Book Two Teaser - Sort of...

I began writing the sequel to The Adventures of Reztap. The new book will be titled Reztap and the Quest for the Insane Moth. If you've read the first book, the title makes sense. If you haven't, well it sure is a curiosity isn't it?

Onto the teaser as promised! I completed the outline for Reztap and the Quest for the Insane Moth a couple weeks ago. The outline has been marinating and cooking in my brain while I've been engaged in other pursuits that have nothing to do with writing. On a business trip this week, I finally delved into the world of Tar and Gorth again and completed chapter one and am just starting the writing of chapter two. What I have completed (via the outline) are the chapter headings for the book - some of these were quite interesting in the first book, and I tried to keep them that way for the second. So, you're only real preview of the book before I finish writing it and go through the edit process is presented below.

Chapter 1 – How’d that get there?

Chapter 2 – Moth Bawls

Chapter 3 – Why Rimtikians are so Pissy

Chapter 4 – Witless Protection

Chapter 5 – Hell Hath No Fury

Chapter 6 – The Unattainable Bargain

Chapter 7 – Between a Scarf and a Hard Place

Chapter 8 – Dilo the Traitor

Chapter 9 – No Place Like Home

Chapter 10 – Past Tense

Chapter 11 – That Rock is Hard to Swallow

Chapter 12 – Gorth Takes a Vacation

Chapter 13 – Nothing as Profitable as War

Chapter 14 – Mental Fatigue

Chapter 15 – Magnetic Personalities

Chapter 16 – Scarfing down the next Mission

Of course, only part of this makes any sense if you've read the first book and probably makes no sense whatsoever if you haven't. So get out there and read book one! Book two is on the way, I promise!

Slaving away in a digital graphite mine,

Artemus

Free - not so powerful

It was a limited test, but still a valid result. Offering the eBook for free did not equate to a flood of downloads of The Adventures of Reztap from the Smashwords web site. It did result in two downloads of the free eBook and an additional sale of the full price version. That means the eBook went from six readers to nine on Smashwords. I'm happy with the promotion - any additional readers is a great thing. But I'm certainly not blown away with the results. I think they are in line with a normal promotion of this type.

My take is that I need to expand the amount of people who see the book offer, think of the word Reztap when searching book web sites, and think of my name when they think of an author they'd like to read. Even with a few retweets from some folks on Twitter, and sharing the news on Facebook, I'm still reaching less than 2,000 people. There are hundreds of millions of people online. My next concentrations for social media will be expanding my reach so to speak.

My next focus on writing will be getting the second book written (it's already been started). Unfortunately, marketing and writing are two different activities. Do I abandon marketing on social media (and other types of activities) and concentrate solely on writing? I believe this is a dilemma facing many eBook and traditional authors today. Marketing is largely if not completely on our shoulders for 99% of us. Still, I'm pretty sure having a second book out there is a big draw to potential readers. It lets them know the author is not just a one book wonder.

So, while I will definitely be devoting some time to marketing, my primary focus will be on writing book two. I do have one event at the end of July where I'll be selling the books directly (ArmadilloCon in Austin), but outside of that, my marketing efforts will be limited for the time being.

Good luck with your marketing!
Artemus

Now on Barnes and Noble - Nook & Paperback!

I admit to be a little shocked. The eBook Channel Manager on Smashwords does not show it has shipped to Barnes and Noble, yet The Adventures of Reztap is available on the Nook (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-adventures-of-reztap-artemus-withers/1111399068?ean=2940033235711&itm=1&usri=reztap). I do have an explanation, though. Smashwords shipped the eBook to Baker &Taylor, a provider of books & eBooks to libraries and commercial web sites - I can only imagine that is how it filtered out to and got listed for the Nook on Barnes and Noble.

The paperback (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-adventures-of-reztap-artemus-withers/1111399068?ean=9781477589229&itm=1&usri=reztap) is a real quandry. It's not only listed on Barnes and Noble's web site, but it's on sale! I really don't understand the mechanism at work here. I do have it listed at two other locations (http://www.amazon.com/ & http://www.thebookpatch.com/) as a paperback, perhaps that's all that's necessary to get it listed at Barnes and Noble. I can only assume there's some kind of wholesale thing going on so they can offer it at a 28% discount. Interesting.

So, those of you in the mood for a Nook copy or a sale on the paperback, Barnes and Noble is your place to go!

