jenmck

You've been in marketing for eight years and now, published your own books. My question is what promotional tools do you think work best?

I'm enjoying it. I particularly like it when he gets knocked down the stairs.

I meant to get here sooner. I want to thank you guys for allowing me to be the featured author this month. You all really asked me questions that made me ponder several things I had taken for granted. I appreciate that. Congrats to IceCream who won a free book. I hope you enjoy it!!! I, of course, am going absolutely nowhere and will try and improve my time on the Daily Quiz so that SOMEDAY I can beat Kell. Thank you again.

I have issue with the format problems. Apparently, it only accepts ebooks FROM AMAZON. So if I bought it, it wouldn't read the ebooks I already own. I could be wrong but that was the impression I got.

Organizing a boycott I don't think is forcing others to believe BUT I do see the problem with some of the harsh rhetoric that's flying around. I think the issue lies in that Mr. Pullman has been quoted as saying he WROTE THE BOOKS to undermine the Christian religion and they're AIMED AT CHILDREN. Some have compared this to the Harry Potter stuff. I don't think so. J.K. Rowling never claimed to be furthering the idea of wizardry as opposed to Christianity. Having said that, my objection to seeing the movie (I haven't decided) or buying his books is that I'll be putting money in the pocket of someone who is actively seeking to "undermine" something I believe. Personally, I don't think my kids will "catch" the anti religious tone UNLESS I point it out. Which I'm not going to. I'm hoping I can take them to see this as a good movie, not some allegory for anti religious atheism. I'm not, however, going to buy his books for my niece. That's my choice. He may get a cut from the film from me but no royalties. *shrugs* It's the choice of every person to make and he chose to declare his intent on Christianity. It's my choice not to support his effort.

I love Terry Brook's Shannara series. And Anne McCaffery's Pern books.

Welcome to the forum!!!!! Glad you made it.

Frank Herbert's "Dune" (Dune series) Robert Heinlein I like Anne McCaffery's "Rowan" series. (I also like the Pern books, but that's more fantasy than Sci Fi) Fred Saberhagen (The Beserker series is one of my favorites)

It's been a VERY fun Thanksgiving so far. I have to say that it IS frustrating that the only time I can get a turkey is during the late fall. There's LOTS of times I want it too. I bought three (on sale) so that maybe I can have turkey after Christmas.

I'm waiting until the technology catches up. Right now, all the ebook readers are pretty inconvenient and expensive. I want something that will make the 100 or so ebooks I own easier to read, not harder. There's several things I love about ebooks. 1. I don't have room for every book I want to read. Ebooks take space on my computer, but that's it. 2. In a world that clamors for environmental change, ebooks can HELP in that direction. I do NOT believe that ebooks will ever replace print books. 3. The price. Most ebooks put out by epublishers are much cheaper than your standard paperbacks. I can buy a book by a new author and not be out much if it's awful. Two things I dislike about ebooks. 1. There are too many darn formats. And every technology that's come out will read "this format" but not "that one". It's frustrating. 2. The readers that are out currently are either VERY ugly/bulky/expensive OR they double as something else. It's like trying to find a cell phone that's JUST A PHONE. Does that make sense? I just want an ebook reader. I don't want a calendar/ organizer/phone. I want an ebook reader so I can take the ebook I want to read to bed with me. 3. The ebooks came out and no one really knows what they are. As one who is published in electronic publishing I see the advantages and disadvantages. I am NOT one who sees ebooks as replacing print books. It would be nice to go on vacation and take twelve books along.....on something as small as a palm pilot. Very cool.

Any opinion I give is very subjective. My first two covers with Cobblestone Press (by artist Anne Caine who is WONDERFUL) were perfect. "A Taste Of Christmas" cover matched the mood and fit the book. "Singled Out" cover is directly from the book and perfect. "Double Trouble"? No. Not exactly what that story is about. But "Triple Play" was perfect too (by an artist named Covervan). The Wild Rose Press covers were more difficult since they were stock covers (for shorter stories). My newest one with them represents the story well. Like I said, I've been very lucky. The covers I can't stand (and titles for that matter) are the ones that "dumb down" the content. There's an author I respect and she's released a book where they changed the title (it's pretty awful) and gave her a "hunk" (not a tasteful hunk in my opinion) on the cover. Her writing is VERY good, but you'd never know it by the book cover. I'm not sure who they were aiming for, but I think it was a mistake. But I'm no marketing expert either. Of course, she's never said a thing about that cover, but I wonder if she had much choice in it. (It was a bigger publisher). There's two things I can't stand for my own covers--boring or deceptive. If my story is erotic romance, the cover ought to reflect what a person will find in the story. If my story ISN'T erotic, no "clinch cover" please. I don't envy cover artists, that's for sure.

