Picking Their Brains: Marketing Tips for Indie Authors

Time for another edition of Picking Their Brains! Each month I ask a group of fantasy authors for their advice on various topics, and this month we're discussing marketing. Most authors will tell you how important and time-consuming marketing can be, but how do you make the most of your time? Here are several tips for effective strategies from experienced authors and reviewers.   

Don't be too eager to click the publish icon. Spend time becoming a part of the community. Expand your reach through networking. And whatever you do, don't spam your book. Once you are established as a member of the groups, then start a buzz about the release. Be careful not to come on too strong. This a can takes months. But it's worth it in the long term.
    You get one chance to make the first impression on a reader. So be sure it's ready. Did you have it edited? Proof read? Beta tested? Is your cover striking? Is the blurb catchy? Basically, can it stand up to the top authors in your genre? If not, don't publish. You're not ready yet. I mean, you can. But don't expect good results.
—Brian D. Anderson, author of The Godling Chronicles

Okay, here it is: it doesn't matter if you like or use LinkedIn, Snapchat, Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, Goodreads, etc., etc., etc. You MUST use them. You've got to establish as many connections in the world-wide-web as possible, to increase your chances of being found. People should find your name and then your book everywhere they look. They need to be constantly reminded of what you have to offer. And if you don't make that effort, how can you expect your potential readers to?
—Allan Batchelder, author of Steel, Blood & Fire

Brand yourself. Create something interesting and then go with it.
—Matthew Johnson, Professor Grimdark

Network, network, network. Join social media groups related to your genre and contribute to discussions of topics you enjoy, while keeping your comments and interactions courteous and respectful. Build your network of supporters this way. It takes time, but these relationships will be vital to advancing your career later.
—AM Justice, author of A Wizard's Forge

This, twice over. Be nice, be interesting, be helpful. Offer advice where you have expertise. Do people favors and hope that they will be returned, they probably will be since, by and large, writers are decent people. 
—Martin Owton, author of Exile

Your next book is the best marketing.
—Megan Mackie, author of The Finder of the Lucky Devil 

Experiment. Try new platforms, try new ads, read books on indie marketing until you can't stomach it anymore. Take all advice with a grain of salt but don't just throw it away either. Keep a calendar of what you'll try and keep notes on what you did and when. Start building your own data.
—Richard Nell, author of Kings of Paradise

- Look for books that are similar to yours on Goodreads. Don't approach the very top reviewers as they probably have little time but message reviewers who have 20 or so likes on their posts when they rate the similar books highly. These probably have a blog, twitter etc and when your book might be marketed free across a few platforms then message them and offer them a free copy. It's like everything, you might only get a 15% review rate but it's better than 100% of nothing. 
- Never pay for a review. Is advice #2.
- Do review swaps with authors 10% more popular and less popular than yourself. The scene is very supportive but it's got to be a mix of giving and taking and you have to put the time in.
- Be nice. Don't chase up reviewers asking when they will read your book. They get offered many many books but they still do it for the love of literature. If anyone chases me up, and I'm sorry if this is harsh, but they go to the back of the queue.
- Be active on forums such as this, Fantasy Faction and Grimdark Readers and Writers. Never plug your book in a post but write interesting things and regularly about the often interesting topic and people will look you up and interesting minds might equate to interesting reading material.
- Join SPFBO.
—James Tivendale, Fantasy Book Review

Please stop comparing your book to ASOAIF, WOT or any other major series. Especially if it’s not of the same genre. 
—Mihir Wanchoo, Fantasy Book Critic

This is easy. When deciding whether or not to spend money on a promotion, ask the promoter for more than just a list of people saying "golly gee I promote ALL my books through yadabook.com" - if they can't show a probable result (Bookbub, for instance, has a chart with expected downloads / sales depending on genre and price-point). A large number of people to e-mail something to does not equate to a large number of people who actually buy books. Most promo sites promote to lists of fake accounts and several thousand other hopeful authors.
—David Niall Wilson, author of The DeChance Chronicles


And here are some of my own marketing Dos and Don'ts, many of which echo advice already mentioned: 

Do have a professional cover.

