The one confession I have heard over and over from authors as I moved around the country is, “I hate doing book signings and personal appearances.” One in particular labeled it, “The horse and pony show.” We all know writing is something we do primarily in seclusion. Why? Because other people walk through our creative flow, pulling and dragging our juice through the house for one reason or another that has nothing to do with our process. Retrieving the flow is next to impossible. Most times, we have to wait for another cycle that may not even come close to the real meat of our original thoughts, and our creative voice changes. (Writers know what I mean by that.)
I am only speaking for myself here, and you can feel free to add your thoughts later; but, I am a diagnosed agoraphobic who has a major battle with my own psych to make every personal appearance. Getting out of my pajamas, bathing and combing my hair to talk to real people face-to-face is one of the most intimidating things I do. Not because I can’t speak or answer questions without sounding like I need to be committed immediately, but because I simply am not inclined to do it. However, once I get started . . . someone might be sorry. I have lots of opinions.
This piece is being offered because I understand your plight. We write to communicate our thoughts to others and we really want them to read them. In order to do that, we have to do all of the advertising things that bore us to tears. Yes. Repeating yourself irritates you. Yes. You will have to do it over and over because people tend to ask the same questions about your work. Yes. They will challenge you about characters you created, and you will wonder how on earth they could possibly know that. Don’t argue . . . God has the same issue. Learn to nod and say, “Really?” If someone asks a question you haven’t been asked already, while welcomed, it might throw you for a loop. If you’re fast on your feet you can respond coherently. If not, you might make a faux pas. The truth is it won’t be the end of the world either way. In case you did not know it, people expect writers to be a bit quirky (You know . . . spending all of that time alone). So, don’t be afraid to throw your shoulders back and speak up. Have you heard some of the things actors say? You can’t sound any stranger than some of them. They actually depend on you to tell them what to say. Go figure.
Anyway, promotion of your work is a necessary evil you have to conquer intermittently to share your gift with the world. Reveal yourself. Let others do as much for you as you can get away with, but press on. It might cost a few bucks, but it’s worth it in the long run. Let them help point you out. Diamonds and gold in a hole are worthless.
Bernadette Y. Connor
Author
“He’s Mine!”
Reviews
“He’s Mine! is a gripping tale of love, dysfunctional relationships, deceit, passion, infidelity and unrequited love. Bernadette Connor writes unapologetic, in your face prose with her searing human touch. Connor’s seventh novel is a must-read and will keep you guessing about the fate of Patrice Mays and Miles Alexander, until the last page.”
– Thelma Balfour, author of Black Love Signs and Black Sun Signs (Touchtone/Simon & Schuster)
“Using passion and intrigue as her thread, Ms. Connor has woven a fascinating story. HE’S MINE! is a tale you’ll remember long after you turn the last page!”
– B. Berry, author of Clothesline Blues and Cold Crazy(series)
“Love, murder and mayhem. It is a love story after all!”
– Lori Bryant Woolridge, Emmy winner and author of Can’t Help The Way That I Feel
About The Author
Bernadette Y. Connor is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was born at home in a one-room apartment in North Philadelphia; the fourth of five children. To help her family financially, she sang rhythm and blues in many of the local nightclubs until she graduated from Dobbins Vocational Area High School in 1969 and was hired as a secretary by Sun Oil Company.
Bernadette’s first love was music, but she found herself writing poetry. Some of her earliest writings were published in SCLC monthly magazine. Both singing and writing had to take a back burner to caring for her family, butmidnight often found her doodling. A divorced mother of three, Bernadette saw that all of her children graduated from college.
Bernadette found her niche’ at AT&T as a communications technician. With the merger came a lay-off and she saw as an opportunity to begin a new career, but that was put on hold by a series of medical problems and finally the devastation of the brutal murder of her eldest son on Christmas Eve of 1991. Her zest for life, travel and adventure were nearly extinguished. However, Bernadette’s thoughts slowly returned to writing.
The literary fire was stoked by reacquainting herself with her earlier poems. Bernadette embarked on yet another adventure. She wrote a simple love story called “Finally” that opened the gate to an avalanche of works . . . 13 novels and 7 screenplays. Bernadette’s published debut novel, “Damaged!”, the first psychological thriller ever written and published by an African American garnered her a spot in “Who’s Who In America 2004”. Publishers Weekly dubbed her the “genre-crossing writer” and she loves the distinction.
Tell me a little about yourself and your background?
I come from a background of 30+ years of technical and business operations management. I’ve run multi-location companies with up to $80M in sales and 250 employees. I didn’t really get into education until I was in college. I trained as an engineer and excelled at technical writing.
My writing style today is conversational. My goal is to inspire future achievers by wrapping the elements of business success in stories that make it easy to remember and apply key principles. I also use my technical writing skills to create easy, step by step systems for people to follow.
Which writers inspire you? I have been inspired by writers and speakers like Zig Ziglar, Stephen Covey, Jim Rohn, and Tony Robbins. I appreciate their styles and have learned a great deal from them.
What was your life like before becoming an author?
I was a successful business owner. I started writing blog posts and then moved into writing books. I just completed my third publication. My goal in all of my writing is to share my knowledge and experience with a broader audience.
When did you decide to become a writer?
I considered being an author for many years, but finally made the commitment in 2009. I wrote blog posts for about 4 years and published my first two books in 2013, and another book in October of 2014.
