#but i do think sometimes goodreads adds books to your lists on its own

[nednickerson]

currently going through my goodreads want to read and it appears i suffered a psychotic break on mar 23 2022 based on the amount of books that i added that day that do not sound remotely like anything i would be interested in

[kikuism]

hi mariam!!! 💖💗💝 choosing a book off my tbr list is like going to war but i'm in love with your library book piles so i'm curious what makes you pick the ones you do and do you manage to get through all of them before the return date?? i hope your reading journey is going well. it looks like you've read so much. oh! and i loved the last unicorn, it was magical ✨

hi jenna!! 💕💫 i'm so happy you enjoyed the last unicorn! magical is the word for it. it was such a beautiful book.

okay i get my book recommendations from a few different places: from youtube, since there are a few booktubers i love and if they recommend something that sounds interesting to me, i add it to my list. also, if i've heard of a book a lot but just haven't gotten around to reading it, i'll add it to my list, like for example persepolis. sometimes, and i really don't do this often, but i'll google 'more books like [book i recently loved]' and see what i get. that's how i found kill the boy band which to my surprise ended up being such a fun read. the last place i get recommendations from is goodreads, because for some reason seeing what a book is rated before i’ve read it affects the way i read it (i hate it.....i wish my brain didn't work that way but it does. i don't want to know anything about a book before i've read it other than a vague synopsis). as for how i choose what to read when i end up getting these giant hauls from the library, it really just depends on my mood.

hfjshd okay i'm digressing but i'm actually not a fan of when books have those award stickers on the front. i know it's marketing, but it also frames the book in a certain way, like it tries to influence the way you read it when it says it's a pulitzer winner or the women's prize winner. and i'm like nooooo i don't want to know any of this, i just want an unadorned book. because so much of the time, the book doesn't live up to that expectation. i read less and it didn't scream pulitzer prize winner to me. and same with hamnet. they didn't read like award-winning books and i was just....irritated that the whole time i was reading those books there was a voice in my head that was like 'this won an award! does it feel like an award winning book?' which just didn't make for what i felt like an authentic reading experience because i was constantly judging the book based on what it was being advertised as. then again, this doesn't happen with every single book that's marketed like this .....

but anyway, lately what i've been doing is that i'll read two contrasting books right after each other so the juxtaposition between them makes each one stand out more in my head. so after i finished hamnet i read paul takes the form of a mortal girl. and that was actually something i did after i started noticing that i'm kind of going into a reading burnout 😵‍💫 i didn't think this was possible but ... when i say i've been doing nothing but reading, i mean it. i'll finish one book and immediately start another one. it's been going like this for some time now and i feel like the books are all blurring together in my head. so i'm telling myself to take it slow, or to at least change up how i read. if a book is divided into parts, i'll tell myself to just read one part a day. i could make a book last for 4 days like that, if it has 4 parts. i tried doing this with tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow but i still ended up finishing it faster than i told myself to. so another thing i'm doing now is that i highlight. it's never something i did before, but i do it now. it's actually really fun. whether it's a really nice bit of writing or some kind of foreshadowing, it gets highlighted. and when i finish the book, i like looking back at everything i highlighted; i feel like it tells its own story, in a way. it makes the experience of reading feel more active.

and i always tell myself after i finish a book, 'okay, let it sink in, don't just jump into another one'. that helps too. i try to space them out by at least a day or two.

as for reading them all by the return date ... i always manage to finish the contemporaries. the others really depend on my mood. i've had elektra sitting on my table for so long now. i just need to be in the right mood to read a greek mythology retelling. and i don't think i'm going to get around to one hundred years of solitude for the same reason. books like that demand more concentration and commitment so they're harder for me to just pick up like that. i think when it comes to books like that, i should have no other books to read at that moment. like when i read the green bone saga, those books were all i had. so i didn't feel the pressure to get started on other book, i could just focus all my attention on what i had. i think that's what i'm going to do from now on, actually, because while getting 10 books from the library is fun, it does make me feel stressed hgkshfhf and then i think it makes me read even faster so that i can get through them all in time. even though i do have the option of renewing the books so sometimes i have these books with me for like more than a month hfjshfh it really just depends on my mood. i borrowed elektra such a long time ago and still haven't gotten around to it.

so i would say my reading journey is going quite well, actually, i'm having a lot of fun and reading so many different kinds of books. i just need to space out the books because otherwise they all start to blur together. like actually it would be so nice to just read like 4 books a month, i feel like each one would stand out so clearly in your head. that's impossible for me though.

[geshertzarmeod]

Favorite Books of 2020

I wanted to put together a list! I read 74 new books this year, and I keep track of that on Goodreads - feel free to add or follow me if you want to see everything! I’m going to focus on the highlights, and the books that stuck with me personally in one way or another, in approximate order. Also, all but two of them (#5 and #7 on the honorable mention list) are queer/trans in some way. Links are to Goodreads, but if you’re looking to get the books, I suggest your library, the Libby app using your library, your local bookstore, or Bookshop.

The Faggots & Their Friends Between Revolutions by Larry Mitchell, illus. by Ned Asta (originally published 1977). I had a hard beginning of the year and was in a work environment where my queerness was just not welcomed or wanted. I read this in the middle of all of that, and it helped me so much. I took this book with me everywhere. I read it on planes. I read it on the bus, and on trains, and at shul. I showed it to friends... sometimes at shul, or professional development conferences. It healed my soul. Now I can’t find it and might get a new copy. When I reviewed it, in February, I wrote: “I think we all need this book right now, but I really needed this book right now. Wow. This book is magic, and brings back a sense of magic and beauty to my relationship with the world.” Also I bought my copy last July, in a gay bookstore on Castro St. in SF, and that in itself is just beautiful to me. (Here’s a post I made with some excerpts)

Once & Future duology, especially the sequel, Sword in the Stars, by A.R. Capetta and Cory McCarthy. Cis pansexual female King Arthur Ari Helix (she's the 42nd reincarnation and the first female one) in futuristic space with Arab ancestry (but like, from a planet where people from that area of earth migrated to because, futuristic space) works to end Future Evil Amazon.com Space Empire with her found family with a token straight cis man and token white person. Merlin is backwards-aging so he's a gay teenager with a crush and thousands of years of baggage. The book’s entire basis is found family, and it's got King Arthur in space. And the sequel hijacks the original myth and says “fuck you pop culture, it was whitewashed and straightwashed, there were queer and trans people of color and strong women there the whole time.” Which is like, my favorite thing to find in media, and a big part of why I love Xena so much. It’s like revisionist history to make it better except it’s actually probably true in ways. Anyway please read these books but also be prepared for an absolutely absurd and wild ride. Full disclosure though, I didn’t love the first book so much, it’s worth it for the sequel!

The Wicker King by K. Ancrum. This book hurt. It still hurts. But it was so good. It took me on a whole journey, and brought me to my destination just like it intended the whole time. The author’s note at the end made me cry! The sheer NEED from this book, the way the main relationship develops and shifts, and how you PERCEIVE the main relationship develops and shifts. I’m in awe of Ancrum’s writing. If you like your ships feral and needy and desperate and wanting and D/S vibes and lowkey super unhealthy but with the potential, with work, to become healthy and beautiful and right, read this book. This might be another one to check trigger warnings for though.

The Entirety of The Daevabad Trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty. I hadn’t heard of this series until this year, when a good friend recommended it to me. It filled the black hole in me left by Harry Potter. The political and mystical/fantasy world building is just *chef’s kiss* - the complexity! The morally grey, everyone’s-done-awful-things-but-some-people-are-still-trying-to-do-good tapestry! The ROMANCE oh my GOD the romance. If I’m absolutely fully invested in a heterosexual romance you know a book is good, but also this book had background (and then later less background) queer characters! And the DRAMA!!! The third book went in a direction that felt a little out of nowhere but honestly I loved the ride. I stayed up until 6am multiple times reading this series and I’d do it again.

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon. I loved this book so much that it’s the only book I reviewed on my basically abandoned attempt at a book blog. This book is haunting, horrifying, disturbing, dark, but so, so good. The character's voices were so specific and clear, the relationships so clearly affected by circumstance and yet loving in the ways they could be. This is my favorite portrayal of gender maybe ever, it’s just... I don’t even have the words but I saw a post @audible-smiles​ made about it that’s been rattling in my head since. And, “you gender-malcontent. You otherling,” as tender pillow talk??? Be still my heart. Be ready, though, this book has all the triggers.. it’s a .

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender. This book called me out on my perspective on love. Also, it made me cry a lot. And it has two different interesting well-written romance storylines. And a realistic coming-into-identity narrative about a Black trans demiboy. And a nuanced discussion of college plans and what one might do after college. And some big beautiful romcom moments. I wish I had it in high school. I’m so glad I have it now! (trigger warning for transphobia & outing, but the people responsible are held accountable by the end, always treated as not okay by the narrative, and the MC’s friends, and like... this is ownvoices and it’s GOOD.)

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. My Goodreads review says, “I have no idea what happened, and I loved it.” That’s not wrong, but to delve deeper, this book has an ethereal feeling that you get wrapped up in while reading. Nothing makes sense but that’s just as it should be. You’re hooked. It is so atmospheric, so meta, so fascinating. I’ve seen so many people say they interpreted this character or that part or the ending in all different ways and it all makes sense. And it’s all of this with a gay main character and romance and the central theme, the central pillar being a love of and devotion to stories. Of course I was going to love it.

Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl’s Confabulous Memoir by Kai Cheng Thom. “Because maybe what really matters isn’t whether something is true, or false. Maybe what matters is the story itself; what kinds of doors it opens, what kinds of dreams it brings.” This book was so good and paradigm shifting. It reminded me of #1 on this list in the way it turns real life experience and hard, tragic ones at that (in this case, of being a trans girl of color who leaves home and tries to make a life for herself in the city, with its violence), into a beautiful, haunting fable. Once upon a time.

I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver. I need to reread this book, as I read it during my most tranceful time of 2020 and didn’t write a review, so I forgot a lot. What I do remember is beautiful and important nonbinary representation, a really cute romance, an interesting parental and familial/sibling dynamic that was both heartbreaking and hopeful, and an on-page therapy storyline. Also Mason Deaver just left twitter but was an absolutely hilarious troll on it before leaving and I appreciate that (and they just published a Christmas novella that I have but haven’t read yet!)

The Truth Is by NoNieqa Ramos. It took a long time to trust this book but I’m so glad I did. It’s raw and real and full of grief and trauma (trigger warnings, that I remember, for grief, death (before beginning of book), and gun violence). The protagonist is flawed and gets to grow over the course of the book, and find her own place, and learn from the people around her, while they also learn to understand her and where she’s coming from. It’s got a gritty, harsh, and important portrayal of found family, messy queerness, and some breathtaking quotes. When I was 82% through this book I posted this update: “This book has addressed almost all of my initial hesitations, and managed to complicate itself beautifully.”

Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro.  I wasn’t actually in the best mental health place to read this book when I did (didn’t quite understand what it was) but it definitely reminded me of what there is to fight against and to fight for, and broke my heart, and nudged me a bit closer to hope. The naturally diverse cast of characters was one of the best parts of this book. The romance is so sweet and tender and then so painful. This book is important and well-written but read it with caution and trigger warnings - it’s about grief and trauma and racism and police brutality, but also about love and community.

The Prey of Gods by Nicky Drayden.  This is a sci-fi/fantasy/specfic mashup that takes place in near-future South Africa and has world-building myths with gods and demigoddesses and a trip to the world of the dead but also a genetically altered hallucinogenic drug that turns people into giant animals and a robot uprising and a political campaign and a transgender pop star and a m/m couple and all of them are connected. It’s bonkers. Like, so, so absolutely mind-breaking weird. And I loved it.

Crier’s War and Iron Heart by Nina Varela.  I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVED the amount of folktales they told each other with queer romances as integral to those stories, especially in Iron Heart. A conversation between the two leads where Crier says she wants to read Ayla like a book, and Ayla says she’s not a book, and Crier explains all the different ways she wants to know Ayla, like a person, and wants to deserve to know her like a person, made me weak. It lives in my head rent-free.

Queen’s Shadow by E.K. Johnston @ekjohnston . I listened to this book on Libby and then immediately listened to it at least one more time, maybe twice, before my borrow time ran out. I love Padmé, and just always wish that female Star Wars characters got more focus and attention and this book gave me that!! And queer handmaidens! And the implication that Sabé is in love with Padmé and that’s just something that will always be true and she will always be devoted and also will make her own life anyway. And the Star Wars audiobooks being recorded the way they are with background sounds and music means it feels like watching a really long detailed beautiful Star Wars movie just about Padmé and her handmaidens.

Sissy: A Coming of Gender Story by Jacob Tobia. I needed to read this. The way Tobia talks about their experience of gender within the contexts of college, college leadership, and career, hit home. I kept trying to highlight several pages in a row on my kindle so I could go back and read them after it got returned to the library (sadly it didn’t work - it cuts off highlights after a certain number of characters). The way they talk about TOKENISM they way they talk about the responsibilities of the interviewer when an interviewee holds marginalized identities especially when no one else in the room does!!! Ahhhh!!!

Bonds of Brass by Emily Skrutskie. Disclaimer for this one that the author was rightfully criticized for writing a Black main character as a white author (and how the story ended up playing into some fucked up stuff that I can’t really unpack without spoiling). But also, the author has been working to move forward knowing she can’t change the past, has donated her proceeds, and this book is really good? It has all the fanfic tropes, so much delicious tension, a totally unexpected plot twist that had me immediately rereading the book. This book was super fun and also kind of just really really good Star Wars fanfiction.

