It's been about six months or so since I published Crystal Eyes (still available at all good eBook retailers!) and it's been an interesting experience. Sometimes discouraging, sometimes uplifting.
When I first did it, I thought I went in with a realistic view of what to expect. It turned out that my "realistic" view was rather optimistic - whilst I knew there would be plenty of other novelists doing the same thing, the sheer number of them that I found, all doing the same as thing as me, was somewhat sobering. Most of the book promotion is done on Twitter and resembles an arena full of people, all shouting more or less the same thing but all trying to get their voice heard. It can get a bit depressing at times!
One thing I've not really learned is how much to push it. I try to only send out a couple of book plugs a day as I don't want to be a spambot, but I wonder if I'm doing it wrong. I see other authors sending out three or four an hour, sometimes more - should I be doing it more? It's my personal Twitter account, I don't want to annoy people who follow me but is that what's needed to sell books? And then there are others who direct message with links to their book or website. I've never done that and always been of the opinion that doing so is obnoxiously pushy, but does it work?
That's a genuine question, by the way - let me know in the comments if something like that would actually work or if it would have you reaching for the Unfollow button. I'm still not going to do it but I am curious.
Another lesson: Prologues are bad, m'kay.
I wrote a lengthy, scene-setting prologue for Crystal Eyes. I ummed and ahhed about putting it in, and even thought about keeping it out and releasing it as a free to download novella, but in the end I included it - this was, I think, a mistake. It takes far too long to get the actual story.
There's some evidence to support this - the Smashwords website allows downloads of a sample and lets me see how many samples have been downloaded, and how many have been sold. There are many sample downloads but very few of those result in someone actually buying the full version. I suspect this is because the prologue puts them off.
I'd be interested to know if this is the case - again, let me know in the comments or via the contact form if you found the prologue hard going or off-putting.
By the way, my next book (humorous fantasy novel with dragons and such like) is straight in to the story, no messing about!
Another thing I've learned, I need to post up more blogs. Going to try and do one a week from now on.
Today is World Book Day, currently trending as #worldbookday on Twitter.
I think it's a great day to celebrate all the great books and writers that are out there, and to remember what a valuable resource we have in our public libraries, especially when so many of them are under threat in the current economic climate.
The penny-pinching bureaucrats think that these places are a luxury in this day and age. I disagree. The value to be gained in terms of inspiring, informing and firing the curiosity of children (and adults) is incalculable. It cannot be measured on a balance sheet and a library will likely never turn a profit, but the long term benefits to a society, both financial and cultural, far outweigh the relatively minor monetary cost.
So, today (and every other day if it was up to me), celebrate the writers, the books, the libraries, the bookstores and the readers who all make this world a far better place than it would otherwise be.
Now stop reading this nonsense and go and read a book (it needn't even be mine, though I wouldn't object if it was)!
Since it is World Book Day and I want to encourage people to read as much as I can, my own literary offering is available for FREE from Smashwords today, where it is downloadable in formats compatible with all eReaders that I know of.
Just go here https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/99280 and enter the coupon code ZQ55W at checkout.
Or something. To be honest, I don't care about Valentine's Day at all (and not just because I'm tragically and bitterly alone *sniff* it's okay, I'm fine *sniff* I've got my collection of Spider-Woman comics).
Anyway, to those of you who aren't embittered hermits with a superhero fixation, have a good day!
Here's a slightly naff little poem I wrote:
Mr. Valentine
You're a creep, Mr. Valentine
You're a freak, Mr. Valentine
You skulk in the shadows,
You lurk in the dark,
You stalk on the outside
Never once taking part.
What's your game, Mr. Valentine?
Where's your shame, Mr. Valentine?
You wait in the dust,
You prepare all your bait,
You send out your invites,
But there's no sign of a date.
You're too strange, Mr. Valentine,
Just a bit...wrong, Mr. Valentine.
You write out your cards,
You say "always be mine"
You draw cute little puppies,
Begging "be my valentine."
I think not, Mr. Valentine,
Not today, Mr. Valentine.
I'm, er, washing my hair,
I've, um, got washing on the line,
Look, I'm sorry to tell you this,
I just don't like you, Mr. Valentine.
Just a quick blog to let people know that a new version of Crystal Eyes is now available on Kindle and via the Smashwords site. Versions on Nook, iTunes and any other site will take longer to appear, depending on mysterious and invisible approval processes over which I have no control!
Hopefully it should automatically update when the new version becomes available.
No major changes, I just fixed a few of the errors that people had pointed out - big thanks to Kent Peterson and Craig P. Kelly for that (I've not fixed everything yet, just the ones that were easiest to find - I suspect there are some that will remain until time itself comes to an end).
There will still be some in there, and if you find them I would be thrilled if you let me know what they are and where they could be found. You can do this either on the Forum Section, the Contact Me page or via Twitter
If you do let me know about any issues then you'll get an acknowledgement in the dedications section of the next version to be released! Fame and fortune will then be yours*, what more could you ask for?
*Fame and fortune not guaranteed
I have a cold. An absolute stinker. My head is filled with cotton wool, my eyes are bleary and tired, my nose runs like a neverending waterfall and the phlegm, oh the phlegm.
In short, bleh. It is not unexpected though. Every year, at about this time, I can generally be relied upon to be slumped on a sofa, coughing and feeling sorry for myself.
There has been one positive side-effect though - my horribly ravaged throat does mean that I sound like Rytlock Brimstone from the trailers for Guild Wars 2!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=YEdr8HHJ-zU#t=65s
Compared to me, this morning, before I'd had my first Lemsip of the day
http://soundcloud.com/allen-donnelly/rytlock-take-2-at-grimsargh
See, ArenaNet! You don't need any fancy recording equipment or skilled voice actors, just a guy, lying in bed, with an iPhone and a knackered throat!
I'm still playing Star Wars: The Old Republic (known, somewhat clumsily, as SWTOR). It remains a good, solid, if uninspiring and old-fashioned MMO. I will enjoy my 30 free days with it but, when that expires, I can safely say that I will happily turn my back on it and not subscribe.
If you are thinking of getting it, it's worth a shot but don't expect to be blown away. Play as a Bounty Hunter as well, by far the most engaging of the classes when it comes to the mechanics of actually playing - Death From Above is worth the price of admission alone!
As for writing? Well, between Christmas and this terrible malady, it has not been a productive few days.