P.H. Solomon's Blog, page 334

3 Marketing Thoughts

 

1. Why is social media marketing important? The simple answer: it’s main street America now. People used to spend time on the street doing business and seeing all the sales ads in windows. Likewise, most people got news from a newspaper – and saw all the ads. Now they view news on the internet and see all the ads there. If you have a product then your wares need to be in a virtual storefront on Social media for virtual window shopping and advertising sales.

2. Exchanging FB pages, Twitter follows, etc. I recently read one blog that indicated requesting someone follow or like you on social media was a major mistake. While I prefer not to request interactions this way perhaps there is another viewpoint. Our social media is like exchanging business cards. We may not actively use that information but we might one day and people we know might find use in that connection too. It’s one of the reasons why business cards are exchanged - you may not need that service or product but you may know someone who does and that’s one favorable point of social media. In that light, I’m not opposed to being approached for connections at all on Facebook, etc. though I still reserve the right not to follow or like.

3 Experiment – I’ve read some people say offer a book for free to boost sales and other indicate that this is a changing tactic that no longer works. I’ve been trying a sale this week The Black Bag which will end on Sunday – it’s generated interest but not much else. The latest information released indicates that the freebie marketing effectiveness is dwindling. To me what gets people’s attention is not the saturation of freebie books that may or may not be good but word of mouth and quality. For this reason I see reviews as an important factor in sales since people trust that more than anything. Is that movie good? What did the reviewer say? Here’s some marketing tips by C. Lee McKenzie.

Your thoughts and opinions are welcome, please leave them below. Speaking of FREE, The Black Bag is available at not cost for email followers of this website. Please see my Contact page to follow me on various social media channels or click the buttons on this page. Also take a look at my Indiegogo campaign for my novel, The Bow of Destiny.

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Filed under: Crowdfunding, Crowdsourcing, Indie Publishing, IndieGoGo, Marketing, Self-publishing, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Writing Tagged: Crowdfunding, Crowdsourcing, Facebook, Indie Publishing, IndieGoGo, Marketing, P. H. Solomon, Planning, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Twitter, writing

One of Those Days Pt. 2

Just a quick post to follow-up on my post earlier in the week.

Ever stare at your own work?

I intended spending a lot of time on writing endeavors yesterday afternoon. That quickly changes with a minor family emergency involving a car accident. Thankfully everyone appears to be fine and that’s something to smile about.

However, all my plans went out the window quickly since my presence was needed for several hours. Once the proverbial smoke cleared I had much less time to work than anticipated. But hey, I’m glad I could be of help even if it interrupted my plans and the day turned into “one of those days”. Instead of phoning it in, sat down and edited a short story and it’s now close to being ready for submission to some magazine markets.

So that’s all I have for the moment. What are the disruptions – large and small – that you encounter while writing? Do you let them stop you in your tracks or do you push on anyway? Leave comments below.

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Filed under: Creativity, Indie Publishing, Planning, Self-publishing, Writing Tagged: creativity, P. H. Solomon, writing

Quick Tip: YouTube for Authors

Need to get more use out of

When I was preparing my video for The Bow of Destiny campaign on Indiegogo several weeks ago I haphazardly uploaded my material without thinking too much about YouTube and the channel I was presenting. Since I don’t intend to post large amounts of video I just didn’t see the value. But like most social media this it is a fallacy to underestimate the value of any service. I was focused on the project and thought little of what I could do.

Tip #1: Even if you are working on a project and getting into a new social media platform stop and learn a few things.

Tip #2: Link as much as you can to your channel. I recently went back to my channel and linked as much of my other social media channels into YouTube so people can see what I’m up to easily. Many people are not on every type of social media or they don’t visit their accounts everyday so the information is beneficial to them and you to better connect.

How do you add all your information? On your channel click on the About tab and there you can add all the links you want so you can make it easy for all those high-visual folks to find and connect with you elsewhere.

Tip #3: I found it best to link my channel with my Google+ account even though I don’t use it that often (though I’m working that more now too).

What tips do you have for YouTube usage? How are you leveraging the this channel for writing? Share your thoughts below.

Remember blog followers via email receive a FREE copy of my ebook short story, The Black Bag – just click to sign-up! See my Contact & News pages to connect with me on other social media venues.

