The OZMA Book Awards recognize emerging talent and outstanding works in the genre of Fantasy Fiction. The OZMA Book Awards is a genre division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The #CIBAs).
Chanticleer International Book Awards discovers 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, Dieselpunk, Gaslight Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, or other out of this world fiction, they will be put to the test and the best selected as winners of the prestigious CIBAs.
The 2019 CIBAs received an unprecedented number of entries making this book awards program even more competitive. More entries along with more competitive works make the final rounds of judging even more demanding. The judges have requesteda new level of achievementto be added to the rounds to acknowledge the entries that they deemed should receive a high level of recognition.
We decided that this was the time to incorporate the new level – The FINALISTS – as requested by the CIBA judges. This new level will be incorporated into the 2019 CIBAsLevels of Achievement. The FINALISTS were selected from the entries that advanced from the 2019 OZMA Book Awards Semi-Finalists.
Congratulations to the 2019 OZMA Book Awards Finalists!
Porter Huddleston –EL on Earth
Benjamin Keyworth –Superworld
Susannah Dawn –Search for the Armor of God
Elana A. Mugdan –Dragon Blood
Dan Zangari & Robert Zangari –A Prince’s Errand
Tim Westover –The Winter Sisters: A Novel
KC Cowan & Sara Cole –The Hunt for Winter
S.J. Hartland –The 19th Bladesman
Joy Ross Davis –The Singer Sisters
Suzie Plakson – The Return of King Lillian
Alex Paul –The Valley of Death, Arken Freeth and the Adventure of the Neanderthals, Book 5
Mark S. Moore –Rise: Birth of a Revolution
Michelle Rene –Manufactured Witches
Susan Faw –Heart of Bastion
Timothy Vincent –Tower, Sword, Stone and Spell
Elizabeth Isaacs –The Scythian Trials
Noah Lemelson –The Sightless City
These titles are in the running for the limited number of First Place positions of the 2019 OZMA Book Awards for Fantasy Fiction.
Good luck to all as your works move on to the final rounds of judging.
Congratulations to the Semi-finalists whose works have advanced to the Premier Finalists Level of Achievement in the 2019 CIBAs!
The 16 divisions of the 2019 CIBAs’ Grand Prize Winners, the First Place Category Position Award Winners, and all Finalists and Semi-Finalists will be recognized at the postponed (due to the Covid-19 pandemic) 2020 Chanticleer International Book Awards Annual Gala, now re-scheduled for Saturday, September 5th, 2020.
Join us at theChanticleer Authors Conferenceat the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. or VIRTUALLY via ZOOM (more info to come!)
Use our link above to register now for this exciting event!
We are now accepting submissions into the 2020 OZMA Book Awards. The deadline for submissions is August 31st, 2020. The winners will be announced in April 2021.
The Goethe Book Awards recognize emerging new talent in post-1750s Historical Fiction. The Goethe Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).
The Goethe Book Awards competition is named forJohann Wolfgang von Goethe who was born at the dawn of the new era of enlightenment on August 28, 1749.
Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring Late Period Historical Fiction. Regency, Victorian,18th Century, 19th Century, 20th Century, World and other wars, history of non-western cultures, set after the 1750s, we will put them to the test and choose the best among them.
The 2019 CIBAs received an unprecedented number of entries making this book awards program even more competitive. More entries along with more competitive works make the final rounds of judging even more demanding. The judges have requesteda new level of achievementto be added to the rounds to acknowledge the entries that they deemed should receive a high level of recognition.
We decided that this was the time to incorporate the new level – The FINALISTS – as requested by the CIBA judges. This new level will be incorporated into the 2019 CIBAsLevels of Achievement. The FINALISTS were selected from the entries that advanced to the 2019 GOETHE Book Awards Semi-Finalists.
Congratulations to the 2019 GOETHE Book Awards FINALISTS
Vanda Writer –Paris, Adrift
Kari Bovee –Peccadillo at the Palace
Kari Bovee –Girl with a Gun
PJ Devlin –Wissahickon Souls
John Hansen –Hard Times
Mary Adler –Shadowed by Death: An Oliver Wright WWII Mystery
Lee Hutch –So Others May Live
Mike Jordan –The Runner
Sandra Wagner-Wright –Two Coins: A Biographical Novel
J.G. Schwartz –The Pearl Harbor Conspiracy
Marina Osipova –How Dare The Birds Sing
Lisa Braver Moss – SHRUG: A Novel
These titles are in the running for the First Place positions of the 2019 GOETHE Book Awards for post-1750s Historical Fiction
Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.
Congratulations to the authors whose works have advanced to the FINALISTS Level of Achievement!
The 16 divisions of the 2019 CIBAs’ Grand Prize Winners, the First Place Category Position Award Winners, and all Semi-Finalists will be announced at the postponed 2020 Chanticleer International Book Awards Annual Gala, now re-scheduled for Saturday, September 5th, 2020.
Join us at theChanticleer Authors Conferenceat the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. Use our link above to register now for this exciting event!
We are now accepting submissions into the 2020 GOETHE Awards Book Awards. The deadline for submissions is June 30th, 2020. The winners will be announced in April 2021.
