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Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Smashwords / Nano

Smashwords/NaNoWriMo Promotion

Publish, Share, Track and Promote your NaNoWriMo Work-In-Progress

About NaNoWriMo
NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, takes place every year in November. Writers are challenged to start and complete a 50,000 word novel between November 1 and November 30. This year, over 200,000 writers are expected to participate. Learn more athttp://www.nanowrimo.org/
Smashwords is providing this promotion as a free public service to NaNoWriMo participants and their fans. Smashwords is not an official sponsor of NaNoWriMo, although we are a huge supporter and we encourage all authors to participate and to financially support the great work of NaNoWrimo. To make a tax-deductable donation to NaNoWriMo, visit https://store.lettersandlight.org/
About the Smashwords/NaNoWriMo Promotion
Smashwords is opening up the Smashwords platform to allow all NaNoWriMo participants to publish, share, track and promote their works-in-progress.
All NaNo books will receive promotion via:
  1. A special catalog hosted at Smashwords.com
  2. A special catalog in the native catalog of Stanza, the #1 most downloaded (2.5 million +) e-reading app on the iPhone and iPod Touch.
  3. A special catalog in the native catalog of Aldiko, the #1 most popular e-reading app for Android phones
  4. Promotion in the Smashwords blog, on Twitter, and elsewhere!
How to list your book as a NaNoWriMo title at Smashwords:
  1. Sign up for free with Smashwords (if you're not already a member) http://www.smashwords.com/signup
    Between November 1 (12:00am PST) and November 30 (11:59pm PST), publish your NaNoWriMo novel:http://www.smashwords.com/upload/nanowrimo
  2. You can set the price of your book to FREE (recommended if you want to get the most readership), or you can set a price let readers pick their own price if you want friends, fans and family to financially support your month of writing madness. Free is better! If you do charge people to read your book, we suggest you donate your proceeds during November directly to NaNoWrimo to support their great program.
  3. During that same time period, whenever you feel like it, upload a new revision of your novel by going to your Dashboard and clicking "Upload new version" next to the title: http://www.smashwords.com/dashboard
    And yes! readers will always be able to fetch the latest version!
    A dynamic display of a bar graph and other statistics on your book's public info page will help you and your fans follow your progress.
  4. Please note: Our word count may not match the official NaNoWriMo one!
    Send your friends, fans and family to Smashwords to read your novel, other NaNoWriMo novels, and to discover thousands of other great ebooks! http://www.smashwords.com/
  5. If you write 50,000 or more words by November 30th, you'll see "Goal reached!" (If you finish after November, we'll show your latest progress, but also point out that you eventually did reach the goal.)

  6. REMEMBER: Smashwords is providing a fun way to publish (and sell, if you want) your new novel. You still need to sign up for NaNoWriMo and submit your book there, too, to participate in the offical contest! http://www.nanowrimo.org/user/register

    How to Promote your NaNoWriMo title at Smashwords:
    1. Use the social media links on your book page to share your book with friends, fans and family
    2. Encourage your friends, fans and family to share your work in progress with friends, using the social media links
    3. Celebrate your Nano entry by posting links to your Nano book at Smashwords, so fans can download your work-in-progress, readable in multiple DRM-free ebook formats!
    4. Review our free ebook, The Smashwords Book Marketing Guide, for additional marketing tips. Smart book marketing begins before you release your finished book, so star now!
    The Details
    • Since you cannot begin your novel until NaNoWriMo starts, you cannot add your book to Smashwords until then, either. (In other words, your book must have a "published" date at Smashwords within the month of November, or it won't be listed on this page.)
    • The book must be within the Fiction category at Smashwords.
    • During the month of November, whenever you upload a new revision of your work, its NaNoWriMo word count will be updated automatically.
    • Your book's participation in NaNoWriMo will be listed on the book's info page at Smashwords, along with the latest word count we saw during November.
    • Even after NaNoWriMo is over, please keep updating your book at Smashwords. And when you finish your novel, remember to uncheck the Work in Progress setting for your book!
    • PLEASE NOTE: Smashwords does not send your book or word counts to the official NaNoWriMo site! To officially participate in the contest, be sure to sign up at NaNoWriMo.org and update your book there, too!
      Click here to register at NaNoWriMo.org >

    After NaNoWriMo is Over

    How to Publish Your Finished Book on Smashwords
    When you finish writing your novel, and after you get it properly edited and proof-read (ALL books need many revisions and edits before they're truly ready to publish), and after you have carefully formatted it per the requirements of the Smashwords Style Guide, you can return to your Smashwords Dashboard, upload the finished version, and uncheck the "Work in Progress" setting to make it 'live' on Smashwords and eligible for free, Premium distribution to major online retailers such as Barnes and Noble, Sony, and others to be announced soon. Learn more about how Smashwords can distibute your book on our Distribution Information Page.

    Sunday, October 12, 2014

    Working With a Book Cover Designer

    I couldn’t have said this better myself. Good information to know when working with a cover designer. Thanks to Peter Fritze for writing this useful tip.
    Originally posted on Peter Fritze:
    Blog 27Last post in my series of blogs on how to self-publish, I wrote about what a book cover design should achieve. As an author, to get the best result for your cover, it’s useful to know some tips about the process of working with a designer. I’m assuming here you’ve hired someone to create original art for your cover.
    First off, if you’re expecting your designer to read your book as part of the design process, don’t. She’s unlikely to have the time (or interest), and depending on the schedule for your book release, your manuscript might not be in proper shape anyway.
    Instead, be ready with a good, short synopsis, preferably written. Also, be clear about the book’s genre, mood and tone, perhaps comparing them to those of well-known books.
    Next, have some ideas ready for her. In my first book, The Case for Killing, an abandoned railway track features (have…
    View original 265 more words
    Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

    Writing Tip #1 – Passive Voice

    One of the most common errors people make is writing in passive voice.  This slows down the action of your story and should be avoided as much as possible.  How do I recognize passive voice you ask? Passive voice always consists of a form of “be” and the past tense of the verb   Placing “had” or “have been” in front of your verbs is a quick way to recognize passive.  For example, The squirrels had been barked at by the dogs.  (passive voice)  The dog barked at the squirrels.  (Active voice -much more clean and it moves the action of the dog into the present and moves the story forward).
    In Active Voice the subject acts
    In Passive Voice the subject is acted upon.
    Only use passive voice when the actor (subject) is unimportant or unknown.
    Please add your tips for recognizing and dealing with passive voice.
    Books by Kelly Abell     Cover Designs by Select-O-Grafix
    Copyright 2014 by Kelly Abell
    Posted in Writing Tips | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

    Welcome to Write with Kelly

    Welcome to my blog. I’m so excited you decided to stop by and join me on my journey. I was inspired to begin this blog by another author who visited my author website http://www.kellyabellbooks.com and found a page there where I’d posted some writing tips. She was so intrigued by the tips and how much they helped her, I decided to begin a blog and write about my experiences as an author and the work I’ve done in the publishing industry.
    Not only am I a published author with over 10 works to my credit, but I’m also a graphic artist, who works with book design and formatting. Through my company Select-O-Grafix, LLC., I have learned a great deal about the do’s and don’ts in the publishing industry and am eager to share them with you. We’ve dealt with everything from book cover design, book trailer design to building author promotion packages. We know what works with social media and what doesn’t. I’ll discuss topics like Building Your Author Brand, What Makes a Cover Eye-catching, and more…
    My hope is together we can learn more about how to improve our craft and present ourselves to publishing houses and agents, or create a self-published work that is professional and engaging to readers. Because after all, we wouldn’t write if we didn’t want someone to enjoy it, right?
    Please subscribe and follow me along this journey. I know you’ll discover many valuable tools to make you even better than you are today.
    Quill pen and inkwell resting on an old book with green backgrou
    Books by Kelly Abell     Cover Designs by Select-O-Grafix
    Copyright 2014 by Kelly Abell
    Posted in Welcome | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

