Dear All,
Over the last couple of weeks I have been trying to increase sales of my book Dead South in America. I've tried dropping the price using a Kindle Countdown Promotion, I've directly advertised on Amazon.com and I've heavily tweeted about it. But nothing seems to have worked.
On the other hand UK sales have been fantastic and the book continues to perform well; it has been in the Top 100 horror books for the past 94 days. It's one of the most 'wished for' books in its genre and reviews continue to be really positive. It currently averages 4.8 stars out of 5 from 58 reviews.
So what do I make of it all? It would be easy for me just to think that people in the US aren't interested in UK horror, but I honestly don't think that this is the case. I just have to work harder to get noticed. Do more advertising, do more promoting and keep on plugging away.
And that is really the crux of this short post.
Don't give up! If you do that, then nobody will ever see your work.
Hopefully, I will be able to tell you about Dead South's success in the USA soon. But until then I'll keep on plugging away!
Until next time
David
Saturday, 14 March 2015
Thursday, 5 March 2015
Literature the tie that binds - A guest post by Skid from skidsgig.weebly.com
Dear All,
Waking up to receive an invitation to be a guest blogger for David Brinson’s blog site was truly one of the most invigorating opportunities I have had in many a day. I was, to say the least, ecstatic to prove positive my decision to become a professional blogger, and to also be recognized as the leading expert in “post-Zombie Apocalypse Technology applicability”. Sure, I have many more months, perhaps years, to prove my competence as a professional blogger, but I think in a relatively short time I have validated that I am the leading expert in my field. Perhaps the only expert in my field. But, as experts go, it’s been an exhilarating ride to the top so far!
My first act was to peruse David’s blog site at davidbrinson.blogspot.co.uk. I have been reading his book for the past week, caught up in the action, suspense and dialogue. I suspected I would find his postings equally as entertaining and I was not disappointed. Imagine my exhilaration as I read through the opening paragraph to see that it would be about football! One of my favorite discussions, this was going to be something I could sink my teeth into.
Okay. Point of order. Note that David’s blog site ends with “uk.” And that his book is called “Dead South: The Zombie Apocalypse in London.” And note that I write with an American accent. Its safe to assume that UK doesn’t stand for University of Kansas. All those facts put together add up to one undeniable fact. It’s a different type of football.
No worries, though. I still read on. And I was fascinated. The concept of an entire country being behind a national team is foreign to me. We Yanks do follow almost any and every sport (except cricket, can’t quite figure that one out) and we will rally behind our teams in international competitions, but the concept of caring for them in the off season doesn’t resonate. Shortly after any international sporting competition we return to the routine of our seasonal sports, cheering for our regional teams. Marlon Hope penned a fantastic article, but to be honest my depth of understanding wasn’t enough to be conversant in the topic. Obviously it will take the U.S. sometime to grasp English football.
On to the next post! The Changing Nature of Writing! And I see quite quickly that Mr. Brinson is also a Lee Child fan! Well, that makes sense, as Lee Child is a British Author, who has put together a great series of books with the hero Jack Reacher. Instantly I bond with Mr. Brinson, understanding more about him because of the books he has read and the heroes that he has. His love of reading good authors, and his effort to hone his own skill are kindred to my own. As I continue to read, post after post, I am amazed by the parallels between my pursuits and Davids.
But I keep coming back to his post on The Changing Nature of Writing. Something intrigues me. My favorite author? Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Edgar Allen Poe. Edgar Rice Burroughs. (Two Edgars? What are the odds.) Lee Child. John D. MacDonald (Travis McGee author) and a few others. Some who will take the effort will begin to see that I favor the classics, with Lee Child being probably the most recent. But, what makes them favorites?
Very quickly I determined that David Brinson was my type of author. The story picked up speed quickly, and there were several layers of characters and plot lines. For me, being a Sherlock Holmes fan, it was quite enjoyable to find myself back in London, putting the places back in my imagination and watching the action unfold. Each and every one of my favorite authors has created a hero on a quest to right a wrong or protect the innocent.
But there is more. The story of the author has always come into play. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s rumored practical joke of sending a note to five friends that simply stated, “We are discovered. Flee now!” and the rumored result that one of his friends did indeed disappear forever, make anything and everything he wrote worth reading. Before Sir Arthur was “The Father of the Detective Novel” Edgar Allen Poe. Where did Mr. Poe go to school? London.
Edgar Rice Burroughs and John D. MacDonald wrote of amazing heroes. Mr. Burroughs crafted Tarzan and John Carter. He created Tarzan! Lord Greystoke, a British Lord! Amazing how so many of my literary heroes have had ties to London.
John D. MacDonald is that exception. But he followed in their literary footsteps, creating the hero Travis McGee, a “knight errant” who had his cerebral sidekick Meyer as they solved mysteries. The similarities of him and Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson is not lost on me.
These authors created heroes, they created environments, they created situations and they created solutions. They blazed a path of literature that we must not lose. History shows that these authors struggled to find their way. John D. MacDonald typed 14 hours a day, losing twenty pounds as he began his career. Edgar Rice Burroughs was a pencil sharpener wholesaler. A pencil sharpener wholesaler! I don’t even know what that is!
So David Brinson has accepted the challenge. He has created a hero. He has created an environment. He has created the situations and their solutions. But equally important to me his post has demonstrated he has a passion for the art, and I applaud that.
My path is slightly different. I will create for you, over time, an environment where when you purchase any bit of technology, you will think to yourself, “I wonder if this will be useful after the Zombie apocalypse.” You might smile. You might not buy it. You might by two of some gadgets. But it will be worth the laugh.
Maybe it will take us years to get together to watch football. But, the tie that binds is our literature. And apparently Zombies. Apparently we have exactly the same views on Zombies.
“We are discovered! Flee now!”
Enjoy more from Skid at skidsgig.weebly.com and follow him on twitter @SkidsGig
Little more than 2 weeks after the success of my first guest blog by Marlon Hope (@hope_insight), I have found an absolute gem of a blogger for you all to enjoy.
I introduced you all to Skid (@SkidsGig) from skidsgig.weebly.com in my last post. He is without doubt the leading light of post zombie apocalypse technology, and I'm delighted that he has written something for us all.
Enjoy!
David
***
Waking up to receive an invitation to be a guest blogger for David Brinson’s blog site was truly one of the most invigorating opportunities I have had in many a day. I was, to say the least, ecstatic to prove positive my decision to become a professional blogger, and to also be recognized as the leading expert in “post-Zombie Apocalypse Technology applicability”. Sure, I have many more months, perhaps years, to prove my competence as a professional blogger, but I think in a relatively short time I have validated that I am the leading expert in my field. Perhaps the only expert in my field. But, as experts go, it’s been an exhilarating ride to the top so far!
