Unveiling the Allure of the Chatelaine Book Awards!
Indulge in the world of romantic tales, where hearts entwine and stories of love blossom. The Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards cordially invites you to embark on a journey through the pages of captivating romances – from the echoes of historical love affairs to the sparks of steamy passions – we are on a quest to find the best among them.
The image for the Chatelaine Awards is pulled from Dante Rossetti’s iconic painting, featuring Jane Morris, a muse whose allure is still felt today.
Are you an author with a romance novel or manuscript ready to sweep readers off their feet? Do you yearn to see how your creation fares among others of its kind? The Chatelaine Book Awards beckon, ready to embrace your literary gem.
Romantic storytellers, both budding and seasoned, take heed! We have moved the deadline for the Chatelaine Awards for Romance Literature to August, 31, 2023.
That’s right, submissions for the 2023 Chatelaine Book Awards are due August 31, 2023. So, whether your heart beats for contemporary romance, historical intrigue, pulse-pounding adventures, or soul-stirring inspiration – the Chatelaine Awards are your stage.
The Chatelaine Awards Categories are:
Contemporary Romance
Romantic Adventure & Suspense
Historical Romance
Inspirational/Restorative/Clean
Romantic Steamy/Sensual
Don’t let this opportunity slip through your fingers. Embark on a journey of literary romance and share your masterpiece with the world.
One of our favorite things about the Romance genre is the versatility it brings to the page! Historical, Suspense, YA – anything can be a sub-genre with romance and vice versa!
As we celebrate the Chatelaine Awards – a universe encompassing Romance, Chick-Lit, Women’s Fiction, Inspirational, Suspenseful, and the irresistibly Steamy and Sensual – let us not forget the enigmatic Jane Morris. Morris personifies the spirit of the Chatelaine division. An embodiment of intelligence and allure, she leaves an indelible mark on our perception of romance. To learn more about this intriguing muse, delve into her captivating story here.
The Palace of Versailles, built in 1631. The Chaucer Awards accepts work from anytime before the 1750s
The Chaucer Book Awards division is one of Chanticleer’s original book awards divisions.
Chaucer’sThe Canterbury Talesis considered one of the greatest works in the English language. It was among the first non-secular books written in Middle English to be printed.
A woodcut from William Caxton’s second edition 0f the Canterbury Tales printed in 1483
Click on the link above for some interesting tidbits and facts about Geoffrey Chaucer and the Canterbury Tales (from which our dear Chanticleer hales from).
The First Great Historical Division – The Goethe Book Awards
After receiving an overwhelming amount of entries into the 2016 Chaucer Book Awards, the judges requested that the CIBAs divide the historical fiction into two divisions: one for pre-1750s historical fiction and a separate one for post-1750s historical fiction, the Goethe Book Awards.
We gave this new division the name: The Goethe Book Awards for post-1750s historical fiction for the 2016 Chanticleer International Book Awards. You can read about the interesting events that happened during Goethe’s lifetime with the link below:
“His lifetime, spanning some of the most monumental disruptions in modern history, is referred to as a single whole, the Goethezeit, or Age of Goethe.” The New Yorker magazine, Adam Kirch Feb. 1, 2016
Our next post will share how we came to offer the Hemingway Book Awards for Wartime Fiction – a split from the Goethe Book Awards for post-1750s historical fiction.
History shows us how we got to where we are today. At Chanticleer, we look to better understand the past and discover your book featuring pre-history, ancient history, Classical, world history (non-western culture), Dark Ages and Medieval Europe, Renaissance, Elizabethan, Tudor, 1600s, we will put them to the test and choose the best among them.
Let’s celebrate with a look down the Hall of Fame for Grand Prize Winners of the Chaucer Awards
DAUGHTER OF HADES
By Mack Little
From the blurb: Dinny and her brother make their escape from slavery on the pirate ship the Hades. It is the last place in the world Dinny imagined she’d meet the love of her life. Lei, a Chinese exile, recognizes Dinny as the woman of his destiny. But their new life is shattered when her former owner seeks his revenge. With the help of their friends, family, and colleagues, Dinny and Lei will face the challenges of finding love and happiness in the Caribbean world of the 17th century.
Too Soon the Night by James Conroyd Martin shows the thrilling heights to which Empress Theodora rose and the crushing depths to which she fell, in the latter half of her life. This story picks up from Fortune’s Child, the first volume of this epic duology.
This half of Theodora’s incredible journey opens at its close – as she succumbs to the cancer that drove her to dictate the record of her life. She left the task of recording her meteoric rise from actress to empress in the hands of the scribe and historian Stephen, even though she imprisoned him for several years out of fear that he would reveal her greatest secrets.
But as much as Stephen should hate her for her cruelty, he has his own axe to grind against the man who would slander Theodora after her death with a scurrilous character assassination disguised as biography. So he takes up his pen and continues his recording of – if not Theodora’s unvarnished truth – at least something closer than whatever her enemies would conjure to blacken her name.
Politics is a deadly game in the days of Kings and their competing 14th-century B.C. Egyptian factions. Official diplomat, Lord Hani, is on a royal assignment when he discovers even the king’s motives are suspect. Hani begins to fear for the welfare of his family and himself, as he gets a sinking feeling that the hunter has become the hunted. He’s the live bait, the Bird In A Snare.
Can Lord Hani find out who is responsible for the mysterious assassinations and the shifting armies’ alliances before becoming the one they target next?
The sands under the royal family’s feet are precarious. The investigation must be thorough but also quick. There is no time to waste in this seething era where a wave of change could bring dire consequences. Lord Hani knows he must stop the murderer to save himself and his family, but can he also act to protect the larger target, the fate of the Egyptian New Kingdom?
FORTUNE’S CHILD: A Novel of Empress Theodora By James Conroyd Martin
Overall Grand Prize Winner
James Conroyd Martin brings to life one woman we should all know better in his multi-award-winning, epic novel, Fortune’s Child: A Novel of Empress Theodora.
Like Cleopatra, Empress Theodora was a legend in her own time. And also, like Queen Cleopatra before her, Empress Theodora’s life and accomplishments were distorted and maligned by the male historians of her own time. Even after death, men who couldn’t bear or couldn’t believe that a woman, particularly a woman of the lower classes as Theodora was, could possibly have accomplished the things she did or wield the power she had.
Fortune’s Child, the first book of a projected duology, Theodora, near death, determines to leave behind an accurate chronicle of her life and work. She’s desperate to get a step ahead of the official biography already being written by a man who hates her, everything she came from, and everything she stands for.
Now that you’re set on your next reads, what are you waiting for? The only way to join this amazing list of Chaucer Winners is to submit today!
Those who submit and advance will have the chance to win the Overall Grand Prize of the CIBAs and $1000!
You know you want it…
Are you a Chanticleer Author who has some good news to share? Let us know! We’re always looking for a reason to crow about Chanticleerians! Reach out with your news to info@ChantiReviews.com
“How is Book Publicity Different than Book Marketing?”
Generally speaking, marketing involves spending dollars for ads, promotions, events, swag, etc. where publicity is trying to connect people with the author.
