Candice Jarrett's Blog

The winners of this year’s Reader Ready Awards have been announced, and I’m so pleased to share that MORTAL TETHER has been awarded TOP PICK for 2024!!

Thank you so much to the judges and to everyone who reached out to me today to offer their words of encouragement and congratulations. The love and support from my family, friends, and readers has filled me with such joy. I appreciate every single one of you. Thank you so much.

What is the book about?

Mortal Tether is a sci-fi thriller about a teen girl and boy who rescue an orphaned baby from immortal monsters during an extinction-level event. The trio soon discover the people they run to for help… are the monsters they should truly fear. It’s a heart-pounding and unforgettable story of friendship, family, and finding your courage. Ages: 13 – Adult. 

Read a preview here

want a copy?

Amazon has the paperback, hardcover, and ebook. It is currently the only place to get an ebook because I’m enrolled in Kindle Unlimited (which is exclusive to Amazon.) The physical books are printed as they are ordered and shipped from Amazon to you. The audiobook will be coming in 2024.

If you prefer to have an autographed copy, I have a limited stock available either from me directly on MortalTether.com or through my TikTok shop.

My book is also available online at BarnesandNoble.com and at Back Again Bookshop in Myrtle Beach, SC. 

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The post Mortal Tether Wins AWARD!!! appeared first on Candice Jarrett.

(Article written December 4, 2023)

It’s an unfortunate statistic that most self-published authors sell less than 250 books in their lifetime – no matter how many novels they write. Despite knowing the odds, I chose to walk this path anyway.

I still hope to become a *full time* author someday, to be able to make a living from my books. But in order to do that, I need an absolute TON of people to become familiar with my writing, decide they like my style of storytelling, and to want to purchase future books. 

My debut novel MORTAL TETHER has been published for 2 months. As far as indie authors go, it’s off to a decent start. My book has been selling slowly but surely on Amazon and the lady who works at the post office recognizes me now because of sales from my TikTok shop. Every time I come in she says “Hey! You sold another one!” or “Look at that! Two today!” She has no idea how much these little moments of encouragement mean. But I digress…

Back to talking about Amazon.

I held off for as long as I could before enrolling in Kindle Unlimited. While KU does allow me to be exposed to more readers, I only make 20% from a complete KU read in comparison to what I would have made for an eBook sale at retail price. I ultimately signed up for the program as I was nearing the 2 month mark because I knew I needed to enact a plan to jumpstart my book while still in its first quarter. This first year is critical, and I don’t have time to waste.

Every 90 days, Amazon allows authors enrolled in KDP select to do a free eBook promotion. Instead of just setting my book to *free* and watching a handful of downloads roll in over the course of five days, I decided to use it as an opportunity to increase my exposure to as many readers as humanly possible. 

I resolved to shout from the rooftops and convince every single person I could to read MORTAL TETHER for FREE with the goal of making it to the top 100 free books on Amazon. 

But I had seen fellow indie authors on social media say they were struggling to get people to download even free books… so I knew this was still going to be an uphill battle… In order to make it into the top 100 (and risk publicly failing if I didn’t) I knew it would take some pretty drastic measures for a debut indie-author like me. Let me walk you through a timeline of how everything unfolded…

#image_2023159103 { width: 100%;} #gap-1867891854 { padding-top: 30px;} November 24th 

This is the day my promotion started.

I began by making tons of videos and blasted them all over TikTok, X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. I joined Facebook groups devoted to sharing news about free books on Kindle. I reached out to friends and strangers… and amazing, kind people rallied to my cause, shouting it along with me. With social media alone, this was enough to get me my very first #1 spot on a category chart for the first time!!! That happened on November 25th at roughly 6PM EST.  As you’ll see in the chart below, my downloads cooled on November 26th, but my book remained in the #1 position in Post-Apocalyptic Teen Fiction and rose to #2 and #3 in other categories.

#image_179386485 { width: 100%;} #gap-760301478 { padding-top: 30px;} November 27th & 28th

Despite reaching #1 in my category for the first time, I realized that I’d need a further push to break the top 100 books overall.

Though it was extremely last minute, I found a few newsletter promotions I was able to squeeze into and I stacked them for the last two days of the promo. I continued making videos and posting on social media as well. This was enough to get me 3 more #1 category spots and make my book peak at #74 in Kindle’s Top 100 Free books!!!

#image_1855541606 { width: 100%;} #image_812215495 { width: 100%;} NEARLY 3000 PEOPLE DOWNLOADED MY BOOK!!

My results: just shy of 3000 people decided to take a chance on my book and downloaded it, skyrocketing MORTAL TETHER to the top 100 books on Amazon in the Kindle store and launching me to #1 in four categories (YA Apocalypse, Teen Thriller, YA Dystopias, and Supernatural Mystery). 

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While that is a significant accomplishment, and believe me – getting that many people to download even a free ebook is no easy feat – I know some of my fellow authors might be unsettled by the fact I’d give away so many free books after working so hard writing my book over the past 5 years.

