Are you having a bad time trying to get published? These days publishers (who only work through agents) and agents are very choosy, especially if you are unknown. The first question they ask is 'Do you have a platform? If so, how many books can you sell for us to make a profit?' That seems to cut out quite a number of potential authors. So what do you do? Self publish? But even here there are big problems when it comes to marketing. Yes, a selfpublishing company will edit, proof read and print your book (they mostly use OUTSOURCING) but when it comes to marketing, you are on your own. It all comes back to whether you have a PLATFORM. I have discovered that I can outsource my work, just like the selfpublishing companies that charge at least $3000 to do it for you. And if there is no marketing, it doesn't make sense to spend your hard earned dollars on such companies. What do you do? Well you can do what I did. I hired a graphic artist to design a cover, a copyeditor to read and assess the m/s and a proof reader and a printer (Ingrams the big, big book distributor) to complete the novel. Much cheaper than paying a selfpublisher to do this. Yes, I have a book published by a selfpublisher on atleast 3 Christian bookstore websites (there are apparently 4000 in the US) and on Amazon and B&N. However if my book does not sell (off the shelf) within 3 months, the bookstores send them back for a refund. A definite lose/win situation for me. Any way I have worked out a method to build or should I say borrow a platform to get my book out there. I am happy to share it with you, if you bother to read this blog!
www.creativecopy.us

Marketing and marketing and marketing

90% of reaching my readership is marketing. I learnt the hard way when I published with Macmillan many years ago.  They did very little marketing.In fact what they did was pathetic.  So as an author you have to do your own. I have found todate that social networking is a useful tool not only for getting known out there in cyber space but for making new friends. So I'm trying to contact potential readers using twitter and facebook.

The Landing Place - an adventure novel for YA

 Well The Landing Place is now in print!

Now here's the dilemna, to put it on Amazon or promote it through social networking.  On the other hand, Roman Carnival is still awaiting cover design, final proof reading and printing -all by 21st May? My origin goal was to put Roman Carnival on Amazon and invite readers to purchase on the same day to give me a decent ranking.  Now what do I do?

The Landing Place - an adventure novel for YA

Well my man at Winepress tells me that my novel: The Landing Place is in the post.  Perhaps it will arrive  tomorrow?  Well, my first job will be to place it on Amazon and then ask people to review it.  Now who should I ask? I shall put it on pokrovpress.com as well and send it out to my list of church friends.

Miracle or coincidence?  Young Nikolai must make split-second decisions if he is to survive not only physically but also mentally.  Read this exciting adventure.... in The Landing Place, due to be on the shelves sometime this week.

Getting ideas from the past

NO I  did not want to be a writer from early age. Sure, I wrote short pieces with stick men pictures and I once wrote a play based on Julius Caesar.  I read very little.  The main influence in my life were the movies and steam radio.

I did not start writing fiction until 1978 when I worked on 3 novels simultaneously.... not completing any of them.  Okay so writing is not for me. Off I went into teaching and fell in love with storytelling. I read stories and we acted them out with sound effects and occasional music (no piano).

I started writing computer books in the 80s....gave up  for many years and then did writing for hire for computer authors.  It is only recently that I dug out old m/ss, typed on an ancient olivetti and started writing seriously.  I can't stop.

My motivation? I can't find what I like to read so decided to write my own.  However the greater motivation was to get a Christian message to young readers, without preaching (I write sermons and am working on spiritual books for adults).  I have my first novel: The LANDING PLACE coming out soon...published by Winepress and my second now in the second stage in the Penguin Competition. 
Sure..I'm a newbee or should I say aged bee...but with God's help I shall provide some good, edifying and fun reading for my young friends out there.
http://creativecopy.us