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

Tuesday Book Review: “e-Love”

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:

e love i a nova

e-Love: Escapades in Search of Romance in the Digital Age

by I. A. Nova

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781478776727

cipa evvy award

a CIPA EVVY Award Nominee!

Synopsis*:

Swipe right for E-Love, I. A. Nova’s charming, witty tale of love in the digital age. After being dumped by the man she thought was her one and only, Claire, a romantic, finds herself looking for love online.

A romantic using an online dating site? What could go wrong?

To Claire’s surprise, after only a few missteps, she meets Ian, an enigmatic musician and horseman. Their love burns bright and true.

For a while.

Once again, Claire finds herself alone, but this time she understands that romantic love is not the only thing that can fill the space in her heart. She decides to make her way to Africa, where she will fully devote herself to helping others by volunteering at an orphanage.

Claire’s life is not done twisting and turning, though. The online world is infinite, and so are the paths our real lives can take. After a chance encounter, Claire finds herself at a crossroads. Which way will she swipe this time?

 * courtesy of Amazon.com

Featured Review:

Nowadays new technologies have affected all spheres of life, including love. Virtual love supplanted the real, affecting the quality of relationships and values between women and men. True love has become sort of a ghost and found its place in the imagination and hopes of desperate cyberspace voyageurs. Claire is one of them. She is bathing in the rays of loneliness and disappointment, living through truth and lies, tears and joy, occasionally sharing the mystery of her heart with her dear friend. The book is about a chapter in a life of a young, intelligent, and divorced woman who realized that “the world is made for couples” and in her efforts to find “the One” dives into the world of online dating. She discovers not only surprises that come along with online dating but also herself, the new Claire, who is ready to share the warmth of her heart at any distance in the cyberspace in order to find true feelings in the second world, which is the reality. Unfortunately, virtual love hurts the real heart. Will Claire be able to say goodbye to e-cards and e-flowers ending online love games and textationships and lay a solid foundation for the lasting and beautiful relationship with someone from the real world; or will she drown in the gigabytes of virtual memories and affection? It is for the reader to find out.
I highly recommend this book for both women and men. It will grasp your attention to the last page. Witness the richness of imagination intertwined with bitter reality that single women often face when exposing their souls to e-love. The book is well-written and contains numerous scenes that will make you laugh and cry (the scene with the river otters made me cry and feel so much for Claire). I read this book non-stop for 8 hours and, in the end, I wanted to know more. I think the author should consider writing the second part, and, in my opinion, the story is an excellent choice for a modern romance movie.
Single men, who face difficulties in finding a partner online, are recommended this read because they can learn more about the mysterious mind of a woman in search of love, her inner desires, and what she really wants in a man. The novel reveals the author’s mastery of interpreting the matters of the heart and explores the mind of a single woman. Very compelling and details-rich story. Impressive debut by a new and talented American author who, no doubt, should be noticed and rewarded. I.A. Nova rocks!

– Review by Natasha R on Amazon

 

Here’s what some other reviewers are saying:

This isn’t a short book, but it reads quick. It starts off quickly and keeps going all the way to the end — never slowing a bit.

If you’re looking for a quick, clean, fun look at a woman’s journey through the tangled mess of internet dating, this is a good choice.

The only thing I didn’t like was the end. I didn’t know if Claire ended up with Ian, Yves or just went to Africa by herself. The story just sort of ends… with that question hanging in the air… and I prefer endings where everything is wrapped up neatly with a bow.

But, regardless… I enjoyed the heck outta this little book. It’s probably one of the sweetest reads I’ve had in a long time.

– Amazon Reviewer J Carl

I recently had the pleasure of reading “E-Love” by I. A. Nova, and was happily surprised. The readers follow the “online” adventures of Claire, the main character, whose great personality and determination takes her on a roller coaster ride of emotions and experiences. The story is eloquently written, filled with twist and turns, and presented with a touch of humour. Everyone can easily identified with Claire and her adventures, frustrations, and hopes that comes with joy of “finding love” online and in life! I highly recommend this book! 🙂

– Amazon Reviewer Vic

 

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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: 8.28.2017 – Publishing Trends

Hello august. Splash paint letters

And now for the news!

