Author: selfpublishingadvisor

Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week, Uncategorized, weekly self published book review

Saturday Book Review: “Somebody Else’s Business”

Book reviews are a great way for self-publishing authors to gain exposure. After all, how can someone buy your book if he or she doesn’t know it exists? Paired with other elements of your book promotion strategy, requesting reviews is a great way to get people talking about what you’ve written.

When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us to let the community know about a great book. Here’s this week’s book review, courtesy of Romantic Fanatic:

somebody else's business by charlton james

Somebody Else’s Business

by Charlton James

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 978-0578148199

Synopsis:

This journey of the unexpected begins with the deployment of John Willoughby. He writes a letter expressing his committed love to his fiancee Tiffany Adams, who misplaces the letter within an hour after receiving it. Through happenstance, Kelly; the wife of another relationship finds the letter while walking her dog. Enthralled by the expressive content, she takes the letter home with the intent of using it as a tool to rekindle the spontaneity in her marriage; from there the story unfolds into a series of destructive episodes. The words and expressions intended for one relationship are read and conveyed in another.

As consequence of being involved in Somebody Else’s Business, the trust and fidelity in Kelly’s marriage is compromised. The seeds of assumption are carried yet further by an unwary housekeeper Maria, who promulgates a discovery of baseless assumptions implicating her employer’s husband of infidelity. A confrontation ensues. Guilt leads to the fate of a husband and the destruction of two additional relationships. Overall 15 lives are devastated based on assumptions.

The characters are methodically developed and sequenced to bring home the lesson of “Speculative Disqualification.” From tragedy and fate, a victim emerges as a hero for social consciousness. The story-line transitions ingenuously for a climatic twist. The lesson ends with the consolation of its beginning. Though we watch from the sidelines and are entertained by the characters wit, keep in mind Somebody Else’s Business is everything and anything that doesn’t pertain to you.

Critique:

This author’s writing style was a little hard to follow and I would almost call it rambling at points, [which] just made it a little difficult. However the story was very interesting with characters that were affected by the letter being lost. The author keeps the story interesting with the different characters and the story lines.

[ reviewed by Brave One on Romantic Fanatic ]

Here’s what other reviewers are saying:

Somebody Else’s Business by Charlton James is a superb novel of drama, tragedy, and intrigue. Immediately readers’ attention is drawn by the curiosity of the character’s find and the reaction chain it causes. Relationships are on the line of breaking…destructive, emotional, and powerful tale of how someone else’s business gets picked up by another and another until the damage appears, and everything is never the same. Charlton James is a master at suspense and creating a novel that sparks, entertains, fascinates readers. The characters are well-developed and the pages are well-written in a way that will forever entice readers to its plot. Charlton James as a dramatic flare for creating the juiciest drama and trouble readers shall ever find. I fell in love with this talented writer’s words and the scenes that unfolded before me. Somebody Else’s Business is definitely a must read for those who love Pretty Little Liars, Downton Abby, and Manchester. Overall, I highly recommend this stunning story to readers worldwide. I promise once you read this you won’t be disappointed.

– Amazon Reviewer Danielle Urban

I have 3 words to describe this book “Fab U Lous” the storyline leads you down several different paths of suspense and intrigue, there are twists and turns that you never see coming. While reading this book I would immerse myself so deeply that I felt as though I were one of the characters in the story. This is my first read of a Charlton James novel but I can promise you it won’t be my last. Bravo Mr. James you have a new fan, I will definitely recommend your book to my family & friends. I’m looking forward to your next work!

– Amazon Reviewer Roberta R

Book Trailer:

saturday self-published book review

Thanks for reading!  Keep up with the latest in the world of indie and self-published books by watching this space every Saturday!

Self Publishing Advisor

selfpubicon1

Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Conversations: 6/24/2016

JUNE IS BUSTING OUT ALL OVER

The Season for Short Stories

(Part IV)

Have you heard these statements about writers?

“We don’t choose to become a writer. We’re just born that way.”

“A writer is a mysterious creature, fired by inspiration with his head in the clouds.”

“A writer believes in truth and sees the world not as a place but as WORDS that reveal truth.”

