Tag Archives: promotion

Book covers, line edits and pre-order systems

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This week has been a busy one pulling out all the stops to make sure everything I needed to do in order to publish Blood Inheritance on May 22nd happens. It has been far from easy, and I’m glad that this initial launch is on kindle only. This means getting the final draft uploaded by a date they specify in advance of the book actually becoming available. Failure to do so means the loss of certain publishing privileges, so that’s something authors need to be aware of before pressing that button.

I did consider making it available across other platforms, but my experience so far is that they are less willing to promote authors who do not come with the backing of a traditional publisher. While I want to keep the two sides of my life separate, that makes things much more difficult than they need to be, but I suppose I can just keep working around the issues until they finally sort themselves out.

So, without further ado, the final cover design for Blood Inheritance and links!  *drumroll*

Blood Inheritance

Blood Inheritance on Amazon.com

Blood Inheritance on Amazon UK

I’m really excited to be able to share this book with the world. This story is very special to me because it grew out of never finding the urban fantasy book that I wanted to read. One where the female characters weren’t actually all about getting the dark brooding man who they knew they shouldn’t love but did anyway. I wanted to see women stand on their own two feet and work together, especially when everyone would expect them to be bitter rivals. Women, especially on TV (which is the media that most people these days see) don’t support each other, not without being relegated so the ‘supportive best friend’ trope where they have no story of their own. When they do, the shows are runaway successes, but only Shonda Rhimes seems to have picked up on that…

So I wanted action, I wanted vampires and the supernatural, but I didn’t need a woman in leather and impossibly high heels brooding over a bare chested man. Blood Inheritance is the book that starts my two heroines on the journey that is going to be fun, painful and at times bittersweet. But there will be rewards and successes, even at the darkest of times and against all odds.

Feel free to drop me any questions in the comments about the book, or the ups and downs of the publishing process and I’ll be happy to answer them. Thanks again for your support!

Blood Inheritance – Available this week for pre-order

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So things have been a bit quiet here as I have been frantically juggling all manner of things and trying to get my latest novel, Blood Inheritance, available for pre-order. Pending a final review from my merry band of editors and some final decisions on the cover, we are pretty much there.

So, let me tell you a little bit about this book. It is a labour of love: ten years in the making. To put that in context, one of the main characters started out surgically attached to her PDA, which over time became a Blackberry (remember those?) and now is just a cellphone. Given the rate of change, I didn’t even want to give her an iPhone in case they fall spectacularly out of fashion in the next six months.

I started writing this supernatural series before Twilight became a thing and changed how vampires were perceived for a generation. For centuries now, this comes in cycles, but it certainly did lead to a massive saturation in the market for a while. It even ruined the fun for me and I’ve always enjoyed the heroes with pointy teeth. But now I believe that a good story, strong characters and self-sufficient women can be interesting enough to put the sense of saturation aside.

Over the next two weeks I’ll be updating this website with more details, character introductions and all the other good stuff that I’ve loved about writing this series before we release on May 22nd. I’m excited to see where this will take me and I know that regardless, I’ll continue to work with these characters until their stories are finished. I just hope you’ll join me for the ride!

Independent authors – how much content should you create?

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It started with a simple question: ‘How many books do self-published authors write per year?’

It seems as though there are varying opinions on this. But it seems safe to say that the traditional publishing model of one book a year, perhaps one book every two years, just isn’t going to cut it any more. The number of titles an independent author can release is the one advantage they have over the traditional publishing houses. The amount of gears involved in getting a book through the publishing mill means that most tradpub authors will be doing one book a year. Prolific ones can do two.

Some independent authors are releasing between six and ten titles a year. Two is probably considered the very minimum. It’s easy to see why. In those first days of publishing your title, there is a surge – maybe into the heady heights of double digit sales (I’m just being honest and realistic here). The best way to ride the wave is to have another book – assuming you’ve wowed your reader – for them to jump right onto the back of. The more titles you can have for them to select from, the more chance there is of them seeing something they like. They’re also more likely to see you as committed; a ‘proper’ author writing books for a living. Which may or may not be true.

Welcome to this century – where perception is everything.

I started this year with a plan to self publish two books. That seemed reasonable. Now, some days, it does not seem like enough. I will be trying instead to release three full length novels, but with one big caveat:

I don’t want to compromise on quality.

Now, I’m not saying I’m going to be churning out three literary masterpieces a year. If only.

The simple reality is that there still needs to be a certain level of quality if you expect people to go on to make that next purchase. Even traditionally published ebooks seem more prone to formatting errors than good old paper ones. Nothing is going to be one hundred per cent, because humans are involved. Pesky, pesky humans.