Some highlights from this month in the world of self-publishing, specifically regarding publishing trends within the publishing industry, and their implications for all authors!

Well, of course they do! I mean, when you look at the numbers, that’s quite a bit less than one in ten people alive on Planet Earth–and if you’ve spoken to any number of earthlings lately, you’ll know we’re a species addicted to storytelling and words. But the point, according to the UK’s Southern Reporter, is actually something quite different. (And also, the article is talking specifically about 5.3 citizens of the United Kingdom alone, which is rather a smaller population than Earth’s 7 billion.)  No … the point is that memoir and autobiography now make up a majority in terms of author-interest. According to the article, “One in five of those planning to write a book would like to pen their own life story (21 per cent), more than twice the number of any other non-fiction genre and considerably more than any genre of fiction” (emphasis added). This means that, in about five or ten year’s time, whenever this massive percentage of UK authors finally sits down to pen books in their retirement years, the majority of books published may in fact be autobiography and memoir–not mass market genre fiction. Not romance, not crime fiction, not Nordic Noir. How cool is that? Keep your eyes on your pocketbooks, people! British nonfiction is a storied and legendary canon, and about to get a lot more diverse and interesting!

We’ve known for a while now that the publishing industry isn’t doing so well, as a whole, while self-publishers are growing and diversifying at record pace. Well, this article by Michelle Caffrey of the Philadelphia Business Journal chronicles the progress of BookBaby, a South Jersie Print-on-Demand (POD), ebook distribution, and indie publishing company known for its ease of use. The full text of the article is only available to subscribers, but if you don’t happen to be one, you can catch much of the same information in other places and from the BookBaby website itself, specifically its “in the press” page.

And you thought the New Yorker was irrelevant to indie authors, huh? Well, maybe even the New York literary scene can take a clue or two, as Stephen Burt’s most recent piece dives into the nature and values of fanfiction. The worlds of fanfiction and self-publishing are not, it’s true, one and the same–but there’s a tight correspondence to explore, as very often fanfiction authors have no other option forward to publication than going indie, and many times established self-publishing authors began as writers with a foray or two into the fanfic universe. Burt spends some quality time with other cousins of the self-publishing movement, cousins we have spoken about regularly here on the blog–fanzines, science fiction (and other popular genre fictions), as well as the rich relationship between scholarly analysis and pop culture–and upon which we could hold forth for quite a long time. Suffice it to say, Burt’s piece is a refreshing take from an establishment magazine which has often spurned “our people,” and an insightful bit of analysis in and of itself. Well worth taking a look!

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.
Kelly
ABOUT 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.
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Conversations: 8/25/2017

S. O. S. – Writers Need Help, Too – Part IV

The book is PUBLISHED! It’s ONLINE and available to the WORLD! Friends and family have purchased their copies and everyone is giving it FIVE STARS! It will sell a thousand copies in two months! Or…will it?

Personally, I love writing. I enjoy everything about writing—yes, including research—and feel the satisfaction of completing each manuscript. However, I have absolutely no idea about how to develop a marketing plan, and without one of those, the great majority of books will only be held in the hands of our family, friends, and a few “seekers” who scroll through the online genre lists.

ENTER the Personal Marketing Assistant.

personal marketing assistant pma

If we expect our books to SELL, we need to be prepared to participate in the marketing. While the traditional publishers will “get you started,” they’re involvement slows to a crawl, then disappears when the book goes out-of-print. (Oh, yes. There is a finite life span for your book with traditional publishers.)

If you’re considering hiring an agent to promote your book(s) to the traditional publishers, you probably believe that the publisher’s marketing staff will “do all in their power to make your book a best seller.” Of course, their name will be on the book, too, and that may draw some readers/buyers. However, the days of the big traditional house marketing “splash” has fallen away.

