Good News for Short Stories!

Last week's launch of new publisher Crushing Hearts and Black Butterflies' debut anthology-- Dark Light-- has been a resounding success! I am proud and happy to report that my story contribution 'The Transformation' is but one part of a larger triumph. The collection has been named as one of Amazon.com's Hot New Releases! Check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/new-releases/digital-text/157056011

It is always good to be involved with a successful project, and I wish the energetic folks at CHBB all the best. I hope it is just the beginning of their popularity as they share more exciting work with readers in the coming months. Hopefully Dark Light will whet the appetites of a solid fan base for whatever comes next!

Whose Sinister Shadow is That...?

Of course, I have also just launched my newest stand-alone short story 'Family Secrets' on Kindle in the past couple of weeks. Check it out and tell me what you think! http://www.amazon.com/Family-Secrets-ebook/dp/B007D8TLP2 This was about my getting more of my work out to the readers of course, but it was also another step forward for myself as an Indie. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on formatting a product that would only be selling for .99 cents, so I set aside my usual terror of technical matters and figured it out on my own. I'm happy with the result-- and that means I will release a few more singles in the next few months since I can keep the overhead costs down. When the time comes to bundle them into a larger anthology with some previously unpublished stories, I will likely use my formatter again... maybe. I am trying to do as much as I can for myself. I will always use an editor and a cover designer-- I think authors owe it to themselves and their readers to present a slick and polished book, whether you are going Indie or following the traditional path to publication.

I have a healthy back-list of short stories, many of which have been published in anthologies and chapbooks over the years. Kindle gives me a great opportunity to give new life and a second chance to my little gems. If you are an Indie author and want to do the same, I say go for it... but do make sure that the rights for your story have reverted back to you. Short stories are a good, cheap way for people to check out your writing style if they are too tentative to take a chance on a full-length novel. They make excellent calling-cards.

Now the pressing question is... which story comes next? Stay tuned!

Good Karma! Success and Thanks for a Great Day!

WOW!! My Indie author adventure took a dramatic upward turn on Leap Day!

I am thrilled with the results for the cross-promotion day with the launch of Crushing Hearts and Black Butterflies debut anthology, Dark Light. The anthology shot up the ranks and is selling REALLY well... and I was staggered by the number of downloads I had for Base Spirits.

If you are an Indie author questioning the idea of using KDP Select as a marketing tool for your book, I am sharing my method this time around. Maybe it will help you decide if it's worth a shot in your own unique case. Obviously, you will have to tailor the promo for yourself in ways that make the most sense, but this is what I did:


When I initially joined KDP, I'd made Base Spirits free for 2 days in January-- the first day I had 38 downloads, but on the second I had over 1000. As a result, I had a wee bump in sales, and have since been getting more great 5 star reviews and word of mouth... and sales (though frankly still miserly) were at least slowly-but-steadily happening.

This time around, I thought I'd try a one-day cross-promo of Base Spirits with the anthology launch of Dark Light. CHBB publishing are fairly aggressive about getting the word out, so I figured if some of the antho authors could hitch a ride and do a giveaway at the same time, it might yield more results. I also nicely & discreetly requested RT-ing and sharing from high-profile key people (all of whom did me the favour). If you want to ask people to share your posts, ALWAYS ask directly in a message and DO NOT just post it on their walls unasked. 9 times out of 10, they are only too glad to help. And? Pay back the favour by Tweeting and sharing their news and promos. I notified 'E-reader News Today' and got featured in their ENT wall of free books. I'm also new to Triberr-- a 'tribe' of others will share your blog posts so that you reach a bigger audience. My reach there is over 55 thousand or something. I did a special blog post about the giveaway, and noticed it was going out steadily all day without any extra effort from me. I also posted in maybe 4 or 5 targeted FB groups, and did a fair amount of tweeting to bump things along.

Final tally of free downloads: Amazon.com= a truly stunning 3794, Amazon UK= 82... and I broke into the European market with 10 in Germany and one in France! I was in the top 100 free books at times, and was at #3 and #5 for the categories of ghost and historical fiction. (At one point, I even beat out Dracula and The Scarlet Letter by those *other* 'hacks'!)

SALES first thing in the morning... 63 on .com and 6 in the UK!!!! Now I can finally get a cheque from Amazon! WOOT!!! Those numbers may pale in comparison with other folks, but comparisons will only drive you crazy. This is a huge leap forward for me-- so hooray, Leap Day!

So I'd say that worked!!! It was a lot of fuss to do, but not as much as you'd think-- and it didn't cost me anything but time and some effort. I have 2 more free days left, and plans for an upcoming cross promo with a bunch of other horror folks.

Good luck with your own books. Marketing is a tricky thing-- what works brilliantly for some writers totally tanks for others. Sometimes results accumulate rather than skyrocket. Remember- it's not a race. Also remember- you're not in this alone. "Writers are a tribe". A great Canadian author Margaret Laurence said that-- and it's true. We are all in this together. When you need help, just ask.

A Leap Day Gift For You & an Anthology Launch! (Promo over!!)

Come into Creepy Calverley Old Hall

THIS LEAP DAY PROMO IS NOW OVER!!! BASE SPIRITS IS NOW BACK ON SALE FOR $2.99. THANKS TO ALL FOR THE INTEREST FOR MY NOVEL AND THE DARK LIGHT ANTHOLOGY! IT WAS A BIG SUCCESS!

