I'm published.

EileenG

What is says on the title.

I'm now published and you can buy my book on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Feed-the-Fairies-ebook/dp/B005380U3G/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=A2HD1FRBBEUS3N&s=books&qid=1306880510&sr=8-2

After the ABNA, I got picked up by Fantasy Island Book Publishing, and decided to go with them.

It's a learning curve. Their art editor, who seems not to have read the book, or even the blurb, produced a cover featuring Tinkerbell's country cousin, complete with ruined castle and talking tree. When I pointed out (politely) that this might not be the best cover for a science fiction book, they got very huffy and told me if I didn't like it, to do something better myself.

So I got Angela Knight to do a cover for me. It's worth clicking on the link just to see her vision of Cytolene!

Antilles

Thanks and congratulations, EileenG

EileenG

Thank you. Now starts the fun of trying to get people to actually buy the thing.

I've just discovered that my target market, teenagers, generally don't have a credit card, which is a problem if they are to buy a book from Amazon or Barnes & Noble. I may have to rethink my approach.

Memnoch

Well done, way to go!

EileenG

Thanks. Now trying to find a famous writer, preferably SF, who will review my book.

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Congrats Eileen!
That's fantastic.

Mr E

Fair play... thats terrific news. Best of luck!

FewFew

That's great news!

What's an ABNA ?

Edit: Nevermind - Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award

pog it

Ah congrats, I'm delighted for you

Is it cheeky to ask if you got an advance or if it depends on sales?

EileenG

No advance, royalties only. So feel free to buy the book, not just drool over Cytolene's boobs!

Plus if anyone has any brilliant ideas about generating publicity and sales, please let me know.

Oh, one piece of great news, Elizabeth Anne Scarborough has agreed to do a review of Don't Feed the Fairies. I want a Nebula too.

Kinski

EileenG wrote: »

I've just discovered that my target market, teenagers, generally don't have a credit card, which is a problem if they are to buy a book from Amazon or Barnes & Noble. I may have to rethink my approach.

I can't imagine that many have Kindles either. Probably not the coolest gadget in the playground. Nevertheless, good luck!

FewFew

I always thought Kindles etc. were for weirdos who don't appreciate the feel of paper... I may have been wrong...

http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/26-year-old-becomes-millionaire-self-publishing-on-kindle-store-931963

EileenG

If you have a smartphone, which most teens have (prices for android phones start at €59), you can download a kindle app which lets you read books. That's what I do, and I've got out of the habit of carrying six books with me at all times.

I thought I would never like e-books, but I do love being able to carry 50 books around on my phone, and buy more at the click of a button, not to mention being able to read in bed without turning on the light.

Antilles

Fewcifur wrote: »

I always thought Kindles etc. were for weirdos who don't appreciate the feel of paper... I may have been wrong...

I love the feel of a physical book in my hands, but I prefer being able to carry dozens of books easily so I don't finish one at the start of a train journey and then have nothing to read

EileenG

Antilles wrote: »

I love the feel of a physical book in my hands, but I prefer being able to carry dozens of books easily so I don't finish one at the start of a train journey and then have nothing to read

Yeah, I'm paranoid about running out of books. I've been known to go skiing for a long weekend in just the clothes I was standing in, but with half a dozen novels in my bag. Last time I went, I just took a phone.

FewFew

Ah, I'll be buying a Kindle at some point next week I think, so I'll make my first purchase an Eileen Gormley original. Really just picking it up for research purposes more than anything else, if I intend to sell to a market I need to get into that market's mindset. Plus I think you can throw on standard documents, so it'd be handy or going over press releases and stuff on the way to work.

EileenG

I believe you can do cool things with them, like getting them to read the book out to you, or loading your own documents etc.

I've a couple of friends who have one, and swear by them, but I just do Kindle on my phone.

LoveGreen

oh congratulations EileenG.
I was expecting a different genre of book when I clicked that link - creative as well as wise.

Now, just wondering, does Cytolene cook or comsume her earthers raw and would they not lose vital enzymes in the cooking process? Would you class this diet as high in quality protein and ideal for someone looking to gain muscle?:pac:

best of luck with your book:)

DangerMouse27

Congratulations EileenG

Discount for boards members? ha ha ha

What an amazing feeling to get published,you have prob given many others so much hope on here

bigsmokewriting

Congratulations, Eileen! The first of many successes, hopefully.

EileenG

LoveGreen wrote: »

oh congratulations EileenG.
I was expecting a different genre of book when I clicked that link - creative as well as wise.

Now, just wondering, does Cytolene cook or comsume her earthers raw and would they not lose vital enzymes in the cooking process? Would you class this diet as high in quality protein and ideal for someone looking to gain muscle?:pac:

best of luck with your book:)

She doesn't believe in cooking, or even in masticating. Disgusting human habit. And yes, ideal diet for those looking to gain some muscle. Check out male Erisian: www.tinyurl.com/Erisian

FewFew

EileenG wrote: »

She doesn't believe in cooking, or even in masticating. Disgusting human habit. And yes, ideal diet for those looking to gain some muscle. Check out male Erisian: www.tinyurl.com/Erisian

That page is a bit disturbing... too much codpiece and six pack for my Disney heart

pog it

EileenG wrote: »

No advance, royalties only. So feel free to buy the book, not just drool over Cytolene's boobs!

Plus if anyone has any brilliant ideas about generating publicity and sales, please let me know.

Oh, one piece of great news, Elizabeth Anne Scarborough has agreed to do a review of Don't Feed the Fairies. I want a Nebula too.

Er hope that first comment wasn't for me, I've got my own nice set to enjoy

Anyway congrats again, truly great news.

Publicity wise how about contacting local libraries to see can you give a free reading?

EileenG

I might try that, but I'm going to see what other publicity I can drum up via the Internet. Ideally, I want something where people can click a link and they are able to buy it.

I see a lot of writers making youtube trailers about their books, but I'm not convinced this is a useful way to spend computer time.

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Might I suggest you send a copy of your book to well known Irish authors who write in the same genre for the same age group and ask them to review your book - even a short blurb, rather than a lenghty review by a known name could easily boost sales.
Darren Shan and Eoin Colfer spring to my mind as people you could ask to do this as they're Irish and write fantasy novels for young adults. I've interviewed Shan myself befroe - he's incredibly friendly and helpful and I'm sure he'd be more than happy to help you out in some way or another. Not as familiar with Colfer, but again I reckon he's a sound guy and would be willing to help. Even if they could advise you on the best way to market.
No harm in asking anyway. If you don't ask, you don't get - I've started to live by that mantra, and you know what, 95% of the time it works. I ask and I get.
Hope that's in some way helpful.

By the way, is your book available in hard copy or only for the kindle/iphone? Firstly I don't have either and secondly I spend most of my day at work standing in front of a computer screen, also when I'm watching tv, surfing the web. So for me, reading is a break from screens, so while I'd really like to read it, I'd really be looking for a hard copy.

CD.

you could also add the direct link into your signature, then there's the usual facebook/twitter/throwing tennisballs with the address written on them at people.

Conga-rats on being published, that really is awesome and same with the review!

EileenG

CaptainNegative wrote: »

Might I suggest you send a copy of your book to well known Irish authors who write in the same genre for the same age group and ask them to review your book - even a short blurb, rather than a lenghty review by a known name could easily boost sales.
Darren Shan and Eoin Colfer spring to my mind as people you could ask to do this as they're Irish and write fantasy novels for young adults. I've interviewed Shan myself befroe - he's incredibly friendly and helpful and I'm sure he'd be more than happy to help you out in some way or another. Not as familiar with Colfer, but again I reckon he's a sound guy and would be willing to help. Even if they could advise you on the best way to market.
No harm in asking anyway. If you don't ask, you don't get - I've started to live by that mantra, and you know what, 95% of the time it works. I ask and I get.
Hope that's in some way helpful.

By the way, is your book available in hard copy or only for the kindle/iphone? Firstly I don't have either and secondly I spend most of my day at work standing in front of a computer screen, also when I'm watching tv, surfing the web. So for me, reading is a break from screens, so while I'd really like to read it, I'd really be looking for a hard copy.

So far, my book is only available as Kindle or Nook downloads. I talked to the publisher, and they are going to do a print version, but that will be at least a year away, it takes that long to get it done. And that's not even counting time spent fighting over the cover art.

I did ask Elizabeth Anne Scarborough to do a review for me, and she's agreed. I'm hoping there will be a few lines in it that I can quote or even stick on the cover as a selling point.

I'll see if I can think of anyone else who might do something similar. It's just that doing anything like that means reading it, which takes a few hours, which is a lot to ask from anyone busy.

I mentioned the book on Rollercoaster, a parenting website, and several breastfeeding mothers rushed to buy it, because they like things you can read with one hand while feeding the baby.

www.eileengormley.com

tbahh

Congratulations!

If you haven't already, you should try local or national radio stations. My cousin recently set up a business and it was featured on the Derek Mooney Show.

EileenG

Thanks. Expect to see me drumming up as much publicity as possible!

FewFew

EileenG wrote: »

Thanks. Expect to see me drumming up as much publicity as possible!

This is exciting, it feels like you're the first boardsie to have a break through, but hopefully not the last. It'd be excellent if in a few years people were in a position to review each other's published works

Memnoch

It sounds like you're doing all the right things. I agree with you about the youtube video thing. Unless it's done well it can easily backfire.

A free reading sounds like a good idea but I wonder how productive it would be. It would make more sense if maybe your name or the book's name was out there a little first to generate some interest. Maybe if it was mentioned in the local paper to pique interest followed by the reading.

Of course, I don't know squat about marketing so I'm just conjecturing.

But best of luck with it!