My first act was to peruse David’s blog site at davidbrinson.blogspot.co.uk. I have been reading his book for the past week, caught up in the action, suspense and dialogue. I suspected I would find his postings equally as entertaining and I was not disappointed. Imagine my exhilaration as I read through the opening paragraph to see that it would be about football! One of my favorite discussions, this was going to be something I could sink my teeth into.
Okay. Point of order. Note that David’s blog site ends with “uk.” And that his book is called “Dead South: The Zombie Apocalypse in London.” And note that I write with an American accent. Its safe to assume that UK doesn’t stand for University of Kansas. All those facts put together add up to one undeniable fact. It’s a different type of football.
No worries, though. I still read on. And I was fascinated. The concept of an entire country being behind a national team is foreign to me. We Yanks do follow almost any and every sport (except cricket, can’t quite figure that one out) and we will rally behind our teams in international competitions, but the concept of caring for them in the off season doesn’t resonate. Shortly after any international sporting competition we return to the routine of our seasonal sports, cheering for our regional teams. Marlon Hope penned a fantastic article, but to be honest my depth of understanding wasn’t enough to be conversant in the topic. Obviously it will take the U.S. sometime to grasp English football.
On to the next post! The Changing Nature of Writing! And I see quite quickly that Mr. Brinson is also a Lee Child fan! Well, that makes sense, as Lee Child is a British Author, who has put together a great series of books with the hero Jack Reacher. Instantly I bond with Mr. Brinson, understanding more about him because of the books he has read and the heroes that he has. His love of reading good authors, and his effort to hone his own skill are kindred to my own. As I continue to read, post after post, I am amazed by the parallels between my pursuits and Davids.
But I keep coming back to his post on The Changing Nature of Writing. Something intrigues me. My favorite author? Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Edgar Allen Poe. Edgar Rice Burroughs. (Two Edgars? What are the odds.) Lee Child. John D. MacDonald (Travis McGee author) and a few others. Some who will take the effort will begin to see that I favor the classics, with Lee Child being probably the most recent. But, what makes them favorites?
Very quickly I determined that David Brinson was my type of author. The story picked up speed quickly, and there were several layers of characters and plot lines. For me, being a Sherlock Holmes fan, it was quite enjoyable to find myself back in London, putting the places back in my imagination and watching the action unfold. Each and every one of my favorite authors has created a hero on a quest to right a wrong or protect the innocent.
But there is more. The story of the author has always come into play. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s rumored practical joke of sending a note to five friends that simply stated, “We are discovered. Flee now!” and the rumored result that one of his friends did indeed disappear forever, make anything and everything he wrote worth reading. Before Sir Arthur was “The Father of the Detective Novel” Edgar Allen Poe. Where did Mr. Poe go to school? London.
Edgar Rice Burroughs and John D. MacDonald wrote of amazing heroes. Mr. Burroughs crafted Tarzan and John Carter. He created Tarzan! Lord Greystoke, a British Lord! Amazing how so many of my literary heroes have had ties to London.
John D. MacDonald is that exception. But he followed in their literary footsteps, creating the hero Travis McGee, a “knight errant” who had his cerebral sidekick Meyer as they solved mysteries. The similarities of him and Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson is not lost on me.
These authors created heroes, they created environments, they created situations and they created solutions. They blazed a path of literature that we must not lose. History shows that these authors struggled to find their way. John D. MacDonald typed 14 hours a day, losing twenty pounds as he began his career. Edgar Rice Burroughs was a pencil sharpener wholesaler. A pencil sharpener wholesaler! I don’t even know what that is!
So David Brinson has accepted the challenge. He has created a hero. He has created an environment. He has created the situations and their solutions. But equally important to me his post has demonstrated he has a passion for the art, and I applaud that.
My path is slightly different. I will create for you, over time, an environment where when you purchase any bit of technology, you will think to yourself, “I wonder if this will be useful after the Zombie apocalypse.” You might smile. You might not buy it. You might by two of some gadgets. But it will be worth the laugh.
Maybe it will take us years to get together to watch football. But, the tie that binds is our literature. And apparently Zombies. Apparently we have exactly the same views on Zombies.
“We are discovered! Flee now!”
Enjoy more from Skid at skidsgig.weebly.com and follow him on twitter @SkidsGig
Saturday, 28 February 2015
How we label ourselves
Dear Everyone,
We all love a label, don't we? We love to label ourselves and others. I suppose it makes things easier for us to understand who and where we all fit in the world. But none of us just have one label and we can have multiple labels for different people. In fact, we can also give ourselves lots of different labels too.
I'm a husband, a son, a brother and a friend. I'm also a project manager and an author amongst other things. But these aren't the labels I'm interested in today. No, I want to talk about something else... I want to talk about the national/regional identity label.
Essentially, what label do I give myself when I'm describing myself to somebody new. Somebody from a completely different part of the country or even the world.
Would I tell them I'm a Londoner? That I'm English? That I'm British? Or that I'm European? I'm all of these things, but I suppose it all depends on what the circumstances are.
I'm a Londoner, but London is so big. And I'm from south of the River Thames anyway, so the truth is I'm a south Londoner. And believe it or not there is a big difference! To put it simply, south London is better than north London. But I digress.
I'm also a proud Brit. But Great Britain, has got 4 countries in it. So if I'm honest, I probably identify as being English more. Maybe, it's because I love football, cricket and rugby and the home nations all compete against each other in theses? Perhaps, if I was into tennis or athletics I'd feel slightly more British than I do English? Who knows? Oh yes and one other thing... Every 2 years during the Ryder Cup I'm a European!
So anyway, why am I going on about all of these perfectly plausible labels then? Well it's because of my novel, Dead South, and how different people from around the world see it and in turn me. Dead South is set in south London and quite a few reviews have stated that it has a real south London feel to it. Which is great. That was exactly what I wanted. I wanted to bring the places that I know and love to life and it seems that at least to other people from the UK that I'd done that.
I've been humbled by all of the positivity and well wishes that Dead South has received. At the time of writing this, it has an average of 4.8 stars out of 5 on amazon.co.uk from 50 reviews. I've also received scores of tweets and Facbook messages from lots of people who have enjoyed the book too.
But what about our American cousins? What do they think? Would they be able to get into the story or would it all be a bit too different for them? Would they find the jokes funny? Would they understand that cups of tea and not guns can really solve life's problems? I hoped they would, but I didn't know.
As you can imagine, I was pretty chuffed to see that an American was enjoying it and getting involved in the spirit of it too. That tweet was favorited and retweeted pretty much straight away. I also told anybody who would listen to me about it.
So when I saw the next tweet a day later, I had to pinch myself as I clicked through to the review.
To cut a long story short I was really happy with the review. And by really happy, I mean overjoyed. Now this wasn't only because the reviewer, Skid, said nice things about me and my book, but because he'd clearly put a lot of thought into it. It has depth and is really funny too. In short it is an excellent post. So excellent in fact that I decided to read the rest of his blog.
