Free download Countdown..

Well, 'Fated Encounter' is up and live on Amazon - This ROMANCE short story (approx 9500 words) has been attracting a fair bit of interest which is always nice, especially if you've followed its development.

A review from the Advance Review Copy:

"Fated Encounters is a short love story that quickly comes to life capturing both your attention and your heart. Anyone who has ever experienced love, loss or betrayal will find it easy to relate to this story and will catch themselves reflecting back on the course of their own destiny.One of the many things that make me a fan of AJ Wilson's writing is his ability to divide opinions and spark debate, whatever the topic. It gives you the freedom to imagine, with enough structure to lead you directly into his web of unforgettable characters, where you will be stuck long after the story ends.Fated Encounters is another fine example of AJ Wilson's ability to keep you guessing and leave you wondering. A very entertaining and well written read for people of all ages, everywhere." - Kelly G

Anyway - That 'Golden Hour' for the FREE download we've spoke about can be monitored via countdown clock on the website ajwilsonbooks.net where you'll see this:

You can also register through the website for that 'alarm call' email if you're worried you may forget, or drop me an email direct at ajwilsonbooks@gmail.com 

Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible!

Attention to detail IS important

Sort of in preparation for Wednesdays guest post, but also a point that I believe is important, I want to highlight a 'pet hate' of mine.

Firstly, let me explain by using my favourite example (and I understand how petty this may seem to some people but bear with me) :-

Chuck Norris's 1985 film 'Invasion USA'. Ok, hardly a screen blockbuster but it tries to project realism and has invested (probably) millions of dollars in setting the action scenes. Yet here's the hero (Chuck) in a helicopter about to open up with all kinds of whoop-ass on the nasty enemy soldiers down below. He pulls out the 66mm anti tank rocket launcher and fires round after round down on the fleeing bad guys. OK - a couple of real issues with this - The 66mm anti tank rocket launcher that he uses is supplied as a one shot disposable weapon - open it up, aim, squeeze the trigger, off goes the rocket and then the empty launcher is discarded. It's a bit like the old fashioned never ending bullets, you know the ones, the six shooter that kills eleven people without a reload; The Bren Gun from the world war two films that fires continuously until the pesky German aircraft finally falls from the sky - The Bren Gun has a 30 round magazine! But it gets worse; from my own military experience I recall that the 66mm Anti tank launcher has a back blast area of approximately 100 metres, a 25 metre kill zone, with a 60 degree arc. The gases that ignite to propel the rocket forward shoot out the back reaching temperatures of up to 760 degrees C - ANYTHING within 25 metres behind that thing when Chuck squeezes the trigger is going to get fried, and yet here is Chuck squeezing off round after round from inside a helicopter being cheered on from his wounded comrades behind him - not even a sun tan!

I absolutely accept that most people probably wouldn't pick up on this, but I did, and I'll bet I'm not the only one. 

When I wrote Russian Redemption I actually hadn't been to the Kremlin and nor was I around during that period in time so I had no personal experience to draw upon. In order to give my novel any degree of credibility I had to do a lot of research. It's not about pleasing everybody because that just is not possible, but I wanted to make it as realistic as possible so that my readers got the sense of what it was like. I suppose my best guess would be that 95% of people that read my book hadn't been to Moscow, or weren't around during that period, but at the same time that would mean that 5% WERE! So as not to reduce my potential market I had to go that extra mile, I didn't want to preclude 5% of my potential base.

Names are another area where a lot of authors get it wrong. If you've invested all that time building a credible story I don't understand why an author wouldn't invest an extra few minutes on a Google search to check the finer details.

I don't believe a novel set in 1940 Russia, would be construed as anything like authentic IF my main characters were called Simon or Ross or Jeremy or Kylie or Samantha. A few minutes on google search - popular names 1940 Russia and I have a whole list to choose from, it's that simple. 

I'm working on the premise that, despite my best efforts, there will be something that I've overlooked but the more of these boxes that I can tick then the bigger my potential reader base.

OK - all of the above aside - I happened across a lady named Margaret Chisawn - a reader, writer and reviewer. Margaret has agreed to provide a guest post around her views and thoughts on reviewing and what she would expect as a reader. If you get the chance to have a look at some of Margarets reviews before her post I would truly recommend it. One of the things that stand out the most for me is the passion with which she writes her reviews, it is an absolutely eye opener. And she certainly knows her stuff, considerably better than some of the authors of the books she has reviewed. We'll talk more about her style once you've had the opportunity to read her post.

thanks

Amazon - The debate goes on....

Oh good grief this debate about anonymity on Amazon continues to distract authors/reviewers & readers alike.

On one side there is the claim that doing away with the Amazon pseudonyms so that ONLY those that use their real names will be able to post reviews will bring an end to the Bullys/Trolls.

