DIY Blog Tours

Thank you to author Ines Johnson for this guest post! Ines writes erotic, paranormal and fairytales romance novels. Her new release is Pumpkin: a Cindermama Story.

DIY Blog Tours by Ines Johnson

Author Ines Johnson

If You Publish It, They Will Come

That may have been true ten, five years ago in indie publishing. It is no longer the case today. Readers have a lot of authors and books to choose from. They don’t know you, so you have to do something to get their attention.

Okay, but what something? After visiting Google, I decided to do my own blog tour. I went to listservs and chat rooms for authors and asked questions. Established authors said a blog tour was a waste of time. But new and indie authors said to go for it. I had nothing to lose, and no money to spend, so I did it myself. Here’s how I did it.


1. Build a MEDIA KIT

Honestly, this wasn’t the first thing I did. I realized I needed it as responses started rolling in with bloggers requesting the same materials over and again. But I recommend it be the first thing you do.


A media kit is everything a blogger could possibly want or need in order to host you on their webpage. Include in your Media Kit the following:

1. Your book blurb. I included different lengths of my blurb, including the full blurb that’s up on Amazon. A shorter three sentence blurb. And a one sentence blurb. My debut book was erotic romance, so I also had to be sure and include a PG version of my blurb for bloggers who also showcased YA books.
2. Book excerpts. Choose one to two scenes that you feel would get readers engaged in your story. I recommend the excerpt should start somewhere in the middle of the scene and end before the scene is over at a high point of tension. If you choose well, this tactic would naturally lead a reader to push the ‘buy now’ link so they can find out what happens next. Again, make sure you have a PG excerpt for bloggers who showcase YA books.
3. Guest Posts. I wrote three guests posts for my tour. I found that bloggers liked craft pieces, writing tips, and social commentary. So, I wrote one of each. I also found that some bloggers wanted you to answer their list of questions instead of using your posts. I complied, and then saved each question and answer. I included these Q&A’s in my media kit and made them available to all subsequent bloggers.
4. Author biography. Be sure to include the bio you’ve written for yourself and posted on your website. I found that some bloggers preferred a one sentence bio, called a tagline. So, I paired my long bio down and included two options in my kit.
5. Links. Be sure to include your store purchase links, your website url, and all social media links and handles. In my ebook, I have fancy graphic links. I assumed the bloggers would do something graphical with my link, but few did. Instead they just left the entire URL up under my name. I didn’t like that, but I had to realize that many of these bloggers weren’t graphic artists or any more tech savvy than your average person. Moving forward, I’ll need to think of a better way to list these links.
   
   (***Hint from Shoshanna Evers - make bitly links that look nice & short - see the links at the bottom of the page here for an example.***)
   
6. Images. Attach images separately, as well as in the body of the kit. If you have a lot of images, make them available upon request.

That was a lot of information, but I suggest you get started on that before contacting bloggers. Many get back to you straight away and begin making requests.

2. Find BLOGGERS

Once your media kit is assembled, you need to start finding blogs to host your amazing information.

I began my search at the Book Blogger Directory: https://bookbloggerdirectory.wordpress.com/

I made certain to check for bloggers who were in my genre.

I also checked their sites to see when their last activity happened. You don’t want to spend time querying a blogger whose last post was in 2013.

3. Make CONTACT

Once I had my list of vetted bloggers in my genre, I began to contact them. Be aware that some of these bloggers have handy Google Docs. They’d prefer you use these instead of emailing them directly.

For those I emailed directly, I made a form email, but I sent each blogger an individual email with their name in the salutation. I also tailored the form email to each blogger where possible. For example, if I saw that a blogger was only interested in author interviews, I didn’t mention that I had blog posts and excerpts because I knew they wouldn’t be interested in those items.

