A.E. Jones's Blog, page 49

You are a Tease!

I have blogged in the past about a picture being worth a thousand words. I (the writer) need to be able to draw you (the reader) into my world. And if I do a good job, my words can paint a picture for you. It isn’t often that a fiction writer can pair their words with a picture, unless of course, you are writing for children. We all have our favorite story books that bring back memories and make us smile. Well tonight, I am going to introduce you to my version of an adult story book.

No,no, no. I don’t mean that kind of book. Nothing risqué here. I mean that I am going to start sharing graphic teasers with you. What are those you ask? They are quotes from Mind Sweeper that have been matched up with pictures. And if I do say so myself…they are fantabulous (yes I made that word up, but it works here).

This is the next step in getting me, AE Jones, and my book out into the world. Pictures grab our attention and pique people’s (and hopefully, readers) interests. Since I often call my heroine, Kyle, a “walking quote” it wasn’t hard to find some great ones to share with you.

Remember I am all about the marketing right now, which is so important to this process. Another part of the business of writing.  Between today and my September 15th release, I will be sharing quite a few of these quotes with you.I hope you enjoy these fun graphics. Don’t be shy. Let me know what you think!

My first graphic that I will post a little later is actually taken from the first few lines of my book. So stay tuned…

Wait a minute! Why am I not sharing the first picture with you right now? Well, I want to build the suspense up a bit, right? I mean these are called graphic TEASERS for a reason ;)

 

A Pinning We Will Go

I know that this is not my ‘normal’ day to blog, but I have been playing. And when I play, I like to share with my followers….

So I have had several authors tell me that I should be on Pinterest. And to be honest, I didn’t know why that would matter for me, the author. But instead of just dismissing it, I decided to attend a workshop at RWA Nationals about this social media tool. The workshop presenter talked about the untapped marketing power that Pinterest has for authors and, of course, my ears perked up at the word marketing. If I could get myself and my work out there in another social media avenue, I’d give it a try.

But how exactly should I use it? I know that Pinterest is big in crafts and cooking, but how does that translate to writing? And what the heck do I pin, exactly?

The answer (which I think is AWESOME) is pin what your characters would pin!

So last night Kyle took over my brain (as she does often) and created her own board for Mind Sweeper. You can visit it here. http://www.pinterest.com/aejonesauthor/mind-sweeper/

It is a work in progress and I’m sure Kyle will pin more things, including her awesome cover which you all need to stay tuned for on August 18th!!!

 

 

 

One, Two, Three Punch

As I have been talking about over the past few blogs (some might say ad nauseum), it’s time to get the word out about little ol’ me and my series. So in typical AE fashion, I am putting together …wait for it…a plan.

First, I want to let you know that my official release date for Mind Sweeper will be Monday, September 15th! Wanted to put that in print so that if you didn’t already know you do now ;)

Today I’m going to talk about some cool things that are coming your way.

1) Newsletter – or in my case, a ‘New Release Email List’. If you sign up for the list, you will receive email notices when I have new releases available. If you are reading this post in another place besides my website, please click on the link to my site to join http://aejonesauthor.com/

2) Books page on my website! Finally I have created a page where my books will be listed. It may seem small, but it is a monumental moment for me seeing my book and blurb and ‘coming September 15th’ splashed on the page! And in two weeks I will be having a cover reveal. Stay tuned for more information on that…

3) Facebook Event Party – this Thursday, August 7th, from 8-10pm EST I will be participating in a release party for Nikki Woolfolk, a wonderful Steampunk author. My time slot of when I will be talking about my new book will be from 8:30-8:45 pm EST. All of the authors participating will be giving away different items. I will be giving away an advanced ecopy of my novel to a lucky participant. Come join in on the fun!  https://www.facebook.com/events/899782830035881/

So I think that is enough for you this week. But don’t worry, there will be more fun things to come!

