Tag: book

Posted on

Book Marketing and Promotion 101: The Organic Method

Beginner Steps in Book Marketing and Promotion.

So, here I am, starting from scratch. Again.

I uploaded my novel, Masters of the Elements: Resonance, the first in the Paragon series, at the end of November as an ebook, and then later in December, as a paperback. And began thinking about marketing my book. 

Fast forward. Here I am in February after numerous delays, all completely legit (no excuses here), but I’m only starting now to market my book. 

Only… I am not so savvy in this department. In fact, A real novice. I have been doing some research, and more research, and it has become overwhelming. Find Readers; Get reviews; Build an e-mail list; Sell, sell, sell! And I froze. Mainly because I don’t want to bombard my social media lists with advertisements about my book. Over and over again. It makes me uncomfortable to do that.

The (Writing) Fool

0 – The Fool

Now, some of you may (or may not) know that I am also interested in Tarot and Astrology. I even have a book (Journal) printed called A Personal Tarot Journal: An Intuitive Journey. But I’ll leave that one for another post. In any case, I pulled a card at the beginning of last week, and it was The Fool. 

Now, one of the most meaningful interpretations for The Fool is to find a mentor, someone who has already done the work to guide you where you feel you might just “leap off that precipice feeling happy, happy, happy, but not knowing what the hell you’re doing.”

Hey Everyone! Here’s my new book!

The first in the Paragon Series

I left a post or comment or two on one of my social media threads. And EJ Runyon, my developmental editor, caught sight of it and left me a message.

— If you need a session on how to learn book marketing and promotion for your novel, let me know and we’ll do a session.

— Really? You do that too?

— Yes!

So, after my numerous distractions and delays, I set up a Skype appointment with EJ Runyon, and let me tell you, she dragged (not literally of course) me back to the starting line and gave me the pointers I needed. I suddenly feel less overwhelmed.

Lagging behind in book marketing and promotion.

Yes, I am lagging behind a little (no, horribly), but I have decided to go with the flow. I know there are certain steps which I missed, such as the proper way to do Pre-order Promotions, the Release Announcement, the Press Release, and the list goes on. But I’m not Stephenie Meyer or M.L. Stedman… yet.

When I am less of a novice and more knowledgeable in Book Marketing and Promotion, I will NOT miss those steps. Mark my word. 

Training and writing.

In the meantime, I’m doing my training using my first book (It’s been my Learning Baby from the get-go.) And I am currently writing the second in the series!

Book Marketing and Promotion — step by step.

Now, I’m ready to start the marketing and promotion of my book. Step by step, following EJ Runyon’s tips and techniques to growing your following with the organic method. Connect with her, she’ll be happy to set up a learning session with you! 

On your mark. Ready. Set. GO!

Living an extraordinary life, 
CC Sullivan

Posted on

Develop a Scene, Write a Chapter: Lesson 1 with EJ Runyon

bridge-19513_640

I have been working on the last leg of my first book and going over all the extra words that need to be removed. It’s been quite the exercise. I’m actually loving it because it is teaching me to look at my sentences, how they read, and make it all tighter.

But this post is not about me…

EJ Runyon has been more than kind to “pay it forward” to me with 8 lessons toward the development of my chapters. I have sat down with her for my first lesson, and we went over certain aspects of my chapters to help make my writing and my scenes stronger.

I cannot emphasize how even one lesson with EJ Runyon has helped improve the flow of my paragraphs and words. And, wow, what a difference it made!

Please reach out to EJ Runyon and let her help you with the development of your story. You will not be disappointed with your lessons. Plus, she has the most soothing of voices. I look forward to my remaining lessons with her.

You can find free online lessons at her website Bridge to Story,
http://www.bridgetostory.com/classes/

Also, Skype with her for coaching or story edits. She’s a wonderful teacher! You will not be disappointed! http://www.bridgetostory.com/services/

Keep on writing,
CC

#book #novel #inspiration #lesson #lessons #chapters #chapter #scene #character #story

Posted on

Fruitflesh… and Setting The Mood

Fruitflesh: Seeds of Inspiration for Women Who Write by Gayle Brandeis. I’ve had this book for a while on my shelf and so I grab it (finally) and open it up. I’ve spent the last few months working, writing, living, and not writing this blog. So I figured I’d come back to my blog today… with a fresh start.

The first entry of Fruitflesh just happens to be my favourite so far. I hope the author will not mind me posting this entry. I find it extremely inspiring.

Page 13: Fruitflesh Meditation: Mango

Hold a mango in your hand, Notice how solid it feels, rooted firmly in its own skin. The flesh inside is incredibly sexy—moist and slick, saturated with shades of sunset and intense, ambrosial flavor. The mango is wild but centred, its seed supportive as a spine.

Slice off a wedge of mango. Bend the fruit back, like a neck arched in pleasure. Explore the sweet flesh with your tongue, your teeth. Devour the fruit until your whole face is slippery with its juice.

Let your writing be like this feast—bold, sensual, unapologetic. Enter into it fully, with your whole body, without hesitation.

