Universal Links for Book Marketing

To all the authors out there struggling to promote sales of their books on multiple sites, Draft2Digital just released a feature called Universal Linking that helps with this chore. The concept is simple. Instead of trying to advertise multiple links for all the sites that sell your books, you can use the single universal link created by Draft2Digital to direct the reader to a page on the Books2Read site that links directly to your books on all the selling sites. I suppose it's one extra click for readers, but I prefer that one extra click versus all the extra text and links that would be necessary in a snippet of ad copy to showcase all the places to purchase the book.

I'm not sure about other authors' methods, but I know I usually focus on only advertising a single venue, such as Amazon, per piece of ad copy in order to keep it polished and professional. This will allow me to create ads that provide easy access to all the selling venues without a lot of convoluted wording, and I'm looking forward to trying it. I already work with Draft2Digital for some of my digital publishing, so they created my universal links automatically, and I just had to add links for the other vendors they don't handle. If you don't already work with D2D, I think you can still create universal links for your books, or at least that's my understanding from reading the email they sent out. My interpretation is you just have to set it up yourself on Books2Read.com.

These are what my universal links and landing pages look like:

Defying a Duke: https://www.books2read.com/u/bP87rb
Mystery Lady: https://www.books2read.com/u/47kMkR

I hope this info helps some other authors out there. Pass it on!

Sometimes Blue Is Blue

As much as I love a great story, I was actually never much of a fan of literature classes or the literature segments in English classes. Or maybe I should clarify and say I wasn't much of a fan of the common teaching approach, which usually focused on a "right" way to interpret the material in a story instead of letting readers make sense of the details in whatever way felt right to them. I agree that reading is important to critical thinking, but I don't think that means every reader has to walk away with the exact same feeling and message after reading a book. We could have had far better classroom discussions over the years if we had talked about the varying interpretations of different readers instead of focusing on teaching every student the "correct" interpretation. After all, sometimes a blue curtain is just a blue curtain.

Passive No More

In my work as an editor, I constantly fight a battle against writers who produce content with excessive amounts of passive voice. And by excessive, I mean EXCESSIVE. I understand that using only active voice is sometimes difficult, especially when writing fiction, but good writing should blend both active and passive voice, with an emphasis on the active. You could certainly argue that writers are entitled to develop their own writing styles, and it's up to readers to decide whether they love them or hate them. That would be true for writers who write for themselves and their fans, but that doesn't get the writers off the hook who write commercially for clients who pay them for the content. When a client gives you guidelines that include writing in active voice, it's your job to follow them. When you don't, someone picks up the slack and makes the corrections. You guessed it. That would be the editor. 

So that explains my mini rant on the excessive use of passive voice in the writing world these days. It's really all about saving my own sanity. LOL. That's why I can't resist sharing hilarious writing memes like the one attached to this post. Enjoy!

Fun Writing Perspectives

For maximum impact, he really should have added, "Don't screw with me."

I'm sorry. What were you saying? I don't think I quite caught that. Exactly!

Oh, well. Normal is highly overrated. Who needs it?

Funny and Empowering Oscar Wilde Quotes

It's been a while since anyone made me read a play of any kind, but I ran across some famous quotes by Oscar Wilde that made me wonder if The Importance of Being Earnest is still mandatory high school reading. It was a play worthy of a few chuckles at least, and it looks like Oscar enjoyed showing off his wit in other ways.

All the writers out there understand the chilling shudder that goes along with this little nugget of wisdom:

"A poet can survive everything but a misprint." -Oscar Wilde

As a romance writer, I'm personally a huge fan of:

"Never love anybody who treats you like you're ordinary." -Oscar Wilde

Moving on to Book 3

So the first two books in my dusty digital closet are published, and I'm ready to move on to polishing the third historical romance I wrote many years ago. Defying a Duke is currently a featured book on the Book Goodies website, so I should probably devote some time to marketing, but I've decided I'm not a fan of marketing, and I'm feeling stubborn. I'm definitely starting to understand why many writers are willing to work with agents. I want to write, not work on marketing, so it's a bit of a no-win situation for a writer with a limited amount of time for writing. Sigh... Wish me luck! (And if anyone knows a good literary agent, let me know.)

Readers' Favorite Book Review of Defying a Duke - 5 Stars!

I'm extremely excited to announce that I also got a 5-star editorial review of my second book, Defying a Duke, from Readers' Favorite. Yes! Check it out for yourself if you like historical romance.

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite:

Defying a Duke: Regency Heroes #1 by Anjannette Conner is a beautiful tale of love, duty, and honor. The story follows Jordan Montgomery, an American heiress, who was blessed with older brothers who love her and want to protect her at all costs. Although she loves them, she has bigger dreams than just being a little wife to any man. She wants to find love and adventure. That is why she leaves her family behind and travels to London, where she gets what she wants and then some. She lands right in the middle of a deadly plot that she might not survive.

