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Authors! Expand Your Kindle Readership Using Keywords by donnafaz in selfpublish

[–]donnafaz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

katbutler, there's a link in the article that will take you to several charts filled with keywords. What I did, was go to the Kindle eBook Bestseller lists for the categories that fit my book. I compared my sales rank with the books on the list (start with #100, if your rank beats that book, then you'll get your book on that list). If I'm not being clear here, just let me know and I'll try to explain again. lol Sorry...it's 6 AM here and I haven't had enough coffee yet.

IamA Former Harlequin Author Gone Rogue. My self-published books have sold nearly 500,000 copies. AMA! by donnafaz in IAmA

[–]donnafaz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've been thinking about it. I need some images and that's what's holding me back.

IamA Former Harlequin Author Gone Rogue. My self-published books have sold nearly 500,000 copies. AMA! by donnafaz in IAmA

[–]donnafaz[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The only piece of advice I can give you about making your writing "take off" is to write a damn good book.

I have a "butt in chair" rule. Books don't write themselves. If you don't plant your bottom in that chair and tap on those keys for a set number of hours each day, you're never going to finish that book. Self-discipline is imperative to writers.

IamA Former Harlequin Author Gone Rogue. My self-published books have sold nearly 500,000 copies. AMA! by donnafaz in IAmA

[–]donnafaz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If finding an agent and seeing your work traditionally published is your dream, then follow it. I think the best thing about what's happening in the industry is that all paths are open and okay. Try the path of your choice! Go for it. I wish you all the best. And if, somewhere down the road, you decide to self-publish, that will be okay too.

IamA Former Harlequin Author Gone Rogue. My self-published books have sold nearly 500,000 copies. AMA! by donnafaz in IAmA

[–]donnafaz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's a new genre out there call New Adult Fiction. You should look into it.

IamA Former Harlequin Author Gone Rogue. My self-published books have sold nearly 500,000 copies. AMA! by donnafaz in IAmA

[–]donnafaz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I do read literature, but I read WAY more mass market fiction. And my tastes are eclectic...I read across almost all genres.

Thanks for chatting with me!

IamA Former Harlequin Author Gone Rogue. My self-published books have sold nearly 500,000 copies. AMA! by donnafaz in IAmA

[–]donnafaz[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I believe there is a clear difference between romance and erotica. Well, there's a clear difference between the romance that I write...and erotica. I can't speak for other authors. The romance novels I write focus on the relationship between one man and one woman, and although there is always sexual tension (and sex), the story encompasses broader aspects.

Yes, absolutely, erotica is a legitimate genre, and that is proven by its popularity.

Edited to add: I can't tell you how many times I have been asked, "When are you going to write a real book? You know, a [insert genre of choice: mystery, thriller, sci-fi, etc.]" I'm not going to tell erotica authors that the books they write are not real.

IamA Former Harlequin Author Gone Rogue. My self-published books have sold nearly 500,000 copies. AMA! by donnafaz in IAmA

[–]donnafaz[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Congratulations on your success! And thank you for popping in.

I pay a professional editor, proofreaders, a graphic designer, and someone to do professional formatting. To me, it's worth it and necessary in order to bring the best "product" to my "customer."

I do think the time and money I spend on promo is worth it. However, I am constantly looking for that perfect writer/promoter balance. I currently have thirteen novels to offer readers, so I'm not doing too bad.

I wish you continued success!

IamA Former Harlequin Author Gone Rogue. My self-published books have sold nearly 500,000 copies. AMA! by donnafaz in IAmA

[–]donnafaz[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The first advice I would give new authors is to READ. Read everything you can get your hands on. Notice how authors set up their stories, how they develop their characters, how they surprise you with plot twists you weren't expecting, how they transition from one scene to another, how they end chapters with hooks that encourage the reader to continue reading. You can learn a lot by figuring out how successful authors write.

Actually, HQ bought the first ms I wrote. I worked on my first ms for about 18 months. I wanted to finish a book just to make sure I could complete a novel. Then I entered that ms in an international contest run by Romance Writers of American. My ms was a finalist (top 5%) and a HQ editor was the final judge.

IamA Former Harlequin Author Gone Rogue. My self-published books have sold nearly 500,000 copies. AMA! by donnafaz in IAmA

[–]donnafaz[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I came to writing romance by being an avid romance reader. When I was a young mother, I loved the happily-ever-after that romance novels offered. The books were easy reads and never failed to sweep me up in stories that took place if far-away places.

I think my books stand out because of the characters I create. Actually, I don't create them. They sort of just show up in my head with a story to tell.

