Can you help?

Hi all - ok, I am in need of a little help and am hoping that there is enough interest and experience that visits this site to come to my aid.

Let me set the scene: Russian Redemption is a fairly brutal depiction of fictitious events during 1941. It's an intrigue, suspense thriller set to the back drop of second world war Russia. I would warn anybody of a delicate nature to avoid it.

Anyway, as part of my own development as a writer I decided to take on the mission of writing for a completely different genre, a much 'softer' approach, and an exercise to see if I am able to communicate emotions effectively through the media of the written word. It is polar opposite to Russian Redemption. I would probably describe it as romance (ish).

It would be fair to say that for me personally it was a very difficult 'assignment' that took me well outside of my comfort zone. In fact so far outside of my comfort zone that I am reluctant to go back there in search of a title.

And that's where I'm hoping I can get some volunteers :-)

I'm after a dozen or so people (readers or writers) that are willing to spend 45 minutes reading a free pdf copy, and make a suggestion for the title. There are no prizes other than possibly having your suggestion incorporated as the actual title - there are no royalties, no rights no bags of sweets (well possibly the sweets) just the potential of having your suggested Title immortalized for ever.

All you have to do is register here and put 'Short Story' in the subject line.

I appreciate any help! thank you.

1001 - The website lives.....

Today, I am chuffed to tell you that the website has clocked up 1001 visitors from all over the globe. I am sure that to many this is insignificant, some probably get that on a weekly or even daily basis, but to me this is a huge milestone.

AJWilsonbooks.net has been such an integral part of my life for the last ten months, from inception to actual presence and of course the maintenance. For me it was important to have that web presence, a place where others could almost check out my authenticity. In a world of mistrust, people do give credence to a website, it seems to help them 'feel' that an Author/person has that extra level of legitimacy. It has also worked well as a portal for information and communication.

Building the website was probably the second hardest challenge I faced. I knew nothing about WIX (free website build) and even less about the various tools that came with it. I did however have a good idea of what I wanted the end result to look like. As I stumbled through it's tutorial's my frustrations were based around my own inabilities to understand modern technology. To a teenager this stuff seems to be second nature, but to a 51 year old, not so much. Obviously this led to many hours spent with my old friend Google Search, trying to get an understanding of the 'basics'.

I remember publishing the home page for the very first time, and thinking 'Well, that looks crap' (not Wix's fault) and the painstaking hours spent trying to insert pictures, copying and pasting text, changing fonts, setting links. I started with the Wix free basic package but instead of taking a free domain name with them I just added the domain name that I had purchased separately. All of this pain and difficulty could easily have been avoided by employing an IT or Website person, but these are expensive skill's to hire, and the budget was still fixed at zero! Also, in hindsight, despite how problematic I may have found the process it gave (and continues to give) a lot of 'fist pump moments'. That point in time when you overcome what has been perceived as being an impossible obstacle. And, even though the official counter tells me that we have just clocked over the 1000th visitor mark, the website had actually been launched for nearly three months before I even added the counter.

You'll notice as well that I have launched this 'Blog site' independent of the website. Some would say that this is a little silly as had I launched the blog as part of my website then the traffic would have multiplied considerably, and some may be right. I tried that, but despite my absolute best efforts and a whole host of profanities, I just couldn't get it to work.

ajwilsonbooks.net is a communication media, it allows the interested visitor to have a sneak preview of some of the main characters from 'Russian Redemption', to learn a little about me and why I wrote 'Russian Redemption' and also what other people think of the book in the form of a 'Reviews' page. All of which is important information for someone that is contemplating purchasing my novel. But it is much more than that, it allows 'would be' readers to see if they like me as a person; strangely this is a key factor in the book buying thought process especially when an Author is starting out and has no reputation. Having spent a fair few hours looking at other reviews for other books it seems that a lot of readers look for a reason to buy your book, a reason that they can then use to justify the purchase should the book prove to be a waste of money - "I only bought it because he/she was from my home town" or "I bought it because he/she was a nurse like me.." and so on. Believe it or not a reader wants to feel a connection with the Author, no matter how small, a little 'feel good factor'. It may not be the same as an Author gains a reputation, I don't know, I'm a long way from there.

So, as ajwilsonbooks.net now marches on, soaring (?) towards it's next milestone (1500 visitors) I look back over the experience and think 'Yup, the boy did ok' but there is still a long way to go; a website is a multifaceted tool of trade that requires nurturing and adapting if it is reach it's full potential.

