Allynn Riggs's Blog, page 5

Marketing Experiment for December 2015

December 2015 has been an interesting experiment in marketing book one of The Stone’s Blade series, The Blood. In preparation for the upcoming release of the second installment of the series, The Balance, I launch a multi-pronged social media announcement scheduled across three different sites.

I began the month with by paying for several advertisements on a website for readers called BookDaily. Their daily e-mails to general audiences and targeted e-mails for readers of specific genres included a brief blurb, copy of the cover and link to Amazon for purchase along with the first chapter as a sample.

Then I set up a five day FREE Kindle download from Amazon which ran from December 18 through the 22nd. This was been a very interesting result. Day One 148 downloads, Day Two 158 downloads, Day Three 40 downloads, Day Four 231 downloads, Day five 92 downloads. The jump on day four is directly related to a single day announcement on Goodreads of the free Kindle version.

On December 22 I decided to check on the rankings: this was my posting on Facebook: So here’s the good news on the Kindle down loads and rankings on Amazon for The Blood.

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,048 Free in Kindle Store

#4 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > Time Travel

#7 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > Space Opera

If you look carefully you will notice that I broke into the top 10 in two categories – Time Travel and Space Opera! Thank you to everyone who downloaded the past five days. I look forward to seeing your reviews when you get the chance to post. I hope you enjoy the read.

Then on the evening of the 23rd I returned to Amazon to see how far the book had dropped in the rankings. This was what I found:

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #171,432 Paid in Kindle Store. #403 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > Time Travel. #1614 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > Space Opera. #1871 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Sword & Sorcery

A fascinating difference, don’t you think? Now I am hoping that of the total of 669 downloads of the Kindle version at least 65 (I’m thinking 10%) will actually read it and perhaps post honest reviews to Amazon and or Goodreads. That will have wait I guess because it should take most readers a couple of weeks to read. I mean a lot of people actually collect free downloads and probably read none of them. I hope to see an uptick in the number of reviews around the end of February 2016. That’s when I am hoping to get The Balance out. Somehow I am hoping for some bleed over from all the Kindle downloads of The Blood to purchases of either the Kindle or paperback version of The Balance.

This marketing is all a learning process. I really just want to write the stories but I must learn how to be more effective in my marketing – essentially no one else is going to do this for me. I promised the characters I would write their stories and I promised to do my very best. Learning marketing of fiction, particularly science fiction and fantasy is not an easy task and I believe it will be worth it. My goal is to break even. At an average of $3 to $5 profit from each book I must sell at least 2,000+ paperbacks just to break even on The Blood. I believe this is possible. I will be patient. Most series don’t really get noticed until at least the third installment is well into publication. I have five titles. I truly can hardly wait to get started on number three, The Blades. Yet, again, I must wait and be patient. Number two, The Balance demands my attention for now. I promise it will be good. I am doing my best and with help and guidance from my editor, proofreader, book designer and a couple of beta readers, it is worth the wait.

Have you read The Blood yet? What do you think? Please post a review on Amazon, Goodreads or BookDaily. Don’t keep it a secret.

I thank you for sharing the stories of The Stone’s Blade.

 

Characters See Trees – Authors Create The Forest

Tuesdays are Write-in days. Generally around four hours of concentrated writing time with up to four other authors. We bounce ideas off each other, help with rewording, listen to rejection letters and acceptance letters, have word count races, share power protein snacks and lunch, and have long sections of time where we are all writing. It gives me a place to go do work.

Today I am researching differences/similarities between the language Of Lrakiran and Southern in “The Blood” so I can fix or redo, or hint at explanation of such in “The Balance” and upcoming #3, “The Blades.” Melanie, my stickler of an editor, and I have to get it all straight in our heads to keep it consistent throughout the series. And I have to write it all down for reference material later. The nice thing is that I discovered that I had already set up a solution to the language problem in “The Blood” so I must have been thinking about this possibility a long time ago. Fancy that!