Here’s an example of the basic form email that I sent out:

Dear [Book Blogger],

I write erotic romance, paranormal romance, and fairytale retellings under the pen name, Ines Johnson. My newest release, Pumpkin: a Cindermama story, which is a fairytale retelling of the Cinderella story will hit the print and virtual shelves on March 17th.

I’ve planned a book tour throughout the month of March to create some buzz and garner a bigger audience for my book. I’d love to make a stop at your site. I’m happy to do a Q&A, a blog posting, submit my book for your review, or any combination of the three. I’ve prepared three posts for the occasion. If you feel that one of the topics might interest your readers, I would be happy to make it available to you any day during the month of March and April. Attached you’ll find my Media Kit for your convenience.

4. Keep RECORDS

It looks bad to contact the same person over and again. Or to forget that you agreed to give this blogger that post on this day. I kept a spreadsheet in Google Docs so that I had access to it at all times.

On the list I listed the blog title, the blog URL, the contact person’s name and email address. In other columns, I placed what each blog looked for from guest bloggers, when I contacted them, if they responded, if they said yes and what they wanted, when the post would be live, and when they needed the information by. You should also note if they want exclusive content, and if they want you to provide them a giveaway.

BLOG NAME BLOG ADDRESS CONTACT

Review

Interview

Blog Post

Promo

NOTES

CONTACT EMAIL

RESPONSE

DATE Requested

* a note about giveaways: try where possible to offer your book as a giveaway. I got my highest sales on the days I offered my book as a free giveaway. I didn’t want to offer a gift card, remember I was broke by this time.

5. Be SOCIAL

As the blog tour began, I made a fancy banner announcing the tour for my webpage. I linked to each blog that hosted me.

On the day of each tour stop, I tweeted and posted each blog. And I visited each site to try and interact with any commenters and responded where appropriate.

6. Send THANK YOU NOTES

But the most important thing I did, was mind my manners. After each post I wrote a personalized thank you note to each blogger. I told them how they affected my sales rank that day. Each one invited me back!

7. The VERDICT

I had phenomenal success with my tour! I was on thirty blogs over the course of my launch week. As soon as those posts went live, my debut novel was launched into the Top 100 where its stayed for a week after my launch. I could see the effects in real time. When a tour stop went live, an hour or so later, I’d see sales. I didn’t see much of a blip on social media (ie, my newsletter or Facebook Likes). My Twitter follows did see some of an uptick, but mostly from the bloggers themselves as they tweeted about the post.

****

Thanks, Ines, for that awesome information! I know her method works, because she got me to post for her ;) 

I do have one additional suggestion: offer to give the blogger your post in HTML code. I had to do some formatting in order for her blog post to look good on my site (as will happen if you just copy/paste a post from an email), and it took up a bit of time, whereas I feel that the easier you make it for the blogger, the better! Also, add your links into your post whenever possible (I added Ines' Twitter link in).

Don't forget to check out her new book: 

Pumpkin: a Cindermama Story by Ines Johnson

Single mother Malika “Pumpkin” Tavares lost faith in fairytales after she fell for a toad. Town royalty Armand “Manny” Charmayne has been searching for his soulmate all his life, whom he’ll recognize at first sight by a golden aura, that only he can see, surrounding her person. Manny doesn’t see gold when he meets Pumpkin, but the more he gets to know her the more he considers defying fate, if only he can convince her to take a chance on love again.

Available on Amazon, B&N, Kobo

Connect with Ines!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ineswrites

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ineswrites

Website: https://InesJohnson.wordpress.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24927912-pumpkin

Why Authors QUIT Writing

There is a very good blog post called Things Indie Writers Learned in 2014 on KrisWrites.com.

I think the part Kris wrote about why writers QUIT was especially important.
To quote:

Writers have disappeared from the dawn of publishing. I wrote an entire three-blog series about that in 2012, listing 12 reasons why writers stop writing.

