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? 

Fridges, Sumurai Rabbits and Red Trousers...

April already. I'm very glad to see the back of March and all the stress of the past few weeks. Now I can make plans *mwa ha ha*

My seven actions this week for Operation Author: 365 Actions to Succeed as an Author have involved lots of real world networking.

For writers, it's very easy to fall into the trap of relying on online networks to spread your message, but, as with any marketing activity, there is no substitute for going out and meeting people. 

To successfully market a product, in the case of writers, a book, you need a good mix of activities. Generally speaking, people need to see, hear about or notice something at least 3 times before they respond to a call to action.

My week started with my leg of the blog tour.  I spread it around the interwebs. I also actively commented on threads about it and helped out my writers who are on the next leg of the tour to find their next 3 writers.

See the Blog Tour here

On Tuesday I went to a Fridge Networking Event at the The Famous Royal Navy Volunteer pub in Bristol.  The event is on the first Tuesday of the month

The pub, affectionately known in Bristol as The Volley, has recently undergone a refurbishment and has an awesome selection of craft beers. It's well worth a visit:  http://www.navyvolunteer.co.uk/

The guys who run Fridge Networking are a really enterprising bunch and I would encourage any entrepreneurs in Bristol to connect with them: https://twitter.com/FridgeNetwork

If you're reading this, and decide to come to the next meeting, come and find me there, I've love to meet my blog readers in person. The trouble with blogging, is sometimes is feels like you're writing to no one!

On Wednesday I went to a Bristol Creatives networking event where creative entrepreneurs in the city heard from a new crowd funding organisation that are launching in Bristol. 

Sally at Bristol Creatives is lovely and really passionate about creative businesses. Another action this week was that I became a member. I'll add myself to the directory as an action next week.

The presenters at the event were Fundsurfer https://www.fundsurfer.com/. Fundsurfer is an innovative new platform for crowd funding and Derek and Oliver that run it are really passionate about supporting independent businesses and in particular, to support the creative industries. Look out for them, they will be having a launch event soon.  Love their Samurai Rabbit logo too!

It did spark an ambitious idea for me: Could I crowd fund the publication of Solomon's Secrets and put on a spectacular launch event involving other creative talent in Bristol?

My next action was to immediately start putting a pitch together.  I sent some copy to Fundsurfer for their marketing. I'll be working on my plans and putting some more concrete proposals together next week before setting up a meeting with them. I'm really excited about the ideas.

My next action was to go to a Bedminster Town Team Arts Led Regeneration Conference at the fantastic Tobacco Factory Theatre.

The Mayor of Bristol, George-red-trousers-Ferguson, opened the event with a great presentation about his experience of breathing new life into a derelict factory and creating one of the Bristol's treasures, The Tobacco Factory. 

As Mayor, he's been making some radical changes in Bristol that have attracted some criticism.  He has a great vision for our beloved city and has really put us on the map. Personally, I have a lot of time for George. Bristol needs some radical action after suffering years of indecision and neglect. Change will always scare people, but in time Bristol will be the richer, culturally and economically, for it.

(Plus, I'm a biased because last year George did buy a copy of my debut novel, The Bronze Box with his Bristol Pounds!)

 

I attended the event with 3 hats on: as an interested resident of Bedminster, an Enterprise Coach for Outset Bristol and a creative business myself.

It was a great event, with some encouraging developments in the regeneration of Bristol, through our powerhouse of creative enterprises. It just makes me love Bedminster all the more!

Lunch at the event was courtesy of Marks Bread and was delicious. https://twitter.com/Marks_Bread

I particularly enjoyed the talking carpet performance by an actor from Show of Strength Theatre Company. They do amazing street theatre and have been doing pop up theatres in shops in Bedminster. 


I met Sheila from Show of Strength and am looking forward to meeting her for coffee soon as I'd love to involve them in the launch for Solomon's Secrets in some way. A bit of guerrilla theatre would be great. I already have a couple of scenes from the book in mind that I'd love to get a couple of actors to play out.

In this busy week, I've also somehow managed to find time to start proof reading Solomon's Secrets.

Tell me what you think: 

If you could recommend one networking event in Bristol UK, 

to attend, what would it be?