Skidsgig.weebly.com reviews technology. Skid is an avid techie and has had his finger on the pulse of all new gadgets and devices for over a decade. He wants to help people buy technology that will help them. But he does this with a twist. He throws in a little zombie humour to make it more interesting and also lets you know how the devices will stand up during and after the apocalypse. It is a must read for zombie fans, for people who are looking into purchasing a new piece of kit and also for anybody who just wants to have a bit of fun.
When I saw his blog I immediately asked him to write a guest post for me and I was delighted when he said yes. If it is half as good as I think it will be, we will all be in for a treat. I implore you to check his blog out because it is brilliant.
But before you do; have a read of his Dead South review below.
Until next time.
David
We all love a label, don't we? We love to label ourselves and others. I suppose it makes things easier for us to understand who and where we all fit in the world. But none of us just have one label and we can have multiple labels for different people. In fact, we can also give ourselves lots of different labels too.
I'm a husband, a son, a brother and a friend. I'm also a project manager and an author amongst other things. But these aren't the labels I'm interested in today. No, I want to talk about something else... I want to talk about the national/regional identity label.
Essentially, what label do I give myself when I'm describing myself to somebody new. Somebody from a completely different part of the country or even the world.
Would I tell them I'm a Londoner? That I'm English? That I'm British? Or that I'm European? I'm all of these things, but I suppose it all depends on what the circumstances are.
I'm a Londoner, but London is so big. And I'm from south of the River Thames anyway, so the truth is I'm a south Londoner. And believe it or not there is a big difference! To put it simply, south London is better than north London. But I digress.
I'm also a proud Brit. But Great Britain, has got 4 countries in it. So if I'm honest, I probably identify as being English more. Maybe, it's because I love football, cricket and rugby and the home nations all compete against each other in theses? Perhaps, if I was into tennis or athletics I'd feel slightly more British than I do English? Who knows? Oh yes and one other thing... Every 2 years during the Ryder Cup I'm a European!
So anyway, why am I going on about all of these perfectly plausible labels then? Well it's because of my novel, Dead South, and how different people from around the world see it and in turn me. Dead South is set in south London and quite a few reviews have stated that it has a real south London feel to it. Which is great. That was exactly what I wanted. I wanted to bring the places that I know and love to life and it seems that at least to other people from the UK that I'd done that.
I've been humbled by all of the positivity and well wishes that Dead South has received. At the time of writing this, it has an average of 4.8 stars out of 5 on amazon.co.uk from 50 reviews. I've also received scores of tweets and Facbook messages from lots of people who have enjoyed the book too.
But what about our American cousins? What do they think? Would they be able to get into the story or would it all be a bit too different for them? Would they find the jokes funny? Would they understand that cups of tea and not guns can really solve life's problems? I hoped they would, but I didn't know.
Book sales have been slower in the US, but the people who have read it have responded really positively to it. It's received 5x5 star reviews on amazon.com, but I thought that they could have been ex-pats downloading it and thinking of home. So I wasn't really sure. That was until the other morning when I woke up to the below tweet.
As you can imagine, I was pretty chuffed to see that an American was enjoying it and getting involved in the spirit of it too. That tweet was favorited and retweeted pretty much straight away. I also told anybody who would listen to me about it.
So when I saw the next tweet a day later, I had to pinch myself as I clicked through to the review.
To cut a long story short I was really happy with the review. And by really happy, I mean overjoyed. Now this wasn't only because the reviewer, Skid, said nice things about me and my book, but because he'd clearly put a lot of thought into it. It has depth and is really funny too. In short it is an excellent post. So excellent in fact that I decided to read the rest of his blog.
Skidsgig.weebly.com reviews technology. Skid is an avid techie and has had his finger on the pulse of all new gadgets and devices for over a decade. He wants to help people buy technology that will help them. But he does this with a twist. He throws in a little zombie humour to make it more interesting and also lets you know how the devices will stand up during and after the apocalypse. It is a must read for zombie fans, for people who are looking into purchasing a new piece of kit and also for anybody who just wants to have a bit of fun.
When I saw his blog I immediately asked him to write a guest post for me and I was delighted when he said yes. If it is half as good as I think it will be, we will all be in for a treat. I implore you to check his blog out because it is brilliant.
But before you do; have a read of his Dead South review below.
Until next time.
David
***
Review published on skidsgig.weebly.com on 25/2/15
Every once in a while I will
leave the self-appointed task of reviewing gadgets in an effort to discuss
something especially thought provoking.
Something monumentally important.
Or at least important to me. I
founded this blog on the basis of reviewing technology in an effort to gauge
that gadgets relevance before and after the Zombie Apocalypse, and to date, I
think I have been good at discussing several gadgets of relevance.
But what about the Zombies? Have I neglected their relevance? I think, to a point, I have. An outstanding read is the classic book “I am
Legend” by Richard Matheson.
(No, not the movie. Neither the
Will Smith version or “The Omega Man”.)
Yes, I know, not Zombies. Vampires. But, this book is genius in its
approach. The Vampires have taken over
the world and only one human remains.
During daytime he wanders the earth killing sleeping Vampires. He has become the Vampire “bogeyman.” And really, you could put any monster into
that role with the same results. A world
full of Werewolves, Gargoyles, Swamp Monsters, you name it. If they were the population and hunted in
their sleep, they would fear their manifested bogeyman.
Except Zombies. This is what makes them unique. If you populated the entire planet with
Zombies, with the exception of one human being, who would roam around during
the off hours slaying Zombies, they wouldn’t care. Nope, not one bit. No Zombie headlines, no Zombie news
reports. It would go monumentally
unnoticed. And you know why? Because Zombies are stupid.
I realize that right here I have
universally offended all of my Zombie readers, who are now, most likely,
dialing up their Zombie lawyers to sue me for insulting them. But thats a risk I’m willing to take, and I
don’t mean it (not really) as an insult.
It’s an observation, and one that’s rarely made in modern Zombie
literature. But occasionally you will
come across a great book that approaches Zombies in the classic sense. A book that is entertaining but also an epic
understanding of the post Apocalyptic world of Zombie kind.
50% through David Brinson’s “Dead
South: The Zombie Apocalypse in London” and that’s what I believe I
have discovered. Brilliant in
description and character development, I have found myself thoroughly entranced
as I flip through the digital pages. I
am not from London, nor have I lived in London, but I have had no problem
imagining the environment so eloquently written by Mr. Brinson.
To be fair, there’s been a slight
learning curve as I catch up to the written environment, and I did have to
google what a “Mini Metro” looked like.
(Seriously UK readers, that’s not a pretty vehicle!) But what really separates Mr. Brinson from
the average author is his excellent ability to script dialogue.
I know, I’m not an author. But I’m an avid reader. And I know good dialogue. And he’s done it. I will admit, as a Yank I have to give Mr.
Brinson the advantage, because his country invented the language I have been
mangling it for years. He has taken that
advantage and penned an excellent read.
