Flash Fiction Topic

While I am waiting to hear the results of the poetry contest that I submitted to last month, I will prepare my submittal to the Flash Fiction Contest. The deadline is April 15th. I have been going around and around on different topics for this. It seems like an easy thing to do, but writing something that inspires emotion and deeper thought within 500 words is not that easy.

I have decided to write about something a little closer to my heart. Something that speaks to me in a way that I cannot help but instill emotion. My story will be from the perspective of a young teenager about to be sentenced for killing two people as a result of texting while driving. This is a serious problem in our society and it is something that I think a lot of people can relate to.

I want people to read this and understand that while they think it is a small thing, the consequences are huge. Not just for the person texting but also the people they can hurt. It is a shame that texting while driving is not enforced with more strength in our country. Many people get into accidents that result in injury or even death.

When I said that this holds a special emotional place in my heart it is because I have seen this first hand. A couple years ago, my wife, a dear friend, and her baby that was less than one year old was struck by a distracted driver of a commercial semi-truck. They were at a standstill in traffic and the truck driver did not see them because he was reaching for his cellphone. I cannot legally go into much more detail than that, but I can say that everyone is alive. God had protected all of them, especially the child.

Unfortunately, I believe this type of thing happens too often in our country. I will write this story, submit it and then publish it. I want everyone to read it and share it with all of their friends. Texting while driving is NOT ok. If you think you are better than everyone else, you are not.

I am not sorry for my strong opinion here and you will not be able to change it. Thank you for reading.

Free Book by Stephanie Brown

A month ago, I posted the release of a book by a friend of mine, Stephanie Brown. She has decided to offer the book for free in order to gain exposure and reviews. If you are interested, you can get a free copy from April 4th through April 8th on Amazon. CLICK HERE.

Marketing Techniques

I have been doing some research over the last two months on marketing of books. It becomes apparent very quickly that most of the success of self published authors comes down to luck. Some marketing techniques that have worked for some have not worked for others. Some books sell really well while others do not. However, I did come across some common themes that give a little insight to increasing your "luck".

Social Media

Social media has become the backbone to advertising in the past couple years. Places such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and even Pinterest has reached millions of potential customers in the click of a button. The trick here is to grow your groups, learn how to market within these online environments, and make your advertisement attractive.

Another important point here is that people are more likely to read your post if it is funny or has nothing to do with selling something. People are on these websites for social reasons, not to buy. However, the exposure and generating buzz can only help.

Increase your Book Reviews

Submitting your book for free may seem like crazy at first but let's talk about it. If you were to go to Amazon to buy a book and it had very few reviews, would you read it? Would you spend the money to buy a book that nobody else wanted? There are mechanisms within Amazon that allow you to give away your book for free for a limited time. This will count as a "sale" even if there is no revenue involved. You have a window to put your book up for free and advertise that people can grab it. This will generate reviews. Not everyone who downloads your book will write a review, but any review you get will help generate future sales.

I know that some people would say that you shouldn't give your work away for free or give something away that you could be making money off of. The thing about that approach is that it is short term. If you sell your book for $3.99 and ten people are brave enough to buy it, you will make some money even though it is not much. If you give your book away for free for a limited time, yes, you would lose those potential customers. Let's say you give away 100 e-book copies. This cost you absolutely nothing to do. Even if half of those people write a review, you will have 50 reviews on your book. It will now show up on 100 different lists of "People who bought this also bought....". In addition, if those people like your book, they will buy your next one and refer it to a friend.

It is not about the short term gain, it is about the long term vision of building a fan base.

More books equals more sales

From what I have read, it appears that people with more than 4 books as an author sell more. This is not a proven fact, just an observation. If you think about it, the idea is pretty rational. If an author can reach a reader or group of readers and the book is well written (important point there!), then the reader typically wants to read more by that person. How many times have you read a book by an author and purchased another written by them because you liked the way they wrote, told a story, etc? I do it all the time. Repeat book readers goes back to my previous point, building a fan base.

In addition, the more books you have written, the better chance you have of being visible. This is not magic. This is just logic.

Book Covers Matter!

I cannot stress this point enough. People do judge books by their covers. This happens all the time and has only increased in the e-book industry. In a world where you can see thousands of books in the click of a button, you have to stand out. Your book cover has to reflect the genre and be professional enough to be taken seriously. You cannot expect people to spend money on something that does not look professional.

