I Messed Up

Two days ago I posted a blog about Fourth And Forever.  The title of the post was You Decide.  The essence of the blog post was a description of Fourth And Forever and its 13 five star reviews and 1 two star review - the concluding line was:

"Now you can decide for yourself and it won't cost you anything Fourth And Forever is free Friday March 10th.  

That's where I messed up - there is no Friday March 10th - at least not this year.

Fourth And Forever will be free Saturday March 10th - don't miss it.

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In case you missed the original blog post - here it is -

Fourth and Forever is a love story about Josh Edwards, his wife Kathy, and their son Bobby.

Fourth and Forever is the story of a Vietnam Vet coping with loss while keeping a commitment to his son.

Fourth and Forever is the story of a homeless dog, named Flexible, who became the University of Montana Cheerleaders’ mascot and a hero to a bunch of sick children in Missoula.

 

Fourth and Forever is the story of a forty-year-old college quarterback who leads an amazing group of football players in their pursuit of a national championship.

 

Fourth and Forever has more insight into PTSD than you’ll find in most medical textbooks on the subject.

The Kindle Book Review gave it five stars and said “From the first page to the last, Bert Carson's FOURTH AND FOREVER not only paints a picture of the best things in life (family, hope, love, integrity), he paints with artful accuracy, a canvas that spans the Vietnam War, loss of love, football, and the bonds between a father and son. Bravo!”

Joyce Faulner, President, Military Writers Society of America, and Award-winning author of In the Shadow of Suribachi & Username gave it five stars and said "'Fourth and Forever' has sports in it--and Vietnam. But it's not about sports or Vietnam. It's an inspirational foray into resilience."

R.S. Guthrie gave it five stars and said, “The author manages to weave together a father's past, a son's future, a veteran's burden, and a college football team's destiny into a wonderful, heartfelt tale for the ages.”

Ten other readers gave Fourth and Forever five stars.

Stephen Charme, a top ranked Amazon Reviewer gave Fourth and Forever two stars and summed up his comments by saying it is, “Mediocre and superficial…”  Along the way he questioned the integrity of those who gave it five stars.

Now you can decide for yourself and it won’t cost you anything – Fourth and Forever is free Friday, March 10^th - 

Remember - Fourth And Forever is free Saturday March 10th

Fourth and Forever - You Decide

Fourth and Forever is a love story about Josh Edwards, his wife Kathy, and their son Bobby.

Fourth and Forever is the story of a Vietnam Vet coping with loss while keeping a commitment to his son.

Fourth and Forever is the story of a homeless dog, named Flexible, who became the University of Montana Cheerleaders’ mascot and a hero to a bunch of sick children in Missoula.

 

Fourth and Forever is the story of a forty-year-old college quarterback who leads an amazing group of football players in their pursuit of a national championship.

 

Fourth and Forever has more insight into PTSD than you’ll find in most medical textbooks on the subject.

The Kindle Book Review gave it five stars and said “From the first page to the last, Bert Carson's FOURTH AND FOREVER not only paints a picture of the best things in life (family, hope, love, integrity), he paints with artful accuracy, a canvas that spans the Vietnam War, loss of love, football, and the bonds between a father and son. Bravo!”

Joyce Faulner, President, Military Writers Society of America, and Award-winning author of In the Shadow of Suribachi & Username gave it five stars and said "'Fourth and Forever' has sports in it--and Vietnam. But it's not about sports or Vietnam. It's an inspirational foray into resilience."

R.S. Guthrie gave it five stars and said, “The author manages to weave together a father's past, a son's future, a veteran's burden, and a college football team's destiny into a wonderful, heartfelt tale for the ages.”

Ten other readers gave Fourth and Forever five stars.

Stephen Charme, a top ranked Amazon Reviewer gave Fourth and Forever two stars and summed up his comments by saying it is, “Mediocre and superficial…”  Along the way he questioned the integrity of those who gave it five stars.

Now you can decide for yourself and it won’t cost you anything – Fourth and Forever is free Friday, March 10^th - 

The One Rule For Writers

Jack Woodford 1949

Long ago and far away, I was selected to attend a management training course, that had the sole objective of discovering future top managers for the company.  The last exercise of the training was administered with each participant in a private cubicle that contained only a desk and a chair.  On the desk were two items – an instruction sheet and an in-box that was over flowing.

Once I was seated at the desk, the facilitator, speaking through the intercom, said, “Bert, this is a timed exercised.  The results of this exercise will override everything you’ve done so far in the training and will constitute 95% of your final rating.  I’m not going to tell you how much time you have for the exercise, only when the timing begins.  Listen carefully.  Read the instructions in their entirety before you begin the exercise… OK, start now.”

