Thursday Thurteen: Book Promo Outside the Box

(And, yes, I know I misspelled Thirteen. I'm living on the edge here. Deal with it.)

My fiction has been published and for sale since 2010, and since shortly before that I have made it a point to discuss "the Biz" with other authors - learning the ropes, discussing Craft, spreading the good word, making connections, soaking up the gossip, and chewing on the Big Subject: sales and promotion.

I've joined forums, discussion groups, etc, etc, and this keeps coming up - How on earth do you sell your ebook?

Don't get excited that this post will help you, at all, since I clearly don't know, either. I was a fiend for doing marketing, taking guest spots and interviews everywhere for a while last winter, and you know what I made? Bubkes, that's what I made. Well, okay, maybe not quite. $17, I think, is more precise.

So, obviously, I don't know anything about selling an ebook.

Well, that's not entirely true. I know the rehashed ideas everyone recommends - blogging, guest blogging, social media (all sorts), interviews, posting your sales links ad nauseam, etc. I've even paid out for promo, and nadda. Aside from an interview on a Big Site and reviews, I haven't seen any of the normal things work.

Thus, I hereby announce Enough Is Enough.

I'm done with the "normal things." It's time to go to the mattresses on this whole promo game.

Therefore, this week's Thursday Thurteen (TM):

13 Promo Plans with Flare

1. Shave the title of my book into the President's dog's pelt. (Not saying which President, or President of What; just a President.)

2. Convince George Lucas to release yet another butchered version of Star Wars with Greedo not shooting first, but wearing a t-shirt with my website url on it. Come to think of it, that would still be better than the "revised" versions.

3. Hire sky writers in every city to find the last remaining adult readers of m/f contemporary romance.

4. Once I find said last remaining readers of m/f contemporary romance: Give them puppy eyes until they cave.

5. I think prisons may be an untapped market for romance novels. (Makes "To Do" note for later.)

6. Change the title of my novel to How to Make Millions Publishing to Kindle!

7. Step One: Find a Leprechaun. Step Two: Wring his bloody neck til he makes with the luck.

8. Step One: Steal Underpants! Step Two: ... Step Three: Profit!

9. Start a cult.

10. Revise manuscript and add a vampire businessman who likes BDSM. We'll call him... Edw...mund.

11. Travel the rails, living colourfully, until I die of a gamey foot - only to have my work discovered, posthumously, by an enterprising young writer for the NY Times in hipster glasses and a $200 plaid shirt who has a thing for novelists-turned-hobos.

12. Go back in time and somehow ensure I am born the lovechild of Amazon's CEO. Or at least that of the dude who's in charge of their sales rankings and "Special" lists. Or that of the guy who has college photos of either of those two that they'd prefer not be seen. (It's a fluid plan.)

13. Get caught sexting steamy excerpts with a member of the Royal Family.

Well, there you have it. How can I possibly fail this time, right?

Oh, and hey, while you're here, why not check out my Amazon profile? Free shoeshine with every hundredth purchase.* Honest, you'll see your face, guv'nah.

*Offer void everywhere. Some restrictions apply.

New Stories Galore!

I've been a busy little bee recently, which I hope should excuse me for the lackluster blogging of late.

So, what have I been doing?

First off, I'm now in draft four of my brand new full length contemporary romance, Textbook Romance, written originally for NaNo 2010. It's been through five betareaders, and I am busy preparing draft five, which will be the final draft before submitting it to a few choice companies. Sadly, this also involves a good deal of synopsis/cover letter composition, which is considerably less thrilling than fiction writing. Nevertheless, I feel okay about this one. Naturally, I will keep you posted.

Secondly, I am nearing completion on the rough draft of the Halloween installment in my five-story erotica series for Rebel Ink Press, You Never Know - a story about a no-nonsense man and a strange woman who claims she's a witch. So far, it's going well. All I can tell you for the moment is that it certainly starts out with a bang!

I already have the Thanksgiving installment in production. Charity is the story of a big city banker with a heart like an Excel spreadsheet who gets taught a thing or two about what really counts in life, by a farmer who sees more in her than her loan applications.

Finally, I have been brewing several more concoctions; a handful of short pieces that range from the unusual to the heartwarming. A dark-fantasy-erotic piece, in which an ex-boxer gets lured by the mob and an exotic dancer with a dangerous secret. An old fashioned romantic novella about the love of the land. And After Life, a paranormal romantic fantasy about a man trying to find redemption by helping his daughter mend her life from beyond the grave. I'm also cooking up a little romantic tale for next Valentines. And, let's not forget my NaNoWriMo 2011 entry - a paranormal-suspense blended with contemporary romance setting.

