe 2 weeks and during that time it took over a week for it to appear on a number of those sites. But that's no excuse. It is definitely out there, so why aren't more people buying it right away? The answer is simple, "They don't know it's out there!"
Now here's where we get into today's discussion. I'll briefly answer the first question "How did I get it in so many places?" Then we'll address how I'm going about to correct the problem of getting the word out.
Now I published my novel both in e-book form and trade paperback for those who prefer being able to hold a book in their hands and turn the pages. I did this by going to Smashwords for all the e-book formats that are NOT Kindle readers (Ibooks, Sony readers, Nook, Kobo and others). Smashwords gave me the option of where to distribute their formats and I chose all those I mentioned, plus they also made it available to libraries and e-book form.
Then I went to Createspace to make it ready and available for Kindle (which automatically got it on Amazon) and also for Print-On-Demand to have the Trade Paperback version available. Now, I also paid an extra $25.00 for the Expanded Distribution which is how I got the book to be available on-line with Barnes and Noble and other bookstores, even overseas. So, that part was actually pretty easy. Amazon also offers a KDP Select program which I did not opt for because the book was already out in Smashwords and I would have to make it unavailable for 90 days while KDP Select had the exclusive distribution rights. I could make it available again in Smashwords and their distributers afterwards, but that didn't feel right to me on this occasion. I might try it next time
But, getting back to "Getting The Word Out..." This is the harder part folks and I strongly recommend you get a good marketing plan in mind and underway BEFORE your book comes out. First, networking on the internet. Use the social media like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, Pinterest, etc. to establish your presence and let people know who you are. Don't just talk about yourself though. Be active in discussions and participate in other's promotions or questions. This way the other participants get to know you and what you're like. Help promote their works and books and they will be happy to do the same in return when yours comes out.
Create a blog and get yourself known to more people that way too. Write about something you're interested in (reading, cover art, hobbies you have) something to let people get to know you and become more intrigued by you.
Also, if you're like me and have no history of writing, maybe you can write some articles for your local newspaper (I've not done this yet, but it's been suggested to me and I'm looking into it).
Get yourself on Goodreads.com, review other peoples books and set up a presence there. And when you're book is ready to come out check out free advertising or promoting groups on the internet. I'm trying a new one called AskDavid.com to help promote my book. There's dozens of ways of getting the word out over the internet. But you can't stop there. You can do more locally to get the word out.
This coming week I'm going to be contacting local radio stations to see who does interviews with authors, I'll be sending out press releases to the newspapers and TV news stations in my area. I'm going to be talking to the local libraries about getting my book on their shelves and maybe giving talks. I also plan on getting business cards with my info and where people can find my books online. There are local independent bookstores I'll be approaching to see if they are interested in carrying my novel by ordering some through Createspace or on consignment.
You also need to get reviews done on your book. Goodreads is a good way to do it, or you can offer free downloads to select people who promise to write reviews of your book in return over the internet.
There's probably a bunch of other ways I haven't even thought of yet. If you know of some or have suggestions, please leave them in comments section below. We all want to get our work out there and by pooling and sharing our info, we can help each other make it as authors with good followings. But you have to get the word out first, for without that "How can anyone even know you have a book out?"
Thanks for reading and I look forward to your comments. Keep writing everyone.
Now here's where we get into today's discussion. I'll briefly answer the first question "How did I get it in so many places?" Then we'll address how I'm going about to correct the problem of getting the word out.
Now I published my novel both in e-book form and trade paperback for those who prefer being able to hold a book in their hands and turn the pages. I did this by going to Smashwords for all the e-book formats that are NOT Kindle readers (Ibooks, Sony readers, Nook, Kobo and others). Smashwords gave me the option of where to distribute their formats and I chose all those I mentioned, plus they also made it available to libraries and e-book form.
Then I went to Createspace to make it ready and available for Kindle (which automatically got it on Amazon) and also for Print-On-Demand to have the Trade Paperback version available. Now, I also paid an extra $25.00 for the Expanded Distribution which is how I got the book to be available on-line with Barnes and Noble and other bookstores, even overseas. So, that part was actually pretty easy. Amazon also offers a KDP Select program which I did not opt for because the book was already out in Smashwords and I would have to make it unavailable for 90 days while KDP Select had the exclusive distribution rights. I could make it available again in Smashwords and their distributers afterwards, but that didn't feel right to me on this occasion. I might try it next time
But, getting back to "Getting The Word Out..." This is the harder part folks and I strongly recommend you get a good marketing plan in mind and underway BEFORE your book comes out. First, networking on the internet. Use the social media like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, Pinterest, etc. to establish your presence and let people know who you are. Don't just talk about yourself though. Be active in discussions and participate in other's promotions or questions. This way the other participants get to know you and what you're like. Help promote their works and books and they will be happy to do the same in return when yours comes out.
