Andrew Cormier's Blog, page 4
July 3, 2014
FREE BOOK PROMOTION 4th of July Free Ebook
Hi guys! To celebrate my favorite holiday, the 4th of July, I am offering a truly patriotic deal – all day tomorrow my new supernatural fantasy / speculative fiction novel, The Great Deceiver, will be free on Kindle. Mark it on your calendars!
If you already have a paperback copy, please pick it up anyway! It really helps with visibility and will allow you to post a review on Amazon in the future. Please share this post with friends and tell everyone you know who wants a free download, free ebook, free book deal, and whatever else they want to call it.
Follow the link below to capitalize on your FREE BOOK PROMOTION 4th of July Free Ebook -
Front cover to The Great Deceiver – Free 4th of July Offer
Here is what people are saying about this supernatural fantasy novel:
“There’s enough wild imagination here to hold the attention of any reader, and the world(s) created by Cormier are hugely fun to explore.” – Customer Review, Amazon
“A fascinating, rollercoaster thrill read that I could hardly put down to eat or sleep.” – Customer Review, Amazon
“This was a real page turner” – Customer Review, Barnes & Noble
5 Stars – “Definitely gripping” – Reader’s Favorite
Rear Cover Synopsis:
As surely as men wage war against each other, supernatural deities also fight for human souls in the afterlife. What are the deciding factors that determine where a soul goes upon one’s death: is it the measure of a person’s character on Earth, and the deeds they have done, or something different? What if one soul has the potential to sway the supernatural battle between God and Satan?
A wealthy, successful lawyer, who seeks justice for those who have none, may be this exact soul. He is still unclaimed, and has a nearly-unlimited capacity for good or evil. When this lawyer’s family is killed, he is forced to make a difficult, moral decision. The consequences of it could forever change humanity. With Heaven and Hell at war, will he bring about the biblical apocalypse and world war three? Or will he prevent disaster and defeat the devil? The fate of mankind rests upon his shoulders.
The post FREE BOOK PROMOTION 4th of July Free Ebook appeared first on Andrew Cormier - Author - Official Website.
July 1, 2014
Tips for Authors – how to get your book in stores
So you just slaved for months or perhaps years on your masterpiece. You have painstakingly combed over each and every word, sentence, paragraph, and page. Now where do you go from here? The obvious answer is an eBook on Kindle, a Nook Book on Nook, and other digital formats on Smashwords.
That is all well and good, but you want more, don’t you? If you’re looking for some tips or advice to make your new novel available in retail stores than please read on. I will do my best to offer some words of wisdom based on my own experiences.
1. I first suggest you start small. Work with stores that are local to you. If you can meet the owner or manager in person that may be your best bet. I wouldn’t try any huge, chain stores or national stores to start. They honestly don’t need you at this phase and your track record probably won’t impress them. You may end up just wasting your time. It can’t hurt to try, of course, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. Small, independently-owned stores are your ticket.
2. When you go into a local store, I highly suggest you have professional looking business cards to give out. Also have at least 6 samples of your work available. Some stores may buy them outright or else work on commission. The key to this stage is to build rapport and come across as a professional business-person (whether or not you feel like one). Your goal is to impress the person you are talking to. If they ask you for samples you don’t want to be empty-handed. I have had same-day results by doing this. I shouldn’t need to say this, but I will just in case: make sure your cover looks professional. Run it by friends, family members, or even strangers first to be sure. Just because you think you are a wizard at Microsoft Paint or Adobe Suite doesn’t mean that your pixelated image of a moose on skis looks good to anyone else (and please don’t make a cover with Microsoft Paint, I hope my sarcasm wasn’t lost on you there).
3. Come up with a serious pitch for your book. Make your pitch short and to the point. Make sure you sound professional. Don’t stammer and stutter when they ask you about your book. You should memorize the genre, page-length, retail price, and the intended audience age-range because those questions will likely be asked. You should also know a ball-park figure of recent sales, and if you have reviews to back it up it I would advise mentioning them. If you have no sales, I advise you stop here and wait until you get some. You don’t want to rush your novel to a store only to get rejected because of impatience. Bear in mind that business shelf-space is valuable and the owner will want to know that you have a product that should sell. Sales may be tough at first, but try promoting your book online until you’re ready to bring it to a store.