Details? I’m 50% through, and I don’t want to give
away spoilers. But here’s what I can say
- the story revolves around Dean, and his efforts to gather his family and
friends to areas of safety during the beginning days of the Zombie
Apocalypse. Dean, as a hero, is
perfect. Quick and deliberate to act,
constantly planning his approaches to the Zombie hordes. There is an abundance of characters, but the
book is so well written it is easy to keep them oriented as you read.
There is also an abundance of
Zombies. And, that brings me to my
point. David Brinson writes to the type
of Zombie I prefer. His hero understands
that the Zombie is neither fast nor brilliant, and is able to plan effectively
around the situations he finds himself in.
This is the situation I think I am easiest able to personify. I think, in this situation, I could out think
a Zombie. It’d be close, but I think I’m
up to that challenge!
I love a good joke. I love classic Zombie humor. This excerpt was fantastic, ““Sébastien Loeb,
eat your heart out.” (Now before anybody judges me, at the time I had no idea
that the nine-time World Rally Champion was indeed eating somebody’s heart
out.)”
Friday, 20 February 2015
The State of the English Game - A Guest Post by Marlon Hope
Dear All,
Today I'm taking a step away from the literary norm of this blog and will be doing the first of what I hope will be many guest posts.
Last year, my very good friend, Marlon Hope (@hope_insight ), wrote an article about the state of English football. I found it very insightful and whilst I may not have agreed with every word, I thought it was too good not to share with the rest of the world.
So if like me, you love football and have been continually frustrated by England's showings over the years, I'd implore you to have read and let me know your thoughts.
Until next time
David
***
As another major international tournament goes by (Brazil
world cup 2014), and the England national team again disappoints, it is time to
dust down our obligatory root and branch reform clichés. Many call for English
football to adopt a policy mirroring that of the nation that has just lifted
the trophy. And the debate rages on into the summer, broken up only by the
reporting of our elite clubs pursuit of foreign tournament stars - the sexy
exciting mistress, to the dowdy wife that is those England players, and all
those beneath them that weren't even good enough to make the squad - until the
start of the new season.
During my love affair with football, which probably dates
back to that Michael Thomas goal for Arsenal at Anfield that clinched the 88/89
league title, you could take any major national tournament - with the only
exceptions, Italy 90, Euro 96 and France 98 - and the only way you would know
what tournament it was would be by the players’ names being mentioned. The
problems, the performance, the out outcome and the solutions are pretty
transferable.
An interesting, aside is that after each of the three
tournaments where the nation saw a team performance that reflected and
satisfied the public’s perception, we changed the manager? Should that tell us
anything? Considering that objectively, this is a pattern does seem a little
self-destructive?
But any way - I digress - back to the aftermath of our national teams failures. The general reasons proffered by those in the know - and all those who consume the media - is: English players aren't technically good enough, players were played out of position, our star players didn't turn up, players were not fit, fear, the manager can't get players to replicate their club form and unhappy camp. Oh and don't forget the need for a tournament scapegoat ranging from the manager, that player the media don’t take to (James Milner, Owen Hargreaves – Euro 2004), player that made a mistake (David Beckham, Phil Neville) or the advertisers dream, the guy who missed that crucial shoot out penalty.
But any way - I digress - back to the aftermath of our national teams failures. The general reasons proffered by those in the know - and all those who consume the media - is: English players aren't technically good enough, players were played out of position, our star players didn't turn up, players were not fit, fear, the manager can't get players to replicate their club form and unhappy camp. Oh and don't forget the need for a tournament scapegoat ranging from the manager, that player the media don’t take to (James Milner, Owen Hargreaves – Euro 2004), player that made a mistake (David Beckham, Phil Neville) or the advertisers dream, the guy who missed that crucial shoot out penalty.
I am sure so far I haven't said anything that is not recognised by anyone who has an interest in football. I would even hazard a guess that most of the UK without an interest in football could reel off a fair few of those reasons. The hysteria gets that big. So, if that is true, and the best brains in the UK - administrators ex-pro's and journalists - solve the nation's ills in the down time between England's exit and the start next Premier league season every 2 years, why does nothing seem to change?
Let me say, I am not football expert. I never played the game at any high level; I only watch the top tier English competitions, champions league and international tournaments like many. I do play a mean football manager but I accept that doesn't qualify me ahead of those whose opinions I have enjoyed watching, reading and listening to over the years. But, hearing the same solutions and seeing the same failings played out on continuous loop has lead me to question both the problem and the answer. If we know the question and the answer, why does nothing ever change? Are the solutions being touted the right ones?
This long process of football reforms has been coming for
some time. Could you imagine a Fortune 500 company, consistently achieving the
equivalent results over two or three decades? Would there not be swift decisive
action followed by a strong upturn in performance? Even if the ultimate aim
were not immediately achieved, surely there would be a trend of improvement?
Substitute in the England national team for the FTSE 500
company, and suppose I am suggesting that the two years between a international
tournament, should be sufficient to see a team - with the right strategy and
leadership - play as a cohesive unit, and perform to their potential. Are
the players in the Costa Rica and Algeria sides at this world cup better than
those than all of those in this England 2014 world cup squad? If the answer is
no, my next question is how many English players outside of the squad would get
into Costa Rica’s side? The true answer to how many players are available to
the national manager could lay hear I suspect. It has been said that the
players we took lacked experience, but Wayne Rooney, for instance had his best
tournament for England when he was at his least experienced so how does that
work?
Okay, I have posed loads of questions. Let me imagine someone was mad enough to entrust me with the power to cure all of English football's ills. What would I do? Were it up to me, my starting point would be to agree some short medium term and long term goals. So I am not offering any new or spectacular revelations at this stage.
Okay, I have posed loads of questions. Let me imagine someone was mad enough to entrust me with the power to cure all of English football's ills. What would I do? Were it up to me, my starting point would be to agree some short medium term and long term goals. So I am not offering any new or spectacular revelations at this stage.
Short term objective: get the current national team to
play to their potential.
Perceived barriers:
1.
We don't have enough international quality players
2.
No winter break
3.
Manager lacks tactical ability.
|
Medium term objective: Agree and develop a national
playing style.
Perceived barriers:
1.
Clubs priorities conflict with the FA
2.
Getting managers with aligned philosophy’s management
experience
|
Long term objective: Develop an infrastructure to support
the development of the playing style into grassroots.
Perceived barriers:
1.
Not enough coach (cost prohibitive)
2.
Poor/limited facilities
3.
No joined up strategy
|
I will attempt to cover my short term objectives for you now. The medium and long term ones may need to be a follow up to this.
Short term objective: get the current national team to play
to their potential.
We don't have enough international quality players: I can
honestly say, as annoyed as I have been by what I see from England, have
disagreed for the longest time with the view England does not produce enough
international quality players to service the national teams ambitions. I can
think back to many a post tournament playground conversation where I would
argue the virtues some player I felt should have been given a chance but either
didn't get any minutes or wasn't even in the squad. Think of some of the
players that didn't get to tournaments where the England team didn't perform.
