I'm moving!

Hello! I'm having trouble with keeping up multiple blogs, so I'm moving everything to my new website, where you'll find everything Kayla Curry related. I'll be re-publishing the posts from this blog on there over the next few weeks. After everything is republished, get ready for some new content!

http://www.kaylacurry.com

Please feel free to subscribe via email!

Past, Present, Future Marketing Plan Realtime Board

Scatterbrained Marketing Plan Realtime Board

Trickle Down Marketing Plan Realtime Board

How to use Google products and Services to your Advantage #1

I'm writing this blog as the first in a series about how to use Google to further your business and make your life easier. We'll start off with a list of helpful services and a short description. These are all free services and most of these and more can be found by clicking on this link: http://www.google.com/intl/en/about/products/

Blogger
Blogger is an easy to use blogging platform that you are able to customize and integrate into your brand. This is the blogging platform I use because it's simple and yet still has the capability to house great gadgets. One thing I will recommend is that you use the Google Chrome browser when using Blogger, there are a few bugs when using some other browsers.

Google Chrome
This browser will make any Google service or product work better and without bugs. It is also just an all around top-notch browser. I've been using it for months now and have only had one issue. Occasionally when using Google Image Search it freezes up and I have to close down the browser completely, but the positive part of this is that if that happens, Google Chrome remembers every tab I had up and asks if I'd like to restore them.

Gmail
Gmail is a great email platform. I also have a Hotmail account, but I do like the Gmail one better. It's easier to navigate, it has an advanced search so you can pull up all emails from a certain person or all emails with a specific key word. No cons yet.

YouTube
This is a part of Google and it's the best video hosting site on the web, hands down. YouTube has limited ads and you can share and embed videos anywhere. Get an account and upload all your videos to YouTube.

Google Drive
I LOVE Google Drive. Google Drive is basically a storage space online, but you can also create documents, spreadsheets, forms to embed on your website and SOOOOO much more! If you don't have it, get it, because they are adding new programs for it all the time.

Google Calendar
Google Calendar is a program that helps you keep track of your many events and important dates. You can make more than one calendar, you can embed it on your website for people to see, and you can have email reminders for marked dates. You can also invite others to your calendar and share it publicly.

Google Earth
Google Earth is great for research and just fun to play around with. I'm sure most of you have popped on there to check out the satellite view of your home and played around with some of its features. I think it's pretty neat.

Google Maps
Google Maps is also a cool feature. You can make your own maps and share them with friends, you can find places easily and map out an entire road trip. I see this program overtaking MapQuest in the near future.

Sketch Up
If you haven't discovered Sketch Up yet, you should definitely check it out. You can map out the interior and exterior of building with this free program. There is a bit of a learning curve, but if you are one of those visual people who need to map out a scene in your book, this is the tool for that.

Google Trends
This handy tool will be useful when predicting publishing trends. For instance, by typing in "erotica books" you can see that this search trend peaked in June 2012 and is now on the decline. By typing in "vampire books" you can see that this trend peaked in November 2009 and May 2010 and is also now on the decline. By seeing where these search terms are headed, up or down, you can tailor blog posts to go along with the trends and you can also write books that may be popular in the near future.

Blog Search
You can use this specialized search engine to comb through blogs that are related to the topics you write about. From there you can follow these blogs, contact the owner and talk about possibly exchanging guest posts, or even search for book reviewers.

Google Sites
This is the website hosting program from Google. I do use them to host my website and I'm pretty happy with it. The features are not basic, but the aren't advanced either. I'd recommend it for a first website. It's easy to operate and can look very nice if you have it set up right.

Google+
This is the social media site run by Google. GET AN ACCOUNT! There have been predictions that Google+ will overtake Facebook and Twitter for the top social networking site by 2015. So, get an account now and by the time that happens, you will be set. You'll have plenty of followers and you will be towards the top of the social network food chain before anyone else. Not to mention, the features are awesome.

Google+ Communities
This is part of Google+. What it is is a place where anyone can post their content related to the community topic. Once you create a community you can make your own rules. It's fun to scroll through these and blog hop. You can also post videos, pictures and plain text. I love Google+ Communities.

Google Hangouts
This program is integrated into the Gmail and Google+ programs. You can host webinars, talk to people by video, organize a group of people for a meeting and so much more. Check it out and see what you can use it for.

There are so many more products and services that Google has to offer, but we'll start with these for now. Soon I'll tell you more about Blogger and we'll go down the list to discover ways to use these free programs available to you.

TDE: The Trickle Down Effect Marketing Strategy

Today I'm telling you about a marketing strategy. I either invented it or thought it up without knowing it already exists. I'm sure it does, but let me tell you about it any way. I'm calling it the Trickle Down Effect.

The Trickle Down Effect consists of three levels.

The first level is the "Followers" level. This level is all the followers you have on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and everything else. These followers have minimal loyalty. Some of them may only be following you because you are following them. You still have some influence over them and can tell them about your projects, your books and all that. What you really need to do is connect with them to get them to trickle down into the next level. You can do this by generating interest in you and your books and also asking them to sign up for your newsletter.

The second level is the "Subscribers" level. Subscribers are those who get your weekly or monthly newsletter, read just about every blog post, and ultimately are pretty loyal to you. You have more influence with your subscribers than you do your followers. Eventually, by strengthening the connection you have with your subscribers, you will be able to make more sales to them and turn them into loyal customers. You also need to give them some love by offering little freebies here and there.

The third level is the "Loyalty" level. These are the people who actually buy your books and love them. Loyal Customers will keep coming back for more as long as you treat them good. Keep your books high quality, offer up a free short story every now and then or maybe even a postcard. You should also ask their opinions when you need it. Just keep them happy and you'll find that more and more people are becoming your Loyal Customers.

With that, I'd love the chance to make you happy. If you'd like to sign up for my newsletter, head over to my website at the link below. I'll be giving updates on my projects and giving out free short stories every so often too! If you'd like to join the fun, check it out!

https://sites.google.com/site/kaylacurryauthor/subscribe

Twitter: A 4 Step Guide on How to Get More Legitimate Followers.

Twitter can be a scary place for beginners, but don't be discouraged if you only have a few followers after the first week. There is a great way to get tons of followers that legitimately want to follow you.

Step 1: Search for people that have the same interests as you. If you are an author you want to search for these: books, authors, writers, reviewer, book blogger, book lover, publishing, and other book related words and phrases. Also search for the genre or genres you write in. The search will lead you to people who tweet about this stuff. Follow them.

Step 2: After you've followed these people, retweet them. By retweeting some of their key tweets, you are both endorsing them and telling them that you care about this stuff too. When you retweet, you will not only get followbacks, you'll start to gain followers who notice that you retweet. These people will follow you in the hopes of getting a retweet themselves.

Step 3: Start tweeting about your own blog posts, books, interests and other stuff. Be sure to keep some tweets personal. Don't over do it on the promotion. Remember all those people you retweeted? They can now begin to repay the favor. Twitter is about the balance of give and take. The more you give, the more you will get in return.

Step 4: Don't forget to have actual conversations with your followers and read their tweets too! Keep the social in social media!

There you have it! If you want real followers who actually care about what you tweet, follow these simple steps and avoid the temptation to buy followers. Most of those are scams anyway.

Looking for a future publisher? Try mine!

Moonstone is in the queue over at Martin Sisters Publishing. We'll be prepping it for release very soon. Before the second book in the series is released, however, I must give a shout out to my awesome publisher.

Martin Sisters Publishing is a quickly growing small publisher that really cares about the books they publish.

I found this publisher through Writer's Market. If you don't have a current Writer's Market and you are planning on going with traditional publication, you really need to pick one up.

MSP is run by two sisters who do most of the work themselves. They are good at what they do and they are passionate about putting out great books from all sorts of genres. Also, like a true publisher, they take care of all costs associated with publishing and they walk you through the entire process.

You can learn more about them and all the awesome books they've published on their website www.martinsisterspublishing.com. You can also visit and follow their Martin Sisters Book blog which will soon be busy with posts from the authors who have worked with MSP.

Also, don't forget to like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter!

Ways to get featured or tweeted!

Hello! I've come up with a new way to help promote you and your books!

There are actually two ways on my Get Featured page over on Paranormal Lounge.

The first is a feature on the Paranormal Lounge blog, and it is for paranormal books only. Just fill out the form and I'll be in touch.

The second is a tweet to my 2,000+ followers on twitter. The tweet can be about any book or writing related subject and you can send me a tweet once per week. The only thing I ask in return is that you follow me on twitter. I will follow you back too, which is a win/win situation.

Both of these services are FREE, but please respect the rules. Do not try to get your mystery featured on Paranormal Lounge and do not send me more than one tweet per week.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you on these forms and can't wait to help you expand your reach!

The Importance of Having a Blog

In the land of book marketing, blogging is an important part of expanding your reach and CONNECTING with readers. Here are some reasons you need to blog if you have a book out:

1. It helps you practice writing more. You may not be writing the next best seller, but blog posts are a great way to practice your writing and improve on the craft.
2. You can direct people to important blog posts easily on twitter and facebook. Posting a huge article on Facebook is not cool and posting a huge article on twitter is impossible. So, that's why you need a blog.
3. You can connect with your readers through the comments field. Also, if they like what they read, they'll come back for more!
4. CROSS PROMOTION!! Yeah. If you can host other authors on your blog, they will be mor elikely to host you in return. That expands your reach and your audience!
5. It's nice to get things off your chest every now and then. Don't go on a rant every time you post, but sometimes it's okay to let out a little steam.
6. You can tackle important industry issues and let people know where you stand.
7. It increases your discoverability. The more places you are, the more likely you are to be discovered.

Honestly, I come across authors every day who don't have their own blog, and I find it surprising every time. Up-keeping a blog shows you are serious about expanding your platform as an author. Also, with a blog, you can participate in the upcoming Blogger Book Fair.

If you are thinking about setting up a blog I would recommend Blogger for beginners. The interface is easy to navigate and everything is simplified.

If you STILL don't want to take the time to actually set up a blog, let me do it for you! Check out the details on my fiverr.com gig: HERE.

Blogger Book Fair!!!

Check in to the Blogger Book Fair,

and book your trip to far away places!

July 22-26, 2013

Authors and Book Bloggers,

Sign ups for the July 2013 Blogger Book Fair will close on June 15 at midnight central time, so get your registrations in to participate!

As of 5/31/2013, we have:

Authors: 89

Books: 233

Bloggers: 14

If you haven't yet registered, you can find all of the information on the Blogger Book Fair page.

           

Check out the Code of Conduct

           

Fill out either the Author Sign Up form or the Blogger Sign Up form (Deadline June 15)

           

Kayla will match everyone with hosts and send out this information to you after sign-ups close

           

Check out the events--all authors are eligible to participate in the events, and if you have an event you'd like to host, just fill out the simple Event Sign Up Form--all of this information can be found on the Events! page (Deadline July 8).

           

If you're interested in hosting a giveaway to drive traffic to your site, sign up via the Giveaway Sign Up form (Deadline July 15).

           

And if your book will be FREE or $0.99 for the duration of the Fair, you can sign up on the Free and $.99 Book Sign Up Forms (Deadline July 15).

Events:

as of 5/31/2013

Art Fiction Gala hosted by Lucie Smoker

Does your fiction promote the visual arts--through featuring an artist, painting, sculpture, performance art, etc? Then, consider entering Lucie's Art Fiction Gala.

The Art Fiction Gala is a virtual celebration of fiction that highlights the visual arts. Dress up in your finest, pick up some friends--a bottle of wine--and sample mind-blowing fiction that crosses the line between literary and visual art. Plus a gallery of art featuring reading.

More information & entry instructions

Three Wishes hosted by Kirstin Pulioff

Introduce your characters to the world.

Kirstin Pulioff invites you to ask your main character, "If you found a magic genie lamp, what would be your three choices?"

More information & entry instructions

Flash Fiction Challenge II hosted by Thomas Winship

Get ready to exercise your flash fiction muscles.

For the Flash Fiction Challenge II, Thomas Winship will provide an opening line.

From there, entrants will craft a flash fiction piece of approx 500 words. Entries will be displayed on Thomas' blog Vaempires during the BBF, spread out evenly across the five days, in order of receipt.

More information & entry instructions

Snapshot Synopsis Contest hosted by Fel at The Peasants Revolt

Challenge: chisel your synopsis down to 50 words or less.

Voting will be open throughout the fair for visitors to vote on their favorite Snapshot Synopsis.

More information & entry instructions

Reader's Choice Awards hosted by Sherri at Shut Up & Read

All books registered for the Blogger Book Fair are automatically entered into the running for the Reader's Choice Awards. Voting will be open from July 22 to July 25.

More information

Indie Soap Box Files hosted by Shah Wharton

Take a turn on the Soap Box.

Shah invites speculative fiction writers to write a guest post about being an indie (or hybrid) writer.

More information & entry instructions

Restrictions: Speculative fiction writers only

Monster Menagerie hosted by Noree at Trip the Eclipse

What's your favorite monster or supernatural creature?

Feature your creature in a flash fiction piece (500-800) words to be featured on Trip the Eclipse. Visitors will vote on their favorite piece.

More information & entry instructions

Ways to Help:

Donate to the Blogger Book Fair via the BBF Donation Fund. To help get the word out about BBF, we would like to place ads on Facebook, Goodreads and other places, but to do, so we need a little help. We'd also like to have some BBF sponsored giveaways, so money donated would also go toward prizes. NO MONEY WILL BE KEPT BY ANY ORGANIZER OR PARTICIPANT.

Spread the word! Share the Fair on your social media accounts and show off the Blogger Book Fair logo in your blog's sidebar.

Join us on:

           

Facebook

           

Twitter

           

Goodreads

           

Google +

Announcement and apology!

Hey guys! First of all, I want to apologize for not keeping up with this blog. My blogs have been on hold for now as I regroup and reorganize. Not to mention I have tons of projects I'm working on.

My announcement deals with my new account as a seller on fiverr.com. I have decided to take on some side jobs through this site. Here is a list of my gigs:

The first one is my Virtual Assistant gig. For a limited time I'm doing 30 minutes for $5. That's a great rate, and I will probably drop the time down to 20 minutes some time in the future. I'm trying to build up experience right now. If you'd like to take advantage of this, the gig is listed here: http://fiverr.com/kaylacurry/be-your-virtual-assistant-for-30-minutes

The next one I have listed is my Online Image Consultation gig. This is where you can send me links to all your social media profiles, websites, and blogs. I will then visit each one and compile a report on what you are doing right, what you could improve on and what you could add or subtract. This will help you present a consistent image and help you brand yourself. This gig is available here: http://fiverr.com/kaylacurry/analyze-your-online-image

If you need new marketing ideas, I have a gig for that too. For $5 I will come up with 5 to 10 new and fun ideas on how to market your service or product. Check out the gig here for more details: http://fiverr.com/kaylacurry/give-you-marketing-ideas-for-your-business-or-product

Another gig I offer is advice on how to manage a bad press crisis. Simply tell me what problem you are having and I will help you come up with ways to fix it. This is similar to my online image consultation. If you point me towards the problem, I will check it out and send you a report with advice on what to do and what not to do. See all the details here: http://fiverr.com/kaylacurry/help-you-manage-a-bad-press-crisis

I also have other gigs, not related to marketing. A birthday planner gig and a wedding decoration planner gig. Check out my fiverr page for these and other upcoming gigs. http://fiverr.com/kaylacurry

A to Z Challenge - Day 26: Z is for Zeal!