I understand. Our books are valuable and cost money for us to publish (ISBNs, graphic designers, software etc. aren’t cheap!) so of course we want to make a return as soon as possible. 

However, I decided to take a risk on this bold move for a couple reasons. 

1. I am a debut author

While I will likely continue this strategy for future books, it was especially important to me as a first-time author to get my name out there and expose my work to more readers. I look at it as a way to jumpstart my reader-base for future books.

2. Some People may still purchase my book

A bunch of my ARC readers who had gotten my book for free ended up actually buying it either for themselves or for their kids. (At least 5 that I know of.) 

It amazed me at the time that they loved the book so much, they wanted a physical copy. Because of them, I believe there’s a chance some of the 3K people who got my book for free on Amazon may end up feeling the same way.

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In addition to ARC readers telling me via reviews that they would be likely to buy physical copies of my book (or reaching out to me directly to tell me), 92% of Netgalley respondents who were polled after reading my book indicated that they would purchase it!! These were promising numbers.  

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I’ve seen a small bump in physical book sales after the promo ended, though I have only recouped about 17% of what I spent on the campaign. (Again, it’s only been a week though, so not enough time to gauge the full impact.) Below is a chart that shows my royalty earnings for the days before and following the promo.

#image_1545317952 { width: 100%;} #gap-322629076 { padding-top: 30px;} 3. Reviews and Ratings

Even if people don’t buy the physical book after reading the eBook, they might leave a review which could encourage other people to buy.

When I ran this promotion a week ago, I only had 11 reviews on Amazon. Now I have 18. Being that it’s only been 7 days since my promo ended, I see this as a victory.

And as a bonus, because people downloaded it through Amazon itself, these are showing up as *verified* reviews unlike the early reviews I got because of Netgalley and my ARC team.

#image_277008700 { width: 100%;} #gap-1288747560 { padding-top: 52px;} 4. Increasing visibility on Goodreads

Before I ran this promotion, I had 29 people with my book marked “To-Read” on Goodreads with 3 people “Currently Reading”. Most of these people came from Netgalley and TikTok. 

Now, one week after the promo, I have 43 people who marked it “To-Read” and 17 people “Currently Reading”.

Over this week, several people also marked it “Read”. 

#image_633898142 { width: 100%;} 5. Making Use of Amazon's Internal Marketing

My Amazon followers for my author page shot up this week from 20 to 61. Here’s what Amazon says about followers:

Amazon Followers

The Follow button on your Author Page allows Amazon customers to add you to their favorite authors, and is designed so that customers who follow you can learn about new titles as they become available, including Book Recommendations you make via Amazon Author Central.

If your followers allow marketing emails from Amazon.com, they are eligible to be notified within 60 days of your book’s release or availability for pre-order on our website.

Continue Series You’ve Started…

Amazon also has a feature where they promote series a reader has already started while they browsing their kindle. When book #2 in the MORTAL TETHER series comes out, those 3000 people have a chance of seeing my new book on their kindles because they’ve already purchased the first book in the series. (Even though the book was free, Amazon still counts it as a purchase.) 

#image_1604481841 { width: 100%;} #gap-101928293 { padding-top: 30px;} Helping Amazon Understand My Audience

Lastly, by having so many people choose to download my book, this helps Amazon understand who my target audience is. I don’t have any insights into their internal processes, but I strongly suspect that this data of who was inclined to get my book in relation to what other books they ultimately purchased with their Amazon account, will help the platform understand who my target reader is. 

Will I do this again?

ABSOLUTELY! I actually have thoughts and ideas on how I might improve this to get higher on the chart and reach even more readers next time around…  But I’ll save that for a future post.

If you found this helpful

I’ve spent countless hours over the past 5+ years researching everything I could about publishing and book marketing. Authors sharing their own experiences of what worked, what didn’t, and the process of trial and error really helped me forge my own path. I hope that sharing this information may help another indie author who is in the beginning stages of their journey. 

If you found this information helpful, please consider subscribing to my newsletter! It would really help me out a lot. Please note: I do have a paid tier for my substack, but the free tier includes access to bonus content, exclusive giveaways, publishing and writing tips, and much more! 

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The post I got 3000 Amazon Readers in 5 Days. This is What Happened… appeared first on Candice Jarrett.

I recently did an experiment where I went head-to-head with ChatGPT, writing a science fiction novel to compare and contrast an A.I.’s approach to fiction as opposed to a human author. (My sci-fi book is here.) 

The Prompt:

Write a science fiction novel opening from a first-person point of view.

That was the only prompt I gave ChatGPT and the only direction I took myself. Here’s what we each came up with.

ChatGPT’s Opening:

“I woke up with a jolt, disoriented and surrounded by a cold metallic hum. The last thing I remembered was the blinding flash of light and the deafening roar of an explosion. As my vision cleared, I realized I was lying in a sleek, futuristic chamber filled with pulsating screens and unfamiliar technology.”