4. Have a consignment agreement ready. You will need one for stores that do not buy copies of your book outright. You will want to google a consignment agreement if you don’t know what one is, or just click that convenient link and view some of the pages that pop up. Some stores will already have an agreement, but some may not. You want to be clear on the terms. After all: what happens if they only pay you when your book sells, but a customer rips some pages out of a copy they have on their shelf? If you do not specify, you may lose money. You want to hold the store accountable and also protect yourself.
5. Offer them discounts. If you can sell them multiple copies of your novel, let them know you want to do business with them and give them incentive to stock or push it. You won’t make very much money this way, but at first you need to be more concerned with getting noticed. Once people know your name and your work, then you can raise prices.
6. Offer to cross-promote. You can help some small, independent stores perhaps as much as they help you. They, too, have Facebook Pages, Twitter Accounts, Linkedin, and many other social media sites. You can promote them on your own pages and also if you setup a local signing. Most businesses are glad for a chance at anything that gets customers in the door, especially given the tumultuous economy.
7. Pick stores that make sense. A hardware store isn’t in the book business. Enough said.
8. Lastly, prepare to be rejected. Even under the best of circumstances you are going to get “No’s.” I have experienced occasions when I was hardly given the time of day. It feels like…. well…a brown and unpleasant substance, to put it mildly. Just shrug it off and look elsewhere.
I hope all you aspiring or present authors out there have found this guide helpful.
The post Tips for Authors – how to get your book in stores appeared first on Andrew Cormier - Author - Official Website.
June 26, 2014
novel is now available in stores
For those of you who wish to grab my paperback in person (not through me or ordering online) you can get The Great Deceiver at two locations. More will be added as I get to it. For now, here is where my novel can now be found:
Here is the first store: NH Finest Market
It is located in Litchfied, NH and they sell all locally made NH items. Show up and help support local business!
Here is the second store: http://bookcellaronline.com
They have a great selection of new and used books. I was in there today and was quite impressed with their variety and prices.
I am very pleased that my novel is now available in stores.
The post novel is now available in stores appeared first on Andrew Cormier - Author - Official Website.
June 25, 2014
now available -new release ebook- horror story
My short horror/mystery story The Informed Buyers is now available to purchase on Kindle for just $1.50 Bust out your fireworks, pork-ribs, and whatever else you feel like celebrating with, and pickup my story. I am planning to release it for $1.50. It will make an excellent addition to your ebook library, and a great summer deal! You can even read it as a ghost story at a campfire to scare your kids, or other people’s kids as well!
Synopsis to my new release: The Informed Buyers:
Alan and Susan are an attractive, young couple who just got engaged. As they plan their future lives together, they find the perfect, new home with an irresistible price tag. What they don’t know is that their dream home hides the dark secret of a sinister past.
When they make a horrific discovery by accident, Alan and Susan probe further into the mystery of their home. They soon learn that some mysteries are best left alone.
-If you want more detail I will say this short story relates to the following topics: cult murders , cultism , evil house , haunted by the past , haunted home , haunted house , house of horrors , murder mystery , mystery, mystery house
Follow @acormierauthor
The post now available -new release ebook- horror story appeared first on Andrew Cormier - Author - Official Website.
June 22, 2014
New Hardcover books -The Great Deceiver is now available in hardcover!
New Hardcover books -The Great Deceiver is now available in hardcover!
Great news! If you read the title of this blog post and said “whoa snap!” than you’re likely as excited as I am, though I doubt you’re quite that excited. I am thrilled to announce that thanks to Lulu.com I can now offer my novel in hardcover at a reasonable cost. I just ordered my own copy and cannot wait until it arrives.
You can obtain a hardcover version of The Great Deceiver for $27 (comparable to any retail store price) by visiting Lulu.com at this link here. Please note that I only make a small percentage of that cost too. So it isn’t like I’m cashing in on this. I do it more because I frankly think hardcover books last longer, they are fun to put in your personal library or book-case, and they just look higher quality.
Please let me know if you do so, as I will want to personally thank you (Via email most likely). I look forward to the day when I can sign numerous hard copies of my book for customers and fans. I know that is probably far away, and it feels like it at this time, but I believe that day will come.
Thanks!
The post New Hardcover books -The Great Deceiver is now available in hardcover! appeared first on Andrew Cormier - Author - Official Website.
June 20, 2014
Upcoming new release ebook for 4th of july – horror story
Update: I will be releasing my short horror/mystery story The Informed Buyers for 4th of July. So bust out your fireworks, pork-ribs, and whatever else you feel like celebrating with, and pickup my story. I am planning to release it for $1.50. It will make an excellent addition to your ebook library, and a great summer deal! You can even read it as a ghost story at a campfire to scare your kids, or other people’s kids as well! You can pre-order your copy on Smashwords now.
Synopsis to upcoming release: The Informed Buyers:
Alan and Susan are an attractive, young couple who just got engaged. As they plan their future lives together, they find the perfect, new home with an irresistible price tag. What they don’t know is that their dream home hides the dark secret of a sinister past.
When they make a horrific discovery by accident, Alan and Susan probe further into the mystery of their home. They soon learn that some mysteries are best left alone.
-If you want more detail I will say this short story relates to the following topics: cult murders , cultism , evil house , haunted by the past , haunted home , haunted house , house of horrors , murder mystery , mystery, mystery house
The post Upcoming new release ebook for 4th of july – horror story appeared first on Andrew Cormier - Author - Official Website.
June 16, 2014
5 Reasons to run a free book promotion
5 reasons to run a free book promotion.
Do you think giving away free books is stupid?
I thought so to. I couldn’t justify just letting people grab my hard-earned work for nothing. I know now what a foolish mindset that is.
Here are 5 reasons why you should have at least 1 free promotion mixed in with your content (I will assume you have more than one work published and available to purchase, if not you need to get multiple stories or novels under your belt).
1. The first reason I recommend you run a free book promotion is that I looked at my sales reports on Amazon, and on some other outlets, while my promotion was running. I noticed a visible spike in not only the free downloads, but also sales for other stories. There is a direct and noticeable correlation. Below is a screen shot of the actual sales chart. The green is the free promotional period. The red is actual sales. Notice the timing of the increase?
amazon sales data
2. Consider your book and author ranking. Amazon use an algorithm. In fact, most sales and shopping websites do. I don’t know the exact details to it, but I can say this: the more you sell, the more Amazon benefits. The same holds for other sites. It makes sense for them to push stuff that is selling. So, therefore, if you can push your rank up, both for your book and your author pages, you will probably get more online visibility. Free promotions will help you with your ranking.
3. If you are not known, a free promotional deal may gave you some visibility. It gets your name out there. If you’re struggling, this may help. I have always operated on a simple theory. It begins with knowing I have an amazing book, perhaps one of the best books of 2014. I know people love it. I know they can’t put it down when they start reading it. The Great Deceiver is that type of book. It wasn’t designed to be all things to all people, but it has shown me that I can reach a target audience that is much wider than what I had shot for. I planned for it to appeal to males aged 18-30. What I have learned is it has appealed to males aged 13-60, and females aged 18-55. I haven’t sold to anyone older than those age ranges that I know of, so I have no market data on it, but I will say that I have a huge percentage of eligible readers.
Now, to go along with the theory I mentioned, my formula is simple: if I can sell 100 books, I can sell 1,000. If I can sell 1,000, I can sell 10,000. This is based upon word of mouth, and everyone who enjoys the book telling at least 1 additional person who also buys it. This simple formula will not make my book a best seller on its own. That is where free promos come in. They may help kick start the rolling ball that this formula relies upon for your books as well.
4. The fourth reason for offering a free book promotion is that your stories may show up where it says “customers who bought x also bought x”. Even though they are getting your book for free, it still counts as a “purchase” on their account. This spreads your book through Amazon’s algorithm as well.
5. Finally, if you have more than one piece of published work, you will show up under “other works from this author” where most sites will usually pull a list from your profile page. It assumes that authors create a fan-base, and that most people will buy more than one book from an author if they like his writing. This is certainly true in my case (I bought tons of Jim Butcher novels, Robert Newcomb, and Ed Greenwood based on liking an initial book).
The post 5 Reasons to run a free book promotion appeared first on Andrew Cormier - Author - Official Website.
June 15, 2014
Happy Father’s Day – free book promotion
Happy father’s day to those who qualify!
In celebration of this event, I have put my short story, Piece of Mind, available for free on Amazon.
The story has nothing to do with father’s day, or parenting in general. But that isn’t really the point, is it? You guys want free stuff, and this time you’re getting what you want! You asked for a Father’s Day free book promotion, so you got one!
