What I have learnt about Indie book promotion... part 2

 What have I learnt? Obviously not enough. Think I might as well watch the cricket.

What I have learnt about Indie book promotion...

While I am busy pecking away at the second novel in the Skid Chronicles series I have also been looking at how to widen my readership for the first book in the series and make my fortune. Yeah right. Making a living at this would be great but I am not about to give up my day job.

I've tried quite a few things to sell copies of my first novel and get a few good reviews on Amazon as that is the key it seems to me-good 5 star reviews. I have twisted people's arms and basically told them to buy my $0.99 novel and write me a good review. This tack has had limited success even when I have offered to give people a dollar as there are far more people that have said to my face that they will download the Kindle version or buy the hard copy than have actually done so. Amazon has pretty good reporting. Clearly I haven't twisted enough arms hard enough.

I have also tried Google Adwords and Facebook adds to no avail, admittedly I can only send people to the Amazon pages via my still dirtbike themed website. Note to self....spend some time on developing a new page. It might help.

All I can say is that I am pleased I tried this avenue but didn't spend too much money in this area. I did spend  a chunk of cash on 't' shirts that I mostly gave away that apart from my wife to be I don't believe anyone actually wears. If you want one drop me line.

I've created a Twitter account along with all those other people who create accounts to self promote their product or service. But Twitter is a bit like Facebook, just because you have 'friends' doesn't mean they are going to read your posts and even if they do, it doesn't mean this is going to translate into any sales.

My latest scheme as per all the reading I have done is to generate a media release for the book. Now I just need to find out where to send it. I have never felt comfortable with self promotion and rejection but my skin is getting thicker so maybe I will just send it too as many people as possible. The good old shotgun approach.

Finally all the good blogs and websites say that all I have to do is create is a community of interest and I'll become an instant online best seller and make my fortune.

So if anyone actually reads this blog and wants to become part of my community you can join me on Facebook or Twitter-I promise not to twist your arm. But in case you have forgotten here is the link to the book......amazon.com/Skid-Tasting-plant-ebook/dp/B009FIAMXS

Actually mostly what I have learnt is that there is plenty of good reading out there and at the end of the day nothing much has changed in the world of publishing. While we can do a lot of things to promote our masterpieces and be successfull at it (in an ideal world successfull for me would be making my living out of writing) at the end of the day luck and being in the right place at the right time has a lot to do with it.





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My first Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:

Keith Fenwick

PO Box 90312

Victoria St West

Auckland

0272066091

fenwickk@vodafone.co.nz

New Zealand Author Publishes Sci Fi Novel on Amazon Kindle

Auckland NZ, January 29 2013 – New Zealand  author, Keith Fenwick, recently released a science fiction novel, Skid - The First Chronicle, the first novel of a science fiction trilogy.

  

In his first novel “Skid - The First Chronicle Skid” Keith Fenwick takes us to a highly sophisticated world where society is about to fall apart. A world whose leader’s arrogantly assume that they can do no wrong in the face of the dangerous signs of a disintegrating world around them. A disintegration caused by a failing in the technology that for so long has made them undisputed masters of the known universe.

Readers will immediately recognize the parallels with life as we know it on earth today as we struggle with the implications of climate change on our world and our lifestyles.

The plot addresses some serious themes, touching on issues as wide as the survival of any planet in the universe - from pollution, to the exploitation of natural resources - the pros and cons of collective versus individual action - organic versus synthetic food - survival with humor versus the alienating aspects of a form of political correctness.

The use of humor makes the book work effectively - mainly through the reactions of the "offworlders", Bruce (from New Zealand) and Sue (from the USA). Both Bruce and Sue react in stereotypical ways as caricatures of the cultures they come from - the skillful and amusing portrayal of their characteristics allows readers to laugh at their own attitudes.

Unlike many science fiction books, skid doesn't get bogged down in detail or stray so far from known worlds that you lose the plot. Aficionados of science fiction and anyone who enjoys a good read will enjoy this novel.

This is Keith Fenwick’s first novel.

Contact details for Keith Fenwick

Phone Keith: (064) 0272 066 091

Email Keith: fenwickk@vodafone.co.nz

Kindle version http://www.amazon.com/Skid-Tasting-plant-ebook/dp/B009FIAMXS

Print version http://www.amazon.com/Skid-The-tasting-plant-Volume-1/dp/1479378844

Catch up with Keith at his blog http://dirtsdiary.blogspot.co.nz/

Reviews

.....I found this book to be a great read. Part Space Opera, part satire, this is a very kiwi novel in many respects. It takes really earthly themes like our preoccupation with sustainability and the exploitation of diminishing resources and combines these with the apparent inability of a super alien society to deal with the change required to accommodate this. Whole the novel is somewhat predictable it is entertaining and worth a read.

.....A clever allegory and an engaging read…….

Interesting and easy to read. Keith keeps the suspense through rich descriptions and engaging conversations. Themes of environmental awareness and spiritual discoveries are especially relevant to today's Western culture. The allegory of technically advanced but spiritually poor aliens that lack a purpose in life keep reminding you of people you meet in everyday life. The everyday familiarity in a science fiction setting makes this book stand out.

.....This is a very easy book to read. I loved the hero with his local New Zealand connection and "all will be right" attitude.

.....A very good read - if you like a bit of science fiction.