My Opening:

“You don’t remember taking your first breath, but you sure as hell remember taking your last. The rattle of pus in your lungs. The explosion in the base of your skull as nanites cross the blood-brain barrier and begin devouring the soft flesh of your fragile brain. They say morphine disrupts the transfer of consciousness in the moments after death, and the machines need us to feel every bit of it for the damn thing to work. I call BS. Tech enjoys watching humans suffer like the lab rats we are… or were in my case.”

My Analysis of ChatGPT’s Opening:

1. Chat GPT begins with the character waking up

In my view, ChatGPT makes a common writing mistake by having the character wake up in the first paragraph of the novel. I have written a previous article about this rule (and also made a video about the ways to break it.) While it could have ultimately worked in this particular instance because the character is waking up to something exciting happening (ie. being trapped in a futuristic chamber), the problem is the lack of emotion.

2. There’s no emotion, stakes, or urgency

 If a human character woke up with their body jammed inside a tube and no memory of how they got there, they might feel claustrophobic, panicked, afraid. They may be sweating, kicking, or clawing for a latch to try to get themselves out. Chat GPT’s character’s reaction is completely sterile and devoid of any authentic emotion. Instead, we as the reader are just left with a vague observation of what the tube is like rather than being plunged into the experience of being stuck inside a tube. 

3. No sense of voice

My second impression of the opening is that we don’t know anything about the character in the tube. We don’t have a sense of their voice. 

When Katniss Everdeen woke up at the beginning of The Hunger Games, we knew in the first paragraph that she has a sister that she’s protective of. We immediately get a sense of who Katniss is. I’m not saying that a character’s entire personality has to be revealed in the opening lines, but we should get at least a hint of who they are.

4. Filter words and vague descriptions

These prose seem unpolished to me.

For starters, Chat GPT used a filter word “realized” in the sentence “As my vision cleared, I realized I was lying in a sleek, futuristic chamber.”

Filter words are something I work to limit in my own writing as they distance the reader from the character’s experience. 

Also, describing their surroundings as “a cold metallic hum” and “sleek futuristic chamber” with “unfamiliar technology” felt vague and uninspired to me. What about the chamber is futuristic? Are there no seams in the metal? Or is the surface reflective? What does it look like? What does it feel like? Labelling something futuristic or unfamiliar doesn’t appeal to our senses or paint a picture of it in our minds.

Chat GPT’s Analysis of My Opening:

This opening to [Candice’s] science fiction novel is compelling and immediately establishes a sense of intrigue and urgency. The vivid description of the protagonist’s last moments and the technology involved creates a visceral and unsettling atmosphere. The use of nanites and their role in the transfer of consciousness adds a futuristic and dystopian element to the narrative.

The narrator’s voice is strong and assertive, creating a sense of defiance or resentment towards the technology that manipulates human experiences. The mention of morphine introduces a layer of skepticism, suggesting a character who questions the motives and ethics behind the technology’s implementation.

The reference to humans as “lab rats” implies a broader theme of experimentation or manipulation by those in control, adding a potential layer of social or political commentary. The combination of technological advancements and the dehumanizing treatment of individuals sets the stage for a thought-provoking exploration of the relationship between humanity and technology.

Overall, the opening sets up a mysterious and dark world, leaving readers with questions about the nature of this advanced technology, the motives behind it, and the protagonist’s role within this dystopian landscape.

My Overall Assessment:

Chat GPT did a great job of analyzing my opening and picking up on themes while also identifying the voice and tone correctly. In my opinion, it did a better job of analyzing a piece of writing than it did coming up with original content, at least in this instance.

I’ve spent years cultivating my voice and writing style, and I know I’ll continue to evolve from here. But the same can be said for A.I. 

Chat GPT’s opening looks a lot like the first paragraph of my first attempt at a novel, which makes me suspect that the A.I. can evolve (as I did) to do a much better job in the future. Time will tell, but I suspect with the entire compendium of human knowledge at its fingertips, it’ll evolve much faster than I did. It’ll be interesting to do another experiment like this a year from now to see how much it has changed.

The Impact of this Experiment:

I had such a great time writing this opening, that I am actually writing a novella around this concept (with this same opening I used here)! It is an adult sci-fi thriller that explores the relationship between humans and technology. 

I’m currently writing the second chapter. If you would like to stay apprised of this new book, please sign up for my substack (it’s free) at https://candicejarrett.substack.com. 

 

The post A.I. vs Human Author appeared first on Candice Jarrett.

My novel – Mortal Tether – has officially made it to #1 in 3 categories on Amazon!

As of this writing, it is *almost* breaking top 1,000 free books on Amazon (We’re at #1047 right now!)

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I wanted to say that though I have set a lofty goal of Top 100 I hope to reach, this is about so much more than the number… this experience has been incredible. All this love and support has made my heart so full. I’ve had people comment to tell me they had wanted to read my book for a while and are now excited to have the chance…. others told me they got a copy for their kid…. and still others told me they have a physical book but wanted an ebook too!!!

Writing is solitary work… but this… what’s happening right now… I feel the love, encouragement, and support of SO MANY PEOPLE around me, standing by my side, lifting me up… Believing in oneself is important – but having your friends believe in you too… that’s an incredible gift. It’s a gift you all have given to me. I am so grateful for each and every one of you.

