"Invasion" Cover

Well! This was a fun one! After some great feedback from some Superstar friends and some fellow cover designers, here's Author A. Star's "Invasion" cover. Pretty big change from the original one, eh? Hope you like!

The Seminar of All Seminars For Writers

If you've read my posts before, you know that I'm always plugging in something about the Superstars Writing Seminar I went to this year in Las Vegas, and for good reasons. In case you couldn't tell by my DM3W articles, I've made tons of amateur mistakes since I started to take writing serious two years ago. I've tossed my money into false hopes, marketed to uninterested audience, and waited for things to happen while I just sat back, watched, and hoped for the best. Yeah, I've made mistakes, many horrible mistakes. . . but going to the Superstars Writing Seminars is the first right thing I've ever done for my writing career.

Me in Vegas with new author friend, Sean Young, & the inspiring James. A. Owen

After meeting the awesome Kevin J. Anderson at DragonCon in 2010, and discussing how he became the successful author he is today, he recommended that I go to the seminar. Unfortunately, I was too busy losing money to a book that kept getting reedits since I didn't invest in a good editor the first time. So I brushed the suggestion off.

A year later, I came back to DragonCon, desperate to meet Kevin again since my writing career wasn't working out the way I had hoped. Hehe, if I recall, I think I got up around 5:30 in the morning to make sure I'd catch him at his booth so I could talk to him, realizing I needed this guy to know that I was serious about my writing along with knowing my name. To my pleasant surprise, he actually remembered me thanks to my hair :P. After chatting with him about the seminar and telling him about my current writing experiences and struggles, he explained exactly what SWS could do for me. So, a couple of months later, I found myself in Las Vegas with a room filled with authors from all avenues of life.

Some were indie, some were traditional. Some had published, while others were aspiring. Then there were agents, editors, and even artists like me. Some were around my age, while others were more seasoned. Some were just starting out, and others were either New York Times Bestsellers or some of the best indie authors around. 

Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta, Eric Flint, David Farland, Dean Wesley Smith, Brandon Sanderson, Moses Siregar III, and James A. Owen. Wow. Respectful titans in their own respect. Not only did these people talk to us at panels, but they sat down with us during lunch time, at the bar, or even while we were seeing the sites of Vegas. 

And what did I walk out with once the dust had settled? Sound knowledge on the business, an arsenal of networks, and amazing people I can't believe I can now call friends. If you are struggling with selling your books, or if you simply want to know how to be better at the lifestyle of an author, this is the seminar for you. Now, this isn't the sort of seminar that dwells on developing characters, plot placing  and better story telling. No, this is all about the business aspect of being an author, a subject matter that's in dire need of discussion. 

Like any good thing, SWS is something that will require some serious planning due to the cost. Buying plane tickets, a hotel room (typically discounted due to the seminar) and the seminar itself will indeed require some bucks. However, this seminar is an investment on our career, and the best investment I've made in mine.  Before the seminar, "Prossia" only had 2 people that listed it as a must-read on Goodreads without a single review. Now. . . lemme see. After the seminar, I currently have 213 people who list is as a must-read and 5 reviews. I'm pretty sure that's not a lot by other people's standards, but considering where I came from, that's huge!  The book was published way back in 2010, but it feels as if its true potential has only been realized since I came back from Vegas. And even though SWS only covers the business aspect of being a writer, my confidence in my creative craft has improved greatly because the seminar taught me how to find the right people who could make my stories stronger.  

Dean Wesley Smith, David Farland, James A. Owen,Brandon Sanderson, Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta

In short, the Superstars Writing Seminar will not disappoint. I am very excited to see how my first post-seminar novel, "Operation: Sand Gnat," does since it's a product of the four days I had in Las Vegas. If one can't go to 2013's seminar, then now's the time to prep of for 2014's. See, every writer should feel the way I did as I boarded my plane back home after the seminar: rejuvenated, excited, and ready to write the best story ever.

DM3W: Don't Forget To Write

It always seems to come as a shocker of what I originally thought the author life was going to be like. Looking back at the way I went about promoting Prossia tends to make me go "How did I possibly think that was going to work?" At least time can bring wisdom if we look for it hard enough, right? ;)

So, after spending what I consider two years of bad marketing for my book, I saw the need to play "catch up" with the new knowledge I gained this year. After coming back from the Superstars Writing Seminars in Las Vegas this year, I finally felt like I had the knowledge to get on  the right track. Because of that, I started running right when my feet hit the floor once I got back home. The following days and weeks following the seminar included the following for me:

• Blog shopping 
• Network building
• Graphic designing
• Facebook Page building
• Facebook club maintenance
• Agent Queries
• Editor Queries

Yep. Right when I woke up in the morning all the way to going to bed that night, this was what I did for days. I was so fired up, I was ready to do anything and everything to help market my current book and future books. . . except for one thing.

While I cannot stress the importance of finding one's own method up promoting our stories, I forgot one itty bitty thing on the list. Taje a look. Do you see it? Yep. I didn't save enough time to write. Ironic, isn't it, especially after the seminar stressed the importance of making time for that little to-do item? ;) As we go about branding ourselves as writers, lets not forget that one thing that gives us such a title, and that's writing.

Most if not all established authors will tell us that we need to have a complete manuscript before we can even think about those several examples I have bulleted above. There is SO much work involved beyond making sure that the story we're writing is a good one. So we better make sure we have something already written down before we're all gung-ho. Still, it's vital to keep our creative juices flowing even when we're marketing that story that we dream about being a NYT. :P

Write some short stories. Get started on the next installment if  a story is a series. Whatever it is, we need to make sure we're doing some form of creative writing even when we're in the "post-production" of our latest book. I'm afraid I can't give a guideline as to how one is supposed to fit writing in a schedule that is already severely cramped. We all have different jobs, families, and other obligations that require our daily attention as well. So, while some of us can find enough time to get 3,000 words out in a day, some of us might only be able to get out 1,000 or even less. Whatever it is, each word we write down is making us better at what we love to do.

