A Booksigning Event and the Indie Author

I recently attended a book signing event to promote my latest Redcliffe novel, Love Kills (A Redcliffe Novel). I returned to the Waterstones bookshop in Warrington, Cheshire. When I last visited this venue, it was in the run-up to Christmas and we had expected a busy day. At the time it was disappointingly quiet and I felt very disillusioned about the whole process. This time I swallowed my pride, and decided that I had to keep trying and get myself and my books out there.

It was good to see that many people still visit their local bookshop just to browse and buy something new. When I first entered the store it was vibrant and lively, with families filling up the children’s book section, couples of all ages wandering in and out, and groups of friends checking out the new releases and popular books in the charts. Despite all the doom and gloom in the media about the eBook revolution and the demise of the old-fashioned paperback, it seems that people do still enjoy the feel, smell, and texture of a good solid book in their hands. That said, I didn’t see very many hardback books in the shop. I believe these formats are now almost obsolete.

My table was set up at the front of the shop, near the door, where people could not fail to see me as they walked in and out. I had a low table on which to display my books, and I sat in a comfortable faux-leather armchair. Actually, it was quite nice to have the opportunity to sit still for a while and not be distracted by demanding children and pets (fellow parents, you know what I mean!) I sat back, settled comfortably in my chair, and watched the shoppers going about their business.

The first thing I noticed was that I was surrounded by piles of the current popular book: the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy by E.L. James. This book has exploded into the public sphere within a year it seems, and I am intrigued about how and why this has happened. All accounts I have heard from friends, colleagues and press attention do not exactly paint the books in a good picture. Yet here it is, now released by a large publishing house, and being bought by many thousands of people. I believe it is one of those stories that you simply have to try out for yourself…

After glancing at the book Fifty Shades of Grey, I am not compelled to read it myself. I have downloaded the free sample on my Kindle from Amazon, and I will give it a try just to be fair. I feel like I should read the book more for research purposes. It might help me with my own personal marketing campaign, since the genre is the same as that of my own Redcliffe novels. I am not immediately sure that I like the style of writing for Fifty Shades of Grey. It is presented in the first person present tense, and usually I find this irritating. However, I am currently reading another novel written in the same way and I am enjoying that one, so maybe I should get past that particular hump.

Books and authors are still perceived as glamorous, I think. People love the excitement and exhilaration they feel from discovering and reading a good book. It elicits all sorts of emotional responses, and allows us the freedom to push our boundaries, step outside our cultural and societal norms, or simply to try a new experience through a work of fiction. That said, I don’t think people are quite so concerned about having autographed, paperback copies of books these days. I noticed several customers pick up Fifty Shades of Grey and glance quickly at the back cover, before replacing it on the shelf and walking off. I suspect these people will be searching for the book at a cheaper price on the internet, or they will order an eBook version.

I think that the technological revolution is not to be feared or disliked. Yes, it is easier to get published nowadays. We have a much larger platform on which to sell our work. But that platform is also far more crowded, and we have to fight to be heard above the clamour. EBooks have intensified the game of publishing and selling books. We have stepped up a level, we must be strong, we must not back down. Let’s hear it for the Indie authors! Ding, ding!

Free Kindle Horror Novel - Highway to Hell

Today I would like to recommend an excellent new horror story written by my author friend Alex Laybourne. Highway to Hell is a contemporary horror which follows the adventures of a group of people during the last hours of their lives, and their subsequent descent into Hell as they are tested, tortured and turned out into the afterlife.

I found it a very disturbing read but very gripping, and it will be free to purchase from Tuesday 7th February until Thursday 9th February. Get a copy, and I am sure you will love it! The sequel is due out later this year, which is good news because Highway to Hell ends on a massive cliffhanger and I cannot wait to see the outcome.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005H93KEM#reader_B005H93KEM

For the Love of Books

I have finally embraced the digital revolution, and have acquired a Kindle. I love it. I was resistant at first, because I am of the old school generation where we believe there is nothing better than curling up with a good book. I realise now that it doesn’t have to be one or the other. I can enjoy both, and each has their own merits and advantages.

