Carol E Wyer is a Contributing Author for Indies Unlimited and an award-winning and best-selling author of humorous novels including MINI SKIRTS AND LAUGHTER LINES, SURFING IN STILETTOS, and HOW NOT TO MURDER YOUR GRUMPY. Carol has been featured on NBC News, BBC Radio, and in The Huffington Post. For more about Carol, go to her website or her Amazon author page.
I chose the title of today’s post with great care. Not only did it give me an excuse to blast out one of my favourite songs but it might attract a legion of hits. If it doesn’t, the title of my next post is going to have to be much raunchier.
The above should also serve to illustrate the purpose of today’s post. This line is one of my favourites because it conjures up a vivid image for me. (Of course, it also appeals to the ‘sauciness’ in me.) It would not be the same image if Mr Springsteen’s lyrics went along the lines of ‘Hop onto the back of my Vesper…’ or ‘Jump up Babe…’ Continue reading “‘Just wrap your legs round my velvet rims…’”
When I finished my first novel, I foolishly believed that my work was over. I’d get it published, sit back and wait for the sales and no doubt, the film offer from a top director to turn it into a box office success.
The reality is somewhat different as many of us indie authors and indeed traditionally published authors have discovered.
But just how do we keep people interested in our work, long after it has been published and is gathering virtual dust on Amazon Kindle virtual shelves, or indeed in the garage where there are several cardboard boxes filled with the said novel, next to the barbecue set that comes out once a year?
You may be tempted to try any one of a number of sites to have a ‘professional’ help promote you. Don’t be too disheartened but I have discovered, to my cost, that many of these sites that offer to promote your works are actually pointless. I’ll confess that in my exuberance to become an established and well-recognised writer I have blown my son’s inheritance and tried a lot (yes, I mean a lot) of these sites which promise to get you and your novels exposure.
Now, these guys aren’t exactly ripping you off. They do what they say they will do. They do a decent job of displaying your wares and write nice words about you. They ‘shout out’ about your work on Twitter to their legions of followers or facebook. They promote you as best they can, however, think about it…who are they promoting this stuff to? Probably other muppets like me who signed up to be promoted! Continue reading “To pay or not to pay, that is the question”
Having spoken to several budding novelists at Creative Writing Groups in recent weeks it has become apparent that many writers lack confidence in their ability. They have written their story or novel but are worried that it is not good enough to be published.
Well, if you have a finished product you should banish these anxieties. Of course, you could always show it to your mother. She’d probably tell you it is fantastic, unless she’s like my mother who is more likely to chew it up like a rabid pit-bull terrier and tell you to try harder.
If you can’t face criticism from those you know then how about some criticism from those who don’t know you? Even better than that, how about some constructive criticism from other writers?
After I finished Mini Skirts and Laughter Lines I didn’t know what to do next. I didn’t dare show my work to friends because I didn’t want to put them on the spot. After all, who wants to tell a friend that the novel they have just spent a year writing is awful? Continue reading “Could try harder – C+”
Dedicated to the team at Indies Unlimited who have guided me through the maze of Google Plus, Stumble On, Diggit, Twitter and Facebook to mention a few of the tutorial subjects that have helped me become a social networking genius.
At first I was afraid
I was petrified
Kept typing promo emails
With wine gums by my side
And then I spent so many nights
Thinking I was going wrong
But I grew strong
And I learned how to get along
Thanks to this site
In cyber space
I signed up to find some help
And found some clever folk who’re ace
I should have checked them out before
I should have read all helpful posts
If I’ve have known for just one second
They were such accommodating hosts
So thanks to Hise
And KS Brooks
I have recently
Learned to pimp my fellow author’s books
Weren’t they the ones who tried to tutor me, oh my!
Did you think I would Stumble
Did you think I’d fall down and cry?
Oh no, not I
I will survive
Oh, as long as I have my laptop
I know I’ll stay online
I’ve got lots of likes, oh look
On my page now on Facebook
And I’ll survive
I will survive, hey hey.
It took all the strength I had
Not to fall apart
Kept trying hard to understand
Tech lessons and all that craft
And I spent oh so many nights
Just struggling with their tips
I used to sigh
But now I hold my head up high
And you see me
Somebody new
I’m not that confused aged person
Now I’m feeling ‘phew!’
I can tweet loud like a crow
I can share with all my mates*
And now I know how to promote
So many peeps in cyber space.
Come on and try
For goodness sake
Get mingling with us
You won’t make more mistakes
Weren’t you the agent who tried to break me with ‘goodbye’
Did you think I’d crumble?
Did you think I’d lay down and cry?
Oh no, not I
I will survive
Oh, as long as I have my laptop
I know I’ll stay online
I’ve got lots of likes, oh look
On my page now on Facebook
And I’ll survive
I will survive
I will survive…
*mates – British slang for ‘friends’
Apologies to Gloria Gaynor but just be thankful I didn’t post a YouTube video of me singing this.
Want to sing along? You can!
* * * * *
Carol E Wyer is a Contributing Author for Indies Unlimited and author of the novel, MINI SKIRTS AND LAUGHTER LINES. For more information, please see the IU Bio page and her website: http://www.carolewyer.co.uk
I chose the title of today’s post with great care. Not only did it give me an excuse to blast out one of my favourite songs but it might attract a legion of hits. If it doesn’t, the title of my next post is going to have to be much raunchier.