Why do you write?
I write to share my knowledge and experience and to help develop the next generation of personal and business leaders in the world.
So, what have you written? /*Include books, novellas, short stories, poems, blogs, awards or anything of interest/
I have written two weekly blogs, one on personal development and one on business success, for the past five years. I’ve also been a guest blogger on several websites, including YourPayHub.com. I’ve published three books:
The Customer Conundrum: 9 Crucial Steps for Winning Customers and Outsmarting Your Competition
The Shepherd and the Princess: 7 Keys to Conquering the Goliaths in Your Life
Achieving Unusual Greatness: Timeless Lessons from the Trail Already Blazed
Through my website, via social media, and through trade shows
Do you have any advice for other authors on how to market their books? What do you do to get book reviews?
I get books reviews by asking. Initially, I offered a free copy of the book to anyone who would agree to write a review.
What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer?
Realize that it’s a lot of hard work. Writing takes time, it takes focus, and it takes project management skills if you are going to produce a worthwhile product.
Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?
How can readers discover more about you and your work?
1. If you could cast your characters in the Hollywood adaptation of your book, who would play your characters? David would beplayed by Mark Wahlberg and Goliath by Andre’ the Giant.
2. How important are names to you in your books? I don’t write fiction, so I use actual names.
3. What do you consider to be your best accomplishment? Raising three of the most amazing daughters in the world.
4. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Happily retired and still writing.
5. Were you already a great writer? Have you always like to write? I think my writing style evolved over the years with a lot of assistance from my wife, who I affectionately call the “grammar nazi”.
6. What writing advice do you have for other aspiring authors? Start small and work your way up. Practice makes perfect.
7. If you didn’t like writing books, what would you do for a living? Writing is a part of what I do as a consultant and coach.
8. Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad? Do you have any advice on how to deal with the bad? Yes, I read and respond to reviews. I haven’t had a bad review yet.
9. What is your best marketing tip? Never give up. If you touch one life, it’s worth it.
10. What is your least favorite part of the publishing / writing process? Marketing and self-promotion.
11. Is there one subject you would never write about as an author? What is it? Sex.
12. Is this your first book? How many books have you written prior (if any?) This was my first book, but I have written two more since then.
13. What are you working on now? What is your next project? I am not sure what my next project will be. I am considering writing a book on transformational leadership.
Book Description
The Shepherd and the Princess is a book about learning to dream and then systematically removing the barriers standing between you and the life you’ve always wanted to create for yourself and your loved ones. This ancient story is full of true gems and “nuggets of gold” that will propel you toward the attainment of your deepest desires!
Best Selling Author of: The Shepherd and the Princess: 7 Keys to Conquering the Goliaths in Your Life
Achieving Unuasual Greatness: Timeless Lessons from the Trail Already Blazed
The Customer Conundrum: 9 Crucial Steps for Winning Customers and Outsmarting Your Competition
Ataxia is one of those weird conditions; even the effects cannot be fully explained, but it arrived with me slowly when I was around the age of 40. A very easy way of (partly) explaining it is: While walking, my feet will only rarely land on the exact spot my brain tell them to, therefore the brain will attempt to compensate – but how much? In which direction? For how much pressure? So the brain very often gets it wrong too. Walking would normally be in an automatic mode, but I have to concentrate… Also, one of the many side-effects is that much of my memory of my younger life has randomly disappeared and co-ordination is a thing of the past.
Now that’s done with, I’ll talk about my writing. Many years ago I read the classic ‘The Time Machine’ by H. G. Wells and sometime later the early James Hebert books, (‘The Rats’ and other gory stuff), I became hooked and thought, ‘I can do that.’ But I was busy and unfortunately it became ‘mañana thing,’ then the Ataxia arrived – forcing a stop to my work, (at the time I was a photographer) and suddenly my ‘tomorrow’ came! I tried other work before accepting early retirement. While typing from a seated position (!) it took a long time to write a book with a one fingered style of typing (the co-ordination required in typing loss was almost immediate), to explain: My left hand forefinger clicks all the digits – except one – my right hand forefinger hovers over the capitalization button, ready to pounce at a moment’s notice, like a coiled spring!
The aim in my writing was to produce a new style, featuring an everyday item having a totally unrelated result of unpredictability. My book “A Disturbance in Time” spilled out of me at an exciting rate and gives a new slant on time travel – without it being the main subject of the book. The foremost character is Elizabeth and the story is telling how her fate twists and unravels in an entirely unexpected way. All three main characters have an inner strength, but their slight vulnerability turn them from book characters to real people, adding a lot of warmth to the unpredictable story.
Book Description
In this disturbing, exhilarating debut novel, three apparently unconnected events and places are all mysteriously bound up across time and space… In 1668, in an isolated community in the wilds of Exmoor, a poor peasant family is terrorized by a crazed witchfinder. More than three-hundred years later, the crew of HMS Leopard welcome on board two distraught young girls, the survivors of a shipwreck off the coast of East Africa. And at the beginning of the new millennium three geeky lads build an experimental computer (during their summer school holiday), and end up with much more than they bargained for. Part fantasy, part thriller, this is a powerful novel that asks profound questions about the nature of destiny and responsibility, power and love.
