Many thanks to Chris (The Story Reading Ape) for adding my book, Sting In The Tail to his Bookcase. If you have read Sting In The Tail it would be great if you would please consider leaving a review. Many thanks, Kevin
Some useful tips here for writers on the use of social media.
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On Social Media you have an opportunity to talk with your readers, learn about, and empathize with your followers. However, there is not a single perfect Social Media network site for authors, rather a combination of several pages – each one with its pros and cons.
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Goodreads has more than 20 million members and is THE site for authors. Google+ is an overall great site with endless possibilities to display your book. The “power” of the site is that what you post there is automatically indexed by Google, which makes your post (i.e. a link to your latest blog) so much easier to discover. Twitter is fantastic to build a following and to engage with your readers, and if you write non-fiction LinkedIn might be a good choice too. Facebook remains the “Old Daddy” but others are gaining traction. Don’t forget Pinterest where you can show images of…
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As a writer I hate distractions. Off goes my mobile together with my e-mail. I make a cup of tea or coffee and get stuck into my writing. Not so this morning. Bump, a wet nose was pushed against my elbow. I stopped writing and caressed the head of Trigger my brindle lab/retriever guide dog. OK now I’ll return to my writing I thought. Hardly had I typed a single word when, bump, bump a cold wet nose was, once more frust against my arm. Once again I ceased my scribbling and paid attention to my four-legged friend.
Owning a dog is incredibly therapeutic. When I stroke Trigger I feel myself relaxing. There is something almost hypnotic about the feeling of contentment induced by the back and forth of my hand across Trigger’s coat. I can feel my stress levels reduce as Trigger relishes the attention. Yes Trigger can be a distraction but he is a very welcome one.
For a photograph of Trigger please visit my Amazon author’s page which can be found here, http://www.amazon.co.uk/K.-Morris/e/B00CEECWHY/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
On Friday evening I was enjoying an excellent curry and a good bottle of red wine in the company of one of my oldest friends. While I never intentionally tune into other people’s conversations, on occasions one simply can not help doing so and Friday evening was a case in point.
“It isn’t her fault that her mother was a prostitute” a lady sitting with a group of people announced in a voice which carried across the restaurant.
“So will you use this in your next book?” my friend asked in a low tone.
“Its amazing what you overhear and, if I did use it no one would have their identity revealed” I replied.
As it happens neither my friend nor I where acquainted with the people in question and the statement quoted above, if used in a story would not in and of itself breech the privacy of the speaker unless of course I was acquainted with the histories of the individuals to whom the lady refered and I used this knowledge in a future plot. This would, of course be ethically wrong and has the potential to land me or any other writer in hot water of the legal kind where I or any other person to be so unethical as to use personal information without the explicit permission of those concerned.
Watch what you drink for when the wine flows it is amazing what people will let out of the bag!
This lady is talented. Please check out her blog and, in particular her poetry.
You slithered into my heart
you sneaked in through the back door.
You shut the door and swallowed the key,
locking us in a beating drum.
The air was hot, filled with blood,
I couldn’t breathe, and you:
you were there, an intruder,
smiling cheekily at my expense.
The drumming grew louder, faster,
it felt like death had stepped in.
But the door was locked?
And then, I looked at you:
You were death-a dark angel,
beautiful, eternal, impossible.
You were squeezing hard,
shutting off my veins—
a few beats, the drum missed.
I shook my head, I begged.
You smiled, a cold hard line.
You made me cry out.
I screamed.
There was pain—short and sharp,
and then there was nothing.
No beating, no drumming,
just dark, eternally dark.
Empty? Broken? Hurt? No!
There was just darkness,
there was just an end.
Suzanne Vega is one of my favourite artists (to the best of my knowledge I own all of her albums). St Clare is hauntingly beautiful and brings tears to my eyes, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvekoHGK8i0
Some 10-15 minutes walk from my home is the independent Bookseller Crow (http://www.booksellercrow.co.uk/) in Crystal Palace. As a child I have happy memories of visiting WH Smiths with my grandfather to buy clasics by children’s authors such as Enid Blighton, however Smiths is part of a large chain and sells many items besides books. The beauty of shops such as Bookseller Crow is that they specialise in books and are run and/or owned by book lovers. Even if the Bookseller Crow doesn’t have a particular title in stock they are more than willing to order it for you.
The shop also hosts events such as one where the comedian, Mark Steel, who lives locally read extracts from his book and autographed copies.
On a personal level I am grateful to the owner of the store, Jonathan Maine for allowing me to place cards advertising this website, newauthoronline.com in his shop. As an author living in Crystal Palace its great to know that there is a local book shop, independent of the huge chains to which I can turn to promote my writing.
Recently my friend Brian and I where enjoying a pint or two in my favourite local when the conversation, as so often happens turned to books. Brian argued that a powerful minority of reviewers and literary critics largely determine the choices of the book buying public. If an influencial reviewer rates your work highly you are, as an author far more likely to prosper than if the same person provides a bad review or ignores your book.
I believe that my friend is correct upto a point. The kind of review an author receives in a leading national newspaper or periodical (assuming he receives one at all) can exert a powerful influence on the book buying public by (firstly) drawing the writer’s work to their attention and (secondly) by influencing the public in favour or against the book. However I believe that my friend is overly pessimistic as, with the rise of the great leviathan (Amazon) and other e-book retailers the world of reviewing and literary criticism has been democratised in that anyone can now leave a review. So if lots of Jo Blogs and Joan Smiths leave positive reviews on Amazon an author’s work is likely to prosper. Having said that I am sure that if the same author has his or her book slated in the press this will, quite possibly impact negatively on book sales.
The rise of e-books has also expanded the reach of authors across the globe. Until very recently a writer wishing to publish either had to be offered a contract by an established publisher or pay to have their work printed privately. With the birth of e-books a book can be published on Amazon today and within a matter of hours be available in most (in some instances) all of Amazon’s online stores. Of course this is by no means the end of the story as, once a book is available the challenge of getting people to look at your Amazon author’s page (let alone buy your books) begins.
In conclusion my friend, Brian is right in that positive reviews by influencial critics in mass circulation newspapers and magazines can greatly influence the purchasing habits of the reading public. However the rise of Amazon and other similar outlets does enable ordinary book lovers to post reviews and by so doing assists, to some extent in democratising the world of literary criticism.
For my Amazon author page please visit http://www.amazon.co.uk/K.-Morris/e/B00CEECWHY/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
A couple of weeks ago I ordered 50 business cards from moo.com (http://uk.moo.com/products/business-cards.html) to promote my website, newauthoronline.com. The cards say
“Kevin Morris author” followed by the address of my website, newauthoronline.com and details of how to contact me. There is also a picture of me together with my guide dog Trigger, pint in hand (obviously it is Trigger rather than myself who is clutching the pint)!
I am impressed with the cards, however moo.com advise that they are not wholly satisfied with their quality. They will, as a consequence be sending 50 additional cards completely free of charge. Whoever said that good customer service is dead was wrong, it lives on in the form of moo.com!
For my Amazon author page please visit http://www.amazon.co.uk/K.-Morris/e/B00CEECWHY/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0.
Many thanks to Chris for blogging this for me while my my computer was unwell! A bunch of bananas are on the way to The Story Reading Ape!
