Friday, April 29, 2011

Anabar's Run website almost ready

I've been working on the website and hope to start promoting it next week. I plan to begin with Omalof's training log,  a map, and some pictures. My plan is to create an Anabar world and throughout the summer, when I'm not teaching and have more time,  I am going to add maps of the cities Beral and Chorazatt, flags, a Scout training manual, a page devoted to to drail with video, pictures, history, statistics, and mining, and other items that are also featured in Anabar Rises, book 2 of the Anabar trilogy.

My hope is that readers will enjoy this additional material, and I would especially like to add items that they suggest.

I have included some information on Semdela and Ricamar on my Shelfari book page at this link:  Anabar's Run Shelfari Page

Sunday, April 24, 2011

20,388 wizards and 16,526 vampires!

I was thinking about how Anabar's Run is different from some of the other popular YA books. On a hunch, I went to Amazon.com and searched for "Wizards" and then "Vampires" and found 20,388 titles with "wizard" in them and 16,526 with "vampires" in them.
Anabar is neither of these literary clichés. I have to believe that readers are going to tire of them and be looking for something else.
Anabar is a normal young man who faces difficult, nearly impossible, tasks and decisions. I began Anabar's Run with the idea that everyone is capable of doing great things, and I believe this is a message young people should hear.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

So much to do!

I am learning something new every day about self publishing. There are so many good websites and blogs that it is becoming difficult to keep track of them all. Still, I have become hooked on Goodreads.com and Shelfari.com.   Both sites have many authors, and it is great seeing how most people are so willing to share ideas and help each other.

To me, this is much more fun than the traditional way of trying to write a good query letter and then sending it to agents. I don't doubt that agents are busy, but something seems wrong about that process because everything comes down to the query letter. Plus, you might check 10 different sources, and all 10 will have different ideas on how to write a good query.

I can't wait to see how the publishing business changes in a few years. It seems almost inevitable that more and more people will be buying books for their electronic devices. I'm glad to be getting into this now, although I still have a lot to learn.

I am going to make my website public this weekend and start out by posting part of Omalof's Journal. The website with give me another way to market Anabar's Run, and I'm looking forward to adding features in the coming weeks such as maps, training logs, and other features that I hope will add to the experience of reading my book.

Have a great day!

Will

Friday, April 15, 2011

A good week with new friends

This week, I continued to make contact with people on various websites related to books and writing. It has been great to make several new friends on Shellfari and Goodreads. It's nice to talk to people who are also trying to achieve some success through EBooks. The great part about this has been that everyone is so willing to share ideas and advice on marketing and promoting their books. I'm feeling good about how much I have been able to market Anabar's Run so far, and I am learning something new everyday from my friends.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Excerpt from Anabar's Run

Here is an excerpt from one of the key scenes in Anabar's Run:


The giant fell face down in the snow and slid down the slope a dozen feet. He lay still, not moving for a few seconds. Then he let out a roar. He lurched to his feet and wiped snow and blood from his eyes. He looked up at the form of Anabar streaking away from him. The giant growled and headed back up the slope, his eyes locked on Anabar. His rage gave him the energy to charge up the steep incline, stomping his feet deep into the snow with each step. His speed increased as he pounded up, a grizzly bear chasing its prey. So focused was the giant on getting to Anabar, he failed to notice the cracks appearing in the snow around him.
Anabar felt the snow beneath him starting to slide, and then something dropped down the slope from above, uncoiling like a dark snake as it neared him. He saw it was a rope, and he dove for it, as the entire mountain seemed to vibrate under his feet. He caught the rope and pulled it close to his body. The snow accelerated down and away from him and he gripped the rope, his fingers turning white from the effort.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

First sales!

I was happy to sell a few copies of Anabar's Run over the past several weeks! It's a start. I'm continuing to learn everything I can about marketing my books. Some writers pay editors, formatters, and artists, but for now, I am going to do this myself. After all, the thing that most appeals to me about self-publishing is that I get to control every step. Whatever initial success I achieve as an author will be up to me.

It is exciting to read about the success of authors like Amanda Hocking and Joe Konrath; however, it is also important to realize they are good writers. That has to be first. All the marketing in the world won't matter if you can't write. That's why I am so hopeful about Anabar's Run. I believe it is a good story.

Anabar struggles with the same conflicts as many young people such as leaving home, deciding what to do with his life, and following the right path for him despite disappointments. Anabar does not start out with advantages such as wealth or power, but his ultimate choices are what make him heroic.