Do have your book professionally edited.

Do offer great content, sales, giveaways, incentives when it comes to sharing your social media or website links.

Do request reviews and then share the blogger's links. Bloggers love when you share their reviews!

Do treat people like people. Be friendly, responsive, and patient. If a reviewer doesn't have time to read your book, ask if you can submit a guest article or interview.

Do share other authors' books who have a similar audience.

Do figure out AMS ads because they work when you take the time to learn the optimal settings.

Do review books in your genre. This is a great way to get noticed and for readers to get a sense of your taste.

Don't spam sites or threads with links to your book.

Don't assume the worst in people. Everyone is busy. Just because they don't always interact with your social media, don't take it personally.

Picking Their Brains: Scott Kaelen on Cover Design

Wrapping up this week’s advice topic of book cover design, let’s hear from Scott Kaelen, author of The Blighted City...

Just to show how awful the initial attempts at cover creation can be, here's the first cover I made (it's for my short story which was renamed "When Gods Awaken" prior to publishing). 

My advice would be to not mess around with trying to make your own book covers if you haven't had professional experience and don't have access to the best programs to use. I ultimately made all my own covers, which is fine for short stories, etc. but not for a novel if you want it to get the right sort of attention. Pay the experienced artists (NOT the mediocre ones) to create a compelling cover image AND cover text for your book. It won't look professional unless it's done by a professional. And don't listen to any praise your friends give you about your self-made cover - they're only saying it to make you feel good and because they don't have the backbone to tell you the truth. I know this because all my crappy self-made covers got positive praise from my online acquaintances, but I knew the covers were shite. Only listen to critical and responses from qualified and unbiased professionals connected to your writing genre, who you trust will give you the hard truth when necessary (peers, designers, book bloggers, etc.) 

The first two (actually, three) covers [for The Blighted City] were done by an artist based on what I asked him to do, but the last one (the current one) is a small area of a stock photo I'd been holding onto for several years and I did a lot of work on it myself.  

First version for The Blighted City cover art

This is the first one I had the artist make. It was intended as a full cover (front, rear, spine). Ultimately the consensus of my betas and a few others I asked was that it didn't fit with the tone/setting of the novel. So this one was shelved.  

Second version

I decided to try a different angle with the second cover, based on suggestions from a beta. This one depicts the end of the Chiddari Crypt. But after it had been published for a while, the main feedback I got for it was that it felt more like straight-up horror than dark epic fantasy, and that the image really didn't gel with the book title. So this one was replaced. 

 

Third version

The third cover only lasted a few weeks, but it did sell one paperback in that time, which is the only physical copy of the second published cover edition in existence. Maybe worth a small fortune if I ever get successful! For those who look closely and with the keenest eyesight (not me!), they might be able to tell that it is really a small section of the city in the background of the first (never published) cover. But it's been further tweaked from the original.The consensus for this one was that it felt more like a historical fiction than a secondary-world fantasy. So, scrapped this one, too. 

Current cover

And this is the fourth (third published) cover, the currently published one. This one had much better reception than the previous covers, although, to my mind, it still doesn't give a true depiction of the setting which it's based on. But hey, artistic licence and all that. If the cover helps to sell copies, it's doing its job. 
 

Picking Their Brains: Ulff Lehmann on Cover Design

Continuing the advice topic of book cover design, let's hear from Ulff Lehmann, author of Light in the Dark series...
 
Book covers, to me, should always reflect the spirit of the story. Same as the titles... when I first thought of the titles, long after the first book was finished and I was somewhere in the middle of what now is the third book, I came up with the titles... Yes, I know it's about covers but this goes hand in hand.

I wanted a progression, the dichotomy of words that upon closer inspection would surprise you, only if you paid attention, of course.

