Category: Publicity

MEET THE BOOK CLUB ADMIN

Posted on | by Rosie Travers | 1 Comment on MEET THE BOOK CLUB ADMIN

Continuing my series of introducing readers to those special people I’ve met on my writing journey, today’s guest is Sue Baker. When you’re a shy, retiring writer like me you need people in your corner, especially people who have those social media skills you lack. Sue is one of those special people! She has just set up the Riveting Reads and Vintage Vibes Facebook Group after being an administrator for several other Facebook book clubs, sites where authors and readers gather and meet and discuss their love of books (and for authors that doesn’t just mean talking about their own novels!) These groups are invaluable to indie authors like me, providing opportunities to reach new audiences.  To top it all, Sue organises some amazing online launch parties, all in her own time.  So how does she do it – and why?

Sue, welcome to my blog. What prompted you to set up a Facebook book club?

For several years I have worked on Facebook book groups as an administrator or a moderator and I love all the amazing opportunities it gives me to engage with authors and other readers. (Not to mention the huge amount of brilliant book recommendations!) One of the aspects of moderating these groups that I particularly enjoy is the helping to set up the friendly communities, where authors and readers can chat together and support each other. When the last group ended, I decided it was time to bite the bullet and to create a group from scratch to run by myself and so Riveting Reads and Vintage Vibes was born, it’s the perfect mix for me as I adore all things retro and bookish. I’m so grateful for the support I have received , it’s been an amazing couple of weeks, and I have lots of ideas brewing for the coming months. 

Your launch parties are legendary, they must take some planning. Tell us exactly what is involved.

Ahhh, the publication celebrations! They came about thanks to an author friend, Isabella May. Isabella did a similar thing on her Facebook page and she was kind enough to allow me to borrow her idea! It’s basically a day of sharing posts on the group linked to themes in the book being celebrated and I try very hard not to give away any spoilers! I read the upcoming book, taking notes of ideas for posts as I read, then I create the posts, which I always share with the author before adding to the group. They are usually a mix of fun quizzes, food/setting/music-based posts and my review. I love the challenge of creating the party, it’s always a fun day and I enjoy seeing the interactions between readers and authors. 

The parties you’ve organised for me have been great fun and I love the way you take aspects from each book and turn them into questions and quizzes. It’s very much appreciated! What’s the best thing about running the book clubs?

I love the friendly community feel of the groups, where people pop on and end up chatting away with each other. It’s brilliant to provide a bridge between authors and their readers, I’m still amazed how lucky we are to get the opportunity to engage directly with the people who are writing the books we are reading! I will never tire of feeling excited when an author comments or messages little old me! I enjoy supporting authors, especially those who are just starting with their writing journey. It’s exciting being part of a books journey into the world! 

I know you are a prolific reader, how many books on average do you read each week?

I am blessed to be a really fast reader! Even as a child I read books quickly, I’m sure my teachers thought I had pretended to read a book, but I could answer their questions about the story every time! 

I read about three books a week, sometimes more if I’m off work or not got anything planned to do! I have an audiobook on the go and read a couple of either electronic books or paperbacks.

That’s answered my next question! I was going to ask what’s your preference, paperback, Kindle or audio.

I am addicted to audiobooks! I was very late to the audiobook party but once I tried them, I absolutely loved them! I listen in the car on my commute to work and in the evenings whilst I do my colouring in app, it’s the best way to relax! I also am a fan of using a Kindle, I have the app on my phone and so I always have lots of books available at any given time!

Can you remember the first book that inspired your love of reading?

Absolutely I can! It was The Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I was probably about seven when I first read that book and at 51 years old I am still reading her Little House books. I do enjoy reading books from my childhood, they are like a comfort blanket to me

Where is your favourite place to read?

At the moment my reading chair that faces our garden. In the summer, in the garden ( weather permitting) I do keep dropping hints for a summerhouse to read in but it’s yet to appear! 

Hopefully you’ll get that summerhouse one day. Besides reading and running the Facebook groups, what other hobbies do you have?

I love walking, I have a gorgeous whippet called Mabel, so we get out and about most days. I also love connecting with nature, visiting a beach or woods is always a means to recharge my batteries. I do a lot of my planning for the groups on walks too. 