I'd have to look up the details, but like most holidays, it was set by Washington D.C. as the "Fourth Thursday of every November". At least I think that's it. *off to do more research on my own American Holiday that I SHOULD know about." I found This Link It's pretty interesting actually. Apparently, Thursday was pretty arbitrary. President Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a Federal holiday as a "prayerful day of Thanksgiving" on the last Thursday in November. Since then every U.S. President has always made an official Thanksgiving Proclamation on behalf of the nation. President Franklin D. Roosevelt set the date for Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday of November in 1939 (approved by Congress in 1941).

Welcome!!!! Glad you joined the forum.

My first response to this was "Are you joking?" I have over a thousand, I know. I did count them once and I've added to the collection since then. Let's just say this. When my husband and I moved, I filled a bedroom with the book boxes. I have two six foot book cases in my living room filled two deep with books not to mention several small bookcases AND books in every room of the house. Luckily, my husband is as "bad" as I am, so he doesn't complain about it.

I think covers have a HUGE influence on the selling power of a book. For example: I had a romantic fantasy that was part of a special line at a publisher. The biggest complaint about that line was the covers. Both authors and readers hated the covers. It was reflected in DISMAL sales, even for established, best selling authors. As a result, the line was discontinued and all the books were released from contract. Mine is still homeless right now. That's a pretty extreme example. Another author I know had a dark paranormal book that was given a "chicklit" like cover. The reader backlash was pretty harsh. Covers can decide a book's fate and in a very short time.

Believe me, we know that too. The thing is that it cuts both ways. There's a ton of people who wouldn't pick up the contemporary ones. *shrugs* It's just tough to know which way to go. Kelley St. John has gone BOTH ways. Very smart of her.

Hey Michelle, look at this perfect example. Compare Kelley St. John's Chick Lit covers with her Harlequin Blaze covers. http://www.kelleystjohn.com/Books.cfm Interesting isn't it?

Oh I WISH Maureen. It's THIS THURSDAY! *casts a despairing glance around her trashed house* I'm not ready. But we do a big dinner with a dozen people here for dinner. (maybe more this year). We have Turkey, baked with butter and garlic (I don't stuff my turkey though. I make my stuffing separate) Homemade stuffing Green Bean Casserole Homemade dinner rolls Garlic Mashed potatoes This year, my mother in law is making Wasabi Cole Slaw (I can't wait to try it) Blackberry pie Probably pumpkin pie but possibly apple. (Tradition might balk at no pumpkin OR mincemeat pie) And we celebrate for at least three days. Everyone comes over early and we eat snack food. Then we put in "A Christmas Story" and watch that. It's a big day at our house. And I'm SOOOOO not ready.

Oh absolutely, Michelle. I notice a difference in Chick Lit too. For example, Jennifer Crusie's stuff and Sophie Kinsella both have that humorous, cartoonish cover thing going on. Yet, "Bet Me" by Crusie is just as sexy as some of my stuff. I notice that the UK tends to be MUCH more subtle. I appreciate it. There was a discussion on a blog about romance covers that noted the history of what they call "clinch covers". (Woman with huge breasts and man with long flowing hair in an impossible pose. *shudders*). The established wisdom is that these covers were developed to sell to MEN who bought the books to sell in stores. Hence, "sexy" came to represent the genre.

*writes down "Winter In Madrid"* I also knew very little. What I've gotten has been Winston Churchill's take on it in his history series and "For Whom The Bell Tolls" which I didn't like much. I have input on my covers. I asked for a fishing boat (that made it) but not the sexy guy on the front. Because of the line this book was contracted under, it did have to have a "certain look" which I'm fine with. My husband and I did laugh at the irony that the book is set in Alaska and the hot guy is shirtless! And he doesn't LOOK cold. I've heard that bigger publisher let authors have ZERO input on their covers. In fact, one author I know was extremely upset over a cover she was given due to the "implied" nature of the picture which didn't match her book at all. Often, sales are determined by how "sexy" a book is and that's the reality of publishing. I usually ask for what they call "concept covers" which involve less "sexy poses" and more "mood" covers. As you can see by my collection, it's about half and half. I've been VERY lucky in my covers, acutally.

*waves* Hi Renius!!!! Welcome to the forum.

I fell in love with "Shadow Of The Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Spanish writer) last year. I bounce around so much that Amazon has a tough time recommending stuff for me. I'm sure the computer there is completely confused.

Okay, another question for you guys. Most of us on this forum are bibliophiles. Do you find yourself drawn to one particular genre? Or do you bounce around? I find that people give me strange looks when I tell them I read non-fiction for fun. What about you?

I really enjoyed "Bet Me" by Jennifer Crusie but that's probably the only chick lit I've really enjoyed. I like snark, but I don't get the shoe fetish or purse fetish stuff. This book is great and doesn't have all that stuff. Ooops sorry. Took over the thread.

This is a new author to me Michelle. Looks awesome!!!