Writing Wednesday: Twitter Ads

So I but the bullet and did it: I paid for three Twitter services.

Well, technically, one came with an author promotion membership I signed up for.

I used The Kindle Book Review for Save the Date! and I used Book Tweeter for Marking Territory. Both were scheduled for 3 days, both beginning June 15.

I've always been hesitate to pay for advertising because it's something that isn't guaranteed. But I decided to try it because the prices were reasonable ($15 and $12 respectively). Plus, I want to eventually quit my job so I can write full-time and stay home with the kids. Since it's not something I've tried before, I decided to give it a chance.

Once I get results, I'll update the post so stay tuned...

Strategy session: Anthologies

As a self- published author, I have to do practically everything when it comes to marketing, selling, and ensuring my work generates some type of profit. (I'm lucky I have an amazing cover designer and different betas to help me so I don't get too crazy-overwhelmed.)

I've tested many different strategies but I'm scouring publishing books for more ideas because I want to try everything. You never know what will work for you, what won't, and in my mind, I really don't have much - if anything - to lose.

One such strategy is bundling related work together. It's an interesting theory and one I'm going to attempt with a couple of series, and something I was already planning on doing with the 3 series I have out now (well, technically 2, but the third will be released next month!)

I have an anthology of erotica coming out by tomorrow (which is why I don't have the link to share with you now). No, I'm not using a pen name (though that could change in the future) and no, it's not expensive. In fact, it will be released for $0.99.

A lot of my readers are young. A lot of my readers are adults. I'm not marketing my book the way I would with my other works, but it's out there and I definitely want to provide new readers with quality work and the opportunity to read my other novels that aren't erotica. I also want the readers who already follow me to know I bridge out in different genres and if you're interested, you're interested, if you're not, you're not.

So how am I supposed to bring in new readers? By making some of the stories included in the anthology free. If they like one story, they might be willing to shell out a whole $0.99 for 6 more stories.

It's a new strategy to market my books. I'm definitely nervous but I remind myself that I have nothing to lose. And I'll definitely let you know my results.

Aspiring Writers Series #8: Wendy Higgins

Does that name appear familiar to you?  Yes, no, maybe?  Well, it should!  Wendy Higgins is the author of the Sweet Trilogy and the upcoming self-published novel, See Me*.  I happened to follow her on twitter (because I'm nearly finished with Sweet Evil) and she followed back!  Not only that, but she responds to tweets and is happy to talk about anything!  I'm incredibly honored she took the time to be interviewed (since I threw many questions at her) and would recommend her writing to everyone!

The Sweet Trilogy grapples with the concept of good and evil.  How did you come up with such a universal theme and make it so unique?

~ "Good and Evil" are never black and white for me. I've always believed we're each capable of both. Life is hard enough, and then our vices are always pulling us down. I thought it'd be interesting to show a girl who has that inherent goodness and bad urges, just like humans, only on a more severe level. At the time I hadn't read any other YA angel novels, so I thought it'd be a fun subject to explore. 

On your site, you discuss writing the first book as bits and fitting them all together like a puzzle.  How was it like writing that way, and do you still do it when writing today?

~ I try not to write like that anymore because it requires heavy rewriting, which is very time consuming. That first book came to me in such a passionate rush - I had no choice but to write it as it came to me, in fear that I'd lose it all if I didn't! But subsequent books have been a steadier process. I've had to think and plot and plan ahead. Honestly, I don't have a method. Every book is different, and I just go with it!

You posted your story on inkpop before publishing it.  Many of my readers have accounts on FictionPress, and it's also where I got my start.  What is your personal opinion on posting stories online as opposed to writing a book and trying to get it published without using platforms like that?  What did you learn from your experience there?

~ It really depends. Some people don't need to post/share online because they have reading friends or writing groups who can critique them. I didn't have that, so I found people online who could give me feedback, and I'd give them feedback in return. It was an extraordinary experience, and I'm still close friends with many of the people I met on Inkpop. Working on your project "babies" together, and sharing the joys and struggles of writing/publishing is a bonding experience.

Did you learn anything about your personal beliefs tackling themes like good and evil, God, and religion?  (My book, AWAKEN, tackles similar themes, meshing biblical themes and mythology together, and the more I wrote, the more I discovered about my own personal beliefs which had originally been pretty generic.  It's actually why I started reading your book, because I love the different way writers interpret things like redemption, being damned, forgiveness, etc.) 