Look at other books in the genre that are selling well. What is it that sets them apart from the others? What about the books that you have read that you like? What caught your eye and made you want to buy it? These are all questions you need to ask yourself when you buy a book cover.

Change, Evolve, Innovate

The world is changing every second. What was popular one minute is old the next. You cannot expect to upload your book, stand back and say, "Give me money!" You have to drive your sales, push different avenues to reaching new potential customers, and keep changing. I am not saying that you have to change your cover every week. Nothing that drastic. But you should be updating your blurb summary of your books, reading reviews for feedback, and updating your books to correct errors. Maybe your cover is not working. You have to make that call. It may be possible to reach out to your fan base for feedback on your cover.

Innovation is a tough word for anyone. It is easy to do the things that work because they work. Do not be fooled by this. Those who do not change in an ever-changing environment will die. Ok, a little over dramatic but you get my point. Try different things. You may fail at most of them but you may also stumble on the one marketing avenue that slingshots you into high sales. You have to try. Nobody will do this for you.

Apple Settlement give Amazon Customer Credit

In a turn of events, Apple gave Amazon (and other retailer) customers a total of $166 million in a settlement due to price-fixing. Apple had worked with five publishers to fix the price of eBook sales which resulted in over charging its customers.

See the articles: GIGAOM and CNN Money

It was stated that,

"Illegal actions by these publishers forced consumers in New York and across the nation to pay artificially inflated prices for e-books," said Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, in a statement.

Amazon is sending its customers emails that said,

"Good news! You are entitled to a credit of $xx.xx for some of your past Kindle book purchases."

This is further proof of the conspiracy of traditional publishers trying to drive prices up to increase their commissions. Do you think that the author of these books had any say in this? Do you think that Apple will ask the authors for money back? I hope not.

Standing Still

One of the problems about working full time and trying to write a book is time. It is easy to work too much and burn yourself out, which I have done on several occasions. Burning the candle at both ends will definitely wear you out. This is what I feel like at times:

And just because Peanut Zombies are cool:

New Contest - Flash Fiction

There is a new contest available through the Charlotte Writers' Club called the Ruth Moose Flash Fiction contest. I have not decided on a topic yet, but this is good practice to use clever words to invoke emotion and tell a story with few words.

Flash Fiction is defined as a short story, usually 300 to 500 words long, that has the normal characteristics as a normal short story. This would include the protagonist, conflict, obstacles or complications, and resolution. Trying to add all of these aspects in 500 words is a challenge, but can also be fun.

So, I have a decision to make on what I want to write. The deadline is April 15th, which means that I have some time. I am open to any suggestions or ideas on a topic. Unfortunately, after I write it, I am not allowed to publish it on the website until the contest is over.

Short Story Post 4

Before reading this, please be sure to read Post 1, Post 2 and Post 3. Or you can click on "Short Story" on the menu for the full story.

It did not take long for them to walk across the small port town to the stables. Jaina was true to her word. Supplies were waiting for them set against the wall of the stable. Beside them, two of the most beautiful horses that Erik had ever seen were tied to a post. The stable master was carefully checking them one last time before their departure. When he saw them approach, he hobbled around the horses to greet them. He had a hunched back and a bad limp, favoring his right leg. That did not stop him from smiling widely as he welcomed them. He was obviously good at his job.

“Lady Jaina,” the man bowed a little lower than one would expect his body to allow. “I have been expecting you. It has been far too long since you have graced us with your presence.”

“Good to see you, dear Tagron. I would love to stay and talk, but we must be on our way immediately.”

Without complaint, Tagron went to work on loading the horses practiced efficiency. He introduced the horses as he worked. “This fine beast is Brannon. He is very strong, but stubborn. You have to watch your supplies because he likes to steal food.” Tagron turned to the other horse with a beautiful brown coat, “This is his beautiful girlfriend, Briella. She is more elegant but will keep Brannon in his place. Together they will be a great team and you will travel fast.”

Erik took a step forward, admiring the tall strong creatures. He reached out to place a hand on Brannon’s neck. The horse responded with flapping lips and stomping one foot. “He likes you.” Tagron said. “What is your name?”

“Erik. My name is Erik Steele,” he replied.

Tagron squinted as he looked at Erik curiously from head to toe. “You are not related to….nevermind. You have to excuse an old man.”

