Preorders #ebooks

Recently, I read an article on The Huffington Post that was shared with me by an author friend.  The article written by Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, discussed how preorders have helped push indie authors to bestseller lists.

He cited a few, including: Chanda Hahn's new Fable: An Unfortunate Fairy Tale, J. S. Scott's The Billionaire's Salvation, and Quinn Loftis' Sacrifice of Love.

With preorders, customers can read excerpts and place orders.  On the day of "official" sale, the customers' orders are charged against their credit cards, and the book is released to them.

Mark Coker believes that preorders will be the next big thing for indie authors.  And he believes there are several reasons why:

-higher placement on bestseller lists
-simultaneous availability
-advance marketing
-existing titles help market preorders
-capture the readers interest at the moment you have their attention
-increased on-store promotion

He also gives the author tips on how best to capitalize on preorders:

-budget an extra 4-6 weeks into your release schedule
-the book should be final or near final
-make each preorder listing a marketing event
-preorders increase odds of merchandising love
(Note:  He also believes that preorders may work best for established indie authors, but may be beneficial to new authors, too.)

Although my books haven't always been available for preorders, advanced marketing as been a tool I've used since I began on my journey as an author.  And I see the difference it makes for me when I do and don't use it as part of my promotional kit.

My first book, "Love's Chance", hit all the marketing goals for my publisher, and became a best seller for both my publisher and ARe.  Mistakenly believing I didn't have to put forth the same effort in my other releases was quickly discovered in the lower sales.  

Now, I have a regular routine of promoting my books eight to twelve weeks out using a mix of promotional tools.  It takes a lot of work and time.  But, I believe it's definitely worth it :-)

To read more of the article by Mark Coker, click here.

What do you think about preorders and advance marketing?

Book Cover Magic!!

And ON SALE!!!!

ON SALE at 62% off the Ebook Cover Price!!!
Only $2.99!!!

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A FIERCE HUNTER...

Alicia Greiston is a no-nonsense bounty hunter determined to bring a ring of mobsters to justice. Her dogged pursuit of the crime family has forced her to avoid relationships— any man would only become a target for retribution. Luckily, Jake Silver is more than a man, and his instincts are telling him to stop at nothing to protect her.

AN ANIMAL PASSION...

However, the mob isn't entirely human either, and soon Alicia must flee for her life. When Alicia and Jake's passion begins to spill over into their dreams, Jake learns he will have to do more than defend her— he'll have to show his mate the way of the wolf.

I'm reworking all my old covers to try to give them more of the look of what the story is about--more drama, if I can, colors that will emphasize them, better font, in some cases. And several of my covers were too small, so having to get larger sized pictures to redo them. Also, making sure that the title and my name can be see in the smaller formats. It all takes time, hours!

But I've also been writing on the new book: A Highland Wolf Christmas, featuring Guthrie MacNeill and Calla Stewart. This will be the last story of the brothers. But Heather, their cousin, needs some romancing, don't you think? And I'm working on The Highlanders, which is a Highland medieval romance, book 5 in The Highlanders series. Sometimes I'll do that, hop from one book to another. When I can't think of the next scene, I'll work on the other.  So far I have 24,000 on The Highlander, and 2,000 on wolf Christmas. I was stumped on the opening on Guthrie's story as I wanted it to begin with conflict between the her and heroine right off--he has to be wearing a kilt, and I've got the setup for the next scene--more kilt-wearing hunks, only human kinds, and more conflict. And then the next scene--well, that's how it goes.

She has her sights set on the worst vampire of them all...

Old cover

He’s a hunter turned vampire, she’s a huntress of vampires—he’s needs her cooperation to free his family; she’s trained to kill his kind.Rebel vampire huntress Rachael Bremerton wants revenge against Piaras, one of the most ruthless vampires in Dallas , for the murder of her parents. But when she’s lured by another vampire, Adonis, into the darkness—the same darkness she’s feared since she was a child—she’s torn between her huntress sensibilities and some strange desire to be with the creature she’s meant to despise and destroy.Adonis, a hunter turned vampire, has been ordered by Piaras to bring Rachel to him untouched. In return, Piaras will release Adonis’s family unharmed. But when Adonis first sees Rachael, his hunter desire to have a huntress mate kicks in, or is it the dark heart of the vampire that makes him crave her so?
Turning Rachel over to Piaras becomes less of an option. But can he find a way to free his family, claim Rachael for his own, and keep her family from discovering he is a hunter turned vampire—a creature they will all feel obligated to hunt down and kill?

