We’ve had several posts about Goodreads. Melinda Clayton gave an excellent primer on it not too long ago, as well as an introduction to the ways you can advertise on it. As Melinda pointed out, there are several ways to advertise with Goodreads. I tried out the self-serve method, and I was happy with the results. I’ll tell you what I did, but let me put in a small disclaimer: The ad campaign may not work the way you think it will. Continue reading “Goodreads Ad Campaigns”
Day: November 11, 2014
Book Brief | Sunstrike: The Journey Home
Sunstrike: The Journey Home
by Bev Robitai
Genre: Post-apocalyptic/adventure
86,000 words
Bradley Brown knows how to make the most of life. At 22, he is living the dream working as a dive instructor at a luxury resort in Bali. But his carefree lifestyle ends when the island’s electricity goes dead. After several days it becomes apparent this is no ordinary power outage. A massive solar storm has wiped out electrical technology across the globe, leaving Bradley stranded a very long way from home.
His thoughts turn to his widowed mother back in New Zealand. Completely out of contact and worried she may need his help, he sets off on a long and difficult journey using any means of transport available. The world is different now; he faces unexpected dangers and treachery, growing up a little more with each new setback.
Will Bradley make it across the Tasman Sea to New Zealand, and will he be ready for what he finds when he gets home?
Sunstrike: The Journey Home is available at Amazon.com, Smashwords, and Amazon UK. Continue reading “Book Brief | Sunstrike: The Journey Home”
My Meetup Adventures – Connecting with Writers AND Readers!
I teach self-publishing workshops. Some of them are facilitated by writers’ organizations or festivals, and some of them I organize myself or with my business partner. Usually, they sell out. Late last year I had a major event planned. I was at half capacity with six weeks to go, and sign-ups stalled. So, I posted on Facebook, tweeted on Twitter, and wrote an article detailing the content and posted it on LinkedIn. No matter what I did I couldn’t fill any more seats. My workshops aren’t expensive. They’re priced so that authors can afford to attend. My goal is to spread the word that many of the tools needed to self-publish are readily available to authors and it isn’t necessary to hire outside agencies in order to publish your work. I didn’t think cost was a problem and I was offering valuable information. Vancouver is a city of last-minute decision-makers, but I didn’t want to wait. I wanted to sell out before the day of the event.
I sought out other ways to reach authors. I ran ads on Craigslist giving details. I gave a webinar giving away some of the content and inviting authors to attend. I dropped off flyers at libraries and bookstores. I spoke on podcasts. I filled a few more seats from these efforts, but I still wasn’t at capacity. That’s when I found MeetUp, and became a MeetUp attendee. Continue reading “My Meetup Adventures – Connecting with Writers AND Readers!”