~ I've always been a spiritual person, so I didn't shy away from the Bible angle and mentioning God/Lucifer. It just seemed natural to me to bring those elements into a story about angels and demons. I worried that people would be turned off by it, but most seem to enjoy the lore. I think every person in the entire world asks themselves questions about life and creation at some point. I don't think a fictional book can change anyone's core beliefs, but there's no harm in pondering things.

Who is your favorite character to write and why?

~ Anna is the best friend I wish I'd had. It's sweet and endearing to be in her mind. But my favorite scenes by far are the ones with Kaidan in them. He really makes me push myself as a writer - trying to balance the sensual tension he brings - that love/hate relationship we have with him. I have to reveal just enough of what he's thinking/feeling, but not too much. He's a challenge.

What is your favorite scene you wrote for any of the books in the trilogy and why?

~ Chapter 17 - First Sacrifice - when Kai says "no." That was the very first scene that came to me when I first imagined this angel/demon girl and the son of Lust who she'd fall for. I felt this passionate connection between them right away. I had no idea where the scene would take place (I originally imagined them on the couch at her apartment!) or at what point of the story it would happen, but I knew it would be the pivotal scene in the book - the big moment when everything changes.

What inspires you to write?

~ Life.  And an active imagination that's always craving something.

How do you deal with writer's block?

~ I allow myself to take a step back. Do some beta reading for friends. Then try to dive back in. It's hard. I've had to force myself to write one slow word at a time.

What are you reading now?

~ Legend by Marie Lu

How does it feel concluding a trilogy?  Should we expect to see the characters again?

~ It feels amazing, and so much more emotional than I expected. I'm already brainstorming possible novellas I can write with the Sweet characters!

You have a new YA book entitled See Me.  Since I'm Irish, I obviously can't wait to read it.  Could you please tell us a little bit about it and what inspired you to write it?  Can we preorder it anywhere?

~ It's not available for preorder since it's a self-publication. It'll hopefully go live on October first!  :)
~ See Me is set in Ireland, but it doesn't really deal with modern Irish people. It's fantastical creatures, so their language is more like Ireland a few hundred years ago, lol. I've always been obsessed with Ireland, even though I've never been (I'm dying to go!)  I knew I wanted to write a story set there, so I started researching the mythology of the country and voila!  I got an idea.  I wanted to write something very different from my Sweet books. I wanted to color outside the lines and conventions of usual YA fantasy, and I think I did, but it's definitely different. Not everyone will love it, but I hope everyone will have fun with it.

Any advice on how to make something stereotypically unsexy (like leprechauns) into dashing, believable heroes readers will legitimately fall in love with?  Was it difficult or easier than you expected? 

~ If you focus on building your characters individually, bringing out every nuance of their personality, and playing off the emotions of your main character, the feelings will *hopefully* come to life for the reader, regardless of what type of creature you're dealing with.

From my experience with your writing, you tend to write things that wouldn't normally fall within the category of what's trending in YA.  Does it scare you to be left of center, or does it thrill you that your work is so unique?

~ I'm not kidding when I say that I don't think of trends AT ALL when I'm writing.  I write what's fun for me.  I write what I think is sexy.  If I think an idea is intriguing, I run with it and think about category, etc, afterward.  It's both thrilling and frightening to be out of the norm, though.  The publisher took a big chance on the Sweet books. They weren't willing to put it in hardback or anything like that, and I think they've been surprised by the positive reception.  I know I certainly have!  :)

Please describe your daily writing process.

~ I get nothing done in the summer.  But during the school year I run my daughter to elementary school and my son to preschool. I then dash off to write/edit as much as possible during the few childfree hours I have.  After that I have to wait until evening when the kids are in bed to work again.  Unfortunately I need complete quiet to write, and I have to be alone.  It's hard to get quiet time around here, lol.  

How did you acquire your agent?

~ Through the online query slush pile.

What did it feel like, getting the news that you would be a published author?

~ It was beyond thrilling.  I bawled my eyes out from the disbelief and joy.  Being published was a childhood dream come true.

Do you have anything you're working on now?

~ I'm finishing up the final revision of See Me this month, and then I have a new story idea that I'd love to begin working on!  It's a YA contemporary.  We'll see if the inspiration stays with me or leaves. Or if something else raises its head.  I'm up for anything

Why did you decide to self-publish?

~ My publisher passed on my Irish fantasy titled See Me, and I figured most of the other publishers would think it's too risky, as well. I have several great writing friends who are enjoying self-publishing success, so I wasn't afraid of those waters. I've been there through their experiences, and I'm excited to give it a try myself!

How much creative license did you get in terms of editing, book cover, and release dates?