Petition One

And on the other there is a counter petition to protect the right of individuals to post reviews under a pseudonym, protecting their real identity, to avoid said Bullys/Trolls.

Petition Two

My view on this is that petition One is just a huge publicity stunt that gives air time to Anne Rice as she prepares to launch her new book - You'll notice the press coverage she is getting, and the subtle references to her new book in every one! She should be thanking Todd Barselow for starting this convenient campaign that she is exploiting so well.

Make no mistake (as referred to in earlier posts) bullying does go on, it is an unfortunate fact, and it happens in all walks of life. And the internet has provided a perfect medium for cowards to hunt, stalk and bully individuals from the comfort of their own arm chair. But these people are going to do it anyway. 

A further point is that a lot of people that use the internet for their own pleasure want to use a pseudonym so that they DON'T get bullied. If their identity is compromised they just change their profile name and carry on. (the same can be said for the bullys)

Amazon have all of the registration details of the individuals, tied to a credit card, so they do know who is who - so why don't THEY take the initiative? (Oh dear, I can see another petition opening up).

I also note that some 'reviewers' (that are authors as well) use 'Pen Names' - in my view this is the same thing so wouldn't they also have to use ONLY their real names?

Me thinks someone hasn't thought this through! Unless of course, those Authors that are looking to do away with 'anonymity' consider their 'anonymity' to be an exception - after all, there are different levels of using unreal names?! Erm, no.And I'm pretty certain that IF Amazon were to ban Authors from using pseudonyms/pen names there would be a pretty big stink.

Let's be honest, it aint gonna happen.

I have a handful of reviews for Russian Redemption some with real names and some without. And yes reviews are (to me) important. But at the same time I have to be smart enough to realise that there are people out there that are just a little tapped in the head. 

I feel for those that have been bullied, or are being bullied, be that here on the internet or in real life, but from my logical point of view, any attempt to do away with pseudonyms is flawed at a very basic level. Some people won't post reviews if they have to use their real names, which means less reviews, which in turn will actually damage the very people that are trying to do away with anonymity.

The other thing that I really don't like about this whole anti reviewer mentality is that people seem to conveniently forget that Authors also review - and some do anonymously and VERY unscrupulously. Here is an example posted this morning on the Indie Author Group FB page:

"I just got a new 5 star review on one of my books and while I'm happy for a good review, the person promoted her pen name and books in the review. She stated they were better than the book and the love scenes are hotter. She does this on all the reviews she's left."

So, my advice, just after you have signed Petition two, conduct yourself professionally, if someone has a rant about your book the 'right to reply' is seldom the right way to go. AND if you find yourself on the end of a negative review - grin, thank the person for their time and move on!

Facebook warning

There's a lot going on with Facebook and it's not looking as though it's a positive from a business perspective. To be honest I have been a little puzzled over the last few months as to why some facebook posts I've created haven't appeared in the news feed of another account I have. Obviously they are both linked via the 'Friends' tool. It appears that Facebook are restricting news feed posts, even within those that have 'friended' pages or groups;: But why?

Well, I have the answer - actually, I don't but Socialmediatoday do.

It's an interesting read, and a worrying warning because things are only going to get worse.

So I thought I'd take advantage of an opportunity, the release of 'Fated Encounters', to run a little experiment. The book is actually available now on Amazon in kindle format, but it is NOT free - that will still be the focus of the Golden Hour - talking of which, the countdown clock is now active on the website ajwilsonbooks.net 

Shortly the facebook ad will go live and it's targeting the readership of authors that write in a similar genre (as previously discussed). The ad is timed to run for the next eight days with a maximum spend of NZD$6 per day. I will report back the results so you can judge if it was of any value.

For those that do download 'Fated Encounters' (apart from an obvious Thank You) I'd like to highlight an insertion on the last page:-

Note from the Author:

Reviews are gold to authors! If you’ve enjoyed (or not) this book, would you consider rating it and reviewing it on www.Amazon.com? Thanks! 

Again, something that was discussed in an earlier post here. So, we'll see how it all works out.

Simple question - Why write?

I'm starting to understand just how important the answer to this simple question is.

I spend a fair amount of time checking out other blog sites and forums to keep up with what's hot and what's not in the world of writing. There are some recurring themes that never seem to fade, never seem to get agreement and definitely never seem to get resolved. Amongst these you will find topics like:

Reviews - the purpose, the professionalism, the value (to both reader and author)
Marketing Strategies - advertising, Facebook, book signings, blogtours, pricing, websites.
Amazon - Policies, bullies/trolls, badly behaving Authors/Reviewers and again pricing ebook/PoD

Watching some of these heated discussions and posts I realised just how lucky I am.

Some Self Published Authors (SPA's) / Indie Authors have progressed far enough along the development path that they rely on the income of book sales, or associated activities, for a living, or at least to boost their standard of living; To some it's purely a business.

