Managing Book Branding May 21, 2012
Posted by shannonmuir in Advice, ebooks, epub, indie publishing, marketing, promotion, Writing.Tags: blog, heart's duty, marketing, phoenix rises, spontaneous choices, the heart's duty, the phoenix rises, website
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Over the course of the week I launched yet another website related to my book titles called SPONTANEOUS CHOICES. I know I still need an improved logo for it; I didn’t realize the template I bought and otherwise liked required something or the template brand came in as placeholder.
The story behind this new site is that I have a new single book on tap and was thinking about how to give it more of a destination feel than just pushing it on this blog (similar to what I have for WILLOWBROOK SAGA and TRUTH REVEALED and was trying to decide what URL to purchase. Then it hit me that I didn’t really have any real place for THE PHOENIX RISES or THE HEART’S DUTY either (my other book, TOUCH THE STARS, though not officially not part of the Willowbrook Saga is deeply connected so gets pushed on that page). I wondered if there might be a way to brand selling them all on the same site. I realized what all the leads had in common is they make choices while taking risks without thinking much of the consequences, then get stuck having to face the music in some fashion. From there, the new website was born.
Today writing is more about just putting words to paper and then making them publicly available, and hoping people will come. There’s a lot of effort – and a degree of expense – in enabling people to discover what you have to offer. The trick is to figure out how to do this in both an economical and effective way. We’ll see how this “combined destination” experiment works since the books aren’t technically branded this way at the moment.
The Fun and Challenges of Series Characters March 12, 2012
Posted by shannonmuir in analysis, Books, characters, ebooks, epub, fiction, indie, indie publishing, Kindle, NOOK, novels, plot, self-publishing, series, Smashwords, truth revealed, Willowbrook Novels, Willowbrook Saga, world building, Writing.Tags: everything changes, Half Truth and Full Lye, truth revealed, writing book series
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Right now I’m doing outlines for two books that are next in series. One is the next for THE WILLOWBROOK SAGA (where Book 1, EVERYTHING CHANGES, is currently exclusive to Kindle); the other is the follow-up to the TRUTH REVEALED series (Book 1, HALF TRUTH AND FULL LYE, is available at a wide variety of retailers including for Kindle, NOOK, Smashwords, and more). This got me thinking about why it is that readers – and writers – might find characters in a series so fascinating.
I guess the most important thing is that if we enjoy the ride in following the story, there’s the feeling one made a great investment. There’s the knowledge there is more to come and something to wait for and hopefully new things to discover – and that I think is as true for readers as it is for writers. For me half the fun is often discovering new things about my characters as I write and I do hope readers enjoy making discoveries as well. The challenge for me writing a series comes in revealing enough to make the story hold together but holding back enough mysteries about the characters that a reader will want to return to that next book in the series. It also allows for a lot richer character and world development that doesn’t force packing everything into one ultra-epic novel, particularly when writing SF and fantasy (those these are areas I have yet to try to actually write myself).
The thinking about reader investment is also the reason I’ve adopted the first book at 99 cents model, and future books in a series at 2.99 model, which you’ll see me use in both cases. I want the financial investment of readers at the start of the series to be minimal, that way if they find it isn’t a fit they don’t feel much has been lost. However, I’m hoping that if people enjoy what they received in the first volume, they’ll be willing to spend a little more on subsequent volumes. You still have to consider that with the lower price on the first book in the group, the average price comes down to lower than 2.99 but less is invested upfront.
I’m looking forward to giving people more insight to both the town of Willowbrook and the schemes and plans of Edana that Extraordinary and how Truth and Lye still need to work against her to save the world. I’m hoping that what I’ve written will encourage readers to join me on the adventure.
Sample Sunday: The Phoenix Rises March 4, 2012
Posted by shannonmuir in epub, fiction, indie, indie publishing, Kindle, new release, Sample, self-publishing, Smashwords, Writing.Tags: librarian, library, older woman younger man, romance, Sample Sunday, the phoenix rises
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In 2010, while working at a company that handled a lot of digital media, I decided to learn more about how libraries work and see what about that might be applicable to better understanding the use of access, organization and storage of information in a digital age. Not in a position to afford to pursue a Masters of Library Science, I enrolled in the Library Technician program at Long Beach City College. With the help of one transfer online class in Introduction to Cataloging from Spokane Falls Community College in Spokane, Washington, I completed the program in May 2011.
