Tuesday Takeover: 10 Lessons Writing Zombie Books Taught Me by Kate L. Mary

I’ve written seven zombie books, one book of short stories to go along with it, and a post-apocalyptic book that deals with the aftermath of an alien invasion, and through it all I’ve learned several valuable lessons. Not just about the world we live in, but about myself and people in general. I think, on some small scale, it will actually give me a little bit of an edge when the inevitable zombie apocalypse hits. And since I’m a nice person, I wanted to share those lessons with everyone else.

1. Electricity Won’t Last As Long As You Think
Did you know that power plants need constant monitoring? I didn’t. Sure, I knew someone was probably always there to keep an eye on things, just in case, but I didn’t realize how vital it was to have a living, human being there at all times. Which means that when a killer zombie virus sweeps the country and takes out most of the population, it won’t be long before the power will go out. In some cases, it could take as little as 2-4 hours. Yes, there are scenarios where the power won’t shut off quite as fast, but the apocalyptic novels we read that have survivors using electricity for weeks after the human race has disappeared are totally far-fetched. So be prepared and stock up on batteries, flashlights, lanterns, and matches!

2. Fuel Expires
I know what you’re thinking: What?! No!!!!
I mean, it makes total sense now that I think about it, but it wasn’t something I ever really sat down and thought about. Gas isn’t food, so why would it go bad? It does, though. The shelf life depends on how it’s stored and the kind of fuel it is, but it won’t last forever. So when the zombies pop up, be sure to use your gas while it’s still good! Saving it for a rainy day may end up being a waste.

3. People Are Bad
Sounds obvious, and a little cynical, but let me explain what I mean using my kids as an example. When I tell my son he can’t have a cookie, the only thing stopping him from getting one anyway is the threat of getting caught and having to sit in time out. Adults are no different, really. Many people have desires they keep hidden because they know it will get them sent to prison, or ostracized by family and friends, but during the apocalypse there won’t be anyone to slap them on the hand as they reach into the cookie jar. The world will be their cookie jar, which means they’ll do whatever they want.
Of course I’ve always known this about mankind, but until I wrote a book that left men to their own devices, I hadn’t really allowed myself to think about just how dark things could get. Now I have, and I realize that when the end comes, there are very few people you are really going to be able to trust.

4. Cell Phones Won’t Work
That goes for the Internet and email too.
This I also knew, but the affect of it hit hard as I was researching and trying to move my characters into a place where they’d adjusted to a world with no technology. I know that sometimes in zombie novels characters will email or text each other from across the country, but this just isn’t a realistic scenario. With most of the population gone there will be no one left to keep tabs on the cellular stations, and no electricity to keep those stations going on their own. Meaning your phone will be useless.

5. Aerosol Cans And Propane Tanks Can Save Your Life
We all know aerosol cans are pressurized and usually hold flammable liquid, and propane tanks have big warning labels on them telling us the same thing. But it never occurred to me how useful these common, household items might come in handy if you’re in a pinch.
Pretend someone you love is stuck somewhere, surrounded by zombies, and the only way you’ll be able to save them is by drawing the dead away? Well, why not grab a few aerosol cans and a propane tank, and start a fire in a house down the street. When they explode, it could be just enough to draw the zombies away, giving your group a chance to escape.

6. Alcohol Has A Million Uses
When you’re loading up on supplies during the apocalypse, don’t forget to grab plenty of alcohol, 70 proof or higher. Not only can it alleviate boredom—although getting drunk can be risky when you never know what’s lurking in the shadows—it can be used to sterilize, sooth itching from bug bites and poison ivy, start fires, and dozens of more uses.

7. Car Alarms Are Perfect For Distracting Zombies
The best way to distract zombies is to create noise somewhere else, right? How about banging into the sides of a few cars so you can set off an alarm? The annoyingly shrill whine of a car alarm is guaranteed to keep the rotting monsters distracted, giving you the chance to escape.

