Seven No Nonsense Book Launch Tips for Broke Authors

I can use all the tips for broke authors I can get, seeing as how I am putting together a book launch with a budget of zero dollars.

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Have you considered or used some of these strategies?

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Do you have other advice for a broke author planning her first launch?

WordServe Water Cooler

 

I am launching a book.

My memoir, Sun Shine Down, published at the end of August with T. S. Poetry Press. Eeek!

As a broke, green as the grass in mid-July first time author, I tackled the daunting assignment of launching a book like any other able-minded individual in North America.

I googled ‘book launch.’

In .02 seconds, reputable results-driven marketing and publicity firms jumped into my line of vision. These people surely could launch my book into the stratosphere!

But after some number crunching and a realistic talk with my husband about where hiring a publicist falls in the needs of a family of six (braces, soccer, therapy, FOOD), I conceded. We could not hire help for Sun Shine Down.

These days, whether we sign with a big publisher, a small press, or self-publish, we bear much of the responsibility for launching our own books…

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#ShortStorySaturday – Keep Your Enemies Closest – Part 3

Yep. Some time in the next day or so I’m going to have to find the time to read the two previous installments of this story. What I’ve read so far seems pretty cool, though.
What do you think?

A Keyboard and an Open Mind

Today’s installment of Keep Your Enemies Closest is a bit longer than most – if I had realised last week, I would have just made the effort to edit the next three paragraphs and then finish that excerpt at the “~*~”.  As it is, it was about 700 words before I could find a good spot to stop. So bonus for you! If you’re new to my Short Story Saturday posts, you can find some background on the universe in which the story is set here, and here are parts one and two.

If you have a short story you would like to share, come hang out on the linky and see what others are sharing as well. Thanks to Ink and Papyrus for hosting us! And now without further ado, on with the story!

Now that he wasn’t trying to appear imposing, Captain Gallivan took the time…

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TPG reviews: The Ocean At The End Of The Lane, by Neil Gaiman

OK, I read this book review when it came out. It really makes the book seem interesting. Has anyone else read The Ocean At The End Of The Lane, and would you recommend it to someone who is easily creeped out? (although I think some of the creep factor could be toned down if I read it aloud to my husband. Things aren’t as scary with him around.)

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P.S. We will be returning to our regularly scheduled programming on…Saturday.

Tomorrow is just too busy to try and get a blog post together.

Confession of a Book Snob #1

Wow! According to this I’m a book snob.

😀  Cool.

I see nothing wrong with that.

But now I’m curious.

Are you a book snob?

Ask Kaitlyn: Plans

O.K., this one made me laugh out loud.  (don’t you just love it when that happens?)

And she quite accurately sums up my feelings about college.

Kaitlyn Deann

There is this one certain girl that keeps up with me and everything I do, like my personal stalker, you know? It’s actually extremely flattering. She’s one of the sweetest girls I’ve ever conversed with online. She goes by Hannah.

Hannah emailed me the other day, asking me to write a blog post (or make a vlog, but I just laughed at that idea since I don’t feel like getting dressed or doing my hair or making attractive facial expressions) to answer a few of her questions. Here is her message:

 

Hey Kaitlyn,

I was wondering, are you going to college? What do you plan to do in the near future? Maybe you could make a vlog/blog post about this? That’d be awesome!! 🙂

Hannah ><>

 

What I love about this post is that I’ve been asked these questions so many times within this last year that my…

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We Meet Again, Blog Commitment

Jessica makes me giggle. We may not be even on the same side of the planet, but there are times she writes like I think (yes, inside my head).
Plus, I just couldn’t pass up the photo (and quote) from Keeping Up Appearances. 🙂
Enjoy!

A Very Bossy Poem

Reblogging myself.

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It’s nice when you look back over your work several months later and it still looks good to you. It doesn’t always happen, but it’s really nice when you can re-read something of your own and not even slightly cringe.

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May all our projects turn out so well.  🙂

Rose's Road

In the middle of the night, I was awakened by a poem forming in my mind.  It would not leave me alone.  So, in self-defense, I wrote it down.  It took several attempts at sleep to get all the stanzas onto paper.  Finally, it seemed that I was done.  But no, by that time I needed to eat something (I had a headache. One of the many warning signals I receive when my blood sugar is low).  Even then, rest did not come.  This poem is demanding to be read by many, and would not let me go until I had promised to put it on my blog.

So here it is.  Let me know what you think of it.

I…am going to take a nap.

 

Lucky Ducky

 

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Rubber Ducky

You’re so lucky

You get to play

Every day

Morning and night

It’s just so right

You…

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No S. Sherlock!

Shopping… with 5 kids.  A brave woman. 🙂

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Here are some of her thoughts about comments from fellow shoppers.

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Magnificent Mommyhood

Why must we, as human beings, state the obvious?

I do it, I have caught myself many times doing this very thing.  Making comments like, “You’re bleeding” or “You look sick” to an individual who was quite (sometimes painfully) aware.

I remained blissfully unaware of the extent of this epidemic however, until sometime around the third (3rd!) kid.  As I have brought more and more children into “public” over the years, the number one comment I get (generally as I am carrying one child, chasing another and one or more is crying in the cart due to a sudden drop in the barometric pressure-or some other extremely valid reason) is, “You have your hands FULL!”

What I would like to say is, “REALLY?  YA THINK?”  I usually temper my response however, and say something like, “I sure do!”

The second most common response to my gaggle of children is, “Are they ALL yours?”

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The Dying Art of Punctuation

ReGi makes some very good points about punctuation. Punctuating it with images and video. 😉
She made me laugh…then go to YouTube to watch some of Victor Borge’s concerts.

This has eaten up my entire evening. Although, I don’t begrudge a moment of all this laughter. 🙂

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Here is her absorbing post about not ignoring the comma, and please don’t leave off the period.
Enjoy!

ReGi McClain

The noble comma. There is no more baffling character in the entire English language. In the world of homeschooling, there are whole units based solely upon the proper use of this tiny squiggle.

Sadly, the comma is being neglected by today’s society. Granted, anything that small which requires college courses to master is bound to eventually become, if not obsolete, widely ignored.

But, People, is it really necessary to consign periods to the same fate? They’re so simple. In the UK, they are quite sensibly referred to as full stops. All you must do to determine their place is to decide when you would have taken a breath if you were speaking. They take hardly any time or space, so even the verbose among us need not cast them aside.

In years past, punctuation was considered important in any form of writing, even informal letters. Since social media became the…

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How to Train Your Dragon 2 – teaser trailer released

*Gasp!*
My first look at the upcoming sequel to How To Train Your Dragon!
I HAD to share this. 🙂

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P.S. What are Your thoughts?