On the Go

What I'm finding is that I'm really enjoying my activity right now.

Gardening, bicycle riding, grandchildren, quality time with my wife--so the oddity is that I realize that most of my writing work right now is going to be on my iPhone 6+! Funny thing, but working on my phone gives me the chance to write without sitting myself down during this beautiful May springtime.

The peonies and irises are blooming, and the bees are loving the comfrey. Small green peaches and cherries have set, the peaches a soft fuzzy green and the cherries like tiny electric-green tree ornaments. The peas are in blossom and pods maturing. We are eating fresh kale and chard, and our season of asparagus is finished. 

This morning Sandy and I rode our bikes on the Fairfield Loop Trail, through Jefferson County Park, and on local back roads. It was overcast and not too hot, and we meandered and enjoyed the exercise, the fresh air, and our time together. 

I am writing this to begin again, to remind myself that my life need not be an "either/or." I'm also sharing along with documenting, part of the journaling process. 

Life is good--always and at least at the moment. Good night, all. 

--posted from my iPhone 

I Successfully Lose a Writing Contest

The writers' blog Indies Unlimited hosts a weekly writing contest from a prompt they provide--250 words max. I wrote about my entry into the contest on my last blog post.

I lost.

However, I'm writing today about how I feel good about the results. Yes to Success and all that.

First, I wrote a short story that is set in my Dragons of Blood and Stone universe. Every time I enter that universe, I feel good. So far so good. Also, the fact that the story might fit into my collection of short stories, Tales from the Stone Dragon Inn, is an extra plus.

Second, I feel my little experiment with social media marketing was successful. Because I was busy early this week, I didn't see the voting post at Indies Unlimited until 4:30 AM on the deadline day. By the time I posted my mini-marketing blog post, it was 5:00 AM--allowing 10 hours for marketing my entry for support.

Facebook marketing came later that morning--status updates on my personal Facebook account and on my Tom Kepler Writing page. I also sent a Facebook note to a dozen Facebook friends.

The results? Twenty percent of the votes, the winner receiving 23%, with most of the winner's votes already on tab at 4 AM that morning. Now, the 10 possible hours for voting for me were from 5 AM to 3 PM on a Thursday, my time here in Iowa. I deem my hurry-up mini-marketing adventure a success.

Thanks for all who supported me. Since the Indies Unlimited writing contests are fairly informal (the winners are published in an anthology), I didn't want to push the marketing envelope too much--just enough to see if anybody out there is paying any attention.

People did pay attention. That makes me glad. Thank you, all.

Copyright 2014 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

The New "Who is John Galt?" Eponymously Anonymous J.K. Rowling

© Debra Hurford Brown

"Who is John Galt?" was the cryptic question written on walls in Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged.

Galt in Rand's novel is a creative and highly independent individual who becomes the ideological center of the novel's theme of self-sufficiency and freedom. Throughout the novel the question is asked, building to the climax of the novel.

Perhaps J.K. Rowling's name will come to represent that for independent publishers. With her publishing of The Cuckoo's Calling under a pseudonym and subsequent "outing," her novel has shot from relative obscurity to super-fame. Has Rowling betrayed women? Is Rowling's experience in any way instructional for the struggling and obscure writer? Was the project a marketing ploy or really an attempt by Rowling for a brief time of liberating obscurity?

Writers' website and blog Indies Unlimited posted a wryly humorous and timely article entitled "Chris James: I admit J.K. Rowling wrote my books." Later in the article is the revelation that Stephen King has fessed up that he actually is J.K. Rowling. So , let's see . . . that means that actually Stephen King wrote Chris James' books!

This should be the clarion call for all independent, self-publishing authors. We are undiscovered J.K. Rowlings. We are all graduates of Hogwarts and are never muggles. We all have a lightning scar/tattoo. Agent Tom Riddle just turned down our manuscript. We write our interrogatory manifesto on subway walls.

"J.K. Rowling wrote my books."
"I am J.K. Rowling."

Here are some suggestions to pump ourselves up with ink rather than accidie.