When my book was first released, part of me was so afraid that no one would read it. As an author, you might pour years of your life into your debut novel, that whole time spent not knowing how your work will be received when it’s done… and sometimes that finish line feels like it’s on the other side of the moon. When you get there, you don’t know if anyone will even notice. But something inside you says *I must write this story anyway.*

For me, I spent 5 years on Mortal Tether and 2 years before that cutting my teeth on my fantasy novel… and now… to see people *wanting* my book and sharing it with their family and friends… My story being in people’s hands and living in their imaginations… It’s magic. It’s pure magic.

You’ve all brought me such joy. Thank you.

Are books still available?

Mortal Tether will be FREE as an eBook on Amazon from November 24 – 28th! In order to download it, you must use either the kindle store (via your eReader) or Amazon on desktop. You can’t complete the kindle download from the Amazon APP on mobile.

All Amazon stores (even those in other countries) have the free ebook available! Just search for “Mortal Tether” on Amazon in your country! 

Mortal tether on amazon #image_2059979703 { width: 100%;} Newsletter signup

If you are interested in learning about the sequel, please sign up for my newsletter! (I won’t spam youl!) 

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The post Making the Best Sellers List on Amazon!!! appeared first on Candice Jarrett.

I’ve been using NetGalley as an Author for three weeks. In this post, I will share not only my experience and stats but also break down some tips and tricks that I use to help you optimize your time on the platform.

My book, “Mortal Tether,” has eight days left on NetGalley. If you would like to download this book as an ARC, you can request it here: https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/305733

How Many ARC Readers / Reviews Do I Have on Netgalley?

As of this writing, 97 people have my ARC on NetGalley, which I find really exciting. 11 people so far have left feedback, but I know that many are still reading the book. 

The demographics of people who requested my book:8 booksellers11 teachers19 librarians59 consumers #image_1099910423 { width: 100%;} Mortal tether on amazon Netgalley Request Stats

On your Netgalley title feedback page, you’ll get information about why people requested your book. Of my 85 respondents, 36% requested because of my description. This shows that the work I’ve put into crafting my blurb over and over again paid off (I can make another blog post about that.) Coming in second is my book cover at 29%. I redid my book cover 7 times, so it appears that last time really paid off as well! My book title came in third place at 20% followed by me as an author at 10% and buzz I’ve been able to generate about the book at 5%. 

I’m really happy with these figures and feel this is the best case scenario for me.

 

#image_1408130828 { width: 100%;} Pro-tip: Editing your approval email

In your Netgalley publisher dashboard, you’ll see a menu that looks like this. Click “edit approval email” and it will take you to the following page.

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I edited the acceptance email, so when somebody was approved to download my book, they were also provided with a link to a page on my website purpose built for book bloggers to be able to easily access photos of my book they can use on their websites. It includes custom Twitter headers, Instagram posts, and banners. This makes it easy for reviewers to have visual content to include with their review. (View that page here.)

How Many Readers Can you Expect?

Not all the people who requested my book did so just because I put it on NetGalley.

I shouted out my Netgalley listing on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and X. I also added it to my Link Tree. 

NetGalley has many books, and your book is only on the top row for a few days. So, it’s crucial to promote it yourself. The bulk of my requests came in at the very beginning, and then it fell off sharply, so I had to push it out again continually to make sure people knew.

At this point three weeks in, I am seeing one or two requests every couple days. I expect if I extended my time on the platform, those numbers would continue to decline. 

Does Genre Impact Results?

My book is YA and dystopian science fiction, and that genre may have had an impact on how many requests I received. If you write a memoir or picture book, you may have results different from mine – so it’s important to take that into account.

optimizing your title's page

Once you start getting some reviews in, you can choose to feature reviews on your public Netgalley profile. This is an excellent way to encourage Netgalley users who may be browsing the site to decide to hit that “request” button! Don’t skip this step!

When you click on the reviews tab, hit the blue plus arrow to the right of the review you want to feature. It’s that simple!

#image_1968851753 { width: 100%;} #gap-1534226575 { padding-top: 30px;} How Much Does Netgalley Cost?

I joined a Netgalley Co-op to help save on costs. If you join Netgalley with your own account, a 6 month listing can run you $550.

By joining a co-op, you share your costs with other authors. For one month, my total was $52.50. 

Ultimately, some of my ARC readers indicated they would buy the books for themselves or for a family member. The librarians and booksellers who responded also indicated they would buy the book for their library/bookstore. So, there may be a possibility I might break even with these sales. 

Would I use Netgalley again?

I would definitely use Netgalley again… in the co-op. For me, with the sharp drop off in requests, it wouldn’t be worth it to me to run a six month campaign. However, running a one month campaign as part of a co-op was very beneficial in my experience. 

If you found this helpful

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The post Negalley Tips and Tricks for Authors appeared first on Candice Jarrett.

If you are an author or illustrator considering creating your first children’s book, here are some tips and guidelines to help you get the process started.

