Hopefully designed that darn book cover - opinions please

[Cathbad]

They've certainly got some odd names for certain groups of animals.

 

[tinkerdan]

different source::
Ravens: Murder, congress, horde, unkindness

 

[psychotick]

Hi,

But what's the collective noun for a group of SFF Chronners? A Hodgepodge? A Confusion?

Could have some fun with that!!!

Cheers, Greg.

 

[AlexH]

So as you all seem like a good bunch with clear ideas, instead of starting a new thread can I ask your thoughts on promoting the book to gain as wide an exposure as possible for relaunch?

I always think about starting small, and working up from there. Have you tried local media (newspaper, radio)? If they don't have particular sections that focus on local creatives, is there an angle you can go at them with that would interest their listeners/readers? If you have them, a book-launch in the library and/or local bookstore? Are there any readings you can take part in?

As for swapping Amazon reviews, I wouldn't risk it. I haven't read this article, but from the title it looks like it covers what I'm warning you about! Why It’s A Bad Idea For Authors To Do Review Swaps On Amazon - Self-Publishing Review

 

[Flannery]

As for swapping Amazon reviews, I wouldn't risk it. I haven't read this article, but from the title it looks like it covers what I'm warning you about! Why It’s A Bad Idea For Authors To Do Review Swaps On Amazon - Self-Publishing Review

Yeah, I should have mentioned above in my post that anything that looks like you're buying reviews is bad, what Amazon refers to as "incentivized reviews". Amazon has even banned accounts for that in the past. (Excessive buying of reviews, that is.) At the very least, they'll remove the traded reviews. Even if you have ARC reviews, make sure that they know to mention in their review that they are willingly offering a review after having received an advanced review copy. Make sure they don't use the phrase, "in exchange for a review." There's been some crack down on reviews with even that phrasing in them.

This page has some good info on reviews and how they count toward book visibility. Also, what you can and cannot do to get reviews: Mythbusting The Amazon Algorithm Part III – Verified Customer Reviews and the New Amazon Guidelines - Self-Publishing Review

 

[Dave Barsby]

Thanks for the links, I'll have a look at the weekend when I've got time.

@Flannery it is a soft relaunch, you could say. Some very minor text editing, but mainly a new cover and a willingness to do more than stick an update on Facebook to promote it.

@AlexH I tried local bookstores, newspapers, radio and library last time, all to no avail. I guess these days a local lad self-publishing is a ten-a-penny story so they aren't bothered

 

[Flannery]

Here's a book you might find helpful: Relaunch Your Novel by Chris Fox https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071HVZD1G/?tag=id2100-20

I think he even has some videos about relaunching a novel on his YouTube channel - Chris Fox

 

[thaddeus6th]

A pounce of cats is a nice collective noun.

 

[Dave Barsby]

Here's a book you might find helpful: Relaunch Your Novel by Chris Fox https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071HVZD1G/?tag=id2100-20

I think he even has some videos about relaunching a novel on his YouTube channel - Chris Fox

It's not available. I think it needs relaunching.

 

[Justin Swanton]

Hi,

But what's the collective noun for a group of SFF Chronners? A Hodgepodge? A Confusion?

Could have some fun with that!!!

Cheers, Greg.

A gabblebag.

 

[tinkerdan]

Gadget bloggers and Amazon.com reviewers now must disclose freebies and financial interests or face fines up to $11,000, according to rules announced by federal regulators Monday in an attempt to make word-of-mouth endorsements on the net easier to believe.

I believe these two articles are base on false assumptions about the FTC regulations regarding reviews::

As for swapping Amazon reviews, I wouldn't risk it. I haven't read this article, but from the title it looks like it covers what I'm warning you about! Why It’s A Bad Idea For Authors To Do Review Swaps On Amazon - Self-Publishing Review

This page has some good info on reviews and how they count toward book visibility. Also, what you can and cannot do to get reviews: Mythbusting The Amazon Algorithm Part III – Verified Customer Reviews and the New Amazon Guidelines - Self-Publishing Review

::They in fact are giving poor advice because if someone doesn't declare that they are giving the review in exchange for something and it is proven that they are then that's when Amazon and the reviewer become liable.

It's not against the rules to do exchanges; its against the rules to do them without declaring that's what you did and that your review might not be considered impartial.

 

[Phyrebrat]

A Tragedy of Ravens sounds good. The Tower of London is said to fall if the ravens ever leave.
I suppose that's why their wings have been clipped...

pH

 

[Montero]

1. If you're not yet a Goodreads author - that's another platform. And reviews and ratings do (eventually) get your book to the level where Goodreads recommends it to people - at the "because you've read that, you might like this" level.
2. Look in the self-publishing area on SFF Chrons - lots of threads discussing this
3. Write another book. You look like you are launching a series. Some readers won't read book 1 of a series until several more books are written as they don't want to be left high and dry on the story if they like it. It is also more books out there to be seen when you've written several. It is also more cost effective doing marketing when you are marketing several books in a series at once.

Cover suggestion - I know you've closed that for now but...... (there is always later....)
Anyway - having seen your original "black" cover plus the book covers in your particular genre that were posted in this thread (blue, DNA strands etc) it occurred to me that a variant on your current cover would be to pick just a couple of the NY sky scrapers from your picture, make them most of the cover, and have the eye a lot bigger. That would be more SF-ish and would be within your existing skill set.
Other than that. Good luck.

 

[Flannery]

It's not available. I think it needs relaunching.

That's odd. It's showing for me. Are you buyin from the .com store? Maybe it's automatically switching to a region where the book isn't available. Try switching to the Amazon.[whatever] to Amazon.com and see if it shows up for you.

 

[Flannery]

They in fact are giving poor advice because if someone doesn't declare that they are giving the review in exchange for something and it is proven that they are then that's when Amazon and the reviewer become liable.

I thought it was odd that they were suggesting that too. It's an FTC law, I think, that says someone reviewing a product has to inform when they've received something to do a review. Most indie authors nowadays tell their reviewers to indicate that they are willingly reviewing a product received for free. They're trying to train their ARC readers to avoid phrasing such as "in exchange for," which has caused problems for some ARC reviewers.

But the rest of the advice in that link is decent info, especially pertaining to what Amazon will allow you to do in order to get a "verified" review, which includes gifting a book to a specified reviewer so they can download it from the Amazon store.

 

[Stephen Palmer]

Rather ironically, the Scott Oden cover is the best of the bunch.

 

[Phyrebrat]

Rather ironically, the Scott Oden cover is the best of the bunch.

That's what I thought, too! Although I quite like The Alchemist's Daughter. It put me in mind of Mark Gatis' Vesuvius Club.

pH

 

[AlexH]

1. If you're not yet a Goodreads author - that's another platform.

Aren't they owned by Amazon? It makes me not want to use them. I use LibraryThing to catalogue books.

 

[SilentRoamer]

So as you all seem like a good bunch with clear ideas, instead of starting a new thread can I ask your thoughts on promoting the book to gain as wide an exposure as possible for relaunch?

Thus far I've pretty much just sold to friends and family (around 100 copies and garnered 3 reviews on Amazon, ironically two 4* from friends and one 5* from someone I don't know). Word-of-mouth was non-existent.

A friend who went through this at the same time I first did and has done rather well out of it (hint: I'm 'following' him) suggested things like an I'll scratch your back concept (you buy and review my book while I buy and review yours, but I'm not sure how to entice people to do that) and building a mailing list (not a clue where to start there).

Thing is I'm rather a shy, unconfident person so being a salesman is massively out of my comfort zone, but this time I'm willing to try what it takes. I'm going to stick a few posters up in my home city but don't think that will help much globally.

So, any hints or tips to help get my book further out there than just my mates?

As always, mucho appreciationess for any advice imparted. You're scratching my back and I won't forget it.

Hey Dave,

Send me an ebook copy for review and I will put something on SFFDen for you. After all you can't really review your own book!

 

[Luiglin]

Hi,

But what's the collective noun for a group of SFF Chronners? A Hodgepodge? A Confusion?

Could have some fun with that!!!

Cheers, Greg.

A gobbledegook.