Wednesday 16 November 2016

N R Williams on finding readers for her books. Marketing tips, anyone?

I saw a facebook post recently that warmed my heart. A blogger who was ready to self-publish her flash fiction collection in time for Halloween was let down by her cover artist. She bemoaned that fact on facebook. There were many encouraging replies to her post, but a fellow blogger did something about it--she offered to do a cover for free...and quickly, so said author could go ahead and post.

That author was N. R. Williams. The very generous author who provided the brilliant cover was Nicole McDonald. 

Greetings fellow bloggers. Thank you for coming to visit and read my post. Denise has graciously asked me to write about my Halloween series and if I intend to continue publishing a book each October. I can’t really answer that without talking about what led me to develop the series in the first place. It is my hope that this post will inspire some of you.

Challenges

My life has been filled with challenges. As a child, I had to overcome being switched from my left hand to my right hand. This left me with a learning disability which made English grammar as formidable as a foreign language. I struggle with both. Wait, you say, aren’t you a writer? Yes, I am. I have overcome the grammar challenge.

As a child, I was an artist. Color has always been important to me. But I am also a perfectionist and so art in many forms began to frustrate me. I have transformed my gift of observation into a gift for description. Embracing the challenge.

As a writer, my first love is fantasy. I was bitten by the fantasy bug with Dr. Seuss first, then J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis and much later J. K. Rowling. I worked for over twenty years on my first book, learning all the rules of writing and grammar. People said, put your first book aside and do something different. I couldn’t. My first epic fantasy, The Treasures of Carmelidrium, lived with me and wouldn’t leave me alone. I was turned down by a lot of agents and publishers and so I met that challenge by self-publishing in 2011. Later that year publishers came out with a new designation. Young Adult. That fits me to a ‘T.’ My voice is ‘YA,’ but my characters are twenty something. Should I have waited to publish? I don’t know.

Now we come to the present and my new challenge. How to find readers and transform my books into best sellers? This is as difficult for me as grammar was. I don’t have the finances to do a lot of advertising. That in mind, I read that the more books you have available the easier to sell. Well…writing epic fantasy takes time and my time is at a premium. I nearly died two years ago, so I struggle with my health. That said, it’s taking even longer to write my fantasies. But, I am determined.

Halloween series


Amazon 
Cover by Nicole McDonald
Now we come to my Halloween series. Initially I thought that readers would also buy my epic fantasy. That hasn’t happened. Even so, it doesn’t hurt to attract more readers and to grow as a writer. Flash fiction is a useful tool. It makes you a better writer and it allows you to put together a number of stories quickly. I include seven flash fiction stories in each Halloween Collection book. Is that enough? I have no idea but I hope so.

I released the first collection in 2015, and my second in 2016.

I plan to continue to add one Halloween Collection per year and in February 2017 I am putting together a Valentine Faerie Collection. This will also be seven stories of tiny flying beings falling in love.  

We will have to have an update.



My question to you--how do you challenge yourself in your life?

N. R. Williams

N. R. Williams’s journey as a writer began in her formative years. Along the way to becoming a writer she found a voice in herself that couldn’t be silenced. N. R. Williams’s is a writer, a dreamer, a person who sees beyond the here and now and hopes for something better. Her stories evolve along with her characters often changing like the Colorado weather.


N. R. Williams's lives in Colorado with her husband. She is a mother and grandmother.

Nancy blogs HERE
Her AMAZON PAGE is HERE
Her first HALLOWEEN COLLECTION is HERE
Her TREASURES OF CARMELIDRIUM, my personal favourite, is HERE

Halloween Collection (Halloween Collection Book Book 1) by [Williams, N. R.]




Thanks for coming by! Don't forget to answer Nancy's question in the comments!


  • And seeing Nancy is struggling with marketing, I'm pointing you to a post by Chrys Fey on 100 Marketing Tips.


  • Do you have some marketing tips to share? What's worked best for you?


33 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Nancy, that was awesome Nicole stepped in and did a great cover for you.
I think doing the yearly edition is a good idea. We plan on rolling with it for the IWSG anthology, so even better for an author to do her own.

Botanist said...

Inspirational story, and the help with the cover art restores my faith in human nature. We need to hear less about the hate and more about the kindness in the world.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Denise - great you're highlighting Nancy here ... and the fact that Nicole helped Nancy out - brilliant. As Ian says ... good to read about the thoughtful and decentness of people. Very good luck is all I can say - you are writing .. and they will get out there ... Denise I see has linked to a few sites ... good luck to one and all .. especially Nancy -cheers Hilary

Roland D. Yeomans said...

