The Cerebral  Writer
  • About
  • Books
  • Blog
  • Links

Adventures in Publishing: Kindle Scout and How to Avoid Being a Marketing Whore by JG Faherty

6/17/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Today, I have guest author JG Faherty, who is promoting his novel, The Changeling, which is currently in the hands of Kindle Scout--Amazon's imprint, a higher platform than KDP or CreateSpace, that looks at both a book's content the story's popularity among Amazon customers when deciding whether to publish. Please consider reading an excerpt and casting your vote here.

JG, it's a pleasure to have you today. Could you share a little about your current marketing strategy and how Kindle Scout fits into it?


JG Faherty: I recently completed a new novel. Hold your applause, that’s the easy part. Well, not easy, but certainly not as hard as what follows: trying to get it published.
 
The book is a bit of a departure for me, it’s a YA science fiction thriller. As I’m known mostly for my work in the horror genre, I had to think long and hard on a marketing/publication strategy for this one. A couple of writer friends suggested I try Kindle Scout before subbing to traditional publishers.
 
For those of you not familiar with the Scout program, it’s run by Amazon and the reading public gets to act as slush pile editors. Each book is posted for 30 days, along with an excerpt. People read the excerpt and then they can vote on whether or not they’d be interested in reading the rest of the book. Each month, based on votes and the opinions of Amazon’s editing team, a few books are chosen for publication by Amazon.
 
What’s the benefit to the readers? If a book you voted for gets selected, you receive a free pre-publication ecopy. (Plus my undying gratitude and possibly another free gift.) And the benefit to the writer? A publishing contract with Amazon’s big marketing machine behind it and some cash in pocket.
 
However, it’s not just a matter of posting the material and letting the votes pour in. You have to let readers know about the book. In other words, you have to promote it.
 
This is where things get tricky.
 
Promote too much, and everyone you know on social media will get sick of you (There’s Faherty, whoring that new book of his again!). Promote too little, and you’ll never get enough votes. So where is the happy medium? It’s hard to say. Every writer has their own strategies. After talking with some people who garnered contracts through Scout, I decided on the following strategy:
 
1. Week 1 – Post on my own social media sites (Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin) 1 time each. Also, post 1x each on several of the larger book review and author promotion FB pages. Since most of them have specific days you’re allowed to self-promote, I ended up with at least 1 promotion per day visible to the public. And as people shared, I made sure to like and thank them. Not only is this polite, but it also helps bump posts a little bit.
 
2. Week 2 – Same as Week 1, but without repeating any of the FB pages except my own.
 
3. Week 3 – Blog Tour. That necessitated asking for guest blog appearances and writing the blogs during Week 2. I ended up with 10.
 
4. Week 4 – Social media, but with extra posts on my own pages.
 
Now, as I’m writing this blog, I’m nearing the end of Week 2. So I only know how effective this has been up to Day 12. What I’ve seen is that on days when I post nothing in social media, the number of page views (you don’t get to see how many viewers actually vote) drops dramatically. So the temptation is there to say the hell with what your social media friends think and post more, post everywhere! Buy ads, sign up for paid promotional services.
 
Except there’s one little problem.
 
Amazon monitors where your page visitors come from. They even let you see the stats, because each campaign has a statistics page for the author. Number of hits, organic vs inorganic, per originating page, etc. And if the numbers skew too much toward paid services, rumor has it that is a negative in the eyes of the Amazon editors.
 
So when you feel yourself getting a little weak in the knees as those views drop in number, it’s time to take a deep breath and center yourself. Patience, grasshopper.
 
For a writer, this is a nerve-wracking experience, much more so than the traditional submission process, where you send in your manuscript and wait 3-6 months to hear back from the editor. Instead, it’s like you’re looking over the editors’ shoulders as they read your book, and you’re trying to see their faces. Did they smile? Frown? Groan? What page are they on? Did they just spill dinner on the book?
 
I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone who has a nervous constitution.
 
However, if you’re looking for an alternative to small press publishing or self-publishing, it’s certainly something to think about. And if you’re a reader, it’s a great place to discover new books.
 
Speaking of which... here comes the self-promotion.
 
Struck by lightning, developing new superpowers, and pursued by a power-hungry secret military group that wants to use her as a weapon of mass destruction... it's so not the 18th birthday that high school senior Chloe Olivetti was hoping for.
 