Current covers of Crossroad Press editions

Shattered Dreams, Hopes, & Bonds. Nightmares, False Hopes, & well bonds is kinda obvious.

I wanted the covers to mirror that.

Since the story revolves around Drangar, I wanted something to represent him, hence the sword. I liked the covers of the The Last Kingdom etc, but I didn't want to imitate, so I came up with the blade across the middle. I wanted the sword to represent Drangar's conscience over the telling of the tale, well, kinda... blood smeared, a little cleaner, clean. Night, dawn, noon as respective backgrounds.

I spoke to the lady who designed the first two covers (yes, Hopes had a cover before I signed with Crossroad) and told her the concept. Then I told her to make it her own. The only thing that mattered to me was the broader concept.

Covers of previously self-published editions

Picking Their Brains: Matt Gilbert on Cover Design

Continuing the advice topic of book cover design, let's hear from Matt Gilbert, author of the Eye of the Lion Saga...

As a video game programmer, I have a lot of contact with artists. I was able to locate someone by consulting with colleagues, but if you don't have that option, deviantart.com is a great place to look. There are forums where you can post looking for artists to commission, and they have examples of their work online.
 

A huge thing to consider up front is to make sure your artist is the sort of artist you want. Yes, that's right, there are lots of different kinds, and they are better at some things than others. One guy may be a whiz at 3d modeling, another may be jam up at painting and 2d, etc. It pays to understand that. If you are not sure, find a book cover you want yours to resemble and ask your artist if that's his thing. A pro will tell you if it's outside his skillset and recommend you to someone else, or be able to show you a portfolio that backs up his claims.

If you have a vision you want to see realized, words are good, but pictures are better. To get the right look for my Xanthians and Nihlosians, I did a lot of description, a lot of 'this is how they feel', snippets of description from the books. I also did a lot of google image search to say, "Like this guy in this movie, only sort of like this other guy in this other movie."

A good artist will work with you to compose the scene, and get you roughs to approve before real work begins.

Expect at least a few hundred for a good cover. You can keep that low if you allow the artist to use the cover in his portfolio, rather than demanding it be totally exclusive. Also, a lot of artists support indy art (including writing) in general, and will work with you on the price if they know you're an indy, so don't be shy about it.

Picking Their Brains: Book Cover Design

I had a wonderful time interviewing cover designer Jenny Zemanek earlier this month, so the topic I chose for Picking Their Brains is book covers! Indie authors had lots to say about this. I actually have three author spotlights coming up that go into more depth on the topic. Here are a few brief thoughts on cover design to get the ball rolling.

"I used thebookcoverdesigner.com, loads of different artists and prices ranging from cheap to not so! I paid about $35 US for mine tops. My only regret is the font I chose for the covers, but then it’s kind of become my thing. I’m already looking into changing them but it won’t be for several years." —Paul S. Lavender, author of Tales from Ashen Falls

"I’m not published, but I have done mock covers for when I want to post about anything I’m working on such as this one:

I think they give you something to work toward. As for what should go into it, something that feels emblematic of the story to you. If you can also get something that will draw attention and you get folk interested in reading it, then that’s extra motivation too."
 —Drew McVittie, The Scribblings

"I did something similar a while back as a rough up, to see if public domain images in a 'historical' style was feasible with IT skills I haven't used in a decade on some archaic software. It also looked better when running a scriv compile for my phone. Don't rupture anything." —S.D. Howarth, World of Sanctuary

"My first covers were a job lot. £60 for all three. Then I spent some time with paint and put some text on the art and called it done. I'm honestly amazed I sold even 1 copy. They looked awful. They were unprofessional. In the current market everyone would skip right on past. Your book is your child. It's a little bit of you you're pushing out into the world and hoping people will read and like. Why not give it the best chance of success you can? That includes hiring a great artist and a top notch cover designer. It doesn't have to cost thousands, but it should probably be costing you hundreds. Oh, and Shawn King is the best cover designer out there. Hire that man now!" —Rob J. Hayes, author of The Ties That Bind series

Which books would you be most likely to pick up? 

It sounds like a common temptation for indie authors to create their own covers, but it doesn't always work out and can be difficult to create one you're happy with!

More cover design advice coming as we continue exploring this challenging arena...

Cover Design Spotlight with Author Matt Gilbert

Cover Design Spotlight with Author Ulff Lehmann

Cover Design Spotlight with Author Scott Kaelen

Interview: Cover Designer Jenny Zemanek

Today I have the wonderful pleasure of interviewing Jenny Zemanek, award-winning book cover designer from Seedlings Design Studio.


How did you get into book cover design?

I started a book review blog in 2010 as an additional creative outlet to working as a graphic designer. I’ve always been an avid reader and book lover, so the blog gave me the opportunity to not only do something I loved, but also interact with people who shared that same love. Over the course of the six years I ran the blog, self-publishing and indie publishing became increasingly popular, and suddenly a long-shot dream of designing book covers seemed possible.

I started by re-designing the covers of some of my favorite books and began posting them on the blog both for fun and to build a portfolio of work. My very first client saw one of those posts and got in touch to see if I might be interested in designing the cover for her book, and I nearly fell out of my chair in my haste to respond with a very enthusiastic YES! Shortly thereafter, a small publisher ran a cover design contest open to anyone and everyone, and I decided to try my luck. I had the very surreal experience of winning that contest, and was commissioned to work with them on the final design. Winning the contest and the interest of that very first client (thank you Intisar Khanani!) gave me the courage to shift my freelance design business from wedding stationery and corporate branding to full-time cover design, and it’s been one of the very best decisions I’ve ever made.


What's your process like? What can a client expect when working with you?

I start each and every job by sending clients a short artwork form to fill out to give me an idea of what they’re looking for in their cover design. Every client is different – some provide a great deal of very detailed information and have definitive ideas as to what they want, and others have absolutely no idea where to start and look to me for guidance. The form helps both types of clients (and everyone in between) get a few thoughts down on the page to give me a starting point.

After reviewing the form, I put together idea boards. The idea boards consist of raw stock images, rough sketches and existing covers for inspiration grouped together into various design concepts for the client’s review. These boards are meant to get ideas flowing and to give the client a variety of design options to consider before we move on to comps. I always strive to make my process collaborative, and I want my clients to feel comfortable both expressing ideas and providing feedback.

Once a client and I have discussed the concepts presented on the boards and we’re both comfortable with a chosen design direction, I move forward with comps. Since I work in a variety of styles from photographic to illustrated to typographic, the comps can take various forms, but they’re all essentially rough drafts submitted to clients based on their feedback from the boards. I typically then make revisions to the comp of a client’s choosing and move forward with final front cover artwork.


Any favorite genres you prefer to work in and why?

Each genre comes with its own set of challenges and I love getting the chance to push myself to try a variety of new things, but I do have a soft spot for the fantasy genre (YA and adult both). I love the broad scope of visual creativity that accompanies this genre, from vast or unusual worlds to mythological creatures and magic; there are so many opportunities for me to take an idea and just run wild with it.

What do you do to recharge your creative energy?

I of course love to read, but I also really love taking classes. I find nothing inspires me more than learning something new, I get that giddy sense of anticipation and can’t wait to put what I’ve learned into practice.

Right now I’m absolutely obsessed with lettering, and I hope one day to get proficient enough at it that I can create completely custom title work for my book covers. Lettering is a very time-consuming process though, so right now more often than not it just makes more sense to find a gorgeous font and use that as a foundation.

I’m also really focused on illustration at the moment, and am actually going back to school in October, November and December of this year to broaden my skill set in that area. Illustrated covers are my passion, and as with lettering, I hope to be able to create more custom artwork for my clients in the future rather than relying on stock illustrations as the starting point for my design work.


