The Artist Unleashed posts have moved to a new domain. Please click HERE to read the rest of this post and for the opportunity to comment. Just search for the title of the post in the search bar on the new site.
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
Tuesday, 28 May 2013
A MONSTROUS SUMMER GIVEAWAY!!!
Firstly, I hope all those in the US had a great long weekend and did lots of long-weekenderly stuff, like eat a crazy amount of food that one would normally avoid in fear of putting on the pounds! Was it good? Still feel bloated?
Secondly, if you subscribe to my newsletter, you are going to receive the following in your inbox this Friday.
Not a subscriber? Want a chance to win something from this amazing list? It's not too late. You can sign up now!
Want to donate something to the giveaway? For every prize donated I will give 50 cents to BuildOn.org. Email me with the following info:
item(s) + link (Amazon if book) + format + personal website/blog
Hey Everyone!
It's SUMMER! And what do people like to get in summer? FREE STUFF!!! I'm going to make that happen for you.
As a token of appreciation to you all, I'm hosting a monstrous summer giveaway. There are lots of books up for grabs, a few services such as manuscript edits and book cover design, and even some music and really cool T-shirts!
So, this is how it's going to work:
*All items are linked to a product page, and all names are linked to authors'/donators' websites. Just click on them to check them out!
It's SUMMER! And what do people like to get in summer? FREE STUFF!!! I'm going to make that happen for you.
As a token of appreciation to you all, I'm hosting a monstrous summer giveaway. There are lots of books up for grabs, a few services such as manuscript edits and book cover design, and even some music and really cool T-shirts!
So, this is how it's going to work:
- If you are a subscriber of this newsletter, your name will be put in the hat.
- If you become a subscriber upon hearing about this giveaway, your name will be put in the hat.
- Winners will be chosen randomly and announced in two weeks time via this newsletter.
- Prizes will be allocated randomly, but you may email me with your preferred category prior to Friday, June 14. (i.e. Services, Poetry, Young Adult, etc).
- If you win (one prize per name drawn from the hat), and your prize is digital, you will receive it automatically via email. If you win something physical (i.e. paperback, CD, T-shirt), your donator's email address will be forwarded to you, so that you can contact the donator with your postal address. If you win a service, your donator's email address will be forwarded to you. It is your responsibility to follow up on your prize.
*All items are linked to a product page, and all names are linked to authors'/donators' websites. Just click on them to check them out!
Services
10 chapter (up to
25,000 words) developmental edit, or a 20 chapter (up to 50,000 words) copy
edit. A $1,000 value, by Amie McCracken
Poetry
Fabric (Goodreads Choice Awards 2012
Semi-finalist), by Jessica Bell (eBook, PDF)
Twisted
Velvet Chains, by Jessica
Bell (eBook, PDF)
i
cannot bring myself to look at walls in case you have graffitied them with love
poetry, by Dan
Holloway (PDF)
Romance/Historical Romance
Young Adult
Rouge, by Leigh Talbert Moore (eBook)
Battle for souls series: Rise from Darkness, Fall
from Grace, Ascension of Evil, by Ciara Knight (eBooks)
Thriller
Literary/Contemporary Fiction
The
Book, by Jessica Bell
(eBook, PDF)
Dancing Shadows, Tramping Hooves, by
Dianne Ascroft (eBook or
paperback)
Science Fiction/Dystopian
muted:
a short story in verse, by
Jessica Bell (eBook, PDF, or paper chapbook)
Fantasy
Ghost
Nonfiction (Writing/Publishing)
Nail Your Novel, by Roz Morris (paperback)
The Emotion
Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide To Character Expression , by Angela Ackerman
& Becca Puglisi (PDF)
Nonfiction (Self-help)
Horror/Speculative
Children’s
Anthologies
The
Best of Vine Leaves Literary Journal 2012, donated by co-editor Jessica Bell (paperback)
Music Albums
Melody
Hill: On the Other Side,
by Jessica Bell (CD, 2 copies)
T-Shirts
NOTE: This is just a heads-up for my Friday newsletter announcement, if you want a chance to win one of these items, please sign up to the newsletter. It's also possible that additional items will be added to this list before I officially send it out.
Thursday, 23 May 2013
My "NEW INVENTION" in Book Promotion ...
"I’ve been blogging for four years. In that time, the writing community has grown. A lot. We have all read our fair share of cover reveals, book launch announcements, and author interviews, so much so that, though I hate to say it, we are becoming immune to blog tours.