If something organic works publicity-wise, then perhaps consider spending marketing dollars (and time) to amplify the results.
MARKETING is about CONVERSIONS.
PUBLICITY is about EXPOSURE and BUILDING CREDIBILITY.
Another way to think of the difference is that publicity is more like hashtags in social media while marketing would be more like purchasing ad directed toward people/platforms that using those hashtags.
Publicity helps marketing direct campaign dollars. Publicity should help you target your marketing dollars.
Authors should try to zero in on what their potential readers could look like and which outlets are the best for reaching those targets. Sometimes (more often than not), going in deep (some say guerilla marketing) towards a specific target audience for podcasts, blogging, and events (publicity) and then expanding the spheres if a strategy that works (marketing).
Marketing campaigns can happen at any time for almost any product (books are products).
However, publicity campaigns cannot. Publicity campaigns need to be news worthy! And your book’s most newsworthy event is its launch.
Create a solid PLATFORM from which to LAUNCH
A Website that echoes your branding along with how to connect and contact you.
Branding – your author brand for the genre that you are writing in
Social Media – again, posts and backgrounds should echo your author brand and book storyline. Give social media posts time to percolate. It takes time to build transaction. Keep at it! Be sure to use hashtags and tagging for cross-promotion.
Pre-launch book reviews (the cornerstone of your marketing & publicity strategies
Pre-launch book blurbs from peer authors and authors up the “food chain” from you.
Business cards – that projects your brand along with website address, social media handles, email address, and any other means of connecting with you.
NOTE: Make sure that you reserve a different email address for your one-to-one business correspondence that you can make known after initial contacts to avoid SPAM. For business cards, perhaps: Author@BestBookEver.com instead of LastName@BestBookEver.com
Press & Media kits – for those entities that want to promote your book! A media kit is a collection of materials that you can send to journalists, bloggers, and other media outlets, and even other author’s newsletters. It should include your book’s cover, blurb, author bio, and any other relevant information.
Determine the best SEO, Meta-Data, Targeting, ISBNs, etc. for your book to be discovered digitally and on the global market. * See Item 4 Book Reviews.
Launching – Probably the Most Useful Tactic to Create Book Buzz
Are Launch Dates Important? A resounding YES!
Launch dates hold immense potential in creating a buzz around your book. Here’s how to make your book’s launch effective:
Designate a launch date at least six months before publication. It takes time to coordinate:
Launch parties (and, yes, you may have more than one). Consider having launch parties in bookstores, local book clubs, private parties, events that your potential readers might attend, clubs, and organizations. Consider your sphere on influence.
Also, launch digital, print, audio, omnibuses, and foreign releases separately. However, the first launch party is main event.
Signings, targeted events, refining your website, develop branding, obtain advanced reviews with ARCs, build excitement via podcasts, blogs, virtual events, etc.
Enter your work into award programs
Send out invitations to all the events, create social media events, ZOOM events, In Real Life Events.
There are certain promotions, that can only happen before a book is published. New books and book launches are newsworthy only if promoted before publication date. There is only so much even a professional book publicist can do after the book has been published.
Be selective with your launch date(s). Make sure that they don’t conflict with major holidays or busy seasons. Is your work a beach read? Or a cozy fall mystery? A chilling Nordic thriller? Or a romance? Or historical fiction (release on an important date related perhaps). New Year reads for Self-Improvement? My rule of thumb is try not to release/debut books from November 1 until December 31st. Even if you book is only six weeks old, it will be considered a year-old in the upcoming new year by most of the publishing and book industries.
Food for Thought: Think how you would react to a “wedding invitation” versus a “wedding announcement.” One is inviting you to share in the celebration itself. Sometimes with a “Save the Date” announcement to build excitement and to help people with scheduling time to take part. Think about how special the invitation and the “Save the Date” announcements make you feel. Remember, the last time one of your author friends invite you at the last minute – day of or the day before – to join them at a book event, but you already had made plans. A wedding announcement (akin to you telling people about your book being published) is a “has been” event.
Collaboration takes time.
Just because your work is ready to publish, doesn’t mean that you should. My advice (and that of book publicists and traditional publishers) is to wait until you have your launch date and preparations underway.
Snowflakes and Books
Book publicity campaigns are like snowflakes. No two are ever alike.
Promoting a children’s book is different than promoting a young adult book, or a How-To or Self-Help Guide, or a cozy mystery, or science fiction.
This circles back around to identify and then knowing and understanding your targeted readers for your book. And, no, it isn’t “everybody” will want to read my book.
Collaborate and Follow Other Authors in Your Book’s Genre. Discover what they are doing to promote their books.
READERS
Identify Who your readers are, which can be different than Who makes the purchase. For an example: Children’s books are not purchased by children. Or would your books make a great gift? Or those who are rabid fans of a genre (Sci-Fi, Fantasy, etc.) looking for the next series.
Then discover WhereThey Hang Out (Facebook? TikTok? Instagram? Podcasts? YouTube? Magazines? Hobby Hangouts? etc.)
When are the times when purchases are made for your books? Is it a summer read? A hunker down Fall & Winter read? A holiday read? Gail Noble-Sanderson’s Lavender Series (historical fiction) books sell exceedingly well during lavender season. I read Michelle Cox’s “A Spying Eye” novel based in Strasbourg in the Henrietta and Inspector Clive series while on vacation in Strasbourg. How fun was that!
INFLUENCERS
Who are the influencers of your genre?
Who are the top ten authors in your genre?
Who are the non-book influencers of your genre? (Book clubs? Bloggers? Reviewers? Book-Tok?)
Who are you considering to request book blurbs and peer reviews from?
CORNERSTONES – A Review
Author Branding across all media (website, social media, in-person events, podcasts, Zoom calls, book clubs)
Editorial Reviews and Peer Reviews Lead to More Consumer Reviews
Compelling Website – that is dedicated to your author brand/books. Remember all digital roads (social media campaigns, blogs, podcasts, etc.) should lead back to YOUR website – not Amazon.
Collect emails so you can stay in contact with your potential readers and fans.
Links to selling platforms?
Newsletter, blog, information sharing (where people can connect with you – at conferences, conventions, author signings, wine tastings, presentations, etc.) Where you have been and where are you going.
ENGAGE! Blogging? Newsletters? Book Clubs? Author Events? How are you going to interact with potential readers?
How is a best-seller in your genre marketed? Not that you need to copy, but to become more aware of different strategies.
Tips and Reminders for Generating Publicity for Your Book
If you’re an author, you know that getting your book noticed can be tough. But there are a few things you can do to increase your chances of success. One of the most effective ways to generate publicity for your book is to use a simple, direct, and conversational writing style.
Here are a few tips for using this writing style to generate publicity for your book:
Start early. The best time to start generating publicity for your book is as soon as you finish writing it. This will give you plenty of time to build excitement and anticipation for your book’s release.
Create a media kit. A media kit is a collection of materials that you can send to journalists, bloggers, and other media outlets. It should include your book’s cover, blurb, author bio, headshot and photo reflecting your author brand, along with any other relevant information, affiliations, and events.
