|
This is the Eclipse Review of author Patricia A. Knight
0 Comments
 Have you ever heard of posting your book promotion or launch party in the classifieds of a newspaper? That was old school. Now, you can post your events on Craigslist.
I wish I'd thought about this, but I can't say I did. Instead I'm directing you to another website called Indies Unlimitied. There he explains how to do a craigslist event--though for me it was a bit different than his step-by-step instructions. Me--I throw you into the mix and say "Good luck!" I'm trying it for my author's event at the Mystic Journey Bookstore signing of "Forever and 365 Days". ACTION ITEM: If you're in the SoCal area, come join us!!  Click the pic to see the GIF Apparently, I've been blog bashing. I didn't mean to bash, I didn't think I was bashing. But apparently, my big mouth...or rather my big keyboard, did not portray a company in the light they deserve. Let's return back at the middle of April to Tuesday Tools: YouHeartBooks. I explained why I was resistant to try a new platform because of past experiences I've had--not with experiences I've had with YouHeartBooks, but with other sites. So I'd like to amend, for the record, that I was not trying to portray YouHeartBooks.com as a bad company. I am however, going to try their service because of Daniel's response to my blog! YouHeartBooks deserves that because I realize, like the Chihuahua, I was rude and didn't think about the implied meaning. My thoughtless act made me take a look at the post again and once I went over it, I realized people might associate horrible things with a company I haven't even done business with. Despite the "Troll" in "Troll River Publications" it's not my intention to BE one. Thankfully, Daniel knows that and we're all good now. ACTION ITEM: Sign up to YouHeartBooks.com and go HERE and see Daniel's powerful defense of his wonderful company in reply to my post. Also, please realize that I had no intention of placing the bad connotations to his company. Once he presented his case, I feel confident in his company and plan to try them out!   Photo Credit: SCA Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget Matthew Flitton wrote about Writers for Life Conference and my most awesome boyfriend is sending me! Wow, what an awesome thing!
Both event and my superhero boyfriend are awe inspiring because while one whipped out his wallet and told me "go" the other is an event for charity for cancer research. Matthew's story and fundraising efforts are HERE. He gives the details of the conference HERE. So I'll be going to UTAH for the June 7th event. If you'd like to donate and go with me, I'll be driving from SoCal on Friday June 6th and returning Sunday June 8th. Freaking $35 (minimum) for the conference with authors donating their time: Lisa Mangum--So You Want to Be a Writer Josi Kilpack--Internal Versus External Characterization J. Scott Savage--A surprise, but his presentations are always amazing Larry Correia--Writing action Jenni James--Marketing secrets Brandon Mull--Creating Quality Stories Plus gas, food and hotel. Amazing. Try registering for the RWA for the price of a donation. Of course, if you ask why my boyfriend sent me, I have to reply: "Because my boyfriend wants me to write like Larry Correia--even though I'm a romance writer." Hmmm...combined it would be active romance. Fighting while...(you can finish). Yep--I look forward to applying ALL the lessons I learn from ALL the presenters (not just Larry--though I'm a fan). I'm excited! ACTION ITEM: Donate and come with me! Sean Platt explains how to use Scrivener for Story Beats in this 10 minute video. Story beats are what Sean calls a detailed story outline. You can get in-depth organization with Scrivener and can use it for so many types of novels that the $40 price tag (for me) was a no-brainer. I've been working with Scrivener for a year and am so happy with it that I don't consider other writing programs--even though I'm a Microsoft Word wizard. In this video you can get a glimpse of the power and detail Scrivener puts in your keyboard. Not only do you get to see the way a writer outlines his stories, but how he uses one of the most powerful tools in the writer-verse ever created. (Okay, yes I'm bias, can't you tell?) But it's a good video made by one of my favorite authors. ACTION ITEM: Watch the video!
 Having lunch with one of my authors, we discussed the importance of community. An author without a community might as well be a book never read.
Author's are connectors, idea makers, thought provokers, and sometimes the town weirdo. Author's are commonly successful through innovation and determination. But, we need an audience. We need feedback. We're writing this stuff down AND publishing it for heavens sake. If we didn't want your feedback, we would keep the stories locked in the basement. Many authors don't realize they are the motor that drives community by their thoughts written down on paper (or a monitor). They draw community in by their ideas. So many authors are asking, I know community is how you gain readership, but how to you gain a community? It's heart breaking. And...I'm working on the very idea of how to build that community with an author cohort. But for now, I do it through a tweet team that promotes my freebies that you can only get by giving an email. If you like the community you find yourself in you stay--if you don't you leave. Simple. Yet it takes a little know-how to set up. Here's a tweet I use: Become an author's accountable police and get "But For You, Yes" #free #romance for joining SNMcKibben! http://ow.ly/wGSPo I use hashtags and a URL shortener and I get at least 1 new person every time something like this goes out. That URL link goes to my author website where you will see this: Subscribers get sexy, informative emails that includes them in my writing process...join and get a free story!! (email here) That will in turn take them to the Mailchimp double opt-in confirmation email. When you click the confirmation you go to a welcome email with the link for the book to download. Three days afterward, I send another email asking if you liked the book and if you could put in a review on Amazon or Goodreads. I provide links to both so it's easy one touch stuff. I have a built a community by this means--but slowly. Slowly isn't a bad thing. You can be personable, you can grow in a way that doesn't have you scrambling. But it's also easy to forget to be involved in your community so set a schedule to talk to your readers. They may like once a week, once a month or maybe if you're lucky, they want to see every selfie you post on facebook. Go where your readers go, but have a source you can connect with them first. This is the best advice I can give you on how to build your community. Perhaps later, I can give you something more. But without a doubt, know that you are the ring master. Others may be spinning their circles for you, but it's you that must get the ball rolling. ACTION ITEM: Set up your email list procedure. Even if you have no book! If you have the time, do it.  Holy macaroni, batman! I might have actually done something right this week! WOOT!
Last week I told you about Tuesday Tools: PickFu ~ well, the wonderful, talented, Google-fu adept John Li has so graciously given me the opportunity to spread the word about PickFu and with his super powers of *discount* I am able to give you the super secret code: TROLLRIVER for a 20% off a single poll. The coupon's good for 1 year from May, 2014 so if it's May 2015--It's too late to use the coupon. I recently got a chance to use PickFu on my latest and greatest cover for Dr. Vampyre! Check out my poll HERE! You can see the awesome explanations everyone gave about my cover and why they chose it. When I did my poll it was 2 in the morning and in about 10 minutes I had answers rolling in. I went to bed and in the morning the poll had finished and I got my answers!! I also did my own poll I did through my own email list with my beta-readers (300 people) and the outcome was the same with much the same answers. Wow! Awesome stuff! PickFu does polls right! I'm a fan for life! ACTION ITEM: Use this coupon when doing instant market feedback poll! Author ULRIKE reviewed in The Metaphysical Express! Below is the page of the interview: 
Here is the full copy of the magazine for your enjoyment!  ULRIKE is an inspirational writer/author and metaphysics teacher. She teaches the art of right thinking in a scientific, step by step program, that benefits all areas of your life; health, wealth and most of all happiness...
you can contact her at: Website Goodreads Books on Amazon YouTube |
Dear Reader,
My efforts are to make this a learning blog where writers can see the flip side of publishing. If you have comments that will improve your experience or have a certain topic you'd like discussed, please contact me through email - HERE. ~ Sincerley, Your Editor Stephanie McKibben Head Troll Troll River Publications Books on Kindle
Categories
All
Blog Roll
Archives
January 2017
|
RSS Feed