Don't forget to write, writers. This lifestyle we've decided to give into isn't anywhere near as romantic or luxurious as many would fancy it out to be, but we still do it, don't we? That's because we love the world building, the character development, that tingle we get in the back of the neck when we know we're closing in on one of the most powerful scenes in our adventure. We do it because we love to write. So, as this lifestyle takes us away to meet so many other obligations, there's nothing wrong with rewarding ourselves with a little creativity from time to time ^_^. Happy writing!

DM3W: Never Pay To Publish Your Book- Part 3

Ahh, I think we're nearing the end. In the 1st part of this discussion, I talked about the misunderstandings I had when wanting to self-publishing houses. In the 2nd part, I explained what a self-publishing house/"vanity press" along with what one might get from cover art to editing services. We're going to close this with the final two pointers on why one may not want to pay to have their books published: Pricing, and marketing.

Pricing- I'm not talking about the price of services in this regards. I'm talking about something FAR more important, actually, and that's the price of your book. The retail price of a print copy "Prossia" is a staggering $19.99! The reason why it is that high is simple: I had no say-so in the matter. Xlibris was kind enough to print my book for me, so it's only fair that they get a cut out of it as well, right? Well of course it is, silly! ^_^

All that being said, who in the world is Raphyel M. Jordan to people? Wait, but who is Stephen King? See what just happened? You didn't even really have to think about that second name did you? So, who would you be willing to invest 20 bucks into? Some new guy that just has one current book out there, or a numerous NYT Bestselling author who has a strong and solid name in the industry? Don't feel bad. I'd go with King or any other well-established author too. ^_^

Now, when I first published "Prossia," I figured I didn't have much of a choice since this was the only way to self-publish. Oh, the things I know now. I took the the time look up how much I would've paid for "Prossia" to get printed at CreateSpace, a company that has been spoken highly of from many authors, bot indie and traditional, in my network. After putting in the number of pages I have, Prossia would have cost a little under 6.00 to print. If I  recall correctly, I currently pay 15.99 for a softback copy of the book with my author discount. As an author, do you think I'd rather sell 200 books for $8.00, or 8 books for $20.00? 

Marketing- You know I'm all about marketing! As previously discussed, self-publishing houses offer tons of options for you if you're willing to pay. If I take away the cost of getting my novel printed and copyedited, 

I paid around $900.00 for promotional items like a press release (which didn't provide any buzz, btw), a website,  5 posters, and 50 bookmarks,business cards, and postcards, all of them being "meh" in regards to quality. I also got a web site, and 100 outlets for a press release. I would've paid twice as much, actually, but I got in during a promotion. So the usual price would have been $1800.

My website, Prossia.com (it's not up anymore), was very basic, having a basic "home" button, a page covering "Prossia's" summary, an "about the author" button, and then a paypal link. That-will-not-cut it! Content updates were not an option for my site. . . that is unless I paid an extra $87.00 for an update. So, there was that site, and now there's this site instead. See the difference? And this isn't to say that I have the best looking author site out there. Regardless, it's a place on the web where I can constantly update content, something that webbers expect out of people they expect to follow. Best of all, my newer site cost me under $100.00. All the items that I got through Xlibris could have been done on my own for roughly $200.00, $300.00 is I was feeling a little "riskaye." :P

Marketing your book doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg, guys and gals. Go to sites like the ones I listed below to get posters, business cards, bookmarks, and other things that you might need printed for your book for reasonably and competitive prices.

• Printrunner
• Printkeg 
• Overnight Prints
• Vistaprint

 Make a blog or wordpress for free. Create a facebook page for free. Go around town to the local bookstore or library to see if they can help you with promoting your story. Get the word out about your book by talking to those nice book blogging people. And guess what? A lot of them do it for free ;).

.......................................................................................

Final thoughts, as I said before, companies like Xlibris aren't scammers or anything like that by ANY MEANS. They gave me the freedom to design the book I wanted to design, and I didn't even have to go through all of the hassle of making sure my book was on sites like Amazon or B&N. Also, I learned a great deal about how to promote my book. All in all, I agreed to pay them a certain amount on items for certain services, and they delivered. For this, I will forever be grateful. Regardless, if one is willing to do a little extra research and find the right sources, you can hold on to a huge chunk of money that can go to more effective items for your book. Invest in your book, but make sure you're not tossing away finances in areas when all that needed to be done was a little more time investment. Believe me, your writing career will love ya for it. ;)

DM3W: Never Pay To Publish Your Book- Part 2

In the 1st part of this discussion, I mentioned the basic misunderstandings I had when looking at self-publishing houses. We're going to dwell a little deeper into exactly what these sort of publishers are, what they do, and the reasons why they may not be the best idea for authors that want to make writing a career.

What I call self-publishing houses is what people generally refer to as vanity publishers or vanity press. I personally don't like using that term since "vanity" can have some negative implications behind it, and I believe in a "you get what you pay for" way of thinking. And as I tried to stress before, I'm not trying to make these companies seem like "the bad guys" for us authors. There's simply a misunderstanding between what some of us expect out of them, and I'm hoping to redirect some people's ideas before they make the same misconceptions I did.

So, a "vanity press" is a company that a person can pay to print their books along with other services. If one pays the certain amount, one can also have some marketing items like bookmarks, post cards, a press release and business cards. Other services could also include copy editing, copyrighting, an ISBN, the inclusion of one's book on various websites, and just about any marketing idea one can possibly think of. Sounds pretty cool, right? Well, that's because it is, for the most part. ^_^

However, self publishing houses tend to be more effective toward people that might be looking for a smaller audience. A person who wants to give books out to family, friends, and maybe some coworkers would probably be pretty content with paying someone for all this work. However, call it a hunch, but I'm guessing you want to share your books with a broader audience if you're reading this article, right? ^_^

I'm going to break off this segment into 4 parts.

