Secrets Galore!

Tip of the Day: Get your pets Bob Barker'd (for those of you who aren't familiar with The Price is Right - spay or neuter your pets). That's my baby schnauzer, Tanu. She just got spayed on Monday.




I feel like I'm filled with secrets these days. On Facebook I get invited to groups all the time. Probably 47 times a day, if I bothered to count. But within the last couple weeks, I've been invited to two groups, both secret, and I plan to actually stay in them and participate.

The first was started by two of my fellow writers. Peeps I know, but don't know well. Writers I already admired. We chat about publishing in general, but there's no spam. Refreshing.

The second group came about just a couple of days ago. Again, started by a writer-friend I like a lot and totally trust. She wants to find a way for us indies to band together and help each other out. It looks like it might be fun, if nothing else.

Did you know you can create secret boards on Pinterest? I did and I thought it was dumb. What's the point of a secret board? Then I started seeing these great fantasy pics in my Facebook feed and I took screen shots. I thought What will I do with all of these pics? Ding! Ding! Ding! Secret Pinterest board. Why secret? Well, they aren't credited to an artist. I want them for inspiration, but I don't want to get sued for posting something I don't own the rights to. Plus, I now have my inspiration with me at all times via my iPhone, iPad, or iMac. Woot!

It's pretty incredible that it's possible to have secrets online. It seems like everything is open to everyone. Luckily, that doesn't have to be the case.

I think back to nearly 20 years ago when I was just starting college in the fall of '93 and I was assigned an email address. I had no idea what it was - or how it would change my life and the lives of everyone around me. I think that's another reason I'm so into e-publishing. I was learning to program in html and creating websites before most people knew what they were (just for fun - my degree is in medieval history). All of this awesome techy stuff keeps me young. :D

Have a great weekend!!!!

Megg, Miss Enchanted ePubber

Write Like No One is Reading

Tip of the Day: If you're a self-publisher, you might not want to set up release dates until you book is actually done. It'll save you some stress. Trust me.

My newest series (under my other pen name, Isobel Lucas) isn't doing so well. I have deadlines to pub a new installment every two weeks, and now that I see sales are practically non-existent, it was hard for me to convince myself to keep writing.

Yes, I love writing for the sake of writing, but I also have this pesky left brain that tells me to manage my time in a way that will encourage a steady income. Spending time writing books for a series that isn't selling is not a good use of my time/income ratio.

There's also the other side of me (how many freaking sides do I have?) that won't give up. I'm like a puppy chasing after a big dog. I. Will. Not. Stop. Not until I've accomplished my goal. Since I promised readers a new short every two weeks, I have to give it to them - even if there's only a few out there that are interested.

So I sat down with my iPad. I stared at it for a while. I played on Facebook. Started some new Song Pop challenges. You know, productive writing things. Then I sighed and wrote some really bad words. Really, really bad ones. Words I knew wouldn't make it past editing.

Then I turned off my iPad.

When we are unpublished, writing is a joy. We have only dreams for our babies. After publication, our babies are clothed in stress and deadlines and bad reviews and rejection and poor sales. Writing loses the joy because in the back of your mind, there's always that nagging voice, "People will hate this. People won't buy this. People won't read this. Why waste your time? Write something more commercial. Stop following your muse."

I did the only thing I could. I ignored that voice in my head and I sat down to write whatever the hell I wanted. I didn't worry about everyone else, and instead I wrote for ME. And guess what? I love what I wrote. I really do. I kind of giggle when I read it because it's soooo me.

I just uploaded that ebook last night. I have no clue what people will think when they read it. Besides, there are three novelettes that come before that one. I know how sales work - the most sales are on the first book and there's always a decline after that. People drop out for whatever reason. I just hope the ones who stuck with it enjoy the ride, because Infliction is a lot of fun. ;)

Megg, Miss Enchanted ePubber

I am a Lazy Author!

Tip of the Day: Don't work out three times in one day. You will not be able to move when you wake up the next morning. Trust me.

You know super-bestselling, uber-famous, author Sue Grafton, right? She writes those murder mystery alphabet books. She thinks self-published authors are lazy. Yes, in an interview with a Louisville news outlet, she said this, "Quit worrying about publication and master your craft. If you have a good story to tell and if you write it well, the Universe will come to your aid. Don’t self-publish. That’s as good as admitting you’re too lazy to do the hard work."

Bein' lazy & pickin' my nose!

It's true. I'm super-lazy. This summer I hired a babysitter and paid her $10 an hour so I could write pick my nose while playing on Facebook.

When my kids go back to school next week, I'm going to use my free time to write play World of Warcraft for a few hours each day before my soap operas come on. Then I'm going to edit bake a cake and eat it all.

I bought an iMac earlier this year. It makes it much easier to market create You Tube videos. Oh, and those SCBWI conferences and workshops I've paid to attend so I can learn more about craft? Shhh....don't tell, it's just so I can hang out with friends and score some food.

