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Neil Ostroff's Blog (390)

Writing and writing

It’s been a few weeks since my last post and I’ve been busy. Finishing THE END TIME and AS IT IS IN HEAVEN this year has drained me a bit of my creativity. Though recently I have been getting ideas for my next project.

 

In the meantime, I have taken on the task of rewriting, re-editing, and reformatting my three book middle-grade sci-fi series (adults will love it, too) that I completed way back in 2003. I plan on re-publishing the books individually and as a box set. Each…

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Added by Neil Ostroff on February 24, 2015 at 11:37am — No Comments

On Sale Now!

My latest dystopian sci-fi THE END TIME is being featured on Free Kindle Books and Tips. It's on sale today! Please check it out. Combined reviews 4.6 out of 5 stars.

 

In the future there is a device that will show you how and when you will die. Bob Bradly has forty-eight hours to save everyone on the planet.

 

http://wp.me/p2b82w-6C2

Added by Neil Ostroff on February 12, 2015 at 1:08pm — No Comments

Everyone loves results!

It’s Monday morning and my weekend promotional blitz is winding down though I am still selling books. I must say the results of my blitz were quite surprising. Four years ago, when I first started indie publishing my large catalog of titles, I spent a small fortune on advertising on reader-friendly sites like KND and Kindleboards. They were considered the biggies and prices and competition were high.

 

I never got a return on my investment. Yes, I did sell a lot of books, and I…

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Added by Neil Ostroff on February 2, 2015 at 11:35am — No Comments

Blitz day two!

My promotional blitz for my literary suspense books, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN (my newest release) and DROP OUT (my best seller) is now on day two. Today DROP OUT is featured on People Reads  http://www.peoplereads.com/  about half way down the site.

 

The second promotion today is also for DROP OUT. It is with Riffle.com a subscription based site that sends recommended books to readers looking for their types of books. If you…

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Added by Neil Ostroff on January 28, 2015 at 11:11am — No Comments

Blitz starts today!

My promotional blitz for my literary suspense books, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN (my newest release) and DROP OUT (my best seller) begins today and lasts through the weekend! First stop is Kindle Books and Tips, http://wp.me/p2b82w-6yi where DROP OUT is featured about half way down the site.

The second promotion today is for AS IT IS IN HEAVEN and that is on Bargain Booksy http://bargainbooksy.com/ Again,…

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Added by Neil Ostroff on January 27, 2015 at 10:24am — No Comments

To pay or not?

Now that my latest book is complete I can focus my energies on marketing and promotion. In the coming days my books are going to be featured on numerous websites, blogs, and book listings. I’ve taken out paid promotional spots on some of the top reader’s sites. I’m curious to see how this affects sales.

 

In the past I have not been a big proponent of paying websites to advertise my books. I was relying mostly on my own developed platform and word-of-mouth. This worked for a…

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Added by Neil Ostroff on January 26, 2015 at 11:32am — No Comments