Today is the day when a new publisher takes its big leap into the world with the launch of an anthology of short stories: Dark Light! Join me in a warm welcome to Crushing Hearts and Black Butterflies... their brand new books look slick and-- well-- really dark! So have a peek at them and cheer them on as they get started with their book launches and all of the exciting whirlwind that goes with it! http://www.crushingheartsandblackbutterfly.com/dark-light-excerpt.html My short story 'The Transformation' is included, too!

As I'm in a celebratory mood with the anthology launch, and the recent launch of my short story 'Family Secrets' on Kindle over the weekend (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007D8TLP2 ) I am giving away Base Spirits for free on Amazon Kindle all day today! (February 29th only- I hope you can make it!)

Grab one for yourself, and tell anyone you know who loves a great ghost story!
http://www.amazon.com/Base-Spirits-ebook/dp/B005L38G8E

Enjoy the read! Drop by and tell me what you think, and please leave a review on my Kindle page if you truly love it. It's getting heaps of 5 star reviews. I just want to share the love and reach new readers. Won't you be next?

New Chills and a Giveaway... Coming Soon!

I just finished my final edit on a short story, 'Family Secrets'. This is a newer and (I think) far better version of what was my first-ever published work of fiction in a mystery and suspense anthology-- Wordscape 6 --put out by the Canadian Authors Association back in 2000. The evocative cover art has been designed by Neil Jackson. What do you think? Pretty creepy stuff. Who's the figure on the dock... and what's his big secret? You'll have to read it on Kindle to find out. I am attempting to fly solo with the all the formatting and downloading hoopla. It's likely easier than I think. This should be up by the end of the month or the beginning of March.

Next week on February 29th, my story 'The Transformation' will be published in Dark Light-- the debut anthology from the intriguing new company Crushing Hearts and Black Butterflies. http://www.crushingheartsandblackbutterfly.com/dark-light-excerpt.html I'm happy to be in print again with a new dark tale of a lonely woman swept up in a dream of a romantic new life... but at what cost? The other stories look good, too. If you like the darker side of fiction, this may be something you'll want tin your library... and keep an eye on C.H. & B.B. for more amazing new writing!

To celebrate the launch, I will be holding a giveaway... stay tuned for details!

Meantime, Base Spirits was given another fantastic 5 star review! An American reader, Victoria Maggio, took a chance with my novel and loved it. "Strong characters, vivid descriptions and historical detail join together to create a world where I could lose all thought of myself and dive headlong into the unknown and not want it to end. Having to stop reading was a jolt to my system and I couldn't wait to get back to the story and find out what happened to these lives I had become a part of. What evil awaits them in the darkness... ?" You can link to the rest of her review here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3BXI2AH38RQ8S/ref=cm_cr_dp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B005L38G8E&nodeID=133140011&tag=&linkCode=

I also had a blast with a local book club discussion of Base Spirits the other evening. They unanimously loved reading it, and I loved talking with them about it and answering their thoughtful questions.

Keep an eye peeled (God, but that sounds painful!!) and watch for my new stories... and next week's giveaway!

Bookish Things are Brewing this Month!

A lot seems to be happening around here for me this month...

Since experimenting with putting Base Spirits on KDP Select, I have noticed an increase in sales numbers. Nothing like enough for me to quit my day job (oh please, oh please...!!), but hey-- any improvement is a good thing, right? There will be another giveaway blast coming up next month in a big promotion with some fellow indie authors, so watch this space for the fun.

Reviews are coming in for Base Spirits, and they are very positive!

Jon P. Bloch from the Kindle Book Review called it 'an impressive debut' and posted this very kind review on my Kindle page today: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2UZZDTJUGDDS/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B005L38G8E&nodeID=&tag=&linkCode=

Kara Malinczak posted this lovely review on her Great Imaginations blog at the end of January:
http://greatimaginations.blogspot.com/2012/01/base-spirits-by-ruth-barrett.html

Best of all are the kinds of reviews left by book-loving readers who just really liked the book. No one asked them to post a review, so it means the world when they give you 5 stars and leave comments like this one from my Amazon.uk page:

"As a fan of Barbara Erskine I was intrigued by the plot of this book. Once started I could not put it down. The historical tragedy, coupled with the modern day tragedy of an abusive, controlling husband was inspired. Reading was tense from start to finish. Can't wait to read more by this author who has en- captured all the elements of great storytelling." (Thank you Josie, wherever you are!)

Later this month, I will be sitting in with a local book club as they discuss Base Spirits as their February selection. That should be fun! And this week I am doing two different features and promotions on websites... I'll post links once they are up.

I also have two NEW short stories being published this month!

Dark Light Anthology

'The Transformation' will appear on February 29th in the debut anthology Dark Light from an exciting new publishing company 'Crushing Hearts and Black Butterflies'. Here's a link to their book trailer: http://www.crushingheartsandblackbutterfly.com/dark-light-excerpt.html

I am also e-publishing a darkly disturbing, stand-alone tale 'Family Secrets' on Kindle this month. Watch this space for all the details, links and dates!

But for now, I'd better get some sleep and hit the ground running in the morning...