A few years ago—well many years ago—when I was teaching a World Literature class for sophomore students, we read an intriguing story about a “stolen” ribbon. The evidence of the theft was the ribbon being found in someone’s pocket. However, the circumstances of how it got there were not accepted as “truth.” You see, the person who was found with the ribbon—and arrested—had seen it fall from the owner’s hand. By the time he’d recovered it from the ground, the owner was nowhere to be found and no one was around to help. So the ribbon was placed safely in his pocket until he could return it to the owner. The conundrum that my students and I discussed was this: HOW does anyone prove they’re not guilty of an accusation without witnesses? Let me assure you, the conversations were lively. And this short story played a major role in helping these young people (and this older one) practice what is known as logical thinking.

Author, Arthur Conan Doyle, was a master in creating webs of intrigue in both short-story and novels. Many do not know that Doyle was medically trained and his practical experience as a doctor (on land and sea) was the foundation for Sherlock Holmes’ methods of deductive reasoning. Doyle turned his personal skills and abilities into mystery writing and the practice of logical thinking that aimed to find the truth for millions of readers.

While the writings of other authors can inspire us to write on any variety of topics, the Season of Spring is also something magical and miraculous—happening all around us. So it is that I encourage us to consider researching what it is that boosts our energy and makes us smile each and every springtime—then, write about it.

  • The small creek close to home now has a constant flow of water; cricket and frog sounds seem to come from all directions as I come closer. WHY?
  • The cottonwood trees are feathering out with new leaves and children are investigating the trails between them. WHO are these children? What do they hope to discover?
  • The orioles have returned to bird baths, joined by finches and red-winged black birds. WHAT is it about their songs that make people want to sing?
  • HOW does my neighbor find such unusual flowers for his springtime garden? They have names like Fawn Lilies, Chinese hellebore, and Leopard’s Bane. He always knows WHERE to plant each one.
  • WHEN will the spring rain-clouds move away, so I can see the evening sky and the stars and constellations that will shine in the heavens for the next several months? This is a transition that starts in spring. With just a little research a multitude of short stories can be born.

You may have noticed the journalistic tools emphasized in the points above. They are reminders that every writing skill we’ve learned will help us create excellent stories—short or novel length.

summer

By the time you read this last blog entry, we will already have moved into SUMMER (June 20th—6:34 a.m.), but please don’t let that slow the writing that you’ve started this spring! Now is the time to complete those short stories, publish them as a collection and/or use them as outlines for a series of novels. ⚓︎

RoyaleneABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene has been writing something since before kindergarten days and continues to love the process. Through her small business—DOYLE WRITING SERVICES—she brings more than 40 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their projects. This is a nice fit as she develops these blogs for Outskirts Press (OP) a leading self-publisher, and occasionally accepts a ghostwriting project from one of their clients. Her recent book release (with OP) titled FIREPROOF PROVERBS, A Writer’s Study of Words, is already receiving excellent reviews including several professional writer’s endorsements given on the book’s back cover.  

Royalene’s writing experience grew through a wide variety of positions from Office Manager and Administrative Assistant to Teacher of Literature and Advanced Writing courses and editor/writer for an International Christian ministry. Her willingness to listen to struggling authors, learn their goals and expectations and discern their writing voice has brought many manuscripts into the published books arena.
elizabeth speaks, in your corner, Uncategorized

In Your Corner : Building Anticipation Like a Pro (or maybe like Patrick Rothfuss?)

I’m not exactly what you might call a “film buff,” but I really and truly love the movies.  And some movies are more noteworthy than others, right?  Some even seem to be noteworthy before I have a chance to see them in theaters.  Case in point: last year’s Oscar nominees for Best Picture.  Whenever I sat down to marathon some streaming video on my iPad, the fifteen-minute ad breaks were the same Brooklyn trailer on repeat.  The local movie theater (and I’m talking small-town movie theater, here) had posters up for The Revenant a full year in advance, and I’m not even sure how they got ahold of those posters!  Articles on low-budget indie faves Room and Spotlight were cropping up everywhere that I get my word fix online–news engines like The New York Times and genre specific conversation forums alike.  The local public library put up a display featuring all of the books that inspired the movies (and this year, most of the Best Picture noms were based on books) long before celebrities lit up the stage in Hollywood to dole out those little gold statues.