~ Through my traditional publisher (HarperTeen) I am given a lot of freedom when it comes to editing. My editor and I make a good team as far as seeing eye to eye on the story content.  But in terms of book cover and release date, I have no say-so in any of that.  My editor will generally show me the covers to see if I like them, but if I don't it's not like they're going to spend the money to change them, you know? The editorial and design teams at the publisher work their magic as best they can.

How do you plan on marketing it?

~ Well, I'm lucky to already have a fan base from my Sweet Trilogy, so I don't have to start from scratch like many self-published authors.  I don't plan to market any differently than I already am.  My plan is to be available to readers - to interact and have fun with them. Goodreads, Twitter, and Facebook are wonderful platforms for self-published authors to get the word out about their books.

Would you self-publish again?

~ Yes.  It's been nice to have the control.  And I love being able to get a book out in months rather than years.  I hate making people wait.  

Was there tension between your publishing house and yourself once they passed and you decided to take the self-publishing route?

~ Not at all, actually. The only contacts I have at the publishing house are my editor and my marketing girl. It's a professional relationship, and lots of books get turned down. My editor felt bad that she couldn't get See Me through acquisitions. She tried. All is well, and she said she'd be happy to read anything else that I write, especially if it's contemporary.

What about the story did you feel needed to be told? It's incredibly inspiring that despite rejection, you're pushing on and saying, "No, this is a good story.  I believe people will benefit from reading this.  I want to get this out there in my own way."

~ It's just a neat story for me because it's unconventional and different. It was so incredibly fun to write. I got lost in the magic and fantasy, and my beta readers adored it. They've been pushing me to get it out there for two years now. It took a whole year before my agent would even sub it.  (She was  wary for many of the same reasons as the publisher was, lol.)  

What are major differences between self-publishing and traditional publishing?  Where does your agent fit into all of this?

~ Normally an agent doesn't go on board with a self-publication, except to handle foreign rights, etc. But since my agent helped me revise and subbed it for me, I felt like she should get a cut from the self-publication profits. 
~ The major differences are that traditional publishing can take 12-24 months, while self-publication is more like 3-6 months. Traditional publishers can get books on shelves of B&N and The Book Depository, while self-published authors cannot. Self-published authors have to search for hours on stock image sites to find possible covers, and then pay someone to design it, or do it themselves (this is fun, but tiring - there are positives and negatives to both sides of the cover creation.)  With traditional publishing you get a whole editing crew and several editing passes. This is awesome.  I love the editing process. Self-published authors need to have critique partners to give feedback and help edit. Then you can either pay someone to do line edits, or you can put it out there as is. (I'm having mine edited by a brilliant editing friend.)  I got lucky because I have friends willing to help me out for free at every stage of the process!
The biggest difference is the pay.  I get 6% on paperback sales and 25% ebook sales from my traditional publisher.  As a self published author I'll get 70% of the ebook royalties!  And I'm not sure what percentages are for paperback, but I know I'll be getting close to $2 per paperback sale vs. $.50 that I get from traditional paperback sales. 
It's crazy.  Writing is not about the money, but it will be nice to financially contribute to my family.  Especially since I spend tons of money on swag and mailings each year (a good chunk of my income goes right back to fans, as do the incomes of many authors, and we don't get paid nearly as much as people assume, unfortunately.) 
So, as you can see there are good and bad elements on both sides of publishing. Nothing is going to be perfect, and no two authors' experiences are the same.

Thanks for having me, Heather!

 

About Wendy

After earning a bachelors in Creative Writing from George Mason University and a masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Radford, Wendy taught high school English until becoming a mommy. Writing Young Adult (YA) stories gives her the opportunity to delve into the ambiguities of those pivotal, daunting, and exciting years before adulthood.
She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, daughter, and son. Sweet Evil is her debut novel.

 

website:  http://www.wendyhigginswrites.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Wendy_Higgins

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sweet-Evil-novel-by-Wendy-Higgins/118348174915427

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4279785.Wendy_Higgins

 

*See Me has unfortunately been shelved, as per Wendy's blog. 

 

Stranger's cover reveal

Well, everybody, the day is finally here!  My first cover reveal.

I'm actually so excited to share this with you, and if your curiosity is insatiable, I don't blame you if you choose to forego the story of how I came up with the design in order to look at it.  However, since there may be some of you who are interested in self-publishing and might someday have to create your own book cover, I want to tell you what I went through.

At first, I had an incredibly complex cover in my mind.  I talked about it with my step-mom - a graphic artist who helped me with the cover design - and she pointed out that it just wasn't possible with our resources.  Instead, I took a few weeks to think about it and then went to some stock photo websites to look through some pictures in order to find ideas.