Working on my stank face for my crunk routine

After I close my eyes and type gibberish until the little indicator says I have 50,000 words, I slap my ebook up on Amazon. Why edit? That's lame. And it takes up too much time when I could be perfecting my crunk moves with last week's episode of So You Think You Can Dance.

I'm one of the few solely self-published authors in the world with PAL status within SCBWI. Usually it means Published and Listed. In my case, it probably means Pathetic and Lazy.

I'll make six figures this year. But that's easy, yanno, for us lazy authors. I wonder how much money the ones who work hard make?

If you're lazy, like me, you might want to consider self-publishing. Phew, I really dodged a bullet by not going traditional, didn't I? All that work...I can't even imagine what it's like.

ALL AUTHORS WHO WANT TO SUCCEED, REGARDLESS OF PUBLISHING PATH, WORK THEIR ASSES OFF.

-end rant-

***After I wrote and scheduled this post, Ms. Grafton wrote a response to the outcry from indie authors. Read it here.   Ms. Grafton was educated rather quickly, and while she still admits she doesn't understand self-publishing, she knows she spoke too soon on a topic outside her expertise.

My blog post doesn't make fun of anyone but me (my favorite person to make fun of!), so I left it as is.

I also hope the readers of this blog know that I am a very sarcastic person who would never, ever pick her nose or crunk ... in front of a camera. Let's not discuss what goes on when the camera's off. ;) ***

Megg, Miss Enchanted ePubber

How to Sell 20,000 eBooks

Tip of the Day: Enter to win a copy of Shari Brady's new book Wish I Could Have Said Goodbye on my blog!!!

You can buy ebooks on marketing your ebook. There are a lot of them out there. Or you can read this post and I'll tell you the top three things I've done to get to 20,000 ebook sales.

http://l00065619.wordpress.com/2010/02/

When I posted on my Facebook page that I broke 20k in sales, I received many emails, PMs, posts, etc asking me how I did it.

I know some people think I should keep my marketing strategies a secret. I call BS. Seriously? I'm happy to tell you what I've done.

Unfortunately, there isn't a magic bean. I wish there was, because then we'd all be sipping sweet tea on a beach. However, I can tell you some steps I've taken to increase visibility of my ebooks:

- Set the first book in a series free -

This is the same tactic they use at Costco. Have you ever tried walking through that place without eating enough sample food to fill you up for a week? If it's yummy, you might even buy it. It's the same with ebooks. Yes, Anathema has been downloaded, hold your breath, close to 2,000,000 times (thanks mostly to Wattpad and Amazon).

Don't tell me my sales suck. I'd guess there are tons of people hoarding ebooks on their ereaders, assuming someday they'll read them. I know, because I'm one of the hoarders. I'm really proud of my sell-through rate. The fact that anyone buys my sequels is encouraging!

- Get mentioned on the right websites - 

There are some incredible websites that advertise ebooks. Some charge money for ads. Some will list free ebooks. All four of these are the right place to be. Yes, I'm sure there are more great ones out there. If you know, please share them below in the comments.

Pixel of Ink (my favorite!)
Kindle Nation Daily
eReader News Today
Kindle Fire Department

- Befriend book bloggers -

There's nothing better than someone who loves your books and will tell the world about them. This is where bloggers come in. These readers are happy to devour your book and then tell the world how much they love it.

I'm not going to list my favorite book bloggers because the blogger you query should be targeted for your book. They don't all like fantasy, they don't all like contemporary. Find the right reader for your book and ask them if they're interested in reading it.

But do me a favor, treat them kindly. You aren't entitled to a review, or even a good review. Let them have their opinions. They don't owe writers anything. However, a friendly relationship can go a long way.

Just yesterday a blogger sent me interview questions. She actually apologized for them, assuming many of them would be repeats from the hundreds of other interviews I've done. My response: I'm happy to answer any questions, no matter how many times I've been asked. Just because other people know the answers, it doesn't mean her readers do.

http://bit.ly/LNbMrD

These are the top three tips I have for you. There's always discussions on getting into the right categories, promoting on Twitter (which I suck at, so don't ask me about it), promoting on Facebook (I generally use it as a way to connect with readers who already know about my books), etc.

You could try the spaghetti method (you know, throw it against the wall and see what sticks), or you could do the obvious: write, edit, write, edit, write, edit.

Take these words of wisdom from Hugh Howey (WOOL) in his Huffington Post article on snagging a film deal with Ridley Scott:

"My inbox lately has become sprinkled with missives from other independent writers asking me for any advice I might have. So I tell them what you have taught me: Please the reader. Write your best works for them; make those works affordable; interact with your fans; and take their feedback to heart. Without a single dime spent in advertising, a short story I wrote and didn't even work to promote climbed to the top of the Amazon charts. It drew the attention of Hollywood. It landed me an agent and half a dozen foreign book deals. All because of word of mouth. Because I happened to please you, and you told someone else, and they spread the word further."
  
Megg, Miss Enchanted ePubber

Would You Like Some Spam with that Promotion?

