Saturday, May 18, 2013

The End is Truly the Beginning!

Writing "The End" on the last page of your novel really translates into the beginning of taking yourself serious as public persona, becoming a salesperson, learning about marketing, showing up as presenter, or speaker, a writing instructor, and the list goes on until we run out of clever ideas.  Our work plus editing process can, and will, sometime take years (my novel Clinging to Deceit took almost 2 1/2 years before it was published) but it all doesn't end there.

Back in 2010, I wasn't aware of how difficult it would be to write a book and publish it, nor was I prepared for it, but having today's experience has been good for my next novel. Writing every day is ideal, but most writers don't do it (me included). Some of us write a little here and there, many once a week, and others let it go for weeks without writing a sentence.  What I'm telling you isn't fiction, is reality.
The excitement of having a book printed is incredible and you will find yourself floating on air until realization comes that "you" are the main character in your book's exposure and that it needs a lot of attention. Your excitement might last longer by attending writer meetings, mingling with other authors, offering your services to writing clubs which will strengthen the livelihood of your new found endeavor: Marketing your Book.

I heard an author say during a well attended author panel event that she wasn't selling her own books or that she wasn't going to jump in the social media as others do. Her books were selling without her assistance, she retorted.  All the while, she was failing to realize the topic of her book was the main reason for sales, a controversial title made it a curiosity and hence books were being purchased.  She might have to change her mind one day when future books don't sell as well.  In other words, no author should expect current "success" to be the same for every book one writes.

The days of a publisher taking care of all our marketing is over nowadays so authors should do their best to sell their own books, relate to social networks and accept their public persona. Rest assured that a book will sell more when we put forth the effort of selling it and marketing it ourselves.

ElenaMartina

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Blogging with Purpose: Why Blogging is Turning into a "Must Do" for Writers.

Why blog? There are hundreds of thousands of blogs floating on the web and many more being created everyday. Abandoned blogs also exist as a lifeline to owners who gave up on blogging. The main idea, it seems, is to receive a residual income that may be generated when ads are placed in it, paying a penny per-view or something like that.

I was introduced to blogging a couple of years ago by a fellow author and I've been doing it since. I blog about my book Clinging to Deceit, which I use as the main subject for posts about writing, and book marketing.

I gain no monetary contributions as I don't display outsider ads, but I tried it once, and frankly I saw no benefit whatsoever. Other bloggers are crafty in that arena, but not me, so my "payment," and personal satisfaction, is giving other writers information they might use in their writings or in trying to publish their book. I like helping people, and consider my blog a "diary" where I impart personal wisdom for free. It is a positive thing... and that's why I blog.

My advice for writers is to start a blog and be seen in every possible social media format possible. Most of us have a Facebook page, but not everyone has Twitter. A good number are on LinkedIn, some may have a YouTube account, and the latest most unused social format is Wikipedia, where you can profile yourself. But I'll write more about wiki, on another blog.

I think that every writer should have a Blogger or WordPress account, whichever is easier for them. We writers like to write, yes? And our writings are part of who we are, yes? Then blogging is for us as well.  Pick a topic, write about it, self-publish your ideas and articles, and teach something useful. Do it daily or weekly, or do it as often as you can to get your name out there. This social media format will help your literary platform.

ElenaMartina


Tuesday, May 7, 2013

AUTHOR NAMES

If you are not a seasoned published writer at this time, it is then a very unique opportunity for you to think about the "author name" you'd like to give yourself.  Most authors simply use their usual names when they write a poem, a newspaper article, or a book, but have you thought of changing your name and adopting a literary one? Out of many authors out there some use a myriad of name combinations that attract the reader's eye or ear when they hear someone say it.

If you're in the midst of publishing your first book then perhaps you should give a name change a little thought and think of combinations:
- Will you use your usual first name and last name? Stephen Edwin King goes only by Stephen King.
- Will you consider a pseudonym or pen name? Neftali Ricardo Reyes Bosoalto used Pablo Neruda as his famous pen name.
- How about first and middle names only? My name is Elena Martina Garcia Mogrovejo de Southern, and I go by Elena Martina.
- First name, middle name, and last name? Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges went only by Jorge Luis Borges.
- First name, middle initial, and last name? Writer Ian Banks uses his adopted name (Menzies) as his middle initial: Ian M. Banks. 
- First initial, middle initial, last name? Thomas James Bassler, MD went by T. J. Bass (you can see that he also shorten his last name).
- Title, (Miss, Ms. Mrs. Mr. Dr.) and last name? Theodor Seuss Geisel used Dr. Seuss.