1. Cover
2. Editing
3. Pricing
4. Marketing

We'll discuss the first two items that vanity press does for an indie author, and why one might want to reconsider going strictly solo.

Cover- While self-publishing/vanity houses offer so many items in their packages, quality may not be included in the criteria. Many people might be able to decipher a "vanity press" author just by the look of a cover. While these companies have an arsenal of designers, they may not necessarily put their best foot forward with effort, and yes, people still do judge a book by its cover. I got my degree as a graphic designer, so I'd like to think I have a basic idea on what a good design is or isn't ;). Now, I'm not the best designer by any means, which is why  "Prossia" is getting a cover redo.

Still,In many cases, many of the cover designs seen from vanity press companies are considered hit or miss. I've seen some covers that are just downright awesome while others arrrrrrre. . . not so much. >_> One's best bet is to simply go out and find a designer that you know will get the job done right. Besides, it'll save you some money. ;)

Editing- Another issue is the editing. Most of these presses provide copy editing, which is very important, but not nearly as effective as having a a full fledged editor. For those that don't know the difference, copy editors can correct grammar issues in one's story. No one likes typos! However, a regular editor goes beyond the mere grammar issues. He/she will offer insight on how to make a story stronger. In most cases, an editor is more expensive, but if you've been following my posts, you should know by now that I consider editors one of the best financial investments an author should be willing to make for his/her book. A finely edited story can be the difference between a 3 star or five star review. Don't believe me? Read a review I got on "Prossia" that could've been more positive if I invested more. So, instead of saving that money for all of the packages self-publishing houses offer, one might be better off saving that money for a solid editor.

.......................................................................................

I will say it again. DO NOT. DO NOT. DO NOT PAY TO HAVE YOUR BOOK PUBLISHED. Patience is the key. We need to do our research in regards to making sure our stories get the quality attention they deserve. Besides, we've been too reckless by skipping meals, staying up late, and having family and friends get angry at us for suddenly becoming "antisocial." And by the way, none of those are really necessary either, but that's a whole 'nuther story. ;) 'Til then, keep those creative juices flowing, and stay tuned for the next segment! Pricing and marketing are some of the more important reasons why a self-publishing house may not be the best fit for you. More on that later!

Don't Make My Mistake, Writers: Never Pay To Publish Your Book- Part 1

Geez, if there was only someone that phrase to me years ago. Now, this DM3W hits VERY close to home for me, which is why it's taken me so long to post this one. (I wanted to make sure I got it right.)

When I first looked into self-publishing my book, I researched, just like we all should do, but I was apparently researching the wrong thing. I wasn't too familiar with the ways people went about making their books a reality on their own, so I figured I'd start simple: Googling self-publishing companies. 

. . . 

And some of you guys and gals are already saying "Oh noooo." So, after the searches came up, I was given a list of sites that compared various companies, what their services included, and giving some pretty solid insight on how where one's money is going.

• Outskirts Press
• Xlibris
• Publish America
• IUniverse
• Author House 

These were a few of the names I came across, with all of their services and prices varying. Some were around $200.00 while others were in the $1,000+ ballpark! Ooh, unless you came across the company during a special sales time where you got a special deal. I "fortunately" came across Xlibris around such a time, so I went with them.

Now, let me start off by saying that I am VERY grateful for what Xlibris did for me. "Prossia" was printed beautifully, they always followed up with me to see how my book was coming along, and I even had a consultant that knew me by name since I called them so much. And for that reason alone, it's really hard to speak ill of them in this regards. I sincerely believe that self-publishing companies like them are seriously trying to help authors with their careers. Thing is, there's a better and far more economic way if one knows where to look.

After I self-published "Prossia," I figured now would be a good time to learn how to market it. And that thought was a mistake in itself. Know how to market your book BEFORE you publish it. But in regards to me wanting to learn how to market my book, I decided to attend the writing panels and seminars they had at DragonCon. Surely enough, the issue of paying to have one's books printed came up with successful authors during some panels. Every single one of them thought the concept to be blasphemy, and for good reason.

Consider this: Writing is a career, and people get paid for their careers, right? Now, if you went into a job interview, and the employee said you had to pay x amount of dollars to get started, what would you say? Yeah, I probably wouldn't have much to say either since I was getting out of my chair and leaving too. :P

But here's why some of us, me included, thought needing a self publishing house was necessary if we want to go the way of the indie/self published author. There's so much more to a book than just getting it printed, right? We need bookmarks, posters, postcards, maybe even a website. Or how about a press release, an actual ISBN code, and at the very least a copy-editor to get the grammar kinks out of the way? We're ogled by all of these amazing offers included in bundles that these self publishing houses present to us. . . not realizing the sum of all of the items in these "packages" do not add up as far as pricing is concerned.

It seems authors go to these sort of companies just because we don't know any better, at least it was for me. That's one of the reasons why it's vital we build a network of fellow writers that have gone to the places we've gone before, looked at the same things we've seen, and thought the very same thoughts. Be sure to read my previous article about our comrades in arms for more insight.

But here's the rule, plain and simple. DO NOT. DO NOT. DO NOT PAY TO HAVE YOUR BOOK PUBLISHED. We should never have to give some sort of down payment for our works. Authors get paid to get their books published, traditional and indies alike. 

Since this is a hefty subject, I'm afraid I'll have to break it down into parts. Don't worry though. You won't have to wait long for the other increments. In the meantime, I'll leave a link to a site my author peers, both traditional and indies, have recommended. I really hopes this helps. I'm sure there are other companies like this one

Book Blog Check: Mega Book Blog Database For Indies

Here's another great source for authors looking for indie-friendly bloggers. The Indie Book Blog Database (IBBD) is HUGE! I mean HUGE! I started using this site to find book bloggers for reviews and interviews around the end of July. On average, I email about two bloggers per week requesting a review, and I'm now just getting to page 3 for the sci-fi database. "Ahem," that's page 3 out of 8, by the way, and each page consists of ten blogs. Yeah, it's like that.