Reach out to influencers. Influencers are people who have a large following on social media or in their industry. They can be a great way to get the word out about your book.
Host events. Hosting events, such as book signings or launch parties, is a great way to connect with potential readers in person.
Use social media. Social media is a powerful tool that you can use to promote your book. Make sure to post regularly about your book, and interact with your followers.
Enter Book Awards for accolades along with third-party validation and promotional opportunities that you can cross-promote.
Be patient. It takes time to generate publicity for your book. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results immediately. Keep at it, and eventually you’ll start to see your book gain traction.
Every reader counts. Each and every review counts. You only get one launch per book. Make it count!
As a company frequently used by book publicists, Chanticleer has an insider’s view of the industry to discover expert tips that will help set your book up for success!
More that 2,000 new titles are published in the English language each and every day. However, most authors will not make the time or effort to effectively publicize and market their works. Make your work standout in a crowded field. It can be done!
CHANTICLEER 10 Question Author Interview Series with
Dr. Janice Ellis
Dr. Ellis has written columns for newspapers, magazines, radio commentary, presented internationally across the U.S., and now online. For the past 30 years she analyzes educational, political, social and economic issues across race, ethnicity, age and socio-economic status. She continues her important work in these challenging times.
Dr. Janice Ellis, columnist, author, journalist, radio commentator, and advocate of social justice and Women’s Rights.
Dr. Janice Ellis entered her book From Liberty to Magnolia In Search of the American Dreaminto the 2018 Journey Book Awards for Narrative Non-fiction, a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBAs). Her stellar memoir was awarded the 2018 Journey Book Awards Grand Prize. The award winning memoir is a truly remarkable book telling what it is like to be Black in America.
We are honored that Dr. Ellis presented The Critical Role Authors Play in Fostering a Better Society at Chanticleer’s first virtual conference, VCAC20. Her presentation was inspirational and thought provoking. Janice S. Ellis has been an author for over 30 years and has written a column for newspapers and radio throughout her career about education, politics, race and socioeconomics. Janice Ellis holds a Ph.D. in Communication Arts, and two Master of Arts degrees, one in Communications Arts and a second in Political Science, all from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin.
Dr. Ellis is one of our favorite authors—and truly a joy to get to know. She reminds us that the pen is mightier than the sword!
Now, let’s get better acquainted with Dr. Janice Ellis.
Chanticleer: Tell us a little about yourself: How did you start writing?
Dr. Ellis: A native daughter of Mississippi, I grew up and came of age during the height of the Civil Rights Movement and the Women’s Liberation Movement. Born and reared on a small cotton farm, I was influenced by two converging forces that would set the course of my life. The first was the fear and terror felt by blacks because of their seeking to exercise the right to vote along with other rights and privileges afforded whites. The second was my love of books, the power of words.
I began writing as a radio commentator for a large radio station right out of graduate school and continued to write commentary for newspapers and radio throughout my career. I also published articles professionally in trade journals. I began writing because I thought the need was great for a good political columnist to help the public better understand those issues that affected their daily lives. A good columnist can impact policy and help shape public opinion to support what Aristotle calls the “greater good.”
Chanticleer: When did you realize that you were an author?
Dr. Ellis: I gave it a fleeting thought when I was exempted from an English composition course as a freshman in College after writing some essays during a summer program. But the desire to become an author became more compelling in graduate school in my preparations to become a columnist/commentator. Personal and professional experiences inspired me to become an author of books. From Liberty to Magnolia: In Search of the American Dream is my first book.
Chanticleer: That book has won quite a few awards! In fact, it took home the CIBA 2018 Grand Prize in the Journey Awards for Memoir and Narrative Non-Fiction, From Liberty to Magnolia: In Search of the American Dream. I hear it is collecting other awards, as well. Congratulations!
Dr. Ellis: I wrote my book because there are lessons from my life journey through poverty, racism, sexism, and sexual harassment that I believe can directly benefit girls and women, blacks, and other minorities. It addresses many of the issues around racial and gender inequality that America continues to grapple with.
Chanticleer: Thank you for being a graceful and astute voice of authenticity in our world today. We need you! Do you find yourself following the rules or do you like to make up your own rules?
Dr. Ellis: I basically follow the rules. I have a strong sense of wanting to do the right thing. When that becomes difficult, I still figure out, follow my own path to achieve goals and desired results.
Chanticleer: What do you do when you’re not writing? Tells us a little about your hobbies.
Dr. Ellis: I love reading the Bible and religious commentary, and political and historical nonfiction. When not reading I like to play scrabble and other word games. I also enjoy watching cable news, dramas, thrillers, espionage and action films, some romance and comedy shows. Walking, gardening and fishing are rejuvenating hobbies that I find very fulfilling and satisfying.
Helpful Sources from Dr. Ellis:
* Dr. Ellis writes about her life experiences and enjoys sharing about how she navigated common challenges.
* The writing craft books that have helped her the most are William Zinsser, On Writing Well and Writing About Yourself * The books about the business of writing that have been most beneficial are Writer’s Digest, Literary Agents, How to Write a Book Proposal, and How to Market Your Book
Chanticleer: What are you working on now? What can we look forward to seeing next from you?
Dr. Ellis: I am working on two shorter books, Realizing Your Dream: A Handbook Based on Experience, and Overcoming Racism and Sexism During Your Lifetime. Hopefully, one of the above books to be released later this year.
Chanticleer Aside: Dr. Ellis won the Nellie Bly Grand Prize for her upcoming journalistic book, Shaping How Public Opinion: How Real Advocacy Journalism Should be Practiced.
Chanticleer: How structured are you in your writing work?
Dr. Ellis: I have always wanted to be able to write something every day but have yet to achieve that goal. The need to write fresh content on my website has helped the frequency of writing short pieces. In working on books, I usually write until I cannot write anymore, sometimes for 10-14 hours segments. What I have learned that if I stop in mid-sentence, it is easy for me to resume when I begin again.
Chanticleer: J.D. Barker does that, too. It’s good advice. How do you approach your writing day?
Dr. Ellis: For a long time, I would begin writing as soon as I awaken and get a cup of coffee. Happily, now, I write anytime during the day. I sit at my computer and open to a blank page, if I am beginning a new article or chapter, it motivates me to begin putting my thoughts down. If I am in the middle of a piece, I pick up where the incomplete sentence stops.
Chanticleer: Name five of your favorite authors and describe how they influence your work.
Dr. Ellis: Former President, Jimmy Carter. The simplicity, yet elegant way he writes about his life, his work, and his values in making things better for humanity. Former President, Barack Obama. His vivid way of writing about his life and the American experience and his vision, hope, and optimism for a better America. Maya Angelou. Her cinematic description and compelling call of attention to the not-so-flattering aspects of humanity and highlighting the need for us to change and move toward our higher selves. Robert Ludlum. His command of the intrigue and complexity of characters and storyline. Kings Solomon and David. For the power, poetry, and wisdom in their books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Psalms.
