A New Book is Born

This week, my second Casey Holland mystery, Deadly Accusations, is not only available in stores, but will be available on amazon on March 6th, in print for now. The Kindle edition will emerge down the road. So, Casey is being unleashed on the world once more, and yes, I feel very fortunate. This is a book I worked on a long time, and my writers’ group painstakingly critiqued every chapter over a year and a half.

I know that a lot of authors jump up and down and shout halleluiah from the rooftops when their book is published, but that’s not my style. Not that I actually adopted a style, I just kind of fell into it. See, whenever one of my novels is published I’m overcome with a sense of relief followed by a philosophical bent on the meaning of it all, and how that meaning is managing to weave itself into my life’s great plan. Not that I have a great plan, but I’m a spiritual person and believe that someone out there has concocted one for me. Whether that being is high-fiving or morosely shaking his, or her, head over this latest endeavor isn’t quite clear to me. Although, publication does feel right, so that’s probably a good sign.

Thanks to TouchWood Editions’savvy publicist, my book was mentioned in Quill and Quire recently, and recently reviewed in The National Post. Who would have thought? I really planned to live in complete obscurity for another few years. This kind of attention and exposure (partial obscurity, I call it) is a new thing, perhaps the work of that ubiquitous being. If you’re curious, you can find it at http://arts.nationalpost.com/2012/02/24/crimewave-the-wild-beasts-of-wuhan-last-dance-deadly-accusations/

As mentioned a couple weeks ago, I have a book launch scheduled for the last Saturday of March, and I’ll be reading at La Fontanna Cafe on Tues., March 20th. Thus beings the promotional part of my life. It’s going to be an interesting couple of months, culminating in attendance at the Bloody Words Crime writing conference in Toronto from June 1 to 3rd. I don’t want to take up space listing events here, but if anyone wants more information, you can contact me at debra_kong@telus.net and they can be found through my Facebook page, and here we go.

DEADLY ACCUSATIONS, http://tinyurl.com/7b5dfub

THE OPPOSITE OF DARK, now available for iphones, iPads, and iPodTouch at http://bit.ly/nZLlS8. Also available in paperback at http://tinyurl.com/30dlx64 and on Kindle at http://tinyurl.com/7kxuat8

FATAL ENCRYPTION, http://tinyurl.com/ddzsxl

TAXED TO DEATH, http://tinyurl.com/czsy5n

Spamming Gone Too Far?

We’ve all had our share of spam over recent years and, for the most part, it doesn’t bother me much. Most of the spam emails I receive go directly into a separate folder and the contents quickly deleted. Emails that slip through the spam net are also dispatched with the click of a mouse.

With the rise in e-books and self-publishing, I’ve seen a marked increase in the number of spamming authors, not only in emails, but on social networking sites. Again, it’s usually not a big deal to me, as I truly understand an author’s desire to let people know about his or her book. Many times, a friend I do know will ask me to vote or comment on something. For me, this isn’t spam and I’m happy to help out when I can. Other times, a new friend I don’t really know will press the issue a bit. About three years ago, one young lady from the U.S. asked me to vote for her book in a competition, so I did. When she made the next round, she asked me to vote again and then again, and a fourth time--she made it to the semi-finals.

This week I received an email from a new “friend” I didn’t really know on a social networking site (not Facebook or Twitter) asking me to buy his book and review it so he could increase his amazon ranking. Really? I don’t even pay much attention to my own amazon rankings, let alone anyone else's.

Based on the way his message was worded, this author was sending his request to heaven knows how many others. This individual did not offer to reciprocate to his “friends”, and although his book was only ninety-nine cents, I’m still bothered by his tactic. That he wanted us to spend our money, and our time reading and reviewing his book, was too much to ask.

Advertising one’s book through blogs and social networking sites is fine, but sending out email requests to buy and review your book is not. I’m wondering what you all think of this strategy? Have you been asked by a virtual friend to purchase and review his book, and without any mention of reciprocation? I know of a number of authors who review one another’s books through mutual consent, but it can be a sticky situation. I’d appreciate any suggestions for handling this in the future. On this occasion, I simply hit the delete button, but was it enough?

THE OPPOSITE OF DARK, http://bit.ly/i983XE, Chapters/Indigo http://bit.ly/gtFSFw
FATAL ENCRYPTION, http://tinyurl.com/ddzsxl
TAXED TO DEATH, http://tinyurl.com/czsy5n

A Couple of Things

This summer, I’ve been editing the first book in my new mystery series. This is draft number ten, but I have good reasons for tackling it again. First, the training I received for my current work in security has offered some deeper insights into policy and procedure changes for people working in this field. Since my protagonist is a transit security cop, it was important for me to update the way she handles certain situations.