Writing a complicated, intertwined series is harder than most readers know. We will not rush to publication – we want this to be as right as we can get it before everyone gets their hands on #2 and starts raising questions as to why something did or did not happened. Remember that when characters are focused on one goal they often can’t see the forest cause they’re just looking at a couple of trees. It is the author’s responsibility to plant thousands of trees so the story can be a large beautiful forest. I’m just making sure I am planting the right variety of trees and undergrowth.

How do you keep track of all the little details in your series? Suggestions for methods would be appreciated.

Thus the day goes

Writing, writing, rewriting, erasing, cutting & pasting, saving, forgetting where I wanted it to go, erasing, deleting (oh gosh did I just delete the entire chapter??), recovering from heart failure by pulling weeds in the garden, washing dirt off hands and knees so can touch key board, opening program (again), writing, rewriting, finding the missing piece – still haven’t figured out where it was supposed to go, erasing, pasting, saving, writing, . . .  Thus the day goes. 

Then the question “How is book two coming along?” enters every conversation, and I mean every conversation. Just because book one has been out for over one year (one year, three months, and six days if you really want to know) every one(who is NOT a writer) thinks I can whip off the next one in a couple of months all while working to get the first one off the ground. And I’m not going to tell them how long it took to write the first one – that’s too scary for me to think about. Yes, book two is not taking near that long but good things take time. I promise I am not just lazing around like some chipmunk waiting for a handout. I will let you know as soon as it’s out, I will even tell you how many book stores or places you can purchase it. I am sure I will have a stack of them in my car, too.

Yes, yes, I do very much appreciate how much you enjoyed the first and how much you are looking forward to reading the second. It is for that reason that I am working to make it worth while, make it enjoyable, make the characters hold true to themselves, work at adding just enough twists and turns and new information that you will be hounding me for book three less than one month after book two is published. I want this to be the very best it can be and the best takes time.

Want me to get to it sooner? Don’t stop talking about how much you enjoyed the first book  – tell everyone. Post your review on every social medium you’ve got. Even word of mouth is good. Tell your friends, co-workers, enemies, your dentist, your pediatrician, your children’s friends’ parents to pick it up at The Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver, at the Bookworm in Gunnison, at the Book Mine in Leadville, Hearthfire Books & Treats in Evergreen, (all locations are in Colorado) and perhaps check it out to read from the Custer County Library in Rapid City, SD. If not any where near those then you are encouraged to encourage them to get The Blood from Amazon – either as a paperback or on their Kindle or Kindle app. If you do all of this along with the limited time I have to keep spreading the news then I may have more time to concentrate on completing the editing of the second installment so that I may be able to make my self-imposed publication deadline of near the end of 2015. Only then are you allowed to start quizzing me about the third installment.

However, if you do keep in touch with me during this whole process you may be asked for your opinion on possible cover designs, or what kinds of things you might want to see in the second book that are not present in the first such as maps of my two worlds, character list with pronunciation guide. Let me know if you would be interested in seeing those.

Contact me here, on Facebook, LinkedIn, or via e-mail.

Review Contest – Incentives to Boost Visibility

I am struggling with ways to increase the visibility of my award winning science fiction book, The Blood: The Stone’s Blade, #1. I’ve been bantering around several ideas with some fellow authors but haven’t decided what method to use – until I mentioned it to my husband, Bob. Now, while he won’t necessarily read a book, any book, for pleasure, he is definitely supporting my efforts in the publishing industry and is always encouraging. He has shown a surprising interest in the business side of my process and is quite helpful – when I can get his attention. Last night I had his attention and he came up with a great idea on how I can do two things at once – increase the visibility of my first book AND get the second title off to a running start. He first suggested that I give away one hundred books for free then after discussing the pros and cons of that we settled on signed copies of book two for the cost of printing and shipping – I make no profit but then I am not out over $800 either. As an independent publisher I’d like to break even at a minimum – sorry, but according to my husband, I am supposed to be running a business, too. There may be other products coming down the pipe-line as well for future incentives or for those review postings exceeding one hundred (working on designs for t-shirts or tea mugs with small bags of cinnamon tea from Awful Annie’s).