You can do a few other combinations and if your name is a bit "difficult" or heaven forbid "common", readers will have a hard time finding *you*. One way to find out is using Google. Type your name and see how many of you are there.  Be prepared that another author may have your name too!

Giving yourself a *unique* literary name can prove to be advantageous in your craft.

ELENAMARTINA

Friday, May 3, 2013

Readers All Around.

Redwood City, California
Opportunities to sell books are all around you only if you pay attention. Most authors sell theirs online or at a book signing, but selling a book at a time is proactive and we should be willing to do it. For instance, when I learned that a high school friend moved near me, I went to visit her to reminisce school memories but not without bringing a copy of my book. When she found out that I wrote a novel, she wanted a signed copy immediately! So I sold her a copy right there and then.

You might say: "Sure, selling a book to a friend is easy, but how about to strangers?" Well, I've stories where strangers have approached me and asked to buy my book. No joke. It depends where you advertise your craft. A good example: A neighbor invited me to join our Neighborhood Watch website, so I did. The site offered a profile where I could inform what I like to do, so I made it a point to disclose that I wrote books and gave my book's link. What an opportunity to share my craft, I thought. Within a couple of weeks, a neighbor I had never met before purchased a copy on Amazon.com and told me. Another wrote that he was coming over to buy an autographed copy, and another one knocked on my front door with cash in hand asking for my book.
Baltimore, Maryland

Facebook has also been great for selling single copies too! Many have purchased it, I then ask them for a photo holding my book and they have happily complied. It is a great marketing idea to show off your readers. By given these examples, I'm showing that selling books can be a lifelong task as long as you're willing to do it.

Someone said to me not long ago that most Indie writers sell less than 100 copies, in their lifetime. I'm living proof that that is not the case.

Making an honest effort to connect with friends and strangers can, and will, increase sales. Extended family that you may not have met yet will also purchase a copy because they're proud to have an author in the family.  Just show them how little it cost them as E-book. 
Start thinking about long lost friends, college buddies, ex-coworkers, past and current neighbors, even church members! Nine members of my church purchased their individual copies and that happened one book at a time.

Sydney, Australia
ElenaMartina
Author of Clinging To Deceit.

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

BOOK GIVEAWAY

Giving books away is a common practice for authors, especially when we want you to read them and review them for us. Another aspect of giving away books is through author blogs, or Facebook pages where we can easily advertise freebies at no extra cost without purchasing an ad.

I'm giving away a signed copy of Clinging To Deceit but first, I need you to "Like" the Facebook page assigned for this. The goal is for it to hit 325 Likers so a lucky person can win a free book! We're currently at 316 so the goal is not far away. After that is achieved, the new goal will be 350, 375, and so on until I end the giveaway.

So check it out, "Like" it to be included in the drawing, "Share" it on your page for *your* friends to take part as well. The chance to win a *free* book is yours!

(Book value: $15.95)
Direct Link: https://www.facebook.com/ClingingToDeceit  

ElenaMartina



Saturday, April 27, 2013

SHUT UP AND WRITE!

Once a week I lead a Writer's Group where everyone attempts to write their individual literary projects. The group's appropriate name should be "Shut Up and Write!" but I'd rather call it "A Chapter at a Time." The aim is to gently push and coach writers to finish their books and because I don't enjoy noisy writing groups, we are not allowed to interrupt others while writing. -- We try to get inspired and construct sensible sentences during this time so chatty people never allow for such dynamic flow and offer no advantage.

If you're thinking in putting together a writing group, choose a day and time that works for you and have some rules. Ours is a combination of 45 minutes writing/editing time and break for 15 minutes, where we socialize, help, coach, give constructive advice, and brain storm when a writer finds himself or herself "stuck" in a scene or a sentence. The success comes when we gently push others to finish their work and allow for only one single project to be done. Remember, the aim is to produce chapters and finish the book!

Serious writers should join groups that allows them to successful finish and publish their work, otherwise they would find themselves writing for years without publishing any real work. Conversations and jokes during writing groups produce zero results and those writers hardly ever produce a finished book, I've witnessed such combination.  Also, members come at different levels in their book development so finishing stories is crucial to their success and that of the group.  Finally, when a writer publishes a book, it is a huge incentive to other members, and believe it or not, writing alongside published authors has a positive effect on unpublished writers who then continue to chase their dream of authorship.

