Saturday, January 28, 2017

BOOK REVIEW - BENT METAL - BY NINA D'ARCANGELA


https://www.amazon.com/Bent-Metal-Nina-DArcangela-ebook/dp/B00NN5ZQ6C/ref=cm_rdp_product_img#nav-subnav

This is my book review for Bent Metal, by Nina D'Arcangela, that I did a couple years ago. Nina writes a short story with punch. I know you'll enjoy it.

Blaze McRob


Book description:


Where does reality end and dreamscape begin?

Woken each night by the sounds of screams and twisting metal, Lauren must relive the panic and fear of discovering her brother’s broken body on the asphalt. But each morning, she finds it’s only a dream… One she doesn’t want to keep having.

At what point does a dream become a nightmare, and what if the nightmare was more than a figment of her subconscious?

5.0 out of 5 stars Bent Metal Will Bend Your Mind!, September 19, 2014
Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Bent Metal (Kindle Edition)
Bent Metal, by Nina D'Arcangela, is one of those mind-blowing tales that takes twists and turns from start to finish. You know the ending, but you really don't. You are pulled into alternate realities that pull at you from all directions, whispering into your ears that what you are reading only hints at the truth, and no matter how it plays out, there will be deep sadness.

Many people say never to write about dreams. No one cares to hear about them. I beg to differ. Dreams are on a plane of existence unlike our waking psyches. Nina's dream world is interlaced with realities, and bonds itself to the physical reality we try to ground ourselves in.

I have had the same dream every night for 47 years. I keep hoping for a different ending so that happiness will finally wash over me. This gives me more insight into the tale Nina shares with us. I understand. I believe. And I can still hope.

Read Bent Metal. Nina D'Arcangela is a master of psychological horror.

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

CHANGE




I've touched on this before, but I've decided to take a few things a step farther. For a number of years, I have been posting many of my short stories on various websites for free. I have many hundreds of them scattered about. Except for one website, that will stop shortly. I am in the process of putting them on hard drives and saving them. They have been up for people to read for a long time. I help many other authors with their marketing efforts and more. Now is the time for me to do something with a lot of my work.

I have millions of hits on the search engines, much of that for my Women In Horror posts. I will, of course, continue with that, however, I can no longer just hand my stories out for free. There are plenty of them in circulation for people to see if they like my writing or not. Nothing will be removed until I am ready to make collections of my short stories.

My new stories will go directly to ebook and paperback later. You don't see Stephen King putting his stuff up for free, do you? I have many novels coming up as well, so there will be a lot of tales from Blaze McRob. I am getting on in years and health issues take a toll on my time. If anything happens where I am unable to dig up my stories, they could be lost forever. I don't want that.

In the meanwhile, continue to read away. I hope folks enjoy my stories enough to read them now and buy my new ones as they come along. Artists should be paid for their work.

Blaze McRob

Monday, January 16, 2017

TOP TEN FINISHER IN PREDITORS & EDITORS READERS POLL 2016


Blazing Owl Press is a little over a year old, so Terri DelCampo and I are over the top happy to have cracked the Top 10 Finisher rankings in the Best All other Short Story category. The story, Alien Pizza Tales, by Blaze McRob, is one of 37 stories in Planet Pizza, which is a sci-fi/horror/fantasy mix. Alien Pizza Tales adds a lot of humor to the mix as well.

 6. Alien Pizza Tales, Blaze McRob, Blazing Owl Press

Terri DelCampo is the editor of this story and did the cover art and formatting as well. Great job, Terri! Here is the cover art and link for the collection.


https://www.amazon.com/Planet-Pizza-Blaze-McRob-ebook/dp/B01M8L44VJ/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484619741&sr=1-2&keywords=planet+pizza

Terri also came in 12th in the short story horror category.

12. The Skelly Effect, Terri DelCampo, Lycan Valley Press

And, Terri placed 13th in the Book Cover Art category.

13. Destiny Changed, Terri DelCampo

Here is Terri's cover.



Terri DelCampo and I want to thank everyone who voted for us. It is very much appreciated.

Blaze McRob

Sunday, January 15, 2017

HOW INDIES UNLIMITED WORKS







From Indies Unlimited:


Over the short time since its inception, Indies Unlimited has become one of the most heavily trafficked websites for people interested in indie writing, publishing, marketing, and reading. We’re honored that so many people are saying...

http://www.indiesunlimited.com/ 


                                                          *    *    *    *

I haven't said enough about Indies Unlimited. This great website is a mother lode of information about anything concerning authors. I co-own a small Press, but I still consider almost every Press other than Big Five to be Indie. Some of my Publisher friends probably disagree, but that's their prerogative. We're all in this together and we need to keep high-nose attitudes away from what we all want to do: write and be published.

Kathy Rowe pointed out Indies Unlimited to me a while back, and I cannot thank her enough. She writes regular posts for the website and is certainly your go to person when it comes to Military information. Amongst other things.

Go to this great website and discover how much information is there. You will be totally shocked. I was.


Blaze McRob

Sunday, January 8, 2017

What's been going on -




Good Afternoon, Ooky Readers! 

I know you're used to Blaze McRob publishing on Blazing Owl Press, but we've had some annoying problems with the site and domain.  Apparently our domain was bought out from under us. 

So I decided to build a Blazing Owl Press blog rather than site, and this is the first post.  I have been working all day on transferring previous posts from the old site to this blog, so that Blaze can pick up where he left off when our domain failed in October.  I hope he has fun catching you up on all the exciting Blazing Owl Press news! 

I'm sure Blaze will post this evening. 

In the meantime, allow me to wish all of you a very Happy 2017! 