    Tuesday, October 7, 2014

    From Jo Michael's Blog


    Tuesday, September 23, 2014


    How To: Start a Book Review Blog - Series on Becoming a Book Blogger Introduction

    Happy Tuesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'm giving you some information about a new post series that'll walk you through the steps of creating your very own book review blog. So, if you haven't subscribed yet, and you're interested in reading great, free books (and making money doing it) get on it. You may subscribe on the right ------------>

    For this first of many posts to come on this topic, I'm giving you all a topic list that'll be updated as we go through the process. Why? Well, it's so I can show one link (to this page) and folks can find the information they're looking for. I love simplicity and organization (yeah, have you seen my link list?). Haha! In order, here are the post topics I'll be covering:
    When you see the following image, you'll know you're on one of the building a blog pages:


    I can't wait to get started. May the odds be ever in your favor!

    What do you think? Interested?

    Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

    Jo

    Thursday, October 2, 2014

    Special Mystery and Thriller Authors

     

     link to the show


    Please join Marsha on Tuesday October 7 at 8 PM CST 9PM EST 7PM MT 6PMPST for a terrific show when her guests will be three great writers with new books, Kelly Money, Cindy Cromer and Stacy Verdick. They will be reading a selection of their book. Don't miss this discussion and reading! Murder and thriller stories are really popular so save the date you won't want to miss this show.
     






    For more info about our services and shows check out
    http://www.michiganvenuemedia.com
    http://www.worldofinknetwork.com





    Select-o-grafix can help build your brand

    Designing Your Email

    This is a Text Block. Use this to provide text...
    Five Ways to Build Your Brand for Under $50


    In this digital age, anyone with a laptop or tablet can write a book. The key to making yours successful is building a quality product and making sure people see it. Here are five ways we can help you Get Noticed.
     
    • Teasers - These are visual representations of your story. They consist of a picture with teaser text about your book and your cover or website link where the book can be found. 

    We do teasers for the ridiculous price of $15 or right now get a set of three for $40
     
    • Banners - Use a web banner to enhance your facebook page, twitter page, or website. A banner can feature all your books or one new release. They can also decorate any blog or website. Multiple sizes are available.

    Banners can be simple or complicated. They start at $15 as well.
     
    • Author Promotion Videos - This is a new innovative way of expressing yourself as an author. We work with you to get a feel for what makes you tick as an author and can feature all your works on one video.
    For only $50 let us build a promotion video for you!
    • Premium Author Club - Getting your posts out on multiple social media sites is no easy task. Becoming a member of our Premium Author Club allows you to get a banner, and weekly posts on all our social media sites including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google plus, and Pinterest among others. Getting your name out there on a weekly basis can enhance your readership. The posts are varied and always contain a link to your website or your book.  Take advantage of this for $50 for a 6 month membership of weekly posts and a 15% discount on any other service we offer
     
    • Cover Reveal - Have a new release coming up in a few weeks? We can do a  3-d cover for you that we will blast out weekly to all our social media sites. Choose a one month ad for $7 or a two month value ad for $10.
    Contact us today to get started on building your brand

    Monday, September 29, 2014


        Meet Jo Michaels - 

    Author of the month  -World Of Ink Network

     

    Links to Books

    This is a bibliography for the author Jo Michaels. Any book shown with a Smashwords link is also available on iBooks.

    Yassa - Historical Fiction


    Paperback $7.99
    Paperback (large 14 pt type) $17.99
    NOOK $2.99
    Smashwords $2.99
    Kindle $2.99

    Synopsis:
    Temujin is the given name of one of the fiercest conquerors in history, Genghis Khan.

    Before he became a Khan, he was just a man in love with a woman his best friend tried to steal.

    Temujin tells his tale as a look over the life he's lived. He speaks of love, fear, friendship, and betrayal. What once was, can no longer be. Now, he questions his life and realizes the wrongs he committed. But it's too late to go back and fix them.