Andy Cole, Stan Collymore, Matt Le Tissier, Scott Parker, Steve Bruce. Are
none of these players international class. Scott Parker like Gareth Barry
established themselves right at the end of their prime, but for years were cast
into that clutch of players that were not good enough for international
football. It is easy to forget that Barry was Aston Villa’s captain marvel for
years, with a not too unhealthy goal return, long before it was decided we was
actually an England holding midfielder when he got his move to City. How many
untested players are there that could have had an impact on the team - playing
in their correct position - had they had the opportunity. Wayne Routledge has
lead a journeyman career but get him to Swansea, with a manager with limited
alternatives and a bit of imagination and he becomes an effective and
established Premier League player for the first time at the age of 29. What
might his career have looked like with a supportive manager and more game time
earlier in his career? And why could he not have been an option for England
this summer?
These players aren't the only ones. I am no expert, but if
Ricky Lambert can go from League 2 to international and Adam Lallana, can go
from League 1 and not good enough to be in Stuart Pearce's U21 team, to a £25
million international then there must be more examples out there. Could not
Ashley Williams, the English born, Welsh Captain have added to England’s defensive
options this summer had he held out any hope of a big club spotting his talent
when he was at Stockport County. Or that his national team was not a closed
shop cartel, one accessible to those with a significant media profiles.
The inverse is also true as shown this summer by Ashley
Cole's exclusion form the squad. Here is the best left back we have ever
produced. Still super fit, and after not playing for a lifetime walks back into
the Chelsea team to play in a couple of their biggest games of the season. Not
only does he play, he looks like he’s never been away. But, as his media
profile has dipped due to being out of his club side, he is overlooked and
gracefully retires. Never mind, who needs him, we have loads of players
available to the national team don’t we? He is such a poor player now anyway;
he could only get signed by the runners up in the Italian league anyway.
#washedup?
My opinion, which I will admit is entirely unsubstantiated,
is that players are progressed based on celebrity rather than attributes. If
what I believe is true, how does that impact on our ability to assessment the
ability and potential impact of a player. This is nothing new. Moneyball,
approached this same scenario using statistical data, enabling a team to
identify cheaper targets that offer you similar benefit to their more
established counterparts. Where applied successfully, a players value will then
rise as they begin to deliver according to the raised expectations.
I believe to have a style or play a system, you need to have
players with the attributes to deliver according to the system. If your style
is to send a long high ball up to the lone centre forward, and play for the flick on,
your centre forward should not be Wayne Rooney, even if he is considered the
forward with the most ability. I believe the best player available with the
requisite attributes, should trump the star man when it comes to team
selection. If there isn't a player with those skills in a top team, you go to
the best one available if that job role is pivotal to your playing style. Play
that out to the extreme that could mean picking a player that is a
reserve, a youth team player, or a player from a lower league. The player
might lack something the more established player has, but it is what they bring
and how they enable your system to work - utilising those attributes - that I
believe should be prioritised. I believe moving to a place we're a players
worth, is assessed in terms of the required attributes to perform a role would
make player selection more objective. Isn't that how recruitment is conducted
in every other walk of life?
I think this approach would take the pressure off good players when they are left out of the team. If the big player doesn't start a game the media pressure is enormous. It has to have an impact on a manager’s ability to make the best decisions for the team if they are concerned about criticism of them, and more importantly, the destructive effect of negative speculation about a star player being dropped, on the player and the squad.
I think this approach would take the pressure off good players when they are left out of the team. If the big player doesn't start a game the media pressure is enormous. It has to have an impact on a manager’s ability to make the best decisions for the team if they are concerned about criticism of them, and more importantly, the destructive effect of negative speculation about a star player being dropped, on the player and the squad.
At the business end of this World Cup Per Mertesacker was
withdrawn from the team with Germany opting for Hummels and Boetang. Germany
plays a high line which requires defenders to be quick and mobile – neither trait
I’m sure even Mertesacker would attribute himself with. The attributes required
when the quality of the opponents improved dictated the new partnership would
be better able to meet the demands of playing that system. No brainer. No
public outcry, just pure logic. Defending high balls around your 18 yard box
Per would be you man again.
So to recap, picking players according to attributes one part of my argument that says England have more players that could be considered by the national team than they utilise. Part two of this argument speaks to the limited playing time at club level experienced by potential England hopefuls. The biggest barriers to more English players playing regular club football - in my opinion - is the number of players clubs are able to own. Jack Rodwell, Wayne Bridge, Shaun Wright-Phillips are high profile casualties, but how many emerging talents miss out on meaningful competitive football from their teens’ to their mid 20’s. How does this impact the national team’s fortunes? How does a player spur themselves on and compete at the highest level with the margins involved in high class competition, when their career has only ever consisted of training? Faced with that prospect of an indefinite spell without the hope of first team football, should a player still be expected to maintain their motivation to excel?
This is already an established train of thought, and there have been recent calls for England to adopt the now famous 10 year German model championed by Jurgen Klinsmann to solve the problem. I think I agree with Gary Neville when he said that could not work in our football culture, and with his assessment that wand waving was not an option to deliver success. The Greg Dyke commission has also looked into this, although the suggestions around competitive B teams seems highly elaborate, and I wonder whether its implementation is even feasible, and if it is, how the disruption might undermine our unique league football structure?
So to recap, picking players according to attributes one part of my argument that says England have more players that could be considered by the national team than they utilise. Part two of this argument speaks to the limited playing time at club level experienced by potential England hopefuls. The biggest barriers to more English players playing regular club football - in my opinion - is the number of players clubs are able to own. Jack Rodwell, Wayne Bridge, Shaun Wright-Phillips are high profile casualties, but how many emerging talents miss out on meaningful competitive football from their teens’ to their mid 20’s. How does this impact the national team’s fortunes? How does a player spur themselves on and compete at the highest level with the margins involved in high class competition, when their career has only ever consisted of training? Faced with that prospect of an indefinite spell without the hope of first team football, should a player still be expected to maintain their motivation to excel?
This is already an established train of thought, and there have been recent calls for England to adopt the now famous 10 year German model championed by Jurgen Klinsmann to solve the problem. I think I agree with Gary Neville when he said that could not work in our football culture, and with his assessment that wand waving was not an option to deliver success. The Greg Dyke commission has also looked into this, although the suggestions around competitive B teams seems highly elaborate, and I wonder whether its implementation is even feasible, and if it is, how the disruption might undermine our unique league football structure?
Saying it out loud, my approach feels over simplistic. But whilst I can think of one or two major objections I think it would be simple and swift to implement. Under my proposals, Clubs could register a maximum number of players, with replacements coming from youth team squads, much like now. The major change would be that clubs would be only able to loan out a named 5 players (on one occasion only) per year, irrespective of the length of the loan.
The reasoning behind this suggestion is twofold.
1.