And thank you for reading our books.  We appreciate each and every one of our readers more than you'll ever know. 

Chills! 
Terri DelCampo

GREY MATTER MONSTERS - TAKERS OF SOULS - LYCAN VALLEY PRESS ANTHOLOGY


https://www.amazon.com/Grey-Matter-Monsters-Takers-Souls-ebook/dp/B01MG2N7D4/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1477175456&sr=8-1-spell

Terri DelCampo has a fantastic story, Chilopodophobia, in the newly released anthology Grey Matter Monsters: Takers Of Souls, published by Lycan Valley Press. This is the second top 100 ranked anthology in a row on Amazon for Lycan Valley. see what the buzz is about. Get your copy now!

Blaze McRob


Book description:


 Grey Matter Monsters is an anthology of horror with proceeds to benefit Kids Help Phone. This anthology shows you the real monsters of mental illness, and hopes to erase some of the stigma that plagues those whom suffer from it.


HAUNTED HALLOWEEN PARTY


https://www.facebook.com/events/626702470840662/

Blazing Owl Press will be hosting Haunted Halloween Party on Friday, October 21. Woo, hoo! Terri DelCampo and I will have free goodies for you lovers of Halloween. Do you love poems, short stories, and youtubes? We'll have those and more. This week I'll have a brand new collection of short stories to talk about. Do you love sci-fi, fantasty, horror, and other goodies? You're in luck. Planet Pizza is chock full of these tales. There are 37 stories in all. Yes, this is no sissy collection. And, this novel length collection will be won by a lucky person in addition to everything else we have in store for you. Mosey over for some great Halloween fun!

Blaze McRob
  

HAUNTED HALLOWEEN PARTY - 2016

 

https://www.facebook.com/events/626702470840662/

Blazing Owl Press will be hosting Haunted Halloween Party on Friday, October 14. Woo, hoo! Terri DelCampo and I will have free goodies for you lovers of Halloween. Do you love poems, short stories, and youtubes? We'll have those and more. Bring your plastic pumpkins to carry your stash back home. Our porch light will be on for you.

Blaze McRob  

RIP VEGA - C.L. HERNANDEZ'S AUTHOR OF THE WEEK


https://clhernandezblog.wordpress.com/2016/09/11/author-of-the-week-9/

“Debut author Rip Vega is a business owner who turns to pen and paper in the dim hours of the night. Having grown up in a neighborhood riddled with real life horror, he is known for fusing candid realism with devilish creativity in creepy horror stories that thrill readers long after the last page."

Thus begins C. L. Hernandez's post for Rip Vega, her Author Of The Week. Time for me to check out a new author!

Blaze McRob

TRICKS FOR TWITTER

 


http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2016/09/11/the-secret-key-to-using-twitter-that-most-authors-overlook/

Indies Unlimited has some great advice for those folks using Twitter. This post, written by Lauren Sapala, takes a common sense look at what a lot of authors are doing wrong. Twitter is quick and easy to use, and Lauren shows you how to get much more productivity from this great internet social media tool. Take a peek into what she says. I use Twitter a lot and found some valuable information here. I'll bet you will too.

Blaze McRob

SELF-EDITING









http://www.publetariat.com/2015/12/16/self-editing-4-fiction-1-intro/

http://www.writeintoprint.com/2012/09/self-editing-4-fiction-1-intro.html

I found this on the front page of Publetariat  http://www.publetariat.com/ . I am there often to get timely advice about what is happening in the publishing industry, in particular, the self-publishing industry. This is a nine part series with great self-editing information. I have included the links above so you can read the series in its entirety.

                                                               *    *    *    * 

Today’s post by Stef Mcdaid, off of her blog WriteIntoPrint . It is the first part of a nine part series on content editing, but the whole series is available now and well worth reading.  I have bookmarked it myself to go back and reread. ~ * ~ A lot has happened in the publishing […]

                                                              *    *    *    *

Peruse the other great posts at Publetariat and find a wealth of information to assist you in becoming a better author as well as to keep you current with all the changes in publishing. Knowledge is power.

Blaze McRob                                                        



MARKETING 101 - TWITTER TIPS


http://www.indieauthornews.com/2012/07/twitter-tips-for-authors.html

Rather than have me drone on and on about what I think about Twitter, click the link above and get some great advice. Twitter is a super place to go for many reasons. Marketing is only one of them, and as with any other form of marketing, spamming is frowned upon. Find timely tips galore from Alan Kealey!

Also, make certain to read the other great posts at The Indie Authors Daily. I subscribe to http://paper.li/OrnaRoss/1326922517?edition_id=5dccd460-a118-11e5-9544-0cc47a0d1605&utm_campaign=paper_sub&utm_medium=email&utm_source=subscription  Orna Ross does a great job!

Blaze McRob

                                                 *    *    *    *



Twitter Tips for Authors


Twitter-Logo
Twitter is an amazing tool to brand yourself as author and connect with your readers and fellow authors. Twitter can play a big role in your Author-Marketing Strategy if used correctly.
It is not an exclusive "free advertising tool" for self-promoters as some people are using it and driving their followers 'nuts.'

We collected some great Tips for Twitter Starters and Twitter Veterans as well.

GREAT REVIEW FOR "SILVER HELLS"


http://www.amazon.com/Silver-Hells-Terri-DelCampo-ebook/dp/B0195H8QPY/ref=sr_1_1_twi_kin_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450026270&sr=1-1&keywords=silver+hells

Silver Hells, by Terri DelCampo and Blaze McRob, a collection of Twelve Twisted Holiday Tales from around the world, has gotten a great review! All authors love receiving great reviews. Terri and I are no exception.

Thank you to a kind reviewer!

