There is a lot that goes into writing a book that never makes it into the final story itself. At least not directly. Dr. Jessica Black, ND helped me greatly with the technical medical details in "Dying Embers". So today I sent her a signed advance review copy. However the one chosen to deliver the book made the mistake of flipping through it to "Just read a little before I leave." I had to snatch and rescue Dr. Black's copy before it got tear stained...
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One of the facets of marketing a book, or any other product for that matter, is advertising. Now for a first time author or any other small time business advertising can be prohibitively expensive. Fortunately there are a few options out there that only cost your time.
The one this website is using for now is Project Wonderful. It is an international advertising website that requires almost no real computer skills to use. Basically if you have word processing and Paint skills you can work their system. They offer a full range of price options from the free (which does take its tole in time and attention) to a few hundred dollars a day. As one might expect the "free" websites have lower traffic but only using them I am garnering up to forty clicks a day to my site that I would otherwise never see. If you want to see how it works just turn off add block for this site. ( I PROMISE there are only classy adds from PW. And what you find on the google boxes is really up to you.) There is a PW add on the home page and one on the blog page. The main parade day of the McMinnville Alien Days Festival was a hit. But oddly enough the best costume didn't win first place. For some reason the judges could never remember her once they turned to look at their clipboards. So everyone had a blast. Except for the Cyberman who overheated and had to upgrade to a cooler outfit and some soda. Most universes were represented. And much candy was had all around.
Head on down to McMinnville, OR if you can manage it this weekend because the aliens are here!
There is food and fun and lots of people to meet of every species. I will be there off and on so keep your eyes open if you make it. They are a rare breed nowadays. The solvent independent bookstore. With the pressures of the internet and the big chain stores closing in it takes a special brand of chutzpah to keep a little indy store open in the open market. But there are those who manage and today I just got confirmation that one in particular will be carrying "Dying Embers".
3rd Street Books in McMinnville, OR will be the go to local store for my book. They are about as comfy and picturesque a book store as you can fit into the brick buildings that line the downtown of this little Pacific North West city. Like most such clusters they look like they grew out of the moss and stone instead be being built. Inside you will find happy smiles and books to meet almost any taste. Today's suggested reading is a bit different from the other posted so far. First and most obviously "With the Light" by Kieko Tobe is a Manga.
But there are no demons in this graphic novel. There are no giant robots or mecha. There are no grandiose villains with plans to destroy the world. There are no super powered teen girls or cute talking animals. There is only Sachiko Azuma, a young newlywed giving birth in the dawn light to her first born son. She and her husband are beyond happy and she gladly steps into the shoes of a mother and a homemaker. But slowly, bit by bit she realizes that her son is different from other children. He does not want to be touched. Loud noises frighten him but he can't seem to hear her voice. First a doctor suspected he is deaf, but then the diagnosis comes in. Her baby boy has autism. The author envisioned the eight book series as an accessible education tool for a Japan that had almost no idea what Autism was in the early 2000's. The first thing a doctor would ask when discussing the disorder was "Have you seen Rainman?". A foreign film was the closest cultural reference any of the struggling parents had. So she gathered together medical professionals, top artists and writers, and parents with their true stories and poured all of that expertise and personal knowledge into the most accessible format in Japan. The result was a work of art that still resonates a decade later. So does anyone recognize the picture above? Obviously it is the iconic flying saucer. A pic from back when that was a craze. What is special about them you ask?
Well according to who you ask they are either: 1) the BEST ever fakes taken or 2) the oldest real photos of flying saucers The story? Back in 195o Evelyn Trent, an average middle aged farm wife, had just finished feeding her rabbits on her small homestead between McMinnville and Sheridan, OR. She heard a strange sound over head and looked up. This flying saucer was wooshing around so she called her husband out to see. Mr. Trent took the two photos on his Kodak camera and then the saucer flew off. They waited until the camera was full with more mundane photos before taking it to be developed a few days later. They only showed it to some friends but the story took off...well like a flying saucer. They never made a dime off of the pictures. They never capitalized on the fame. They never recanted their story. Mrs. and Mr. Trent have now passed on but they left McMinnville, OR with a legacy of the strange and the alien. So this week we all gear up for the Alien Days Festival! Second only to Roswell in size. I will be out and about promoting "Dying Embers".
YAY!
Lacking a good image of confetti fireworks this explosion of spring color will just have to do! In addition to getting "Dying Embers" onto the online shelves of Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Powell's bookstores. One of my childhood haunts, the local Bob's Beach Books, has accepted it as well and will be placing an order. Also next week is the Alien Daze Parade. So that will be a great marketing opportunity. Did you know that an RV turning around in a grassy designated parking area makes a great crop circle? Barnes & Noble has set up their "Dying Embers" page. The paperback is on display and the Nook version is already for pre-order.
Also the official "Dying Embers" page is up and running here on Betty Adam's Tall Tales. |
AuthorBetty Adams is an up and coming author with a bent for science and Sci-fi. Archives
March 2024
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