    In this riveting portrayal of his story, you learn about Yassa law, the struggles young Temujin faced growing up, and how one decision changed his life, igniting a conquering of the greatest contiguous empire in history.

    Isn't it funny how it all comes back to the love a man has for a woman?


    The Abigale Chronicles - Book One - Young Readers (Series)


    Paperback $5.99
    NOOK $0.99
    Smashwords $0.99
    Kindle $0.99

    Synopsis:
    Abigale Fontenot is a 12 year old girl living in West Bluff, Louisiana, who believes she is perfectly ordinary. When she is threatened by a bully on her way to school one day, what happens causes Abigale to begin a new journey. She has to ask herself, "Is it real or is it all just a dream?" As Abigale learns in Book One, things are rarely exactly as they seem. Friendships are formed with unlikely people: a wizened old woman and Abigale's arch nemesis, Emmett, and with their help Abigale learns she is far from ordinary. Book One of The Abigale Chronicles will leave readers itching for more to find out for themselves just what in the World is happening to Abigale.


    The Abigale Chronicles - Book Two - Young Readers (Series)

    Paperback  $5.99
    Kindle $0.99
    Smashwords $0.99
    NOOK $0.99

    Synopsis:
    Twelve-year-old Abigale Fontenot is struggling to figure out whether her adventures are real or imagined. After an adventure with Amazonion women in book one, Abigale and Emmett have formed a bond through mutual trust and secrets, but Kristy has turned against Abigale because of it. Now, Abigale again finds herself in a precarious situation with a city full of talking cats. Emmett is once more by her side as she faces down a vicious cat queen in an attempt to avoid certain death and restore the leadership of the city to its rightful owner. Will they succeed, or will they be roasted alive? What will happen when Kristy overhears the discussions about the adventures with Ada?


     The Indie Author's Guide to: Building a Great Book - Guide


    Kindle $2.99
    Paperback  $6.99
    Smashwords $2.99
    NOOK $2.99

    Synopsis:

    Indie authors struggle every day with formatting their books for both digital and print. This handy pocket guide is meant to walk you through, step-by-step, to creating the most attractive, easy to read book possible.

    Stop wasting your time and smashing your head on your desk in frustration. Balding authors with permanent red spots make us all look crazy.

    Your answers are inside these pages. It's everything you need to know about self-publishing your book.

    It's broken into six easy sections:
    1. Branding Yourself
    2. Formatting Your Manuscript
    3. Building a Digital Cover
    4. Final Checks
    5. Business Considerations
    6. If Your Book is a Print Version
    Each of those sections contains a wealth of information. There's no babbling here. You need short, straight, and to the point. Why waste time reading words you don't need to?

    Help yourself and grab a copy today. There's even a look inside preview where you can see that table of contents and each section within. Go take a look for free!

    Bronya (Book 1 of the Mystic series) - Paranormal

    Paperback $8.99
    Kindle FREE
    Paperback - DRD Edition $5.99
    Smashwords FREE

    Synopsis:
    This is book one of the Mystic series. A set of New Adult Paranormal novellas that speak out against issues faced in the world today, showing how strong women can overcome anything.

    Bronya Thibodeaux is a senior at Houma High School whose life is about to be changed forever. She's always felt like an outcast, but thinks she may have found a friend when a strange, new girl named Markaza who has blue hair, a number of tattoos, and a strange way of dressing appears.

    Bronya's life choices make her a pariah in her small town. After getting thrown out of school, not being able to find a job, and being subjected to ridicule and cruel treatment, Bronya chooses to leave her old life behind forever when she receives a compelling invitation from a mysterious company named WSTW.

    What Bronya doesn't know, is the mysterious company is owned by Markaza; a mystic who knows the end of the world is coming and is gathering together the only people who can stop the evil that's threatening to take over. Bronya is just the first. But going to New York is only a baby step toward her true journey. As Bronya races against the clock to unlock a power she never knew she had, Markaza races to collect the others: Lily, Shelia, Melody, and Coralie.