Blaze McRob

                                                                 *    *    *    *

Book description:

Children in huts put a gift in his sack; Chuckie brings gifts that his family lacks;
Coins carry wishes to Santa so real; A Christmas fate for a giver is sealed;
All through the land silver bells serenade; A gift from Santa one cannot evade;
Souls fade out as snow globes shimmer; Frau Perchta has nothing but evil within her;
Santa's sack holds ornaments for his tree; At midnight mists carry a mystery;
Santa gives Amy a breakfast surprise; Who might bring about Thorolf's demise?
All these sweet stories you'll find in our book! Open it up! Have no fear! Take a look!


Format: Kindle Edition
If you're looking for a fast, fun, frightening Christmas read, then be sure to pick up Silver Hells! The second story in this book is absolutely wrenching! Won't give any spoilers, but this is a great read! Will be sure to read more of this author's work!


DOGS, SKUNKS, AND OTHER RUNNERS







Coming sometime this next year: Dogs, Skunks, And Other Runners, by Blaze McRob. Before I started writing my tales of horror, and during the times of my pounding away on the keyboards or putting pen to paper, I had quite a career in ultra-running. What is ultra-running, you ask? Simply put, it is running more than the standard 26.2 mile marathon distance. The picture above shows me lurking behind Brent Weigner in a 50 mile race. Brent is wearing the #1. Do I look young there or what? I went on to win the race and Brent came in second. The race was held on June, 17, 1978.

I ran many races after that, running with some of the best runners in the world. I was humbled on many occasions, but I did well in many others. On any given day, any runner can become the winner.

I enjoyed my running days; I only wish I could still participate, but health issues are eating away at my once animalistic approach to the sport. Those of you who run and push your limits know what I'm talking about. Maybe one day I will be able to return to the sport.

My hope is that the collection of short stories within this tome will give hope to those who need a little inspiration, not only in running, but in other facets of life. With limited genetics, I still succeeded because of my work ethic. As with anything else in life, if you want something bad enough, you will achieve.

Happy running. Happy writing.

Blaze McRob  

MARKETING 101 - EDITING YOUR BOOKS BEFORE THEY ARE EDITED


Many of you wonder why I would suggest self-editing your stories to your utmost ability before they go to a paid editor. Pretty simple. If your stories are in need of major editing, many editors won't go anywhere near them. Also, most small Presses as well as the bigger boys won't touch them if they need a major overhaul.

I know one editing service that provides you with a free sample of his work. Then, he bases his rates upon your sample. He charges three times as much for an MS needing more work than for one requiring minor work. So, you could save yourself a lot of bucks if you hustle your butt into the self-editing chair and get better acquainted with the craft.

I'm not talking beta readers either. I've mentioned before that I don't care for them. Read your stuff out loud and catch where punctuation might be needed. Purchase an online editing system such as AutoCrit https://www.autocrit.com/ or ProWritingAid https://prowritingaid.com. These systems will find many errors. such as:
  • Check for hidden and passive verbs
  • Identify overuse of adverbs and glue words
  • Locate repetitive sentence structure
  • Replace commonly overused words
  • Reveal repeated words and phrases
  • Eliminate vague, abstract and complex words
  • Remove cliches and redundancies

Get books and learn some things about the craft. There are a ton of them available. Don't rush to get your book out if it's not ready.

Then, and only then, should you submit your book to a professional editor. Online systems and books can teach you a lot, but you need a skilled human to go over your last draft. Anything less is not acceptable.

Blaze McRob

STATE OF HORROR - NEW JERSEY


http://www.amazon.com/State-Horror-New-Jersey-ebook/dp/B00N15TPEI/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

I thought I would start mentioning some of the anthologies I'm in over here. Many authors start out with getting their stories into anthologies and jump off from there. This is sort of the case with me. I was a ghostwriter for many years with 75 novels under my belt. However, none of them are in my new name of Blaze McRob. Thus: no one knew me from Adam when I popped back up on the radar. Back in 2011 I started getting my name out.

Now, I didn't submit my short stories to every Press on the planet. I submitted to Presses I liked and trusted. Money was secondary. Good thing: It's tough to become wealthy from writing stories for anthologies. However, I have some thirty that I am in now. I am happy to say that I have met some great authors along the way, so every story was a joy.

In State Of Horror: New Jersey, I have a short story titled Rudetown Road. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. And, the other stories by my fellow authors are all great. There is a lot of history in New Jersey, and a lot of that includes tales of dark entities. Plenty of dark in this tome.

Also, all my royalties from my story go to St. Jude. And, Jerry E. Benns, the owner/publisher of Charon Coin Press, matches it. What a guy! Thank you, Jerry. 

Blaze McRob

                                                                *    *    *    *

Book description:


 WHAT IS YOUR STATE OF HORROR?

The birth of a devil in the 18th century resonates in today’s world. A storm hits a small mountain town and the resident must evacuate, where will they go? Visit a zoo unlike any you have experienced. The sins of the past haunt the present in a once thriving industrial town. Discover what lies beneath the boardwalk. Take a walk down memory lane as a woman is haunted by that thing she most loved. Escaping from a zombie hoard may not be the worst danger you face. What does it really mean to “Keep it Jersey”?

Join us as we explore the modern interpretation of folklore, culture, and the uniqueness that is New Jersey through 13 tales of horror.

Stories by:
Scott M. Goriscak, Frank J. Edler, Armand Rosamilia, Julianne Snow, C.I. Kemp, T. Fox Dunham, Christian Jensen, Eli Constant, Blaze McRob, Diane Arrelle, Margaret Colton, Nathanael Gass, and Tim Baker


By S.H. Roddey on January 5, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition
I bought this book directly from the publisher at a convention in September 2014. It took me a bit to get to it (my TBR pile is more of a bookcase), but I'm glad I did. I read the entire collection in about two days. In the interest of full disclosure, no, it isn't perfect. But then again, no book is.