How To Be a Normal Person by T.J. Klune. This book was so sweet, and cute, and hopeful, and both ridiculous and so real. I had some trouble getting used to Gus’ voice and internal monologue, but I got into it and then loved every bit after. The ace rep is something I’ve never seen like this before (and have barely read any ace books but still this was so fleshed out and well rounded and not just like, ‘they’re obsessed with swords not sex’ - looking at you, Once & Future - and leaving it there.) This all felt like a slice of life and I feel like I learned about people while reading it. Some of the moments are so, so funny, some are vaguely devastating. I have been personally victimized by TJ Klune for how he ends this book (a joke, you will know once you read it) but it also reminds me of the end of the “You Are There” episode of Xena and we all know what the answer to that question was.... and I choose to believe the answer here was similar.

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson. I wish I had this book when I was in high school. I honestly have complicated feelings about prom and haven’t really been seeking out contemporary YA so I was hesitant to read this but it was so good and so well-written, and had a lot of depth to it. The movie (and Broadway show) “The Prom” wants what this book has.

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth. I never read horror books, so this was a new thing for me. I loved the feeling of this book, the way I felt fully immersed. I loved how entirely queer it was. I was interested in the characters and the relationships, even though we didn’t have a full chance to go super deep into any one person but rather saw the connections between everyone and the way the stories matched up with each other. I just wanted a bit of a more satisfying ending.

Honorable Mention: reread in 2020 but read for the first time pre-2020

Red White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. I couldn’t make this post without mentioning this book. It got me through this year. I love this book so much; I think of this book all the time. This book made me want to find love for myself. You’ve all heard about it enough but if you haven’t read this book what are you DOING.

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan @sarahreesbrennan​ . I reread this one over and over too, both as text and as an audiobook. I went for walks when I had lost my earbuds and had Elliott screaming about an elf brothel loudly playing and got weird looks from someone walking their dog. I love this book so much. It’s just so fun, and so healing to read a book reminiscent of all the fantasies I read as a kid, but with a bi main character and a deconstruction of patriarchy and making fun of the genre a bit. Also, idiots to lovers is a great trope and it’s definitely in this book.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. This book is forever so important to me. I am always drawn in by how tenderly Sáenz portrays his characters. These boys. These boys and their parents. I love them. I love them so much. This is another one where I don’t even know what to say. I have more than 30 pages in my tag for this book. I have “arda” set as a keyboard shortcut on my phone and laptop to turn into the full title. This book saved my life.

Last Night I Sang to the Monster by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. This book hurts to read - it’s a story about trauma, about working through that trauma, healing enough to be ready to hold the worst memories, healing enough to move through the pain and start to make a life. It’s about found family and love and pain and I love it. It’s cathartic. And it’s a little bit quietly queer in a beautiful way, but that’s not the focus. Look up trigger warnings (they kind of are spoilery so I won’t say them here but if you have the potential to be triggered please look them up or ask me before reading)

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine.  When asked what my all time favorite book is, it’s usually this one. Gail Carson Levine has been doing live readings at 11am since the beginning of the pandemic shut down in the US, and the first book she read was Ella Enchanted. I’ve been slowly reading it to @mssarahpearl and am just so glad still that it has the ability to draw me in and calm me down and feels like home after all this time. This book is about agency. I love it.

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman @chronicintrovert . I’ve had this on my all-time-faves list since I read it a few years ago and ended up rereading it this year before sending a gift copy to a friend, so I could write little notes in it. It felt a little different reading it this time - as I get further away from being a teenager myself, the character voice this book is written in takes a little longer to get used to, but it’s so authentic and earnest and I love it. I absolutely adore this book about platonic love and found family and fandom and mental illness and abuse and ace identity and queerness and self-determination, especially around college and career choices. Ahhh. Thank you Alice Oseman!!!

Leia: Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray @claudiagray​ . I have this one on audible and reread it several times this year. I love the fleshing out of Leia’s story before the original trilogy, I love her having had a relationship before Han, and the way it would have affected her perspective. I also am intrigued by the way it analyses the choices the early rebellion had to make... I just, I love all the female focused new Star Wars content and the complexity being brought to the rebellion.

[jdeowrites]

Baby’s First Book Deal

Sooo… about that YA contemporary I’ve been working on.

(x)

As a young teen, I devoured countless books, TV shows and movies where girls living in fantasy worlds were forced into skin-revealing dresses; where girls in dystopias and apocalypses shed clothes for romantic scenes; where girls in contemporary settings changed into swimsuits for an impromptu swim, all without any warning beforehand. And I couldn’t help but wonder, didn’t they ever worry about their body hair showing? Did they get waxed in between chapters and it just wasn’t worth mentioning by the author? Or was this something that didn’t matter to most people? Or did these girls just not have body hair? I remember reading The Hunger Games and thinking it was a breath of fresh air when Katniss was waxed and plucked to be deemed pretty for the Capitol. Finally it was on the page. So maybe it wasn’t all in my head after all. 

But I knew it wasn’t just in my head, because the only other time I saw body hair on femme people was when it was played off for laughs. Understandably, this all really screwed with me growing up. So maybe it’s no surprise that eventually I would decide to write a book about it.

Fast forward to early 2019: I emailed my agent with a couple of new book ideas including: “high school debaters (I used to be on the debate team and there's so much potential drama!) and body hair beauty standards for girls. Possibly both in the same book?”

I held my breath when I sent that. I needn’t have worried; she was really into the idea. I started writing it in June 2019. Which was also the start of what I suspected was going to be a very challenging school year (I was right about that for more reasons than I knew at the time). I did this on purpose because I thought it would be a light, fun book to escape into. I was partially right. It was really fun to write all the high school drama, debating, and romance. It did help me through some hard times. But it was also unexpectedly painful.

Because it was so personal. In order to confront the issue of body hair, I had to confront the shame and stigma and subconscious biases drilled into me my whole life. I had to analyze my own concept of what beauty is, and its significance to a person’s self-worth, their worth in the eyes of others, and how those things overlap. And digging so deep into my own trauma was excruciating. I had to force myself to do it sometimes… and to write it without a filter. There were times that I’d re-read a passage and think, "This is too much. I should tone it down a bit." But those were the times it was most important to me to keep going. 

It was March 2020, the early days of the pandemic, when I had a draft I had run by betas and felt good about sending to my agent. I was so nervous. Was the subject matter too cringey? Would it be too unrelatable for most people? Was it even marketable?

Well, my agent loved it a lot. She said it made her cry. Which made me cry. It was just such a relief to know that someone else could identify with this book I had been so honest in, that I had poured some of the most personal parts of my soul into.

We went on submission that summer (for the uninitiated, that means your agent submits your book to editors at publishing houses. AND THEN YOU WAIT.). I had a good feeling about it, but as always I tried to manage my expectations. That didn’t stop me checking my email every 5 seconds but, you know. An effort was made.

We were nearly two months into sub when It Happened. I won’t bore you with the details of my life, but I was in the middle of a 26 hour shift when I got an email from my agent: “Call me!” Is all she said (oh the suspense). I sort of knew at that point. I stared at that email for quite a while, debating whether to wait until the next day when I was off work to get in touch, because as it was I knew I could become busy at any moment. But I couldn’t wait, of course. Patience? I don’t know her. Anyway, I called my agent. 

She told me we had an offer, and proceeded to read it out loud. Cue me crying silently in a tiny windowless room. Literal happy tears dripping down my chin as she talked, which has never happened to me before. I didn’t know how to process it. It was a surreal night after that.

Then we let other people who had the manuscript know, and suddenly there were more editors from different houses who wanted to talk! The next week was… a lot. Along with having a series of calls with a bunch of editors, all of whom I loved to pieces, I was also dealing with a 50+ hour work week, prepping for an exam, writing the exam (in the middle of which a preempt offer came in), an 11 hour road trip, and moving to a new city. I’ll probably remember that week for the rest of my life for the utter chaos it was… but hey, it all worked out. (also, funny thing: my deal announcement came out in the middle of a cross-country road trip. publishing stuff only happens when I’m busy, apparently!).

And now I get to say words I’ve only dreamed of: My debut novel will be published in summer 2022 by Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House! Although it’s been a long time since I received this news, every so often I remember that it’s HAPPENING—that I get to go on this journey of publication, of being a debut author—and it feels brand-new and exciting all over again. There’s so much to look forward to! And I have so many more stories I’m excited to tell.

But I’m glad this book will be my debut. Somewhere along my process of research, writing, learning, and discussing with others, this story changed the way I viewed myself. I had not thought that would happen—I set out to write this story for other people, not for me. But it happened anyway.

My singular hope for my debut novel is that it can do that for someone else. If just one hairy girl picks up this book and understands there was nothing ever wrong with them, everything was worth it. Everything. I hope that happens. 

And if not, well, this book has already changed one person’s life: mine.

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[bettsfic]

socknography: the importance of preserving fan creator biographical data

i wrote earlier on utilizing collections and bookmarks to boost the archival power of ao3, and in that post mentioned how i wish authors would fill out their bios so we can preserve fanauthor information as well as we preserve the fics themselves. so, here is my rant about WHY WE ARE SO IMPORTANT.

for my masters thesis i wrote about the layered pseudonymity of fanfiction authors, and after doing a ton of research, i find myself still thinking of the pseudonymous/anonymous divide as it pertains to fic. we have authors we consider “famous” and ones whose followings eclipse that of traditionally published authors, but unlike traditionally published authors, we don’t put a handy bio at the end of our fics. in fact, if you want to find out about the author, you have to hope they’ve linked somewhere to their tumblr or twitter or dreamwidth, or they have consistent pseuds across platforms. and from there, you have to hope they have an ‘about me.’ but most, myself included, don’t.

unlike traditional publication -- where amazon and goodreads and even the back of the book contains biographical info -- and even unlike the rest of fandom archival etiquette -- which, despite having virtually no committed rules still maintains its organizational structure -- there is no standard etiquette on fanauthor biographical data. 

i speculate the reasons fanauthors are hesitant to write their own biographies is very complicated: 

there is no “ask” for it or existing standard. when i publish stories under my real name, i’m required to provide my bio, which contains my accomplishments, where i got my degree, where else i’m published, and my website. all literary author bios follow this formula, so they’re pretty easy to write. other than this post, i have never seen a request for fanauthor bios. so without an editor demanding it, and without a standard formula or platform to draw from, a total lack of information becomes the norm, and almost any info other than the standard “name. age. pronouns. ao3 name. list of fandoms and/or pithy one-liner” of tumblr or occasional ask game is seen as a deviation from the norm. even ask games get a bad rep sometimes, and they’re transitory, a post you see as you’re scrolling through to somewhere else, not static, like a dedicated profile page.

pseudonymity veers too close to anonymity. an anonymous author cannot have a biography. a pseudonymous author can, but biographies may be seen as defeating the purpose of writing under a pseudonym, or multiple pseuds. a sock account is a sock for a reason -- you don’t want it associated with your main. moreover, i believe fandom creates an environment in which to acknowledge your accomplishments and promote your own content is seen as narcissistic. fanfiction can sometimes be seen as a genre of selflessness, donating time and energy into a community centered around a shared canon, not personal gain. to acknowledge the self publicly is to invite attention, and attention is contradictory to anonymity.

shame and humility. the more information you have on the internet, the easier you are to find. very few fanauthors use their real names, or feel comfortable connecting their fan identity to their real one. i hear pretty constantly how often fanauthors hide their fannishness from their coworkers and loved ones, how only the people closest to them know they write/read fanfic. moreover, you might think “my most popular fic only has 10 kudos and 1 comment, nobody wants to know about me” (which is so not true, but i’ll get to that in a minute).

fandom is constantly changing. with a central archive for fanfiction in place, it’s easier now to be in multiple fandoms at once than it ever has been. if you want to read all sugar daddy fics, there’s a tag for that, and if you’re not picky about canon, you have an entire buffet of fandoms to choose from. communities are growing and shifting and changing shape. i move fandoms, and i keep my friends and readers from previous fandoms. i get dragged to new fandoms frequently. my interests and inspirations change, but i don’t erase my history or identity every time i move, i only add to it. i am always betts whether i’m in star wars or the 100 or game of thrones. but if you only read my fic, you don’t know the stories behind it. many people don’t know i entered fandom in the brony convention community in 2012, or that i was sadrobots before i was betty days before i was betts, or how fandom changed my life and led me through a path of personal trauma recovery, or that i co-founded wayward daughters, or ran the fanauthor workshop, or all these other things about fanfic that is not fanfic itself. 

if you are a fan creator, your fannish personal narrative matters. telling your story helps preserve the metatextual history of our genre.

i think constantly about what our genre will look like in 30 or 50 years, if it will be like other genres that began as subversions of the mainstream: comic books, beat literature, science fiction. genres that, at the time involved groups of friends creating stories for each other, bouncing ideas off of one another, experimenting with or distorting other genres, and which became, over time, well-regarded forms with rich histories. 

maybe one day, like the MCU, we’ll have a dedicated production company that churns out adaptations of longform coffee shop aus written between 2009 and 2015. maybe “BNFs” will be read in high school literature curriculums. maybe our work will end up on the real or virtual shelves of our great grandchildren. and if that happens, if fanfic goes entirely mainstream, how will fanfic authorship be perceived? how will fanpeople in 2080, if humanity is still around by then, interact with the lexicon we’ve created and preserved? what would you do if you found out Jane Austen wrote under five different sock accounts across three platforms over the span of twenty years? how would you, a fan of Pride & Prejudice, even begin to find all of her work?

we have so many social constraints pushing against us. there’s purity culture, which encourages further division of identity -- fanauthors may write fluff on their main and have various sock accounts for underage/noncon fics. if you’re a scarecrow, you’re much harder for a mob to attack. there’s misogyny, which dictates women/queer ppl shouldn’t be writing about or indulging in or exploring their sexuality at all. there’s intellectual property and a history of DMCAs, which, although kept at bay by the OTW, may still have influence on the “illegal” mentality of our work. with social armies against us, it’s easier to exist in the shadows, on the fringe. we change URLs based on our moving interests, and split our identities a million different ways, and keep sarcastic “me” tags full of self-deprecating text posts. we are difficult beasts to catch, because we have not been allowed to exist.

i spent a lot of time today googling the word for “pseudonymous biography” and came up empty-handed (if someone knows of an existing word, pls let me know. “pseudography” is apparently a fancy word for a typo; “pseudobiography” is a fake biography), so for lack of anything better, i’ve come up with the term “socknography” because 1) it’s funny and doesn’t sound intimidating, and 2) it encapsulates the sensitive and complicated way fanauthor identifying conventions work. and also i think “fanauthor biography,” “bibliography,” and “profile” just doesn’t cut it for the actual work of these pieces. they don’t necessarily include IRL biographical data, they include more historical/community context than a bibliography, and the words “profile” and “about me” don’t really inspire interaction, or acknowledge the archival importance of this work.

astolat’s fanlore page is my go-to example. astolat writes under multiple pseuds and has major influence in the history of fandom. she’s also a traditionally published author, but you notice, her ofic novels are not mentioned, nor any other real-life identifying information. fanlore has a really good policy on this in place, for those concerned about doxxing. 