Secondly, the manuscript is currently being considered by a publisher who generally publishes mysteries about 10,000 words shorter than mine. You see, no matter how finished you think you are with your manuscript, there’s always another draft down the road until the book is finally published. The good news is that I’ve been able to cut over 3,000 words so far. This is a bit surprising because when I submitted that book originally, I was convinced that it was as polished and tight as it could be. A year later, it’s quite clear I was wrong, but it’s also a good thing that so much time has passed because I might not have seen these things if I’d only taken a few weeks. I’m not sure how writers under contract to produce a book every year do it. Maybe they get it right the first or second time, or maybe they’re very lucky and have a great editor to help them peel away the extra layers.

The other thing I want to talk about is my guest spot on a terrific blog called Park Avenue Princess. The blog owner invited me to write a little about myself, and she’ll be posting a review. Four out of five tiaras, no less!! She's also offering a giveaway of Fatal Encryption which I believe goes on until September 17th. If you’re interested in winning a copy of my book, please visit http://tinyurl.com/p5zfpb. Thank you!

To read excerpts of Fatal Encryption and Taxed to Death, visit http://www.debrapurdykong.com/.

Fatal Encryption is available through amazon.com at http://tinyurl.com/ddzsxl and Taxed to Death can be found at http://tinyurl.com/czsy5n

Promotion Is Just Another Word For Party

Writers no longer have the luxury of simply writing. Whether striving to be published or already published, writers must promote themselves. This self-promotion can make a difference when it comes to acceptance by a major publisher—they will generally choose a writer with a ready-made readership over one who hasn’t a clue. And self-promotion definitely makes a difference when it comes to marketing a published book—no one will read it if they don’t know it exists.
The successful authors are those who accept promotion as a way of life, or at least an adjunct to their writing life. And truly, it’s not hard. Nor is it dull.

Repeat after me: promotion is just another word for party.

If you think of promotion, you get depressed, feel inadequate, start making excuses why it’s not for you. On the other hand, if you think of a party, you perk up, get excited, gear for fun. And that is exactly the attitude you need when you promote.

Many people have told me recently that they admire my ability to promote myself without being obnoxious, but the truth is, I learned how to do it from other authors. Or rather I learned how not to do it from them. Sometimes I get dozens of emails in a day from authors asking me to buy their books. I don’t read such emails. Do you? I didn’t think so. Then don’t send them. Why waste the effort on something that so many people find dreary?

If you’re on Facebook (and of course you are), I’m sure you get several event invitations every day. An unknown author has a book released. An unknown author is guest blogging. An unknown author is giving away a book. Do you respond to such anonymous events? Probably not. You want fun. And so do your potential readers.

So think party.

I’ve thrown two successful online parties so far. My “HALLELUJAH! MY NOVELS HAVE FINALLY BEEN PUBLISHED! LET’SPARTY!” party lasted a week and was full of games, gifts, videos, puzzles. Sure it took time to set it up, but it was fun for people. Or at least it gave the illusion of fun, which is the same thing when it comes to the Internet.

Most recently I threw a “PAT BERTRAM IS TWO YEARS OLD TODAY” party to celebrate the second birthday of my online persona. The idea was just quirky enough that it drew attention. I don’t know that I sold any books because of it, but a lot more people are aware of me now, and that’s a good beginning.

So, when it comes to marketing your book—have fun. Be creative. Throw a party.

Learning to Recognize a Gift When I See One

Every time I try something new that involves interacting with other people, be it a job, a book signing, a reading, or even attending a party where I only know the host, I feel a niggling in the pit of my stomach. It's like a silent warning that something might not work out, that I might bomb miserably and be fired, or horribly embarrassed and humiliated by someone who couldn't care less whether I lived or died. It's a common feeling, I think. One most of us feel from time to time, regardless of how much we look forward to an event or how well prepared we are. Hearing war stories from writers who've had book signings with no one showing up doesn't help matters. So, I've learned to attend these things with a view of having fun no matter what. So far, it's always works.

Tuesday night's "Mystery Author Visit" at my local library didn't have a huge turnout despite the library's great publicity efforts, but because I'm an unknown writer, I didn't expect a large number of people. There were about nine attendees in all -- one with an infant who started wailing while I was reading. But the small turnout didn't worry me. I spoke a little about white-collar crime and how my books came to be. I then read the first two chapters of Fatal Encryption which take place on Halloween night. The head librarian asked questions about my work, which prompted more questions from the audience. Afterward, we were served a lovely platter of chocolates from the new shop down the road, plus refreshments.