The Kindle, for example, is like a portable library. I had great fun one evening browsing the top 100 free bestsellers (I’m a penniless writer, there you go!). Anyway, my husband was greatly amused as I sat giggling away to myself, and proceeded to download somewhere in the region of 50 eBooks. Add to that a couple of PDFs that I had acquired, and my reading list is now looking extremely busy.

My Kindle is perfect for reading one-handed, for example while I am propping my daughter up as she learns to walk. Or I can stand in the kitchen with it while I am cooking dinner. And I have a very handy reading light so I don’t disturb my husband while I’m sitting up in bed at night. Oh, and I can comfortably recline in bed with the Kindle, something I struggled to do with my books before.


I was also very excited when I searched for my novel Love Hurts on the Kindle and found it second in the list of books with that name. It means my sales are doing well and I'm getting some exposure. Thank you my adoring fans! And for those who haven't yet read it, why not? It is even on special offer now until 5th January, so snap up a bargain while you can.

Do not despair my precious books! I still love you just as much. There is nothing quite like picking up a nice shiny new paperback, opening it for the first time, and inhaling that special smell of excitement and adventure. Every book is different. I love smoothing my fingers over the covers, and feeling the texture and shape. I love seeing the crisp, white pages of print just waiting to be explored. And I love walking past my bookshelves, and glancing at rows of beautiful, delightful, tomes of imagination.

So I have deduced that the Kindle, or indeed any other eReader tablet, is a great gadget for an easy to handle, quick to access book, and also a means of storing various books, magazines and newspapers. This is perfect for a frequent traveller, and saves lots of bag space for a young family with a modest car. But the good old-fashioned paperback, or hardback book, is a sacred and beloved text. It is to be treasured, revered, and will never be cast aside or forgotten, at least not in my world.

Love Hurts Surprise Book Reviews

I have been speaking to various people about my novel Love Hurts. Being a paranormal romance, it was more than likely going to fall into the category of Young Adult for audience appeal, but that was not my original intention. Indeed, the story content is very adult and I would not recommend it for anyone under the age of 18. I had intended the book for an adult market aged roughly between 18-35, although of course I would not begrudge anyone reading it.

I was greatly surprised to find that several older people have read and thoroughly enjoyed my book. Here is a classic example of my cultural and social conditioning rearing its face. I automatically assumed that any people over the age of 50 that read my book would think it far-fetched and probably ridiculous. This was not the case according to some recent word of mouth reviews I have received.

Two people in particular stand out. The first is my paternal grandfather. I have never known him to read a book that didn’t include photographs of classic cars and engines. He reads newspapers but that’s about it, and my grandmother agreed that she too had never seen him read a novel before. But he read mine, I thought just because I was his granddaughter. Actually he told me that it was really interesting, very descriptive, and he thoroughly enjoyed it, so much so that he read it within about two days!

The second surprise positive review came from the grandmother of my brother’s girlfriend. This was a review from someone who doesn’t know me, and I was really happy to be told that this lady thought my novel was really exciting. Apparently she enjoyed it, and is keen to see the sequel when I finally complete it.

After these, and several other positive word of mouth reviews, I am filled with renewed vigour for my writing. Now I have established that there is actually a whole new older audience, I cannot wait for them to read some more of my work. And my lesson for the week is to never underestimate what people are prepared to read.

Highway to Hell by Alex Laybourne

Heaven and Hell, Angel and Demons, these things were once considered opposites, but now you will see that they are neighbors, allies…. friends.

Marcus, Becky, Richard, Helen, Sammy and Graham. All complete strangers, different ages, backgrounds and even countries, but they all have one major thing in common…They all must DIE.

Sentenced to offer their penance in the many chambers of Hell, their lives are nothing but a torturous experience. They are brought face to face with their past, their mistakes and the implications that had for others. Until one by one they are rescued and thrown together. Waking in a dying world, they are introduced to their rescuers who do anything but conform to their angelic stereotype.