IBBD is obviously well-established, having people that have been in their database for around 2 years. The genres that cater to your writing/reading are easily accessible at the top of the site. Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Thrillers, Horror, it's all there, just waiting on you! You'll probably be using this database for weeks if not months to come. Oh, and if that's not enough, the site is a review blog in its own right, and also offers formatting and other services for various book types. Kindle, Smashwords, book covers fro Lulu can all be handled here if you're in need of such services. Hey, if you even need a blog designed, these people got you covered!

The only setback that some of us might come across is in regards to review requests, believe it or not. Since IBBD is so popular, a lot of the bloggers on the site have already been found out by plenty of other authors. Because of this, a lot of them may not be able to accept any more work at the time since they already have plenty of books to analyze. Still, what's the harm in asking? After all, a lot of these blogs have members in the 4-digit range, so there's a lot of potential exposure if you get lucky.

So, happy shopping, and remember to follow the 5 Basic Rules To Proper Blogger Shopping I posted a while back. Good luck, everyone! ^_^

The Indie Book Blog Database

Some Fellow Nerds Ask About My Love For Writing Sci-fi

A big thx to Annabell and her crew at Team Nerd Reviews for hosting my guest blog post ^_^ 

"On August 6, NASA sent a mobile lab that had to travel over 154 million miles away, landing on another world in order to learn if there was ever a remote possibility of life on it." Hmm, funny. Had I written that sentence a century ago, this probably would've been found in a science fiction novel. However, we're living in a time where such a statement is  being read in magazines, on websites, and other forms of information across the world. Looks like what visions we write for fun today may very well be what our descendants will be considering headline news in the not-so-far off future.

"Fist man lands on Mars."

"First Martian colony."

"First human-friendly exoplanet discovered."

"Mankind discovers FTL possibilities."

Sure, the further the imagination goes, the less possible it seems. Still, someone had to think of it first, right? Some kid had to read the idea in some article he/she read, or maybe in some summer reading he/she had to for school.

Nowadays, writing such books as a sci-fi writer is a heck of a challenge, for me at least! What fictional items I might have thought were groundbreaking in my books could actually be a common thing to hear in three years because our knowledge and technology are advancing so quickly. So, what can I possibly do to keep ahead? Well, for me, I try to think big, on a galactic level.

When I used to write stories as a kid, they were usually fan fics, inspired from characters already well-established. As I got a little older, around the age of middle school, I wanted to make stories that branched away from other people's creations since I figured following someone else's establishment was limiting my own creativity.

Even with that simple logic, I had no idea that I laying out the foundation that would expand my imagination in the years to come. At the age of 9, when I was making a picture book about ant colonies going off to war, I never imagined I was going to tell the journey of a young alien girl shaking the foundations of her world due to war like I did when I started writing my first published novel, Prossia, at the age of 19."

Read the other half of my post at Team Nerd Reviews. 

Don't Make My Mistake, Writers: Story Will Always Sell First

I've mainly been discussing items in regards to social marketing and the like in this series. Now, we're going to venture off a little, but we're still sticking to marketing ideas. However, this one is a little more direct in regards to one's actual story.

As you all know by now, I love visual art. I love creating something out of nothing, and the challenge a bringing something out of one's mind into a visual form. I get complimented on it pretty fairly, being told by many writers they wish they could bring their creations to life the way I seem to. So, I realized my passion for art could be a unique niche for me. "Prossia" could stand out beyond the rest by illustrations, book adds, and poster featuring my unique characters. When people saw my art, they'd have to follow through and buy the book to see what it's about, right? I'll just sit back and watch the crowds line on up.

. . . 

Eh, not so much.

While it's vital for all of us to  use our unique gift or talent to help our stories stand out, one thing shall always be the same regardless: it's the story and writing that sells. Did my artwork bring in some followers? Sure, but not the way I hoped. In the end, people want to know about the story, story, and story.

And that's where I made my second mistake. While I was busy waiting to see how "Prossia" would fair out, I should've been hard at work on a next book! Instead, I waited, and waited, and waited. And as I waited, my morale diminished along with the declining sales. Want more people to buy your book? Write another one to add to your library.

I'm not trying to say that our niche is going to fail us. I'm saying it's that special wonderful bonus that your readers will get while they follow our writing careers. It should not should not SHOULD NOT be the only tool we use. We're writers, people. That is our preferred tool of choice, but who's to say that's a bad thing? :) 

Goodread Indies, This Is Your Club

While I was doing my daily routine of blogger "shopping" one day, I came across this blog that really tickled my fancy. It displayed solid reviews, had events for people, and seemed very author friendly. . . like friendlier beyond the norm (which says a lot since I've come across some really great blogs). I talked to the administrator, Scott, and we chatted it up pretty well. When we discussed what I was trying to do as an author, he invited me to check out the blog's club on Goodreads. . . and my mind was blown away when I got there and met fellow moderator Jeff along with the other active members in the group!

To me, the Indie Book Club almost seems like a vital asset to have for any author trying to go out all solo. After talking to so many peers in similar circumstances to me, I couldn't believe they looked over this club! It's definitely not getting the attention it deserves considering it only has a little under 400 members! . . . wait, that is a little, right? >_> Considering there are other Goodread groups out there with 1000 plus people, I'd say so! 

The club is a gold mine. It has a monthly novel, even a never-ending story, a self promotion area, and so many articles that discuss marketing!

• Need an editor? Check. 
• How about an illustrator? Check
• Need someone to review your book? Check
• Want a place to announce a writing milestone or event? Check
• Wanna know what people were watching in the 80's? . . . well, they got that in their off-subject area, but you get the idea!