I've watched them discuss marketing strategies, SWOT Analysis, the impact of negative reviews, carefully constructed publicity stunts (a special mention to Anne Rice, she's got this one nailed! pssst, that's not a compliment) and lots of other above AND below board tactics to get that next sale. It really can be a 'dog eat dog' world, all for the sake of a few bucks. There seems to be very very few authors that make serious money out of writing; percentages quoted by various sources range from 2% to 5%, with up to 15% being able to make a good living - I have no idea how true these figures are, like everything else in life, numbers can be manipulated to tell any story a person wants. But, generally speaking, the higher earnings success rate for 'Authors' globally is acknowledged as being pretty small. (Includes traditionally published, SPA and Indie). 

So now we have to identify the definition of 'success'. This is down to the individual so I make no 'presupposes', I'll just tell you mine; for me 'success' is about having the ability to choose. 

I choose to write, I choose to publish, I choose to produce the best novels/short stories I can, but I also choose to learn. I choose to invest emotions and money into my writing adventures, I choose to invest my time, I choose all of that and I expect the square route of zip, zero, bugger all in return - ergo I am already a successful author!? Well, yes, kind of. My first novel was published six months ago, my first short story gets published in just over a week, I have three other books as 'works in progress'; if someone had told me I would be in this position (as a writer) three years ago I would have laughed so much I may have pooped a little. (sorry!)

My point being? Well, quite simply, I consider myself incredibly lucky to have discovered writing, and apparently I'm quite good at it. But I write purely because I absolutely love it. I don't write to impress people, and I sure as hell don't write to get rich, I write because I can.

There will be many hardened, cut throat authors that see this as 'soft', or weak or naive - but it's not. If anything I am in the luxurious position of being free to write my way, in my own time. That is the purity that Indie writing offers - that is the magic. Unfortunately many seem to see it as a short cut to riches.

I think it was a Kevin Costner film, Field of Dreams, the phrase "Build it and they will come" - well, write a good book and eventually people will find it. The cream will rise to the top.

There are lot's of quotes and advice from my past that I could offer about now, but one of my favourites, one that I have lived my life by, was offered to me by a person I very respectfully describe as a short assed ethnic from New York - without doubt the best natural orator and motivational speaker I have ever met, a man that walked amongst aggressive giants and tamed them all  - 

"Andy, you never shit on anybody on the way up, (the corporate ladder) because you just might meet them on the way down.." Dinni Jain, 1997.

I want my books to be read, I want people to enjoy what I write but ultimately I will not sacrifice my most basic principles just to earn a few quid. I have far too much respect for myself and my readers. To continue with the animal analogies, if you get involved in a mud fight with a pig, you both get dirty but the pig enjoys it!

Well, there you go, that's another insight into who I am - I hope it can help you identify why you write, and what to expect from your efforts.

ajwilsonbooks.net

ajwilsonbooks@gmail.com

What a week this has been.....

Well, "Fated Encounters" is now 'real'! It's not available for download yet but it is still very much a reality. Judi at ProofreadNZ has the final copy ready to upload, just sorting out the finer details like the ISBN#. Actually now would be a good time to thank everyone that took the time to help me get it this far: proofreaders, title suggestions, words of encouragement.... each mattered to me so thank you!. 

But I'm not kicking my heels idly waiting for things to happen, not a chance. My focus now is that 'Golden Hour' that I referred to way back. 

Problem number one - The story will be launched as an e-book on April 6th between 8pm and 9pm New Zealand time, which is great for New Zealand, providing people remember to change their clocks as summer time comes to an end on that day; clocks go back an hour.

Problem number two - When it's 8pm in New Zealand, factoring in the clock change, it's going to be 8am in the UK. From memory 8am on a Sunday morning is not the most lively of times unless you're off to church. Don't panic though, because on Sunday 30th March British Summer time begins, clocks go forward an hour.

Problem number three - Whilst New Zealand and the UK are enjoying a Sunday, the USA is still hanging out with Saturday! 

So, "Fated Encounters" will be launched on April 5th AND 6th Saturday afternoon, Sunday evening and Sunday morning, all at the same time.

Confused?! Yup, me to.

This is just one consideration as I work towards the launch: It is so critical to get that 'Golden Hour' that not picking up these little time discrepancies can be costly. (These three countries represent 85% of the visitor traffic to the website, blog site and Pinterest boards so these have to be my focus).

My way around this is that I'm going to put a countdown clock on the website - simple. Wish I'd thought of it last time!

But the time zones don't just matter for a book launch, even these blog posts have to be timed, or at least advertised at different times through facebook. Thankfully you can schedule posts so that helps.

And talking of the website...... If you've visited ajwilsonbooks.net before you will have noticed that it was all about "Russian Redemption" but now there is a second book so I've had to spend a lot of time revamping the site to accommodate both....... and as more books come along, well, you get the picture. The website is a continually evolving 'work in progress' and that makes it demanding (but very necessary).