Chanticleer: Great choices! What areas in your writing are you most confident in? What advice would you give someone who is struggling in that area?
Dr. Ellis: I think I am most confident in my ability to analyze and assess a situation and put forth a thoughtful perspective; and the ability to help the reader see, feel, and experience what I am writing about as if they are there with me.
“You must love the craft of writing. It is a craft. You must be dedicated and believe that what you have to say will make a difference. Be willing to write, re-write, and re-write again and again until your words convey the meaning that is intended.” – Dr. Ellis
Chanticleer: Do you ever experience writer’s block? What do you do to overcome it?
Dr. Ellis: Yes, usually a few days after I have completed a writing project. If I must begin a new article or chapter, I pull up a blank page. Sooner or later, I feel compelled to fill the page with words that make sense, that are impactful. Sometimes, I do some activity totally unrelated to writing and find that something occurs to make me begin writing.
Chanticleer: What excites you most about writing?
Dr. Ellis: Sharing thoughts, ideas, experiences, and hopefully solutions that will enlighten, inspire, enable, and encourage someone.
Chanticleer: I admire how your motives are outward – helping others understand their world and how to navigate it. Well done! What do you do in your community to improve/promote literacy?
Dr. Ellis: I donate copies of my book to libraries, and give signed copies to individuals. I speak about the power of reading and try to encourage children and young people within my sphere of influence to read, encouraging them to read to others at every opportunity.
Chanticleer: I love that answer. Give us your best marketing tips, what’s worked to sell more books, gain notoriety, and expand your literary footprint.
Dr. Ellis: I think each author should do a book tour, with TV and radio appearances, if possible. Even if you cannot physically travel from city to city, technology today can allow you to do a lot from our home our local studios.
Also, make use of social media. Posting frequently on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and blog posts are a must. Speaking engagements are great to keep your book relevant.
Chanticleer: Especially true today in the face of a global pandemic. What are you working on now? What can we look forward to seeing next from you?
Dr. Ellis: I am working on two shorter books, Realizing Your Dream: A Handbook Based on Experience, and Overcoming Racism and Sexism During Your Lifetime. Hopefully, one of the above books to be released later this year.
Chanticleer: We will be looking for those! Who’s the perfect reader for your book?
Dr. Ellis: Teenage girls, women, minorities who are trying to navigate racism and sexism in reaching and fulfilling their purpose, goals, and dreams in life. And, for all who are concerned about America’s future and who want America’s children of all colors to realize their full potential. It will inform the racists and non-racists, the sexists and non-sexists. It will inspire and empower men and women who are in positions that can make a difference and have the will to do so—parents, teachers, policymakers, social and human rights activists, journalists, business leaders, faith leaders, and many others. Caring Americans, working together, can break the chains of racism and sexism that keep America bound.
Chanticleer: I believe it! What is the most important thing a reader can do for an author?
Dr. Ellis: Write a review and express what the book means to them. Recommend the book to family, friends, and colleagues.
Chanticleer: As always, it is a pleasure spending some time with you today. Be well and keep the good work coming!
If you would like to know more about Dr. Janice Ellis – make sure you pick up her memoir, From Liberty to Magnolia: In Search of the American Dream and her soon to be published ground- breaking work Shaping Public Opinion: How Real Advocacy Journalism Should Be Practiced at your local book store – or other retailers
Also, be sure to like and follow Dr. Ellis on her social media sites:
Tis the SEASON for HOLIDAY GIFT CARDS – REDEMPTIONS for ONLINE and BRICK & MORTAR STORES
Perhaps you are thinking, “But Kiffer, it is December 27th! Isn’t it too late to do anything about this holiday season?”
And, I would have to reply,“No, it isn’t dear Chanticleerian. It is is just in the nick of time because of GIFT CARDS!”
And I think that is why this fellow is named Ol’ Saint Nick—not for Nicholas but for JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME!
What is the Market Size of GIFT CARDS?
AMAZON has almost 60% of the market share. Walmart comes in next at 15%. *Of course, we hope that many people purchased gift cards from their local independent bookstores and local community stores.
And we know who the biggest bookseller on this planet is—digital or print! —Amazon.
The Global Gift Card market size was valued at 619.25 billion USD in 2019. It is much higher this year. See *
The USA Gift Card market size was estimated to be 160 billion USD in 2018. It is projected to be approximately 400 billion dollars in 2020.
COVID-19 will bring healthy holiday web sales for Gift Cards and e-Gift Cards.*
Software provider Salesforce.com Inc. says holiday sales in the U.S. will rise 34% year over year for the 2020 season. That’s a major jump from the estimated 13.6% growth in November and December 2019.
2020 News
Amazon announced plans to hire 100,000 seasonal workers for its fulfillment center on top of the 75,000 it hired in April and the 100,000 it brought on in September. Meanwhile, FedEx is hiring 75,000 seasonal employees for this holiday season, an increase of 27% over 2019. And, Walmart Inc. (No. 3) hired 20,000 seasonal workers this holiday season after hiring more than 500,000 workers since the beginning of COVID-19. DigitalCommerce360.com
What are the Top Driving Factors of Sales Growth of Gift Cards?
The Pandemic Fuels Gift Card Sales – Gift Card Sales were up by 50% by September 2020.*
The High Adoption Rate of Smartphones
Gift cards have become more innovative with rapid evolution of smart phones. Use of modern technology and marketing strategies has created different ways for gift card lovers and smartphone users to integrate everything into one convenient package. Rise in adoption of smart phones is expected to boost the gift cards market by offering flexible & convenient ways of payment for customers. Allied Market Research
Gift cards topped all other potential presents, including jewelry, clothing, books, movies, music, electronics and sporting goods. National Retail Federation report.
Gift cards are the most popular items on wish lists — 14 years straight.
The majority of recipients of these GIFT CARDSdo not begin shopping with them until late December at the earliest!
Gift Cards have extended the Holiday Buying Season all the way through the month of January into the end of February.
INCREASING ONLINE BOOK SALES
When was the last time that you checked out your Amazon, Kobo, B&N, Bookchain, Smashwords, etc. page(s)?
Visit your Selling Platform Pages and Tidy Them and Add some SPARKLE!
Most importantly, do you have the latest cover of your title uploaded?
I see this all the time, the author sends me her latest cover (because as you know, I am all about the cover!) but then for some reason fails to upload the dazzling new cover to the title’s selling pages on the different platforms.
Update your selling pages with the latest tweaks to the title’s description. Is the description as compelling as it can possibly be? Amp it up!
Make sure that every word of your book’s introduction/marketing blurb (that first paragraph that comes after the title and to the right of the cover) is effective—especially the first ten introductory words.These first ten words are “crawled” by the online sales platform’s search engine whenever a reader does “a search.” If it is a series or you are planning to make the work a series, then be sure to conclude the book’s marketing blurb with this information.
Have you listed the title’s latest awards and kudos near the end of the description to seal the deal?
Have you updated the reviews in the Editorial Reviews section? Add new ones and author blurbs (recommendations) in the Editorial Reviews section.
