Maurice G. Miller's Blog

I’ve made it through the initial waves of the storm. Eighteen months’ worth of writing, editing, anxiety, formatting, book cover creation, writing a blurb, self-doubt, launch promo, platform building, and experiencing all the ups and downs that go along with being a newbie Indie Author. In the end, with great pride, I can say that I have succeeded in fulfilling a lifelong dream of publishing a full length novel.

Sails no longer billowing in the wind, there is a feeling of lost control, as I set adrift on a “dead calm” sea. It is a time for continued writing, reflection, planning, waiting for reviews and feedback, and hoping that readers will find my work both enjoyable and entertaining.

This tranquil condition does not mean that work has stopped in keeping this boat running and afloat. On the contrary, with the next storm brewing somewhere out there on the horizon, vigilance, preparedness, and due diligence are all necessary as we look to find the most effective ways to market, promote, and create awareness for our art.

But here, in this state, there is also a sense of short term relief from the anxiety. A feeling that you don’t need to be as “rushed” as you made yourself to be when you began this journey. You realize that this voyage has just begun and the course set out for you will be long, at times difficult, and always unpredictable.

Sales
In preparing for launch, it didn’t take long to learn that you should not set your expectations too high, in terms of immediate sales, for the release of your first book. I have been pretty happy with my results so far, going in and out of the “top 100 paid” in the “Financial Thriller” Kindle category, and in the top 300-600 of Books> “Organized Crime” category.

I pray every day for the reviews to come back from those bloggers and reviewers that have sent me direct requests for (mostly) print copies to read and review. Part of the anxiety in waiting for these reviews is knowing that if they are favorable they may help with gaining exposure and boosting sales. The other takeaway from reviews, which to me as a new author is even more important, is providing a benchmark to evaluate and hopefully improve my writing style and skills.

It can be excruciatingly difficult for newly published authors, in a society that puts a premium on instant gratification, to exercise patience and persistence. We are all aware of cases where eventual bestselling books and authors lay dormant for months, or even years, after initial release before realizing ultimate success.

Six weeks into it, I am comfortable with where I stand on sales, but will always continue to strive to reach and attract more interested readers.

Marketing and Promo
The following are the first post launch marketing/promo avenues that I have explored, and the results of these efforts where applicable. Hopefully, newer emerging authors can gain from these experiences and this info might help contribute to their own assessments of where to spend their marketing $$.

In case you haven’t noticed, with the evolution and growing acceptance of self-published authors, the eBook market is becoming increasingly more saturated with each passing day. If you don’t have a marketing budget to promote your book, it will be very difficult to grab the attention of new readers without catching that ever elusive “lucky break.” This seems to be especially true on the fiction side of the fence. I have rated these avenues for value using the 5 star system.

*** Goodreads Giveaways– ran two 15 day giveaways (3 free books each) with about a 10 day separation between the first and second one. I opened the giveaway up to many countries for the first one to increase international exposure and received 1151 entrants. Fewer countries in the second giveaway, but still had 1000+ entries. Costs – First giveaway - $52; two books shipped to Europe ($24.59 ea.), one US ($3.22). Second giveaway - $35; one book to Europe ($24.59), one Canada ($17), and one US ($3.22). Tip: When shipping books domestic from US, let Post Office know it is “media mail” to get steep discount, and now they even have free tracking on media mail. Cost will vary with weight. My printed (paper not hardcover) book is 450 printed pages, so it’s on the high end. Add cost of ordering book from amazon, for me about $9/book includes shipping. Currently, 670+ have marked the book as “Want To Read” on Goodreads.

** Bostick Communications – Press Release - $95 Received 8 requests from bloggers/reviewers to read/review my book. Sent 6 print copies (all US) and two MOBI files. One request for interview, which I responded to, but no follow up back. Jury is still out as to if/when any of these will post reviews or provide feedback. Lots of hype about all they do for you and testimonials from authors on their web site, but who knows what they really do? Check back on future blogs for update on this.

***** KDP Select Free eBook Promotion – ran this on July 3 & 4, had a good number of downloads to propel the book to #3 in “top 100 free” in Amazon’s “Financial Thriller” category on July 4th. So far, 2000+ KENP pages read thru KU/KOLL.

** Social Media – Bottom line for me, so far, is that big social media does not equal big sales.
It is such an interesting dynamic for authors, especially new authors that don’t have a large following of readers yet. For the most part, when I Tweet, Retweet, Share, and Like, I’m now doing so with mostly other authors, many of whom are in the same boat as I am. We are all sellers. While having an active presence on social media is mandatory, I have found that so far it has accounted for only about 10% of my sales. As you begin to gain credentials as an author and build a readership, it looks like targeted Facebook ads (not Promo/Boosts of Posts) using FB’s Power Editor can be very effective. If you have a decent marketing budget and a good product with good reviews, you can realize a significant return on investment (ROI). A social media progress report will be given on my next post in this series.

Please leave comments as to what has/has not worked for you in terms of generating paid sales, and help out aspiring, emerging authors, like me, that will be reading this post.

Thanks as always for taking your time to read this. - Maurice

When sharing "uncommon" life experiences with friends, how many of us have heard the phrase ‘You should write a book.’ Having always considered taking on this challenge, I finally decided to dedicate myself to this monumental task. It has been a long, interesting journey so far, and I look forward to the trials and successes to come, as I continue on my writing/publishing career.

In the early 1990’s one of my entrepreneurial ventures led me to a great opportunity of working as a trade consultant in Hungary. At that time, the country was transitioning from a state to market economy and offered many business opportunities. In the 2+ years that I travelled there I met lots of characters in both business and political arenas. The Budapest night life could get quite crazy at times, if your ‘meetings’ and social engagements led you to certain places. It was always interesting for me ‘playing games with the faces’, as Simon and Garfunkle would put it. Sometimes my colleagues would identify people in a crowded room saying ‘I heard he is associated with the Mob’ or ‘she is one of the Organization’s women.’ It was these real life experiences that inspired me to write my debut fictional novel, The Budapest Experiment.

The book follows the journey of the protagonist, Michael Rousson, an adventurous but struggling American entrepreneur. While Michael shares a lot of the same traits as I did back then, most of his experiences in Budapest are quite different than what mine were. In the course of doing business he eventually becomes involved in the Russian Mob’s business operations that were centered in Budapest. Enticed and seduced by the Organization’s women, money, and power, he accepts what he thinks is a part time consulting position with the Mob.

While realizing the financial benefits of the ‘Mob culture,’ it also provides Michael a remote glimpse into the darker worlds of sex, drugs, and arms trafficking. His spirit, ravaged with guilt and betrayal, leads him to consider and confront two age-old philosophical dilemas: ‘At what price does one sell their soul?'and ‘What is the greater evil in the world? Those that profit from the vulnerable in society, or those of us that just stand by and watch, complacent to the plight and suffering of the human condition around the world.’ The experiences and encounters that the protagonist endures in the book are fictional and extreme, but these questions are ones that we face ourselves, to some extent, every day. How much of our time, treasure, and talent do we allocate to those less fortunate vs. what we keep for our own benefit and pleasures?

On I guess what you might call a lighter note, I should mention that there are erotica scenes in the book. As a newbie author, my decision to include these was a bit of a struggle. I considered ‘glazing over’ these scenes, but in the end felt it important to capture the intimacy between Michael, the ‘Mob Women’, and a flirty interpreter. My hope was that by including the details of these encounters, readers would better comprehend the internal conflicts of the main character, and also familarize themselves with the behind the scenes life stories of the women he encounters.

The Budapest Experiment is now available in Print and Kindle eBook. You can check it out here: http://amzn.to/1z1g09v . There are 3+ chapters in the “Look Inside” feature on the Kindle page to help you get acquainted.

You can gets lots more info including author profile, entry to win one of 15 free eBook copies on July 1, social media contacts, and much more by visiting my website www.mauricegmiller.com .

For those of you on Goodreads be sure to enter my second GR Giveaway of 3 autographed author copies going on until June 15th, http://bit.ly/1f1psB7 . You can check my Goodreads author profile http://bit.ly/1DO6y6k and while you are there please send a friend request.

As always, we welcome and encourage your questions and comments

This blog will be of most interest to fellow aspiring and published authors out there.

The Pub Sense Summit (PSS) conference, along with membership in the “Support for Indie Authors” group on Goodreads, have been two of the most impactful resources I have encountered on my initial self-publishing journey. I felt it was worth some time to share my experiences at PSS and encourage anyone starting out in the self-publishing industry to consider attending this conference next year. Maybe I’ll see you there!

I had the great pleasure and opportunity to attend PSS in Charleston, South Carolina this past March. It is an annual three day conference of sessions and keynote speakers with content directed toward new and emerging authors. You could not have asked for a better cast of faculty. As well constructed and helpful as the conference sessions and keynote speeches were, the most valuable takeaway, for me, was the networking.

The faculty consisted of industry experts across many of the disciplines of self-publishing including editors, publishers, agents, book clubs, vendors, and others. Some notables included:
Cevin Bryerman – Vice President, Publisher’s Weekly (pronounced, Kevin)
Joanna Penn – Author/Publisher/Entrepreneur – The Creative Penn
David Symonds – General Manager, Createspace
Mark Lefebvre – Director, Kobo Writing Life

The coolest part for me was that everyone was approachable, friendly, willing to help with any questions (and I had a lot of them), and offer constructive advice. There was a real feel of camaraderie being among a large group of fellow authors, especially indie authors, who are fighting the same battles and wars, trying to get their works into the hands of interested readers. You get a sense of this interacting with other authors on social media, but it is nothing like the experience you feel sharing things face to face with your peers. Time in between sessions and community meals provided ample opportunities for networking.

Of course, as is the case with any conference there were vendors trying to sell you stuff. All the “big boys” were there: Createspace/KDP/ACX, Kobo, Nook Press, Ingram Spark, Publisher’s Weekly to name a few. There were some smaller vendors I found to be quite interesting, including:
Unbound Words – a site that will set you up to sell your eBook direct from your website.
Where Writers Win– offers a wide range of marketing and social media support for new and emerging authors.
Book Frenzy Studios – developers of high quality video for book trailers.

Here are a few samples of sessions that I attended to give you an idea of what’s offered:
Master Classes on the first day (Sunday): “Increasing Exposure”
Part 1 It’s All About the Data
Part 2 – Reviews, Giveaways, & More (2 hours/Part)
Busting into Book Clubs
Legal Matters: The Least You Should Know
The Business End of the Book Biz: Takeaways
What’s Trending?: Projections/Genres

While making many new friends and contacts at the conference, the highlight, for me, was saved for last. On the final night of the conference they featured a Dish and Dialogue Dinner where you could pick a member of the faculty to have dinner with. I had the good fortune and great pleasure, along with six others, to dine with Joanna Penn. A true leader and educator in the world of self-publishing, I found Joanna to be very down to earth and cordial. She answered questions from all at the table on a wide variety of topics, although at times I felt guilty for asking too many. She has a great gift of being able to hold anyone’s attention with her wit, and light, charming, “English” accent.

I know there are many writer’s conferences out there and PSS was the first one that I ever attended. There’s nothing for me to benchmark to, but hopefully, in the future, I will be able to attend many more of these gatherings and continue to make strategic connections in the industry.

So that’s it…just a brief synopsis that I hope gave you an idea of what the conference was all about. As always, we welcome any questions and comments you may have.

Our next blog will be a behind the scenes look at the writing and story line behind "The Budapest Experiment", now available in print on Amazon.

The eBook version will be available on May 25th through Kindle Direct.

Until next time…thanks for reading.
Maurice

Creative Commons
Flickr Graphic By Deb

Looking through world headlines these days, you can’t help but take notice of all that is going on with Russia on the world stage. For me, an interesting sidebar to these global events are stories on the role that Hungary could potentially play in Russia’s plans.

The setting of my soon to be released fiction novel, “The Budapest Experiment”, takes place in Hungary in the year 1991. Having spent some time there in the early nineties, I have always held an interest in the progress of Hungary’s democracy, economy, and people. Heavy subject matter, I agree, but I hope you find it interesting.

I promise my next blog will have lighter content, as I provide an update on my experiences at The 2015 Pub Sense Summit, a conference dedicated to aspiring authors.

Region in Crisis
The annexation of Crimea and the support of rebel forces in eastern Ukraine have resulted in serious economic sanctions against Russia from the US, Western Europe, and other nations in 2014. Additional sanctions in 2015 seem inevitable. This, combined with falling oil prices, have done some serious damage to the Russian economy. Many are predicting a renewal of the Cold War, and every day there are stories of Russia flexing its military muscle, in one capacity or another, at different locations around the globe. On top of this, the recent assassination of Boris Nemstov, leader of a political opposition group against Putin’s policies, adds more fuel to the fire.

Recent assaults in the Ukraine cities of Donetsk, Lugansk, and Mariupol are evidence that the alleged Russian backed rebel movement is gaining momentum. Securing critical border locations and transportation routes between Ukraine and Russia would allow for covert movements of military resources between the two countries. I am certainly no expert in the area of global political, and military strategies, but it would not be surprising for me to see the rebels slowly gain more control of Ukrainian territory. Perhaps by the end of 2015 going so far as to make a move on Odessa, a major Ukrainian seaport on the northern shores of the Black Sea with key trade routes to Eastern and Western Europe. A recent ceasefire agreement between the rebels and Ukraine government seems to be falling apart quickly, with the rebel forces gaining control of yet another city in eastern Ukraine. The big question is will the US and its allies have to become involved in some military capacity to stop the rebel advances, increasing tensions with Russia, and putting the world on the brink?

What's Hungary Got To Do With It?
Much like the protagonist in my fiction novel, my first trip to Hungary was in January of 1991. It was fourteen months after the fall of the Berlin wall and the perceived end of the Cold War that had been going on for decades. I remember it as a time of great excitement, hope, and anticipation, as Russia and the former Soviet Bloc countries in Eastern/Central Europe were transitioning from Communism to Democracy, and from state to market economies. Hungary and Poland were at the forefront of this transition, with business laws in place to encourage foreign direct investment, privatization, and repatriation of profits.

As we look at Hungary 25 years later, there is an interesting dynamic going on with the current ruling Fidesz party and the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Some experts feel the Hungarian government is shifting allegiances more toward Russia and away from the European Union. The country’s key geographical location in Central Europe could be a vital piece in the political strategy puzzle that Vladimir Putin may be trying to put together. While this may seem like a far-fetched idea, citizens of Hungary are concerned about this, evidenced by large demonstrations in Budapest recently. This dynamic was reinforced by a recent cordial meeting between Putin and Orban on February 17, 2015, where an agreement was reached over natural gas supplies and routes. Putin’s meeting was sandwiched in between the reportedly, not so friendly, meetings with European Union (EU) leaders the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Poland’s Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz. As all three of these meetings were taking place, Hungarians took to the streets of Budapest in protest, fears of a return to a Communist way of life living in the hearts of many.

Orban has recently come under scrutiny for returning the country toward centralized systems in public education and administration. Political corruption in the government has also been made to be a point of contention. The US recently denied six Hungarian diplomats entry into the country based on outstanding corruption charges. Orban is now faced with a political tug of war and the challenge of straddling the fence, trying to balance relations with both Russia and the EU. Hungary has been part of the EU since 2004. Will Hungary be the first EU country to defect and join instead the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU)? Will the EEU expand their integration to include military and political union? It will be an interesting situation to keep an eye on.

Thanks so much for reading my blog and please add in your thoughts and comments. We would love to hear them. It really is a situation that has ramifications across the globe, and can have an effect on literally all of us.

Hope you can join me again for my next blog as I take you for a behind the scenes look at Pub Sense Summit.

Lots of up to date stuff on The Budapest Beacon , if you are interested.

Sign posted referencing the Soviet invasion that crushed a Hungarian democratic revolution and uprising in 1956. Symbolic maybe, but could it really be happening all over again?
Creative Commons
Flickr Photo by Zsolt Vajda


Maurice

Creative Commons
Flickr Photo by Oliver Clarke

I am willing to accept that I get zero creativity points for this blog. Not the first self-pub author to document their journey toward the release of their first book. It is my hope that I can bring a somewhat different point of view, as I look at my research and experiences so far in the self-publishing industry from a business perspective. Maybe there will be something here that will help or inspire my fellow newbie self-pub authors on their own paths. It is also my goal to provide those readers, who enjoy taking chances and reading the works of newly self-pub authors, an inside view of the challenges and obstacles that many of us endure.

For those that happened to look at my Goodreads Author Page, you will know that I confess to being a business geek. The approach I am using toward my new writing career is no different than the approach I would take to starting any new business. Due diligence requires spending hours and hours of industry related research, analysis of the competitive landscape, marketing tactics, and avenues of promotion, all piled on top of taking a year to write a 150,000 word novel. What I have found is that there are waves and waves of web sites, social media predators, and other enticing online promise makers out there preying on the dreams of self pub authors looking to lure them into spending money in return for "great exposure". Navigating yourself through these, and discerning what is the course that is most beneficial for you can be daunting.

Good News/Bad News
The good news for aspiring authors is that anyone, with a little guidance, can write, publish, and sell (or giveaway) a book with very little cost involved. For those authors interested in getting their books into the hands of as many readers as possible, this can be the bad news as well. The role of “content gatekeeper” is now taken on by readers of self-pub authors in addition to the editors of traditional publishing firms. Inspired by stories of authors who were rejected time and time again by traditional publishers that went on to be wildly successful (i.e. J.K. Rowling), we hope to be the next one discovered. Self-publishing has grown quickly in the past few years pumping so many new titles across all genres into the market. How can we get our work to stand out and be recognized amidst the glut of titles out there? There seems to be a consensus among successful indie publishers of what it takes to get noticed by readers.

Essentials
My research has found many experts agree that the keys to a successful book launch and getting noticed should include: 1) Professional editing, 2) professionally designed book cover, 3) an enticing summary or "blurb", 4)well developed author web site and platform, and 5) generating email lists. Some may argue over one or more of these points, but overall it’s probably a great place to start.

I don’t think there’s much dispute that content is king and making your content new, different, creative, and distinguishable from the rest of the pack in your genre will give you a much better chance to succeed. Great content eventually finds its own level of interest with readers, and the more you can produce, the more successful you’ll be. Not an earth-shattering new philosophy, but certainly one we can abide by. The title of one of the first books that I read on the industry (by Sean Platt, Johnny B. Truant) has become the mantra of many successful indie authors and one that I have adopted: Write, Publish, Repeat. Don’t get too hung up on what happens with your first book, it will always be there as an asset. Writers should be in it for the long haul. Keep writing, storytelling, marketing, promoting, publishing, and improving the skills of your craft in all of these areas.

Marketing
Many times on Goodreads and other places, I read about new authors lamenting that they published their first work with little time spent, and knowledge of, how to market a book. It makes sense that there are probably many new authors out there that have had little or no background or training in sales and marketing. I think in many cases there is often a rush to publish, and who can blame a new author's anxiety for wanting to get their work out there. I am chomping at the bit myself. A member in one of my Goodreads groups, Support for Indie Authors, put it nicely starting a thread called "premature publication". Some authors, I have heard mention, do not have the money/resources to invest in promotion/marketing.
As I build my own author platform and marketing plan there are many things to consider.
Which retailer(s) do I use for my first book’s launch? Paper vs. eBook considerations?
What will be the pricing strategy?
Should I hold back on investing too much into marketing until the sequel to my novel is finished 6-8 months down the road?
How do I manage all the social media platforms? Which will be the most effective? Are there really Facebook and Twitter "click farms" in India that make it appear our paid ads are working?
How will I allocate my time between marketing/promoting the first novel and writing the sequel?

Coming Soon
Part 2 of this blog series, and hopefully the answers to some of the questions posted above. Before that, my next blog will be on my experiences and takeaways from the Pub Sense Summit held in Charleston, SC 3/23-25. This is a conference that is in its second year and has three days of sessions with topics designed to help emerging authors. Keynote speakers include Joanna Penn, author/publisher/entrepreneur, of “The Creative Penn”, David Symonds, General Manager of Createspace, and Cevin Bryerman, VP of Publisher’s Weekly.

Please leave any comments you may have, we'd love to hear and discuss them, and as always thanks for checking out the blog. Come back soon !!