I guess what I’m saying is: we all know what anticipation looks like.  It’s the six months (or year) before the Academy Awards.  It’s the year (or two years) before the Presidential Elections.  It’s the half-decade before Patrick Rothfuss or George R.R. Martin each release the next book in their series.  It’s the “buzz” we hear in day-to-day conversations, the flurry of visual displays going up in our public spaces, and the ticket reservations sold out long in advance.

Kingkiller chronicles patrick rothfuss reddit
[ anticipation looks like a Reddit thread about any of these examples! ]
And here’s another thing: self-publishing authors often sell themselves short on anticipation.  It’s almost as if we don’t think we deserve it, that we’ve earned the “buzz.”  Or perhaps, it’s that we’ve internalized the message being preached by many traditional publishers and their ancillary believers–the message that we indie authors are somehow “not good enough,” or that the work we produce is itself somehow “not good enough.”  Which, by the way, is complete and total garbage.  We are good enough.  Our work is good enough.  If it wasn’t, would traditional publisher’s be so eager to poach Andy Weir and Christopher Paolini and others like them out of our ranks?  No.  But there is definitely a corporate benefit to sowing a sense of self-doubt amongst self-publishing professionals.

So here’s the deal:

Building anticipation is a real, tangible, achievable goal.

And there are any number of ways that you can start to generate interest in your books before you publish!  Put together a blog which features short excerpts from the book–amongst other things, of course–and seed your existing social media accounts with excerpts from the book–author Mirtha Michelle Castro Marmol is a great example of a self-publishing author doing just that–and gather interest in a book signing event!  These are not new concepts, but we often approach them as, quite simply, items to check off of our checklists.  As work.  But if you keep in mind that the end result isn’t actually just “SELL MORE BOOKS” but rather, “Hey, this might start a conversation!  This might generate some anticipation!” then your work may end up feeling a lot more like a healthy, sustainable, enjoyable conversation with potential readers and fans.

The decisions you make now to start conversations will build your audience and customer base before your book is even published.  Kelly Schuknecht, one of my fellow writers on Self Publishing Advisor and fellow advocate at Outskirts Press, has often spoken about how we often wait until after a book is published–through Outskirts or Amazon or some other means–to start marketing.  And how this is actually far too late.  The same is true of building anticipation–which kind of makes sense, right?

anticipation clock

Anticipation relies upon the simple fact that the thing we desire is a thing presently out of reach, that is in the works or on its way.  If the thing is already here, people might be interested … but they won’t be anticipating.  So if there is one thing I can recommend to you today, it’s that you get out there and think about suspense, and desire, and anticipation as something worth building.  Think about the Oscars if it helps, or the next season of Orange is the New Black (because let’s face it, you already marathoned the entire fourth season and now you have to wait another year to find out what happens next!), or the next book in that series you really love that isn’t here yet.  That is the feeling you want readers to have about your book–and you can make that a reality!

 

You are not alone. ♣︎

ElizabethABOUT ELIZABETH JAVOR: With over 18 years of experience in sales and management, Elizabeth Javor works as the Manager of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable publishing consultants, pre-production specialists, customer service reps and book marketing specialists; together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process to help them publish the book of their dreams. Whether you are a professional looking to take your career to the next level with platform-driven non-fiction or a novelist seeking fame, fortune, and/or personal fulfillment, Elizabeth Javor can put you on the right path.
Alternative Marketing Methods, Book Marketing, Kelly Speaks, Marketing Your Self-Published Book, Uncategorized

Marketing Master Strokes Episode 3: Incentivize!

Two weeks ago, we stopped thinking about the many ways we can mess up the marketing process (Marketing Missteps) to thinking about the many ways we can knock this marketing thing out of the park–and so this series, Marketing Master Strokes, was born.  Our first marketing master stroke?  Being all ears.  (Which is to say, listening to the stories of others, and keeping an open mind to actually changing your own approach.)  And our second?  Being willing to reach your readers where they live, which we elaborated upon to explain involves setting aside the ego in order to adapt your outreach methods to best suit your readers.