Sue and Mabel the whippet

I enjoy walking too – it’s great for plotting! Finally, for someone who loves books so much, I have to ask – have you ever wanted to write your own novel?

Lovely Heidi Swain is gently encouraging me to try writing! I’ve had a go at her monthly writing prompts on her newsletter, and I have enjoyed the challenge! I do write poetry, my auntie was amazing at writing poetry and as a child she inspired me to try and so from time to time I do dabble with writing, but it’s for my own enjoyment really, I’m no Robert Frost!!! 

Sue with author Heidi Swain

About Sue

I’m Sue, I live in rural West Norfolk with my husband Simon and our two boys Joe (14) and Tom (10) with our dog Mabel and cat Gatsby. 

I work part time at a veterinary clinic ( inspired by the books of James Herriot from my teenage years) 

I have always loved reading and have embraced social media for its ability to bring people together. Sharing the book love has become part of my life now and I love every minute of it! 

Many thanks for Sue for taking part. Becoming part of an online Book Club community is a great way to share your love of books and find out about new authors. Check out Riveting Reads and Vintage Vibes here https://www.facebook.com/groups/837160114481344/

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Meet the Podcaster

Posted on | by Rosie Travers | 2 Comments on Meet the Podcaster

Writing a book can be an lonely process. I’m easily distracted and when I’m in a creative spurt I like to lock myself away and keep my head down. But when it comes to publishing and promoting, a shy retiring writer like me has to come out of isolation. These are not my areas of expertise and I need all the help I can get. I’ve made many new friends along my writing journey who are involved in different aspects of the publishing and marketing world. I thought it would be interesting to run a series featuring some of these wonderful people who have talents and skills I could never master! I’m starting with writer DJ Bowman-Smith, who set up her own podcast. Over to you DJ.

Hi, I’m DJ Bowman-Smith and this is a short post about the Words and Pictures Podcast.  

The podcast is just over a year old – I’m now on my 63rd episode. I began it because I thought it would be interesting to talk face to face with other authors. Although I am on social media and I make many connections, there is nothing like speaking to someone directly. Writers of all genres interest me and I want to talk to them all about their writing and their book covers. Every week I get to welcome all kinds of writers at different stages in their careers. It’s always inspiring.   

Each show starts with a section I call ‘at my desk’. Here I discuss my own writing experiences, my process and anything another writer might find interesting or useful. Now and again, I record a whole episode solo to speak in more depth about a topic.  

 Writing is a solitary occupation. I started the podcast with writers in mind, and on the way found readers. I know for a fact that lots of readers listen in to hear a favourite author speak, or to learn more about what writers do and how they do it. 

 I research each author and compile a short list of questions. During the interview, I have the questions near just in case. But the trick to interviewing somebody successfully is to listen to what they are saying and ask them a question about that.     

The actual nuts and bolts of running the podcast is more time consuming than people may realise. Setting up the interview time and answering questions can take a few emails. More recently I have made an FAQ page for the podcast which saves time. The interview lasts 40 minutes. Editing the sound files takes about an hour and a half. Adding the intro and outro, the music and loading it onto my host site Podbean is another hour. Show notes and the tagline need to be written and an e-mail with all the episode links sent to the guest. When this is done, I make a TikTok ready for the Monday morning when the podcast goes live. And of course, I post through my other social media accounts linking in the guests where possible. Each episode takes about four hours.  

In the future, I hope to monetise the podcast so that it can cover its costs. The host site Podbean has to be paid and I also use Auphonic for some episodes to improve sound quality. The Words and Pictures Podcast is doing well. Achieving enough listeners to interest advertisers will probably take another year. 

Find the Words and Pictures Podcast on your favourite app, ask Alexa, links on my website: http://www.djbowmansmith.com

About DJ

DJ Bowman-Smith is a multi-genre author whose current passion is paranormal women’s fiction. This genre features a mature protagonist and a fantasy element. This is appealing because DJ can’t help adding a touch of make believe to anything she writes and she herself is a woman of a ‘certain age’.

DJ plans to write more in The Mid Witch series and more books with older, strong-minded female main characters.