Tips to Selling More Books Online – Part 4 by Kiffer Brown
And that is with just one hashtag…Make your social media posts work harder for you!
The POWER of the HASHTAG
Hashtags will make your social media posts work harder for you! They will amplify your posts. Hashtags will help new readers discover your books and help you discover new readers. – Kiffer Brown
Definition of Hashtag: A hashtag, introduced by the number sign, or hash symbol, #, is a type of metadata tag used on social networks such as Twitter and other micro-blogging services (i.e. Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest). It lets users apply dynamic, user-generated tagging that helps other users easily find messages with a specific theme or content. In other words:
Hashtags enhance your exposure to people who do not follow you. If you are just staring out building your social media platforms, #hashtags will help you increase your Followers — even if you only have one person following you. If you are already participating in social media, hashtags will enlarge your following!
Hashtags are your hardworking friends (you know the ones who will help you move or watch your kid in a pinch) in social media.
Hashtags help to gather different social media conversations about the same topic.
It makes the same topic easier to find and search throughout a social media platform.
Imagine being able to type in a word in your post that will allow other people on the platform to search the topic and, thereby, discover your post. Hashtags ( # ) will work for you in your posts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Hashtags help to boost your social media posts beyond your own followers. It will help you find crossover markets for your books. Do some research to find out the hashtags that resonate with your targeted readers. For example if your work’s protagonist is an adult with autism, you may want to try #adultautism.
Or if your work centers around a protagonist who is a birdwatcher (example: Border Songs by Jim Lynch), you may want to have your social media posts use #birdwatchers or #PNW or #PNWBirds if the plot is centered in the Pacific Northwest Or if the work is science fiction but will appeal to computer geeks use #cyberpunk and #SciFiCyberpunk.
Hashtags need time to percolate. It will take some time to be able to drill down to discover the best niche hashtags to reach out to your audience. You must use the hashtags over a long time to start percolating throughout the Internet and to allow potential new followers time to find you via #hashtag. Be patient. Be consistent.
Promoting on social media is a lot like brushing your teeth. You can’t just do it on Sundays or set aside a couple of days a month to do it. Your social media posts must be consistent and almost daily. You don’t have to spend a lot of time doing it— much like brushing your teeth, but consistency and long-term maintenance are the keys. Some people I know set a tea timer or kitchen timer to keep themselves from going down the social media rabbit hole. Fifteen minutes twice a day is better than a whole Sunday spent posting. Also, remember that social media levels the playing field against the big boys. It is mostly free (except for your time) and still a bargain as compared to the old Yellow Page ads or magazine ads.
A TWO-WAY STREET –– If you want others interact with you on social media, you must LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE other peoples’ posts. Nuff said. Social Media is the world’s largest cocktail party—make the most of your networking time! Following a hashtag is just like following a friend.
A friendly reminder: The same goes with REVIEWS. If you want more consumer reviews, you will need to post more consumer reviews of others’ works. It is well-known by publishers that Editorial Reviews generate more Consumer Reviews (reader reviews).
Find Readers by Association with Top Authors in Your Genre by Discovering their hashtags and key words. Determine two or three best-selling authors’ works whose works you would like to have your books shelved next to in a bookstore. Then follow the author on social media (and interact), read and leave consumer reviews wherever you purchase books, and subscribe to his/her blogs and emails. Again, a long time strategy, but when you are ready to for a “peer review” and/or ask for an author quote, you will have increased your chances. Discover their hashtags to discover new readers.
#Hashtags can help you enlarge your reader base. Meanwhile, you can state that “If you are a fan of MISS BIG AUTHOR’s works, perhaps take a look at my works while you wait for the next one in the series to come out… ” A word of caution, make sure that your book is well edited and the best that it can be. Why? Because a few of Miss Big Author’s fans will take you up on your proposition. And if Miss Big Author likes your work, you may just get an endorsement blurb for your cover. Be ready for when Luck meets Opportunity and Preparation.
Back to #Hashtags
#Hashtags continue to work for you long after you have posted (percolation). The social media platforms’ crawlers continuously search for them and try to connect the people who use them.
Here are some hashtags that READERS use: #amreading
#amreadingfantasy or #amreadingYA or #amreadingthrillers #summerreading #tbr (to be read)
Here are some hashtags that writers and authors use:
#amwriting (1,045,508 viewers at the time of this article). #novel (383,783 viewers at the time of this article) #author (1,448,021 viewers at the time of this article)
Hashtags on Instagram
If you only want to use #hashtags on INSTAGRAM, then use the following format: #instawritingcommunity #instawritersofinstagram #instaamwriting
On Instagram the hashtag #books is banned. So, you must drill down instead of using the obvious. But #instafantasybooks is legal.
One study shows that Instagram posts with a least one hashtag generate on average 12.65 percent more engagement.
The Jøssing Affair by Janet Oakley won the Goethe Book Awards Grand Prize. The award-winning novel is about the Nazi occupation of Norway and the Norwegian Resistance Fighters in WWII. There is also love, betrayal, espionage, and bravery.
