Monday, 7 July 2014
Friday, 4 July 2014
Amazon : Oxford Author Named Semi-finalist in Kindle Book Awards | PRLog
Swimming Upstream named Kindle Book Award semi-finalist!
PRLog (Press Release) - Jul. 2, 2014 - OXFORD, U.K. -- British author Ruth Mancini's gripping novel, Swimming Upstream (Booktrope), is one of only 20 literary fiction semi-finalists for the 2014 Kindle Book Awards. The popular awards draw many hopeful independent fiction and non-fiction authors.
The Kindle Book Review’s Kindle Book Awards is in its third year. The top five finalists in each of the seven categories will be announced in September. Category winners receive $500 in cash as well as $300 in promotional credit. Last year's literary fiction winner was Don’t Tell Anyone by Laurie Boris.
This is the third award that Swimming Upstream has been up for this year. The women's fiction novel made the literary shortlist for the 50 books worth reading from Indie Author Land in April. It was also nominated for a RONE award. Winners for the RONE awards will be announced mid-July.
About Swimming Upstream
“I once read that the end of a relationship is like being involved in a road traffic accident. Which is quite fitting really, given what happened.”
After seven years, Lizzie wonders whether she is truly happy with her long-term boyfriend. When one wrong step and a chance meeting set off an unexpected chain of events, her life starts breaking up. On the same day that she meets Martin, an attractive lifeguard, her old friend, Catherine, re-appears. But is Martin really all he seems? And what is the secret that Catherine is hiding? As Lizzie struggles to confront the ghosts of her past, can she survive the shocking twist that will change the course of her future?
Swimming Upstream is a life-affirming and often humorous story about getting over a relationship breakup. It is also a story about female friendship, love and divided loyalties – and the moral choices we find ourselves making when the chips are down.
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/ Swimming-Upstream- Ruth-Mancini- eboo...
Amazon UK http://ift.tt/qo3DCI gp/product/B00HAHFDO4/ ref=as_li_q...
Barnes & Noble http://ift.tt/vggwU1 w/swimming-upstream- ruth-ma...
About Ruth Mancini
Ruth Mancini was born in South-West London and studied in Cambridge and London where she gained a bachelors degree in French and Spanish and a post-graduate diploma in Law. For several years she worked in the publishing industry before retraining as a lawyer. She now lives in Oxfordshire with her husband and two children. Swimming Upstream is her first novel.
Tuesday, 1 July 2014
Amazon : 7 Tips to Get Book Reviews - Wordpreneur
By Travis Neighbor Ward
I know how it feels! You spend years getting your books ready to publish, then finally decide to take the plunge. It feels like the hard part is over… until Day 1 after your book comes out, and you have absolutely no book reviews. What you’re hoping for is a glowing string of 4- or 5-star ratings, plus reviews. But, how do you get people to read and review your work — and hopefully in a way that’s favorable? Here are seven things to keep in mind, plus links to some great resources.
1. Remember that Reviews Are Subjective
A lot of times we writers take what we believe is a very objective view of our book. We worked hard on it; it’s a good book; it should garner good reviews. Some reviewers approach their task with a similar set of parameters. But some write reviews to share how the book made them feel. That launches the review into the subjective stratosphere. The same things that appeal to some readers can turn off others. I got one three-star review from someone that thought the book was a great story, but contained too much research; five-star reviewers of that same story cited how rich it was because of all the research.
2. Search Out Like-Minded Reviewers
Find books that are similar to yours in topic or genre, then read the reviews. Which ones resonate with you? Which reviewers seem to have a fair attitude? Some reviewers will give low stars just because they don’t love a book, even if they think it’s very well written. Some will give it a high review based on merit, but then just state that it wasn’t their type of book. Ideally you want the reviewers that love books like yours. Identify those people, then try to find them. If you find their reviews on a website like Amazon, one way to do this is by tracing them back to their personal blogs or social media sites like Twitter.