(moreover, i am not suggesting you centralize your socks. they’re socks for a reason. but most everyone has a main, and that main identity has a story.)

there are 2 existing spaces to preserve socknographies. 

fanlore, a wiki owned by the OTW, you can make an account and create a user page (which is different than a “person” page) using a user profile template

ao3′s “profile” page, which is a big blank box in which anything goes

(i’m not including tumblr on this list because i don’t think it’s a stable platform.) 

fanlore’s template is straight to the point and minimal, which doesn’t really invite narrative the same way a literary bio would. ao3′s big blank box leaves us with the question -- wtf do i say about myself? how do i say it? how much is too much? and because of that, most profiles are either blank or only include a policy on translations/podfic/fanart, and maybe links to tumblr and twitter. but let me tell you, if i have read your fic and taken the time to move over to your profile, you better believe i am a fan. and as a fan, i want to Know Things.

here are the things i want to know, or

a potential template:

introduction (name/alias, age, location, pronouns, occupation)

accomplishments (degrees, personal history)

fan history (fandoms you’ve been in, timeline as a fan, how you were introduced to fandom/fanfiction, what does fandom mean to you -- this is where your fan narrative goes)

fandom participation (popular fics/posts, involvement in fan events/communities, side blogs, interviews, etc. 3 & 4 might be one and the same for you)

spotlight (which of your fics are most important to you/would you like others to read and why? what are the stories behind your favorite fics you’ve written?)

find me elsewhere* (links to tumblr, twitter, insta, etc.)

policies on fanart, fanfic of fic, podfics, and translations

*you cannot link to ko-fi, paypal, patreon, or amazon on ao3/fanlore per the non-commercial terms of service

i’ll be working on filling this out for my own profile as an example, but you can also see how my @fanauthorworkshop participants filled out their fanauthor spotlights, and the information they provided. obviously, you should only share that which you feel comfortable sharing, and as your fandom life changes, your narrative will change too. it’s not much different than updating a CV or resume.

tl;dr the goal is to provide a self-narrative of your fan life/identity for posterity. who are you and why are you a fanperson? why do you create fan content? what are you proud of and what do you want to highlight to others? who are you in this space?

[thebookbud]

Thank you @susanneverreads for this tag! 💕 Sorry been out of town for a few days and out of service for most of it...

Hardcover or Paperback

The more hardcovers I seem to own, the less I'm starting to like them. I don't really like dust covers but I don’t like them without dust covers either...so I usually go for the trade paperbacks.

Rent or Buy

Almost exclusively buy these days, or borrowed. But I used to frequent the library far more when it was fiscally necessary.

Reads in Silence or Reads with Music

Music usually. I like to put on classical and zone out. I won't hear it once I'm into the book anyways but I like the noise so I get less distracted. I like constant background sounds.

Standalone or Series

There was a point in my life where I would stop looking at a book if it was part of a series. That's changed a lot, deep into quite a few now, but I still prefer standalones.

Annotations or Pristine Pages

I f@#$%ing LOVE annotations. A lot of my books I try to keep nice so I have stick on highlights but I love seeing well loved books and annotate thrift editions I find all the time.

Ebook or Physical Copy

Sorry, yeah both. I love physical for display and sharing but I tend to read faster on kindle.

Dog Ears or Bookmarks

It actually hurts to dog ear books now for me.

Mismatched Series or Complete Set

Well, I'd LIKE complete sets but you see, I'm too lazy and too frugal to prioritize it. I just buy em as I find em, hardback, mass market, trade, even kindle. How I see it, I'll read em now, collect em later.

Cover Matters or You Don’t Judge

I get easily sucked in by a good cover. I know, I know the rule. And of course it doesn't always matter, but generally, its what makes me take a second look.

Lend Books or Keep Them to Yourself

Its not that I won't share. I have quite a few times, but generally people I know aren't interested in my books and I buy and read a lot on kindle anyways.

Enjoys Lit Classics or Despises Them All

I really do. But a lot of them also make me want to gouge my eyes out... its a love/hate thing sometimes.

Browses Shops or Orders Online

Again, frugal. Really just boils down to cheapest or most convenient. I like doing both.

Reads Reviews or Goes in Blind

I rarely read a review first. Usually save it for after. The most I do before usually is see Goodreads' average star rating when I add into my owned lists. I don’t even reread the synopsis before I dive in most of the time, and it can be years after I bought a book before I finally crack it open...

Unreturned books or Clean library record

Hahahahahahha....whoops. I mean, they’re returned now... I lost a few in a move, found em months later and just never have been back and paid the fines. I will...someday.

Rereads or Once was Enough

There's way too much to read out there for me to even attempt rereads right now. Someday, when I'm retired and have my top 100 list, I'll start rereading...maybe.

Fanfic Enthusiast or Stickler for Canon

Not a lot of my favorites are very popular so not a lot of fanfic options, usually with fanfic I stick to movie/TV characters since I don't watch a lot anymore and seeing those characters further is always fun.

Deep Reader or Easily Distracted

Most reading, I can be easily distracted. There's just always so much to do. I come in and out all the time...it's why I'll mid chapter stop too. But I do deep read certain books because I get so wrapped up in it. I love when that happens. 

Must Read the Book Before Seeing the Movie or Order Doesn’t Matter

But I probably won't be watching the movie either way...

Has Neat Bookshelves or Messy Bookshelves

Has to be neat with the way my bookshelves are structured.

Skips Ahead or Resists Temptation

I like to think I resist, but I've spoiled endings, read ahead on a page, skipped ahead and then come back. Its not general practice, but I do do it.

Reads Aloud or In Your Head

Pretty much exclusively. I don't like reading aloud.

Guesses Plot Twists or Never Sees Them Coming

Are they always correct? No. I don't usually want to even guess but ideas start churning and I don't have a choice. Except Sanderson, I never know what the hell that guys up to.

This was great! Thanks! I’ll throw a tag @ohwhatbookishdelights @anassarhenisch @hafsah-reads if you guys want to! 

[unicorns-bookshelf]

Title: The Gilded Wolves

Author: Roshani Chokshi

Genre: fantasy, young adult

Rating: 4/5

~Beware of spoilers~

I feel like lots of people picked up The Gilded Wolves expecting it to be Six of Crows 2.0. Because of that the review section is full of people who were either disappointed that it’s not similar enough or enraged that there are some parallels between the two but they aren’t “good enough” to be an actual copy. It’s disappointing because there’s so much more to say about this book than comparing it to another.

The story takes place in Paris in the year 1889 during Exposition Universelle. Séverin, a hotelier at day and a treasure hunter at night, is trying to restore the inheritance that was unjustly taken from him by the Order of Babel - an organization focused around a fragment of the Tower of Babel that supposedly brings magic and fortune to the place where it’s located. Séverin was supposed to become one of the Patriarchs - heads of the four houses of the Order in France, but, as he believes, his test had been falsified and he was stripped of privileges. However, during his search, he comes across a compass with a map to an artifact that could turn the world and the Order upside down. and along with a group of friends decides to find it.

The Gilded Wolves is a treasure hunt book. Reading it I couldn’t help but think about Indiana Jones, The National Treasure or The Mummy movies. There was even a scene where the characters are chased by a flaming rock rolling down the tunnel. The book was action-packed but between the action, there was always time for some banter or sweet, familial moments. Not to mention the writing that was absolutely beautiful, full of lush descriptions absolutely raw one-liners. The plot had some great twists. One at the end left me hungry for more and I can’t wait for the second part of this book.

A common complaint I heard is that people found the magic system confusing. I personally can’t understand that since to me the magic system basically boils down to “people born with magic can modify things to give them special functions”.  Some do it with flowers, some with stone and some with human brains. “Forging” in this context means “shaping”, shaping the object to do your bidding or shaping the human mind to see what you want it to see. Sure, we don’t exactly know the limits or laws regulating it but I don’t feel like it’s necessary for the story. In this book, magic is closely connected with building the aesthetics of the world - guards with Sphinx masks, animals made of precious stones guarding magical artifacts, dresses that have burnable layers - all of it is supposed to show that magic is deeply ingrained in the world and make it feel extraordinary and unique. Even the history of the world presented in The Gilded Wolves is connected to the magic - where the Babel Fragments were located after God destroyed the Tower civilizations grew and people were able to Forge. Europeans stole one of the Babel Fragments during their crusades and brought it to France. Along with it, they took plenty of Forged objects that the Houses collect and keep in their treasuries away from thieves’ reach.

The only thing I had a problem with was the number of Forged objects the author introduced. After a while, it was difficult to keep track of them and remember which one was supposed to do what. Not to mention there were some that even the characters weren’t sure how to use.

The Gilded Wolves had six main characters, all wonderfully diverse with their own goals. Séverin and Hypnos are French and Algerian and Haitian, respectively. Enrique is half-Spanish, half-Filipino. Laila is Indian and Zofia is Jewish and autistic. Enrique is also bisexual and Hypnos is gay. Through them, the author tells a story of racism and the effects of colonization in that period of time. Laila often gets mistaken for a maid, Enrique is considered “not Philipino enough” to be taken seriously by the group of Filipino writers he wants to join, Hypnos is looked down upon by the other house Patriarch because he’s mixed. 

I loved the characters separately and I loved the friendship between them, especially between them and Hypnos. I was pretty sure he was going to betray them at first but he turned out to be an absolute sweetheart and one of my favorite characters together with Zofia. One thing I didn’t appreciate, however, was the amount of absolutely overbearing and unnecessary romance. 

Each part of Séverin’s POV was full of Laila. No matter what was going on, if he remembered Laila (and he always did) his train of thought would stray thinking about that one single time they’d slept together and how he should forget about it but he can’t. It was sometime really overtaking the plot and simply tired me out. At the end of the book, I realized that Séverin was a horribly selfish character - longing for things he had but they were taken from him instead appreciating what he still had and then taking his frustration out on other people for his failure when he lost that too. The finale would go completely differently if Séverin stopped being so horny just for a moment. 

Laila’s POVs were more bearable because she wouldn’t forget that she cares about other people on the team when it was convenient. Her relationships with Zofia and Tristan were sweet and caring and I also loved her banter with Hypnos and how she always wanted to believe he’s on their side. She was really fierce and honestly could do much better than Séverin.

But with just those two the romance subplot wouldn’t be so bad. Sadly it had to extend to Enrique, Zofia, and Hypnos. Zofia and Hypnos were my favorites and they deserved something better than a love triangle with a guy who can’t pick between them. Not to mention that Zofia getting upset that Enrique and Hypnos kissed came out of the blue because before them she showed absolutely no interest in him romantically. It was just so forced compared to Enrique’s relationship with Hypnos where the attraction at least went both ways from the very beginning.

Another thing that bothered me was the ages of the characters. They absolutely didn’t fit the way they acted. I would say that Séverin and the rest were around 20-25 and based on how he acted and how others treated him, Tristan was like 13. It feels so weird to see Laila mothering a boy who’s just two years younger than her. At one point Laila says that she was told she won’t live until her 19th birthday and my reaction was “Oh well, looks like they were wrong” and then she said that she still has a year and I was picking up my jaw from the floor so... yeah. 

I’m also a little sad that I can’t say more about Tristan, Séverin’s adopted brother with love for big spiders and ability to Forge plants but there was just so little of him. He seemed like a character I’d grow to really love.

To sum up, The Gilded Wolves is a novel with spectacular writing, a beautifully crafted world that comes alive when you’re reading, a treasure hunt plot that felt really nostalgic to me and a cast of diverse characters. It does have its faults but saying that it’s just milder Six of Crows is doing it a great injustice. The book is also a beautiful commentary on racism and colonialism and what consequences does it has for people. I will gladly add the already announced sequel to my To Be Read list. 

Amazon / Goodreads

[stevensavage]

Steve's Marketing Advice June 2019

(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve's Tumblr.  Find out more at my newsletter.)

It’s the latest update of my Marketing Tips!  As always, I keep updating these every few months.

The Core Principle: The Web Of Connections

To promote yourself your various activities, giveaways, social media, and so on need to connect and reinforce each other.  If a new book comes out, promote it on your website and give away a few copies in your newsletter.  If you’re speaking on art, give out bookmarks with links to your website.  Everything ties together.

This does make finding what works a bit challenging, so I take these steps:

Do what is easy, like cross-posting sales and stuff among my social media.  Hey, it’s easy.  Then I monitor what seems to work.

Do what seems rational and looks like it’ll pay off.  Don’t try everything, try what will probably work.

Do what seems fun.  Why not enjoy this?

Advance marketing with incremental steps.  Usually that takes a month or two to show, so I tend to do my experiments every month or every other month.

Record what I find from above.  What do you think this post is?

Over time you’ll find what works for you, what doesn’t, and how elements interact.  It might help to keep a list like this!

Have A Website

Have a website, period. A website is a place you can send people to that acts as a "hub" for your marketing efforts. It doesn't have to be complex (I've got some tips below), it has to be a place that acts as a hub for finding out more about you. The goal of a website is to have a one-stop-show for people to come to for information, and leave from to go to your various portfolios, books, social media, etc.