I'm participating the this crazy challenge on 2 of my blogs. This one and Paranormal Lounge. The A to Z Challenge is a blogging event that takes place every April. The challenge is to write a post for each letter of the alphabet and post nearly every day during April, omitting Sundays.

My theme for this challenge is: Marketing is like war. I'm going to try to stick to that theme as much as possible, but I may have to deviate. Z is for Zeal!

When it comes to marketing, one of the most important things is your attitude. Enthusiasm is everything. here is how to keep being zealous:

Work on posting only positive things to Facebook Twitter and other platforms. If you post a lot of negative statuses, your friends might not know what to do with you. They want to be supportive, but negativity is discouraging. It's like going to work. You can treat your customers badly just because you are having a bad day and you certainly can't unload all your personal issues on them either. I know it feels good to let it out, and you can do that occasionally, but keep it to a minimum.

Watch funny videos and post them on your social media if you want. This will help you stay positive. Other things that help me are taking a break and watching a show or movie. I find that the media gets me down some days. I like to stay up on the news, but reading so much negativity can really take a toll on you.

Remain positive even when it seems like everything is working against you. If you haven't sold a book in a long time, or if you still haven't heard from that publisher, don't worry. Everyone has their ups and downs. The key is attitude. Stay enthusiastic about marketing and maybe think about changing things up a bit.

Zeal helps you connect. It also helps you work through your tough times and brings an even better attitude during the good times. Thanks for coming with me on this A to Z marketing adventure. Still undecided if I'll do it again next year, but it has been fun and I loved getting comments from all you readers. Have a great day!!

A to Z Challenge - Day 25: X and Y

I'm participating the this crazy challenge on 2 of my blogs. This one and Paranormal Lounge. The A to Z Challenge is a blogging event that takes place every April. The challenge is to write a post for each letter of the alphabet and post nearly every day during April, omitting Sundays.

I was sick on Friday night and didn't get my X post done for Saturday, so I combined them in today's post. Enjoy!

My theme for this challenge is: Marketing is like war. I'm going to try to stick to that theme as much as possible, but I may have to deviate. X is for eXplosive! Y is for Yearn!

Sometimes all you need in marketing is an explosive idea. One that will draw attention to you and make a big splash. There is a right way and a wrong way to do this.

The wrong way would be negative publicity. Some celebs are famous because they are always in the news for doing something bad. The only problem with that is their fans and their anti-fans are about even in numbers. You don't want anti-fans.

The right way would be something positive. You want to make people know you for something that can only be viewed as good. That will get you the most fans. It may not make as big a splash ad the negative way, but you'll still gain followers and fans.

What can you do? Well, that has to be up to you. Charity is a big thing, creating something new, throwing an event. You have to figure that part out for yourself, and when you do, be sure to plan very carefully and coordinate so that you can get the most publicity possible.

Getting fans to yearn for your book is very difficult. An explosion could help with that. Yearning for a book is usually what happens when someone reads the first book in a series and craves the next. Since yearning is more of a series thing, it is much easier to do if you write a series.

However, if someone is just hooked on your writing, that can also create yearning. When is the next book by so-and-so coming out? You want people to be asking that question about you.

In order to achieve the book or author yearning, the product must be at it's best. That is all there is to it. Put out a quality product, and you will start seeing people yearn for your next book!

Want to be a beta reader?

I have two projects that I need to have other people read. If you are interested, please contact me on twitter @KaylaCurry1 or facebook www.facebook.com/kayla.curry1

Beta readers needed for Moonstone: Mystic Stones Series #2 (This story follows another set of characters. If you have not read Obsidian, you can still read this one without spoilers from the first book) (67,000 words) I need 2 or 3 readers for this one.


At a hotel in Richmond, Virginia a chance meeting occurs between Aila Myles and Dorin Dimir. Aila sees Dorin as a hansom foreigner with charming ways. Dorin sees Aila as his next meal.

The only problem? Aila wears a protective ring that keeps her safe from monsters she didn’t even know existed—monsters like Dorin. Unfortunately, the curse he shares with his brother makes it even more difficult to take blood from unsuspecting prey, but as Dorin pursues Aila, he finds that he’s having strange feelings for the first time in over one hundred years.

Dorin and Aila’s affair isn’t as private as they thought. It’s also the concern of his brother and the powerful Vampire Emperor. Can Dorin have his cake and eat it too? Or will Aila prove to be more than a menu item?


Beta readers also needed for a short story. The first in my new Vibe series: Vibe: Grey Apathy. (Sci-fi, mystery/crime, dystopian) (Just under 8,000 words) I need 3 or 4 readers for this one.

Welcome to a world where emotions have become weapons, currency and livelihood. Welcome to Vibe.

Greys feed on apathy. The only problem with that is they sometimes soak up so much apathy, they experience the emotion so strongly that they can't make themselves do anything. Even feeding becomes a chore that may or may not get done. Everyone knows you can't feed on your own emotion. So if you're isolated enough, you could end up drained.

Prism is a detective with problems of her own. She's been off the job for a while, but now she's back and working with a transfer named Atramen on the case of the drained grey. Being a color wheel has its advantages and disadvantages. The power to make anyone feel any emotion you want them to is a pro, but being bombarded 24/7 with the emotions of others is most definitely a con. Can Prism and Atramen find the killer and overcome the obstacles associated with a new partnership?

A to Z Challenge: Not feeling well.

Hey guys. I'm not feeling well tonight, (4/26) which is usually when I do my posts. I just hopped on to let you know that my X post will go up Sunday or along with Y on Monday.

A to Z Challenge - Day 23: W is for Well-known!

I'm participating the this crazy challenge on 2 of my blogs. This one and Paranormal Lounge. The A to Z Challenge is a blogging event that takes place every April. The challenge is to write a post for each letter of the alphabet and post nearly every day during April, omitting Sundays.

My theme for this challenge is: Marketing is like war. I'm going to try to stick to that theme as much as possible, but I may have to deviate. W is for Well-known!

Marketing is all about trying to get people to know your name and the title of your books. The goal is to become well-known. Here are some ways to help with that:

Interact with people whenever possible.
Use your name on all your accounts.
Display the title of your work on all your platforms.
Use the same profile picture and don't change it every month. (Keep it for at least three, but I recommend longer. Professional photos are best.)
Display your book covers on all your platforms.
Host a blog event.
Get your name in the news.
Be active in your community.
Try to get your name or book title on lists.
Cross promote on your blog. (Exchange posts with another author)

Part of getting your name recognized might be using a pen name. Here are the only times I recommend using a pen name:

If your name is hard to pronounce or hard to spell.
If your name is particularly long.
If you are writing for a genre that you wish to keep separate from your personal life such as erotica.
If you are writing for a gender biased genre and your gender is the opposite of what people expect (Horror writers are generally men and readers are more likely to read horror by men, Romance writers are generally woman and readers are more likely to read romance by women. In this case think about using initials or a gender neutral name.)
If you want to write fiction with one name and non-fiction with another name.

Names are very important. For titles I would try to keep them short and avoid long or hard to spell words. Keep "The" and "A" out if possible. Make it memorable! Becoming well-known isn't easy, but it is important to try!

A to Z Challenge - Day 22: V is for Variation!

I'm participating the this crazy challenge on 2 of my blogs. This one and Paranormal Lounge. The A to Z Challenge is a blogging event that takes place every April. The challenge is to write a post for each letter of the alphabet and post nearly every day during April, omitting Sundays.

My theme for this challenge is: Marketing is like war. I'm going to try to stick to that theme as much as possible, but I may have to deviate. V is for Variation!

In marketing, you need to have a variety of tricks up your sleeve. If you keep pitching the same lines and the same content, people will think you're a broken record. You gotta switch it up a little.

Just put yourself in the shoes of the consumer. It's easy. Just think of that commercial you see between every TV show. It gets old, right? That's why companies only run the same commercial for a limited time. They put up a new one and you've forgotten all about the old one.

As you will also notice, some companies still keep a certain element or trademark from the old commercials. That helps with branding and you can do the same with your promo material and ads. The key is variation with a little bit of consistency.

You also need to have a variety of platforms to put up new promo material. That will help you reach more people and therefore increase your chances of a sale. Always be on the look out for a new platform that can show your work to a large amount of people.

You also need to vary the type of promo material you're putting out there. Images might reach one reader while excerpts reach another. Rotate the type of promo you do. Images one day, an excerpt the next, giveaway another day, and then a book trailer after that.

So, find a way to mix variation with consistency and you'll have multiple promotional tools along with a developing brand.

A to Z Challenge - Day 21: U is for Unauthorized.

I'm participating the this crazy challenge on 2 of my blogs. This one and Paranormal Lounge. The A to Z Challenge is a blogging event that takes place every April. The challenge is to write a post for each letter of the alphabet and post nearly every day during April, omitting Sundays.

My theme for this challenge is: Marketing is like war. I'm going to try to stick to that theme as much as possible, but I may have to deviate. U is for Unauthorized.

Today I'm talking about one of my biggest pet peeves: Using copyrighted content with out permission. It drives me crazy. It may be the fact that I create my own promotional images and the fact that I sometimes do that as a side-job that makes me so crazy about this.

Okay, lets imagine you are a celebrity. You've had your picture taken millions of times and they are everywhere. Now let's imagine someone taking one of those pictures and using it to promote their product. They are basically saying that you, (as the celebrity) endorses their product. You've never even heard of this product before, yet your face is plastered all over it and you never signed anything saying it was okay.

Now, before you get offended, let's talk about the difference between using unauthorized content and having casting contests or dream cast posts.

Using unauthorized content like photos or images to help promote your book is wrong. Putting your book in an image with a celebrity or image of another book that is similar is wrong. You need permission to do that. It's also against the law. The likelihood that you'll be prosecuted is slim, but that doesn't mean you can do it.

Now, I see casting contests on Facebook all the time and that is perfectly fine as long as the images of the celebs are not combined with the product. If you want to know who your fans would want to play one of your characters in a movie, go for it! But, don't photoshop those images of the celebs with your book. Personally, I don't run those contests. It's a little too close to copyright law and putting words in he mouth of celebs for me. I do have a Pinterest album with my dream cast, but I don't really advertise it. It's more for me than my readers.

I'm sorry to have such a negative post today, but I just feel that I see this way too often. Put yourself in someone else's shoes. If you created content, or took a picture and someone used it without your permission, how would you feel? There are plenty of other places to get images for free or paid. My favorite FREE site is Pixabay.com check it out and make your own ORIGINAL content, or ask for help from your favorite cover designer. There are inexpensive ways to get professional looking content without stealing copyrighted images.

So, if you are an author trying to make it, please be fair and buy your promotional images or get images from the free site I listed. Don't use unauthorized images, please and thank you!

A to Z Challenge - Day 20: T is for Tagline!

I'm participating the this crazy challenge on 2 of my blogs. This one and Paranormal Lounge. The A to Z Challenge is a blogging event that takes place every April. The challenge is to write a post for each letter of the alphabet and post nearly every day during April, omitting Sundays.

My theme for this challenge is: Marketing is like war. I'm going to try to stick to that theme as much as possible, but I may have to deviate. T is for Tagline!

Okay, if you're going to sell your book with one look at a poster or piece of marketing material, then you need a good tagline . . . or five.

Taglines are those short sentences that make you curious. One of mine for Obsidian is: Paradise never looked so dangerous. Short, sweet and to the point. now you try. Come up with five taglines you can use to promote your novel. What do you do with them? Here, let me tell you:

Tweets
Facebook statuses
Google+ posts
Bookmarks
Posters
The cover or the back of your book
Your book business card if you decide to get one
Your website
Your marketing images
Any giveaway prizes
To go above your signature at signings
And anything else you can think of!

Here's an example of what I did with one of mine:

As you can see, the tagline paired with the image gets people interested in your work. Movie have taglines, your book should too!! They are just so handy.

A to Z Challenge - Day 19: S is for Source!

I'm participating the this crazy challenge on 2 of my blogs. This one and Paranormal Lounge. The A to Z Challenge is a blogging event that takes place every April. The challenge is to write a post for each letter of the alphabet and post nearly every day during April, omitting Sundays.

My theme for this challenge is: Marketing is like war. I'm going to try to stick to that theme as much as possible, but I may have to deviate. S is for Source.

A source is a person or place where you can obtain information. Here are a few of my favorite sources:

Writer's Market books
These books come out once a year and have a huge list of publishers, what they are looking for, and how to submit work to them. The books also have tips and info about the industry. This is a great source of info if you plan to go the traditional route for publishing.

Wikipedia
Wikipedia is probably visited on my computer at least three times a day. It's a pretty reliable source and I use it for research, curiosities and more.

Other writers
I often exchange advice with other authors. It's quick and easy to send an email to someone you trust. We all look out for each other and when they have a question, I return the favor.

Free books
You'd be surprised at how many books that are available for free every now and then will help you out. I recommend subscribing to the daily email provided by Author Marketing Club. While you are at it, sign up for an author account with them. More below.

Author Marketing Club
This program is a great source. There are webinar videos, free guides and more. You can obtain all sorts of information through them.

What are some of your favorite sources?

A to Z Challenge - Day 18: R is for Range!

I'm participating the this crazy challenge on 2 of my blogs. This one and Paranormal Lounge. The A to Z Challenge is a blogging event that takes place every April. The challenge is to write a post for each letter of the alphabet and post nearly every day during April, omitting Sundays.

My theme for this challenge is: Marketing is like war. I'm going to try to stick to that theme as much as possible, but I may have to deviate. R is for Range.

In marketing, range is how far your posts can reach. Here is how to determine what your reach is and how to gain a larger reach/range.

You range is different on each of your social media outlets.

Facebook:
How many friends do you have on Facebook? How many like does your page have?
To increase your number of friends, simply request friendships. Just be careful because Facebook is cracking down on friend requesting people you don't know. Most people have caught on and make sure to answer the "Do you know this person outside of Facebook?" question with "Yes" in order to keep them from being "jailed."
To increase the number of likes on your page, join or throw a Facebook like event on Facebook. You should also share everything you post on your pages to your personal account since those will link back to your page.

Twitter:
How many followers do you have? Are you a member of Triberr? If you said yes to the second question, what is your reach on there?
To increase your followers on Twitter, simply tweet interesting stuff and retweet important posts by others. They'll see that you are helping them out and soon the good karma will pay off.

Google+
How many have you in their circles? How many in your groups? how many in your communities?
Google+ has a nice feature. When you add someone, they automatically suggest others for you to add who are similar. Keep doing that. Most will add you back.

Pinterest
How many followers do you have?
I've yet to find the secret to getting more followers on Pinterest, (Mainly because I try to stay away from it as I could spend a whole afternoon on there and not get anything done.) so if you have suggestions, please leave them in the comments field!

Your blog:
How many followers do you have?
Join in on blog events like blog hops and other fun things that will get traffic flowing. Join Triberr and add your blog. Host your own blog event. Host other authors on your blog. Cross promotion is great for both parties. They send you some of their followers and in return they get some exposure with yours.

Okay. Well, there are tons of other ways to extend your reach and expand your range. Goodreads is another area, but I'm sure that with the advice given above, you can figure it out. I'm sure since Amazon bought them it's all about to change anyway. Hope this helps you reach more people!

A to Z Challenge - Day 17: Q is for Quality!

I'm participating the this crazy challenge on 2 of my blogs. This one and Paranormal Lounge. The A to Z Challenge is a blogging event that takes place every April. The challenge is to write a post for each letter of the alphabet and post nearly every day during April, omitting Sundays.

My theme for this challenge is: Marketing is like war. I'm going to try to stick to that theme as much as possible, but I may have to deviate. Q is for Quality.

When marketing, you need to make sure you have a quality product. Start with getting a good editor and then a good formatter. Then get a quality cover.

From there you also need to create quality marketing materials. Promotional images for Facebook, Pinterest and other places and content for blog posts are essential. These need to be just as high quality as your book itself. Promotional material reflects the product.

Your websites also need to look professional and have a theme to them. Make sure that it looks clean and organized. Don't add too many gadgets. That will only make your site slower, crowd it and frustrate visitors as they try to pick through all the things in the side panels in an attempt to follow you.

As a writer, people will hold you to a higher standard, so not only do you need to watch your spelling and grammar in your books, you need to watch it in your blog posts, Facebook posts and other places too. It doesn't have to be perfect, but it does need to reflect at least a basic grasp on the concept of spelling and grammar. Quality tweets make for quality followers.

So, when you're wondering why the things you're trying aren't working, you need to ask yourself about the quality of your work. Better yet, ask some one you trust to evaluate it for you.

A to Z Challenge - Day 16: P is for Patrol!

I'm participating the this crazy challenge on 2 of my blogs. This one and Paranormal Lounge. The A to Z Challenge is a blogging event that takes place every April. The challenge is to write a post for each letter of the alphabet and post nearly every day during April, omitting Sundays.

My theme for this challenge is: Marketing is like war. I'm going to try to stick to that theme as much as possible, but I may have to deviate. P is for Patrol!

When preparing to market your book, you need to first gather information and patrol sites that might help you out.

When you're on patrol, you're on the lookout. You need to watch for trends, lists, things that might hurt your business and things that might help your business. Build a report of sorts to help you identify different websites or marketing tools.

You also need to watch out for scams. If someone wants you to pay for a review of your book. Don't do it. Just think about if a potential reader found out that you are paying for reviews. How will that look on you?

Before signing up for a paid service you need to ask yourself this question: Will this service pay for itself by selling enough books to cover it AND make a profit for me? If the answer is no, then don't do it. I've gotten away without using a paid service so far. That's with the exception of a few paid ads.

If there is a paid service you are thinking about, ask yourself this other question: Is this something I can do myself? If so, ask yourself this: Do I have the time to do this myself? I thin you know where I'm going here.

As for scams, there are plenty out there. There are website who claim to be able to get reviews on a book, yet when I look up one of their clients on Amazon they have no more reviews than I do. Don't pay for a service like that when there are huge lists of reviewers and contact info to be found easily on the internet. I believe there is even a book on kindle that is just a huge list of reviewers and it's only $.99. Can't think of the name though.

So, stay on the lookout for anything beneficial or suspicious and if you are unsure which category a service falls into, ask a friend, or ask me. I'm pretty good at sorting through all the . . . you know.

A to Z Challenge - Day 15: O is for Order!

I'm participating the this crazy challenge on 2 of my blogs. This one and Paranormal Lounge. The A to Z Challenge is a blogging event that takes place every April. The challenge is to write a post for each letter of the alphabet and post nearly every day during April, omitting Sundays.

My theme for this challenge is: Marketing is like war. I'm going to try to stick to that theme as much as possible, but I may have to deviate. O is for Order.

In the military, an order must be followed to ensure safety and to ward against chaos. In marketing, you don't have someone to give you orders. That is why you need to order yourself to do things. Being your own boss means exactly that. You need to boss yourself around.

Working for yourself won't get you anywhere if you are acting like a lazy employee when the boss leaves for the day. You need to take charge of your business. Here is a few tips on how I am the boss and the employee in my business:

I have a list of daily tasks I need to do. That is the first thing I do each day. I check my email accounts, check my social media accounts, and approve triberr posts. There are a few other tasks I do each day, but you need to personalize your checklist.

Next, I have a list of weekly tasks. These include scheduling posts on hootsuite, checking for new reviews, approving friendships and following back, and more. Again, personalize.

Then I have a monthly task list. These are things I do once a month. Schedule ad campaigns, update certain information, and more. Write your own list. You know what you need to do.

Now you just need to make sure you keep on top of it. Motivate yourself if you have to. No coffee until the daily tasks are done! No facebook until the daily tasks are done! Whatever you need to do, do it. Order yourself around. Be your own boss! You can even add a certain amount of time for writing to your list.

A to Z Challenge - Day 14: N is for Neutral!

I'm participating the this crazy challenge on 2 of my blogs. This one and Paranormal Lounge. The A to Z Challenge is a blogging event that takes place every April. The challenge is to write a post for each letter of the alphabet and post nearly every day during April, omitting Sundays.

My theme for this challenge is: Marketing is like war. I'm going to try to stick to that theme as much as possible, but I may have to deviate. N is for Neutral.

We've already touched on this subject, but it needs more attention. In marketing, you must remain neutral on certain subjects.

If there is a major controversy, you should remain neutral on the issues by not talking about it at all. The ONLY exception to this rule is if your book happens to be about that particular subject.

Religion and politics are major issues to avoid. I realize that as writers, we often have strong opinions, but you must remember that others may not buy your book simply because of the political party you associate with or because of the religion you choose or don't choose.

I know, I know. Religion is a big part of your life. That's okay, but don't broadcast it on your pages. Personal account . . . sometimes. Just not every day. People don't want to feel like you are trying to convert them when they track you down for your books.

Another controversial thing to avoid is online fights. I've said it before, but I've got to say it again. Two authors you know are battling it out on twitter/facebook/goodreads? STAY OUT OF IT. Don't go there. No one wins in an online fight. Some may take your side, but others won't and they will turn their friends against you too.

Why? Because even though it may SEEM private since you are posting directly to their personal wall or tweeting to their personal account, it is NOT private. It's like having a screaming match in the middle of a crowded room. If you would yell at someone in a crowded room, then don't fight with them online. Another thing about online fights is they stick around forever. Just because it's over, and possibly, comments have been deleted, doesn't mean someone didn't screen shot it.

So. The key to staying neutral is to not involve yourself in controversy. Keep it on the pages and not on your social media site. Okay? Glad we had this talk. Carry on!

A to Z Challenge - Day 13: M is for Maintenance!

I'm participating the this crazy challenge on 2 of my blogs. This one and Paranormal Lounge. The A to Z Challenge is a blogging event that takes place every April. The challenge is to write a post for each letter of the alphabet and post nearly every day during April, omitting Sundays.

My theme for this challenge is: Marketing is like war. I'm going to try to stick to that theme as much as possible, but I may have to deviate. M is for Maintenance.

Today, we are talking about maintenance. In marketing, that means maintaining your image and your audience. In order to do that, you need to stay in touch with your followers on all your social media platforms.

Engaging with your followers helps you get a larger following and works towards building a positive image. It's easy to do. Simply pick a few questions each day and post them to your social media profiles. Then, talk to whoever responds. Take an hour or so out of your day to do this. You can even multitask if you turn on the notification sounds on Facebook and Hootsuite. (Or by checking them every few minute while you complete other tasks.)

Another way to maintain your image is to keep your profile updated with the right info. That includes infor about your books and other professional ventures. You don't need to worry about the personal stuff unless you want to. Just be careful what you share.

As for maintaining your audience, be sure to retweet them, respond to every comment, and FOLLOW BACK! Worried that those new followers are only following til you do, then unfollowing? Use Manage Flitter. You can easily see who isn't following and unfollow them. Following--especially on twitter--shows that you are supporting them and they are supporting you. It's a sign of respect and gratitude, so until you sell millions and get too many followers to ever possibly follow back, just do it.

Personally, I hate seeing people on twitter who have let's say 5,000 followers and are only following a few hundred. It makes me feel like they think they are too good to follow back. A big ego does not get you more followers. And for the love of God, don't do one of those "Get 10,000 followers now!" things.

Did you know that it was recently discovered that about HALF of Justin Beibers' followers were fake. Yeah. Dummy accounts and inactive accounts all over. I have a feeling he used a follow service. Do you know how ridiculous that makes him look? Especially since he was supposed to have the most followers?

So, maintaining a healthy image and maintaining your audience go hand in hand. Don't forget that it's called SOCIAL media for a reason. Stay social, my friends!

A to Z Challenge - Day 12: L is for Launch!

I'm participating the this crazy challenge on 2 of my blogs. This one and Paranormal Lounge. The A to Z Challenge is a blogging event that takes place every April. The challenge is to write a post for each letter of the alphabet and post nearly every day during April, omitting Sundays.

My theme for this challenge is: Marketing is like war. I'm going to try to stick to that theme as much as possible, but I may have to deviate. L is for Launch!

So you have your book and it's all ready to show the world. You need to plan a launch! If you are going to launch your book, you gotta do it right!

The best thing to do first is to get it up on the buying sites a week or two before and ask your ARC readers to post their reviews in that time. This way, when you officially launch and direct new customers to your book on Amazon, there will already be reviews there for them to check out!

Next you should write up a blog post that can be posted to your friends' blogs too. Ask your friends if they would like to help you with a release day blitz and let them know that all they have to do is copy and paste the HTML code you give them from the post you wrote up on your blog. Be sure to include cover, blurb, buy links, links to your social media and optionally, an excerpt.

You can also do a giveaway if you want, but I'd recommend a swag only giveaway. You're trying to sell books, not give them away.

Write up some tweets and facebook/google+ posts and ask your friends if they would like to send some out for you. Be sure to return the favor if they ever ask you to do something like that in the future.

Have a facebook event and a goodreads event. The facebook event is awesome since you can actually interact with people at the event. The Goodreads event is nice because you can update it on the release day with the link to your book and select the notification option so that the people going to your event know that you've added the link.

You can also throw a launch party on twitter or facebook. Or both if you are really ambitious. Just make sure that whatever you do is BIG! Be careful not to overdo it though. People usually understand release day stuff, but tweets every 10 minutes is a little overboard.

A to Z Challenge - Day 11: K is for Key Terrain!

I'm participating the this crazy challenge on 2 of my blogs. This one and Paranormal Lounge. The A to Z Challenge is a blogging event that takes place every April. The challenge is to write a post for each letter of the alphabet and post nearly every day during April, omitting Sundays.

My theme for this challenge is: Marketing is like war. I'm going to try to stick to that theme as much as possible, but I may have to deviate. K is for Key Terrain.

In the military, key terrain is an area of land which gives you the advantage. In marketing key terrain is something that will enable you to be discovered.

We touched on the subject lightly yesterday, but I want to go a little more in depth today about the importance of lists. Lists are very important to be on.

The more lists you are on, the more likely your book will be discovered. There are lists on Goodreads. Amazon has Listmania. Heck, if you can get on a best seller list, that rocks! Any list helps really.

Some bloggers like to publish their own lists either each month or each year or for a certain occasion. You must always be on the look out for ways to get on a list. Start your own lists too. If people see their books on your lists, they will be more likely to add yours to theirs.

Why are lists so important? Because people LOVE lists. They just love them. It's an easy way to scroll through books that already have a seal of approval from some one else. It saves time by putting a large quantity of titles in one place so the reader doesn't have to search amazon themselves.

Another way to gain key terrain, is to start your own blog event. Many bloggers who participate in blog events will put in a thank you to the host at the beginning or the end of the post. It's a good way to get your name out there and become an active member of your author community.

The next way to gain key terrain is to show off your own work. By putting your cover with a link to amazon on the side panels of your blog and website, you are making it easily accessible to anyone who visits. Key terrain is all about making sure you can easily be discovered by readers.

How would you gain key terrain?

A to Z Challenge - Day 10: J is for Join Up!

I'm participating the this crazy challenge on 2 of my blogs. This one and Paranormal Lounge. The A to Z Challenge is a blogging event that takes place every April. The challenge is to write a post for each letter of the alphabet and post nearly every day during April, omitting Sundays.

My theme for this challenge is: Marketing is like war. I'm going to try to stick to that theme as much as possible, but I may have to deviate. J is for Join Up!

In marketing there are a lot of platforms. If you haven't already joined these essential sites, please check them out and see if they would be right for you.

Twitter-Great for connecting and getting people to your blog or book using links.

Facebook-Great for connecting and showing your personality with posts. Also good for posting about book stuff, just don't go over board. (Same goes for twitter)

Google+-Again, great for connecting. Communities are wonderful for finding others like you. Building an audience is a good idea. If you use blogger to blog, you can automatically post a link when publishing a post.

Goodreads-Great for keeping track of books, showing off your own books, connecting with readers and authors and getting your books on lists to increase your discoverability.

Okay, now that the essentials are out of the way, here are some other ones you might want to check out

Library Thing
Shelfari
Instagram
Pinterest (Careful, this one is addictive!)
Author Marketing Club

And for the crazy ones . . . NaNoWriMo.

I'm sure I'm forgetting something. Any suggestions?

A to Z Challenge - Day 9: I is for Information!

I'm participating the this crazy challenge on 2 of my blogs. This one and Paranormal Lounge. The A to Z Challenge is a blogging event that takes place every April. The challenge is to write a post for each letter of the alphabet and post nearly every day during April, omitting Sundays.

My theme for this challenge is: Marketing is like war. I'm going to try to stick to that theme as much as possible, but I may have to deviate. Today's letter is I, and I is for Information.

In order to see what kind of results you are getting with your marketing ventures, you need information. How many people saw your blog post? How many people clicked on the link in your tweet? How many people saw/liked/shared your post on facebook?

So, the first one is easy. Most blogs will tell you have many views your post got. How will this help you? Well, take a look at the posts with the most views. What is special about it? Are there images in it? Does the title have any key words that would grab the attention of your readers? Is it on a certain topic? Is it a special post like a cover reveal, book review or new release? Use that to your advantage.

If you use Triberr, you can also see how many people shared your blog posts and how many people clicked on the links to your posts.

As for the number of people clicking on your tweet links, I like to use Hootsuite for that. You can set up a free report through Hootsuite. This will help you see what links are popular, what times of the day are best to tweet (although Hootsuite also has a nifty scheduling tool that automatically schedules tweets for the busiest time of day).

As for Facebook, well, it's nice to know how far your reach is and what kind of posts from your pages get the most attention. When you are on your Facebook page, you'll be able to see at the bottom of each post how many people saw it. If you hover over it or click on it, you can see how many views were organic and how many were viral. That means if someone shares your post, it goes viral and people you don't know can see it because of the person who shared it. (That's a good thing since the post will lead back to your page)

There are so many other places to gather statistics and information. Keep you eye out, because any information you can gather could help you in some way. Statistics are important, so don't pass up an opportunity to read up on the data you have access to.

A to Z Challenge - Day 8: H is for Hazard!

I'm participating the this crazy challenge on 2 of my blogs. This one and Paranormal Lounge. The A to Z Challenge is a blogging event that takes place every April. The challenge is to write a post for each letter of the alphabet and post nearly every day during April, omitting Sundays.

My theme for this challenge is: Marketing is like war. I'm going to try to stick to that theme as much as possible, but I may have to deviate. Today's letter is H, and H is for Hazard.

In the military, a hazard is a situation where someone can get hurt or vital supplies can be lost. This is much the same for marketing hazards. There are many marketing hazards out there and you need to be careful to avoid them.

Hazard #1: Over marketing. Don't tweet marketing tweets 24/7. You need to connect with your audience.

Hazard #2: Getting involved in online fights. Just. Don't. There is no reason to fight with people online. It always ends badly and you'll earn a bad reputation.

Hazard #3: Politics and religion. If your book isn't specifically about these subjects, then it's best not to talk about them.

Hazard #4: Linking facebook and twitter so that whatever you post on one automatically posts on the other. I can't tell you how many times I come across a facebook status asking a fun question. I answer it. Then the person who posted it never replies. If you're going to link them, be present on both social platforms and give BOTH audiences your attention, otherwise don't do it. You look like an idiot when you have an awesome status that fans reply to, but you never interact with them in return. Another reason I don't recommend this is because facebook users tend to get annoyed with hash tags in statuses.

Hazard #5: Replying to reviews. I shouldn't really have to tell you this one, yet I see it happening all the time. Goodreads and Amazon are the two biggest review forums. Do not reply to a review, good or bad. You can "like" the review, but don't reply. Most reviewers find it creepy if you reply to a good one and if you reply to a bad one, you are setting yourself up for some major grief.

There are more hazards out there, but if you're careful and use common sense, you'll be able to avoid them easily. Hope these hazards help!

A to Z Challenge - Day 7: G is for Group!

I'm participating the this crazy challenge on 2 of my blogs. This one and Paranormal Lounge. The A to Z Challenge is a blogging event that takes place every April. The challenge is to write a post for each letter of the alphabet and post nearly every day during April, omitting Sundays.

My theme for this challenge is: Marketing is like war. I'm going to try to stick to that theme as much as possible, but I may have to deviate. Today's letter is G which stand for Group.

In military terms a group is a unit composed of two or more battalions or squadrons. A group in the marketing world is  the people you surround yourself with, whether they be online or in person.

You need support and help. Marketing is no easy task. That's why it helps to have a group of authors who share your ambition. As a group you should share new marketing ideas and tactics and even participate in marketing ventures together.

Throwing a blog event with your group is a great way to get everyone involved and get everyone more exposure.

In my group we often send out an email when we need help getting the word out about something. Who ever is available gladly jumps to help out the others and knows that the favor will be returned when they are in need.

It's also fun to share with each other what tactics have or have not worked for you. If you find that a certain thing is not working, share it with your group and they can either take your advice or help you improve your methods.

A to Z Challenge - Day 6: F is for Firepower!

I'm participating the this crazy challenge on 2 of my blogs. This one and Paranormal Lounge. The A to Z Challenge is a blogging event that takes place every April. The challenge is to write a post for each letter of the alphabet and post nearly every day during April, omitting Sundays.

My theme for this challenge is: Marketing is like war. I'm going to try to stick to that theme as much as possible, but I may have to deviate. Today's letter is "F" which will stand for firepower.


In the marketing world, your firepower is your product. Your product is your book. If you don't have a quality product, your marketing plan is going to blow up in your face. Here is how to boost your firepower:

Get an editor. Simple and said quite often, but true. You need an editor. I realize it takes money, but it will be worth it in the end. You can also try to trade services with an editor. Put your other talents to use!

Get some beta readers you trust. They will look for plot holes, and other mistakes and will often leave a review once you publish if you ask nicely.

Get a nice cover. The cover is usually the first thing people see. Let me be honest. I get a daily email with a list of free books. Since there are so many, I confess, I only look at the covers. I don't read a blurb unless the cover catches my eye. I know. Horrible. Right? But it's the brutal truth and you need to hear it. If I'm doing it, you can bet countless others are too.

Get it formatted well. Don't just throw it on Amazon in a very raw form. Get it formatted. You can find some great tutorials on how to do it yourself, or hire someone to do it for you. Either way, it needs to be done.

Lastly, SHOW OFF that good quality! Excerpts, review highlights, anything that will tell readers you put time into making sure that you gave them the best product to your ability.

A to Z Challenge - Day 5: E is for Evaluation!

I'm participating the this crazy challenge on 2 of my blogs. This one and Paranormal Lounge. The A to Z Challenge is a blogging event that takes place every April. The challenge is to write a post for each letter of the alphabet and post nearly every day during April, omitting Sundays.

My theme for this challenge is: Marketing is like war. I'm going to try to stick to that theme as much as possible, but I may have to deviate. Today's letter is "E" which will stand for evaluation.

Evaluating yourself is essential in marketing. You need to know what your audience thinks of you. So, here is my advice: Find someone you trust and ask them to evaluate you.

What should you ask them to evaluate? Everything!

Ask them to take a look at your social media platforms, your websites, and your blogs. Send them links to everything and ask for their honest opinion. This is a great way to see how you see yourself and compare it to how others see you.

For example, let's say that you want to be viewed as a considerate and easy going person. Ask the person you trust to check into your status updates and tell you what vibe they get from them. That will tell you were you are as opposed to where you want to be.

You can also ask them to evaluate how easy your site is to navigate and anything else you may want to know. It's possible that you've missed somethings that are easily fixed. Getting an outsider's opinion can be very helpful, but be prepared for some good and bad. If you want, you can offer to exchange this evaluation with the person you trust if they want to do it too.

You can also ask them to follow up a month or two later and do the same for them. We all want to have a certain image in the minds of our readers and fans and this is one way to make sure that we are putting out the right messages to get that image. The digital world is a crazy place and some of the things you type can be taken out of context. That is why it's important to get evaluated.

A to Z Challenge - Day 4: D is for Dog Tags!

I'm participating the this crazy challenge on 2 of my blogs. This one and Paranormal Lounge. The A to Z Challenge is a blogging event that takes place every April. The challenge is to write a post for each letter of the alphabet and post nearly every day during April, omitting Sundays.

My theme for this challenge is: Marketing is like war. I'm going to try to stick to that theme as much as possible, but I may have to deviate. Today is the letter "D" and I'm talking about Dog Tags.

Dog tags are used to identify those who can't do it themselves or to carry information. Now, we are able to identify ourselves, but not everyone is doing it right, so essentially, this post is telling you HOW to identify yourself, or BRAND yourself. I'm also telling you how to identify your book. I believe in branding BOTH the author and the book!

In the marketing world, your Dog Tag is your brand. Part of that means having a business card, using the same name and profile picture on all your accounts and drawing other consistencies into your brand.

Your business card should have your name, website, email address and what you write primarily (Like "Paranormal Writer"). I also recommend getting a business card for all your books. You may say that's what bookmarks are for, but your book business card is a little different.

Book business cards are like dog tags for books. They can't identify themselves, so you need to do it for them. Get your book into the minds of the people.

The book business card should have only the cover on one side and on the other, the primary website, a tag line and where your book is available. Include a QR code when possible. Bookmarks are for giveaways and signings. These people already have your book. Business cards are for people on the street, slipping into library books and other settings. They are to give to people who don't have your book. The people who would be interested in possibly obtaining a digital copy int the near future, the people who ask you about your book, and the people who like to stay in the know. You can also give these to members of the media along with your personal business card.

To brand yourself, my advice is to be consistent. Put the same info on all your profiles, use the same color schemes and images on your website and blog, and make sure that people know they are on your site when they visit. Connect all your social media profiles so people can find you and link all your sites. The idea is not to have everything in one place or to spread everything out. It's to have everything in every place!

A to Z Challenge - Day 3: C is for Can-Do!

I'm participating the this crazy challenge on 2 of my blogs. This one and Paranormal Lounge. The A to Z Challenge is a blogging event that takes place every April. The challenge is to write a post for each letter of the alphabet and post nearly every day during April, omitting Sundays.

My theme for this challenge is : Marketing is like war. I'm going to try to stick to that theme as much as possible, but I may have to deviate. Today's letter is C! C stands for Can-Do!

You need to have a Can-Do attitude in this business. That is all there is to it. If you want to give up, the odds are that you will, but I'm here to tell you that you shouldn't.

I know that selling books is hard. It's especially hard in the time of the indie revolution because there is SO MUCH on the market and most of it is really cheap! You can't give up, just because you haven't sold a book in over a month. You just need to keep trying and change what you're doing. Most of all, you need to keep your attitude positive. If you've been connecting with people--not just flinging links to your book out, then people will start to remember your name and eventually look for you and your book.

Keep a positive attitude and it will make your life so much better. Remember to look at the glass as half FULL!

A to Z Challenge - Day 2: B is for Blog!

I'm participating the this crazy challenge on 2 of my blogs. This one and Paranormal Lounge. The A to Z Challenge is a blogging event that takes place every April. The challenge is to write a post for each letter of the alphabet and post nearly every day during April, omitting Sundays.

My theme for this challenge is : Marketing is like war. I'm going to try to stick to that theme as much as possible, but I may have to deviate. Today is B Day and I'm writing about one of your marketing weapons: your BLOG.

Blogging is a way to amp up your online presence. Sure you've got a Facebook profile and a Twitter profile, and maybe even a Google+ profile, but you need a BASE OF OPERATIONS. That will be your BLOG.

Your blog can be used to promote yourself, promote others, show people what you're like and to practice writing. Blogging is a win, win, win situation. You can gain followers and the more they love the stuff you post, the more they will want to buy your books.

Not only is blogging an essential part of having an online presence, it is also a great way to connect with people. When someone comments on your blog, be sure to reply! You need to be personal and likeable. So get to blogging! It's FREE!

A to Z Challenge - Day 1: A is for Attack!

Well, it's the first day of this crazy challenge that I'm participating in on 2 blogs. This one and Paranormal Lounge. The A to Z Challenge is a blogging event that takes place every April. The challenge is to write a post for each letter of the alphabet and post nearly every day during April, omitting Sundays.

So, for A Day, I'm writing about how in marketing you have to plan your marketing like attacks. My theme for this challenge is : Marketing is like war. I'm going to try to stick to that theme as much as possible, but I may have to deviate.

A is for Attack!

When marketing an important event or book release, you must attack on all fronts. The fronts are: Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Google+, and your blog. There may be some other fronts you need to consider. Just find all your social media platforms and you'll find your battle areas.

Attack by posting the same content to all your platforms.
Attack by hosting the same event on Facebook and Goodreads and maybe even Google+.
Attack by tweeting at the right times.
Attack by asking your friends to help you out. (That's also called recruiting, and make sure you return the favor!)

So, if you've got a big release, or an amazing event coming up, be sure to Attack on all fronts and ATTENTION!

Fiction Features Quarterly: Volume II: Issue I

Sections and Articles:

Featured Author
Phillipa Ballantine

Fiction Features
There's a Nook Gase in my Bookcase
Anti-heroes
Fiction to Film
The New Adult Genre

Author Interviews
Robert Zimmermann
Rose Caraway
John Lenahan
Jen McConnel

Book Reviews
A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson
50 Shades Series by E.L. James
A Song of Fire and Ice Series by George R.R. Martin
Lichgates by S.M. Boyce
Trompe l'Oeil by Caroline Miller

Writing Tips
Building Better Characters - Testing your Characters
Show and Tell and when to write them.
Genre's Effect On Your Story

Covers that Grab You
Kayla's Picks
Jacob's Picks

YouTube On Writing
The Story Board Episodes 1-7

About Us
Jacob Donley
Kayla Curry
Guest Writer -Laura A. Lord

Fiction Features: Fiction to Film

By Kayla Curry

What are your favorite fiction books that have made the leap from paperback books to plastic DVD cases?

Some of mine are Fight Club, Atonement, The Shining, Carrie, The Help, and so many more. I didn't read the Harry Potter series, so I can't comment on that. I also haven't read all the Lord of the Rings books, but I did watch the movies. Don't hate me. And I'm a Twilight fan, so I'll throw that in too.

I know that books don't always translate to the big screen perfectly. Some things are better in the written world and some things, even if they seem important to the reader, have to be cut. In the movie world, time is essential. Movies longer than 2 hours are frowned upon and screen plays that are too thick don't get opened by any major movie producers.

Some upcoming adaptations I'm REALLY looking forward to are The Great Gatsby, The Mortal Instruments, and Much Ado About Nothing.

Books are also making their way on to the small screen with shows like Vampire Diaries, True Blood, Pretty Little Liars, and The Lying Game.

It seems that the story line strays even more from the books when adapted for the small screen, but that makes a little sense. They need to keep it fresh and unpredictable on TV.

If we were talking non-fiction, I'd say Girl, Interrupted is my favorite book to film adaptation. How about you guys? Any faves I left out? Fiction or otherwise?

Covers that Grab You: Jacob's Picks

Covers, despite the old adage, "don't judge a book by its cover," are an extremely important aspect of publishing in any format. If someone doesn't like the cover, they are less likely to pick up the book off the shelf or click the buy button on Amazon and other online retailers. Below are my three covers that I feel are Great and grab my attention:

Abney Park's THE WRATH OF FATE, by Robert Brown, has a detailed and interesting cover. It gives you a feel for what you are going to expect in the book and uses catchy imagery with well colored images. I saw this cover and thought, this book looks like it would be an exciting adventure.

LOCUS ORIGIN, by Christian Matari, spells out from the start what genre it is. I can tell in less than a second, I'm dealing with a Science Fiction story. The images are of great detail and quality that makes me want to know more about the future of mankind.

A MINOR MAGIC, by Justin Macumber, has a great, visually appealing cover. The vibrant color of the females hair clashes with the bright blue of the title. These two vibrant colors then overlay the stark grays of the background. The cover uses great use of white space. Also, the images give you a hint of what the book will about. You know, here, that there is more than likely going to be a fantasy element. 

Fiction Features: The New Adult Genre

There is an up and coming genre that has recently had some major advances in the world of publishing. That genre is New Adult.

New Adult books appeal to the mature YA audience and the Adult audience. The characters are usually college aged and are starting to expand their view of the world.

This genre is important to me because it represents the important transition stage from teen to adult. I tend to write in this genre, because that transition took place in my own life not too long ago. I also feel that college age students are beginning to read for fun more and more with the e-reader age dominating right now.

People say that there is no place for New Adult in the bookstores. I love book stores and I love real books, but we have to face the facts. And the facts are:

1. Genres like "New Adult" are here to stay. With bold indies breaking into the market, there is no one to tell them that they "can't" market their book as a New Adult book. Indies don't have rules like that.

2. Publishers are having to change their game due to the indie revolution. If only indies have books listed as New Adult and the genre keeps gaining popularity, publishers will need to make sure they have books listed in that genre too.

3. Once the publishers realize they need to make the change, the book stores will have to change too. All it takes is adding a new section between YA and Adult. That's it. Moving around some shelves isn't too bad. They may have to order a new sign or two, but really, it's not a huge change.

Check out this awesome site all about New Adult, NA Alley, to learn more!

Writing Tips: Genre's Effect On Your Story

By Jacob Donley

What is the importance of genre when it comes to your writing? It kind of depends on your take on writing. Do you have the genre already established when you sit down to write? I normally do have a genre in mind when the story planning stage begins. While I think it is important to establish genre early, it isn't a writing law to do so.

Knowing the genre up front provides you with guidelines to the story you’re writing. Fantasy has some rules that normally are followed within its boundaries. Romance has rules that make it romance. Each genre has some sort of rule or rules that define it as a specific genre. The rules are there for a reason and help readers to correspond your story to that genre. However, it is important to understand that some rules can be broken if you understand what the rules are and how they work.

Some writer’s simply start typing and let the story decide the genre. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s a more all-natural form of genre forming. Often, this can lead to mixed-genres and broken ‘rules’, and like I said earlier, there is nothing inherently wrong with that. If you are the type of person that just writes and lets the genre form naturally through the story, then stick with that. I would, however, try writing a few stories with a genre already firmly embedded in your mind. It will help you understand and perfect your knowledge of the genre and allow you to shape it more effectively in the future.

Genre can be your friend. Reading books from all sorts of different genres can help you to understand the function and form how they work internally. Different genres you story forms for different purposes, it can help you to adopt genre rules when it looks like that form would work well in your story.