Living With Your Past Selves (Spell Weaver Book 1)
Character Interview with Taliesin Weaver
How do you get along with your parents?
I’d like to say well, but the truth is they don’t really know who I am anymore, and I can’t risk telling them.
My mom treats me more or less like I might break at any moment. That’s understandable, since four years ago my parents thought I had a breakdown. I can’t tell them that what really happened was that I started to remember all of my past lives, and it took me awhile regain control over that flood of hundreds of years’ worth of memories. She thinks I’m more fragile than I am, that I might flip out again at any moment. Unfortunately, if I told her the truth, she’d be sure I’d already flipped out.
As for my dad, he can’t figure out why I’m different now. He noticed that my interests had changed after I came back from the hospital, but he wants things to go back to the way they were before. That isn’t going to happen, of course, but I can’t explain why. We’re just stuck in a perpetual state of uneasy denial, and there is no obvious way to get out of it.
With all of those problems with your parents, is there anyone you can rely on for support?
Stan is the only friend who didn’t more or less abandon me after the “breakdown.” Actually, he stayed at the hospital all the time, except when his mother ordered him home. Otherwise, nobody could have pried him out with a crowbar. He would support me if I needed it…well, except for the fact that I can’t tell him who I really am, either. Maybe someday. I’d like to; I just can’t figure out how to break that kind of news, and I have the instinctive feeling that telling anyone would seal my doom. Why I think that I couldn’t tell you, though.
Who do you most want to emulate?
I wish there were someone else in my situation that I could model myself on, but I’m not aware of anyone else in all of human history who has been in the same situation. Sure, every so often someone will claim to remember past lives, but not all of them, and not every detail. Frankly, as far as I can tell, most of the people who make that claim are just looking for attention, anyway. I doubt most of them really remember.
I suppose the only person who comes close in any of my lives is Merlin. He didn’t have past life personalities floating around in his head, but he did have to deal with being half-demon, which couldn’t have been easy. As I recall, the situation made him kind of a loner, a little bit like me now. Unfortunately, that’s where the similarity between us ends. Over the course of hundreds of lives, I’ve known many people with big problems—King David and Alexander the Great come immediately to mind—but again, they didn’t have to deal with the same situation I’m in, so I’m still stuck.
What do you want from life?
Right now, I’m ready to settle for staying alive until tomorrow. Knowing that someone is trying to kill me but not knowing who it is or how to stop that person—or thing—pretty much dominates my waking life and quite a few of my nightmares.
What do I want if I manage to survive? I don’t know anymore. The magic I have makes me very good with people and with music. I could become a rock star if I wanted to, I guess, but that feels kind of like a kids’ dream now. Of necessity I’ve had to utilize my past life skills to become good with weapons, but I don’t want to make a career out of being a mercenary. I’ve been told I have the potential to become a wizard greater than even Merlin, but to do that, I would have to give up the life I know, and I don’t want to do that. So where does that leave me in terms of future goals? Exactly nowhere.
If you were granted three wishes, what would you ask for?
Eva, Eva, and Eva. She was my girlfriend when I had my “breakdown,” but she drifted away while I was in the hospital. I think the whole experience was too intense for her to handle at that age, but by the time I got out and worked up the courage to talk to her, she was already with someone else and still is. Come to think of it, if I used two of those wishes, one to turn back time four years and the other to keep me from remembering my past lives, I wouldn’t need the third wish because Eva and I would still be together.
The way my life has been working, getting three wishes might actually be a possibility, but there would still be two problems. First, I don’t have any idea why my past life memories came back in the first place. Nothing would prevent the same thing from happening later on in life if I didn’t know how to prevent it. Second, I have no idea who is trying to kill me or why. It could be my secret enemy would have had no interest in me if I had stayed ordinary, or it could be that he or she would have come after me anyway, only as an ordinary guy I would have had no way to defend myself.
In a weird kind of way, maybe my past life memories will be what saves me in the end.
What three things would you take to a desert island?
I suppose if I said Eva, that would make me sound “stalkerish.” Since I can’t guarantee my enemy wouldn’t come after me on the island, I’d have to say White Hilt, my sword, and a couple of musical instruments. My magic is stronger with a little music to help it along.
How do you fall in love? At first sight? Over a long period?
I’ve really only fallen in love once, as you probably have guessed. Eva and I have known each other as long as I can remember. I’m sure exactly when friendship transitioned to love. I think it was in middle school, at least for me. I can’t speak for her.
What parts of loving come easy for you? Hard?
It’s been four years since Eva…well, “broke up,” doesn’t exactly capture the experience, since there was no neat, clean break-up. “Drifted apart” sounds too peaceful. “Ripped apart” might be more accurate. Anyway, loving someone from afar isn’t the same thing as having a relationship, so I can’t really comment—unless you want to talk about past life experiences, and then we would be here all day.
When you walk into a room, what do you notice first? Second?
Since I knew someone wanted to kill me, I make sure I know where all the exits are. Then I scan the room for any unusual things, supernatural or otherwise. Particularly with shape shifters in play, a guy can’t be too careful. Anyone could turn out to be an enemy.
When you walk into a room, what do you expect people to notice about you?
Unless we’re talking about Eva, hopefully as little as possible. Keeping in mind that I need to keep secret who I really am, I try to be as inconspicuous as possible. In fact, I often use a spell that causes people not to notice me. Gliding around town under everybody’s radar may be lonely, but it’s also safer than the alternatives.
