The first stops of my blog tour
Well, this was a truly busy week. With the release of Curse of Kali I truly had my hands full, trying to promote the new Jason Dark mystery.
As part of the promotion and my attempt to get the title at least into the Top 1,000 of Amazon’s Kindle bestsellers, I have also prepared a number of guest-post on various blogs around the Web.
For example, why don’t you make a quick pit stop over at Scott Nicholson’s Haunted Computer, where I created a Book Bucket List for readers. It is a short list of books that I have greatly enjoyed over the years and that have stayed with me and influenced me in one way or another. If you’ve ever wondered, what kind of stuff I’ve been reading all my life, and which of these books really became a part of me, you simply have to check out that list.
Today, Bob Freeman hosts me as a guest on his Occult Detective website. I love his website because it seems tailor-made for my interests. It is all about classic horror, old-school mysteries and everything that has to do with the thing s I love and write about in the Jason Dark stories. So, it was a natural fit for me to write about my influences on Bob’s blog. It is a post called The Sherlock Holmes Connection and Other Influences, in which I explore many of the things that made me want to write Victorian Era supernatural mysteries. You should definitely stop by and take a look.
There will be more guest posts appearing on other sites in the days to come and I’ll try to keep you posted. The best way to keep up with what I’m doing, though, is to follow me on Twitter (@GuidoHenkel) or friend me on Facebook. That way you will never miss a beat.
The launch of Curse of Kali went well, though despite its 99 cent price point, people still don’t seem to be buying it aggressively enough to really push it up the charts. It is unfortunate because I am convinced that once you hit a certain threshold, the raking becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and sales will beget more sales. Curse of Kali Is a long way from that, though, and could still use a bit more exposure.
Maybe you could help, even if you’re not interested in the book itself, even if a Victorian Era supernatural mystery is not your bag, even if you are not interested in reading how Jason Dark and Sherlock Holmes solve a case together… How? I am glad you asked. You will find a “Like” button right next to the book on Amazon’s website. By pressing this “Like” button you would indicate that you consider this to be an interesting title and hopefully help other readers to make up their minds easier. It is so easy, takes only two mouse clicks and would help me tremendously.
Of course, if you actually bought and read the book, feel free to leave a short review, even if it’s just a single line. Reviews are a tremendously powerful tool to help authors get their books discovered, as most readers will take a look at the general consensus before making a purchase.
So, thank you all, for helping me promote the launch and telling people about it, for liking, buying or reviewing it, or for simply listening to me ramble.
On my own reading end, I have just finished Robert McCammon’s The Queen of Bedlam and have to admit that I loved the book. The prose was occasionally a little to verbose for my taste but I could easily get past that because the story itself was so interesting. I found it particularly remarkable how everything in this book ties together. Even the most insignificant scene will play some kind of role later on in the story, making it a real trip as the story unravels. I will have to check out Mister Slaughter some time, the latest of McCammon’s books.
For now, however, I have started to read Scott Nicholson’s Liquid Fear and I have no doubts that this thriller will… err, thrill me.
I clicked on the Amazon link in your blog post and Amazon requires you to sign in before you can “Like” the book. I did sign in and “Like” it, but it does take more than two clicks. Not a big deal for me, just a comment.
Thanks for liking it, Fiona. Since I’m always signed into Amazon, it is really just a two-click process for me. Clicking on the link here, then on the Like button. I do get your point, though. 🙂
Hey Guido,
I may have posted this on the wrong comment, so I will just repeat it here, in case you don’t see it.
I just made Demon’s Night my first Kindle purchase. I enjoyed the sample and I am looking forward to reading the rest.
I have the piece for my blog written on formatting your story, and it will contain a link to your helpful guide, as well as a couple of plugs (for your new book and for the whole series). I will be suggesting to readers who find your blog useful to purchase one of your books to show their appreciation.
I am holding back on posting the piece until I format my own short stories. I get the final proof back from the editor on Monday/Tuesday, and it’s only 4,000 words and I know a bit of HTML, so it shouldn’t take me too long, and then I can post the blog.
I will send you a link when it’s up, and maybe at some point we can talk about you coming along to do a guest blog, if you are interested.
Dave
I’ve read your posts on JA Konrath’s blog with interest. I just wanted to tell you that your efforts to promote your books have really impressed me. I’m not your target audience, but your cover transformation was nothing short of spectacular. I’m amazed that more people aren’t picking up Demon’s Night based on the cover alone. It’s really eye catching.
Good luck on your blog tour. If you ever want to contribute a guest post on mine, you’re quite welcome to. I sometimes have as many as 7 unique views in a day. 😉
Thanks for the heads-up, Wren. I’ll check out your blog when I have a minute.
I just realized that you might take that as a serious solicitation. It’s funny to think of myself as being able to pull off a hard sell. The invitation stands, of course, but my comment was totally tongue in cheek. The part about getting 7 unique views is totally spot on though. That’s 6 people besides my mom, yo. Booya!
Hey, that’s nothing to be ashamed of. When I first started this blog I had 5 visitors a day or less. Just give a bit of time and people will find it if you have content that interests people.
Blogging, Twitter, and Facebook are like the unholy trinity of marketing. I attempt to do them all to connect with people, but end up feeling more alienated than I ever did in high school. I’ll find my audience eventually (I hope!), but in the mean time it feels a bit like talking to myself.
On the one hand, I’m fine with my own company, but on the other… well, I don’t need to try to think of witty one liners to amuse myself. Not to imply that I don’t often do that very thing, because I do. I just don’t NEED to.
Well, first off, I would put my Twitter handle on the blog. Right now I can’t even find you on Twitter to follow you. 🙁
Hi Guido: Just purchased “Heavens on Fire”. Thanks for your series on formatting. I have been having nghtmares about formatting. Not sure if this will resolve them, but at least it explains some things. If I can formatt sucessfully, anyone can.
Ann.
Regarding your blog tour: if you like, I’ll host you if you’l host me about one of my novels. Click on my website link to check my blog if you’d like to be on it as part of your tour.