Caine Wakefield is the future Duke of Somerset. He saves the beautiful Jordan from danger and reluctantly takes on the job as her protector. This pretty woman is too much of a distraction. She has a fire inside her that he cannot ignore, and there is nothing he can do to fight it. As he is fighting to keep her safe, he is also fighting to keep from falling for this woman who makes his heart sing.

This novel is brilliant. I finished it in one night, and I simply loved it. Caine is so amazing. He is charismatic and charming, and, boy, I just love him. Jordan is not your typical damsel in distress. She is a woman who knows her heart, and she knows her limitations. That makes her human and that much more attractive. She is not hard headed, and, together with Caine, she makes a lot of sense. This is definitely a series I would love to read. Five stars! It was great.

Readers' Favorite Book Review of Mystery Lady - 5 Stars!

This is the 5-star book review I received for my first book, Mystery Lady. Woo-hoo! Check it out if you like historical romance.

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite:

Mystery Lady by Anjannette Conner is a romantic mystery that will keep you guessing and falling madly in love. Zachary Chandler’s life was a content one, albeit a little boring. However, that was remedied when he found a raven haired woman who desperately needed help. Found almost dead, when she wakes up, she has no recollection of who she is and where she is from. The only clue about her identity is a pocket watch with the king’s crest on it. She has a British accent, so either she is a spy or someone who fell prey to someone else’s nefarious plans. With constant attacks on her life, Zach is the one who must protect her. He is obsessed with this task and it is during this turmoil that he falls for this beautiful woman. She might be the enemy, but his heart feels as if she is the one. Which one should he trust, his heart or the signs?

Anjannette Conner is one amazing storyteller. This story was wrapped up nice and tight with great writing, an amazing plot line, and wonderful choice of words. Many writers don’t have the gift of choosing the best words to describe a situation, but Conner did it in this novel multiple times. Once you start reading it, you will not be able to put it down. You will want to know what is going to happen in the end and, trust me, you will not be skipping and skimming. You will want to read each and every word because this book is that good.

My Book Review of Immediate Dead by Blue Cole

Immediate Dead by Blue Cole - Reviewed by Anjannette Conner for Readers' Favorite - 5 Stars

In Immediate Dead by Blue Cole, Sandy Cooper, a rookie female homicide detective for the Atlanta PD, has plenty of obstacles to overcome without adding the quirks of her new partner to the list. Dubbed the Reaper by the other detectives in his precinct, Michael Bennett has an aloof demeanor and a strange working style that his cohorts either find intimidating or annoying. Thrown together as partners, they quickly discover their working styles complement each other perfectly, but it doesn't take long for things to get bumpy as they attempt to stop a revenge killer focused on medical personnel. Intrigued by her partner's strange behavior at murder scenes and his uncanny 90% clearance rate on cases, Sandy puts together pieces of a puzzle that lead her to an astonishing secret that could mean the end of Michael's career.

When I read a thriller, I want the book to really intrigue me from the very beginning, and Immediate Dead by Blue Cole did exactly that. I was captivated from beginning to end. The story reveals one critical detail at the very beginning, but the author really makes the reader keep flipping those pages for all the other important reveals. I enjoyed the dynamic between the two main characters, particularly Sandy's "underreaction" to Michael's big secret, and I would definitely love to learn much more about the enigmatic Fred (Michael's friend) in future books. I need the answer to what Sandy "experienced" near the end, so I will definitely be looking for the next book in the series. 

My Book Review of Storm Rising by Kenneth Hoss

Storm Rising by Kenneth Hoss - Book Review by Anjannette Conner for Readers' Favorite - 4 Stars

When a notorious drug kingpin appears to be on the verge of getting away with yet another murder in New York City, NYPD homicide detective Kelli Storm refuses to sit back and watch it happen without a fight. Along with her new partner, she launches an investigation that leads to the shootout death of the daughter of the infamous drug lord her father tried to take down more than 20 years ago before his own brutal murder. Ordered by the DEA to drop the case, she soon gets a taste of the drug cartel's retribution when her Alzheimer's-stricken mother disappears from her nursing home. From the streets of New York to the desert outside El Paso, Texas, Kelli Storm and her ex-husband, Kevin, face down deadly obstacles to unmask the man behind the cartel and make him pay for his crimes.

In Storm Rising by Kenneth Hoss, Kelli Storm tackles some extremely difficult challenges, both personally and professionally, but she refuses to accept defeat. She deals with personal tragedy and her mother's worsening Alzheimer's symptoms by focusing on putting away the bad guys, and she isn't afraid to break a rule or two along the way to do it. This enjoyable and entertaining story has plenty of twists and turns for readers who enjoy a fast pace, and it even offers the beginning of a rekindled love story as Kelli works closely with her ex-husband to save her mom and bring down a drug lord. This is the first book in a series, and I'm definitely looking forward to finding out where the future books take Kelli Storm.