Though I have yet put any of this information to use in a work setting, I learned a lot from my experiences. Right about the same point where I was laid off from my last job, inspiration struck to try writing a romance in a library situation using all I’d learned as reference. The result of those efforts is the new book, THE PHOENIX RISES, available at Kindle and Smashwords. Here’s an excerpt that also helps give insight into one aspect of the title.
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The next morning, I came in to find Stern brought donuts. As soon as I walked in the door, he handed me two apple turnovers.
“A little bird told me I missed your birthday yesterday. Did I do okay? I think I remember you like the apple turnovers.”
“That’s right,” I confirmed back, again impressed at Stern’s attention to detail. “But remember there’s no sweet talking – or even sweet feeding – your way to a grade.”
We both laughed at the comment like two people sharing a private joke. Then I could feel that sense of a cold stare bearing down on me and saw a displeased Mrs. Farnham across the room.
“Keep it professional,” I reminded Stern, half reminding myself as well.
I loved getting Stern’s insights on new reference resources to add to the library. In turn, he would pick my brains as to handle to handle various reference situations in new and more effective ways. We really complemented one another.
One day, I gathered Stern’s thoughts on the importance of libraries to society when he was getting to do a turn shadowing me at the reference desk.
“Without the ability to understand history, and preserve history so that people don’t repeat the past, we lose our ability to not repeat our past mistakes,” Stern responded.
As usual, it proved to be one of his very well thought out responses.
“That’s a very good response,” I admitted. “Yet people seem to repeat history enough as it is, even with all this knowledge at their fingertips. Sometimes they even use that knowledge to make the repeats.”
“Can’t argue with you there,” Stern said.
“There’s also just so many other facts to consider,” I noted to him. “If we didn’t preserve all this information we wouldn’t have so much information retained about various cultures and how the meanings of things vary between them, to help improve cultural understanding.”
“Oh yeah, definitely,” Stern agreed. “Like the Phoenix. That’s one of my favorites.”
That got my attention.
“Why exactly?” I asked him. “I know it occurs in many cultures but I don’t know as much about the Phoenix as I’d like. I mean I’ve helped people look it up a couple of times and remember there have been various references.”
Since it was a quiet moment at the desk, Stern called up some various references he knew how to find on the subject. Again, I admired his memory, speed, and attention to detail.
“Many cultures embrace the idea of the Phoenix as a symbol of rebirth, and that’s pretty well publicly known. Apparently, well before the birth of Christ, people believed a phoenix took three days to transform from the ashes. Other people believe it to have been a kind of precursor to the Philosopher’s Stone. Incredible stuff.”
“So,” I asked him. “Why is the Phoenix so personally important to you?”
“Well,” he said. “I believe everyone deserves a second chance and a rebirth.”
I looked at Stern and analyzed him a moment. Such a profound statement for such a very young man, I thought. I wondered what else might lie below the surface. Mysteries like that just attracted me even more, because now that made him a puzzle I wanted to solve as well. Then I would be the one to know all the secrets about him, giving us an even greater bond.
I practically chastised myself for thinking that. Seriously, no one owns another person, and if anything came of getting to know Stern it would need to be mutual. I’d just need to let the chips fall where they may.
—
Copyright 2012 Shannon Muir. All rights reserved. Do not copy without permission but feel free to link to this blog.
The Underdog Comes Out Ahead February 27, 2012
Posted by shannonmuir in analysis, Books, ebooks, epub, indie, indie publishing, novels, self-publishing.Tags: academy awards, defining success, indie, the artist, underdog
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Last night at the Academy Awards where the little gold statuettes got handed out for film, the top dog in several major categories was a lower budget movie that took a lot of major risks called THE ARTIST – even more remarkably than being a black and white film in a world of color, it is nearly completely silent. While not a true “indie” film by the industry definition, it still took many of the same risks that many “indie” films are noted for. The people involved with the film told the story they wanted to, and while not finding blockbuster audiences, found the recognition for which they’d hoped and the knowledge their story resonated with the audience they wanted to reach.
A lot of talk with indie self-published books is about cracking the bestseller lists and how to compete with the “big guns”. It’s a valid goal, and one many want. But is it something that all of us should feel that we must aspire to to define success, or feel bad about ourselves if we fall short? No, it’s not. I know what I’ve put out to date isn’t blockbuster material; if I felt it was, I would have gone finding ways to knock on the publishers doors the way film scripts are marketed to big studios. My released manuscripts are the equivalent of the small “indie” film with the niche audience where the people who put them together are “over the moon” if it ends up resonating with a large audience, where I’m the “Jill of all trades” making it happen.