Those twelve reasons are:

1. Writers can’t get a new book contract under that name.
2. They can’t get a new book contract because their genre has vanished.
3. They became toxic—and that toxicity trickled through the entire industry.
4. They achieved all their goals.
5. They were no longer interested in writing.
6. They moved to a different part of the industry.
7. They got discouraged.
8. They couldn’t handle the solitude.
9. They couldn’t handle the financial problems inherent in a writing career.
10. They had life or health issues that interfered with the writing
11. They didn’t keep up with the changes in the industry.
12. They sold or gave away too many rights to their books.

- See more at: http://kriswrites.com/2014/12/23/business-musings-things-indie-writers-learned-in-2014/
Okay, it's me, Shoshanna Evers again. I am lucky that the core group of authors I became friendly with when I first got published in 2010 are still around, still writing books. Maybe it's because I met those authors within traditional publishing, which probably meant those authors had already been writing for a while in order get a publishing contract to begin with, and so were less likely to disappear from the scene than someone who decides to write a short story and self-publish it on Amazon, and then decides nevermind about being an author....? (Obviously I'm not saying that is the case with all or even most self-publishers. But maybe it is for those who quit?)

In the past almost 5 years, I've seen lots of authors come onto the scene with a flash and then vanish after one or two books.

Writing book after book after book, year after year, in solitude, is not for everyone. I think some people try it once, decide the payout wasn't "worth it" or the time wasn't "worth it" and go back to their regular lives. You kinda have to just love it so much you can't imagine being happy doing anything else. Even when I hate it, I love it. :)

Sometimes I think about quitting all social media and promotion, and focus on just writing and sending out a newsletter when I have a new release. But then I'd miss out on actually connecting with the very people I'm writing for. I cherish the friendships I've made with readers. But if I felt burned-out, I would quit social media and promo before I quit writing.

I think if there is anything in the world that someone can do *other* than write, they should do that other thing. Because choosing to be a writer is a very hard path. It's not for the faint of heart.

This year, regarding changes, I chose to continue traditional publishing with NY in addition to indie-publishing, because having advance money upfront takes a lot of the fear-factor out of waiting to see if a book sells before you make any money. That said, I can't see myself giving up indie-publishing because I love the control so much, and the monthly income (NY pays twice a year... Hard to budget on that, plus royalties are lower per book than self-pub) even if the monthly self-pub income has lowered with the introduction of Kindle Unlimited. We'll just have to adapt and figure out ways around it so we can make enough money to keep on goin' on! :)

That's what keeps authors around, and what turns aspiring writers into published authors: We don't quit. We adapt to changes. We stay nimble and we KEEP WRITING!!!

All my best,
Shoshanna Evers

Sexily *Evers* After... ShoshannaEvers.com

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

I am Not Your Melody releases Jan 6th!

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Self-Publish Your Book Cheap, not Cheaply

I've been seeing far too many new authors publish with vanity presses and spend huge amounts of money, when they could do it themselves for much less, and end up with a better book.

These "self-publishing houses" which promise to publish you for thousands of dollars are, IMHO (and I'm not alone in feeling this way) such a rip off! 

Why yes, I will name names. I have to, since this post is meant to keep you from getting ripped off. In particular, I'm talking about:

• Author Solutions (and its imprints, many listed below)
• Author House
• iUniverse
• Outskirts Press
• Xlibris
• Trafford Publishing 
• PublishAmerica (now remamed AmericaStar Books) - they say they are "free" but charge money for editing and more, and take control of your books.

Edited to Add: I found another vanity press charging up to $2K and disguised as a "self-publishing service":

• Fast Pencil (and its imprints:)
  ~ Premiere
  ~ WaveCrest.

If you want to add one in the comments, feel free. There are more than I listed here.