By making it less attractive for clubs to hold huge stocks
of player (they have to pay wages and can’t earn loan fees) it would encourage
clubs to trim their squads and invest more heavily in those they choose to
retain.
2.
If huge numbers of players that are nowhere near their
clubs first team are released, it would flood the market with players, driving
down demand and the comparative cost of English players. Reducing the cost of
English players should make them more attractive to clubs reducing the need to
seek low cost alternatives in foreign markets. Not only could that see the
number of English players playing first team football in our national leagues,
but it might make English players more attractive to foreign clubs, creating a
stronger export market. The impact of this could mean more English players
playing competitive first team football, with greater potential for a richer
football education as they become more affordable to foreign clubs.
My unqualified view about a proposed winter break is quite
simply that I think it is a red herring. Players playing in this league that
represent other nations seem to be able to perform just fine when they go to
tournaments. In fact a lack of winter break didn't stop three Arsenal players
coming home with shiny world cup medal winners medals this summer. A period of rest is likely to be beneficial, I
have no doubt. It makes perfect sense, but I can’t believe England would have
gotten out of there group stage had we had one. I think the significant
problems are in other areas so it would be like sitting down to a cup of tea,
and having a glazed cherry but not bothering with the cake - a bit pointless.
The manager of the national team is hugely important for me and on this point I have very little to add. I suppose, were I to write checklist for someone recruiting an England manager it would probably read:
The manager of the national team is hugely important for me and on this point I have very little to add. I suppose, were I to write checklist for someone recruiting an England manager it would probably read:
1.
Can demonstrate their ability to set up teams that
plays in a way that is consistent with philosophy of the national team – tricky
bit is you have to already have one.
2.
If nationality is an issue be clear and say, English,
British or any Nationality.
3.
Do not appoint someone and expect them to deliver
football that is different to way they have previously achieved success.
4.
Pick the coach whose attributes best fit your criteria
whether they are a youth coach, lower league coach or a recently retired player
– Pep Guardiola, Brendan Rogers and Jurgen Klinsmann all show that a lack of
direct experience is not always necessary to have vision, demonstrate good
leadership and achieve success.
5.
Appoint on rolling contracts with notice periods. Seems
to work in other walks of life.
Summary
Short term plan for getting England on track for the
Euro’s in 2016
1.
Impose a 5 loan out rule to dissuade clubs from
stockpiling players
2.
Judge players by their attributes and not celebrity
when pick an England squad matching them to job roles needed within the team
structure
3.
Have a clear playing style and philosophy for the
national team
4.
Can your manager demonstrate a their ability to deliver
according to that philosophy
5.
Winter break debate, a red herring
|
I hope you've found this interesting.
Marlon Hope
Please contact me on twitter if you'd like to continue the debate @hope_insight
Please contact me on twitter if you'd like to continue the debate @hope_insight
Monday, 16 February 2015
The changing nature of writing...
Dear Everyone,
I love to read as much as I love to write and I have found that reading really fuels my writing. I love reading the works of Lee Child, Michael Connelly and John Grisham. Love them or hate them, the three of them are renowned for writing page turners. I love the way they let you inside the minds of the characters. They are experts at bringing the locations to life. I get enthralled by the action, tension and drama that they create and I enjoy the fast paced nature of their stories.
Now lots of the experts and commentators say that you write what you read and I hope that's true. I like to think that my book, Dead South, despite being a very different genre to the above best selling authors works, has those same characteristic. I wrote it to be fast paced and action packed and it's gratifying to see that lots of the book's readers think that it is. (Check out Dead South's reviews here.)
So, onto the changing nature of writing...
I just finished reading the 1899 novel Heart of Darkness by Anglo-Polish author Joseph Conrad. Not my usual fare, but I was really hoping to enjoy it, after all, in 1998 it was ranked by Modern Library as the 67th best novel (in English) of the 20th Century... However, I found it really hard going. Now, I don't think that it is because I'm a philistine, although that can't quite be refuted just yet! Or that the book wasn't any good. On the contrary, I think that it is simply because I am a child of my time.
The 21st Century reader and author are totally different beasts to their 19th and 20th Century counterparts. In fact, today's novel would be markedly different to something written 20 years ago. In short, the novel has evolved and it will continue to do so.
Conrad used intensely descriptive imagery, with very little conversation between characters - Heart of Darkness is essentially a story about a man telling a story. The reader is told everything by this man in sometimes excruciating detail, he gives you exact details of people and places, and it leaves little to no room to engage your own imagination. I found myself becoming passive in the reading process and as such I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped that I would. However, please don't let that diminish the truths of the book and what it was trying to communicate (The 1890s Ivory Trade is a both a harrowing and brutal subject). And anyway, it could be argued that it is unfair for a 21st Century reader to pass judgement on a 20th Century book.
However, the reality is that if written today, Heart of Darkness, would be a much different book. The themes would still be the same, but they would have been communicated in an entirely different way.
The best modern day authors work hard to keep the reader engaged throughout the story. They do not want you switching off or zoning out. They engage you by layering places and characters throughout a scene rather than in telling you everything about them in one hit. They allow you to use your own imagination and really become involved within the narrative.
If you have ever found yourself giving up on a book half way through, I would bet it was because you had become passive whilst reading it. You were probably spoon-fed everything and you had no way to engage with it and use your own imagination. We live in a time where TV and Film already do all of the work for us when we put the box on, so it is a real pleasure to be able read and conjure up our own images via a compelling novel.
Now as much as I love Child, Connelly and Grisham, I am not trying to say that they are the greatest authors ever. I'm not even saying that they are the greatest authors of our time. What I am saying is that they hook you with their stories and keep you coming back for more. Why else would they each have sold millions of books?
And if I am able to replicate what they do, whilst putting my own twist on it, then I will be a very happy man indeed.
Until next time.
David
I love to read as much as I love to write and I have found that reading really fuels my writing. I love reading the works of Lee Child, Michael Connelly and John Grisham. Love them or hate them, the three of them are renowned for writing page turners. I love the way they let you inside the minds of the characters. They are experts at bringing the locations to life. I get enthralled by the action, tension and drama that they create and I enjoy the fast paced nature of their stories.
Now lots of the experts and commentators say that you write what you read and I hope that's true. I like to think that my book, Dead South, despite being a very different genre to the above best selling authors works, has those same characteristic. I wrote it to be fast paced and action packed and it's gratifying to see that lots of the book's readers think that it is. (Check out Dead South's reviews here.)
So, onto the changing nature of writing...
I just finished reading the 1899 novel Heart of Darkness by Anglo-Polish author Joseph Conrad. Not my usual fare, but I was really hoping to enjoy it, after all, in 1998 it was ranked by Modern Library as the 67th best novel (in English) of the 20th Century... However, I found it really hard going. Now, I don't think that it is because I'm a philistine, although that can't quite be refuted just yet! Or that the book wasn't any good. On the contrary, I think that it is simply because I am a child of my time.