8. Always Carry A Pack Of Gum And Some Batteries
Did you know you could start a fire with a gum wrapper—the foil kind—and a battery? Look it up on YouTube, because it’s real! Plus that gum will help keep your breath fresh when you’re on the run. Who knows how often you’ll be able to brush and floss during the apocalypse?

9. People Under Thirty Are Screwed
It sounds mean, but it’s true. They’re the generation who don’t know how to use an atlas or find a book in the library. Everything they’ve ever needed has fit in the palm of their hands, and any question they ever have is answered with a Google search. For them, the disappearance of technology will be even more devastating than the virus that wiped it all out.

10. The United States Will Cope Better Than The Rest of The World
We love our processed food, don’t we? It’s made us obese, shortened our lifespan, and threatened the lives of our children. But it will save us when the apocalypse hits. When all the fresh food in other countries has gone bad, we will literally have warehouses full of boxed, canned, processed, and dehydrated food to keep us going!

So, what do you think? Am I ready to survive the apocalypse? Are you?

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Kate L. Mary is an award-winning author of New Adult and Young Adult fiction, ranging from Post-apocalyptic tales of the undead to Speculative Fiction and Contemporary Romance. Her YA book, When We Were Human, was the 2015 Moonbeam Children’s Book Award Silver Medalist for Young Adult Fantasy/Sci-Fi Fiction and her Broken World series has been an Amazon best-seller since the release of book one in 2014.
Mary Kate
May 3, 2016 | Posted by in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Tuesday Takeover: 10 Lessons Writing Zombie Books Taught Me by Kate L. Mary

Tuesday Takeover: How authors choose their characters by Kyle Perkins

First of all, I would like to start off by saying that I am no expert on the matter and this is not so much a guide to creating characters, as it is my own personal experiences.

A little bit of backstory on me, I never actually aspired to be an author. I was more into gaming my entire life, and I joined a text based role playing group centered around some of my favorite games. From there, I learned everything you SHOULDN’T do with a character, as well as things people really respond well to. When you filter through dozens of characters a day, and read their stories, and actively participate with them, you learn who is universally hated and who is loved. That being said…

Never make your characters invincible. They need to be roughed up a bit. This is what is known as “God Modding” in the community and it is hated more than anything else. No one is interested in characters that can pull abilities out of thin air to get past an obstacle. We look at that as cheating, and so do readers. Instead, use what you have at your disposal in your character’s history. Make it fun, unexpected and exciting to read.

What I like to do is make a character sheet for all of my characters. It’s a basic bio full of their stats and history. So, if I need to know how tall my guy/girl is, I have it. If I need to know what special abilities he/she possesses, I have it. It details their personal story for me, so that if I ever need to get out of a situation I put myself in, I can refer back to the character sheet to decide how I could get it done, based on the character.

People want characters that are down to Earth and relatable. Think back to any TV show, book, or movie you really enjoyed. Chances are, the reason you enjoyed it was due to a character or two you really liked. The reason you like them is because you can relate. You see aspects of yourself in them. How many times when you were little did you say “I’m Leonardo!” or “I’m Optimus Prime,” Chances are a ton. You liked those characters and emulated them because you liked their personalities. Even as an adult I am sure people have said, “This character soooo reminds me of you,” and you liked them based on that alone without even seeing the character. That is what makes a character well rounded. All of your favorite characters are relatable and have flaws, because in real life, we all do too.

Another thing to watch out for is making your character too “edgy.” Which is defined as “Taking coolness to its extreme and generally beyond the realm of actual possibility, while at the same time seemingly unaware of how ridiculous it is.” Your character of course can be cool and funny, but when it imposes on reality and becomes farfetched, again, you have a problem with your reader finding them relatable. For instance, if your guy speaks in cool one liners, dresses in all black all the time, has armor on and carries around a samurai sword in Manhattan, chances are he is a bit too edgy.