She is the author of a dark fantasy epic which runs to four books, and she also writes for children under the pen name Tiger Molly.

DJ is an artist and enjoys creating her own book covers and illustrations. She writes for magazines and hosts the Words and Pictures Podcast every Monday. DJ lives in the UK on the South Coast with her husband and a fast and friendly whippet called Evie. She has two grown-up daughters who live in London.

DJ’s latest book, The Mid Witch, was published on 19 August 2023.

Blurb

One Woman’s Struggle with midlife and Magic

Lilly is facing the fact that her husband is a philandering bastard, and she needs to move on now her children have flown the nest. Losing her job has not helped her dire financial straits, and her almost ex-husband wants to sell her ancient family home against her wishes. As she grapples with rude estate agents, stray dogs and hot flushes, a new problem emerges – she’s becoming a witch.

This paranormal women’s fiction is a funny and poignant take on midlife with a pinch of spice, a touch of magic and a relatable older heroine you can root for.

Buying link https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mid-Witch-Paranormal-Womens-Fiction-ebook/dp/B0CG4RV954/

I love the sound of this book and isn’t that cover gorgeous? Many thanks to DJ for coming onto the blog and explaining the intricacies of podcasting. And don’t forget to check out Words & Pictures – DJ features some great authors, including me!

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Pre-Launch Nerves

Posted on | by Rosie Travers | Leave a Comment on Pre-Launch Nerves

Who’d be an author? First you have to come up with an original idea, then you have to write it down, several times over, then you have to sell your story to potential readers while waiting with baited breath for reviews. It’s a never ending wheel of stress and trauma.

Too late, the deed is done! The Puzzle of Pine Bay is out there on Amazon, available to pre-order and it really is a horrible feeling. I should be celebrating the achievement, and I am, kind of, but I’m also having a bout of pre-launch nerves as the doubts continue to rumble. What if no-one enjoys my new novel, what if I get bad reviews, what if readers think it’s a load of old twaddle? (Having said that, I’ve read plenty of books in my time that I know some people might refer to as old twaddle and I’ve still loved them. I’ve also read books that definitely were old twaddle, but I wouldn’t dream of telling the author…) Sending a book out into the big wide world is just like bringing up children. You do your best as a parent, cross your fingers and hope you’ve managed to mould your offspring into well-grounded loveable little humans who other people will find as endearing as you do.

The Puzzle of Pine Bay with its fabulous cover designed by Berni Stevens

Self publishing brings an addition layer of angst. As much as I love the control I have in keeping my story the way I want it, choosing my own cover, and setting my own publication dates, there’s no one else to blame if it all goes wrong. It’s not so much the financial investment at stake, as the emotional. To me the financial commitment involved in self-publishing is the same as Mr T purchasing top of the range go-faster running shoes to improve his athletic performance. He doesn’t expect to recoup a financial return for his outlay, his reward is the pleasure of an enhanced sprint along the pavement. I want my books to look professional, and although I can’t compete with established authors, and those with publishers and marketing departments behind them, I still want to do the best I can with the resources I have available. (And obviously yes, one day it would be wonderful to earn enough income from writing to cover all my expenses!!)

If you follow this blog regularly you will already know that The Puzzle of Pine Bay kicks off where A Crisis at Clifftops left off. Eliza Kane has quit playing competitive golf and decided to make a permanent home on the Isle of Wight. At the start of the book she moves into her new house in the picturesque resort of Seaview, only to make an alarming discovery in the cellar. The plot thickens from there.

When I wrote a Crisis at Clifftops, I already had Lilian’s story drafted before the additional idea of Eliza popped into my head. This time it was the other way round.  I knew how Eliza solved the “puzzle” she uncovers at Pine Bay, but I needed to give her a personal motive to investigate it. Hence Lilian has a pivotal role to play again.

Both these characters have become very dear to me. In fact, Eliza Kane is my new best friend. If you’ve read Clifftops, you’ll know Eliza is sassy, passionate and punchy, she can be impulsive, doesn’t always think things through and she drinks ever so slightly too much. We have a lot in common, but the one thing we don’t share is a love of sport. Golf is a male dominated game, and Eliza has had to be gritty and determined to reach the top.  