The 21st Century reader and author are totally different beasts to their 19th and 20th Century counterparts. In fact, today's novel would be markedly different to something written 20 years ago. In short, the novel has evolved and it will continue to do so.
Conrad used intensely descriptive imagery, with very little conversation between characters - Heart of Darkness is essentially a story about a man telling a story. The reader is told everything by this man in sometimes excruciating detail, he gives you exact details of people and places, and it leaves little to no room to engage your own imagination. I found myself becoming passive in the reading process and as such I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped that I would. However, please don't let that diminish the truths of the book and what it was trying to communicate (The 1890s Ivory Trade is a both a harrowing and brutal subject). And anyway, it could be argued that it is unfair for a 21st Century reader to pass judgement on a 20th Century book.
However, the reality is that if written today, Heart of Darkness, would be a much different book. The themes would still be the same, but they would have been communicated in an entirely different way.
The best modern day authors work hard to keep the reader engaged throughout the story. They do not want you switching off or zoning out. They engage you by layering places and characters throughout a scene rather than in telling you everything about them in one hit. They allow you to use your own imagination and really become involved within the narrative.
If you have ever found yourself giving up on a book half way through, I would bet it was because you had become passive whilst reading it. You were probably spoon-fed everything and you had no way to engage with it and use your own imagination. We live in a time where TV and Film already do all of the work for us when we put the box on, so it is a real pleasure to be able read and conjure up our own images via a compelling novel.
Now as much as I love Child, Connelly and Grisham, I am not trying to say that they are the greatest authors ever. I'm not even saying that they are the greatest authors of our time. What I am saying is that they hook you with their stories and keep you coming back for more. Why else would they each have sold millions of books?
And if I am able to replicate what they do, whilst putting my own twist on it, then I will be a very happy man indeed.
Until next time.
David
Saturday, 31 January 2015
Not the power of love, but the power of reviews
Dear All,
The 5 star amazon review is the holy grail of all independent authors. They are not only great for the ego, but key to your books future success.
A lot of people may think that having a great book would be enough to guarantee a smash hit, but sadly it isn't. The book market, especially eBooks, is driven by amazon. Of course there are other eBook sellers, but none of them come close to the giant that Amazon is. Thanks to the Kindle it is the destination that most people go to when they are looking to pick up their next read.
Therefore, you need to master amazon to have half a chance of selling any books. In my last blog post '12 tips on how to get an Amazon Best Seller',I mentioned that you needed to choose 7 relevant keyword strings that would enable people to find your book on the site. What I didn't tell you was that, just because you have chosen a key word, doesn't mean that your book will come any where near the top of the search results.
For my best selling post-apocalyptic zombie book, Dead South, one of my key word choices had to be 'zombie'. But with the zombie market being highly competitive and awash with lots of books, I found that Dead South was no where near the top. In fact after listing my book and typing in 'zombie' into the search bar for the first time, it came in on page 7!
The 5 star amazon review is the holy grail of all independent authors. They are not only great for the ego, but key to your books future success.
A lot of people may think that having a great book would be enough to guarantee a smash hit, but sadly it isn't. The book market, especially eBooks, is driven by amazon. Of course there are other eBook sellers, but none of them come close to the giant that Amazon is. Thanks to the Kindle it is the destination that most people go to when they are looking to pick up their next read.
Therefore, you need to master amazon to have half a chance of selling any books. In my last blog post '12 tips on how to get an Amazon Best Seller',I mentioned that you needed to choose 7 relevant keyword strings that would enable people to find your book on the site. What I didn't tell you was that, just because you have chosen a key word, doesn't mean that your book will come any where near the top of the search results.
For my best selling post-apocalyptic zombie book, Dead South, one of my key word choices had to be 'zombie'. But with the zombie market being highly competitive and awash with lots of books, I found that Dead South was no where near the top. In fact after listing my book and typing in 'zombie' into the search bar for the first time, it came in on page 7!
The reality is that not many people are going to look that far down for a book. Most will look at page 1 and a few may look at page 2. This wasn't great, but I wasn't too disheartened, because my other 6 key words, whilst not as relevant as 'zombie' were fairing much better.
But that being said 'zombie' was still the best search and I wanted to be on page 1, so I rolled up my sleeves and did what I had to do to get Dead South up that search.
Until next time,
Dave
But that being said 'zombie' was still the best search and I wanted to be on page 1, so I rolled up my sleeves and did what I had to do to get Dead South up that search.
I needed to do my best to make Amazon notice me and make their success formula kick in. Which is as follows:
sales + reviews = higher up search engine = more sales = more reviews = even higher up search engine = even more sales etc, etc
Your early sales will inevitably come from friends and family. Don't be shy to ask them to buy it, I'm sure you've done lots for them over the years! Also remember, to promote the book on social media and maybe even write a blog of your own. The more that you do this, the more chance you have of selling books early on.
Those early sales and hopefully a few reviews will help you to quickly climb the search engine - within 2 days Dead South had sold around 10 copies and picked up 2 five star reviews and although that may not seem many that had already got it onto page 5 of the 'zombie' search.
sales + reviews = higher up search engine = more sales = more reviews = even higher up search engine = even more sales etc, etc
Your early sales will inevitably come from friends and family. Don't be shy to ask them to buy it, I'm sure you've done lots for them over the years! Also remember, to promote the book on social media and maybe even write a blog of your own. The more that you do this, the more chance you have of selling books early on.
Those early sales and hopefully a few reviews will help you to quickly climb the search engine - within 2 days Dead South had sold around 10 copies and picked up 2 five star reviews and although that may not seem many that had already got it onto page 5 of the 'zombie' search.
The sales kept on coming and after 6 days, Dead South had climbed up to page 2 of the search. It did this with about 40 sales, but the key was that 6 five star reviews had come in.
It took 6 weeks, but Dead South had finally managed to climb on to page 1 of the 'zombie' search. Sales were going well (approx. 600 odd), but it was the reviews that seemed to make the most difference in getting it there, and number 20 was the one that finally did it.
Now that it is there, the sales and reviews seem to be going from strength to strength. But I know that I can't rest on my laurels and that I need to keep on posting, tweeting and blogging to keep it there.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Until next time,
Dave
Friday, 23 January 2015
12 tips on how to get an Amazon Best Seller
Dear Everyone
Sunday 18th January 2015 was a red letter day for me. My first novel, Dead South, reached #1 on the Amazon.co.uk Post-Apocalyptic Best Seller List. It came out on the 6th December 2014 and has taken 6 weeks to get there. 5 days later it is still there and I hope it stays there for as long as it possibly can.
Back when I started writing in November 2012, I never for one moment expected my story to be read by anyone at all. I imagined that people would, but never let myself believe it. All I focused on was finishing the book. It took me 2 years to complete and I was overjoyed when it was done.
Once it was finished I had to turn my attention to listing and promoting the book and to be honest that is when the hard work really started!
