Category: musings

Pondering promotion

On By MikaelaIn musings

The Cauldron Bound is formatted, just waiting for me to hit publish.  Now I am pondering how to promote it.  I have three problems: No reviews, my book is not free and I have a limited budget. Luckily, there are things that I can do.

So what am I doing once I have hit publish?

* Signing up for Ebook soda and Bargain Booksy.

* Signing up for the next scavenger hunt that Night Owl reviews has.

* Running a release week sale. Maybe. ( If only Publit’s campaign feature was available. sigh.)

* Do a giveaway or three.

* Posting to Kboards and Mobileread.

 

Some of these things are free, some isn’t, but at least I have a plan on how to spread the word about The Cauldron Bound when it is out.  I am no fool. I know that this list doesn’t guarantee a lot of sales, but it increases the likelihood that I will have some sales. I do know that to build sustainable sales I need to release more book in the series, and a bit closer than it was between Exile and The Cauldron Bound.

Focusing on one series at a time

On By MikaelaIn musings, Writing

Even if things are changing fast, and you shouldn’t listen to too old advice, I think most authors, no matter if they are self published or not, agree on the fact that series sells.

In this moment, I have 4 novellas sitting on my hard drive that are the first in a series ( Frosthold, Queen of Sind, Daughter of the Dark, The Wild Hunt.) I could focus on revising them and getting published, but the truth is that some of them needs a lot of revision.  All of them will get published, but I don’t think it is a good strategy to let book one in a series be published and then there are 3 years before book two gets published.

Mainly because for me one of the points in writing a series is to release the short stories and novellas close to each other. This both helps build sales and keep up the momentum on the series.

So my plan is to focus on getting the Portal Universe series out first, and then focus on other series. This doesn’t mean I will not write sequels to other books when I have time. Since I need a break from the Portal Universe sometimes.  Then there is the fact that I am ahead of my publishing schedule right now.  I have written the books that I intend to release in 2016 already.  Which is a relief, to be honest.  So maybe I will write the sequel to Frosthold this fall. 🙂 Or at least finish the type in for Frosthold.  Or maybe I will work on something else entirely.

 

 

I have a headache right now

On By MikaelaIn musings

I read this excellent post by Carolyn Jewel.  I am glad I read it, but  I have a headache right now, even if it is for different reasons. See, my distributor works like this: I set a list price of 50 cent ( for Exile), and then the stores add their overhead. Some adds very little. Some adds more. Which I have been muttering about, but I hadn’t considered the implications of that habit.   Let’s take Germany.   I distribute to both Weltbild  and Thalia.  Weltbild adds 30 cent, but Thalia adds 1 Euro.   And considering Germany has laws that say that all the books have to cost the same in all the stores..  Lets just say, I have a headache. It is also not something that I can do anything about right now.   Publit is working on changing their pricing strategy.  I don’t know when it will go live, but they are working on it.  ( I am hoping it is part of it when they switch to the new Publit next week or so.)

 

 

Utterly random update

On By MikaelaIn Life, musings, Writing

I went offline during easter, and revised a whopping 11 000 words.  After I got home it has been slower though. Part of it is because I’ve had health issues and part of it is because I need to recharge. ( That’s always the case for me. )   But I’m slogging along on the revisions of the Wild Hunt. I’m 2/3rds through right now, and the draft is at 33000 words.  The goal is 35 000 words.

Once these revisions are done I’m going to work on  Exile.  Actually, that isn’t true. Once I’m done, I’m going to readthrough Daughter of the Dark before sending it to the editor.  Then I’m revising Exile.

I think I’ve already mentioned that I  signed up for Publit awhile ago.  They are a Swedish distributor and one of the options they offer is a Widgetshop. Right now I’m thinking of how to best utilize their Widgetshop for promo. The reason is that I want to do somekind of free read/exclusive  for Eurocon, but I’m not sure what.  Hrm.  It is still a couple of months left.  I’m still thinking about promo in general.

I like the way Anne Bishop and Yasmine Galenorn posts stuff from their characters POV on Facebook and Tumblr. I’m thinking about doing something similar.

I’m also getting back the urge to blog about books.  Not reviews, though, but more recommending authors and reading updates.

Oh, and I’m going to London in May! Just 2 days, but I’m happy.  No firm plans, except hopefully seeing Kari and my brother.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What makes a book successful?

On By MikaelaIn musings

Reading about the success of 50 Shades Of Grey made think about what makes a book wildly popular. 

I have read a lot of books, that have had  engaging characters, fast paced plots, and fascinating settings.  Yet  they aren’t up and fighting on the bestseller lists. So why is they plodding along? I think part of it is that they are missing that  extra”something.” The something that keeps the reader coming back again and again.
Let’s take Amanda Hocking.  She is wildly successful, at least  when  she was an indie author ( I have no idea how her print books sell).  I picked up Hollowland awhile ago. Even though I never finished, which was more because of me than the book,  I could see why she was so popular.  Her author’s voice had that something.  

SB Sarah points out that some authors are just cracktastic.  I can see that. I have some authors that I love, despite a part of me whispering I shouldn’t.  Grace Burrowes are one of them.  I love, love her books.  Despite the fact that her books borders on viginettes. Yet there is something with her books that makes me gobble them up.  ( But I still got huffy when I realised that Lady Sophia’s Christmas Wish were released before The Virtuso, but chronologically took place after.) 
Thea Harrison is another. I gobble down her books, despite the fact that the headhopping drives me insane.  I cannot help myself. I have buy her books.

Then there is the authors I love, but who release books with 3-4 years gaps.   Lorna Freeman is one of them. I love her books.  The problem is that since there are so long gaps between books, her earlier books are starting go out of print, and isn’t available as e-books.   Even though I am annoyed, I’ll still buy the next book.  Wen Spencer is another author. I love, love her books.  It is a mix of fantasy, science fiction with a dash of romance that just works for me.   Still, her last book was out in 2009 I think.   But, just like with Lorna Freeman I’ll buy it when it is out in July.

All right. This might have gotten a bit rambling.  Let’s see if I can tie it together.
What makes a book  successful is having that ”something” and reader loyality.  The problem is in today’s publishing that most authors don’t have the time to get the reader loyality, unless their books are successful from the start.  

So, which authors do you want to soar onto the bestseller lists?