A short while later, the woman with the baby came up to me and apologized for the interruption, but I told her the truth. I have children and know exactly what it's like. When my kids were babies, I read my work aloud as part of the editing process when they were nearby, and tears and fussing often erupted.

A gentleman and his wife who were seated before I even arrived stayed for the reading. Because of the open area, I thought they might be just resting, but it turned out they came to see me. The gentleman had already read Fatal Encryption in the library and liked it enough to buy a copy plus a copy of Taxed to Death. Another woman approached and said that her daughter wanted to be a writer and asked me how she could help her, so I provided a few tips.

I don't know why the niggling keeps coming back when good things happen so often. Maybe it's just a sign that I should stay on my toes and never ever take any promotion opportunity for granted. Maybe I need to appreciate these moments as the gifts they are. And maybe I should learn not to complain about all the time promotion and marketing takes.

To read excerpts from Fatal Encryption and Taxed to Death, visit www.debrapurdykong.com

The Nicest Thing That's Happened So Far

If you've read my posts you'll know that I've been embroiled in promotion and marketing since April, and that there've been ups and downs. Today I want to share the nicest thing that's happened so far - and I'm happy to say there've been many good things - but this particular incident happened during my first book signing on August 9th. My table was set up and I was chatting with a customer when a little girl of about eight walked by with her mom. The little girl looked at my table, then at me, and smiled shyly. She said, "I want to be a writer". I thought that was terrific and told her so. I said,

"Do you keep a diary or a journal?"

"Yep."

"Do you write stories?""

"Uh-huh."

"And you read?"

A big nod.

"Well," I said. "You're doing all the right things. Just keep doing it."

Her eyes lit up and she looked at her mom who grinned. She took a bookmark and left the store. And I was left with the sensation that it feels terrific to make a child happy.

So, here we are in September and I have two more events lined up. One is an open-mike reading on Saturday, September 27th from 1 to 4 p.m. at Semiahmoo Library, 1815 - 152nd Street, Surrey, B.C.

I'll also be helping at the Crime Writers of Canada table at this year's Word on the Street Fair in Vancouver. The event takes place at the Main Library on Georgia Street from 11 to 6 p.m., and shoulds be lots of fun with music, readings and panels.

And Big News!!! FATAL ENCRYPTION is now available on Mobipocket and Kindle! For Mobi, go to http://www.mobipocket.com/ and look under mystery and crime.

Kindle is at http://www.amazon.com/ under Fatal Encryption, where you can see the cool new cover my publisher designed.

And, of course, excerpts for FATAL ENCRYPTION and TAXED TO DEATH can be read at http://www.debrapurdykong.com/

Breathing Again. Writing, Watching, Listening

A couple of weeks ago, I was madly preparing lists of things to do before I packed up and headed out on a family vacation. My husband's not a fan of travelling, so we only leave town for one week a year. By the third day, he's already starting to miss his big-screen TV, his office in our basement, his space, and his stuff.

I, on the other hand, yearn to get away. Book promotion is a seven-day a week job with long lists of things to do, and I welcomed the break away from my computer. More importantly, I needed time to stop thinking about publishing and promoting. It was time to get back to basics. To sit out on the huge sundeck overlooking the lake, and breathe and watch, and enjoy the quiet. Not just the external noise, but the noise in my head. The noise that says "oh, I should do this, and I need to contact so-and-so, and isn't it time to post another blog".

But I'm a writer by nature and ideas began to come while I was on that sundeck. So, I acknowledged them and jotted a few notes, but without rush or a market in mind. I experienced, quiet moments of pure creation. It was wonderful. And yes, I worked on an ongoing book some of the time, but in a far more relaxed state of mind than I was used to.

I want to create more of that quiet space in my everyday life, where my mind isn't pulled apart by the to-do list, domestic chores, and family responsibilities. It's a challenge, but I'm recharged, relaxed, and up for it.

To read excerpts of Fatal Encryption and Taxed to Death, visit
www.debrapurdykong.com

Inspiration for Promotion and Writing

Another week and another round of promotion, but it's been fun and productive. Library orders are starting to come in and I was featured on Dan Janal's Cool Book of the Day site.

On the bulletin board behind my computer, I keep a list of wonderful sayings and bits of wisdom that I've collected from ByLine Magazine over the years (I'm still reading back issues to catch up). The sayings are directed at writers struggling with their prose and poetry, or with the submission process. But as I re-read some of them today, I realized they also apply to the writer who's working hard to promote his/her book. Here are some of them:

"Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man. But sooner or later the one who wins is the one who thinks he can."