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

When we talk about how to make children’s books, the first thing we should cover is that there are many different categories of children’s books based on the age of the reader.

Board Books: These are typically designed for infants and toddlers. They often have very few pages, usually ranging from 12 to 24 pages. They are called “board books” because they are made from a heavy cardboard instead of regular paper. This is because babies this age tend to put everything in their mouth and their spit dissolves regular paper (likely making it a choking hazard.)Picture Books: Picture books, aimed at preschool and early elementary school children, vary in length. They are usually 32 pages (or 16 spreads) but can range from 24 to 48 pages or more (12 to 24 spreads respectively).Early (or Easy) Readers: These books are designed for children who are just beginning to read on their own (ages 4-6). They usually have around 32 to 64 pages.Chapter Books: These books are aimed at children (ages 7-10) who are transitioning to more complex stories. Chapter books can vary widely in length, typically ranging from 64 to 150 pages. They are mostly prose with a few illustrations.Middle Grade Novels: Middle grade novels are intended for readers aged 8 to 12. They usually have around 150 to 250 pages, though there can be exceptions on either end.Young Adult (YA) Novels: YA novels are aimed at teenagers (13 -18) and can have a wide range of page counts, often falling between 200 to 400 pages with some outliers (ie Twilight by Stephenie Meyer has 544 pages in the paperback version.)KNOW YOUR TARGET WORD COUNT

If you are a debut author who wants to be traditionally published, it’s best to stay within the standard guidelines so your manuscript isn’t auto-rejected by agents based on word count. Review the agent who you are querying’s guidelines to see if they have specific preferences and if your book meets those.

Board Books:50 to 100 words or fewer per book.Picture Books:500 to 1,000 words, with a target of around 800 words or less.Early Readers:1,000 to 5,000 words, typically broken into short chapters.Chapter Books:10,000 to 20,000 words, often broken into multiple chapters.Middle Grade Novels:20,000 to 50,000 words, with some flexibility based on the complexity of the story.Young Adult (YA) Novels:50,000 to 80,000 words, although some YA novels can be much, much longer. (Hunger Games is nearly 100K, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is 198K) CHOOSE A THEME THAT WILL RESONATE

It’s important to note that not only language difficulty but also theme changes from reading level to reading level. The themes that most appeal to a child at age 3 are going to be different than at age 16.

Board books are going to be a lot of cute, educational content. Think caterpillars turning into butterflies, ABC’s, colors, shapes, numbers, and basic vocab.

Picture Books are often about developing friendships, imagination, and creativity. Sometimes they may include a moral lesson or be educational. What we think of as “bedtime stories” often fall in this category – but the subjects of picture books are extremely broad and can be fiction or non-fiction.

Middle Grade is an age where kids are gaining more independence but aren’t teenagers yet. Themes can often be gaining independence and finding one’s place in the world, navigating relationships and building friendships, and learning to relate to others. Think books like: The Percy Jackson series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and Wonder.

Young Adult (YA): Teenage readers explore more complex themes like the challenges and transitions of adolescence, learning to express individuality and discover their own identity, as well as romantic relationships, first love, more complex emotional connections.

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The post Children’s Book Guidelines appeared first on Candice Jarrett.

Authors may need to give away free eBooks as prizes for giveaways, review copies for bloggers/influencers, or as part of a book awards contest submission. 

There are two ways to do this.

If you are sending the eBook directly to your reader’s email address, use method 1.If you are NOT fulfilling the eBook directly to the reader and need a link that someone can click to download your book, follow method 2. Method 1: Buy the eBook as a Gift Directly

Step 1: Log in to Your Amazon Account (Your Consumer Account, Not KDP Dashboard)

Step 2: Visit Your Book’s Product Page
 Ensure that you select the Kindle version of your book.

Step 3: Follow Amazon’s Gifting Instructions
On the book’s product page, locate the “BUY FOR OTHERS” section. Here, you’ll find Amazon’s gifting instructions. Follow these instructions to gift the book to yourself.

Step 4: Gift the Book to Your Reader
When gifting the book, list your reader’s email as the recipient. 

METHOD 2: Getting a Direct Download Link

If you want to send a direct download link to your ebook, which may be needed for contests or review platforms where you are sending your eBook to an organization and not to a reader/judge/reviewer directly, follow steps 1-3 above then at Step 4, follow these steps:

Step 4: Gift the Book to Yourself
When gifting the book, list YOUR OWN EMAIL ADDRESS as the recipient!!! This step ensures that you, as the gift recipient, will receive an email notification.

Step 5: Check Your Email

After gifting the book to yourself, you’ll receive an email with the subject line: “Amazon.com: A Gift from [yourself]…”. 

Step 6: Log Out of Your Amazon Account

For the next steps, it’s ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL to log out of your Amazon account to avoid any confusion and so you don’t accidentally claim your own eBook.

Step 7: Click on ‘Get Your Kindle Book Gift Now’

In the email you received, there should be a link labeled ‘Get your Kindle book gift now.’ Click on it. You will be redirected to the product page of the gifted copy of your book.

