Category Archives: marketting

British Fantasy Society and Cardiff Expo

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Monday was the Welsh gathering for fantasy/sci fi and horror nerds here in Swansea. It took place in the No Sign Wine Bar, a suitable venue, as venues go, and was basically just a group of us sitting around, talking and drinking. It was a good night, a chance to talk to other writers and publishers and to promote my own work, though most of what i remember, after just two glasses of wine, was discussing Knightmare, the children’s show from the 80s, and how things were much better ‘in my day.’

Saturday was the Cardiff Comic Expo. It was my first comic expo and i had a table with Joanne Hall, a fellow fantasy writer. And it was excellent! Lots of people in costume, from comics, from anime, from fantasy and sci fi generally, all ready to chat. It was a good, friendly place, lots on sale, including copies of my book. And, surprise of all surprises, a friend of mine, from Live Journal, many eons ago, was also there. I wasn’t sure i recognised her, at first, her hair was a different colour and it wasn’t at all what i expected, but yep! It was her, Reaperfox. It was a slow day, but i still had a great time meeting new people. I think that’s the part i enjoy most about promotion, getting out there, meeting new people and talking about books and fantasy. The other parts, the internet sales, the readings, that’s a lot harder.

It’s always great to meet other writers, (everyone is a writer, if not, they’re an artist! :) ) other fantasy fans, to network and to sell and I had a great time. WIll be back next year, dressed up and hopefully with something new to sell.

Bristol, Cardiff and Beyond!

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Well, tomorrow I’m at Bristol, doing a reading/signing. Next weekend if Cardiff Expo, for signing, with Joanne Hall (see my calender for details on all this) And in April Joanne and I are doing a signing in Swansea Oxfam Bookshop! I have the flyers for that, so have to get on promoting, and hopefully people will show this time. It’s hard being a writer these days, having to promote. People don’t come if they don’t know you, and won’t get to know you if they don’t come. But on the advice of a friend I have rejoined Twitter, to see if that will help me get out there more, and I missed the postings of the Horrible Histories gang. This is ME on twitter, feel free to follow me. I’m still on Facebook, of course.

For my reading tomorrow i have put together an introduction, so i won’t ramble like an idiot. I will, of course, have to start thinking of something else to read for other readings, otherwise people may get bored of hearing me the same thing! I remember hearing Robin Hobb read from Shaman’s Son, in Glasgow, a few years back, and she sounded fairly bored. I didn’t much like the book anyway, but i think if even the writer sounds bored reading it, it’s not going to appeal much to new readers. The issue, of course, is what to read? Something drammatic, but not too spoilery, that doesn’t require too much introduction. Hmm.

Still, busy few months, hopefully a busy year, with lots of sales, and this book/series finished!

And training for Race for Life. Now that I have my depression under some control, I’ve signed up for the 5k Cancer Walk/Run. I did it 5 years ago, and enjoyed it, so I’m looking forward to that. Set myself a high target though, so if anyone out there fancies sponsoring me . . .

http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/frannyjacobs

Signings: a sad state of affairs

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So, I have a signing arranged at Swansea Library for the end of the month with fellow fantasy writer Joanne Hall. The library warned me that even though they put up posters, not many people come to these things. But I was prepared to do some promotion myself, made some posters, got some flyers and went to put them out in Oxfam bookshop. They are more than happy to put them out and to let me do a signing there, perhaps. Certainly nicer than the indie bookshop on Uplands who said no, outright. But, like the library, they warned me not many people come, even if they promote. And i find that so sad. As a kid I used to love to go to book signings, to meet authors, and i would read any book on the fantasy shelf. I loved to try new things. But readers today seem to be fussier. Is that because bookshops only stock the main authors, so it’s actually harder to get to know new authors. There are more books available online, of course, but it’s hard to browse. You cant just look for titles and at pretty covers and take it from there, the way you can in a shop. You need to know what you want or have a recomendation. Is this why people don’t come to book signings? Because if they haven’t heard of the book, or had it recomended, they won’t take the chance? But getting someone to hear of your book, to get them to want to read it, that’s a difficult thing too. You can’t just bug people, because that pisses them off. You can’t fake reviews, because that pisses them off AND opens you up to ridicule and a bad reputation. So, what to do? Social networks are all well and good, but you can’t spam them, you need to get to know people, network, talk in groups, give advice, sell yourself, without selling yourself. But that isn’t easy for everyone. I’m not very good at it. I hate twitter and don’t have the patience to give the same general advice over and over on writing forums. It seems that, though technology, social networks, have brought us together with new people and given us more choice, more access to things we wouldn’t have had otherwise, it also creates more of a crowd, which is harder to stand out from. So, im trying real world promotion, discount flyers, posters, as well as online. I’ll find out end of the month if my promotion has paid off.

I really hope it does :)

Poster!

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My talented website designer has put together a poster for me to take to Bristol Con and other promotional type places.

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Pretty fab! I just hope I’m able to get print copies in time!

Book 2, the Seer’s Tower, is also now available on amazon.com and co.uk in kindle format. If you’ve been waiting for it, get buying! It’s at a bargain price so no excuses really.

Indie bookshops

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Cover to Cover, an indie bookshop in Mumbles, here in Swansea, South Wales, where I live, have said that the Shadow Seer was a great read and want me to send them a copy. I’m assuming this is to sell, as that is why I contacted them! Aand I’m pretty pleased. It’s not easy, when you’re with a small print publisher, to get into a physical bookshop, big chains have lots of rules that are hard for someone with a print on demand system to meet. Waterstones, a big chain in the uk, for example, need you to be listed with a certain database (free so that’s no problem) but also to have your published listed with their distribution company. A lot of writers, with small print publishers, aren’t with one based in their own country. My own is a published down under! So they aren’t always aware of the bookshop chains in other countries, or their distribution. Even if they were, the distribution companies have rules of their own, not easy for a print on demand publisher to meet.

So that leaves indie shops, but they need to be sure of making money so may want to take a large percentage of the sale price, meaning the writer can’t afford to deal with them. I won’t get rich selling to indie bookshops, but it helps to get me out there and as any writer will tell you, after having your book published, being in a physical bookshop is the next big dream.

Being a writer is a rather never ending challenge, especially for those with a small print publisher. Writing a good book is the easy part! Getting it accepted, getting it out there, that’s far far harder. You need patience, and a tough skin! But i think it’s worth it.

Interview

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Just found an interview with me that I don’t remember doing it (must have been ages ago) so here it is, if you’re interested.
 

Have had some thoughts on how to develop book 3 and so that’s what I’m working on, festivals, burning things and masks, all fun things, just a little difficult to get on with when the weather is so nice. it is Candale’s first time in the mountains, first time experiencing a wild, traditional sort of festival, I’m not sure how he will take it!
 

Next week I’m in Bristol, hopefully selling lots of copies of the Shadow Seer parts 1 and 2. I enjoy selling, meeting people, talking to people, but I hate leaving the cats and always fear that no one will buy anything. I’m there with my friend, fellow writer Joanna Hall, so hopefully the appeal of two writers, plus other books for sale, will attract people and their wallets.

Pens!

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I am now the proud owner of 50 promotional purple pens (that’s some illiteration) with my name, website and book title on. They look fab, as you can see from this pic (One is modelled by mr kit

)

And here is a close up:

Snazzy :)

I’m working on book 3 at the moment. It’s been a while since I read it, as I’ve been working on book 2, so I’m going through it from the start to refresh my brain and fix the long sentences I had to work on with book 2. I hope to fill in the gaps and get it finished as well, while I go through it. Then onto new things!

Bristol Market and Pens

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Have arranged to sell copies of my book at Bristol Market, as part of National Market Day, 28th June. I will be selling alongside fellow writer, Joanne Hall, and as well as our books we will have copies of other local writers to sell. All the details are on our facebook event: It doesn’t cost anything to look around, unlike Bristol Con, so I hope lots of people will come. I’m looking forward to it, I rather like selling and signing books, even though I can never think of anything witty. As part of it I have ordered some pens, with the book and website details on, I hope people will be less likely to throw them away and more likely to look up the book than they might with just a flyer or bookmark.

I have been working, slowly, on my faerie short story collection. Editing burned me out somewhat so I’m not getting very far with the latest short story about a girl, seduced by a faerie and taken back to the Faerie Kingdom. But I will get there and then it’s back to trying to finish off Children of the Shadow, the last in the Ellenessia’s Curse series, although I’m still not totally sure how I’m getting to the end!