Where have you drawn inspiration from when developing your style?

I’m hugely influenced by the Mid-Century Modern design aesthetic, which I think really comes through in my illustrated covers. My illustrations tend to be very stylized and graphic, dominated by more simplistic shapes and bold, flat color. I love bringing in texture to add interest as well, so my illustrated covers usually have a lot of grit accompanying the smooth vector-drawn shapes.


What advice would you give to your younger self?

Don’t be so afraid to takes risks! I dreamed about working on book covers for years before I finally took the leap and gave myself permission to try something new. It’s so easy to settle into a routine, and it can be hard to justify walking away from a job that’s making money for something with no guarantee.

I’ve taken risks twice now in my design career, first when I left my corporate job to go full-time freelance (yikes!) and then again when I shifted my freelance business from stationery to cover design. There was so much stress both times, so many what-if questions and second-guessing, but I’m humbled every day by my clients. Their enthusiasm for my artwork and their trust in me to give them the best cover I’m capable of creating makes every stress-induced chocolate-eating binge worth it!


For more from Seedlings Design Studio visit:

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Picking Their Brains: Editing Advice from Experienced Authors

 
I noticed a lot of editing discussions popping up recently, so for this month's edition of Picking Their Brains, I asked a few experienced indie authors for their best editing advice. I ended up with this great variety of tips, as well as details on the different kinds of editing services one might need. Many thanks to everyone who took the time to contribute their tips!

Do not, I repeat, do not, edit your piece on your own. You need fresh eyes on it, no matter how good you think you are. There will always be some missing comma, a letter your brain scanned over and filled in the missing puzzle piece. Always have a trusted person review your draft. —Matthew Johnson, Professor Grimdark

Keep a style sheet of proper names (people, places, and things) and all their iterations. For example, in my work, the name of the nation and people (the noun) is Caleisbahnin, but the descriptor (adjective) is Caleisbahn. Also other words unique to your world (eg, slotaen—an antibiotic and anesthetic ointment in my world) should go on the style sheet. Refer to this yourself as you're writing, and give it to your editor when he/she begins working.
Some buyer beware notes:
1. Don't pay the total fee up front. A portion at the start of work and the remainder when the job is finished is OK.
2. Be leery of editors who quote you a fee before seeing a sample of your work, unless it's for the most basic proofing job. A professional editor will want to see a portion of the raw manuscript before deciding how much to charge, because he/she should make an assessment of how much work needs to be done before quoting a fee. Anyone who gives you a quote sight-unseen is either really inexperienced or not interested in doing justice to your manuscript.
 —AM Justice, author of A Wizard's Forge

Here are a few no-brainers I wish I had learned earlier in my career:
- Never put complete faith in an editor or editing software.
- Be wary when using simple words with the Replace All function as any words that share the same series of letters within them will get changed also.
- Avoid head hopping by remembering that the "break" in "POV break" means using an actual paragraph break with a space or something in-between.
- A comma is not a fullstop, so always ask yourself when a sentence should end. Sometimes the best way to rewrite an awkward sentence is to simply break it in two.
- Avoid using sense verbs in relation to the POV's observation in the third person. "Ben saw Bob enter the room" is a lot less immersive than "Bob entered the room".
—Christopher Keene, author of Gods of the Mountain

Once you've finished the first draft, take a break, let the story slip out of your mind. A few weeks or months later, after having done/read/written other stuff, print out the manuscript with two pages to a sheet of paper, go to a place that is not your home/den/whatever and read it there as if it were another person's book.
—Ulff Lehmann, author of Light in the Dark series

I think the most useful thing I figured out was to read my book out loud before hitting publish. It’s funny how things can look fine on the page and then when you say it outloud you can suddenly hear how it’s wrong or at least how you could write it better. 
—Megan Mackie, author of The Finder of the Lucky Devil