When a reader reads your story, the most important thing you can do for them, is make it as easy as possible for them to put themselves in your character’s shoes. Otherwise, they lose interest. Making a character relatable will actually keep a reader reading in a genre they wouldn’t normally seek out, just BECUASE they can relate to it. Let’s face it, we all want to be the star of our own movies in our mind.

Now, I am not above any of this. When I started out roleplaying, I had the edgiest characters around, because it’s a game and you typically go out of your way to win games. When people stopped wanting to play with me, I sought out answers as to why. That’s when I learned it was more about a mutual story than winning, and when you make a great, relatable story, everyone wins.

So, in closing, make your characters relatable, down to Earth, flawed and realistic. If you follow those four things, it won’t matter what genre you write in, because people will keep coming back for more.

Kyel

It was only recently that Kyle Perkins discovered his love of putting his imaginative daydreams in writing for others to enjoy. He founded and managed some of the largest text-based roleplaying groups on Facebook, which sparked his passion for storytelling and helped him sharpen his skills as an author. Since the January 2016 release of his debut dystopian novel, Reddened Wasteland, Kyle has published three other works with plans to release several more in the upcoming months, including the second installment of the Reddened Wasteland series. He’s a dog person, an Aquarius, and he lives in Florida, though he’ll tell you he lives on the internet.

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Apr 26, 2016 | Posted by in Uncategorized | 1 comment

Tuesday Takeover: Become an Indie Author and Get Rich Quick! By David Estes (Proud to be an Indie!)

The statement above is a lie, I have to admit. I only used it to get your attention. By rich I really mean relatively poor. And by quick I mean in ten to twenty years if you’re lucky, talented and a hard worker. So why am I being so negative? I’m not really, just being realistic and trying to set the many aspiring Indie writers’ expectations appropriately. Why? Because more and more people are telling me that they wrote a book and self-published in hopes of making some quick cash, becoming a bestseller, and quitting their day job. I’m not here to shatter those dreams, but I do want to put things into perspective. I’m also here to shed a little light on the question: Why is it so hard to get people to buy self-published books? And along with that, hopefully give a few tips on what I’ve done to overcome that challenge. Keep in mind, although my success has been moderate as an Indie author, everyone has a different style and what works for me may not work for you. You have to find your own niche.

Did I have big dreams when I first starting writing and publishing? You betcha! I had “bestseller” bouncing around in my head, dreams of being well known across the industry, of finding a publisher with my first novel, of quitting my job and becoming a career author! Well, three years later I’m a fulltime author, but none of the other dreams have yet to come to pass. But I’m not giving up, because I’ve gained a lot of perspective and really had time to think about why I write in the first place. It’s not for the possibility of riches or of a publishing contract or of book signings or fame or glory…no, it’s simply because I love it! I’d encourage anyone else who’s thinking about writing a book, already writing one, or having already published one, to ask yourself the same question. If your answer is anything other than you love writing, maybe you’re on the wrong track.

So you’ve written and published a book, woohoo! Success! Right? My answer is a resounding YES! You should be extremely happy, writing a novel is challenging and doing so should be considered a HUGE victory. Even if you don’t sell a single copy, you should be proud. If I sell 10 of my books and you only sell 5 of yours, does that mean mine’s better? Maybe, but not necessarily. It simply means I’ve had more success overcoming the stigma that Indie novels have. Namely, that they’re poorly edited crap that isn’t worth the $0.99 or $2.99 or whatever you pay for it. On that note, why is getting people to buy self-published novels so difficult? Here are my thoughts and solutions.

1. Problem: Editing! Everyone finds typos in novels, even big published ones. Some people roll their eyes, some people laugh and joke, others barely notice or ignore it and move on. But most published novels have few, less than a handful in a 300-400 page book. Indie novels, on the other hand, yikes! I’ve read a few that have had in the 50-100 range, sometimes more! That can be excruciatingly painful for a reader. So anytime someone picks up a self-published book somehow, somewhere, begins reading it, and finds tons of typos, there’s a good chance it’ll hurt every Indie author. Because that person’s going to say “Hmm, self-published books are poorly edited. I don’t know if I’ll read anymore.” We all suffer even though you had nothing to do with that book!

Solution: Firstly, edit edit edit…and then edit some more. Have friends read your books and give prizes for finding the most typos. Have friends of friends read them. Hire a professional copyeditor if you can afford it. Read it ten times yourself. Find every last bugger. Do us all a favor and help erase the stigma. Because when someone reads a typo-free self-published novel, they’ll say, “Wow, this had less typos than that big bestselling published book I just read!” And they’ll realize, there’s more out there than just books from the big publishing houses, so much more.

Am I just talking about typos here? Although that’s a huge part, no! There’s so much more to editing. Cleaning up dialogue, reading it out loud, thinking “would someone really say that?” Killing excessive use of adverbs, sentence structure, pacing, the list goes on and on. Edit your book to death until no one can tell it’s a self-published novel. When people start reading your book, they’ll respect you, they’ll appreciate your effort, and they’ll be much more likely to tell other people about it as well as buy your next one.

Secondly, giveaway free copies of your book! I know, I know, you’ve worked so hard and you deserve to be compensated. You just have to bite the bullet on this one. The only way to ensure people will read your book and appreciate all your hard work and your talent and the painstaking time you took to edit your novel, is to force them to read it. And if you offer it for free, it will greatly increase your chances that they will. If you giveaway ebooks it won’t cost you a thing. Maybe they’ll write you a stellar review, maybe they’ll tell a friend, maybe they’ll buy the next one. Every book you giveaway has the potential to result in real sales later on.

2. Problem: The plots of Indie novels don’t make sense! This can definitely be true sometimes. Hell, my first drafts usually have all kinds of problems! Unfortunately, many times the bugs don’t get worked out, because, well, us Indies don’t have a team of eagle-eyed editors to point out the flaws in our stories. But that’s no excuse, because it’s killing our ability to be taken seriously in the industry.

Solution: Use beta readers. Not just anyone, good ones! People you don’t know, or don’t know well. Honest people. People who would rather make you cry than let you publish something that’s not as good as it can be. People who care about your books being awesome. You can have family and friends beta read for you, but they can’t be your only beta readers, because it’s much less likely they’ll be completely honest with you. I recommend having at least ten people, but even five can make a huge difference if they’re very critical and brutally honest. I say ten because I’ve had an instance when my first nine betas had already checked in, I’d rewritten and addressed their comments, and I was just waiting on that tenth reader as a formality. To check the box and say “Yep, I got all your comments covered because the other nine said the same thing!” Guess what? That tenth person saw something that the other nine didn’t see. Something big. Something HUGE. Something that improved the story and set the plot on a path that I never would have planned, that made the series a million, zillion times better! Everyone sees different things, so take every opinion seriously.

3. Problem: There are too many Indies out there! How do I stand out? With the creation of ereaders and ebooks, self-publishing has never been easier. In less than an hour, I could create a book that contains just my name spelled backwards and forwards over and over again, publish it in print and ebook, and make it available worldwide. I swear half the people I see joining the YA book groups I’m a member of on Goodreads are new or aspiring Indie authors. I think it’s fantastic! But at the same time, it makes it hard to get noticed. This is a real problem for serious Indies looking to make a career out of writing.

Solution: Don’t be just another Indie author hawking their wares on the street. If there’s one thing I’ve learned is that NO ONE is impressed by Indie authors spamming message boards with rubbish about their books. Become a valuable part of the book community as a READER, not a writer. Show people you care about books, writing yeah, reading more, but NOT SELLING. People will notice and they will respect you, and they might give your books a shot. But if not, who cares? You might make a new lifelong friend in the process.

Don’t compare your books to other bestsellers! Your book might be a cross between The Hunger Games and Lord of the Rings, but don’t say that, please! It’s arrogant and annoying and the few people that fall for it and read your book will hate you for it if they disagree with your bold statement. Just be you! Unique.

