K.J. Farnham's Blog, page 27
December 4, 2014
What do you think of this title?
~ K. J. Farnham
November 25, 2014
Click Date Repeat Book Blitz
November 20, 2014
Book-marketing Services for Readers and Authors
As an avid reader, I receive daily emails from various book-marketing services. These services notify readers about discounts on both traditionally- and self-published books. Many featured books are even FREE. Through notifications from these services, I usually pick up five to 10 books each month, all for less than the cost of a monthly Kindle Unlimited subscription.
The first service I became a subscriber of was Ereader News Today. I don’t remember how I found out about this service several...
November 10, 2014
Perfect Weather for Novel Writing!
This is my idea of a perfect day to write. Snowy, dreary and 28 degrees. What kind of weather inspires you to write?
November 9, 2014
Fall Fun Recap
Winter weather has arrived here in western Wisconsin – 8 to 10 inches of snow are expected by Tuesday morning! While we look forward to fun in the snow, we’re sad to see fall go. Here is a recap of some of the things my family enjoyed this fall.
APPLE PICKING
FOOT GOLF
PUMPKIN PICKING & CARVING
TRICK-OR-TREAT
November 6, 2014
To Read or Not to Read?
When choosing books to read, I rely heavily on reviews. Sure, I also consider covers and blurbs, but in the end, it really is what’s on the inside that counts.
Why do I read multiple reviews when choosing a book?
Reading a variety of reviews increases the odds of me choosing a book that I will enjoy. I can’t stand feeling ripped off after investing time in a book that didn’t impress me, even if I got it for free.
Another reason I read reviews is simply for enjoyment. To be honest, I’ve come acro...
November 2, 2014
Goodreads Giveaways: Good or Bad?
When I published Click Date Repeat, one of the first things I did was create a giveaway on Goodreads. As a newbie to the world of self-publishing, I was ecstatic to have found a way to advertise my book and garner some reviews.
As the days passed and entries accumulated, I began poking around on Goodreads (which is a wonderful site for both readers and writers, by the way). I happened to stumble upon a forum thread where people were (are still) debating the effectiveness of giveaways. After reading through several posts, my stomach became queasy, and I started to regret setting up my giveaway. But then I did what I typically do when something doesn’t sit right with me, I pressed on in hopes of finding some positives. By the time I’d read each and every post, I didn’t know what to think. Are Goodreads giveaways an effective marketing tool or not?
Here’s what I gathered from the lively forum discussion:
Cons of Goodreads Giveaways
Book resellers make up a big chunk of the people entering to win.
Some people enter simply for fun or because they want to win something. They may not even be interested in your book!
If someone who isn’t interested in your genre wins, they might leave a bad review.
You might even get a bad review from a winner who reads your genre but simply didn’t care for your book!
Goodreads does not require winners to review the books they win.
Pros of Goodreads Giveaways
Hundreds of people see your book.
Hundreds of people shelf your book as “to-read” when they sign up, which means anyone they are friends with is likely to see your book too.
You might get some reviews.
Winners who enjoyed your book, might recommend your book to others.
So what was the outcome of the Click Date Repeat Goodreads Giveaway?
Duration of giveaway: Aug 27 – Sept 27
Number of entries: 701
Books delivered to winners: 5
Books Fedexed back to me at my request: 1
(Book reseller discovered by Goodreads one day after I mailed out the book. They chose a replacement winner. Thank you, Goodreads! Story for another post!)
Number of Reviews: 3
Number of people who have it marked as “to-read” as of today: 326
As for the two winners who have not reviewed my book yet, one still has it on her to-read shelf, and the other doesn’t have it on any of her shelves. Could she be a reseller? Sure. Or maybe she accidentally removed it from her to-read shelf. (There I go again, looking for a positive explanation.) Either way, I just hope someone reads that particular copy someday!
So, are Goodreads Giveaways good or bad? I say good, but I am a glass-half-full kind of girl.
Based on my results, what do you think?
November 1, 2014
Click Date Repeat Book Blitz
If you are a book blogger, please sign up to host the upcoming Click Date Repeat book blitz!
Visit lolasblogtours.net for details.
Or, simply fill out aregistration form.
If you are a reader, be sure to sign up for a chance to win an Amazon gift card during the blitz! View the tour schedule for a list of hosts, then visit a hosting blog to register.
September 30, 2014
Click Date Repeat Giveaway
September 6, 2014
Married People Can't Online Date?
I explained that it's about a young woman who wants to find someone special to share her life with, so she goes "shopping" online for people to go on dates with. I told him it's called online dating.
Him: Maybe you should try online dating.
Me: I can't. I'm married to your father.
Him: But he never takes you on dates.
Me: I know. But people aren't supposed to be online dating if they're married.
(a few moments of silence)
Him: Maybe Aunt S should try online dating.
Me: She can't because she's married to Uncle T!
Him: Well, maybe she should try it anyway.
My brother-in-law is a great guy and my son loves his uncle dearly, but still, priceless!