I realised early on in her creation that Eliza Kane is a tribute to Jordan Baker from The Great Gatsby, the only other fictional female professional golfer I’ve ever come across.

The Great Gatsby is one of my favourite books and the character of Jordan Baker has stayed with me since I first read the novel nearly forty years years ago. Jordan is the girlfriend of Nick Carraway, the narrator. Jordan is hard, cynical, and self-contained, and following her involvement in a cheating scandal, described as “inherently dishonest”.  I would never describe Eliza as dishonest, but like her 1920s counterpart, she is tough and independent, and she can be devious when she wants her own way. It’s Eliza’s sporting background which has given her the skills to solve crimes and makes the perfect amateur detective.

I have everything crossed that readers will enjoy Eliza’s next adventure. Much of the action revolves around some sinister shenanigans at an old holiday camp, Pine Bay. Inspiration for this part of the story comes from my own recollections of family holidays on the Isle of Wight, although the characters, and scenarios, are all total figments of my imagination!

Blurb

Injury has forced sporting heroine Eliza Kane into premature retirement. With a new house to renovate and a romance to rekindle, she moves back to the Isle of Wight, eager to start the next chapter in her life.
However, her plans soon unravel when she discovers of a stash of abandoned stage props in the cellar of her new home. Eliza is drawn into a search for a charismatic magician who hasn’t been seen on stage for the last twenty years.
Eliza’s enquiries amongst his former fellow entertainers at the old Pine Bay holiday park hit a wall of silence. When she finds herself threatened and in danger, she starts to question whether there is something more sinister about the missing magician’s vanishing act than a simple trick of the eye…

If you pre-order now, The Puzzle of Pine Bay will ping onto your Kindle on the morning of 5 July. Paperbacks will follow in the autumn.

One Month On

Posted on | by Rosie Travers | 6 Comments on One Month On

After a few weeks with my feet up, I thought I ought to pen my own blog post this week. A Crisis at Clifftops has now been out in the big wide world for a whole month, and it seems a good time for an analysis/appraisal of how things have gone.

Success, no matter how small, should always be celebrated. I’m a complete technophobe but I managed to upload my book onto Amazon – woohoo! I’m shy and reserved, yet I’ve managed to convince people they’ll enjoy this book enough to want to download their own copy – go me! Seriously, I am totally chuffed at the response.

My book launch was low-key. I’m working on a very tight self-publishing budget, prioritising editing and cover design, to ensure I had a professional quality product. I knew I would have to publicise this book organically with no paid promotions, not even a blog tour. I knew sales would be limited, but if I’m honest they’ve exceeded my expectations.

A Crisis at Clifftops was never going to become an overnight Kindle bestseller, but we made it to the dizzy heights of being a HOT NEW RELEASE, and at one point it was sitting at NUMBER 3 in its golfing category, which gave me something to sing and dance about.  I apologise now to anyone who follows me on Facebook –  every time I post something I can hear a chorus of “there she goes again, banging on about her b****y book.” The thing about being self-published is that if I don’t bang on about my book, no-one else will.  I have to keep it visible.

We all know about Facebook algorithms which limit who sees what, and anything I post on Twitter always disappears into a void. I’m grateful for every re-tweet and share by friends who understand how hard it is for independent authors like me to reach a wider audience.

Goodness knows how many books have been published in the last month. A Crisis at Clifftops will soon disappear off the radar. It will settle somewhere low down in the Amazon charts.  I do get a little flutter of excitement every time I see it move up in its Amazon category. I know those BIG bestselling authors never have to check these things – Richard Osman would be in a constant flap, but for me, each flutter is special, even more so because I made it happen all by myself.

There was a time after the publication of my second book back in 2019 when I felt totally disenchanted and deflated with the whole publishing/writing thing. Seriously I could have happily never written another word again.  

However, this time round I knew exactly what I was capable of. I set myself different targets. In the last four weeks I’ve received some amazing reviews from readers and from within the writing community, together with messages and comments which have totally restored my confidence and made my heart sing! And yes, even more exciting, readers can cope with a heroine who plays sport for a living!