It still needs to make the reader feel like they haven’t just forked out their hard earned cash for something that has been churned out and not even run through spell check first. They especially don’t want to feel scammed because that first ten per cent they’ve downloaded as a free sample was markedly better quality than the rest of the book.

So a minimum of two books, of an acceptable quality.

If possible, then a novella or two also doesn’t hurt. One thing I would suggest – something I’ve learned the hard way – is to make sure that short pieces are consistent with your novels. If not, it can be confusing and off-putting for the reader. I’ll hold my hand up to making that mistake and can simply do my best to rectify it over time as I publish more.

If you’ve yet to publish anything then I’m sure the above seems like a daunting task. Six months ago, I felt the same way. Take comfort in the knowledge that it is the first of anything that is the hardest. Once you’ve wrangled with the various platforms and requirements, had your editors make demands yet again (even friends beta-reading it for you as a favour will have demands), and agonised over your cover design, it becomes easier each time to press ‘publish’.

Do you think two books is enough? Or does it need to be more? Or is quality more important than quantity every single time?

Writing update: new fantasy series

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When I started this blog, I thought my first released novel would be from my urban fantasy series. Somehow that didn’t happen, and instead The Crochet Killer, a crime thriller, was released into the wild.

That doesn’t mean the fantasy series has stopped, or that it will not see the light of day. Far from it. While I am writing book two of the Teddie McKay series, I’m still editing books one and two of the urban fantasy series.

It’s not easy. My characters are very different across the books, and keeping all the voices in my head during intense periods of writing and editing is tough. It’s also fun. A lot of fun.

I love the urban fantasy series enough that the first three books are already written, and the next two already plotted out in granular detail. In some ways, that makes me glad that they’re not the first eBooks I independently publish. Let’s face it, you’re never going to be perfect at something the first time you do it. You can study and research the detail of ‘how to’ as much as you like, but at some point you just have to get it out there. Make mistakes, learn from them, do it better next time.

Things like advance promotion, pre-sales and sending copies off for review before release were all things that seemed like a step too far for me. Getting it released was the main thing. It’s often like that when you do something for the first time; you can only really focus on one task. The more experienced you get, the more you can take advantages of the nuances of the skill, no matter what it is.

That said, I’m getting quite excited about getting everything together. I hope to publish three books this year, which wouldn’t be a bad start. I want to entertain, inform and create characters that aren’t mainstream.

That’s not a bad ambition to have.

Setting up a new project in Scrivener

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Now my first full length novel has been out for a month, it is time to turn my attention to writing the sequel. I’m a plotter and a planner, which is why I absolutely adore Scrivener. I can hand on heart say it is the best software investment I have ever made.

Here’s why. I can control everything I need, all in one place.

My characters

I love the character template feature. As Teddie McKay is back again for a second instalment, I can just copy the template from The Crochet Killer straight into the new setup and we’re good to go:

Characters

 

I can just update them with any new information, such as internal or external conflicts, character development and move on, knowing that the information will be there for me if I need to reference it. No scrabbling through notebooks to see if that tattoo was of a dolphin or a unicorn.

The cork board

This is a huge benefit if you’re a plotter like me. I have all my scenes planned out, then I can put them together in cork board view. Like a real cork board, I can see the overall picture in one place, and move around anything I need.

Cork board

So here, for example, I’m not sure opening with the restaurant scene is dynamic enough. Each index card is tied to the scene itself, so if it’s not in the right place once it’s written, I can just move the index card and the scene within the manuscript will automatically move with it. Genius.

Name generator

This is a key feature that sets Scrivener above most word processing apps. When a book appears, the main characters usually bring with them a name. They’re not the ones you have to worry about. It’s when the secretary pops his head around the door to deliver some information and the protagonist says ‘Thank you -‘ and you don’t have that one-off name. Instead of agonising, or inserting ‘Secretary’s name here’, you can just pop up the word generator, set as much or as little background info as you like, and away you go!

Name generator

 

I think Hamish is a great name for a secretary…

 

Putting it all into Scrivener makes it real. It also removes any friction, so I don’t get distracted from the actual process. Once the detail has been loaded, it’s just down to the best and most exciting part of all.

Writing.

You can purchase, or find out more about Scrivener here.

To find out why they are meeting in the restaurant in that first (or maybe later!) scene, read The Crochet Killer on kindle, or Kobo.

Crochet Killer Cover

(also available on Nook and through the iBooks store)

Using Smashwords to promote across ebook platforms

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For my first full length self-published eBook, The Crochet Killer, I started with what I knew: Kindle.