Elements to follow: 1) Choose a day and time that works for you, 2) Find a public place such as a bookstore, library, diner, or coffee store to meet, 3) Have rules that work!

-- That should do it.

ElenaMartina

Friday, April 19, 2013

Experts on Publishing


Don’t miss the upcoming panel of authors at the South Bay Writer Club, where they will talk about the world of publishing and answer your questions at Harry's Hofbrau in San Jose on May 8th. - Book signing afterwards.

Panelists: Marjorie Johnson, author of Jaguar Princes, and Bird Watcher, Victoria Johnson, author of The Doctor's Dilemma, Grant Writing 101, and All I Need to Know in Life I Learned from Romance Novels, Sherrie Johnson, author of Straight Man Gay, and Straight Man Gay Two. Nader Khaghani, author of The Grand Conference of Birds at Grant Park, Elena Martina, author of Clinging To Deceit, and Jana Mcburney, author of My Half of the Sky.

Members and guests: Take notes, because after all the speakers have finished, you can direct questions to individual panelists in an open forum. Panel members will then go to individual tables during the last part of the meeting where members who have specific questions for a panel member, can go to that table. This is an opportunity to have a one-on-one with them who have paved a path to publishing for you—all you have to do is come to the May 8th meeting.

What will cost you to see your book in print and how can you estimate the cost per book? How do you turn your product into an E-book? What path should you follow so prospective buyers can purchase your book on-line, in print, and E-book form?

The panel of Ultimate Resident Experts will Show You How!



Friday, March 15, 2013

Hobby Writer



If after attending multiple writer meetings, book conferences, and poetry readings, volunteering at a writers club and fellowshipping with published authors and bloggers you are still stuck in your old and unfinished writing mode, you might be a hobby writer.

So what now? If the goal was to finish that book you’ve been editing for the last few years, you must set a reasonable amount of time for action.  A deadline will help you feel in control only if you dedicate to it.  I often tell writers to concentrate on one book at a time and leave other projects for later.  Those seem to be reasonable suggestions except that we writers are multifaceted and complicated.  Our desire to write, re-write several projects at the same time is common and unmanageable for most of us.  Are we “Type A” personalities? Heck no, but we sure act as if we were.

Our main concern is to present the best work we can offer, yet we spoil it by mismanaging time and effort.  We choose to entertain time for writing poetry or short stories, while our big project sets on the back burner waiting to be stirred.  Sounds familiar?

If the endless hours of writing instruction by laureate authors have not helped you push your product to the masses then you need to face the music and deliver your sonata sooner rather than later.  What I mean is, work relentlessly on the one project you’ve been stressing about and push it to forefront.  Leave all other little projects and immediate accolades behind and make 2013 the year you publish your masterpiece.

I read somewhere that people either deliver results or excuses, never both.  Get on it, stop giving excuses and finish that book already.

ElénaMartina


Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Book Exposure: The Grand Plan

In the large scope of literary marketing, Indie authors work extra hard to get their books out to the public. The diagram above shows an excellent picture of what authors do. Take a look, read and study every segment, and understand how writers constantly work those circles. That should give everyone a new perspective and new found respect for Indie authors. We have to do all that work.

(For better reading, click on the photo to expand it.)

ElenaMartina

Monday, January 14, 2013

Finish that Book!

No matter what the Mayan Calendar may have said, we waved adios to 2O12 and welcomed 2O13. So, what's on the agenda now? Well, we probably took it easy for a couple of weeks (that's why this blog is 2 weeks late), then will charge into the new year and accomplish what we wish to do, yes?

Time to execute previous goals: Your first literary priority should be getting your book done and the second should be publishing it. Yes? Yes!

The same idea goes for me. I just don't enjoy blogging to tell folks what to do, or how to do it, I also push myself to the finish line. Point in case, the other day, something inspired me and I came up with a different ending for my novel from what I had in mind. This goes to show that writers are always thinking on how to improve or finesse our writings in order to better present our stories to the public. It is a never ending task!

Let us then commit (to ourselves and our readers) to write a little more at a time -or- a lot in a short time and get your story out!  Every writer has their own method, I work better writing a lot in a short time. Some don't have any method and that's why they never finish a thing, others work on too many stories at once. I commit to one thing until I get it done and voila! Next thing I know, the piece is finished and the feeling of achievement is terrific.