Create a blog and get yourself known to more people that way too. Write about something you're interested in (reading, cover art, hobbies you have) something to let people get to know you and become more intrigued by you.
Also, if you're like me and have no history of writing, maybe you can write some articles for your local newspaper (I've not done this yet, but it's been suggested to me and I'm looking into it).
Get yourself on Goodreads.com, review other peoples books and set up a presence there. And when you're book is ready to come out check out free advertising or promoting groups on the internet. I'm trying a new one called AskDavid.com to help promote my book. There's dozens of ways of getting the word out over the internet. But you can't stop there. You can do more locally to get the word out.
This coming week I'm going to be contacting local radio stations to see who does interviews with authors, I'll be sending out press releases to the newspapers and TV news stations in my area. I'm going to be talking to the local libraries about getting my book on their shelves and maybe giving talks. I also plan on getting business cards with my info and where people can find my books online. There are local independent bookstores I'll be approaching to see if they are interested in carrying my novel by ordering some through Createspace or on consignment.
You also need to get reviews done on your book. Goodreads is a good way to do it, or you can offer free downloads to select people who promise to write reviews of your book in return over the internet.
There's probably a bunch of other ways I haven't even thought of yet. If you know of some or have suggestions, please leave them in comments section below. We all want to get our work out there and by pooling and sharing our info, we can help each other make it as authors with good followings. But you have to get the word out first, for without that "How can anyone even know you have a book out?"
Thanks for reading and I look forward to your comments. Keep writing everyone.
A Bit About Marketing and Distribution...
Okay, as you all know my first book is out. "The Bridge" is available on Amazon, Kindle, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, I-Tunes, Nook, Kobo, Smashwords, Createspace, and a bunch of other places. How did I do it? And how are the sales coming so far? Are probably what you are asking at this point. Well, I'll be honest, the sales are going slowly. The book has only been out maybe 2 weeks and during that time it took over a week for it to appear on a number of those sites. But that's no excuse. It is definitely out there, so why aren't more people buying it right away? The answer is simple, "They don't know it's out there!"
Now here's where we get into today's discussion. I'll briefly answer the first question "How did I get it in so many places?" Then we'll address how I'm going about to correct the problem of getting the word out.
Now I published my novel both in e-book form and trade paperback for those who prefer being able to hold a book in their hands and turn the pages. I did this by going to Smashwords for all the e-book formats that are NOT Kindle readers (Ibooks, Sony readers, Nook, Kobo and others). Smashwords gave me the option of where to distribute their formats and I chose all those I mentioned, plus they also made it available to libraries and e-book form.
Then I went to Createspace to make it ready and available for Kindle (which automatically got it on Amazon) and also for Print-On-Demand to have the Trade Paperback version available. Now, I also paid an extra $25.00 for the Expanded Distribution which is how I got the book to be available on-line with Barnes and Noble and other bookstores, even overseas. So, that part was actually pretty easy. Amazon also offers a KDP Select program which I did not opt for because the book was already out in Smashwords and I would have to make it unavailable for 90 days while KDP Select had the exclusive distribution rights. I could make it available again in Smashwords and their distributers afterwards, but that didn't feel right to me on this occasion. I might try it next time
But, getting back to "Getting The Word Out..." This is the harder part folks and I strongly recommend you get a good marketing plan in mind and underway BEFORE your book comes out. First, networking on the internet. Use the social media like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, Pinterest, etc. to establish your presence and let people know who you are. Don't just talk about yourself though. Be active in discussions and participate in other's promotions or questions. This way the other participants get to know you and what you're like. Help promote their works and books and they will be happy to do the same in return when yours comes out.
Create a blog and get yourself known to more people that way too. Write about something you're interested in (reading, cover art, hobbies you have) something to let people get to know you and become more intrigued by you.
