Michael C. Bailey's Blog, page 89

A Brief Announcement – Pasts Imperfect, Cruel Summer Available For Direct Sale

I’ll keep this brief since this really is nothing but a plug for Action Figures – Issue Three: Pasts Imperfect and Issue Four: Cruel Summer. Specifically, both books have been added to the site’s online store and is now available for direct purchase from me as a signed print edition, and as an e-book in epub and mobi formats.

In case you’re wondering, it will be a while before I offer direct e-book sales for Issue Five – Team-Ups. It’s doing very well on the Amazon charts, which boosts its visibility to potential new readers, and I don’t want to cannibalize that benefit quite yet. For now you’ll have to grab the Kindle edition through Amazon.

Settling In For A Cold Weekend

This is definitely shaping up to be a great weekend to hunker down inside and cozy up to a good book.

In my neck of the woods (central Massachusetts) we’re facing effective temperatures of thirty below zero with wind chill factored in. Yikes. I plan to spend the weekend inside with my fuzzies and my laptop working on the next installment of The Adventures of Strongarm & Lightfoot, which now has a working title of Assassins Brawl.

Next week I’ll cap off my work on Action Figures – Issue Five: Team-Ups. My cover artist Tricia just finished her work on the print edition cover, which looks a little something like this…

Art and copyright Patricia Lupien.

That badass on the back cover is Nina Nitro, FYI, who has some nice moments in Team-Ups and some good stuff coming her way in the near-ish future. I still have to order and review my proof copy of book five, but my hope is that I can get that taken care of next week, after which point the print edition will be available on Amazon and directly through this website.

Finally, I’d happy to announce my next public appearance, which is scheduled for later this month. I’ll be participating in a “Meet the Artists” series hosted by Artsylum, located in Mill No. 5 in Lowell, MA. What will make this extra-cool is that I’ll be sharing the spotlight with my wife Veronica, who will have some of her Storied Threads goodies available! We’ll be there on Friday, February 26 starting at 6:30 PM. Come say hello!

The Best Week Ever – The Follow-Upening

This week stands to be a lot less eventful than last week, but that’s okay. I can’t run on full burn like that all the time.

First, thanks very much to everyone for their support throughout the countdown to the release of Action Figures – Issue Five: Team-Ups. Release day was great, not only because the book got off to a strong start (it landed in the top ten of three Amazon best-seller lists) but because so many of you blasted through the book within a matter of hours — yes, hours — of purchasing it and contacted me via this site and Facebook to let me know how much you enjoyed it. That’s always gratifying and humbling, so again, thank you.

There were also quite a few inquiries about the next installation, Action Figures – Issue Six: Power Play, and when it might be out. One lesson I learned from Team-Ups was to be cautious about setting release dates prematurely, so what I’ll say is this: it’s in the pre-editing phase, so it’ll be a few months before the manuscript is ready, and then it’ll be up to my cover artist Tricia to do her thing. As I wrote here a while ago, this process can take several months depending on several factors, many of which are beyond my control. Optimistically speaking? Book six could be out in the last quarter of 2016.

At some point before that, Character References will be released, and you should definitely keep tabs on that project because I have something special in mind for my regular readers.

Next to finally, I’m happy to announce that Action Figures – Issue Two: Black Magic Women is now available for non-Kindle e-readers for the first time, and directly through me for the first time. Jump over to the Buy Now page and you can pick up Black Magic Women in epub or mobi format directly from me.

An added note for those of you who already own Black Magic Women for the Kindle: as part of formatting the book for e-readers, I took the time to address some unfortunate issues with the Kindle version. When I first released book two I had yet to learn how to do the formatting myself so I had CreateSpace take care of it. The results were less than stellar and it’s always bugged me. Those issues have (hopefully) been fixed, so you Kindle owners should have automatically received the updated file.

Finally finally, Tricia is finishing up the back cover art for the print edition of Team-Ups, and I got this sketch this morning of Nina Nitro, and I am jazzed to see the finished version. Enjoy!

Art and copyright 2016 Patricia Lupien.

Best Week Ever! Part Five

Time to bring the Best Week Ever to a close with a bang and the announcement you’ve all been waiting for: Action Figures – Issue Five: Team-Ups is officially available for the Kindle!