Self-Publishing companies, however, offer marketing assistance whenever you need it. Their Personal Marketing Assistant will talk directly with authors who sign up for this service and discuss goals and the available budget to reach those goals. They are not daunted by slim budgets and help each author to creatively accomplish marketing steps that will eventually bring about more exposure. Once those goals are established, the tasks that the Personal Marketing Assistant spends their time doing is all up to the author. This includes:

  • A book Marketing Plan customized to each author’s needs, which sets recommended actions, and provides valuable information that can be used right away or any time in the future.
  • Book signings: a great way for the “word” to get out about authors and their books. The Personal Marketing Assistant can help you schedule these events as well as coordinate all the details.
  • Build an “online presence” which is a big marketing tool, and each author approaches this in their own way. Personal Marketing Assistants help authors select what social media is best for their book/genre, as well as helping novice authors relax as they see their name all over the Internet. This is called Developing the Author Platform that gives readers valuable ways to find and BUY your book(s).
  • Best of all, when developing your personal Marketing Plan, authors can decide which areas (if any) that they just don’t want to deal with. That is when the Personal Marketing Assistant can take the pressure off you, and work on the details while you’re writing the next novel. This makes sure no leads to readers/buyers are lost.

Yes, Writers Need Help, Very Specialized Help. It is okay to shout S.O.S and allow experts the opportunity to assist you in offering your book to the WORLD. And, best of all, self-publishing authors enjoy total control over this process.

Bottom line: Because I know my vocation is writing—and NOT publishing or marketing—I will always seek help from the experts. I hope you will, too. ⚓︎

 

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.
Alternative Marketing Methods, Book Marketing, Kelly Speaks, Marketing Your Self-Published Book, Uncategorized

Easy Breezy Summer Publishing (Part 6)

goodbye summer

Summer’s Over … What Next?

Here’s a hard thing for me to contemplate, much less say ….

Sometimes, we have to move on.

And at the end of Summer, as we transition into a new school year and all of the challenges and possibilities which it has to offer, I think we have to consider the reality and visceral truth of this statement.

Sometimes, we have to move on.

There’s no better time to do it, really. Ending something, after all, is often a doorway into starting something new–and we all need a reminder of this every now and again, especially when or if we find ourselves stuck in ruts and looking for a way out.

Oh, don’t get me wrong–everything I’ve said throughout this series ( 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 ) is still true. If you have the willpower and the resources–and everyone has just a little of each, for sure–then you should definitely keep plugging away at marketing your existing, already-published indie books. You should definitely work on innovating your strategies. You should definitely think forward to the holidays now while you have the chance.

But also … you should probably end a few things. If you’ve been hammering away at the same marketing strategy for a while now with no change in sales prospects, it’s time. If you’ve been chipping away piecemeal at a new manuscript and have lost the joy of working on the project, it’s time. If you have been sending queries out to editors, agents, and traditional publishers and receiving only rejections in reply ….

It’s time.

Ending things–bad habits, dependencies, wish-dreams with no likelihood of fulfillment–is agonizing. I have no illusions about that. And it can be absolutely terrifying to cut off something now without a clear plan in place for the future. But if I’ve discovered anything–and I have some personal news to share in the days to come on this–it’s that sometimes you have to end a thing before you can really, truly, and clearly think about what comes next.

So here are my last thoughts in this series, where we have considered oh-so-many ways to sharpen your marketing strategies and hone your self-promotional skills:

  • Recognizing a thing as incomplete, unproductive, or simply “not working out” and deciding to end it is not the same thing as giving up. It’s giving yourself a new way forward!
  • We all face some tough decisions in the days to come, if the news reports are correct, and we simply can’t afford to entrap ourselves in habitual behaviors if they’re not producing the kind of results we need to see.
  • Y’all, our dear readers, give me constant hope that with a bit of diligence, a lot of pluck, and a community of writers and writing professionals to surround ourselves with, we can find a way forward, together ….
  • Even if it means ending a couple of things now.

What have you been trying for a while that isn’t working out? Is it time to tweak or a time to change tracks entirely?