Get as many informed opinions on your manuscript as you can manage. If one person picks up on a point that you don't immediately think "Aha, how did I miss that?" then it could be just them. If two or three raise the same point, then recognise you need to do something about it. It is interesting that Exile had a lot of beta reads and a developmental edit, and no-one raised the point about Aron being too successful with the ladies, this point consistently comes up in the reviews I've received. Would have done something to alter it, if my beta readers had raised it. 
—Martin Owton, author of Exile

The big recommendation I have is get an editor recommended to you by a fellow author as a lot of editors don't know what the hell they're doing and screw up. I've had to deal with some really awful people. 
—CT Phipps, author of Straight Outta Fangton

When you find a typo that's not a misspelling (loose instead of lose, let's say), immediately search for that same spelling. You'll be surprised how many times it's already appeared that you didn't see. 
—MD Presley, author of The Woven Ring

More helpful editing tips and techniques from MD Presley: Editing Strategies


Many thanks to AM Justice for this breakdown of the different types of editing services:

Developmental editing ($$$$): A big picture assessment of the manuscript, which may include suggestions for cutting scenes and chapters, adding scenes or chapters (which you will write at the editor's recommendation), rearranging scenes/chapters. Developmental editors will be looking at the story/storytelling and whether it's successful. The DE may do some line editing, and they should be looking at continuity and consistency issues, but most of their work will appear as comments advising you to take certain actions to improve the manuscript. It will be up to you to decide whether to take the suggestions and do the work to implement them.

Line editing ($$$): A deep edit to improve the language with which the story is told. A line editor looks beyond basic spelling and grammar and helps hone your sentences by eliminating redundancy and verbosity, dangling modifiers, and problems with syntax and usage. The line editor should also be querying consistency and continuity errors. There is a lot of overlap between line and copyediting. A good copyeditor will do a low level line edit, and a line editor should be fixing spelling and grammar, as a matter of course.

Copyediting ($$): A basic edit to fix spelling and grammatical errors. The copyeditor may also prune verbosity and redundancy, and should be calling out dangling modifiers and syntax and usage errors, but the main focus is on fixing clear-cut mistakes.

Proofreading ($): A lot of people confuse proofreading and copyediting. Technically, proofreading is a word for word check of the laid out content (be it an ebook or the printing page proofs) against the manuscript, to ensure no errors crept in during the conversion from word-processed document to laid out book (and they do/can creep in). The proofreader should also fix any remaining spelling and grammar mistakes as part of this process. That said, editors may offer a "proofing" service in which they will do a very, very basic copyedit of the manuscript to fix spelling and simple grammatical errors (but don't expect them to touch more sophisticated or complex problems with sentence structure, meaning, etc).

The dollar signs are rough guides to the fees you should expect to pay. Different editors structure their fees differently; some do it by the word, some by a number of hours they estimate after seeing a sample of your work and what they're in for when they undertake an edit. (A cleaner, more polished manuscript will cost you less.) I'd say a rough guide is to expect to pay at least $50-70 per hour for a developmental edit and progressively less for the other types of editorial work. If all you can afford is the most basic copyedit, you should still scrape together the funds to get that done.


  

Picking Their Brains: SPFBO Advice from Judges and Authors

This month kicks off the 4th Annual Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off, a book contest organized by Mark Lawrence designed to highlight the very best in self-published fantasy. In honor of the many authors who bravely chose to enter, I've asked several SPFBO participants (past and present, judges and authors) for their thoughts and advice on how to not only survive the contest, but to thrive in it. Here's what they had to say.