I always look for feedback so please do drop by the website and let me know your thoughts, or suggestions for that matter, you can use the contact page on the site or email me direct at ajwilsonbooks@gmail.com

many thanks

The Editor/Author relationship....

If you go way back to my first post I explained in great detail the scientific process I followed in order to whittle down the hundreds of potential proofreaders/editors to find the one that I was going to work with.

To save time, here it is
"However, in the interests of a scientific experiment (or possibly because I knew no better, you decide) I closed my eye's and stuck my finger on the screen, proofreader selected! This structured and precise selection process led to Proofreadnz, I did follow up with a phone call to my newly appointed professional, so it wasn't complete fluke!."

OK, maybe not so scientific, and I know I got lucky, it could of been a disaster. But at that time I knew no better.

I've read many blog posts regarding bad experiences with Editors, mainly around poor quality editing, spelling, sentence or paragraph construction, even some that re-write the Authors words. And the unsuspecting Indie Author just accepts it, again because they know no better.

I don't know what the 'big names' do, say or charge but here's the thing, the relationship between the Author and the Editor is two way and requires clear boundaries. I'm hoping to reproduce a list of 10 things each should do, I'm just waiting on permission from the author of those list to print them on this blog, so hopefully they will come soon, but it set me thinking. What IS the relationship?

As the Author of my book, the content belongs to me, it's is my story; An editors job is to take your words and help to ensure they reflect a professionally written masterpiece. But that doesn't mean an Author can throw together tens of thousands of words, without a hint of sensible storyline or structure and pass to the Editor and say 'fix it'.

Judi and I had a number of phone call's before she received the first section of Russian Redemption, she guided me to the point where she could comfortably take over the section and apply her magic. To give you an idea, by the time it arrived on her e-mail I had written the 10,000 - 12,000 words, rewritten segments, added or subtracted large sections that (during a re-read) just hadn't sat right with me, and tweaked little errors that had been the result of typing too fast. MS Word is a great program for writing a manuscript as it flag's spelling & grammar errors but it's not infallible, especially when writing in the manner that I do. I'd probably re-read those 10,000  - 12,000 words at least eight or nine times, making many alterations and only then would I send it across to Judi. The Editor is the expert, they don't want to waste their time (time that you're paying for!) correcting silly little errors that a ten year old can see so it is important to invest your own time to get it to a standard that means you get the best value for your money. And they, the Editor, will appreciate the effort.

It's important that both the Author and the Editor have an understanding of time scales. As I may have mentioned on one or two occasions, I am not the worlds most patient person. I had no understanding of the size of the task or the methodology of the 'Editor/Proofreader' so once I'd sent the 10,000 - 12,000 words across I saw no reason why I couldn't have the polished version back within a week - WRONG. With a little understanding of just how much work is involved, and the standard methods used by a proofreader/editor you'll see just how unreasonable that was. Judi reads sections, forwards and backwards, not just once, and of course, I'm not her only client. Actually, I think it would be good to get Judi to write a piece for this blog to give everyone an idea of exactly what her process is - watch this space.

Anyway, back to the topic, I think it is important to have that level of respect for your publisher (and vice versa) where time scales can be agreed and worked towards, but it is also important to have the relationship and communication so that each party can be as flexible as needs be. Remember, this is YOUR book, if you rush your proofreader/publisher it will only impact the finished article, and probably not in a good way.

That's also a really important point - communication. If (and it's a big IF) your publisher 'gets' you, the job is a whole lot easier. In my case Judi does 'get' me. She understands what I'm writing and has identified my 'style' of writing, which means any suggested changes are in that same style. Note the word 'suggested'. An editor should NOT change a single word of your manuscript without your explicit instruction. They are there to advise, to recommend, but at the same time you've employed them to do a job, you've employed their expertise - it may be foolish to ignore their suggestions. We often spent hours on the phone discussing the finer detail of specific sections just to make sure we'd both got it right. If we couldn't communicate at that level I think I/we could of had a problem.

One of the many benefits of having a 'smaller' publisher/proofreader is that they also become emotionally invested in your book, they can't help it, and this is a good thing. Judi is very much about producing the best quality publication as far as construction, grammar, spelling etc because she is putting her Company's name to it, publicly. As an Indie Author, I want to put the very best novel in the public domain that I can, this is where the 'partnership' really works and is mutually beneficial. It would also be fair to say that she made recommendations around parts of the storyline, and with her years of experience I would of been remiss not to have listened.

