Ester Lopez's Blog: Writing on the Edge of Reality, page 3

What I learned from Advertising

They say, "It takes money to make money." Well, that may be true for advertising. But how much money does it take to make it to USA Today's Best Seller list? I've read one man's story on how he made it, but I don't have thousands of dollars to spend to 'maybe' make it to the top. It's a big risk for anyone and very time consuming. However, there are perks that go with it.

After working on Amazon Ads and Facebook Ads, I realize that I'm not cut out for that kind of thinking. It's more analytical than creative and it stresses me out. It's like doing taxes. I'd rather let someone else do it that loves that kind of challenge.

So, here's what I did. I chose Amazon Ads for Amazon.com under the Marketing tab. Since I had already lowered the price of the bundle to 9.99 from 25.99 under the Kindle Countdown Deal, I went to the tab for Ad Format and chose Custom Text Ad. My bidding strategy was Dynamic Bids down. My campaign name was Angel Chronicles Bundle. The Ad Group was the same for Ad Format (Custom Text Ad). I added the product which was an image of the bundle.

Then I chose how much to pay for clicks (each time a customer clicks your ad, the bid amount is subtracted from the daily budget) The daily budget divided by the bid amount equals number of clicks per day. Then I selected the keywords to help the ad appear in search results. After that, I customized the text and selected automatic targeting. I think my total budget was $100 for a two-week period. I believe I spent $72 total. While I don't have the image of the results, I think it was over 5,000 impressions on Amazon and something like 1,000 impressions on Facebook and no sales. On Facebook, which seemed simple compared to Amazon, I spent over $50. Needless to say, it was a bust.

I took a course in the Amazon Ads where they said, if the custom text wasn't working, change the text. I had tried every book I had written up to that point with at least 4-6 different texts. I had a ton of clicks, but no sales. Then, the instructor suggested changing the covers of the books. Well, after spending $400 on a cover, that wasn't going to happen. My thinking is, they wouldn't have clicked on the ad if they didn't like the cover, right? So, now I have to re-think how my books are showing up on Amazon. That may be the key to all of this. Who knows? It's back to the drawing board in any case.

In the meantime, I will attend a few out of town conventions, vendor booths, and festivals. At least, that way, I get to meet people who love to read and introduce them to my books and my crafts. If you are into Sci-fi conventions, check out the http://MidSouthCon.org, going on March 22-24, in its 39th year. I'll be there with my books and some crafts. Hope to see you at the convention.

Amazon Ads/Facebook Ads

After tinkering with Amazon Ads in the past, I thought I would give it another try. This time, I wanted to promote the Angel Chronicles Series Bundle for $9.99. It's a steal when you consider the ebook price totals over $22.00 if bought individually. The bundle has been introduced at that price for some time, but I didn't do any marketing. Now I have to come up with some catchy phrases that will grab someone's attention. The first attempt ended in error messages, so I moved on to Facebook Ads.

With each format, I took some classes to learn how the process worked, but it had been some time since I used either one. I put something together for Facebook with less problems, but after a period of seven days, I didn't get any hits. At least a thousand people saw the ads. My goal is to get more sales. So, it's back to the drawing board with both of them. I want to promote the bundle sales price before it goes to regular price. Once I get this figured out, I will work on a promo for the Genesis Saga, which will be another bundle of my sci-fi works.

I think this next time, I will write down what I do so I can repeat it for the next bundle. Here's a glimpse of the Ad for The Angel Chronicles Series. Somehow, all the text was gone. I think the next one may include a trailer for the bundle. Have you seen any of my Ads on Facebook? Let me know in the comments.

Marketing

Marketing
Lately, I've been thinking more about marketing the books I have out and not so much about writing the stories in my head. I've got three stories waiting to be written, but I want to get a handle on this marketing situation.

To me, writing comes a lot easier than the selling part. It's a whole different way of thinking. Even though I've been in sales most of my life, I do think about marketing ideas while I write the books. I still need help when it comes to planning a strategy. Most of what I've been doing is trial and error.

So, for the rest of the year, while I work on book 17, I will make a strategic plan to market my books. I've started by updating my website and I will also tackle the publisher's website. I hope this will help people to find me and my books. Let me know what you think.

Marketing

Lately, I've been thinking more about marketing the books I have out and not so much about writing the stories in my head. I've got three stories waiting to be written, but I want to get a handle on this marketing situation.

To me, writing comes a lot easier than the selling part. It's a whole different way of thinking. Even though I've been in sales most of my life, I do think about marketing ideas while I write the books. I still need help when it comes to planning a strategy. Most of what I've been doing is trial and error.

So, for the rest of the year, while I work on book 17, I will make a strategic plan to market my books. I've started by updating my website and I will also tackle the publisher's website. I hope this will help people to find me and my books. Let me know what you think.