"Believe in yourself and keeping trying."

"Rejection is a writer's best friend. 'If you are not failing regularly,' Gregg Levoy observes in The Business of Writing,' you are living so far below your potential that you're failing anyway."

"Tenacity is essential to success in writing. While successs as a writer is a great achievement, considerable merit attaches to the effort itself. As in athletics, training is the struggle; victory is merely the affirmation of that struggle."

Food for thought, eh?

To read excerpts of Fatal Encryption visit:

http://www.debrapurdykong.com

My interview at Dan Janal's site is at http://www.coolbookoftheday.com/fatal-encryption

The Two Smartest Promotion Things I've Done So Far

The promotion game is slowly starting to gel. I'm beginning to see the logic of spending nearly every evening (and some days) on this part of the writing biz, even though it takes a chunk out of actual writing time. But then, I don't write much in the evenings. When it comes to being creative, I'm definitely a morning person. Nights are reserved for the bookkeeping, promotion, market searches and other necessities in the writing life. So, here's what I've done this week:

- added two PayPal 'buy me' buttons to my website, one for each book. My 19-year-old daughter, Elida, watched over my shoulder and steered me in the right direction, which was a good thing because I was about to click the wrong button a couple of times. Sadly, I do that a lot.

- Found six more people who are willing to review my book, and this is a big thing for me, because I'm a little shy about asking, but I keep looking.

- Joined AuthorsDen and set up a profile page. I'm also about to launch a new blog that focuses on all things to do with white-collar crime, which is what my mysteries are about. It's a subject that interested me long before Enron, BriX and Conrad Black made the front pages.

-Sent out more flyers to libraries, who were great about buying my first book, Taxed to Death.

BUT HERE'S THE TWO SMARTEST THINGS I DID:

I bought and started reading Steve Weber's amazing how-to promotion book called Plug Your Book. Thanks to Cheryl K. Tardif for recommending it.

Second, I decided to have more fun with promotion because, frankly, searching for reviewers and mailing out flyers just doesn't cut it. Last weekend, I was talking about this blog to Elida as she was finishing her own blog entry. And that's when the idea came. Wouldn't it be fun if we blogged together and discussed all sorts of topics from our different perspectives? Elida thought it was a great idea, so we posted our first entry on MySpace on Wednesday. I don't know if it will be an effective promotion strategy because few entries will be devoted to writing or my books, but the main point is that it's a fun thing to do with my daughter (she's a great writer herself) that we can actually fit into our busy lives, and that's important to me.

If anyone's interested in reading it, visit www.MySpace.com/debrapurdykong.

Alas, the newspaper article about me has yet to appear. Hmm. I've asked about it, but haven't heard back yet. In the grand scheme of things, though, I'm not going to sweat the stuff I have no control over.

Debra_Kong@telus.net
Excerpts of Fatal Encryption can be read at www.debrapurdykong.com
Available at amazon.com or from my website, provided the buttons work.

Feeling Exposed

Last week, I wrote about meeting people on MySpace and Goodreads, an ongoing process which is still fun. Goodreads in particular is a mecca for bibliophiles, and it does my heart good to see so many people who love reading and who love sharing info about what they've read. These past couple of weeks, I've been introduced to hundreds of books and readers I had no idea existed.

Another interesting thing about networking online is that you get to know people from a geographical distance. Distance offers a measure of privacy and perhaps even security, especially if you're not someone who loves the limelight, which I don't. Well, this week, physical distance is about to be stripped away.

On Wednesday, a reporter interviewed me, by phone, for our local newspaper. Two hours later, a photographer came to the house and took a photo of me and FATAL ENCRYPTION's cover. Since a number of scenes in the book are set in Port Moody (where I live) and Coquitlam, we played up the local angle. After all, no one's put Port Moody in a mystery before. The article will appear this week and it's a little daunting to know that people in my community will see my picture and learn what I've been up to. But this time, I have a better idea of what to expect.

Four years ago, an essay of mine appeared in Chicken Soup for the Bride's Soul. The publisher sent a press release to the local paper, and within days a reporter and photographer came to my house. After the article appeared, everywhere I turned people were mentioning it. The article went up on bulletin boards where I worked, at my husband's office, at my daughter's skating club, and my son's elementary school (to his embarrassment). Suddenly, it felt like the whole world knew about my essay. And while people were complimentary, part of me felt like I was walking around wearing a fairly sheer skirt, wondering how much people could actually see through.

