Month: January 2014

Featured Book: Crosswind

Crosswind by Lynne CantwellCrosswind
by Lynne Cantwell
Available from Amazon.

Life on Earth is much improved since the pagan gods’ return. As conflict eases around the world, attention — and money — has turned to more humanitarian goals: improving the lives of the First Nations peoples and others who were repressed for thousands of years.

But the former ruling class – the military, religious, and corporate leaders who profited under the old system — are about to stage a last-ditch effort to bring their good times back.

The gods refuse to start a new war against those men, because that would make them no better than their opponents. Instead, They have drafted three humans to help them. Together, Tess, Sue and Darrell must find a way past their own flaws to ensure the gods’ peace will not be destroyed.

Storm’s coming…

Pitching to the New Gatekeepers – Part II

Prison GuardAt the end of Part I, I promised to talk about some results I’d found relating to the influence of reviews on sales. Well here it is, and it’s a beauty.

The research is titled Estimating the Helpfulness and Economic Impact of Product Reviews: Mining Text and Reviewer Characteristics.

Put into layman’s terms, the researchers were looking for ways to reliably predict :

a) the types of reviews that would influence customers to buy,

b) and the types of reviews that would help merchants to sell.

I won’t pretend to understand the methodology, or the statistics, however I think it’s important to look at what the researchers were studying, and where. The ‘what’ included three categories of popular consumer goods : Continue reading “Pitching to the New Gatekeepers – Part II”

Bestseller List Secrets Weekend: Vancouver

The Bestseller List Secrets Weekend aims to put the “SELF” back in “SELF-PUBLISHING”.

In this two day, intensive, hands-on workshop running March 22 – 23, 2014, you’ll learn these secrets:

  •  Picking the correct categories and reaching the top of Amazon’s bestseller lists
  • Using Amazon’s Tools to showcase your book to thousands of readers
  • Connecting with top interview and review sites and getting reviews at NO cost
  • Developing marketing strategies that guarantee exposure to readers of books like yours
  • Creating a professional product without spending a fortune
  • Learning the secret behind great titles
  • Building support systems that work
  • Having media opportunities come to you

March 22/23 at Douglas College in New Westminster, BC.

Early-bird admission fee (until February 15) is $299. Use coupon code “indieunltd” to save $200 and pay only $299 (valid only until Feb 15 through vswonline.org) Regular admission is $449.

For more information, please visit the event link here.

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Information and announcements such as these are provided from time to time by Indies Unlimited in the way of a public service. We strongly encourage interested parties to exercise due diligence in researching and evaluating all such opportunities of interest before choosing to participate.

Video Trailer: This Time You Lose

This Time You LoseWhat would you do if street thugs invaded your home? What if you’re a daycare provider, caring for a dozen children at the time? Lisa, Kaamp, a most unlikely heroine, faces just suck a nightmare in This Time You Lose, the suspense driven story of one woman’s struggle to survive when she and the children she cares for become victims of a home invasion gone terribly wrong.

This Time You Lose, the suspense thriller by Chris Stralyn, is available from Amazon.com, Smashwords, and Amazon UK.

Don’t forget, you can cast your vote for trailer of the month on February 22, 2014 at 5 p.m. Pacific time.