Erik silently gave thanks to Teylon for the man not pressing him further. Steele was a common name in the Gaena Province. Very few people would draw the connection between him and his father Devlin Steele, Leader of the Assassin’s Guild. Erik did not look like his father which helped him deny any relation. Where is father was tall and lean, he was short and muscular. His father had long black hair, a well-trimmed beard and dark brown eyes. Erik had light brown hair, no facial hair and blue eyes. In fact, if they were in a room standing next to each other you could only seem a small resemblance in the nose.

“Thank you again, Tagron.” Jaina said in a sweet voice. This was definitely a side of her that Erik did not expect. Jaina reached up to kiss Tagron on the cheek. “My father would be most pleased.”

“Anything for the daughter of House Claymore,” Tagron smiled and bowed again.

Once Tagron was finished fussing over the two horses he took a step back nodding his approval. Jaina mounted Briella with the ease of a practiced rider. Erik fumbled with the reins and barely pulled himself up in an awkward manner. The short laugh from Jaina caused his face to turn red. Jaina turned the horse, giving it a swift jab with her heel. Off she went down the narrow street in a full gallop. Erik looked over to Tagron who shrugged his shoulders in response. He rolled his eyes and started off after Jaina. If this was any indication of the trip to come, he was going to be frustrated for weeks.

Creating Side Plots

In the past month, I have dumped all that I had in my head onto the screen. I was able to write more than 120 pages of details and draw out the storyline. Then I went back to the beginning and started to write the first draft. I was writing happily until something seemed out of place. I stopped to think about what I was doing. There was something wrong and I could not put my finger on it.

A week went by, due to work and other things going on. I picked up the story, scanned through it, and stopped at the same exact spot. I can only assume that this is writer's block. But that did not settle well with me. I would not accept it. I took the only action that I could think of......ask for help.

I tapped my friend on the shoulder (well, sent him an email) and asked if I could run it by him. I explained my situation and that something was wrong. I made some suggestions of what I thought might be the problem and I wrote a two page summary of where I was and where the story was going.

It did not take long for him to point out the problem. My story was becoming too linear. There was not enough depth in the story due to the lack of well developed side plots. I started to do it, but when I reached the point where something should happen, I could not write it. It was not developed.

The light went on in my head and the problem was staring me in the face. I am thankful that I have enough courage to admit that I am lost and even more thankful for friends that are willing to help. I am sure that one day they will get tired of me. Now, I am spending the time with story weaving. The side plots, back story, relationships, and driving factors for the characters. This will create the depth and realism within the story. Then I can finally move forward!

Back to writing!

First Month

One month ago, I started this journey to write a novel. I have worked hard in my spare time between being a husband, father, and working my full time job. There have been times where I am frustrated and discouraged. Don't let anyone fool you....writing a novel is hard!

Luckily, I have a very good support system. I have friends that are encouraging and my wife has been a source of inspiration. I am able to voice my frustrations and share my doubt without fear. When talking to one of my friends today, I was voicing my frustration with how far away I am from my goal. He turned the conversation around on me, telling me to put things in perspective. It has been ONE MONTH!

It sounded very strange to me at first. Has it really only been one month? I went back to look at when I setup my blog and the first post, February 6th. One month.

So many things have happened since this journey started. I started this blog, posted many different topics, wrote an outline for my novel, wrote over 120 pages, wrote and submitted a poem for a contest, joined the Charlotte Writers' Club, did research on publication, cover art, proof reading, and formatting, and laid out a plan for several other books. That is a lot to accomplish in one month.

The lesson that I learned here was sometimes you have to stop and think about where you have come from to see how much you have accomplished. It is not always about reaching the final goal, but the journey along the way.

A special thank you to all of my friends and family that have been supportive of me in this journey.

New Menu and Pages

If you have visited my blog before then you noticed some changes. I have changed the heading banner at the top of the page, which I proudly created. This was an opportunity for me to use my limited 2D Art skills and distract me from writing for a little. I have also added a menu at the top of the page which links to my website. Please bare with me as I continue to work on this in my spare time. It will grow to be more, but I am not there yet.

There are several things that I would like to change in the future. I want to make the transition between the blog and the website seemless. I have not figured out how to do this yet, due to an issue with the menu link opening a new page instead of redirecting. My web design skills are a little rusty. I also want to start putting information up about other indie author's books, books that I am currently reading or read, and any reviews that I have. This is to branch out more to see others work and get opinions. In order to successfully market a book, you have to know your market.

If anyone has suggestions, ideas, feedback or want to provide some help please let me know. I am always looking for new ideas and ways to improve. Also, if any indie authors want to submit their book for review or provide a guest post you can email me on the "Contact" link in the menu.