Here are my top tips to get an amazon best seller:
1. Write a very good book. This may seem obvious but lots of people don't bother with this! Whether a book is 'good' or not is highly subjective But what I am advocating is making your story as good as it can be. And to do that you must make sure that it is professionally edited and proof read.
I used a company called BubbleCow and they were superb. My editor Gary Smailes helped turn my story into a novel. For those of you who don't know, editors do not re-write your story for you, they give you advice on how and where to improve it.
2. Get professional artwork. A great book cover is a must. It must be eye-catching as your little thumbnail has to stand out against a million overs (and that is no over exaggeration). I used a company called Humble Nations and I loved what they did. James can be commissioned to make a cover for you or you can use one of his pre-made covers.
3. Turn your word processed document into an EPUB file. Sadly, you can't just upload your word doc to amazon, this is because Kindle's and other e-Readers all have their own specific file type. I used a programme called The Ultimate E-Book Creator. It is very straightforward and easy to use and you can have your eBook created within half an hour.
4. Create an engaging product description. You need to write a blurb that will make people bite. This is actually quite difficult and be prepared to change it, if it doesn't seem to be generating any sales. If at first you don't succeed and all that!
5. Choose Key Words for people to search your book on the amazon search engine. You are allowed to choose up to 7 'key word strings'. Make sure that they are relevant to you content and if you do, you are more likely to get the right people looking at your product.
As my book is about the zombie apocalypse I used multiple variations of that theme. After 6 and a half weeks I am now on page 1 of each my key words. And that is sure to generate more sales for me.
6. Choose 2 categories for your book to be listed in. This is key to becoming an Amazon Best Seller. You need to pick the 2 categories that you book best fits into. I picked Horror and Post-Apocalyptic. As I have already said, I am Number 1 in Post-Apocalyptic Fiction, but I am also Number 10 in the Horror category. Horror is a much broader category, so it is that much more difficult to get to number 1.
7. Set your price. Don't be afraid to experiment with different prices, both high and low. The cheaper the book may mean that more people take a punt on it, but it could also mean that they see your product as being cheap. Also, the more expensive it is could put people off as they may not feel that a first time author should justify such a large price tag.
After enough time you will work out the best price to maximise both your sales and your revenues.
8. Get an online presence. Blog, Twitter, Facebook and even Linkedin are a must. It is all about exposure and everything that gets your name out there should be done. Get yourself and author page on Facebook and drive as much traffic to it as you can.
9. Join author networks. There are some great networks out there that will promote your books via their websites and their own twitter followers. I'm a member of two of them and I have been really happy with what they do. They are: Self Publishers Showcase and the Independent Author Network.
10. Blog posts, status updates and tweets! The more you do, the more people have the chance of finding/ stumbling across you. Just make sure that what you post is relevant! Remember each of your tweets will only be seen be around 5% of your followers, so the more the merrier.
11. Blog posts, status updates and tweets! Same as above and do not lose heart!
12. Write your next novel! Don't rest on your laurels. Keep on writing and get your next book out there as soon as you can. The more books you have, the more exposure. The more exposure, the more sales and so on and so forth!
I hope this helps and get in touch if you have any questions about the self-publishing process.
Until next time and good luck,
David
Sunday 18th January 2015 was a red letter day for me. My first novel, Dead South, reached #1 on the Amazon.co.uk Post-Apocalyptic Best Seller List. It came out on the 6th December 2014 and has taken 6 weeks to get there. 5 days later it is still there and I hope it stays there for as long as it possibly can.
Back when I started writing in November 2012, I never for one moment expected my story to be read by anyone at all. I imagined that people would, but never let myself believe it. All I focused on was finishing the book. It took me 2 years to complete and I was overjoyed when it was done.
Once it was finished I had to turn my attention to listing and promoting the book and to be honest that is when the hard work really started!
Here are my top tips to get an amazon best seller:
1. Write a very good book. This may seem obvious but lots of people don't bother with this! Whether a book is 'good' or not is highly subjective But what I am advocating is making your story as good as it can be. And to do that you must make sure that it is professionally edited and proof read.
I used a company called BubbleCow and they were superb. My editor Gary Smailes helped turn my story into a novel. For those of you who don't know, editors do not re-write your story for you, they give you advice on how and where to improve it.
2. Get professional artwork. A great book cover is a must. It must be eye-catching as your little thumbnail has to stand out against a million overs (and that is no over exaggeration). I used a company called Humble Nations and I loved what they did. James can be commissioned to make a cover for you or you can use one of his pre-made covers.
3. Turn your word processed document into an EPUB file. Sadly, you can't just upload your word doc to amazon, this is because Kindle's and other e-Readers all have their own specific file type. I used a programme called The Ultimate E-Book Creator. It is very straightforward and easy to use and you can have your eBook created within half an hour.
4. Create an engaging product description. You need to write a blurb that will make people bite. This is actually quite difficult and be prepared to change it, if it doesn't seem to be generating any sales. If at first you don't succeed and all that!
5. Choose Key Words for people to search your book on the amazon search engine. You are allowed to choose up to 7 'key word strings'. Make sure that they are relevant to you content and if you do, you are more likely to get the right people looking at your product.
As my book is about the zombie apocalypse I used multiple variations of that theme. After 6 and a half weeks I am now on page 1 of each my key words. And that is sure to generate more sales for me.
6. Choose 2 categories for your book to be listed in. This is key to becoming an Amazon Best Seller. You need to pick the 2 categories that you book best fits into. I picked Horror and Post-Apocalyptic. As I have already said, I am Number 1 in Post-Apocalyptic Fiction, but I am also Number 10 in the Horror category. Horror is a much broader category, so it is that much more difficult to get to number 1.
7. Set your price. Don't be afraid to experiment with different prices, both high and low. The cheaper the book may mean that more people take a punt on it, but it could also mean that they see your product as being cheap. Also, the more expensive it is could put people off as they may not feel that a first time author should justify such a large price tag.
After enough time you will work out the best price to maximise both your sales and your revenues.
8. Get an online presence. Blog, Twitter, Facebook and even Linkedin are a must. It is all about exposure and everything that gets your name out there should be done. Get yourself and author page on Facebook and drive as much traffic to it as you can.
9. Join author networks. There are some great networks out there that will promote your books via their websites and their own twitter followers. I'm a member of two of them and I have been really happy with what they do. They are: Self Publishers Showcase and the Independent Author Network.
10. Blog posts, status updates and tweets! The more you do, the more people have the chance of finding/ stumbling across you. Just make sure that what you post is relevant! Remember each of your tweets will only be seen be around 5% of your followers, so the more the merrier.
11. Blog posts, status updates and tweets! Same as above and do not lose heart!
12. Write your next novel! Don't rest on your laurels. Keep on writing and get your next book out there as soon as you can. The more books you have, the more exposure. The more exposure, the more sales and so on and so forth!
I hope this helps and get in touch if you have any questions about the self-publishing process.
Until next time and good luck,
David
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