Carole’s Comments (group member since Oct 19, 2016)

Carole’s comments from the Navigating Indieworld Discussing All Things Indie group.

Is there a reason it won't let me vote for Angel??

Read through the threads. It's filled with creative people who are all working on getting their book out there.

RL started a magazine because she couldn't afford ads- it's now in it's sixth month and going strong. You can write an article for it and it is a great way for people to learn about you.

We have a blog roll- Do you have a blog? Would you like to be on mine? Ben Jackson would be happy to feature your book. We all do it as a courtesy to each other. Many of the other people here would be willing to share their blog space as well. There are clever folks here, who can rattle off all kinds of statics of which is the best blog tour, or place to advertise. They have studied it and really know their stuff.

Don't be afraid to ask- there is never a wrong question or a bad answer.

Thank you, everyone!!

Thanks, Carmen. I have a mailing list that I started building six years ago, when I began publishing. I would do a press announcement with Bostick and people would write asking for a copy to review. I combed the Amazon top reviewers and wrote them asking for honest reviews. I did blog tours with people like Bianca Schulz The Children's Book Review and she would give me people who signed up to hear about the books. I put them in a Mail Chimp list that now has over five thousand people. My mailing lists is over a thousand, my Kindle list is also over a thousand. For my son's book, Monsterland- we bought swag- t shirts, hats, pencils, my son made the front page of the fictional town where the event happens, fidget spinners- crap like that- We googled a list of all college newspapers. Every college newspaper has an arts and entertainment editor. We sent it to them and have had a great result. Every time I had someone interested, I added them to my lists and it keeps growing. I do event bags for the awards shows in LA- so I started filling them with our books. I then decided to open it up to other indies- so, for instance-- I think we had eighty bags for the Emmy's. They had a few books that were donated, and I had Brit prepare a flyer with everyone's books- because I know most can't send in that many books. Carmen, I don't go to the drug store without books- I hand them out in the salon, doctor's office, - you name it.

I'm actually pretty proud of what we've done. We gave it our best shot- the rest is up to seeing if the book has staying power. But, I have to say- this is the saddest Christmas season I've seen for book sales in over five years. The numbers are just off. I lowered all my prices to save the books from sinking into the higher ratings, where thy can disappear.

Thanks Christine
Alex-
I don't mind- it would have eaten at me- I'm discovering that some of the best publicity is the stuff I do on my own. We did a huge mailing and I know all his reviews are the result of my own mailing list. We sent out bags of books and swag to colleges all over the country- it's netted him quite a few interviews. What I'm saying is that people who think they can't sell their books because they don't have an expensive team pushing it- don't realize the best promoter is yourself.

Ah ha!!

Well, I fired the fancy publicist we hired for my son's book. In the three months he's taken BIG money, all the articles, blogs, and mentions from Google come from my office, not his. He's gotten one spot on the radio- So, another expensive experiment I now have the experience to share- Even if you think you aren't known because you don't have a pr machine working to put your name out- I can tell you I would have had better results by placing all that money on the hard eight.

Me neither. I have seven votes- while others have 300 or so. lol

Oh well, we made it to here. How does this site work?

I know- I tried and they won't let me. They say I have already voted from this ip address. I must have hit a ket wrong.

Great work, Angel

I don't know how my books got in there- Brit must have entered it- Was there an entrance fee?

Denise wrote: "Carole wrote: "Let's post our blogs here and share them- I always forget to share my own. Mine this week is about bullying- a subject that is vital to discuss.

http://caroleproman.blogspot.com/"


I'll let Brit know.
..."

Great news, guys!

Ben was that the book we put on the flyer?

Thanks, guys!!!

Voted!!

I agree. It's been a lot of fun, but it's a total uphill climb.

I know, Carmel- sometimes the mountain feels so steep

It's all about networking and using the resources you have. Everybody here contributes, whether it's sharing someones post or sharing information. I have learned so much from the people here.
We have sent our books directly to people in the industry- Unless you are invited to do it- it is probably a waste of time. That doesn't mean that a miracle can't happen. I place the books in the swag bags in the hope that someone, a producer, director, actor, executive will find something that tickles them. I will say several producers who know us, humored me and read my son's books- nothing happened. He was politely rejected- and these were people who knew him since he was a baby. It wasn't until he got a film agent that the book gained some traction- and she wouldn't send it anywhere until he was published by a publisher. I don't know why...but when I look up the indie success stories- they are all being published by traditiional houses

I'll ask.

For those of you participating in the Swag Bags- Here are the dates-
We missed the Governors Ball- I forgot to set it up.S next is the AMA- They will need books asap-

Saturday Nov 11 Governors Awards
Sunday Nov 19 – American Music Awards
November 27 - Gotham Awards *
Friday Jan 5 - AFI Awards luncheon *
Sunday Jan 7 – Golden Globes
Wednesday Jan 10 - People's Choice Awards
Thursday Jan 11 - Critics Choice *
Jan 15 - NAACP Image Awards*
Saturday Jan 20 PGA Awards
Sunday Jan 21 Sag Awards
Friday Jan 26 - Ace Eddie Awards*
Saturday Jan 27 Art Director’s Guild Awards
Saturday Feb 3 DGA Awards
Saturday Feb 3 Annie Awards
Tuesday Feb 5 - Oscar Nominee Lunch*
Saturday Feb 10 USC Scripter Awards
Sunday Feb 11 WGA Awards
Friday Feb 18 ASC Awards
Sunday Feb 18 Bafta Awards
Saturday Feb 24 - CAS Awards*
Saturday March 3 Spirit Awards
Saturday March 3 Bafta Tea party
Sunday March 4 - Oscars