Scott Nicholson Shares Tips for Indie Authors!

A lot of authors have made the same comparison: we have all found the world of Indie publishing to be like the new Wild West. It’s exciting! There are no set rules, and every author can gallop across that open plain into the sunset without an agent or a publisher telling them what they can and cannot do. Gatekeepers? We don’t need no stinkin’ gatekeepers! Yee-haw!

Maybe not… but some guidance sure would be nice. Gets a bit lonesome and scary out in the middle of nowhere, just you and your horse… er… book.

(Quick commercial insert here: As a result of the marketing tips I've gleaned from my blog guests, Base Spirits is currently on at 99 cents! http://amzn.to/wQ1ms4 )

For the next two blog posts, I am pleased to be hosting the authors of two of my favourite Indie guides. The Indie Author’s Guide to the Universe by Jeff Bennington (http://amzn.to/H9XrSa), and The Indie Journey: Secrets to Writing Success by Scott Nicholson (http://amzn.to/HGMyse) are must-reads for any Indie author. Not only are both books packed full of great ideas, practical tips and inspirational moments, they are a delight to read. The authors’ true voices come across loud and clear: these are two engaging men who approach their subject with heart and humour. You couldn’t ask for better companions out there on the Frontier.

But don't just take my word for it-- read for yourself! Scott has very kindly provided a free e-book to give away. Just leave a comment below, and Tweet or otherwise share this post to win!

Scott Nicholson is a prolific author of dark fiction, and you can find out all about his books and contact Scott here: http://www.hauntedcomputer.com/. There are too many books to list, but some of my own favourites are The Red Church, Drummer Boy, The Vampire Shortstop and Creative Spirit. Scott has been out and about on the traditional publishing route as well over the years, and that background certainly informed his own Indie journey. His invaluable experiences are generously shared in The Indie Journey: Secrets to Writing Success.

Welcome, Scott!

1- First off, tell us why you decided to write this helpful guide. 

I'd seen so much attention placed on rankings and money and trad-pub hate that I wanted to present a more philosophical approach, focusing on happiness as the goal instead of the latest tricks to game the Amazon algorithms. Algorithms constantly change, but a metaphysical and spiritual satisfaction with your career never fades.

2- Let’s jump back in time: if you were just starting out on your own Indie journey, what are the top three things you wish you had known from the outset?

1. Jump in earlier and with both feet. 2. Be fully committed. 3. Don't get caught up in the noise.

3- a) What was your biggest misstep? 

I sat on the sidelines for at least six months waiting to see where the Kindle was headed, trying to get agents to sell my books and all that. And I was still talking with agents the first six months after I put in a couple of books, and I was holding out books to try to sell the old way. That was foolish in retrospect.

   

b) How did it make you feel? 

My generation of writers was trained that only hacks self-publish and that it kills any chance of a "real career."

4- a) What was your greatest triumph? 

Fulfilling my only real writing goal of being able to do this for a living.

b) You’ve had some great success along the way. What makes this the most outstanding example? 

Because I never required stardom or the ego baggage, only the satisfaction of the universe making room for the thing I loved to do. I accept that as proof that my writing has enough value to others to be worthwhile.

5- What is the best thing about being an Indie author? 

Wearing ratty sweatpants to work.

6- There’s a dark side to everything in life… so how about the worst thing? 

The firm belief that this digital era will not last in its current form, and the uncertainty ahead. Of course, that is also a joy, too.

7- Obviously, you have the experience of having been published traditionally as well as going Indie. What do you think are the top benefits of each route? 

Trad? Your book in a store, which is still cool even if less useful to sustaining a career. Indie? You get paid every month and the boss doesn't suck, hopefully.

8- Last but not least… what’s next for Scott Nicholson?

I am launching a Kindle giveaway site http://ebookswag.com/ because I believe free books are not only here to stay, they are going to become the dominant model. And writers might want to figure out how to monetize the next era if they want to continue writing.

Thanks for your time, Scott! 

Remember to leave a comment/share this post to enter the draw for Scott's book... and for more great swag and free books, drop by http://ebookswag.com/ !

Oh, the Horror! March 14/15th.

Blame it on the Ides of March, or March Hare madness, or even a foolish whim... but some fellow horror writers and I are giving away FREE e-books to help prolong the chill in the air! We are keen to share our writing and want to reach new readers. I had a great response to my last Base Spirits giveaway, so I figured it would be fun to get together with a few other indie authors and spread the joy. Well... maybe 'joy' isn't really the right word for these truly terrifying titles on offer!

Remember: check the dates before you download. These are limited time offers, and we'd hate to disappoint you.

