Bill Stuart

Adventures in Self-Publishing (part 2)!

As I promised in my first post about adventures in self-publishing, this post will talk briefly about book marketing. Now I am the first to admit that I am not a marketing guru (I am an HR and Management degree holder and have spent most of my post nuclear Navy career in Supply Chain), so the nuances of a marketing campaign are new to me. One of the things I can do well, though, is research. So I fired up the laptop and started looking. Here I go with self-publishing (part 2)!

The research:

What I found is truly mind-boggling. There are hundreds of thousands of suggestions, websites, blogs, and other sources of advice on how to market books and ebooks (including books and ebooks about marketing books and ebooks). There are sites that will do a full marketing plan (for a price), others that allow you to post a sample of your book on their site (for free unless you want them to do a marketing push for it), and still others that are completely free. How to choose?

I think an author has to decide why they are marketing their book and to what audience they want to entice. For me, the answer to the first question was pretty easy. I wrote the books for my grandchildren. Since they were already written, I decided to see if they would sell. The second question is a bit trickier. I wrote my books for a middle grades/young adult audience, but I tried to make them entertaining enough to appeal to all ages. So, whom do I target for any marketing efforts? That is the part that I struggled with then and am still struggling with now.

Marketing Methods:

As for marketing methods, I chose to create a Facebook page and author pages on both Amazon.com  and Smashwords. Hard as it is, I’ve really tried not to become annoying to people as I talk about my book. I still want them to read it and like it and write reviews.

My research revealed many different marketing ideas. I don’t use them all, but I may try to incorporate some of them as I go along. I promise to provide updates on what worked, what didn’t, and lessons learned. And who knows, maybe I will find the right formula to propel The Gemstone Chronicles to the top of the bestseller lists!

Connect with me:

One of the best things about self-publishing is I get to make great on social media. If you would like to connect with me, I can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads. You can also send me an email at bill@williamlstuart.com. Subscribe to the blog so you won’t miss a post!

Inspirations!

I have discovered that inspirations for writing come from many different sources – some of them unexpected and not exactly related to what you are writing about. As I was trying to think of a way to explain how Nana and Beebop were able to retire early and purchase their house in the north Georgia mountains, I found the inspiration in my lovely and adorable wife’s hobby (and pretty successful) blog. Lana is the author, cook, and photographer of her own food blog. Lucky me, I get to be the chief taste tester!! So, if you are looking for some great recipes (with a slight southern accent) visit her site at: https://www.lanascooking.com! I promise you won’t be disappointed!!!

I also found the inspiration for Nana and Beebop’s house while out rock hunting one day. Below is a picture of the inspiration house. Perched on the side of a mountain, this gorgeous home was the perfect model for their home.

In The Gemstone Chronicles Book One: The Carnelian, Nana uses her kitchen skills (OK, a frying pan) to knock a troll over the head so Beebop and Aidan can wrap the creature in duct tape. Not only is Nana a great cook, but she is one tough customer! And my own experience using duct tape in the Navy made it a natural fit.

Where do you find your inspirations? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Connect with me:

You can connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, or send me an email at bill@williamlstuart.com! I love to meet new friends and learn about new things, so say hi!

Adventures in self-publishing

As my readers’ know, The Gemstone Chronicles Book One: The Carnelian was self-published as an ebook on Amazon.com and Smashwords. I haven’t decided whether to use CreateSpace (another Amazon company) to publish paperback copies. As I have talked with people about the book, one of the questions that inevitably comes up is “How was the experience of self-publishing?” I can’t speak for others, but I have to say my adventures in self-publishing have been a really cool experience.

From a technical viewpoint, the actual publishing of an ebook on either of the sites is relatively easy. Smashwords requires a .doc format and KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) requires an .html file. Both are pretty easy to format, although Smashwords formatting guide is substantially longer than Amazon’s. I use Smashwords guide first, then modify the Amazon file as needed. If you have some knowledge of Microsoft Word, neither formatting process is too very difficult, though.

Once the formatting is complete, simply upload the manuscript, set your price, and you are published!! It may take a few hours for your book to appear on the site. It’s a big thrill to log on to Amazon.com or Smashwords, type in your name or the name of your book, and there it is! I encourage any of you who are thinking of writing, to just go do it!

In my next post, I will discuss the business side (marketing) of your book. It is much more difficult than writing and publishing!! I’m struggling with the marketing side, so suggestions are always welcome.

Connect with me:

Connect with me on social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads. You can also email me at bill@williamlstuart.com! Follow my adventures in self-publishing as I work on the rest of the series.

Reviews and a little news!

The reviews for The Gemstone Chronicles Book One: The Carnelian are beginning to come in. It’s always exciting to find out what my readers think of the book! Thanks to those who have read the book and reviewed it. Read the reviews at the following:

https://www.amazon.com/author/williamlstuart

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/214281

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15838579-the-gemstone-chronicles-book-one

If anyone else has read the book and would like to comment on it, please feel free to add your thoughts at any of the sites above or follow this link!! I appreciate feedback on my writing. It helps me become a better writer and let’s me know my readers’ thoughts on my work!

In other news, the hotel reservations for the Great North Carolina Emerald dig have been made. October 6 is the dig day for John and me to try our hand at digging into a mountain side. We hope to find some emeralds and other gemstones (and maybe the rare and elusive Hiddenite). Unlike our normal gemstone hunting spot, we are going to have to really dig to find something on this trip. We’ve researched it and have ideas on how to proceed, but it will still take some luck. Stay tuned for pictures!!

Connect with me:

Connect with me on social media! I can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads, or you can just email me at bill@williamlstuart.com. If you don’t want to miss a post, subscribe to the blog! Let’s start a conversation about my books, gemstones, reviews, or just about anything else. I enjoy meeting new friends!

The edits continue to roll in. Abby, my editor extraordinare, is cruising through The Amethyst and she has finished over half the book! I, on the other hand, haven’t made nearly that much progress. But, never fear, I will have it done and ready to release late this year!

Lana’s Ankle

For those of you who do not know, Lana, my lovely and adorable bride and author of her own website (www.lanascooking.com), broke her ankle 6 weeks ago while we were whitewater rafting. It was out first whitewater rafting trip (and likely our last). She is doing physical therapy now. With any luck, she will be back on her feet in a couple of weeks! I know she can’t wait to get back to her normal activities!

Once Lana is back to her usual self, I will begin revisions in earnest and hope to give you a sneak preview of Book Two: The Amethyst in October. I also plan on posting some photos of the trip to North Carolina’s Gem Mountain (scheduled for early October), so everyone can see what we find!

Lastly, The Gemstone Chronicles Book One: The Carnelian continues to do well on both Amazon.com and Smashwords. Thanks to everyone who has purchased a copy and thanks in advance to those who will! If you read it, please consider leaving a review. I’d love to know what you think about the book and it helps me improve my writing.

If you want to find out more about me and my books, connect with me on social media! I can be found on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, or just email me at bill@williamlstuart.com. I look forward to connecting with you!!