• All "About" pages on our webs should include one of the above two quotations. Oh, WTF, use both!
• Dedications for our books should be to J.K., including one of the above quotations.
• Book signings should mention one of the above.
• We should add J.K. to our business checking accounts (any maybe she will add us to hers).
• Photoshopping J.K. and us together should be a no-brainer for marketing.
• "Like" J.K.'s Facebook page (I just did) and post on her wall regularly.
• Name-drop J.K. Rowling regularly in your blog posts to increase the hits your page gets.
• But, by all means, persevere as she did, wish for support of nature, and accept your success with as much grace and dignity as she.

We are all of one family, and finally we have discovered that family's common name--Rowling. Maybe my next novel will be Rowling Shrugged.

Copyright 2013 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

Increasing My Facebook Page Reach

For months my main presence on my Facebook page was just the automatic posting from my blog. 

Needless to say, I did not have much "reach" or have many people "talking about" my page.

Having some time to play around on my computer for the last few weeks, I have increased my reach, and the status posts have been talked about much more. I plan to research more, but here are a few points that might help others.

1. When finding something to share on your personal Facebook site, use the pulldown and share the post as your page, rather than your personal site.
2. Funnily enough, the number of posts you put up affect the number of people you reach.
3. In order to have people talk about your posts, you have to post something worthy of comment. This will require some analysis of who your followers are.
4. The formula of splitting posts between sales, personal, and education still seems a good one. 
5. Images are powerful. My greatest reach and most talked about posts usually are or include images.
6. I use Google news that includes personalized searches for items that would be of interest to readers. I also use Google image search for visuals that will be good. (Consider copyright laws and provide links or get permission if necessary.)
7. Respond to comments. Don't piss anyone off--or do if that's the kind of page you want.
8. Don't obsess unless you feel the compulsion.
9. Use your posts to define the unique value of your page. Humor counts.
10. Enjoy the community and the climate you create on your page. If you aren't enjoying yourself, then others probably aren't either.

My biggest learning lesson has been that reader response is serendipitous. I can analyze and plot and spin, but sometimes (or even oftentimes) reader response just happens. That is why it's good to try to post more frequently. Don't over-do it, though. I have one or two Facebook pages I've considered leaving because of the high volume of uninteresting or similar posts.

That's it for today. I'll do a follow-up post after some more experience and research.

Post a little more as a Facebook page, mix it up, and throw up stuff you find interesting. Then even if you don't get much "reach," you're still getting some joy and entertainment.

Copyright 2013 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

On-line Privacy & Tracking: Useful information from the pros

I've used Webroot as an anti-virus program on one of my family's computers for years. Recently, I've switched all our family over to this company, eliminating the automatic coverage from other sources.

It saved me money to consolidate, and I also have always liked Webroot/Zone Alarm's easy accessibility to a human being, rather than endless movement down non-human pathways.

Below is an interesting quick look at online privacy. Yes, there's some marketing embedded in the info, but I feel that' OK.

My Writing Goals for 2013

My teaching job has been so full of activity that for the last four and a half months I haven't written on the Dragons of Blood and Stone series. 

I feel some pinch with that but also feel good that I've been looking after my health and happiness--although writing is a part of my happiness.

Here are my writing goals for 2013:

1. Rewrite my rough draft of Dragons of Blood and Stone at least once. For me, Draft 2 is always the hardest. If I complete D2, then I will be in good shape to continue with the novel.
2. Clean up my blog and online web presence so that Tom Kepler Writing is more purely about my writing and not a "catch-all" site. This will be easier now that I've started Tom Kepler Bicycling as my alter-ego's writing site. I keep looking at other writers' sites and have some ideas of how I can simplify the overall look.
3. I'd like to start marketing again. The major marketing strategy will be centered on reviews. Last February, I was sick with walking pneumonia and all projects outside of my job and getting well ground to a halt. I published I Write: Being & Writing in September, but the intensity of school minimized any continued marketing of any of my books.
4. As I write for my bicycling blog, I plan to keep in mind the potential for using those articles for a book on bicycling. I enjoyed writing a non-fiction book and publishing it. Doing another should be much easier and faster the second time around.

Goals that focus on both fiction and non-fiction writing, on my website, and on marketing what I've published  should just about give me time to sleep and eat. At least I won't be bored because I have nothing to do.