3. Don’t Focus on Getting Reviews from National Publications
I say this not because I think you don’t deserve them, or because I think you can’t get them. You may deserve them and you may get them. But, that shouldn’t be your focus, mainly because you would be competing against all the big publishing companies. Those companies have full-time publicists with existing relationships to editors. As an ex-magazine editor, I can tell you that based on the volume of submissions we receive each day, editors become dependent on publicists to help us sort through the pile. So yes, go ahead and mail copies to USA Today, but then switch your attention to other reviewers. The best chance you have is through book bloggers. There are millions of blogs out there, and many exist solely to review books. Many of these blogs look as good as national websites, and the quality of the reviews is just as good. The only difference is that most bloggers don’t have the same audience reach (one exception being The Huffington Post). So, in order to reach the same number of readers, you will need to get reviews in more places.
4. Don’t Ask for a Five-Star Review
No one likes to feel manipulated. If you ask for a review, ask for an honest review and then accept what you get. It can backfire in your face, but c’est la vie. In the end, once you start getting enough reviews, the five-star reviews will balance out the lower ones, so don’t worry about it.
5. Think Long-Term
Authors whose books are published by big publishers have more pressure to get book reviews and sales in the first six months after the publication date. But, if you are an indie author, you don’t have that pressure. You can keep your book in print forever. Of course, if your book is nonfiction and the topic is very timely, this may be more of a concern; otherwise, getting a review one, five, or even ten years after you publish is still useful. Besides, the bulk of your sales will probably come from online booksellers, and it can take readers a while to find your book among the millions out there!
6. Be Thankful
People take a lot of time to read our books and review them. If someone writes a positive or even semi-positive review, thank them. If the review is negative, don’t get into a public debate about it with them; it can get nasty and will use up energy that you could be channeling into your work.
7. Do Your Homework
There are so many book review sites out there, so this is just a starting point:
- Goodreads.com — A website for people that love books. Goodreads also includes reader communities (like book clubs) that are targeted at specific genres. Make sure to check which folder you should post your self-promotional review request. If you put it in general discussion, it may get moved or deleted.
- Google+ — There are tons of fantastic book clubs here as well, some focused solely on discussing and reviewing books. You can find ones just for ebooks, romances, mysteries, whatever. Set up a Google+ account and do some exploring in the button under the Communities menu (it’s on the pull-down menu on the left of your screen).
- The reviewer list on the Midwest Book Review.com — Wow! There are dozens listed here.
- Book Lovers Central — Lists of reviewers, organized geographically.
- The Book Spot.com — Book reviewers at national and regional publications like CNN Books, Salon, and Slate, to name a few.
- Net Galley.com — This membership-based site is where many of the big publishing companies post galleys of book in advance, so reviewers, booksellers, book bloggers, and librarians can take a look before the publication date. It’s not cheap and publishers, not reviewers, pay (as of today, it costs about $400 to list one book on it for six months). I’ve read articles by authors saying it was a great way to get reviews.
- The Indie Book Reviewers List — Registration is free for authors. Many reviewers listed.
- The Kindle Book Review.net — You can choose which reviewer to submit to, based on their short bios.
Travis Neighbor Ward is the author of the bestselling novel Come Find Me. She was the editor-in-chief of The Atlantan Magazine, home & garden editor of Atlanta Magazine, and senior editor at Departures Magazine. She has an M.A. in English and Creative Writing from The University of Pennsylvania. Sign up for email alerts on her website, Patch of Earth.
Saturday, 26 April 2014
Amazon : Kindle Book Review: Star Wars Honor Among Thieves : CultureSmash
Get this book in paperback, Kindle, or Audio right here! 
On Kindle: Star Wars Empire and Rebellion: Honor Among Thieves
Written by: James S. A. Corey
Published by: Del Rey
The Expanded Universe, as the novels and other media of the Star Wars universe are collectively known, has good novels and bad novels. The bad novels can be forgiven. What can’t be forgiven are the number of supposedly “Star Wars” novels that just didn’t feel all that Star Wars-ish. Last year brought us Scoundrels, which was very Star Wars-ish, with a big portion of Ocean’s Eleven thrown in. And now we have Honor Among Thieves, which is even more Star Wars-ish.