Describe yourself to me.
Where do I even start? The physical part is easy. I’m pretty ordinary, actually. I’ve been told girls find me attractive, but given the way I feel about Eva, I haven’t encouraged any other interest, so it’s hard to tell how much there might have been. I’m brown haired, medium height, slender but pretty muscular. (I was always athletic, but the weapons training necessitated my buffing up a little).
A personality description is much harder. There is who I was four years ago: the happy, social, soccer playing, bad musician. Then there is who I am now: the brooding, isolated, secretly sword-swinging, concert quality musician. I guess I liked music either way, but almost everything else is different. Sometimes I think that earlier me is still alive in me somewhere. Other times I fear I am just a compromise among my past life personalities and that who I was supposed to be in this life is pretty much dead. I think I am that person, but I’ve long since lost track.
Did you turn out the way you expected? The way your parents predicted?
Isn’t that kind of obvious? I’m not who anyone expected me to be, myself included. I’m…out of place, sort of like an intruder in my own life. I’d like to say I’m a work in progress. Now, if I just knew what I was progressing toward, that would really be something.
What do you consider are your strengths?
As I’ve said, I’m a pretty awesome musician these days, thanks to the original Taliesin. I’m a better swordsman than he was. I sort of have to be if I want to survive. I’m easily the top of my class in magic…which is my subtle way of reminding you that no one else in my class can do magic. I’m best at manipulating people’s minds, though I only do that when I absolutely have to in order to keep my secret or to protect somebody. No, really! If I ever gave into the temptation to do what I really wanted, I might just enchant Eva into loving me again, and that would be bad…really bad.
What do you consider are your weaknesses?
I feel helpless most of the time. I don’t know who is trying to kill me or how to stop that person—if it even is a person. (There are several other possibilities, some of them pretty nasty.) I don’t really know what to do about most of my problems. I know there must be solutions, but if so, I can’t see them.
I guess part of the problem is that I can’t find a way of moving on, as you must have guessed from the Eva situation. In more than one way, I’m a prisoner of the past.
What is one physical attribute you are proud of? I don’t really know. I’d say ask Eva, but I bet she wouldn’t know what to say either at this point.
What one physical attribute would you change?
I’d like to be even stronger, mostly for survival reasons. I work out as often as I can. I could probably speed up the process with magic, but I’m a little afraid to do that since the original Taliesin left me no experience in that area to guide me. Magic can be powerful, but precisely because of that, it can be dangerous if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing.
If you could be an animal, what would it be?
The funny thing about that question is that I actually could be an animal. Celtic spell casters can typically shape shift, and the original Taliesin was certainly no exception, though he didn’t use that ability frequently. Frankly, the whole idea scares me. I’d rather stay in human form. Fewer things can go wrong then.
Bill Hiatt has been teaching English at Beverly Hills High School since 1981. Although teaching has been and remains his first love, he has also been drawn to creative writing of various sorts. From high school on, he wrote short stories, a little poetry, and an earlier novel, finished in 1982. Then the demands of teaching kept Bill away from writing for many years, but the stories within him eventually could not be denied any longer, and Living with Your Past Selves, is his first published novel.
Bill’s ancestors came from a wide variety of European backgrounds, with Celtic groups (Irish, Scottish, Breton, and, as you might guess from this novel, Welsh) being the most well represented. His ancestors settled in America long ago, though, some of them as early as the colonial period. He is a third generation Californian who grew up and still lives in the state.
“The echoes of those scars can clearly be heard in Edge of the Known’s music. But one can also discern, quite distinctly, that other inexplicable thing that is within us all, the undying flame that transcends our wounds and sufferings…”
Brandon Chane had always seen life through the eyes of an outcast, a misfit, a young man at odds with the world and with himself. Now they’re calling him a wounded healer; a shamanic Pied Piper for the throngs of alienated youth; a thief of fire.
He wonders if he and his band can escape the claims that the world has suddenly laid upon them. But what about the cherished dream that he’s struggled so desperately to fulfill, the dream that finally seems to be coming to fruition?
Book Excerpt
Knowing that I’d be much more capable of getting in touch with my real feelings without a crowd around me, without the tug of their thoughts, expectations and invested conceptions of me, I returned to the grave site later that night. The rain had stopped by then, but there were no stars and the ground was soaked. Janie let me go on ahead at first, so I could be alone with the memory of my father.
Turns out it’s not so difficult for me to speak to a stone plaque, especially when I’m addressing a guy who’d scarcely given me space to finish my sentences during life. “It seems to me now that probably the thing you wanted most towards the end of your life was just forgiveness,” I said. “And I can really relate to that, now that my band’s on the cusp of actually ‘making it’ – whatever that really means. I can see how I’d long carried around this fantasy in my head, that if we were a success then I’d find forgiveness for myself too. If you can just get big enough, this world will forgive you for damn near anything.”
About the Author
Seth Mullins has been writing since his teens, inspired initially by Stephen R. Donaldson’s eloquent fantasies and later by the jagged poetical reflections of the Beats and the Surrealists and the metaphysical works of Jane Roberts. He studied creative writing at Santa Fe Community College in New Mexico and Lane Community College in Oregon. Seth has lived in Maine, Connecticut, New Mexico and Oregon, and currently resides in Vermont.