This is the summary to my new novel, THE CHANGELING, and I’ve decided to try something new. I’ve launched a Kindle Scout campaign for it. Readers are invited to preview books and vote for the ones they feel worthy of publication by Kindle Press. I don’t normally do this, but I’m asking if you have a minute, please register for Kindle Scout (it’s free!), read the excerpt, and if you like it, vote for THE CHANGELING. The benefit to you? If it wins, you get a free copy of the book for your Kindle and the book gets published. Plus, you’ll have my ever-lasting gratitude for your support (and maybe another free gift as well!). Here’s the link:
 
http://tinyurl.com/Changeling-scout
 
THE CHANGELING is a YA sci-fi thriller in which a high school senior is the accidental target of a top-secret weapons test. Afterwards, she develops amazing powers, including seeing through walls and transporting herself through space and time. Now the Army has kidnapped her and her family so they can recreate the experiment and build an unstoppable team of invincible soldiers. It's up to Chloe to save the people she loves and put an end to the experiment. But her powers are also slowly draining her life force, and she has no idea if she'll have the strength to stop her enemies before it's too late.

Picture
About the author:

JG Faherty is the Bram Stoker Award®- and ITW Thriller Award-nominated author of five novels, seven novellas, and more than 50 short stories. He writes adult and YA horror/sci-fi/fantasy, and his works range from quiet, dark suspense to over-the-top comic gruesomeness. 

A lifelong resident of New York's highly haunted Hudson Valley region, JG grew up amid Revolutionary War graveyards, haunted roads, and woods filled with ghostly apparitions. His varied professional career includes working as a resume writer, laboratory manager, accident scene photographer, zoo keeper, scientist, and salesman. He began writing fiction in 2001, and his short stories, poetry, and articles have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies.

For more information about his books, or to arrange signings or readings, visit www.jgfaherty.com, www.facebook.com/jgfaherty, or www.twitter.com/jgfaherty.

0 Comments

Trailer: MYTHS OF GODS

3/23/2011

0 Comments

 
Due for publication this May:
0 Comments

Lori Perkins on RR, HSN, and the Future of Publishing

12/18/2009

1 Comment

 
This is a great interview with editor and literary agent Lori Perkins:

http://libertyconspiracy.podomatic.com/entry/2009-12-17T09_10_45-08_00
1 Comment

The Erotic Works of Keta Diablo

6/30/2009

2 Comments

 

Please check out these new releases, written by friend and fellow RR author, Keta Diablo:

Picture
CARNAL CRAVINGS
By Keta Diablo

BLURB:  Craven and Anthony find themselves in a cauldron of trouble while spying on Beresford Hall. A man in a black hood has routed them while they spied, and now he’s escorted them to the manor and secluded them in separate rooms.  One thing haunts Craven, the ice-blue eyes behind the hood and Anthony’s words, ‘Only one man possesses such eyes . . . Dominic Beresford, the most magnificent creature God ever breathed life into.’

BUY FROM DARK ROAST PRESS:
http://www.darkroastpress.com/cravings.php

Picture
CROSSROADS REVISITED

A Gay Fiction Erotica Novella
by Keta Diablo
ISBN 978-1-59426-778-9

The exciting sequel to Crossroads! Frank McGuire is beginning to think the City has become a melting pot for serial killers. Another maniac is stalking the streets, only this time the deviant isn't tracking Goth girls, but gay college students. Rumors surface that put Frank's life in jeopardy, and somehow he must protect Rand from the carnage about to unfold. What he didn't count on was Rand becoming the killer's next victim.

Elements: scenes of intense sexuality

BUY FROM PHAZE PUBLISHING: http://www.phaze.com

For more information on Keta Diablo or her books:

http://ketadiablo.blogspot.com
http://ketaskeep.blogspot.com
http://www.twitter.com/ketadiablo

Happy reading!

2 Comments

Ravenous Romance Launches!

12/1/2008

2 Comments

 

Ravenous Romance is officially open for business!  Featuring new novels and short stories each day, Ravenous Romance offers good quality erotic and romantic fiction, at a reasonable price.

I have two short stories in their currently available anthology, Men in Shorts: "Until Next Week," and "Coffee Break."  Men in Shorts features a number of award-winning authors, as well as some creative new talent; one of my siblings also has a short story in this work ... try to guess which one!

2 Comments

When Someone Else gets There First

7/26/2008

2 Comments

 

I just spent half the morning at YouTube, watching trailers for the upcoming The Lost Boys sequel....

Anyone who has known me and my twin sis for any decent length of time knows that the two of us wrote and sent a sequel to Warner Bros. many years ago, when we were in our early teens.  We were huge fans of the movie, and we felt we had an obligation to write a sequel worthy of its predecessor as quickly as possible, so that no one else would write it and get it produced before us (and thus screw it up).  Richard Donner's assistant back then, a nice man named Scott Nimerfro, gently rejected our numerous pleas to have our script read.  We had no clue how lucky we were even to get a response, and we were both shattered with the rejection.  I think of what might have been, had Mr. Nimerfro decided to take a chance....