Here’s the official back cover blurb, so you all know what you’ll be in for…

The Hero Squad is finished.

Their friendships damaged in the wake of the King of Pain incident, perhaps beyond repair, the team go their separate ways to lick their wounds and figure out where their respective paths will take them…and if those paths will ever lead back to each other.

“Team-Ups” features a series of individual adventures that partner the Hero Squad with unexpected friends and pit them against some surprising foes. Sara finally learns the price of her betrayal; Matt and Nina Nitro go hunting for superhuman fugitives; Carrie gets a rematch with Manticore that takes a shocking turn; Stuart follows Dr. Enigma into Boston’s magical underworld in search of a powerful and dangerous artifact; Missy gets a lesson in taking names and kicking ass from the Entity; and it all leads to Carrie finally learning the truth behind her fantastic powers…but is she willing to pay their terrible cost?

There’s only one thing that could make this Best Week Ever even better for me: if I finally manage to crack a number one spot on Amazon with Team-Ups. All four Action Figures books have cracked the top ten and two titles — Secret Origins and Cruel Summer — reached number two.

I concede readily this is purely an ego thing. Snagging a number one spot on an Amazon best-seller list means bragging rights and nothing much in the way of practical gains, but dammit, I’d love me some braggin’ rights, so if you’re planning to pick up the book, do it today and push this baby to the top! And please don’t forget to leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Thanks!

PS: I wrote this post yesterday afternoon, around three or so, immediately after the book went live. One reader has already blown through it and contacted me with some kind words about the story. That someone bought the book as soon as it came out and cranked through the whole thing in a matter of hours is one of the best compliments I could receive.

Best Week Ever! Part Four

It’s cover reveal time!

My cover artist, Tricia Lupien, spent the week plugging away on the cover to make sure I had it for this week and she came through with flying colors, as always. Here is the fruit of her labor:

Now that the cover is finished, that can only mean one thing: Action Figures – Issue Five: Team-Ups is ready for release! The Kindle edition should be live on Amazon.com within 24 hours, so keep your eyes peeled — or go to my Amazon Author Central page and you can sign up to receive notices when Team-Ups (or any other book by me) hits the virtual bookshelf. The print edition will probably be available next week after Tricia finishes up the back cover art and I go through the process of getting and reviewing my proof copy.

And remember, everyone, Action Figures – Issue One: Secret Origins is free for the Kindle for two more days. Get a friend hooked!

Best Week Ever! Part Three

In yesterday’s post, I mentioned that I planned to start doing direct book sales through this website. I was so motivated by the concept, I powered through my exhaustion (slept like crap for two straight nights) and got things set up.

So I am happy to officially announce that you can now buy print editions of all four Action Figures books and The Adventures of Strongarm & Lightfoot – Scratching a Lich through the Buy Now page. I’m selling all books for $12 — a savings of $1 to $3 over the cover price — plus $3 to cover shipping, which will be by media mail rates. The bonuses of buying from me directly: I’ll sign each copy and throw in an Action Figures bookmark.

I also mentioned my plans to sell e-book versions as well. Here’s the situation with that: Action Figures – Secret Origins and Scratching a Lich are both part of the Kindle Select program, which means I get to benefit from such perks as being able to run promotions (such as the free giveaway for Secret Origins running through Friday), and my book is available to Kindle Unlimited members. The down side is that I can only sell Kindle Select titles exclusively through Amazon.

So I have to give some thought about the potential benefits of selling e-books directly from this site verses the benefits of Kindle Select before I pull the trigger one way or the other. In the meantime, if anyone really wants an epub or mobi version of Secret Origins or Scratching a Lich, contact me directly and we’ll talk.

All that said, I am in the process of formatting the other three Action Figures books for direct sale as e-books, and since those aren’t part of Kindle Select, I will be able to sell them via the site without any conflicts.

One more thing worth mentioning: I plan to start selling e-book copies of Secret Origins and Scratching a Lich at personal appearances. I figured out how to make it work, so if you see me in person anywhere, I’ll be able to sell you a copy on the spot, and you’ll have it within a few minutes!

Speaking of personal appearances, I have something cooking for a little later this month. I’ll let you know about that as soon as the details are nailed down.

Artwork and copyright Patricia Lupien.

