Jumping on the bandwagon

[Hicks]

Hi CO et al.,
I seem to remember that you sorted out a email list for your books. Did you use MailCheat(Chimp) or some other thing? Does anyone have any recommendations on how to best go about this?

Thanks

 

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[COSenior]

Hi CO et al.,
I seem to remember that you sorted out a email list for your books. Did you use MailCheat(Chimp) or some other thing? Does anyone have any recommendations on how to best go about this?

Thanks

Actually, Hicks, I didn't. I'm waiting to learn if the books I've written so far will be re-purposed for a different pen name and someone else will be doing the marketing for that if so. It's looking good so far. Eventually, yes, I'll do it. I asked HfR how to go about it, and he said to create a simple web page with several places to sign up, using a service like Aweber. I won't go into all the pros and cons of MailCheat(Chimp) vs Aweber, but here are two arguments for the better service: it's difficult if not downright impossible to move a mailing list from one service to another if and when you need a better one. So start with the better one in the first place and forget free. Second, you need an autoresponder, so as soon as your reader signs up you can send them at the very least an acknowledgement and thank you. I'm thinking I'll include a small unpublished story, so they'll feel they have something limited. Somewhere in all these threads someone posted a link to an article that gives the whole free vs. quality argument, sorry I don't have time to find it for you.

OK, once you're set up with your landing page, put the link in the front and back matter of your book and in your author page where you publish. Don't overwhelm your readers with emails, but do let them know you're around once in a while. Tell them when you're going to be at live book signings, when you've published something new, etc. And give them a freebie once in a while. It could be, like I mentioned, a story written for the specific purpose of gifting to your mailing list or even a signed ebook. Again, I don't have time to look it up at the moment, but when I do I'll post a link to a service that puts your actual signature or a handwriting font facsimile thereof, right in your book.

That's all I've got for now, must get to work.

 

[Hicks]

As always thanks so much for the detailed reply. I will now check out the awebber list. I am in the process of setting up a website so it shouldn't be too difficult to do.
Thanks again

 

[COSenior]

First, here's the link to the ebook autograph service. www.authorgraph.com/books/new It seems to be free, and I think it would be a cool thing to offer a reader who signs up for your mailing list.

Now for the progress thread. I eagerly went to my email this morning, hoping for word from Australia, and found five or six emails with great detail about what would make the book better, even though she said that it's publishable as-is. Agreed with 98% of the observations, and have been working on it since about four this afternoon. Just one more big amendment to make, inserting a second sub-plot that will lend itself to follow-on books, and then I think we're good to go. No question now that this is happening, only when and under what terms. I'm awed and humbled that she would take such an interest, and excited by the possibilities for the future. So many kind people in the world: HfR, my client, you guys who follow and encourage, and now this! Wow.

 

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[mossie]

That is great news. Congratulations! What a start to 2014. Well that famous golfer - Gary Player always said. "I am a very lucky guy. The more I practice the luckier I get!"

 

[Hicks]

First, here's the link to the ebook autograph service. www.authorgraph.com/books/new It seems to be free, and I think it would be a cool thing to offer a reader who signs up for your mailing list.

Now for the progress thread. I eagerly went to my email this morning, hoping for word from Australia, and found five or six emails with great detail about what would make the book better, even though she said that it's publishable as-is. Agreed with 98% of the observations, and have been working on it since about four this afternoon. Just one more big amendment to make, inserting a second sub-plot that will lend itself to follow-on books, and then I think we're good to go. No question now that this is happening, only when and under what terms. I'm awed and humbled that she would take such an interest, and excited by the possibilities for the future. So many kind people in the world: HfR, my client, you guys who follow and encourage, and now this! Wow.

What goes around comes around.Your posts have been very very helpful. Looking forward to hearing how this pans out.

 

[COSenior]

Don't ever attempt to turn a third-person POV novella into first person using search and replace. That is all.

 

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[Rawr]

Great to hear COS!!!

 

[COSenior]

Houston, we have lift-off. Terms are exactly as expected, still a little work to do on the manuscript and then...we'll see if it makes any money.

 

[Lauryn]

I've been trying to see if I like outlining vs. not outlining. It's sort of a wash for me. The first book, Turn It Loose--I wrote with a loose outline that I ended up changing as I went along. I think I just needed something to get me started & keep going.
The Bad Dates series I've written without an outline. It went fine.
Now the follow-up to Turn It Loose, trying to wing it. And I'm baaaaarely making progress. But that's my fault, probably not the outline/lack of an outline's fault. I just haven't been writing.

I think it's like that for me also. Some writing flows effortlessly onto the screen; other writing refuses to grasp your vision.
When it's really bad for me, I end up writing in a huge, vague circle that never pinpoints exactly what needs to be stated, said or conveyed.

 

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[COSenior]

Anybody worried about reviews? Someone didn't like your story and gave you a one-star? Worry no more, read this.

http://www.themorningnews.org/article/lone-star-statements

 

[COSenior]

And in other news, I now have permission from the publisher, whose pen name I'll be adopting, to reveal it. The next Natasha Stories book to be published will be mine!

 

[ChickenHawk]

Wow, that's so exciting!!! Congratulations!

 

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[COSenior]

Wow, that's so exciting!!! Congratulations!

Thank you!

 

[COSenior]

Making progress. After a week of revision based on the advice of the folks that are helping me take off and an editor that the publisher had look over just the first bit, I've sent what I hope is the final book to the publisher. He says he's 70% of the way through it, checking out the extensive revisions. Just to help put it in perspective, the book was not quite 60k words when I finished the first draft, and now it's 71k+.

Cover template is chosen, title is all but set, or maybe it is set. Publisher used the Facebook page that the new pen name is part of, with almost 11,000 fans, to take a poll on several choices today. I'm thinking we might see it published as early as this weekend. Too excited to think, eat or do housework; all I want to do is lurk on social media and see what happens.

