Keep the Momentum, guest post by author Martin T. Ingham

A writer's work is never done. Those of us who pursue a life weaving fiction of all sorts must accept this on several levels if we ever wish to succeed. Completing a novel and getting it published is only half the battle. Promotion is the other side of the equation, which can make or break you.

Self-promotion takes a lot of time when you don't have deep pockets. Time and money can be interchangeable in this aspect, as the more you can afford, the less you have to do on your own. The right internet ad might sell a thousand books, but it is liable to cost a thousand dollars in the process. Most of us don't have that kind of money to kick around, so we've got to improvise.

Creating new material is the writer's primary job, so in my opinion it's best to focus on that first and foremost. You need to have something new in the pipeline, so your readers will have something else to look forward to. From experience, I've learned that one story is not enough to land you a fan. It's enough to hook them, get them interested, but if you can't entice them with the prospect of more they'll lose interest. This is why writers must be prolific after they find initial success.

Promotion and creation aren't mutually exclusive, and it is possible to achieve both at the same time. One way is to write something related to your previously released works, a sequel or a short story spin-off. Draw readers in with hints and rumors about the new material. Post to a blog or a message board you frequent, telling people of your new project. This will stir interest in your existing stories, while encouraging you to create more.

Another good way to acquire readers is to give them "proof" for little or no cost. That was the impetus behind the online version of my latest release, West of the Warlock. During the editing process, the publisher offered me two different options; we could either sell it as a regular novel, using a single short story for promotional purposes, or we could release a significant portion of the book in serialized format online, for free. I chose the latter, because it will serve as a prime promotional tool while giving readers the option to buy the full product after they enjoy the freebies.

Though writers may instinctually abhor the idea of giving their work away, it is a necessity, and in this digital age the cost of doing that is minimal. Finding the right venue to display your work can mean the difference between selling stories and keeping them to yourself. Don't feel that you have to hide work until it sells. So long as you have something else in the works, it's okay to hand out full-length samples. Get it out there, and see what happens!

Martin T. Ingham is the author of numerous Science Fiction & Fantasy novels, including The Guns of Mars, Prisoner of Time, and The Rogue Investigations. His short stories have appeared in various print anthologies and online venues. Influenced by the greats of speculative fiction (Asimov, Heinlein, Herbert, etc...) he utilizes his unique wit and wisdom to craft adventures for today's readers with a voice all his own. You can learn more about him, and his various works at his blog: http://martiningham.blogspot.com

Get Your Kindle eBook Done by Shelly Hitz is half price!

Click Here to "Get Your Kindle eBook Done!"

Get Your Kindle eBook Done!

As writers, I think we sometimes overlook the value of eBooks. We want to see the tangible hard copy that we can hold in our hands. We want that book that we can show to our friends and family and say, "Look! I wrote this!" Who could blame us? Everyone wants to see the fruits of their labor. However, eBooks are very fruitful. They are most certainly different from physical books, and take a bit of effort, but if we have already written our book, why not go ahead and bring in the extra sales?

Kindle is not only a publishing platform, but it is also a valuable way to market our books! Amazon does all of the marketing, advertising, and sales, as well as handling refunds if that comes up. All we have to do is format the books that we have already written! It would be pretty silly to pass up that opportunity, and Shelley Hitz has put together a wonderful product for helping us get our books Kindle ready!

Her package entitled "Get Your Kindle eBook Done!" includes a report that includes information about the benefits of publishing an eBook, advice about formatting and submitting your eBook, ideas to help promote your eBook, and tons of other valuable information. As well as a video that walks you step by step through the formatting process, and a template that is already set up in the correct format for you! She includes a step by step guide to help you ensure that your eBook is successful, not only in Kindle, but other eBook markets as well.

I don't think that I could ever say enough positive things about this product. It helped me to go from absolutely zero knowledge about formatting and publishing on Kindle to being able to format all of my documents for Kindle with no problems whatsoever.  I would have never been brave enough to attempt publishing an eBook without the information Shelley put together in this product. I highly recommend it to anyone who has ever written book.  Get your Kindle eBook done today.

Beverly Flaxington, Understanding Other People

Just wanted to share this with you all as a reminder that with patience and persistence, you too can be on TV.

Beverly Flaxington was my guest on the Page Readers Blog Talk Radio show back in October 2009 to discuss her book "Understanding Other People."

Her book is a great read, by the way.  I liked it so much, and she liked my review of it so much, that she used it on the back cover.

Beverly was just featured on NECN.com to discuss the debt crisis and how important it is that we all learn to understand each other in times like these.

Watch this at NECN

Shalini Boland, author of "Hidden"

Shalini Boland delivers a fantastic paranormal romance in Hidden, with vivid characters and a story that delivers you to the past and the present.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I’m not usually a fan of the vampire genre, but Hidden is not your typical vampire story. Her ability to tell two stories that are at first separate, then come together through the passage of time had me hooked. I couldn’t put it down.