Copyright 2013 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

The Art of Tweeting, Including a "Writer's Guide" Webpage

"Pontifex," Pope Benedict XVI

. . . is something I'm still pursuing. Like all skills involving language, I suppose.

As the year ends, I want to share my continuing curiosity about Twitter, the most popular tweets of 2012, and a good source of "how to" information regarding Twitter.

Curious about Twitter???

Lots of people use Twitter, post, and follow others. According to All Twitter, the current Pope, Benedict XVI, after a week of tweeting now has more followers than Justin Beiber, who is #2 in the stats, according to Twitter Counter, which doesn't list the Pope. Perhaps an update is needed, or perhaps there is a raging controversy? According to Twitter Counter, the individuals with the top five followers are Lady Gaga, Justin Beiber, Kate Perry, Rihanna, and Barack Obama.

I am curious about what all these people are doing, and I look forward to the time when I have the time to easily figure out what this most current, up-to-the-second social media phenomenon is all about.

The Most Popular Tweets of 2012???

What were the most re-tweeted, or passed on, tweets of 2012. Twitter has passed them along to you, the "golden tweets" of 2012. Here are the top five.

1. "Four more years" -- Barack Obama, winning the 2012 election
2. “RIP Avalanna. i love you” -- Justin Beiber, memorial to a 6 year old girl
3. “Fuck it NFL.. Fine me and use the money to pay the regular refs.” -- TJ Lang, Green Bay Packers
4. “29 gold, 17 silver, 19 bronze - We finished 3rd in medal table after most successful Olympics for 104 years #OurGreatestTeam RT your support” -- Olympic team Great Britain
5. “…I would like to announce here: I, Koichi Yamadera, have married Ms. Rie Tanaka … I am really happy to have met such a great partner and have our lives come together. We made up our minds to respect each other, help each other and build a home full of smiles…” -- Japanese anime actor Kouichi Yamadera

People like to stay in touch, and Twitter is a very immediate and timely method of doing so. I don't have a smartphone, though, so my "keeping up" is accessible via my computer--and I have to admit that I don't keep up. I post every now and then, but mostly my posts are automated posts of my blog articles. This post will be tweeted. From what I've read, this is not the best way to take advantage of the Twitter social network, but I recognize my Twitter work lies in the future and not today.

"How To" Source Regarding Twitter???

The first source should be the institution itself, so going to the Twitter Help Center makes sense. This page starts with Twitter 101 and goes on to provide information on how to do everything.

I have found writer and illustrator Debbie Ridpath Ohi's webpage "The Writer's Guide to Twitter" a fun and readable page about all things Twitter. Debbie's page covers the basics in a question and answer format. The topics include, for writers, "How Twitter Can Help Writers" and "Promotion and Marketing" sections.

As a conclusion, I have to say that as a full-time teacher and part-time writer, this post will now be automatically posted to my Twitter account. Not the best use of a medium that exists to follow the minutiae of our daily activity. Maybe I should get a fancy, smart cellphone. Maybe I should make a plan. Right now, I'm just trying to make a living without wearing myself out. There's always the future, though . . .

Copyright 2012 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

Tom Kepler Writing: Thanksgiving Week Free Downloads

For the week of Thanksgiving, I am offering free downloads of my books that are available at Smashwords. 

I am thankful to have the opportunity to make my books available, and I'm happy to share this offer with my readers.

The procedure for a free download at Smashwords is to link to the book's page (link provided below), and then "buy" the book, using the coupon code in order to download the book for free.

I Write: Being and Writing: My latest book, this is a compilation and rewrite of blog posts about writing. I address the relationship between the writer, the process of writing, and the written word. The coupon code for a free download is TV99H.

"I write." We have to consider both words in that declaration. We have to expand the container of knowledge, the mind, and also develop our writing skills. Learning how to write is a life-long process. It is one that demands dedication and humility and perseverance. It is one that requires a certain knack that is an integration of skill and comprehensive thinking. One might say, "As we are, so is our writing."

 The Stone Dragon: This is my fantasy novel that could be called "consciousness-based" fantasy because it explores the relationship between consciousness and magic. The coupon code for a free download is WR28H.