Hot New Release Alert!

Get it while it's hot! Defying a Duke, the first novel in the Regency Heroes Series, is on sale now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Smashwords, and Scribd.

Cover Chaos

Finally! The new website is finished, and I can check one thing off my monster to-do list. At this point, I'll take every accomplishment I can get. As to the rest of the book marketing and promotion I need to do, well, one bite at a time, right?

The most challenging issue that requires immediate action is the creation of a new cover for my book. This is a challenge that I obviously thought was resolved, but I was completely wrong. Apparently, my lack of experience bit me on the booty, and I'm enjoying a "live and learn" moment. Okay, so "enjoying" is a really strong word. The problem is the catch-22 related to cover design for a brand new author. To compete against thousands (pages and pages) of other books and actually sell books, it's critical to somehow stand out and tempt buyers into clicking on your book title. After all, the best blurb in the history of the world won't sell a single copy of the book if no one ever finds it and reads it.

For new authors with no name recognition, that means the best way to attract attention is to create (or buy) an eye-catching book cover. This is where I steered dramatically off course. The book in question is a historical romance, and anyone familiar with the genre knows that a huge chunk of book covers for historical romances include a man and a woman entangled in a passionate (or at least compromising) embrace. Second and third place numbers probably go to a lone woman in a gorgeous gown or a lone man in a striking pose, possibly (Gasp!) shirtless. You find the occasional scenic photo on a historical romance cover, but it's certainly not the norm.

In a quest to avoid the "typical" cover styles, I pondered some of the key elements in my book, trying to come up with image ideas that would make a captivating cover. The result was the purple eye that appears on the first version of my book cover.

 

I thought the eye was perfect. Originally blue, I changed the color to represent the unusual violet eye color of the heroine in the book. Beyond that, the overall look of the design was edgy and seemed to fit with the mysterious theme implied by the title.

Yes, well, I started communicating on Amazon message boards with some more experienced writers in the historical romance genre to find answers to a few questions I had, and many of them pointed out that my cover didn't indicate to the reader that the book is a historical romance. Due to the edgy look, the consensus was that the cover indicated a thriller or paranormal novel or something in the young adult category. Yikes! Talk about bursting my bubble. I knew the cover was edgy, but I certainly didn't mean to create the impression that the book was a completely different genre.

Once it was so blatantly pointed out, I could easily see that maybe I went a bit too far. So there it was, the nasty catch-22 of creating a cover. I need a cover that deviates from the norm and stands out from the crowd, but the cover still has to say, "Hey, I'm a historical romance!", or my potential readers might skim right past it, regardless of an eye-catching cover, because they assume it's something else.

I'm running ad campaigns that I'm afraid could suffer because of the poorly chosen first cover, so I have created a temporary revised cover that fits the theme. I say temporary because it's an embracing couple that might not really stand out, but at least readers will know it's a historical romance. I suppose it's better than nothing while I wait for inspiration to strike on something remarkable and unique…and historical. Sigh… Feel free to offer advice.

Saturday Humor

As if wading through a mountain of marketing information isn't enough to lay me low, I have now added website creation to the list of monsters weighing me down. I have officially decided that it might be worth it to spend every dime of (future) profit on marketing services. Who needs luxuries anyway? I just want to pay the bills and then pay someone else to do all the yucky stuff so I can WRITE! Sigh… Here's a little humor for today. LOL!

Just for Fun

I'm still up to my eyeballs in marketing mania. No time for deep, thought provoking prose or even lighthearted banter, so here's something just for fun.

Marketing Mayhem

So…after only a few short days, I'm already floundering in my new quest to devote some time to a daily blog. What a surprise! LOL. It turns out that publishing a new book involves a lot more than simply pushing the "submit" button for final approval. I am now officially buried in what seems like a never-ending to-do list of items for marketing and promotion. Oh, how nice it must be to already be successful enough to have a publicist. And to think, I always thought the best part of any future financial success would be treating myself to occasional luxuries. Now I think having enough in the bank to pay someone to do the stuff I really hate just might be the better perk.

Between designing my own ads (no publicist, remember), promoting the book on a lengthy list of sites, and still managing my "real" job (refer back to my previous post about the darn bills that won't stop arriving on schedule), I'm feeling a little sleep deprived. To make matters worse, all I really want to do is move on to the next book, just waiting to be properly formatted and electronically spit-shined for publication. Patience is not one of my virtues, and my inner child doesn't understand why I can't just do what I want. (She's a bit of a brat.) Logic dictates that it doesn't make sense to write books without finding readers who enjoy them, so I will continue to learn more than I ever wanted to know about marketing…for now.