     The Abigale Chronicles - Book Three - Young Readers (Series)

    Paperback $5.99
    Kindle $0.99
    Smashwords $0.99

    Synopsis:
    Abigale Fontenot is turning thirteen. Just when she thinks her birthday couldn't possibly get any worse, a new adventure takes hold. Abigale and Emmett are whisked away to a world of fantasy where knights, dragons, and princesses are the order of the day. Abigale is kidnapped by an evil prince in a nearby kingdom, and it's up to Emmett to rescue her. But Abigale finds that escape is not the most important thing; restoring the evil prince's kindness that has been locked away in a magical book by a wicked sorceress must come first. While Emmett is trying to rescue Abigale, she is trying to free the prince from his curse. Will she succeed in her quest before the evil prince kills Emmett, or will she fail and lose her new best friend? Will death matter if the whole thing is a dream, or are the adventures real and truly dangerous?

     The Abigale Chronicles - Book 1,2,&3 - Young Readers (Series)

    Kindle $2.99

    Now, get all three of The Abigale Chronicles books in one easy Kindle download. Buy all three with this bundle and you're saving $2.98!













    Lily (Book 2 of the Mystic series) - Paranormal

    Paperback: $8.99
    Kindle: $0.99
    Smashwords $0.99

    Synopsis:
    This is book two of the Mystic series. A set of New Adult Paranormal novellas that discuss the ugly truth of things happening in the world all around us, showing how strong women can make a difference.

    Lily Conyers is a twenty-year-old who has it all going for her. One wrong decision changes her life forever. When she meets a strange young woman named Markaza, Lily begins to re-build with encouragement from her new friend.

    One rough night, Lily finds a letter on her step from a company called WSTW; promising her a new life.

    Lily packs her bags, bids Markaza goodbye, and sets off for the city. But going to New York is only the first hurdle Lily must jump. She must learn to use the power inside herself to help defeat an evil that is threatening to destroy the world. Once in New York, she meets a girl named Bronya and the two help one another re-build what was so negligently broken.

    As Lily is boarding the plane, Markaza gets on another headed to Tennessee so she can collect the next young woman on her list: Shelia.

    Shelia (Book 3 of the Mystic series) - Paranormal

    Paperback: $8.99
    Kindle: $0.99
    Smashwords $0.99

    Synopsis:
    This is the third book in the Mystic series. A set of New Adult Paranormal novellas that uncover issues faced in the world, showing how strong women can make a difference.

    After a horrible accident takes the lives of her parents, Shelia Morgan is placed in the care of her Aunt Ivy and Uncle Melvin.

    When she turns nineteen, her world is flipped upside down. When a girl named Markaza shows up and tells Shelia she's part of a group of young women destined to save the world, Shelia begins to dream of a new life and true freedom from her personal demons.

    She boards a plane destined for New York and her new life. Once there, she meets Bronya and Lily: Two other young women with special powers they must learn to harness in order to fight an evil that will rise on December 21, 2012, and destroy the world.

    Markaza heads toward Atlanta to save the life of a young lady named Melody before her mind destroys her from the inside out. As Markaza fights for Melody's life, Shelia, Lily, and Bronya throw themselves into their studies and learn that even power from within can get out of control.

    The Bird - Fantasy

    Paperback: $12.99
    Kindle: $5.99
    Smashwords: $5.99

    Synopsis:
    Stormy Terrebonne's life is about to change forever. A cardinal, a prince, and magic acorn soup are only the beginning.

    She soon finds herself being whisked away from all she's ever known to save an entire race of people known as Trobodytes.

    How? By killing an evil wizard named Bordash Bladeslinger.

    But not all is as it seems. Stormy has a handful of friends, and she's not sure they aren't enemies in disguise.