But what about a third Marketing Master Stroke?  Well, it’s going to be one that rings a few bells, plucks a few strings, or sets off a few sparks of memory–because we write about it a lot here on Self-Publishing Advisor.  We use a lot of different names for it and we come at it from all kinds of different angles, but what we’re here to talk about today is the deceptively simple concept of incentivization–about motivating your potential readers to become actual readers, in point of fact.  How do you make purchasing your book an inviting proposition?  How do you make it an inevitability?

The format of your book makes a big difference.  If you offer both digital (e-book and in many cases, audiobook) and analog (physical paperback or hardcover) copies of your book, I recommend breaking down your approach into separate fronts.  Incentivization by way of promotion and marketing looks so dramatically different between those two categories that it’s almost worth–or rather, probably worth–doing one at a time, so that you can throw the sum total of your energy and concentration into addressing each format separately.

Digital Formats

Whether we’re talking about an e-book or an audiobook, digital formats offer some truly exciting possibilities for incentivization.  Amazon automatically offers the first ten or so pages for free (the so-called “first chapter freebie“) and you can replicate this on your blog and with other online retailers.  Curating your own freebie chapter isn’t an option with Amazon, but it is when you choose the method of delivery via blog or email, and I highly recommend taking the time to edit what makes it in to your freebie–this gives you an edge over the Amazon preview, which often cuts off in the middle of a paragraph.  Make sure the freebie ends with some sort of natural cliffhanger or emotional hook, to keepyour readers coming back!

Perhaps the greatest weapon in your digital arsenal is the option to offer timed discounts and sales.  Because you control the base price as a self-publishing author, you get to shape your own sales!  You can time them to coincide with events of national interest (say, Father’s Day or the anniversary of Amelia Earhart’s final fateful voyage–you know, only relevant to you and your work) or you can use the calendar as a guiding star.  Sales tend to find success when they close on the last or first day of a month, holidays, and so on.  Why are sales so important?  Because they create a sense of urgency.  Offering a constant “discounted” price does nothing but soften the impact of your sales pitch, but a timed sale?  Readers often just need that last little bit of motivation to move from “thinking about it” to “take my money!”  Or at least, that’s my experience in bookstore checkout lines.

Physical Formats

We’ve talked a lot about these strategies, and I don’t want to bore you to tears, but don’t forget to work your way through the entire checklist:

  • Book Readings (a great centerpoint for a sale, by the way)
  • Book Fairs (ditto that!)
  • Giveaways & Merch (you don’t want to leverage these as bribes for reviews, but you can certainly use them to incentivize coming to other events where your books are sold, or to encourage the sort of general enthusiasm for your work that will naturally lead to reviews!)
  • Limited Edition Offers & Bundles (comic book authors have created some really good models for bundles that you can use for inspiration, and creating short runs of specialty covers is also a specialty of theirs; don’t hesitate to mix it up to build demand)
  • Insider Access (readers want to feel special for being your fans, and you should reward this impulse; maybe the purchase of a book becomes a ticket to an author interview via Google Hangouts–or maybe it gives them access to a limited-access “behind the scenes”  page on your website? The options are endless!)

comic con booth

Go find your readers!

Thank you for reading!  If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or contributions, please use the comment field below or drop us a line atselfpublishingadvice@gmail.com.  And remember to check back each Wednesday for your weekly dose of marketing musings from one indie, hybrid, and self-published author to another. ♠

KellyABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Executive Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog, kellyschuknecht.com. 10:00 AM

 

from the archives, Kelly Speaks, Uncategorized

From the Archives: “6 Radio Interview Tips for Self-Publishing Authors”

Welcome back to our Tuesday segment, where we’ll be revisiting some of our most popular posts from the last few years.  What’s stayed the same?  And what’s changed?  We’ll be updating you on the facts, and taking a new (and hopefully refreshing) angle on a few timeless classics of Self Publishing Advisor.