The Book
Honor Among Thieves is set between Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back. The first Deathstar is destroyed and the Rebel Alliance is in search for a new base. While Luke Skywalker is out with Rouge Squadron scouting possible new homes for the Alliance Han, Chewie and Leia are hanging out in the deep dark at the temporary rendezvous point for the Rebel Fleet. Even if the Alliance is still in need of some permanent digs the business of the Rebellion must go on. In furtherance of this business Leia talks Han into taking a little side contract to retrieve a Rebel intelligence operative from deep within Empire territory. The operative Scarlet Hark has come across something important enough to break cover and make a run back to the Alliance.
Han and Chewie end up on Cioran a world in the heart of the Empire’s bureaucracy, a planet where the trains always run on time if you catch my drift. Never mind the ever-present Empire officers just the orderliness is enough to keep Han on high alert as he and Chewie try to turn up Hark. What seemed like a straightforward pickup get complicated when an old friend of Han’s shows up and well you know Han’s old friends, they nearly all have a price and Jabba has meet Baasen Ray’s. Baasen is an older smuggler perhaps not quite as good or as lucky as Solo and throughout the novel we get interesting insights into Han’s true character as he worries whether Baasen just wasn’t as good as himself or whether given enough time all smugglers will end up betraying anyone just to make ends meet.
Of course the whole novel can’t be about simply picking up one intelligence operative even if you do throw in some backstabbing old friends. So eventually Han and Chewie retrieve Hark and find out what she discovered that was important enough for her to sacrifice her cover. It seems the Emperor’s private astrocartographer has stumbled upon an ancient weapon from a dead and gone civilization that has the potential to disable all hyperspace travel. With a threat this big you can guess the gang all gets together for the climax of the story. Luke and Rouge Squadron are providing air cover while Han, Leia, and Hark along with the frenemy Baasen work to disable the device. The plot is tight and it hangs together well. At no point does the story drag and best of all it really feels like a Star Wars story.
While Luke and Leia are in the story it really is about Han this time around. As I mentioned earlier when Baasen, an old acquaintance, shows up this really causes Han to examine just what path he has been walking down and just where that path might take him. The nature of the device they are working at stopping gives Han a bit of a pause as well. He knows he wouldn’t trust the Empire with a device that would halt all hyperspace travel, but would he trust the Rebel Alliance with such a device? Would he even trust Leia with such a device? Corey does a magnificent job of letting us in on what Han is thinking without bogging the story down. Scarlet Hark is a wonderful character and worked as a great foil for Solo. I would love to read more about Harks adventures. Baasen Ray was a little thin but his character really allowed Corey to reveal some fantastic insights into Han’s view of himself and the world. Essio Galassian as the head bad guy in the novel was pretty flat. I was a bit disappointed in Essio’s development mainly because I was just so curious about how evil could an astro-cartographer be.
Honor Among Thieves is a great addition to the Expanded Universe. And a really fun read period. It’s a novel you could recommend to even casual fans of the movies. And if you are more than a casual fan but haven’t jumped into the Expanded Universe yet this makes a great place to dive in.
Category: Books/Comics, Newest Articles
Tuesday, 15 April 2014
Amazon : Promote, Promote, Promote – Part 4 – Welcome To The Twilight Zone
In any endeavor there is always that point in which everything seems to come to a standstill.
We find ourselves in limbo.
We sniff the air nervously, alert for the tang of Rod Serling’s cologne – or the rum-scented reek of his pipe smoke.
“Am I getting anywhere?” you ask.
“Am I on the right road?”
Stop for just a minute and try and remember when your three years old and your parents were driving you any great distance and you asked that inevitable question – “Are we there yet?”
It’s just nerves.
That’s all it is.
That manuscript that you have been trying to complete. That novel that you think you will NEVER finish?
It’s just nerves.
Same thing goes with promotion.
I’ve been promoting HAMMURABI ROAD for about three days. I’ve sold a few more copies than I would have – but not enough to begin singing arias in tongues yet.
Should I panic?
Should I give it up?
No.
It’s just nerves.
I will persevere.
***
Last evening my promotion campaign with Jeff Bennington’s TWEET THIS BOOK went live.
Jeff is a great guy and an indie writer and a fellow who has an awful lot to say about indie writing in general.
You can sign up to his TWEET THIS BOOK service by using this link.
Depending on how much you pay Jeff tweets your book and posts it on his Facebook a certain number of times over a certain amount of days.