    Fantastical twists to the fairy tales you know and love abound in this tale of quests, witches, wizards, and a strange race of people known as Trobodytes. Suitable for those age thirteen and up, this young adult crossover fantasy novel is packed to the gills with action, adventure, and love.
    Melody (Book 4 of the Mystic series) - Paranormal

    Paperback: $8.99
    Kindle: $2.99

    Synopsis:
    This is the fourth book in the Mystic series. A set of New Adult Paranormal novellas that uncover issues faced in the world, showing how strong women can make a difference.

    Melody Acworth sounds like an angel. If she's not careful, she'll become one soon. Enrolled in  singing lessons at age seven, she took to the stage and began to get fan letters. Some were good,  some were detrimental to her psyche.

    By the time Markaza, a mystic with purple hair and tattoos, shows up, Melody's on her last legs.  Markaza works furiously to try and repair the mental damage done so she can get Melody to New  York; where she must learn to use a power hidden deep within herself to save the world.

    They're running out of time. As December 21, 2012 approaches at an alarming rate, Markaza's  visions turn dark and foreboding. The creature grows stronger every day. Soon it will rise and  destroy mankind unless all six women band together to fight it.

    Just one lady left to recruit: Coralie. But she's in a world of trouble.

    Coralie (Book 5 of the Mystic series) - Paranormal

    Paperback: $8.99
    Kindle: $3.99

    Synopsis:
    This is the fifth book in the Mystic series. These new adult paranormal novellas deal with social stigmas, judgment, and hate.

    Coralie Meyers is struggling to find her footing as an actress in New York. A malicious attempt to thwart another girl's career ends in catastrophe and Coralie soon finds herself in a precarious situation.

    As the sixth and final member of Women Save the World, a company created by Markaza Turner, Coralie possesses all the cunning the young ladies will need to defeat the evil that's rising under Central Park. If the women fail to save her, evil will rise and destroy the world.

    Now that Markaza has gathered four of her chicks: Bronya, Lily, Shelia, and Melody, all that's left to do is bring in Coralie, train her, and go to war. But the ladies are struggling with their powers and their personal demons. Will they find the power within themselves in time to destroy the monster and save the world? Only time will tell; and that's one thing they're short on.

    This fifth installment of the Mystic series is a lesson in what lies, hate, and judgment can do to the world when left unchecked.

    I, Zombie - Young Adult Horror


    Paperback: $14.99
    Kindle: $3.99
    Hardcover: $31.49


    Recommended for ages 13+ due to a mild amount of gore.

    Synopsis:
    It's the end of the world as we know it.

    Trixie Collins is a normal teen making her way through high school. One night at a party, a boy comes on to her and won't take no for an answer. As she jerks her arm away, his fingernails cut into her skin.

    When she finds her dog's mutilated body and realizes she's to blame, she starts to think maybe the zombie apocalypse they've been screaming about on the news isn't a hoax after all. Worse, she begins to think maybe she's one of the infected.

    Now it's a fight for life as she joins together with her brethren to stop the humans intent on destroying them. Are zombies all bad, or is it just a huge misunderstanding?

    Mystic Anthology (Books 1-5 of the Mystic series) - Paranormal


    Paperback: $24.99
    Kindle: $3.00

    Synopsis:
    This is the first five novellas in the Mystic series. If you buy them individually, they're $44.95 for the paperbacks and $4.95 for the Kindle versions. Now, you can get all five and save almost $2!

    And, if you purchase the paperback, you get the Kindle copy FREE.








     Markaza (Book 6 of the Mystic series) - Paranormal

    Releasing sometime in 2014

    Synopsis to come!














    M - Young Adult Urban Fiction



    Releasing sometime in 2014!

    Synopsis to come!






    Monday, September 22, 2014

    Have a little magic!

    Isabella Pimpinella‘s Magical Potion is a fun imaginative read for the early reader as well as the more advanced. The true test of bravery begins with thirteen little girls and a cat named Bogart who have the time of their life at the greatest sleepover ever when they get the chance to make a magical potion and learn to believe in themselves. It’s not only fun and fast paced it’s magical. 

    Amazon Link