Becca Mann is a 17-year-old fantasy writer who likes chocolate milk, Broadway Musicals, and reciting digits of Pi. Becca has traveled and written in six of the seven continents. She now lives in Baltimore and is a member of the USA Swimming National Team. Becca started writing The Stolen Dragon of Quanx on her smartphone when she was eleven years old. Becca heard that her bio will change dramatically as her career advances, but for now she’s stuck staring at a black line at the bottom of the pool, creating ideas for her next book while simultaneously wondering what life will bring. She’s often accused by parents, teachers, and coaches as “living in Quanx.”
Book Description
Kale had no idea how Paka knew that there was something about the sword that she didn’t want him to know, but she had reached her decision. Paka obviously wasn’t going to let her leave until he had gotten a look at the sword. She was just thankful that Winikona hadn’t decided to come along. “I’ve decided to name my horse ‘Seeker,’” she randomly told her friend. Then she passed her friend the sword and Paka took it with a smile. Then he inspected the pommel, the hilt, the side, the other side….
The light-blue eye and the dark-blue eye both landed on the engraving. He stared at it for a few moments and slowly his gaze began to rise up until he was looking Kale straight in the eye. Then he recited, “Elise Translunski was a peasant, born on the Islands of the Peasants. She was a descendent of a man known as Brogan, who was driven from Xangterro many years ago when he failed to pay his taxes. So Brogan retreated to the Island of the Peasants where he eventually started plotting revenge.
Brogan wanted to get his home back and wanted Xangterro to pay for what they had done. He rounded up the peasants of the Island he was on, and sent some former Persquunians to swim to the others islands to gather more people. Then he held a meeting on the largest island, where he told the peasants that they would get their revenge for everything that Quanx and their leaders had taken away from them, no matter how long it was to take. All the peasants agreed much too happily. They all started training their youth and preparing their weapons.
They knew that the battle might not take place for many generations, which they were correct in guessing, since this battle hasn’t happened,but that did not hold them back. They wanted their children and their grandchildren to live in royal palaces on Quanx, something they had dreamed of themselves, but had never achieved.
How “10 Stacks To Success: How To Achieve Success One Goal At A Time”
How I Achieved 16,182 Downloads In Three Days.
For starters, WOW! In a nutshell, I wrote and published a book and three weeks later it had over 16,000 downloads on Kindle.
In early 2014, I made the decision that I would write a book based on the success I had created for myself. A “How-To” guide that could help pave the path for those who are seeking to achieve certain goals and develop the attributes needed to create their own personal success. Eight months later, I successfully achieved my goal of becoming an author. Not just any author, but an “Amazon Best Selling Author” who ranked #1, during my Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) Promotion, in six different categories including Motivation, Self-Help, Non-Fiction, Business & Investing, and Marketing & Sales. “10 Stacks To Success: How To Achieve Success One Goal At A Time” had become an overnight success to rank #8 in the Kindle Store. So, I believe my purpose must continue by sharing my “book success” with indie authors who are looking to reach the same or even better position. I can tell you one thing, it’s not as easy as it seems.
5-10 Amazon reviews — Reviews are super important, how many things have you purchased solely based on reviews? Exactly.
Press Release articles – submitting to PR websites are very effective: try pieceofcakepr.com.
Your own blog.
A website dedicated solely to your book – A Splash/Pitch page is recommended.
KDP in the Hizzy! – (The New Jersey in me came out!)
That’s right! KDP is in the house and [they?] they will tear the roof off the competition in the eBook universe. In my opinion, the KDP select program is the utmost beneficial way to get your book out and about. Here are some basic facts if you are unfamiliar with the program:
KDP Select is an optional program for you to reach even more readers and also provides the opportunity to earn more money.
Why choose KDP Select?
Earn higher royalties – Earn your share of the KDP Select Global Fund when readers read your books from Kindle Unlimited and the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. The fund amount is variable and announced on a monthly basis. We constantly monitor all factors that impact the KDP Select fund in order to set the fund amount for our KDP Select authors. You can also earn 70% royalty for sales to customers in Japan, India, Brazil, and Mexico.
Maximize your book’s sales potential – Choose from two promotional tools: Kindle Countdown Deals, time-bound promotional discounts for your book, available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk, while earning royalties; or Free Book Promotion, where readers can get your book free for a limited time.
Reach a new audience – Help readers discover your books by making them available through Kindle Unlimited and the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library and reach the growing number of Amazon Prime customers in the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, and Japan.”
Note: Keep in mind that during the days of your campaign, your book will be free, but don’t worry about that! The more people that download your book, the more people will talk about your book and higher your ranking. As a result, your paperback book sales will increase after the free select days are over.
Now that the foundation is all set up for our Kindle book, we have enrolled in the program, and are ready to receive downloads, the next logical question is, “How do we promote the book during the specific KDP select days?” Easy, WE PROMOTE IT! Enlist other authors, bloggers, and writers in the industry that are always looking to help newcomers. Look for promotional websites that allow you to submit your book for free during the KDP select days, some provide the option for a paid promotion – the decision is yours. However, keep in mind that everyone deserves to be rewarded for their hard work and excellence so if you have some “shka-roll” (New Jersey Italian slang for money) lying around, I would highly suggest you compensate the promotors websites – it really doesn’t cost much. As so, try putting aside a budget that can be used for your promotions and enhance your campaign.