So now it's all about momentum. Last week I sent out some PDF version Advance Review Copies (ARC's) to individuals that had agreed to provide feedback and reviews. I want these on the website and the Amazon page at point of launch.  I also sent out emails to my growing contact base, stirring the interest. 

Before the day's of E-Publishing and Print on Demand (PoD) a manuscript could take twelve months to go from submission to print, loads of time to get everything in order for the launch - publicity, interviews, poster campaigns, press releases etc - now it's push a button and there it is. Everything has to be done quicker. (Not so much the interviews for me, I'm not that big an author, and I've tried press releases, didn't work).

BUT, I'm not above asking for help to spread the word. If you share this blog, or website links or register on the news feed page or even 'Like' the face book page (here) it all helps.

Don't forget - look out for the countdown clock. appearing soon.

For next weeks 'Guest Post' I have coerced a very experienced Reviewer to share her thought processes and her passion behind the reviews she writes. I have read a number of her reviews and would venture that they are better written than some of the books she's actually reviewed!  

Thanks!

Note: 'Fated Encounters' will be published through Santel e-publishing

I'm finding that Indie Authors tend to be some of the most helpful people around when it comes to a willingness to share their own experiences, lesson's and failures. So many are more about helping others, in any way they can, than they are about 'what's in it for themselves'. It's really quite refreshing. Although each have their own little idiosyncrasies that set them apart, you will notice recurring themes advice - that is not a coincidence.


Gwen Dandridge is an author of a number of Fantasy novels, including her most recent publication The Stone Lions. She has kindly offered her advice based on her own experiences of the writing world.

Basics for Indie writers

As an Indie writer, you don’t have the staff of people checking your manuscript. This means that you need to be extra diligent.

Here are some beginning thoughts when contemplating writing and publishing.

1.     Do you know the standards for the genre you are writing. It’s easy to scoot off writing a picture book and not know that they normally have thirty-two pages or that debut young adult are usually 45,000 to 85,000. Make sure you research your genre. Know what books are out that are similar to what you are writing.

2.     Never, never rush a book. Even when you think you are done, you’re often not. Make sure that you get many, many critiques and beta reviewers before you put your darling out in the world. Read over your manuscript again before you submit it.

3.     Learn the basics of writing and then make sure that you follow the rules. Don’t think that because your book is so ___ (fill in the blank), that you don’t need to follow normal writing standards--you do.

That means:

a.     Do a spell check and then do it again.

b.     Relearn ninth grade grammar, this time pay attention.  

c.      Don’t change point of view in a chapter, only in a subset of steamy romance novels do you flip between point of view. And even then, it is frowned on.

d.     Not only do books need an arc, but each chapter and each character should have an arc. Characters should have both an external arc and an internal arc.

e.     Make sure that each of your characters is fully developed and interesting, no matter how little space they take in your book.

f.      Make sure we have reason to care about your characters.

4.     Never rush the publishing part of the process.

a.     Take your time thinking through a strategy for how you want your book to look: including cover, spine, back page (if there is a paper or hardback version).

b.     Figure out the pithy back cover blurb.

c.      Refine your short elevator pitch. Have it ready to trip off your tongue when asked, “So what’s your book about anyway.”

The things to take away from this blog is never rush, and do your research. Good luck in your writing!

You can follow Gwen on her own blogsite HERE or her website HERE

A question raised.....

'Writers Block' - an expression probably all of us have heard of, and a large portion may well of encountered. So, how do you cope with it, master it or over come it?

It appears that there is no singular tried and tested universal solution to this condition - so I trawled the internet to see how other authors have overcome the dreaded 'block'. There are some methods that I couldn't possibly repeat, others that I looked at quizzically, and one or two that were pretty close to self abuse.

There are numerous different methodologies out there so I figure I'll just talk about mine and let you decide.

Firstly, I need to quantify where I sit as an 'Author'; I write books in my spare time. I have a fairly demanding full time job, a family, bills to pay etc just like everyone else so my writing is purely for therapy, sorry, I mean passion. I do love to sit down in my own 'zone', oblivious to the world around, and let my fingers bash the keys of the laptop and my mind throw ideas, plots, characters around. In other words my livelihood is not dependent upon my writing. Strangely I find this a key element to being able to write freely. Typically, last night I sat after dinner and just stepped into the zone. A whole new novel started taking shape within a matter of moments and before I knew it there were over 2000 words in front of me. I even did a second pass edit on those 2000 words and scribed a few notes for future reference. I've just finished the short story we've already discussed and Russian Redemption 2 still sits at 30,000 words. This to me is a freedom that I love and one that only comes because I write without the pressures of having to. I actually suffer the very opposite of writers block, lets call it writers diarrhoea. 