Amazon and KDP make it quite simple for authors to get their work out there. As a toe in the water it is a good place to start. But quite clearly, it is not the only place to market your eBook. There are many, many options.

All ever so slightly different.

smashwords

Getting your work out there is the priority for most writers, but the reality is that it’s the writing part they enjoy. Not the formatting. Not the setting up the Table of Contents at the front in a slightly different manner for each individual retailer. Or setting up the accounts on a multitude of sites.

Let’s be realistic here: most authors do not independently self-publish a book and then sit back as the royalties roll in. The dream of an overnight and massive success in publishing remains just that for most people: a dream.

This is only my first book. I am finding new readers and introducing myself to the world. My platform is in its infancy. A simple time / cost equation made my mind up about using Smashwords to instantly make all these options available to me:

smashwordsall

I took the hourly rate I charge for the day job. I then calculated the time it takes me to format each version of the book, set up the account, create the bio, sort out the accounting details (including additional time to make sure you meet with the tax requirements of the retailer’s home country etc) and see what it comes to. For book one, it wasn’t worth it when I can upload it to Smashwords and then they push it out for me.

In the future, depending on sales, I might do it on a site by site basis. But until then, this is the most easy and cost-effective option I can see of getting my books out there.

Available on Amazon.com (US)

Amazon.co.uk

Nook at Barnes and Noble

Kobo

And of course, Smashwords itself, along with now being available to download via the iBooks app, if that is your reader of choice.

Crochet Killer Cover

Why I wanted to write a lesbian detective

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In my latest book, The Crochet Killer, the main character is a lesbian detective named Teddie McKay. I wanted to write this character for several reasons, and not just because all the lady police officers I know also like the ladies. I’m sure that’s just coincidence. Also, if you’re reading this, she’s totally not based on you. Honest.

Firstly, and most importantly, she came to me that way. There was never any doubt from the moment I pictured the opening chapter, with her diving into the pool on vacation in the Caribbean, that she was gay. It was just who she was, and that wasn’t a problem. It also wasn’t going to be a big deal.

In life, it shouldn’t be a big deal. So why should it be the one and only personality point of my character?

For most of the story, who she sleeps with is not a primary focus anyway. There is romance, but it is not the main theme or driver to the narrative. That would be the killing bits, obviously.

Other than times when a protagonist’s sexuality is front and centre to the narrative, it seemed to me like writers tended to default to straight. That’s not necessarily a problem, but a character being gay doesn’t have to make a point. The Crochet Killer isn’t a gruesome, terrifying thriller, designed to make you puke your guts up and unable to sleep at night. It’s for the kind of people who enjoy watching Castle, whilst having a secret hankering for seeing Beckett make out with a girl (again, if you’re reading this, you know who you are).

I suppose, what I am trying to say is that I wanted to write a lesbian detective because I wanted a regular, slightly mal-adjusted main character who just also happens to be gay. Will it narrow my audience? Probably. And if it does, then I’m okay with that. Because I would rather keep the character with the integrity she came with and the story she has to tell (and will continue to tell over the course of the series) than sell out by aiming for the safety of the middle ground.

That’s where everyone else is. I’d rather give a detective who isn’t white, straight and male a chance for once.

(Even though it’s set in Portland, Maine, for any British Kindle readers, you can find the UK edition here.)

Doing The Genre Swap

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For all you writers out there, I have a question: do you write in multiple genres?

I was having a discussion with an author friend the other day and it occurred to me that it is becoming increasingly more common. In many other areas of our lives, we have come to expect the freedom to choose. For most of us, especially those of us who have tried our hand at self-publishing, it is more than just failing to be picked up by traditional publishers. I know many people believe that to be the case about what we do. I think that is making too simplistic an argument.

‘Traditional’ authors have started to dabble in the world of self-publishing because it gives them the taste of freedom that they can’t get as part of their three book deal. The one that states you will provide us with three books that sit comfortably in the brand that has been created for you. Please do not waste our investment in you by being adventurous. More of the same please. None of that creativity rubbish.

Which is where the theme of genre swap comes in. I write in several genres, and keeping up a pseudonym for all of them is like plate spinning. If you believe everything you read, then there needs to be a distinct platform for each genre, leading to twenty seven different twitter accounts.

No thanks.

I like to think that the reading audience is becoming more savvy. Or perhaps they have always been savvy, but traditional publishers have never seen the need to present them as such. Like writers, readers are more than happy to have a little variety. Sure, most people have a favourite genre, one they would go to first. But very few people I know would declare that they ‘only’ read crime these days. Or romance. People want to have a choice. A good story is a good story and more importantly, they want a character they can relate to.