You can capitalize a couple of letters – for example: #JossingAffairBookLaunch #WWIINorway #NorwayOccupation #NorwaySuspenseNovels
Do not use ! or ? or ‘ or any punctuation in your hashtags besides the hashtag (#)
Banned Hashtags
Also, if you use a banned hashtag, your posts and account could be flagged and then “shadowbanned” which means that your posts will not percolate throughout Instagram.
Some banned hashtags are innocent as #happythanksgiving or #besties (banned because of overuse and spamming) to the egregious posts that you could imagine would go with these hashtags: #milf #lingerie #nasty #xxx #selfharm.
Hashtags may be used on any social media, and are typically found within a post in an #organic fashion, or at the end of the post like an index word. Twitter is a platform where the hashtag is so endemic that it often becomes like punctuation, performing its function while remaining nearly invisible to readers, as long as it’s not overdone.
Using a hashtag as part of a sentence is understood and accepted on Twitter, probably due to the character limit. But on Google+ and Facebook the hashtags are used less and can be intrusive in the middle of sentences. When in doubt on Facebook and Google+, add your hashtags to the end of your post, even on a separate ending line.
If your hashtags sticks out like a sore thumb, it may communicate “this is spam”, especially on some platforms, and that may create a negative reaction to the post.
Hashtag Advice
Use 3 – 6 hashtags. Start with a popular standard then drill down. For example, @ChristineKatSmith used #catnap #tabbycat #happyhour #landotter (a boater’s term for a cat) #friday #shelterinplace Christine is the co-Captain of the David B, a small ship that offers adventure cruises to Alaska and the award-winning author of More Faster Backwards, Rebuilding David B.
In the above Instagram post, she used the following hashtags @ mvdavidb
#glaciers #dawesglacier #alasks #alaskacruise #cruisealternative #tracyarmfordsterrorwilderness #photographyworkshop #travel #explore #adventure #wilderness #wildplaces #tidewaterglacier #boattour #yachtcharter #alaskayachtcharter #smallshipcruise #mvdavidb
The post looked like this:
Now to see how one of our favorite authors uses hashtags – Michelle Cox at @michellecoxwrites Michelle’s A Promise Given won the Chanticleer Mystery and Mayhem Grand Prize along many other awards.
Notice how she uses little known hashtags all the way to a broader net with #DowntonAbbey #Chicago #MissFisherMurderMysteries and then associates her brand (#HenriettaAndInspectorHowardSeries) with the other hashtags such as #mustread #booktofilm and so forth.
This in an introductory blog post to hashtags. Remember that following a hashtag is like searching for someone or something. Just type your hashtag into the Search text field on the social media platform that you are posting on.
Give it a try! Try it! You’ll like it! – Kiffer
Chanticleer Reviews social media handle is @ChantiReviews The hashtags we commonly use are: #CIBAs #ChanticleerFamily #ChanticleerRReads and the CIBA Divisions such as #CYGNUSAwards @MandMAwards and so forth.
HANDY LINKS – Chanticleer Reviews Tool Box Series
Click on these links to blog posts on the Chanticleer website for more information on how to increase online book sales:
Thank you for reading this Chanticleer Writer’s Toolbox post on Marketing and Book Promotion to Increase Online Book Sales.
Stay tuned for our next post on the How to Increase Online Book Sales series.
Also, we will continue to post the 2019 CIBA Finalists, so please stay tuned.
And, we will have new writing craft posts from top editors coming your way to keep you writing and editing during these unprecedented times.
We encourage you to stay in contact with each other and with us during this stint of practicing physical distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Let us know how you are doing, what is going on where you live, how are you progressing on your writing projects.
I invite each of you to join us atThe Roost– a private online Chanticleer Community for writers and authors and publishing professionals. You are welcome to email me for more info also.
We are active onFacebook,Twitter, and Instagram. You can find us by using our social media handle @ChantiReviews
Minimize physical contact! Maximize social connecting!
Tips to Selling More Books Online from Kiffer Brown
Part Three
Keep on Writing! You need a back list of books to in order to do real promotion efforts such as using BookBub or Book Funnel where you give away (or for 99 cents) the first in a series to get readers hooked into your series and your works. These platforms do a lot of marketing and have subscribers that do email blasts promoting books that they accept along with an active web presence along with professional search engine algorithms (Google, Bing, Firefox, etc.).
Published a short story or novella to give away on Bookbub or Book Funnel– a prequel perhaps to get readers hooked. Robert Dugoni did this with The Academy that comes in at 44 pages. This is a great way to hook readers into your character. Or Hugh Howey’s Wool that came in at 12,000 words (60 pages). Make sure that the cover is strong and compelling.
Yet another short story that launched an author’s career is The Witcher, a short story by Polish author Andrzegj Sapkowski in the late 1980s. Fast forward to 2020 to see his works turned into the The Witcher TV series on Netflix. The company said the series with its 76 million households was the most watched television series on Netflix. I will not even go into Fire in the Hole short story series by Elmore Leonard launching the Justified TV series.
Geralt of Rivia – The Witcher
Ann Charles, USA Today Bestselling author, supplements her five (at my last count) novel series with short stories. Some are seasonal (winter holidays, Halloween, summer reads). Ann says that it is a great way to hook new readers.
Ann Charles with her famous violet boots!