Website Blog

I've tried to sync my website blog to Goodreads several times but it won't update past the January 2021 blog. I have written several blogs since then and can only guess that Goodreads doesn't like the content of my blogs. Needless to say, this is very disappointing.

So, if you'd like to see my latest blog which includes some images of the recent lunar eclipse, then go directly to my website and click on "Writing On The Edge Of Reality at www.esterlopez.com, or use the link to view my blog.

Happy Places

The colder it gets, the more I picture warm places. I'm thinking of the beach right now because it's my happy place. I like the warmth of the sun, soaking into my skin. I like drinking cold lemonade or a Bahama Mama when it's been hectic. Instead, I'm wearing a jacket inside the house and drinking hot coffee because I just can't stay warm.The last time I posted, I was organizing my thinking and my goals. Just before January 1st, I finished my third book in The Angel Chronicles Series, "The

New Year, New Goals

2020 did a number on a lot of people, including me. I felt like all my creative juice was sucked out of me due to all the negativity floating around. All the news on TV was bad and most of it was about COVID. Did anyone catch the regular flu?All the book signings I had planned to attend were cancelled. I had one planned every month and some months there was more than one event. So instead, I did more online 'takeovers.' It kept me sane and helped me stay connected to real people who enjoyed

Being Thankful

2020 has been a year unlike any other year. So many good things were planned like book signings, meet ups with author friends, vacations and then Covid happened. I would say it was a year from hell but I've gone through one of those in 2003 and this was not that bad. The lockdowns were weird, but in our town, it happened at a time when most people were laid off due to tourist season slow down. It just got extended through the spring break and Easter. Not going to church was weird. Going to the

Author Thetta James

Hello everyone. Today I’m speaking with author, Thetta James. What is your given name and what made you decide to become a writer?

My given name is Arthetta Rodgers. In a subconscious way, I’ve always written things. It started with reviewing for Authors, then written word/poems, to actually creating scenes for possible books.

How long did it take to get published the first time and how did it happen?

My debut novel took a year to publish because I changed the storyline and had to rewrite it. After I did that, it took me about 8 months. I’m a truck driver by day and I wrote my book on the truck. I didn’t even realize I did that until I hit publish. It turns out, being on the truck allows me to be creative.

I can see that. I sometimes get story ideas while driving. Would you do anything different the next time? If so, what would it be?

Yes! I shared too much with too many people and I found that it put pressure on me that stressed me out. Getting so many different opinions and advice was overwhelming. Also, it showed me that not everyone supports you. I will never do that again. I didn’t enjoy the release of my book at all.

I know what you mean. I think family and close friends can sometimes be your worse critics and least supportive. What advice would you give an aspiring author?

Be patient with yourself. Know that you will rewrite things that you thought were perfect. Listen to your heart because it’s your story. It doesn’t matter if it’s not well liked because you’re writing for the love of writing. Don’t let naysayers discourage you or make you doubt yourself. You know what your story should and should not be. Know that it’s a process and it’s unpredictable, so relax and let it happen.

What or who inspires or influences your writing?

Sawyer Bennett is my all-time favorite Author. Her books have the ability to empower you. Behind all of the drama, romance, etc., there’s always a message of hope and possibilities. Life also inspires me. There are tons of stories out there that need to be told, we as authors just need to tap into them and write them.

Yes. That was so profound. Tell me what are your latest releases and when/where can we find them?

I’m currently working on book 2 of my debut trilogy, Pure Sin. Book 1, Love Hurts can be found exclusively on Amazon and in KU.

How long have you been writing professionally, Thetta and do you write full-time or part-time?

I’ve been writing professionally for one year now, it’s part-time. I hope to transition to full-time in the next year.

So tell me, what do you do for fun when you are not writing?

Reading and playing games on my iPad. I love gaming apps.

Where do you reside when you aren’t on the road?

Georgia is my home state.

Do you have any appearances/book signings scheduled this year?

None this year, but next year I will be at Sweet As A Peach Indie Author Event in Atlanta, GA.

Where can we find you, Thetta?

My website is www.authorthettajames.com. I just want to thank my PA, April Navarro for her support and help in navigating this author thing. She has been amazing. Also, thank you to those who have read and reviewed my book. I’m so happy you love my story just as much as I loved writing it. Thank you to everyone who has supported me and helped spread the word. I am forever grateful. Finally, thank you for this interview, Ester. Thank you for helping the Indie World get out there and getting us noticed. This was simply amazing! Last, but certainly not least, I could not have done this without the support of my Husband and Children. They have been my rock.

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Author Allie Marie

Today I’m speaking with Author, Allie Marie. Hi Allie, what made you decide to become a writer?

I had a childhood dream of being a writer back in the days of reading Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew mysteries. I dabbled with my mysteries and even went on to a career in law enforcement. As a young adult, I favored the gothic stories by Victoria Holt and Mary Stewart, later Nora Roberts.