If any of my books ended up doing in print the equivalent what happened for THE ARTIST last night, sure that would be great. First and foremost, though, it’s about enjoying what I do and telling the story I want to tell. I’m pretty happy with that.
Not According to Plan February 20, 2012
Posted by shannonmuir in analysis, Books, ebooks, editing, epub, indie, indie publishing, Kindle, self-publishing, Willowbrook Novels, Willowbrook Saga, Writing.Tags: discipline, everything changes, goal setting, goals, KDP Select, motivation, publication, publication calendar, willowbrook nbovels, Willowbrook Saga, writing life
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At the start of the year, I said I was going to experiment with a publishing calendar to try and keep me motivated. While things haven’t been too bad yet, nothing’s quite gone according to plan.
The first ebook I planned to release this year, an adaptation from a previously unproduced screenplay, still needs major revisions due to elements that did not translate well from being planned for the screen to a book. So that moved way down the calendar.
EVERYTHING CHANGES was next in line and it wasn’t so bad, it just moved a couple days because I got sick right as I came to the tail end of bringing that all together. The plan for that ebook was to release it January 31st but it came out February 3rd. This in turn moved the follow up from late April to early May in part because of how I plan to utilize the KDP Select window with THE WILLOWBROOK SAGA promotion.
Right now, the ebook I’m trying to wrap I started last year and put aside in favor of Willowbrook. I intend to make it available immediately to all platforms on initial release. The goal release date for the ebook is February 29th, but right now I am behind again because I have been weighed down by allergies and sinus trouble for days. This manuscript still needs some editing work, and I’m hoping all of that can be wrapped and shown to a few people in the next few days though – but right now, being sick still seems to have the upper hand. Thereby it might be March for this title.
The big issue here is to not beat myself up for not trying to stick to my goals. I think given my situation I’m doing the best I can. Other people might not be as responsible. I just feel like I’m letting others down as well as myself.
So if you haven’t seen me much on social media the last couple days, that’s why, because when you’re real life under the weather it is hard to be motivated to be sociable in any capacity. Going to try and get some more rest and hopefully get back fully in the game soon.
Keep on going for your goal.
After FALL IN LOVE WITH WILLOWBROOK FOR FREE February 13, 2012
Posted by shannonmuir in analysis, Books, ebooks, epub, fiction, giveaway, indie, indie publishing, Kindle, marketing, new release, novels, promotion, self-publishing, Willowbrook Novels, Willowbrook Saga, Writing.Tags: book rankings, everything changes, free ebooks, KDP Select, post-event
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This past weekend (February 11th and 12th) was my first KDP Select promotion, where EVERYTHING CHANGES was offered for free. I chose the theme FALL IN LOVE WITH WILLOWBROOK FOR FREE since Valentine’s Day would be the following Tuesday. I used my blog (without providing links anywhere else but Networked Blogs to Facebook), some direct mentions throughout the weekend on Facebook, and some heavy posting to Twitter, to let people know. Also, I know there are groups that collect lists of all the free books daily and post them in forums and I saw my book on some of those lists.
I was involved in an internet conversation within the last week or so about how the categories that we place ourselves in on Amazon are meaningless and that only overall sales numbers matter. There’s truth to that in some aspects certainly, but the thing about Amazon categories is that we as the writer choose the two places that we want to be perceived and prioritized, and in turn as part of a world with limitless “shelf space,” provide a guide to help people find our books. Little did I know that when I decided to make one of my two classifications “family sagas” (which made sense given what I call the overall name of the set), I would find myself in the top 10 of the free books for that category for most of the weekend – I was there all of Saturday, and Sunday morning, reaching as high as 7. Granted that’s 7 out of only 18 free books for the category, but when the midpoint of 18 is 9 and I got above that, and in fact stayed at 7 or 8 for most of that run, I’m still very happy with those results. It means I reached my target audience and they did respond, and in a category where many of these books are part of longer series (and which I plan to be as well).
Another great note is that this free promotion netted me my first download ever from Amazon Germany. In addition, to my surprise, I even sold one backlist item, so technically I did make money – not much – out of my free promotion.