Sixty-one percent of customers read Editorial Reviews before making an online purchase (Harvard Business Review)
Editorial/Trade Reviews set the tone for Customer Reviews – which is (from what I hear) quantity is more important that than quality (number of stars). 100 customer reviews tend to be the magical number.
The Editorial Reviews section is where blurbs of reviews from Chanticleer, Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly should be posted along with VIP Author Blurbs.
Or to that matter, do you have anything in the Editorial Reviews section? If not, you are missing some SEO goodness. In fact, each of Chanticleer Reviews come with a turbo-charged SEO package and Meta-Data built in to help your book’s digital footprint populate the internet.
If your books are available in other languages besides English, list the languages in this section.
Is it time to liven up your author bio? Does it reflect the latest YOU? Does it make the reader want to meet you (like at your next book event?) as someone who he/she would enjoy meeting at a cocktail party?
Make sure that your photo resonates with readers’ expectations. A great example of this isDiana Gabaldon’sAmazon photo; it is one of her standing in front of the Stonehenge monument with a timeless black shawl wrapped around her. The Stonehenge background hints at the historical/fantastical nature of her works and the opening of her series.
Take a close look at your Author Central photo. If it doesn’t move your author brand forward, take a look through your photographs for one that does. It doesn’t have to be a photo taken by a professional photographer. It does have to have a layering effect and convey your author branding/personality. If you have a photograph that does convey elements of your author branding and is taken by a professional photographer, then that is even better. Here is an example of a professionally taken author photograph that exudes the author’s branding as a post-apocalyptic fiction writer. Notice that the setting and outfit exude the dystopian aspects of hisDeserted Lands series:
In your Author Information section, list any other published works that are related to this particular selling page–especially if you have series or multiple titles in the related genre.
While you are on the title’s selling pages, double-check that all the different formats that your title is available on in any given platform are available and ready for sale!
Print? e-pub? combo — purchase a print book and receive the digital e-pub version for a discount or for free? (Amazon used to call this package “matchstick” )
Make sure that the links to purchase books from your websitework and do not go off into cyberspace.
Test your “Look Inside” feature on Amazon and make sure that it works and that it isn’t just opening to the Table of Contents or the front matter of the book.
Double-check your pricing on each selling platform that the title is available for sale on. Really.
OVERALL
Make sure that your information is up-to-date, fresh and relevant!
Like a well-written book plot, make sure that each piece of information on your title’s selling platform moves your book and author brandingforward and into the hands and minds of eager book buyers?
BUT WAIT, WE LOVE LOVE LOVE Independent Booksellers!
So make sure that you help them sell your books! Win-Win!
Make sure that YOUR BOOKS get some of that Gift Card LOVE!
Quick and Easy Tips to Get Your Books Ready for the Biggest Book Buying Season of the Year
Here is a Handy Checklist for Brick and Mortar Stores Where Your Books Are for Sale.
Help Your Booksellers Sell Your Books!
ThesePoint of Saleitems can make a huge difference in book sales!
Shelf talkers are proven to increase book sales!
It seems obvious, but make sure that wherever you have your books for sale or on consignment have themIN-STOCK.(yes, I am yelling here)
NEXT — make sure topromote in social mediawherever your books are for sale and TAG the store/shop/bookseller. Be sure to use a photo of the shop and its location.
Promote your book’s cover and genre and tag themerchant again on social media.
If you can, make sure that your books havebook stickerson them for any awards or kudos.
Don’t forget SHELF-TALKERS
Chanticleer Shelf talker
If you have a series or other books, does each one of your books have a “bookmark” inside with all of your books listed?
Does this bookmark have your website and social media handles printed on it? If not, get on it — you can print your own at your local copy shop.
You can even add an invite to visit your website/blog to win prizes
In your next printing, make sure that at the end of your book that you include an invitation to visit your website/blogpost/social media posts for:
more information
a chance to win free prizes
for advance notifications of your next book
to have a character named after the reader
Book Club Benefits (ZOOM – Virtual Visits and Discussions)
You can have these printed off and slip them into the books — they should not be bigger than the book. Remember, this is a surprise for the reader to find and must not add to “clutter” the book.
Your Books at Indie Booksellers
If you don’t live close to the booksellers selling your books, see if any of your street team members, family, friends, or other authors (you know, the ones that you are cross-promoting with) if they would stop by the shops in their neighborhoods and help implement the P-O-S plan. Of course, make sure that they utilize all safety and health pandemic protocols. Make sure that they have a letter from you (they can print it out if you email it to them). Have your “street team” introduce themselves to the shop’s staff and explain what is going on.
We all have to PIVOT, PIVOT, PIVOT in these unprecedented times.
AND now is a good time to schedule your VIRTUAL Author Events and Book Club Meetings for 2021!
And add the events to your website and social media platforms.
Good Manners for Point of Sale Tips
Use magic tape (and carry it with you) so that you will not gum up the store’s shelves with shelf-talkers — and you don’t have to ask the staff to take time to look for some for you.
If the staff is busy, consider coming back at a later time. The holidays are a “make or break” season for most small brick and mortar stores so you don’t want to impede the staff from making sales and helping customers during this crucial time. [This is a pet peeve with booksellers about authors #justsaying]
If your books are “shop-worn” ask about exchanging them out for fresh new books.
Offer to help out-of-the-area authors with the books that are for sale in your neighborhood. Connect and reach out!
REPEAT. RESTOCK. RE-POST. REMIND.
Remember the GIFT CARD buying season stretches into the end of February.
Take advantage of this busiest season of the year and help your bookseller sell more of your books.
Now make sure that some of those billion dollars on Holiday Gift Cards are used to purchase YOUR BOOKS!
That would be me, Kiffer Brown–Mother Hen and Head Hen at Chanticleer Reviews.
There is a beautiful Icelander holiday tradition that we are growing quite fond of here at Chanticleer.
Jolabokaflod or Yule Book Flood happens once a year on Christmas Eve in Iceland. The flood begins with the release of a catalog of new publications from the Icelandic Publishers Association. And it is distributed FREE to each and every Icelandic home. The majority of books sold in Iceland are sold from September to early November. Of course, these books are in print. E-pubs are not given.
The Icelanders even have a popular TV show, Kiljan, that is entirely devoted to books. Authors appear on prime TV shows. Book readings and author events are treated like rock star events.
“In Iceland book lives matter in every sense of that phrase: The shelf-life of the book, the lives in the book, the life of the writer and the life of the reader. God bless the Jolabokaflod.” ~Hallgrimur Helgason
To an Icelander, the very best Christmas present is a book! This tradition hails from WWII when many items and food were rationed. These sentiments may always have existed, in one way or another, since Icelanders have been saga-nerds for thousand of years.
Loved ones gather – perhaps virtually this year – and gift one another books. What happens next? They spend the night reading together. What a delightful holiday tradition!
Jolabokaflod – Christmas is the time where you snuggle up and read your presents.
We thought you might like to see some of our top holiday-themed books – just in case you would like to have your own Jolabokaflod…
So, snuggle in and preview some of our favorite books for the season. Let’s share some book love!