Here are 42 websites that you may submit your book for your KDP Select Program:
Note: I found this information on a blog I came across while searching the keyword “KDP Select Promotions.” I can’t really remember which site I exactly used because I saved all the links onto my computer, but if you’re out there, THANK YOU!
eReaderNewsToday – Must have more than three reviews and a 4-star rating or above. It is suggested to contact them a minimum three days before your schedule free promotion.
DigitalBookToday – The majority of submitted books that meet the minimum guidelines of 18+ reviews and 4.0+ star rating average are listed for up to three consecutive free days. For a minimal fee, they will list a limited number of book that have little or no reviews.
FKBooksandTips – First come, first serve $25 flat fee.
AuthorMarketingClub – A free membership signup is required.
BargainBookHunter – It is recommended that you contact them a week or more in advance when you have planned your KDP Select free days and include the following: Title, dates your book will be free, and the ASIN or a link to your book on Amazon.com. Do not cloak, shorten, or include your Amazon affiliate code in your life. Such actions will guarantee your book will be ignored!
IgniteYourBook – They only accept eBooks that are currently available through Amazon.com. Books can only be listed once, and duplicate submissions will be deleted. Your book must be free for the entire time period you indicate on your submission page and your book can only be features for a total of 14 days, so choose wisely.
Bonus: If you have a couple hundred dollars to spare, visit BookBaby.com
Sign up to as many of these sites as you could. Yes, it is tedious work, but you have to be willing to do some footwork in order to achieve the best outcome during your campaign. Do you want to be an Amazon Best Seller? Then get off your ass (or stay seated) and start filling out the applications! Fill it out one-by-one OR……
Pay someone! HAHA! The following banners are linked to sites that offer a service to submit your Kindle eBook to various websites who will run promotions during your campaign. Fun Fact: I actually found these website AFTER I filled out and submitted 23 applications. I was so stoked (excited) that I found the following services, but my Obsessive Compulsive Disorder kicked in and I filled out the remaining applications after using the submission tools. So, I pretty much did double the work. Like I said, it’s up to you on how bad you want to become a “Best Selling Author” and get five-digit downloads.
Social F@#$ING Media!
Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s 2014 and the “World Wide Web” has given us the unconditional gift of social media. All I have to say is TAKE ADVANTAGE. We overlook this simple took because sometimes we don’t recognize it as an avenue for promotions. Some look at it as a “stupid, trendy, and obnoxious” way to discuss matters with other people. In reality, it’s an author’s best friend! This is probably the best way to get visibility on your book, period. We have a community of people interacting with each other with the same interests all over the world. On these platforms, you are able to spread the word, create and build upon a #hashtag, and connect with very important people in the author industry.
The trick with social media is to obtain followers who are interested in the genre of your book and will become the solid ground of followers who will await your book release or promotion. Connect with people who have similar ideas, thoughts, and hobbies as yourself so that you can, as a community, discuss specific topics that pertain to your current or upcoming book. Connect with the followers, readers, authors, or community by first asking questions on the subject of your book. You DO NOT want to push your book down the community’s throat because that will only lead to destruction. Nobody likes a consistent “sales-pitch” however, you can chose to run paid advertisements on the social media platforms which are often very effective. Writing articles on your blog is also a great way to steer attention towards your book because you, once again, have an opportunity to connect with new followers, readers, and authors and create a community of your own. Take the extra time out to create relationships with others by replying to their comments and posts and simply thank them for taking the time out to comment. During this process, you will meet very interesting people who will be glad to help promote your book. Keep in mind that the information you share with them is the information they will share with others, so make sure it’s meaningful. Social media is long road with many avenues of opportunities so learn to connect with people via social media E-V-E-R-Y-D-A-Y!
Here are 205 #hashtags that are well known in the author community. Yes, it is a lot but you need to get familiar with these if you intend on making your book a success.
