Author: selfpublishingadvisor

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

Tuesday Book Review: “Dust to Dust”

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:

dust to dust john hudson

Dust to Dust

by John Hudson

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781478743347

 

Synopsis*:

The year is 1826 and Thomas Jefferson has just died. His beloved Monticello bustles with activity as funeral plans are swiftly organized for his burial in the family cemetery. Fast forward to 2026. A group of researchers specializing in regeneration technology have found success after years of work and significant investment. Dr. Pat Alexander, head researcher at BioGen, announces to the assembled group of board members/investors that the regeneration of a circus chimpanzee, which died in a runaway circus wagon accident in 1926, has met with success: The animal is alive and well.

Discussion turns to the final step in the researchers’ plan-to bring back a human being-and after careful elimination, the candidates are whittled down to one name: Thomas Jefferson. So begins this powerful debut novel-a book that examines human ambition gone wrong and chronicles the miraculous “rebirth” of the nation’s third president, his struggles to assimilate, and the world’s collective amazement at the science behind this feat. The American government swiftly becomes part of the oversight of the technology, and the 48th president personally introduces Jefferson to the 21st century. But with a lethal flaw in the researchers’ technology, the world’s unbridled excitement quickly erodes, leading to a destructive conclusion for all involved. Fortunes evaporate, beliefs are challenged, careers are ruined, and lives are lost in Dust to Dust.

 * courtesy of Amazon.com

Featured Review: “Once is Not Enough.”

Slow-starter for me, but I was kept in the novel by the well-written scene descriptions which made me feel like I was there, both in 1826 and in the Bio-Gen Labs of 2026. I was waiting for more character development until I met Thomas Jefferson and discovered the contrast between the “reconstituted” but lively and interested man who had been dead for 200 years and the flatness of the contemporary characters was evidently intentional. None of the “main” characters had relationships or any kind of life except for their jobs and the hope of making money or a name for themselves. The risk-takers weren’t really willing to risk anything for the sake of posterity or the greater good of the world. Their relationships with one another were shallow and they had lost touch with whatever could give them identity, including their religious and family roots. Thomas Jefferson’s vitality was refreshing, but did it change anything? This was a subtle novel that gave me a lot to think about even when the book was finished. Needs a second reading.

– Amazon Reviewer ArtWork

What Other Reviewers Are Saying …

Not your average science fiction novel! In these days of biomedical breakthroughs, this book is based on a breakthrough that hasn’t even been dreamed about yet, so far as I know. If you can buy into a newly developed technology that allows us to regenerate a human being from long-dead remains, this is a great story with a unique plot. The 2 main characters, the research scientist and Thomas Jefferson, behave in predictable ways, but with some good twists thrown in. For me, the ending was particularly thought provoking, on issues involving the characters, and in commentary on present day politics.

– Amazon Reviewer Diane P.S. Shipe

Quickly predictable but engaging until the surprise ending sneaks up on you. After the first couple chapters, you pretty much know where this story is headed, or at least you think you do. John does a good job of telling a believable story, and that keeps you turning the pages until, well, until the surprise ending sneaks up on you. The Jefferson character is believable and makes some cogent observations about America 200 years ago vs today. You’ll enjoy the book.

– Amazon Reviewer David

Thoroughly enjoyed this historical science fiction book. Thought provoking on many levels.

– Amazon Reviewer Amazon Customer

Book Trailer:

tuesday book review

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

Self Publishing Advisor

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news from the self publishing world, self publishing news, Uncategorized

Self-Publishing News: 8.30.2017 – October Round-Up

hello October word abstrtact in wood type

And now for the news!

Some highlights from this month in the world of self-publishing, wrapping up what’s new for you and yours in October 2017.

Self-publishing can be a complicated process, as Desireé Duffy puts it in her latest article for the news blog Equities.com, but things are changing: “Self-publishing gives everyone the ability to unleash their opus to the masses,” says Duffy, launching into an interview with indie author, publisher, and radio host Gerald Everett Jones. Jones has been around long enough to attest to such changes, and the interview uncovers some genuine gems (including: “the noise level in the marketplace is higher than ever,” for example, due to the massive influx of new tools and texts). Jones and Duffy also work to hammer out a new definition of “success” which doesn’t conflate it with blockbuster publishing success, tackle misconceptions about self-publishing, compare the experience of going solo to that of sticking with traditional publishing, and list some tips and tricks for spotting the genuine article when it comes to self-publishing companies. They’re not all created equal, after all, and Jones knows. This lengthy interview is the perfect way to wrap up October!