What's your method? Don't have one? Then get cracking, 2013 is here and it's not going to wait for you.  Remember that the year will come and go, so you might as well have something to show for it at the end.

I hope I motivated at least one of you enough to WRITE, FINISH, and PUBLISH.

Until next time....
ElenaMartina


Thursday, December 20, 2012

Good-bye 2012 ~ Hello 2013!

Another year is about to end and what do we have to show for it? That's the question everyone should ask themselves. In my case, I published my first novel Clinging To Deceit. You may say, "that's just a book", but keep in mind that it took me two years to complete. Not a small task! Many writers take years, some only months, and others write forever without ever publishing their creations, so I consider myself lucky to have done it.

Remember, this blog is about writing and publishing, not about other accomplishments, so I'm in track with my writing goals. Goals should be taken seriously and are good to have (and great to achieve). What will next year bring? I can't tell you for certain, but I should be making a list and I will check it twice!

So far, my New Year's Resolution list has no goals as of today, and I blame the Mayan Calendar, approaching December 21st through the 23rd. So afterwards, when everything looks alright, I will start jotting down my 2013 year endeavors.

In the meantime, I'm reading a book about the last Maya Shaman titled: Jaguar Princess, by a friend and colleague: Marjorie Johnson. The story involves a very young archaeologist who claims to be a direct descendant of a Maya king. She finds an ancient Mayan book while seeking treasures and discovers she has powers she did not know about... - I'm not done with the book, but will soon finish it as I'm curious to find out what "powers" she has.

Readers, so what's on your reading list for 2013? That is, in case you are not writing a book and trying to publish it. Maybe next year will be your publishing year! Great! Start by joining your local writer's club and get connected. Many authors will be willing to help you by providing advice.

Stay focused!... And see you next year....

ElenaMartina


Monday, December 17, 2012

Mistakes, Mispellings, Oh my..!

When we encounter a grammatical error in newspapers we tend to casually brush it off and continue to read the article, yet when a mistake is made in a book, we feel personally offended. How could the writer have missed such an obvious thing?

Some readers will take the time to mention an author's grammatical blunder to others, or inform the author about it in their reviews. But, why do we act differently between newspaper writers versus book authors? Is it because we feel more intimately involved in a novel and daily news articles do not merit such public outrage?

Over the years, the trend of newspaper managers has been to stop offering higher editorial services to their readers. We see mistakes done by columnists on a daily basis, and it is apparent editors are not doing their job in reviewing articles before allowing them to go to print.

Mistakes happen to all writers and because of it, I am lenient on others, but every single day low caliber  journalists continue, or are allowed to continue, their under performance at work day after day. When I wrote for The Fayetteville Observer, I was assigned an editor and she, Ms. Valenzuela, caught my mistakes before my columns went to the presses.

Writing a book is a huge undertaking. My novel Clinging To Deceit has over 44,000 words in it, yet four or five errors made it through. My trustworthy editor did not catch those, obviously, but he caught several others and brought them to my attention early in the process. I can say that I too am the author of a book with mistakes and can only plead forgiveness.

But, I do wish that newspaper columnists and their editors would clean up their acts as their columns are probably 500 - 750 words, not 44,000.

ElenaMartina


Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Facebook Book Lovers

Do you use Facebook?  To millions of people this question is strange, as some have been using it since 2004. It is, however, a valid question and I am surprised at the amount of folks who do not use it today.

The reason why I opened a Facebook page is that I wanted to keep tabs on my teenagers. They each had a page and seemed to be on it all of the time, and to me, it was crucial to know what they were doing, so I signed up and became their "friend." At first, they felt intruded upon, but slowly seemed to warm up to the idea.  It surprised me to see other parents not using Facebook at the time, but today, I believe it is a must-thing to do - if you want to know what your kids are up to.

In the early days of my page, I had family and friends only, and then I added co-workers, then others.  It grew in numbers and I started to accept a few strangers out of curiosity.  It "evolved" to what it is today; a major social network for me. Now I have more "friends" than my two children put together; only because I am a public figure, published author, and columnist.

In 2010, the literary world advised me that authors need a platform, so I rounded up more international facebook people to raise my social literary status. My page now has 2,480 Facebook friends!  I also felt the need to create a page solely for my book, something many savvy authors are doing. When my book Clinging To Deceit was about to launch, I felt great having a link ready to give folks. That page now has 264 fans!

