Lisa Lang Blakeney's Blog, page 20

Cousins Cover!

So excited to reveal the cover for the first book in my new series: Cousins.
Expected Release Date: August 22, 2015
Please make sure to add it to your “Want To Read” list over on Goodreads:)

 

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Romance Authors Get The Shaft From Scribd

I’ve watched Scribd evolve over the years from this cool place where you could post some of your content and get new eyeballs on it, to this place that was basically an illegal download zone, to this cutting edge new site where you could subscribe to a book membership that is pretty much like subscribing to Netflix.

It was interesting to see the site move and change with the times…but just when I was going to dip my toe in the subscription model waters Scribd announces that it is going to take a blunt cut to most of it’s romance titles. The reason? Romance readers read too many books and Scribd pays authors full price per book, not via a lump fund like Amazon KDP.

Scribd will be keeping a few of it’s Romance titles, especially if they are full-length novels and are under 3.99– even more so if they’re free (like series starters). [I don’t know this for sure, but that’s what the powers that be are saying about the selection process.]

I think it’s a shame that romance authors are being penalized because our readers read a lot, but I get it. Scribd needs to pay the bills and romance readers are probably breaking the bank.

This is definitely something to keep an eye on in general in the marketplace. Will the subscription model be able to remain standing, because I would guess that many of Scribd’s subscribers are romance readers.

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You Are An Author…Act Like It!

 

I have made my living as a business writer and coach, in fact I’ve published several non-fiction books, but it’s been absolutely terrifying writing fiction for the first time. I mean utterly terrifying. I don’t have the benefit of being so naive about the writing process (like some new authors are), that I think I can just write a book and people will love it and buy it. I know first hand that isn’t anywhere near the case.

I have recently finished the draft of my first full manuscript titled Cousins–A new adult romance and the first book of a series about two cousins who end up falling for each other (think Stepbrother romance). I agonized about how to begin all my chapters. How to end them all. My punctuation. My grammar. My use of slang and profanity. If I would ever let any of my daughter’s read it (maybe when they’re 30:). If there was too much going on in the plot. If there was not enough going on in the plot. If my characters were making a connection. If the sex scenes were hot enough.

I could go on and on…but what I’m saying is that while this type of analysis paralysis is normal for writers during the writing process, at some point you have to relax and release. I just forgot that. It took me a VERY long time to finally say “okay good is good enough” and send it to my editor. The only way I’m going to get better at this is to write another book, and another, and another. Get feedback, improve my skills and write again. And I can’t be a chicken shit about it.

I’m an author and I need to act like it.

I need to take any hard jabs I may receive about the book with a grain of salt, and any praise I get with gratitude. I need to remember why I write. Why I have to write…because it’s a part of me. It’s what I do. Some people are going to like it and some people won’t…and that’s okay, because ultimately I need to remember that I’m writing for me first. I’m my first reader…and you are yours.

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KDP Offers Pay-Per-Click Style Advertising For Writers

 

Amazon recently rolled out it’s own advertising (pay-per-click-styled) program for KDP members. You set a budget and a target audience for your campaign and you pay only when customers click on your ads. Early adopters are reporting mixed results, but I can’t wait to see how this will work for indie authors enrolled in KDP.

Read more about this over on Inks, Bits, and Pixels.

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How To Sell More eBooks (Smashwords Survey)

I found a lot of useful stats and information in this presentation made by Smashword’s Mark Coker.

2014 Smashwords Survey – How to Sell More Ebooks from Smashwords, Inc.

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Common First Time Author Mistakes

I love this piece written by Maria Murname on two common mistakes made by first time authors. It definitely hit home. Here’s an excerpt:

1)    All the characters sound the same.

Dialogue is a great tool for character development because it gives your readers a direct line into your characters’ heads. If they all sound the same, however, it can be confusing. When crafting a conversation, think about how the people in your own life talk. Some of them may have pet phrases, or a particular gesture they like to use when making a point. Having your characters do the same will differentiate them from the pack.

Tip: Once I finish the first draft of a novel, I go back and check the dialogue to make sure what my characters are saying is consistent with their personality. My characters tend to evolve as I write, so I often end up rewriting some of their earlier lines because they just don’t “fit” anymore. When you find yourself thinking, “That doesn’t sound like something Sally would say,” you know you’re on the right track.

To read about the second mistake (hint: word replacements for the word said), click here.

Thanks Maria!