Advice from Judges:

"If a blogger eliminates your book and provides criticism as to why the decision was made, please don’t challenge them. Listen to them. Plenty of authors would kill for this kind of feedback, and it’s meant to help you – not to bully, belittle, or embarrass you. Every judge will always try their damnedest to point out things they liked. Remember this: the greatest prize on offer here is not just increased discoverability – a prize which thousands of less-known writers covet dearly – but also *community*. Bloggers, authors, fellow contestants – as cliched as it might sound, the friends and allies you'll make along the way are worth immeasurably more than any star rating or even a ranking on the finalists' board." —Laura Hughes, Fantasy-Faction  

"I’ve some good news and not-so-good news on that front. First SPFBO is geared to be brutal in its culling. The first cutoff is 97% of all the titles and then of the remaining 10 finalists, only 1 remains to achieve the selfie stick. Your success rate is 0.33%. That’s the not-so-good news. The great news, you’ll make a lot of connections and hopefully some friends. The camaraderie is wonderful and I’ve made many friends among authors and other bloggers since its inception. I hope you all can experience it similarly. You have taken a huge step by entering. Congratulations and enjoy the journey. Take a deep breath and remember that this is a contest designed for fun & bragging rights (who am I kidding, that should be the other way around). Everyone involved is doing this in their free time. I realize that as an author you want the blogger judge to quickly review and reveal the finalist. Most (if not all) judges strive to review or mini-review almost every title in their group. The speeds differ based on their composition, reading & writing styles and most importantly the time they can devote amidst their work and personal lives. I think that most authors tend to develop a thick skin. In SPFBO, it’s nothing different. I would like everyone to look at and emulate Jonathan Pembroke whose debut book won its group, reached the finals and received some really stinging reviews. Yet he was always polite, always looking to learn from every harsh review and is a thorough gentleman. I would implore every author to have him as an ideal and do their best to emulate his professionalism. Other authors who impressed me with their demeanor and online engagement were Dyrk Ashton, G.R. Matthews, M.D. Presley, Quenby Olson, Rob J. Hayes, and many more. We hope to find gems and often will do our best to highlight the strengths of every book that we review. We love SPFBO and hope that you enjoy your time as well. Lastly a huge thank you to Mark Lawrence for organizing and running it so smoothly. He’s been one awesome fella and a decent writer from what I hear. ;)" —Mihir Wanchoo, Fantasy Book Critic

"I think the best advice that I can give to the participants is to be visible. Have a presence. Make the most of the competition by joining in on Twitter, and Facebook and making friends with the other authors and sharing advice. It's been said many times that there is only going to be one winner – but, by making a network of friends and joining in during the competition I really do believe that everyone benefits." —Lynn Williams, Lynn's Books 

"I found last year that we were all reasonably well behaved. Don’t slag off other entrants in the competition as it may blow up in your face." —Paul Lavender, The Qwillery team member and author of Tales from Ashen Falls

"There are going to be bad reviews, low scoring reviews, and reviews that could potentially make you feel horrible about your book and your work as a writer. Don't let them get to you, and always remain professional. The most popular authors like Sanderson, Lawrence and Pratchett have people who just don't like their books. There are also other books that are considered 'trash' if you ask reddit (Eragon springs to mind) but there are still devoted fans to that series. I am of the attitude that every book has an audience, you just need to find it. Over on the blogger's discord channel, most of us would pick up a book by Pembroke if he wrote a new novel – this is based heavily on how well he handled the negative reviews. He was kind and receptive through the whole process and it was impressive to me and other folks. Go into this having no expectations other than to network and meet other authors and bloggers – this is a great chance to make worthwhile connections." —Esme, The Weatherwax Report
 

"I have no SPFBO-related advice to share. Once you send your book in, there's nothing you can do but sit down, bite your nails, and wait. The only advice I can give you will be helpful when you publish your next book, and it’s a simple one: Be willing, as long as you can afford it, to spend some money. You may have typed ‘THE END’ to your manuscript, but your book isn’t ready yet to go out there. Hire a professional editor. Commission a talented illustrator. Send some physical ARCs to prominent authors and bloggers of your community. Learn how the Amazon ADs work, and use them to promote your book to a larger audience. If you do it right, and if your book is good, or even passable, it will pay back. In time. But be willing to invest in it first." —Petros, Booknest.eu