Some writers have more fans, some less, and you shouldn't worry too much about that. The point here is that many authors do not have a page to identify themselves and/or send fans to, and they should.  I find this very curious because writers know about platforms. Not having an author page or a page about your book is detrimental to your efforts to getting noticed globally. 

So what are you waiting for? Open a page, make it interesting, and keep up with it.



Monday, December 3, 2012

International Exposure

It is somewhat amazing how international publications can get a hold of your product via newspaper articles, blogs, or interviews. What you think is only local exposure, in reality might go global in a matter of seconds if someone links your profile to their websites in another country.

Soon after my book Clinging To Deceit was published, it began to receive inquiries from bloggers and others involved in the media. The book and my story was blogged by a few people, and it received invitations for radio and a TV interview. A blogger, who interviewed me in June 2012, was asked by a German magazine called, eXperimenta, whether they could print his blog about me. He agreed, and in October 2012, they published it in their magazine, to our mutual delight. Although the magazine is an online publication, they print single issues when requested, so I asked for a copy. (pic)

Keep in mind that once your interview goes viral, the article belongs to anyone. It can either be sold, or given away by the interviewer to other publications without your consent or acknowledgment. I happened to find out about this particular exchange through my interviewer's Facebook page. He never asked me if it was Okay with him giving it away, and that was that.

There could be other media venues where your book or articles might be receiving exposure, but you do not have an idea where it may end up. A good tip would be to "Google" yourself or your product's name once in a while to see if it has appeared anywhere else in the world.  That's exactly how I found out my book being advertised for sale by booksellers sites around the globe, including UK, China, Canada, and Australia.

ElenaMartina

Friday, November 30, 2012

Handling an Audience

It is time to speak, and you see thousands of eyes looking at you... Well, maybe not thousands, but still, you feel like it is, and you want to give them your best impression. The mic is on and you've been introduced to the audience. You pick up your notes, stand up, walk to the podium, and get close to the mic.

Some say that cracking a joke is good for endearing you to the public, but engaging the viewers is another matter. You can make them smile or even laugh for a second or two, but your 30-45 minute speaking engagement means you ought to "engage" them in your message.

I've come across speakers who handle their duties very casually and lack endearing skills. And I think it is because most don't have speaking talents, yet organizations hire them to "speak." I remember a particular woman, praised by many in attendance beforehand, who is a writing teacher at a local university, who came dressed as if she was going to the grocery store with blue jeans and a T-shirt so small, that her protruding belly showed. Not a pretty sight, I may add. She stood in front of us to teach us something, yet that is all I can remember.

Am I focusing on the wrong things? I don't believe so. I understand that folks want to be comfortable, but facing a crowd who are dressed better than you should be a giveaway. She should not have treated us like her young writing students in a classroom setting. Apparently something as simple as dressing up is a hassle for some. Not everyone should stand in front of people and speak. It doesn't matter if that person is an "expert" in their field; if he or she can't demonstrate professionalism they should not be invited back.

Stand firm, speak loud enough, articulate words so they aren't misunderstood, and dress the part. It is crucial to be ready for an audience and being engaging is key. Involve attendees and be pleasant, approachable, sincere, and overall professional.

ElenaMartina.

Monday, October 22, 2012

SELF PROMOTION? YES!

There will be opportunities to do interviews with newspapers and magazines, but some of them will ask that you provide a short column (150 to ~300 words) about your book including a brief bio. How can anyone compress everything one wishes to say about yourself and your product in less than 300 words? Answer: It's tricky but it can be done.

Some publications feel it is businesslike to receive a short blurb of your craft so they can copy paste and publish... and that you should make you happy.  Although they're missing the opportunity of interviewing you formally, these brief clips help get publicity.

You could either have something ready for print or make it as-you-go, depending on their requirements, so be flexible, and don't scuff when settling for self-written publicity pieces that may not receive the attention you're hoping for. Always remember that any publicity is better than none!


I am used to self-written piece requests by now. At the beginning I thought these editors were just lazy and copy pasting was their "journalistic work", but it seems to be a trend among them (nevertheless, I feel they could do better justice if they wrote it themselves).  Another style of "interview" are preset questions they send you that you answer and send back.  I had a few of these done, but one didn't go well because the interviewer first language wasn't English, so keep "an eye" for that!

The best interview is always done by someone who actually took the time to read your book, unfortunately, these true professionals are hard to find.