If you read between the lines or look a little deeper into the story it is not far from current happenings today.

.....The two main characters are easy to relate to for many who would read this book.

And I think that being able to relate to these two makes the book so engaging and easy to read.

The story also gives you somethings to think about and touches on many of the problems faced in today's world.

Unashamed self promotion

The other day she who must be obeyed turned up at home wearing this 't' shirt. I was literally gobsmacked. Forget Adwords and Facebook adds and anything else you have to pay for here is the ultimate talking point.

If nothing else the 2 or 300 hundred people who work in my building saw me coming today and hopefully I have shamed at least one or two of them into buying my book. We'll see. But I am this 't' shirt every Friday from now on.

The Book

The first Skidian Chronicle

Skid is an imaginative science fiction novel of considerable skill that pokes fun at all forms of political correctness, while also indicating there are dangerous signs of a disintegrating world that is not adequately taken care of. Readers will recognise these as parallels to life on earth. 

The plot addresses some serious themes, touching on issues as wide as the survival of any planet in the universe - from pollution, to the exploitation of natural resources - the pros and cons of collective versus individual action - organic versus synthetic food - survival with humour versus the alienating aspects of a form of political correctness. 

The use of humour makes the book work effectively - mainly through the reactions of the "offworlders", Bruce (from New Zealand) and Sue (from the USA). Both Bruce and Sue react in stereotypical ways as caricatures of the cultures they come from - the skilful and amusing portrayal of their characteristics allows readers to laugh at their own attitudes. 

Unlike many science fiction books, skid doesn't get bogged down in detail or stray so far from known worlds that you lose the plot. Aficionados of science fiction and anyone who enjoys a good read will enjoy this novel.

http://www.amazon.com/Skid-Chronicle-Skidian-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B009FIAMXS

Published at last

I have long been a frustrated author. Being a writer is something that I have always wanted to do. There is a literary bent in the family so I guess this isn't all that unusual.

If I was being honest with myself the reason that I have never really pursued writing as a career option is a lack of confidence and drive. The started  with being dissuaded from a potential career as a journalist by well a well meaning but in hindsight incompetent careers advisor at school. She suggested I start an apprenticeship as a typesetter instead. Continued with family and friends telling me that I needed a real job, rejection and my own lack of confidence.

This isn't to say that I haven't written, submitted work to publishers or even had a go at self publishing. When I might have given this a real go the realities of earning a living, mortgages and a need for some kind of financial security got in the way.

Latterly I have been interested in playing with helmet cams and writing or even thinking about it hasn't been high on my list of priorities.

Cue a life changing event, the end of a relationship that I thought was the real deal, a new relationship and the gift of a Kindle.

Among other things the Kindle reinvigorated my interest in reading. I have been at times a voracious reader and have often probably withdrawn from the real world and into the world of  print more often that I should have. Latterly I have become much more picky in my reading and loathe to spend money on books from authors that weren't on my personal safe list.

The Kindle has changed all this and while I still buy from mainstream authors there are huge numbers of free or very cheap tittles available that I have entertained myself with. As I have sampled the good, bad and barely readable I came to the realisation that my work is at least as good if not better than some of the titles I was reading and in many cases paying for.

Over the last several months I  have dusted off, reviewed and honed one of my masterpieces and in the last week or so published it on Amazon.

I know there are other platforms to use and maybe I will review them in time but Amazon is the industry standard for self publishing and once I had sorted out the formatting issues the process is painless.

So read the book if you have the time and interest and if you do keep an eye out for the sequel that i am busy polishing and updating.

Kindle version or Buy a hard copy version

Brrrp - now I need to check the bike out because I haven't ridden it in months.......

What a difference a year makes

What a difference a year makes. This time last year I was desperately unhappy and couldn't really pin down as to why this would be because outwardly things were pretty good in my life. 


Recently one of my work colleagues described how some of her employees were feeling after flipping out at work in Christchurch.


It's a feeling that something is just wrong and they can't explain why. Not surprising when you are living in a city where the ground is likely to move underneath you at any time. Where your house might be damaged and you have an interminable wait for repairs, or it has extra ventilation and is impossible to keep warm. Where everywhere you look there are signs of damage that will take years to put right even if your own home is more or less ok. Or you might have to move out of your house and you don't know where to go and what to do next


I sat in an office on Friday close to the Christchurch Airport wondering if each rattle of the windows or roar of  jet engine winding up was an more earthly rattle. A little on edge all that time and counting down the hours until I was due to fly out. So I understand and when she explained how these people were feeling it seemed to encapsulate just how I had been feeling for such a long time.


 A sense of impending doom. Something was wrong and when I did find out why I felt that way it seemed that the end of the world had come.


Of course it hadn't, though it seemed that way at the time. Today I am much happier, happier than  I can remember being for many years. Because it isn't the end of the world when a relationship ends when your partner decides that the grass is greener over the fence. 


Despite how I felt at the time, that the world had passed me by and I had wasted a chunk of my life on someone who then proceeded to look elsewhere, that I would never know love in my life again, my world is a far better place today.


The emotional trauma of the last part of 2011 has left me a much stronger and rounded as a person that is reflected in my work as well as my personal life and especially in my relationships with people.


Although I wouldn't wish a  relationship breakdown to my worst enemy there are upsides if you emerge from the darkside, not least the new good woman in my life.