It's here! - As It Is in Heaven

I’m very proud to announce the release of my follow up to my Amazon best seller, DROP OUT. AS IT IS IN HEAVEN (Literary philosophical thriller) is now available worldwide. Get you copy today! Thank you.

~~~

End of life is only the beginning.

 

Collin Weaver has died in a horrible car crash. A beautiful woman named Heaven appears at the wreck like an angel of mercy but Heaven is no angel. Transporting Collin into anonymous lives, he embarks on a harrowing journey…

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Added by Neil Ostroff on January 15, 2015 at 6:00pm — No Comments

Birth of a Book

Finishing a new book is like giving birth to a child (yeah, I know this analogy has been done to death). And as I finish my latest, I’m feeling especially proud of my newest child. Not only for the accomplishment of finishing my twelfth book but because it is exactly the book (and baby) that I wanted to write.

 

What do I mean by this? Since I indie published my first book in 2011, I’m been slowly catering my plots and stories to what I want to write and not the stories I think…

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Added by Neil Ostroff on December 15, 2014 at 12:16pm — No Comments

The Final Read

Sitting down for the final full read of my latest book AS IT IS IN HEAVEN, I am reminded of the events leading to this point. Although the book is not as long as I envisioned (only @ 20,000 words) the novella has communicated the story I wished to express. It is complete.

 

I wrote the first sentence to this novella on April 12th 2014. I wrote what I consider to be the last completed scene on December 1st 2014. This is an usually long time for me to write…

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Added by Neil Ostroff on December 2, 2014 at 12:13pm — No Comments

State of Writing Today!

As I’m putting the finishing touches on my latest novella, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN, I am also getting ready to spend the winter months holed up and marketing my other twelve books. I do this intensive marketing every year around this time because the cold weather keeps me inside and guilt free.

 

I’ve been reading a lot of writer’s forums lately and there seems to be a bit of pessimism in the air regarding the state of indie publishing and publishing in general. Mark Coker CEO of…

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Added by Neil Ostroff on November 25, 2014 at 10:30pm — No Comments

Winter Reads!

Is it cold where you are? Is air carrying a bit of a chill? How about getting a little chillier with a good book? FROSTPROOF is available free for one more day on Amazon.

 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0083WSXL0

 

In the mood for a little more chill. DEGENERATES is also free until tomorrow on Amazon.

 …

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Added by Neil Ostroff on November 20, 2014 at 9:58am — No Comments

Emotion, emotion!

          Being a writer means experiencing dizzying highs and terrifying lows as a novel transforms from mere idea bubbling in the brain into reality on the page. There are times when you believe that everything you’ve written is total crap and there are times when a character reveals something or does something that you hadn’t expected and you find yourself on this emotional high.

          Emotions can swing greatly from one day to the next (sometimes hourly). Today is a good day…

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Added by Neil Ostroff on November 12, 2014 at 11:30pm — No Comments

Retrospective

Since I started this blog nearly four years ago, I never in my dreams thought that it would receive several hundred thousand views. My base of followers has grown steadily and my page views per day are increasing nearly every week. I would like to thank all of my followers and interested readers for that.

 

Looking back years ago at my first few posts, I can clearly see an old-soul writer trying to understand a twenty-first century technological world. Many of those first…

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Added by Neil Ostroff on November 8, 2014 at 10:30am — No Comments

Great review!!

Nice new review for DROP OUT. The book is really affecting lives!

 

Read what Kindle Nation Daily called "the sleeper hit of the year" what Kindle Fire Department called, "riveting, touching, and deeply heartwarming, a book that will stay with you forever"; an Indie Book of the Day winner in 2012.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005FX0K7U

 

 

5.0 out of 5 stars An extraordinary, moving story of…

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Added by Neil Ostroff on October 26, 2014 at 11:30am — No Comments

Results!!

A few days have passed since my Kindle Books and Tips promotion for DROP OUT  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005FX0K7U  has finished and I must say the results weren’t that bad. Though I have said in the past that I don’t believe paid promotion on websites has a return on investment and are good for exposure purposes only, this one seems to have paid out.

 

DROP OUT sold several dozen more copies on that day than it usually does so I…

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Added by Neil Ostroff on October 20, 2014 at 12:41pm — No Comments

Promotion!!

Wanted to announce that DROP OUT is being featured today on Kindle Books and Tips!  What would you do if you knew your life was ending? http://wp.me/p2b82w-69U Please check it out. Much appreciated.

Added by Neil Ostroff on October 16, 2014 at 11:39am — No Comments

Winter writing

Woke up this morning to the first frost of the year. It’s winter writing time. I always look forward to the cold and snow and the isolation they bring. Though I do enjoy the sun, swimming, and warmth of summer it is not my best season for being creative. I found there’s nothing more stimulating than punching out a story while a snowstorm rages outside.

Winter is also the time when I do my best and most prolific marketing and promotion of my books. It’s always hard to spend hours…

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Added by Neil Ostroff on October 6, 2014 at 12:43pm — No Comments

Author’s Legacy

When you buy a book in a bookstore, what do you look for? Is it the cover that attracts you? The fiery description on the back? The author’s profile picture? With ebooks, consumers can’t take it off the shelf and feel its texture, skim through the pages, or get a sense of the thickness and how long it will take to read. They must rely on the ‘look inside’ feature, good unbiased reviews, a blurb that excites and entices, and the promise of a captivating story to make their…

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Added by Neil Ostroff on October 4, 2014 at 4:30pm — No Comments

I just want to write!

If you follow my blog you’ve probably noticed that I haven’t been posting about many promotions these days. Except for a few websites that have posted my books without informing me first, I haven’t been too visible for a while. Here’s why.

 

I’ve been writing ferociously for the last 35 out of my 45 years on this planet. Yep, that officially makes me a middle-aged man. You learn a lot about yourself and your needs and what makes you happiest as you get older. Things become…

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Added by Neil Ostroff on September 25, 2014 at 10:33am — No Comments

Always Writing!

It’s been a while since I posted about my latest project, so here goes. AS IT IS IN HEAVEN is nearly complete! Yeah! I call it an inspirational fantasy along the lines of DROP OUT, but with a more spiritual theme. I won’t kid you, some scenes are quite intense, but I believe it is crucial to the story to shock the reader enough to stop and make them think.

There are also a few more sites that I am placing my other books. I was informed about these sites from my awesome online writers…

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Added by Neil Ostroff on September 17, 2014 at 11:59am — No Comments

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