Follow these steps:

Get a domain name (networksolutions.com, tierra.net are recommended). Make sure the name is unique, fits you, and can be re-purposed if your plans change (FrankDoesArt.com is a bit specific, but FrankGetsCreative.com is more general).

Set up a website. Most people I know use www.dreamhost.com or www.wix.com. Just start with one page to make it easy - I've seen successful authors whose page is a blurb and a list of books.

A fast way to do it is buy a domain and redirect it to one of your social media accounts or a portfolio setup (like Twitter or LinkedIn).  You can build the site later.

Link to all your books, art, portfolio, and social media from here.

This website should be mentioned in your books, social media, etc. so people get prompted to visit.

Link to all your social media from the website – LinkedIn, Goodreads, whatever.  Well, whatever is appropriate, like maybe no one wants your photo collection of antique pots on that photo sharing site.

Other things to add:

A schedule of speaking engagement.

Reviews of your books.

Testimonials.

Helpful downloads - like character sheets, guides, etc.

Fun things not necessarily related to your writing like a cookbook or a link to pet pictures.

Have Appropriate Social Media

Social media is a troublesome subject. Yes, it can let you market - or be annoying. Yes it can let you meet people - or it can waste time.  It also changes in value over time.  However, done right it's a great way to connect with people.

Your social media should always link back to your website and in many cases, your other social media. This helps create a "web" of connections, so people are able to go to one social media source, find your others, and of course buy your stuff.

My takes on social media in rough order are:

Twitter: Twitter, for it's many flaws, has a lot of use, its simple, and with lists and filtering (and learning when to ignore it) you can meet authors, promote yourself, and be found. I'd determine what approach you want to use (from marketing to just goofing off) and do it.

LinkedIn: You should have a LinkedIn profile anyway, but how much of your "creative" life you want to share or link to depends on your goals and personal image.  If you do list your creative works, don’t forget the options like “publications.”  Also remember there are communities there you can join.

Instagram and other photo-sharing sites: Some people use this to promote their work, others use it as a sort of photoblog. I'm mixed on it myself.

Facebook: Facebook keeps having issues, but it helps to have a presence. I'd keep an author page on it at the very least and see how you engage.

Amazon Author Site: Set up your Amazon Author Site at Author Central.  This also can be a place to point your web domain.

Books2Read Author Site: I learned about this as Draft2Digital.com sets you up there if you use them.  Not sure it’s useful as I’ve just set one up, but its pretty nice.

By the way, a good way to manage social media in one go is www.Hootsuite.com.

Have A Newsletter

A newsletter is the way to engage with readers and keep people informed, as well as give them cool reviews, interesting updates, and more. In some ways it's like a mailed blog, but I separate them as a newsletter is more focused and like an update, whereas blogs can be more freeform. If you don't do a blog, do a newsletter, and if you only have time for one do the newsletter.

The ruler of newsletters is www.mailchimp.com, which has an amazing free service and reasonable paid services.

Make sure that your newsletter subscription form(s) are linked to from as much social media as possible and, of course, your website.

Some newsletter tips:

Don't overdo it or underdo it - I do it every two weeks.

Find a "feel" for your newsletter - a roundup, personal, chatty, serious, etc. Judge what works.

Include any vital updates about your work. Link to your blog, new books, cool things.

Give away "Lead Magnets" - basically free stuff like samples, an occasional free book copy, downloadable cool stuff, etc.

Use it to promote other cool things - help folks out.

Remember that most newsletter software gives you all sorts of statistics and data - you can use this to improve reaching people!

Have A Blog

Blogs are ways to post thoughts, essays, and more, turning your web presence into a kind of personal magazine/announcement/discussion board. Most authors use them, though at various rates of usage, from constant posts to "occasional speaking updates."

A blog is usually part of your author website, and thus is another reason to come there - and to go and check out your work and your other media. Most blog setups can act as your author page as well (which is what I do).

I use blogs to:

Give weekly updates on myself.

Post various essays and thoughts.

Review or promote interesting things.

In a few cases, blog posts then became other books, or I round them up to publish free "compendiums."

You can set up blogs at the following sites, with various advantages and limits. Some allow you to use your own domain name, some don't.

Most webhosts.

Wordpress.com

Blogspot.com

A few techniques:

You can get a domain and just point it at your blog or a similar site (like your Tumblr) and save time.

Some authors and artists do blog tours where they post across each other's blogs.

If you have related social media accounts (LinkedIn, Tumblr, etc.) consider posting your blog entries to all of them when appropriate. Just make sure they redirect to your site.

Set up an RSS feed (or find it's address in a standard setup) and put a link on your blog. I also recommend www.feedburner.com despite it being sort of static by now.

Mailchimp.com and some other mail software programs let people subscribe to a blog feed so they get email updates. You can also load those with helpful extras and information.

An important caveat - if you're a prolific writer, you have to find the blogging/writing balance. It's not an easy call because a few long blog posts can take as much time to set up as a small fiction piece. In some cases small books may be like blog posts so you have to ask “write a book or write a set of blog posts.”  I cover that more later.

Physical Media

Many authors and artists give away cards, bookmarks, etc.  I find these different giveaways vary in effectiveness, so I’m not sure how well they work for me or you.  However, it doesn’t stop me from doing them as they’re easy, and sometimes expected.  I also figure saturating the world with references to my work helps.

The one challenge is that this costs money, and you may not want to spend money on business cards, bookmarks, etc.  So you want to balance your choices.

Here’s what I try and what I find works:

Business Cards – These are a must if you’re serious, and the only physical media I can truly say that about.  Business Cards are cheap to get, easy to give out, and even expected.  Most print shops and office supply stores have quick options.

Bookmarks – This is popular among the book crowd for obvious reasons.  I’m not sure how well they work, but they do make it easy to set out information, give them away in panels, leave at interested shops, etc.  They can be a bit pricey depending on the deal you swing,

Mini-pictures – I’ve seen artists give away small cards with their art and contact information, sort of a sample/bookmark/business card fusion.  This may be worth trying.

For printed bookmarks and the like I recommend www.clubflyers.com.

I always have business cards with me, keep some bookmarks in my car, and take bookmarks to any events I speak at.

Giveaways And Promotionals (Mostly Authors)

A great way to get people's attention is to give out stuff like free books, extras, samples, and more. With these properly done (and linked back to other works), its a great way to get attention, meet people, and of course get sales.

There's two services I recommend for authors.  For artists you may have to look for other methods.

Prolificworks.com - having both free and subscription modes, it lets you give away work and join (or create) promotions. The paid version lets you tie giveaways into your mailing list as well. It does get a bit pricey beyond the Free level ($20 to $50 a month), so I recommend paid tiers for serious authors nly.

www.bookfunnel.com - Is a cheap ($20 a year to start) way to do book giveaways in a variety of formats, and higher tiers include features like Prolificworks.com. I'm fond of the starter tier as its a great way to make book giveaways easier (and if you don't want to host your giveaways).

To make these work you have to obviously be dedicated to it and work out strategies. I use them to:

Give away free stuff and samples to my newsletter subscribers.

Give away a few copies of new books via Prolificworks.com

Have promotional giveaways (often samples) that people can sign up to my newsletter to get.

I join groups on Prolificworks.com to do team giveaways.

I use both - Instafreebie lets me set up easy giveaways, and Prolificworks gives me all sorts of options.

If you use KDP, there's a KDP Exclusive you can use for eBooks. In exchange for making your work exclusive with Amazon, you get some tools to set up sales and giveaways.  It’s easy for starting authors.

Have A Portfolio

If you're a visual artist of any kind, have a portfolio. Put it on your website, use a social media site like Deviantart.com, whatever. People want to see your work and maybe buy it, so make it easy to do. If you take commissions, it's pretty much a way to market yourself.

Non-visual artists like authors may want a portfolio as well. This would contain:

Cover art.

Sample works.

Free giveaways.

Summaries of your work (with links to purchase it). For instance, I have a press website a lot like this.

Do Series

If you're doing fiction, you probably already have a series in mind. If your books are non-fiction, you may want to group them into series, because various bookselling sites will remind people that "X book is part of Y" series.  If you’re an artist, this may help as well.

The advantage of the series are:

A series promotes the books within it.  When people seem a book is in a series, they may check out another.

A series creates cross-promotion as it sells.  When one book gets another book to sell, the various websites that sell them may refer books to other readers.

A series shows commitment.  When you’re doing a series it shows that you care and plan to stick around – or did stick around.

It takes time for a series to “take off.”  Once it starts getting attention and people buy other books, then they get more recommendations, more attention, etc.  On Amazon and other book distribution services, this results in more promotion over time.

A series can even act as a kind of low-profit loss-leader or self-promotional.  If someone buys small books in a series, or you write a series to focus on a popular subject, then it gets attention to your other works.

Do Multiple Formats

One of the challenges of selling media is that people want to consume it in different formats.  Unless you’re very sure that your target audience wants a certain format, try out different ways to sell things.  

If you write books, then consider ebooks, different ebook formats, and print.

If you do art, maybe your art can be in several sizes and formats.

For instance, I’ve found some of my physical books sell well around the holidays as people use them as gifts.  Others are the kind of thing people want in print for easy review or taking notes.  So over time I’ve branched out in my book formats.

Remember every sale helps – though some formats (like print) are hard and costly to set up, so evaluate their worth.

Calculated Distribution (Authors)

This part is pretty much only for authors – and for book distribution.

For print books, your usual choices are Amazon and IngramSpark (or IngramSpark via Lulu).  Amazon doesn’t charge, the other services do, but bookstores don’t always like to stock Amazon books as it’s a competitor.

For ebooks, your choices are:

Go with Amazon’s KDP Select, where you only go through Amazon but get marketing tools like sales.  Amazon is the majority of the market, so if you go Amazon its easier.

Distribute incredibly widely.  This takes time, and you don’t get Amazon’s marketing tools, but you get the chance to make more sales.  Some authors I know find they sell more books outside of Amazon, but I haven’t figured out any rules or principles to this.

If you go broad here’s my take

Draft2Digital is the easiest way to go broad, but only does eBooks.  I also recommend managing your Amazon account separately.  Draft2Digital doesn’t have the broadest range, but it’s free (taking a cut of your sales) and very, very well done.

Smashwords is also free, but takes a larger cut and doesn’t have the extras of Draft2Digital.  It does get into a few unusual areas of distribution.

Lulu.com will do full service, but partners with Ingrahm, and there are charges.

Ingrahm is full service as well, and charges.  It’s probably a better choice than Lulu these days.

Publish Lots Of Stuff

Like it or not your goal as a creator is to be noticed so people get ahold of your work and benefit from it.  This means that you may need to create lots of works to get attention – or use work that you aren’t making public to do the same.

For instance, I realized that a lot of my blog ideas were better off as books – or could be turned into books.  There was far more benefit to turning certain ideas into small books (or expanding existing work into books) than letting things sit.  Some things just work better as a book anyway, and I have more works that people can get their hands on.

(Plus, the polishing that goes into a book made them, honestly, higher quality.)

If you’re an artist it’s probably the same thing, depending on your market.  If you have lots of different things to sell and buy and do you increase your chance to get more sold.  

Remember that this ties into having series as well.  Don’t just publish lots of stuff, tie it together as series.

Advertising (Mostly for Authors)

I’ve used both Google ads and Amazon for books, though it’s been awhile since I’ve done Google (and I may want to try again).  I have done a lot with AMS, or Amazon Marketing Services.

AMS lets you set up promotional ads to appear during searches or on pages of specific projects, and you can set up keywords, targets, and even decide what to pay for a clickthrough.  It’s a pretty advanced tool, and though it obviously only targets Amazon, that’s a pretty big market!  The challenge is that you have to figure out the right words, monitor progress (to avoid overspending or waste), and tweak marketing for each book.

I’ve found it effective, but it takes a lot of work.  What I do is update AMS every month or so with new terms, shut off ones that aren’t working, and try to get an idea of what works.  You can download data from each ad you set up, and then make a new ad with just the data that worked.  You honestly need to start with 100-200 search terms to get it working.

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Done right, I find AMS yields roughly $2 in sales or more for each $1 spent – as long as you tweak the advertising, cancel bad projects, and keep learning.

More To Come

That’s my latest!  I hope it helps you out!

Steven Savage

www.StevenSavage.com

www.InformoTron.com

[jainarden-blog]

A Little Bit Of Organization Wouldn’t Hurt A Bit

Today is a searching and researching online day for an end to the endless clutter I have lived with FOREVER! I am so ready to clear the decks both physically/mentally and offline/online and get to some #extremeproductivity.

This is going to involve a lot of thinking and a lot of trying out things to streamline it into this no-fluff ecosystem I am dreaming about, even as I am typing this. A big part of this is to go paperless and also to start using my IOS phone a lot more. The below may seem like a lot of places but the object of my game is to have places to put things where I can go back and retrieve them. My mind and life goes so fast a lot of the time that the clutter, even when it is just mental has a tendency to pile up and to overwhelm me. By clearing physical mess (most importantly paper) and mental overflow, I can create the space I need to be the best me. Two big goals are time to do online study and being fit mind and body.

Read on for tools and thoughts about them:

Tumblr - Reasons for Tumblr: braindumps, writing habit, connection my introvert heart desires at times, and ease of use. Tumblr is good just to write or to spend time reading. I find a lot of the people on Tumblr are pretty deep, creative and wildly entertaining. Tumblr is a good place for introverts.

Saved.io - to try and curb the worthless habit of saving fifty trillion bookmarks and adding to them daily without ever really delving into those websites or using them. No extensions for this. You just add saved.io after the http:// or https:// and to make folder (tags/labels) put a name in front of .saved.io. Super easy. Sign up for an account and have an online spot for bookmarking your heart out

Google Keep - I need something to take down my own thoughts in a browser as I am surfing/researching and do not want to make a big deal out of it. There is a Chrome extension or you can right-click to add notes with tags. Braindumps and a place to satisfy data pack-rat urges. Follows the line of thinking that I am using Google for a lot of things and it’s already there anyway.