March 14th and 15th: Base Spirits is free on Kindle! 'In 1605, Sir Walter Calverley’s murderous rampage leaves a family shattered. The killer suffers a torturous execution… but is it truly the end? A noble Yorkshire house stands forever tarnished by blood and possessed by anguished spirits. Some crimes are so horrific, they reverberate through the centuries. As an unhappy modern couple vacation in the guesthouse at Calverley Old Hall, playwright Clara, and her scholar husband, Scott, unwittingly awaken a dark history. Clara is trapped and forced back in time to bear witness to a family’s bloody saga. Overtaken by the malevolent echoes, Scott is pushed over the edge from possessive husband to wholly possessed… Inspired by a true-life drama in Shakespeare’s day, this is itself a play within a play: a supernatural thriller with a historical core. Only one player can survive.'
Grab yours here: http://www.amazon.com/Base-Spirits-ebook/dp/B005L38G8E

But wait! There's much more...

Axel Howerton's Living Dead at Zigfreidt & Roy - A Vegas Zombiepocalypse is up for grabs. 'Blood and Coffee. Cowboys and Zombies. Welcome to the Last Diner at the End of the World. The coffee's hot and the ghoulish army of the undead isn't due for a few more minutes. Take a load off, fill your cup and listen to the last story of how the world ends. Not with a whimper, nor a cry, but with the roar of white tigers and the blazing neon of the Vegas strip.'
Find it here: http://www.amazon.com/Living-Dead-Zigfreidt-Roy-ebook/dp/B005V5QT04

Bryan Hall will offer up his short story collection Whispers From the Dark. 'What if your hometown hid a terrible secret? What if the vintage LP you brought home was more than just a record? What if your neighbor's pond held an evil only you knew about? What if your dying daughter's only hope lay in a strange shack deep within the Appalachian wilderness? This collection of fourteen short stories from the author of Containment Room Seven asks those questions and many more. You won't find vampires or zombies here - only pure, dark, unrelenting terror on every page.
Sounds spooky: http://www.amazon.com/Whispers-From-The-Dark-ebook/dp/B005Q339DQ

Last but never least, Robert S. Wilson is not to be be outdone! He is making all four of his titles free on March 15th! I'll link you to his Amazon Author Page for easy one-stop shopping. Here you can grab Shining in Crimson (Book One of his dystopian vampire series Empire of Blood), his novella The Quiet and two shorter works What Happens in Vegas and Born to Kill.
His page and books are here: http://www.amazon.com/Robert-S.-Wilson/e/B005EU57AY

We all hope you enjoy our books! I've found that Indie writers are a Tribe. We love to help each other out and promote one another's good work. There's no ulterior motive and no competition. After all, if you love to read, you'll want more than just one book, right? And when we can help point new readers to try out our fellow authors, everybody's a winner.

Enjoy, dear reader... and spread the word. And if you truly love our books, please let us know and also consider leaving a nice review on our respective Amazon pages. We'd love to hear from you and sincerely appreciate getting good reviews and ratings!

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?

My KDP Select Experiment with Base Spirits

So, after sitting on the fence to see how it was working for other writers first, I decided to take the plunge and try the KDP Select program for 90 days.

Readers! Come grab a free e-book!

For those of you who are unfamiliar, the details are here: http://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/KDPSelect

Despite the benefits offered, I'm not altogether happy about the exclusivity demanded by Amazon: I resist any attempt by an already powerful company to dominate a market and dictate the rules. It would be easier to take if I had a number of books, but I only have one available so far. (I am working on a new novel and getting a few shorter works ready, but that's another story-- stay tuned!) Those who have a number of titles can use KDP Select to push one that is losing its momentum and still have their other work available everywhere. It still sorta sucks, though. If it was a traditionally published book, would it not be available in any bookstore?

But the pros outweigh the cons in the end. If I find I don't like it, I can always opt out in 90 days. Frankly my sales on Smashwords & affiliates were very low, so I doubt anyone will be too miffed to find my book is temporarily unavailable. The lending library's pooled fund will pay me almost as much for a borrowed book as an actual sale, and the free promo days will hopefully garner attention and new audience. I really just need to get the word out and get people to read and then talk about my novel. It's simple, really.

I know Base Spirits is a good book. The word of mouth feedback and reviews have all been excellent. I just had another nice e-mail stating 'My husband gave me a signed copy for Christmas and I had to tear myself away and force myself to turn out the light and go to sleep-- and I finished it the next day before dinner'. The general consensus is that it's a page-turner and a chill-ride, so if you like ghost stories then chances are you will enjoy my novel.

And you can grab it for FREE on Kindle on Jan. 13 and 14th! http://www.amazon.com/Base-Spirits-ebook/dp/B005L38G8E Please 'like' the book on its sales page and tick off some tags while you're there. Apparently that helps! And please pass on the word to your ghost-loving reader buddies. Tweet, share on Facebook and Goodreads or any forums or readers' groups you belong to. I'd love you for it. And if you love the book, please come on back and leave a review. That is hugely appreciated!

If you miss the freebie, stay tuned for more to come... and in the meantime look into borrowing it through the Kindle Lending Library- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/?docId=1000739811 It's free for Prime members, and it would make little ol' me-- and the thousands of other authors who have great books available-- really happy! Hell, even just take the plunge and buy it. You can't even get a really good specialty coffee for $2.99. And think of all the good karma you'll get along with your chills and thrills!