The advice from the first point stands here too. If you write well-edited books and giveaway lots of free copies, you’ll start to get noticed, even amongst the crowds.

Be patient! Those who are trying to make quick money will realize how hard and competitive the publishing industry really is and they’ll give up, but if you’re serious and you keep working at it, publishing more and more books, growing your readership slowly over time, you’ll outlast the others. I’m not talking days or months here, I’m talking years. You have to be in it for the long run, looking at success ten years down the road. Every step you take today is a step in the right direction.

4. Problem: Indies can’t handle bad reviews! This is an important and often overlooked stigma. Even I worry about reading Indie novels given to me by the authors, because what if I don’t like it? Can I give my honest feedback? Will I hurt their feelings? Will they get pissed off and write me nasty messages? Sometimes it’s easier just to read the bestsellers because the authors don’t give a crap whether I like their book—there are a million other people who do!

Solution: Don’t react or respond to reviews in a negative fashion whatsoever. Many Indies have gotten themselves into a lot of hot water that way, and once you get a reputation for “reviewer bashing” you’ll never recover. If a review is mean or you think it’s unfair, write it off as bad luck that the wrong person got ahold of your book. Never lash out. If you get a review that’s well-written, balanced, and constructive, read that review ten times over, learn from it, improve from it. Your readers will appreciate that more than you throwing a tantrum.

Wow, I fear I’ve run off the virtual page. If you’ve made it this far, I hope you found my thoughts on the challenges of being a self-published author, and some of my proposed solutions, helpful or at least interesting. I wish you all the best in your writing and publishing endeavors, and remember, never give up!

Happy Reading (and Writing)!

David Estes

David Estes

David Estes is the author of more than 20 science fiction and fantasy novels that have received hundreds of thousands of downloads worldwide, including The Moon Dwellers, Fire Country, Slip, Brew, and his new SciFi Pinocchio retelling, Strings. He lives in Hawaii with his inspiring Aussie wife, Adele, rambunctious son, Beau, and naughty cat, Bailey. When he’s not writing, you’ll likely find him at the beach swimming, snorkeling, or reading under an umbrella. You can get FOUR FREE books by signing up for his mailing list on his website: http://davidestesbooks.blogspot.com

Apr 12, 2016 | Posted by in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Tuesday Takeover: Become an Indie Author and Get Rich Quick! By David Estes (Proud to be an Indie!)

Tuesday Takeover: You’re Afraid of What? by Casey Hays

Hays blog photo

Have you ever taken a good look at the list of phobias? It’s extensive to say the least. You can find a phobia for just about anything if you search hard enough. We’re all familiar with the most common ones. Claustrophobia, the fear of tight spaces. Arachnaphobia, the fear of spiders. Or how about this one: arachibutyrophobia, the fear of peanut butter. Imagine that!

If I had a phobia, and I’m neither admitting nor denying it, but if I did, I would have to concede to this one: enosiophobia – the fear of criticism.

Okay… I admit it. I cringe just a little, teeny, tiny bit under the weight of that big word.

I am anal enough to also admit that I did google the different types of criticisms. Guess what? The list is just about as long as the phobias’ list.

Reasonably speaking, I know that all criticism isn’t negative. There is the constructive type, and when given in kindness and taken pragmatically, it’s great. And yet, even with this fact planted firmly in my brain, my heart thumps one beat too fast when a critique, good or bad, is directed toward me.

My initial reaction, many times, is to become defensive. Not necessarily externally . . . but inside. And then, I begin to reason with myself before approaching the “antagonizer.” I’m a great debater, you see. I’ll reason myself all the way around a critique or into a corner, whichever comes first, hoping to convince the critic to go easier on me.

But never did this fear of criticism strike me more strongly than when I became a writer.

Is there a fear of edits? Revisophobia, perhaps?