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[ Originally posted: March 6th, 2013 ]

Radio interviews are a great way for self publishing authors to promote themselves and their books, but many people are nervous about doing radio interviews. With these great tips, you are sure to have a successful and fun experience.

1. Keep it fun!

Most radio listeners enjoy some humor and natural conversation. The easiest way to nail your interview is to not over think it. Just go with the flow and don’t take yourself too seriously. Listeners can tell if you are having fun, so don’t forget to smile and be enthusiastic. Even though you are on the radio, listeners can still sense your expressions.

2. Keep it natural!

Interviews that are over-rehearsed and presentation-like are boring and awkward. While you can practice a little bit ahead of time, don’t read from notes or memorize your talking points. Just act as if you were talking to a friend.

3. Don’t worry about silence.

Many people worry about moments of awkward silence. It is the radio host’s responsiblity to fill those gaps and keep the interview moving, so don’t worry. The pressure isn’t on you.

4. Be ready to go live.

If you are doing a phone interview, know that many hosts start the interview shortly after the call begins. Some hosts will give you a few minutes to listen and get comfortable, but be prepared to go live immediately.

5. Keep it short.

Keep your answers to 30 seconds or less. This allows for more questions and some commercial breaks, and it keeps the listeners from getting bored.

6. Be respectful.

You may get some callers who aren’t very pleasant. They may challenge or insult you, but you must stay professional. While it is okay to defend yourself or the topic when the caller is wrong, be sure to do so gracefully. The listeners will respect you if you remain respectful.

I’d love to know, do you plan on doing radio interviews?

– by Kelly Schuknecht

We’ve written about radio interviews occasionally here on Self Publishing Advisor—here, here, and here–but while the world has changed a great deal in respect to its usage of technology, we authors have yet to take full advantage of the changes that have taken place within the radio industry.

Take the changes in listenership, for example: according to Ryan Faughnder of The LA Times, “the millennials so desired by advertisers (specifically, people in the 18-34 age group) listen to an average of 11.5 hours of radio a week. That’s less than people in Generation X (those aged 35-49) and baby boomer (50-64) categories, who average 14 hours and 14.5 hours a week, respectively.”  Where have they gone?  As Faughnder goes on to explain, they’re still listening to audio–but they’re streaming it.  “While nine out of 10 millennials still listen to at least five minutes of traditional radio a week,” he says, “young adults are splitting their time with other audio options such as streaming services (including Spotify, Rdio and now Beats Music) and their personal music collections.”  In a world of streaming audio, self-curated content is king.

\After all, when you know what you like, why leave the soundtrack to your morning commute up to chance?  Radio is famous for operating somewhat independently of its listeners’ stated interests–NPR, for example, perceives itself as a discovery tool as much as it does programming for the people.  Much of the disconnect between Millennial listeners and traditional radio services can be chalked up to this difference in perception–but the good news is, they still listen, albeit not for long and not always by the same methods we are used to.  This means you must capitalize on the brevity of the format–keeping it short and vibrant for listeners who live with their finger on the radio dial–and you must also go looking for new marketing ideas in radio.  Remember podcasts?  Very often they feature specialized content that would complement your work perfectly–and they have a fairly wide reach, too, given that they’re archived online and available to stream through iTunes and other services.  And book bloggers who also run podcasts might be willing to work with you on a brief interview for on-air and a longer interview to be hosted on their website, allowing you the best of both worlds.  Check out the advertising options for radio programs and podcasts that you like, and consider paying for an ad instead of an interview, as ads are repeated often enough to reach multiple demographics.

Radio isn’t dead, but it’s evolving!  Even in the three years since I posted my original article, we’ve seen massive clusters of readers move from traditional radio to streaming services.  As Kobi Yamada writes in What Do You Do With a Problem? (one of my new favorite picture books, by the way!), don’t think of this as a problem–think of it as an opportunity!

what do you do with a problem

Thanks for reading.  If you have any other ideas, I’d love to hear them.  Drop me a line in the comments section below and I’ll respond as quickly as I can.  ♠

KellyABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Executive Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog, kellyschuknecht.com.