I was so moved and impressed when Nicole stepped in to do your cover. It proves that there are still good souls in the world, though the news would have us believe otherwise. I have decided to be the Emily Dickinson of the Indie World: to believe in myself and my books though it appears no one else does. If we stop, we will always wonder, right?

Crystal Collier said...

Nancy! How did I miss out on the story of the new cover? I must have been completely gone. Whew! It's gorgeous. I'm so happy for you.

Denise, thank you for sharing Nancy's story. I would have missed it otherwise.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Wow, that was really sweet of Nicole to do the cover for you, Nancy. Gotta love the blogging community.

Hi Denise!

Yolanda Renée said...

Hi, Nancy:
Congratulations on overcoming so much to do what you love. Keep at it, and put those books out there! So cool of Nicole to step in! When you learn the secrets of marketing share, and Denise's advice to check out Chrys's advice is great. She's experimented with a lot of it and posts her results regularly.

Sheena-kay Graham said...

So glad N.R. got her book done. I too was let down by a cover artist recently and it sucks. Nicole is an angel for helping you and at no cost! Wonderful. Your story is inspiring and I'm glad Denise had you over.

Denise Covey said...

Hello Hilary. I think what Nicole did was awesome and showed a lot of blogger love.

Denise Covey said...

It's a good story, isn't it?

Denise Covey said...

Hi Lyn! Catch you soon!

N. R. Williams said...

Thank you Alex. I look forward to reading the anthology series.
Nancy

N. R. Williams said...

I agree with you there.
Nancy

N. R. Williams said...

Thank you, Hilary.
Nancy

N. R. Williams said...

You should believe in yourself Roland. You're a great writer and you will make it.
Nancy

N. R. Williams said...

You had a lot going on with your new release, Crystal. Thanks for your comment.
Nancy

N. R. Williams said...

Yes it was, Lynda. I'm b;essed with awesome friends.
Nancy

N. R. Williams said...

I plan to read Chry's post. I will let you all know if success shines on me.
Nancy

N. R. Williams said...

Thank you, Sheena. I hope your cover woes work out soon.
Nancy

N. R. Williams said...

Denise
Thanks for having me. I'm late, so sorry. I forgot that the 17th for you is the 16th for me.
Nancy

Nicole said...

I was helped out by a fellow blogger, who designed the first version of the cover for the first in my trilogy for free. It felt great to be able to help out a fellow blogger in the same situation. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. And Nancy is always there to offer encouragement when you need it. She deserved the cover!
Indies got to help indies ��

Denise Covey said...

Nicole that's a wonderful way of passing it on! I love this blogging world!

N. R. Williams said...

You're a gem, Nicole. Thank you again!
Nancy

erica and christy said...

I'm so glad you never gave up! I teach and our first grade word of the week is perseverance...that's you! Your writing is lovely. I enjoy it very much. Have you considered (or maybe you've already done so) putting a short story in Instafreebie and then gathering a group of readers for a newsletter that way? You can then let them know when you have new books out and promote yourself through the newsletter. I've read that IF gains many, many interested newsletter subcribers. Christy

Patsy said...

I'm no good at marketing either, but I do think there's truth in th theory that having several books out helps at least a little bit.

Denise Covey said...

I was interested in Instafreebie Christy. Sounds intriguing.

Denise Covey said...

Yes, Patsy, but I think you have to be careful that they are good books.

N. R. Williams said...

Thanks for sharing that Christy. I will check it out.

N. R. Williams said...

So far not so much. Reviews are good, but a bad one stings. Fortunately I don't have too many.
Nancy

The Armchair Squid said...

Best of luck to Nancy on her latest!

Nicola said...

It's so heart warming to read your story, Nancy. Wishing you all the very best and thank you Denise, for giving Nancy the space to tell us about her book!

Pat Hatt said...

Awesome that she stepped in and did the cover, a great one indeed. Yep, have to keep on keepin on. It is the main thing to anything in life.

cleemckenzie said...

Obviously, someone didn't understand the significance of handedness when they forced you from your dominant left hand to your right. But it seems you've worked out those kinks and moved on to produce some very interesting prose. I love the cover for this latest collection. It's really eye-catching. And kudos to the generous designer. I'd recommend her any day.