I've learned and gained so much from being a member of this club. Clientele work, very cheap and smart, marketing ideas. Hey, I even got a pre-editor there!

Goodreads is considered one of the best social networks for authors, and if you're gonna be there, why not join a group of like-minded people sharing similar goals. The Indie Book Club is very organized and filled with friendly people just trying to help one another. Remember that article I wrote about fellow writers being comrades in arms? Well, here's a great spot to find some. ^_^

Be sure to check out the blog here, and the actual club here.

Book Blog Check: Boom Goes the Dynamite

A lot of you have probably heard me bring up Mia Darien due to the two interviews she was kind enough to offer me at her site, From Mia's Desk aka MiaDarien.com. Turns out she also has a new spot on the web in which she provides reviews for books. Careful though. She's a mage in WOW, and she's all about explosions at Boom Baby Reviews! :P

Darien is a fellow self-published author who started writing when she was fourteen. The motivation behind Boom Baby Reviews came from wanting to help out her fellow indies since there are a lot of book blogs out there that seem to be anti-indie/self published. While Boom Baby Reviews still looks quite young in its early stages, don't let the lack of content fool you! "If you build it, they will come," right? Besides, since she's an author with several novels out there already, it seems like she knows what makes a good solid story. Better yet, she isn't afraid to show it in her analysis.

Now, as I've stressed before, to me, one of the key elements that makes a good book blogger is an honest one. That's why a Boom Baby Review is worth having. Granted, one might need to have some tough skin if asking for a review. I knew I was sending Prossia into tough terrain on this one (as I usually do), and it didn't come out unscathed either. :P Still, if you're confident in your deeply engaging story, why not give it a try? 

Darien seems to be in look for that spark, that substance that makes a story stand out. She'll explain why some elements work for her, and what things didn't all the while making them her honest opinion. What's even better, however, is that she'll try very hard not to make an author cry since she's in the same trenches and can relate to all of the effort one goes into making a story. And in the end, isn't that what all of us should be looking for when seeking reviews?

Hopefully, this new spot on the web will get some more attention in the future. If Darien plays her cards right, Boom Baby Reviews can definitely be a strong affiliate of her base site at From Mia's Desk. Be sure to check out the review policies to see if its a good fit for you! 

Boom Baby Reviews

Don't Make My Mistake, Writers: Your Allied Authors

Author Camaraderie
I graduated with a BFA in Graphic Design back in '09. Throughout my entire college career, I was told just how competitive the graphic design field can be. The jobs are scarce, but the payment is good when you can finally get in the cut, but just about everyone else is hunting for the same gig that you're looking at too. So, needless to say, I took this sort of logic when I got more serious about my writing career. Here was my thought process:


"Authors in a shared genre tend to seek out the same readers, editors, agents, and publishers. It has to be an every man (or girl) for himself sort of principal, right?"


 Hmm, well I learned otherwise when I met my PEERS at the Superstars Writing Seminar. 


NOTE THAT I DID NOT SAY "MY COMPETITION." And don't get me wrong. Writers are still trying to go for the same sources that you might be looking at, but they're not the enemy, here. No one is (Even though some might speculate that many agents and publishing houses are). Fellow writers are our brothers and sisters in arms! They're our weapon, as we are theirs! Writers, unite! Now! Take the hill!


. . .  >.>


"Ahem." Fellow authors have learned, or are learning the same useful information that we're coming upon as well. The good ones will share with us some things that are either yay or nay in our industry, and we should be willing to return the favor by sharing what we know as well. Together, we can:

• Tell each other who to talk to for editing
• Where to find a designer to do the cover art
• Which agent to write to or stay away from
• Bring attention to major writing competitions or projects that might get overlooked 

Why, some of them might be willing to step away from their own story to help us with ours, or even buy a copy of our book for the mere sake of showing support. Authors aren't our adversaries. They're our friends. Comrades digging in the trenches beside us. ^_^


Being a writer is a hard line of work, in spite of the glamour that the public makes it out to be. Most people will never understand the toil put into our projects, and how much we give up in order to make them a success. That being the case, instead of us trying to fight our way to the front, why not help each other out to the finish line? Honestly, there's plenty of room. Readers don't care about whose great story they got to read first as long as they get to read it. ^_^

5 Basic Rules To Proper Blogger Shopping Etiquette

Ever gone to job interviews? Or how about writing query letters to agents or editors? Have you noticed the "profound" yet? I know, I couldn't believe it either when I noticed it myself. Yep, every person has different rules and guidelines to follow in regards to submissions. Who would've thought?! :P Still, we take our time looking over the guidelines, making extra sure that the person/company we're trying to wave down doesn't toss or delete our proposals with a second thought. We do this because that's proper submission ethics, right? 

So, why? Why don't we treat the people willing to invest their precious time to give a solid review of our book the same way? Yeah, that's right. I'm talking about the book blogger.



I've heard plenty of bloggers note how often a person will seem to just go on a copy/ paste template marathon when looking up blog reviews, not even realizing that a blogger doesn't review his/her genre. Why, I became a "victim" of that myself. . . and I'm not even a book review blogger! "Dear book reviewer, I'm blah blah blah." He didn't even take the time to copy and paste in my name! I felt so insulted and irritated that I didn't even see the need in telling this author that I'm not even a reviewer. And at that moment, I thought about how many times blog reviewers get emails similar that one.