Tip of the Day: Do you like cute, crazy, and cheap t-shirts? Then check out Tee Fury, they have a new design every 24 hours.

Every single day I get at least fifteen to twenty promotional notifications (via Facebook, Twitter, email, Goodreads, etc) from authors I don't know.

It's as if they think spamming thousands of people via social networks is a good way to promote their book.

Guess how many books I've purchased from one of these messages.

Go ahead, take a guess.

ZERO!

Why?

Because that type of promotion irritates the crap out of me.

If you want me (and other people) to look at you as an annoyance, do these things:

1. Start a Facebook group for your book release and invite everyone on the planet to join. Then post fifteen billion times a day so my notifications are filled with crap and I can't find notifications from my friends. (I used to be afraid to Decline or Leave Groups. I'm not now.)

2. Steal my email address from Facebook (or Twitter) and add me to your newsletter mailing list. I really love it when my inbox fills up with stranger spam. Even better? No link to unsubscribe! (This really drives me batty.)

3. Post on my Facebook wall telling me all about your book and how much I will enjoy it - particularly if I just accepted your friend request. (I will delete your post and unfriend you. Don't tempt me. If we're new friends, say something nice like "Great to meet you." That gives Megg smiles not the snarls.)

4. Email me directly, tell me how your book is so great, how badly you want a blurb from me, then direct me to your sales page so I can buy it. (I won't buy it. Even if it sounds like the best book ever.)

5. If I get so far as to 'like' your fan page, please talk about your book 24/7. (I fill most of my wall posts with things like the day my son rode on a lazy river with me and spent the whole time purposely tooting in my face. Trust me, people would rather laugh at my misfortune than listen to me blabber about my books.)

Kitteh wants you to act professionally or you may find yourself sleeping with the fishes

 

Here's the thing - if people want to know about your books so bad, they will go to lengths to make sure they are kept informed. You can:

1. Start a newsletter. Let people know it's there so if they want to be notified immediately about new releases, they can sign up. NEVER add people on your own. Give your readers some respect and let them choose. Make sure you also have an unsubscribe feature. It's common courtesy.

2. Create a Facebook fan page. Invite your current FB friends (it's a one-time invite, so it doesn't seem so spammy). Don't treat it like a promotional page. Use it as if you're just hanging out with friends for the afternoon. Be fun and engaging. Be yourself.

2. Use Twitter, Goodreads, blog, etc, but don't post about your books unless you have something newsworthy to say. If your book has been out for three months, don't post about it every day. If someone is looking at your social network, chances are they already know about the book. Leave the promotional posts for things that truly need promoting - like a new book release.

3. Don't force yourself on people. Let them come to you. I know, it's frustrating. You want the whole world to know you and love you right this second. Guess what? Life doesn't work that way. Be yourself. They will come.

4. Don't stress so much about promo. Adding to the noise won't help you get discovered. It only makes readers more agitated. Instead, write a good book that people will enjoy and tell their friends about. That's the very best promo you could ever get.

Megg, Miss Enchanted ePubber

Fright Fest

Tip of the Day:  Want a chance to win an e-ARC of my upcoming novel, Afterlife? Click here to enter!

"When you're working on a book do you ever become paralyzed by fear?"

A writing friend of mine PM'd me over Facebook a couple days ago looking for an answer to this question.

I'm not sure if she expected me to say: "No! Writing is all flowers and hearts! I flit from page to page with joyful abandon, sure my perfect prose will win the Pulitzer!" *cue sparkles and butterflies*

Here's my actual answer: "Afraid? TERRIFIED 24/7. I am scared <bleep>less every time I write, every time I edit, and every time I publish a book. I am convinced everyone will hate it. I think every phrase is awkward. I am sure people are laughing at me behind my back.

Is that what you mean? lol. I think that's how we creative types define normal."

I think everyone needs to hear this once in a while. All writers are insecure. If we waited to feel good about our writing before continuing a project then I'd bet the only books on the shelf would be from literary luminaries like Snooki (who may have an incredible book - I don't know, I haven't read it).

 (I'd also really like to go on record and say that she could be a lovely person in real life. I'm talking REAL life, not that "reality" junk that's shown on TV.)

I think that confidence in writing becomes an even bigger minefield in self-publishing. SELF-PUBLISHING IS CRAP! DON'T SELF-PUBLISH! MICROSCOPIC BUGS WILL EAT YOUR BRAIN WHILE YOU'RE SLEEPING IF YOU SELF-PUBLISH! Isn't that what Jodi Piccoult said? ;) lol

Just because I self-publish, it doesn't mean I'm vain. I'm seriously insecure. I self-publish because I love telling stories. Are they perfect? Doubtful. But if I don't tell stories then it's quite possible my brain will explode and, really, nobody needs to clean up that mess.

No one writes because they have complete confidence in themselves and their work. We write to exorcise the demons. We write to express ourselves. We write to give others a piece of our souls. Is there any greater gift?

Give fear the finger and keep writing. 
-Megg Jensen
(feel free to quote me)

Megg, Miss Enchanted ePubber