#AmWriting
#AmEditing
#AmRevising
#Author
#Authors
#AuthorLife
#BookMarket (Thursday’s at 4 pm ET)
#CopyWriting
#EditGoal
#Editing
#ePubChat
#IndieAuthors
#LitChat (every M/W/F)
#MemoirChat (Every other Wednesday at 8 pm ET)
#NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month is held every November)
#PBLitChat (picture books only)
#PoetTues
#ScriptChat
#TenQueries
#WANA (We are Not Alone community)
#WordCount
#WriteGoodNews
#Writer
#Writers
#WriteChat
#WriterWednesday (or #WW or ##WW)
#WritersLife
#WritersRoad
#Writing
#WritingBlitz
#WritingParty
#WroteToday
#YALitChat
#ZineChat
Connect By Book Genre
#Biopic
#Book
#Comedy
#Cookbooks
#Cooking
#Crime
#DarkFantasy
#Dystopian
#Erotica
#KidLitChat
#FanFic
#Fiction
#FlashFic
#Food
#Historical
#History
#HistFic
#HistNovel
#Horror
#KidLit
#Literature
#LitFic
#MGLit (Middle Grade Lit)
#MemoirChat
#Mystery
#NonFiction
#Novel
#Paperbacks
#Paranormal
#Recipes
#RomanceWriter
#Romance
#Romantic
#RomanticSuspense
#RWA (Romance Writers of America)
#SCBWI (Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators)
#Science #Fiction
#ScienceFiction
#SciFi
#SciFiChat
#Short
#ShortStories
#Short #Stories
#ShortReads
#ShortStory
#SteamPunk
#Suspense
#TrueStories
#UrbanFantasy
#WomensFiction
#YA
Get Industry Information
#AskAgent
#AskAuthor
#AskEditor
#BookMarketing
#EBooks
#ePub
#ePublishing
#GetPublished
#HowTo
#IAN or #IAN1 (Independent Author Networking)
#Indie
#IndieAuthor
#IndiePub (or #IndiePublishing)
#PromoTip
#Publishing
#Pubtip
#PubWrite
#SelfPub
#SelfPublishing
#VSS (very short story)
#WebFic
#WebLit
#WritingTip
#WriteTip
Get Your Creative Juices Flowing
#1K1H or #1K1HR (write one thousand words in one hour)
#140Poem
#Creativity
#StoryStarter
#WIP (work in progress)
#WordAThon
#WriteGoal
#WriteMotivation
#WritersBlock
#WritingPrompt
#WritingSprint
Connect With Readers
#99c
#99cents
#Amazon
#AmazonKindle
#AmazonLikes
#AmazonPrime
#AmReading
#BestRead
#BookBuzz
#BookBuzzr
#BookGiveaway
#BookMarketing
#BookReview
#Books
#BookWorm
#Borrow
#eBook
#eReaders
#ff (Friday Follow)
#fRead0 (zero at the end, not a lower case “o”)
#Free
#Freebie
#FreeBook
#FreeDownload
#FictionFriday
#FictionFridays
#FridayFlash
#FridayReads
#GoodReads
#GreatRead
#IndieThursday
#IndieTuesday
#iPad
#KDP
#KDPSelect
#Kindle
#KindleBargain
#KindleBooks
#KindleeBooks
#KindleFire
#KindleTouch
#KindleTweet
#Kobo
#LendingLibrary
#LitChat
#MustRead
#MyWANA (Writer’s community created by Kirsten Lamb)
#New
#Nook
#Novel
#Novelines
#Novelists
#Novels
#Paperbacks
#Poetry
#PoetryMonth
#Pubit
#Read
#Reader
#Readers
#Reading
#Reviews
#SampleSunday
#ShortReads
#Smashwords
#Sony
#Special
#StoryFriday
#StoryTelling
#TeaserTuesday or #TeaserTues
#GreatReads
#WhatToRead
#WriteQuote
#WeekendReader
Promotion, Marketing & Networking
#AuthorRT
#FollowFriday
#FreebieFriday
#FreeReads
#RT
#Share
You will also discover social media accounts that run book promotions however, most of them require compensation for their services. This approach definitely works, but only to an extent. The creation of a pure connection and building relationships with your followers is much more effective. However, as I said before, if you have some extra “moola” (another slang term for money) sitting around, it can’t hurt.
Here are a few Twitter accounts that offer such services:
@MishaAlmiraEBP
@DigitalBkToday
@kindleebooks
@Kindlestuff
@KindleFreeBook
@4FreeKindleBook
There are a million other accounts that offer extended social media services. It is hard to tell which is more effective than the other so you kind of just have to roll the dice on this specific subject.
How Do We Get Reviews?
Before proceeding with your KDP Select Campaign, it is highly recommended you have reviews. This will make your book much more valuable, credible, and highly considered by other book review websites and blogs. Whether or not you run free promotions, reader reviews are critical to the success of your book and there are a number of way to get them.
Ask for reviews on Kindle Boards and other forums.
Contact writing blogs and review sites.
Email Amazon Reviewers — Many regular reviewers on Amazon make their emails available. Email those who are likely to be interested in your book by sending them a free version and kindly ask for an honest review.
Ask for reviews from visitors to your blog, your Facebook fans or other social media contacts.
Review other authors’ books – Remember the Law of Reciprocation! This is a great way to get your own book reviewed.
Once you start receiving some positive reviews, keep a note of people who liked your book and contact them when you have another book that needs reviewing.
Hire a PR company who knows just how to reach out to the right people. Get your book in their hands and have their professionals build reviews for your book. (Again this may cost some $$$$.)
Websites, Blogs, and Authors who will consider reviewing your book, or will review your book for exchange of some Dinero! (Money)
Let Me See Your Footwork!
We must be willing to do the footwork. We have to be relentless with our actions and stay consistent in order to progress. We have to reach out to as many people as we can through social media, emails, blogs, press releases, local media, local businesses, friend, family, EVERYONE! We have to spread the word and let our voice be heard that WE ARE NOW A F@#$ING AUTHOR!
In conclusion, this is how I attained 16,182 Kindle downloads in 3day-KDP Select Program. Through these methods I developed a “#1 Amazon Best Selling Author” status in six different categories. This is how my book became a success. Once you have obtained this title, you are now a bestselling author for the rest of your life!
From here on forward, you’re not just __your name here___. You’re __your name here___, a BEST SELLING AUTHOR!
I hope all this information can help you all reach your goals, but just in case, don’t forget to cross your fingers.
Stay Smart, Stay Sharp, Stay Positive, and remember, success is not merely a goal, it’s a lifestyle.