Also, if you're like me and have no history of writing, maybe you can write some articles for your local newspaper (I've not done this yet, but it's been suggested to me and I'm looking into it).
Get yourself on Goodreads.com, review other peoples books and set up a presence there. And when you're book is ready to come out check out free advertising or promoting groups on the internet. I'm trying a new one called AskDavid.com to help promote my book. There's dozens of ways of getting the word out over the internet. But you can't stop there. You can do more locally to get the word out.
This coming week I'm going to be contacting local radio stations to see who does interviews with authors, I'll be sending out press releases to the newspapers and TV news stations in my area. I'm going to be talking to the local libraries about getting my book on their shelves and maybe giving talks. I also plan on getting business cards with my info and where people can find my books online. There are local independent bookstores I'll be approaching to see if they are interested in carrying my novel by ordering some through Createspace or on consignment.
You also need to get reviews done on your book. Goodreads is a good way to do it, or you can offer free downloads to select people who promise to write reviews of your book in return over the internet.
There's probably a bunch of other ways I haven't even thought of yet. If you know of some or have suggestions, please leave them in comments section below. We all want to get our work out there and by pooling and sharing our info, we can help each other make it as authors with good followings. But you have to get the word out first, for without that "How can anyone even know you have a book out?"
Thanks for reading and I look forward to your comments. Keep writing everyone.
Now here's where we get into today's discussion. I'll briefly answer the first question "How did I get it in so many places?" Then we'll address how I'm going about to correct the problem of getting the word out.
Now I published my novel both in e-book form and trade paperback for those who prefer being able to hold a book in their hands and turn the pages. I did this by going to Smashwords for all the e-book formats that are NOT Kindle readers (Ibooks, Sony readers, Nook, Kobo and others). Smashwords gave me the option of where to distribute their formats and I chose all those I mentioned, plus they also made it available to libraries and e-book form.
Then I went to Createspace to make it ready and available for Kindle (which automatically got it on Amazon) and also for Print-On-Demand to have the Trade Paperback version available. Now, I also paid an extra $25.00 for the Expanded Distribution which is how I got the book to be available on-line with Barnes and Noble and other bookstores, even overseas. So, that part was actually pretty easy. Amazon also offers a KDP Select program which I did not opt for because the book was already out in Smashwords and I would have to make it unavailable for 90 days while KDP Select had the exclusive distribution rights. I could make it available again in Smashwords and their distributers afterwards, but that didn't feel right to me on this occasion. I might try it next time
But, getting back to "Getting The Word Out..." This is the harder part folks and I strongly recommend you get a good marketing plan in mind and underway BEFORE your book comes out. First, networking on the internet. Use the social media like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, Pinterest, etc. to establish your presence and let people know who you are. Don't just talk about yourself though. Be active in discussions and participate in other's promotions or questions. This way the other participants get to know you and what you're like. Help promote their works and books and they will be happy to do the same in return when yours comes out.
Create a blog and get yourself known to more people that way too. Write about something you're interested in (reading, cover art, hobbies you have) something to let people get to know you and become more intrigued by you.
Also, if you're like me and have no history of writing, maybe you can write some articles for your local newspaper (I've not done this yet, but it's been suggested to me and I'm looking into it).
Get yourself on Goodreads.com, review other peoples books and set up a presence there. And when you're book is ready to come out check out free advertising or promoting groups on the internet. I'm trying a new one called AskDavid.com to help promote my book. There's dozens of ways of getting the word out over the internet. But you can't stop there. You can do more locally to get the word out.
This coming week I'm going to be contacting local radio stations to see who does interviews with authors, I'll be sending out press releases to the newspapers and TV news stations in my area. I'm going to be talking to the local libraries about getting my book on their shelves and maybe giving talks. I also plan on getting business cards with my info and where people can find my books online. There are local independent bookstores I'll be approaching to see if they are interested in carrying my novel by ordering some through Createspace or on consignment.
You also need to get reviews done on your book. Goodreads is a good way to do it, or you can offer free downloads to select people who promise to write reviews of your book in return over the internet.
There's probably a bunch of other ways I haven't even thought of yet. If you know of some or have suggestions, please leave them in comments section below. We all want to get our work out there and by pooling and sharing our info, we can help each other make it as authors with good followings. But you have to get the word out first, for without that "How can anyone even know you have a book out?"
Thanks for reading and I look forward to your comments. Keep writing everyone.
