About Time!

Remember me? I'm the long lost blogger of this blog. I have a good excuse for my absence this time. I have finished my book. Let me say that again, as it has been a long time coming.

I have finished my book.

Well, the first in a series. I have zipped off the final edition, after a bazillion edits to my Master's Daughter and there is a hard copy floating around the house as the boys were anxious to read it.

So, now I must:

1. Finish my web site revision
2. write an outline of the series
3. write a short synopsis
4. write a long synopsis
5. write a short bio
6. write a long bio
7. write a blurb
8. write marketing points.

You know what? I think I better go through my files a make a definite list of everything I have to have ready to send it out. I will share that list with you in a day or two, as well as the new title and header that I will be using on my web site.

Whatever I have to do now, I'm anxious to get onto outlining book two. But, that's a ways down the road.

Okay, let's be honest here.

I am so sick of redesigning my web page that I could -----.

You can fill in the blanks. I just want it done and if I could hire it done, I would.

I have settled on a background and page design. I am trying to go fairly simple. But, it seems to take forever. The graphics are pretty well done. I have eleven text only pages written and have four more to go.

I had an addition this week, which seems to be happening a lot. And, that is the fact that I need to have Marketing Points. I need them before I start submitting my book anyway, so I feel I need them on the website. After all, what is the point of writing your book if you do not market it.

Here is an interesting Blog post on Book Marketing Buzz: Book Promotion & Publicity Tips: How to Promote Your Books with Epic Fantasy Author R. Scot Johns « Book... And, he confirms, what I am finding out even before really beginning. Marketing is very time consuming so get used to it.

The Marketing points that I have, for my book are:

• Fantasy
• Native American Indian Lifestyle
• Native American Indian mythology
• Child abuse

I have researched these for popularity by books sold and statistics of the issues involved.

I also have lists of possible Promotion based on my history: where I have lived, what I have done, etc. And a list of Promotion that I have (will have) in place for my book already.

In this crowded market, with so many people out of work and trying their hands at writing, you need to be willing to work to get your book out there, no matter how long it takes to build your webpage.

Unfortunately, I do not remember exactly where I got the list of marketing points. But, it was probably from one of my two main sources of information about marketing, which are:

Shrinking Violet Promotions: An Interview with a Real Live Publicist: Random House's Kathy Dunn - which actually has a great article right now about promoting your book, and Author! Author!,

Okay, enough break for me, I'm back to web design.

My to-do list.

Sorry, if you are on RSS feed. (What does that stand for, anyway?). I had allowed a comment on the site and then realized I was giving out someone's email for the world to have. Not that they cannot get it anyway, but I did not want to be responsible for someone being spammed to death. I could not find a way to erase their email, in their comment, or to alter their comment, once allowed, so I just deleted the whole post and reposted it.

No, you have not landed in "Ground Hog's Day" or in a time warp, it is a repeated of the post of the fourth, and no, it did not fool anyone into thinking it as something new and stimulating.

That said, what is the new news?

• I have eighteen graphics ready to put on the website. That means they are cleaned up, altered to suit and the backgrounds are clear. Two of these are background images.
• I have nine, out of fifteen, text only pages done. From these I will complete the pages that the graphics go to.
• I have completed twenty chapters, and have the wrap up chapter to go. I havecut back to 69,118 words.
• I have also discovered that, before I send the book out, I need to have a Marketing Points, My Bio and a list of reasons why someone would buy my book. That is what I spent yesterday on, and today and tomorrow, and probably all week.

All of this stuff is sooooo important to the process.