Google Calendar - I have multiple Google accounts but one where all my emails and appointments go. I synced this as my main calendar on IOS instead of the default calendar. One calendar to rule them all! Same for the one gmail. There is also an extension to add events quickly, along with the right click option.

Feedbro - RSS feed reader - too bad Google did away with theirs. This takes away some bookmarks for favorite sites/blogs and gives me an easy and fast way to know that I am keeping up with things that are important to me. Clicking the extension lets you “Find feeds on this page,” save feeds and also to open up your feedreader. Feeds can be categorized into folders.

LastPass - I have used this for years on my computers. It is the best password keeper as far as I am concerned. AND FREE! Today, I put it on my phone. I cannot say enough about how great this tool is for your information.

Scanbot - app for scanning in documents by taking a pic of them. This will definitely come in handy for those on-the-go document situations. Things like bills, manuals, purchase papers, etc. I have at home will, most of the time, be scanned in using my printer’s scanner.

Bullet Journal (BuJo) - my offline to-do / to-did and short journal things. I have one for me and one for my computer. The one for my computer has already saved me this year when I was trying to figure out what program was conflicting with another. My memory was helped by my documentation on what programs I had downloaded and when. I also document computer problems: what happened and what helped. Everything in one book - I think everyone should have one of these and I am surprised I never thought of it before this year. My personal BuJo is not one of internet proportions. I tried that and failed miserably and lost all site of what the book was supposed to be for to begin with. I ditched the trying to make it pretty and doing weekly/monthly spreads. I am back to the original version that Carroll Ryder set forth with his inspiration and am a thousand times better for it. This is something I can hold in my hands and look back on from time to time to see exactly how my time on earth went.

SimpleNote - I have a Reminder label in this for to-do’s, but I mostly just write to-do’s on the calendar or on a post-it/index card to throw away. I also document to-do/to-did’s in my personal BuJo. No this program is going to be something I use for some time, I do believe. I decided I am going to document work with this, especially conversations. I never remember the specifics in time so this will be my second work brain. Tags will be people (initials, first name, or my nickname for them). I can then go back to specific conversations that I want to refresh myself on and also for people notes such as date of birth, family (kid/husband/wife name), and/or specific things about them. Also, dates of meetings, project dates,etc. This is in its infancy - I have high hopes for this going forward.

AirTable - This website/app has high potential. I really like that it is set up like an Excel spreadsheet. I have projects set up in it for tracking daily spending, pantry inventory, gifts, etc. etc. etc. This is so customizable!!!! In my pantry list, I can add columns to be able to know what my lowest price on an item was - so in essence, a pantry checker with a price book included. I figure the way I use it will grow as I get used to it and find its value.

mySymptoms -  $$ App for tracking your health. This is the one thing I paid for. I can’t wait to get enough stuff in it for a good PDF download. It is customizable to you, just like the AirTable. You can add/delete the things you want to track and there is a big list of them: drinks, food, medications, supplements, mood, symptoms, bowel, energy, sleep, stress, exercise, environment, and other. Some of these can be extra helpful for people who struggle with certain diseases or triggers. This is certainly a make-it-all-about-you app that can show correlations between a factor(s) causing another factor(s). Or even for people who forget when or how long they took medications or supplements. In my new found goal of creating a life that serves my health - this one is a winning part of it. I will be a participant in my healthcare.

Instagram - because, at times, I like to take photos of food and things I see that I like. And because, I hate Facebook. IG also gives me an easy way to change the way the photos look and share back to myself for other uses and ways to share my account online with my online people-ha. Braindump for photos.

Twitter - because it’s fun... and sometimes informative. Twitter is the quick connection to the rest of the world and let’s anyone fit into it. My favorite parts of the twit are hashtag and whatever “new episode” tv show I am watching. It’s fun to join in with whatever other people think of an episode and throw your two cents in too. I never feel like I am sitting at my house alone on Friday & Saturday nights with #livepd. With the added gifs on posts, it can get quite hilarious.

GoodReads - This is hooked up to my Amazon account and my Amazon account is hooked up to my local library account through Overdrive. So... free books. I read every night on my Kindle app (you can read in your browser too). The books are automatically added to my GoodReads account. At this time, I am 8 books ahead on my goal to read 100 books this year. 

Listal - As for movies, the best site I have found is Listal. You can tag, star and make lists for the movies/tv you watch (along with books, products, people, dvds, and games, if you wish). Many members do a Halloween movie list each year.

Pinterest - this place fulfills my yearnings to save a million quotes, presented in a pretty way and is the easiest way to make kick ass vision boards. I have multiple boards for this very thing: HouseVB, ClothesVB, ThingsVB and so on.

This is the big starting out list. I didn’t want to leave anything out because I need to be clear on what I am really using and be consistent on what accounts I use for what services. Pinterest may be a big black hole, but once set up with mostly productive boards, I can relax knowing that they are helping me visualize the things I want while also letting me do something that is fun (even if sometimes just losing time surfing the internet).The same with Twitter and Instagram. They are black holes for time. But this way they are serving a purpose of entertainment and braindumps to clear the way for good space in my life. I will follow up with this as being productive online is both an important topic for me and also a much needed topic discussion. In my research, I wish more people would post about their systems to help the rest of us out :D

[bookaddict24-7]

MUSIC MONDAYS:

A series where I recommend a book, review it, and create a short playlist to give a sense of what the book is about.

This review may contain spoilers.

This book has a lot of trigger warnings--physical abuse, mental & emotional abuse, self-harm, drug and alcohol abuse, toxic relationships, and depression.

This week’s feature is an emotional handful. Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow is potentially one of the saddest and most mentally exhausting books I’ve ever read. Charlie, the protagonist, is a teenager who has had the misfortune of being raised in an abusive and neglectful household. Add to this, her personal life beyond her mother’s control isn’t any better. Years of abuse have left her quiet and so full of unsaid emotions that she feels empty at the same time. How can she cope when she feels too full with her emptiness and loneliness? She cuts. 

Like I said, this book is heavy. 

The story begins with Charlie being in a place that attempts to help her, or at least to the point where the fog sort of lifts. The synopsis doesn’t say much about this aspect of the story, but despite Charlie’s heavy experiences, there are moments where other characters offer bits of advice. While Charlie may not be able to process the help and advice being given to her the way we wish her to, I feel that these interactions might be meant more for the reader who may be relating to Charlie’s struggles.

You can’t help but want to guide Charlie as she fights to find a place of calm in her new reality. As a result, it personally hurts every time she makes a decision that you know will only set her back. Part of the pain comes from her acknowledging that what she’s doing is toxic and setting her back in her recovery, yet she still continues down these paths. 

One of the most prominent and problematic aspects of this book (where essentially the true heart of Charlie’s mental health is brought to light) is her relationship with Riley. Not only is the relationship extremely inappropriate, but it is a whole other level of toxic. I found it sort of depressingly interesting how Glasgow manages to show us the parallels of Riley’s situation and Charlie’s own decisions. She shows us that there are various ways of letting an addiction destroy you. Charlie is addicted to Riley because she seeks comfort and the company of someone who can offer her love (or what pretends to be love), and Riley is addicted to everything else and his own self-destruction. 

Some might call this book emotionally manipulative, and I understand that, but for some people situations like these have been/are a reality. It’s important to showcase stories that don’t mirror the happy and naive popular storylines of today. Raw stories, when done well, offer an insight into how others live and handle situations that are sometimes seen as taboo, or aren’t discussed frequently in pop culture. For example, there are several instances in this book where characters pretend to know what Charlie is struggling with, but then belittle her experiences because of her age or appearance. Those moments were so emotionally disturbing because you, as the reader, are privy to Charlie’s experiences.

What I loved that Glasgow did, however, is that despite the disparity in Charlie’s world; despite her belief that everyone leaves and that she will never find love (romantic or familial), Charlie is not alone. She isn’t ignored or left behind. While she professes that she is a watcher of those around her because she is used to shrinking herself down until no one sees her, it is ironic that she’s the one not noticing others notice her. There is an underlying tone of hope in the unreliable narrative that Charlie is telling us and that, to me, is a bit of a silver lining in this book.  

I would recommend this because it explores such important and strong topics without sugar coating anything. If the topics listed above are triggers for you, I would strongly recommend reading more about this book before giving it a shot. Charlie does not have an easy life, or past, and her recovery, or road to attempted recovery, is riddled with potholes. 

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Age Recommendation: 16+

Genres: Contemporary, Abuse, Mental Health, Toxic Romance

Add it to your Goodreads here.

See the playlist on Spotify here.

The Playlist & Why I Chose this Music:

1. Take it All by Adele

One of the hard things about this playlist was picking songs that had messages that reflected on Charlie’s life experiences, but also offered some hope. With this song, I’m hoping to showcase Charlie’s toxic relationship with Riley and how, despite her attempts to make her relationship work, she has to realize that sometimes the best thing to do is to just give up what makes her recovery difficult or impossible. 

2. Praying by Kesha

When Charlie is faced with the possibility that healing doesn’t come as easily to others as she once believed, she is forced to understand that everyone needs a little more help than they let on. Kesha’s song, as soon as I heard it again while looking up songs for this playlist, felt like the perfect addition because of its rawness and offered strength. 

3. Bruises by Lewis Capaldi 

I picked this song as a reflection for one of the ghosts that haunts Charlie. Her past is riddled with darkness and pain, but one of her regrets weighs more heavily than others. This past event is like a bruise on her heart. This song is what I imagine I would hear while reading a passage where Charlie is thinking of this friend. 

4. Too Good at Goodbyes by Sam Smith

One of Charlie’s struggles is the concept that she is constantly abandoned by those she loves, or cares for. Sam Smith’s song felt fitting for this message.

5. Pieces by Rob Thomas 

This song, to me, describes a person who is struggling to keep the pieces of a person they love with them. They’re begging someone to not fall apart and shatter. While I read Girl in Pieces, I felt like this was my hope for Charlie. I knew her decisions would not end well for her, or for her healing. I hoped for her and this song feels like it was written specifically for this character. 

6. Million Reasons by Lady Gaga

When I heard this song it made me think of Charlie’s struggle to not self-harm when her emotions became too heavy. As her world slowly crumbles, it’s like everything becomes a new reason for her to fight off her need to hurt herself. 

7. Hurt by Johnny Cash

Trigger warning for this song. This is probably the most obvious song of the lot. This is the one song that played in my head the moment I finished Glasgow’s novel. Cash’s rendition of this song is haunting. But this song doesn’t just work for Charlie, but also for Riley, who seems to always be chasing that next escape from whatever demons he carries. 

Happy reading!

[florrickandassociates]

2017

Hello, Tumblr friends! 

I haven’t been very active on here now that TGW’s over and I’m working full time, but I wanted to share some of my favorite books and shows of 2017. 

Shows in No Particular Order Except Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is First:

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Holy shit, this show is on fire this year. This is one of those shows that I got excited about the moment I heard about it, but while I’ve always adored the show’s performances, sense of humor, and musical numbers, this is the first year I’ve been excited about its PLOT. 

The Good Place. My favorite Good show of the year (sorry, TGF) by a mile. So creative, innovative, and funny. And what a wonderful cast!

The Good Fight. Because it’s like having more TGW even though TGW is over. And because Diane and Lucca deserved their own show. And because that Pilot is one of the best episodes of TV that aired this year. 

Big Little Lies. I thought this would be frivolous and instead it was fantastic. Excellent acting and characterization.

One Day at a Time. I watched and loved a show with a laugh track in 2017. ODAAT is so good and heartwarming and sometimes heartbreaking and the finale will make you cry a lot. 

The Bold Type. The fun and feminist show about working millennials that I needed this year. 

Underground. A horror/action series about slavery. Emotional and brutal and compelling and a must-watch. I hope it finds a home somewhere else because two seasons were not enough, and it sucks that this show could go away because WGN sucks. 

The Americans. I love this show. It’s a drama about Cold War Russian spies and yet it’s a better family drama than most family dramas I’ve seen. 

Claws. This is a batshit crazy show with some elements I hate, but it’s tons of fun, has Carrie Preston in a fittingly quirky role, and centers on a female friendship. 

The Handmaid’s Tale. I have some criticisms of this show (too much focus on boring men, bad handling of race) but this is a show that sums up 2017 pretty well. Also, Alexis Bledel was fantastic in this. Like. FANTASTIC. 

Master of None. A show that’s equally interested in film history and sociology and is therefore something I enjoy. 

Better Things. I gave up on this show last year, thinking it just wasn’t my thing. But when I went back to it, I loved it. Also, my friends say “No, Jeff, no!” all the time now, and they don’t even watch the show.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine. This is a show I’ve been watching since it premiered (I’m pretty sure I watched the premiere live), but it’s having a great season. It has a fantastic (and diverse!) ensemble and avoids so many of the tropes comedies tend to fall back on.

Queen Sugar. Queen Sugar is consistently one of the most gorgeously well-directed shows on TV. It’s a wonderful and emotional family drama and I encourage everyone reading this to give it a try. 

Alias Grace. I read the book before I watched the show, and while I think I prefer the book (though, thank you, show, for cutting some boring/bad subplots!) overall, this is a really fantastic adaptation. And, of course, it deals with perception and presentation, so of course I loved it.

Insecure. Love this show. Issa’s voice is great and I’m so excited about all the projects she has in development at HBO. 

The Deuce. Didn’t think I’d like this one, but I did. I still don’t need the two James Francos, but Maggie Gyllenhaal is so good. 

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I’m not sure if this is one of the best shows I’ve seen this year, but it’s pretty good. It suffers from the same problems most of ASP’s shows do, but it’s so enjoyable that hardly matters. I watched it all in one day.