I’ll end on a high note and present to you another sneak-peek of the cover of the upcoming Action Figures – Issue Five: Team-Ups. You’ve already seen the Entity, now check out Tricia’s progress on Kunoichi’s new look!

Best Week Ever! Part Two

First, I’m pleased to report that the five-day giveaway for Action Figures – Issue One: Secret Origins is off to a strong start. More than 200 copies were downloaded yesterday, and there’s still four days left to go. The book is currently the top free download in two genres (teen & YA/literature & fiction/comics & graphic novels, and comics & graphic novels/teen & YA).

Honestly, it’s nothing to get that excited about. The best-seller lists for both genres (for free downloads) are extremely short — only two or three tiles on each list — but I’m above a chap named James Patterson, so there’s that.

Now, onto today’s exciting news. Very soon, hopefully later this week, I will be making the first books in both the Action Figures and The Adventures of Strongarm & Lightfoot series available directly from me — both in print AND e-book editions!

Artwork and Copyright Tricia Lupien.

I have to set up a payment system, which might take some time, but the goal is to make Secret Origins and Scratching a Lich available for purchase through this website and on my Facebook page. This is significant because I occasionally have people ask me, for a variety of reasons, if they can get my books from someplace other than Amazon and the answer, also for a variety of reasons, has always been no. Now those readers will be able to get their AF and/or S&A fix without going through Amazon.

Here are the added bonuses. For people who buy the print edition, I’ll send them signed copies and include an Action Figures bookmark (pictured at right). For people who want the e-book, I’ll be able to provide the file in either .epub or .mobi format, which means people without Kindles or a Kindle app can finally read the books!

Once I get everything figured out, I’ll announce the availability of the books here. Stay tuned!

Best Week Ever! Part One

Good morning and happy February, everyone!

And it is a happy February, because today begins the five-day free promotion for the Kindle edition of Action Figures – Issue One: Secret Origins. The full novel is available until the end of Friday, February 5, so if you’re a new reader or a current fan who wants to introduce a friend to the series, you can — respectively — pick it up for yourself or send a copy as a gift. Just head on over to Amazon to download it now.

For you readers who are all caught up on the series and have been chomping at the bit for Action Figures – Issue Five: Team-Ups, your patience is about to be rewarded. Tricia began sending me peeks at the cover-in-progress, which is through the preliminary color work stage. Here’s a sneak-peek of the front cover from earlier on in the process…

Copyright 2016 Patricia Lupien.

Yep, it’s a classic “heroes on a rooftop watching over the city they’ve sworn to watch over” shot. Fans of the series will probably recognize the faceless fellow as the Entity, and the hint of a foreground figure you see will be Missy “Kunoichi” Hamill. I’ve seen Tricia’s rough sketch of Missy’s new outfit and I can’t wait to see the finished version of her, and of one of my favorite characters to write, Nina Nitro, who will be on the back cover.

The End (of the Wait) is Nigh!

My cover artist Tricia tells me she is in the home stretch and her work on Action Figures – Issue Five: Team-Ups should be wrapped up by the weekend! This means, barring unforeseen life stuff (she’s a “parent” with a “child” who sometimes needs “attention”), book five should be available next week!

To celebrate its release, the Kindle edition of Action Figures – Issue One: Secret Origins will be available for FREE! For five days beginning Monday (February 1), the e-book version will be available as a free download through Amazon. Tell your friends and get them on-board the Action Figures bandwagon!

Arisia 2016 and the Lessons Learned

This past weekend, J.M. Aucoin and I shared a table in the artist/author alley section of Arisia 2016, a long-running fantasy and sci-fi convention in Boston. This was our first time pimping ourselves out at a major convention, so we had no idea what to expect, on pretty much any level beyond what sort of people would be attending — which is why we took a chance on doing the show, because we figured if nothing else, we’d be surrounded by avid readers with a taste for non-mainstream fiction.

Justin and I by the third day of the show. Sleep was the enemy. Caffeine was our friend.

It was a long four days, and while neither of us made enough money to allow us to run around our homes pumping fists full of cash in the air while chanting “USA! USA!” we did well enough to warrant making plans to go back next year, armed with some valuable lessons that’ll hopefully lead to greater financial success. Sorry to sound so mercenary, but realistically, money is and always shall be a factor here.

