C.B.’s Comments (group member since May 01, 2015)

C.B.’s comments from the Support for Indie Authors group.

Is Flit the mascot? :)

¡uʍop ǝpᴉsdn sᴉ ʇɐɥʇ ʞooq ɹnoʎ uᴉ ǝsɐɹɥd ɐ ƃuᴉʌɐɥ ʎɹʇ

¡ʎɹɔ ɹǝpɐǝɹǝ ǝɥʇ ɥɔʇɐʍ uɐɔ noʎ

♥

Personally I don't mind any perspective while reading. I do find it jarring however if it switches.

When a chapter that contains the main character is in first person, and the next chapter is in third person I just find it odd.

I think that for better flow either set up another character that can be a first person perspective while the MC is away, or have it set up in a limited third person. The narrative is still limited to what one character feels and knows, we can go in their head if we need to, but it is from outside of their eyes, so it talks about her and she, instead of I and me. :)

Even then, that can be jarring if when the next character is in control we don't know what is in their mind!

Saying that still, different perspective styles and shifts can be combined brilliantly if done right, but it is very tricky to pull off properly. It really all depends on what you want to try!

I was recapping the events thus far in my Novelette Tango Gourmet - Waltz of Salsa for some dramatic tension (you know, the what exactly is at stake paragraph to inspire everyone) and the main character pretty much typed in this reply on his own. I knew I had to keep it, and elaborated the recap to highlight exactly why the MC was absolutely correct.

Wellington’s Text Box: Okay, I knew that when I was cast as a protagonist in a Tales of Gentalia Novelette that I was in for some strange and sexy times, that just goes with the territory, but I can’t help but think that my strange times are about a hundred times more strange than the strange times that any other protagonist has had to deal with so far, or will ever again. This entire story has been really weird!

G.G. wrote: "why do I need to cut and separate your word in syllables.. such as Pot-ass-ium!

Ok turns around and hides."

I'm writing a fruit salad fight scene right now... I'm using that joke.

@Joe: Get out the Romulan Ale!

@GG: Potassium is always important!

Joe wrote: "More like:

Frozen Mudslide + My Book = A Great Night

=p"

We have very different books after all. ;)

Only a genius can solve this:

Apple + Apple + Apple = 30
Apple + Banana + Banana = 18
Banana + My Book = A great night!

Christina wrote: "I'm way to unstructured to do any Nano writing, but you guys have actually piqued my curiosity. I'm looking forward to lurking around the threads and seeing what each cabin gets up to."

Me either!
... But it was all very exciting at the time, so I signed up!

Heidi wrote: "Lurk all you like! I lurk on Support Indie Authors far more than I care to admit. (After all, my family thinks I am writing!)"

You are writing! That was 25 words right there!

Heidi wrote: "C.B. wrote: "I have never done this before, but I have been signed up for awhile now for this one.

I am already in a particularly crazy m/m romance cabin though, so I cannot join you, but if we ma..."

I think it is a good idea! :D
Helps keep me honest.

I have never done this before, but I have been signed up for awhile now for this one.

I am already in a particularly crazy m/m romance cabin though, so I cannot join you, but if we make a thread when it starts for progress I can certainly keep an update / track my goals over here as well.

I use Adobe InDesign to set up my books, then I use the Kindle Textbook creator to make them work.

The books are exactly as I want them to look, colours, boxes, and all, but people reading them cannot change the settings... so... there is that.

However, you can get a 19"x13" colour poster for 50 cents here. generally if you go bigger, it costs much more because the machine needs to be wide format.

TL. Here only one company handles the graphics for busses. They do all the ads, they do all the installs, they do everything and the bus company is contracted to only use them.
The thing is, printing alone costs $18 or more a square foot, since it needs to conform to the bus. Plus the fee to advertise on the bus. For something like this in a small town you are looking at $1000+ dollars, more in bigger cities.

but your area might be different, the bus company would know though, they would likely have an advertisement section.

you can get car decals for a window for much cheaper for your own car, and get just as much exposure as on a bus. (technically) buses are still bigger and more visual.

billboards are also expensive, looking at a few hundred just for the sign, not the place to put it

Yes, it is odd, but I think I can explain it a bit now, (something to think about anyways).

Just the other day I saw a post on my news feed. Someone had made a birthday cake and shared the picture. Damn did that cake get some serious love. It was a fine cake all things considered, but it got 75+ Likes and 30+ comments. For a cake.

A post I saw the same day for someone with about the same number of friends who was telling people that they were now painting homes with their home business as well as offices. It had a picture of the room they painted, and it was at least as impressive as the cake. That post got 5 Likes and 1 comment, (because I left them a comment).

So yes, this does happen to everyone.

So why was there such a difference? I think because with the cake there is no 'possible repercussions'. You can like the cake, you can say it is cute, you can tell people that Pikachu looks just like the animated character, and nothing can possibly happen to you.

If you tell the painter that she did a great job, well then, things could happen. That painter might assume you need paint work done, or even worse (and I think this is what happens the most) other people might think you are endorsing that painter personally.

I think this is the problem. If you switched those two posts, if the Pikachu cake was there and the person said they are now selling cakes, they would have got far less likes, and if that painter had just said, look at this new wall I did what a great blue huh?, then they would have got more likes.

It is the fear of endorsing something that people do not want to endorse, or getting follow up questions, that is what is stopping the likes from happening. (maybe)

Saying, look at this new book I wrote is like saying look at this room I painted, not like saying, what a fun cake!

I have been paying attention to my posts as well, and noticed this trend. It I say, hey my new book is out I get less discussion than if I put up a picture of a new cover and ask people if they like it. There is less commitment that way if someone replies. Less fear of endorsement.

Do you retweet fun jokes more, or people selling things?

Of course, I might be completely insane and over thinking this (maybe just one), but maybe if we all test this out, we can get a bigger sample size.

Don't tell people you have a new book out, instead tell people that you are working on a new cover and want to know if people like it. (or ask them if they think a character should be a werewolf or a weretiger instead of telling them that your new werewolf fiction is almost done).

Something without a fear of commitment or endorsement attached, and see if it improves how much conversation it starts with friends and family!

I agree with Christina,

5 days for a free promo is too long considering that Amazon only allows 5 days per every period. That is a long time without any other promo days to let your book lay stagnant. Especially since timing a countdown deal and free days often are at odds with each other.

If you blast books for 1 or 2 days at a time you can have multiple days of book boosting spread out over months. In my thus far limited experience on the subject it does help your other books as well during this time, and right after as well. I am trying now to get more short stories out just to allow me to have promo days more often to boost the other books!

This also has the benefit of allowing you to have days in 'reserve' if you want to suddenly have a promo, such as for a new book release, or when there is a promo going on here in the group and you can jump on the wagon with everyone! (Which boosts downloads a lot I found in the last promo) Or even, just because it is Tuesday.

I was up far too late researching soup.

This is what my life has become.

Heidi wrote: "C.B. wrote: "The real problem is that it is March.

People don't buy books in March, so don't worry about it. (I tell myself that anyways)"

I didn't know March was a bad time to publish? Crazy, be..."

No idea. :)
There might be better months than others.

Sorry, was trying to be funny / make you feel better. Not question your month choices.

The real problem is that it is March.

People don't buy books in March, so don't worry about it. (I tell myself that anyways)