Every day, my blogger dashboard is bombarded with book promotion. And I have to be honest. I gloss over every single blog post that is a promotion of some kind. Especially author interviews. I’d much rather read about the author on their own blog. Maybe this is just me. But ... maybe it isn’t.
This made me wonder ...
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the post. Would love to see you there! Let me know what you think of this as a promotion tool.
Have a great weekend, folks!
____________________________
PURCHASE HERE: Amazon US | Amazon UK
This cyberpunk/dystopian short story is an experimental work of fiction written in verse. Page count: 30. Word count: 2000.
It's illegal to wear clothes. In some streets, it's also illegal to sing. Concetta, a famous Italian a capella singer from before "the change," breaks these laws. As punishment, her vocal chords are brutally slashed, and her eardrums surgically perforated. Unable to cope living a life without song, she resolves to drown herself in the river, clothed in a dress stained with performance memories. But Concetta's suicide attempt is deterred, when she is distracted by a busking harpist with gold eyes and teeth. Will he show her how to sing again, or will the LEO on the prowl for another offender to detain, arrest her before she has the chance?
CLICK HERE to subscribe to my newsletter. Every subscriber will receive The Hum of Sin Against Skin for free, and be the first to know about new releases and special subscriber giveaways.
Wednesday, 22 May 2013
The Artist Unleashed: A NEW ROAD TO TRAVEL, by Glynis Smy
The Artist Unleashed posts have moved to a new domain. Please click HERE to read the rest of this post and for the opportunity to comment. Just search for the title of the post in the search bar on the new site.
Monday, 20 May 2013
What if it were illegal to wear clothes?
What if it were illegal to wear clothes?
What if it were the law to wear a temperature-controlled body suit made of fetus membrane ... every day?
What if you were a singer, and it was illegal to sing?
What if you sang anyway, and got detained by a LEO, and punished by having your vocal chords violently slashed, and eardrums perforated?
What if multiple offenders were killed for their skin?
What if multiple offenders were killed for their skin?
Would you commit suicide? Drown yourself in the river?
Concetta would.
But something stops her in her tracks ...
But something stops her in her tracks ...
Would you like to read her story?
Email me if you're interested in reviewing a copy of my latest release, a cyberpunk/dystopian short story in verse.
Thursday, 16 May 2013
The complications of a writer's location & nationality (and how to overcome them).
As most of you know, I live in Greece.
"Ooh, aah, what a dream!" I hear you cry.
But is it?
No. Here are some of the problems I face.
1. No local writer's events to attend. If I wanted to go to a conference, or a book launch, or a workshop, I would have to fork out airfare and accommodation to visit the English speaking country it is held in.
2. I can't get any writer's grants. Okay, I'm Australian. But I don't live there, so I'm not eligible. I'm not eligible for any grants from the UK either, despite living in Europe, because I'm not a European citizen. I'm not eligible for a US grant because, well, I'm not either American OR a US resident.
3. I can't enter many book awards. For the same reasons, plus some, in point 2.
4. I can't publish on NOOK. They require a US bank account. (I don't like Smashwords, it has got to be the most complicated bookseller in this world. My opinion.)
5. I can't take advantage of all the literary candy that is in Australia either. Though I am a citizen, I am not a resident. And my books are self-published through the US, so my books can't even be considered "Australian Literature".
6. I am constantly coming up against problems with my royalty payments with Amazon. They only pay into bank accounts from certain countries. Greece is not one of them. I used to get checks. But that meant a shit load of fees on my end when cashing them. I'm lucky that I now have a UK bank account. Sometimes my royalties go in. Sometimes they don't. All my royalties from Amazon EU (i.e. UK, DE, etc) get paid direct into my account without any problems. But every time they try to pay me my royalties accrued from the US sales, I keep getting an email saying that my bank account information is incorrect. UGH. I keep complaining. They keep telling me they're looking into it, and I still keep getting emails saying my bank account info is wrong. It's impossible to be wrong if they are already paying some royalties into it. I'm owed more than three months worth of royalties. Why? I cry!!!
7. I can't market my book in a real public venue where I talk to real faces instead of virtual ones. I'm confined to the internet. It's tough. And isolating. And lonely.
There are more. I can't think of them right now. But my point is. My life as an Australian writer living in Greece is DIFFICULT.
I'm working really hard to do the best I can with the facilities I have. I create my own opportunities (Vine Leaves Literary Journal, Homeric Writers' Retreat & Workshop). I start community projects (Indiestructible, The Artist Unleashed). I guest post as much as possible on other people's blogs. I join awesome Indie Author Organizations (ALLi).