Granted, now that I’ve turned back to a regular paid product, I have no sales rank at all since the charts are different, so I look like a brand new book fresh on the marketplace. But I can now say about this book how well it performed during the giveaway as part of its ‘pedigree’ if you will. I’m really really pleased with that, and need to figure out how most effectively to use my three remaining free days.
Now if only all the downloads translates into reads, word of mouth, and sales. Even one or two would help the momentum greatly. And if for some reason you missed this weekend, EVERYTHING CHANGES – as the first book of the series – will remain available at 99 cents for those who don’t have Amazon Prime to get access for free.
I had a lot of fun this weekend. Thanks everyone for the support.
Sample Sunday – Willowbrook: The Lazy D February 12, 2012
Posted by shannonmuir in Books, ebooks, epub, indie, indie publishing, Kindle, new release, promotion, Sample, self-publishing, Writing.Tags: lazy d, Sample Sunday, willowbrook
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James Daniels labored in the kitchen of the Lazy D Restaurant, a family barbecue joint that served as the labor of his love and life. An older man with hair just going grey, his portly figure indicated a love of cuisine. Ever since his darling wife passed away so many years ago, he took a barn on the property near the main road of town that used to serve as a common place for square dancing and other social gatherings and created the restaurant that became known as the Lazy D. Though in all honesty, the restaurant originally began as his darling Genevieve’s dream. As the oldest daughter, she’d inherited the family farmland, but like many families in the town who saw the agriculture passing them by, she knew the family would need to do something else to survive. Genevieve adored her husband James’ cooking, who originally came to town as a cook for a restaurant now closed after being burned down in a fire. After the fire resulted in the loss of his job, Genevieve suggested to James that they invest in building their own restaurant. In that moment, the Lazy D became born – but Genevieve would die giving birth to their daughter Erin before the fledgling restaurant got far off the ground. She wouldn’t live to see it discovered on national television and now considered a place to stop for locals and tourists alike.
At that moment, Gretchen McGinty stuck her head into the kitchen. Gretchen worked at the Lazy D as head waitress, with her husband being his decased wife’s younger brother, Frank. Gretchen kept orders well-organized, with a great head for details, and everyone liked her. James felt grateful to have her help in keeping Genevieve’s dream alive.
“Hey James,” Gretchen said, “there’s someone here to see you. Came a long way too. Can you spare a few?”
“I’m kind of busy prepping for the lunch rush,” he told her. It wasn’t unheard of for tourists to ask to meet the chef, but since James worked hands on in so much of what he did, taking time out always proved a challenge. “Tell them I’ll be out in a minute.”
“I was kind of hoping I could come in,” he heard the middle aged male voice. James turned to see his son, Patrick Daniels, in the doorway as Gretchen stepped aside. Patrick inherited many of his mother’s features, such as the brown hair and the shape of her nose. However, Patrick somehow managed to inherit his father’s easygoing nature, despite being old enough to remember the death of his mother.
“Patrick!” James exclaimed, genuinely surprised. “I thought that you all were still in Seattle. Did you bring your wife or the little duckling with you?”
By little duckling, James referred to his granddaughter Cherie. He had two granddaughters the same age, Cherie Daniels and Erin’s only daughter, Ally Galviston. Erin married a horse breeder and her daughter Ally took to a love of horses and the energy of one to match. Cherie tended to be more studious and quiet, but he loved them both.
“No, Wynne and Claire are still in Seattle. I came in town for an interview,” he said. “A history teacher position is going to open up here at the high school starting in the Fall. I’ve decided maybe it’s time to come back home to where my heart is. If they will take me, that is.”
“Like they won’t take you, my boy! You’ve got Willowbrook running in your blood.”
Patrick laughed in a jolly, carefree way that reminded James of himself at that age.
“I guess we’ll just wait and see,” Patrick said.
—
Copyright 2012 Shannon Muir. All rights reserved. Do not copy the contents of this blog post without permission, but feel free to link to it. You can get to know James Daniels’ granddaughter Cherie and the rest of the Daniels clan in EVERYTHING CHANGES, the first book of THE WILLOWBROOK SAGA, available now at Amazon.