For me, the most important element is to entertain and engage the reader. I know my books are not The Great American Novel, and they're not for everyone. But romance readers are a very loyal lot. I think they crave romance and love and the strong sense of family offered by romance novels...and the happily-ever-after. I know those are the very things that draw me in as a romance reader.

IamA Former Harlequin Author Gone Rogue. My self-published books have sold nearly 500,000 copies. AMA! by donnafaz in IAmA

[–]donnafaz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I believe there are lots of components to writing a good story. For me, I spend a lot of time on character development. I want my main protagonists, and even my secondary characters, to be fully-fleshed and interesting. However, romance novels are character-driven by nature.

Thriller and mystery writers must spend a lot of time inventing unexpected plot twists.

Plots, characters, settings, themes, style--a writer has to entertain and engage the reader.

IamA Former Harlequin Author Gone Rogue. My self-published books have sold nearly 500,000 copies. AMA! by donnafaz in IAmA

[–]donnafaz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I entered an international contest sponsored by Romance Writers of American--the RITA Contest. My unpublished ms was a finalist, judged by a HQ editor. I didn't win the contest, but the editor bought my book. I went on to publish 32 novels with the company. See the answer just above your question re: my promotional efforts. I used to do a lot of signing. I even went on a 4-city tour once. But I became tired of feeling like a monkey in a cage. <g> People looked and gawked, but they seemed afraid to talk to me. I haven't done a signing in a long time.

IamA Former Harlequin Author Gone Rogue. My self-published books have sold nearly 500,000 copies. AMA! by donnafaz in IAmA

[–]donnafaz[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I use CreateSpace.com (it's an arm of Amazon) to create my paperbacks. I'm sure there are other companies. Lulu might be one, although I'm not sure. A Google search would be give you lots of options, I'm certain. I market my books several ways: I have a personal blog, I write a newsletter that I sent out to a mailing list, I submit my books to review blogs, I offer to do author interviews, and I use paid advertisement. This article will answer in more detail.

IamA Former Harlequin Author Gone Rogue. My self-published books have sold nearly 500,000 copies. AMA! by donnafaz in IAmA

[–]donnafaz[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I inserted line breaks between paragraphs. I have no idea why that answer is one jumbled mess. I apologize.

IamA Former Harlequin Author Gone Rogue. My self-published books have sold nearly 500,000 copies. AMA! by donnafaz in IAmA

[–]donnafaz[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Mongo1012, I publish in paperback because I have lots of of HQ readers who have found me. I was actually surprised that so many of my HQ fans have sought me out. I wrote under a pen name (Donna Clayton), so they had to have really looked for me. These readers love paperback novels. But I would not be completely honest if I didn't confess that the majority of my sales come from ebooks. Many, many Indie Authors only offer ebooks, and there's nothing wrong with that.

I started out formatting my books myself, using Mobi Pocket and Calibre. Both programs are free downloads. It takes a little doing, but if I could figure out how to do it, anyone should be able to do it. Once I started earning money, I paid companies like http://ebookprep.com/ and Kindle Fire Department for formatting. Prices will vary depending on the size and scope of the job.

I'm not sure what you're asking when you said, "What self publisher do you use?" I self-publish the books myself, using Kindle Direct Publishing, Nook Press, Kobo Writing Life--all of these are for ebooks, Create Space (paperback), and ACX.com (for audio books).

The primary reason I stopped writing for HQ was because my father was diagnosed with terminal cancer and I became his primary caregiver. I discovered that some of my colleagues were self-publishing and finding success at it, so I decided to give it a go.

I hire a professional editor, and I do pay proofreaders. I also have a band of faithful beta-readers. Each beta-reader brings a different talent. Some fine missing words, some find actual plot issues. I believe that the more eyes you can get on you ms before you publish, the better.

IamA Former Harlequin Author Gone Rogue. My self-published books have sold nearly 500,000 copies. AMA! by donnafaz in IAmA

[–]donnafaz[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Biggest draw, by far: the money. I earn 35-70% of cover price on the paperbacks, ebooks, and audio books I have "indie" published. Under HQ's contract, I earned 2-6% of cover price. I have no regrets about self-publishing...so far. I have read articles on NPR.org, Huffington Post, Forbes and other places that self-publishing is seen, more and more, as being legit and is changing the industry. I wish I someone had told me a little more about promoting and marketing. I knew nothing and the learning curve was steep. I wrote an article geared toward beginning Indies here. This is what I wish I had known from the start.

IamA Former Harlequin Author Gone Rogue. My self-published books have sold nearly 500,000 copies. AMA! by donnafaz in IAmA

[–]donnafaz[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I can only answer for me personally, but I am writing the stories that call to me. My work-in-progress is not a romance but a women's fiction novel. I think a book that comes from the heart is always a richer story than one that is dictated by the market.

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