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Filed under: Crowdfunding, Crowdsourcing, Indie Publishing, IndieGoGo, Marketing, Self-publishing, Tips, YouTube Tagged: Book Trailer, Crowdfunding, Crowdsourcing, Indie Publishing, IndieGoGo, P. H. Solomon, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, You Tube

One of THOSE Days

So I’m working away today fighting off the blues about some things that creep up on everyone from time to time. Nothing big, nothing new, just sad. Then BAM – I notice a mistake that I overlooked days ago. The saying, “If it was a snake it would’ve bit me.” applies. I corrected it but that only made the day worse. I was almost ready to phone it in and then I got a huge laugh from someone on Twitter and got some wind back in my sales a little.

Hopefully this “one of THOSE days” will float away and I will be productive the rest of the day. There’s a lot of editing to complete and messages in need of response.

I’ll just keep my head up and do what I can with what I have today! CHEERS!!!

Thanks for reading!

PHS

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Filed under: Uncategorized

Newsflash – Not Really

I’m keeping my posts to a minimum due to the need for some heavy lifting with edits. I will probably post short blogs over the next few weeks with random thoughts and announcements.

Today I placed The Black Bag on sale for .99 cents on Amazon and Smashwords so take a look. If you are interested in reviewing contact me. However, you can get this short story for free by simply signing up to follow me via email.

I’m editing away on The Bow of Destiny so I can be ready when it is time to go to the editor in August. I’ve gotten behind trying to keep up with social media and the fundraiser on Indiegogo. I must plug the crowdfunding campaign so the book can be published that much sooner.

That’s al I have for now. I’ll try to post some meanderings tomorrow!

Please leave feedback regarding The Black Bag and crowdfunding – I really want to know what readers think!

See my contact page to see all my links for social media. And check the News & Store pages as well.

Thanks for reading,

PHS

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Filed under: Crowdfunding, Crowdsourcing, Indie Publishing, IndieGoGo, Marketing, Self-publishing, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny Tagged: Announcement, Crowdfunding, Crowdsourcing, Facebook, Indie Publishing, IndieGoGo, P. H. Solomon, Smashwords, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Twitter, writing

An Offer You Can’t Refuse

 

It’s easy to see that I’m in the middle of my own Indiegogo campaign for the Bow of Destiny. However, one thing has become clear over the last few days – SPAM. It seems there are those who flock around campaigns in search of money. FLASH: I’m raising money because I have a limited budget! Circumstances have left our two-income household with one income at the moment so I’m running things on a shoestring.

Photo from the book trailer for The Bow of Destiny

Now that I have that out of the way I want to make an offer no fellow campaigner can refuse. There are plenty of people who offer services and tweets/shares for something. I choose to offer nothing for simply passing word along for any worthy crowdfunding campaign – not even a retweet from you – though you can choose to do so on your own. So there it is – I will tweet when I can, as I can for your campaign and ask nothing back at all. If you know someone running a campaign then let them know I will provide a bit of assistance for FREE – though not unlimited since I have another life. If the requests come in thick then it will take a while to follow-up so be patient – it’s little ol’ me.

Do you need tweet/shares for your campaign? Leave comments below and I will get to them as best I can.

Share a comment below and also consider following this blog via email for a FREE copy of The Black Bag. I’m on Facebook, Twitter (@ph_Solomon), Pinterest & Google+ (ph@phsolomon.com).

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Filed under: Crowdfunding, Crowdsourcing, Indie Publishing, IndieGoGo, Marketing, Self-publishing, The Bow of Destiny, Writing Tagged: Announcement, Crowdfunding, Crowdsourcing, Facebook, Indie Publishing, IndieGoGo, Kickstarter, P. H. Solomon, Pinterest, Social Media, The Bow of Destiny, Twitter, writing

Newsflash: Be On My Team

Photo used in The Bow of Destiny book trailer

The news is out! Miami and I lost out on LeBron to the Cleveland Cavaliers. But you can still be on my team by supporting my Indiegogo campaign for The Bow of Destiny today!!! Support levels are reasonable and even if LeBron isn’t on the team – yet – you can still be on a winning team by supporting my project. If you’ve visited already then please come back and join the team with your support. As always, please share with your followers on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc…

Thanks for reading!!!

P. H. Solomon

Here is the excerpt file for the Campaign: Bow of Destiny Excerpt

Share a comment below and also consider following this blog via email for a FREE copy of The Black Bag. I’m on Facebook, Twitter (@ph_Solomon), Pinterest & Google+ (ph@phsolomon.com).