If you haven’t been watching the news from Down Under, you’ve been missing out: the Australian literary scene has been rich and textured for many a decade, but the last five years have seen a veritable explosion of great works in a variety of genres and categories, from crime fiction to young adult to fantasy to romance, and self-publishing has played a part in this larger conversation. Here, in this article for the Australian book industry blog, Books+Publishing, Andrea Hanke writes that “With a number of traditionally published authors moving into self-publishing, there’s never been a greater demand for bricks-and-mortar bookstores to stock self-published titles.” Hanke turns to hybrid author Ellie Marney and to Kym Bagley and Angela Crocombe, both of whom are booksellers, for their insights into how the self-publishing industry has evolved internationally to make more room for authors to experiment with form and content. It’s refreshing to read multiple perspectives on the same issue, with both authors and booksellers present on the page. Read the full article at the link!

Yeah, yeah, this shouldn’t be news to those of us who are really plugged into the self-publishing landscape–but it’s always nice to hear our anecdotal observations confirmed by third party research and statistics, isn’t it? So we come to Mercy Pilkington’s great piece for the Good E-Reader website, where she shop talks the numbers and what they actually mean for self-publishing authors today. Says Pilkington, “The rate of ISBN purchase for self-published books has increased by more than 218% since 2011, back when the digital revolution arguably took off.” That may sound like a huge number, but she’s careful to point out it hasn’t been a smooth increase; each year offers some new plateau or spike. The latest numbers, for example, suggest that “self-published print publishing is still on the rise, even though the number of self-published ebook titles are in slight decline.” Pilkington’s short piece serves as a great introduction to the Bowker report itself, which she links in her article.

spa-news

As a self-publishing author, you may find it helpful to stay up-to-date on the trends and news related to the self-publishing industry.This will help you make informed decisions before, during and after the self-publishing process, which will lead to a greater self-publishing experience. To help you stay current on self-publishing topics, simply visit our blog every Monday to find out the hottest news. If you have other big news to share, please comment below.

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

Conversations: 10/27/2017

CONNECT WITH THE MARKETING EXPERTS

Today’s blog must open with a confession from me. I have not followed all the marketing advice that I’ll be sharing in these paragraphs. I am one of those authors who avoids thinking about marketing—not because it is time consuming or challenging—but because it is so foreign to my nature. I’m an author, a writer who has WAY too many storylines racing through my head, and corralling just one at a time takes extreme effort and concentration. So…I make very little effort to “grab the bull by the horns” (very appropriate cliché here) and market my published books. Of course, I am constantly suggesting to my clients that they take every advantage of any and all marketing assistance available to them, and I’m making a commitment to myself that from this day forward I will do the same!

assistant

Whether published through a traditional house or self-published the responsibility to introduce book(s) to the world belongs to the author. However, when the big publishers cut their marketing budgets—and staff—those experts partnered with self-publishing companies or started their own PR/marketing firms.

Finding the best assistance is now another hoop authors must jump through and with just a little Internet searching I discovered that the Marketing Firms offered excellent help—with fees that were definitely not in my budget. Once again, I’m so thankful that I made the decision to self-publish with a company that offers a delightful variety of marketing assistance. The following points are just a few of the benefits you’ll enjoy when working with your own Personal Marketing Expert:

  • Relationship. Being introduced to a specialist in the field of marketing is the beginning of a friendship that enlightens and expands every author’s horizons. Authors don’t expect such an immediate and positive connection. However, it is one that will open new and continuing sales potential for our books, and build lasting relationships with Readers who will become “fans.”
  • Platform. The skill-set of the Personal Marketing Assistant (PMA) allows them to listen to our stories (the book concepts) and immediately begin devising a marketing “platform” for our “product” to stand on. This may include the traditional bookstore book-signings, extending to coffee-house-book-readings. But today’s PMA will also help authors construct and utilize a website, blog, Twitter, Facebook, Google and other Internet “media” sites to increase visibility and build author reputation. Their expertise in wordsmithing will connect with Readers on multiple levels!
  • Branding: The basic definition of “branding” is the creation of a name, term, symbol or design that gives a product a unique identity in the marketplace. As the PMA works with us they begin to visualize an element of our book(s) that will give it a distinctive presence in the book catalogs and platform arenas. Their perspective of our work may be different than ours; however, their suggestions are valuable tools to help us decide on a Brand that will follow us (as authors) and our books for a very long time.

Bottom line, every author needs a plan for the journey we’re taking into the mega-marketing-world. I used to think of it as entering Jurassic Park. Not anymore. I’m ready to learn everything I can from the expert Personal Marketing Assistant who will become my guide and partner in this adventure. I’m prepared to listen to their insights about the audience my book is meant to reach and “could” reach. And I’ll be building a file of everything I’m learning so that I can follow this path again with my new book(s)! I’m hoping you’ll join me in this marketing journey, and discover the excitement your Personal Marketing Assistant can bring into your writing life. ⚓︎

 

Royalene

ABOUT 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

Survey + In Your Corner: Supporting Future Thinkers

Just as a reminder, our survey is still open, so if you haven’t yet had a chance to give us your feedback on what kind of blog post material you’d like to see more of, please consider giving us 5 minutes of your time and a few of your thoughts!

