A freebie and a case of the sniffles

This week my seven actions for...

Operation Author: 365 Actions to Becoming A Successful Author

...have been somewhat hampered by the onset of a nasty cold that's left me a in a snotty, barely-able-to-function, thick-headed mess.

My first action is a follow up from last week.

I published a post specifically to encourage people to take up the offer of the free eBook: http://ideaism.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/get-your-free-ebook-here-now.html

Calling all bookaholics:

Would you like a free eBook in exchange for a review?

If you're looking for something new to read and would like to help an indie author out, email me: amy@tomcatdesigns.co.uk

This offer expires 31st October 2014 - so hurry!
  
My second action is to tweet lots of eBook tweeters and promoters to spread the word

My third action was to have a go at writing the blurb for the next book in the Sheridan and Blake Adventure series.

It will be one book, made up of two novellas:



Gabriel's Game, Part 1: The White Queen



Gabriel's Game, Part 2: The Back Knight

The titles are a nod to the first book, The Bronze Box, in which White Queen is a code name for my heroine, Sasha Blake and Black Knight is a code name for my hero, Tom Sheridan when they arrange to rendezvous at a giant chess set in Amsterdam.

Source: http://www.waymarking.com/

Book Blurb for Gabriel's Game, part 1: The White Queen

Book Blurb for Gabriel's Game, part 2: The Black Knight

I've already started collecting research links on a Pinterst board for Gabriel's Game, with links for both parts of the book.



I used these blurbs for my fourth action.

I am going to do NaNoWriMo again this year and hope to get a good chunk of both books written in a month.

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo: NaNoWriMo.org) is an annual event where writers are encouraged to write a novel (50,000 words) in the month of November.

I've set up my profile ready to go on the the 1st November.

Here's my page: http://nanowrimo.org/participants/amycm/novels/gabriel-s-game

My fifth action was going to a critique meeting with other writers and getting feedback on a short story about the heroine of my books, Sasha Blake. I'm now doing further research and re-writes. I'll publish it on here when it's ready.

My sixth action was to write a feature on my top 10 tips for a crowdfund for Fundsurfer's blog. I'll share it when it's published

My final action this week has been setting up an interview for BBC Radio Bristol. It'll be taking place on Friday 14th November at 12:30pm. I've enjoyed the other radio interviews I've done for community radio stations and excited about entering the hallowed halls of the BBC office in Bristol.

Back to reading a book with a mug of hot lemon and honey on hand

Get your FREE eBook here now

Calling all bookaholics:

Would you like a free eBook in exchange for a review?

 

Solomon's Secrets 

by Amy C Fitzjohn

Dunhaung, China 1908 – An archaeologist discovers an ancient temple, but the legendary library rumoured to be at its heart is what he really wants to find.

The present - Archeologist, Dr Sasha Blake is studying a replica of an ancient manuscript when she is offered sponsorship by a wealthy silk trader, Jon Solomon, to locate the original and four powerful rings that accompany it.  

But her investor is hiding terrible secrets.  When Sasha becomes Solomon’s next victim she wants revenge. 

She agrees to be the bait in a web of conspiracy set up by a covert organisation, The Agency, and Agent Tom Sheridan is her only ally.

Can Sheridan and Blake find the manuscript in time to stop Solomon, or are they about to fall into his trap?

Solomon's Secrets is available on general release on Amazon now, but get it FREE here:


If you're looking for something new to read and would like to help an indie author out, email me: amy@tomcatdesigns.co.uk
This offer expires 31st October 2014 - so hurry!

 

Seeking bookaholics looking for a freebie....

This week my seven actions for...

Operation Author: 365 Actions to Becoming A Successful Author

...are dealing with the fall out of releasing Solomon's Secrets...

My first action was to shout about it all over social media. 

I've scheduled in lots of updates etc. 

I'm conscious that I don't want to be one of those people who just tries to sells everyone their stuff on Twitter so I've scheduled in announcements in intervals with other content in amongst my usual tips and content sharing.

There's an 80/20 rule with Social Media:

80% is sharing content 
20% is promotion

My next action is to offer the eBook for free to anyone willing to review it.