Of course, when you have these multiple projects on the go, it can be hard to change between tone sometimes. The best way I’ve found is to create a distinct playlist for each book. For example, when I was writing The Crochet Killer I had a playlist with Crush by Jennifer Paige on it. Completely out of keeping with the crime tone of the book, but it always instantly reminded me of the main character when I needed to get back into her head. For another series I’m working on which is squarely Urban Fantasy, there’s a bit of Lady Gaga: Bad Romance sums up the darker side of the relationship between the two main characters perfectly.

So I’m not saying it’s easy, but it’s certainly possible and becoming more common. If you want to write in multiple genres, then go ahead.

And if you have any tips and tricks for swapping between the two (or more) then let me know!

****

Crochet Killer Cover

He likes to make women smile.
For eternity.

From her hot Caribbean vacation to a freak New England snowstorm, when the fourth mutilated victim is found, Detective Teddie McKay knows she has to break the case or lose it. The killer is always one step ahead, and even the hot-shot forensic investigator the Chief has shipped in from out of state hasn’t produced a solid lead. The pressure is coming from everywhere; the press and even the Mayor are questioning whether Teddie’s up to the task. Now her ex-lover, TV reporter Tammy Johnson, has re-entered her life and is covering the story. Teddie knows that if someone makes the connection it will be the final nail in the coffin for her credibility.

As the clock ticks down towards victim number five, Teddie knows she has to do something to solve the case. But how much is she prepared to risk to lure a psychopath out into the open?

Never too late

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I was reading this article about Tony Schumacher’s novel, The Darkest Hour, and all the other jobs he  tried before making it as a writer. It struck me how, for many people, the dream is there, burning inside them, no matter how many setbacks they face on their own personal journey.

I think 80%* of the population say they have a novel inside them. I’ve heard it said that for most of them, it should stay there. Nevertheless, there is something so completely human about wanting to tell a story. It is how we reason out our lives, how we make sense of the world around us. Even if it is not fiction, the hardest hitting stories on the news are the ones which have that human seed of either hope or despair at their core.

So for most people there is a willingness to tell a story, but for others this burning desire is a vocation. Deep in the heart, it is the thing they truly believe they were put on the planet to do. No matter how long it takes to get there, no matter what diversions are in place, the people who are meant to do it are the ones who keep going, especially when the world is set against them.

It is an inspiring story. It is a reminder for those of you who want to dance with words forever, that it’s not over with unless you decide to give up.

 

*This statistic is entirely made up. But it sounds plausible enough so let’s pretend eh?

Crochet Killer Cover

He likes to make women smile.
For eternity.

From her hot Caribbean vacation to a freak New England snowstorm, when the fourth mutilated victim is found, Detective Teddie McKay knows she has to break the case or lose it. The killer is always one step ahead, and even the hot-shot forensic investigator the Chief has shipped in from out of state hasn’t produced a solid lead. The pressure is coming from everywhere; the press and even the Mayor are questioning whether Teddie’s up to the task. Now her ex-lover, TV reporter Tammy Johnson, has re-entered her life and is covering the story. Teddie knows that if someone makes the connection it will be the final nail in the coffin for her credibility.

As the clock ticks down towards victim number five, Teddie knows she has to do something to solve the case. But how much is she prepared to risk to lure a psychopath out into the open?

Why I’m planning to eat healthier this month

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January is always the month that gets the best of people’s good intentions. In reality, my health has been on the back burner in January, for many reasons. Instead, February is the month that is going to get the most of my intentions when it comes to health. Why? Because my writing has both benefited and suffered from the lack of good diet during January.

Not worrying about food has helped me get The Crochet Killer published and over the line. Getting all the input I needed, putting the last pieces together, that requires a lot of time and chasing. Time that can be made up from easy food choices of the kind that require zero thought.

Unfortunately, that is only a short term solution. I have had the time and the motivation for that quick burst, but now I enter the first Monday of February feeling sluggish and displaced. I can feel the weight of a thousand chips settling somewhere just below my belly button.

And above it, if we’re being entirely honest.

Food is important. Life is important. The only way to achieve as much as possible (I initially wrote ‘achieve it all’ but have come to realise that is a modern myth), is by being as holistic as the tools you have available allow you to be.

My writing and travel schedules in February are going to be punishing. Which is why I would encourage everyone who is out there in the same position – with a full life and plenty of challenges – to still dedicate time to getting their health and wellbeing in place.

Because writing is nothing if you’re either too tired or dead to do anything with it.