Dream magic is the most dangerous of magics because it is so difficult to control.  Apprentice mage Glimmer—Not a Glimmer of Magic—realizes this when he discovers that his apparent lack of magical talent is because his magic manifests only when he is dreaming.  His first attempt at dream magery conjures a dragon, and just before dying in dragonfire, Glimmer, in desperation, locks the dragon within the stones of his master’s house.  How, though, do you live in a house that is also a dragon?  And how can you even sleep—knowing that dream might slip to nightmare?

Love Ya Like a Sister: Be your own man. That’s what people say. But what if that includes having three girlfriends at the same time—and trouble with the law? My first novel published, LYLAS takes a "gritty" look at the world of teens, a young adult novel for grown-ups (in the words of two reviewers). The conflicts in the novel are met by a young man and his friends, and family, friendship, and personal integrity ultimately prevail. The coupon code for a free download is WG57A.

"The author has described Love Ya Like a Sister as young adult chick lit with a male protagonist. While that seems like a strange description, it’s a good one. Although chick lit should have a protagonist who is a chick, that is the only reason this book couldn’t be considered chick lit. It has the other defining elements, primarily being 'a personal and foible-filled journey toward self-understanding and self-awareness.'"  Big Al's Books and Pals

Who Listened to Dragons, Three Stories: Set in the same reality as the fantasy novel The Stone Dragon, three short stories continue the magic of the novel. Two brothers--one the strange one, the other the brother of the strange one, desert and wyrm, river's daughters or river nymphs, soldiers or assassins, retribution or abomination . . . Visit a land where magic makes all things are possible.

I enjoyed exploring other possibilities in this universe, considering magic, geography, and history. I plan to eventually write more short stories for this series. The coupon code for a free download is XP37E.

"[The stories] silently work their way into your brain so that odd images and thoughts and layers of meaning hover around like smoke for days afterwards. Highly recommended." Goodreads Review

May you all have a happy and restful holiday, and if you enjoy reading my books, please write some reviews. Many thanks.

Copyright 2012 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

Apple Bookstore Releases My Books

I have three eBooks distributed through the Apple Bookstore and should soon have four after my non-fiction work I Write: Being and Writing is processed. 

I distribute my books to Apple through Smashwords. Apple manually checks additions, which takes about two weeks, according Smashwords.

Smashwords' November 3 blog post was "How to Sell Ebooks at the Apple iBookstore." The graphic below from the post demonstrates why authors should make sure to make available links to the iBookstore.

Mark Coker, CEO of Smashwords, provides six tips in the blog post on how to market a book at the iBookstore and at other outlets.

Here are the tips, short version:

1.  Read Coker's free The Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success.
2. Maintain an online presence at the Apple site. Persevere.
3. Use Apple links, widgets, and buttons to promote your books on their site.
4. Even a few sales helps because of the "Customers Also Bought" algorithm.
5. Merchandising managers like many pleased customers, so sales and social media fans along with sales are always big attention-getters.
6. Be positive, Coker emphasizes. "New York Times bestseller Jonathan Maberry said it best, here in his interview at the Smashwords blog: Think about a party. If there’s someone who is bitching and moaning and someone else who’s getting folks to laugh and loosen up, which way do you drift?"

The tips that struck me as immediate needs and easily accomplished were to provide links and widgets to my eBooks available at Apple. I used the link- and widget-making tools to for my blog and book sites.

The links are now included with the list on the sidebar to the right of my blog posts. Widgets are included on the pages for each book. I found doing these two tasks easy and quick.

Here is a composite widget below:

If you read books through Apple electronic platforms, check mine out. I always like it when Smashwords sends me an email, letting me know that I've sold an eBook through their distribution channels.

Copyright 2012 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

New Facebook "Like" Button Added to This Blog

Now you can "Like" a posted article at this blog by clicking a button at the bottom of the article.

Also, you can share to Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, Google +, or email the article. These functions have been available for some time. When you float your cursor over the icon, it turns to color.

I added the HTML to my blog's template for this widget by using the code found at My Blogger Tricks.

Hope this is useful!

A Free Timer for My Desktop

Sometimes I spend too much time with my marketing--interacting with LinkedIN network discussions, floating around on Facebook.