Easy. Another show I think is good but not great. I watched all of season 2 in a day and while some stories are much better than others (it’s an anthology series) I’ve gotten pretty invested in a lot of characters. Also, all the comedians you love/recognize will probably show up for an episode.

I Love Dick. Just watch A Short History of Weird Girls. What an episode! 

(I watched other things, too, but these are the ones I wanted to mention.)

Books (in the order I read them):

So, um, I read 102 books this year. A lot of these are 2017 releases but several aren’t. Also, I’ve really loved listening to various podcasts from BookRiot this year, and I can’t recommend Book of the Month Club highly enough. Oh, and Overdrive/Libby! Just hook up your library card and you can check out ebooks! I am also trying to write this quickly so I’m just gonna list titles for this section but I’m always happy to discuss books (and shows!). And. If we are not already Goodreads friends I am happy to add any mutuals (or non-mutuals if you introduce yourself).

My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker

The Leavers by Lisa Ko

What Belongs to You by Garth Greenwell

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Chemistry by Weike Wang

The Nix by Nathan Hill

Dark Money by Jane Mayer

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Evicted by Matthew Desmond

Everything Belongs to Us by Yoojin Grace Wuertz

Lab Girl by Hope Jahren

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Word by Word by Kory Stamper

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

Locking Up Our Own by James Forman, Jr. 

[akocomyk]

The Top 10 Books I Read in 2017

Funny how I wasn’t able to read as much books as I wanted to despite the fact that I wasn’t really doing anything for two and a half months.  I was able to read 25 books in 2017, just enough to hit my Goodreads 2017 Reading Challenge.  Usually, I go over my pledged number of books.  This was the only time, if I remember right, that I wasn’t able to surpass my reading challenge.

Finishing that challenge was an effort, mind you.  I finished reading the last book for 2017 on December 30, and i pushed myself just so that I can finish the challenge.  I blame all this slow reading to Miss Peregrine.  If you’ve read my thoughts on that book, you’d know why.

Going back to the real purpose of this blog... Of the 25 books I read this year, 15 were considered for this list.  I know that’s quite a lot, but that’s good, in reality.  That means I'm now more careful on choosing which books to read.

The sad part about this—similar to my dilemma last year—is that I have too many books that I want to include in the list.  It’s with great regret that I won’t be able to put them in here even if I wanted to.

Anyway... here it goes.

*The books in here are included regardless of their genre, release date, and author—whether they be Filipino or international.  As long as its a book that I’ve read within the given year, they can be considered for the list.

(Scores are on a scale of 1-5, inspired by Goodreads’ rating format)

10.  A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett (2005)

SCORE: 4.250

This is the second book in Pratchett’s Tiffany Aching series.  I really loved the first book and I’m so thrilled that whatever it is I liked from the first one continued with this—at times, even better.  But I’m a nothing-bests-the-original type of person, so the first book scored higher for me.  You’ll see it further on this list.

9.  The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Allire Sáenz (2017)

SCORE: 4.275

One thing that t I really love about Sáenz‘s books is the tone of his writing.  It’s utterly simple, yet very poetically beautiful—which for me makes it very quick and easy to read.

His other book that I read, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, is one of my favorite books.  Having known that he recently released a new book, I din’t mind that it’s still only available on hardbound, I immediately bought it when it came out.  I had high expectations for it.

This book gave me the same feelings when I read Ari and Dante, though it wasn’t as effective.  Toned-down would be a good word for it.  There are parts where it would hit you right on the heart.  Ironically, this is what the books is all about—love.  It’s about all types of love, even if the book never had an ounce of romance in it—maybe just a little bit.

8.  The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett (2003)

SCORE: 4.330

The story in itself is very similar to a fairy tale and you can even identify a few references grabbed from the classics.  But unlike those old tales of fantasy, this one is void of all the atrocities and rather has common sense and unwavering cleverness—not to mention, an ample amount of humor.

One thing that I also love about the book is that all characters are very likable and have distinct personalities—even the tertiary and background characters have personalities, it’s insane!

See full review

7.  The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill (2016)

SCORE: 4.345

I always love a book with amazing characters who have deeply rooted motivations.  This is what I adored about this book.  It felt like all the characters have valid reasons why they were doing the things that they did in the story, and the way it just pushed the plot forward and how everything went to be is just enchanting.

This is a book meant for children but it can certainly be enjoyed by any person of any age—except for the toddlers who can’t read, obviously.  This book is for the people who looooove fantasy.  I got into reading because of fantasy books—hello Chronicles of Narnia—and this creation by Barnhill is a unique jewel in the midst of middle grade to young adult novels which nowadays are starting to sound too similar to one another.

6.  The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (1999)

SCORE: 4.405

I had setbacks when I decided that I wanted to read it.  It was on the bottom of my I-plan-to-read-list primarily because I’ve already watched the film adaptation and I’m worried that I wouldn’t appreciate the book that much since I already know the story and thought that it would take away too much of the book’s charm.

BUT I WAS WRONG.

I didn’t really plan on reading it but on June 10, when I was alone in our house and wanted to do something so that I won’t get bored, I went out to find a book and eat at a local café.  Turns out, this was the cheapest book I found that actually pulled my interest.

Anyway, the book—much like the film—is very touching and fun to read.  Like, I never would’ve thought that the book was written during the 90′s because it gave me the modern YA feels, like it totally blended in with the books that I love reading.

It gave me the feels.  You know, the weird feeling in your heart when you read a book or watch a film.  It was very prevalent in this book.

5.  The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (2007)

SCORE: 4.475

I got this book as a Christmas gift from a fellow Star Wars nerd.  She loved it that’s why she gave me a copy.  Basing from the reviews it got from Goodreads, it is an amazing book.  AND IT LIVED UP TO MY EXPECTATIONS. 

I just love how the characters are fully made up… although some feel like cardboard cutouts, I don’t mind.  I mean, they’re very minor characters.  At most, the main characters are very interesting.

It’s a good substitute to those who are reading the A Song of Ice and Fire series.  It has the same amount of epicness, same amount of characters, ample amount of secrecy and mysteries, but thankfully not as grandiose and confusing\ as GRRM’s (yeah, as much as I love the ASOIF books, sometimes it goes a little too far).

It’s a really thick book which I would normally get bored of reading in the middle, but that didn’t happen.

4.  Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (2015)

SCORE: 4.605

It is a truly wonderful book that proudly represents the LGBTQ community.

I love how Albertalli wrote it in such a sarcastic tone, and it reminds me of the time when I have a similar tone in writing—the time before I started doing all those melodramatic stuff.

There are times in the book that I almost wanted to cry.

Also, it’s one hell of a page-turner.  I couldn’t stop reading it!  The book laid open on my desk at work and I occasionally read a few pages every now and then.  I wanted to know how it ends so badly.

I also love the way that the story is also very engaging to the readers, like the way that you want to share with Simon’s adventure and search for the mysterious identity of Blue.  I had speculations.  I said, if this would be him, the story would be stupid.  If this would be a girl, it would be disappointing (and Will Grayson-ish).  If it was this other characters, it just doesn’t make any sense.  But there’s this minor character who would probably fit.  AND I WAS DAMN RIGHT.  I predicted it but it was good, because all the other options would make a really bad story.  I predicted it but it was good, because if I was the one who wrote the story, I would’ve written it the same way.

3.  Scythe by Neal Shusterman (2016)

SCORE: 4.610

This is only my second Neal Shusterman book and I think I’m starting to become a fan.  In this novel, he created a world that is so thought-provoking, and he made it distinct among the over-crowded dystopian novels of the recent years.

I recommend this to anyone who loved reading The Hunger Games—or just to anyone who loves to read—because it gives you the same emotions.  Different story, same feeling.  It will surprise you.  It will scare you.  It will excite you.  And at a certain point, it will crush your heart.

See full review

2.  We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson (2016)

SCORE: 4.615

This book portrays the message that no person in this world has a perfect life.  We are all flawed, and we all have reasons to be unhappy.

I was heavily impressed at how Hutchinson was able to incorporate that factor in all of his characters.   That is what I like most about this book.  Anyone in the world who loves to read may be able to have a connection to it—naturally, everyone of us has imperfections and we can empathize on the characters because of that.

I love the little sci-fi things that are enclosed in-between chapters, including the main premise that Henry (the main character) is abducted by aliens.  And I love the mystery by the end as to whether or not these abductions are true or just a figment of Henry’s imagination. *Spoiler alert, if you’re wondering how this part of the story is resolved… it was never resolved*

He’s depressed and he probably has anxiety so this could possibly his mind’s manifestations to cope up with his life.  This real-unreal phenomenon kinda reminds me of A Monster Calls… you know, you’re not sure if whether or not the Monster was real or not.

This factor adds a little interaction with the readers as it forces us to use our own creativity and rely solely on our imagination on how this all adds up.  It can be true.  It cannot be true.

And also, the book has these occasional moments that will really crush your heart.  You know how much I love books that do that to me.

AND THE AWARD FOR THE BEST BOOK I READ IN 2017 GOES TO...

1.  The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (2003)

SCORE: 4.630

I’ve seen this book on store shelves a couple of times and I always overlooked it.  Probably because the cover isn’t very much appealing to me, and I’m not a usual fan of books that center on war themes, especially those that are set in the middle east.

So when I finally paid attention to it, and saw the good reviews it had on Goodreads, I said to myself.  “I effin’ need to read this.”

Also, one of the reasons why I decided to read it is for this list.  At the time, this list was dominated by YA novels, all of which have LGBTQ themes in them.  Had We Are the Ants topped the list, for three years straight, YA-LGBTQ books bagged the top plum.  I have nothing against these type of books—I like them, obviously—but I thought that I just need some sort of variety.

Going back to this book... this has left me scarred.  There are scenes in the book that I will never, ever be able to forget.  Like there were scenes that I read while I was inside a bus on my way home, and I had to stop reading because I didn’t want people to see me crying in public.  Unfortunately, I still cried.

For me, this book tells us that life will always be full of sh*t.  You may have your good days, but it will always try to test you.  Other than that, it tells us that there are people in this world who would die for honor, and for love.

I will no longer tell anymore about this book.  I suggest that you should just read it.  I highly recommend it.  Definitely one of my favorites.

Other books considered for this list were I Wrote This for You by Iain S. Thomas, Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, Chasers of the Light by Tyler Knott Gregson,  Kids of Apetite by David Arnold, and Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon.  I really wish that they were in the top—especially the poetry books by Thomas and Gregson, that would’ve been a first—but I only need ten and 2017 was just crowded with good books.

I read better books this year than the past year.  You can just tell from the ratings.  The tenth place on this was already on 4.250—I had to include a third decimal to break the ties, that’s why the scores are so close.  Last year’s tenth was at 3.68, and the first book to actually go higher than 4.250 was All the Light We Cannot See with 4.32, last year’s fourth placer.  Last year’s first placer— I’ll Give You the Sun which scored 4.57—was edged out by this year’s with 4.630.

I wish I would still have the same dilemma for 2018.  I know it’s a problem, but it’s a good problem.

Happy book-reading this 2018!

[mjvliteraryblog-blog]

Why Book Reviews Are So Important

  Photo by Chris Benson on Unsplash

“Disappointing”; “deflating”; “soul-destroying”; and, “a real jolt back to Earth!”  These are just a few things authors have said to me after self-publishing their book, and realizing what comes next.

It’s such a shame!  As an author, I know full well the amount of hard work, passion and dedication which goes into writing a book: the first drafts; second drafts; third drafts… rewriting; editing; proofreading.  This is not to mention all the work which goes into the self-publishing process itself: the conversion to formats; getting the metadata right; formatting page and text, over and over, because you just can’t get it to display properly; getting the dimensions correct.  Then, downloading – or even purchasing – your proof copy, only to find that it is still wrong!  (Scream!!)   So, to finally get it right, publish your book and draw a line underneath it is a massive achievement, a weight off your shoulders and a moment for celebration.  Now, you can ensure it’s on Goodreads and Amazon, sit back, do a bit of social media and wait for the sales – and subsequently the reviews – to start coming in, creating a self-fulfilling cycle.  

So, where are they!?

Unfortunately for the self-publishing author, promoting and selling your book is a full-time job, which requires expertise and investment of time - and often money.  Simply put, it is a business.  And, as we all know about business, you need to speculate to accumulate; in any industry, those with time and money to promote themselves will invariably be more successful than those without it.  That said, few businesses are as competitive as the book industry: over a million new books are self-published every year – that’s over 2700 per day!  Can you imagine any other industry in which you are up against that level of competition?  Therefore, whilst of course a promotion budget definitely helps, it may not be enough; there is another thing which a book as a product relies on heavily, to stand out from the crowd – perhaps more so than any other business: customer (or in this case, reader) reviews.

THINK ABOUT THE PEOPLE BUYING THE BOOKS

Buying books – particularly fiction books – is often an impulse.  Unless a reader is looking to purchase a specific title (in which case, they will probably do so via your link somewhere), it is safe to assume that they are probably browsing; as an unknown, self-published author, this is probably going to be your customer base.  So, whilst not exactly relevant to this specific blog, it is still important at this point to advise of the following: ensure your book’s tags and keywords in all the blurb and copy are spot-on and comprehensive.  If a reader is browsing for the following, for example: a medical thriller set in a Dystopian future, then you need to make sure your book’s description and metadata include those keywords, or you haven’t a hope of being found.  Your author name, whilst obviously a relevant keyword, is meaningless to them and is not what they are looking for – if it were, of course there would be no need for any of this.  Imagine looking for your book on a book-market stall, using the same search criteria: “medical, sci-fi, future” – even then, in a big market, there will probably be hundreds of matching titles.  Your potential customer, therefore, needs some other means of making their decision.