Ebook:

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Here are the new covers for Exchanging Grooms and Marriage, Las Vegas Style~~
Several sites wanted larger pictures, so that's one of the reasons I've gone back in and changed them. Before/after...
Old covers

New covers
Lisa Robbins has one mission in mind--sell back her UNUSED wedding dress to the wedding shop, but when she has no success, maybe she's going about this all wrong.
Peter Crawford is intrigued by the woman who has somehow hooked Dallas's most eligible confirmed bachelor, Pembrooke Hastings, Peter's staunchest enemy. Not only had she gotten a commitment from him, but she left HIM standing at the altar. Dating the vivacious woman certainly appeals and Peter wants to know just how she hooked Pembrooke, but also why she didn't marry him.
Lisa Robbins is not dating and not marrying anyone, so she assures herself, her family, and her boss. But when Peter takes an interest in her, she's wondering just what to do about Dallas's most eligible confirmed bachelor number two, when he just won't take no for an answer.
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Marcy Taylor wants a divorce, but she doesn't want her husband to go after the family fortune, so she's trying to do this the easy way, no fuss, no muss. The only problem is Michael Lindquist doesn't have a wife, and he's sure she's running a scam to try to get his family's fortune! It all began in Las Vegas when Marcy threw caution to the wind. Boy, was that a mistake. Twenty-five thousand dollars richer with a husband to boot and one powerful hangover, she's got to right the wrong.Now that Michael has a wife he doesn't know he had, he's not at all sure he wants to lose her. At least until he can unravel the mystery about her. And that's how the roller coaster ride all began.

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I liked the font in the original, but I couldn't find it for the life of me. Plus, I think in a smaller version, the 2nd one is easier to read.
And here is my YA demon series, though I've only found one picture I could use for that one so far. Don't you love it??? After/Before
New Cover

Who knew her birthday would change her life so much...

Witches and warlocks hide their true identities from the rest of the human population, while three teens with demon heritage living with human families, become unlikely companions in a race against time to deal with a demon threat to humankind in their own quirky way. 
Alana Fainot, a witch and half Kubiteron demon, witnesses a Matusa murder his summoner, and she knows he’ll target her next. Raised by her mother, she has no idea who her demon father is. But when she’s pulled to a demon portal, she meets Hunter Ross, half Matusa, half human, who returns demons to their world, but who’s been poisoned by a Matusa and is more dead than alive. His human mother gave him up for adoption, and he doesn’t know who either of his birth parents are. His friend Jared Kensington, full blooded Elantus demon, less powerful than the Kubiteron, is a whiz at electronics and helps Hunter track demons in the city, but was abandoned by his parents on Earth world for reasons unknown. He’s determined to find help to save Hunter. Alana knows aiding any Matusa is a mistake, but when she learns Hunter is half human, she makes a deal—he protects her against the Matusa who will come for her, and she helps find his dad in the demon world to save Hunter’s life. 
Often at odds, the three teens work together to stop the plans of a group of Matusa to take over the human race before it’s too late.

Ebook:

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Alana Fainot is a demon gate guardian, stuck in her last boring year of school. But not for long. Hunter and the rest of the gang show up when her astral form can't return to her physical form, and she's at the police station trying to talk her way out of having seen the murderer of a summoner. Hunter always knew Alana was trouble, but his kind of trouble, and he's not leaving Alana alone again.Celeste Sweetwater, a new kind of demon, joins Hunter and Alana and the rest of the demon guardians in a fight to find a new kind of portal device that can summon several demons at once. But not only that, another Matusa has been unleashed on the unsuspecting human world and the demon guardians must stop him before he wreaks much more havoc.But this time, the police are involved, paranormal investigators pounce on the area, and the whole mess seems to be spiraling out of the demon guardians' control.

Ebook:

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New Cover for The Tall Texas Order:

a novella

Before the transformation:

Lisa has lived all over the States, but when she starts working in Amarillo, Texas, she's ready to settle down with the man of her dreams--if she can prove to herself she has the mettle to become a Texan.

From camping in the Palo Duro Canyon with rattlesnakes and scorpions and wild mustangs, riding the trail on a cantankerous trail horse,line dancing, and watching a friend devour a 72-oz steak, Lisa's having the fun of her life...mostly.But can she learn to be a Texan? Inspired by several true incidents, the story revolves around a woman who's never settled down for long and a man who wants her to love his home as much as he does...fearing she's bound to leave him sooner or later as she has never been able to set down roots.

Only 99 cents!!!

Amazon

ARe Books

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New Cover for Vampiric Calling:

a novella

Before the transformation:

A vampire targets a huntress for his own, and she's torn between wanting him and knowing she should terminate him. But in the dark of night, who will win the battle?

Samantha Ramsay’s always been different, a huntress born with the gene that makes her kind take up the sword to terminate rogue vampires, yet something isn’t right. They’ve never targeted her before tonight, and now she realizes she can’t kill the sexiest vampire she’s ever encountered, who claims her for his own.
Ralston Vaccarra has waited all the huntress’s life to have her and no one, vampires or hunters alike, will have the woman he claimed for his own the day she was born, only will a huntress be able to accept him and his kind for what they are?

