Cate’s Comments (group member since Feb 24, 2018)

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

Thank you both so much! I really like the way Dale started with the line "Somebody wants her dead" and also how Carole introduced Xander. I've been stuck on this blurb for weeks but now I think I know how I'll fix it up.

A word puzzle is a good way to describe it lol

Not a first time author, but this year I'll be a first time self publisher. Publishing The Lost Sepulcher (romantic suspense) in June! How's your novel going so far?

Hi Dale! Thanks so much for asking. To answer the first question, in the scene before Leila wakes up, she's chased and caught, so she knew when she woke up that someone was after her. I left that part out to cut down on word count.
Second question, Leila doesn't exactly know why she's been dumped in the desert but she assumes it's because she was left to die a slower death instead of being shot like she thought she would be. It doesn't quite add up because even if she's stranded, there's still a small chance of surviving. So that does confuse her (and readers are left to wonder, too).

I hope that helps!

Hi all! I'm feeling a little overwhelmed trying to get this blurb to "pop." I think this is my 200th draft. The book is romantic suspense, more emphasis on suspense than romance.

Well, here goes:



Trying to escape an assassin, archaeologist Leila Sterling wakes up in the middle of the desert. Alone. Miles from civilization, the message is clear: somebody wants her dead. Leila's flame, archaeologist-turned-policeman Xander Harrison, is desperate to find his woman—before the shadowy killer strikes again.

As Leila seeks safety and Xander seeks clues to her whereabouts, they both find themselves in two brutal races for survival. From a remnant of an ancient hieroglyphic text to whispers of a legendary lost tomb in the Sinai mountains, from the glistening waves of the Nile to the swaying saddle of a camel, Leila and Xander are thrown into a web of conspiracy, revenge, and deception.

Will their paths ever cross again, or will the shocking discovery of one of the greatest mysteries of the past destroy Leila...and the man she loves?


Thoughts? Is it too long? Too vague? Too much info? Too wordy? Or something else?

I'd really appreciate any feedback! Thanks :)

Cate

Great article. I feel better for not chasing reviews. I just don't have time for it!

For ARCs I used Booksprout and got a few reviews from there, no trolls. Everyone was nice, even those who didn't entirely enjoy the book.

I hope one day I'll have 100 books to publish! For now 10 will last me a few years. ;) The price for 100 German ISBN's would be $2.75 per book. Still too big of a chunk to pay right now. The pricing definitely favors publishing houses.

I agree, the prices are outrageous. I don't blame anyone for opting for the free ISBNs. The German agency charges 150 Euros for 10, so still not cheap but if you think about it as 15 Euros ($17) per book, it's a better much deal than Bowker.

I get them all the time too. I just delete and ignore. Going into the author business, I always understood that you send them a book as "payment"not cash. More annoying are the users on Instagram who message me saying they want to review my book, and then send a price list. I've gotten a dozen of those. Is there that much money to be made as a book reviewer (despite it being forbidden by Amazon to pay for a review)?

Hi Dale! Thank you! That makes sense. Since I'll be here for the foreseeable future, I guess I'll be buying from the German agency. :) Actually their ISBNs are less expensive than Bowker so that actually works in my favor LOL

Hi everyone! I've been looking into purchasing ISBN's and I'm a little stumped. I'm a US citizen residing in Germany, so my question is should I buy a German ISBN for my novel (written in English) or buy an ISBN from the US source, Bowker?

Any advice would be much appreciated! :)

The Stolen Papyrus is on sale for FREE until December 27th!

Leila must solve her father's murder before the annoyingly handsome suspect gets his hands on a treasure worth dying for.

https://amzn.to/2LaQn1t