Step 8: Do Not Accept the Kindle Book Gift

DO NOT ACCEPT THE KINDLE BOOK GIFT!!!!!!! If you do, the link will not be usable for another download.

Step 9: Copy the URL from Your Browser

From the product/gift redemption page of your book (while still logged out of your Amazon account), copy the URL from your browser. This is the link you will need.

Step 10: Email the URL or Paste it into the Submission Form

Individual circumstances may vary, but if a person is handling prize fulfillment for you, you can give them the link but ask them not to click it or accidentally claim the eBook for themselves. Once again, this is a one-time-use URL. Once it has been claimed, the process would have to start all over again. 

#gap-228530661 { padding-top: 30px;} If you found this helpful...

If you found this helpful, please consider supporting me by subscribing to my newsletter and/or purchasing a copy of my book MORTAL TETHER. I really appreciate your support!

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The post How Authors Can Gift Their Own eBooks on Amazon appeared first on Candice Jarrett.

As someone who is self-publishing my debut novel MORTAL TETHER, I had to do a lot of the research and footwork a publisher would normally do. In order to make it easier for my fellow authors, I’m sharing important info I learn throughout this process. 

I’ve always wondered how libraries acquired books. It all starts with an LCCN number. 

Having an LCCN makes your book more appealing to libraries because it simplifies the cataloging process and ensures that your book is searchable in their systems. (It’s a good idea to do this immediately after you register your ISBNs and before your book is published.) 

Apply for an LCCN (Library of Congress Control Number)

The Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN) is a unique identifier for books in the United States for U.S. based authors or publishing companies. Having an LCCN makes it easier for libraries to catalog and order your work.

Here’s how to apply for an LCCN:

Step 1: Get your ISBNs from Bowker. You’ll need this before you start the LCCN application process.

Step 2: Visit the Library of Congress website. If you are an individual author, and not publishing on behalf of someone else via a publishing company you set up, this will be your link: https://locexternal.servicenowservices.com/auth  

Step 3: Follow the instructions to complete the application for an LCCN. Make sure you have all of your data for the book (including the blurb, categories, etc.) written out and accessible to make it easy to fill in the form.

Step 4: Submit your application. The Library of Congress will review your application and, if approved, assign you an LCCN.

Step 5: Once your LCCN is assigned, add it to the copyright page on your book (which is on the reverse side of your title page.) For reference, my LCCN looks like this:

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023917270

Your copyright and/or title page must also include the title, author name, publishing company (if applicable), ISBN numbers, LCCN, and the U.S. city where your publisher is based. 

Step 6: Send a copy of your book to The Library of Congress immediately upon publication. Here is the address:

Library of Congress
U.S. Programs, Law, and Literature Division
Cataloging in Publication Program
101 Independence Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20540-4283

And Voila! You’re done with the LCCN application step. Now that it’s easy for libraries to get your book in their systems, how do you get the ebook or physical book into the library itself? That’s where distributors come in. 

Use A Distributor like IngramSpark

IngramSpark is a popular print-on-demand and distribution service that connects self-published authors with bookstores, libraries, and online retailers. 

IngramSpark recently waived their registration fee. Learn more about them on their website here: www.ingramspark.com.

Note: please be careful about checking the option regarding accepting returns!! If you accept returns from bookstores, you’ll be forced to pay for those books that were printed. Read all the terms carefully.

Market Your Book to Librarians

Library Outreach:

Contact Local Libraries: Reach out to local libraries and introduce yourself as a local author. Offer to do readings, author talks, or workshops at their libraries.Library Events: Participate in library events and book fairs. Libraries often host author events, and your presence can help you establish connections with librarians and readers.

Online Presence:

Author Website: Maintain a professional author website where librarians can find information about you and your book. Include contact details for library inquiries.Social Media: Connect with libraries and librarians on platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn.

Library-Specific Marketing Materials:

Create Library-Specific Materials: This could include a library-friendly synopsis, discussion questions, and author bio.Book Reviews: Seek book reviews from reputable sources, and highlight positive reviews in your marketing materials.

Library Catalogs:

Make sure your book is listed in library catalogs, such as WorldCat. Libraries often use these catalogs to discover new books.I did hear that librarians often use NetGalley. I’m not certain of this, but it might be worth looking into.

Offer Digital Copies:

Consider creating eBook and audiobook versions of your book. Libraries increasingly offer digital lending services, and having these formats available can increase your book’s accessibility. Note: if you want to enroll in KDP select, distributing your ebook through another distributor will violate Amazon’s terms. 

Promote Library Book Clubs:

Create discussion guides and supplemental materials that can be used by library book clubs. Libraries are always looking for materials that enhance the reading experience for their patrons.How Can I See Which Libraries Have my Book?

In order to see which libraries currently have your book, visit OCLC.org and search for your book’s title in WorldCat.

Via their website:

OCLC’s WorldCat is a cooperative catalog that includes millions of records from print books to streaming video and beyond, contributed by our member institutions. We suggest contacting an OCLC member library and requesting that they catalog your work in WorldCat. Note that your work will not appear on the publicly accessible WorldCat.org website unless the member library maintains subscriptions that enable this visibility.