That said, I do hit junctions where I'm not sure of the right direction to take the story. I've discovered that characters can take the original planned story line off on all sorts of tangents as they themselves develop inside the story, but this is great fun. When I reach one of these junctions I tend to step away from the story; I don't stop writing, I just stop writing that particular story. A portion of my brain is assigned to run simulations in the back ground and I'll get on with my usual day until such time as my brain gives me the solution. One of the other things I have discovered on this journey is that idea's come from anywhere, and at any time, there is no formula. My recommendation is that when an idea makes itself known grab it with both hands and write it down, somewhere, anywhere but do write it down. It may not be an idea that suits your story right now, but you never know what is around the corner. If you let it go by unclaimed someone else will grab it!

I believe writers block is brought about by thinking too hard, trying to hard. Writing is an art form, a good story is a form of art. This again is why I love the whole Indie experience - I push myself to produce the very best that I can, but I don't push myself so hard that it becomes a chore; wheres the fun in that?! I'm also writing a lot of different stories, you'll be surprised how often a problem in one story is resolved by the natural progression of another, it's the way a brain works. 

I suppose then that 'Writers Block' is something that's never really effected me, long before I reach that point of frustration or idea blocking anger I move away - the best way to avoid trouble is not be there!

Would I be able to do this if my livelihood depended on it? Probably not. But this is why the 'Indie' route has so much appeal. One day my books and stories may well provide an income that I can live off but I can't see me giving up my day job, I'm not sure that I'd want to. Where would I escape to then?

Yeah - here is the title and the cover of the short story!

I can't thank Judi & Val enough for their efforts! And I apologize for any pressure!

So, this will be available on Amazon from Sunday 6th April - GRATIS - FREEBIE - NO SPONDOOLIES (or just FREE!). If you've read the earlier blogs you'll know what I mean when I say I'm after that 'golden hour'  so if you want to take part go to the website (click here) and register through the 'news feed' portal.

It will be appreciated.

Santelepublishing explains the process.....

Not being the most patient person on the planet (I may of mentioned that), once I'd sent my slice of manuscript across to Judi I would give her a few day's before I started to pester. If only she'd sat me down and explained the process below I would of been a lot more understanding: or a least a 'little'! - well, maybe.

Anyway, to give you a better understanding than you may already have, I asked Judi to scribe her process for this blog. I almost shed a tear of guilt, I never realised......

Andy has asked me to provide an inside view of the processes I use to take an author’s raw manuscript and turn it into an Amazon Best Seller.

This can fill a few volumes, so to be as helpful as I can in the time and space we have here tonight, I’m only going to list and briefly explain the steps in the journey I undertake with the authors who contract with me.

I bring to the task 70 years of experience as an avid reader – I was ALWAYS reading – from comic strips every morning and evening (we got 2 newspapers a day – The Washington Post and The Evening Star) to the copy on cereal boxes at the breakfast table (like sport stars’ stories on Wheaties, the Breakfast of Champions; we weren’t allowed to bring a newspaper to the table J )

By the time I was 8, I’d read all the books in the children’s rooms of the library, and was then given a special pass and a grown-up’s library card, but I had to enter the REAL library by a back door. I didn’t really care, because I felt I’d been given a pass to heaven.

The first thing I do is something I love; I read the online Word document file of the submitted manuscript to test its readability – and its page-turner quotient (does it engage the reader and keep them turning the pages?). As I do this, the Track Changes tool is active to allow me to suggest initial adjustments to punctuation, spelling, grammar, syntax, and spacing. If there is awkwardness or misuse of tense in the text, this is also noted with adjustments suggested. Excessive use of adjectives or OTT (over the top) expression is also noted here. Additional descriptors or background data may also be suggested to fill in gaps in the reader’s experience. I am careful to preserve the author’s style and voice, and also watch for the consistent use of the selected version of English (British/NZ/AU), its spellings and idiomatic expressions and references . . . there are lots of possible pitfalls here J.

The next things I watch for are the story arc(s), the character development, and the story breaks and/or chapters. All of these may be discussed with the author. An especially good resource for this has recently been made available by one of the authors I work with. Do check it out.

Depending on the level of change required, this stage of the process may include several passes back and forth with the author until we agree the manuscript is in its finest form for now — all digital publishing is very forgiving and can be adjusted at any time. This stage can take many months depending on availability of time and budget.

          The next stages are to create the interior book design, choose the best title, and create the cover which requires image, font and colour choices as well as layout . . .  and not to be overlooked is the author’s bio and the back cover “blurb” which is the most vital selling piece for your book. (It will also serve as the Description for your book’s page on Amazon or any other platform.) It is also suggested that a headshot of the author be included on the back cover along with a QR code that links to the website of the author or publisher.