$1.99!

Ebook:

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New Cover for Hearts Undercover:

a novella

Before the transformation:

Melissa Winston is trying to stay alive until the police can prove her ex-fiance murdered his own wife. But when Robotics Cop Number 6 arrives on her doorstep to offer protection, nothing feels right. What if HE is the assassin out to get her this time?

Only 99 cents!!!

Amazon

ARe Books

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New cover for The Genie's Wish:

Before the transformation:

Lizzie Mason just wanted to buy a birthday present for her older brother who loves antiques. What she doesn't expect is to end up in a world far from her own with a mission to save a man's life before it's too late.
Genies are only fairy tales. At least that's what Lizzie Mason thinks until she manages to summon one from an antique vase. Now she's in real trouble as she vows to save the man imprisoned in the bottle from a fate worse than death and ends up in his world, hoping to change fate without getting herself killed.
The genie must right the wrongs of the past before the curse placed on him can be broken. But will the woman who has freed him be able to manage in a world where deceit and death await them?
Only 99 cents!!!

Amazon

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She must retrieve the scepter or the kingdom is lost...

She wanted to be a school trained mage...but everything stands in her way.

I've been reworking some of my book covers and have a new website coming up... so wanted to get these changed also before they're included. So what do you think? Better?

Hope you have a wonderful hump day and if you have Jaguar Fever in your hot little hands, I hope he's making your day!

Terry
“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy IS reality.”
www.terryspear.com

By Paisley Kirkpatrick

I love to give gifts and I always tell the person I am giving to that there are no strings attached and that I don't want anything in return. To me, giving is a beautiful part of life and I love to do it. Giving is also a way of grieving -- at least for me. When we lost our daughter to cancer eleven years ago, a dear friend told me in the olden days women would make quilts to help with grieving. I love to sew so gave it a try. It worked. Since our daughter died, I have made and given away 44 quilts in her honor. I pack them full of love and so far they've been received in the joy that I've given them.

I also love making small pillows, about the size of the ones we used to get when we flew on airplanes. I use the fabrics and leftover stuffing from the quilts to make these. They seem to be very popular with writers because they fit perfectly behind the back or neck. They are easy to put together in a few moments and the covers can be removed much like the cases on your nighttime pillows. I almost have more fun making these as they are just plain fun.

I hate to shop so being able to make gifts is so much easier for me. I always try to keep them on hand to send out or hand deliver when needed.

How about you? Do you have special gifts you like to give?

Release Day: 'Just Once in a Verra Blue Moon'

 

Woohoo! Today is Release Day!

 

Just Once in a Verra Blue Moon
A Highland Gardens Novel
Bk #2

 

Available for Kindle

What happens when a twenty-first century business executive is expected to fulfill a prophecy given at the birth of a sixteenth-century seer? Of course, he must raise his sword in her defense.
Believing women only want him for his wealth, Finn MacIntyre doesn't trust any woman to love him. When, during Scottish Highland games, faerie magic sends him back in time to avenge the brutal abduction of his time-traveling cousin, he learns he's the subject of a fae prophecy.

Elspeth MacLachlan, the beloved clan seer, is betrothed to a man she dislikes and dreams of the man prophesized at her birth, only to find him in the most unexpected place—facedown in the mud.

With the help of fae allies, they must overcome the treachery set to destroy them to claim a love that transcends time.


Journey from the lush gardens of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to the Scottish Highlands of 1511 with Just Once in a Verra Blue Moon.


~Dawn Marie

Boxed Set of Bestsellers

At Amazon.com

A boxed set of three Amazon bestseller contemporary romance novels, with medical theme, sizzling passion, emotion and humor.

At 99cents for a few more days.

BEST ROMANCE NOVEL at Preditors & Editors Readers Poll 2009.
2009 BEST CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE NOVEL at Readers Favorite

2011 EPPIE Award Finalist.
2010 BEST CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE NOVEL at Readers Favorite

 

BABIES in the BARGAIN: Problems separated them seven years ago. Can an orphan baby bring them back together? "ER" and "Grey's Anatomy" in the NICU.

RIGHT NAME, WRONG MAN: What's a girl to do when she whispers another man's name in her fiancé's arms? A comedy novel set in France.

NO MORE LIES: A lie that brings a smile or a truth drawing tears? Secrets and second chances with humor.

 

An experiment with FREE

Recently I decided to try an experiment. One of the take-home messages I got from the last RWA National convention was that having more material available, more often, was one of the best ways to get a lot of attention in ebook circles. This is frequently known as “feeding the beast.” So the more material you have out at a time, the better off you will be.