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The post How to Get Your Book in Libraries appeared first on Candice Jarrett.

I’ve been making book trailers professionally since 2018, but I’ve been editing video since 2006. To me, making a book trailer isn’t just a piece of marketing material (though, of course it’s that too). In my mind, it’s an art.

A book trailer is a form of artistic expression few people undertake. It is taking something – images conjured by words on a page that only exist otherwise in the imagination – and visualizing it in the physical world. It’s bridging the gap between the author’s intent and a reader’s interpretation.

It’s beautiful. It’s art.

And also… it’s a big responsibility.

As an author myself, I know how much heart and soul goes into creating a novel. I take it seriously then when someone chooses me to create a visual representation of the thing they’ve spent sleepless nights, blood, sweat, tears, and literally years of their life on.

I love making book trailers. Yes, I’ve made it a business, but it’s also a passion. No two books are the same. Whatever the genre, making a book trailer for it is always an adventure. And some plots, characters, or details have presented really fun challenges that are like puzzles for me to solve. 

I was originally going to make today’s post about the top 10 mistakes people make when making book trailers…  and I know that will be helpful for a lot of authors who might read this and so I’ll definitely write that in the future… but I’ve got something else I want to share in my heart today: Perspective.

As an author, if you are going to DIY your book trailer, I would like to encourage you to tap into your inner storyteller. You are good at that. It’s your greatest strength. So, use it. Don’t just throw together a book trailer with the bare minimum effort just because you’re checking it off a list. Put your heart into it. Your book deserves it. 

Impressive visuals, motion graphics, and special effects aside, a great book trailer always, always, always starts with a great story. 

And that means, starting by writing a script. 

You may be tempted to jump right into slapping visuals into video editing software and seeing what sticks. If you do this, you run several risks: 

Confusing Readers (What is this book about?) Having your book trailer run too longGetting frustrated yourself because the visuals you like aesthetically are not actually reflecting your bookThe project ends up taking way longer than you intended because you keep changing direction over and over 

I don’t even open my video editing program at all until the script is finished. 

The one caveat to this – which doesn’t affect you as the author but is because I’m experiencing the book as a reader – is that as I am reading the book, I will often make notes and sometimes begin what I call a “preliminary media search” which is like a painter putting together a palette of colors she might or might not use later. As I’m reading, maybe an item in a scene strikes me in a powerful way, and so I’ll collect some potential stock images that might represent that and save them for later. 99% of these things aren’t used. This is just part of my internal process.

But I do not put a single brushstroke down on the canvas until I have the script.

A book trailer always starts with the story.

Tips For Writing a Book Trailer Script

First, you’ll need to decide how long you want your script to be. When I make book trailer, I make them in increments of 15, 30, and 60 seconds. People have short attention spans. You should try to keep your trailer to about a minute or less if you can.

Second, consider the voice. Is it going to be first person narrative? Third person? Or will you have two characters speaking? Present tense or past tense?

You can choose to match the POV of the text, or you can choose to use the book trailer as an opportunity for a reader to get a look inside the MC’s head.

Make sure you don’t give away too many spoilers. And also, focus on ending on a cliffhanger or a note that otherwise entices people to want to know more about the book. (And therefore read it!)

Book Trailer Script Examples

Second Son Book Trailer

Script:

The last thing I remember . . . before the world went dark . . . was watching my arrow find its mark saving my uncle from almost certain death. And the look on my victim’s face as he turned toward me in his final agony. The distant thunder of hoof beats—a troop of knights rushing to my aid— but too late to save me.

I have no expectations of rescue, for I am a second son of a second son. For the sake of the realm, despite the love he bears for me, my Grandfather the King will refuse to negotiate for my return. He is right to do so.

Thus I’m held hostage for a ransom I know will never be paid. Each day of captivity carries me farther from my kingdom and the arms of the woman I love. Something I know gives me strength, but will it be enough to get me home again?

Notes:

This was told from the MC’s point of view. I started the script with actual text from the book, which was then modified slightly to be more script friendly. As the script goes on, it touches on the main conflict of the book without giving away spoilers of the story. 

Regarding how the script impacts camera movement and composition: consider the contrast between these two shots in this piece.

On the line “I have no expectations of rescue” Alfred has just been captured. The shot is a dense forest, low to the ground with a camera motion moving forward. This feels dark and closed off. 

For “Each day of captivity carries me farther from my kingdom” I wanted that moment to feel vast and hopeless. So the viewer is floating high above a huge space with mountains, distant from the forest below, with a camera motion of moving backward which hits on the words “farther away”in the script. Also, we see that it is now autumn, as if time has elapsed which further exacerbates the distance from that earlier shot inside the forest when it was summer. 

Shot 1
Low
Dense Forest
Forward Motion
SummerShot 2
High
Mountains (Distant from Forest)
Backward Motion
Autumn

The point is this:

You use metaphors in your writing. Use visual metaphors in your book trailer. You don’t have to be literal when visualizing the script. Consider how your character feels or where they are and translate that to a visual. 