We need to obtain the ISBN number and then format the manuscript for the desired method of publishing — for e-books there are several platforms: Kindle, Apple iBooks, Nook books, and a few others; for Print on Demand (POD) paperback publishing there is Amazon’s CreateSpace and a number of others that are available online; there is also the choice to have a local print shop print your book.

With all of that accomplished, it’s time to upload to the platform(s) of choice and complete all of the forms for submitting a new title. This will include choosing the Categories and keywords (an art form in itself that I’ve worked with successfully J) that will give your book the best shot at quickly reaching Amazon BestSeller status.

Once the upload(s) is accomplished and your book accepted, you will be live on Amazon within 24 to 48 hours.

At this point, the focus turns to marketing and promotion, which really should have been underway for the preceding 3 to 6 months. Andy has covered much of that incredibly well in his earlier posts. It would be well worth the time to go back and have another read – the website, blog, articles, and reviews that he talks about are a beautiful demonstration of what is involved in launching your work into the marketplace.

If you anticipate presenting your manuscript to a standard publisher, it will need to be in the finest form you can produce, and be converted to the publisher’s requirements given in the submission requirements of their website. Here is where a good copyeditor can be vital.

As an acquisition editor opens a new submission, the first thing they look for is the level of professional editing – correct format, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and syntax. All of this can be determined in the first few paragraphs, and if it doesn’t meet the standard, the manuscript is discarded without being read.

Even Amazon has raised the bar in the past few months. They are deleting existing published books and e-books that don’t meet the mark, and are increasingly fussy about what they accept for both Kindle and CreateSpace publication — which for those who achieve the status of Amazon BestSeller does include listing within their marketing machine. This is something not to be underestimated.

As a final point tonight: be aware of and keep in mind the differences between writing, editing, producing, publishing, marketing, and selling your books. They are all essential stages in the process, and finding a publisher or agent — if one is among the incredibly fortunate 1% to be picked up by either — does not remove you from the responsibility for marketing and selling your books.

Keep tracking on Andy’s blog; here you will find some of the best and most relevant strategies for the indie author today.

Thanks for the invite, Andy, and the opportunity to share some of this information. I hope it will prove useful to your readers.

Warm regards,

Judith Sansweet

www.Santelepublishing.com

Heart on a sleeve.....

A few posts back I asked for volunteers to make suggestions for the title of the short story I have just finished. Firstly, thank you to all those that took the time to read the story and offer opinions, we have a long list to choose from.

I'm not in a position to offer any advice around writing styles, or structure as the 'rules' for these are still unknown to me, but I'm getting there.

What I can do is relay the experience of writing the short story and the effect it had on me personally, which I wasn't prepared for.

In stark contrast to Russian Redemption, this story is best described as a Romance through the eye's of a twenty year old male (Drew) as he meets and falls instantly in love with Emma. It shares some of their experiences and relays some of the intense emotions that come with young love..... with a twist.

The word count is around the 9,000 mark.

The whole purpose of the exercise was to test my own abilities, to push my boundaries and to see if I was able to step across genres. I am still very new to this writing thing so I didn't have a great deal of confidence in a successful outcome, but it appears that I should be pleasantly surprised.

We're in the final stages of the preparation, the cover is almost sorted, I think there is one final edit to complete and it will be ready to publish.

Strangely though the 'story' is only half of THE story. Y'see to be able to get back in touch with those emotions I had to travel a long way back in time, thirty one years to be precise. This in itself was difficult for me, I had locked those emotions and memories away for good reason, but in order to have any chance of successfully completing this 'challenge' I had to go back and dance with the proverbial devil.

What surprised me the  most was how raw those emotions were, still! Thirty one years and it was as if Pandora's box had wrapped them in preservative, everything was as I had left it. The story is fictional in so much as I have invoked artistic creativity, but the memories are very real. I used those memories to feed my writers imagination but I was very aware that I was 'feeling' them all over again. Trying to harness the thrill, the energy and the exuberance of young love, and scribe it in such a way that the reader can share it, is not easy and my hat goes off to those romance writers that manage it book after book.  There are some real highs in the story, and there are some real lows - this is the roller coaster.

Once 'in tune' I was able to write the story in a day (although obviously there has been a number of edits and re-edits since) but it took a lot longer to shut the lid on Pandora's box! I ran the original story past a couple of friends, and my proofreader/editor for opinions, again all was positive, in fact a little too positive. Nearly all suggested that the story be lengthened to a full novel, all said that they wanted more. These were good indicators for me. To be honest I was never expecting to actually publish the short story, it was always more of an exercise for me.

Like most authors I revisited the story time and again, looking for those little details that didn't belong, or adding a word here or there that improved it or that I felt was important. As always Judi had an influence on the penultimate version that got sent out to people so at least that way I knew they would be reading a well edited (if not yet perfect) story.