As a reader, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The stories are interesting and unique, and for someone who has never spent any discernible amount of time in New Jersey, it gave me an interesting glimpse into the popular folklore and urban legends. The stories are a great mix of creepy and gory, and one or two even frighteningly poignant. My favorite story by far is the last in the book, "Memories of Her Are Dead" by Eli Constant. It's placement at the end is a perfect way to end the set.

As an author, I saw issues. My biggest complaint is not in the formatting or grammar, but in content itself. There were one or two points where my eye twitched a bit due to a typo or glaring grammatical error, but in the end any errors were minimal and didn't take away from the story. Several of the stories disappointed me for the simple fact that they were too short. For example, Julianne Snow's "Under the Boardwalk" is brilliant and one of my favorites in the collection, but I wish it was longer. It could have easily been its own stand-alone novel. The first story in the book is a great, creepy idea, but it's probably my least favorite in the collection (for technical reasons, not story-based) and as a matter of preference I wouldn't have placed it first on the list.

Ultimately I can't say there's a bad story in the bunch, and there wasn't a single one I can say I didn't enjoy. Overall this is a great collection to begin what promises to be a long-standing series, and definitely worth the price of admission.



ANNOUNCING BLAZING OWL PRESS - 2015

Horror authors Blaze McRob and Terri DelCampo have joined evil forces to bring you tales of the macabre so chilling they had to create their own press to contain them.

Thus, Blazing Owl Press is thrust into the literary world with shrieks and moans!






And our very first offering, appropriately for the Halloween season, to be released by mid-October is our twisted little collection of horror tales, Blood Spatter.






Look for future books if you dare!!  Visit our site often for updates on Blaze McRob's and Terri DelCampo's latest mischief!  Muahaha!

TERRI DELCAMPO IS INTERVIEWED ON WOLFPAW RADIO








https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPv5dw_QRqY&feature=share

Terri DelCampo has an amazing interview on Wolf Paw Radio with Tony Wolf Paw. The link to the youtube podcast is above. This is a great job by Terri and Tony both. They share a lot of common beliefs. Tony is quite an interesting guy and puts his guests at ease, becoming instant friends with them. I love his folksy stories of his own upbringing and experiences.

I want to thank LR Shaw for introducing Terri and me to Tony. 

Enough from me. Hit the link above and get transported to a great podcast!

Blaze McRob

                                                          *    *    *    *

Some links for Tony Wolf Paw and an intro into the podcast with Terri:


Published on Oct 4, 2015
Terri DelCampo writer and Editor for Blazing Owl Press
Specializes in Horror you can find her books in Amazon.com
Together with Husband who also is an Editor and Writer of Horror Books are the founders of their own publishing company.
In this interview we met the most dedicated workaholic author in the U.S






iAUTHOR


http://www.iauthor.uk.com/

http://www.iauthor.uk.com/horror

https://www.facebook.com/iauthor?fref=ts

Have you heard of iAuthor? This is a really cool interactive book discovery platform. It is multi genre and allows readers to discover great new books and authors. When you scroll down to discover books to look at, you are in for a very pleasant surprise. All the covers are set up for you: eye-candy. It's a gorgeous effect. When you click on the cover, it takes you to the book itself where there are links to purchase. Also, folks can like the covers, blurbs, and recommend the book to others. Terri DelCampo and I both have a number of books listed there and have plans to add more. Why not? It's free.

Of course, besides being a great way of showing our books around without shoving them down peoples' throats, we have discovered other fantastic authors and their books there. Lest anyone think that this website is for newby authors only, I noticed quite a few of my favorite authors, a number of them in the Top 100 Horror Authors on Amazon.

I really get excited when I see great book cover art, and there is plenty of it there. Do yourself a favor: reader, author, or both, check this great website out. You'll be glad you did.

We'll be happy to have you join us there!

Blaze McRob



AMERICAN INDIAN POET JOHN TRUDELL - WALKS ON


http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/12/08/american-indian-poet-john-trudell-walks-162695

http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/12/08/remembering-life-and-legacy-john-trudell-162697


The great American Indian Poet John Trudell passed away December 8, 2015. This is a sad time for those who remember him and for those believing in the American Indian movement. He lived a life filled with pain and angst, but he always held onto his beliefs. Click on the links above and read the great posts from  Indian Country Today Media Network.  http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com For those of you not blessed with having known him, this will be a great chance for you to do so.

May he be truly blessed in his next dimensional reality.

Blaze McRob

                                                        *    *    *    *
 

American Indian Poet John Trudell Walks On

12/8/15
John Trudell, an American Indian poet, actor, spoken word artist and political activist passed away today, December 8, 2015, at his home, surrounded by his family and friends. He entered this dimensional reality on February 15, 1946 and now he has left this dimensional reality.

Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/12/08/american-indian-poet-john-trudell-walks-162695

NANOWRIMO UPDATES (2015)



 Ahoy, me lads and lassies! Terri DelCampo and I are both totally enmeshed in NaNoWriMo. Terri is writing a non-horror children's book. Go to http://rojoadventureblog.blogspot.com/ and see examples of her tales for the younger set. You will enjoy them for sure.

Me? I'm writing a very dark novel. This is dark even for me. Horror, horror, and more horror. Hmm. Gotta love that. Somehow, in-between all the other novels and short-story collections I have coming out next year, I would like to publish this in 2016. We'll see what happens.