I'm sure I'm the only person in the world to do that.

What I had tried to use before was a wind-up kitchen timer. It would buzz to remind me to move on to another project--namely, my current writing project. However, the timer broke. I won't mention where I bought it, but most of you would probably get it right in the first guess.

A week ago I downloaded a free countdown timer for my desktop.

The visual countdown display and the buzzer were just what I needed.

I had been reluctant to do this, though, because of the "gifts" that free downloads bring. I worked very hard with the download to uncheck the right boxes so that I would download only the timer, but I failed.

A new toolbar was added to my internet, which I had to uninstall. A straightforward set of instructions was provided with the download, but still . . . I hate fussing with that stuff.

However, I really like the timer. The countdown visual sits above any screen I'm working on (if I choose to let it), so I see it as a reminder. It's easy to set for hours, minutes, and seconds. I use the minutes setting for my marketing.

It works well--I've got twelve minutes left on it right now for today's session.

Here is the download URL: http://drive-software.com/freedesktoptimer.html

Just remember that I tried and failed at not downloading anything extra, so don't get mad at me if you have to read a bit and "uninstall" a toolbar also.

I want to add a photo to this post, so TIME'S UP! Happy writing to you.

Copyright 2012 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

What to Learn from a Well-written E-mail

Unless we're writing our parents, it's best to ensure our e-mails are enticing, useful, and succinct--otherwise, they will quickly find their way to the trash.

I recently attended an e-mail writing workshop led by professional writer Christine Schrum which provided me with both some new information and some useful reminders. She called her workshop "Email Copywriting 101," but it could just as easily, except for a few specifics, have been "Effective Writing 101."

What did I learn that was specific to e-mails? Two things, really.

• Have a strong subject line. Get to the point, avoid obvious spam words, or get trashed.
• Emphasize benefits over features. Benefits highlight the value of the information contained in the e-mail. Features provide specific details but need to be tied to value or significance.

Having a powerful title and considering one's audience are two good points of advice.

Other tips were more general in nature--ones that are needed when writing e-mails but are also good for most forms of writing.

• As an author, have a consistent name. I shouldn't be Tom Kepler one day, T. Kepler the next, and end the week as Thomas Kepler.
• Hook the reader with the first sentence, paragraph, title. This is especially true with media writing where you are in competition with a menu of emails or pages of other titles and stories.
• Use active voice, action verbs, and proofread. Don't bore or bruise your reader.
• Keep it short. This is especially true with e-mails and in formats that are read for information. Both news writing and emails work best when the information is not presented in large, dense blocks of print.
• CTA = Call to action. As Christine said, "Leave readers with a clear indication of what to do next."

The next time you write an e-mail, check to make sure that you're using effective writing techniques. Follow Christine Schrum's advice and "always send yourself a test email."

And let me add a suggestion of my own--if you've got the time, don't open the e-mail for an hour or more. That way, you can more objectively ask yourself, "Does this really do the job? Have I communicated in a powerful, concise, effective way?"

Copyright 2012 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

How to Run a Goodreads Giveaway: what I learned from running one (Part 2)

Goodreads is a reader/writer website for sharing information about published books: reviews are the centerpiece of the site that also includes forums, discussion groups, author profiles, lists, and contests.

In the first part of this focus on Goodreads giveaways, I covered my general experiences and also two links: one to an interview of GR giveaways Community Manager Patrick Brown and one for a blogger who listed the step-by-step instructions of how to set up a giveaway.

This second article on Goodread giveaways will focus on some finer points regarding the giveaways, specifically scheduling and etiquette. After reading the GR help section for the topic of "giveaways," and after several email exchanges with the GR giveaways community manager and with author/publishers who have used the program, here are the results of my research.

1. Does a book have to be newly published to be eligible for a giveaway at Goodreads?

From the giveaway "help" section: While most books in the giveaway program are new releases or haven't yet been released, we don't have a rule against books that were published in previous years. Feel free to do so! Just remember to leave the "release date" field blank or type in "January 1, 2011" as a placeholder. (The date may change to January 1, 2012 with the new year, according to the GMCM.)