Fully disclosed and loving it,
Artemus

First reviews are in (GoodReads)

Two winners of the paperback giveaway from the GoodReads web site submitted reviews of The Adventures of Reztap. Overall, the book receives an average 4.5 out of 5 stars. Really, not too bad if I do say so myself. Of course, it's only two reviews, so I'm not patting myself on the back too hard just yet. Add the positive reviews from the two authors I got blurbs from, and the verbal reviews I've gotten from other readers and MAYBE I give myself a little pat.

To see the GoodReads reviews for yourself, click here: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15705663-the-adventures-of-reztap

I will say that does validate the book giveaway - book reviews are a decent return on investment, regardless of if they are positive or negative. I will definitely do it again for the sequel. I may even do it again for the first book.

I would ask anyone who has purchased the book, either hardcopy or eBook, please return to the web site you bought it from and leave a book review. I'm looking for honest impressions, be they positive or negative. Let others know whether or not you feel it was worth your time and money.

Thank you for your support,
Artemus

The Free Test (Limited Edition)

So here's the next test in celebration of my birthday - giving the eBook away for free for a day. Will this ultra-convenient price result in an onslaught of new readers or be a complete non-starter?

To get the eBook for free, you will have to download it from Smashwords and use the coupon code ZH97J at checkout. Here's the link to the Smashwords download: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/161674

Of course, I will update all of you with the results of this latest marketing effort. I have seen free giveaways as a means of creating a base readership or just generating some good word of mouth. Several authors appear to have done the same thing, as well as musicians and possibly some moviemakers.

Happy Free Day!
Artemus

So Far, So Little

I'll admit, this is a very short test. Would it be more effective if it went longer? I don't think so. Luckily, both Twitter and Facebook give you the ability to see if things are retweeted or shared. You can't force someone to share or retweet; you can only ask nicely...which I did! Not much came of it.

So, from what I can gather so far, there is a very small amount of traction to be gained by exposing my followers of 300 or so people to a sale (or just an announcement of the book itself). Lessons learned? Price really isn't that much of a driving factor when it comes to getting the message out about your book or product - at least, not in a single day. Still to come in the product market testing - book reviews (and how many readers actually follow), blog "ads" (via bloggerdise.com - giveaways, interviews, excerpts - that type of thing), and the impact of multiple books in a series will also be considered. Of course, I have to write the sequels before I can consider that last one.

To market or to write, that is the question! In the short term, I will be doing a little more marketing research, but that will definitely wane by August, when I will put myself fully into the writing of the next book.

Before I close, the jury is still out on whether the book giveaway on Good Reads has been a win for the marketing column, or just a sunk cost. It may prove dividends in the long run, when more books come out and that may help build more word of mouth. I can certainly see where a single book may not garner as much attention as a series (Twilight, Hunger Games, Harry Potter seem to prove the long term marketing strategy works very well there.) I have found there are other similar book reader sites (Shelfari and Library Thing) which I will be checking out this weekend.

Happy Marketing! (yes, oxymoron, I know.)
Artemus

A Little Excitement...

Trying to generate a little excitement in the blogosphere with a $1 sale: (It's an Independence Day sale - now through 7/7/2012 get The Adventures of Reztap eBook from Smashwords for just a buck! That's $1 using coupon code ML88M at checkout from https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/161674.) Posted on Facebook, Twitter and here. An audience of maybe 300...of which, how many will notice and pay attention? Will they spread the word?


The inevitable question comes to mind. Does this result in an increase in sales? Will anyone, in fact, actually buy the eBook for that price? It is a standard splashy gimmick that many eBook authors use, usually at the outset of their marketing campaign. I will, of course, keep you informed on whether or not this works or even generates any sales at all. The last week has been pretty dry from a sales standpoint. I also haven't been pushing it much. I have the iTunes launch to wait for and I'm anticipating doing a book promo at ArmadilloCon (not yet confirmed...hotel plus convention costs just squeezing the budget a wee bit much right now.)


Book giveaway results - shipped four books. Free books to readers across the globe (well 3 in the US and one in Great Britain). Haven't heard a thing from them. Nary a sale either. Sales, I'll be quite honest, don't concern as much at this point. But generating a little word of mouth, discussion, etc. THAT is what interests me. Haven't had that yet.


Book reviews are still to come this month. Haven't yet selected/found the reviewers, but that should happen this weekend/next week. Will that generate buzz? I'm not entirely sure how to measure how many people will even read a review once posted. Is there a page viewed count on these pages? So many questions - I will figure out the answers and let you know as soon as I find out!


Until then,
Artemus