Here's the thing, fellow writers. Book bloggers need to be given as much respect as a an agent, editor, or person we're hoping will hire us. Some of these people have strong followings, and a credibility that might boost our month's sales. Do we want them to just blaze through our novels, which will take hours and days to evaluate? I most certainly hope not! And if that's the case, what's so hard about spending a solid five or ten minutes checking out a reviewer's blog? If we want someone to give us their time, we best be willing to give some of our own as well. ^_^ And what should we be spending our time doing when we come across a book blog? Here's five:

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• 1. Read a couple of reviews, the good the bad, and the ugly. This will help us get an idea of a blogger's review format, if they fit what we're looking for, and if the reviews are honest (and yes, we should always want an honest review). And let's say the blogger may not be a fan of our stuff, and ends up giving a negative review. It's nice knowing that even if a person can't recommend our book, they can give a thorough explanation why our story didn't work for him/her instead of a simple "This book is a stupid waste of time. Don't read it. The end."
• 2. Make sure the blogger reviews your type of book. This goes without saying. We don't want to waste our time with an individual that we know won't have interest in our genre, nor do we want to waste theirs. Since I write sci-fi, why would I send a query letter to an agent that only interested in romance? Same rule of thumb goes here. ;)
• 3. REVIEW the POLICY. Editors have them. Agents have them. And, you guessed it, bloggers have them too. Most of us have always been told if we want a better chance at getting told "yes," we better follow the rules. Again, this is another rule that goes to bloggers. Following their guidelines tells them that we're serious about our story, and willing to do some proper homework before writing to people. In return, that tells the blogger that we're not the sort of writer who just proposes his/her story to everyone. That's a compliment in its own. ^_^
• 4. Read about the blogger. Bloggers are people, and they have feelings to. What's wrong with reading those 2-3 paragraphs explaining why the blogger decided to make their little spot on the web? We're planning on doing business with this person after all, so why wouldn't we want to know what type of person we're offering our pride and joys to?
• 5. Follow up with the blogger. When they give us that review, interview, or guest post, we should let them know how appreciative we are. Book bloggers LOVE to read great stories, and most of them are going off a hunch when they read ours. So, believe it or not, they want to enjoy our books! They're cheering for us, and want to put in a good word to help us, usually for free! How can we not go back and just say "thank you?"

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I'm sure there are some other things we should consider when looking for an individual to review our works, but following these five "guidelines" can point us in the right direction. We shouldn't be hopping around all over the place spamming every book blog we see. Not only is that bad etiquette, but it's an easy way to get a bad reputation. Like agents and editors, book bloggers network, and they talk to each other. What do you think they'll say to their blogging peers about you?

Appreciate book bloggers. They're not all great, but the ones that we find, willing to invest in our stories, should be treated with their due respect. They are, after all, reviewing something of ours that we want to be respected as well, right? Good luck out there, everyone, and happy shopping! ^_^

Don't Make My Mistake, Writers: Limited Marketing

Sometimes we learn a lot of things by watching somebody screw up before we get the chance to. Well, here's where I tell you all of the naive mistakes I did that's made my writing career less pleasant than it should be. So, what bumps have I hit along the way? Lets find out. 

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There are basically two options in getting published, both with both pros and cons. The first option is the most familiar one: Finding a publishing house that looks for stories with that "certain spark" in a particular genre. The other one is self-publishing, where you go out on your own to get your book published.

I, of course went the way of the indie. I figured I'd have an edge in the game due to my graphic design experience, so marketing on my own would be a snap. If my art was pretty good, the traffic would come a-runnin' when people saw my web ads on Facebook. I researched other possible venues like blogging and networking with like-minded people, but nah. I was sure I could handle this without going out of my happy bubble place. Besides, I felt other authors are trying to grab the same readers I want. 


"As long as I stick to what I'm comfortable with, I'll be fine," I thought. "This will be easy."


. . . 


And I can already see some of you shaking your head already. :P


Looking back at it now, I noticed three main mistakes I made upon my initial launch:

• I limited myself to one marketing area, which was Facebook
• I wasn't willing to step out of my comfort zone for the sake of expanding readers.
• I saw other authors as competition only, instead of peers
• I wanted to bring attention to a book through the visual only, and not the story itself

I'm going to cover where I went wrong in these particular areas for the next couple of weeks. We'll start from the very top today, and work our way down the list. So, here's Mistake #1:


Limited Marketing
In short, I put all of my eggs in one basket, and that's already a big no-no for any sort of business. There's nothing wrong with using Facebook ads to get some attention for your book. If anything, it's a great idea as long as you know how to utilize it properly. I preferred using the ads since I was already an active user on the social network. Still, as useful as that one avenue was, how much more effective could Facebook have been if readers saw this book called Prossia on their ad walls and hearing a little buzz about it in some of the blogs they followed as well? The name of the game is constant exposure, and sadly, I limited my audience to only a small handful of people on one network. Even then, people might click on the link provided by the ad, but that doesn't guarantee that they will even buy the product I was trying to sale, which was my novel.


My story was published almost two years ago, and I just recently started networking with other authors and book bloggers about a month ago. So, guess what I'm doing now? Having to play catch up, and I might have cut my book's "lifespan" short because of it.. Prossia may not meet its full potential due to the mistakes I made in its initial first few months. I'm told that it's a good read by the few that have read it, but boy, it is quite a few. Now I have to set my pride and joy on the sideline so I can put more attention onto other future projects. And does it hurt? Beyond reasoning!


Here's the other thing. This is the 21st Century, folks, and guess what? People don't just talk to the folk they go to work, church, or school with anymore. We live in a day where we can send a quick "hey" message to our favorite athlete or actress and not be too surprised if they actually write "what's up?" back to us. And since that's the case, readers expect the same sort of interactivity with the authors they read their books from. So, don't be afraid to put yourself in an opening that allow people reasonable access to you in case they want to chat about your story. I mean, they were willing to invest a couple of bucks and their time to read your work. The least we can do is send them a quick email response, isn't it? Besides, it's cool! It's cool! Trust me. I mean, never in a million years would I have thought that I'd be friends with people in the UK because I chatted with them about my book on a blog or on Facebook.


So, where should you look to market yourself? 


Social Networks
Well, I already mentioned Facebook. It's a very powerful tool, not only due to its ads, which are considered some of the cheapest and most effective ads available on the net. You can even make a page made for you, the author, or for one of your stories.