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For the last month, I have been taking a close look at what it means to be a visionary, or a future-thinker–specifically as regards self-publishing. (You can read those posts here and here.) We first looked at what future-thinking is, then ways we can become future-thinkers. But I also posed the question, which has yet to be answered, of how we might support future thinkers.

This week I’m here with a couple of possible answers.

But first, why should we care about supporting other self-publishing authors? The simple, moral answer comes from Abraham Lincoln, who I believe was quoting a certain text many of us hold to be, well, super important:

abraham lincoln a house divided

We ought to care about other authors because of the Golden Rule, because we ought to treat others the way we want to be treated. And interestingly, this moral reasoning also has a certain practical result: if you support other self-publishing authors, you create a community upon which you too can rely when needed.

So, the ways:

Networking is crucial. Through networking, you can make important connections with other authors that can lead to new insights for marketing strategies that the two authors, before meeting, may never have considered. Sharing ideas is the first way to join forces with another author.

If, through sharing ideas, you decide that you could benefit one another’s work, start strategizing with them. Two heads are always better than one. Working with someone else can open up possibilities that might seem too daunting to take on alone. If you want to host an event but don’t want to (or can’t) do so alone, joining up with another local author who will help with the logistics, social outreach and hosting of the event, it becomes a much more reasonable task.

Team up when creating discounts and/or giveaways. Strategically place your books on sale and promote one another’s at the same time during the holiday season and beyond! You then both gain access to one another’s readership that you would not have had otherwise. The readers won’t mind … they like having more books to read and authors to follow.

Utilize digital space and host one another on each of your blogs and/or websites, social media pages, etc. You can do this by featuring a review of that author’s book on your blog and then asking them to do the same for you in exchange. Or simply write up a bio of them with a link to their website page as an equally effective means of promoting them (and in turn, yourself). You could also promote a vlog style interview of that author and vice versa, featuring them as an author in general or asking them specifically about their latest or greatest release.

Whatever you do, always make sure that the joining of forces is mutually beneficial, not parasitic on one end or the other. It is equally as important to make sure you hold true to your end of the plan as it is to hold the other person accountable for their own contributions. Support is always a two-way street, isn’t it?

You are not alone. ♣︎

Elizabeth

ABOUT ELIZABETH JAVOR: With over 20 years of experience in sales and management, Elizabeth Javor works as the Director of Sales and Marketing for Outskirts Press. The Sales and Marketing departments are composed of knowledgeable publishing consultants, 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.
Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week, Uncategorized, weekly self published book review

Tuesday Book Review: “Just George”

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:

just george ellen deery freeman

Just George

by Ellen Deery Freeman

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781478765004

 

Synopsis*:

Few books will touch your heart like Just George, the true story of a small dog found limping beside the highway, scared, injured, and near death from starvation and dehydration. You will experience almost every emotion imaginable as George himself relates the events of the year that follows. The lasting results of his past abuse are evident, and you will feel his anguish as he struggles to overcome his fear of everything from fly swats, to closing doors, to human hands, and your heart will ache as he longs for his own “forever home” where he can feel safe and loved. Just George is a beautiful story which will be enjoyed by everyone from school-age children to senior adults, and when you purchase it, you will be helping provide for other homeless animals who so desperately want a “forever home.”

Ten percent of the profit from Just George will be donated to The Hampton County Animal Shelter in Varnville, South Carolina, where the author’s picture was taken, as long as it remains under the current management.

 * courtesy of Amazon.com

Featured News Snippet:

Local author and retired school teacher Ellen Deery Freeman held a book signing/fundraising event for her first book, “Just George,” a story about the wonderful little dog that came into her life. Freeman is pictured above with her husband, Buddy, signing books for readers, and below with Buddy, George and Amanda Strickland, Hampton County Animal Shelter manager.

Freeman, a lifelong animal lover, used the event and a portion of the proceeds of her book to raise money for the H.C. Animal Shelter, and the event raised more than $500 in donations plus ten percent of the book profits for the shelter. The author wishes to thank the Hampton United Methodist Church for the use of its beautiful social hall, her husband and family members for their support, and every person who braved the weather to attend the event.

If you wish to further support the local animal shelter, some of the much-needed items you can donate include: cat litter, cat litter deodorizer, bleach, dog and cat shampoo, blankets, towels and paper towels, flea and tick prevention, Lysol spray and Fabuloso.

– from “Ellen Deery Freeman hosts books signing” on The Hampton County Guardian

Reviewers Are Saying …

Beautifully written!

– Amazon Reviewer Sharon Karusiotis Barboza

Such a sweet book for any animal lover! Great job!

– Amazon Reviewer Teresa

Precious book! This book would be enjoyed by everyone from the school-age child t senior adults. Just precious!

– Amazon Reviewer Nochinafurniture

You can also read an interview with the author on the official Outskirts Press blog, Self Publishing News. 

 

tuesday book review

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

Self Publishing Advisor

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