Thank you SO much, Allan! Much appreciated.


Rosalind

Scias te fortasse Romanum esse si animal convivialissimum arbitreris esse caprum (Henricus Barbatus)


my website

Hi Catherine,
lovely to hear from you,
I'm starting to feel better, but having a wife with asthma and a foster child I'm having to keep away from them and wipe everything I touch with antiseptic wipes. Also, as you will understand, because I work with vulnerable people, I can't return to work until I'm symptom free, and as I was born with the immune system of a blancmange I don't know when that will be, anyway...
I have the first draft of a new book ready for revision, and my experience in publishing Tasting the Wind has taught me so much.
My second book 'Legion's Daughter' is an exploration of fundamentalism. I've taken the advice of several experienced people (including my hero, Dean Koontz, to whom I wrote to for advice) and this time I'm going for the 'High concept' novel, deliberately fashioned around the Dan Brown market.
If it doesn't find a publisher then I will have no qualms about going down the POD route eventually. I would rather 100 people read the work I believe in than nobody gets to see it because some agent doesn't believe that it is marketable enough to shift enough 'units.'
I've just had exposure in 'Lancashire Life' magazine, which has about 50,000 circulatiion, and an article in the magazine of derian house, the charity which is receiving 50% of my profits. This week I was sad to hear that an article in the national 'community care' magazine on people who work in care and write has been 'shelved.' This would have meant a great deal of exposure to my 'niche market' but never mind, the writer did say that he may be in touch with me by the end of the year.
The Amazon rankings have slumped, although I was up in the top ten for several months. I was number 1 on Book Depository for about 6 months.
As POD authors we have to be realistic about our sales. 100 is good. I know because of people like yourself that the accusation that only friends and family buy our boooks is not true. But we do not have behind us the big marketing machines of the major publishers, and despite our efforts we do not have professional proof readers, so our work will be full of typos etc.
But I am happy that my book has been bought by peple I have never met in theUK, USA, Canada, Australia, etc.
I won't take any more time up here but towards the end of the year will be blogging about my YWO experience.
I HAVED ALSO LEARNED QUITE A BIT ABOUT MARKETING, SO IF ANYONE IS READING THIS I WOULD RECOMMEND TASTING THE WIND. HALF MY ROYALTIES GO TO DERIAN HOUSE CHILDRENS HOSPICE, IT IS A GOOD READ, AND MAY OPEN YOUR EYES TO THINGS IN LIFE THAT YOU HAVE NEVER CONTEMPLATED.
Plug over- but seriously, I am reading and enjoying my second YWO novel now (Schaefer's Integrity by Huw Langridge, the first being Dr. Margaret's Sea Chest by Waheed Rabbini) and would urge YWO members to support oneanother by buying members' books.
Anyway- enough about me, how are thingd going with 'see-through?'
Also- I am planning on asking for a favour from interviewees soon. I would like a submission to my blog about what marketing tools they are finding the most successful. As blogs are so good at finding audiences this will provide pointers to the interviews, and it will mean that I don't have to find blog subjects while I am writing my next novel! So that will suit us all.
Anyway- this has been a long reply. Those of you who have submitted interviews- thankyo: what a fascinating. hilarious, inspiring lot you have been.
Anyone planning to submit- please read the interviews- this is the standard you have to attain!
Here's to the POD/self publishing spirit!

Best wishes,

Allan Read my Blog at:
http://allanmayer.wordpress.com

www.allanmayer.com

Hi Allan,

I hope you are feeling much better now. Good to see you back. I've looked at the new interviews with authors on your web site with interest. All the interviews are so different and all give plenty of fascinating info.

I'm looking forward to reading a number of these new novels and have started by ordering Ferryman by Carole Sutton for my husband's birthday. It sounds just right for him.

Hi Catherine,

How lovely to hear you have bought Ferryman for your husband's birthday. I really hope he enjoys it. It is racking up 5 star reviews on Amazon.

Another point, if anyone else is interested, by going through Allan's URL at the end of my interview (Page 2 #12) there is a link to the Book Depository offering FERRYMAN with FREE POSTAGE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. For some of us that halves its normal price.
Just thought you'd like to know. Thank you Allan.

Carole

Hi Allan,

I'm glad you are on the mend. Flu of any kind takes the wind out of your sales for a time. I'm glad that you are well on the way to your second novel though.

It's all good experience and I'm sure the more you write the better you get. I look forward to reading your next book.

As for See Through I don't know how it's selling. I hope people are still buying it though. I had an old friend write me a lovely letter saying how much she loved it so that was encouraging. Not all friends are like that. Some expect that you will give them the book as a gift. It can get very expensive!

My next novel is coming on slowly, very slowly. I've been tied up with health issues and other matters. I'm hoping things will improve and I'll have more time and energy to pursue my writing more regularly. Meanwhile I'm letting things tick over in my head and hope that will provide me with ideas when I get down to it.

You've done a great job of all the author interviews and I've really enjoyed reading them and getting to know a bit about some of the YWO authors. They are a very interesting bunch and all so different.

I shall definitely be reading more of their stories. I'm reading The Blufflehead Sisters at the moment. It's extremely well written and convincing, although tragic. I find the characters wonderfully well drawn. I'm full of envy for her ease of writing and her characters.

I too have asthma although it's not too bad at present but I hope not to catch flu, if I can avoid it. I hope you are soon feeling a whole lot better and back to your writing again.

All the best,
Catherine

Thanks Steph- swine flu is a dim and distant memory now. Hope you find the marketing tools handy.
I have.n't had much time to blog recently. but the fruits of a year of research are there for anyone who wants them.
I'm starting to hear from members who are disappointed with their sales. What we have to remember is that 100 is the average for POD, so if we set out to exceed that then we have done well. We don't have the big marketing machines of the major publishers. Anything that we can do to get our books out there is a bonus.
I'm hoping to get a few more tips onto the blog soon, but at the moment I'm busy on my second book.
Any advice I give is purely from one who has a year's experience in marketing a POD book. You can find more on this if you look at my blog posts for the last year, but if you want a more informed view from industry insiders I would direct you to the excellent 'Absolute Write' and 'How Publishing really Works.'
Good luck and best wishes,
Allan Read my Blog at:
http://allanmayer.wordpress.com