I snatched up the sheet of instructions and moaned.  There were fifty items on the sheet and the clock was running.  I started reading:

1.      Read every item thoroughly.

2.     Do not go to the next item until you’re sure you understand this item.

3.     Do not miss a single item on the list.

4.     Read each item in the in-basket.

5.     Note the number in the…

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If I had ever wanted to skip an item, that was the time.  My corporate career was hanging in the balance – but I didn’t skip a one.  After what seemed a lifetime I read the last item.

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50.  Pick up the in-basket and take it to the trash basket in the corner.  Dump everything, in-basket too, in the trash basket.

 

I was the only one in that particular class who read every item before beginning the test.   I owed that to my first crew chief in Vietnam who said, “Unless you have a death wish, never begin a mission by short cutting your preflight checklist.”

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I’m a writer, an indie writer.  For writers, there are as many check lists and rules as there are people who fancy themselves writing teachers, and that number is infinite and growing rapidly.

I need something more concise – something to the point; something that incorporates everything that I need to remember.  After all, I don’t have a writer’s death wish. 

I have it!  Everything I need to know for successful writing in one statement and in a moment, you will have it too - the be-all-end-all rule for writers.

“Involve your reader with your lead character and then involve your character in sustained mounting conflict.  Do that, and only that, and you’ll never go wrong.  Know this rule and no other and you’ll come closer to writing for money than if you know all the other rules.”  Jack Woodford - 1949

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Newton Running Shoes and Indie Book Marketing

This is my thirty-third year of running.  Three years ago, getting ready for a run, I knew what Joe Namath must have felt like getting ready for a football game; two knee braces, a band around my right arch, and custom orthotics.  In spite of all the equipment, the pain came through, my pace slowed, and it became increasingly easier to find excuses not to run at all.

Then, the gods of running led me to the Newton Running Shoe web site.  The Boulder, Colorado company was definitely god sent – tonight almost three years, and I don’t know how many pairs of Newton’s later, I just finished a set (for me a set is three days running followed by a day off).  I didn’t have to come home and take off all the gear, while swallowing a handful of aspirin.  In fact, I’m running better, easier, and stronger than I have in years.

Newton’s are the secret.   No other running shoe is made like they are made.  Running in Newton’s is like running barefoot, or to be more exact, running like a barefoot four-year-old.

I’ve told a lot of my friends about them, and as far as I know, none of them have tried Newton’s.  So, what’s the problem?  Well, one friend, probably speaking for most of them, summed it up this way – “They cost three times more than whatever I can find on sale at Foot Locker.”

Actually, it’s worse than my friend imagines.  The MV2 which Christina, Adrienne, and I run in costs $125.00 and has a life of 220 miles – after that it has absorbed all the punishment it can take.  That means, my shoes cost fifty-six point eight cents per mile – I just ran 8 miles, which means I spent $ 4.54 on shoes tonight – of course I spent nothing on knee braces, orthotics, elastic bands, or aspirin.

What’s that got to do with indie book marketing?  Everything!  Contrary to popular opinion, you can’t publish for free and you sure can’t sell your self-published book for free.  If you think a good idea and a word processor is all you need, maybe it’s time to think again.

Assuming you can write, and are, or have, written a good book, you have to spend money before that glorious moment when you hit “save and publish,” on Amazon. 

If you’re smart, you’ll spend at least $250 - $500 dollars for a good edit, $150 - $250 for formatting, and $250 - $550 for a sharp cover.  Now you’re ready to upload and hit save and publish but that’s just the beginning.

You have to market your work of art – plan on spending countless hours finding and cultivating your audience.  Some of the tools you’ll discover you have to invest in are: Auto tweeters, email handlers, remote servers, workshops and seminars, faster computers, additional software – you can probably get by with an additional $700 - $1,200 investment – or a total of $2,000.00 for your indie publishing and marketing endeavor. 

That makes $.56 cents per mile much more reasonable. 

Let’s face it, indie writing and marketing isn’t for the faint-hearted or for cheap-skates.     

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Why do you buy an eBook?

A week before Thanksgiving, 2011, I purchased a Honda Element. The vehicle  is used, and it has a lot more equipment than I wanted or thought that I needed - full-time 4 wheel drive, a sunroof (in the back), and Sirius Satellite Radio.  However, it is in great shape, and it has a manual transmission, and they are hard to come by in an Element.   I justified the 4 wheel drive thanks to the Old Farmers Almanac's prediction of a hard winter, and at traffic lights I could turn around and look up through the sunroof and tell myself that was great, but I couldn't justify the Satellite Radio because figured I'd never listen to it.