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Self Published Authors Earn More Than Big 5 Published Authors

I’m so excited to see all the statistics and graphs compiled by the people over at Author Earnings. In their latest earnings report, the data they’ve revealed shows that for the first time self published authors are earning more than authors who are published by the 5 major publishing houses.

That’s BIG news for us.

That means that being self published is no longer your “second choice” when a big 5 won’t accept your book. It’s what you can decide to do first. It makes the most fiscal sense in most genres.

 

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Indie Inspiration: Kristen Ashley (How To Publish Like A Pro)

When I first started reading independent authors, I heard about Kristen Ashley. She is well known in the indie romance community (books like Rock Chick Series and The Dream Man Series), but according to her, it wasn’t always that way. It wasn’t overnight success by a long shot. It was a slow and steady climb (which is nice to know) and a little bit of “being ready” when lady luck called her number.

She talked about this at a RT Convention and I thought it was a pretty inspirational piece for independent authors. Here’s a snippet:

Ashley willingly became a full-time author, working 16 hour days to self-publish books via Smashwords and Kindle Direct, but barely sold anything.

Ashley then stressed to aspiring writers in the audience that they should be ready for the moment when someone gives them a break. Writers should write, but there’s a lot more to being a self-published author than putting out books. Ashley’s advice: “Lay the foundation for that stroke of luck.”

That foundation for Ashley was her online presence. She spent hours updating her website with news and free book excerpts, working on email newsletter campaigns and contributing to the conversation among her slowly growing fanbase on social media. When readers discovered one of Ashley’s self-published e-books, they could go to her website and immediately find other titles.

“If you don’t have another book coming out or you’re not working on it, they’ll forget about you,” Ashley said.

Read the entire article here:

http://www.rtbookreviews.com/rt-daily-blog/self-pub-pro-kristen-ashley-tells-all-2014-rt-convention

Visit Kristen’s site here:

http://www.kristenashley.net

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Author E.L. James On Forbes Most Powerful Celebrity List

Having sold over 70 million copies of her trilogy, Fifty Shades Of Grey, we’re not all going to be fan fiction phenoms like E.L. James, but it’s inspirational all the same to see an author holding her own on Forbes Most Powerful Celebrity List right under Howard Stern and above Simon Cowell! Cool right? And all from her very first published trilogy. Love it!!!

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Indie Inspiration – H.M. Ward

H.M. Ward is my first pick for the Indie Inspiration Writer Series.

H.M. Ward – The Facts

H.M. Ward is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of New Adult and YA Fiction. While her following began with her YA supernatural novels, her career really took off after publishing her New Adult fiction including “The Arrangement” serials and her big full length novel “Damaged: The Ferro Family“.

Since 2011 she has sold 4 million books. That’s staggering! And because she is a 100% indie author, think about the paychecks she brought home. Her serials cost $2.99 USD and her full length novels cost about $3.99. So you do the math.

In 2013 she had 11 titles appear on the New York Times bestseller list. Ummm…that’s nutty!

Why She’s An Inspiration

One of the things that struck me most about this author is her bravado. First, I love how she writes new adult serials. If you grew up on daytime soap operas and love a drama filled “cliffhanger” then you’ll understand what I mean. But what I really like is how she doesn’t waffle on her decision on writing them.

She writes them. If fans want more, she writes another. She absolutely sticks to her price, unless there’s a special sale or promotion. And she doesn’t buckle under what I feel is unfair whining about how she needs to “end the series” or “she charges too much” for her books.

I cram to understand readers who leave reviews like that. She clearly states EVERYWHERE that it is a serial. How many pages it is and the price. It’s up to you whether you are going to pay for it or not. And let me say this. No one has ever complained that the writing is horrible. Because it isn’t.

The other brave thing I love about this author is how she proudly wears the “indie” title on her chest. In fact, she wrote a really powerful blog post on why she has decided against traditional publishing or hybrid publishing. Because the big 5 have come after her, but she’s said no. Several times.

Inspirational Posts By HM Ward

Here are a few of my favorite posts that HM Ward wrote specifically for authors. I go back to these when I need a little writing inspiration:

A Writers Guide To Social Media (Specifically Facebook)

Book Release Day Marketing Tips

Evolution Of A Book Cover

Connect With The Author

Official Website: http://www.sexyawesomebooks.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorHMWard

Amazon: HM Ward’s Amazon Page

P.S. She has awesome giveaways!!! So make sure to stalk her FB page.

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