The first, of course, and the most purist-driven, is the cover.  People are drawn to a book’s cover when browsing in a bookshop – if it falls under their preferred genre – so this has to be eye-catching and relevant (read the blog: “Do People Actually Judge A Book By Its Cover?  Why Your Book’s Cheap Exterior Might Be Hiding A Literary Gem”).  However, that applies when browsing in person.  Online – where a self-published author will most certainly be trying to sell their book – readers will probably have narrowed their criteria even further, and the most common way online shoppers do this is by customer reviews.  According to latest research by Qualtrix (2019), 93% of people say that their online purchasing decisions are influenced by reviews.  Therefore, it would seem that those searching by a book’s cover are unlikely to see past a mediocre one, whereas those searching by review rating are less likely to care about the cover at all!

Simply put, customer reviews are a must for any new business, but especially books by unknown authors.

HOW DO I GET BOOK REVIEWS?

Many of you are now thinking that this much is obvious, and that the issue isn’t whether to get reviews – you already know that you need them – the issue is how to get them.

If you search book reviewers online you will be inundated with blogs and websites by readers who just love to read books in your genre – there are literally hundreds; perhaps thousands.  Of course, to locate then contact them all would take weeks, to be optimistic.  To make life easier for you, just assume that the best of them can usually be found on the following lists (myself included):

·         BOOK BLOGGER LIST

·         KINDLE BOOK REVIEW

·         BOOK REVIEWERS’ DIRECTORY

·         TWEET YOUR BOOKS

Whilst all excellent resources, sometimes the information can be a little out of date.  Often you’ll find, when your visit the individual bloggers’ sites, that they have restricted the service, or suspended it altogether.  There is a very simple reason for this: they are utterly overwhelmed by submissions (at the time of writing this blog I have well over 200 books on my TBR list!).  If you are able to send them your book, many will reply outright that they simply aren’t able to read it, or that you should come back in a few months; some say they’ll do their best.  The number of reviewers able or willing to say yes straight away is far smaller than that which are not.  Moreover, if a reviewer agrees to add your book to their list and promises to read it, bear in mind that it may be months before they actually get around to doing so. There are no guarantees at all.

At MJV, we have compiled a comprehensive global list of reviewers, including preferred genres and first name contacts, and can contact all relevant bloggers on your behalf.  To find out more about the MJV reviewer service, visit https://www.mjvliterary.com/reviewer-submissions.php

SHOULD I EVER PAY FOR A BOOK REVIEW?

This is a contentious issue amongst many authors.  If you search this question online you will find many people who say you absolutely should never pay for a review of your book.  Their arguments against doing so are most commonly, though not exclusively:

1.       There are literally hundreds of reviewers out there willing to read your book for free;

and, more importantly:

2.       How can a paid book review be considered impartial and honest?

The first is pretty self-explanatory, and of course true, but as mentioned above, “willing” and “able” are not necessarily the same thing.  But, as a blogger who offers both free and paid reviews, I have to say that I find the second insinuation – that payment somehow indicates bribery or coercion for a positive book review – particularly insulting.  There are many paid services, in many industries, to which this allegation can be equally applied, yet it isn’t, so why book reviews?

This is where a reviewer’s policy comes in particularly important, which you should always read, and certainly if your review is a paid one.  Any reviewer of any integrity should ALWAYS stipulate, very clearly, that paying in no way implies or guarantees a positive review, and has no bearing at all upon the rating he/she gives.  My own policy clearly states “I do not offer favourable reviews in exchange for Premium payment” (www.mattmcavoy.com).  If you are intending to pay for positive reviews, there are plenty of bogus offers out there, on websites such as Fiverr and even eBay, which can provide these in the same way as fake followers and likes on social media.  If you do choose to undertake these services, consider that this makes you as active a participant in these online scams as the vendors, and live with the fact that your book reviews are not genuine; I would strongly urge you to follow your conscience in this respect.  Decent, ethical reviewers may offer a paid service, but they should not be tarred with the same brush as the corrupt ones.  Whether you choose to pay for a review is your choice, but don’t expect that you are buying a guaranteed positive one, because with any decent reviewer, blogger or influencer, you will not be.

So, why do some ethical book reviewers offer paid reviews?  Simple: to guarantee your book will be read and your review posted within a timeframe, and no other reason.  Payment may enable them to prioritize your book in a way that other work commitments may restrain them from so doing, and they can reasonably be expected to post before or on a specific day, as stipulated by the authors – for example, to coincide with a book launch.  The alternative option may only be to sit on their TBR shelf and wait for something which may never happen.

AND FINALLY…  PROBLEMS POSTING AMAZON REVIEWS

Aah… Amazon (shaking head emoji)!

This website, I’m afraid, is a law unto itself.  I challenge you to find one habitual book reviewer who has not argued at least once with Amazon about having their reviews suddenly, indiscriminately and unexpectedly removed.  Their interactive features are monitored by bots, and these bots, frankly, are quite mad.  Imagine the Mad Hatter’s tea party with A.I. guests, and you’ll probably see Amazon’s review bots there.  They are ruthless, and they remove reviews simply in response to their voices in their own heads!

The reasons they cite are usually related to their posting policy, which is generic and ambiguous at best.  It is also dynamic and constantly changing to provide a more secure and genuine customer experience – in other words, what is acceptable today may not be tomorrow; you’ll simply never know; I gave up trying to second-guess them long ago. Obviously they do this to tackle the very same scam artists mentioned earlier, and it will only get tougher, in response to the currently ongoing TripAdvisor fake reviews scandal.  Whilst this is understandable and admirable, the problem with Amazon is their proactive approach, and their unofficial policy: “if in any doubt, shoot first, and don’t ask questions at all.”  Often, bloggers don’t know their reviews have been removed until the author has complained to us, and we can offer no explanation.  Incidentally, I recently had reviews removed because I hadn’t spent enough money on Amazon (genuinely) – I bought a few things for $50, and my reviews were reinstated.

  Photo by Pinho on Unsplash

The simple fact is that nobody can guarantee the longevity of their reviews on Amazon – if they say they can, they are lying to you or themselves.  The review might be posted easily enough, but whether it is still there a year later is anyone’s guess - even Amazon don’t know what their policy will be then.  In a nutshell, don’t expect reviews to stay on Amazon – expect to keep having to work, tirelessly, to get them and keep the cycle going.  This is very concerning, to be honest, because Amazon is undoubtedly where most self-published authors are trying to sell their books.  If only there was another way.

If you would like your book reviewed, send it to Matt McAvoy at https://www.mattmcavoy.com/your-book-reviews.php

[bookbeani]

TBR Tag

Thanks @the-forest-library and @lizziethereader for tagging me!

1. How do you keep track of your TBR pile? I use goodreads to keep track of all the books I want to eventually read, but the books I physically own that I haven’t read are just interspersed with my other books on my shelves. 

2. Is your TBR mostly print or ebook? It’s all print. I don’t own any ebooks. 

3. How do you determine which book to read next? It usually comes down to what mood I’m in, really. I have a tentative shortlist of books I want to get to sooner than others, but it’s always changing, and sometimes I’ll plan to read one book and on a whim pick up another and just start reading. 

4. A book that’s been on your TBR list the longest? The oldest book on my goodreads tbr is The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer. Of my physical tbr, it’s The Great Gatsby, though not from lack of trying.

5. A book you recently added to your TBR? The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller on goodreads, and The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky on my physical tbr. 

6. A book in your TBR strictly because of its beautiful cover?                         I don’t think there are any? I won’t add/buy a book just for its cover. It might be added incentive, but I do care about content.  

7. A book on your TBR that you never plan on reading? Again, I don’t think there are any? Planning to read a book is sort of the whole point of it being on your tbr... 

8. An unpublished book on your TBR that you’re excited for? The Book of Dust by Philip Pullman!! 

9. A book on your TBR that basically everyone has read but you? Ohhh there are a lot. First that comes to mind is The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater. 

10. A book on your TBR that everyone recommends to you? Ummm I honestly can’t think of any right now? 

11. A book on your TBR that you’re dying to read? THE LIES OF LOCKE LAMORA. I’ve been screaming about reading this book for a good six months now, but for some reason I still haven’t gotten around to reading it. 

12. How many books are on your TBR shelf? On goodreads, a whopping 440, but physically only around 15. 

I’m tagging: @mlledevoltaire @rantreader @readingbooksinisrael @the-forest-library @thelibraryofmars @captainbookamir @littlebitdodgy @howlsmovinglibrary and anyone else who wants to do this!

[romancereadingdiva]

Coldhearted Heir Excerpt Reveal!

COLDHEARTED HEIR, the first book in The Heirs series by Michelle Heard, is coming August 26th, and today I have an excerpt reveal for you!

Excerpt: 

From Hunter’s POV…

I’ve been staying in my room so Jade can get settled without running into me. I shouldn’t give a fuck whether she’s uncomfortable with me here, but I do.

Frustration mixes with the memories of our lost friendship. I can’t stop loving Jade the way she stopped caring about me. It’s not that easy.

Our friendship must’ve meant more to me than it did to her.

Needing a distraction, I open my playlist on my phone and turn up the volume when Love The Way You Lie starts to play. 

I let the angry lyrics wash over me, and hurt and frustration boil to the surface. Wanting Jade to know how I feel about this fucking war, I yank my door open. Jase, who was just about to pass by my room to get to his own, freezes like a deer caught in headlights.

Jade yanks her door open, and glares at me, her breaths already rushing over her parted lips.

“Oh,” Jase says as he takes a couple of steps backward. “Fuck.”

I can see heartache mixing with the anger on her face, and I know the lyrics are getting through to her. I’m totally taking it as a win.

My eyes are locked on Jade’s as the song ends. I lift my phone and press stop, but Jade makes a show of looking at her own phone, and soon a song starts to play. The words are drenched in pain as they drift to me.

And I listen. I force myself to stay rooted, my eyes glued to Jade’s while the words lash at me. Praying. The fucking song hurts, tearing my already fucked up heart to shreds, but I don’t back away. This is the longest we’ve been in the same space since that night.

Hearing just how much Jade is hurting is sobering and tormenting. I always thought somehow we’d be able to work through this, but now I’m not so sure.

Where do I even begin to get past the walls she’s put up between us?

The song is a clear fuck you. Jade has no intention of ever being friends with me again.

When her song ends, I press play on Too Good At Goodbyes. I hope she listens to the lyrics the way I listen to hers. If this is the only way we can talk, then so be it.

Jase ducks low and rushes past our rooms. Before he disappears into his bedroom, he mumbles, “Fun times.”

As Jase takes refuge, other doors around us open, and our friends peek out of their rooms.

“They’re finally communicating,” Mila whispers to Fallon.

While the lyrics drift around us, I silently beg Jade, ‘Don’t think I’m heartless or cold. I don’t want to say goodbye. I still want to mean something to you. But fuck, you keep hurting me, and I’m only human. I’m scared the time will come where I can’t take anymore, and it will really mean the end of us.’

I can’t tell whether Jade can hear what I’m trying to say until she presses play on another song. Yeah, it’s going to be another soul-destroyer. She doesn’t care about what I want or how I feel.

The words You Broke Me First cuts right through me. I can see Jade is affected in the same way, and her raw pain screaming from her eyes is a blow that almost takes me to my knees.

 I don’t choose another song, which has Jade continuing her torture session by playing another gut-punching song. It’s angrier than the first two, and I notice how the pain in her eyes dims as rage takes its place.

Crossing my arms, I lean against the door jamb while the tension keeps building. I don’t miss how Jade’s breaths keep coming faster.

I hate seeing her like this.

When I’m Not Afraid starts, Jade’s body tenses. After a couple of seconds, her anger wins out, and dropping her phone, she lunges forward.

Her arms come around my waist, and with a sweep of her foot, she takes my legs from under me, dropping my ass to the ground. I don’t have time to admire the move because she straddles me and slams a fist against my jaw.

My first instinct is to restrain her, but when a tear splats against my face, my body goes lax, and I let Jade have her way.

I don’t stop her fists, and I take all her anger and sorrow.

Kao is the first to grab hold of Jade, but Noah has to help him pull her off of me.

I sit up and don’t bother wiping the blood from my busted lip. My eyes never leave Jade as she drops to her knees, with our friends on either side of her. The breath she sucks in sounds painful as if she’s choking on the air, then she lets out an agonizing scream.

It’s the first time I see just how much she’s hurting, and it breaks something inside of me.

Maybe it’s the last hope I had of saving our friendship?

The ground might as well tear open and swallow me in a pit of darkness. The finality of losing Jade is too much to bear.

Kao wraps his arms around Jade, and presses her face against his chest, trying his best to console her. His gaze meets mine, and the worry he feels for us makes his blue eyes look like stormy waters.

Noah comes over to me and hands me a piece of toilet paper he must’ve gotten while I was focused on Jade. I wipe the blood from my mouth and slowly climb to my feet.

“I’m sorry, Jade,” I say for the millionth time.

She’s the only person I’ve apologized to in my life.

“I wish I could say I’d do things differently if I had the chance, but there’s still no way I’d let you lose your virginity in a guest room at the age of sixteen. You deserved better than that. And you were way too young,” I finally get to say the words, standing up for my actions of that fateful night.

Jade shoots forward like a bullet and stops an inch from me. I take in her tearstained cheeks and the broken look in her eyes. “Fuck you, Hunter.” She closes the distance between us until I can feel her warm breath on my neck. “Fuck. You.”

 After twenty-four months of frustration and with my heart cracked wide fucking open in my chest, I lose my calm and shout, “What the fuck do you want me to say?”

“The truth!” she yells. “What did you do to Brady when you took him home?”

I suck in a deep breath and take a step backward to put some space between us. Struggling to regain my self-control, I growl, “Nothing. I dropped Brady off at home and left.”

“Liar,” she hisses, and then her face crumbles as she cries, “You’re a fucking liar.”

Jade storms out of my room, and soon after, the slam of her bedroom door echoes through the suite.

Feeling emotional and fucking exhausted, I sink down on the edge of my bed.

Breathe, Hunter.

Just breathe.