Advice from Authors:

"You're not the only one in the competition. You want your book to win (of course), but don't let that stop you from reading the work of others in the running. You might just find a new favourite author." —Rob J. Hayes, author of Where Loyalties Lie, SPFBO3 winner 

"I know it's easy to say that the best thing about SPFBO is the relationships you build, and that is 100% true (for most of us, at least) but that's the exact thing that I feel like has brought whatever success I've had in Indie publishing. There is so much power in being able to collaborate on things, whether it's marketing or writing or just supporting each other." —J.A. Andrews, author of A Keeper's Tale

"Getting to know everyone involved is a wonderful thing and what it should be about. You don't get anywhere from being a dick, while being friendly helps everyone. We're all the same." —Michael R. Baker, author of The Thousand Scars

"Get in and get to know the other entrants! They are not your enemies, they are your peers. The relationships you can build are half the value of the competition. You don't need to win or even get mentioned to do yourself a world of good just making new contacts." —Matt Gilbert, author of The Dead God's Due

"Remember the exposure and networking are the real rewards here. When the reviews come in, no matter what brims in your heart – be it triumphal joy or bitter resentment – use your head and be gracious and professional. That should be easy to do in the online environment, as it's easier to hold one's fingers than one's tongue. The mouth doesn't come with a delete key!" —A.M. Justice, author of A Wizard's Forge

"Don't obsess about the contest. Networking and affiliating is fun and rewarding, but at the end of the day it's down to one judge whether you pass phase one or not. If you worry too much and it gives you chronic diarrhoea, just flush it out and get on with your WIP." —Scott Kaelen, author of The Blighted City

"My best advice is that you should get to know other writers. Don't treat them as competition. Help them when you can, and they'll help you in return." —Ryan Mueller, author of Empire of Chains 

"SPFBO may be a competition but I prefer to think of it as a growing community of like-minded writers who can support one another." —Phil Parker, author of The Bastard from Fairyland

"Considering all the very talented authors involved in SPFBO, it can be quite intimidating. I jumped in, anyway. I write in a variety of sub-genres in Fantasy and Science Fiction. The first time I participated in SPFBO, I entered a children’s Middle Grade Fantasy Adventure novel. The second time, I entered a YA Urban Fantasy novel. I didn’t win either time. However, I was lucky enough that the reviewers who judged my book invited authors to contact them for information if they’d like feedback. I was nervous about doing that, but I’m glad that I did. For my children’s Middle Grade Fantasy Adventure novel, I received some great compliments. For my YA Urban Fantasy novel, I discovered that one out of two judges had selected it as one of their favorites. However, to move on to Finalist on that particular blog, books had to be on both judges’ favorites list. My advice is: Don’t be scared. If you think you have a decent book, go ahead and enter it into the SPFBO. The feedback can be invaluable. An extra bonus is networking with lots of enthusiastic authors and bloggers." —Marilyn Peake, author of Blood and Ashes and Whiskey and Dragon Fire

"If you get a bad review, understand that opinions are as diverse as the people supplying them. Accept the feedback gracefully. Do not batter the judge for stating their opinion." —M.L. Spencer, author of Darkmage

"Learn to fake apathy. Learn to enter and forget it. Learn to not care how long you have to wait, whether you get a full review, or whether you get cut. The waiting, the nerves, the constant checking the page. Learn to not care until it is time." —Jesse Teller, author of Song
 

"I would just advocate patience. It took about three months for my entry to be eliminated in SPFBO 2017. Like writing itself, the competition is more of a marathon than a sprint, and these things take time. You wouldn't want them to rush to judgment, would you ...?!" —Richard Writhen, author of The Hiss of the Blade


Well, there you have it! Thank you to all the authors and judges for sharing their thoughts. Take what you can from these insights, and best wishes for a great experience to all SPFBO4 participants!