My point? Somehow, I still make it all work. I know this isn't going to get any easier. But I'm still motivated, and determined to never drop the ball. I NEED TO STAY VISIBLE.
No matter what your circumstance, you can succeed in one form or another. All you need is patience, stamina, passion and determination.
Have you got PSPD? If so, don't let any obstacle, big or small, set you back. Get out there, and make the most of what you HAVE. Because you can. We all can. If you want it.
Do you want it?
Then go get it!!!
Are you an expat writer? How do you cope with the limitations?
Don't forget to sign up to help promote INDIESTRUCTIBLE in September! 100% of the profits go to BuildOn, an amazing charity that aims to break the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, and low expectations through service and education.
AND ADD IT TO GOODREADS!
If you could Tweet about the sign-up form it would be great!
You can just copy/paste this:
Are you an expat writer? How do you cope with the limitations?
___________________
AND ADD IT TO GOODREADS!
If you could Tweet about the sign-up form it would be great!
You can just copy/paste this:
INDIESTRUCTIBLE—Help promote fab new #IndieAuthor book—All profits go 2 @buildOnEmpowers! Sign up here: http://goo.gl/mNjo3 #amwriting
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
The Artist Unleashed: FINDING A WRITING NICHE IN NATURE, by Cinthia Ritchie
The Artist Unleashed posts have moved to a new domain. Please click HERE to read the rest of this post and for the opportunity to comment. Just search for the title of the post in the search bar on the new site.
Monday, 13 May 2013
"How to Sell More Books: Diversify"
"One way to raise your profile as a writer is to diversify, especially if you are self-publishing your work or being published by a small independent press. As I’ve said in a previous post, the best way to sell more books is to write more books – but that doesn’t mean you should focus solely on writing those books. It’s also worth seeking other ways in which to get your name before readers. This is especially true for self-published and independently published writers, who do not have the presence or clout of a big name publishing house behind them." ... READ MORE HERE
Let's talk at Debbie's. Hope to see you there!
Wednesday, 8 May 2013
The Artist Unleashed: PLAY TO YOUR STRENGTHS, by Hart Johnson aka: Alyse Carlson (INDIE LIFE segment below)
The Artist Unleashed posts have moved to a new domain. Please click HERE to read the rest of this post and for the opportunity to comment. Just search for the title of the post in the search bar on the new site.
Tuesday, 7 May 2013
How to enjoy a larger variety of books (and consequently rate them without bias).
I like to read book reviews. Mainly to get an idea about what inspires someone to make their opinion of the book public. Let's say that I'm sorta conducting a character study. :-)
I've noticed that many book reviews lean heavily toward a bias on 'taste' rather than critical opinion. This can result in a lot of negative reviews of books that are actually wonderful reads. And I don't think it's very fair to give a book 1 star just because "I didn't like it."
So how can we learn to appreciate (and consequently rate) books that are different to what we would usually read? Here are some things you can ask yourself:
1. Does the writing represent its genre well? (NOT, I hate science fiction, this book is shit!)
2. Are the characters' personalities developed well? (NOT, I hated the protagonist, she was a bitch. This book is shit!)
3. Is it paced well? If it slows down in places, are the slower moments warranted and utilized for a specific purpose? (NOT, Man, I got so bored when the guy was describing his home town, and then talked about how it shaped his entire life. I mean, I wanted action, action, action! This book is shit!)
4. Is it executed/edited well? (NOT, I would have written/edited this book differently. This book is shit!)
5. If it is about a subject matter that you aren't entirely keen to read about, do you think someone who is keen about the subject matter would enjoy it? (NOT, omg, this book was way too violent. I hate reading about violence. This book is shit!)
Do you think it's possible to appreciate a book for what it IS, rather than criticize it for what it ISN'T?
___________________
___________________
AND ADD IT TO GOODREADS!
If you could Tweet about the sign-up form it would be great!
You can just copy/paste this:
INDIESTRUCTIBLE—Help promote fab new #IndieAuthor book—All profits go 2 @buildOnEmpowers! Sign up here:http://goo.gl/mNjo3 #amwriting
Wednesday, 1 May 2013
The Artist Unleashed: INDIESTRUCTIBLE: INSPIRING STORIES FROM THE PUBLISHING JUNGLE, by Jessica Bell
The Artist Unleashed posts have moved to a new domain. Please click HERE to read the rest of this post and for the opportunity to comment. Just search for the title of the post in the search bar on the new site.
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