Graham Field's Blog
February 17, 2023
Live Facebook Launch Party
I Should Have Left the Whiskey virtual launch party. I'm going to tell you a bit about the new book, the journey to publication and some anecdotes from India and China. I'm hoping for a light-hearted, upbeat event with some Q & A interaction form my virtual audience. So grab an appropriate beverage depending on your timezone, sit back and watch me attempt my first ever live FB event.
18.30 GMT Saturday 18th Feb 2023
https://www.facebook.com/events/73046...
18.30 GMT Saturday 18th Feb 2023
https://www.facebook.com/events/73046...
August 2, 2022
Cast your vote.
As I might have mentioned in the past, now living in Bulgaria, the UK show scene is no longer a logistically viable place to sell books. But there’s an infinite larger global audience on Amazon than at any individual bike show.
A guru I know said to me at the beginning of the year, ‘I know you despise what Amazon stand for, but you are one person, you will not bring them down. Embrace what they can offer, worldwide distribution, it’s never been easier to be an independent author.’
She’s right of course, so embrace it I have, well not a loving hug, more a nod of acknowledgment from across the street. Anyway, the point of this newsletter is: You know the pannier box set I do? The most inspired packaging in the travel book genre. Perhaps you read about its inception in Not Working, or was it Near Varna
Well, doing that embrace thing I’ve come to learn I can do a virtual box set for kindle readers. My research even led me to read my first book on a kindle, (not my first book, just the first eBook I’ve ever read – god, English can be so confusing, perhaps I should write in Bulgarian). I still don’t like them (kindles, not Bulgarians). My life is too much screen time as it is, I want a physical book at the end of the day, a different view. But a lot of people love kindles so again, putting principles aside (selling out), I’ve embraced that virtual market to produce a kindle three book panier box set.
Like the physical one it will be cheaper to buy my first three books this way and they will look fab in a virtual bookshelf, probably. And this is where I would like to ask for your help. As with any project you immerse yourself in, be it building a bike, bathroom or box set, you get so immersed and involved in it that it’s tough to be objective. I’ve designed four covers. And I wondered which one you think is best as I’m just too damn obsessed with them now to make a clear and calculated decision. Before voting, bear in mind this will be a thumbnail icon on an Amazon page so it has to be striking rather than intricately intriguing.
Vote here https://us18.list-manage.com/survey?u...
Incidentally, the first kindle book I read was ‘More Ketchup than Salsa’ by Joe Cawley
It’s about an English couple moving to Tenerife to open a bar, true story (I don’t read fiction), slightly embellished in places, I think, but that did give it page turning (or swiping in the kindle case) addiction. Good little story.
And finally, the new book I’ve been working on since January is now at 170,000 words and somewhere on the distant horizon an end is in sight, but the journey is still a long way from completion.
Cheers,
Graham
A guru I know said to me at the beginning of the year, ‘I know you despise what Amazon stand for, but you are one person, you will not bring them down. Embrace what they can offer, worldwide distribution, it’s never been easier to be an independent author.’
She’s right of course, so embrace it I have, well not a loving hug, more a nod of acknowledgment from across the street. Anyway, the point of this newsletter is: You know the pannier box set I do? The most inspired packaging in the travel book genre. Perhaps you read about its inception in Not Working, or was it Near Varna
Well, doing that embrace thing I’ve come to learn I can do a virtual box set for kindle readers. My research even led me to read my first book on a kindle, (not my first book, just the first eBook I’ve ever read – god, English can be so confusing, perhaps I should write in Bulgarian). I still don’t like them (kindles, not Bulgarians). My life is too much screen time as it is, I want a physical book at the end of the day, a different view. But a lot of people love kindles so again, putting principles aside (selling out), I’ve embraced that virtual market to produce a kindle three book panier box set.
Like the physical one it will be cheaper to buy my first three books this way and they will look fab in a virtual bookshelf, probably. And this is where I would like to ask for your help. As with any project you immerse yourself in, be it building a bike, bathroom or box set, you get so immersed and involved in it that it’s tough to be objective. I’ve designed four covers. And I wondered which one you think is best as I’m just too damn obsessed with them now to make a clear and calculated decision. Before voting, bear in mind this will be a thumbnail icon on an Amazon page so it has to be striking rather than intricately intriguing.
Vote here https://us18.list-manage.com/survey?u...
Incidentally, the first kindle book I read was ‘More Ketchup than Salsa’ by Joe Cawley
It’s about an English couple moving to Tenerife to open a bar, true story (I don’t read fiction), slightly embellished in places, I think, but that did give it page turning (or swiping in the kindle case) addiction. Good little story.
And finally, the new book I’ve been working on since January is now at 170,000 words and somewhere on the distant horizon an end is in sight, but the journey is still a long way from completion.
Cheers,
Graham
April 28, 2022
Free Audio book of a ride through Ukraine
This free excerpt is mine, and only my, experience of a ten day ride I did through the Ukraine. It was part of a much longer journey from the UK to Mongolia, through Russia and beyond, from a book called ‘In search of greener grass’
I believe that travel turns a country that was just a shape on the atlas, a name in a news report, into something real. It becomes personal: real people with real lives, and first hand experiences. And in case you have never had the pleasure of visiting Ukraine I’d like to share my view, my impression.
If you feel that this insight I give you is of any value at all, then my efforts to offer my views were not in vain. Now, if you can put a price on that value please take the time to just send a quid or a dollar and any denomination of your currency to the In Search of Greener GrassIn Search of Greener GrassUkraine Humanitarian Fund:
https://crisisrelief.un.org/t/ukraine
I know you are not an oligarch; we are all struggling to some degree, but a token donation will make a difference, anything is better than nothing.
Thank you, be safe and don’t read fiction.
https://grahamfield.co.uk/ukraine-fre...
I believe that travel turns a country that was just a shape on the atlas, a name in a news report, into something real. It becomes personal: real people with real lives, and first hand experiences. And in case you have never had the pleasure of visiting Ukraine I’d like to share my view, my impression.
If you feel that this insight I give you is of any value at all, then my efforts to offer my views were not in vain. Now, if you can put a price on that value please take the time to just send a quid or a dollar and any denomination of your currency to the In Search of Greener GrassIn Search of Greener GrassUkraine Humanitarian Fund:
https://crisisrelief.un.org/t/ukraine
I know you are not an oligarch; we are all struggling to some degree, but a token donation will make a difference, anything is better than nothing.
Thank you, be safe and don’t read fiction.
https://grahamfield.co.uk/ukraine-fre...
January 21, 2022
Why I'm giving away an audio book to my subscribers.
Greetings from cold and snowy Bulgaria
I wantta tell you a story but in case you don’t have time let me get the point.
I’ve just started offering new subscribers to my website a free audio book just for subscribing,
https://grahamfield.co.uk
I also have breaking news of a brand-new book.
If you’re interested as to why I'm giving my products away, and what this new book here’s the story, an explanation.
When I started doing this book thing over 10 years ago there were basically 2 ways to build an audience, the real world and the virtual one. I used both frequently and ferociously. I attended some kind of motorcycle, adventure or travel event just about every weekend, selling my book(s) and doing presentations. I also had a strong presence on Facebook and other social media platforms. I built a following of well over 5000. Imagine if they all bought my new book at £13 from my website, that would be £65,000 gross, wouldn’t that be lovely? But it doesn’t work like that, not even close. Even Ted Simon with his new book got less than 300 website pre-orders. Incidentally, he also gave his book away chapter by chapter via his mailouts.
Here’s the thing, I moved to Bulgaria and a 1600-mile ‘commute’ to work was not practical. Then the planet became contagious and it became increasingly harder to travel anywhere, and even if you got there, the shows were cancelled or poorly attended if staged at all.
The Social network platforms went public and got greedy so as to achieve greater dividends for their shareholders. Where previously a post could engage most of your audience, now they want you to pay to reach your followers. A post on my Facebook page reaches about 35 of my 2500 followers, and a post on my timeline might engage 250 of my 3000+ friends and significantly less if there is any kind of an advert or link to a webpage in the post.