For those of you who are reluctant to take the plunge with NaNo, there really is no reason to at least try. Terri wasn't sure if she wanted to or not, but I put the bug in her ear and she's doing great. Day two and she has almost 8,000 words written. She's ahead of my sorry butt. I only have around 5,000 words.

We still hope to hear from all of you who are tackling this super challenge. Happy writing.

Blaze McRob




MARKETING 101 - BY BLAZE MCROB

  
                                         


I'm not going to pretend that I'm a marketing genius. However, now that Terri DelCampo and I have Blazing Owl Press going, I'm going to start doing things I haven't been able to do before because of time constraints. I will be relaxing certain prior duties that I was involved in elsewhere. Less work there. More time here.

I have tried a few of them already and they appear to be working. I'm not ready to exactly hire a bodyguard to keep people away from my wealth yet, but it's nice to see some results. When I have enough results, I will write about them. Good or bad. When I have enough articles, I will package them up and make a book out of them. Easy peasy. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

So, stay tuned. stuff is on the way.

Blaze McRob  

VIEW SOME GREAT BOOK TRAILERS TODAY AND INDIES UNLIMITED - MARKETING 101 FOR SURE!


http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2015/11/04/november-video-trailer-view-fest/

It's interesting that as soon as I say I'm about to get into writing articles about marketing, my friends at Indies Unlimited post November Video Trailer View-fest on their website. I believe that book trailers are a great marketing aid for your books. Beverly Cialone does all of mine, and she does a great job.

The key to using book trailers, I believe, is to use cool music, crisp pictures that  fit your book, and to tease and not explain everything about your book. Trailers can be used as enticements when promoting your books in groups and on your own website pages. They can also be added to an Amazon link which gives a book description for added potential reader appeal. I like to switch around between all the above options as well as not saturating any one place with your trailers. There can be too much of a good thing. Also remember that spamming is bad. Be low key. Promote the trailers of other authors. Give them their due.

Another tip today is to use great websites such as Indies Unlimited. They run the gamut about everything an Indie author should know. I have spread around many of their posts and plan on doing many more. They are great people and enjoy helping the Indie community.

So, if you're thinking about doing book trailers for your books, I believe you are making the right decision. Check out the link above and see what other authors are doing.

By the way: I practice what I preach. My book trailer for Mists Of Papoose Pond is among the other great trailers on Indies Unlimited.

Blaze McRob      




MARKETING 101 - PRICING MATTERS


I posted  this a while back under Minimum Wage For Authors. It's still true today, for the most part. I will add a few things in to update it, however. Pricing and Marketing go hand in hand. How you publish also makes a difference with your marketing plans.

                                                            *    *    *    *

I hear from people who ask me why they should pay .99 for a short story because that's highway robbery. Well, besides the fact that a short story can tell you if you would like to buy more of this author's work in longer form or even more short stories, let's go to Math 101. First we'll take the case of a self-published author.

You walk into a fast food place and think about the employees who would like to enjoy a livable wage. Some say $15 an hour is fair. Okay, let's take the case of an author who sells a short story of 3,000 words for .99. Whoah, you say. That is really short. Yes, it is. But is it worth at least what a small order of French fries would cost you?

I say without a doubt.

3,000 words equates to around twelve pages. The author has to pay for cover art for the ebook. Let's say $50 for that, if you're lucky. Formatting is $1 a page. Editing at least that. Maybe double. So without the author's time, we're at $80 already. If the author is a super whizz-bang and can write the tale in three hours, should she/he not be paid at least as much as the burger employee? Of course. Add another $45. We're up to $125 now. And this does not include marketing so someone knows the author's book is out there to buy. Add another $50 at least between the author's time and a paid professional's time.$175 now.

These are rock-bottom prices that you'll be lucky to get.

So how many books on Amazon does the author need to sell? You will get around .35 royalty per book. Thus, the author needs to sell roughly 500 books to cover the $175. How many authors do this with the typical ebook? Not many. 12 hours at $15/hour comes to $180, so we're close here.

                                                     *    *    *    *

Now lets take the case of an author going with a small Press. There will be only two expense factors here: the author's time, which will be the same $45, and doing their share of the marketing. Add in $25. Total time at $15/hour comes to $70.

At 4.7 hours, the author needs to sell 400 books to reach minimum wage if the Press and the author each share the royalties evenly. Not every Press is as generous as this. The Press needs to sell roughly 600 books to cover expenses, while the author has to sell 100 less books to stay at minimum wage. The Press needs to sell 200 more because of the added expense. Of course, once the 600 books are sold, the Press is making money because it is now in the black for this book. Again, the chance is this might not occur. So in this model, the author comes out ahead going with a Press, at least until the book sells a lot of copies. Even disregarding the minimum wage factor for a second, we see that at 400 books sold, the author has $70 and the Press has $70, but the Press is in the red by $29.

At any rate, no matter how you look at it, the author deserves minimum wage. A lot of books need to be sold to make the author some money.
                                               
So, the next time someone asks you why they should pay .99 for a great story, spout the facts.

It is about time authors started getting fair compensation for their work.

                                                             *    *    *    *

A few things I want to add to this post. These are my own personal feelings. You are free to agree or disagree.

In the cases above, the author makes more money going with a small Press because of the lack of outside expenses. All well and good. However, how many Presses continually hang around? The list is short. Many Presses lose money. Part of it due to an author not pulling their weight with marketing. Some of these authors complain the Press is not doing enough for them when in reality it is the author who is the weak link. It's getting increasingly more difficult finding a Press willing to take on an author who does not have a viable marketing plan in order. One case in point: you better have a website and you better use it. In the right manner of course. I'll be bringing in more examples of this as we go along.