Another technique was to make sure that you have a lot of a particular type of story available at one time, plus be able to put out something new in that area quickly. One person described this as “five plus one in the hole”. That is, release FIVE titles at the same time, then have a sixth title waiting to go out a month later. This should boost ebook visibility and sales.

So what to do if you have a number of titles in one area available but don’t have something ready to go out the door?

Offer one book free. 

But not just any book. This has to be:

1. Part of a series, preferably the first or an early book.
2. The best book you have in this series. This is important because this will be the book everyone judges the rest of the series on.

I decided this was the technique I wanted to try. So for my Gaian Stories series, futuristic romance stories about a colony of Earth people who needed women from Earth, I decided the book to make free was Beloved Enemy.

First of all, this is the first book of a three book series that have similar names: Beloved Enemy, Beloved Traveler, Beloved Stranger. It has an eye-catching cover as seen here.

It is an award winning book: a Romantic Times Top Pick, a nominee in that magazine's Reviewer Choice Award, and a FF&P Prism Finalist. By a jury of my critics and peers this was a very good book. 

It is an early book in the series. I have six titles to date of Gaian Stories and while Promises To Keep is technically the first book, Beloved Enemy doesn't depend on PTK for any information. All of the Gaian books were written to be read independently, but this one most of all.

Plus, I really like this story. The reviewer for RT caught on that in part I'd based this book on one of my favorite science fiction movies, Enemy Mine,  about a pair of pilots from opposite sides of an interplanetary war being stranded on a deserted planet and having to learn to work with each other to survive. What I did was make them of the opposite sex and human enough to make this a romance. And, to quote one of my more recent reviews on Amazon, I didn't make the guy a jerk. 

I could make this book free because while Beloved Enemy was originally published by a small publishing company and had the benefit of serious editing by them, I have since gotten my rights back and am independently publishing the book. So to make it free all I had to do was put it free on Smashwords and within a few days it was free at Apple, and now, free at Amazon.

The results? Well first results are promising. I'm no longer making any money on Beloved Enemy, and that was one of my top selling titles. But sales of Beloved Traveler, Beloved Stranger, and Promises To Keep, the three other novels are up quite a bit. And since giving away this book, my sales in Germany are picking up in a way I didn't expect. 

Is this going to lead to higher sales in general and more attention to a series that I'm really very fond of? The future is always uncertain but at least I know over six thousand people have downloaded my book from Amazon in the past seven days and some of them are enjoying the book well enough to buy other books in the series. I'm even selling books in Germany and that's something pretty cool right there.

Cheers,

Janet Miller/Cricket Starr

http://www.janetmillerromance.com

SHOUT OUT TO IND’TALE MAGAZINE by Rolynn Anderson

“Everything stays in Las Vegas,” except for this important ‘tale.’ Before I leave glittery LV, I have vital information to share with the world of Indie writers.  InD’Tale Magazine, a sponsor of the 1^st Annual Romance Novel Convention in Las Vegas (August 7-11), is changing the world for those of us self-pubbing or contracted with small presses!

TJ Mackay, dynamic founder of the magazine, realized more than a year ago that Indie writers needed a voice, a review site and a source for information.  In one year, working out of her home in Santa Barbara, California, she has completed the herculean task of delivering a fabulous magazine, leading her staff to write thousands of professional reviews, and co-sponsoring the RomNovCon.  On August 9^th, she announced the winners of the very first RONÉ awards for authors of novels and novellas, books that earned four or five stars as well the interest of the public, then were judged further by people in the writing profession.  Winners of Best Covers for 2012 also earned recognition from InD’Tale.

The energy and optimism of TJ Mackay and her staff is something to behold, giving us all hope that our efforts as Indie writers will earn the respect of readers all over the country.  Take a look at the site: http://www.indtale.com  Consider sending your book to be reviewed by their able crew. 

Viva Las Vegas and InD’Tale!

Here's FADEOUT, which was runner-up in the thriller/suspense category for  the RONÉ.  Yahoo!  Check out other details on http://www.rolynnanderson.com

Jan Solvang has spent her life avoiding conflict and commitment. Six months ago, she left a marriage proposal and a job in Seattle to care for her dying mother. Now she's stuck with her mother's California house and her mother's dog, filling her mother's shoes as a memorial planner with her estranged father.

Roman Keller thrives on conflict, writing documentaries that reveal the flaws of the famous. Jan’s challenge is to help him write a positive eulogy for a grandfather he disliked, but Roman is more interested in her other client: a powerful attorney with a dark past his family wants buried with him. If Jan stands behind the family and Roman goes for the exposé, who’s in danger and who wins?

The tension between them pulls tighter as each discovers the other is keeping secrets.  But if they tell the truth, will they destroy any chance for love?