 

RWA Nationals is Over, But My Work is Just Beginning

As you know from my blog post last Monday, I was heading to RWA’s 2014 National Conference. 2000+ authors and industry professionals gathering for a conference filled with workshops and publisher spotlights and book signings and key-note addresses and…well, the list goes on.

This year, I went in with a plan in place to get ready for Mind Sweeper, my debut novel’s release in September (See http://aejonesauthor.wordpress.com/2014/07/21/off-to-nationals-i-go/)

For the most part, I accomplished what I set out to do. And when I arrived home yesterday, exhausted and exhilarated (can you be both at the same time?) I told myself I would think about what  I learned ‘tomorrow’. Well, it is ‘tomorrow’ and after sleeping twelve hours (yes, you read that right) I am thinking about it.  

What did I learn? That while I understand the fundamentals of creating and preparing a book for release, that I have to now connect with all of those potential readers who I HOPE…beat it, self-doubt…who I KNOW will like it. So I need to market, market, market.

At Nationals there is a room called the Goody Room where authors put all of their various swag that they want to hand out. It can be bookmarks, postcards, books, buttons, can openers, chip clips, etc. Items that advertise their books and get their names out there. This year I decided to participate and so I had some postcards made. But I also wanted to do something fun and a bit different. I found some great customizable lollipops (or suckers which seems more appropriate when you look at the picture below) and gave those out at the conference. Memorable? Fun? That was my plan.

But I also need to  connect with readers through various social media tools and get my book reviewed. Because reviews help sell books, right? We live in an age where readers have more power than they ever have before. They can read a book and post it on various sites where dozens, hundreds, thousands, millions of people can see it.  And that is amazing and humbling as well. So over the next 7 weeks or so, I hope to find readers and bloggers who will be ready for my book…to read and review. And also to form relationships. To form bonds with people who love to read as much as I do. Who escape into a character and story and share that enthusiasm with others. THAT is why I started to write in the first place!

As I unpack my suitcases, I thought you would enjoy a snapshot of one of them. Besides new friends, and ideas, and plans, I also came home with this!

 

Off to Nationals I Go!

It is hard to believe that a year has gone by since I headed to Atlanta for RWA’s National conference. A conference that will stay embedded in my memory forever since I was lucky and blessed enough to win the Golden Heart® Award for MIND SWEEPER.

And now I head to San Antonio for the RWA 2014 conference. And while I am not a finalist this year, excitement and anticipation are still front and center for me. This year, I am going with several goals in mind. What are they, you ask? You know me well enough now to know I will expound on them ;)

KNOWLEDGE – there is so much to learn at these conferences. Classes upon classes on craft and industry and self-pubbing and marketing, etc. So I have reviewed the plethora (cool word, right?) of learning opportunities and I have a plan on the courses I will take.

RELATIONSHIPS – the conference is a wonderful venue to meet and greet with industry professionals and fellow writers. I am looking forward to spending time with the other Golden Heart® finalists from last year, also known as my Lucky 13 sisters. There is something so amazing about spending time with fellow writers. We are unique and yet we are similar in our need to share out stories with the world.

ANNOUNCEMENTS – and of course, I can’t forget about the fact that I am publishing MIND SWEEPER this fall! And that is something that I will share at the conference. Marketing myself as best I can (Gulp!). Fun little giveaways for people will be my modus operandi.

And the final hope for RWA 2014 is that I have FUN and come home INSPIRED to write my next story. Ultimately when the hoopla dies down, it boils down to me sitting in front of my lap top and type, type, typing away…

But first, I have to get everything to fit in my luggage! Ughhhhh

 

You Don’t Know Me…Yet

     

Last week I told you that I needed to start working on ‘the total package’. Getting my name and my book out there in preparation for my release. Now, you may ask how exactly I plan to do that. You are always so curious, my followers!

Well, I have come to the conclusion that I don’t know all the answers to this question. (Yes, I can admit to not knowing everything ;) ).