There is also another way to attack this. Let's say two people, as in the case of Blazing Owl Press, do all the work. They do the writing, editing, formatting, and cover art. Terri and I edit each others work. We're both editors as well as authors. We do our own art. Terri does the formatting. I handle marketing. So, even though we still spend the time that other professionals would take to do these things, each project is entirely ours and we don't need to pay anyone else for any part of it.

Projected costs:

Writing - $45

Editing - $15

Formatting - $15

Cover - $50

Marketing - $50

Total - $175

So, the total remains the same as for any self-published book. However, there is no immediate outlay needed, and the ebooks are available to be sold forever, so there is plenty of time to get your money back. Bear in mind that the more books you have for sale, the greater the chance that someone will purchase one of your older books as well as a newer one.

Of course, not everyone can take advantage of this method. And never forget that no author should edit their own books.

Another add on is the pricing of books for free on Amazon. This helped some authors in the past, but in my opinion, it screwed the rest of us. People loaded up their Kindle books with freebies. The authors wanting to gain a following by going this route hoping it would garner more excitement for more of their offerings. I don't believe it did. Instead, it made readers expect free books from new authors. None of my books will be free. I don't believe this is a good marketing.

This series will be continued. Some of my thinking might not agree with yours. That's up to you to decide. I'm not perfect. None of us are in this business. It changes every day.

Hope to see you again.

Blaze McRob







MARKETING 101 - BEYOND SHORT STORIES




Yesterday I posted about authors making minimum wage. Mainly, I discussed short stories sold as stand- alones at .99 and the stigma some authors get when confronted by readers claiming that this is outrageous. The link is http://www.blazingowlpress.com/2015/11/marketing-101-pricing-matters.html My main points are that authors spend a lot of money and time getting their stories out and deserve to be paid at least minimum wage.

So, carrying on where I left off, what happens if an author works hard writing a great story, is active in its promotion, and she/he still doesn't make make much money at it? Don't throw in the towel. There is more to be done.

A lot of authors have numerous stories in multi-author collections and anthologies. This is good in that the author will get recognition. But, it is bad in that the author won't make money at it. Here we go with Math 101 again. Let's say it is a 20 author anthology and that the Press is generous and you get 50% royalties split between all the authors. If the book sells for $3.99, at the standard 70% royalty rate from Kindle, and if the book sells 500 copies, which would be higher than the average book, then the royalties for all the authors would be $697.25 and would be $34.06 per author. Chunk change. Many anthologies sell less than that, by far. An author self-publishing a short story at .99 would do a bit better. However, anthologies do gain you exposure. Exposure is good, especially for new authors.

I have enough exposure. Except for special anthologies close to my heart, I will not be doing any more. Not even with my co-owned Press. Under my new brand of Blaze McRob, I have 32 titles on my Amazon Author page, but only five are completely mine. Like I say, that will change. Immediately.

Anyway, what if you haven't sold enough books to get you to the minimum wage point that I discussed  yesterday? Simple. You write more books. The more you have, the greater name recognition you have. What, you say? Isn't this throwing good money after bad? No it's not.Your new story, even a short story, will gain recognition not only for that one, but for the other stories you write.

Okay, you've written more and the money is still not rolling in. Another thing you can do is to put your short stories into collections. Leave your individual shorts up for sale. They are always a good sample place for new readers to find out if they like your work. I would suggest a starting point of around 10,000 words for a short collection, and I think you should still hold to .99. Keep an eye on what others are doing with theirs, however. At some point your collections might want to increase in price.

Unless you also write novellas or even novels, keep writing your short stories. People like them. Add more shorts and collections. You can make your collections larger. When you reach 15,000 to 20,000 words, I would charge $2.99. Once you reach 25,000 to 40,000, charge $3.99. At least. Once you reach this level, you will get the 70% royalty and not the 35%. Big difference. But step things up slowly. You're a little fish in a big sea.

Sometimes the little fish can charge more. I was doing a post the other day for a friend of mine who is doing rather well. Some of her new books are selling higher than I would have priced them, but she has a great following and her tales are super. I want to do a little more research into the subject and find all the pros and cons.

There is a new attitude towards books by a great many readers. If the book is priced low, some readers think the quality must be low. Readers are willing to pay a fair price for a book. Don't undercut yourself in the eyes of your readers. Write a great story and charge what it is worth. I had a novel of around 70,000 words which came out last month. That means I should charge $4.99 to $5.99 for the Kindle version. I charged $5.99 for it. Why? Because it's a damned good book and it's worth the price. This should be your attitude as well. If your stories are great, don't fleece the readers, but don't screw yourself either.

Another thing you must do if you want to sell books is to have a website. And on your website, you must talk about other authors, editors, and others. Mention yourself, of course, but if your website shows folks that you are genuinely concerned about others, people will find you without the chest pumping and you will make a lot of friends. Make certain you post your discussion on Twitter and send it to your Facebook page as well. Spread the word. And, don't worry if everyone else doesn't seem to be spreading your name around as much. It doesn't matter. You are doing what is right. Some people have real life issues eating into their time. Just be their friend. That should be enough.

That's enough for this post. I aim to make these helpful hints a regular part of my posting schedule. I hope you find some things to answer a few questions.


Blaze McRob


MARKETING 101 - PRO RATES





I'm back with a little different approach today. Let's discuss selling a short story for pro rate. What is that, you ask? Pro rate is .05 or more per word for a short story. Yes, there are publishers paying that. Smart authors will try to find this kind of writing gig.