ALL social media posts, Tweets (Oh how I despise clicking on a tweet to just ending up on an Amazon selling page!– How rude!) guest blog-posts, emails, ads, marketing materials should direct readers to your website –NOT to the Amazon page where your book is for sell. Or let me put it this way: Your Website is Your Internet Business Portal. Amazon is not.
Meanwhile, get your books out on as many platforms as possible and create links on your website to each selling platform. Give your readers a choice of where to purchase your work.
Bookchain.ca— securely sell ebooks directly from your website and receive the largest amount of royalties possible. Funded by Canada Media.
PublishDrive – E-book, audio, print books. To reach global markets and the Asian markets. REMEMBER that there are more Asians who speak English than North Americans or United Kingdom people who speak English. PublishDrive is based out of Budapest, Hungary. They have a great relationship with CCP’s (China) Amazon equivalent. They also coordinate with Amazon and GooglePlay. They have worked out many of the bugs that they had early on.
LuLu.com – retail distribution to 40,000 retailers, schools, and libraries. Based in North Carolina. They restructured and reorganized. May 19, 2019 LULU sent out a press release stating that they have paid out more than $100 million US dollars in royalties to authors.
Ingram – based in Nashville, TN Ingram Content Group has the publishing industry’s largest active book inventory and Ingram is the world’s largest wholesale distributor of books.
Scribd – Online subscription base — the Netflix of ebooks and audio-books
Google Play – Billions of Users ( Don’t overlook this market)
Amazon – Kindle (nuff said)
KOBO – ebooks and audiobooks to reach markets outside of North America such as Europe, Japan, — based in Japan and Canada.
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords.com – one of the first platforms for selling self-published books – 2008
Payhip.com – based in London, U.K. integrates blogs, ebooks, merchandise
Books.Apple.com
Audible.com for audio books
tolino – mytolino.com – German based with Global Reach. PublishDrive lists Tolino as one of their selling platforms that they coordinate with.
The exception to this is if your book is participating in Amazon’s KDP Select program. This program grants Amazon exclusivity to the books that are enrolled in it.
Interesting to Note: Beyond being the world’s preferred common language, English is also an Asian language in both a demographic and an official sense. Asia has approximately 800 million English speakers, which in effect means it has far more English speakers than the entire Anglosphere. ABC News Australia
Make sure that each one of your selling platforms’ book pages’ information is current and compelling to read.
Pay attention to BISAC codes, meta-data, tagging, and other digital information describes your work on the Internet. Each code does matter! Link below.
The COVER! Again — the cover must compel your targeted reader to click on it in less than three seconds. Make sure it is powerful! And BookBub is ALL ABOUT the COVER. If you want to get considered for their program, make sure that your cover is in tip-top form. Good enough will not do.
WEBSITE Housekeeping
Make sure that all the platforms where your books are for sale have working links.
Below is a copy and paste of how award-winning author of fantasy fiction, Susan Faw, does this:
Or international bestselling author J.D. Barker’s website’s
2. Have you updated your website with your latest awards, book blurbs, reviews, honors, and accolades and happenings?
3. Are you keeping your website current with what you are working on—your work in progress? Your own contests events and the winners? Your book club appearances? Your ZOOM events? Your working links to your social media pages? IS your SUBSCRIBE to AUTHOR’S NEWSLETTER easy to use or does it ask for to much (I run into this all the time–then I pass on subscribing).
4. Have you included and listed where and when you have been interviewed, blogged? podcasted? ZOOM chats/rooms? Facebook events?
5. Do you have a section that allows your readers to become acquainted with you? Do you like board games? Do you paint? Do you grow lavender? Do paint action figures? Do you love to bake? Are you a photography buff? Does your photo and your bio description reinforce your author branding?
KIFFER’s advice: Remember that you can sell a short story or novella for 99 cents or a full-fledged novel for 99 cents.
Think about what kind of backstory that is in your novels that you could turn into a short story to use as another prong of your marketing and promotion strategy. Potential readers may be more apt to spend time reading a short story to try out a new author than committing to a novel...just something to thing about. Click here to read more on Short Stores and having an author career.
Thank you for reading this Chanticleer Writer’s Toolbox post on Marketing and Book Promotion to Increase Online Book Sales.
Part 4 in the How to Increase Online Book Sales series will address Hashtags and Social Media.
Also, we will continue to post the 2019 CIBA Finalists, so please stay tuned.
And, we will have new writing craft posts from top editors coming your way to keep you writing and editing during these unprecedented times.
We encourage you to stay in contact with each other and with us during this stint of practicing physical distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Let us know how you are doing, what is going on where you live, how are you progressing on your writing projects.
I invite each of you to join us atThe Roost– a private online Chanticleer Community for writers and authors and publishing professionals. You are welcome to email me for more info also.
We are active onFacebook,Twitter, and Instagram. You can find us by using our social media handle @ChantiReviews
Minimize physical contact! Maximize social connecting!
Welcome to our SPOTLIGHT on the CHANTICLEER INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS (the CIBAs): the MYSTERY & MAYHEM Awards Deadline is upon us!
We are seeking the best novels featuring “mystery and mayhem,” amateur sleuthing, romantic suspense, light suspense, travel mystery, classic mystery, British cozy, hobby sleuths, senior sleuths, or historical mystery. We will put them to the test and discover the best among them. (For thrillers, action suspense, detective, crime fiction see our Clue Awards)
The APRIL 30th deadline for the Chanticleer Mystery & Mayhem Awards (aka M&Ms) has been extended until May 31, 2020 due to many requests for an extension due to these unprecedented times of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In just a few short days, we go to work to uncover the hidden secrets, the lost key, the answer to the question, Whodunit?
Congratulations to these authors whose works have advanced to this new achievement level of the Chanticleer International Book Awards in the Mystery and Mayhem Book Awards division.
Is your amateur sleuth suspicious of the little old lady who lives next door? Is there something wrong in Mayberry and your hero is going to find out what it is – no matter the cost? Are the stakes so high for your heroine, she succumbs to the hot, sexy delivery man who happens to be the guy with forty bodies buried in his basement? Is your character’s cat helping him solve the latest crime?
Let me introduce you to J.I. Rogers, one of our favorite authors here at Chanticleer Reviews!
In 2019, J.I. Rogers was awarded the 2018 GRAND PRIZE in the Chanticleer International Book Awards for CYNUS – our Science-Fiction Division for her Space Opera, The Korpes Files, a cyber-punk sci-fi, dystopian space opera, and nothing has been the same since.
We asked J.I. Rogers to take part in our 10-Question Author Interview series to share with us her journey of becoming a CYGNUS Grand Prize winner.
Chanticleer: Tell us a little about yourself, how did you start writing?
Rogers: Well, the biography on my website starts off like this: I am a green-eyed, ginger-haired, caffeine addict who is currently working on The Korpes File Series.
When not acting as a conduit for the voices in my head or pursuing something artistic, I’m a poster child for Generation X and the Queen of most boondoggles that lead to eye-strain and tinnitus.
Ancient History: I’ve always had a love of science fiction, mythological, and fantasy themes. I attended Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design back in the 80s, studying film animation when it was still a college, and I have been working as a professional artist for over thirty years. My love of writing dates back just as far as my artistic ventures. I even had a small Fantasy APA/Fanzine called “Northwest Passages.”
Recent History: The Korpes File Series is my first foray into writing science fiction. The core concept for the series came to me thirty years ago, and it was then that I began the process of world-building. In that time the idea behind my series has shifted from being hard science fiction to space opera, to finally come to rest in the middle as a hybrid between dystopian and science fiction.
How did I start writing? In 2012, I was working as a concept wrangler for a couple of game design studios and was put in charge of world development for one of the projects. I wrote two cut-scenes based on situations that the players would encounter as an experiment. When that project concluded, the short stories were released back to me, and the encouragement I received was what prompted me to continue writing. I decided to expand on what I’d created and that’s when the Muse struck. NaNoWriMo followed a week later, and at the end of that November I had enough core material to know where I was going with my story.
Chanticleer: Rock on #NaNoWriMo! When did you realize that you were an author?
Rogers: Honestly? The first time it sank in was when someone had purchased a paperback copy of The Korpes File then traveled to meet me and asked if I would sign it.
Chanti: That always feels good, right? And now, you have the second in series! Please tell us more about the genre shifts that your work has made and what led you to write in this genre?
Rogers: The closest definition I could come up with for The Korpes File Series would be that it’s a blend of dystopian and science fiction elements. As I said earlier, the series began as hardcore science fiction then transitioned to Space Opera and then into what is now dystopian with science fiction elements with a healthy dollop of space opera mixed in as well. I’m a fan of character-driven plot. What led me to write in this genre? My Muse kept sending me love notes in the form of characters quotes and world-building concepts.
Chanti: I love it when that happens. Do you find yourself following the rules or do you like to make up your own rules?
Rogers: Life rules? I’m unconventional, but I’ve managed to get away with things thus far by waving the ‘eccentric artist’ banner over my head. In writing? I follow the rules in non-dialogue portions of my writing, mostly (I do use Oxford commas, adjectives, and past tense when appropriate). The only place you’ll see me play fast and loose is in dialogue; this flexibility allows characters to sound unique.
Nash’s glasses
Chanti: How do you come up with your ideas for a story?
Rogers: I find inspiration via many portals. I’ve discovered that downtempo psy-bient electronica, industrial, and angsty bands from the late 90s and early 2000s inspire my dystopian Muse. My Pinterest folder is bursting with images on everything from flora and fauna to human culture, science, geology, tech, space… You get the idea. I also save links to new and emerging technology there. Even the characters in my story have suggested elements to me… when they go off-road.
(Chanti: I think Pyewacket and Tannith have to take some credit here, too, don’t you?!)
Chanti: Name five of your favorite authors and describe how they influence your work.
Rogers: My list is eclectic and includes artists: Jaime Hernandez – I’ve been a fan of Jaime for over thirty years. He and his brothers have demonstrated time and time again that you can tell a provocative, epic story with dimensional characters using both words and images. Love & Rockets is a masterpiece and I aspire to create something as beautiful.
Winner of the 2014 LA Times Book Prize! Image from the Publisher.