Here's a few articles about the real deal with them:

• http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/directory/author-solutions
• http://accrispin.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/the-bookseller-takes-stand-no-more.html
• http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130714/18453023795/author-solutions-rep-people-complaining-about-our-scammy-services-are-engaged-racketeering.shtml
• http://killmenow.org/iuniverse/
• http://publishamericascam.blogspot.com/p/publishamerica-investigative-report.html

Let's compare what most of these guys are offering for $999 against what the real cost is when I self-publish. Sometimes these vanity presses offer "basic" packages for paperback and ebook for $699, or packages that essentially just format your ebook and put it up for you, for $499 (or this one that doesn't even offer everything on the list below). I've seen these books and IMO they almost always do a really bad job, and, there are tons of articles about how they don't pay the royalties they should, which you might want to Google around for. Just put the name of the vanity press + Scam into Google).

"All Diamond books include" (for $999):

• standard interior black & white layout: real cost is $50 for ebooks at Ebook Formatting Fairies (I've used them before and love them)
• an ISBN number: free at the retailers (Createspace and Smashwords (which distributes everywhere but Amazon), and Amazon, and B&N ) 
• a price-embedded barcode: free with free Createspace (I use them for all of my self-pub paperbacks.) 
• and unlimited wholesale printing, fulfillment, and distribution via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Ingram, Baker &Taylor, Bertram, and others: free with Createspace and Smashwords (to reach everyone on that list plus more, except Amazon), and Amazon, and B&N. 
• Paperback formatting: real cost is $50 for print layout for Createspace at Ebook Formatting Fairies or use a company from Mark's List. 
• Standard web page: free with Wordpress, or $50-$250 to have one made for you by Winterheart (I've worked with them before I started spending more money) $13 for custom domain name with GoDaddy. Get the domain for even cheaper with these promo codes.
• Cover (they offer a basic style you add your name to): To do exactly what the vanity presses offer, you can use the Createspace cover creator here for free. You can also make an ebook cover for free (or $1 per image or specialized text) at Canva. For a professional premade cover, most covers start at $69 for a one-of-a-kind cover from SelfPubBookCovers.com (full disclosure: I own that company, but you can go anywhere, it's your choice), or even cheaper depending on who you go with. Here's a list which includes cover designers and formatters, too: http://www.smashwords.com/list. Be prepared that many custom-designed professional covers cost around $200 and up. You can spend a lot on covers or nothing, it's up to you.
• Press release: they don't appear to even offer distribution! Writing a press release is easy, and that's all they're offering you. So that's free. And at PRWeb, it's $99 with distribution everywhere. http://service.prweb.com/pricing/
• Audio excerpt: pointless unless you have an audiobook, which you can have made for free using a royalty share with the narrator at ACX.com
• 10 author paperback copies: costs about $3 per book using author discount at Createspace, so $30. 

In conclusion, they are offering for $999 what would cost you $130 total for ebook formatting and some author copies - the rest of the "package" is just free stuff already available to you if you know where to look, which now you do!

You can get the same things, but WAY BETTER and more professional AND have pros do it all for you, for a grand total of less than $300 plus the cost of a cover (they aren't giving you a cover anyway, they're offering the same tool that you can get at Createspace cover creator here for free), but a pro cover adds anywhere from $50 to $250. So you'd spend a total of $300 - $550 (high end includes highest cost cover), and you'd have all the control, all the royalties sent directly to you, and have a better product.

Hopefully this post will help new writers who want to self-publish and don't know where to start, save over $500.

Hiring an editor is always a big add-on expense at these publishers, but you can hire your own developmental or line editor for much cheaper, and also get a better manuscript!

Even if you don't go with an editor, and instead use critique partners and beta readers, I highly recommend hiring a copyeditor to help you make the actual book error-free. That costs about 2 cents a word. Just google around, I found this one online with good testimonials, but you can find more copyeditors on your own: http://revisionfairy.com/small-business-writing-consultant/copy-editing-services-order/

I wish you all the best. My goal with this post is help other authors keep their costs down and avoid getting ripped off.

Best,
Shoshanna Evers

Changing a Book Title for a Self-Published Book

I used to think that you couldn't change the book title of an already-published book, because you'd lose all of your reviews and ranking, and have to start from scratch.