There's, of course, Twitter as well. Got a book signing coming out? Tweet that bad boy up? Did you finish the draft to the next installment in your series? Readers want to know! Did you just make the best ice cream sundae of all time? . . . 


. .  .Well, some folk like to read and tweet about that too, but to each their own. :P And if you're not into the whole twitter thing, you can set your Twitter account up to automatically post updates that you made on your Facebook wall or page. That way, you won't have to worry about hopping all over the social network worlds, posting up the same things all the time. And remember, just because you may not use Facebook or Twitter doesn't mean someone who can be your biggest fan doesn't.


Blogs
I even had a post about a very cool site called the Indie View not long ago. It lists indie-friendly bloggers that cover many different genres. So, that's a start. But bloggers are some of the 21st Centuries most powerful unofficial journalists. They can point readers in your direction, as long as you know how to find them and ask them (more on that later) nicely. A great deal of the reviews that you see on Amazon, Goodreads, and any other book review site might have come from a blogger.


Here's the other thing. As noted in my Indie View post, some bloggers can have thousands of followers listening in on someone to say 'yay' or 'nay.' Wouldn't you like somebody that has a healthy number of your demographic just waiting to hear from YOU? Again, you want to make sure these bloggers are credible and will offer some honest insight, but like I said, more on that later. ^_^


Goodreads
Ah, and how about that there Goodreads? The name should speak for itself. It's a VERY popular site where readers and writers can find out the best books to consider investing in. Do you have a book? Go ahead and list it. Do you need to find a group of people that read the genre you write? Chat up with some potential fans in one of the site's clubs.


As most of these items, I'm taking baby steps in this area, but it's already been quote a thrill! Why, my latest illustration client is from Goodreads, who is also the other admin to a club I met on the site. 
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I can go on  all day about Social Networks, Blogs, and Goodreads, and still have plenty of things to suggest. Still, you won't know how useful these avenues might be unless you try them for yourself. Who knows? One of these options might put in that spark of interest needed for your book. I'm sure there a plenty of more areas that can increase your marketing potential, but I'm just pointing out the one's I'm familiar with at the moment. Even two years after publishing my first book, I'm still learning ways to expand its target audience. 


Don't worry though. I won't leave ya hangin'. Information and knowledge is rich, and we should all be willing to share some of the wealth whenever possible. ^_^


I'll discuss stepping out of the comfort zone in the next DM3W (Don't Make My Mistake, Writers). Yeah, I just thought that up right on the spot. ^_^


. . . 


 Heyyyyyy, I might be able to make a cool logo out of those letters and number. . . Uh ohhhhh. Gotta go ===>_>

A List Of Indie-Friendly Book Bloggers

I mentioned how difficult it can be when looking for a book blogger to read your book a few posts ago. However, the search can even be more difficult for indie authors at times. When I first hopped into the book blogger hunt, I mainly came across bloggers that had a pretty anti-indie sentiment. And that's okay, if not understandable. Anybody can write a book nowadays, and sadly, that means a lot of people out there have scared away a lot of prospective reviewers since some indie authors don't put in a great deal of effort into their writing.

However, if you're one of those people that see the logic in seeking out an editor, doing some research on how to properly write, and follow the industry on a professional level, this a place you definitely want to look up. I was fortunate enough to find this site that lists bloggers that got a lil' "street cred," and are very indie-friendlie. :P Why, this is actually how I found Austine Decker and the Magick Pen blog that gave me my first blog review and interview.

The Indie View lists indie-friendly bloggers that review various types of books. Romance, sci-fi, fantasy, thriller, mystery, etc. All you have to do is find them! And considering there's 164 blogs listed, this place might be a good start for indie writers to find and network with some people that can get your book some attention. The lists of followers vary by blogger. Some can have 50 people while I've even seen others in the 1000s! Either way, if one extra person reads your book due to a book blogger, you should consider it a win. :)

There is one little catch with the Indie View, however. A few of the blogs listed haven't been updated in awhile, going from months to years even. So, I encourage (as you already should be doing when looking for book bloggers) to check the latest several postings on blogs you're thinking of considering. Doing this will give you a good idea of how often the blogger updates his/her site, and if you're actually going to hear from them since they're constantly in need of books to read.

Now, no blog is alike, and every person has certain items that need to be followed. We should always make sure to look over the review policies, and not just send every single indie blogger out there the same ole' email "template" that can just be copied and pasted. These blogs matter to the people that made them, so we should be willing to look over their web spot to see if we authors are a good match.

I'll go a little deeper into what I've learned in regards to conducting yourself when approaching bloggers in the future. In the meantime, you have a pretty good list of options that are definitely worth looking over thanks to the Indie View. Hopes this helps! ^_^

The Indie View 

Book Blog Check: There's "Magick" In the Book Blog World

Update: A HUGE thank you to Austine for reviewing my novel, "Prossia." Oh Cool! She actually liked it! Be sure to see what she had to say about it on her Magick Pen Blog.

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Book bloggers are getting very popular out there nowadays due to digital books. However, it can still be a little bit of a drag finding some that have a keen interest in what you're offering. However, I lucked out in finding the Magick Pen on blogspot.com to match my particular criteria.

The Magick Pen is ran by Austine Decker, an aspiring author who loves reading YA novels. Her particular interest are sci-fi, fantasy, steampunk, urban fantasy, and paranormal romance in physical form (no e-books). So, this blog caught my interest for several reasons. First and foremost, Magick Pen is very active, so you won't have to worry about getting some news one week and not getting any sort of update for months. You can expect on average 3-4 postings a week with some insightful articles from reviews, author interviews, or guest posts.