Some of the things I know I learned…

Stay for the whole show. Stay for the whole show. For the love of Cthulhu, STAY FOR THE WHOLE SHOW.

Our area was supposed to have eight or so tables for other writers and small artisans. We had that many tables, but few of them remained full throughout the weekend. One artist stayed for two and a half hours on Friday and then left, never to return (bear in mind that Friday is NOT a great business day here, as the con is only open for a few hours in the evening and most folks use that time to check in, get a lay of the land, and scout out where the good parties are). Another showed up very late Saturday and didn’t bother to come back Sunday or Monday. People running a bake sale didn’t stick around for more than three hours either Saturday or Sunday, and never showed up Monday. Even those who did show up for all days tended to close up shop well before closing.

I understand the frustration of sitting there, watching people go by, sometimes without ever even glancing at your table, but you can’t sell your stuff if you aren’t there to sell it. Justin and I both made sales within the last ten minutes of the last day, as did our author neighbor Calandra Usher (who, along with Jim McDonald, completed our happy little literary corner). Leaving early shows poor business sense.

It’s also inconsiderate to the neighbors. When con-goers see too much empty space, they go the other way, which doesn’t help those who stick it out — and those of us who did stick it out already had challenges to overcome…

Location, Location, Location

The artist/author alley area was, for reasons too complicated to go into here, moved out of the vendor area proper and into an escalator landing — which, to be fair, wasn’t an awful space. Anyone entering or leaving the vendor area had to use those escalators or the nearby elevator, so everyone saw us. However, we were back against the wall, which gave people more than enough space to skirt by us and never get within pitch range.

And I admit this is probably a matter of personal perception, it often felt like the traffic was never as heavy as it was in the vendor area proper, where my wife was set up (Storied Threads, plug plug). Justin and I already spoke to the area manager, who was very receptive, so perhaps next year we’ll get a table in the vendor area proper.

And Here’s the Pitch…

Once we caught someone’s eye, we had a precious second or two to draw them in. Justin was much better at this than I was because he’s more outgoing than I am, so I know I have to raise my game here. Once they got to the table, we had to pitch our books in a manner that enticed the potential customer into buying but wasn’t pushy. I hate hard sell tactics. They always turn me off, especially when there’s a whiff of guilt-tripping involved (“If you don’t buy my stuff, I can’t pay my mortgage!” — and yes, I have in fact heard that exact pitch before).

We had our “elevator pitches” down pretty well, but they could use some improvement. I know mine could stand to be more informational and less generic.

Justin gets interviewed for the TyroTV YouTube channel.

Network!

While I had no idea what to expect at the show, I definitely did not expect to be interviewed twice, or approached by someone in the early planning stages of a convention focusing on non-mainstream fiction, or meet a freelance editor looking to make connections within the indie author community. Thank god we had a ton of business cards to hand out.

However, I can’t help but feel we missed out on some other networking opportunities, opportunities we initiated rather than received. Something to think about.

Price Matters?

One of our big hurdles was the fact we were selling print editions of our books, which cost more and our less likely to inspire impulse purchases…or so we thought. People were surprisingly willing to cough up $12 or so for a full-length novel, more so than they were to pay $5 for Justin’s Jake Hawking short story collection; he moved more copies of Honor Among Thieves than the Hawking omnibus.

Nevertheless, I have a project in the works to create my own low-cost book to serve as an introduction to my two series, for the benefit of those who are intrigued enough to look into my work but might not feel like making a serious investment.

I also plan to take a page from Calandra and Jim’s metaphorical books and look into selling e-book editions of my work directly at cons.

“It’s you!”

The high point of the weekend came when a man came wandering toward our table, his eyes fixed on my display banner, and asked me, excitedly, “Are you Michael Bailey?” He was a fan of the Action Figures series — and, as it turns out, knew my cover artist Tricia back in high school. I’ve never been fanboyed over before. It was both extremely flattering and incredibly surreal.

The Recognition Factor

Justin and I got a hint of how powerful a social media presence can be. Perfect strangers recognized Justin from his Tumblr account, while my book covers got an ongoing response of, “Wow, those look really familiar!” In both cases, it helped attract people to our table who might otherwise keep on walking. Now we have to find ways to increase that recognition factor so we can parlay it into sales.