Now, coupled with my Real Life Day Job work, this is a lot. However, the ideas keep coming, and far be it from me to push them away. Blogging has sort of lost out in the competition for my time, I guess. Soon, however, I hope to have some guest appearances, some more "real posts," and some new trailers and other odds'n'ends. For now, take this update with an IOU.

So, here's to the rest of 2011, and forward-looking to a bright 2012, with, I hope, many more stories to come!

A Personal Project on the Horizon

Hanging out with self-published folks. I think that's what has done this. I don't know; the Kool-Aid looked innocent enough. I guess I should have guessed by smiles on their faces as they offered it... Actually, maybe it's just that SP people seem so full of energy. Or that they've convinced me it's an outlet for a story that isn't likely to find a home any place else.

Either way, I am thinking of doing a self-publishing project.

No, I am not going to start self-publishing my genre fiction, or the new comedy I am writing. Those will still go to nice, small but competent epublishers who are willing to take them and give me the editorial and cover support I still need as a new author.

But, I have had an idea in my head for some time, and this project - a special, personal one - might just go self-published. A few years ago, a tragedy happened in my family. I won't go into details here, in case I decide to keep it private, after all. But I've been working on the story of this tragedy for some time - knowing I would write about it some fashion some day.

I have been considering writing it as a gift for my mom and dad. A short; around 20k or so. I thought to write it, convert it to PDF and get it coil bound at Kinko's for them. It's not a commercial book. I plan for it to be well-written and complete, but I had no idea of selling it.

But now, seeing the features of modern self-publishing, including "Create Space," which makes printing it in paperback a lot easier, I am intrigued. And thinking about it. Certainly, it would be more of an exciting thing for my parents in "real paperback."

So, I don't know. If I figure my way around Amazon, and get a cover art/layout, buy an ISBN some place (if I can), and hire a personal developmental editor, line reader, and proofer. Learn about the formatting (yikes!)... Maybe. Just maybe.

I'm keeping it in mind, anyway.

Where Am I? Where Am I Going?

Run Down:

It's been a month of ups and downs in the Kindle business in the eight months since my first release last October, and recently my books have had some movement both up and down. I admit, I don't really understand the sales stats and such on Amazon, but these are the things that seem clear when I look at all of the sales and buzz info I have at hand:

• Unwrapping Scrooge had a strange off-season resurgence this month, including a boost in sales and some increased interest from reviewers. I plan on trying to make the most of that, to get a momentum going, and see if it can translate into a new marketing campaign for the book starting in October/November leading into the Christmas season.
• Waking Kara remains a consistent seller, especially through Amazon.com, even without any marketing or promotions behind it. This solid little number sells about 10 copies a month, on average, and has reached the 100 copies sold mark, according to my calculations. Now, I know that doesn't sound like much, but given the lack of promotion, that is not bad. Plan: Let's see if that can do a bit better.
• V-Day has recently made its first showing on the Kindle ranks stats, which is nice to see - I like this book, so I need to work on promoting it better. Due to other obligations at the time, I ignored it way too much when it was released - now the plan is to bring some attention to it, and get a review or two.
• Good for the Goose has seen some very moderate ups and downs, but remains fairly low. I have improved the sales profile of it by highlighting the reviews it got last December, in the hopes of reviving it for the Christmas season. Perhaps the idea for a "Christmas in July" blogging blitz might help a bit.
• Sadly, Strings Attached has failed to sell or to attract reviews. I continue to plod ahead, focusing on posting about it at ebook blogs and submitting it to reviewers. It has been out less than a month, so I have not yet given up on it.

Up till now, I have not spent a single dime on marketing or promo. Unfortunately, I am not really in a position to do so now. However, if some of my plans come through, it might be time to resort to paid promotional activities in the fall. I refuse to become a gambling junkie about it, dumping good money after bad into useless ads in the hopes of striking the jackpot. Nevertheless, a few well-placed ads and spotlights might be helpful, if placed strategically and designed well. We shall see.

~*~

Looking Ahead:

What is bugging me the most at the moment, however, is not my low sales, but the fact that I have no new releases planned in the foreseeable future. This is not good.

My next task is to complete the renovations of my 2010 NaNo project and find it a solid home, so it can see daylight. Then, of course, the marketing and promo will start all over again, and I hope it will have a solid landing strip already laid by my first five available works.

Along side that, I must keep chugging along on my new fiction project, which is proving to be a challenge but an exciting one - I will share details soonish, I promise. Today, I spent four hours writing on it, and I feel like a million bucks!

Constantly pushing finished product is not healthy. If I am not producing, I am merely a former writer, and not a writer in the present. Stats and sales are great - but nothing beats looking forward to a new release!