The other item is the most important thing I look for in a book blogger: Honesty. Now, now. I know we don't want to have our pride and joys belittled and posted for the whole world to see, but that's a fair risk that writers should be willing to take when looking for bloggers. The Magick Pen  has no problem telling that you are either insane for not reading a book, or if you should let one slip on by. However, if you look at the reviews that she didn't really fancy, you'll notice that it's not all doom and gloom. Oh, so there's the other thing: Austine is nice. ^_^

The final point is that Austine looks for all the key elements that makes a good story in her reviews. Pacing, character development, an interesting conflict, she'll point out how a story utilizes those pieces  and offer examples.

The Magick Pen is one the few blogs that's willing to go off on a hunch for something new, whether you're an indie or traditional. Be sure to check out what this page is doing in the future. If you think you have something that might be up Magick Pen's alley, you better make sure you drop a line! But be sure to give the blog the respect it deserves by checking out some of the reviews, author interviews, and be sure you fit her review policies before going off the limb. Still, the blog is currently taking in review requests, so you better hurry!

 Magick Pen

A Must-Read For Indy E-Authors

I've been under a rock with this one. I got some good insight from another one of my Fellow Superstars Writing Seminar authors (Thanks Moses!) on how to format your e-book. I started reading Smashwords Style Guide: How To Format Your Ebook (STG) only yesterday, and I gotta tell ya, it's priceless!

. . .

Funny that I mention that, since it actually is free. :P

In case you don't know, Smashwords is a powertool site for e-authors. Not only can you publish your book there, but there are major online ebook retailers the site will send your e-book to. For example, there's Barnes & Noble, IBookstore, Sony, Diesel, all major smartphone apps like Stanza, Aldiko. . . phew! Get the idea?

I'll admit it. I had no idea that there was such a difference between an ebook and a traditional book's layout until I looked through STG (I had Prossia formatted through Xlibris). Like some authors, I thought that I could take my manuscript in its print format and just change the file to be an Epub, the typical word for an ebook compatible file. That simple. However, doing that is setting up for one's own failure. If you take your manuscript over without revising the format, then you're going to have a lot of angry readers who probably won't bother finishing all of that hard work you put into your masterpiece. And then there's the wonderful world called the Internet, where people have no problem telling others what they love and hate. You don't want your credibility ruined just because your book doesn't look professional, do you?

STG lays it all out for you. Not only does it include the basic fonts, sizes, and what-nots to follow, but it also talks about proper spacing, chapter separation, how to get your ebook to have a table of contents for your chapters, inserting illustrations, the list goes on and on!

And here's the crazy thing. Reading this book is going to help me with formatting traditional printed manuscripts in the future! Yeah, that good. Oh, and did I mention the guide has illustrations that shows you exactly how to do what it's saying, step by step? Yyyyyep.

If you're an author that's intends on trying the e-book route sometime in the future (and by the signs of things, you should ^_^), then you NEED STG. Download it at Amazon ASAP. AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN E-READER, DON'T WORRY. Amazon has a free kindle app that you can download onto your PC with no hassle.

 Most people can probably finish the book's directions in probably two hours or so. That means you can get back to the most important thing that you can do as a writer, which is write! It only takes an hour or two to format your ebook the right way with Style Guide: How To Format Your Ebook, but doing so might determine your future successes for a lifetime.

A Writing 101 Podcast For Writers

First off, no, this isn't a photo of my writing office. Just thought this would hit close to home for some people. :P

I might be preaching to the choir when I say this, but writing isn't as easy as it seems. I'm reminded about that little tid bit whenever I give feedback to a peer, or am on the receiving end. From writer's block to just not getting the wording right, getting words onto paper (or monitor) is a lot of work!

One of my Superstars Writing Seminar peers was kind enough to mention this Writing Excuses site after he got done reviewing one of my shorts. (Thanks John!) I've only been looking at it for a few days, and it's already been a HUGE amount of help! The site's ran by well-established authors who know what they're talking about, so don't feel worried about being led astray. Trust me, I've met one of them in person ^_^ (Hey Brandon!)

See, we writers need to be reminded about some of the basic "mundane" things that can make a story work or not work at times. "What POV should I take?" "Why do I always have to speak in past tense at this moment?" Or, here's a good one : "How do I start a story and finish it?!" Last time I checked, it looked like that was the most popular post on the site!

I don't know when it happened, but many people have the misconception that authors can sit at a desk all day with some sort of imaginary orchestra singing praises behind us while our hands derive the next written masterpiece without missing a beat. Psh, if only it was that simple! . . . Hmm, it would be pretty cool having a crowd of people chanting your name like in a theme song or something, wouldn't it (looking at you, Sephiroth >_<)?

Be sure to check out  Writing Excuses  if you're ever in need of the 101 tidbits of writing, writers. The site answers the example questions I mentioned and more! It has a podcast, and books and CDs that you can even  purchase! While there is a fee, there's a trial you can try out a first, and I get the feeling a couple of bucks in this direction can go a long way.

Amanda Hockings: What's She Up to Now?

I always believed that if one wants to be good at something, then look at how the some of the most successful people did it. In the case of indie-publishing, Amanda Hocking is definitely one of those titans to look at. A fellow writing peer of mine (gosh I wish I could remember which one) found a great article from the indie-turned-traditional author, and posted in on Facebook for a group of us writing colleagues to check out. I went to an epic of epicness writing seminar last week, and the debate between indie publishing and traditional publishing was a pretty big subject. So, why not get a perspective of someone who was able to do both? Here's what she had to say on the subject:

"I'm not saying that I couldn't have gotten some or all of that press without my publisher - I'm sure that I would've been able to get some of that attention on my own as a self-publisher. But my publisher certainly did get me more than I would've gotten or at least would've thought to get on my own, and they organized it all for me. And the foreign press - I would've been completely lost with a publicist to help me navigate.

But in the end, as pleased I've been with my publisher, as much as I've enjoyed working with them, and as much marketing and publicity they've done, none of it really matters if the books aren't doing well."

Check out the rest of Ms. Hockings chat and blog HERE.

-Raphyel