From the riveting opening that takes place in NYC’s Lower East Side’s sweatshops until its gripping conclusion, this enthralling novel vividly portrays the desperate times of German immigrants landing at Ellis Island in 1905 in search of a better life. Love of Finished Years by Gregory Erich Phillips is one of Kiffer Brown’s favorites for the holidays. She cites the novel’s heartwarming WWI Christmas Eve scene that takes place in the trenches in the heat of battle as unforgettable.
Since it’s Christmas time, clever Oscar decides to write a letter to Santa and ask for the spots he so desperately wants. Fearing his request won’t reach the North Pole in time, Oscar decides to take it there himself. He meets many a character en route and learns some new lessons. A beautifully illustrated and wonderfully told children’s Christmas story of the importance of being yourself. Highly recommended.
With the loveliest prose and sharp humor, Slade offers the best Christmas gift for her readers with this gem of a book. Whether it’s 1390, 1543, 1825, or the present day, there’s a mystical sisterhood at Ladywell that bridges time, a linking of strong women who tend home and hearth and pass on the secrets of the land. The past re-emerges into the blissful bustle of Freya’s current life as she learns of a family connection with King Richard III. Is this connection tied to a future event? Will the secrets of the past travel to the future?
An exquisitely written English tale set for Yuletide cheer. A book to curl up with during the holidays. Highly recommended.
For anyone who’s ever fought a battle and held onto the promise of hope, here is a heartfelt story of a boy whose endless desire for Christmas changes not only him but his entire world. This story has the makings to be a seasonal classic! Plausible fantasy with a clear connection to our national past composed by a practiced wordsmith, My Christmas Attic can be appreciated as a classic seasonal saga with a cinematic quality that speaks of broader possibilities.
Cleopatra’s lustful affair with young Jake Regan becomes more complex as she discovers his presence in Hawaii is due to a Christmas holiday vacation with his (Norman Rockwellesque) family. Mother and his two brothers have arrived. Jake’s dad is expected to arrive at any moment from yet another far-flung business trip. But the coup d’état is that Jake’s longtime girlfriend, who also is en route, is expecting wedding bells to be announced at the gathering. It becomes obvious that Cleo and Jake’s unrelenting passion will have an impact on the Regan family.
A steamy, fast-paced suspense novel that will take you on a get-away armchair vacation to Hawai’i!
Combining a romance novel with a thriller is not easy, butChasing Cleopatradelivers the goods with plotting as intricate as a silver spider’s web.
Merry Christmas and a Happy PTSD by Chris Oelerich is highly recommended for those who suffer from PTSD, for the family members and friends of those who suffer, and for those who are simply interested in having a greater understanding beyond what is reported in the popular press about this debilitating disorder. Oelerich’s methods to overcome PTSD are plain-spoken and practical, with an overall message of optimism for those with PTSD.
This is a very personal, no-holds-barred, yet ultimately, empowering discussion of PTSD and its effects on those who suffer from it. The author hopes that Merry Christmas and a Happy PTSD will be used as a tool to reduce PTSD symptoms in others who suffer from it so that they, too, can live healthier and happier lives.
We wish you a very merry and warm Holiday Season!
If you would like to read more book reviews to discern the perfect selections for your own Jolabokaflod click here to read more Chanticleer Book Reviews!
If you think we should include your book (must have been reviewed by Chanticleer Reviews) in this article, please email us with the title, your pen name, and the pages that have the holiday scenes.
You’re good at deadlines… cutting the right wire under pressure is nothing. You can take down dozens of bad guys with just your wit and some duct tape.
You can certainly make this deadline!
Our new deadline for the 2020 (only) in the CIBA GLOBAL THRILLER Awards is October 31, 2020, at 11:59 p.m.
(*Beware, my friends, for the Global Thriller Awards deadline next year will be one month earlier ~ September 30, 2021! …tick, tick, tick!)
Avanti Centrae pulled the trigger just in time and brought home the CIBA 2019 GRAND PRIZE in GLOBAL THRILLERS Book Awards for SOLSTICE SHADOWS – A VanOps Thriller!
The First in Category Winners for The 2019 Global Thrillers are:
We also had Cybertech Thrillers and Political Thrillers such as John Trudel’sRaven’s Resurrectionand the Raven’s Series.
Here’s your assignment, if you choose to accept it…
Submit your Thrillers in the following categories by October 31, 2020, for a chance to bring home a First in Category WIN the 2020 CIBAs in Global Thrillers – or a Grand Prize – or maybe even the Overall Grand Prize!
Congratulations to the First Place Category Winners and the Grand Prize winner of the OZMA Book Awards for FANTASY Fiction, a division of the 2019 CIBAs
Chanticleer International Book Awards celebrates the best books featuring magic, the supernatural, imaginary worlds, fantastical creatures, legendary beasts, mythical beings, or inventions of fancy that author imaginations dream up without a basis in science as we know it. Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Dragons, Unicorns, Steampunk, Diesel-punk, Gaslight Fantasy—we love them all.
The 2019 OZMA BOOK Awards First Place Category Winners and the OZMA Grand Prize winner were announced at rhe Virtual Chanticleer Authors Conference that was broadcast via ZOOM webinar the week of Sept 8 -13, 2020 from the Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash.
J.I. Rogers, the CYGNUS Grand Prize Award Winner for her novel the KORPES AGENDA, announced the 2019 OZMA Award Winners.
OZMA Awards The Search for the Best Fantasy Fiction
This is the OFFICIAL 2019 LIST of the OZMA BOOK AWARDS First Place Category Winners and the OZMA Grand Prize Winner. Congratulations to all!
Elana A. Mugdan – Dragon Blood
Michelle Rene – Manufactured Witches
Noah Lemelson – The Sightless City
KC Cowan & Sara Cole –The Hunt for Winter
Susannah Dawn –Search for the Armor of God
Dan Zangari & Robert Zangari –A Prince’s Errand
Tim Westover – The Winter Sisters: A Novel
The OZMA BOOK AWARDS 2019 Grand Prize Winner is:
Manufactured Witches by Michelle Rene
The Grand Prize Winner of the 2018 OZMA Book Awards, Dragon Speaker by Elana Mugdan
A Note to ALL the WINNERS: The coveted CIBA Blue Ribbons will be mailed out starting in October. We will contact you with an email to verify your mailing address and other items. We thank you for your patience and understanding.
LEARN FROM THE BEST!
If you have any questions, please email info@ChantiReviews.com == we will try our best to reply in 3 or 4 business days.
Congratulations to the First Place Category Winners and the Grand Prize winner of the CYGNUS Book Awards for all forms of Science Fiction, a division of the 2019 CIBAs
Chanticleer International Book Book Awards celebrates the best books featuring space, time travel, life on other planets, parallel universes, alternate reality, and all the science, technology, major social or environmental changes of the future that author imaginations can dream up. Hard sci-fi, soft sci-fi, apocalyptic, cyberpunk, time travel, genetic modification, aliens, super-humans, Interplanetary travel, dystopian, and settlers on the Galactic Frontier.