I am aghast from the trailers I watched this morning for The Lost Boys: the Tribe ... simply in utter shock at what appears to be a direct-to-video desecration of a cult classic.

Writing that was the springboard my sister and I both needed, however, to get the ball rolling on our amateur writing careers.  At fifteen, the two of us collaborated on a novel.  We finished it in a matter of months.  I have gone on to write several more novels, as well as short stories and screenplays, while Erin has turned to music as her storytelling venue of choice.

Still, I am frustrated that I think my sequel would have been better, but I didn't have the experience, age, or connections to get mine produced first.  I am frustrated that, in this business, it is all about who one knows ... and my network is small, at best.  I am frustrated because I have so many stories to tell ... and yet I have no audience.

I am a writer.  I want this more than just about anything else I have ever wanted in this world.  I know that we all go through this ... these bursts of impatience, when the years and the portfolio progress, but the doors remain closed....  I know I have no choice but to be patient, however.  I know my work will eventually catch the right eye.  I know "this" is where I truly belong....

2 Comments

Queries

7/20/2008

1 Comment

 

I spend a lot of time on working on queries.  I actually enjoy it, as it allows me to reflect on my work beyond redrafts and the original creative process, to come up with better approaches to my synopses, and sometimes even come up with ideas for future drafts.  I see it as an opportunity to improve my writing, overall ... and I can only hope that those who pass on any given project of mine might see my potential and remember my name, just the same.

Rejection doesn't bother me anymore.  We all experience it, no matter who we are.  I've been receiving rejection letters for many years, now, and I think I've learned a lot in the process.  Some are form letters, but many are very positive, offering me tips, helpful critique, and encouraging me on.  Other than the few dozen I lost in a move eight years ago, I still have every one of them.  They are badges of honor.  They have thickened my skin, given me humility, and taught me just how much I want this.

I think writers should spend a good amount of time on query writing; to perfect the query is to perfect the work.

1 Comment

Promising Advancement?

6/15/2008

2 Comments

 

It seems like just about everyone has some kind of connection ... until actually asked to follow through with the favor of providing toe in the proverbial door.  In this industry, however, it truly is all about who you know ... and as an agoraphobic writer, that can pose some obstacles.  Granted, I'm always up for a good challenge; I think I've become rather skilled at overcoming the impossible....

A good friend of mine recently reconnected with a long-time friend of his, whose wife happens to work for Paramount.  Granted, she's not a producer, but she apparently knows a few of them.  As a favor, she supposedly will personally put one of my scripts on a producer's desk.  I took a few days to ensure that World-Mart was perfect, and sent it off.

I've had my hopes up in the past ... I even had a script almost sell to HBO several years ago.  I was still young in my writing back then, though ... my writing has taken on a whole new level since then.

I know well enough never to hold my breath ... but I am keeping my fingers crossed on this one.

2 Comments

    RSS Feed

    Picture

    Privacy Policy:

    No names or e-mail addresses listed in blog post replies will result in mailing list additions or sharing/sales to other sites via the Cerebral Writer.

    All email addresses, unless added intentionally to the body text of a post or response, will remain hidden from public view.

    Archives

    April 2021
    November 2018
    October 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    March 2009
    February 2009
    January 2009
    December 2008
    November 2008
    October 2008
    September 2008
    August 2008
    July 2008
    June 2008
    May 2008
    April 2008
    March 2008


    Categories

    All
    Aftermath
    Animals
    Anthologies
    Awards
    Bestseller List
    Bizarro
    Blogging
    Classics
    Contests
    Critical Analysis
    Dystopia
    Edgar Allan Poe
    Editors
    Excerpts
    Film
    Finding Poe
    Flash Fiction
    God
    Grammar
    Guest Blogs
    Horror
    Humanitarians
    Interviews
    Jane The Hippie Vampire
    Language
    Leigh M. Lane
    Literary Fiction
    Lupus
    Marketing
    Movies
    Muses
    Musicians
    My Books
    Myths Of Gods
    My Writing
    My Writing
    Nook
    Novellas
    On Writing
    On Writing
    Opinion
    Other Great Authors
    Paying It Forward
    Pirates
    Poetry
    Racism
    Redrafting
    Revelations
    Reviews
    Rod Serling
    Screenplays
    Self Publishing
    Short Stories
    Speculative Fiction
    Television
    The Hidden Valley
    The Private Sector
    The Twilight Zone
    This Site
    Trailers
    Urban Fantasy
    Vampires
    Weird Western
    Words
    World Mart
    Zombies

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.