Now, I know my editors are on my side. Like me, they want my story to be the best it can possibly be, and this is the only reason for the harsh “appraisal.” Everything in me knows it. I know it when I’m asked to cut my favorite scene because “it doesn’t really add anything to the plot.” I get it when I’m told “it might be wise to write two extra chapters for consistency’s sake,” thus pushing our deadline back a week or more. When I’m gently prompted to use a different word even though I love the one staring back at me from the page, I still know it. And I still tremble and pout and really, really want to say, “What? Now you don’t like my word choices either?”

I can’t be the only author who suffers from this sickness, haha! Just kidding. Really, I’m not phobic. I’m just an author; I exaggerate for creative ambience. *wink, wink* But seriously, I think all of us can agree that when we write, every single word drips onto the paper straight from our hearts. And when we surface brandishing that beautifully woven tale tightly clenched in our fists and prepare to pass it under the scrutinizing eye of inquiring minds for the very first time, it’s a scary feeling. Gut-wrenching, even. In fact, I don’t believe I’ll ever get used to that lightning streak of unease that crackles through me and encourages a sudden dose of Xanax.

It takes me a good couple of days to work up the nerve to open up an email from my editor when I know it contains a myriad of critiques and cuts and suggestions. My hands get sweaty, my heart races, and I have no doubt, at least in that one single moment that I must indeed suffer from enosiophobia. The same thing happens when I notice a new review for one of my books. The moment of truth . . . and my anxiety level soars.

Because I don’t suffer, however, from scriptophobia (the fear of writing), I continue to subject myself to the scrutiny of editors and reviewers alike.

But if I’m being honest, there’s a bigger part of me that actually loves the fear. I’m pretty sure this oddity in me comes from the same place that makes me keep watching horror flicks despite the fact that I’m jumpy for days afterwards. It’s the terrifying thrill that I must have. Fear lingering over the shoulder of the writer in me eventually gives me the adrenaline rush I need to finally open that blinking message from my editor. It’s what drives me to work harder, to write better, to make those editors continue to say, “Wow, you’ve really come a long way since we first met.”

I like to think that with every book I write . . . handling the criticism becomes easier. To a degree, this statement is true fact. And I’m convinced that one day, taking criticism will be easier than swallowing swords.

Uh, yeah. Note my slight hint of sarcasm.

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Hays

Casey Hays lives in New Mexico with her husband and two children. She is a former high school English teacher turned author. She loves Young Adult Fiction as well as supernatural, fantasy sci-fi, and dystopian–all with a twist of romance. She is the author of four works: “The Cadence” a YA supernatural romance, and Arrow’s Flight, a YA Christian dystopian sci-fi series: Breeder, The Archer, and Master, which released on January 15, 2016. Her short story “Edge of a Promise” is featured in the collaborative anthology PREP FOR DOOM, published June 18, 2015. Currently, she is working on a series of novellas for Arrow’s Flight, as well as a YA supernatural romance based on the legend of the Phoenix.  http://www.whisperingpages.com/

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Mar 22, 2016 | Posted by in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Tuesday Takeover: You’re Afraid of What? by Casey Hays

Tuesday Takeover: Play for the Win by EE Isherwood

When I first considered penning a book I was in my mid-40’s, had a full-time job, and supported a young family. In 2014 my grandmother passed away. For some reason, that event inspired me to write a short story set in a zombie universe. The little old woman in my story had to survive an encounter with her live-in nurse—who had become infected with the zombie virus. When I finished the 6000-word story, I loved it so much I wanted to keep going. I wrote a book about what she did next. Then I wrote two more books, with at least one more in the works.

Over the next year I lost my job and had months of free time to work on my writing. It slowly dawned on me they formed a coherent story that maybe…just maybe…someone would want to read. So I got to the hard work of editing, designing covers, and formatting for Kindle. I also spent a lot of my days doing research into self publishing. I wanted to do it all myself the first time, just so I could learn what goes into it.

The number one lesson I took away from all my research up until that point was to always respect your readers. Anyone who takes a chance on your book is going to spend several hours inside your world. Is it ready for them? Did you invest in a professional editor? If not, why? Does your cover look like it belongs on a shelf in Barnes and Noble? If not, why?