2. Can a book be in a giveaway more than one time?

From the giveaway "help" section: Yes, you can list a giveaway for a certain title as many times as you like, as long as the giveaway dates don't overlap. One must end before the next starts.

 3. GR Community Manager Patrick Brown added in an email to me the following comment regarding multiple giveaways:

"Yes, a second giveaway is possible, and actually, I encourage it. Time your second giveaway to correspond with the publication date, and you should get a nice bump in awareness. In theory, there's no limit on how many giveaways you can run (as long as they are not running concurrently). In practice, I think two is ideal -- one pre-publication and another at publication."

  4. Can you contact individuals who signed up for the giveaway?

• Regarding winners (from contest Terms and Conditions): You agree to not store the winners' mailing addresses and to never mail anything to the winners except the indicated book. 
• Regarding individuals who entered the giveaway, listed on the giveaway page as "Current Entries" (from giveaways community manager email to me): "In general, we don't advise contacting people who haven't already contacted you. While you might think that entering a giveaway is sufficiently expressing interest in the book to hear about future giveaways, discounts, etc., we've found that this isn't the case. Some people will be interested enough in a book to enter to win it for free, but not interested enough to engage in any kind of dialog with the author (That might change after they read the book). These people are likely to flag you as a spammer if you message them, so we discourage it. Again, this doesn't apply to people who have reached out to you by friend request or message, etc."
• Regarding individuals who entered the contest and also placed the book on their "to read" list (listed as "To Be Read" at the bottom of the book's page): I think the above comment relates to this, also. Be careful not to spam our innocent readers. However, one author used that list to send a short, conversational email to individuals, providing a link to the book for a free online version. She added that she could also have used a free coupon from Smashwords instead of a link to the online version. She received many positive comments and no negative remarks. However, she was offering an ebook version to someone who had already indicated the desire for a paper version of the book.

5. What is a risk-free way to use information gained from the contest about readers?

In my opinion, an absolute risk-free procedure is to simply research the individuals who have expressed an interest in your book--especially those who put it on their to-read list. Perhaps they are bloggers who review books--many are. Have they reviewed books like yours? What is their blog's policy for review submissions? What links do they have that are useful? This is information that is available to anyone on the internet--that's why people have webpages! Narrowing Goodreads' subscribers from 6.6 million to hundreds is quite a useful, time-effective action.

Goodreads is a massive site, and I have to admit I am just gaining some familiarity with it. My questions have been answered promptly and politely by various administrators, and I have felt comfortable asking those questions. The process has been friendly yet professional.

I think that's the key: When setting up a Goodreads giveaway (or interacting with any other part of the site), we should be professional and discriminative. We should use the site, not abuse it.

Copyright 2011 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

How to Run a Goodreads Giveaway: what I learned from running one (Part 1)

The Stone Dragon just finished its three-week giveaway at Goodreads.

Goodreads is a reader/writer online community of over six million people. Sponsoring a book giveaway is a means of promoting a book for very little cost: the cost of the book plus shipping.

Here is information regarding my book giveaway that just finished at Goodreads:

• Run-time: 23 days.
• Entrants: 803.
• 2 books given away
• 166 "to read" designations

The results for the giveaway were about average--although I could have run the contest for two months rather than three weeks. I wanted to end early enough to send the giveaways out before Christmas, though.

Patrick Brown from Goodreads was interviewed at Novelists Inc. by Vonna Harper: "Goodreads for Writers."

On average, about 750 people enter each giveaway, and of those people, we’ve found that about 8% of them will add the book to their to-read shelf, win or lose. About 45% of the winners review the book, meaning that the more copies you offer, the more reviews you are likely to get. And reviews are really the fuel that drives everything on Goodreads. When a member reviews your book, not only do their friends see that review, but it often gets pushed to Facebook, Twitter, and their blog, too. We’ve found that about 1/5 of all Goodreads users write a book blog, and we do our best to make it easy for those users to share their reviews on their blogs.

The interview is quite informative, and anyone interested in setting up a Goodreads giveaway should read it. Goodreads' inception and the development of the Author Program are covered in addition to the giveaway promotional opportunity.