Brand New Novel, Brand New Marketing Model February 6, 2012
Posted by shannonmuir in analysis, Books, ebooks, epub, giveaway, indie, indie publishing, Kindle, marketing, new release, novels, promotion, publishing, self-publishing, Willowbrook Novels, Willowbrook Saga, Writing.Tags: coming of age, everything changes, Fall in Love With Willowbrook, Fall in Love With Willowbrook for Free, Free Book Givewaway, giveaway, KDP Select, promotion
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On February 3rd, my latest book came out, part of a series I’ve wanted to do for years. It’s a coming of age series that begins in the latter part of the 1990s called the Willowbrook Saga. For this series, I also decided to try the KDP Select marketing model as offered by Amazon. I want to give people every incentive to try out this book at the lowest possible risk, see if this series is for them, and get feedback. That’s not to say everything I release will go this route. It’s really going to be a case by case basis thing, and a lot will depend on what I see happen with EVERYTHING CHANGES.
Right now, keep your eyes out for the “Fall in Love With Willowbrook for Free” promotion where EVERYTHING CHANGES will be FREE to everyone this Saturday and Sunday, February 11th and 12th, 2012 (based on US Pacific Time), as part of the 5 free days promotion with KDP Select. Grab the book, find out more about the town of Willowbrook and learn more about it with the Harrison sisters as they adjust to life without their parents, then tell your friends and write reviews! When not on promotion, if you’re not eligible for Amazon Prime’s free lending, get in on the ground floor of this series for only 99 cents! So take that chance and fall in love with Willowbrook today by finding out why EVERYTHING CHANGES.
Sample Sunday – Willowbrook: Enough is Enough February 5, 2012
Posted by shannonmuir in ebooks, epub, fiction, indie, indie publishing, Kindle, new release, publishing, Sample, self-publishing, Willowbrook Novels, Willowbrook Saga, Writing.Tags: book series, everything changes, series, willowbrook, Willowbrook Saga
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Earlier this week I released my first book of the multi-book Willowbrook Saga, EVERYTHING CHANGES, exclusively to Kindle as part of the KDP Select program.The Willowbrook Saga follows two girls who meet in the eighth grade and become best friends, through adulthood, and the struggles they face both for themselves and the people they interact with.
Many of Willowbrook’s residents have a history in the town even before the story opens. In EVERYTHING CHANGES, you meet the local grocery store owner Mr. Caldwell and his teenage sons Bill and Jack. However, there’s no sight of their mother. Here’s a glimpse into her world and why she doesn’t appear in EVERYTHING CHANGES – then find out what happens to her sons by getting the book at a value priced 99 cents USD or Free for Amazon Prime members for Kindle at Amazon.com!
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Stephanie ducked as her husband threw a bottle at her. It missed her but shattered against the wall, the half consumed beer within now dripping down the white wall.
“Dammit, Saul. You’ll wake the boys,” she said, referring to their toddler age twin sons Bill and Jack.
“How do I even know they’re mine?” Saul slurred at his young wife Stephanie. “The way men fawn over you all the time. You think I don’t notice? What kind of trouble do you get into while I’m off working all the time slaving at the Market trying to make good for our family?”
“Seriously, you need to get a grip,” she said. Saul did have her personality pegged right; after all, she’d been cheating on someone else when she ended up with him, and in turn his children. Without her family to support her, she’d ended up married to Saul Caldwell who owned the local grocery store in Willowbrook. Sometimes she wished puberty hadn’t caught up with her and Stephanie stayed the geeky teen with glasses and braces. Beauty became most definitely her curse. “I have absolutely no reason to cheat on you. I need you and the boys need you. Why would I risk that?”
Saul grabbed Stephanie by the collar of her fashionable ruffled shirt.
“You better not be gaming me, or I know how to make all your lives miserable.”
Saul thrust Stephanie away from him, up against the wall.
“I’m going to bed, woman.”
Saul walked away and left her there. Stephanie felt glad she hadn’t landed on the broken glass from the beer bottle. She couldn’t take this anymore, no matter how desperate she was. Stephanie knew she needed to get away.
She wondered if she could do it and be able to take Bill and Jack with her as well. Saul did seem to genuinely feel pride in them, even with the occasional accusations about their paternity that always went forgotten when the alcohol wore off in the morning. Maybe they’d be all right if she just left them behind
Maybe she wouldn’t be able to succeed. Stephanie knew that if she left Saul, it would mean leaving Willowbrook behind her forever.
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Copyright 2012 Shannon Muir. All rights reserved. Do not repost to other blogs without permission, but feel free to link to this blog.
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