Interestingly, the greatest challenge I faced with the marketing materials wasn't the ad creation. I'm a bit rusty on Web design, but I can still navigate a graphic design program with workable (not award-winning) results. The challenge turned out to be finding a good photo of myself to use as an author photo. I never would have imagined it was possible, but not falling prey to the selfie craze actually just bit me on the booty. I have some very good friends who are enjoying the last laugh right now.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not making fun of all the selfie queens out there (at least not much). Your selfies always look great, which means you apparently look great all the time. If I looked great all the time, I might be tempted to snap a few more pics of myself, too. Unfortunately, my truth is I can literally work in my pajamas, and when it's cold, I usually do. I love makeup and its impressive capabilities as much as all the selfie queens out there, but I don't feel the need to spend 30 minutes applying it each day. (Yes, it takes me 30 minutes, probably because I don't get enough practice.)

The point is I'm not selfie-ready at any given moment, and that turned out to be a problem. It was about 2 a.m. when I gave up on finding a photo, and I wasn't in the mood to glamorize at that point. I finally had to crop a headshot out of a group photo. Of course, I quickly discovered that my friends (or family) and I usually stand way too close together in photos, so it was still a challenge to find something I could crop that didn't include someone else's hair, shoulder, or cheek. (Yes, sometimes we really are that close.)

I'm making progress down the marketing list, but it may be a while before I get to the point where I can add something to the blog every day. I may have to "cheat" and fill in with some cute pics or inspiring quotes on really busy days. Be sure to follow me if you want to be notified when I post something new. Also, the link for the book (paperback and Kindle eBook) is http://www.amazon.com/Mystery-Lady-Anjannette-Conner/dp/1523877510/ for anyone who follows me on the blog and not Facebook. Talk soon!

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Welcome to Midnight Ramblings of a Writer on the Edge

Welcome! I'm new to this thing called a blog, but never fear, my fellow readers. I'm looking forward to figuring it all out. As someone with a lifelong passion for writing, I suppose I should be embarrassed at missing the boat on something so perfectly designed for writers, but if I took time to wallow in the shame of it all, then I wouldn't have time to write, would I? And THAT is my new resolution for myself. In 2016, I will do more things that are just for me. In my case, that primarily means writing one of the novels swirling around in my head…and then another one…and another…well, you get the idea.

Writing is what I love to do, and I would gladly spend all day doing it if I could just get the rest of the world to cooperate. Alas, the bills roll in every month right on schedule, reminding me that I can't give up my editing job to write unless someone hands me a big, fat contract. Or a movie deal. I could probably get by for a few years on a movie deal…if I really tried. Of course, editing isn't a bad gig for a writer, but I edit mostly Web content and business documents, neither of which provide much food for my creative soul.

It goes without saying that I prefer writing to editing, but I would lose my house, and my children (at least the two remaining at home) would starve if I attempted to switch to writing for my clients instead of editing. I believe I could nail the job, but I would spend far too much time researching material and perfecting every single sentence to ever work at a profitable pace. I wouldn't be able to help myself. My right brain would demand that I try to turn an article about something like removing old wallpaper into a critically acclaimed masterpiece. Good luck with that, right? For me, it's much more profitable to work on an article with the mindset that the content is set, and it's simply my job to clean it up.

At least things are looking better on the creative writing front for 2016. My youngest son started high school last fall, and his lack of enthusiasm for anything beyond video games (a whole other subject for a future blog) has freed up some time that I used to spend volunteering at his schools and attending games, practices, and events. As a result, I finally had time to shake the digital dust off a few books I wrote many years ago (before so many kids) when I somehow had time for myself. After some excruciating time spent manually reformatting relatively ancient word processing files and re-editing every single word, I successfully published one of the books on Amazon a few days ago.

If you want to check it out, the title is Mystery Lady by Anjannette Conner. Fortunately, the genre is historical romance, so at least the content won't seem dated after the long delay between creation and publication. I don't think an extra 20 years after the end of the Revolutionary War matters much at this point. This book is my first step in meeting my goal to focus on what I love and spend more time writing. I will complete the same process for the second and third books and then turn my attention to a whole new story. It will be interesting to see which one makes the journey from brain to paper first.

Meanwhile, I think I can already imagine the therapeutic benefit of releasing some stress in the form of a blog. I can't imagine that a straight diary-style approach focused on my life would remain interesting for long, so I plan to let loose with commentary on a huge range of topics. The topic could be something that annoys me on a given day or something that thrills me. It could be something pulled straight from the headlines or something completely outrageous. Let's just say I plan to have some fun with it, and I certainly hope all my readers do, too.