I know not everyone who buys the book is able, or will be willing, to leave a review. There’s a minimum spend requirement on Amazon, and to be honest I don’t review every Amazon purchase I make. It’s a crochet hook – it crochets. It’s already got 1000+ reviews it doesn’t need another one…

I dream of 1000+ reviews, but us writers are needy, fragile creatures.  I genuinely want to know if you’ve enjoyed what I’ve written. So if A Crisis at Clifftops has made you smile, provided a few hours of escape, let me know. (And don’t forget to tell your friends if you think they might like it too – there are loads of people out there who would benefit from having this book in their lives, if only they knew it existed…)

Meanwhile, The Puzzle of Pine Bay, Eliza Kane Investigates Book 2, is on its way. I originally intended to have everything ship-shape and ready to set sail later this year, but that’s not going to happen. Apart from the fact that the Christmas novel marketing deluge is already underway (yes I know, ridiculous right? I don’t even feel I’ve had my summer yet), my plot was far too complicated. I’d basically tied poor Eliza up in knots. It’s not exactly back to the drawing board, more an extensive unpicking (why do you think I bought that crochet hook?!) Seriously, Pine Bay will be out early in 2022.

Making the decision to self-publish was very much about taking control, not just of what I write, but about publishing under my own terms. I’m really pleased (and relieved) with how these first steps have gone. To everyone who has downloaded a copy of A Crisis at Clifftops, you’ve made me very happy. Thank you. And if you haven’t downloaded a copy yet, what’s your excuse?

The Great Christmas Giveway

Posted on | by Rosie Travers | 2 Comments on The Great Christmas Giveway

I like to think I’m a generous person by nature, but I can’t be the only author who has reservations about the idea of giving their books away for free, on mass. As the occasional prize or to a charitable cause, yes, to worthy friends and family members, people who’ve helped on the writing journey – well that goes without saying. But to the general public? That elusive audience you’ve been trying to convince for the last eighteen months to dip into their pockets to pay less than the price of a takeaway coffee for a digital copy of your book? That book you spent months, if not years, sweating over, putting your heart and soul into, ruining your posture as you bent over your PC into the small hours for, editing, submitting to agents, publishers, braving rejections, having palpitations and panic attacks for…

However, I don’t always know best. I’ve learned many things on my personal mountain climb of a publishing journey, and free downloads are considered a useful marketing tool. It’s an opportunity to boost a book’s profile, to reach a whole new audience who wouldn’t necessarily take a chance on an unknown author.

Christmas is all about giving.  Your Secret’s Safe With Me hadn’t exactly gone flying off the shelves since its launch back in February, and probably needed a good kick up the butt.  So last weekend, I bit the bullet and sent it out into the big wide world for FREE.

Although I haven’t yet got the exact figures, a quick check on Amazon Author Central confirms that at some point over the weekend my book peaked as the 105th top-downloaded free book out of thousands in the whole of the US. This feat was mainly due to my big budget $20 spend on a book promotion website mailshot. Facebook, the Great Manipulator, cannot be relied upon to display your promotional posts alone. It pays to pay to reach that wider audience direct – although of course paying to give your book away is something the purest in me would have once cried ‘not on your nelly!’ (I told you it had been a steep learning curve).

Only time will tell if I will reap the rewards. The major downside of book promotion sites is that their audience is mostly US based. The only negative review I’ve ever received on Amazon and Goodreads was from a US reader who gave up after the opening chapters of The Theatre of Dreams. He/She clearly didn’t get my writing style at all and felt I’d over-complicated things by introducing my characters without an explanation of who they were. That’s the whole point mate, you read on and find out…

As all writers know you can’t please all the people all of the time.   The general idea is that you hope the readers who fall in love with your book will shout about it from the rooftops, while those who don’t, keep quiet.

I am very grateful to everyone who downloaded a copy of Your Secret’s Safe With Me, and to all those shared the news of my Christmas giveaway on social media here in the UK.  I hope there will be a positive knock-on effect from the free downloads, and word will spread about my books and my writing. As this is probably the only time I can make a song and a dance about one of my novels ever reaching a number one spot in the Amazon charts (on both sides of the Atlantic), it’s not such a bad way to end the year!

Life got in the way a little too much in 2019 and I know I have not been as pro-active as I should. Hopefully 2020 will be far more productive. I’ve a WIP to polish off and a new publisher to find. I’ve no deadlines and no pressure, and I feel the joie de vivre has returned to my writing.

Signing off on a high note, and wishing all readers, near and far, a very happy Christmas.

And if you are still scratching your head looking for that perfect present, I can recommend a couple of good books….

My House Move and Other Horror Stories

Posted on | by Rosie Travers | 2 Comments on My House Move and Other Horror Stories

Bookish things have taken a back seat over the last month or so. Sometimes life just gets in the way. Basically I’ve had a lot of “stuff” going on. If I was a master of self-publicity I would use these episodes – a house-move, car trouble, elderly mother’s deteriorating health, preparations for imminent arrival of daughter, boyfriend and her dog (how is he going to get on with the cat?) from Budapest, to my advantage and continued to Tweet, FB and Instagram about my personal life to raise my social media profile.  People do but when I was knee deep in corrugated cardboard and bubble-wrap the last thing I thought about was dropping a picture onto Instagram – ooh look, another box to unpack. Anyone else have Tupperware that breeds? Some people might find that interesting – personally I don’t and I always judge my social media posts by what I consider something I’d want to read – and this, I realise is where I’ve been going wrong.

This is when I wish I’d used a pen name when writing my books because with a pen-name I could have created a whole new persona who’d be one step removed and could twitter on about anything. Suzi Smith (yes, I name I really did consider adopting) would be ever present on social media with witty comments, and even non-witty comments on every day life. She would be continually posting to keep her presence afloat (this is a tough business and if you don’t float, you sink without trace). Suzi Smith would be putting herself out there and using every situation to her advantage – even in her darkest hour.

Don’t you just love the NHS – mum’s hip operation cancelled due to chronic iron deficiency. Never mind at least we got a free cup of tea and a cheese sandwich after three hours waiting in pre-surgery. LOL!

Now I know why estate agent insisted on using the back entrance when he showed us around the house. Loving our genuine Arts & Craft front door but wish I could get it open…

New house teething problem number 2 – who doesn’t love a soft-close toilet seat. Just wish it would wait until I’d finished doing my business before it starts closing. OUCH!

By the way, have you ordered a copy of my latest book? Just £1.99 on Amazon…

Suzi Smith would not only be the master of self-publicity she’d also  write very commercial women’s fiction; her novels would be highly marketable – and here’s my next dilemma. My faithful old desktop crashed just before our house move. Had I backed up my latest WIP? Well yes, but not since about the 25K word-mark and I last left it at 40K. But now that my precious data has been recovered (at considerable cost, I might add – that’ll teach me to ignore those messages reminding me to back up my PC) I’ve taken another look at Book 3 and decided my efforts to write something a little more commercially orientated a la Suzi Smith are not winning me over, in fact I don’t actually like the hunky all-American boy-gone-bad-but-he-will-redeem-himself hero I purposefully created to attract a wider audience.

Stressing over things we cannot change is wasted energy. Today, I feel like I have emerged from a long dark tunnel. Over the last few weeks it seemed impossible to imagine I’d ever have the time, let alone the inclination, to return to the keyboard.   But now, as watery sunshine filters through the canopy of the enormous Caucasian Wingnut tree at the end of my new garden (it’s a very rare specimen – we viewed the house in winter when it was half the size)  I feel a welcome sense of calm.  

My mum has accepted she’ll never get a new hip unless she eats more greens (slipping into Suzi mode here) just as I’ve accepted she needs a little more looking after than she currently receives – but other carers are available. As always it’s a question of attitude. I’ve decided the dent in my car gives it far more character, as does the crack in the windscreen, the Hungarian Dachshund-cross compatible dog food has been ordered on-line (the cat will love him), and as much as I appreciate the historic merits of my rustic front door, a new one I can open, shut and lock is already on its way.

It’s time to pick up the pieces and crack on. I do want to complete another novel and the answer I believe lies in a good murder. In fact, I’ve decided all-American boy is going to be my first victim. His girlfriend – un-named as yet but I have one in mind – may well be my second.

Poor Suzi, what a horrid way to go...

A Postcard from 2018

Posted on | by Rosie Travers | 2 Comments on A Postcard from 2018

Everybody is doing a big fat quiz of the year, but here’s my personal postcard from 2018 – edited highlights of what has been a rollercoaster ride.

January – The excitement of starting a year knowing I had just signed my first publishing contract is offset by panicking about packing for a six week trip to Australia and New Zealand. How many pairs of pants…

February – Visit Australia and New Zealand. Too many wow moments to mention and definitely too many pants in my suitcase, but fulfilling a childhood ambition of cuddling a koala pretty much tops the highlights list. I know it’s not ‘PC’ but the opportunity was there…

March – Coming home from Australia and discovering we had missed the Beast from the East and all the fuss about the snow. First steps into the magical world of publishing as I begin working with a professional editor on The Theatre of Dreams.

April – Discovering two short stories I’d submitted to Writing Magazine competitions had been shortlisted in the same month.  Another successful competition entry at Hampshire Writers Society for the first 300 words of a commercial women’s fiction novel, is actually mushrooming into a commercial women’s fiction novel. Could this be Book Number Two? Yes it could. Change name of book from competition title of Marrying Mother to Your Secret’s Safe With Me after all sorts of plots twists infiltrate the original idea.

May –The rush is on to finish Your Secret’s Safe With Me so it’s out of the way before the launch of The Theatre of Dreams.

June – Choosing my book cover, writing blurb and dedications and then coming home from a week’s holiday in Spain and finding a paperback copy of The Theatre of Dreams waiting for me on the doorstep.

July – How do I launch a book? Surely if I just throw a few tweets out there, chat about it on Facebook, add a few Instagrams, tell a few friends…that’ll work, won’t it? The first Amazon reviews are in and they’re very good – but they are all written by people who know me.  Fulfil another personal ambition and visit Hampton Court Flower Show on the hottest day of the year.  We all wilt and have to be revived by large doses of Pimms. I do, however, gather ideas for a winter knitting project if the writing career plummets.

August – The Theatre of Dreams is officially launched into the world and the euphoria soon ends with a look at my sales figures.  How do you make one book stand out against so many millions of others? Maybe I should have done a bit more tweeting and making friends on social media. Maybe I should have just paid out big bucks for a professional book promotion service.  Maybe I need a much bigger family. It’s a steep learning curve but on the plus side more reviews are in and they are not written by people who know me…

September –  We set sail on a two-week cruise to the Baltics.  After traipsing through a mere smidgeon of the 22km of corridors at the Winter Palace in St Petersburg it’s easy to see why the Russians had a revolution.  It’s jaw-dropping opulence in the extreme. Publisher accepts Book Two.

October – Do what we we’ve been meaning to do since we returned from the Netherlands twelve months previously – put house on the market and plan an escape to the country. Yes we are that couple of empty-nesters looking to downsize to a house with sweeping views in rural isolation but close to all local amenities and obviously we still need something big enough for all our stuff, and our children’s stuff that didn’t leave the nest with them…

November – Onwards and upwards to conquer the Everest sized mountain of book marketing and self-promotion.  Meanwhile, start edits on Your Secret’s Safe With Me.

December – First author talk, nobody fell asleep which I take to be a good sign.  Continue to try and make self more alluring and interesting on social media. House sold – first challenge of 2019 will be to find a new one that ticks all our 101 boxes. Edits complete on Your Secret’s Safe With Me and launch date set for 18 February 2019.  Who’d have thought, this time last year…

Book Links:

The Theatre of Dreams

Your Secret’s Safe With Me

 

Many thanks to everyone who has supported my writing journey and also to my fellow authors who have guested on this blog during the year, either talking about their favourite comfort reads or their own magical books.

Wishing you all a very happy and prosperous 2019.

 

 

 

The Book Launch

Posted on | by Rosie Travers | 3 Comments on The Book Launch

The day finally arrived – The Theatre of Dreams was officially launched and it’s like sending a baby out into the big wide world. You hope everyone is going to like it, you hope you’ve created something endearing and captivating, but of course, books are subjective and not everyone is going to be enthralled by your style or even interested in your genre.