When you submit to these markets, you better have a sharp tale, well-written, and with no editing flaws. So, you will still need an editor, but you don't have to worry about cover art or formatting. Going with my past two articles on this subject, your editor will run between $1 and $2 a page.

Math time. A 3,000 word short story at .05 per word will get you $150.00. That comes to roughly 12 pages. $150.00 minus $12.00 for editing at $1 per page leaves you with $138.00. $126.00 at $2 per page.

Going with my minimum wage thread, if an author spent the same 3 hours writing her/his story that I gave in my previous models, the author would be making at least $42.00 per hour. At last we have found decent pay for an author. And the author does not need to sell 500 copies to break even as in my past formulas.

Let's be realistic, though. How many of these opportunities are you going to find? Not many. And the competition will be keen. Also, I'm sure the 3 hours will turn out to be more, but the time spent will be worth it. Also, once the contract time expires, usually after 12 to 18 months, the story can be republished by you. Yes, usually, opportunities like this are in anthologies or collections where the publisher still gets to sell the book as is after the contract expires, but the Publisher did put out a fair share of money and needs to get his return on it.

So, hone your skills and get good enough to hit pro status. You'll be glad you did! However many of these gigs you get will increase your notability. This is a great way to market not only the stories accepted for pro rates but everything you write. 



Hone your skills. Become a Pro!


Blaze McRob

MARKETING 101 - NOVELLAS AND NOVELS





Today I'm going to bring novellas and novels into the equation with my series of Marketing 101, as well as a few other items. All my price suggestions below are for ebooks. Bear in mind that as I explained before, sales equate with an author's notoriety and makes marketing easier. Your book sales will market your personal author brand.

In part two of my series, I mentioned how I was going to report back on what I found about other authors and how they price. One author with an enormous number of publications says he won't charge less than $2.99 for anything, regardless of the length. No freebies as enticements either. You want the book, you ante up. He is self-pub all the way and wants his time and effort to pay off.

Another author, a friend of mine, is starting to up the price of her books as well. Some of her rather short tales are $2.99. I feel her tales are well worth every penny. Now, many of you would not want to pay that amount for a short story, but if you like the author, you will. Like the male author above, she now self-publishes all her new tales.

There are many more out there now doing the same thing. While my pricing schedule might not be the same as theirs now, it doesn't mean that will always be the case.

So, I am jumping into novellas now. We have a wide range of word counts here. Anywhere from 15,000 to 40,000, with average consensus being 17,500 words and up. My suggestion would be to charge $2.99 at the lower end and $3.99 at the higher end. What happens if sales fail to come? You can always have a price reduction for a short time to increase sales. Then go back to the original price. If you are priced too low to begin with, you can't do this. A novella at .99 is ridiculous. Start higher and adjust if you have to.

Novels are easier. Any novel of around 300 pages should be priced at $4.99 or more. That's rock bottom. If you don't think you're good enough to charge that much, get out of the business. No one can write your story better than you. Nobody.

This is what I am going to do for my personal books coming out from now on. Short stories below 10,000 words will be .99. Above 10,000 and they will be $2.99. My collections will run the same. Until the collections become larger. 30,000 to 50,000 words will be at least $3.99. Above that, $4.99 or more if they are really long.

Novellas between 15,000 words and 30,000 words will be at least $2.99. 30,000 to 40,000 words will be at least $3.99. Novellas between 40,000 and 50,000 words could go as high as $4.99.

Any novel above novella length of mine will be at least $5.99. Makes sense to me. I put a lot of work into these and they are well worth the money. Not bragging, mind you, just mentioning that I am a professional and don't skimp on quality. Remember what I said above about an author's attitude.

Now I get into a rather interesting thing happening around the publishing world at the moment: boxed sets at .99. Usually 8 to 14 authors add a book to the set and they share the profits. Sell a thousand books and for 8 authors each one gets $44.00. 14 authors and it's about $30.00. Woop-de-doo. Kind of sucks. And, all the authors involved better share the marketing load or folks will get pissed off at each other. Not cool.

One good thing about this is that this is great for an author's rankings. Go to http://www.amazon.com/author-rank/Horror/digital-text/157060011#10 and see what I mean. Plenty of boxed sets in the top 100 most popular horror authors. And yes, it appears that an author's sales for her/his other books will increase, so maybe it's worth it. 

That being said, I'm not going to do it.  This is my personal feeling and I don't begrudge anyone else from doing it. There are plenty of horror authors in the top 100 who don't do them. I plan on getting on that list. I have plenty of novels, novellas, shorts, collections and such to get out. Last year I got as low as 101 without any single stand-alones. My novels will boost me up.

Again, my friends, I am not bragging. I spin a pretty good tale and make certain I employ editors. Usually three for each book. Adjust your attitude cap and say, "If Blaze can do it, I can."

See you in the top 100!


Blaze McRob

MARKETING 101 - OUT OF THE BOX BOOK SIGNINGS!





Time for another piece in my Marketing 101 series. Some things I have written about in other articles, but I am expanding them here.

Pretty much, I have been discussing ebooks. For a while, ebooks were going crazy. Readers were filling up their Kindles with tons of cheap and free books. Bingo! The Kindles are either filled up or readers want to read what they have on their readers first. Makes sense to me. I'm not saying you can't make money selling ebooks, but it's not as easy as it was last year.

So, what do you do? Well, you could write books that are so good they knock everyones' socks off and the word of mouth travels faster than a raging forest fire fanned by 50 mph winds. That's what you should be doing anyway. This is step one.

Step two. Get your short story collections, novellas, and novels in paper form. Yes, you're saying, "Blaze is a flaming idiot. My ebooks are not getting me the money I want. Who will fork over $10.00 to $15.00 or more for a paper back?"

