Saturday, November 13, 2010
Amazon gift certificate giveaway on Facebook
In celebration of the Dec 1 release of my science fiction novel, The Venom of Vipers, I'm offering a $5 Amazon gift certificate to five randomly-selected Facebook users who "Like" The Venom of Vipers fan page. All Likers as of midnight EST on Dec 1, 2010 will be entered into a drawing that will be held on Dec 1 at 12:00 noon EST. Winners will be sent their Amazon gift certificate via Facebook. Tell your friends!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Today monkeys. Tomorrow... humans?
Transgenic monkeys help in the cure for Alzheimer's
According to this Nov 1, 2010 article at themedguru.com, "China is the third country in the world, after US and Japan, to have successfully genetically engineered a monkey."
If the genes from one species are being spliced into another species to help cure diseases, it's theoretically possible that we could come up with a new human subspecies that's immune to a disease that would otherwise wipe out Homo sapiens.
That's the premise of my new science fiction novel, The Venom of Vipers, scheduled to be released Dec 1, 2010.
According to the article by Neha Gupta, "So far only mice and rats have been genetically engineered to contain certain diseases which has helped scientists to test their theories before implying them on humans.
However, similar usage of monkeys has been a controversial issue worldwide due to the fear that it could eventually lead to the creation of genetically-engineered humans in future."
The possibility is real. The story is fiction. Look for The Venom of Vipers at Amazon, B&N and Smashwords on Dec 1.
According to this Nov 1, 2010 article at themedguru.com, "China is the third country in the world, after US and Japan, to have successfully genetically engineered a monkey."
If the genes from one species are being spliced into another species to help cure diseases, it's theoretically possible that we could come up with a new human subspecies that's immune to a disease that would otherwise wipe out Homo sapiens.
That's the premise of my new science fiction novel, The Venom of Vipers, scheduled to be released Dec 1, 2010.
According to the article by Neha Gupta, "So far only mice and rats have been genetically engineered to contain certain diseases which has helped scientists to test their theories before implying them on humans.
However, similar usage of monkeys has been a controversial issue worldwide due to the fear that it could eventually lead to the creation of genetically-engineered humans in future."
The possibility is real. The story is fiction. Look for The Venom of Vipers at Amazon, B&N and Smashwords on Dec 1.
Sunday, November 07, 2010
Book marketing tip #2
Join Goodreads.com and become a Goodreads author. Join some groups that focus on the type of book you wrote. Introduce yourself in the intro topic, then see if they allow authors to create a promo thread. Be active -- don't just promote and leave. Talk about the books you love with like-minded people. Those who share your taste in books might like the book you've written.
If you have a print copy of your book, consider hosting a giveaway at Goodreads. That's a great way to get a bunch of people to take a look at your blurb! Some may add it to their to-read list, even if they don't win the giveaway.
Join LibraryThing and become a LT Author. Consider hosting a giveaway in exchange for reviews. They'll let you giveaway ebooks, too.
Seek out bloggers who blog about the kind of book you've written, and ask for a review. You'll need to be able to send them a free copy of your book. Some don't review self-published authors, and some don't review ebooks, so you'll need to research them a little.
Encourage those who've read your book to write a review. Doesn't have to be a long essay -- just a couple sentences on why they liked it and/or recommend it. Word of mouth is the best marketing tool ever, and reviews are one form of that. Don't badger them -- people who've written ONE review, on YOUR book, may be assumed by other readers to be your relative, and their review may be suspect.
If you come across bloggers who interview authors, volunteer! Being interviewed is a great way to draw attention to you and your writing.
Participate in forums that discuss books, like http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/ -- don't promo there (you might get banned), but do put a link to your book in your signature. When you show up regularly, people will get curious and click. Don't be afraid of posting in the Amazon community -- just don't spam those forums with pleas to buy your book (unless you post in threads specifically created for that purpose).
Create a fan page for the book at Facebook. (If you don't already have a facebook account, create one for your author persona.) Invite all your friends to "Like" the page.
If you have a print copy of your book, consider hosting a giveaway at Goodreads. That's a great way to get a bunch of people to take a look at your blurb! Some may add it to their to-read list, even if they don't win the giveaway.
Join LibraryThing and become a LT Author. Consider hosting a giveaway in exchange for reviews. They'll let you giveaway ebooks, too.
Seek out bloggers who blog about the kind of book you've written, and ask for a review. You'll need to be able to send them a free copy of your book. Some don't review self-published authors, and some don't review ebooks, so you'll need to research them a little.
Encourage those who've read your book to write a review. Doesn't have to be a long essay -- just a couple sentences on why they liked it and/or recommend it. Word of mouth is the best marketing tool ever, and reviews are one form of that. Don't badger them -- people who've written ONE review, on YOUR book, may be assumed by other readers to be your relative, and their review may be suspect.
If you come across bloggers who interview authors, volunteer! Being interviewed is a great way to draw attention to you and your writing.
Participate in forums that discuss books, like http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/ -- don't promo there (you might get banned), but do put a link to your book in your signature. When you show up regularly, people will get curious and click. Don't be afraid of posting in the Amazon community -- just don't spam those forums with pleas to buy your book (unless you post in threads specifically created for that purpose).
Create a fan page for the book at Facebook. (If you don't already have a facebook account, create one for your author persona.) Invite all your friends to "Like" the page.
Thursday, November 04, 2010
Newbie's guide to publishing
Author Joe Konrath, on his very helpful blog, A Newbie's Guide to Publishing, listed my book along with a couple dozen other "indie" novels. He comes up with all kinds of cool marketing ideas -- anyone interested in self-publishing should definitely check out his blog. He's an example of a success story!
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/
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