Be prepared to acknowledge what they print, when and where, and use it for blogging purposes (like what I'm doing now). Grammar and discrepancies can be worked out hopefully before the piece goes to print otherwise corrections might be late.  I've had a couple online interviews where errors were posted only because the interviewer didn't verify certain information. But mistakes can be easily retracted in their next issue if they care enough for their publication, their readers and their interviewees.

ElenaMartina
onlyelenamartina@aol.com


Tuesday, October 16, 2012

How To Land an Interview...

...There are no "secrets" to landing an interview with a newspaper columnist, a magazine editor, a known blogger, or a TV or radio personality. I simply call it perseverance. When I see an opportunity, I ask! But, some writers have a real problem when faced with that chance for their book to be noticed by the media.

I have no qualms asking for a favor or presenting my idea for an interview to people I know, or just met in the course of a gathering or networking event. Why should I? They are looking for opportunities to  write articles, interview folks, or find someone who might be up and coming in their community. It is a perfect exchange: they have their article and I have exposure. Simply by asking!

I have enjoyed several interviews, but having air time is crucial. I have done a few taped and "live" shows that are tangible items to use for dissemination. Some interviews have been via blogs; my favorite blog being with Gael McCarte, and as long as you keep their links handy, they will be at your fingertips in cyberspace. I do appreciate all, but my all-time favorite ones were with Punto de Encuentro Revista Radial in April, Univision 40 in July, and Silicon Valley Latino Magazine in October. I keep track of all of them and the exposure that my book received hopefully turns up in sales which is what every author wants. Another aspect is that these links may be very beneficial in helping to land a literary agent or future publisher... One can only hope, right?

As authors, we have been told that a platform is a necessity and it becomes real when they (agents and publishers) ask for proof. Show them your interviews, media clips, etc. and be proud to have done a great job. ~ And yes, go ahead and ask!

Note: I will use this opportunity to thank the following - In order of appearance:
- El Show Internacional, with Paula Maruri.
- Punto de Encuentro Revista Radial with Monterrosa y Mejia.
- BlogHer with Gael McCarte.
- Tumblr with Gael McCarte.
- Focus Matters with Gael McCarte.
- WritersTalk newsletter, mention pg.8.
- Univision 40 with Karina Torres.
- Colorful Journey of Success with Clare Mullin.
- GaGa Sisterhood, article by Donne Davis.
- Hispanic Lifestyle, online issue.
- Experimenta Magazine, Oct online issue, pg 32-33.
- Silicon Valley Latino Magazine, by Jose Posadas, Oct print & online issues.

P.S. Currently, a short piece is "in the works" for Vision Magazine, online issue.

ElenaMartina
Questions? Please write to: onlyelenamartina@aol.com

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Travels Worth Blogging About!

Vacations. There is nothing better than taking a few days off and getting to know the world. This time, our destination was Los Cabos, Mexico where the sun, clear skies, and summer heat made us sweat even in the shade.  Vacation destinations make great traveling stories. Four days here allowed us to look at local art, taste native meals, stay in hotels, use taxis, seek entertainment, and watch shop owners 'push' us into buying their crafts, and overcharging everything.

WATCH OUT!... As everyone wants your business; taxi companies located in their airport and at their hotels will overcharge you. Things like this are typical scenarios and sad for tourists when they find they've been had. The Mexican government should control and stop it from happening, but who am I kidding, your solace is to know Spanish. I caught someone trying to overcharge us when he "consulted" with his pal about prices, in Spanish. What a shame to see them squirm when they both realized I understood every word!

As we enjoyed Cabo beaches, we looked forward to their local history and found it when we taxied to a nearby city of San Jose de los Cabos and located their Mission. A very old building reconstructed after a hurricane, but that maintained its original layout. The interior looked very simple but strikingly beautiful.

The surrounding shops were a great way to pass time until our next adventure into another nearby city, this time in a bicycle taxi! He pedaled his way around and it was fun to be bicycled around while taking photos and seating comfortably behind him.

We then went for their customary afternoon little siesta and resume our trip with more eating, more beach walking, and more local entertainment. What a great way to spend time away from social networks and the constant writing on each of them.

We felt our batteries were renewed, and blogging about it was something had to be done when we got back, and not while we were there.

ElenaMartina
 onlyelenamartina@aol.com

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Book Cover Tips!

