Podcasts and Paperbacks

A few days ago I had a friend enthuse about how I... can relax now the book is out. I nearly laughed myself silly. Only yesterday I had an exchange with an author about the merits of her setting up a pinned Tweet and asking interested readers to go and re-Tweet it. Jump HERE if you want to do the same for mine.

Promotion & Marketing is an ever-evolving enterprise for authors, but without it the most well-written novel is liable to sink without trace.  I belong to Facebook groups and am active in author cross-promotions. I have a YouTube channel for my book trailers, but am I using it to its full potential? 

One writer who is determined to do so is Paula M Hunter, a writer of speculative fiction who recently started The Bookshelf - a home for a series of 15 minute podcasts covering all the subgenres of her interest. The current episode is devoted to Contemporary Fantasy, and an excerpt from Book 1 of my trilogy, Torc of Moonlight, was lucky enough to be the Featured Read. It can be listened to via the The Bookshelf website and is also available on its YouTube channel. Go give it a 7 minute listen. The second part is devoted to a writer from the USA, Kimberly Koz.

I'm the person who doesn't own an iPod. Am I missing out here? Perhaps I should investigate further and make the most of my own YouTube channel. 

Paperback Update: Pilgrims of the Pool is now formatted for paperback, and I eagerly await a paper proof copy. Here's its wraparound cover:

 

Launch Day! "Reading A Writer's Mind..." Paperback

Yay! It's launch day for the paperback edition of Reading A Writer's Mind: Exploring Short Fiction - First Thought To Finished Story. It joins the ebook which has been out some time.  

As you may have guessed, the book does what it says in its title. Here's the blurb:

From initial idea, through the story itself, to a commentary explaining the decisions made during its creation, this book leads the reader through the detailed thinking behind the writing of ten stories across a range of genres:

• Lyrical narrative v terse dialogue (Mainstream)
• Characterisation through deed and thought (Horror)
• A calendar structure using the Tell technique (Women's Fiction)
• The importance of pacing (Twist in the Tale)
• The use of alliteration, rhythm and subliminal detailing (Romance)
• Using the Show technique to elicit a reader response (Drama)
• Building fiction with an unsympathetic narrator (Crime)
• Working with parallel storylines via past and present tense (SF)
• Conjuring the weird from the everyday (Fantasy)
• Writing for performance and sound effects (Historical) 
• Editing: ten common problems explored.  

The recommended price is £8.99 / $13.99 but it is enjoying the benefit of discounts:

Amazon UK ¦ Amazon USA ¦ Barnes and Noble USA
Book Depository for free worldwide shipping
Signed copies from Fantastic Books Publishing

...a fascinating insight...            ...great coaching advice...
 

 For those who prefer to e-read, the ebook of Reading A Writer's Mind has been updated to match the contents of the paperback and is available for £2.00 / $2.99:

Amazon Kindle UK ¦ Amazon Kindle USA ¦ Nook ¦ Kobo ¦ iBookstore ¦ Smashwords

If you are a reader who has always wondered how a writer produces a short story, or a beginner writer desperately trying to decide how best to proceed, this book is for you.

Arrived! Torc of Moonlight Paperback

They've arrived! Okay, I shall calm down. I'm an indie ebook writer, yet it is still a huge thrill to open a carton and find paperbacks looking up at me.

My test buys have arrived, too - Amazon UK, and Book Depository for inclusive world-wide postage. With print-on-demand it is always a good idea to do a test buy when possible as different printer's machine settings produce slightly different results within a variable.

So if you live in the UK and would like a **signed copy** drop me an email. For a limited time I'm price-matching Amazon & throwing in free postage.

Torc of Moonlight: Book One £8.99

Beneath The Shining Mountains £7.99

Ooh, the Kindle could get jealous.

The Delights of Indie Publishing

A few days ago Amazon announced that 23 of its indie ebook authors had sold over 250,000 units last year. Just to be clear about this, that's over 250,000 each, not combined. Much to my surprise I find that I'm sharing a forum with three of them, and it's been celebrations all round.

I might not frequent such dizzying ebook numbers, but I'm sitting here in my own warm glow. Today I uploaded the print version of Torc of Moonlight to Createspace, downloaded the digital proof, tinkered with widows & orphans, like you do, and re-uploaded. In less than five hours it's been vetted by a person and I've just ordered a physical proof to be delivered to my door.

When I started with ebooks I thought I'd waved farewell to paperbacks - I like reading on my Kindle, and it's always my first option for new purchases - but having a big smiley lapel badge "Ebook Author" doesn't quite hit the spot when I'm giving talks. Participants are happy to take my postcards sporting the book covers, blurbs and buying info, but they still yearn for a physical book, duly signed, from an author they've met.

When I uploaded Beneath The Shining Mountains late last year this wasn't in my mind. As an ebook this is my biggest selling title, mostly to USA readers, yet I'd noted from various forums that authors offered both digital and print. My ebooks are offered in both ePub and Kindle formats, so why not print as well? All it was going to cost me was an updated cover and time to absorb the formatting learning curve, which wasn't as onerous as expected. Since the paperback went live I have been pleasantly surprised as to sales. Long may it continue.

I expect Torc of Moonlight the paperback to go live on Amazon in about ten days, and become available from Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository, and others, in about a month.

Don't you just love modern publishing?