Being Your Own Biggest Fan and Writing Your Own Reviews

Next entry will continue my web story (Don't Shoot the Messenger) that I hope you have been enjoying... but in the meantime I thought I would bring your attention to this very embarrassing mistake by a fellow author.

RJ Ellory (a prize winning author) got caught writing his own glowing reviews - ouch!  All authors know that getting reviews and referrals is the lifeblood of making a living from being an author (hint hint), and every author dreams of writing books for a living, so I understand the temptation... but seriously!!!

And worse still, he bagged other writers... that is unacceptable.  Saying you genuinely didn't like a book is fine, especially if you are polite and give good feedback for improvement.  

But trying to 'destroy' the blood, sweat and pen ink of another, crush their dream that you share, is akin to leading your siblings into the grasp of the White Witch, or telling random three year olds at the mall that Santa doesn't exist.

Santa of course does exist.  He simply lives in such freezing conditions that he cannot be detected by radars, and uses a memory manipulating device on your parents.

Anyway, you can read the article here:

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/entertainment/8526763/author-caught-giving-own-books-glowing-reviews

P.S. I would never write my own reviews.  In saying that here is some feed back from readers about my newest story Don't Shoot the Messenger:

• "Most intelligent piece I have ever read!" - Albert Einstein
• ‎"Best work of fiction ever ... wish I wrote it!" - William Shakespeare
• ‎"Good read on a rainy day." - Noah

The Publishing Iceberg ... Never Trust a Creative with a Timeline

"So when can we buy your book?"

July 2011

November 2011

January 2012

February 2012

March 2012

My book is finally ready for online publishing, my dear and patient friends.  

Despite a number of false starts, and a book trailer that has been watched by 885 people (as of today) that states it will be ready for purchase eight months ago.

And of course, when I say finally ready, I mean it will be available to purchase in the next 14 days ... it has been written, has had numerous edits (by myself and others), has a cover (as seen above), has a theme song, and has even more book trailers... something tells me I just like making book trailers.

Naturally, now I have to think about such things like a website, a Facebook page, and how to take it from one in a million books, to THE one in a million book.  I came up with that just as I write.  Thanks.  I know.  Brilliant, right?

So when I said last week this is when my journey starts, what I REALLY meant to say is THIS is where my journey starts.

Publishing Iceberg.

But I guess the lesson here is that it takes much, much longer than you expect to get a project off the ground like this - ESPECIALLY when you're taking the world on yourself, and not got a whole paid publishing and marketing team behind you.  There are just so many things to do in the unseen (FYI self-publishers).

My publishing team is me.  And my marketing team is my readers who are obsessed with like my book and tell others about it.  (Kind of like my blog.)

(And creatives are, well, creative with expected timelines, too.  That's why publishers set the release dates and not authors, I guess.)

Anyway, I am just so so so excited about the release, I thought I'd drop you a line.

Oh, and by the way, if you like my book cover above, check out the graphic designing team that created it and their 'off-the-chart' creativity at: www.neverlandstudio.com.au

www.neverlandstudio.com.au