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Filed under: Crowdfunding, Crowdsourcing, Indie Publishing, IndieGoGo, Marketing, Self-publishing, The Bow of Destiny Tagged: Announcement, Book Trailer, Crowdfunding, Crowdsourcing, Facebook, Indie Publishing, IndieGoGo, LeBron James, P. H. Solomon, Pinterest, Social Media, The Bow of Destiny, Twitter

Newflash: Be On My Team

Photo used in The Bow of Destiny book trailer

The news is out! Miami and I lost out on LeBron to the Cleveland Cavaliers. But you can still be on my team by supporting my Indiegogo campaign for The Bow of Destiny today!!! Support levels are reasonable and even if LeBron isn’t on the team – yet – you can still be on a winning team by supporting my project. If you’ve visited already then please come back and join the team with your support. As always, please share with your followers on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc…

Thanks for reading!!!

P. H. Solomon

Here is the excerpt file for the Campaign: Bow of Destiny Excerpt

Share a comment below and also consider following this blog via email for a FREE copy of The Black Bag. I’m on Facebook, Twitter (@ph_Solomon), Pinterest & Google+ (ph@phsolomon.com).

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Filed under: Crowdfunding, Crowdsourcing, Indie Publishing, IndieGoGo, Marketing, Self-publishing, The Bow of Destiny Tagged: Announcement, Book Trailer, Crowdfunding, Crowdsourcing, Facebook, Indie Publishing, IndieGoGo, LeBron James, P. H. Solomon, Pinterest, Social Media, The Bow of Destiny, Twitter

8 Crowdfunding Tips

Photo used in The Bow of Destiny book trailer

The crowdfunding campaign for The Bow of Destiny began this week on Indiegogo. This led me to some tips I wanted to share since this blog is largely about my ongoing growth as an author. So here’s some of what I’ve learned so far. Please read and visit the campaign site to provide your support!

1. Make sure you are ready to receive funds.

In my case I created a new PayPal account but did not complete setting it up. Likewise, Indiegogo had requirements for campaigns that I didn’t know about. Both of these issues delayed me some and it’s possible limits what I can receive (which I am confirming and working out on both sides). Read carefully about the instructions and explore the site.

2. Make affordable funding levels.

I received a lot of views and referrals the first day but no contributions. Now this may be due to some PayPal-Indiegogo issues but I added a few funding levels that are low impact on wallets which is important these days.

3. Continue growing your social media platform.

Don’t let the number of your followers become stagnant. If anything you need to be more aggressive in pursuing followers to increase your reach. Always encourage others to share your campaign with their followers too.

4. Have some automated social media messages ready.

You don’t want to be writing social media messages all the time and you need to get your message out often because on busy feeds people just miss your announcements without knowing it. Use an automation service since you may be busy with any number of inquiries, changes or problems that may arise – and you want to do something else sometimes.

5. Don’t panic if it starts slowly.

See above – there may be problems so just keep on moving in the same direction and if anything tweak your overall message, keep growing your following and keep getting the message out.

6. Keep posting updates regularly.

The more you get your message out the more likely you are to be featured. Include services like Indiegogo in your tweets and other posts because they track these types of activity in addition to your funding level. Everything helps and if your are featured that means more reach for your campaign.

7. If receiving private messages to offer resources & services check them out well.

When receiving offers of service, interviews or other offers of assistance check them out. They may be legit and they may not but some due diligence will go a long way to avoiding any trouble or overspending your budget. Make sure you know the terms of anything and don’t give out private information thinking that someone is helping when they may not be. Someone may take advantage of any initial euphoria from conributions or from desperation over no contributions. Think clearly and remember to keep going ahead.

8. Don’t hover & don’t walk away.

You cannot just stay in front of the screen watching – it will drive you crazy. You get excited and wonder what will happen or nothing happens and you watch and wait for anything. If nothing is happening don’t abandon hope, keep working, be willing to be fluid in your approach – just don’t sit watching the paint dry. Do not give up and stop all work. Stay in it to the end – bitter or sweet.

Do you have tips or comments regarding crowdfunding? Do you have questions about the subject? Please leave comments below and see my campaign and help make my project a success with your support.

Share a comment below and also consider following this blog via email for a FREE copy of The Black Bag. I’m on Facebook, Twitter (@ph_Solomon), Pinterest & Google+ (ph@phsolomon.com).

Thanks for reading!