It seems to have been an awful long time coming – eight months in total since I signed that publishing contract and it has been hard keeping the momentum of  ‘I’ve got a book coming out’ going. I have tried to build an ‘author platform’ during that period – it’s a been a learning curve that has taken me right out of my comfort zone and I’ve still got a long way to go.

I’ve extolled the virtues of my book, I’ve described it as warm-hearted, as funny, entertaining, now at least it’s out there in the public domain people can read it for themselves, make up their own minds and hopefully agree.  The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. I think I’ve baked something quite delicious but now it’s time for the taste test!

The Theatre of Dreams is out there taking its first steps, and the online launch  – interacting on social media with four different devices all pinging away at the same time – went without a hitch,  and the physical launch, more of a celebration with friends and family and an open invitation to everyone I’ve ever met in Southampton to come along, went better than I could have hoped, and in fact provided a wonderful opportunity to catch up with a few people I hadn’t seen for years! (Oh yeh, and I did sell a few books too…)

As much as I’d now like to sit back and take a break from social media I can’t. The launch is just the beginning – a book is for life, but I no longer feel quite so much like a one-man band. I’ve had good reviews, I know I’ve written a well-rounded story and I will keep on plugging away.   Hopefully I will have more confidence to go out there and promote myself.  I read somewhere that the best marketing tool is to write another book. That’s taken a bit of a backseat over the last couple of months  but I feel ready now to pick up the WIP and attack it with new vigour.  And more importantly, breathe…..

Fame At Last!

Posted on | by Rosie Travers | Leave a Comment on Fame At Last!

I’ve always considered myself to be a modest, shy, person, characteristics which aren’t particularly conducive to self-promotion, which is why I struggle with this whole social media/creating a writer platform malarky.

My other half points out I can’t be shy because after moving abroad, I pro-actively joined social groups and made many new friends.   I had to. I’d moved 5000 miles away from the town that had been my home for over 40 years and I didn’t know a soul, but that didn’t stop the dread of having to introduce myself to strangers over and over again – Hi I’m Rosie, I’m an expat, can you recommend a good hairdresser/dentist/doctor/therapist….

Admittedly that first international move nine years ago forced me out of my comfort zone, however, I now find myself in a similar position.

Hi I’m Rosie, and I’ve written this book….

I hate putting myself out there, but I’ve got a book launch coming up and if I don’t publicise it, nobody else will.  So besides being ‘active’ on social media, bombarding my friends, what else can I do? Contact the local press…

I’ve had dealings with the local press before. When we moved to the Netherlands I undertook an on-line writing course, and being a model student, during the lesson on writing articles and features for magazines, I contacted my local newspaper back in the UK, pitching a story about a transplanted Southampton woman now living in the Netherlands. I think this might interest your readers, I wrote.  I heard nothing….for six months. Then I received an email. Dear Rosie, please could you write us a 500 word article about your life in the Netherlands by Friday…oh and by the way, can we have a photograph of you with a windmill.

500 words and one 4 km cycle ride to the nearest windmill for a photo-shoot later, the article was complete.

Despite the apparent rush, my feature didn’t appear in the paper for at least another three weeks, presumably something better came up. Having said that, three weeks is  nothing compared to the two year wait I had for a short-story to appear in another local magazine after it had been accepted!

So, knowing how long it can take to receive a response, let alone publication, I sent off a couple of notices this week about my book and its forthcoming launch on 1 August. The very next day I received a phone call from one local newspaper, the Portsmouth based The News and had a very pleasant chat with a reporter who asked lots of questions about my writing and the inspiration behind it. Oh so you will come to my launch? I said. Yes, she replied and we’ll run a feature on it tomorrow. You’ll be on page 13….’

Tomorrow! Likely story I thought, but just on the off chance, I rushed into my local One-Stop and grabbed its lone copy of The News, and there it was, perfectly filling a slot on page 13 as promised!

‘Mum picks up pen to commemorate town’s demolished art deco building…’

I do actually write with a keyboard and a computer, and my children have both long flown the nest, but what the heck! I’m very grateful to The News for running the story. I’m not sure I’m going to get stopped in the street because of it, but hopefully it’s aroused a little bit more interest for the book.