Barbara Hambly – While her storylines are great it was Barbara’s characters that spoke to me, and they grounded me into every event in the plot. I have re-read certain books just to re-experience these ‘old friends.’ When I finally decided to write, I made a point of finding the personality touchstones in all of my protagonists and antagonists.
Neil Gaiman – There’s a definite ‘other-worldly’ quality to his work; it’s like he exists somewhere between here and the twilight realm of Faerie and can translate that experience back. While I was designing aspects of Tamyrh and the aliens that hide in plain sight, I reflected on Mr. Gaiman’s “Sandman” series and allowed the ambiance to run its course.
James S.A. Corey – He recently displaced my favorite go-to for science fiction for the simple reason that he’s created a modern dystopian sci-fi epic that hasn’t fallen into the usual pitfalls of mocking itself or weighing itself down with unnecessary angst. If I want to escape my world but stay in the mood to write, I read Mr. Corey’s work or catch an episode of “The Expanse.” I don’t know if I’d call him an influence, rather a reminder that dystopian sci-fi can be done well.
Philip K. Dick – Our styles are different, but we definitely gravitate toward the same themes; his work lit a fire under my Muse back in high school. I’d like to add something about film here. I read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep before I saw the film Blade Runner, but the latter was what firmly cemented the love of noir, dystopian sci-fi in my soul. It was one of the first sci-fi films I’d seen that didn’t inject ‘comic relief buffoonery’ or ‘cute fuzzy creatures’ in order to expand its appeal. Alien, Logan’s Run, and 2001: A Space Odyssey are other fine examples that inspire.
Chanti: Give us your best marketing tips, what’s worked to sell more books, gain notoriety, and expand your literary footprint.
Rogers: Honestly, I haven’t reached the point where I’m selling millions of books; part of that may be due to my advertising budget, which is microscopic. This advice is aimed at those like me. I maintain an active presence on social media (the usual free ones – Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) and I operate a Patreon page, where potential readers and fans can find out what I’m up to, ask me questions, get special offers and swag, etc. My Patreon page is now at the point where it covers my website fees as well as the production costs of book-related items like the limited-run character sketchbook.
I owe my modest notoriety as an author to the fantastic people who interact with me, both online and in real life. They have acted as my ‘street team’ and encouraged their friends to buy my books. I estimate that 70% of my sales are due to their efforts and I’m very grateful… now to find a way to get everyone to leave reviews too.
If you’re on a tight budget like me, my advice is:
Share posts with other authors and leave comments
Support your creative community
Create engaging content
Leave reviews
Shamelessly promote others
Chat with fans, and
Be positive without looking for direct evidence of karmic return. In other words, treat people the way you’d like to be treated. This seems to be working for me.
Also – treat your author time on social media like a job or it’ll become a time sink and you’ll not get any writing done.
Chanti: That’s great advice! What is the most important thing a reader can do for an author?
Rogers: I have two answers to this question.
A). If they enjoyed the book, then I’d encourage them to leave a review saying so. B) If they didn’t like the book, I’d ask that they offer some feedback via the author’s website. Simply saying it was bad isn’t helpful; no one improves without constructive criticism.
Chanti: Do you ever experience writers’ block? What do you do to overcome it?
“Emerging Words” (which is a 18″ x 24″ artwork made from a mold of my face, silk, and pages from the proof copy of The Korpes File).
Rogers: My writing Muse sometimes takes an impromptu vacation and leaves me home, staring at the screen. When that happens, I’ll swap over to another project – usually art. Right now, I’ve got two illustration commissions on the go as well as Patreon projects. If that fails, there’s always gardening or my secret vice… MMORPGs like World of Warcraft.
Chanti: I think dialogue is where it’s at as far as character development – for sure. What do you do when you’re not writing? Tells us a little about your hobbies.
Rogers: I think my hubby would argue that I’m always writing as my ‘office’ pins down territory around the house depending on my mood. I draw, paint, sculpt, and garden (weather dependent on that last one – we get a lot of snow in the winter).
Chanti: Thank you, J.I. Rogers, for sharing your author journey with us. I am looking forward to seeing you at the next Chanticleer Authors Conference.
J. I. Rogers won the CYGNUS 2018 Grand Prize because The Korpes Files rock! And also, because she dared to enter the work into the CYGNUS division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards…
In other words, if you don’t enter, you will never know how your work stacks up against the other entries.
If you want a shot at the HONOR of CYGNUS SciFi Book Awards for 2020, don’t delay, enter the CYGNUS B00k Awards today!
The Cygnus Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Science Fiction, Steampunk, Alternative History, and Speculative Fiction. The Cygnus Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).
Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for 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 for the CYGNUS Book Awards division. Hard Science Fiction, Soft Science Fiction, Apocalyptic Fiction, Cyberpunk, Time Travel, Genetic Modification, Aliens, Super Humans, Interplanetary Travel, and Settlers on the Galactic Frontier, Dystopian, our judges from across North America and the U.K. will put them to the test and choose the best among them.
Chanticleer Book Reviews & Media, L.L.C. retains the right to not declare “default winners.” Winning works are decided upon merit only. Please visit our Contest Details page for more information about our writing contest guidelines.
CBR’s rigorous writing competition standards are why literary agencies seek out our winning manuscripts and self-published novels. Our high standards are also why our reviews are trusted among booksellers and book distributors.