The 2019 CYGNUS BOOK Awards First Place Category Winners and the CYGNUS Grand Prize Winner were announced on Tuesday, September 8, 2020 at the Virtual Chanticleer Authors Conference that was broadcast on the VCAC20 ZOOM webinar.
Elana Mugdan, the OZMA Grand Prize Winner for Fantasy Fiction for her novel, Dragon Speaker, announced the 2019 CYGNUS Award Winners.
It is our privilege and profound honor to announce the 1st in Category winners of the 2019 CYGNUS Awards, a division of the 2019 CIBAs.
This is the OFFICIAL 2019 LIST of the CYGNUS BOOK AWARDS First Place Category Winners and the CYGNUS Grand Prize Winner. Congratulations to all!
Alternate History / Time Travel: Tim Cole – Insynnium
Apocalyptic/Dystopian: J. I. Rogers – The Korpes Agenda
Hard Science Fiction: Jacques St-Malo – Cognition
Space Opera: Shami Stovall – Star Marque Rising
Soft Sci-Fi/Young Adult – Rey Clark – Titan Code Series: Dawn of Genesis
Speculative Fiction: Paul Werner – Mustang Bettie
Science Fiction: Robert M. Kerns –It Ain’t Over…
Honorable Mentions:
Andrew Lucas McIlroy – Earthling
William X. Adams – Intelligent Things
Sandra J. Jackson – Playing in the Rain
The Grand Prize Winner for the Chanticleer International Book Awards, 2019 CYGNUS Division is
Tim Cole
Insynnium
The CYGNUS Grand Prize Badge is customized for the 2019 Award Winner.
A Note to ALL the WINNERS: The coveted CIBA Blue Ribbons will be mailed out starting in October. We will contact you with an email to verify your mailing address and other items. We thank you for your patience and understanding.
We’ve long said that we are leaders in digital and technology. This is who we are! Now, because of our new living situation, i.e. COVID19, digital platforms and marketing tips are even more important to creating and sustaining our author platforms and building our readership.
What we need is strategy – and a bit of know-how to make our efforts pay off. We all want to sell books. We all want to be writing and connecting with our audiences. While thinking about this today, Kiffer and I thought we would revisit one of our most helpful posts about Book Marketing. Michelle Cox’s, Hot Marketing Tips are Shared in the 10 Question Author Interview with MICHELLE COX – Author Interviews, Marketing, Craft of Writing. Here’s an author who knows what she’s talking about.
Michelle Cox is one of the panelists on A Multi-prong Approach to Book Marketing with Paul Hanson of Village Books, Michelle Cox – Historical Fiction, J.I. Rogers – Science Fiction, and Tina Sloan, contemporary thriller author and actress that is scheduled for Sunday, Sept 13, 2020 at VCAC.
After reading this post, you feel you would like some new information, I would like to invite you to our VCAC starting next week, September 8 – 13, 2020, where experts, like bestselling authors Robert Dugoni, J.D. Barker, top film producer Scott Steindorff, author /actor Chris Humphreys, Amy Stapleton and Wayne Richard from CHATABLES, and Paul Cutsinger from ALEXA, Anita Michalski and Jonathan Hurley from Hindenburg Systems – and so many, many more experts (click here to see a complete list of our Headliners, Presenters, and Faculty) who will go into depth about book marketing in today’s new world. We even have Tana Hope to show us how to take care of yourself. We all need that, right?
Here’s your official invitation to VCAC20: click here.
And now, back to Michelle Cox…
Mystery & Mayhem Book Awards Grand Prize winner Michelle Cox graciously shares her writing life and knowledge with us along with some hot marketing tips and tools! Read on!
“When I finally decided to try writing, the creativity within me, that divine essence, finally found its true home. I’m happiest when I’m creating, and I hope I can keep writing for a long time.” – Michelle Cox
Michelle Cox, award-winning author, at work in her writing lair
Chanticleer: Thanks for coming by, Michelle. Tell us what genre best describes your work? And, what led you to write in this genre?
Cox: Well, that’s a great question! I usually at least place as a semi-finalist in three different categories at the Chanticleer awards, for example, so that should be a pretty good indication.
My series is set during the 1930s in Chicago, so that qualifies it to be historical fiction, but it’s also mystery and romance. I guess “romantic-suspense” would be the best way to describe the series, but without the bare-chested guys on the cover.
They always say to write what you would want to read, and this is it! I set the series set in my favorite era; added a little bit of mystery, a little bit of romance; flavored it with the haves- and the have-nots of the era, as well as a touch of the English aristocracy; and then stocked it with lots of characters and subplots weaving in and out . . . sheer heaven!
Chanticleer: And that’s why we love you and your books! What do you do when you’re not writing? Tells us a little about your hobbies.
Cox: I no longer have any! I used to have hobbies before writing took over my life. If I do have a few minutes here and there, I still love to garden and bake, but my real love, however, is board games. I’m a fanatic and have become a sort of a collector now.
Playing games with Michelle Cox! Did the butler do it?
Chanti: That sounds like a lot of fun! So, how do you approach your writing day?
Cox: As soon as my kids get on the bus at 6:50 am, I make my second cup of coffee and sit down at my desk. I’m not allowed to do any social media, though I do always do a quick email check to see, you know, if I won the Pulitzer or something (it’s always no), and then I start working on whatever manuscript I’m currently on. My brain is its crispest early in the morning, so I have to use that time for the work that takes the most concentration. There’s something to be said about productivity when you know you only have a limited time to write. There’s no room for writer’s block or procrastination. When you know you only have so much time, you have a way of just sitting down and doing it.
When I reach whatever my writing goal is for that day, I spend the next five to seven hours (until the kids come home) doing marketing and PR—anything from writing the blog or the newsletter or articles or interviews, taping podcasts, setting up events, answering email, attending to social media, etc. It’s really a full-time job, though, sadly, the actual writing, the part I love, is the part I get to spend the least on.
Chanti: Marketing pays off, right? Name five of your favorite authors and describe how they influence your work.
Cox: My series is known for the plethora of rich characters scattered throughout and the big saga-like plots. I was definitely influenced in this by my early favorites: Louisa May Alcott, Catherine Cookson, and Charles Dickens. My other two favorites would be Anthony Trollope and Jane Austin for their subtlety in character and their overall ability to use language so beautifully.
Chanti: I cannot argue with your choices. These are delicious authors – and novels!
I know you gave us a snapshot of your work-day earlier, but could you give us your best marketing tips, what’s worked to sell more books, gain notoriety, and expand your literary footprint.
Cox: Wow! That’s a great question, but so hard to answer. All marketing is pretty elusive, isn’t it? It’s a constant process of throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks. It’s also important to remember that what works for one person, might not work for everyone. It’s not an exact science. If it were, we’d all be rich!
But, in general, here are some good marketing tips that I have found to work:
Try to figure out where your readers are. Most of my readers, for example, are on Facebook, so that’s where I spend most of my social media time.
