Book Promotion Cheers and Boos

( A disclaimer....if you are not an independent author, this will be boring as hell.)
Over the previous two weeks I ran a series of book promotions for two of my previously published novellas.  Before I made the decision to promote, I searched the internet for authors forums and blogs, looking for their opinions and results of their promos. That was helpful, so here is a report on the results of my advertising promotions.  The very first book that I published came out about a year ago and I also promoted one of my later two books, which has been available for about five months. Both of these books are slightly less than 50,000 words,(that length is referred to as a novella). They are in the science fiction, dystopian category. No Normal Day sells for $1.99 regularly and is the first of a four part series.  The Days After (Big River) sells for $2.99 and is the first of two.  Both of these books were put on sale for .99 for the promotions.

I have done no other promotions of my books, except a "book tour"  back in the late fall. I want to say up front, counting the earlier book tour, I ran promotions with nine companies and my total expenditure was close to $550.  Indie publishing is free to the  author and I have spent no other monies on promotion this year.  To my great surprise, all of my books have shown much more sales than I ever expected. Over the last couple of months, however, (this excludes my newest release) the sales have really dropped into a steady small trickle of everyday sales. It seemed to me that a little promotion wouldn't be a bad idea. I want to say that each of these companies are honest and professional and each delivered exactly what they promised.  These are only my personal results and opinions. I also have to add that I believe the reduction in price to .99 contributed at least half of the positive results.

        FIRE and ICE BOOK TOURS--(prices are very affordable and you choose that amount you wish to spend on give-aways) I love this site and the personal attention and job that they did for me, Shelly was fantastic.  I saw no instant and big increase from this promo, but definitely had some long term increases, especially in my foreign (UK) sales.
         BARGAIN BOOK HUNTER/ PIXEL SCROLL--(prices very affordable) great venues to promote free or discounted books.
         ASK DAVID--(ONLY $15.00 for a year with this site and you can add as many of your books as you wish).  I think this promo site is just a wonderful bargain. A great and professional presentation. "David" offers excellent support and an interest in benefiting the author.  I am so pleased with the service here.
       KINDLE BOOK NATION--(About two thirds of my money went to this site, it is pricey). I had two different promos on two days with KND.  I definitely saw a jump of about triple in my daily sales and a very large increase in my Amazon sales rank.  If you are an Indie author, you have probably already figured out, the better your rank, the more visibility and promo you get on Amazon and of course that translates into sales.  I believe the large majority of writers who use this site, see big results.  I, personally would never spend those $$ again, unless I decide that the long term results pay off.  So far, it was a flash.  In my case, I am not convinced yet, that it will be worth the money spent.
        KINDLE BOOKS and TIPS--(Another very affordable site) This promo was for my later release and there was a very noticable bump in sales and rank. 
       PIXEL INK-- This is a nice free site that will accept your promotion, but can't guarantee your book will be featured on the day of your sale.
       FIVERR-- (only cost $5.00) This is an interesting site that actually offers all kinds of services, etc. and will send your book promotion to many sites.
        IT'S WRITE NOW--(Very affordable $10.00 for multiple days promotion) Great site for promos.
       FREE & DISCOUNT BOOKS--(Prices start at about $20) Different options and days to choose from at affordable prices, great looking site.       
       KINDLE BOOK REVIEW--(Prices starting at $25.00)  I admit to being a day away from my promo with this company.  It is a nice looking site, with many options to choose from. Their customers have very good results and I am expecting the same.

***some of these sites even offer review services.  Obviously, my extremely varied reviews will tell you that I just don't believe in soliciting or paying for reviews.  It's just me, but it doesn't seem right. I wouldn't lie and say that I always accept my reviews with cheer, but it is what it is.  Each must make his/her own decision about that.

Here is my opinion as far as book promos for Indie authors. They are necessary, unless you're just writing for the pure joy of it and don't care if you sell books. In this competitive independent publishing culture, if you would like to sell books, you will probably have to let go of a few dollars  for promotion.  I do not Facebook, Tweet or what-ever....the promos got me a considerable amount of that kind of exposure.  If you are frustrated because some of the more expensive promotion sites will not accept your book, get over it.  There are plenty of affordable, even cheap sites that will bring you some success. Do your homework and really weigh the cost of promos as to the result you expect or will actually get.

Finally, a very sincere warning.  I was such a newbie a year ago. I knew nothing about publishing a book on Amazon or anywhere for that matter, absolutely nothing.  I was totally unprepared for the vicious negative reviews when they appeared. If you work to give your work more exposure, such as with promotions, that is exactly what you will get, more exposure. In this world today, it is just the way things are; with that exposure will come the bad, as well as the good. 

Those horrific zombie, writer devouring monsters will come crawling out of the depths. All frantic and excited to have the fresh amateur author flesh to gobble up. They are just waiting out there to tell you how they wish they could give you a "negative star" review...how .99 or free was way too much to pay for the excessively boring, grammatically ignorant piece of rubbish that you offered...how, even though they just read the first few pages, it was just too awful to endure anymore. With determination and their burning eyes, their fingers literally disintegrating from just opening your e-book up on their reader, they will regurgitate out their warning to the rest of the reading world. Do not ever buy anything that this author writes!

Sigh-h, I warn you, be ready for it.  My advice to you is dig around in that excrement for the morsels  of truth, clean them off, use the stinking bits to improve your writing and flush the rest. Good Luck. JO




      
       
      
     
         

Foreign Travel---Are Americans Safe?

Like 99% of information on the internet, this is just my humble opinion. And, you know that everyone has "one" of those, right?  There is a big and beautiful world out there. Personally, and from the point of view of a writer, I relish seeing and experiencing new places and meeting new people. Although, I admit to becoming a hermit when I write and living in this tiny corner where my laptop huddles.  I have reached a firm decision, however, that when my time to leave this planet arrives...whether it's going to sleep and never awakening (we all wish), a tree falls on me or any of the hundreds of methods of demise, it will be on American soil.

Of my friends, I would say that the beliefs of whether Americans are safe when traveling outside of the USA, is fairly evenly split between the "Oh, it's fine" and the "You are crazy".  Many have worked hard all their lives, they had big plans and dreams of seeing other parts of the world.  They want to stand in front of the fabulous sights and scenery, touch it, smell it, be right there. I sure would agree that there are stunning possibilities outside of  the US to see. The wide world, OMgoodness! it's amazing.

The big question, is it safe?  Just because something exists, is allowed doesn't mean it's right or should be done.  We, Americans are incredibly arrogant.  A good many believe that our American skin is a glowing suit of armor and we will, of course, be just fine where ever we go. We just think that if it is there, we certainly can have it, indeed we are entitled to it. Let's get real folks, they do not like us. When I say "they", I mean a very large number of the inhabitants of the world.  Some that just are not amused by us and a huge number that actively hate us.  When we travel outside the USA these days, we might as well have a big target painted on our back.

I realize that many would have loud arguments as to this opinion.  Why would you live in fear? why would you not see the wonders of the world?  That's just paranoid and stupid, they would say. I'm sorry, but I can still hear my mother say, "If all your friends jumped off the bridge, are you going to?" There is the possibility that exhilarating cool waters await your splashdown, there is also the very real possibility that freakin' pirahnnas lurk beneath the surface.  I mean where is the point where your little alarm bell dings?  How many Americans have to be kidnapped or killed, out of the country,  before you doubt your invincibility?  How many cruise ships have to become stranded, fill up with diseased passengers, have a murder or sink before you decide you might not want to take a cruise at this time? If someone asked you, "Is the viewing of a pyramid worth your life?", it would be easy to answer. Problem is, so many of us just do not believe that "stuff" can happen to us. They consider that to be an irrelevant question.

As I said, just my opinion.  It's everybody's personal choice and no place in the world has more freedom to make those choices than America. For me, there's still so much of the beauty of America that I haven't seen and I prefer to take my risks, perhaps cruising up the Mississippi River or standing up close to Mount Rushmore. As the talented Tanya said, "When I die I may not go to heaven. Well, I don't know if they let cowgirls in. If they don't, just send me on Texas...Boy, Texas is as close as I've been." 

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Deep Dark Dystopia

Since, in reality, I didn't even intend to write a book, I certainly did not realize that I would write a dystopian fiction novel.  As I have said, two of my interests collided, a love for writing and a new found belief in preparing for a future that could be extremely changed by more than one disastrous scenario.

I admit that I only had a vague idea of what the word dystopia meant and it was after I had my first novel finished, that I knew that the category or subject of my writing was indeed, dystopian fiction.  The definition of dystopia is the opposite of utopia. An imaginary place where people live fearful lives due to a changed world. So, the books that I wrote this past year are definitely about that.

What my books are not about, is a deep and dark dystopian existence.  My stories are not about what happened to the world, they're about how my characters are able to survive the what. I am basically an optimist and I absolutely believe in being prepared, planning, and using your smarts and ingenuity to live, even in our present world and for certain in a post disaster world.  I want to explore the possibilities of living with change.  So, there are no zombies or challenges that don't have a chance of my characters overcoming them. Very little bad language, no explicit sex, people and families joining together and working together to survive.  These are the stories that I choose to tell, the stories that excite me and my imagination.

I have had readers who were disappointed. Critics who have commented that "that was too convenient, that was too easy, don't think it would be that way, not enough action and violence...."  After a bit of hand wringing I realized, they absolutely have the right to read, watch or even participate in anything they wish. To each his own.  I have to write what I imagine, my vision of a fictional future. My vision is not dark and hopeless, but difficult, dangerous, challenging and hopeful. 

A good friend asked me to read over the beginning of his book based on some of his Vietnam war experiences. He kept warning me, "there's lot of bad language."  I told him that just because my books are not full of bad language, does not mean that his story shouldn't have any. As a writer, you must be true to your story. A military, war story would obviously have the language of real people in those real situations.

My point here is (thought I'd never make it, didn't you?")  As a writer, be true to your own story and style. You'll never please everybody and you will not be able to make romance readers enjoy your action thriller. Other than the hard learned lessons about grammar and editing, you must write your story, your way.  As a reader, be careful to read descriptions and "blurbs" about any book you are considering to read. Don't buy a light romance and be disappointed because the writer doesn't describe every little romantic "encounter" in explicit detail and don't buy No Normal Day (a dystopian family survival story) and feel cheated because Jack, the family man doesn't become a zombie and chew off the head of his neighbor. 


Your comments are always welcome.  JO

Medicine or Par-ty?

Does marijuana have true medicinal uses or it just par-tee, dude?  With the beautiful state of Colorado doing everything short of giving it away free with ten gallons of gas purchased, it is certainly a topic of interest lately.

I personally feel like they have opened a mellow can of worms. Any drug must be regulated. Why? Let's get real, humans are not very trustworthy when it comes to moderation.  So, how much can you grow, how much can you purchase, how much can you possess, how much can you suck in and be okay to be cruising down the highway? Of course, tons of things that we like are not good for us. Who could argue with the destructive possibilities of alcohol, some drunk? Cigarettes?  Obesity is a real bummer. Does it harm anyone other than yourself...if you can't reach your chubby arms over your enormous belly to the steering wheel, you might have an accident.  But then, cell phones, lipstick smearing,  lack of sleep and a multitude of other things too disgusting to detail, cause auto accidents. 

So, does the mayor of New York, not to call names (idiot) have the right to regulate how much cola you can purchase at one time?  I say that I have the right to buy a 55 gallon drum and bathe in it, if I want to and can afford it. But, I do digress.  Does marijuana have medicinal purposes?

Yes, marijuana has a use for pain. There are other things, but if you are a cancer patient or have one of many serious pain causing illnesses, relief is a pretty important thing.  Truth is, if you are a prepper, a survivor, most of the true evil and bad vices will be some of the best assets you can have.  Alcohol absolutely has antiseptic and pain killing abilities. Chocolate, cigarettes...folks will eventually be desperate for those things.  Things like that will be treasures for barter. 

Lots of  stuff can happen in our old precarious world.  If I look up one day and see a big ball of fire rolling up into the sky or hurtling towards the earth,  I just might inhale a big toke, take a good slug of whiskey, cram a Nestle's Crunch down and kiss my bottom goodbye. Yep! maybe just party.  If my eyes open again, I'll have to go to work and survive and I will trade you three cigarettes for that can of beans.