So, in much the same fashion I have looked for experts to help me along the way in this self-pub process, I have decided to work with a PR person to help me form a plan. And you know how I am about plans…

So, you guessed it, I went searching for someone to work with. By now, you should understand the drill…

I asked other authors
I did research and then I did more research
I narrowed down my list to two choices
I spoke to them (well I guess I interviewed them, if the truth be told)

And then I fell into a quandary…because I liked them both for very different reasons. And so I stewed about it. I am all about stewing…ask anyone who knows me. How could I make a decision on WHO to work with?

And I stewed some more. Until a good friend and fellow writer said, in her practical, no-nonsense way, “Why do you have to work with just one?”

And the knots in my stomach loosened. The solution was so obvious that I had missed it. So I am working with both of them. And NO I am not weaving gold in my basement on my spinning wheel to pay for this…each one is doing a portion of my plan playing to their strengths. Because that is what this business is all about – playing to our strengths and looking to others to help us succeed.

Are you still with me? Well tighten your seatbelt, cause we’re not done…yet!

The Total Package

My brother taught his children from a VERY young age the following:

Question from my Brother: “Who am I?”

Answer from his children: “You’re the total package.”

 Now, as you might expect, my brother is a bit of a handful and not egotistical AT ALL. But I have to admit it was very cute at the time. Now his kids are older and know much better ;)

 When I started to think about my blog this week this memory popped into my head. Why? Well on the one hand it’s because my brother is a noodle. But on the other hand as I prepare for the release of my book I have to look at multiple facets. What makes up my book? And how will I make my release a success? You have been traveling along with me as I found an editor, and a cover artist, and a proofreader, and a formatter… to make my book the best it can be.

 But it doesn’t stop once the book is available for e reader and print. There are other parts to this journey that I will share with you as we move forward. Pieces and parts that make up the whole. So I have the edits and proofreads done (check) the book formatted (check) the cover completed (check). Now I need to start the marketing and promotional aspect of this process. Gulp!

 Even though my brother has a hearty ego, I am a realist. People (aka potential readers) do not know I exist…YET. So out I go into the scary world looking for a way to get my name and my product (yes, my book is a product) out there. Over the next weeks I will share with you how I hope to become recognizable. Double Gulp!!

 Ultimately I have to work toward making my book ‘the total package’, and no, my brother has no say in this!

Book Formatting is Like Building a House…Really

A couple of blogs ago I talked about letting my manuscript go, like a Momma Bird lets her Baby Bird out of the nest. Well, this week I have a new analogy. The actual process of formatting is like building a house. The funny thing is I have always said that I will never build a house. Why? Because anyone who builds a house knows that every decision (large and ridiculously small) all are funneled through you.  I have never had a burning desire to pick out doorknobs and heating ducts and ceiling fans. So instead I found a house that was already built and I bought that. And even though I tweaked a few things, I was happy because it was built and I was saved from the minutia.

Hah! I should have know that fate would catch up with me…

Formatting is about details and more details. Don’t get me wrong, I am all about the details in my writing because that is what good writing is all about. But with formatting, it becomes even more important because it is a visual representation of YOUR manuscript. So what do I mean by formatting? Well, your book has to be prepared in a file that can be used for print (if you decide to print your book) and digital. So when it comes time to format, even if you don’t do it yourself, you still have many questions to answer. Hang onto your seats followers. I’m going to educate you ;)

Things to think about for your digital formats:

Formats: epub, mobi or both? (epub and mobi are file types that work with different ereaders)
Font choice
Spacing between paragraphs and between lines
Justified right edge vs. jagged edge
Indentations – for paragraphs and at the beginning of each chapter
Chapter headings (Do you want ‘Chapter 1′ or ‘Chapt 1′ or ’1′ or…)
Order of front and back matter (copyright, acknowledgements, dedication, author’s note, author bio, excerpts of next book…)

And guess what? You have to think about this all over again for your print version, with some added questions:

Size of book
Paper color
Page numbering
Author Name/Title at the top of each page?
Start of chapters (right or left)

Did I make your head hurt? So sorry about that… Now the good thing is that there are people out in the world who do this for a living. So for me, it was a no-brainer to hire someone to format my manuscript. At least for now. Maybe later when I become an ‘old hat’ at this process I can look at formatting for myself (and maybe not). But a formatter is like a builder and they need the author’s input to create the book in the best possible way.