When I hit publish in December of 2015, I truly believed I was publishing for a few friends and my mom. I thought I was doing right by them. I edited the book myself several times. I put probably a month of man hours into editing those 90,000 words. I released with a simplified cover I felt was competent, though I had no illusions it was top notch. Being unemployed, it didn’t make any sense to invest money into something I had no idea was going to make a nickel for me in the short term.

In short, I wasn’t playing to win.

When you publish your book, think about why you are doing it. Is it to make money? Is it to wow readers? Is it to prove to your naysayers that you can publish it? Is it because you want to share something brilliant with the world? Is it because you think you are super awesome? Maybe you just want to prove to yourself you can do it.

If any of those are true, and you release without professional editing or a professional cover, you aren’t playing for the win. Think about any grand opening you’ve ever attended. If the business had dirt and debris on their parking lot, broken shelves and misplaced product on the inside, and clogged toilets, what are your chances of ever going back—even if whatever they were selling was brilliant?

Being an author is a strange place for an introvert such as myself. It simultaneously begs for humility and braggadocio. But promoting something that isn’t an absolute best effort is a formula for failure. So how do you stay grounded while playing for the win? Easy. Eliminate points of failure.

  • Book cover. If your cover doesn’t belong on a shelf at Barnes and Noble, are you sure you want to tell a reader it’s still good enough for their shelf? I thought my original cover was respectable, but my new professional cover makes my original look juvenile. Cost to cross this problem off your list: less than $150.
  • Editing. I rate myself as a decent writer and a decent editor. Not great, but decent. I read my manuscript end-to-end four times on printed paper before release. I had my wife read it. A trusted friend read it. Then I paid a professional editor to read it. She found an extra word in a sentence on page 3! If I had sent that book out for review, imagine my chances of getting favorables. Cost to cross this problem off your list: $200 at a minimum for basic proofreading services. Double that (or more) if there are deeper problems.
  • Story. OK, here’s where the rubber meets the road. People love your cover. They read the sample and find the editing is good. Now, is your story something people actually want to read? No, your Mom doesn’t count. No one you know personally can answer this question for you. Find a community of readers in your genre. Ask for beta readers. Listen to them. We all want to believe we are special snowflakes. Here’s the big secret: we aren’t. You are going into a marketplace that gets 6000 books a day—your competition! And that’s just Amazon. If your story doesn’t impress non-partial beta readers, you can’t possibly hope to get lots of glowing reviews, which are your book’s lifeblood out there. Cost: nothing.

Here’s the good news. Playing to win is actually not that expensive. If you’re writing for anyone besides yourself, you can’t go wrong paying the $500 to edit and sheath your book. Sure, that may be a lot of money for a roll of the dice, but your book is your intellectual property that can sit in a variety of electronic bookstores FOREVER. You’ve created something that will generate revenue for you until the day you die, plus 70 years. Think about that, then adjust your math.When you hit publish you are either dumping a second-rate product into a bottomless pit with 6000 other books, or you’ve invested in yourself and your property to ensure you have the best chance of recouping your investment rather quickly. In my case, it took about 20 days with revenue from KDP Select, and I’m a nobody.Play for the win, believe and invest in your product, and give yourself a chance to succeed. Your readers will love you for it.

isherwood-250-promo

About:

EE Isherwood is a lifelong reader of post-apocalyptic fiction. In 2015, life gave him the opportunity to try his hand at writing and he began with a short story about a 104-year-old great-grandmother. Then he tossed her into the zombie apocalypse in his debut novel Since the Sirens. He wrote two more books about her as part of the Sirens of the Zombie Apocalypse series. A fourth volume is coming. Every day he goes to bed amazed he’s kept her alive for one more day.

http://amazon.com/author/eeisherwood

http://www.zombiebooks.net

Mar 15, 2016 | Posted by in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Tuesday Takeover: Play for the Win by EE Isherwood