The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride Book Trailer

Script:

On my 100th birthday, I quit the pill keeping me breathing. I miss my Jenny. I miss my boys. But God has other plans for me in the form of a ten-year-old named Jason. 

Jason’s got a bad ticker and not much longer to live. So, the kid scribbles a list of 5 wishes before he dies. 

I’ve got a reason to take that pill and stick around after all. They’re not just Jason’s wishes now, they’re mine, too, see?

By some miracle, maybe we’ll both come back to life.

Notes:

Make the voice of your script echo the voice of your character. Phrases like “my Jenny” “bad ticker” “take that pill” “they’re mine, too, see?” feel authentic to Murray’s character. 

Having a strong opening line is also important. “I quit the pill keeping me breathing” is a bold, attention grabbing statement. 

By ending on an uplifting note with “By some miracle, maybe we’ll both come back to life,” the whole script moves on a trajectory from despair to hopefulness. 

Telling a Story Without Words

Even in cases where there is no voiceover, there is still a script. See if you can follow the narrative created for this book trailer, In the Lair of Legends by David Buzan.

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I hope you found these insights on writing a book trailer script helpful. If you would like to check out more examples to refer to, visit my book trailer portfolio on my website: ElectraFox.com. If you have questions, drop me a line on Twitter @electrafoxbooks.

The post The Art of Making a Book Trailer: Start with the Script appeared first on Candice Jarrett.

We all want to make our books shine on Amazon, but it’s all too easy to get lost in the mountain of stuff there. There’s a secret professional publishers use that – if you publish through KDP – you’ll also have access too (for free!) It’s called Amazon A+ Content. In this article, we’ll explore what Amazon A+ Content is and why it’s a must-have tool to make your book stand out from the crowd.

What is Amazon A+ Content?

Think of Amazon A+ Content as a supercharged upgrade for your book’s product detail page on Amazon. It allows you to spruce up your listing with eye-catching images and compelling text. Essentially, it’s like creating a mini-website you can customize to give readers a taste of what they can expect from your book and pique their desire to hit that order now button.

The content will appear directly on your Amazon product listing page in a section called “From the Publisher”. Mine Looks like this:

#image_1228732762 { width: 100%;} #gap-290374088 { padding-top: 30px;} Amazon A+ ModulesFrom here, let’s talk about the different modules you can select, which ones are popular for books and why, and which ones I used to make my A+ Content for Mortal Tether.  Author Highlight: Standard Single Image + SidebarFor this section of my book’s page, I used the module Standard Single Image & Sidebar. From Amazon’s list, it looks like this: On the left. hand side, add your author photoTop Middle: a bit about you as an authorBottom Middle: keywords for your bookTop Right: an image of your bookBottom Right: an elevator pitch on what makes your book special and why people should read it.

If you have editorial reviews, you can put them on the bottom right instead, but I didn’t have those yet so I went with the elevator pitch. Here’s how mine looks:

Meet the Characters: Standard Three Images + TextI chose to do something I hadn’t seen before on a book’s Amazon product listing, which was to create a meet the characters section that uses the Standard Three Images and Text module (without the text). When selecting your module from the Amazon A+ Content list, select this one:  You must fill out the image keywords, but you don’t need to fill out the title section or the text that appears below the images. I made three of these sections, for a total of 9 character previews that include either a quote from the book the character depicted said or a short excerpt from the book. It’s important to note: your images MUST MUST MUST adhere to Amazon A+ Content’s strict guidelines. You can’t use time sensitive words “coming soon” or call it a “best seller” or use social media logos, links, or web urls, and many other restrictions.  I had originally designed my character cards to have my website address mortaltether.com on them, and I had to remove that from the ones I used on my A+ content. Also, if you do include text, make sure the font is large enough to read on mobile. As you’re building your A+ Content on Amazon KDP, you can use the mobile preview function to make sure any font you include is legible.  Mine looks like this: Appeal to the Instagram Crowd: Standard Multiple Image

When designing my Amazon A+ Content, I really wanted to think about my audience. I wrote a YA novel and purposefully designed my cover to have a very instagram/bookstagrammable quality to it. (The golden skull and flowers are an important scene in the book where we get the title MORTAL TETHER from – I could have chosen another important scene, but I knew the skull and flowers would be easy for bookstagrammers to pair items with: more flowers, wooden table, candles, skull jewelry or bookmarks, leaves, etc.) 

Showing off a beautiful book cover will also appeal to people who want a pretty book on their bookshelves. So, I selected the module Standard Multiple Image Module A.

And here is how mine turned out. For the content on the right, I chose select excerpts from the book:  #gap-900361081 { padding-top: 30px;} If you need help

Go on Amazon, look at tons of books, and see if you can come up with creative ideas to use A+ content to make your books stand out! There’s so many possible combinations of modules, and it’s also a popular option to combine a design across several modules with breaks in between. 

Have fun! And if you need help designing your modules, reach out to me through ElectraFox.com. 

The post Mastering Amazon: Make Your Book Shine appeared first on Candice Jarrett.