But, that only applies if you want to change the title of a book that was traditionally published, and then self-pub it with a different title (you will lose your reviews in that case). By keeping the same title as another edition, the reviews will transfer over.

You won't lose your reviews of a self-published book, however, even if you change its title!

You CAN give your title a makeover, by changing the book title (and cover) for a book that is already for sale. Here's how you do it:

1. Go onto your self-publishing Dashboard (I'll use KDP as an example).
2. EDIT the book details for the book whose title you want to change.
3. Change the title (again, you're *not* uploading as a new book)
4. Upload a new cover with the new title.
5. Upload a new book-file that has the title page and copyright page updated.
6. Change your blurb to include a notice to your readers, like this:

**Originally published in 2012 under the title Dominatrix Fantasy Trilogy Set: Spanked, Denied, and Collared

If the reader has already purchased the book, Amazon will stop them from re-purchasing it, and will send them the new updated covers, etc, to their Kindle. That way you don't confuse people, which would piss them off, if they bought the same book twice by mistake!

As you can guess, I gave the Dominatrix Fantasy series a makeover! As review after review came in, saying they were surprised to discover the books were romances, (not pure erotica as the titles and covers suggested), and as sales waned, I realized I needed to showcase what the books *really* are, by branding them properly.

BEFORE:

AFTER the makeover:

As you can see, both covers are professionally designed and look great, but the first cover and title screamed "FemDom P0RN" --not that there's anything wrong with that ;) 

The new title "Becoming Hers" and new cover says "erotic romance" - emphasis on romance!

These are the new individual novella covers and titles:

For more information and for blurbs, excerpts, and buylinks, go to:
http://shoshannaevers.com/becoming-hers-series/ or click on the covers!

Re-issuing Ellora's Cave Backlist Books!

I've got big news about four of my favorite sexy stories!

You might have noticed that Punishing the Art Thief, Ginger Snap, Chastity Belt, and Hollywood Spank are no longer for sale from publisher Ellora's Cave.

That's because the rights to these books have reverted to me, and I'm thrilled to announce that I'll be self-publishing them soon! 

The new editions will be re-edited (while keeping the story intact), have brand-spanking-new covers, and every single one will have lower prices!!

So keep your eyes peeled.... these stories are going to be re-issued soon!

I'm also going to put Punishing the Art Thief, Chastity Belt, and Hollywood Spank into trade paperback editions!

Get ready... this is gonna be fun!!

Best,
Shoshanna xoxo

Sexily *Evers* After...

Indie vs Traditional Publishing Video

Here I'm talking about indie-publishing vs. traditional publishing, writing erotica, and about my upcoming Enslaved Trilogy and Pulse Trilogy from Simon & Schuster, with Indie Author Jason Matthews!
 

Book cover for Held Captive by the Cavemen!

I have a new novella coming out soon! Very, very soon. Want to read the excerpt?

You'll have to go here to read it, since it's too hot for a blog about writing and publishing. So. Go here.
http://shoshannaevers.com/2012/07/sneak-peek-of-held-captive-by-the-cavemen/

Call for Submissions - Attention Self-Published Authors!

Successful Self Publishing: How We Do It (and How You Can Too!)
Edited by Shoshanna Evers, #1 Amazon Authorship Bestselling Author

Call for Submissions: Deadline May 21^th, 30th 2012


This call for submissions is open to any self-published author, including traditionally published authors who are also self-publishing.

How did you find success as a self-published author? The goal of this anthology is to give pre-published writers and authors considering self-publishing the inspiration and advice to help them start on their own path to self-publishing success.

There are many different ways to quantify success, and we are looking for all of them. While we are looking for bestselling self-published authors to submit essays, if your sales are modest but you finally realized your dream of having your story told, then that is its own form of success, and we welcome your submission as well.