Gayle Brandeis

Beautiful. Simply beautiful. Whenever I read this first passage, I want to dive into writing the way I would dive into eating this fruit. Messy, dripping, sticky, sweet. There’s no stopping to wipe my fingers because the next bite just saturates my fingers all over again. There’s no point. I have to go through from start to finish enjoying the process without stopping. By the end, there’s  a gooey mess all over my hands and face. And when it comes to the end, I feel that same disappointment as when I have to stop writing. Real life. And, with the fruit, the process of cleaning up the mess.

I’m back.

CC

Posted on

A Paradigm Shift to… Putting Yourself First

Tamarindo Beach

There is a really good book called The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron, in which she mentions that one of the important things to do is to set an artist’s date with yourself, at least once a week. It is a book about reigniting the inner artist in yourself. Simply, it means that it is important to take time for yourself, to awaken the side of you that you might put away in front of others, family, loved ones.

I read this somewhere recently: “There are two kinds of people in the world – those who walk into a room and say, ‘There you are!’ – and those who say, ‘Here I am!’ ” – Abigail Van Buren

I had a good chuckle when I read this. This isn’t about that.

Now, Putting Yourself First is important in the “You put the breathing mask on yourself first so that you can help the person next to you” kind of way. Many people live for the sake of others: Doing things that other people think is right for them; and helping others whom they think need help, and so on. Things to do, places to be, people to see… you know the motto.

Essentially the body and mind need time to re-assimilate to its surroundings and that means with little things such as, getting back to nature – we live in such a technological world now that it is hard to tear away from the mobile phone, the laptop, the iPad, or the TV. The body needs to rest to revitalize itself.

The mind also needs time to recuperate from all the external messages that it receives – and frankly, there has never been an age where we are bombarded with constant information on a daily basis. (There are days when I just keep going and going and then suddenly I hit a wall and think “OMG I have just reached my point of OVERLOAD – and I literally have to stop.) So step away from the techno babble and just relax with a book, or take a drive in your car to the country, venture a stroll in the park, or just sit and do nothing but daydream.

It is all about keeping the balance within yourself because if you don’t – your body and your mind will tell you anyway. I always think that when I hear people saying (or myself thinking or feeling) – I’m tired, I’ve had enough, I don’t feel like doing anything – that’s when you know that you have reached that point and need to Put Yourself First.

The body is like a barometer and if you listen to it carefully, it will tell you exactly what it needs.

Have a great restful weekend, respectfully, CC

Posted on

Coffee in hand and writing…

It’s Saturday morning and I have my coffee in hand and writing.

I recently joined a site called Goodreads.com and am featured as an Author on that site (yeay!) I am really beginning to like that site and I find it exciting to see so many authors, books and readers that are featured.

If you are interested in reading, paper or e-format, that is the site to begin listing the books that you’ve read, or written, and connect with other readers or authors. The site will recommend your next books based on what you like to read.

I have been so busy, and going away, that I need to catch up with my writing. I did some this morning and also had to put time aside to do a bit of marketing. I definitely find the writing part much more enjoyable than the marketing part of it. However, the marketing part of it also gets me in touch with other writers, and sites. Anything to get me away from writing.

So, I’m going to keep this one short and get back to writing my second installment this morning. I may be back later to update my Ten Paradigms of Writing. Today’s will be A Paradigm Shift of… Putting Yourself First.

Don’t you find sometimes that there aren’t enough hours in a day?

G’day,

CC

Posted on

The Paradigm Shift of Acceptance

Serenity by © CC Dailly

“No one thinks in your mind except you.” ~ Louise Hay

(Acceptance: to receive, to release resistance, to surrender yourself to)

Releasing resistance is a difficult feat. It seems such an easy thing to read and think about, but to put it into effect is a totally different exercise.

“If we could fly, we’d all have wings, and some of us don’t know why…” ~ Michael Hutchence

What are thoughts of resistance? — procrastination? fear? reluctance? uncertainty? And why is it that those come to the surface so much more easily than acceptance? All I can say, right at this very moment, is that acceptance and releasing resistance is hard work. It also brings about the task of living in the ‘now’ while planning and envisioning for the future and, at the same time, letting go of the past.

When you are ready to receive, it comes to you. And, I believe that thought holds true for everything in your life.

Posted on

The Paradigm Shift of Expectation

In Writing… 

Sunrise by CC Dailly

Expectation and anticipation are the keys to manifesting your desires.

Those just happen to be the two elements that keep readers glued to the pages of your book. Master the art of keeping your readers on the edge of their seats and you will have mastered the skill of expectation and anticipation.

What will happen next to the protagonist? Will he take the chance to change his life or will he just settle and watch the world go by?

The same should be expected in the story of your own life.

Expectation creates a certain excitable feeling. You will feel those wonderful butterflies in your stomach when you live your life with expectation and anticipation. (I’ll leave out the worry and angst that goes along with that for now.)

Writing should be approached with the same feeling of expectation:
Expect to write a great chapter.
Expect that your character and your story will develop in exactly the way it should.
Expect that you will accomplish what you have set out to create.
Expect to write everyday for a few minutes or an hour.
Expect the unexpected.

I expect that you will go out there and seize the world now that you have read this!

(So easy to say; so hard to do.)

Proudly powered by WordPress