I discovered that it can be dangerous to draw upon your own experiences from yesteryear, it can play tricks on the mind. Whilst it was a great feeling to submerge myself in the 'happy' bits, to be fair to the book I had to be just as submerged in the 'unhappy' bits - that wasn't so great. It's taken me a good couple of weeks to sweep all of those feelings and emotions back up and deposit them back in Pandora's box, and I think that is the true reason why I couldn't find the right title - I wasn't prepared to go back.

I never knew, or suspected, that writing a short story could be so difficult; think of a topic, come up with a strong character and chuck some idea's about - boom - story. Nah! I suppose this is the difference between a good story and a great story. I did mention that when I was writing Russian Redemption I had been surprised at how the emotion coming out of the story had effected me; with this short story I was caught out by how the emotion being injected into the story effected me. Oh the emotional turmoil of a writers life.

Anyway, the short story is virtually complete so I anticipate it being published as an e-book on Amazon in a couple of weeks. If you would like to be notified of the release or to pre-order, or just grab a snippet, sign up through the website www.ajwilsonbooks.net/ newsfeed.

On-line groups that I've found useful

Part of the process for an up and coming author/writer is to understand that there are tons of existing published authors that are willing to help. It's a bit of a strange concept I'm sure but most authors seem to be normal people, quite sane in a creative way, and quite willing to impart experiences as a way of helpful learning. The same can be said for some of the avid book readers that you will meet, a unique situation where you can have direct access to your buyers, and vice versa. So much sauce to dip your chips in!

There are a huge amount of Facebook groups that purport to be helpful, and I have by no means visited them all, (in fact I've only probably visited a fraction) but the couple that I have found that are true to their word are worth me highlighting;

The Indie Author Group - This is an application for membership group that covers all genre's and aspects of Indie Author life. The members are in the main very knowledgeable, or at the very least willing to share their own findings in an effort to help others. The group is as diverse as you can get which means few questions asked receive only one point of view in response. It is also well administered, especially when it comes to self promotion of your own book/blogsite/website - it's a capital 'NO-NO'.

It hosts files and directory's of the services that some members offer i.e proofreading, editing or cover design. There is also a list of members own sites, writing genre, up and coming events and advisory pamphlets; a real diamond source of information and help. It's for those interested in all things 'Indie' but any self promotion or unsolicited advertising will result in a ban from the site. All of this makes it a great group to be part of.

I also belong to The Wishing Shelf Independent Awards FB site. It's another 'member club' that you have to ask to join. I presume that Edward (or Billy Bob Buttons as is his Author name) set this site up to help with the same named award promotion. It was a portal of reference for those Authors that were selected to continue in the competition from the entry stage. Anyway, although the finalists have been decided the group keeps growing in number. It has just welcomed it's 200th member.  Like The Indie Author Group I have found this group to be very welcoming and quick to offer help and advice when asked. That's not to say that all 199 members rush to your aid, but there are a number that do, and do so willingly.

These are the only two that I am regularly following but I do look in on these next two;

Book Club UK.com and Book Club tend to be just self advertising sites with very little actual discussion, but again they are both member sites. The UK one in particular is only just starting to increase it's activity so it will be interesting to see how that one develops.

So, why do I think it's important to join groups like these? There is the obvious advantage of learning from others that have travelled the same path but are further along. There is also the advantage of being kept informed of events that have an impact on the Indie Author world. But most importantly, for me, it's about introducing me as a person into a global writing/reading community. Although the literal world is numerically huge, it is also surprisingly small as far as people are concerned. You will of heard the phrase "Its a small world" well, it's an even smaller 'literal' world, so these on line communities can easily impact your eventual success ...... or failure, as an Author. Simple rule to live by for any on-line site or forum is learn the rules BEFORE you do anything else, but especially before you post anything. You can make enemies as well as friends on these sites.

As I have already mentioned, I also visit the Amazon Forums pages, flicking between a couple of specific forums. There is a lot to take in on these forums, and sometimes it can be hard to stay interested when they spiral into personal attacks, or grudge posts, but you have to get past them. Think of it as an Indiana Jones type scenario, if you want the rewards you have to be prepared to fight through the peripheral negative activity to get to the 'gems' that are undoubtedly there. Look for the rough diamonds, or the diamonds in the rough, they are there to be had. I make it my business to stay out of other peoples business on these forums, it helps. To digress slightly, if you happen to come across an author by the name of Edwin Stark on the Amazon forums, give him a wave. Edwin is quite literally hiding out for his life in Venezuela. For those that aren't aware, it appears that Venezuela is involved in a deepening crisis with pro and anti government rallies and demonstration resulting in many deaths. The disorder has spread into the surrounding area's where it seems that police and gangs are engaged in lethal in-fighting resulting in random killings and abductions. It ain't a nice place to be, so wish him good luck.