As a reader, I have never thought about all of the minutia that goes into the creation of a book. As a self-pub author, my eyes have been opened to the world of publishing. Today, I got a copy of my manuscript in a digital test file for me to review. It was amazing to hold my ereader in my hand and look at my name on the title page. And then I got a lump in my throat when I saw ‘Chapter 1′ on the screen.  

Ultimately every little decision will be worth it in the end. And you as the reader can sit back and simply enjoy the finished product and not have to worry about picking out doorknobs. You can leave that to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where did Monday go?

Hello my followers! Yes, my post title is very telling this week. Normally I post my weekly words of wisdom on Mondays but somehow it is Tuesday night and I am just now collecting my thoughts and typing them here. My time lately has become a bit frantic and forgetting to post yesterday actually plays into my subject for the week.

As you are all aware, I have been very busy with prepping my manuscript for publication this fall. And I have realized in the last few weeks that while I love the writing aspects of this journey, my one time ‘hobby’ as many would call it has now truly become a job.

When I told my one friend (we will call her glass-half-full, or GHF) that my writing had become a second job she smiled and said, why yes it has, but it’s where you find your joy and it will be all worth it in the end. I nodded and agreed with her because she is right in her GHF way.

When I told another friend (we will call her glass-half-empty, or GHE) that my writing had become a second job, she looked at me pointedly and said. This was YOUR choice, right? No one is forcing you to head down this path. I nodded and agreed with her because she is right in her GHE (or ‘cut the crap’) way.

And I think that I needed to hear both of these reasons to readjust my thinking. Afterall, I did CHOOSE to do this because it is where I find my JOY. Wow, leave it to my friends to head me down the right path again. As you know, I have repeated several mantras this year on my journey…BE FEARLESS, BE PATIENT, DON’T PANIC…

Now I have a new one. KEEP PERSPECTIVE. Yes, this journey is going to be hard and yes there are parts of this path (like other jobs) that I do not enjoy, but it is what I choose to do and it is what gives me an amazing sense of accomplishment.

So I  keep moving forward toward my goal and I listen to my inner voice (both GHF and GHE)  – PERSPECTIVE.

Now, before I sign off, I also want to give a shout out to another wonderful writer friend of mine, Amy Patrick who had her cover reveal today for her New Adult series that will be coming out starting in August. Go check out her amazing cover here!

 

 

Step Away from the Manuscript!

I am at a monumental place in my self-pub process. I equate it to a Mama Bird pushing her baby out of the nest for the first time. I am sending my Mind Sweeper manuscript to a formatter to prepare it for both the digital and print formats needed to publish my book.

I should be ecstatic, right? I am one step closer to my dream and when I have these formatted files back in my grubby little hands, I can then start sending them out as preliminary review copies in preparation for my release in early fall. It sounds like a logical plan all the way around. And it should, says my logical, business woman persona.

So why am I breaking out into a cold sweat at the thought?

All of my already-published author friends are chuckling at me right now. Because they have been through this themselves. They have finished multiple rounds of edits and proofed their books until they want to scream when they look at it ONE MORE TIME.

But as a perfectionist, I do not know if I will EVER feel like my book is perfect and ready to go. And that is my FIRST mistake. There is no such thing as perfection in writing. I can write the best daggone book I can and edit the snot out of it and someone will find something wrong with it. And I have to let that go. Ultimately, the pleasure I hope to give my readers has to propel me forward. Otherwise, I can continue to tweak and tweak a book but if no one is allowed to read it, then what is the point?

So I am unwrapping the death grip I have around this manuscript and stepping away from it slowly. It is time to let my baby bird flap its wings for the first time.

Fly baby fly.