Together, bonded by an unknown destiny the group is set on their quest; to find one individual buried deep within the many Hell worlds. Not only does the fate of their world rest on their shoulders, but that of existence itself.

Writing In A Foreign Language by Alex Laybourne

I moved to the Netherlands in 2006. It wasn’t really a big adjustment for me as I had always wanted to leave England, or certainly the area I lived in, and with my mother being Dutch, and me moving to the same town she grew up in – that is another story entirely – you could say I really was moving to a home away from home.

Now, almost five years down the road I am married, with three wonderful children and have never regretted making the move. However, I have learned that being a writer in a different country certainly comes with some limitations. Let’s face it, if we boil it down, I am writing in a foreign language. Sure almost everyone in Holland speaks the language, but there is a difference between speaking and being able to read a full length novel and understand it well enough to at least feign enjoyment.

Thanks to the Internet this problem has never hindered me, and now with Kindles and e-readers galore stocking the shelves, getting my hands on an English book is not a problem. Writing and promoting one on the other hand is a different kettle of fish; from writing circles, critiques, friends to bounce ideas around with, beta readers. Ok the last one is probably stemming from my somewhat Luddite lifestyle.

It goes without saying that a large percentage of Indie author promotion is done online, hanging around the social media scene, dropping links and making your presence known on sites such as Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Authors.com and Wattpad, but there is still a lot to be said about face to face interaction and sales. Approaching local Indie bookshops and even larger stores (I have read several people saying that they approached their local Barnes and Noble for book signing sessions and have been given a place on the shelves in that particular store) and requesting some of their time and pitching a sale the old fashioned way.

Don’t get me wrong, I knew what I was getting myself into, and I accept that the majority of my sales will be via the online promotion work that I am doing. I am not afraid of hard work and am looking forward to the adventure that self-promotion is proving to be. I am not the first writer that is trying this, and I will not be the last. All Indie writers face an uphill battle for promotion, regardless of where we live.

Introducing Alex Laybourne Author

Horror writer Alex Laybourne was born in the UK but relocated to The Netherlands to be with his wife. Together they have three wonderful children who despite their young age are showing all the signs of following in their father’s creative footsteps. 

Alex’s debut novel Highway to Hell is a 96.000 word horror novel and the first in a trilogy that will take readers on a journey not just into hell, but through it.

Highway to Hell can be found on Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, and Amazon.de, and for all non-kindle readers via Smashwords.com for just $2.99. You can also download a free sample of the novel at all of the above sites.

Alex is always interested in making new friends both readers and writers alike. You can find him at most hours of the waking day on Twitter under the name @vanplank or on his blog www.alexlaybourne.com

 

Sharing Writer Profiles

I will shortly be posting some guest blogs from a fellow Indie author, and would like to take this opportunity to open an invitation to others. If you write within the Fantasy or Spiritual genre, both fiction and non-fiction, and would like a guest post on my blog, then please get in touch. We all need to help each other and get our names out there!

Redcliffe and Real Life

It is so hard to leave my book alone when I want to write! I could happily sit up all night typing away, but I know that I must sleep. We have a mother and baby yoga class in the morning, then a playgroup in the afternoon. Thursday is a busy play day!

I have managed to write another chapter of my spin-off novel The Darkness of Love which tells the story of how Marcus Scott came to be a vampire. This is potentially more of a steampunk novel, but we will see. It seemed to drag for a bit, but every time I return to it I am pleasantly surprised at my work, which must be a good thing!

And I have at least written another partial chapter for the sequel to Love Hurts. Jessica is struggling with her feelings for Danny, the forbidden brother, and as the novel deepens so will the intrigue. There are more secrets to be broken, more danger to encounter, and even I am not sure what the outcome will be...

My Debut Novel Out Now

My debut novel is finally available for download. The paperback version will follow shortly, but for all those 21st century readers, check it out! This has been a labour of love for several years but has actually been written and published fairly quickly once I put my mind to it. Enjoy!

Love Hurts (The Redcliffe Pack)