Some questions to consider while writing your essay include:

1. Why did you choose to self-publish?
2. Have you tried publishing traditionally, or are you published traditionally as well? If you are also traditionally published, what are the benefits to self-publishing that drew you to it?
3. What sort of process did you put your book through before you published it? Editing, critique groups, beta-readers?
4. How much did it cost you to self-publish your book? What did you pay for cover art, for editing, formatting, etcetera? Did you do it all yourself?
5. How many books do you sell a day/month/since you started?
6. Is your book available for print? How did you go about doing that, and are your books selling better in ebook format or print?
7. How important are reviews for you? How do you get reviews for your book(s)?
8. What do you think is the future of publishing?
9. What’s the most important piece of advice you have for a writer looking to self-publish?

Payment:
Contributors whose essays are chosen for the anthology will receive a $20 payment plus a free Smashwords coupon to download the anthology upon its release.

The essays will be contracted on a non-exclusive basis, meaning the contributor retains the right to re-publish the essay as he or she pleases. Previously published blog posts or interviews on the subject of self-publishing will also be considered but original material is preferred.


Tell your story in 750 to 2000 words and include a 50 word bio with links to your website, blog, Twitter, Facebook, and Amazon/B&N/Smashwords pages.

Submit the essay as a Word doc or rtf and name the file Successful_YourName. Email the attachment to shoshanna.evers @ yahoo. com (no spaces) with Submission in the subject line.

About the Editor:

Shoshanna Evers edited and self-published the #1 Amazon Authorship Bestselling writing anthology How to Write Hot Sex: Tips From Multi-Published Erotic Romance Authors. In addition to being published by Ellora’s Cave, The Wild Rose Press, Cleis Press, and Berkley/Jove, Shoshanna has found success with self-publishing, hitting several Amazon category bestseller lists and quitting her day job to be a full-time writer.

Sexily *Evers* After... www.ShoshannaEvers.com

My new series is out now!

The Dominatrix Fantasy Series is here!

The series is available as a trilogy set which includes a bonus short story, but you can also buy the individual novellas for 99c each if you just want a taste ;)



SPANKED, DENIED & COLLARED, Trilogy Set: Dominatrix Fantasy Series (FemDom BDSM Erotica)

SPANKED, DENIED, & COLLARED is the trilogy set of the Dominatrix Fantasy Series (also available separately) and includes the bonus short story TAPE. These are adults-only erotic romance stories from Amazon Erotica Bestselling author Shoshanna Evers.

Trilogy set: Amazon, Smashwords, B&N

This series is too hot to even give you a blurb or excerpt on this blog, so go to the product page and download a free sample if you want to know more! ;)

Should You Change Your Self-Pub Book Cover?

Hello Fellow Writers!

the new cover!

I've been very blessed to have worked with publishers that have incredible cover designers, but when I set out to self-publish some books, I had to hire my own cover designer.

I love his work, and I think part of the reason Overheated is an Amazon Erotica Bestseller is because the cover is smokin' hot. (I hope the other reason is because readers like the story, lol). I also loved my cover for Snowed in With the Tycoon, but... it's not selling nearly as well as Overheated.

So I lowered the price from $2.99 down to $1.99 for a month to see if that helped, and it did not. Then it went back up to $2.99. Then I dropped it all the way down to 99 cents for a month. Sales tripled... but for the gamble to pay off my sales would need to be six times higher at the lower price point, not three. So back up to $2.99 the book went (which is a good price anyway since it's a full length book, more than twice as long as my Ellora's Cave novellas that sell for over $4). Interestingly, Amazon chose to lower it again to 99 cents on my behalf, on sale from $2.99. So I don't think the price is what's keeping the sales down.

Could it be the book? I don't think it is, because readers really seem to connect with the story, based on the 4 and 5 star reviews it's been getting, and the emails I get (thank you!!).

the "old" cover

Which makes me wonder... could the lower sales be due to the cover? The cover I love and that I paid for? *sob*

Only one way to find out. I had the cover redesigned by the same artist, and this time the hot guy is replaced by a hot *couple*.