Calling all bookaholics - Would you like a free eBook in exchange for a review?

If you're looking for something new to read and would like to help an indie author out, email me: amy@tomcatdesigns.co.uk

This offer expires 31st October 2014 - so hurry!

My third action has been to follow up all of the people who pledged to the crowdfund and send out book and eBooks. I set my husband the mission of converting the books into an eBook format that I could email out to people. He had a battle with it but got there in the end. 

Getting in touch with them all individually and responding to them is taking a lot of time this week - Can I count that as a few actions? I've not had time to do much else this week!

...why not...

My last few actions this week have been to; post a student placement vacancy on Missionly. 

Their site was down at the time of writing this so I can't share the link to my advert, but here's the general one: www.missionly.co.uk


Fingers crossed there is a student in the Bristol area looking for a Publicist Placement who'd be up for helping me out - I could do with an extra pair of hands!

An action that came out of the Books Are My Bag event with Southville Writers and Bristol Women writers is that I've started working on a guest blog on for an online Bristol Lifestyle blog. If it gets accepted I'll share it with you. 


Another action is that I have been editing the short story 'I met someone'.

It's a conversation between the heroine of my books, Sasha Blake, and her grief counsellor, Lucy. It's set in 2004 and picks up from the scene in The Bronze Box where Sasha first meets Tom Sheridan in a seemingly chance encounter at The British Museum. They have a brief affair, before going their separate ways and not meeting again until 2013.

A follow up action is to take it to our Southville Writers critique group this week and get some feedback from the others.

When I'm happy with it I'll post it here.

I've just counted back...result... that's seven actions - I've done more than I thought this week!

What marketing actions have you got planned for this week?




 

 



 

Super Exciting Announcement and Hanging Out at the Post Office

This week my seven actions for...
 

Operation Author: 365 Actions to Becoming  A Successful Author

...are all about Solomon's Secrets

It's here! It's landed and available now on Amazon.

Hoorah!

My first action was receiving a lovely big box of shiny new books in the post, ready to send out to everyone who pledged to the crowdfund.

My books! A beautiful thing...

My second action was to post an update on the Fundsurfer page telling everyone what to expect next:

https://www.fundsurfer.com/project/independently-publishing-solomons-secrets/update/and-were-done

 

The third action, following the announcement on the crowdfund page, was to start contacting all of my backers individually and finding out what they'd like me to write inside their books and where I should post them.

 
My fourth action was to get some thank you leaflets printed so that I could write a note to each of my backers to send out with their parcels.

I used Brunel One printers who's roof I can see from my back bedroom, they are that local!

I was really happy with the quick turnaround and good value for these leaflets and will definitely use them again.

Once I received responses from my backers, the next step was to pack the books up and take them to the post office.

Here's my first pile of books ready to post. 

I was queuing outside the local post office at 8:30am.


My fifth action has been to reduce the price of the Kindle version of my first book, The Bronze Box. 

It's now £1.99 on Amazon. Hopefully people who've been drawn to Solomon's Secrets will get the first book as well.

My last two actions are unrelated to the launch of Solomon's Secrets:

Firstly, my sixth action was to publish a really awesome guest blog by Anita MacCallum on personal branding.

Read it here:

http://ideaism.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/know-yourself-know-your-brand-who-is.html

Anita's creativity is infectious and her blog post gave me an idea - I've set up a 'vision board' on my Pinterest. I asked myself;

What's my 'brand' as an author? I write under different names so why not have another identity? How does Amy C Fitzjohn, Author present herself....? 

Here's what I've been pinning: http://www.pinterest.com/amymorse184/amy-c-fitzjohn-author-vision-board/ 

My seventh action is to report back on the Books are my Bag event hosted by Southville Writers and Bristol Women Writers at Foyles on Saturday.

The fact that between us we managed to collect lots of local writers in one place was in itself an achievement, organising writers is a bit like herding cats!

It was a really good event in the end with writers reading out their work in a series of categories, including; fiction, poetry, non-fiction and flash fiction.

