Tag: Publishing

What’s the best way to promote your book?

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell10 Comments

My email is filled with Black Friday Ads. 

But what about your book? Can it be a Black Friday special?

If you’re like me, we are always looking for ways to promote our books. But, I’m learning marketing a book is harder than writing the dang things.

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Image source

Some ideas I’m knocking around…

  • Kindle Unlimited
  • KDP Free Promotion
  • Goodreads Giveaway
  • Library reading
  • Craft fairs? Hmm, might be a lot of work. But, maybe.

What about you? Any tips to help with book sells?

Have you had success with any special marketing technique?

Keep reading, I’ve got great links at the bottom!

I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment or click the “write me” tab or look for me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! The lights are on, and I’m waiting.

Please remember to share this post with your Twitter  peeps and Facebook fans.

50 SURPRISINGLY SIMPLE WAYS TO PROMOTE YOUR BOOK by   

From Writing Quietly to Screaming “Buy Me!” — Promoting a Book by Randy Susan Meyers

7 Tips To Help Promote Your First Self-Published Book April 22, 2014 by

You ever feel the need to slow the hell down?

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell9 Comments

Well, I do, but don’t. Sigh…

I should plaster the phrase “Slow Down” in every room of my house! Slow down road sign

Maybe that would help me avoid a lot of problems.

Three weeks ago, I fell into a dark parking lot. I was rushing and not aware of an obstacle in my path. Result, my front teeth were damaged and I’m gonna be out of a butt-load of money.

Last week I released the e-book for my third children’s picture book, A Reluctant Little Prince. Yay, good so far.

Next, release the print version. I was ready, or so I thought.  Seemed as if it was taking forever. I wanted to get this thing out before the holidays.

I checked the online proof. Looked for glaring issues like typos and margins. What I didn’t catch, all the pictures were in B&W!

Image Source

Thank God I decided to wait for a physical proof to arrive before hitting the final publish button.

Now, I’m waiting on Createspace to let me change the set-up. Ugh! If only I’d been a bit more cautious going through the set-up phase, I wouldn’t have to redo the entire thing. If only I’d been a bit more cautious in that dark parking lot, I wouldn’t be looking at thousands of dollars in dental work.

Patience is not one of my virtues.

Okay, enough bellyaching. Deep breaths and work on a new project while I wait for Createspace to help me fix this mistake.

One thing I know for sure, being an Indie is not for the faint of heart.

I’ll let y’all know when the print versions of A Reluctant Little Prince is available.

Interesting links at the bottom. Keep reading.

What about you? Have you made costly publication mistakes?

Did it cost time or dollars?

Or maybe you’re a very patient writer?

I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment or

Click the “write me” tab or look for me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! The lights are on, and I’m waiting.

Remember to share this post with your Twitter  peeps and Facebook fans.

What’s Your Biggest Challenge as an Indie? Open Thread By Angela Quarles 

11 Mistakes New Self-Published Authors Make at Just Publishing Advice

7 Completely Stupid eBook Publishing Mistakes by Ryan Hanley

Marketing and Publishing Checklists for Writers by  

How To Publish A Book 101  by  

 

What do you know about KDP Select?

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell14 Comments

Next week I will release my long-awaited new children’s picture book.

A Reluctant Little Prince gray-ebook

But here is my dilemma. I’ve never participated in KDP Select and I wonder if it will be helpful.

Have any of y’all used the Select program with any success?

Is it complicated to use?

Was it effective in selling your book?

I’m filled with questions and wanted to hear from all of you before I enroll.

Here are the rules as I understand:

  1. Sign up is for 90 days.
  2. I can’t sell or give electronic versions during the Select period. One exception, professional reviewers. There are two promotions available.
  3. The digital format of that book available exclusively through KDP while it’s enrolled in the program. That includes my website!
  4. It will also be included in Kindle Unlimited (KU) and the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library (KOLL).
    • As a member, I read a lot of books through KU.

So what say y’all?

What do you think about this program?

Links to more information about KDP Select, so keep reading.

Does KDP Select Make Sense Anymore? By 

The Pros And Cons Of Exclusivity By  

Is KDP Select Right for You? By Marcy Kennedy

PS: Check out my sale! offers

In honor of my new book release, I’ve put on sale for $.99, A Most Reluctant Princess and Tryouts for Ben. After the launch of A Reluctant Little Prince, the e-books will return to their original price.

I’d love to hear from you, let me know how you’re doing! Leave a comment or click the “write me” tab or look for me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! The lights are on, and I’m waiting.

Please remember to share this post with your Twitter  peeps and Facebook fans.

A Most Reluctant Princess by [Cogdell, Jean M.]             Tryouts for Ben by [Cogdell, Jean M]

How to know if your book is the right length

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell19 Comments

The words come and the words go, but where do we stop, I don’t know.

numbers

Some days I’m ready to stop after one paragraph. Other days I think the story will be a saga the likes of War and Peace. Not! But truth be told, I just hope to write something somewhere in the middle. A story that a few people, other than my family, will enjoy reading.

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Then there is the question, how long or short is enough?

Apparently, it depends on the genre. I’ve written about this before, but it seems I’ve more to learn.

This article Word Count for Novels and Children’s Books: The Definitive Post  By  breaks it down by genre.

Like with most “rules,” there are exceptions. However, if you’re the least bit like me, you like to have a general goal to shoot for.

So here’s a cheat sheet for you!

  • Literary novel: 80,000-90,000 good average.
  • Memoir: Same as Literary Novel.
  • Short Stories: 1,000-25,000
  • Novellas: 25,000 – 55,000 words, over 55k you’re so close you might as well expand it into a novel.
  • Literary saga: 100,000-110,000 (over that and you might want to consider a series.)
  • Science fiction and fantasy: 90,000-100,000 on average. However, some can go to 115,000. Readers expect this genre to be lengthy.
  • Westerns: 50,000-80,000 is the range for this genre, so aim for the middle.
  • Middle grade is a bit tricky. Depending on age and subject matter, shoot for 20,000– 55,000. Younger kids = lower word count. Older teens = higher word count.
  • Young Adult (YA) genre, according to Chuck gives the writer more flexibility. Somewhere in the 55,000-70,000 range is a safe bet.  Science fiction or fantasy can go a bit longer.
  • Children’s Picture Books: Standard is 32 pages and no more than 500 words.

More reading on word count:

LitRejections Word Count Genre Guidelines 

What is the Ideal Word Count for a Novel? by CG Blake

Ask The Agent: Your Novel Word Count Guide and More! BY BREE OGDEN

How close are you to reaching the right word count for your genre?

Do you worry about “word count” or just write?

I’d love to hear from you! Leave me a comment or click the “write me” tab. You can also follow me on Twitter @jeancogdell,Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! The lights are on, and I’m waiting.

Please remember to share this post with your Twitter  peeps and Facebook fans.