Think of yourself as a brand and try to match your posts accordingly. I post things about myself or the book or writing, but mostly old recipes, period drama news, or old stories from the past (which constitute my blog). Also, I’m very careful never to post anything religious or political. This is a business, and the more you see yourself that way and follow basic business protocols, the more successful you’ll be.
Try to build your newsletter list by offering a freebie (such as free story, writing tips, a webinar, a prequel). Personally, I do it by running contests with really big prize packages. I make sure to state that the contest winner will be picked only from my newsletter subscribers. I pay a designer to create a beautiful graphic of the prizes, post it on FB, and then boost the post. Not only does this get me a lot of new subscribers (sometimes thousands), but it exposes the series to new readers as well!
Build your network. Join online author groups (I am part of a fabulous private FB group organized by my publisher, She Writes Press. We all share ideas, marketing tips, and offer support and advice, especially to the newer authors just coming on board. It’s a collective wealth of information.) or real-world groups in your area. Don’t be jealous of the success of others, but help each other as much as possible. As my publisher, Brooke Warner has said, “There’s room for everyone at the table.”
Show up at other authors events, write reviews, help promote whenever possible. Go to conferences to meet not just readers, but other authors who can potentially help you. Remember that you are a business, and you need to do work within your community to begin standing out.
For example, my publisher and I overprinted Book 2 of my series, so, as per my contract, when the first year of publication had passed, I was faced with having to pay a storage fee for these extra books (a couple of thousand), have them shipped to my garage, or have them destroyed. I decided, instead, to send them to libraries and conference organizers. It was a lot of work and expense, but it got my book into the hands of hundreds, if not thousands, of potential readers, and hopefully, they’ll come back for more and buy the rest of the series. You have to be willing to take risks.
Also in this category would be to try to get a Bookbub deal, which, as we all know is really tough. Again, for Book 2 of the series, we submitted four times, trying to get a deal with the book being priced at .99 cents. I finally decided to offer it for free, and we cleverly put a buy link to book 3 at the end of Book 2. Bookbub then offered me a deal, and I had over 55,000 downloads in one day! Hopefully, a lot of those people will go on to buy Book 3 at full price.
Lastly, if the first book of your series is free, either permanently or occasionally, you can join Book Funnel, in which you “bundle” your book with others of a similar genre with each author promoting the bundle to their social network, which exposes your series to a whole new crop of readers. Readers are able to download your free book in exchange for their email address. So not only are you getting readers hooked on your series (hopefully!), but you’re building your subscriber/newsletter list.
Chanti: You could teach a Master Class on this at CAC20! Let’s chat about this later.
Chanti: What are you working on now? What can we look forward to seeing next from you?
Cox: Book 5 of the series is currently in production and scheduled to be released in Spring 2020. I said I was going to take a break from the series after that, but I admit, I’ve already started sketching out Book 6 – I can’t help it!
But what’s really exciting is a new stand-alone novel, The Love You Take, that I wrote, also based partially on a true story and set in Chicago in the 1930s. It’s a really fabulous book if I do say so, about a “backward” girl who has to go and live at a home for “bad girls” after she unwittingly becomes pregnant. I’m currently querying agents for it.
Chanti: Sounds intriguing. Please keep us updated. Who’s the perfect reader for your book?
Cox: Though some men enjoy my books, the primary audience is women. Anyone who loves Downton Abbey;Upstairs, Downstairs;Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, the old black and white films, like The Thin Man . . . basically any period drama or old movie . . . will love my series. I can’t tell you how many people have written to me to tell me that the series is so visual, that reading it was like watching a movie. It’s delightful escapism; people tell me all the time they feel like they’ve been transported back in time after reading them.
Chanti: I know that’s why we read your books #delightful! What is the most important thing a reader can do for an author?
Cox: Tell a friend! Research shows that the number one thing that influences people to buy books is word-of-mouth. If you like a book, recommend it to friends or your book club. The second best thing is to write a review! People seem wary of doing this, telling me that they’re nervous about what to write.
“Nonsense!” I say.
A review can be one sentence: “This was a great book; I enjoyed it!”
There. Done.
You don’t have to go into a lengthy reworking of the synopsis (why do people do this?) or delve into symbolism or themes or whatever. Just give your one-sentence opinion!
Chanti: I’ve been telling my non-writing friends this for years… Do you ever experience writer’s block? What do you do to overcome it?
Cox: Not really! I have a lot of story ideas in my head, and thus I usually have the opposite problem. This is where outlining can really help. If you have a pretty weighty outline sketched out, then when you sit down to write each day, you pretty much already know what you’re supposed to write that day. Likewise, I enjoy taking an evening walk (or I try to, anyway!), during which I think about tomorrow’s chapter and what needs to go into it. Sometimes I even voice record if I have a really good idea or some strands of dialog. There’s something about walking—moving the legs back and forth, back and forth—that seems to stimulate something in the brain. They say that Dickens used to walk the streets of London for hours in the wee hours of the night. Now I know why!
Chanti: Time to reflect and let your mind wander. Movement really does help with this. What excites you most about writing?
Cox: Creating something out of nothing. I’ve always been a really creative person. Looking back, I see now that I’ve always been striving to create, and for a long time it took on many different forms. As a kid, I was always trying to illustrate Louisa May Alcott’s books or write little fan fiction stories based on Jo March. As I got older, it took the form of gardening and decorating the house, and then baking and then creating elaborate kids’ birthday party invitations! When I finally decided to try writing (long story), the creativity within me, that divine essence, finally found its true home. I’m happiest when I’m creating, and I hope I can keep writing for a long time.
Chanti: We hope you do, too, Michelle. What a fabulous interview! Thank you for sharing your story with us.
Speaking of sharing, if you like what you’ve read, please “like, comment, and share!” Sharing is caring, baby!
The CIBA Grand Prize Winners
Michelle Cox is a multi-award-winning author who recently spent some time with us at CAC19. This year was particularly special because Michelle won the CIBA 2018 Grand Prize for Mystery & Mayhem Awards!
and took 1st Place in the Chatelaine Awards for Romantic Fiction – both awards are in honor of her book, A Promise Given. We will probably never stop celebrating this – it’s just too much fun!
To find out what Michelle’s up to next, Find and Follow her here:
Indulge in the world of romantic tales, where hearts entwine and stories of love blossom. The Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards cordially invites you to embark on a journey through the pages of captivating romances – from the echoes of historical love affairs to the sparks of steamy passions – we are on a quest to find the best among them.
Dr. Ellis: I donate copies of my book to libraries, and give signed copies to individuals. I speak about the power of reading and try to encourage children and young people within my sphere of influence to read, encouraging them to read to others at every opportunity.
It’s come down to this…
For example, my publisher and I overprinted Book 2 of my series, so, as per my contract, when the first year of publication had passed, I was faced with having to pay a storage fee for these extra books (a couple of thousand), have them shipped to my garage, or have them destroyed. I decided, instead, to send them to libraries and conference organizers. It was a lot of work and expense, but it got my book into the hands of hundreds, if not thousands, of potential readers, and hopefully, they’ll come back for more and buy the rest of the series. You have to be willing to take risks.