Please do not hesitate to contact Info@ChantiReviews.com about any questions, concerns, or suggestions about the Chanticleer International Book Awards. Your input and suggestions are important to us.
Click here for more information about the Chanticleer Book Reviews International Book Awards.
Elana A. Mugdan is an author and screenwriter based in New York City. She has received many accolades in the film industry, including a number of awards for her feature-length comedy, Director’s Cut. In 2015 she stepped away from film to focus on her writing career, and in 2016 her debut fantasy novel, Dragon Speaker, was released in the UK via Pen Works Media.
OZMA Grand Prize Award Winning Author Elana A Mugdan
For the past two years, Elana has devoted her time to traveling across the country on book tour. She has appeared at schools, libraries, and bookstores nationwide to talk about her award-winning series, The Shadow War Saga. Her second novel, Dragon Child, launched in May 2019 at the Union Square Barnes & Noble, the world’s largest bookstore. Her third novel, Dragon Blood, is slated for release in March 2020.
Elana A Mugdan on the Today Show
Recently, Elana garnered acclaim and media attention for her year-long stint without use of a smartphone. In a contest sponsored by Coca Cola and vitaminwater, Elana agreed to forego use of any handheld scrolling technology for 365 days. She found the experience liberating and enlightening, and has done a series of talks on the subject.
Here is her interview on the Today Show – “Vitaminwater in December launched a nationwide contest looking for one person to go one year without a smartphone in exchange for a $100,000 prize. The brand selected Elana Mugdan, a New York-based author who joins TODAY to talk about the challenge.”
Elana currently resides in Queens, living a quiet but eccentric life with her pet rescue snake, Medusa.
Elana is presenting and participating in the following sessions at CAC20
How to make your own audiobooks — by an author who did! (with Hindenburg) From set-up to ACX upload
KaffeeKlatch Round Table Discussion — The Scroll Free Life (Writing Life) Her experience with the vitaminwater challenge and how it fits with her promotional strategy
Promotional Strategy for Your Books and Your Brand
Beta Readers & Revisions – writing craft session
Film and Authors – panel (this panel is coming together)
Don’t delay. Register Today! For the Chanticleer Authors Conference – held September 4-6, 2020. There are five different registration packages available so you can choose the one that is right for you! For more INFO, please click here: https://www.chantireviews.com/chanticleer-conference/
The PARANORMAL Book Awards recognize emerging talent and outstanding works in the genre of Paranormal and Supernatural Fiction. The Paranormal Book Awards is a genre division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The #CIBAs).
Chanticleer International Book Awards (the CIBAs) is looking for the best books featuring magic, the supernatural, weird otherworldly stories, superhumans (ex. Jessica Jones, Wonder Woman), magical beings & supernatural entities (ex. Harry Potter), vampires & werewolves (ex. Twilight), angels & demons, fairies & mythological beings, magical systems and elements. They will be put to the test and the best will be declared winners of the prestigious CIBAs.
These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from SLUSH pile, to the LONG LIST, to the Shortlist and now have progressed to the 2019 PARANORMAL Book Awards Semi-Finalists positions.
Presenting the 2019 Paranormal Book Awards for Paranormal and Supernatural Fiction Semi-Finalists:
Kaylin McFarren –High Flying
Porter Huddleston –El on Earth
Mack Little –Progenie
Karen Glista –Chasing the Red Queen
Joy Ross Davis –The Witch of Blacklion
D. J. Adamson –At The Edge of No Return
D. D. Wolf –Orchids Ablaze
Michael Ray Laemmle –Atomic City Terror: Curse of the Murderous Dummy
Diane Moat –Hand of Magic
Joy Ross Davis –The Singer Sisters
Linda Watkins –The Tao of the Viper, A Kate Pomeroy Mystery
Jack Cullen –Runes of Steel
Palmer Pickering –Moon Deeds
Susan Lynn Solomon –Abigail’s Window
Robert Herold –The Eidola Project
Janet K. Shawgo –Legacy of Lies
E. V. Svetova –Over The Hills Of Green
London Clarke –Whickering Place
Joey Rodriguez –Below
Jerry Gundersheimer –El Coronel: Book Two of The Medium Series
Ryan J. Lyons– Drums and Dragons
Avanti Centrae –VanOps: The Solstice Countdown
Lori Roberts –Where the Sweetgrass Grows
T. L. Augury –Witches Brew
These titles are in the running for the FINALISTS positions of the 2019 PARANORMAL Book Awards for Paranormal and Supernatural Fiction.
Semi-Finalists will be recognized at the 2020 Chanticleer Authors Conference and the 2019 CIBA banquet and ceremony. The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 16 CIBA divisions Semi-Finalists. We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 18th, 2020 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash.
Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.
The 16 divisions of the 2019 CIBAs’Grand Prize Winners and the Five First Place Category Position award winners along with recognizing the Semi-Finalists will be announced at the April 18th, 2020 Chanticleer International Book Awards Annual Awards Gala, which takes place at the Chanticleer Authors Conference that will be held in Bellingham, Wash.
The CLUE Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Suspense and Thriller Fiction. The Clue Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The #CIBAs).
Chanticleer International Book Awards is seeking the best books featuring suspense, thrilling adventure, detective work, private eye, police procedural, and crime-solving, we will put them to the test to discover the best! (For lighter-hearted Mystery and Classic Cozy Mysteries please check out our Mystery & Mayhem Awards).
These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from SLUSH pile to the 2019 LONG LIST to the CLUE Shortlist and have now advanced to the CLUE Semi-Finalists positions. Semi-Finalists will be recognized at the 2020 Chanticleer Authors Conference and the 2019 CIBA banquet and ceremony. The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 16 CIBA divisions Semi-Finalists. We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 18th, 2020 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash.
Congratulations to all of the 2019 CLUE Book Awards for Suspense & Thriller Fiction Semi-Finalists
J.J. Clarke – Dared to Return
RIP Converse – Maelstrom Part One
L. J. Martin – The Blue Pearl
Nancy Adair – RABYA
J.P. Kenna – Joel Emmanuel
J.P. Kenna – Toward a Terrible Freedom
Lonna Enox – Untold Agony
Stephen F. Frost – The Alaskan Alibi
Russell Heath – Rinn’s Crossing
John W Feist – Blind Trust
Liese Sherwood-Fabre – The Adventure of the Murdered Midwife
Richard Conrath – Blood Moon Rising
Marian Exall – A Splintered Step
Joanne Jaytanie – Salvaging Truth, Hunters & Seekers, Book 1
Edgar Swamp – Amber Hollow
Janet K. Shawgo – Legacy of Lies
Maureen Joyce Connolly – Little Lovely Things
Melodie Hernandez – Forgotten Rage
Chris Norbury – Straight River
Barb Warner Deane – And Then There Was You
V. & D. Povall – Jackal in the Mirror
Matt Witten – The Necklace
M. J. Simms-Maddox – Mystery in Harare
Michelle Cox – A Veil Removed
Kevin G. Chapman – Righteous Assassin: A Mike Stoneman Thriller
Kaylin McFarren – High Flying
Wally Duff – bada-BOOM!
Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor – Death by the River
Steve Dimeo – The Magic Cape Caper
Joni M Fisher – West of Famous
D. J. Adamson – Let Her Go
Kirk Millson – Serpents of Old
Good Luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging
Register today for the 2020 Chanticleer Authors Conference and the 2019 CIBA ceremony and banquet that will be held in Bellingham, Wash. at the luxury waterfront Hotel Bellwether, April 17 – 19, 2020. Seating is limited. Reservations are required.
The CHATELAINE Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Romantic Fiction and Women’s Fiction. The Chatelaine Book Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards ( The #CIBAs).
Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best new books featuring romantic themes and adventures of the heart, historical love affairs, perhaps a little steamy romance, and stories that appeal especially to fans of affairs of the heart to compete in the Chatelaine Book Awards (the CIBAs).
These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from SLUSH pile to the LONG LIST to the CHATELAINE Shortlist and have now advanced to the CHATELAINE Semi-Finalists positions. Semi-Finalists will be recognized at the 2020 Chanticleer Authors Conference and the 2019 CIBA banquet and ceremony. The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 16 CIBA divisions Semi-Finalists. We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 18th, 2020 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash.
Congratulations to the 2019 CHATELAINE Awards for Romantic Fiction and Women’s Fiction Semi-Finalists
Karen Fitzpatrick – After the Rain
J.P. Kenna – Toward a Terrible Freedom
Jule Selbo – Find Me in Florence
Gail Avery Halverson – The Skeptical Physick
Carolyn Haley – Wild Heart
Catherine Tinley – The Captain’s Disgraced Lady
Catherine Tinley – The Earl’s Runaway Governess
Kate Vale – No Dates for Elaine
Ellen Notbohm – The River by Starlight
Joanne Jaytanie – Salvaging Truth, Hunters & Seekers, Book 1
Barb Warner Deane – And Then There Was You
Elizabeth Crowens – Dear Bernie, I’m Glad You’re Dead
Pat Wahler – On a City Street
Heather Novak – Headlights, Dipsticks, & My Ex’s Brother
Heather Novak – Fire Trucks, Garter Belts, & My Perfect Ex
Ernesto H Lee – Walk With Me, One Hundred Days of Crazy
T.K. Conklin – Promise of Tomorrow
T.K. Conklin – Threads of Passion
Kari Bovee – Grace in the Wings
Anita Crocus – The Sicilian Love Song
Eileen Charbonneau – Seven Aprils
Michelle Cox – A Veil Removed
Patricia Suprenant – Journey to the Isle of Devils
Mike Owens – Daisy’s Choice
Paullett Golden – The Earl and The Enchantress
L.E. Rico – Mischief and Mayhem
Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.
The 16 divisions of the 2019 CIBAs’Grand Prize Winners and the Five First Place Category Position award winners along with recognizing the Semi-Finalists will be announced at theApril 18th, 2020 Chanticleer International Book Awards Annual Awards Gala,which takes place at the Chanticleer Authors Conference that will be held in Bellingham, Wash.
The Goethe Book Awards recognize emerging new talent in post-1750s Historical Fiction. The Goethe Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).
Lucy Carol – 