The news of the launch of ‘Near Varna’ in the summer of 2020 created a lot of pre-orders, one year later I found that trying to get the word out of the sequel, all avenues were choked, Facebook was Not Working.
Social media might make your cat famous, but it won’t promote your product anymore.
So what to do?
I’ve been doing my research, watching webinars and applying what I'm learning. The reoccurring theme of advice is ‘grow your mailing list’. Because people who subscribe are people who are truly interested in what you do, plus you have full control of how often you engage with them and what you want to tell them.
This will save posting endlessly on social media and then scrolling to reply. The time can be spent actually writing, which is the aspect of being an author that I enjoy the most, however the process is pointless task if no one knows about your books.
So I've reconfigured my website, now anyone can comment on any of my blogs and I get an alert so I can respond.
Now, how to entice people to my site? The answer: give ‘em free shit.
Hence the free audio book download, and this ties in with something else which is very big. The breaking news is: There’s this bloke called Sam Manicom and has got me and 19 other authors together to tell their stories of ‘why we do it’ not deal with Amazon but ride our bikes. The book is called ‘The Moment Collectors’ and the free audiobook download is me telling of the return from the trip I write about in this new book.
I have more to tell but that will be in another newsletter coming soon.
Cheers
Graham
I wantta tell you a story but in case you don’t have time let me get the point.
I’ve just started offering new subscribers to my website a free audio book just for subscribing,
https://grahamfield.co.uk
I also have breaking news of a brand-new book.
If you’re interested as to why I'm giving my products away, and what this new book here’s the story, an explanation.
When I started doing this book thing over 10 years ago there were basically 2 ways to build an audience, the real world and the virtual one. I used both frequently and ferociously. I attended some kind of motorcycle, adventure or travel event just about every weekend, selling my book(s) and doing presentations. I also had a strong presence on Facebook and other social media platforms. I built a following of well over 5000. Imagine if they all bought my new book at £13 from my website, that would be £65,000 gross, wouldn’t that be lovely? But it doesn’t work like that, not even close. Even Ted Simon with his new book got less than 300 website pre-orders. Incidentally, he also gave his book away chapter by chapter via his mailouts.
Here’s the thing, I moved to Bulgaria and a 1600-mile ‘commute’ to work was not practical. Then the planet became contagious and it became increasingly harder to travel anywhere, and even if you got there, the shows were cancelled or poorly attended if staged at all.
The Social network platforms went public and got greedy so as to achieve greater dividends for their shareholders. Where previously a post could engage most of your audience, now they want you to pay to reach your followers. A post on my Facebook page reaches about 35 of my 2500 followers, and a post on my timeline might engage 250 of my 3000+ friends and significantly less if there is any kind of an advert or link to a webpage in the post.
The news of the launch of ‘Near Varna’ in the summer of 2020 created a lot of pre-orders, one year later I found that trying to get the word out of the sequel, all avenues were choked, Facebook was Not Working.
Social media might make your cat famous, but it won’t promote your product anymore.
So what to do?
I’ve been doing my research, watching webinars and applying what I'm learning. The reoccurring theme of advice is ‘grow your mailing list’. Because people who subscribe are people who are truly interested in what you do, plus you have full control of how often you engage with them and what you want to tell them.
This will save posting endlessly on social media and then scrolling to reply. The time can be spent actually writing, which is the aspect of being an author that I enjoy the most, however the process is pointless task if no one knows about your books.
So I've reconfigured my website, now anyone can comment on any of my blogs and I get an alert so I can respond.
Now, how to entice people to my site? The answer: give ‘em free shit.
Hence the free audio book download, and this ties in with something else which is very big. The breaking news is: There’s this bloke called Sam Manicom and has got me and 19 other authors together to tell their stories of ‘why we do it’ not deal with Amazon but ride our bikes. The book is called ‘The Moment Collectors’ and the free audiobook download is me telling of the return from the trip I write about in this new book.
I have more to tell but that will be in another newsletter coming soon.
Cheers
Graham