Time to start figuring out the next book.

 

[mossie]

Exciting times! Keep on going you are a great inspiration to a lot of us here.
Next novel? How about a historical erotic novel ? I haven't seen anyone writing sexie historical stuff.

 

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[ChickenHawk]

I'm thinking we might see it published as early as this weekend. Too excited to think, eat or do housework; all I want to do is lurk on social media and see what happens.

Holy crap! That's really soon. For some reason, I envisioned a turnaround time of weeks or months. Please keep us posted. This is so exciting!

 

[COSenior]

For some reason, I envisioned a turnaround time of weeks or months.

You're probably envisioning a bigger publisher. This guy has a handful of authors, including his famous mother, that he helps by taking on the expense of getting a good cover, proofreader and some marketing costs for launching it. He's been working on the final details all the time I've been revising, so we're pretty much in synch. He only handles romance/erotica genre and has developed a sales funnel that gets results. Other than that, it's a lot like self-publishing. Great compromise in my opinion. His goal is to get my book to #1, at least for a while, and mine is to write while he does it.

 

[ChickenHawk]

You're probably envisioning a bigger publisher. This guy has a handful of authors, including his famous mother, that he helps by taking on the expense of getting a good cover, proofreader and some marketing costs for launching it. He's been working on the final details all the time I've been revising, so we're pretty much in synch. He only handles romance/erotica genre and has developed a sales funnel that gets results. Other than that, it's a lot like self-publishing. Great compromise in my opinion. His goal is to get my book to #1, at least for a while, and mine is to write while he does it.

That DOES sound like a great compromise. You get to leverage an established foundation, and he gets to leverage your great writing. I can't wait to hear how this goes!

 

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[COSenior]

Not much longer, now. Publisher sent the blurb for my approval this evening, also revealed the cover at www.facebook.com/onlysexystories (hope I'm remembering that address correctly--working from my new tablet and not very good with copying and pasting yet). He said he'd get it submitted to Amazon right away, so I'm holding my breath and waiting for the announcement that it's live. "Rustled"", by Natasha Stories. It should be free for the five days after it goes live. Download it and review it, if you have the time. It will be much appreciated!

 

[ChickenHawk]

Aha! Here it is...
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HXR4Y5U/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20

Love the Description (Is it okay if I pasted it below? If not, definitely let me know, and I'll happily remove it.)
"Lost, alone, and on the run, Charity Green is forced to turn for help to a handsome stranger; a mysterious and taciturn cowboy, who is hiding secrets of his own. When they are trapped together in a one-room cabin during a Wyoming blizzard, will she find herself in even more trouble? Or will she finally be able to stop running?"

Oh man, a handsome cowboy stranger, me likey! I just bought it, now finding the time to read it, THAT'S the hard part. Dang!

 

[COSenior]

Thanks, CH! It's very much okay, I appreciate it. Still learning my way around this tablet and Windows 8, so I hadn't figured out the cut and paste yet. Glad you like the description, I have to credit the publisher with that. Mine was nowhere near as good. And I completely understand the time crunch, believe me. When you get around to reading it, I'd love a review--honest, please. From any of the readers, here, actually.

 

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[COSenior]

Misunderstood the free period. It will be free in conjunction with an advertising event, probably not before next week. Will let you know.

 

[COSenior]

I'm authorized to give away a few copies for reviews. Anyone up for it? PM me. Fair warning: steamy romance with explicit scenes.

 

[COSenior]

Got started on the second Natasha Stories book, a follow-on to the one we just published. I have about 7000 words and hope to double that today. May have shot myself in the foot with this character. She can't have my vocabulary, and I have to keep going back and simplifying the words. Hope I'll get her voice down pat for automatic writing, or this one's going to be slow.

 

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[ChickenHawk]

I'm still utterly blown away by your word counts. Seriously!

About the vocabulary, I'll sometimes channel a person I know in real life, and try to say things like they would if they were talking to me. Alas, most of these folks swear profusely.

 

[COSenior]

Alas, most of these folks swear profusely.

ROFLMAO! Well, this is an eighteen-year-old girl who's been sheltered all her life, in the same cult community that the heroine of Rustled escaped from. By inference, 10th grade education. She wouldn't know words like inference...

As for channeling, her beau in this book is a high-school graduate ranch hand, and I've just sent the whole chapter that's from his POV to my publisher, so he can tell me whether the dialect is too hard to read. I'm spelling phonetically the way my dad used to talk, dropping all the g's and saying things like 'they' for 'there'. I know it's authentic, but I'm afraid it'll be hard for the readers to wade through.

 

[ChickenHawk]

I'm spelling phonetically the way my dad used to talk, dropping all the g's and saying things like 'they' for 'there'. I know it's authentic, but I'm afraid it'll be hard for the readers to wade through.

It will be interesting to see what your publisher says. Please keep us posted!

That's funny about "inference." Good point too.

 

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[COSenior]

He said he found it a little difficult to read. Understand, he's from Australia, so he wouldn't be hearing this dialect on TV or whatever. But, he also said, authenticity is king, so go for it. I decided to split the difference. Left the g's dropped, but fixed other things so it wouldn't be a blizzard of apostrophes.

 

[COSenior]

Moving right along. Good news: Book Bub has approved, bad news (according to publisher) BB unfortunately won't be able to squeeze it in until Feb. 18. I told him, hey, Feb. 18 is my mother's birthday, it's got to be good luck. (Not that she'll ever see or even know about this book, lol) So, the big push is almost a month out, but the good news to me is he's doing a 'soft push' (whatever that means) early. It's so interesting watching him respond to whatever circumstances come along. So glad I don't have to figure it all out!