Wednesday, February 16, 2011

'Bad News Borders' and my ongoing to-do list

     Well, Borders made it official. They filed for bankruptcy. If you've been following the news, you saw this coming but still, it was kind of like a WOW moment. And then I had to just sit back, prop my feet up, and take a long gulp of JA Konrath's kool-aid. Because it's a pretty big hint I've made the right choice for me, by e-publishing. And if any indie author still wasn't sure if they'd made the right choice, they are now.Read about it here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/16/borders-files-for-bankruptcy_n_823889.html

     As for my raging to do list, here's an update. I am on TWITTER! Got it up and running yesterday and you can msg me @Heatherhildenbr. (My whole name won't fit, oh well.) So that's exciting. And I'm really trying to work on getting my FaceBook Author page filled with all the info I want to have. I've uploaded my covers there and have provided links to Amazon, so you can find my work.

     I also rewrote my product description for Across the Galaxy today. I like it better for a couple of reasons. One- it's shorter. I had three mini-paragraphs going before and I think it was just too long and gave too much information. This one is shorter but still has all the info you need to get interested but not too much. Two- It leaves you hanging a little more as to the main plot line/big picture which is a better way to sell books. BTW, I found a great post that helped me write a better book description on Karen McQuestion's blog here: http://mcquestionablemusings.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-method-for-writing-book-description.html

Here's the new description, being uploaded to Amazon as we speak - let me know what you think:

ACROSS THE GALAXY


Orphaned as a young girl, Alina Leone has spent the last few years in dusty Arizona, being raised by her guardian, Peter, and wishing for a friendship that isn’t filled with lies and deception about exactly what she really is. Just before she can begin senior year she meets someone from her past – a talking wolf from another galaxy who won’t stop calling her ‘Empress’ - and in a single moment, her future is changed forever. She becomes a fugitive, on the run from the Shadows, the same monsters who killed her parents, and flees to the safety of the planet Bardawulf for refuge. But not everyone in this magically protected fortress is what they seem.


5 comments:

  1. Heather,

    I can remember when Barnes & Noble entered my hometown and the Books-a-Million down the street became a ghost town. Then Borders opened up next to B&N and drafted a lot of their business. I think it may have happened even if we didn't have e-publishing too.

    Like you I think I made the right decision.

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  2. you're right, it could've happened either way, but if it's going to happen AND I can use it to reinforce my own dream, even better!

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  3. I like the new blurb much better! I only give a blurb about 3 seconds of reading. If it can't tell me within 3-5 seconds what the book is about and catch my interest, then I usually won't read the book. Success!!

    Angeline Kace

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  4. According to the official list, the Borders in my town is not closing (yet, anyway), but if they do close, I am going to miss it quite a bit -- it's where my wife and I met the first time and we've had tons of fun going over there and browsing the books ever since.

    I like your description, your book sounds really interesting! Keep us posted!

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  5. @ Nick- yeah they said alot of stores arent closing... yet. It's still a crazy big deal for them to be in chapter 11 though. Wow.

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