It feels like a tornado swept through me. Fuck, things are worse than I thought. The fact that Jade really thinks I played a part in Brady’s suicide sinks in like a ton of bricks.

To be continued…

Blurb: 

From USA Today Bestselling author Michelle Heard comes a new HOT friends to enemies to lovers standalone.

Everything changed the night my boyfriend died.

What should’ve been the most special moment of my life turned into a nightmare. Because of Hunter Chargill, I lost the love of my life. I’ll never forgive him. 

Hunter used to be one of my best friends, but it turns out he’s nothing more than an arrogant a-hole determined to make my life a living hell.

But he should’ve known you can’t break something that’s already broken.

I manage to avoid him until my freshman year at Trinity Academy. Our cruel words and intimidating touches quickly spark a flame, and instead of us going down in a blaze of hatred, desire sizzles to life.

I know I’m in trouble when I start enjoying our fights. Instead of wanting to punch him, I find myself wondering what his lips would feel like on mine.

A stupid game. One kiss. And my perfectly constructed walls come crashing down around me.

I should feel guilty and make Hunter pay for what he’s done.

But sometimes a tormentor becomes a protector.

▪️Add to your Goodreads TBR: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51887064-coldhearted-heir

▪️August 2020 Most Anticipated Romance list: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/144581.August_2020_Most_Anticipated_Romances

▪️Live Alert: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/c7f5e2

[stevensavage]

Marketing For Self-Published Authors and Artists (March 2019)

(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve's Tumblr.  Find out more at my newsletter.)

So as promised, every few months I’m going to update my findings on marketing for indies.  Most of this is oriented towards self-published authors like myself, but a lot of it should help artists too.

The Core Principle: The Web Of Connections

To promote yourself your various activities, giveaways, social media, and so on need to connect and reinforce each other.  If a new book comes out, promote it on your website and give away a few copies in your newsletter.  If you’re speaking on art, give out bookmarks with links to your website.  Everything ties together.

This does make finding what works a bit challenging, so I take these steps:

Do what is easy, like cross-posting sales and stuff among my social media.  Hey, it’s easy.  Then I monitor what seems to work.

Do what seems rational because let’s face it, this is complicated.  Also see if there’s any useful results that tell you what to do or what not to do.

Advance my marketing with small experiments to see what gets results.  Usually that takes a month or two to show, so I tend to do my experiments every month or every other month.

Record what I find from above.  What do you think this post is?

Over time you’ll find what works for you, what doesn’t, and how elements interact.  It might help to keep a list like this!

Have A Website

Have a website, period. A website is a place you can send people to that acts as a "hub" for your marketing efforts. It doesn't have to be complex (I've got some tips below), it has to be a place that acts as a hub for finding out more about you. The goal of a website is to have a one-stop-show for people to come to for information, and leave from to go to your various portfolios, books, social media, etc.

Follow these steps:

Get a domain name (networksolutions.com, tierra.net are recommended). Make sure the name is unique, fits you, and can be re-purposed if your plans change (FrankDoesArt.com is a bit specific, but FrankGetsCreative.com is more general).

Set up a website. Most people I know use www.dreamhost.com or www.wix.com. Just start with one page to make it easy - I've seen successful authors whose page is a blurb and a list of books.

A fast way to do it is buy a domain and redirect it to one of your social media accounts or a portfolio setup (like Twitter or LinkedIn).  You can build the site later.

Link to all your books, art, portfolio, and social media from here.

This website should be mentioned in your books, social media, etc.

Link to all your social media from the website – LinkedIn, Goodreads, whatever.  Well, whatever is appropriate, like maybe no one wants your photo collection of antique pots on that photo sharing site.

Other things to add:

A schedule of speaking engagement.

Reviews of your books.

Testimonials.

Helpful downloads - like character sheets, guides, etc.

Have Appropriate Social Media

Social media is a troublesome subject. Yes, it can let you market - or be annoying. Yes it can let you meet people - or it can waste time. However, done right it's a great way to connect with people.

Your social media should always link back to your website and in many cases, your other social media. This helps create a "web" of connections, so people are able to go to one social media source, find your others, and of course buy your stuff.

My takes on social media in rough order are:

Twitter: Twitter, for it's many flaws, has a lot of use, its simple, and with lists and filtering (and learning when to ignore it) you can meet authors, promote yourself, and be found. I'd determine what approach you want to use (from marketing to just goofing off) and do it.

LinkedIn: You should have a LinkedIn profile anyway, but how much of your "creative" life you want to share or link to depends on your goals and personal image. I also will say if you use LinkedIn don't forget all the great posting and stuff you can do there, and the communities.

Instagram and other photo-sharing sites: Some people use this to promote their work, others use it as a sort of photoblog. I'm mixed on it myself.

Facebook: Facebook keeps having issues, but it helps to have a presence. I'd keep an author page on it at the very least and see how you engage.

Amazon Author Site: Set up your Amazon Author Site at Author Central.  This also can be a place to point your web domain.

By the way, a good way to manage social media in one go is www.Hootsuite.com.

Have A Blog

Blogs are ways to post thoughts, essays, and more, turning your web presence into a kind of personal magazine/announcement/discussion board. Most authors use them, though at various rates of usage, from constant posts to "occasional speaking updates."

A blog is usually part of your author website, and thus is another reason to come there - and to go and check out your work and your other media. Most blog setups can act as your author page as well (which is what I do).

I use blogs to:

Give weekly updates on myself.

Post various essays and thoughts.

Review or promote interesting things.

In a few cases, blog posts then became other books, or I round them up to publish free "compendiums."

You can set up blogs at the following sites, with various advantages and limits. Some allow you to use your own domain name, some don't.

Most webhosts.

Wordpress.com

Blogspot.com

A few techniques:

You can get a domain and just point it at your blog or a similar site (like your Tumblr) and save time.

Some authors and artists do blog tours where they post across each other's blogs.

If you have related social media accounts (LinkedIn, Tumblr, etc.) consider posting your blog entries to all of them when appropriate. Just make sure they redirect to your site.

Set up an RSS feed (or find it's address in a standard setup) and put a link on your blog. I also recommend www.feedburner.comdespite it being sort of static by now.

Mailchimp.com and some other mail software programs let people subscribe to a blog feed so they get email updates. You can also load those with helpful extras and information.

An important caveat - if you're a prolific writer, you have to find the blogging/writing balance. It's not an easy call because a few long blog posts can take as much time to set up as a small fiction piece. In some cases small books may be like blog posts so you have to ask “write a book or write a set of blog posts.”  I cover that more later.

Have A Newsletter

A newsletter is the way to engage with readers and keep people informed, as well as give them cool reviews, interesting updates, and more. In some ways it's like a mailed blog, but I separate them as a newsletter is more focused and like an update, whereas blogs can be more freeform. If you don't do a blog, do a newsletter, and if you only have time for one do the newsletter.

The ruler of newsletters is www.mailchimp.com, which has an amazing free service and reasonable paid services.

Make sure that your newsletter subscription form(s) are linked to from as much social media as possible and, of course, your website.

Some newsletter tips:

Don't overdo it or underdo it - I do it twice a month or so.

Find a "feel" for your newsletter - a roundup, personal, chatty, serious, etc. Judge what works.

Include any vital updates about your work. Link to your blog, new books, cool things.

Give away "Lead Magnets" - basically free stuff like samples, an occasional free book copy, downloadable cool stuff, etc.

Use it to promote other cool things - help folks out.

Remember that most newsletter software gives you all sorts of statistics and data - you can use this to improve reaching people!

Physical Media

Many authors and artists give away cards, bookmarks, etc.  I find these different giveaways vary in effectiveness, so I’m not sure how well they work for me or you.  However, it doesn’t stop me from doing them as they’re easy, and sometimes expected.  I also figure saturating the world with references to my work helps.

The one challenge is that this costs money, and you may not want to spend money on business cards, bookmarks, etc.  So you want to balance your choices.

Here’s what I try and what I find works:

Business Cards – These are a must if you’re serious, and the only physical media I can truly say that about.  Business Cards are cheap to get, easy to give out, and even expected.  Most print shops and office supply stores have quick options.

Bookmarks – This is popular among the book crowd for obvious reasons.  I’m not sure how well they work, but they do make it easy to set out information, give them away in panels, leave at interested shops, etc.  They can be a bit pricey depending on the deal you swing,

Mini-pictures – I’ve seen artists give away small cards with their art and contact information, sort of a sample/bookmark/business card fusion.  This may be worth trying.

For printed bookmarks and the like I recommend www.clubflyers.com.

I always have business cards with me, keep some bookmarks in my car, and take bookmarks to any events I speak at.

Giveaways And Promotionals (Mostly Authors)

A great way to get people's attention is to give out stuff like free books, extras, samples, and more. With these properly done (and linked back to other works), its a great way to get attention, meet people, and of course get sales.

There's two services I recommend for authors.  For artists you may have to look for other methods.

Prolificworks.com - having both free and subscription modes, it lets you give away work and join (or create) promotionals. The paid version lets you tie giveaways into your mailing list as well. It does get a bit pricey beyond the Free level ($20 to $50 a month), so I recommend paid tiers for serious authors nly.

www.bookfunnel.com - Is a cheap ($20 a year to start) way to do book giveaways in a variety of formats, and higher tiers include features like Prolificworks.com. I'm fond of the starter tier as its a great way to make book giveaways easier (and if you don't want to host your giveaways).

To make these work you have to obviously be dedicated to it and work out strategies. I use them to:

Give away free stuff and samples to my newsletter subscribers.

Give away a few copies of new books via Prolificworks.com

Have promotional giveaways (often samples) that people can sign up to my newsletter to get.

I join groups on Prolificworks.com to do team giveaways.

I use both - Instafreebie lets me set up easy giveaways, and Prolificworks gives me all sorts of options.

If you use KDP, there's a KDP Exclusive you can use for eBooks. In exchange for making your work exclusive with Amazon, you get some tools to set up sales and giveaways.  It’s easy for starting authors.

Have A Portfolio

If you're a visual artist of any kind, have a portfolio. Put it on your website, use a social media site like Deviantart.com, whatever. People want to see your work and maybe buy it, so make it easy to do. If you take commissions, it's pretty much a way to market yourself.

Non-visual artists like authors may want a portfolio as well. This would contain:

Cover art.

Sample works.

Free giveaways.

Summaries of your work (with links to purchase it). For instance, I have a press website a lot like this.

Do Series

If you're doing fiction, you probably already have a series in mind. If your books are non-fiction, you may want to group them into series, because various bookselling sites will remind people that "X book is part of Y" series.  If you’re an artist, this may help as well.

It's near-free advertisement.

My general finding is that series help get people’s attention.  If they like something, they check the series.  If they like the series idea but not a specific piece, they may check the rest of the series.

It also shows commitment.  If you’ve got a series, you’ll be around.

I do think it takes time for a series to “take off.”  Once it starts getting attention and people buy other books, then they get more recommendations, more attention, etc.

Calculated Distribution (Authors)

This part is pretty much only for authors – and for book distribution.

For print books, your usual choices are Amazon and IngramSpark (or IngramSpark via Lulu).  Amazon doesn’t charge, the other services do, but bookstores don’t always like to stock Amazon books as it’s a competitor.

For ebooks, your choices are:

Go with Amazon’s KDP Select, where you only go through Amazon but get marketing tools like sales.  Amazon is the majority of the market, so if you go Amazon its easier.

Distribute incredibly widely.  This takes time, and you don’t get Amazon’s marketing tools, but you get the chance to make more sales.  Some authors I know find they sell more books outside of Amazon, but I haven’t figured out any rules or principles to this.

If you go broad here’s my take

Draft2Digital is the easiest way to go broad, but only does eBooks.  I also recommend managing your Amazon account separately.  Draft2Digital doesn’t have the broadest range, but it’s free (taking a cut of your sales) and very, very well done.

Smashwords is also free, but takes a larger cut and doesn’t have the extras of Draft2Digital.  It does get into a few unusual areas of distribution.

Lulu.com will do full service, but partners with Ingrahm, and there are charges.

Ingrahm is full service as well, and charges.  It’s probably a better choice than Lulu these days.

Publish Lots Of Stuff

Like it or not your goal as a creator is to be noticed so people get ahold of your work and benefit from it.  This means that you may need to create lots of works to get attention – or use work that you aren’t making public to do the same.

For instance, I realized that a lot of my blog ideas were better off as books – or could be turned into books.  There was far more benefit to turning certain ideas into small books (or expanding existing work into books) than letting things sit.  Some things just work better as a book anyway, and I have more works that people can get their hands on.

(Plus, the polishing that goes into a book made them, honestly, higher quality.)

If you’re an artist it’s probably the same thing, depending on your market.  If you have lots of different things to sell and buy and do you increase your chance to get more sold.

Advertising (Mostly for Authors)

I’ve used both Google ads and Amazon for books, though it’s been awhile since I’ve done Google (and I may want to try again).  I have done a lot with Ams, or Amazon Marketing Services.

AMS lets you set up promotional ads to appear during searches, and you can set up keywords, target them, and even decide what to pay for a clickthrough.  It’s a pretty advanced tool, and though it obviously only targets Amazon, that’s a pretty big market!  The challenge is that you have to figure out the right words, monitor progress (to avoid overspending or waste), and tweak marketing for each book.

I’ve found it effective, but it takes a lot of work.  What I do is update AMS every month or so with new terms, shut off ones that aren’t working, and try to get an idea of what works.  You can download data from each ad you set up, and then make a new ad with just the data that worked.  You honestly need to start with 100-200 search terms to get it working.

AMS works, but it takes effort – and obviously you pay for ads even if you don’t sell anything.  It’s a good advanced practice.

More To Come

So these are just what I'm doing now (and what I wrote up, I'm sure I forgot a few things). I'm always trying different promotional efforts and other ways to help people find my books.

Steven Savage

www.StevenSavage.com

www.InformoTron.com