A bumper crop of idea-ism...

This week is a bumper crop of tips and ideas! I've just returned from holiday and I'm behind with updates, so this week I have 14 steps to share with you for:

Operation Author: 365 Actions to Becoming a Successful Author 

Action 1:
I've been talking to bands, caterers and theatre groups and added an update to the crowdfund website:


https://www.fundsurfer.com/pies-music-and-other-consumables

Action 2:
The second edition of The Bronze Box is now complete and is the version that will be available through the crowdfund:

https://www.fundsurfer.com/project/independently-publishing-solomons-secrets-event

Pledge now to be the first to get it - when it comes out!

The First Edition of The Bronze Box will no longer be available so if you want to own a book that will soon be rare, get in there quick.

Original, first edition cover

First Edition - Get it while you can

Action 3:
This is what the new book will look like

Second edition cover art

I'm tempted to add the Epilogue to this update but wouldn't want to set loose a spoiler, so here's a tiny bit of it...

The Bronze Box, Epilogue sample

Action 4:
I'm setting up some meetings with some bands. This week I'm meeting Evie Woods - here's her awesome music:

https://soundcloud.com/eviewoodsband

Action 5:
I sent Word documents of The Bronze Box and Solomon's Secrets to the theatre producer I'm using, Byron Mondahl and highlighted a couple of passages that can be scripted for the actors to perfrom. Here's a teaser:

Script extract from Solomon's Secrets

Actions 6 & 7:

I've written full character profiles for Tom and Sasha to help the actors out

Action 8:
The Solomon's Secrets event is now listed on several event listings sites

Here it is on Skiddle:
http://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Bristol/Averys-Wine-Cellars/Solomons-Secrets/12184668/

Actions 9 & 10:
I've printed some sample leaflets for Solomon's Secrets with a few short chapters and blurb.
I've left them on trains, in aeroplanes and in a few bars and cafes in Lisbon, Porto and Madrid

Action 11:
I sent press releases to several local publications. An article was printed in the Wellington Weekly News.

I grew up in the small town of Wellington in Somerset, but the paper came out when I was away and the article is not on their website, so I'm hoping my dad has picked up a copy. If he has, I'll post it on here.

Action 12:
Knowing that I'd be away and not regularly online, I scheduled in lots of tweets before I went  to keep up the momentum for the crowdfund.

Action 13:
One of my beta readers has bought back a copy of Solomon's Secrets and I've started my re-edits. I'm waiting for feedback from several others.

Action 14:
Like most writers, once I've written the first draft of a book I'm already thinking about the next one. Being on holiday gave me the space to take a notebook and start writing passages for the next book, Gabriel's Game. Here's a teaser:

Extract from Gabriel's Game

Hopefully some of the actions I've taken in the past couple of weeks will give you some ideas and inspiration...

What marketing tips would you offer to a writer 

trying to build their platform?