Now, over a year later, I seldom, if ever, turn around at traffic lights to gaze through the sunroof; the 4 wheel drive was welcome on a few icy days, but they have been so few as to be inconsequential.  I do enjoy the manual transmission, but, you guessed it, the Satellite Radio is something else.  My preset buttons are; Elvis Presley Radio, The Bridge (a cross between rock and folk rock), Soul Town, Symphony Hall, and two NPR Satellite Channels.  Why two NPR presets?  That's easy.  My chances are twice as good to find Bob Edwards Radio.

Bob, a veteran of more than 24 years with National Public Radio before he went independent, is the best interviewer on radio today for my money (Click and Clack, the tappet brothers are second).  Thanks to Bob I've met Ray Stephens.  I know the story of the Opryland Radio Station moving in 90 minutes to avoid the flood that ravaged the Hotel.  I heard Frank X. Walker talk about and recite his poetry.  If you want to goose bump yourself, download the podcast of that show, or any of the others that are available on the website.  I've also met Marshall Chapman, and I feel like I've eaten in Suzi Ragsdale's kitchen... and the list goes on and on...  There is a lot of talk radio on the air these days - There is only one Bob Edwards, and, thanks to my little Honda Element, we've met.

But I do more than listen to Bob Edward's and his guests.  I go to the movies they talk about.  Years ago I saw the BBC Mini Series of Tinker, Sailor Soldier Spy staring Sir Alec Guinness,  and I had no need to see another one.  At least that's what I thought until I heard Bob's interview with Gary Oldman and I couldn't stay away from the theater.

The same holds true of books.  Bob Edwards interviews quite a few authors and it's seldom that I fail to buy a book after I've head its creator interviewed.  The other great source of my Kindle books is getting to know the author through twitter, or Facebook, or their blog.  You know what - those two are, by and large, the same thing.  I buy books written by people I feel like I know.  What about you?  Why do you buy Kindle books?  When we writers know the answer to that question the eBook marketing problem will be solved.

Take a look at my books on Amazon - if you feel that you know me well enough.

And if you still have a few minutes check my web site.

Thanks for your time, it's been a pleasure.

On selling your eBook

It may be a hard fact to accept, but it’s true, if you are an indie writer, you’re also a book sales person.  That may not sit well with you; it didn’t sit well with me either.  I thought if I wrote a good book, got a good cover, and formatted it professionally, the job was done.  I could go on to the next book and the next and the next and live happily ever after.

I’ll bet you know what happened – in case you don’t know, nothing happened.  Oh, I’ve sold a few copies; so few, that for the first six months I knew the name of everyone who bought a copy. So I bought and read John Locke’s book, M.R. Mathias’ book, Michael Hicks' book, and a number of other successful indie author’s books.  I love all those books, and I continue to refer to them, but in truth, they are history books, and history will not serve you well in an industry that is as volatile as ours.

Regarding internet marketing, you must understand, your potential readers can only be reached through the internet – social media, blogging, and email.  I know, you have good success doing signings at Mary Jo’s Tanning Salon and Book Store, but that won’t move you up in the Amazon rankings.  Neither will getting every member of The Buffalo Lodge to buy your book.

So who can help?  I’ve found an answer, though I’ll be the first to admit that I’m sure it’s not THE ANSWER.  There are no absolutes in internet marketing beyond the fact that there are no absolutes.  However, there is a way to success – get on the leading edge and stay there.  We have to learn to sell on the internet, and the people who know how are social media marketing pros.

If you’ve looked in that arena for help, I’ll bet you found a lot of people writing blogs that only another expert can understand.  Me too.   There are some notable exceptions, and I’m going to share one with you now – Lilach Bullock, is readable, knowledgeable, and on the cutting edge of her field.  She is also accessible, and she cares.   I was sold on her when I read, “If you build it, they won’t necessarily come.”  It would have been nice to have known that a year ago, but maybe someone told me, and I just wasn’t ready to listen.

Before you get immersed in Lilach you should know she will talk about some things that will have no meaning to you unless you’re from England or Europe – things like marmite – or she’ll say things like “Let’s crack on,” which, BTW, has nothing to do with drugs.  But, the things she will tell you are internet marketing cutting edge, and they will be understandable.  They will also be based on her first-hand knowledge.  When you visit her site, sign up, you’ll get a free eBook called 5 Crazy Ways To Get Buyers To Your Website – imagine a free diamond and all you have to do is sign up – in addition you’ll receive an email notification of all of her updates and new posts.

With Lilach’s help, I’m going to make all of my books bestsellers – as I do that, I’ll share my experience with you.  Before you leave, sign up and I’ll send you, via email, a new short-story every month and tag on my latest marketing discovery.

In the meantime, take a look at my books – they are all mainstream fiction – no vampires, zombies, or werewolves, but I will admit there is a bit of time travel in one, and some esoteric experiences in another… and I’ll admit that I went to school with a few zombies, one vampire, and two werewolves.

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