So, that is the state of the union at the moment.

More details as they come...

Daily Dose of Frustration: Non-"Zany" Need Not Apply

Right now, I looking for a publisher for my new novel - my NaNo story, which is currently in editing and re-writing. I am hoping to submit by the fall, so I'm casting around for the best shot for publishing. I am looking for something mid-class this time - not too small, but not too lofty, either. Some company that sees half decent sales, makes some token effort at marketing and can help me produce a quality book. Not too huge a list of wants.

This week, I came across this lovely little snippet on a submission instructions page of a mid-range ebook pub:

Contemporary Romance: Fun and whimsical, these books should showcase your sense of humor and focus on a modern couple in a zany situation.

"Zany"?

Really?

Zany only, huh?

Damn you Bridget Jones. Damn you.

So, fine. I understand that people like zany. I can appreciate that. I love Bridget Jones, actually. But, honestly, is this the only market out there? Readers only want to read zany romance (if it doesn't involve sulky vampires, that is)?

My NaNo novel is not a zany romance, nor is Strings Attached. Now, this does not mean I am devoid of humour (in fact, my new WIP is a comedy), but these first couple of full lengths are serious contemporary romances. Not quite melodrama, but focusing on honest emotions and mature, realistic people. Not zany people.

(Zany people are, like, girls who wear red dresses a lot, which randomly get blown up by the wind, right, and inexplicably carry bunches of daisies way too often? Zany guys, I can only assume, wear a messenger bag all the time.)

(Yeah, I don't have any of those.)

So, it seems I am simply not zany enough for the category of contemporary romance in today's market.

Perhaps I should see if I can re-write into it a pouty nosferatu as Plan B...

Writing Resolutions for 2011

I'm fairly new to this game, only having received my first acceptance in July 2010. I have had three shorts released since then, and am anticipating my first full length (actually the first one accepted) release in May. I have been with three companies, and have learned quite a bit - but I still have a long way to go. Looking back at 2010, I can see some things I want to better or differently in 2011.

1. I really do want to produce a free read short story. Honest. But it is very hard, I admit, to get my hands on enough time to do something for free that will be worth using as a sample. This continues to be a hope, and will be moved up on the priorities list.

2. I want to improve my promotions and marketing quite a bit. I want to continue to make better trailers, sooner, and find more places to get them out there. I want to make/get good banners for all of my books, as I have found the one supplied by Decadent was very useful. I think I will have to start putting money into marketing, as that really is the only way to get your book out there. 2010 was an extremely lean year, but 2011 might be better.

3. I want to improve my website - and get a .com instead of a .webs.com - as soon as I can afford it.

4. I want to finish and edit my NaNo novel. I have full lengths planned for Jan-April, May-August and Sept-Dec, as well. This upcoming year, I am hoping see better sales. I have publishers in mind for my current projects, and in 2011 I hope to have three or four full lengths accepted by strong companies. I will keep you posted if/when they say yes!

5. Shorts. I have decided to stop doing shorts - well, not altogether, but to spend much less on shorts. Shorts don't pay much at all, are hard to get reviewed and are kind of hard to promote in a big way. But they still demand a lot of time for writing, editing, promoting, etc. So, I have decided to give up writing shorts, for the most part - I will finish those currently in production, and complete the five story holiday erotica plan I have in mind with one publisher, as they are terribly fun to write (and so I can see it in paperback, I hope), but I think that is all, unless any novella-length ideas really grab me. I need to spend my time on my full length works, which sort of got the short end of the writing stick this year.

So, those are the specific goals and hopes for 2011. As always, the main overarching goal is to work at it; is to improve, continue to be happy at what I am doing, and produce the best writing I can for an increasing readership.

All the best for 2011. I look forward to better and brighter things!

***

What are your resolutions for 2011?

My NaNoWriMo Goals

My personal goals for NaNo:

2k-a-day nets me these deadlines:

• Nov 6 - 12k
• Nov 13 - 26k
• Nov 20 - 40k
• Nov 27 - 54k
• Nov 30 - 60k

I have set weekly goals so if I have to skimp on one day, I can make it up before the end of the week, i.e. writing only 600 words one day, and 4k another - but the aim is 2-4k every single day of NaNo, come rain or shine!

The novel I am writing is aimed at 60 to 65k, so I have decided to keep up the 2k-a-day level if I can, so that it will be finished in total rough draft by the end of the month, so I can put it away and then get working on other things for a couple weeks before I edit. I want this novel all ready for submission by Jan 1, 2011, so this way I can have a rest between writing and editing.

So, let's see if I can hit those markers, shall we?