PHS

Filed under: Crowdfunding, Crowdsourcing, Indie Publishing, IndieGoGo, Marketing, Planning, Self-publishing, The Bow of Destiny, Tips, Writing Tagged: Announcement, Book Trailer, Coverart, Crowdfunding, Crowdsourcing, Facebook, Goals, Indie Publishing, IndieGoGo, Launch, Marketing, P. H. Solomon, Pinterest, Social Media, The Bow of Destiny, Twitter, writing, You Tube

Call to Action: Support The Bow of Destiny

Haunted by his past. Hunted in the present. Uncertain what is real.

Epic Fantasy.

THE BOW OF DESTINY CAMPAIGN IS NOW LIVE!!! VIEW IT ON INDIEGOGO & PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR SUPPORT!!!

Picture from The Bow of Destiny project trailer.

 

Athson the Archer has seen things that aren’t there and suffered fits since being tragically orphaned as a child at the hands of trolls and Kregen the wizard. When a strange inheritance comes into his possession he’s not quite sure it’s real. But the trolls that soon pursue him are all too real and dangerous. And when the mystic Withling, Hastra, drags him into a quest for the mysterious Bow of Hart, Athson isn’t always sure what’s real and who his enemies are. With the wizard Kregen and his master the hidden dragon, Magdronu, involved Athson must face not only frequent danger but his grasp on reality and the reasons behind his tragic past.

Please read on for details and help support this ebook project!

For an excerpt from chapter 1 please click go to www.phsolomon.com and click on the excerpt link under the campaign news to view the PDF file.

What We Need & What You Get

Primary book needs: a final round of professional editing, cover artwork and formatting as a basic goal.
Secondary book needs to be addressed if surpassing funding goal: marketing (such as electronic autographs and screensaver) & website upgrades (web hosting migration costs, artwork design consistent with book cover, etc.)
Supporters will receive a copy of the ebook and recognition in the book as a contributor. Higher level supporters will have the opportunity to vote on which cover design to use. Please see below for the rewards levels list.
If the project is partially funded the money will be used for professional editing and cover artwork, followed by formatting and then secondary needs listed above depending on how much is raised.

Photo used in The Bow of Destiny book trailer

The Impact

You can help bring a fantasy epic long in the making to life. I’ve worked off and on for almost thirty years on this project. I was once offered a contract for it by small publishing company but turned it down due to several vague clauses in a non-negotiable contract. The book is already written and being well received by my picky beta reader as well as having been professionally edited once already.

Also, with the changes in the publishing industry supporters now have an opportunity to become more than readers, becoming decision-makers for the industry as well. This brings readers and authors closer. One of my rewards allows some supporters to have a say in the cover decision.

Risks & Challenges

The risks are few since the book is written, is being well received by the beta reader and has been professionally edited previously.

I’ve already scheduled to send the manuscript to the editor in August, while I am discussing artwork with illustrators now..

Other Ways You Can Help

Are you unable to contribute or not a reader of fantasy books? That’s fine you can still help me with this project in the following ways:

Share this project with friends who like fantasy books
Follow me on my website, Twitter, Facebook & Pinterest and share my project progress with your own followers.
You can also share this project directly by using the Indiegogo share tools!

Let’s make The Bow of Destiny a success. I’m counting on your support for which I’m sure you’ll receive blessings.

Thank-you,

P.h . Solomon

THE BOW OF DESTINY CAMPAIGN IS NOW LIVE!!! VIEW IT ON INDIEGOGO & PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR SUPPORT!!!

I’ve made even easier to support the project with 2 new levels. Just click the link above. Thanks for the man referrals yesterday also.

See my Goodreads Indiegogo event posted on my new author page. Friend me on Goodreads & view.

Here is the excerpt file for the Campaign: Bow of Destiny Excerpt

Share a comment below and also consider following this blog via email for a FREE copy of The Black Bag. I’m on Facebook, Twitter (@ph_Solomon), Pinterest & Google+ (ph@phsolomon.com).

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Filed under: Crowdfunding, Crowdsourcing, Indie Publishing, IndieGoGo, Marketing, The Bow of Destiny, Writing Tagged: Announcement, Book Trailer, Coverart, Crowdfunding, Crowdsourcing, Facebook, Formatting, Indie Publishing, IndieGoGo, Launch, Marketing, P. H. Solomon, Pinterest, Social Media, The Bow of Destiny, Twitter, writing