Well, these are the on-line sites that I visit and/or follow - If you have any recommendations by all means let me know - my email address is in the Blog title description at the top of the page.

Next Wednesday evening (NZ Time) I'll be publishing a guest post from Judi at ProofreadNZ - she'll be giving an inside view on what her processes are that can take my manuscript and turn it into an Amazon Best Seller.

Just as an additional edit, the following was posted on the 'Tell us about the nicest Authors..." thread in the Amazon Top Reviewers Forum by JZS

"In addition to some of the nice authors we've "met" here, on my one visit to MOA, I "met" a very nice guy, Andrew Wilson who wrote Russian Redemption Nice, reasonable, friendly. Although his book subject wasn't for me I was impressed with his writing and how much effort he had clearly put in to make sure his book was proofed and well formatted. " 

Good manners cost nothing, and you just never know who is reading your posts.

Is it right to take away 'anonymity'?

Usually about this time on a Wednesday I'd be posting a 'guest blog' but I'm going to deviate slightly to give some words about a petition that's going around which some of you may have heard of - It's to do with forcing Amazon to do away with the anonymity of reviewers/Amazon members. The 'petition' reports a whole host of nightmarish activity on forum's and professes this is the direct result of organised 'Troll Attacks'.

Again, way back in an earlier post I mentioned the protocols of Amazon forums, I may even of mentioned that 'Trolls" abuse and bully peeps.

Off the back of the heightened global awareness of Internet Trolls and their activities, or more importantly the results of these activities, the glove of challenge to remove anonymity is thrown at Amazons feet.

Behind this 'petition' is the mighty pen of none other than Anne Rice.

Ms Anne Rice is a very well known International Author, mainly Vampire books from what I gather, She brings a touch of glamour, authority and, erm, publicity to the movement. There's no better time for a bit of publicity than just before a book launch. Yesterday Ms Rice decided to announce the impending launch of a new book. A coincidence, probably.

Make no mistake, I am not a fan of bullies at all, on any level. And I have seen some very unsavoury comments posted on these forums, hence the early warning in one of the first posts here. But her references to 'packs' or spiteful and malicious groups attacking her are more than just a little one sided. I witnessed a lot of what was posted through December, and for most of the time I spent looking on the forum Ms Rice did a lot of stirring, prodding and criticising of her own (this is on a thread that she had started). She did blow a lot of hot air up 'authors' backsides whilst being (in my opinion) damn right rude to some 'reviewers', or about the importance of 'reviewers'. And I, personally, also have an issue with the supposed interview where Ms Rice reminds the world that she agreed ..to very generously offer advice to aspiring writers.. That's great publicity, it also has links to The Province interview and the Guardian interview - wow that's a lot of publicity. Any hoo,  I am not saying that 'Trolls" as such do not exist, they do, but in minute numbers, albeit still unpleasant. 

The proposal to remove anonymity can be likened to driving a truck over a fly to kill it: Accepting the fact that realistically there is nothing that can kill all flies. So, what would an enforced 'anonymity policy' mean, and for who?

1. A massive drop in the number of active members of Amazon.
2. The active 'Trolls' would have to find a way around that policy.
3. The people that need that anonymity because of a fear of making themselves public on the internet would not be around.
4. Amazon would see a massive drop in the number of Active members.
5. The very people (Authors) that are demanding the demise of anonymity would have less 'eyes' on their books, less purchasers.
6. If 'anonymity' is abolished surely this would mean that 'pen-names' are off limits to.
7. There's a very good probability that will be a massive drop in the number of Active members on Amazon.
8. Those 'Trolls' that have found a way around the system will have a much easier time of finding the real details of their intended prey.
9. Any significant drop in Active members will also result in a proportionate drop in revenues.
10. Everybody could call each other by their first names when writing posts.

(*1,4,7 & 9 are deliberate, it's to emphasise the only impact that is going to concern Amazon)

I saw a poster put another posters personal details on the forum, and included a threat to utilise contacts to send disinformation to an employer - then goad the person with unemployment and destruction of character. That particular poster is easily identifiable to Amazon, but they do nothing (despite the matter being reported, I'm guessing umpteen times.) It doesn't invest the funds to moderate the forums without anonymity, it certainly isn't going to invest the extra funds to moderate them with anonymity. So, they'll close the forums, remove the facility and it's the members that will suffer.

Let's not forget that these forums are a service that Amazon provides, and in the greater scheme of profit making I'm guessing it has a very very small insignificant impact on theirs, whereas to actual book sales and contacts for the Author it will be a different story.    

To me, taking away the ability to post, review or write behind that veil of anonymity is something that would do a lot of damage to authors/readers/reviewers; especially when there are much easier and cheaper ways of achieving the same result.

However, at least it's getting a bit of publicity - now, when did I mention was the best time for publicity.......

I should remind you guys that these are my personal opinion's.



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