Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

Self-Published Book Review of the Week: Moaning Banshee

The Mystery of the Moaning Banshee

by Barbara Carroll

This self-published book was recently reviewed by www.readerviews.com:

I forgot how much I love reading a good Gothic tale until I read this story. The author captures the reader from page one until the very end. It is a great story to read as a family, or for older readers to read alone.

When Cassie Baker inherits her great grandfather’s old Victorian mansion in a small town on the Maine coast, she gets a lot more than she bargains for. Cassie, at thirteen, is the oldest of eight very adventurous siblings. The estate includes an old mansion with secret passages and unexplained happenings, a Carriage House, Care Takers cottage, an old lighthouse, a spooky marsh and cemetery and a beach house. Silas, the spooky old caretaker, warns Cassie about the dangers of the estate.

As Cassie and her brothers and sisters begin exploring the old estate they encounter many scary and unexplainable things. Apparently ghosts and banshees come with the estate that has been closed up for over fifty years due to an unexpected death of a relative. But it is rumored that the estate is also home to a hidden fortune and Cassie needs to find it to pay off long-time unpaid bills and save her family’s home from auction. Many exciting adventures await Cassie and her family as they look for the treasure and the answers to so many mysteries.

As these brave children encounter puzzles, ghosts, crooks and thieves, elements of this story remind me of one of my favorite movies “The Goonies.” Hopefully “The Mystery of the Moaning Banshee” by Barbara Carroll will not be the last time that we have heard from Cassie and her family.

For more information or to purchase a copy, visit the author’s webpage: www.outskirtspress.com/moaningbanshee



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Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Book Signings, Networking, Self-Publishing

The Do’s of Pitching Your Self-Published Book to Producers

Here are 5 things to do when composing a letter to a radio producer to promote your self-published book:

1 – Do keep your letter short. No more than one page.
2 – Do include your hook. This is a 5-10 word sentence or phrase that should attract everyone’s attention about you or your book.
3 – Do format your letter so it’s easy to skim. Use bullet points.
4 – Do write your letter with the producer’s point of view. Re-read it as if you were the producer. Is it clear what you want and what value you offer to the radio listeners?
5 – Do be available to respond to interest immediately. These people are often on deadline and if you are the easiest solution to their problem, you’ll get the call.

Karl Schroeder


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Have fun and keep writing…

Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Book Reviews, Networking, Self-Publishing, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

The Dont’s of Pitching Your Self-Published Book to Producers

After your book is published, here are 5 things to avoid when pitching to a radio or television producer:

1 – Don’t pitch your book. Pitch an idea for a show.
2 – Don’t over promise. Be able to deliver what you say.
3 – Don’t be dull. Your letter has to communicate how vivacious you are.
4 – Don’t hide your message. Make sure it’s clear what you are suggesting.
5 – Don’t be annoying. Producers are busy. Bombarding the with correspondence or emails will hinder your chances for success.

– Karl Scrhoeder



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Have fun and keep writing.

Networking, Self-Publishing

Self-publishing and Your Blog

When it comes to writing a book, nothing necessitates production like demand. Whether that demand is real or imaginary is irrelevant when it comes to motivation. Of course, “real” demand is certainly better in terms of promotion and readership. But “imaginary” demand also accomplishes the same goal — incentive for you to write a certain amount within a certain period of time.

You’ve found this blog. Do you have one and would like to share? If note, think about starting one.  Short for web-log, blogs are online diaries that allow you to post content quickly and conveniently for the world to see. Each blog posting is time-stamped with the date and time of your entry. Other readers can post comments to your blog if you allow them to.

Blogs that are updated consistently and frequently are more popular than those that languish. There’s your demand. If you want a blog with “buzz” you will find yourself motivated to add to it every day. Even if you’re only adding a paragraph with every posting — those entries add up.  Keeping ahead of your public’s expectations is a great motivator to write!

– Karl Schroeder


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Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Choosing a Publisher, Self-Publishing

Self-publishing: Rice, Corn, & Beans

Retailers like Amazon, blogs, online forums and countless other products of the digital world have introduced over the last decade a unique new element in the way readers find books: less expensive, open source consumer information. No longer are large advertising and marketing dollars spent on a small portion of books targeted at the largest audience possible through traditional brick-and-mortar outlets. At least not on the level of decades past when readers had no choice but to visit these stores to learn about and buy new books. What does this mean for how writers produce books?

To help explain, let’s take a look at the example of the bean farmer, corn farmer, and rice farmer, all three of whom farm all 3 crops to sell at the farmers market. However,

The bean farmer is better at bean farming.
The corn farmer is better at corn farming.
And the wheat farmer better at rice farming.

One day the bean farmer decides to turn his entire field to beans, and in result brings the best beans at a higher volume to the market. This farmer may only be serving those consumers who like beans, and will lose those that prefer corn and rice. But he will accomplish at taking in the whole bean market because his beans are the best.

Are a rice, corn, or bean farmer? In other words, how specific is your audience (the tighter the better) and how pertinent your content? Once this has been identified and the self-publisher search begins, look for one that has marketing services and support to most effectively reach those readers.

– Karl Schroeder

Have fun and keep writing!


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