Seth Mullins has been writing since his teens, inspired initially by Stephen R. Donaldson’s eloquent fantasies and later by the jagged poetical reflections of the Beats and the Surrealists and the metaphysical works of Jane Roberts. He studied creative writing at Santa Fe Community College in New Mexico and Lane Community College in Oregon. Seth has lived in Maine, Connecticut, New Mexico and Oregon, and currently resides in Vermont.
Getting To Know Seth Mullins
1. If you could cast your characters in the Hollywood adaptation of your book, who would play your characters?
I think it would have to be a situation like in the original Star Wars, with a cast of largely unknown actors. Most of the big names, even those whom I really respect, don’t feel like a good fit. I can name a few people I’d like to work with on the soundtrack, though: Mark Lanegan, Billy Corgan, Anton Newcombe, Eddie Vedder, Julian Cope…
2. How important are names to you in your books? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning? Do you have any name choosing resources you recommend?
I personally dislike when names are chosen for meaning (for example, a Biblical reference) because then the character seems to me less a human being and more a symbol, a vehicle for making a statement. I go for sounds that somehow resonate with my image of a character; or, I might be inspired with a name first and then the personality forms around it. If you have some knowledge of a character’s ancestry there are a lot of resources on the Web for surnames associated with certain cultures, nationalities. For instance, I chose Brandon’s last name, Chane, because of the Cherokee in his blood.
3. What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?
This trilogy (The Edge of the Known). All while I was composing it, it felt like the story that I was born to write; and I still feel that way about it now.
4.Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I honestly can’t even project myself ten *months* into the future. I follow the Muse, always – and she can be capricious.
5. Were you already a great writer? Have you always liked to write?
There’s been a definite progression and evolution. I used to be overly concerned about sounding clever and inventive – using bigger words than were necessary, just to prove that I could, that sort of thing. Nowadays I think of the needs of the story, whatever will do justice to its core feeling. I’ve managed to subtract my own ego from the process, in large part, and this has made the writing much more powerful. And yes, I’ve loved writing for as long as I can remember.
6. What writing advice do you have for other aspiring authors?
Take time to listen for your own natural voice. Trust it, even when you feel pestered by other doubts that tell you you should be more verbose, educated, intellectual, arty, whatever. The writing that will resonate most powerfully with readers will be your own unique voice set down on the page.
7. If you didn’t like writing books, what would you do for a living?
There have been occupations that I’ve fantasized about over the years, but I would have to go back in time and receive the necessary education in order to pursue any of them as careers: Archaeology, anthropology, graphic design, working with animals… One can’t be a shaman for a living in this culture, unfortunately, unless it’s in some self-made capacity.
8. Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad? Do you have any advice on how to deal with the bad?
I always read my reviews, but I don’t respond to them aside from thanking writers for favorable responses. If you put something out there then you have to accept that it’s now a part of the world and people are free to react to it as they will. That’s how I see it. As far as bad reviews go… I’ve fortunately not received any yet, only a couple that were lukewarm. And in those cases, it was obvious to me that the writers just didn’t care for the kind of story that I was offering, overall, so I didn’t take it as reflecting upon my abilities. No story will ever please everyone.
9. What is your best marketing tip?
So far, most of the people who’ve bought my books have had some kind of interaction with me beforehand, so this has convinced me of the importance of establishing personal relationships. The ideal ways of doing that will depend upon a writer’s personality and temperament. The methods I’ve found most rewarding have been blogging, author appearances and virtual book tours.
10. What is your least favorite part of the publishing / writing process?
I have a difficult time proofreading and editing because I tend to become so emotionally involved with a story as I read along that I soon forget that I’m supposed to be looking out for typos, poor grammar and inconsistencies. I’m not saying that I *dislike* the process, but it probably takes me three times as long as it does other writers for that reason.
11. Is there one subject you would never write about as an author? What is it?
There are actually many, and the reason is that I ‘live’ with the content of my stories very deeply and sometimes can’t achieve a safe objective distance from the subject matter. If I wrote like Stephen King I’d never sleep at night.
12. Is there a certain type of scene that’s harder for you to write than others? Love? Action? Racy?
My forte is exploring emotional terrain, so action scenes can be difficult for me at times if they involve a lot of mechanics and little ‘felt experience’. For the same reason, I wouldn’t do well writing science fiction that leaned heavily upon technical aspects to move the story.
13. Is this your first book? How many books have you written prior (if any?)
I actually wrote three novels in High School, which the world will hopefully never see, and two fantasy novels before I embarked upon The Edge of the Known trilogy. I’m not embarrassed about my older work, but it grew out of an overall philosophy and approach that I’ve since distanced myself from. If I have a choice, I’ll be remembered for Brandon Chane’s journey.
14. What are you working on now? What is your next project?
This is a somewhat dramatic way of putting it, but having completed this trilogy I’m now in a mental and emotional state that somewhat resembles the aftermath of a breakup. I need to ‘take time’ before I open myself up to loving again. 😉 I’m grateful that my promotional efforts necessitate touching back in to the story. I may devote my energies, for the next six months or even longer, to reaching out to readers before I actually commit to a new project. Also, these three books were composed over a period of fourteen months, so that’s another cause for my wanting to take a breather. The nature of the story was such that I think it had to come through relatively fast. I doubt that it would have been as powerful if I’d deliberated over it for years.
