For book/ebook authors, publishers, & self-publishers
When it comes to indie publishing on Kindle I’ve learned to expect the unexpected when sales are involved. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to why books sell on some days and don’t on others. The key is to market and promote on a regular basis. That said, I’ve been feeling frustrated with my sales lately, having set sales goals that far exceed what my actual sales are this month. I set these goals several months ago when it was colder and my books were selling, and it seemed like…
ContinueAdded by Neil Ostroff on May 25, 2012 at 2:00pm — No Comments
Get ready to meet one of the world’s creepiest serial killers. That’s right! FROSTPROOF is now live on Kindle and available world-wide.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0083WSXL0
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0083WSXL0
As always, with the release of a new book come all the back-breaking, sore-eyes, aching-fingers, promotion and marketing that comes along with it. Here’s my new…
ContinueAdded by Neil Ostroff on May 17, 2012 at 2:00pm — No Comments
The other day as I was writing I heard a sudden, loud knocking at my office door. I turned my head to see who could have caused such a ruckus and behold, it was my wife.
“Didn’t you hear me?” she asked.
“Uh, no,” I replied, somewhat in a daze from being pummeled out of my imaginary world.
“I thought you were ignoring me,” she grumbled. “The trash stinks. It needs to go out.”
“I wasn’t ignoring you,” I replied. “I’m working on my latest novel. I was in the…
ContinueAdded by Neil Ostroff on May 11, 2012 at 11:45am — No Comments
I’m often asked how I create my characters. At last count I have somewhat in the neighborhood of seventy-five to eighty relatively strong characters. By strong, I mean these characters actually have back stories and personalities that come across on the page. Some are absolutely terrifying, like Cody Larson in FROSTPROOF and Tommy Fielding in DEGENERATES. Some are adventurous, like Tim Madison in SILENT INVASION, and Jamie Richards in DREAM TRAVELER, and some are tragic, yet beautiful, like…
ContinueAdded by Neil Ostroff on May 6, 2012 at 7:06am — No Comments
Whether an author loves or dreads them, whether you consider them the best part of the job or the worst part, the fact of the matter is that author interviews are part of the job. And it’s important to make the most of every opportunity.
Today I was interviewed for The Examiner which boasts 20 million readers a month. Definitely an opportunity I didn’t want to blow. So what’s the most important thing to say at a moment like this? No matter how much we want to shout, "Buy my book! Buy…
ContinueAdded by Donna Fletcher Crow on May 4, 2012 at 2:30pm — No Comments
Another fresh month is upon us and that means another start at zero for my books sales count. Last month ended pretty well with a last couple of days blitz that netted enough sales to reach my goals. However, it was a tough struggle, not helped by the fact that I was on vacation for nine days and did little in terms of marketing and promotion (not that I’m complaining). My sales goals for this month may be unreachable since I don’t have any sponsorships planned for this month. It’s going to…
ContinueAdded by Neil Ostroff on May 2, 2012 at 1:45pm — No Comments
Added by Marla Martenson on April 28, 2012 at 2:30pm — No Comments
I love the new cover for my Kindle version of FROSTPROOF. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m slowly taking back all my rights to my paperbacks and republishing only electronically. I believe the traditional book is going the way of CD’s and I’m excited to be at the threshold of this new medium. With my seventh novel soon to be published electronically, I’ve now got more than half of my books out there for the entire world to purchase. It’s a pretty cool feeling. Once I send the new FROSTPROOF off…
ContinueAdded by Neil Ostroff on April 28, 2012 at 10:46am — No Comments
Every once in a while I come across something that makes all the hard work trying to make it as a writer worth it. I’ve had these moments in the past, like when I discovered an article about me written in Italy and I had to have it translated just to read it. http://sftech.blog.tiscali.it/2012/01/16/vendere-ebook-un-caso-su-amazon/
Another was when KND praised DROP OUT as a sleeper hit.…
ContinueAdded by Neil Ostroff on April 26, 2012 at 11:10am — 1 Comment
That’s what Kindle Daily Nation called DROP OUT. http://fireapps.blogspot.com/2012/04/drop-out-kindle-book-of-day.html But then again, I’ve posted this many times and guess what… it’s still sleeping. Though the book is my best seller out of my six novels, it still hasn’t reached the great heights I had hoped. Right now I’m a few dozens copies behind my sales goals for this month, so for the next three days…
ContinueAdded by Neil Ostroff on April 23, 2012 at 12:10pm — No Comments