When working on your cover, I recommend to write a short biographical about you on the back of the book cover and place a good photo of yourself. Believe it or not, these little things account for sales as they might connect readers personally to you. Have you ever bought a book because the author looks interesting? It might sound silly but it happens! Perhaps the author is from an interesting place you once lived or visited? Or attended school where you did? - Not long ago I purchased a novel and what made me buy it was the author lived in the U.S.A. but was Russian. I bought it because I thought maybe a Russian author would give the story a different take and I was not disappointed.  You should also place a short book teaser, and if you are lucky, a well scripted foreword or a good review by someone important

The first thing people do when searching for a book is briefly look at the picture, scan the title, see book quality and read the subtitle if any, then they might look for more information on the back. This takes a few seconds. If the reader finds the book somewhat interesting, they then browse the interior quickly before making a decision to buy it or leave it behind.  If you are an Indie author (which means self-published), you need to rely on all (and more) of these tips to help you sell your book to the general public.

ElenaMartina.
onlyelenamartina@aol.com


Sunday, July 22, 2012

A Published Author First Steps.

It is not easy to imagine what a writer should be doing during their first few months as a published author, but it is something to think about and keep a record of what happens. I was truly excited when my book Clinging To Deceit made its debut with AuthorHouse, my publisher. Seeing it "live" was euphoric and humbling at the same time.

Amazon.com carried it a week later after its release and a few more days Barnes and Noble, Books, Inc., and Books-A-Million soon followed. After seeing this progress for a few weeks, Indigo picked it up in Canada and then I stopped searching for other book retailers. I realized that I made "author status" and the book was selling! A beautiful goal turned into reality.

During my first three months, I managed to do a radio interview, ordered books, sold autographed copies, created a Facebook page for my novel (currently 170 fans), volunteered for the California Writers Club (South Bay Branch) as their Networking Chair, displayed my book at their May event (pic), received very good reviews on Amazon, got interviewed online by author and blogger Gail Buesnel, and later by Algerian blogger Rachid Falali. I then took a vacation to Canada -where I sold more books, and when I returned home I signed up for a public fest event where I sold more books. ~Phewww!

A week ago, I came back from a 9-day trip to different cities in North Carolina to visit family and friends and was interviewed by the Spanish TV station Univision. I feel very blessed. I will continue to work really hard to make a literary impact and to gather more contacts that hopefully turn into literary deals. ~ Wish me well!

ElenaMartina.


Saturday, June 30, 2012

YOUR BOOK SALES

Every once in a while authors are presented with this particular question: "How many books have you sold?" and after stumbling with words, we provide an answer by giving a number of factors. We know that an honest answer could either break or make our image so we wiggle out of it.

If you are part of the small group of authors selling hundreds of books a month, you can say proudly how many books you have sold, but the rest of us are not blessed with such huge sales.

Since my my recent publication of Clinging To Deceit, I have been asked three times about sales. It still makes me feel uncomfortable when I hear such question as it only has been 2 1/2 months since its debut. One real factor I do provide to curious interrogators is that my publisher AuthorHouse cannot announce all final sales/royalties until other book resellers who bought a book through them sends them money. That alone can take 3-4 months depending on the book's publishing date. Author royalties are paid according to calendar quarters, plus 30-60 days, at which time they send you what they owe you.

The last time someone asked me about my sales it was in public forum, and I answered him: "No serious writer will discuss their book sales publicly." Fortunately, he understood my answer without any more prodding. It makes me uneasy when people want to know my sales as if publishing the book itself is a minor deal. Gosh, it took me 2 1/2 years before I got it to the hands of readers and can see that formidable sales will take a few more years in order to see if the accomplishment was worthwhile. I tell myself that selling a book is probably an equal or much harder endeavor than that of writing it.

ElenaMartina.

Friday, June 29, 2012

WHAT IS YOUR WRITING "HANDICAP"?

Writing schedules -when followed- are worth a lot to writer's deadlines. Each Tuesday morning I am part of a small group of women writers whose mission is to write, edit their own work, and move their projects along. We meet at a bookstore and for three solid hours we work our projects moving them closer to the next level. Sometimes the three hours turn into only two with the other 60 minutes dedicated to social chit-chat.

In early June, I was visiting family in Canada but I was determined to take time away from relatives and do my "Tuesday writing" at a nearby bookstore called Chapters in Ottawa.