I figure the experiment couldn't hurt - and hey, isn't it so awesome that we get to play with our self-published books like this to see what readers want the most? Because ultimately, what I care about is giving the reader what she (or he) wants - even if I thought my previous cover was hot stuff, people vote with their wallets - and I'm listening.

Self-publishing sales vs Traditional sales

Today I'm on Flirty Author Bitches, blogging about self-publishing sales versus traditional pub sales. Why are my self-pub books outranking my other books? How did I become an Amazon bestseller with OVERHEATED, one of my self-pub books?

Stop by my post at FAB and find out!
http://flirtyauthorbitches.com/2011/09/15/self-pubbed-books-outranking-my-other-books-why/

How Debra Holland sold 17K books in 4 months!

Hello Fellow Writers!

If you're even thinking about self-publishing, you need to read this. Amazon bestseller and self-published romance author Debra Holland sold 17,000 books in the past four months. Yes, 17K. I interviewed her to find out as much as I could about how exactly she did that!

Shoshanna: Thanks for being here! Can you walk us through how that happened?

Debra: I can give it a try. I have some ideas, but a lot of it seems like plain good luck. :)
Much of my books’ success stems from hitting two niche markets--sweet and Western. There are lots of readers out there looking for romances that are traditional. They either don’t want sexy books, or they like to read both sexy and sweet.

Western romance fans tend to pounce on a Western because they don’t get many of them. The historical Western market is particularly scarce.

Did it start slow and build or were you immediately selling well?

It started slow and built, sort of like a jagged slope. I’d be at a level, then start selling a little more, stay at about that level, then bump up a bit, level out for a week or so, then go higher.

What seemed to make a difference was 5 star reviews. For each one, my sales bumped up a bit. Although, once I got to ten 5 star reviews, it didn’t seem to make a difference any more.

The other thing that helped was making Amazon top 100 lists. That happened to Wild Montana Sky at about six weeks and Starry Montana Sky at about two months. The books have been climbing the lists ever since.

What sort of marketing did you do?

I’m doing very little. Mostly I’ve written some personal blogs--about eight, and some guest blogs--also about eight. Not too much for four months.

I’m trying to encourage other writers to consider self-publishing. Ever since I started having success, I’ve been beating the self-publishing drum. I love helping others succeed. For that reason, I’m blogging very honestly about what’s happening with my self-publishing career, including exact sales and money. Those blog links seemed to get passed along a lot. :)


My success isn’t the norm for everyone. Many self-published authors start out far slower. But remember, sales can build over years. Think long term.

I know I should do more. I’m not even on Goodreads yet. That on my to-do list. I need to submit the books to book reviewers. Also on my to-do list. But I’ve trying to use my spare time to write. I think putting out new books are the best ways to promote!

What price points are you selling your books at, and how did you decide to sell at that price point?

I’m selling Wild Montana Sky at .99 and Starry Montana Sky at 2.99. I chose .99 for the first book because I’m an unknown author, and I think readers are willing to risk trying me when the price is a bargain. I’ve done the same thing for the first book in my newly published Fantasy Romance series. Sower of Dreams is .99 and Reaper of Dreams is 2.99.

Your covers are beautiful. Who is your designer? 

My friend, Delle Jacobs did the Western covers. I chose a different designer, Lex Valentine, for my fantasy romances because I wanted a different look. I think all four covers are wonderful, and I’m very happy with them. Doing your own covers are definitely a benefit to self-publishing!

Do you have plans for future books?

I’m writing the third book in the Western series, Stormy Montana Sky, and I have two more books after that. I’m hoping to have Stormy out in November. I’m also working on the third book in the Fantasy Romance trilogy, Harvest the Dreams. If I can stay on track, I’m hoping to have it out in January.

Do you have any suggestions for writers looking to self-publish?

Learn the craft. Write a great book. Get it professionally edited. Study the market. Have FUN!


BLURB: WILD MONTANA SKY
With the tragic death of her fiancé, Elizabeth Hamilton believed she’d never love again. The comfortable life she’s settled into with her brother in Boston is upset when he abruptly marries. Displaced by her spiteful new sister-in-law, and hoping to find a home for herself, Elizabeth allows handsome cowboy Nick Sanders to escort her from Boston to her friend’s Montana ranch.

In Montana, Elizabeth meets attractive Caleb Livingston, a wealthy banker who strongly resembles her beloved fiancé, and believes she has a second chance at love. Yet, she has to fight a growing attraction to Nick. In braving the dangers and hardships of the West, Elizabeth discovers unexpected strengths within herself--strengths tested when an influenza epidemic ravages the town. As a child’s life hangs in the balance, Elizabeth must choose between the man who has everything, and the one with nothing but his heart to offer.

Buy Links:
Wild Montana Sky Amazon: http://amzn.com/B004YKZCD2
Starry Montana Sky Amazon: http://amzn.com/B004YL2RNO

Website:
http://drdebraholland.com

Snowed In With The Tycoon available NOW!

Hello Fellow Writers!

Amazing how quickly a book can be published when we take things into our own hands! Following the success of my first self-publishing "experiment" Overheated - which ended up outselling all of my traditionally published books put together and even hitting the Amazon Bestseller list for Erotica - I've taken a full length erotic romance novel and self-published it on Amazon, Smashwords and Barnes and Noble.

And the best part? I set the price at only $2.99, which is less expensive than most of my other books that are less than half as long. SNOWED IN WITH THE TYCOON has graphic sex scenes, but it's definitely "the softer side of Shoshanna Evers" - an emotional love story with hot hot sex.

Here's the excerpt.

Buy Snowed In With The Tycoon on Amazon here.
on Barnes and Noble
Or on Smashwords (for all formats)

Should you Self-Publish? My New Thoughts

Hello Fellow Writers!

A couple years ago I posted on this subject and at the time my feeling was, don't self-publish if you're *only* self-publishing because no publisher will publish your books. There are so many small presses and e-publishers out there, my feeling was that if the book is good enough then *someone* somewhere would be willing to invest time and money into it by paying for an editor, cover designer and promo etcetera for you, so you aren't stuck with those costs.

Now I'm not so sure how I feel. I do think there's something to be said for being "vetted" by a publisher. There's a real feeling of accomplishment that comes with having a total stranger tell you that not only is your book worth reading, it's worth them investing time and money into the project by contracting it.

But then... I read stories about people self-publishing, selling their books for 99 cents, and making a fortune. We all know about Amanda Hocking making a million dollars (literally) on her 9 ebooks, and then getting a 2 million dollar traditional publishing deal.

Yesterday I heard about author Selena Kitt in this article here. Incidentally, I was already following her on Twitter. She made over $200K this year with her self-published ebooks. Yeah, it's only April. The year's not over yet. HOLY SH*T.

When I see things like that, and I see how expensive my books are comparatively, I wish I could choose to have a lower price point for my books. But the publishers set the price, not the author. Unless, of course, you self-publish, in which case yeah, you can do whatever the heck you want.

I understand why my publishers have to have a higher cost for my books - they have to pay everyone who helps make the book happen, and have enough left over to pay royalties to the authors and have a profit for themselves. So I'm not begrudging them making money. This is business. I understand that completely.

So I've been thinking about the possibility of self-publishing something. Specifically, an idea for a trilogy of novellas that I have. But I also wonder if I have the guts to put something out there that hasn't been given some sort of external validation by a publisher. I wonder if I can objectively look at a book I've written and say "yes, this is good enough." I'd definitely have to hire an editor and cover designer, etc.

My mind has been spinning lately with all these thoughts. What are your thoughts on the subject?