Back from vacation and had a great time. Too bad taking a vacation from writing and marketing didn’t do for my sales what it did for my soul (raise it to a higher level). As I mentioned before, it’s amazing how quickly your literary presence drops off when you’re not posting and promoting your books every day. While in the Florida Keys, I watched my blog hits drop like lead balloons and my book sales drop to November levels. Especially, in the U.K. which for me, sales this month have been…
ContinueAdded by Neil Ostroff on April 20, 2012 at 11:03am — No Comments
Those who follow my blog and my other posts on the numerous writer’s sites that I belong to, know that I am on vacation. So, instead of boring you with details of the fried Grouper sandwich I had for lunch and the long, saltwater swim I took after (waiting thirty minutes of course), I’m going to post a long sample of my current best selling book, DROP OUT. I’ve received more than a hundred emails from people telling me how much the book affected them and their views on the meaning of life.…
ContinueAdded by Neil Ostroff on April 14, 2012 at 1:14pm — No Comments
At this very moment, I am sitting on a veranda in Summerland Key Florida staring out at a vast expanse of glacial-clear, maroon-colored, water while whispering palm fronds provides the backdrop to seagull cries, and yet I cannot write. Well, that’s not exactly true because I am writing this, but I can’t seem to concentrate on my current novel. Perhaps, I’m too relaxed? Too contented? With the knowledge that my books are selling, I no longer feel that intense pressure to create for hours on…
ContinueAdded by Neil Ostroff on April 12, 2012 at 12:44pm — No Comments
Here is the link to my author spotlight on Kindle Nation Daily. It will be posted on Kids Corner's Facebook and Twitter this afternoon and on KND's Facebook and Twitter this evening. This interview will also be featured in the Kindle Daily Digest. I can’t wait to see what will happen to sales.
…
ContinueAdded by Neil Ostroff on April 10, 2012 at 11:29am — No Comments
My Kindle ebook of the week sponsorship for the kid’s corner has begun. Sales are slow however, I’m guessing because of the Easter holiday. Perhaps, they will pick up more when my author spotlight interview comes out. That’s right, I was chosen for author spotlight on Kindle Nation Daily. This is a great FREE promotion offered by Kindle for me. They will post an interview, a picture of my book SILENT INVASION, links to buy the book, and links to my blog, all for nothing. They claim the…
ContinueAdded by Neil Ostroff on April 9, 2012 at 12:50pm — No Comments
“A sleeper hit”, that’s what the reviewer on Kindle Fire Department said about DROP OUT. Well, when is it going to wake up? Seriously, the Kindle Fire sponsorship has been the only sponsorship so far that has made back its cost. I’ve also achieved half of my sales goals for the month of April and it’s only the 5th. I’m not sure what made this sponsorship such a success but I think it has to do with my previous notion that not enough kids own Kindles, yet. DROP OUT is an adult book…
ContinueAdded by Neil Ostroff on April 5, 2012 at 1:52pm — No Comments
Well, my second free promotion for INSECTLAND didn’t go hardly how I thought. I only sold a measly 75 copies for the giveaway, which leads me to wonder if the rumors are true about the KDP select free promotions; that mostly book hoarders download the books and not read them. And that the same few hundred book hoarders download whatever becomes available. It would explain the low numbers. The last free promotion for INSECTLAND yielded hundreds and hundreds of downloads. I’ll guess I’ll never…
ContinueAdded by Neil Ostroff on April 2, 2012 at 12:02pm — No Comments
Just wanted to let everyone know that my sci-fi adventure INSECTLAND is now free until Monday. And if you like it please check out my blog and other books for sale. Thanks. http://www.neilostroff.blogspot.com
Imagine a world where humans are pests and insect-like aliens rule over them. Imagine that world is Earth.
INSECTLAND
Be frightened! Be very frightened! Tiny, dragon-like creatures hiding in our…
ContinueAdded by Neil Ostroff on March 31, 2012 at 10:12am — No Comments
Just about everybody has lottery fever right now with Mega Millions jackpot over $500,000,000 dollars. And just like everybody else, I’ve been daydreaming all morning about what I’d do if I win. (I’ve got $20 in quick picks). I could fulfill every dream I ever had. Buy big houses, a yacht, a private jet. Eat the best food prepared by master chefs. Would that make me happy? Of course. But what if I had all that and stopped writing? What if having every desired fulfilled drained me of the…
ContinueAdded by Neil Ostroff on March 30, 2012 at 12:10pm — No Comments
Continuing my series on effective query letters that got interest in my books by industry professionals, I’m posting the original query letter for DEGENERATES that drew huge interest several years ago before anyone had heard of Kindle and ebooks. I had several agents request the entire manuscript from this query and it is this query that got my first power agent Gary Heidt really interested in my work. As I’ve posted before, Gary eventually signed me after reading the query for SILENT…
ContinueAdded by Neil Ostroff on March 27, 2012 at 2:11pm — No Comments
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