Virtual Launch

Three months ago, I tried to time the virtual launch of my book with my physical launch, but things went wrong. I submitted on Reedsy and waited for a review. I waited 30 days before resubmitting it on the site. Then I waited until my launch, and unfortunately, no review, so I was given an extra 28 days. So almost a month after my physical book launch; I have my Virtual Launch.
But this is where I need your help, click on the picture below, go onto the site and comment and upvote the book, let other people know about it.

Launch Site

Who to Trust

When it comes to self-marketing, learning is always going to happen. You feel like you jump into a deep end when you try something new and your lifeguard tosses you the ring and orders you to “Stay Afloat” but doesn’t assist.
There are always people who prey on the new, innocent and gullible. Scams on Facebook, frauds, con artists and lying organisations. Unless you are guided through the new waters, you will get attacked by ‘sharks’ those that smell or spot an easy mark.

@menwithpen 🖊 is an example of this. They saw me as a novice and I fell for their kind words and empty promises. I tried to reason with them and explain my situation and they guilt me into making a sale. They promise they can give you X number of followers, and what they do is then use bots, ghost followers and generic wording for their post.

Now I was polite and asked for an explanation and they went silent on me, ignored my messages, they tried to make it up with a 50% discount on the next offer or adding a free post but they didn’t give a reason for their lack of service.

When I asked for at least half my money back, they ignore me and don’t respond. If they came up with a logical explanation for the lack of results, I would have been happy to accept it but they haven’t came up with anything so I have to believe they are scamming me and anyone else until they prove themselves innocent.

Their latest attempt to explain is that they changed their wording and apologise for the inconvenience. Not impressed.

(Update); it seems many people lie on the internet, (not surprised there) but it seems I have trusted the wrong people when it comes to reviews. Some gave me what they promised, others haven’t. I can’t do anything about it. However I can be mindful going forward and double check everything.

Title Treat and iTunes Trouble

Life has ups and downs, good and the bad, something will go right, and something will go wrong.

This week, I finished having the cover designed for book three. The artist did a fantastic job of keeping the book’s main plot hidden but revealed enough to give some hints. it will be revealed next month, but I am happy to reveal the Title of the book. It was a lot of back and forth and missing each other. That’s what happens when you work with someone from another country.

On the flip-side, I was hoping to have Book Two available on iTunes this week, but there has been an error and some glitches, which prevents the book been published on Apple Books. I hope before the end of the month, the book will be available. I will also put it on Lulu before August 31st.

There is always good and bad, right and wrong. I hope next week, the iTunes goes right, so something else can go wrong.

Universities, Schools and Cafes

When you are selling your own book, there are many ways to do it, and it seems that one method is bringing the books to the people. This past week, I took the book to the local cafe - same place I had the book launch - I took it to the university that I studied at while attending a training course and my old high school.

What I am trying to do is get the word out, expand the audience and those interested, get my face and the book out there. Using social media and connections, I traveled north and south of where I live to get my self out there. I sold a few copies of my book and told people about it. I spoke to a class and teachers about the book and have people interested in buying a copy. That’s all I can hope for.

Starting a new trend

The octothorpe, the 8-pointed symbol on the keyboard that you get if you click shift [3] or the pound sign, number sign, or even just plain hash. It was something that was used for weight, telling phone numbers, and in the modern day, in social media, it is used for grouping posts, pictures and media together. The “Hashtag”

Well, I am hoping to introduce my own # to the world.

#Immortallegacyseries

Since it will be a five-book series, I am hoping that by the time I get to book 4; it will be trending. I plan to use this on all my book-related posts on all my media. I hope that by the end of 2022, at least 100 posts will be grouped under this new hashtag. I hope that those that have the book will use it too.

It won’t be the only hashtag I plan on making. I hope to make a few with each coming book. So get trending, use the new hashtag if you have the book, and share a post about it. The more it grows, the more people will know about it.

Selling and Signing

This week I sold several books, each signed. That’s something I got to get used to my signature. I am not planning on changing what I do. I even don’t plan on changing how I sign, but what to write along with their name and the signature is always tricky. You don’t want to be cliche. You don’t want to sound impersonal. But you don’t want to write a whole paragraph either.

Signing a book at the launch.

When it comes to signatures, people have their initials, their first and last name, fancy loops and swirls. I kept mine pretty simple, it may change depending on the speed I write but it is clear and easy to read.

I still have over 70 books to sell that I can sign for people from my hometown to Western Australia, even those overseas. I look forward to seeing photos of people holding the book, the book on the shelf or on the coffee table. I am looking forward to seeing bookmarks sticking out of them. I am happy when someone tells me they are reading it. I am pleased when people are enjoying the storyline. I am even eager for people to pick up on things and criticise it. The more feedback I get, the better the next book will be.

Beginning of Phase 3 - Book Three

Last week I finished editing the third book of my series, and yesterday I heard from my cover designer. The first discussion of what to have on the front lasted 30 minutes, and he was impressed with what I gave him. I can’t wait to see the first draft. The cover is going to give the storyline of the third book without spoiling the ending - of course - as well as give hints to what will happen.

With the second book already out on Amazon, I plan to put it on iTunes this month and later on Lulu. The plan to have three books out in three months changed when the third book was ready in time, and the cover designer was swamped with work. With “Age of the Immortal” not reaching everyone on Amazon yet, I will put off submitting the third book until October. However, I will most likely have a cover reveal in September. Since I haven’t released the Title of the Third Book (unless people have seen the posts on Instagram.) That won’t be revealed until the Cover Reveal.

I am going to put a link to the second book here in case anyone is interested in grabbing Book 2.

Immortal and the Hex

Finalising and Editing

For the past month and a half, I have been attending a Writer’s Boot Camp in which I get to hang out with other aspiring writers to have time to work on their work. I have been using that time to either work on a new book or edit one that is already written. The past 6 weeks, I have been editing the third book of the series. I spent mornings, afternoons and some nights, going through the book to correct mistakes I overlooked when I first wrote it four years ago.

Today, I finished the editing process, I spent the day going through the final chapter and after a few hours, I have completed the 22 pages. I look forward to hearing back about the cover and start designing that but for now, I am happy to have the book complete.

What does this mean, it means that maybe before the end of the year, Book 3 can be available as an Ebook for those who liked book 1 and 2; it means that I can start slowly going through the fourth book and plan the full series. It certainly means that the story of the Immortal isn’t finished and you might not have to wait too long to read what happens next.

Final Preparations

With less than a week to go, the final preparations are in order. It is getting so close, anxiety and nerves will kick in soon. With a few things left to arrange, the big treat and the big cut-out. The life-size cut-out was trouble. I left it too late for one place and had to make arrangements for another place. I am hoping that it arrives on time. With less than a week, time is precious.

I posted one of the books so it can arrive on the day of the launch for someone who cannot make it. I am looking forward to seeing the book in someone else’s home. I know that the book won’t be for everyone and some people might not like certain parts. What I fear is that the book will not be read because they judge it fro the first few pages.

Reviews and honesty is what I am hoping for, the good, the bad and the messy. I am looking forward to hearing someone say “I love….” but I am also waiting for the feedback “You might want to….” that way I can improve it. I don’t want someone to look at the cover, the first few pages and then say “Oh I don’t like it because….”

The Immortal

Immortal Legacy