Brown also mentions how to set up a Goodreads giveaway in the interview. Another explanation in a different blog article also describes the steps, at Ebook Formatting Made Simple. By the way, Goodreads is doing beta testing on ebook giveaways and hopes to have a program available sometime in the upcoming year.


What would I do differently with the next Goodreads giveaway?

• Run for a longer period of time
• Give away more books
• Create a strategy and task timeline prior to starting the giveaway
• Promote the giveaway more with forums and discussion groups
• Contact bloggers that I know to also feature the giveaway and use the giveaway widget
• Contact Facebook and Twitter friends to share the giveaway news--in general, to utilize the social networks I've developed

Anyone else who has suggestions, please comment below.

Goodreads is a vast resource, and I'm only now beginning to learn how to use it. It's a great big bunch of readers who love books, a virtual library and book shop: seems like a good place to hang out.

Copyright 2011 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

Goodreads Book Giveaway of The Stone Dragon

A Christmas gift and promotion to the readers of fantasy, I have joined the Goodreads Book Giveaway program for my novel The Stone Dragon. I purposely ended the giveaway early enough so that if Goodreads sends me the mailing addresses of the winners quickly, I can mail the books so that they reach the winners by Christmas. Good luck!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Stone Dragon

by Tom Kepler

Giveaway ends December 16, 2011.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Email Signatures and Marketing for Independent Publishers

How many clicks through links does it take to get to your novel?

I counted mine from my email signature, and it was three or four, depending on reader choice. Too many.

I also wanted to add the image of my novel to my signature. Using Gmail, it was not as easy as other email services, perhaps, but I've lowered the steps to two, rather than one, which isn't bad.

My email signature will look like this:

Dream magic is the most dangerous of magics because it is so difficult to control.

"The Stone Dragon will challenge the reader to think about the power of thought and attitude and their effect on the place we forge for ourselves in our world."

"There is an underlying theme of consciousness throughout the book and while Glimmer is on his many adventures. The ending of the story is fantastic and certainly doesn't disappoint."

Amazon (Book and Kindle)
Barnes and Noble (Book and Nook)
Smashwords (e-book)
Tom Kepler Writing (Blog and Website)
Also available through Apple, Sony, Kobo, the Diesel eBook Store, & eBooks Eros

The image, the short pitch, two excerpts from reader reviews, links to buy, a link to my website, and a comment on other sites for purchase.

This seems professional and unobtrusive--and is only one click from the store. 

Copyright 2011 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

30-Minute Marketing: How to Sell Your Book and Have Time to Write

This is not for a writer who has one book--and that's it. Sell the one book. This is not for writers who are full time authors. You may very well allocate more time to marketing.

If you are a writer who also has a full-time job that pays the bills and must juggle time commitments, then consider the 30-minute option--taking 30 minutes a day to market, leaving time to write.

You're looking at the key element of the 30-Minute Marketing plan. Time yourself.

Yes, this will limit your time, and you will have to focus and use time efficiently.

(I now have 17 minutes.)

E-mails, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Smashwords, Book Country, Authonomy, Query-Tracker, YouTube, online news--choose with a surgeon's precision.

Why are you online? What will you accomplish? Whom are you interacting with? Or just blow 30 minutes--but then move to your writing.

Before you inaugurate this procedure, here are some preliminary steps:

1. Connect. Have your blog automatically fed to Twitter, Goodreads, your Amazon author site, to your LinkedIn profile. This will automatically extend the time you spend with your online community.
2. Assign particular days to particular sites: One day a week sending out a query for a book review of your novel. Ten minutes three days a week on discussions. One day a week on an author site like Book Country or Authonomy. Yes, of course that's not enough. But the sky won't fall, Chicken Little!
3. Separate marketing time from personal online time. How you deal with personal, recreational time online is up to you. Time it, swim in it, go for it, eliminate it--but think about it and make a decision about how you are going to deal with it. Don't mix the job of marketing with the social activity of online interaction with your friends--however you define that word.

OK, 2 minutes left. I'll try this out and keep you informed. Just gave myself 5 more minutes for proofreading and revision. By the way--that timer in the photo (with the obnoxious alarm) I just bought today.

Copyright 2011 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved