Fun Fact Friday - a "Did You Know?" Post

Happy Fridaaaaaay! Who's ready for the weekend? I promise you, I am. It's been a long week, eh? You're gonna LOVE the information I found for you today! I'm going to hit this up next week with a test drive, and I'll be posting a "How-to" on it! Ready to know what it is? Grab your coffee, or tea, and let's get rolling!

May I introduce:

AMAZON X-RAY

Some of you may already be aware of this feature, but I'm guessing most of you aren't. So, let's take a gander at how Amazon says it should work, shall we?

From your bookshelf (if you don't remember what that is, go read this post I did on KDP publishing), click on the ... next to the title you'd like to add X-ray to.

Oh, wait. Let's back up a bit.

What is X-ray?

It's a feature that allows readers to long-press a word in your Kindle book to read more about it. Could be a character's name or location. A word that's not commonly used so you can provide a definition. Anything.

Pretty cool, right? Okay, let's move on!

Here's the ... flyout:

You can see where it says "Launch X-Ray." That's where you'll go when you're ready to get this going. I'm not clicking it right now, but I will when I check it out next week. Likely on Yassa since that one has the most options for historical references.

From the information page, it says you can add links to Wiki articles or add text, but you can't add links to other websites or marketing avenues. Keep that in mind.

I'm looking forward to checking it out! How about you?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Beware the Distribution Arms if You're in KU

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I know I'm late, but I'm HERE, and that's what matters. My schedule fell on its head today. haha! But still managing to make time to get in here and blog. Today, I'm going to talk about something that happened to a friend of mine. We can all learn from it, so get your coffee and let's get going!

So, for a long while, my friend had her books wide (being distributed to all vendors everywhere). She decided to pull her books from wide and go all in with Amazon KDP Select. This enrolled her stories in Kindle Unlimited automatically, and she started getting paid by the Global Fund pot for pages read.

Everything was going fine for a good, long time, until one day, she discovered her titles had been pulled from Select. There was no email telling her why. Nothing.

She freaked out (wouldn't you?).

You see, this friend of mine is always on the up and up. She's done everything by the book and to the letter of the rules. So, when this happened, she was completely taken aback.

After a LOT of digging around, she discovered those titles that had been pulled to go into Select were available via one of the distribution arms of a popular distributor.

No, I'm not going to say which one. That's not what this post is about. I'm just issuing a warning here and showing you how you might want to delve more deeply if you're pulling from wide distro to go into Select.

Let's move on.

These books weren't pirated. Amazon doesn't yank your books for that. They were legitimate arms of distributors that simply neglected to remove a title that was no longer available.

Needless to say, she's still fighting it. No one at Amazon will get back in touch with her, and last I heard, she was planning to reach out to the distributor to see if they could help.

But the damage is, sadly, done. Her royalties for pages read have come to a screeching halt, and she doesn't know when or if she'll be able to get back into Select. When Amazon bans you, it's usually for at least a year.

So, there's one situation to be hyper aware of. If you pull your books from wide, be sure you check everywhere before clicking the "Enroll this book in KDP Select" button. She thought she did, and it's really messing up her money right now.

Have you heard of something like this? Anything strange happen to you?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Why I LOVE Being Indie - #PoweredByIndie

Happy Tuesday, everyone! An impromptu post today, brought to you by a fantastic event being held over on Amazon. As you know, I love celebrating the Indie author by reviewing, sharing their bookish things, and doing interviews and readings and such. Because I'm also an Indie, I know how difficult it is to find the support you need anywhere in order to get your books out.

Huge shout out to Amazon for doing this: POWERED by Indie

How amazing is that?

So, what they've asked us authors to do is tell everyone why we love being Indie authors and use the hashtag #PoweredByIndie in our social media shares. I'm in. It's a beautiful thing.

You need to get on that right after you read my lovely post below. HA! Seriously, keep reading.

Why I LOVE Being Indie

I published my first book back in 2012. When I started, I didn't know up from down, where to go, or what to do with what I'd written. I've made mistakes along the way, but because I'm Indie published, I learned what to fix and how to fix it. Then, I went on to write a book about those very things, hoping others wouldn't have to struggle as I once did. I pay it forward.

• I don't live under deadlines other than the ones I self impose.

I have the creative freedom to unleash my design prowess on my books (and covers) and make them something unique. Not only in the pretty I put on the interior pages (did you know I was one of the first Indies to add imagery to my print books?), but also in the stories I write.

• I write for myself first. All my books are stories I want to read. If other folks enjoy them, that's the cream on my pudding.

Self-publishing is FUN! Writing, designing, being a leader in so many new ideas that are emerging... It's all rather exciting. I get to try new things, like my Ferocious 5 projects, and watch others follow in those footsteps.

• There's only one rule in this world: Produce the best book you can each and every time you publish. That's it, and that's so amazing!

If I need to take a day off to do something for myself, I can. No one is breathing down my neck to get anything done. When I finish a book, if I don't think it's ready, I can push the publishing date out--unless I've announced it, of course (that would be rude). But it's really and truly up to ME.

I love that freedom.

• My royalties are my own. I don't have to share a darn thing with anyone. Any money I spent getting my book ready to hit the hands of my readers can be recouped more quickly, and I can start making a profit pretty early on.

Self-publishing platforms are amazing. They're the reason I can do what I do without having to jump through gigantic, flaming hoops while riding a one-wheeled bicycle that's also aflame, without sending out a million query letters only to end up cowering under a table in the corner, sucking my thumb, gripping my blankie at the form letters declining my submissions.

But there's one thing I have to say about being Indie that takes the cake over all else. Stay with me here!

I LOVE THE COMMUNITY.

I bet most of you are scratching your heads at that, huh? Well, allow me to explain!

Indie authors, whether best-sellers or those just starting out, understand the struggles of being Indie authors. Several, if not most, of them reach out, offering help when and where they can, helping others avoid the red spot of shame we get from banging our heads into our desks too hard.

They read. They share. They lift you up when you're feeling down. It's an amazing thing to be a part of such a vibrant, creative community.

Dedicated readers of Indie-published works throw themselves into their work, reading, reviewing, and loving the thing that brings us all together: books.

Most Indie folks are just nice people.

I can't begin to tell you about all the amazing people I've met by being Indie. Folks I'm not sure I would've ever had the opportunity to get to meet in real life if I were traditionally published. Authors, readers, bloggers, superfans, booktubers, editors, designers... The list goes on and on! Each one of those people are cherished (probably more than they know), and I wouldn't trade them for the world.

So, there you have it. This is why I love being Indie.

I want to hear YOUR stories! Post them in the comments below so I can read and visit your blogs, and don't forget to share them all over the web with #PoweredByIndie.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Your Books on Amazon Author Central

Happy Tuesday! I can see you made it through Monday, so that's promising. Today, we're going to dive further into Amazon Author Central. I'll give you some neat tips about your book(s) page(s) you may not have known about before, too. If you missed the first two posts on setting up an account and pimping your profile, check those out now. Ready? Grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!

Go ahead and log into Author Central.

Navigate to the Books tab and click on a title to get to the book's page. You should have something that looks like this:

Yours won't have the green arrows, but I put those there so you know where I'm at on the page. Be sure you're on the Kindle edition of your book (see top, right-hand corner), because we'll get to the paperback here in a few, and I don't want you to be confused.

Let's go over a little bit of what you see at the top before we move on. There on the left, you'll see details about your book. These include the cover, title, ASIN, average review number, and sales rank. There's also a little, clickable link that'll take you to the book's Amazon page.

Right under the book are two tabs:

Be sure you're on Editorial Reviews, please. The other tab is just details. Feel free to click and look, but come right back afterward.

Since I want you to see what I see, scroll down until your page looks like this:

I haven't done anything with this book yet, so I'll be updating stuff as we move along today. Let's start with Editorial Reviews. This is a section for snippets of professional reviews you've gotten. Amazon doesn't allow those reviews to be posted to the book's page, so you have to go in and add them manually. You can also add reviews or pieces of reviews from folks you asked to read the book. M doesn't have any, so I'll be skipping that for now. If you want to add one (or more), click Add and put your info in the popup. Be sure and click preview and save!

Now we'll move on to Product Description. Here's a fun fact: If you update the product description on your Amazon Author page, the one on the book's KDP page becomes obsolete (doesn't show). So, a lot of folks put the description on Author Central, then go back and keyword stuff the description on KDP. I did it with I, Zombie, and I can verify the KDP page has no bearing on the book once the stuff is changed in Author Central. Anyway, fill this part out and save it.

From the Author is all about why you wrote the book or any research you did. It also could be a little personal note for your readers. Anything you want to say about your novel goes here. Be sure and save!

From the Inside Flap is what you'd expect to find on a hardcover. This can be an addition to the blurb, the blurb itself, or something about one of the characters. Your choice! I'm gonna talk about the theme a little bit. Be sure and save!

From the Back Cover is any testimonial you may have from other people, too. You can also put your blurb here if you haven't put it in the Product description above. I did a little expose on my status and put a short list of my available titles. Be sure and save!

About the Author is your bio. Fill it out! Be sure and save!

Now, go to the paperback version and do it all again. You can copy/paste content over if you like.

Here's my completed page:

Remember, anything you do here overrides anything you've done anywhere else. This is the holy grail of editing spots.

So, what do you think? Did you fill it out? What was yours missing?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Amazon Author Central and You - Take Two

Happy Fridayyyyy! Wow, it's the weekend, you guys! Two days of no work. Whatever will we do with ourselves? Well, you could spend the time snazzing up your Amazon Author Central page. Yesterday's post was all about how to create an account and add books. Today, we're going into some of the clicky things you can modify. So you can take the info you find here and get to work making everything fabulous. Ready? Grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!

I'm just gonna jump right in here. Login to Author Central here so you can follow along. Be sure you're on this tab and have your bio all filled out:

After your biography, you need to set your author page URL. As you can see, mine's already done (amazon.com/author/jomichaels). Amazon lets you set this to whatever you choose, but you only get one shot, so choose wisely! It's here:

Next, you'll want to upload a photo of yourself. Click the add photo button here:

Browse through your pictures, choose an image, click the box saying you have permission to use the photo, and click Upload Photo:

You can do this more than one time so you can change your picture up now and then. When you click manage photos, you get a couple of options:

Delete or rearrange at will. First one in the row is your profile picture! The Add Video button works the exact same way as the Add Photo one. NOTE: You must have the video available on your computer to upload. You can't link or add one from YouTube. Twitter add is pretty self explanatory, too, so I won't bog you down with images for all that.

Now, you'll want to add your blog feed. If your blog isn't pushing to a feed, here's how to find it for Blogger, and how to find it for Wordpress. Write it down and keep it handy, you'll need it for Monday's post. *wink* Once you have your feed address, click here:

It'll open a popup where you can type in your feed URL. Do it and click Add.

Let's go add an event, shall we? Click here:

You'll get a popup window like this:

Yeah, that's a lot of information to fill out, but Amazon will do most of it for you. Add a description first, then click on the location and start typing the name of a venue. I've added Utopia Con. If you're going, too, start by typing Millennium Max, then choose the hotel name from the list that populates underneath. Boom! Amazon fills in all the cool details like this:

Then, choose a book (yeah, just one), and a start date and time. I chose the date fans will be allowed into the conference. Click Add. Your profile should look something like this:

You're all done for today. Monday, I'm going to show you something amazing you can do with Amazon if you have a blog. Tuesday, we'll go into the various sections on the book tabs (hopefully, your books will be listed by then if they aren't already).

Did you create one? Leave us a link so we can take a peek!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Author Central and You

Hello, and happy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, we're going to be talking about Amazon's Author Central, and how you can make the most of your profile there. If you're ready, grab a pen and notebook, and let's get going!

Everyone knows Amazon is the big pie in the sky every author wants to stand on top of, wiggle their feet into the a la mode, and be covered in the gooey goodness. Why? Because that's the pinnacle of awesome. Readers are reading your books, you're enriching lives with your words, and (hopefully) you're providing hours of entertainment and deep thought. But you have to be seen in order for people to find your work, right?

One of the tools you should be using to accomplish visibility is Author Central. It's not difficult to set up a profile there, and there are some cool features you may not know about available to you. Let's start by setting up an account if you don't already have one.

Go here to the Author Central login page. I'm going to pretend to create a dummy account for the purpose of this tutorial, so you can see what steps to take. Okay, you should be at a screen that looks like this:

If you have an account, log in. If not, click join now.

Now you'll be on a screen like this:

That's where you sign in with your current Amazon customer account (even if you don't have an Author Central page). Like I said, I'm pretending to create a dummy account, so I'll go to "I'm a new customer."

Enter your e-mail address and click continue. You'll go here:

Fill it out and proceed. This is where I back up and login to my own account so I can show you all the goodies there.

Here's your welcome page:

If you just signed up, you won't have any information here. You'll need to fill out your profile and upload an author photo. Click Author Page at the top, and you'll end up here:

You know what to do. Now, click on the books tab, and you'll go to a page that looks like this (yours may or may not have books on it yet):

How do you add books? By clicking this button:

And searching for your title in this box:

I did a search for Fractured Glass. As you can see, it says already added. Yours won't say that, so click the button "This is my book."

It takes Amazon about 24 hours to link your book with your profile. But, once they do, your page will look like mine above and be ready for editing. Because I'm using Fractured Glass as an example, I'll navigate to that book's edit page by clicking on the title:

As you can see, the wide array of choices is staggering. You can also see, by looking in the top right corner, I'm editing the Kindle version of the book (not the paperback).

This is important to know, because you have the freedom to edit each edition's sections separately. I'm going to add an award to the Kindle edition's page, because I'm a dork and only put it on the paperback. So, I click edit on the product description:

And I paste in what I copied from the paperback edition description in this popup:

Then, I click preview:

Of course, I have to remember to click Save Changes if it looks good:

Amazon gives me a pat on the head and tells me it'll take 3-5 days for my changes to show up (most of the time it's just 24 hours or so, but err on the side of caution).

There are six sections available to edit here:

• Review (this is for editorial reviews, because Amazon doesn't allow those guys to publish reviews)
• Product Description
• From the Author
• From the Inside Flap
• From the Back Cover
• About the Author

Go tinker with them all! It's fun!

Because this post is getting really long, I'll go into some of the fun things available to play with on your profile page tomorrow. Hopefully, you'll have it all filled out and ready to rock!

What do you think? Did you sign up? Already had? Learn something new?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Kindle Scout - The Contract

Happy Tuesday, everyone! I know I missed my post yesterday. Don't judge. *sticks out tongue* But, I promise to more than make up for it today. How? Well, I'm gonna break down the Kindle Scout contract for you all. I have no pony in this show, so this is literally going to be a breakdown of legalese (I provided links to sources). Well informed is always the way to be! Okay, grab a cup of coffee because this post is gonna be long. Let's get going!

*****DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT AN ATTORNEY! AS ALWAYS, IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT ANYTHING YOU'RE SIGNING, CONSULT A LICENSED LAWYER*****

This is a layman interpretation of the contract.

First off, you can find the agreement here.

Go read it before you begin.

Now, this contract (because that's what it is and why you have to be 18+) has two parts: Submission and Publishing Terms. I'll break it down by section. Items in bold are ones to pay close attention to (I'll explain at the end). Remember, everything in the Publishing Terms section goes into effect the day your work is selected. Any time referenced is measured by that date.

Let's start with Submission.

1 - ELIGIBILITY - ACCOUNT

• 1.1 - This is all about saying you're 18 or up, have all copyrights, and are able to enter into a legally binding contract.
• 1.2 - You have an Amazon account and are yourself (not using someone else's ID).

2 - SUBMISSION AND REVIEW - Your materials will be referred to as "Submission Materials" this term includes: Manuscript, Cover Art, Your Name, Bio, and anything else you submit. It can't have been for sale previously. They can reject you for no reason.
3 - EXCLUSIVITY PERIOD - They own all of the above for no less than 45 days. If you're selected, the second part of the contract becomes effective immediately (no signing required) upon notification.
4 - YOUR SUBMISSION - Your work is theirs to do with as they please concerning sharing (not changes). You may offer excerpts for free on blogs and such, but can't sell any part of your work. If you want your work removed after (and weren't chosen), you must submit the request in writing.

Now, on to Publishing Terms.

5 - RIGHTS - All of the company and their affiliates have rights to your work that you can't break out of (that's what irrevocable means). They may shorten the work, edit the work, or add your work to a collection of other works at their choosing. This does not (according to section 7, allow them to perform edits without your permission).
6 - REVERSION - (broken down into 6 sections)

• 6.1 - These terms auto-renew every five years (from selection date) that you don't make at least 25k (that's at least 5k per year). You can request your rights back in writing if you don't make that amount.
• 6.2 - You may request, in writing, to get your rights back under the following circumstances:
• 6.2.1 - Your work was not made available for sale within six months.
• 6.2.2 - If you don't make at least $500 in the second 12 months of the first two years.
• 6.2.3 - If the audio version hasn't been made available within 2 years.
• 6.2.4 - If the work isn't available in a specific language (outlined in the contract), you can have the rights to the work in that language back (remember, this must be done in writing).
• 6.3 - Any reversion (getting your book back) will depend on who else has rights (they get to keep those rights if the agreement was made before you get your book back). All shares those entities were entitled to stay in place. If you get your book back via one of the stipulations above, you get to keep your advance ($1500 is paid to you when you're selected).

7 -  PUBLICATION - You have 30 days to make revisions. If you don't turn in revisions, they have the right to use the original submission. They won't make material changes without your permission.
8 - ADVANCE, PRICING, ROYALTIES, PAYMENT

• 8.1 - Your $1500 advance is paid within 30 days of the date they get your final work and payee info, and is considered a royalty payout. This means the first $1500 your book makes goes back to the publisher.
• 8.2 - They set the price of the work, and own all customer data.
• 8.3 - They'll pay you royalties as follows (Net Revenue means how much they actually make from each sale and does not include promotional copies, samples, or excerpts, and subtracts delivery costs, returns, and taxes):

EBook = 50% of net revenue

Audio = 25% of net revenue

Translated EBook = 20% of net revenue

• 8.4 - 75% of net revenue on sub-licensed translated versions (less above subtractions and fees), 50% of all other sub-licensed sales.
• 8.5 - You'll get a monthly sales report. Payouts are 60 days past the end of the month. If it's a third-party sale, you get the payout 60 days after they receive payment.
• 8.6 - They can withhold payment of royalties, offset against future royalties, or require you to pay them back money (as described below). This does not limit the ways in which they're allowed to withhold payment.
• 8.6.1 - If there are returns after a payment is made, they can withhold payment in the future or require you to pay them back.
• 8.6.2 - If a third party claims you violated rights by claiming part of your work, they have the right to not pay you anything further and can make you repay them.
• 8.7 - You're responsible for your taxes. They'll pay theirs and will provide you with any documentation you may need to pay yours.

9 - COPYRIGHT, RIGHTS PROTECTION - You appoint them as your attorney-in-fact to file copyright claims with the government. They have the right to take someone to court, and you agree to help them (at their expense).
10 - PROMOTION - They get to determine how to promote your work. You may use 10% of the work to promote yourself on blogs or websites, but can't use their name unless it's on the cover.
11 - REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES - You agree that the work is original and you have the right to sign it all over. You agree there is no libel (harmful statements about anyone), and your work doesn't break any kind of laws. You've never sold the work before, and anything you say is true, is. Your work won't bring harm to the user.
12 - YOUR INDEMNITIES - You agree not to sue them for any perceived loss. They can sue you for not upholding the agreement.
13 - NO OBLIGATION TO MAKE OR SELL - TERMINATION BY THEM - They don't have to sell your work and have the right to stop doing so at any time without telling you. They can cancel the contract with written (e-mail is fine) notification if you breach your contract per item 11 or if you fail to uphold your end of the agreement.
14 - LIMITATION OF LIABILITY - They aren't responsible for losses, damages, or theft, in any way (verbatim: WE SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM). All they're responsible for are your payments.
15 - EXECUTION OF FURTHER AGREEMENTS AND DOCUMENTS - They may need physically signed documents from you. If you don't provide them within 30 days per their instructions, you give them the right to sign for you and it's all legally binding.
16 - DISPUTES - You agree not to go to court if you have any kind of dispute. You'll use binding arbitration instead (definition: a neutral third party makes the final decision - reference here). You must follow directions listed in this section to make a claim. You agree not to join a class-action (more than one person) suit. You may take them to court over infringement claims, and they may do the same to you.
17 - APPLICABLE LAW - This is all legal according to this law: Federal Arbitration Act (Wiki link).
18 - GENERAL PROVISIONS

• 18.1 - All notices must be given in writing. Effective date is sent date or postmarked date (this includes a provision for e-mails).
• 18.2 - This agreement comes before any other agreements made.
• 18.3 - No modifications may be made unless done in writing and agreed to by everyone.
• 18.4 - This agreement doesn't mean you're partners or are in a joint venture. You can't transfer it, and neither can they. It's enforceable by your successors or assignees.
• 18.5 - If either party doesn't enforce part of the agreement, it doesn't mean they can't at a later date. If any ruling in court says any part of the agreement can't be enforced, it doesn't have any effect on the rest of the agreement. You won't assume things because they're the ones that wrote the agreement.
• 18.6 - The following sections will survive the termination of the agreement (those are the ones in bold): Sections 4, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18.

So, now you can make a decision.

Again, if you have any questions, I urge you to print out the agreement and take it to an attorney for further clarification. It's pretty straightforward, in my opinion.

I love contracts. I think they exist to protect both parties. If you're working with someone who doesn't require one, you need to be asking why.

What do you think? Remember, PLAY NICE!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

No Blog Left Behind Thanksgiving Giveaway Hop

Happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! I'm so excited to bring you my post and giveaway for the No Blog Left Behind Thanksgiving Giveaway Hop, I have no words. First, I'll go into what I'm thankful for, then I'll post the giveaway. Easy to enter, easy to win! Let's get going.

To visit the other participants, head on over to the host's blog here!

What I'm thankful for:

• My husband. Without him, I shudder to think where I'd be today. He's super supportive and gives me great advice.
• My dearest and bestest friend. You know who you are. You make every day just a little bit brighter.
• Great followers on my blog. My readers are one of a kind.
• The ability to read. Thanks to school, I can read a book and get lost in another world.
• The ability to write. I love it. Life blood!
• Authors. All of them. What else would I have to read besides my own work if not for other authors?
• Art. Because it's inspiring and relaxing, all at the same time.
• UtopYA con. If not for that awesome conference, I'm not sure if I would've met my personal goals this year.
• Collaborative writing. Wow. I've been blessed with an opportunity to write with a handful of other women I shall be proud to call friends forever.

To show my thanks, I'm giving away some prizes!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Big Thanksgiving hugs to all my readers. Thanks so much for following, subscribing, and trusting me to guide you in this crazy adventure called self-publishing.

Be sure and check out the other stops on the hop!

What are you thankful for?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Marketing Advice via Bella Roccaforte

Happy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'm continuing my post about what I learned from UtopYA Con 2014. I started it yesterday, but I'm interviewing for new editors over at INDIE Books Gone Wild and it's time-consuming. Apologies! First, a little bit of information about how I met Bella Roccaforte and what I learned from her. Put down your coffee (Gasp! Did I just say that?), grab your pens and notebooks, and let's get going; because this is going to be epic.

I met Bella at UtopYA Con and we quickly realized we're from the same area in Georgia (North Atlanta). Because I am who I am, I talked about everything marketing. Getting off the elevator, she turns and says, "You should go to the Amazon marketing panel tomorrow. I'll be there."

After all she told me over the previous hour, I would've broken an ankle to get to that panel. So, I went. It wasn't long before Bella found herself ushered to the front table by the moderator.

Things I learned:

• Stay off your book's Amazon splash page. Every click that doesn't equal a sale, gets put into the algorithms (not in a good way).
• Don't make the first book in a series free until you've written at least three. This gives you a loss-leader that starts your sales funnel.
• Keywords matter. Don't hunt for your Amazon keywords in Google (not the same search engine, ya know?).

Pretty cool, right?

Now, most Indie authors have day jobs or other things they do besides writing. Bella happens to be an SEO analyst. After the con was over, she shared the following post with us:

Links that Every Indie Author Should Know

You must go check out that post. You can thank me later.

What was the last thing you learned from someone when you weren't intending to?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Back on Track and an I, Zombie sale!

Happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I may be bringing you a guest post from my awesome featured author, Elizabeth Kirke, but it may come later. I'm not sure. It's been so darned crazy around here. But, we're settled into our new house and things are finally getting back to the way they were. That means no more spotty blog posts. Okay, they've been darn near non-existent, but such is life. I'm back on track now, and have a special announcement for you!

I, Zombie is on sale over on Amazon for the next five days. That's right, it's a countdown deal. First reduction is to $0.99. From $3.99, this is an amazing price to be able to snag a copy.

Here's where you can get it and a little about it:

Kindle: $3.99

Recommended for ages 13+ due to a mild amount of gore.

Synopsis:
It's the end of the world as we know it.

Trixie Collins is a normal teen making her way through high school. One night at a party, a boy comes on to her and won't take no for an answer. As she jerks her arm away, his fingernails cut into her skin.

When she finds her dog's mutilated body and realizes she's to blame, she starts to think maybe the zombie apocalypse they've been screaming about on the news isn't a hoax after all. Worse, she begins to think maybe she's one of the infected.

Now it's a fight for life as she joins together with her brethren to stop the humans intent on destroying them. Are zombies all bad, or is it just a huge misunderstanding?

Happy reading!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Meta-Data for Books, Videos, and a Chance to Pick My Brain

Happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'm gonna talk to you a little about meta-data for your books, show you a couple of videos, and tell you about a chance you have to ask me a question about writing, editing, self-publishing, or marketing. So grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!

Meta-Data for Your Books

What is meta-data? Namely, it's data that you can't see but has an impact on web search results. It's part of SEO (search engine optimization), and not something you should be skipping over when creating your novel. We're all familiar with tags and keywords on Amazon, Smashwords, Createspace, etc... But! Did you know you have keyword (description tags) available to you in MS Word? Best of all: There's no limit to how many you can use!

Screenshot time! I bet you're all familiar with this:

Now, that's awesome, right? You put in the document title, click save, and off to the races you go! But look a little closer and pay attention to the arrows:

Each of those is a field you can put meta-data into. Just click on them and they'll open like this:

Best part? If you've used certain tags previously, it suggests them. All you have to do is tick the check-box. Once you're done with the author name (it will auto-populate your user name on your computer), add tags and a title. When you're done, it'll look like this:

Then you can click save and all that beautiful, digital information will be embedded in the book file. How cool is that?

See? You had a tool and most likely weren't using it.

Why does it matter? Well, we all know what tags are and how they function on Amazon, right? Think about how many more you'll get with this function. Roll that around in your mind for a moment.

Ahhhhh, I can see the lights upstairs come on from all the way over here! Now you know.

Moving on...

Videos!

I promised you a couple of videos, so here you go:





Those were fun, huh? Yeah, that's a book trailer for I, Zombie and one for Chasing Shadows.

Okay! On to the next topic!

Your Chance to Pick My Brain

Natasha Hanova is hosting a Q&A session with me on her blog. I've agreed to take five industry related questions from readers. This is your chance to get an answer to a question you have (that you can't find the answer to here).

If you'd like to put a question in the hat, either comment below or DM Natasha on Twitter. You can find her here:
Natasha's Twitter Page

How about that? Did you all have fun?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo