FIve Year Goal Update

 

 

This is the last Friday of the month, which means it’s time for a review of some goals. And it’s not just any month, but January, the first month of the year, you know, when some new goals get made.  My New Year’s Eve resolutions looked something like this: lose a few pounds, maybe run a half-marathon next November (for my fortieth birthday), travel some more. Spend more quality time with the kids. Be content. Those are going well. I’ve picked up on the exercise and eating well in anticipation of pending marathon training. I have two trips planned for later this year, one with the kids, one without. I’m (trying) learning to be content living in Upstate New York in the winter. Those are my short term ones. Today, I’m going over some long term goals; like five-year long term. Mine is simple: I want to run a world class publishing company. Sounds extreme, right? It is. But a girl can dream, can’t she? So, how’s it going? Very well. I think I really have something with Ubooks. It’s following the same trends music has undergone—using commercials as the income base, not actual money. Let’s face it. With Bookbub, among others, people are used to getting their books for free. And lots of them. So why should they drop their hard-earned cash on some books when they have three hundred TBR just waiting for them on their kindle? Simple. They don’t. But with Ubooks, they don’t have to pay a cent. They get the free books they’re used to, while at the same time having an enhanced experience.  It’s a win-win.

Black and White, the publishing company my husband and I run, will be opening for submissions on May 1^st for people who want to get in on this groundbreaking idea.  I’ll post more info on upcoming Friday posts.

Have a great weekend everyone!

-Mel

Wednesday's Ubook

 

Hi everyone! It's time for another Ubook installment. 

The Newstead Project, chapter four

 

And for those of you who prefer the narrated version:

 

The Newstead Project, chapter three, narrated by Nathan Moran

 

 

I'd love it if you shared this on whatever social media you use to help get the word out. Thanks in advance!

-Mel

A to Z

A to Z.

I honestly had to look to see how many years I’ve done this. It feels like it’s been a given that I don’t make any plans for April, because I know I’ll be glued to the computer. I just checked. Six. I’ve only missed the first year.

For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, A to Z is a bloghop done each April, beginning at the first of the month and continuing to the last. You are to post every day, except Sunday, and each day has its letter assigned, which is where the A to Z comes from. For example: On April 1^st, you do a post about something to do with the letter A, and so on and so forth. Some people do themes, which is fun. I tend to do the same thing each year: flash fiction. It’s something I enjoy, and gives me a chance to showcase my writing. This year there will be a twist, though. I plan on doing all my flash Ubook style; aka book videos. My goal is to have them all be under one minute, which is important in this challenge. There are so many blogs to visit—I don’t want to bog people down with mine.  

So why am I talking about it in January? Because today is the day you can begin signing up, which is important. This list gets long quick, and while it’s not supposed to work this way, those in the middle don’t have nearly the visitors as those in the beginning. So if you’re looking to grow your following, I’d sign up today. If you do, let me know so I can be sure to add you to my list of people to visit each day. You can sign up here.

See you on Wednesday!

-Mel

Updates

Okay. Those of you who have been following my blog for any length of time know I’m a self-proclaimed marketing disaster. I love to write, LOVE to write, but this whole telling (or gently suggesting) someone go out and buy my books is completely out of my comfort zone. That’s a big reason Ubooks were created. No one has to buy anything.  But I digress…

The point here is that I’m not very good at marketing or social media in general and in order to get word out about my books I need to be. So I finally did it. I hired a marketing director. It’s a big step for me in many ways. It takes this whole writing/publishing thing to the next level. The real level. She’s giving me weekly assignments and the first one has to do with this blog. Apparently I’m not posting nearly enough. So, starting next week I will be posting three times a week: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. One of those days I will be releasing that week’s Ubook chapter, on one I will be writing something personal, and on the other I will be featuring a movie/book/blog/music review. With that in mind, if you’d like me to feature your book/blog/etc. leave something for me in the comments and I’ll set that up.  

-Mel

Here are this weeks Ubooks:

The Newstead Project, chapter three

 

The Newstead Project, chapter two, narrated by Nathan Moran

Updates

Don’t compare yourselves with others. Either you’ll think their work/house/body/life/etc. is better than yours, which is bad. Or you’ll think your work/house/body/life/etc. is better than theirs, which is worse.

 

Hello everyone! Hope all of you are doing well. I’ve been through a few extremes lately. Last week I was on a beach and the weather was pushing eighty. I had nothing to do but stuff my face and read a book. This week I’m at my desk playing catch-up and looking out the window at a blanket of snow. It is eighteen degrees out right now. I’m not kidding. Anyhow…

 

One of my pieces of flash fiction was included in this quarters Jack Spratt. I struggled with this one. I knew I wanted to submit, and the category sounded fun: Genre mashups using a Crayola color in the title, with a twist at the end. Sounds simple, right? No. Turns out I don’t do very well when there are any stipulations in there. My brain froze for almost a month on this, but I eventually got it done. For those interested, here is the link

 

Also, the second chapter of The Newstead Project, uBook style is now out. Please feel free to share however you’d like.

 

 

Due to reader feedback, I’ve included a narrated version. Here is The Newstead Project, chapter one, narrated by Nathan  Moran. Enjoy.

 

 

Take care,

Mel

IWSG

 

Hi everyone. This is probably one of the biggest days of my life. Today I get to make two major announcements.

First, my short story, Haunted, was selected for the IWSG anthology. This story is very special to me and I’m thrilled it found a home in this book. Thank you so much to the IWSG administration for this honor.

Second, as promised, I am revealing the new book format I’ve developed. First, a little background. When I was thirteen I read The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub; that wasn’t all that unusual, I read Stephen King all the time at that point in my life. What was different was that time I’d just gotten the soundtrack for Legend—one of the best soundtracks of all time, if you ask me. I listened to that track over and over again as I read the book. The effect was nothing short of mind-blowing . I’ve never felt that connected to a story, not before or since. I always thought it was the music, and now as a writer myself, I know it is. I have my playlists, like I’m sure all of you do. A few years ago, while I was writing Newstead, I wished I could somehow engage my readers with the music that engaged me. You know, like they do in the movies—eerie music during the tense scenes—soft during the romantic parts; something to draw you in and never let go. With those thoughts of that intimacy between reader and writer and book in mind, I now give you Ubooks:

 

 

I plan on publishing a chapter a week, beginning with The Newstead Project and then going on to include all of my books. I would love it if all of you shared this on your twitter/blog/facebook/whatever. If demand is high, I’ll up how often I publish—up to three a week. I’m also producing a narrated version, for those who prefer audiobooks. And of course, all are free. Thanks for the help spreading the word.

And the last (but not least) reason this is such a wonderful day is that I’m currently on a beach in the Caribbean sipping something fruity in a coconut with my husband of twenty years today, which means I have no access to computer/phone/internet, so forgive me for not stopping by to visit you until sometime next week. I’m sure you understand. J

-Mel