Books – Page 34 – Jean's Writing

Do you need to make a flyer to promote your book?

Published on February 12, 2016February 11, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell11 Comments

Yes, you do.

Not like those littering your car windshield at Target or dropped on your front porch every weekend.

No, this is something called an Author Information Sheet, AI for short.

And not only is it important, but apparently it’s kinda expected when you go to a book fair, expo or present your book to a library or bookstore.

Who knew?

Don’t tell me? You did! Guess as usual, I‘m the last to figure out these things. Sigh… Well, better late than never.

So what exactly is an Author Information Sheet?

It’s a pitch sheet for you and your book.

An AI sheet is a single sheet that introduces your book to the library, book fair, bookstore, or well, you get the picture.

On this one sheet of paper, the reader knows who you are, what you look like, where and how to contact you, the name of your book, when it was released, what the cover looks like, the genre, a brief description, the cost, where to order or buy it, and some glowing reviews.

The job of an AI is to get the attention of readers, hook them and then reel them in for the sale.

Cool, right?

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Sounds like a handy, hardworking little devil to have around. I might just print off a few and keep them in the car. Never know when an opportunity might come knocking.

Just because I’m a self-published author doesn’t mean I don’t want to look and act any less professional than an author published by one of the big houses. No laughing out there. I’m doing my best. And printing out a few AI sheets is a good step.

It’s a simple thing and it can speak volumes to someone who wants to know about your book. This sheet can tell them about the book, you, your website and where to find all three. Pretty cool and worth a little bit of time.

Click on the following link, to find download templates you can customize for your book. Like the scouts, always be prepared.

How to Create an Advance Information (AI) Sheet for a Self-published Book by Debbie Young

Okay, does anyone out there use an AI sheet? If so, do you have a better template?

Is this something you think would be useful?

Talk to me people.

Leave me a comment or you can find me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! Please remember to with a click and share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

Do you believe luck helps your success?

Published on February 10, 2016February 7, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell2 Comments

Maybe the short answer is yes.

I’ve heard the definition of luck described as preparation meeting opportunity or some shit like that. There is probably some truth to the quote, but I think luck takes a lot of work.

Do you need luck to be a successful author?

Wouldn’t hurt. And preparation too.

Indie Authors need to draw attention to their books. If not, even great books can disappear into obscurity amid books floating in the world-wide web of outer space.

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How can our books stand out?

We must have a strategy.

Long gone are the days you can publish an ebook and voila instant sales. Even if you give away your book on Amazon it might not give you a significant boost in rankings. No, after you hit the publish button, the work is just beginning.

I’m always adding sites to better understand how to do things. And marketing is one of my weak points. It’s something I don’t get. Hopefully, by the time I’m ready to publish another book, I’ll be better equipped to handle that side of self-publishing.

I think Ruth Nestvold has some good tips on ebook promotions. Still, not sure I understand how the Permafree works, nor that I’m sold on the effectiveness of Facebook ads. After all, I’m still a green Indie.

Click below and read her suggestions. Let me know what you think.

HOW TO DEVELOP A STRATEGY FOR EBOOK SALE PROMOTIONS (STARTING OUT AS AN INDIE AUTHOR) By RUTH NESTVOLD

You can find me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! Please remember to with a click and share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

Should you care about the bestseller list?

Published on February 4, 2016February 2, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell6 Comments

Well, duh, yeah. Every writer wants to see their name on that list.

But, it’s not as easy as writing your best story your family has ever read.

Each Sunday I enjoy reading the Arts Section of the newspaper. And the first page I turn to is the column where the New York Times Best Sellers are listed. I’m always looking to see who made the list. Is it one of my favorites? Is it a newcomer?

The same holds true for the Amazon.com Top 100 List. I love clicking through looking for a good read, when I have the time that is.

Have you given much thought to how a writer actually gets listed on the New York Times Best Seller List? Or The Wall Street Journal or makes the Amazon.com top 100?

Sell lots of books, make lots of $$$$ and voila! Right?

Well, that’s what I always thought. But, seems it’s not that simple after all.

My whole perspective changed after I read this article by Tim Grahl. Not my dreams of making one of these Best Seller Lists mind you, but now I’m not quite so naive. Achieving this goal is ever-changing and cloaked in secrets and mystery by the powers that be and full of intrigue almost as much as a political drama.

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The NYT closely guards their decision-making process. But apparently it is based on samples from various booksellers across the country.

The WSJ builds their best seller list based on the sales figures they get from Nielson’s BookScan. But, BookScan doesn’t track every purchase. It doesn’t track sales through big box stores like Walmart or online sales like Createspace. Bulk purchases don’t count. Even legitimate ones. Like for a book club or a classroom.

So what should you or I do?

Just keep writing and not worry about best seller lists? I think so. Because this is one of those things that is beyond our control. Kinda like the weather.

However, this is a fascinating read about how the industry works.

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE NEW YORK TIMES AND WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER LISTS by Tim Grahl

If you have any tips for achieving this monumental goal, please share!

You can find me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! Please remember to with a click and share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

How important are the first words of your story?

Published on February 2, 2016January 31, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell5 Comments

Very.

I agonize over the first paragraph more than any part of a story. Sometimes I rewrite it a dozen times and often making it worse before I make it better.

So how do you start that story?

By grabbing the reader.

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With a whisper and a promise. With fear or joy. You dangle temptation, and offer redemption. The trick is to not start out too big or too fast. It’s like catching a great white shark or blowing up the planet, too much momentum can leave the reader with nowhere to climb. Often a sense of let down or exhaustion hits midway through the book.

I once read that the writer needs to give the reader a reason to suspend their disbelief and they will gladly go along for the ride. No matter how far-fetched the story all they need is a reason and they will keep reading.

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That reason could be a killer opening line. A likeable character or character they love to hate.

Jacob M. Appel believes that the seeds of that triumph or defeat are sown by the end of the very first sentence. Read his post and see what he says about starting a story.

10 Ways to Start Your Story Better By: Jacob M. Appel

Darcy Pattison wrote a book START YOUR NOVEL in which she lists twelve ways to start novels and give examples of the top opening lines of all times. In the following post she looked at the Top selling books for the week ending August 9, 2013, opened their stories. One contemporary author opened her story with dialog. To read more click: