Pre-Order, Previews and Pictures

This week you can Pre-Order “Immortal and the Hex” on iTunes and have it ready to read by next week. The book continues straight off from Book #1. After a month of struggling to get the book available, using a Windows computer to do something that works better on Apple and Mac products hopefully will be worth it in the end.

This week, I will also be providing hints and clues to the cover of Book #3, “Class of the Immortal” which will have its cover reveal next week on the 21st of September. If you check out my Instagram or Facebook page this week, there will be word clues and visual clues.

Finally, I am running out of material to use for marketing and need the help of those who have bought my book, eBook or Physical. If you have the book at home, take a picture of the book somewhere in your house, your office, car or even public transport. Then send me the picture, and you will have credit for the picture when I use it for marketing. I just need pictures of the book in new places to help promote the book.

Changes and Updates

The world mourns the passing of the Her Majesty, the Queen, Elizabeth Windsor. The world will never be the same, but she will not be forgotten. When I heard the news, I was devastated, she didn’t make it to Christmas. She has been through a lot, two wars, flood, fire and epidemic. She lost her father, mother, sister and husband, along with daughter-in-law. She traveled the world, she met so many people, shook so many hands and wore so many hats. As long as her story is told, she will not be forgotten, especially by the commonwealth.

I may have written her to live to 100+ I may have made her retire at 100, but that was my Fantasy, my alternate reality.

Now for an update, I have managed to get iTunes to publish Book #2 “Immortal and the Hex” onto Apple Books, however, I have decided to postpone the release of the book until the 21st of September, around the same time I am revealing the third book’s cover. I waited this long for it to be available on Apple, while not another two weeks.

Spanner in the Works

It has been over a week since September started, and Apple still hasn’t resolved the error preventing me from publishing my second book there. I have been emailing them for the last seven days, and they keep getting back to me with can you tell us what the problem is. Hopefully, this will be resolved before the end of the month. I am really hoping to have it available on all three platforms BEFORE I reveal the cover of the third book.

The biggest spanner in my works is social media not reaching the wider audience; having only 50-100 people reached isn’t getting the word out there. The same people are seeing the advertisement, and unless they are sharing the posts, no one else is. In order for this to reach a wider audience, I need social media actually to have their “Algorithms” work in my favour.

Writers Unleashed: Meet the Authors

Saturday 3rd of September; Writers Unleashed, Sutherland Writers Festival, hosted by the Fellowship of Australian Writers (Sutherland Branch) is a gathering of writers and readers. Today was the first time in three years to be face to face and it was great to see so many people. I had the privilege of listening to Gary Lonesborough talk about his first book; listened to Deborah Abela give tips on writing any story. Heard from Deb, James Bradley and Victoria Brookman as they spoke about their books based around Global Crisis. I was part of the group as we listened to Nardi Simpson in conversation with Dinuka McKenzie.

I got to talk to and get autographs from ten of the attending authors and was encouraged to continue my journey. I watched as high schoolers were awarded for their creative writing skills during the SPARK Competition.

I hope that maybe in the next few years, I can sell my book there and even one year, be involved. It is a big dream but one can do that. For now, I will cherish the time at Gymea Tradies.

Delay on Apple Books - Now on Lulu

Today is the last day of August, and it seems that the glitch in the iTunes server is delaying my release of Immortal and the Hex for Apple Books. I was hoping to have it out last week, but after seven days of no communication with tech support and numerous attempts to publish it. The second book of the series will have to come out next month. Well, that’s the way things are; the Reedsy launch was delayed 60 days. I decided to hold off on the third book until October. At least the ebook version until October.

On the other hand, I have released the book on Lulu. I made Lulu 18+ to limit the number of people buying the book on there. However, the book is for anyone that is a young adult or advanced reader age. The content is ideal for those 15/16+, but those as young as 13 can enjoy the story.

On Saturday, I plan on getting more advice on how to get my book out there, known by a wider audience. For now, I am relying on those that have the book and know about the book to spread the word. Take a picture of them with it, and make a comment on social media. I rely on those that read my blogs and my social media to help spread the word. I don’t care if they buy the book in 12 months’ time or five years.

I will keep you updated; as soon as the book is on iTunes Apple Books, there will be a post and a blog.

Asking the Shops

These past two weeks, I have been trying to get my book into different venues to be sold; been my own publisher, distributor and marketing team. This means I am speaking for myself on behalf of my book. Yesterday, I went to Dymocks, in Wollongong Central, to talk to them about getting the book in their shop. It sounded promising but still complicated. Being my own distributor, I had to talk to them directly.

I have to email them to see what else is needed to get the books into their franchise. If I need to print dozens of copies to have them sell, then I hope I get my money back plus some.

Earlier I gave the book shop in Thirroul; Collins Booksellers, a copy of my book so they can decide if they are selling it. I haven’t heard back from them yet, but I am hoping I hear before October ends. There are plans to get my book known to my local area and the world, but it takes time. Small steps and persistent asking.

The only way I can get more people to know about my book is if those who have heard about it, show interest. Click the link below, upvote my book or start following it. Let people know about the book.

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.