And then I found the picture that would be my cover.  It uses one element of my original idea, which I love.  It's simple but poignant, and illustrates what the book is about without throwing different elements at the reader.  I sent it to my step-mom and she loved it.  We both worked on toying with the font and the placement of the title and author, and managed to finish the entire cover in a few hours.  I sent it to my beta, Leighann, and she loved it too.

All it cost me was $19 for the photo.  Now, if by some miracle, my book sells 200,000 copies, I'll have to repurchase the more expensive photo because of distribution restrictions.  It's more expensive, but I figure if I can sell 200,000 copies of my novel, I can spend a couple hundred bucks on a book cover.  Luckily, I have someone who's good with Photoshop and can help me put covers together.  If you don't, I would ask for recommendations from people who self-published their own books.  Make sure you get your money's worth and get as much information as you can about a graphic designer so you don't get ripped off in the end.

If you have any questions about the self-publication process or specific questions about book covers, feel free to ask me in the comments or shoot me and email at heather.myers@ymail.com.  Just make sure you put something in the subject line relating to writing so I don't think you're spam.

Now, enough with talking.  Here is the cover for Stranger:

I'd love to know what you think of it.  If you have time, drop me a comment, and have a wonderful Sunday!

Huge Announcement!

Hello everyone!

I have an announcement I am so excited to share with you.  I will be self-publishing my first novel STRANGER through Amazon September 22, 2012.  The summary is below.

Seventeen year old Sophie Harper is different.  Not just different, peculiar.  Though her petite frame reveals nothing, she has superhuman strength that allows her to lift up cars like they were pillows, throw people twice her size across a room, and even kill a man with her bare hands.  She’s accepted to the Academy for Peculiars, an isolated school on Catalina Island for other teenagers like her.  As she settles into her new home, she makes friends with her dorm mates, stresses out about catching up with schoolwork, and starts dating one of the most popular guys at the academy.  But as normal as Sophie wants to be, she can’t change the fact that she her strength is rare, even among peculiars.  She starts falling for her trainer, a rugged shifter named Will, who frustrates her to no end, and finds out there is someone else who shares her ability, a man everyone refuses to talk about.  The more she learns about him, the more she realizes that just because her mysterious counterpart is probably the only person in the world who understands her isolation, doesn’t mean he isn’t a threat.

Jane Cabot’s life turns upside down when she moves a book with her mind.  Her ability is reading thoughts, not telekinesis.  In fact, she didn’t know a peculiar with two simultaneous abilities existed.  Now, instead of focusing on maintaining her 4.0 GPA and getting into shape in preparation for soccer, she is forced to take private lessons with her least favorite professor, Nikolai Depogare, who also happens to possess the same talent as she does.  He emphasizes the importance of keeping her new self a secret, even from her friends, leaving her isolated from all that she knows.  If other peculiars found out about her, they wouldn’t hesitate to run experiments on her and force her to do their bidding.  The only person who seems to understand her predicament is Depogare.  Trying to ignore her conflicting feelings for the man, Jane puts herself and her friends unknowingly in danger, and in order to save them, she must reveal what she really is.

As I have stated, it will be self-published.  I have been querying agents on and off for the past four years.  After getting a pile of rejection letters for STRANGER, I decided that instead of setting the manuscript aside and starting a new one like I normally would, I wanted to find a different way to publish it.

I love this story.  I love the characters and the plot and just because agents weren't interested in it didn't mean I was going to give up on it.  I want to share it with you all.  Whether it makes a lot of money or not doesn't matter.  I want to write.  I hope more than anything you enjoy this story.  That is my main concern.

I am new to the whole self-publishing industry but I'm learning.  I plan to document my experience here at this blog.  I was inspired by S. R. Johannes and her story, which you can read here.  Please be sure to check it out because it's incredibly informative.

But I do need your help.  S. R. Johannes did this for her ebook UNTRACEABLE and I liked the idea so I'm doing it here: If you are interested in reading an advanced copy of STRANGER, I would be happy to send you one.  All I ask in return is that you write your review somewhere - your blog, Amazon, wherever.  I'm not going to check so we'll be going on the honor's system.  Please write whatever you think.  You don't have to say you like it if you didn't.  If you're interested, please email me at heather.myers@ymail.com and put STRANGER Advanced Copy in the subject line.

Check back here for updates and news.  I'll be posting the cover and the first chapter in the upcoming months, blogging about my experience with the self-publishing industry and, of course, my upcoming time in England, Scotland, and possibly France.  Again, I can't wait to share this story with you.  I hope you enjoy it!