I intend to utilize THE KINDLE BOOK REVIEW next month for a promotion I am planning for my new Kindle Select release UNCLE BOB’S RED FLANNEL BIBLE CAMP – THE BOOK OF GENESIS.
In a very real way what I am doing this month with HAMMURABI ROAD is nothing more than a rehearsal for what I hope to do with The Book of Genesis. I’ll be launching my very first Kindle Book Countdown from May 5 to May 12 with The Book of Genesis – and I hope to determine how best to promote this Countdown.
So I have got a plan – sort of – if you squint – and your glasses are on crooked.
Today also marks my entry into the pages of THE FUSSY LIBRARIAN – a book promotion site that sends out a daily newsletter to readers all across the globe advertising certain discounted and/or free e-book releases.
You can sign up to receive their newsletter HERE!
So far my promotional efforts have indeed raised the Kindle ranking for HAMMURABI ROAD and have resulted in a few more sales than per usual. I intend to continue these efforts to see if I can artificially create some REAL momentum.
I do not know if this will work but sometimes the only way a fellow like me can figure things out is just to jump on in to the deep end of the pool and start splashing around, hoping that I look a little like Johnny Weissmuller.
I’ll keep you updated as I go.
***
Lastly, I want to mention Kindle’s new dashboard – which is a real improvement over their clunky less-friendly old version.
One of the things that Kobo had over Kindle was a REALLY user-friendly dashboard – or at least I found it very friendly. You could tell just how many books you had sold and how many free books you had moved with just a click of a button – whereas Kindle showed you a big old Excel style listing of your sales which always hurt my eyes to look at.
Hey, I am older than the dirt that grows on dirt. My eyes don’t work the way they used to.
This is one of the cool things about taking part in this huge new indie publishing revolution. None of the players are sitting still for very long. There are changes and advances almost everyday. A fellow has to keep on his feet to keep up with all of these changes.
Here’s to the future.
Now I have to get back to working on my next manuscript. I am about three chapters from the end of a big fat Bigfoot novel and I can smell Rod Serling’s cologne tanging up nostril holes.
yours in storytelling,
Steve Vernon
Amazon : Promote, Promote, Promote – Part 4 – Welcome To The Twilight Zone
In any endeavor there is always that point in which everything seems to come to a standstill.
We find ourselves in limbo.
We sniff the air nervously, alert for the tang of Rod Serling’s cologne – or the rum-scented reek of his pipe smoke.
“Am I getting anywhere?” you ask.
“Am I on the right road?”
Stop for just a minute and try and remember when your three years old and your parents were driving you any great distance and you asked that inevitable question – “Are we there yet?”
It’s just nerves.
That’s all it is.
That manuscript that you have been trying to complete. That novel that you think you will NEVER finish?
It’s just nerves.
Same thing goes with promotion.
I’ve been promoting HAMMURABI ROAD for about three days. I’ve sold a few more copies than I would have – but not enough to begin singing arias in tongues yet.
Should I panic?
Should I give it up?
No.
It’s just nerves.
I will persevere.
***
Last evening my promotion campaign with Jeff Bennington’s TWEET THIS BOOK went live.
Jeff is a great guy and an indie writer and a fellow who has an awful lot to say about indie writing in general.
You can sign up to his TWEET THIS BOOK service by using this link.
Depending on how much you pay Jeff tweets your book and posts it on his Facebook a certain number of times over a certain amount of days.
I intend to utilize THE KINDLE BOOK REVIEW next month for a promotion I am planning for my new Kindle Select release UNCLE BOB’S RED FLANNEL BIBLE CAMP – THE BOOK OF GENESIS.
In a very real way what I am doing this month with HAMMURABI ROAD is nothing more than a rehearsal for what I hope to do with The Book of Genesis. I’ll be launching my very first Kindle Book Countdown from May 5 to May 12 with The Book of Genesis – and I hope to determine how best to promote this Countdown.
So I have got a plan – sort of – if you squint – and your glasses are on crooked.
Today also marks my entry into the pages of THE FUSSY LIBRARIAN – a book promotion site that sends out a daily newsletter to readers all across the globe advertising certain discounted and/or free e-book releases.
You can sign up to receive their newsletter HERE!