Wipe that stupid thinking inside the box theory from your mind. You are smart enough to write a great book. Now market it! Hire a Publicist. You will be amazed at the difference that makes. Your name is everywhere. Get on Twitter and retweet for other people. It will come back to you. Get an author page on Facebook. Don't be spammy. Tell folks about other authors' books. Make certain your website is more about others than it is you. Once more, you will be making friends everywhere. What a pleasant way to find great new authors and friends too.

Now we come to some Blaze McRob tactics. Take your books to the local bars in your town. Arrange with the owners or managers to allow you to have book signings. Guess what happens? They give you a look that says, "How do I get this Bozo out of here?" Until . . . until you say, "I'll make it worth your while. Let me put up a sign at my table that says, 'Buy a book, and I'll buy you a beer' " Wham. You have their attention now. Make sure you allow at least $1.00 tip for the waitress or bartender. They will send folks to your table.

I've mentioned this in another article a ways back. Authors are still reluctant to try this out. Hey, I can't force you. I am merely suggesting. Simple math once more. You have a book that sells on Amazon for $15.00. If you self-publish, that book can be bought by you on Createspace for about $4.50. Okay: You order in bulk to cut down on the shipping costs and you might pay .80 a book. You're up to $5.30 now. Add in $4.00 for a beer, and  a $1.00 tip, and your expense is $10.30 now. You make $4.70 per book. The naysayers in the back of the room are screaming that that's ridiculous. If someone buys that same book on Amazon, by the time Amazon takes out their piece of the pie, you're making anywhere from $2.00 to $3.00 on average. Doesn't sound so stupid now, does it. And there is no limit to the number of bars you can do this in.

For those who don't drink or care to go to bars, this can be done in coffee shops as well.

How about libraries? Get your book in there, and have signings there as well. Now, you're the local famous author. Swag can be easily arranged there: fancy bookmarks, coupons for coffee shops - even better if the library has their own coffee shop - and more. Have buy two and get one free if you have multiple titles. Or buy one and get one of lesser cost for free. It all works.

Set yourself up at craft shows, flea markets, festivals, and other things of like nature.

Antique shops are good. How do I know? I sold used books, comics, and new books there in my store within a store. I was the only horror author in the city, and perhaps the entire state of Wyoming for all I know. Which books sold the best? My books. Why? Because I was local. People like to know a real author.

Another thing you can do at a signing is to get ebook codes for the paper backs you're selling and if a reader buys a paper version, give them the code to get a free ebook as well. What if they don't want an ebook of that title? Have other codes, or get their email address and send it to them.  This is particularly handy with Smashwords. By the way, you do have a plan set in place on Amazon where if someone buys a paper back they get the ebook for free, right? If you don't, shame on you! You can also have a computer handy at your signings and automatically send them their free ebook. Right before their eyes is pretty cool. They'll know you're honest.

Now, I have a completely different approach to selling paper backs at book signings. I was going to divulge this later, after a particular novel of mine was published. Also, I have a collaboration book I was going to do this with as well. This is so simple as to make me wonder why other people are not doing this. In my novel, a friend of mine is the hero. I use his full name. Okay, so I am always the hero in my stories, but it is through my buddy that my escapades are brought to life. Come book signing time, he and I both will sit down at the table and sign the books. I worked with Ed for a number of years, and we will have the first signings at my former work place. Since Ed works in my old home city of Cheyenne, we can do it all over the place. Ed is very excited about this, and I am too. You don't think this will work? I'll give you facts and figures when we do it. I live in Georgia now, but I have children living in Cheyenne, so this would be cool. Terri DelCampo, my lovely and talented bride, have one co-authored collection out already and more to come. Also, we are co-authoring a novel. Da, da! 2016 should be a busy year for us.

Yes, some of these things I have mentioned you have heard of before. Some you haven't and maybe you won't consider doing these things. You can have a table set up close to the restrooms in a book store like a friend of mine did, or you walk in as if you own the place and tell them you can sell some books and you would like table space in the front of the store.

Ed and I know what we're going to do. We're going to party hearty as we sell some books. Look us up when you're in Cheyenne. I'll buy you a beer.


Blaze McRob

WRITE NOW WITH TERRI DELCAMPO



http://writenowwithterridelcampo.blogspot.com/




 Terri DelCampo is joining in on the fun of giving pointers about writing and marketing. Alrighty! She has a lot more to come. She sometimes gives me hell for things I do, so her opinion is a valued one for me, and I'm sure it will be for many others.

Tap onto the link above and read her entire post. You'll agree with me, I'm certain.

Blaze McRob



Saturday, September 5, 2015


BLAZE MCROB SAYS "JUST WRITE" AND HE'S RIGHT!!



Lo and behold, I was wondering what to write in my blog this morning and my sweet Hottie Scottie, Blaze McRob provided me with the answer. 
He wrote this blog on his own page, for which I had additional comments:  
Read the rest here:

 http://writenowwithterridelcampo.blogspot.com/



THANK YOU, BEVERLY CIALONE, FOR THIS WONDERFUL GIFT!





 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVQNZJpTyBI


Hit the link above and see the great Christmas Surprise Video that Beverly Cialone sprung on us! What a woman! Thank you, Beverly. Beverly does all of our book trailers, and we commissioned her to do our wedding youtube as well.

If any of you need book trailers done, she's the lady for you. She is an author as well, with many fine books to her credit. I just reviewed one at my personal blog  http://www.blazemcrob.com/2015/12/the-gift-by-beverly-cialone-great.html.

Find out more about Beverly at https://www.facebook.com/Beverly-Cialone-182257978512695/ . She is a great lady and a super friend.

Blaze McRob