Here is the table of books for all the writers involved:

Because I'm published by Amazon I was banned from selling my books at the event :( so my job was to be the MC - Here I am on the stage with a microphone, conducting proceedings:

Have you been to any good readers/writers events recently?

Know Yourself, Know Your Brand - Who is Your Future Self?

I'm delighted to share another fantastic guest post with you this week by a fellow Bristol writer, Anita MacCallum.

Anita and I talked about author branding over a coffee a few weeks back and I've been looking forward to having her input into my Operation Author project ever since.

Here's Anita's great blog: http://louder-than-words.co/

And find her on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/loud_word
 

Who is your Future Self? 

Why Personal Branding is Important for Writers

Anita MacCallum - the positive deviant!

 

Branding belongs in the olden days with horses and blacksmiths, so I've made a new phrase up: future selfing. Future selfing is super sonic imagining. If I could zoom into a time travelling zone, and see my blog on billboards across earth, how do I want to be seen by millions of eyes that would view it? What is my uber identity? Ultimately if I had to dress up as my blog, what would I wear? Boots, custom made; hair brightly coloured according to my mood, right now it's purple; corsets and dresses of distinction.

If you think you have no idea who or what you are. Start a Pinterest board, or a vision board, focus on your project, process or product. It's basically scrap-booking for grown-ups. Collect only what you are drawn to, be ruthless. You will find an energy or underlying feel, trust your instincts. If you've gathered an image and feel it isn't fitting but you don't know why, get rid of it. You need to be completely connected to the images you choose.

Ask for feedback from your community, it's scary to be open to the messages you receive but you will know what you like and what you don't. I asked for feedback on what words are connected to my writing, both on social media and face to face. Essentially I wanted to identify my strengths, unique points and passion. What better way to see what my audience already perceive. I received this:-

• Slightly rippled with a flat underside 

 

• Femo-quirk light & dark

 

• Full bodied with a nutty after taste!

 

• Adult work-magical, macabre, connects with the parts of us we keep hidden, turns your perceptions of 'what is' upside down with a sledgehammer, a gentle tickle, followed by a cheeky whipping! 

 

• Dark, deep, rough edges, raw, animated, alive, force of nature.

 

• Delves into the deepest darkest recesses of our soul, were we to have one, and then pops the light on and yells SURPRISE!

The under-lying message is surprisingly consistent, unpredictable, fun, dangerous and passionate. This was a boost and enabled me to trust that my style is strong. I had a starting point to begin. I have been moving forward, step by step since then. At the beginning of the process, I wanted something clear and strong to define my writing persona, I chose - 'Full bodied with a nutty after taste. Positive deviant.' This phrase now introducing me when I perform, if I write an article that doesn’t fit this description, it will not feature on my blog.

Having studied a million courses in paying attention, for example: colour therapy, dance movement, positive psychology, clowning, theatre lighting and set, physical performance, to name a few, I have learnt over the years that physical form tells a story. The secret to branding is to understand what story you are telling, what genre does it sit in? Create a whole world around your product, take it into a theatre and hot-seat it. What super hero powers does your brand have? Does it go out at night or in the day? How does it sound? If you surround yourself with paradoxes, make sure you choose the two that are most striking to work with.

Do not work alone, research; it is an investment to increase your knowledge of the world you are creating, not procrastination. If you are starting off without an audience, create a sample, approach the people who you would like to be your audience. Who do they already like? Who are you competing with? Or how I like to think of it, who are your professional peers? If you could claim a group of people as your tribe, who would they be? 

Stop dreaming and get specific. Go meet them. Submit work to them, go to your tribe. Or be a leader and create your own.

There is no need to be afraid, I grant you the power to re-invent yourself over and over again. Your future selves are multiple.

 

 

Message from me:

Some great tips and inspiration here from Anita and a massive thank you for contributing.

I love Pinterest - such a useful tool for writers

I've highlighted the parts that really stood out for me.

 

My next action as a result of Anita's advice:
 

I've added an Amy C Fitzjohn, Author: Vision Board to my Pinterest page, inspired by Anita's infectious creativity.