Category Promotion

An update

July 22, 2011 Promotion

Things are rather busy at the moment, but so this is just going to be a status update.Conflict of Interest, the sequel to The Docks, is undergoing a lot of editing. The first round of editing added extra plot and tightened up the action. Now it's back for a second re-read and I'm hoping the editor likes it. I'm working on replacing the Googlesite with a decent website, hopefully something which looks a bit better and is more likely to sell books.The real problem right now is promotion. Due to contract restrictions from my work, I am very limited in what I can do to "promote or endorse" a product - one reason why I use a penname. However, it has been confirmed this does mean I can't use my real name for things like Facebook and setting up a fanpage, or even admin my own fanpage, because it

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Coming up to launch

April 14, 2011 book launch

With less than two days to go until the launch, a few things have happened I wanted to mention.First, Amazon.co.uk now has the paperback in stock. Only two copies, but there are apparently more on the way so hopefully that distribution issue has been sorted. Even if not, the book is now up on Kindle so it can be purchased as an ebook and Amazon have successfully linked the books.I've just received copies of some of my items for the launch, including giveaway pens, and small booklets containing Arrival. I'm a little surprised about the latter as I'd never intended Arrival to go into print in that form.There's also a charity offer on for the launch, where if you buy the Kindle or paperback version through a dedicated link all profits go to XH558, to find her display season. (See

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Publishing v. Self publishing v Small press part II.

April 12, 2011 book launch

I am honestly too nervous about the book launch on Saturday to come up with anything interesting to say, so I'm going to push on with a terms clarification about the different types of publishing.Publishing: These are the huge publishing houses like Hodder and Stoughton, who do offset printruns in the thousands, and probably release as many promo copies as a small press expects to sell in total. This is what most peple think of when they mention "Published". Some people also refer to this as "traditional publishing".Self publishing: You personally own the ISBN, or have set up a company purely to publish your own works. Nowadays this usually involves lulu or createspace, to make the books available through POD, or using Smashwords or Amazon to publish as e-books.

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Back to the Book Launch

February 13, 2011 book launch

Just because I'm under the weather doesn;t stop time to the launch ticking down. And with the difference between soft launch and national release, the horrible question of the book launch event raises its head again.I would have been begging MurderOne if they were still open on Charing Cross Road. They were genre, I was a steady customer, and they are very much missed. They are still open online here, but it isn't the same.It's right on the fringe of Forbidden Planet's range. Oddly my dead-genre novel is too mainstream for a company I often buy from.Waterstones are keen - frighteningly so - but do not have a cafe, so I am not sure of the logistics for the "Party" part of launch party. I also can't afford to pay them to stay open or do a private opening.Foyles? I did consider it, but my

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Planning a book launch

October 27, 2010 book launch

With six weeks to go until the book is released, people have started asking the question that I was hoping to avoid:"So, when's your launch party?""I'll get back to you."The launch party appears to be a traditional part of a book launch now, with press, publisher, author, and possibly family, friends and vague acquaintances being invited. Since I am being published by a small press, I have to arrange my own. As someone with a life-long aversion to public speaking, large events, and media exposure this feels rather like being asked to pick the members of my firing squad. I have not even settled on a venue yet. Ideally I'd like a bookshop with a cafe, so they can handle the book selling part and I can get something to eat and drink. Unfortunately my local closed a few months ago, and I

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Quick Amazon Update

October 19, 2010 Amazon, Promotion

The book's back up on Amazon, so search for the ISBN, author surname or title (sorted by publication date) and you can see it again. However I will admit to spending a very worried evening.My attempt at publicity materials are also underway, including a set of mini-bookmarks that should arrive later this week. The publisher is refining their press release and putting together a media kit.Fire Seasonon amazon.co.uk

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The Rocky Road to Sales…

October 18, 2010 Promotion

Things are currently rather interesting. I'm in the middle of setting up my Amazon Author Central page which will be live in seven days, working on my Goodreads and Authorsden pages and generally trying to tell the world about my book. On Twiends I got a brief VIP feature which increased traffic to my Fire season lens significantly.The publisher spoke to Nielsen and the release date issue has been corrected. I will confirm here it is the 1st December 2010, not 1st November. Perhaps most worrying of all, in two days I should receive an ARC copy of my book for promotional purposes. It has a placeholder cover, but the internal text should be properly laid out.Things were looking good.This of course is when Amazon crashed this afternoon and lost my book page. The page still exists but

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Promotion underway

October 12, 2010 Promotion

Dromader against the flames by tirialSell my art online at zazzleSince it can now be pre-ordered I'm back to promotion. Less than fifty days left to sell the entire printrun before we print it (just joking). The trailer is slowly being sent out. I'd deploy it everywhere at once, but to be honest neither my internet nor my patience will stand for waiting on the upload times. There's a new hubpage for extra backlinks, and even a few promotional items for Fire Season up on Zazzle using old digital artwork designs.I'm shattered already - and it's only Day 49 before launch. Much more to do!

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A pause in promotion

October 11, 2010 Promotion

I was slightly doubtful about the title change; after all if you google VH Folland Firestorm I am the first three pages of results. However that happened in four weeks, so with luck I can get the same effect with Fire Season. Unfortunately I can't seriously start promoting until next week.With just over 50 days to publication and launch, I have been asked to hold off on publicity for a few more days. If I wait, I can include pre-order links in my online material. Since the publisher is setting things up with a partner who sells world wide, I think that it is well worth waiting for. However to keep people interested, while the publisher gets their pages set up, there's a page now up on Squidoo with everything about the book so far (including the Amazon

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Still working on promotion

June 16, 2010 Promotion

This blog should hopefully be appearing on Technorati shortly. Meanwhile I'm creating a list of local press, review sites and author profile sites, so that once the book is up, I'll have it ready.Even if it's the same profile on each, it's all extra backlinks and publicity.If anyone is interested I could put this site list up on Google docs and make it shareable.BBQ646NECY2F

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