So far my promotional efforts have indeed raised the Kindle ranking for HAMMURABI ROAD and have resulted in a few more sales than per usual. I intend to continue these efforts to see if I can artificially create some REAL momentum.
I do not know if this will work but sometimes the only way a fellow like me can figure things out is just to jump on in to the deep end of the pool and start splashing around, hoping that I look a little like Johnny Weissmuller.
I’ll keep you updated as I go.
***
Lastly, I want to mention Kindle’s new dashboard – which is a real improvement over their clunky less-friendly old version.
One of the things that Kobo had over Kindle was a REALLY user-friendly dashboard – or at least I found it very friendly. You could tell just how many books you had sold and how many free books you had moved with just a click of a button – whereas Kindle showed you a big old Excel style listing of your sales which always hurt my eyes to look at.
Hey, I am older than the dirt that grows on dirt. My eyes don’t work the way they used to.
This is one of the cool things about taking part in this huge new indie publishing revolution. None of the players are sitting still for very long. There are changes and advances almost everyday. A fellow has to keep on his feet to keep up with all of these changes.
Here’s to the future.
Now I have to get back to working on my next manuscript. I am about three chapters from the end of a big fat Bigfoot novel and I can smell Rod Serling’s cologne tanging up nostril holes.
yours in storytelling,
Steve Vernon
Thursday, 10 April 2014
Amazon : Gift of the Phoenix | Joy in the Moments
I’m part of the blog tour for another author that lives in my part of Idaho–WhoooHoo!!! Boise is the Best! Here’s the summary.
When three strangers are brought together by the discovery of a common enemy, they must fight to keep the magic of the Phoenix out of dangerous hands before their world is destroyed forever. The Three must learn to unite in spite of what separates them, and unlock the magic of three stones that seem to harm as much as they help. But uniting will not be easy for Nicolai, the simple peasant with a powerful secret; Marcellus, the warrior prince who’s no longer heir to the throne; and Corren, a gifted wizard whose ambitions threaten to ruin them all. Full of magic, mystery, and a touch of romance, Gift of the Phoenix is an epic fantasy that takes the reader deep into the heart of a wondrous world and the three men destined to defend it.
Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo
iTunes * The Book Depository * Smashwords
Praise for Gift of the Phoenix
“An incredibly impressive book that grips you from the very start. There is plenty of action in the story, some wonderful characters and magical, atmospheric settings. Donna has created a fascinating realm in this story which, even if you don’t consider yourself a fantasy fan, you’ll definitely enjoy.” – Excerpt of Stephanie Dagg’s review at Books Are Cool.
“As an avid reader of fantasy, I often encounter boring or overused plotlines—this was neither! With a fresh new take on fantasy adventure, Cook constructs an enchanting world of magic, kingdoms, rebirth, and death.” – Excerpt a review by Artemis at Fantasy Book Lovers Unite
“Gift of the Phoenix reminds me of a mix of Paolin’s Eragon and Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, but stands on its own as a unique fantasy-adventure. Cook creates a magic system that is intricate and unique, which can be hard to do in a genre littered with magic. The story is very complex, and yet very easy to follow… layers upon layers of intertwined plots that all culminate to a fantastic ending. I would recommend this book to anyone of any age.” – Excerpt of a review by Will Wortner at Zero2Fiction
Awards
Gift of the Phoenix has won several awards, including Semifinalist in the Kindle Book Review Book of the Year Awards, and Notable Read in the Shelf Unbound/Half Price Books Indie Book of the Year competition
Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Book Depository
iTunes * Smashwords * IndieBound
Donna Cook is an Arizona native transplanted to Boise, Idaho, where she is delighting in the change of scenery. When she’s not writing she spends her time chasing the kids, exploring delicious eateries downtown, and dancing with her talented husband. Her fantasy adventure, Gift of the Phoenix has won several awards, including Semifinalist in the Kindle Book Review Book of the Year Awards, and Notable Read in the Shelf Unbound/Half Price Books Indie Book of the Year competition. It was also nominated for the Whitney Award, which recognizes LDS writers. She’s currently working on the sequel to Gift of the Phoenix.
Website * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads
Pinterest * Google+ * Instagram * Blog
Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 4/31/14
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