Russian Redemption is my first novel and I honestly believe I could not have had a better proof reader/ Editor or friend to guide me through the process. I have little doubt that it will be a huge success on an international level just as soon as it gets 'discovered'. And whoever does 'discover' it will discover a well produced and edited novel, a well written story line, strong characters and gripping pace. That is what happens when Editor/Proofreader and Author work together.

See ya soon...

.

Don’t make these mistakes.

Neil Ostroff, Author of many publications including 'Frostproof', 'Degenerates' and the Indie Book of The Year 2012 'Drop Out', recounts some of his early learning's in this ever evolving world of 'Indie'

My father always told me that it's okay to make mistakes, it's how you learn. Well, I'm about to tell you the mistakes I've made while marketing and promoting my books so that you don't have to go through the same mistakes when you market and promote your own books. I'll put them in list form so it's easier to digest.

Number 1. When posting on forums don't just promote yourself with no other redeeming information. When I first started out I'd post summaries of my books and links to buy them on sites that specifically said no self-promo. I didn’t listen. The result: I got banned from these sites and all the networking they could have provided. Provide content marketing material when you post. Writer’s are always interested in information that can help readers find their books.

Number 2. Don't write articles that tell people how they are going to feel about your book. For instance, don't write a blurb that says, "This is the best book you'll read all year". Statements like that really turn off the reader. Let the reader decide if they like what you’ve written.

Number 3. Don't believe the hype that paying for click advertising or putting up banners are going to increase sales. The most important driver of sales is word of mouth through social sites and networking… using grassroots marketing. If you’re looking for the prestige that comes from seeing your book ad on a popular website, then go for it. But statistically, it's a very small percentage of people that will actually buy the book through a paid advertisement. Sorry, but it’s a fact.

Number 4. Don’t think that by spamming social network sites that you’re somehow going to go viral (meaning tens of thousands of people clicked on your info) and sell a million books. Most social network site followers don’t want to see you blurbing about your book a dozen times a day. They would rather watch kittens playing piano.

Number 5. Just because you wrote a book, published it, and sold a few copies, don’t think you’re going to be able to quit your job and retire. That only happens to lottery-winning writers. I’ve had a few tweets and postings go viral and it led to just a small increase in sales. It’s a cool feeling knowing so many people have checked out your stuff, but not profitable.

Number 6. Write for yourself and don’t try to copy what’s out there just because what’s out there is selling now. Be original and write what you want. That’s the only true way of gaining a loyal reader following.

So there you have it. These are the mistakes I made early on in my writing career that cost me loads of time and briefly damaged my professional online persona. Do the exact opposite of these six things and I guarantee you’ll see your sales rise and people will begin to notice you.

Neils own Blog: Always Writing

Reality sucks........

If you have written, or are writing, your first book I truly hope that you have immersed yourself in the experience, because there's a fair to middling chance the 'experience' is all your actually going to get out of it. Which brings us back to the very basic of question; 'Why do you write?' and by that I mean what is your motivation?

I wrote Russian Redemption because I had an over whelming compulsion to do so - I still have no idea where that compulsion came from. Once I'd started writing my 'motivation' started to change. It was the 'compulsion' that is responsible for the story, Judi that is responsible for it's editing, so my job was only the written recording of events I watched unfold as I sat in that mini cinema in my mind. As the book took shape it was my decision to take this 'ride' as far as I could, without having any pre-conceived idea's of the journey's end. Every step was a step into uncharted territory for me

I've got half a dozen or so sets of engineering drawings from other 'ideas' that my brain has chucked out over the years, all of which are brilliant of course, but none have made it further than the drawings stage. So for me, it was important that once I'd started down this road, I saw it through to the very end, where ever that may be. Total 100% commitment and nothing else would be acceptable.

And you need that. You need that for your own sanities sake. The moment you stop believing in your book is when you need to give up, because if YOU don't believe in it how will others?

When we're talking about a global market (Amazon) with in access of 13 million e-books to choose from, you need to be pretty well connected, or very well off financially (or both!) to make an immediate impact. And again, that 'impact' is defined by your own standards. If you are not well connected or well off financially, prepare yourself for a long and hard battle to achieve your goals.And there will be plenty of character testing knocks on the way to.

After a really good launch Russian Redemption is falling down the Amazon ratings, I think it's now 850,000+ which, although is still in the top 7%, is depressing especially considering it reached 78,000th. But this is what happens. One thing that I have discovered in the world of books is that nothing moves at a quick pace - nothing! It is so infuriating at times. Enter a competition, it takes weeks and weeks to hear back (normally), and months to get feedback. Write to an agent or submit your work for review - it can take months! If you are a fan of Lord of The Rings you'll understand when I say the 'Ents' move faster! Even with the help of new technology, some things just don't move fast, and the world of books is one of them. It's not that it can't, it just doesn't. That is an unfortunate reality.

There are umpteen examples of Authors being rejected by dozens and dozens of publishers/agents, that have gone on to be global best sellers. And there are numerous examples of Authors being 'discovered' when they have all but given up their dreams of world recognition. The trends change, the popular topics change, the popular genre changes - there's nowt stranger than folk! Fifty Shades of Grey is now the third or fourth best selling series in the world, and yet most Authors and Publishers I speak to think it's the biggest load of crap that has ever been printed. Ignoring a percentage that base their opinions on jealousy or missed opportunity, there is an obvious disconnect between what the general market want to read, and what the majority of authors are publishing. Hmmmm. We shouldn't forget the enormous impact of marketing though, like I said, being 'well off' can be a game changer and large publishing houses have large budgets.

So, as Russian Redemption goes into freefall am I disheartened - yeah slightly - but in terms of the book world, it hasn't been out long enough for the ink to dry yet, all of five months. Remember that I am a completely unknown Author, just starting out, I still draw great comfort from the fact that I even have a published novel, out there in the big bad world of print, and it's there forever. And I've still got a hell of a lot to learn!

Here is a contentious statement that may upset a few well established Authors, or it may highlight the reason why they are well established and I'm not, it depends how you want to look at it.

I write for me, for my enjoyment, for my pleasure. That's my motivation. I don't write thinking of commercial viability or what the reader may think, I honestly don't. I write my way and in my words. And that is the freedom of an Indie Author, and that is the bit I have really come to love.

There is one huge benefit to being 'unknown', you're left alone to write - no one pestering for interviews, book launches, personal appearances etc, just 'you' time. Write as much as you can, because if/when you are 'discovered' your writing time becomes a real premium - I'm hoping to be able to give you a deeper understanding of this downside in a few years :-)

Up date on the American States....

Remember back in one of the posts I mentioned a little challenge I had set myself - getting one person from all 50 states of America to visit my website?

Using Google Analytics it is easy to see (down to the city) of where the site visits originate, unless of course people have their internet routers 'not set' to their area. Some people deliberately don't set their routers for security reason which I completely understand, others have just never got around to it.

Anyway, as the website approaches it's one thousandth visitor I thought I'd take the opportunity to show you how the US Sates thingy is going:

Hmm still lots to go - fortunately this is just a bit of fun BUT if you happen to live in one of those non blue states just visit the website AJWilsonBooks and at least two pages, and hopefully we can turn you blue!

Write and write some more.......

There is a common theme amongst many of the internet sites I visit with regards to Indie Authors, start writing and don't stop! And I can see the logic of having three books completed before releasing the first. I may have mentioned in a previous post that I am not over blessed in the 'patience' department. A typical example is this post - I'm writing in now (Thursday) so I can release it tomorrow, but I already know that if I complete it today, it's getting posted today - I just can't stop myself. So, there was never a hope in hells chance that I'd be waiting until I'd finished book three before I released book 1!

That said, I do understand why it's a good thing.

Lets presume you have three books ready to go - you release your first as a 'freebie' - good idea! This way once your reader has been so enthralled by your book that they MUST have more, they can go looking and BUY your second book, if they get two, the third is a fair certainty.

If however you don't have three books, the reader reads your first, is still enthralled, but when they go looking for more there is none. You'll be amazed how quickly readers will forget.

Like I said, my problem is that my 'patience' would not allow a book to sit, complete and ready to go, until I finished another - was never going to happen. I suppose as well that a second book was never really on my radar, or so I thought. Remember I wrote Russian Redemption because I really was compelled to. It was also important to me to make sure I saw the process through to it's furthers point. I'd always considered it a 'one off'.

If you have three completed books then you use the first to advertise the second, and the second to advertise the third, with the added bonus of releasing them as a set in the future, all within a reasonable time scale.

If you don't, then you just have to work harder to make sure your readers don't forget you.

I mentioned back-a-ways, that I have launched a 'news feed' on the website, I'll be releasing snippets of RR2, and probably announce the launch of 'the other' book through that media first. If people are willing to sign up for 'news' then it is 'news' that they will get. Likewise I am able to keep  the communication going until such time as RR2 or the 'other' book are ready to publish. It's time consuming but it's well worth it........ when you don't have three completed books to market.

And now I'm going to post this - it's Thursday! I just can't help it..............