Eldon’s Comments (group member since May 30, 2016)

Eldon’s comments from the Support for Indie Authors group.

Dwayne wrote: "I can't recall ever seeing a book end in a cliffhanger, but I have seen a lot of people say it's annoying when it happens."

Dwayne, I read a book by Matthew Reilly (can't remember the title but it was part of his series) that literally ended with the main character leaping off a cliff lol

Leon wrote: "I have a sci-fi trilogy. It started as a stand-alone novella but I decided to continue it. Book two ends on a cliffhanger, but hopefully when readers see, "Book two of the trilogy" on the cover, they won't be disappointed.

Thoughts?"

I can only speak from experience. I released a book two that ends on a cliffhanger one day before I released book three and people still got upset. The issue is, they pay for a book and expect a complete story. Some readers. Others are fine with it. It's just the chance you take :)

John wrote: "The relationship between Wiley and Rebecca seems to be very interesting with him having sent her to prison and now needing information from her. I suggest you consider adding some words about her a..."

Thanks for the feedback John :)

Jay wrote: "The first paragraph is good, and draws the reader in. But I think you’re letting your own foreknowledge blind you to the reader’s lack of context for the rest. From the reader’s viewpoint:

But the..."

Thanks Jay!

M.L. wrote: "I like the lead in and the first paragraph.
Some questions/thoughts:
What makes Wiley so important that his opposition to the Citadel matters?
Responsible for his mother's death: this could be ac..."

Great points M.L.!! Back to the drafting table I go :)

Looking for feedback and thoughts on this blurb attempt:

An Eden for everyone . . .

A new year brings the promise of hope to those living in the outlands. The Citadel has removed all restrictions placed upon them, welcoming them into a new Eden.

But the olive branch means nothing to Wiley. He holds them responsible for his mother’s death, and will stop at nothing to see them pay for their crimes. His best shot? The woman he sent to prison. Rebecca claims to have enough evidence to bury them. But can he trust her?

He’ll need to decide soon before the crimson shroud comes for him and his loved ones.

Welcome to the new reality where people are dying to belong.

Anna wrote: "Ooh... sorry. I agree there should be no links. I forgot!"

No worries :)

Anna wrote: "Does this help?"

Sorry Anna :( No links

It might just be me, but the tone of this discussion seems to be taking a turn toward heated. Not what anybody wants here.

S. Daisy, I'm sure no one meant to imply you were being anything less than helpful.

Dwayne wrote: "It isn't currently a rule, but I'm going to contact Ann before I reinstate it."

Is Ann still around? She hasn't been on here in awhile.

Dwayne wrote: "LongDraw wrote: "The errors are a result of typing on my phone. Laptop died about 3 weeks ago."

Don't fret it. We all make mistakes. We used to have a rule here against giving "advice" like "seek ..."

Wasn't aware of that rule Dwayne, but I shall support it. Each of us have our own journey to traverse :)

Ian wrote: "You can't use the book to resolve issues in the blurb, because if the blurb does not hook the potential reader, the book is unread"

Ian is correct, LongDraw. I think you're getting hung up on the finer points of your novel when the blurb isn't the place for that. Keep the blurb short - 100 to 200 words. Use it as a sales pitch. Big picture only. Why would someone want to read this book? Sell us :) Craft a tagline that creates curiosity. Google taglines for inspiration. And remember, the plot of the story is secondary to the emotional resonance that will hook a reader.

Tomas wrote: "Eileen wrote: "David Gaughran, who writes a lot about the indie publishing experience, has said that he thinks the average writer has to sell maybe 200 books to get one rating/review. My own averag..."

I second that!!

B.A. wrote: "The overly sensitive are trying to ban "Gone With the Wind" because of the subject matter and "offensive" words, etc. Just like Mark Twain's books. These are historically correct books including th..."

Amen to that :)

B.A. wrote: "I'm guessing this is fiction based on true stories. The overly sensitive will give you a bunch of nonsense and there is nothing you can say or do to stop that. You put that it is fiction based on X..."

I'm with you B.A.! Facts are facts.

Martin wrote: "Hey everyone, this is my debut novel and I am trying to find a better cover design. It's an adventure with murder, FBI investigation, and a young professional protagonist (and spouse) who invents a..."

#1 with less bright stones. Or maybe no stones at all.

David wrote: "In Hollywood when producers were looking for actors for parts they would too often "audition" them on the casting couch. In other words, the actors would have to have sex in order to get the role. ..."

Wow. The things people got away with...

David wrote: "casting couch...."

You have me intrigued, David. What is the casting couch?

David wrote: "Would welcome examples and ideas about author's notes for historical novels that address the challenge of being historically accurate of the time period but mindful of the sensitivities of the here..."

I'd be curious to know why modern day sensitivities would factor into a historically accurate novel? Seems like an impossibility to me. After all, history is not for us to judge, only to learn from.

James wrote: "Also, it's basic math. The cost to acquire a reader is never less expensive than it is if you stack promotions, since the likelihood Amazon sees the engagement over 5 days and promos it as well since it's getting the traffic...."

Curious to know how you will separate the results to know which sites provided value and which ones didn't?