My "writing handicap" if I can call it that, is writing a chapter in 4-5 hours. So, currently it takes me a week and a half to do this. Add editing into the mix and I am looking at twice that amount, perhaps triple time. My last book had 13 chapters, and if I continue that number of chapters trend, my next book should take me six or seven months. Does it sound feasible?

Considering that my first novel took me 10 months to write, I want to improve and finish a book within 6,7, or 8 months the second time around. Writing a novel takes a long time. Who has not heard of folks capable in finishing a book in three months while others take years to complete? The advice I give to myself is: "DO NOT take longer than a year to write, edit, and self-publish a book. My life hangs on my literary creation and I have better things to do such as promoting, marketing, publishing, teaching, and selling my (writing) art."

My last book took ten months to write, a year and a half to edit, and a couple of months to publish. I can honestly say that I'VE LEARNED MY LESSON and promise not to take that long again. Writing and publishing Clinging To Deceit I, taught me a lot. This time, while writing Clinging To Deceit II, I'll take into account Mr. Procrastination and Ms. Apathy and have them committed to attend a class on how those issues complicate rather than help any situation.

Having a writing timing schedule proves useful as I am finding out on my second time around.

ElenaMartina.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Never Interview with Someone Who Has Not Read Your Book.

A month after my book came out, I was honored to be asked for an interview by a blogger who is also an author. She interviewed me privately through Facebook. She asked several questions which I promptly responded and her final piece about my freshly published novel turned out beautifully. I was very impressed and very pleased.

When another blogger happened to request the same, I obliged, but his questions were a bit distorted. I assumed it was because his first language was not English. He approached me as if my book was romance. I told him immediately that it was hardly a romantic story and questioned if he had read my book; he replied that he had read excepts through my blog. I was a little hesitant but figured it would be just fine, so he sent me questions and I answered them.

Within 24 hours I was given the opportunity to read what he already made public. It was a copy paste blog of my answers to his questions. There was little editing and it read a bit unbalanced. I was distraught... And upset at myself more than at him for not thinking this interview through. The big clue was when he mentioned he had not fully read my book.

I don't know if the first blogger read my book or not, but she covered all the basics, was professional, and did an excellent job. The second blogger did not put enough effort (in my opinion) to construct a well written piece. At one point during questioning, he kept calling me Martina; I promptly mentioned that my literary name is ElenaMartina, first and middle names together, but it seemed to not matter... On his published piece he still referred to me as Martina.

Afterwards and privately, I mentioned his lack of attention but there was nothing I could do. The interview was out and already getting attention from his Facebook readers, some liked it, and some were interested in my book. A day later, he re-wrote his piece to accommodate my earlier inquiries, but the new piece was hardly better, so I thanked him for trying and for his time and effort.

If I seem ungrateful, I am not. I am happy that a blogger across the ocean took an interest in my book and allocated time to interview me. The lesson I learned was to be more patient and be careful as to who I interview with when dealing with foreign markets. My book is a product and as such, an interview done well helps sales. As writers, we should specially pay attention to interviewers who may not be fully bilingual in our language as it might cause problems in translation or viewpoints. I am happy to say that his interview drew the attention of a German blogger who asked to translate it in German. Although I was pleased to see that, one wanders where this could lead and hope it does well when done properly.

ElenaMartina.

Chapter 3!

Chapter Three, Obligation or Choice details the private dealings of two fathers with the arranged marriage between their children. Their negotiation turned them into business partners with a well concocted plot to take place in a year's time.

The groom's father, Ali, convinces Aqqela's father to pay a substantial dowry to cover the young couple's welfare, all the while scheming a secret plan to pay family bills and gambling debts with those funds.

"The contract" turns difficult to uphold when Ali's son, Hassan, defies his father's authority at times and agrees at other times. Family problems overwhelm their lives and carry into the arrangement. Hassan oppresses his feelings when faced with an obligation to please his family but discovers that he has a voice and choice in the matter. He chooses to oblige in order to keep his family content, but carefully plans a getaway with Seline, the girl who he starts to date in secret.

This chapter brings all the main characters to face cultural traditions. Their unique struggles to what is supposed to take place becomes a mix of honor, avarice, and deceit.

P.S.: I have provided very short briefs of three chapters and hope to have enticed your curiosity for more. The plot thickens with new shocking discoveries, past deeds that haunt, and an elaborate ending that the writer herself faced as her story unfolded in front of her eyes.

ElenaMartina, author of Clinging To Deceit, 2012.