Thank you for reading!  If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or contributions, please use the comment field below or drop us a line at selfpublishingadvice@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. ♠

Kelly

ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the outgoing 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
Book Reviews, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week, Uncategorized, weekly self published book review

Tuesday Book Review: “Asunder”

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:

asunder: a novel of the civil war by curt locklear

Asunder: A Novel of the Civil War

by Curt Locklear

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781478758525

cipa evvy award

a CIPA EVVY Award Nominee!

Synopsis*:

Thrust into the middle of Civil War battle, with both Union and Rebel protagonists and antagonists, Asunder, the first in a trilogy, is a story of love and loss and of families torn apart. Thoroughly researched, the novel presents numerous complex, memorable characters struggling against incredible odds in an epic spanning from Texas to New York.

The story begins in frigid February, long after the battle. Cyntha Favor, an abolitionist and ardent believer in Spiritualism, searches the battlefield in hopes of finding her husband’s grave. Having received erroneous reports of his death, she hopes to free his tormented soul.

Sara Reeder, initially naive and an ardent supporter of the Southern cause, is thrust into the battle maelstrom. An excellent horse-woman, she rides to warn the army of a surprise attack, but is too late. With battle all around, she aids wounded Union soldiers, and her zeal for the war changes forever. In early 1861, both armies wore an assortment of uniforms. The Union had not adopted the standard blue uniform. Cyntha’s husband, a Union soldier, Iowa Grays volunteer, Joseph Favor, is found unconscious by Sara. Nursed to health by Sara and her father, Lucas, he awakens with no memory, unable to recall even the battle. The Reeders perceive him to be a Confederate.

 * courtesy of Amazon.com

Featured Review:

I have studied the Civil War for decades and this book is an accurate portrayal of that time period.  The author really brings to life the world of the 1860’s Missouri.  The characters of Joe, Cyntha, Sara, Lucas and Dred, amongst others are very well crafted and quickly a reader finds himself caring for what will happen to each character.  The story runs in relatively three distinct plot lines that are deeply interwoven.  The author very accurately portrays not only that war is killing and death but he also amazingly brings to light the fog of war. I have rarely seen anything outside of unit battle diaries that offer such a succinct feel for that key aspect of war.  I really enjoyed Joseph in the army and Sara and her family not to mention Cyntha and her protector Josiah.

It was not clear to me as a reader that this was part one of three until late in the book.  Further, I was more than disrupted by the constant flash backs and flash forwards.  It was extremely confusing at times to go from six months ahead to five months back to three days later to six months back, etc.  Had this book been crafted in a smooth chronological order, it would have been 5 stars.

I personally found the portrayal of the river pirates and the Jayhawks to be too realistic and offensive.  Fans of Games of Thrones/Walking Dead/Vikings will appreciate the lawlessness and disgusting behavior.  I could do with much less of it.  There is enough in the basis of the story with the war and all the turmoil and drama without the extra aspects.

A worthy read and now I must read part two to see what happens to Cynthia as she tries to find her brother.

– Review by N. N. Light on the POTL: All Things Books, Reading and Publishing blog

 

Here’s what some other reviewers are saying:

I read a lot of Civil War novels by best-selling authors and those new to the genre like Mr. Locklear. I’m happy to give Asunder five well-deserved stars. It’s easy for writers of first novels to lean on clichés and tired vignettes to tell their story. It’s easy to let the action carry the plot and forget to develop fully rounded characters. Not so with Asunder. The tale begins with a mostly unknown major battle in the often overlooked state of Missouri and dives immediately into the lives of several interesting people, civilian and military, women and men, slave and free. I recommend Asunder to any reader who wants a great story about likable characters cast into terrible situations. I’m ready for the second book of the trilogy.

– Amazon Reviewer Philip T McBride

I love historic fiction but have to be careful as when I find a good book I tend to stay up too late reading. This book did not disappoint so I have had some long days after nights where I can’t put it down. I am about 3/4’s of the way through and could not wait to write a terrific review. If you like reading about the Civil War you will enjoy this read leaning about battles, ship wrecks and seances.

– Amazon Reviewer Barbmom

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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