So here’s the deal:  I want to increase the number of reviews on Goodreads.com and Amazon.com for The Blood: The Stone’s Blade, #1, so I am offering 100 signed copies of the upcoming second book, The Balance: The Stone’s Blade, #2 for a greatly reduced price (cost of printing plus shipping – not to exceed $8.00) direct from me in exchange for a verified honest review of The Blood: The Stone’s Blade, #1. If you have already purchased and read The Blood I encourage you to post your review on Goodreads.com or Amazon.com. You can notify me directly after you post so I can check it out and then I will contact you to put your information on a special reserve list.

Realizing that The Balance: The Stone’s Blade, #2 is currently planned for publication in late fall of 2015 I know it is a long time to wait but this offer goes out to the first 100 (yes, one hundred) reviews. I will send you a coupon after I see your review and will let you know ahead of time when The Balance will be published. By that time I will have the ability to use credit cards and possibly PayPal. Once you receive this second book I would ask that you also post reviews of it. Please pass this on to friends, encourage them to purchase, read, and then post their review.

Here’s the link at Amazon: https://alturl.com/fbn43 especially if you want the first book on your Kindle or Kindle App.

Get to rereading if needed and post those reviews!! Contact me at Allynn@timberdark.com or on Face Book at https://facebook.com/TimberdarkPublications

‪#‎Reviewcontest‬ ‪#‎Postreviewandgetbook2atreducedcost‬

P.S. For those who have already posted a review – you are on my list. If you have posted to only Goodreads or to only Amazon, I encourage you to post to the other if possible. Reviews posted on blogs will also count so let me know. There’s already one out there on Fresh Fiction thanks to Clare! You may see this review by visiting <http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=50967>. Contact me to verify your current contact information.

Avoiding Writer’s Block

A recent discussion on writer’s block got me thinking about how I deal with the possibility of actual blockage to writing. Mostly I can say I haven’t experienced a true blockage as I make efforts to avoid the possibility of not being able to come up with something to write. My avoidance techniques include the following:

Music, most often without words, the rhythms, beat, and tunes can be inspiring. One thing I don’t do well with is television. I find it terribly distracting and when my husband or daughters are viewing a program and I need to be writing I will put on the headphones with my music or go to the library. It is interesting that while I can’t seem to concentrate on writing with a television program within hearing I seem to do all right at coffee shops and libraries with a myriad of conversations flowing about me (sometimes snippets of those conversations will trigger ideas). I haven’t figured out what the difference is.  

Then there is water. There is something special about being around or in water. Lakes, streams, rivers, and fountains are all good back grounds and muffle oft distracting conversations or traffic noise. Plus the hikes that get me to some of those places are also inspiring. When unable to get to the water’s edge, I have often emptied the hot water tank while working out a story line in the shower. Hot tubs or just a long soak in my extra deep tub or swimming laps also provide a great environment to access my imagination, though I do have to remember to breath while doing laps. I have coughed up a lot of water on occasion when I concentrated, perhaps too much, on a particular idea. Old records indicate that Plato and Benjamin Franklin both used baths as a method of inspiration. I am honored to be in such good company.

Another great way to re-energize is to go for a drive. Whether by myself or with my husband, driving has actually been a source of great ideas through either discussion of plot ideas or discussing why I am stuck on something. When I’m alone I even talk to myself. I carry a small digital recorder and can use it to get ideas down without trying to write and drive at the same time (that’s a dangerous trick you should NOT try). When I return home or stop I transcribe the recording word for word. Oh, that in its self is interesting as speech patterns and what we hear can often be very different from what we said or thought we said – thus leading to more ideas. While driving, the changing scenery, consistent rumble of the engine or the sound of the tires on the road surface all free my mind to experiment with ideas.

On the rare occasion when I think I’m stuck, I make efforts to change my environment or process. A technique I recently found to help me get through a problem was to forget about using a keyboard and return to paper and pen. The physical action of shaping and almost drawing the words was liberating and I wrote for hours. New studies are finding that hand writing leads to better retention of information as well. Even writing with crayons does something different to thought patterns – you see and feel the words differently. Try changing colors with each paragraph.

In my experience, not being able to put words on the screen or on paper is a sign that the idea I was working on or toward was not the best or perhaps there was not enough of a plot to continue. It is a sign to change something whether it be the location where you are writing, the method you are using (keyboard, paper & pen, verbal recording), needing to change how you see what you are writing (a white board covered with a color coded P.O.V. outline, see the example on the right of the P.O.V. outline from my upcoming book, The Balance: The Stone’s Blade, #2) or you need to get the blood flowing through a physical activity such as dance or walk/run or lift weights, cook, etc. If you let your body stagnate your imagination may stagnate as well and your writing will be stale and unappealing.

And don’t waste time lamenting that you are blocked. Worrying about it won’t get you through it and, always, the worry gets in the way. If you worry about it, it gets to be a larger problem – a self fulfilling prophecy. You can reduce the size and length of time you are stuck by doing something different as soon as you realize you are bogged down. Don’t just sit there – DO something. I will read aloud, often using different voices or accents. This allows me to hear the words I’ve written. I catch grammar errors and find myself adding or subtracting words to create a better flow. Another technique to spur the creative juices is to grab a book off the shelf and open it up to a random page and either read aloud or copy pages into a notebook (it’s that physical writing thing again). Try that with the dictionary – it’s kind of fun. When you start having fun again the block will disappear and you might come up with a great new idea based on a word, concept or definition.

How do you avoid writer’s block? If you experience writer’s block, how do you plan to overcome it?

Fresh Fiction has reviewed The Blood!

Want to let you know that The Blood has received it’s first blog review. This is exciting news and I would appreciate knowing what you think of Ms. O’Beara’s review.

You may see this review by visiting <http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=50967>.

Please leave your comments at Fresh Fiction’s website and here as well. Check out some of the other reviews Ms. O’Beara has done and consider reading the books. I have added a few more to my list due to my visiting Fresh Fiction’s website. I plan on stopping by frequently, too. I may consider becoming a reviewer – after I complete The Balance.

Now I’ve Done It – Or OMG I Sent the MS for Book #2 to the Editor

Writing a series is more difficult that a stand alone book and far more stressful. Happily, everyone who has read the book #1 apparently wants #2 ASAP. Lordy, do they know how long it took to write the first? Yah, you don’t want to know. And besides, I promised to have #2 out soon. Soon of course means sometime in 2015. Please be patient – good stuff takes time. No specific dates until files are sent to print-on-demand printers and Createspace for Amazon paperbacks as I have learned that the editing process is full of delays. Professional editors, proofreaders, designers etc. all have more than one (me) client to schedule and just because I’m ready for them does not mean they can stop what they are doing and concentrate on my project. And, now that I think about it, maybe I don’t want to hear right away how much work is ahead of me. And I know there’s a lot – not as much as I  am confident that I have a maximum of five POV characters and that alone should save me four to six months of rewriting time. I was actually thinking to cut it down to four but I like Kela’s POV in a few of the scenes. Though it might be possible by blending it with Ani’s, if Ani is in the scene. Possibilities are constantly popping up. That’s a bother. There are a lot of things I could do but . . .

It was time to let others see it. It wanted to go. The hardest part is knowing when to let it go to others. Don’t over think it. I could edit on my own for years – I already did that with #1. So now I’m ready for critiques, I think. I am anxious to know whether or not I’ve met reader expectations. Have I created a story that will last for at least four books. Is it still a good story? Do the characters evolve or change? Does Renloret realize he’s not late any more? Who gets together with whom?

Yep, that cliff is almost as high as the first one – the climb was shorter but a lot steeper and I didn’t have any safety lines on the way up. And the view is still awesome – still worth it.

E-mail Review of “The Blood” Encourages Author

Allynn: Rarely has a book (The Blood) kept me reading until 2:00A.M. purely on it’s own merit. A fantastic read. My Wife brought it back from the last C.I.P.A. (Colorado Independent Publishers Assoc.) meeting in Denver. 

 Thank You ,  Ted Fawcett

I was delighted to receive the above e-mail this morning, 1/28/2015. The CIPA meeting he mentioned was on January 17,  2015. His wife, an author and publisher, purchased the book from me after hearing my editor talk about the process we had gone through to get it to publication and that it had garnered three EVVY Awards in August 2014. She loved the cover & interior design and was intrigued by the story blurb on the back cover. I am glad she shared the book.

Ted’s reaction is similar to other readers who speak to me directly. So far I am more likely to receive a verbal review/reaction to The Blood than I am to receive an e-mail as above or a review posted on Goodreads or Amazon. How do I encourage readers to post their review/reaction? I feel awkward posting what they tell me in person as it feels like I am making it all up. Really, I would not do that. I have heard from many readers that they have stayed up very late to finish chapters or even the book after reading for an entire day. They couldn’t put it down.

It is an incredible feeling, knowing that something I have written has impacted the lives and sleeping habits of others. I hope that the second book, The Balance, is received as well. Planned publication for it is mid to late 2015. Much to the consternation of some I am not rushing through the process to get this second book out before it is truly ready. I am fortunate that the interior and main elements of the cover design are already set. That alone will save months of time.

If you want to find out why Ted stayed up so late, go to Amazon and use the “Look Inside” feature to read most of the first four chapters. You can then order the paperback and the Kindle versions. The Blood is also available through Tattered Cover Book Store in the Denver metro area and at The Bookworm in Gunnison, Colorado. Though aimed at ages 14 and up, several younger readers have expressed how much they have enjoyed the story. The parents of those younger readers were pleased that there was no overt sex or over-the-top violence, just a great story.

Have you posted a review lately? What did you think of The Blood? Have you shared your copy of The Blood with family members or friends? What one thing would you like to see in book two, The Balance?

“Books Are Now Forever”

Inspiration to write comes in many forms. Hugh Howey’s blog (see portion below) is inspiring. The realization that what I have written and will write in the coming decades will be available to any who find, read, hopefully enjoy and/or share it is not just a possibility but an exciting reality. By refusing to quit because agents didn’t respond or that the sci/fi and fantasy genres are overflowing with a multitude of bad, okay, good, and out-of-this-world great stories (literature), and the likelihood my book getting picked up by one of the big5 is extremely slim, I have crossed the bridge to the other side by doing it myself. I did not just slap something together, I paid attention to details by hiring excellent editors, proofreaders, and cover/interior designers. I have two P.O.D. printers to supply potential readers with beautiful paperbacks and the e-book design is top notch as well. My books are now forever.

From Hugh Howey’s blog:

“Write knowing that your works will never expire, and that no one can deny you the right to publication. This was the attitude fanzine authors used to stoke their passions for over a century (and still). It’s the power of this democratizing force. Books are now forever; they remain fresh; they’ll never go out of print. It’ll be decades before most people adequately appreciate this. Get ahead of them by writing today.”

To read the entire blog go here: http://hughhowey.com/Books-were-once-like-razor-blades/

What have you written today?

 

Why Is This So Difficult?

It is no wonder that many writers struggle with all the social media. I watch my daughters and husband whip through and around four and five different platforms with apparent ease while I spend an hour or more just trying to post an edited draft to my blog.

I think I need to update certain links but can’t figure out how to accomplish that. I know I saved the edited draft before I went looking for how to update the link and now I can’t find the draft to post. Frustrated with my inability to learn how to function within the limited social media sites I have chosen. Instead of trying to do it all I have deliberately limited myself to Facebook, LinkedIn, and WordPress, though I have been playing with another site for pure personal entertainment until I understand it better.

How many social media platforms are needed anyway? What are your focused platforms?