I have noticed a number of downloads of it so far, but not any reviews. I hope they shall come in time. I want to encourage any fans who have bought it to post! I like to stay in touch with people, and if it weren’t for my readers, I wouldn’t have any sort of hope at a career doing what I love. The road to success is a long and difficult one in this industry. It really is feast or famine. I am mostly familiar with the later. I believe there will come a day when I am a household name, or just about, and I say that based on my own arrogance and inflated view of myself. In all seriousness though, I have received a ton of praise for The Great Deceiver, from both men and women of all age ranges. I expect that book to become a huge hit. So, if you enjoy Piece of Mind, I highly recommend you purchase that as your next read. Remember, it is also available in paperback.
I hope everyone has a good day, regardless of your fatherhood situation, and I once again thank you all for your support!
Andrew Cormier
The post Happy Father’s Day – free book promotion appeared first on Andrew Cormier - Author - Official Website.
June 9, 2014
New Release – Edge of the Abyss- A collection of songs and poems
Hi all, I have just compiled and released a massive collection of songs and poems I wrote over the course of 14 years. These are really, really good lyrical masterpieces. I have lost count of the number of people who have praised me for some of these at one time or another, and I really am not exaggerating that at all.
This new release is inspired by lyrics from musical artists such as Slayer, Megadeth, Nine Inch Nails. and Marilyn Manson, the poems and songs contained within Andrew Cormier’s Edge of the Abyss are powerful, vivid, and moving. They will burn into your memory like a candle cutting the fog in the night, or like the burn of a razor slashing your wrists (please do not slash your wrists or try to say these works told you to do so).
The topics contained with Edge of the Abyss deals with addiction, self-loathing, depression, murder, homicidal and suicidal thoughts, broken relationships, lost loves, domestic problems, political tyrants, and religious fanaticism.
Some featured songs in this collection are “Crucify Myself” which deals with self pity and an individual who is afraid to face life, “Inside the Tomb,” an Edgar Allen-Poe inspired guided-tour deep into a forbidden crypt, “Almighty Fraud,” and “A God Named Fear,” both of which deal with a person who has forsaken their faith or changed their faith into something evil, and “The Grave I Go,” a song about a dying soldier who is fleeing for his life.
If you are a fan of 80’s metal or 90’s industrial music, you will totally relate to the songs within Edge of the Abyss. Many of them have, in fact, been made into music, and Andrew Cormier has often received numerous requests from musical artists to write lyrics for them, or to ask permission to use his. This is a massive collection of works from A-Z. There is sure to be something that you will like contained within Edge of the Abyss.
Here is a sample from “Terror at the Morgue” so you know what you can expect:
Terror at the Morgue
And the body’s twitchin’
This creature is abhorred
A rash, its skin is itchin’
We must destroy it now
Dismember limb from limb
Make sure it will stay down
This is the devil’s kin
You can get it for just $.99 on Amazon right here
The post New Release – Edge of the Abyss- A collection of songs and poems appeared first on Andrew Cormier - Author - Official Website.
June 7, 2014
Book signing results
Hi all,
I am pleased to announce that my first book signing went well. I believe I sold 11-15 copies of The Great Deceiver. I met a lot of really interesting authors also. It was a lot of fun to say hi to everyone and hopefully promote my book. I enjoyed getting my name out there a lot, and thanks to the Rodgers Memorial Library for inviting me. I also want to thank everyone who showed up in support. It is really good to feel that the hard work I have invested into writing is at least paying a little. Best of all, is that people want to read something I wrote. I hope they are left with fond memories of it far after they have finished.
Perhaps the hardest thing I learned from this was to supply business cards. I wish I had some in hindsight. I at least had a notebook for scrap paper. I recommend any authors who setup signings do the same. There were a lot of people who seemed on the fence, and I figure perhaps a business card would help them. Or, perhaps I need to work on my pitch. I found it sometimes difficult to pitch my novel to people, but feel I did well. I think the best thing to do is let people know it is getting good reviews, that people like it, and that it is comparable to ‘xyz’ novel.
I also wish I had a little book stand like I saw some people using. It allowed their novels to stand upright. I think this makes for a cleaner presentation.
In short, I have learned a lot, and I at least presented myself in a professional manner and had a fairly good setup. I am glad I didn’t go in with nothing but a book, or it would have looked terrible. My nice stand-up sign helped a lot. I had a good picture of me on it, and the name of the book with a picture and description. I recommend everyone who does a signing have some sort of professionally made banner or sign with the same information.
I want to thank everyone who turned out, and hope for continued success.
The post Book signing results appeared first on Andrew Cormier - Author - Official Website.
Andrew Cormier's Blog
- Andrew Cormier's profile
- 29 followers