Yet, after all is said and done, I'm proud of what I've written and I love Port Moody. It's a beautiful place and if you'd like to see a glimpse of it, photos are on my website at http://www.debrapurdykong.com/

It should be an interesting few days ahead. Am I prepared for what comes? I hope so.

FATAL ENCRYPTION is available at
amazon.com
Debra_Kong@telus.net

What I've Learned About Promoting

I haven't done nearly as much promoting as other savvy writers on our Write Type team, but I'm trying to do something everyday to let people know about my books. I've been part of Goodreads and MySpace for a little over a week now, and had feared I'd be languishing there for weeks or even months alone but, to my surprise, such is not the case.

I find I'm "adopting" new friends on a daily basis, especially on MySpace. While many of them are writers, others are not, and it's great fun to talk to people from other backgrounds and other parts of the world. Some of them actually think it's cool I'm a writer. Hmm. MySpace is an interesting place, but I have to admit I've had trouble creating an attractive page with all the bells and whistles. For people like me, who aren't technical wizards--or even technically competent--it's been tough to figure out how to do some of the fancier things. Still, I'll get there, eventually.

I've also joined John Kremer's Book Marketing Network and Bestsellers, and again, am meeting more people. I have more sites to join, more work to do, but I figure I'm on my way. Whether all this networking translates into sales remains to be seen, but I've come to realize that networking isn't always about selling books. It's about being part of an enormous community of terrific people I wouldn't have met if I hadn't made the effort. Sometimes, I don't want to sell anything to anyone. I just want to talk . . . see how someone else's day is going.

So, I'll keep putting myself out there to the world, and to see what the world brings back.

For excerpts of FATAL ENCRYPTION and TAXED TO DEATH visit:
www.debrapurdykong.com

Lists, Lists, and More Lists, and an Invitation

Okay, so the book is finished and the first shipment is about to arrive. It's very exciting, but also daunting because now the hard work, part II, is underway. Promotion and marketing requires almost as much thought and organization as writing a book does. Mainly, it requires a plan, and with a plan comes list making.

I've been a list-maker from way back. Grocery lists, Christmas gift lists, packing-for-vacation lists, attending bookfair or conference lists, daily planner lists, and so on. Over the years, they've spared me a lot of wasted time and money. They're also fun to toss out when I'm done. When I'm shopping by myself, I stick to the list and pretty well come in on budget. Not so if I bring my family along.

Book promotion has taken list making to a whole new level. So far, I have a full, typewritten page of promotional things to do, and now I'm started to add more ideas. I'm not sure how long it'll take me to check off everything on that list. Some things will only take a few minutes, others a couple of days, and still others will be ongoing.

As writers tend to do, I'm preparing for my book launch (on the promo to-do list), but now my list is growing lists. There's a list for food to bring to the launch, and other things, like plates, drinks, camera, etc. I figure that, sooner or later, I'll reach a point where I'll be just as excited to put the lists away as I am to receive that first shipment, but until then,

If anyone out there lives in Vancouver's lower mainland, you are cordially invited to my book launch on Thursday, April 17th in The Lounge at the Kyle Rec Centre, 125 Kyle Street, Port Moody, from 7 to 9 p.m. There'll be some fun, some food, some reading.

And now that all of the invitations are out, I can check one more thing off the to-do list. On the other hand, there's still the press releases . . .

To read excerpts of Fatal Encryption, visit www.debrapurdykong.com

Attn: Authors and Readers - join Author Nation

By the people, for the people describes AuthorNation.com, a new forum-driven website designed and powered by Infinity Publishing. AuthorNation.com recognizes a writer's need to be read by treating readers to first looks at a favorite writer's new work and inviting them to join the fun in their own Reader's Lounge.

Infinity Publishing President Tom Gregory is the visionary behind AuthorNation.com. Gregory expanded upon the literary community concept first initiated by Ben Franklin in his early gatherings of writers, printers, readers, and business folks, who met weekly in a tavern to discuss timely publishing topics and exchange books of the day.

Free membership for everyone encourages writers at all levels, and readers of all interests, to participate through a considerable array of interactive tools. Writing hobbyists, emerging writers, and established authors can build a writing portfolio with short stories, poems, articles, book excerpts, and more, or simply use the space for a personal blog. Published authors wanting more book sales are partial to the profile bookstore, with a "Buy It!" button. Shameless promotion is encouraged.

*Reprinted with permission from "The Book Marketing Expert newsletter," a free ezine offering book promotion and publicity tips and techniques. http://www.amarketingexpert.com