Alexis’s Comments (group member since Jan 04, 2017)

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

N.N. wrote: "Alexis wrote: "N.N. wrote: "Thanks Carole for nudging me. I don't like to brag about myself but am always looking for new authors to help.

Alexis, no it's not a typo. I get 300 hits a day.

R.L., ..."



Do you also work with authors that write erotic romance? :)

N.N. wrote: "Thanks Carole for nudging me. I don't like to brag about myself but am always looking for new authors to help.

Alexis, no it's not a typo. I get 300 hits a day.

R.L., send me an email (nnlight@ou..."


300? Typo? :p

45 million? Not a typo?

Warning: unedited, first draft, grammar issues etc etc lol

I write erotic romance so although this passage is not TOO bad, I'm still going to put it in spoiler tags since I really don't want to make anyone uncomfortable.

(view spoiler)[He let out a low chuckle. A second later Jourdan felt him kiss the back of her neck, before saying, in that husky voice that drove her insane, “Morning, baby.”.
Well, that send a whole new stream of wetness down her thighs, didn’t it? Lord, the man sounded good in the morning.
She loved it when he called her “baby”.
Jourdan cleared her throat. “Good morning.”
He kissed her shoulder then, bit into it softly. “I’m hungry.”
As he slid a finger inside of her, Jourdan realized that she was too. Starving, really. (hide spoiler)]

I'm going get that printed on a T-Shirt and wear it while writing.

NGNG! Could it become the new "YOLO"? :p

Thanks Carole! I'm thinking: "Nee heb je, ja kun je krijgen". Literally translated, it's: "You already have "No", you can get a "Yes".

Better translation might be; nothing ventured, nothing gained, lol.

Now, personally, I wouldn't mind if someone would send a RESPECTFUL, one-time message to check out their books. I've reached out to a couple of reviewers on here and they couldn't have been nicer. But I can see how it can get annoying if readers are being bombared with messages.

So, now, I'm thinking about contacting a couple of more users and link them to my website, www.alexiswills.com, with just a short message telling them that I'm a new author and that I wrote a book I think they'd enjoy.

Do?
Or Don't?

I'm not sure where to say this Carole, but I'd be really if this group had different folders, for example "Promotions", "Articles" and stuff like that. That way we would be able to get to the content that we want without much trouble,

Alex wrote: "My head has just exploded and I barely got into that article. I know I need a website but I lack the visual creativity to put one together, and can't afford to pay for one.

Thank you so much for ..."

I tried! There are still some stuff I will need to do in the coming months, like adding a media/press kit.

But like the author says at the end of that article:
This is a lot of information, but don’t let it overwhelm you. You are building your writing platform and career, one plank at a time, so there must be some effort involved.

Carole wrote: "Great article. I needed help with that, so between my younger son, took care of setting up the website. It's really important. I had no idea. I recently was picked up by an agent who sells to forei..."

Yes, that's so true. And you have to keep on adding new fresh content as well to draw readers in, of course.

So, today was "work on my website" day for me. I'm a researcher - I need to analyze a problem before I tackle it. And today, during my research (read: googling) I came across an article that I think you ladies and gentlemen might enjoy and learn from as well.

_____

An author website has a lofty goal: it needs to not just be, but also needs to perform and respond.

No longer just a fancy, static, online business card, it is an author’s ‘homebase‘, a marketing and networking hub and a portal that allows communication to flow between an author and his or her readers

Visiting an author’s website is one of the leading ways that book readers support and get to know their favourite authors better. The stronger the relationship, the more likely zealous advocates will spread the word about the author to friends, family and peers.

And website visits can translate directly into books sold.

Read more: http://www.yourwriterplatform.com/aut...

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If you're curious about what my website ended up looking like, visit: www.alexiswills.com (work in progress/disclaimer: I write erotic romance so adult language and content).

(You KNOW you're curious now. Just go look. Am I a sneaky promoter or what? :D )

Carole, you rock. You're great!
(Yes, I'm fangirling.)

Alex wrote: "There is a thread for services we are able to provide to one another, but I thought it might be a good idea to have a thread for services we've used.
There are a variety of essential things we all ..."

Great idea, Alex.
I'd like to add "Editors" to that list. Would love to hear some experiences and or testimonials.

Aw, that's awesome Carole. I'm glad it helped!

Typing my name twice, means I show up in the thread, just so you know. It's not a bad idea, but I worry that not a lot of us have managed to build a large enough online presence to make a difference. I might be underestimating our combined powers though.

Preparing Your Goodreads Marketing Timeline

Whether you’re traditionally published or self-published, as an author today you’re expected to participate in your book marketing campaigns. You are the linchpin! Nobody knows your books as well as you do, which makes you the best person to identify, reach, and connect with your audience. Don’t worry: Finding readers is the fun part!

When planning a marketing campaign, take the time to devise a strategy. For example, you wouldn’t be able to offer a giveaway before you have printed galleys in hand, and you wouldn’t want to run advertisements before your book is available for pre-order. Planning your activities ahead of time will pay dividends in the long run.

Here is a suggested marketing timeline to help you schedule your promotions on Goodreads.
READ MORE: https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/6...

Carole wrote: "I agree with both of you and here comes unpopular opinion time- this is where Kirkus and Foreword reviews come in handy. Every time they've reviewed with my son or me, their reviews have been dead ..."

Betareaders are a good (cheaper) option too. I hope to find honest ones that are also kind, lol!

Well, what I have learned so far is that being honest is important. Being honest with yourself basically. And to combine that with being practical. Now, a disclaimer here: I haven't published anything yet but I've been hanging with indies for a couple of months now and I, like everyone else, have a bit of life and career experience.

I see a lot of writers who might not be having the success they want, even after running a lot of promotions and stuff like that. The main advice I hear given is: WRITE MORE. Which is not bad advice but I think there should be more to it. IF you've done all you possibly can to sell a book, I would tell someone first: Find out what you did wrong. You can't fix something if you don't know what's wrong. You can't write a better book with better opening chapters that draw readers in, if you don't acknowledge the fact that your last book had a bit of a crappy beginning.

I hang out on Carole's blog sometimes. And I read a great interview she did with C.L. Lynch, and C.L., after listing everything she's done on the marketing front said something that struck a chord with me and had me going; "You go, girl."

She said:

Time will tell. But in the meantime, I feel like I have done what I can to give it a good start, and the best possible chance of finding those fans.

If no one likes it... well... I'll just have to write a better one.

So to conclude, what I have learned so far is not just to "WRITE MORE", but to do all you can, acknowledge the mistakes you made, learn from them and to write better.

It is something I plan to keep in mind as I send this little book of mine into the world to betareaders.

Alex wrote: "I thought you had it done Alexis, is it still an issue?"

Yeahh. Turns out I'm a bit of a perfectionist. =/

Carole wrote: "You know what Alexis- I'm telling Brit we can put you on the sheet-I won't have to worry about the book getting into a kid's hands- Hey, we've got a solution. I need a copy of the cover.
Can you i..."

No Carole, it's fine truely. You've been tremendously kind and I'm glad to see the others enjoying such a great opportunity. Not every opportunity is meant for everybody! Plus ask Alex, I am having cover problems. It's being redesigned to be a bit brighter lol. Seriously don't worry about it. At all!!