Publication Means Promotion

On the home front, the weather has turned cold. Yesterday morning there was a brief but effective snowstorm. It's amazing how fast the ground turns white.

However, the sun came out, things warmed and melted, and since our daughter is visiting from Northern Ireland, we thought we might try out the new brew pub down in Woodland Park. And we're glad we did! Today, temps are hovering at the freezing point, so daughter and I tested a new recipe that might end up in one of my books. It's already ended up in my 'make this again' file.

As for writing:
Writing the book isn't enough. Unless you write for a large publishing house, odds are, a good chunk, if not all, of the promotion and marketing efforts are going to be dumped into your lap. Some of us, myself included, really don't like the time it takes, or feel comfortable having to constantly hawk ones wares. There's also the dilemma of finding the right demographic. Right now, there are still lines between print book readers and those who read e-books, although they're beginning to blur.

I try to avoid too many sales pitches on this blog, but since marketing is now part of the writing process, and I share all aspects of my writing, there will be those occasional posts that look more like sales pitches. Today's post isn't intended as a promotional piece, but I did want to share what I recently discovered.



There's a new "venture" I'm taking part in. It's called Backlist Ebooks, and is a kind of "gathering place" where authors who have published their own books that were published traditionally, but are no longer in print can reach potential readers. Since WHEN DANGER CALLS fits this category, I joined the group and hoped that maybe this would be one more place the "right" audience (those who read e-books) might find me.

The site is new and growing (and they're constantly adding more authors), so I wasn't sure what to expect. Then, yesterday, I received this email from someone in Australia:


Since the electron curtain was suddenly dropped a year and a bit ago, I've been trying to find ways to buy the books I want. I've discovered ebook blogs and author websites.

Anyway, the Oz Ebooks blog had an article about the Backlist group on Facebook. I went there, and followed some of the links to author websites. I read your free chapter of NOWHERE TO HIDE and wanted more. I then went to Amazon and bought the book. Having finished it in one gulp this evening, I plan to grab more of your books.

(And yes, as you've probably guessed by now, the 'best' part of this message was the 'one gulp' statement, although of course, I'm thrilled that people are finding the site and discovering authors.)

Another wonderful thing about the move to more digital availability is that this reader (and anyone else who wanted to) can find a book, purchase it, download it, and begin reading immediately. Sometimes we complain about the way our society seems to demand instant gratification, but with e-books, I think it's a good thing. A book at your fingertips without leaving your house or waiting for a delivery. How good is that?

Backlist Ebooks also has a Facebook page

I hope you'll check them out. And if you happen to have a backlist book you've published, you can ask to be included on their sites.

Tomorrow, Part 2 of Homicide Hussey's venture into the Paranormal.