Pointing in the Right Direction ... Book Country

So, what's the buzz? Tell me what's a happening ... Okay, not really trying to quote lyrics from rock opera, Jesus Christ, Superstar, but I couldn't resist :-) Just wanted to give a bit of flare to introducing yet another online forum for peer reviews. What makes Book Country somewhat unique is the "author" of the forum, Penguin Books. I will paraphrase the About Us page they've created to give you idea what to expect.
The obvious? You, the reader, can read original works. You don't have to be an author yourself, but it's a nice way to view new and immerging authors' creations. And you authors can place some of your work on the site, after you have reviewed at least 3 other works. I guess that seems fair, trying to balance both sides. You leave comments--constructive criticism, of course--and share thoughts, tips, and learn about the publishing industry through inciteful articles. It's refreshing to see that it's free. That's very unlike Fan Story, which is tainted with price-driven motives, IMHO.


Book Country and it's creator, Penguin, plan to offer a publishing service under the Book Country logo. There will be a cost, but they claim it is a "convenient and affordable way to self-publish eBooks and print books". This (and variety of services they provide) is yet another way for new authors to skirt around the traditional methods of finding a publisher and/or agent.

It will be interesting to see where this leads and how much it fits into the trend of things in publishing, especially in competing with self-publishing giant, Amazon and its Create Space and Kindle. At the very least, the free reviewing available is something to check out.

Book Country

Guest Blogger - Michael Murphy -- Three Tips for Obtaining Media Coverage for Your Novel.

Well folks, I promised you a visit from Michael Murphy, author of the just released mystery, Scorpion Bay. He offered to write about his experience with campaigning and how to get the word out about his book. I hope you enjoy this and please feel free to post your questions and comments. Now, please give a warm welcome to my guest!

With the release of my new mystery/suspense novel, Scorpion Bay, I reached out to the media and was able to obtain an article in the local weekly, Peoria Times, http://x.co/WslA the Arizona Republic http://x.co/WslG, and an in studio interview on the highest rated morning news program in the state, Good Morning Arizona. Here’s a few tips I learned. Hope they’re helpful in your campaign.

1. Don’t make the pitch for the story to be about your book. Assume the media isn’t interested in an author having a new book released. Come up with and provide an angle on a unique story on the release. With my novel, I planned a Scorpion Bay launch party at the real Scorpion Bay in Lake Pleasant Arizona. Both newspapers played up that angle when I mentioned that several scenes took place at the Scorpion Bay Marina. The story then became about the marina, not about an author seeking publicity.

2. Product Placement. Placing a product in a movie is common these days. Obtaining the enthusiastic approval of the owner of Dillons Restaurant at Scorpion Bay to mention the restaurant (it was integral to the story), helped secure the location of the launch party which resulted in the newspaper interest.

3. Find a hook. With the television media, I approached the station more than two years ago to seek their help in researching the media aspects of Scorpion Bay. When the book was about to be released, I reached out to them and the hook was mentioned in the interview; “Good Morning Arizona often brings you stories of interest, but today ‘we are the story’. That was the hook that resulted in their interest in interviewing me.

At the launch party, I made a point to ask people who came to the table what brought them there and more than half mentioned the newspaper or television appearance. I sold forty-three books and concluded that 23 or more resulted from the media campaign.

Obtaining media coverage, however, isn’t just about selling a particular book; it’s more about establishing you as a credible author. A final tip, don’t be intimidated by the media, reach out to them and find a way to help them write the story.

Scorpion Bay by Michael Murphy

Also, visit Michael's website for more information:   Michael Murphy

Multiple Intelligences -- How Do You View the World?

I happened to find a site that brought to mind ... how do I view matters, how do I think, how do I cope, i.e., how do I get through my day! I teach, so of course, how my students learn is one of my main concerns. However, I can see how this would affect one's writing. The choice of words, actions, etc. put into the story. In any case, this was a real eye-opener when I decided to take this survey. Some of the results I could have predicted, but others were a bit surprising. And the questions? Well, see for yourself and take the test!

Multiple Intelligences

Look at Me!

Look at me! I'm pretty :-) All adorned in bright spring-like colors. I just had to post about it, even though it has nothing to do with writing. Yet, then again, it might. Imagery is a part of what we write. And artistry "speaks" a cornicopea of words. Hand in hand they give us the "stuff" to fuel our imaginations. So, this is a bit of spring to announce what we expect will come, all with bright colors and hopeful images ... even if it won't stop raining here in Ohio and giving us temperatures that belong in February! I guess when I tire of looking out the window, I will click on my blog and stare at the page. So very pretty...

Stay Posted ... New Theme - Guest Authors

Just letting you all know that in a couple of weeks I will be having a guest blogger -- author, Michael Murphy, who has a published novel, Scorpion Bay, just released this month. I'm so excited for him! He will be writing about ... well, writing! And of course a bit about his novel, Scorpion Bay ... oh, did I mention that already? And that I'm excited for him?

Anyway, stay tuned for his visit, sometime around the middle of April. Until then ...

To Kindle or Not to Kindle - That is the Publishing Question

Hot off the presses .... Amanda Hocking's creations -- the Trylle triology, for one. If you've been following publishing trends in the news, you may already be aware of what's happening. Like it or not, self-publishing, especially in ebook format, is blazing a trail and aiming for the clouds or the heavens or however far up it can reach! With the creation of ebook readers, monster outlets like Amazon, easy to use tools provided by CreateSpace and Kindle Direct, an author can easily self-publish at little to no cost and be up and running on the Amazon website quicker than you can blink an eye ... okay maybe not quite that fast, but it's only a matter of weeks, not months or a year such as it takes with traditional publishers. And you don't have to "pass the gates of entry" to get by the agents and publishers who must approve you when taking the traditional route.
I know what some of you are thinking ... how good can those books be? Well, I had my doubts. Since the big hype, I've purchased a couple of self-pub books, ebook format, for my reader. I've been reading Amanda's Switched. It's for young adult readers and has the fantasy or paranormal element to it. It may not be great prose, but the story is engaging. At least as engaging as it can be for this adult reader! The thing is that her books selling. Selling BIG. I mean like 450,000 copies in the month of January alone. Now, at 99 cents a pop on Amazon, with the author's take of 30%? You figure the math. Not shabby. Right? Anyway, the whole new trend of this is something to think about ... for readers, for writers, for publishers, for agents ... everyone in the game!

Read much more about this interesting topic and phenom in USA Today ...

Authors Catch Fire

Making a Book -- How Hard Could It Be?

If you do nothing else today, and you really enjoy books, watch this video on book making from days gone by. It's fascinating and will make you appreciate just how easy the process is today!


Book Making