Boland creates her own mythology in a far away land, then brings us to the present in vivid detail. At first I had trouble with the slang used by the present day characters, then I realized how important this was to her character development. Fantastic. And her ability to capture the dialect of the characters from long ago was perfect. She brought them together in a way that meshed both stories together, keeping it interesting to the very last.

In the end, she leaves the reader wanting more, and the door open to a sequel. Personally, I can’t wait!

Shalini was able to share more with me in this interview:

First, a little about Shalini Boland

Before kids, I was a singer songwriter signed to Universal Music. But writing fiction has taken over my life and now I’m a mother of two noisy boys and an author of teen novels. I write the kinds of books I love to read - gripping adventures with a sprinkling of romance and a spattering of horror.

Where did the idea for Hidden come from (what inspired you?)

I’ve loved vampire novels ever since I read the Anne Rice books in the early nineties. The inspiration for Hidden came from a newspaper article about a family who had to leave their house due to a bat infestation. There was a local outcry as the bats were protected by law and the family could no longer live there. I thought: Hmm, bats in the attic … how about vampires in the basement.

I used to live in a very old house in London which had a large basement, very much like the one in my novel. I was always terrified of going down there and I can still remember the musty smell and the grey stone walls. It wasn't hard to imagine all kinds of terrible things lurking down there - awful creatures, ghosts, things bricked up in the wall...

Is this your first (second,third) vampire genre novel?

This is my first vampire novel, but I have books two and three 

planned out and partly written.

What other books have you written?

My latest teen novel, Outside, is a post-apocalyptic romance thriller set in the near future where everyone lives in closed-off communities behind perimeter fences. When Riley’s sister is murdered, she swears to track down the killer and goes out beyond the perimeter where the UK is lawless and dangerous.

How/when do you write?  Do you have a schedule, routine?

I never have enough time. I don’t know what’s going on in my life, but I seem to be getting busier and busier doing nothing. I need to get back to a proper schedule. Once my youngest son starts school later this year, I should be able to devote my mornings to writing. 

At the moment, I just grab a few minutes here and there.

When I am lucky enough to get a few hours to myself, there’s no set-in-stone process. I usually just sit down and start typing. I like to get the whole story down and then, once I have the bones, I’ll go back over it a gazillion times to edit.

Do you write on a computer? Tablet?  Pen and Paper?

I like to write on an A4 pad and then transfer it to my laptop. There’s something more friendly and less business-like about writing on paper - the pressure’s off!

Do you have a day job - what is it? 

I’m a mother of two young boys and I try to grab rare moments of peace to write. Otherwise, I scribble with the madness going on around me.

Tell us about your family life - where you live, what you all do for fun.

The boys go stir crazy indoors and the noise levels are ridiculous, so we try to get out as much as possible. Luckily we live ten minutes from the coast and twenty minutes from the forest, so there are plenty of opportunities to let them loose! (I usually stick a notebook in my bag for while they’re climbing trees or building wigwams).

Are you working on something new?

I’m writing Thicker Than Blood book two in the Marchwood Vampire Series. People are emailing and messaging me daily to ask when it will be published. I don’t have a date yet, but I’m hoping it will be later this year.

Do you have an author who inspired you to write?

There is no one author who inspired me. I’m in awe of those authors who can weave multiple plot lines with ease, whose characters evoke strong emotions and who can keep you guessing till the end. A few of my favourites are Carlos Ruis Zafon, Douglas Kennedy, Stephenie Meyer, Suzanne Collins and Paullina Simons.

Do you have a favorite author to read?  Favorite book?

Paullina Simons’ Bronze Horseman trilogy and Jean M Auel’s Clan of the Cave Bear series. I’ve read them more than once and I’m sure I’ll read them again – it feels like chatting with old friends

Where is your favorite place to visit/vacation?

The Amalfi Coast in Italy. Ravello is heaven on earth and Positano is divine. Everywhere you look you see beauty – lemon groves, wrought iron balconies, blue green mountains. Just gorgeous. I want to be there now.

Favorite way to blow off steam/exercise/have fun?

I’d love to say something really adventurous and extreme here, but it’s probably just spending time out and about with my family and friends. And I like a game of tennis.


Visit Shalini online at http://www.shaliniboland.co.uk/

Thank you Shalini for sharing Hidden with Page Readers

Facebook for Authors by Shelley Hitz

Another great author marketing tool by Self Publishing Coach, Shelley Hitz is Facebook 101 for Authors.  Here Shelley has given us the step by step method to build your Facebook audience in as little as 15 minutes a day.  Using screen shots, Shelley walks you through the process necessary for creating a powerful marketing tool for your book.


Facebook 101 for Authors will help any author build awareness using the power of social media.  After you’ve built your page, be sure to send me a link so I can “like” you on Facebook!

Keep the marketing motion moving forward, learn how to promote your work on the worlds largest social media platform today!