How long did it take to get published the first time and how did it happen?

After I “really” retired from law enforcement, I began writing “Teardrops of the Innocent” in the fall of 2014. I finished the first draft in about three months, then spent the next three months polishing it. I submitted queries for about six months. Most were rejections but I did get a few requests for the manuscript, which still did not find a home. Finally, a chance discussion with another author who knew of a small publisher looking for my type of story, and I sent an inquiry. They asked for three chapters in June of 2015. I was thrilled when the publisher contacted me and said they wanted this and all the stories in what was originally intended to be a trilogy (and morphed into a five-book series.) “Teardrops of the Innocent” was published in October 2015. So for me, the journey from pen to first published was about one year. The last book of the series, “Child of Time,” was published in 2019.

Wow, that’s awesome. My journey took about 25 years. Would you do anything differently the next time? If so, what would it be?

I would look for help. I didn’t realize how much information was out there to help aspiring writers, or that writing groups existed in my area. I just sat down and began writing. I finished the manuscript in less than three months but it was full of rookie mistakes. I had a number of rejections until someone gave me some advice that broke the wall for me. I had strong writing skills but she pointed out that my two main issues were telling versus showing and using too much passive voice. She gave me suggestions that helped me overcome those problem areas. After I revised it, it was accepted.

Cool. I had similar problems and I think having a mentor or someone willing to look at your work makes a huge difference. What advice would you give an aspiring author?

First off, write, write, write. The story has to get on paper. Join a writer’s group or a critique group for advice. But also research the mistakes new authors typically make, like those I mentioned above. Learn how to avoid them. For example, once I had an idea how to correct passive voice, I did a word search for the word “was” and a verb ending in “ing.” Everywhere I found it, I looked to see if it was needed or if it created a passive voice. Once you find your weaknesses and learn how to correct them, you become stronger. Oh, and write, write, write. And if you choose to use a pen name, or even your own name, make sure you find out if there are others with the same name! There are now at least two other authors who were not out when I started writing, and now use my name. They write very differently than I do and I do not want to be confused with them. I tell people to search by my book titles rather than my name so that they are taken to the correct books. I guess I will have to start putting a disclaimer out there.

You know, I never thought of that when I started out. That’s good advice. Tell me, what or who inspires or influences your writing?

Now that I have started writing, everything influences me. I see potential stories whenever I meet people, see things, or visit places. I just make a quick note so that I can think about it for a later story.

I guess, I feel the same. I just never thought to jot it down. Thanks for the tip. What are your latest releases and when or where can we find them?

I am currently working on a stand-alone mystery that will bridge my True Colors Series with a planned True Spirits Trilogy. The new book involves two modern characters with an unexpected connection to characters from pre-WW1 America and will have time-travel elements. A German warship is interned in America before the war. The sailors are not yet prisoners of war, but they are not free to leave and must reside in the shipyard. A love affair ensues between a young German sailor and a local girl, with tragic results and secrets to be resolved. I anticipate its release in 2020. I am also excited to be part of an anthology released in 2020. Over 30 best-selling and award-winning authors contributed to the “Feisty Heroines Romance Collection of Short Stories.” These heroines come from all genre-paranormal, historical, fantasy, contemporary, etc. I have stepped outside of my comfort zone to write a fantasy paranormal. My character, Siv, is a dragon-riding, jousting champion who takes on the competition of her life. The collection is available now.

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That all sounds interesting and I bought the Feisty Heroines Romance Collection. It’s in my “To Be Read” pile. Tell me, Allie, how long have you been writing professionally and do you write full time or part time?

I consider my time as a professional writer began with the publication of my first book in October 2015. I should write full time but I promote my books as much as I write, so I have gaps where I do not write as much as I like. When I do, though, I am into what I call my binge-writing sessions.

I like that. So what do you do for fun when you aren’t writing?

I love to travel and will go anywhere at a moment’s notice. I am also into ancestry, which became the basis for my series. I am fascinated with linking the past to the present.

I’m with you on both of those things. Unfortunately, 2020 has been challenging for travel of any sort. Where do you reside, Allie?

I live in Virginia and my stories, so far, take place in Virginia. I am able to include some of the history as a backdrop to my mysteries. My ghosts and time travelers so far come from the era of the American Revolution.

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Virginia is steeped in history. It must be fascinating doing the research. Do you have any appearances or book signings scheduled for this year?

Oh, my! I have too many to list here. I am still building a website, but they are listed in my newsletter. With my books set in Virginia, many local places are willing to host book signings. I have a number of events already scheduled from book fairs to craft shows, from restaurants to wineries, and I love them. I get to meet readers face-to-face, and it makes a connection.

Thank you so much for being here today, Allie. I’ve enjoyed it. Here are some places you can find Allie Marie:

https://www.amazon.com/Allie-Marie/e/... https://www.facebook.com/Author-Allie...

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