Your Platform or Mine?

Platform diving is like platform building.
Platform diving is like platform building.

Today is June first, a strategic date that marks the halfway point of the 2014 marketing plan I wrote six months ago. It took me a few minutes to find it under the scattered Post-it notes that clutter my desk. It is dusty. The ambitious plan is hand-written in a spiral bound journal that also contains my passwords for all the Internet sites I frequent. I give it a cursory look—and note those items I’ve actually accomplished. My critical nature zeroes in on the goals not achieved, and I’m annoyed with myself. Rather than toss the plan aside and start from scratch, I decide to give myself a break and review it without judgment. Success is not linear, a borrowed quote I use often. Have I accomplished any of the most important goals I established in a blissful haze of naïve optimism? Continue reading “Your Platform or Mine?”

A Suitable Pseudonym

My alter-ego writes horror.
My alter-ego writes horror.

Why should you consider writing under a pen name?

When I was growing up I was very girly. Ballet, piano lessons, Barbie dolls — these are the fluffy memories of my youth. I also loved the TV show Chiller Theatre, and I spent many happy Saturday nights watching horror cult classics with my older brother. These gems are quite different from the modern slasher movie. The classic horror plot includes elements of the fantastic, the paranormal, and the magical. Many films included a psychological theme of undiagnosed insanity and paranoia. The stark objectivity of black and white cinematography heightened the fear factor. I truly love these films.

I am sure my readers would be surprised to know I have written a piece of fiction that could be categorized as dystopian horror. When I finished with the first draft I was morbidly excited by its darkness and cruelty, but confused as to what to do with it. The author brand I have been working to develop for years is juxtaposed to this story, and I felt it would send a mixed message if I put this on the same author page with stylish, sexy mysteries and tango dancing vampires. Consequently, I put the draft to the side last year and let it brood in its petri dish of cold-hearted carnage. Continue reading “A Suitable Pseudonym”

Does Your Story Have Umami?

Taste Magazine UmamiAs a result of the heavy response to my post last month I contacted Goodreads. I sent them both the Indies Unlimited post and a formal request to add a coupon option to their giveaway contests. I received a response, friendly and professional, that GR is always looking to improve their programs. They thanked me for my e-mail, but did not commit to adding a coupon at this point. Since we have their attention, I encourage all IU readers who agree with my post to send an e-mail to Goodreads management in support of this marketing request. Let’s keep the ball rolling and achieve our objective—increased visibility and sales following a Goodreads Giveaway. And now, as I often do, I am about to make a sharp right turn.

This month’s post is about a subject that has been rolling around in my head for weeks. Do you know what umami is? I’ll bet it’s not what you think. Umami has nothing to do with beta readers or proper formatting. It is not a protective spell you chant to shield yourself from the latest publishing scam. It is not the name of a cutting-edge fashion designer from Japan. And whether or not you realize it, your story has a flavor profile that may or may not include umami. Continue reading “Does Your Story Have Umami?”

Marketing after a Goodreads Giveaway

4.25"x2.75" Post Card TemplateI have just completed my second Goodreads giveaway. Nearly four hundred Goodreads members entered to win a signed copy of A Gourmet Demise: Murder in South Tampa. My first Goodreads giveaway for My Gentleman Vampire: The Undead Have Style netted nearly nine hundred entrants. I know what you’re thinking. I must have sold tons of books immediately following the contest. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

When a person enters your giveaway you can see all of their profile information. Books read, reviews, friends, the niche groups they belong to, et cetera. The information is transparent and yet protected by specific rules of author/reader interaction. The frustration from this  stipulation is like watching a friend eat a luscious hot fudge sundae in front of you. I am relentless when it comes to lost data. During my post-giveaway review I thought, what can I extract and utilize from this information within the rules and regulations listed under the author guidelines? Continue reading “Marketing after a Goodreads Giveaway”