In the video below, I did an instructional about how to start out with a blank Microsoft Word document and build an eBook template and then after saving that template, to make a few changes and turn it into a template for the Paperback and Hardcover books.

What makes this possible is choosing the 6" x 9" print size for the paperback and hardcover. At the present time, KDP only allows you to print a hardcover in the 6" x 9" size. So if you choose to create your paperback in the same size, then you can use this same template to make all three books.

EASY FLOW EBOOKS:

What makes it possible to use a 6" x 9" ebook template for the eBook is the easy flow settings that are needed so that eBooks can fit on any size eReader, tablet, or phone.

When you upload an eBook, you are really uploading a series of Chapter Headers and paragraphs. It is converted behind the scenes into the computerized language of ePub, and then delivered like a pitcher pouring a glass of tea. It is delivered one paragraph at a time. Then the reader can adjust the text size and color, the background color and even the font style. So as long as your paragraphs and headings are set up correctly, you won't have any trouble.

PAPERBACKS & HARDBACKS:

If you choose the same size, the manuscripts are the same. The cover dimensions will be off and you will need a different sized book cover for each, but the manuscript will work for both.

SHOULD YOU MAKE THEM ALL THE SAME?

thinking women with question mark on white background

The paperback size should be guided by the genre you publish in. If the books are around about the 6" x 9" size, then you're good to go, but if they are smaller, like 5.06 x 7.81 -- which is the size I use -- then you will have to make thee different templates.

But once you watch this video below, you will be a pro at making templates for whatever size you need.

HERE IS A SNAPSHOT OF THE PAPERBACK & HARDCOVER MARGINS:

Below are the settings for the Paperback & Hardcover.

CHANGES FOR THE eBOOK:

Gutter: change from 0.13" to 0
Change mirror margins to normal margina
Change Section Start to "New Page" (or next page)
Change headers and footers from 0.35" to 0.5"

REMINDERS FOR ALL MANUSCRIPTS:

Be sure to remember to embed fonts into your documents. Go to File > Options > Save > Scroll down until you see this section about Embedding the fonts. Only check the first box. This information is from KDP.

MONTHLY Books Giveaway!

Enter to win a copy of Book 1 & Book 2 in the Newport Vampire Series
Limited Edition of 250 signed-by-the-author hardcover books
Winner receives both books along with custom-made book plates and magnetized bookmarks for the series.

BOOK REVIEWS:

Add book reviews

ABOUT THE SERIES:

The NEWPORT VAMPIRE STORIES SERIES is a contemporary Vampire Story told with a subtle thread of Catholicism running through it.

It is a story about the lengths to which desperation can drive a vampire to possess the one he loves.

For Ciara, who felt unloved and unnoticed in the world all of her life, it’s a story of love and being chosen.

For Darius, it is a story of the power, control and manipulation he developed in his quest for blood, love and loyalty.

Ultimately, Darius must learn to give up up control and manipulation in order to find true love.

Each book can be read separately as each story has a beginning, middle and end. But they are best read in order to follow the full character arcs.

NEWPORT VAMPIRE STORIES SERIES is a different Vampire Series.
❤ Secrets, Lies, Deceit & Desperation
❤ True Love, Need, Sacrifice and Acts of Devotion
❤ Vampiric Obsession, Manipulation & Sabotage
❤ Accidental deaths, Secret Burials, Murder & Kidnapping
❤ Vampires born anew
❤ Being chased by the NY mob
❤ Being investigated by a nosy detective
❤ Being scrutinized by nosy family members
❤ Local Scientist with a blood serum Darius wants
❤ But in the end, it’s about True Love, Family Love and
the human need for Freedom.

ENTER TO WIN:

The form is below to enter the September Books Giveaway. The Rules and Legal stuff is below. I have used red for the important stuff, but please read before entering.

***** ADD NEW MAILERLITE FORM *****

***** CHANGE TECHNICAL STUFF IN LEGAL PARAGRAPHS BELOW *****

Giveaway Rules:

By submitting an entry to the September Hardcover 2 Book Giveaway (the “September Giveaway”), you acknowledge that you have read and agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of RShannon/ ReadFirstChapter.com, and that you satisfy all eligibility requirements.

The SEPTEMBER GIVEAWAY is open to all humans age 21 or older with a USA mailing address where the books will be sent. Employees of RSHANNON or READFIRSTCHAPTER.COM, (the “Sponsor”), its respective parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, distributors, merchants involved with this Sweepstakes, and their immediate family members and/or those living in the same household of each are not eligible to enter or win. Sweepstakes governed by United States law. Sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary to enter or win. A purchase will not improve your chances of winning.

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To enter the Sweepstakes, click below and sign up with your first name and email. Follow all onscreen instructions to verify your email and submit the online entry form (“Primary Entry”). All entries must be received by September 30, 2024. (“Sweepstakes Entry Period”). Online entrants subject to all notices posted online including but not limited to Sponsor’s privacy policy.

PRIZES & APPROXIMATE RETAIL VALUES (“ARV”):

Maximum ARV of all prizes: $30. Prize includes: Author signed hardcvoer books entitled Darius – A Vampire Story and Repossession of Ciara, both books authored by R Shannon, along with 4 magnetized stylized bookmarks. They will be mailed using USPS.com.

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Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received during the Sweepstakes Entry Period. The entry invitation will appear on this website all month long and it will also be posted several times to social media.

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Winners will be selected in a random drawing from all eligible entries received. Random drawing will be conducted on or about DATE OF OCTOBER 1st, 2024 by a representative from the Sponsor whose decisions are final. Winners will be notified by email. The winner will be required to complete and return an email confirmation of prize acceptance and a verifiable USPS Mailing address. This verification must be within 7 days of the announcement of the winner. The prize will be delivered within 30 days of receipt of verified USPS postal address.

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October 2024 Books Giveaway!

BOOK REVIEWS:

★★★★★ – Enjoyed it!
I wasn’t sure how I felt about this book, as the cadence of the writing is a bit different than I am used to. Did not think I would like it, but was surprised to find myself being sucked in enough to get the next book 🙂 It is an interesting read and I really enjoyed it. – Joan b

★★★★★ – Wanting more.
I loved the story line. How they mashed so well. I can’t wait to read the second book in the coming future!!

ABOUT THE SERIES:

The NEWPORT VAMPIRE STORIES SERIES is a contemporary Vampire Story told with a subtle thread of Catholicism running through it.

It is a story about the lengths to which desperation can drive a vampire to possess the one he loves.

For Ciara, who felt unloved and unnoticed in the world all of her life, it’s a story of love and being chosen.

For Darius, it is a story of the power, control and manipulation he developed in his quest for blood, love and loyalty.

Ultimately, Darius must learn to give up up control and manipulation in order to find true love.

Each book can be read separately as each story has a beginning, middle and end. But they are best read in order to follow the full character arcs.

ENTER TO WIN:

The form is below to enter the September Books Giveaway. The Rules and Legal stuff is below. I have used red for the important stuff, but please read before entering.

Giveaway Rules:

HOW TO ENTER:

PRIZES & APPROXIMATE RETAIL VALUES (“ARV”):

ODDS:

THE LEGAL STUFF:

Limit: one prize per household. Prize is guaranteed to be awarded.

Movie Review – The Flesh and the Fiends – 1960 film

The live link to the YouTube Video, if it's still available, is at the end of the review.

Here is another 1960s British Horror Film entitled The Flesh and the Fiends. The story and script were written by John Gilling, who also directed the movie. It stars Peter Cushing, Donald Pleasence and George Rose. There are probably other British stars that I don't recognize but these were the three main ones.

I have the link to the movie on YouTube posted at the end of this review where you can watch it for free like I did. However, in case it is no longer on YouTube, here is a link to it on JustWatch.com. You may need to put the title into the search box. This website keeps track of where you can see the video.

If you are a collector, you can purchase the Blu-ray on video on Amazon.

QUICK SUMMARY:

My main purpose is to discuss the movie in terms of how we, as writers and storytellers, can learn from these early movies. I'll give just a quick summary of the movie, just enough to reference the topics I'll touch on in this review.

The story takes place in the late 19th century in London. A scientist is obsessed with learning more about medicine and resorts to paying grave-diggers to bring him bodies so he can dissect them to learn more. He believes this a noble cause. The bodies originally delivered are dug up from the graveyard and sold as being "only three days old". They are covered in dirt and decomposition is already taking place. Dr. Knox pays four or five ginnies (slang for a 5 pound note) for them and is happy to have them.

One night, two town thugs find out that the doctor is willing to pay up to 6 ginnies for a dead body and they bring in a body they find that just died. Because the body is fresh and just recently dead, the doctor pays them 8 ginnies.

One of the criminal thugs owns a boarding home with his nagging wife and the two criminals begin 'helping a few deaths along' in one way or another and then sell it to Dr. Knox. The doctor remains in denial about it, even though his assistants try to tell him something is not right about so many fresh dead bodies turning up. Dr. Knox is blinded by his ambitions.

The movie is a moral tale (with no lecturing) about both the temptation of money and how it can bring men to the point of evil and a second moral tale of how allowing an obsession, albeit nobly intended, can progress to its own evil.

As a viewer and lover of gothic movies, I loved this movie. It had it all: From the gothic old London scenery to the interaction of the lower classes with the upper, it was really enjoyable.

HOW THE HISTORICAL TIME AND PLACE ARE ESTABLISHED:

As soon as the movie starts, an information panel with the date is posted giving the viewer an exact time frame. It also gives you the name of Dr. Knox and tells you he's a scientist. The viewer is immediately anchored in the late 1800s when the story starts. Aside from this, the scene further anchors you in the 19th century by the fashion, the kerosene lights, the cobblestones, the scientific props and the dialogue.

It is soon established that there is no means for doctors or scientists to get cadavers in this world of early scientific discovery. The scientists, at least Dr. Knox, resorts to paying gravediggers to dig up fresh bodies that he can experiment on. That lays the groundwork for the story that is about to unfold.

What makes Dr. Knox appear so noble is that he is also a professor of a room full of budding doctors. It's hard to hold the grave robbing against him in the beginning of the movie. He is helping so many people and passing this knowledge down to create other doctors to help people.

A MORAL TALE:

What I love about the old movies in particular is that most of them were moral tales of one type of another. The scriptwriter and director had a point in presenting the story and it was almost always a moral point. Today, there are thousands of these 'a slice of a meaningless life with one glorified sin' movies that I abhor mainly because they are empty and pointless. So the fact that this story had a dual moral tale made it all the more enjoyable.

ALL RICH CHARACTERS:

The characters are very "Charles Dickens like" almost to the point of being comical. An author can learn a lot about creating characters, especially ones who fit into a Charles Dickens type of story. The bad guy and bad girl characters were a little over the top -- but not too much. Just enough to make them colorful, enjoyable and watchable.

It's so helpful to also see how the set director arranged the backdrop of the scenes to add in historical elements, all of which enrich the story. For example, the cobblestones, the street gas lights, occasional hand-held torches, the mob with torches, even the archaic scientific lab. These all kept the story anchored in the time frame.

This is also a great move to watch to see how the scriptwriter and director portrayed the lower classes against the upper classes. For example, the thugs wore mismatched, wrinkled, and dirty clothes along with their top hats. The rich guys were all clean, crisp and tidy, including their white gloves and perfectly tied ascots. Even their posture allowed them to look slightly down their noses at everyone, including each other. The lower class men wore pants that were too long and baggy and suit jackets that were ill-fitting. I don't want to even tell you what their shoes looked like! These are all very subtle differences when you analyze them one at a time, but they all helped present the striking difference between how the upper and lower classes lived.

NUDITY IN THE 1960s:

This movie was shot in 1960s and, unlike most movies from this early on, there were two scenes where the female breasts were exposed. It wasn't excessive and it wasn't what I would refer to as gratuitous. The women were bar whores, so the naked breasts told that story in less than ten seconds. It was also a pleasure to see real female breasts instead of the silicone half-cantaloupes we see today in movies.

The scenes of the lower class took place in a brawling tavern or pub of some kind. So the crowd scenes were mainly a back drop for spotlighted action that book place in that environment, so it has a lot to teach a writer about that particular setup. How to describe a bawdy scene occurring in the background while casting a spotlight on a main character or two having important or at least relevant dialogue.

ALL THE GOTHIC TROPES:

If you're a fan of gothic movies, as I am, you will enjoy this one. The atmosphere that takes place in the shadows of the London nights in the alleyways, under the roman arch, the distressed cement and brick walls with the hanging gas lights is delicious.

They have a few graveyard scenes which is a classic gothic trope too. The subject matter of the story is macabre enough to hold your interest and just give you a tiny horror shiver without overdoing it.

CHARACTER ARCS:

The two main bad guys in the movie start out as general ne'er-do-wells that are always looking for a quick buck. Both actors did an amazing job at creating a colorful character without much backstory. These characters could have easily been paper-thin had it not been for the character actors who portrayed them.

Once they find out you can make eight ginnies for a dead body, suddenly, they descend into another level of criminality. And realistically, they go from level to level into full evil.

There was nothing redeemable about either character, but the acting made them both interesting enough to want to know what would happen to them. This is another great lesson for writers. You want a bad guy who the reader hates, but not enough to close the book on him!

A FEW LESSONS IN CONFLICT:

When I started out writing, I heard so many times about conflict, conflict, conflict. All stories had to have conflict. I originally thought that to portray conflict, you would need to make characters at such odds that they would at least spar in some way. But that's no so. The conflict can be more subtle and less emotional. This is a good movie to watch the conflict between the doctor and his assistants. There are two separate conflicts and there are subtle differences between each one.

The first conflict is a battle of moral wits that takes place between Dr. Knox and one of his employees. This is a good scene to watch to learn about lower-level conflict. As I learned along the way, a definitive difference of opinion on something can be enough to present conflict. The conflict between Dr. Knox and his assistant is a level 5 out of 10. It could even be described as a difference of opinion but Dr. Knox has the power of the employer behind him.

There is a secondary conflict that takes place later on in the story between Dr. Knox and the other doctors who confront him. This is more of a level seven conflict; and it could be described as more like a 'rich guy hissy fit'. There's no violence, but he tells them off but good. This is seen in many movies and you can see it here done very well. Peter Cushing does an amazing job with the tell off. This is also a conflict with a little bit of a power struggle as well.

For the new writers, I'll list below some of the things that help anchor a story in the 19th century and also anchor the story among the rich or the poor. This is a list I wish I had found early on in my writing career!

If you read this review before you watch the movie, you can see these items pop up throughout the film and see how they anchor the scene in the same historical time frame.

PROPS THAT SCREAM 19TH CENTURY SCIENCE:

1. Personal labs in the scientists house.
2. Hanging skeleton out of real bones
3. 19th century school room
4. Body called a stiff but corrected to a subject
5. Liquor poured from a glass carafe
6. Hand-held kerosine lanterns
7. Heavy, nagging wife with a shawl (always portrays the lower class)
8. References to 'the cupboard', peeling vegetables into a big bowl (lower class or servant class)
9. Water pitcher and big bowl in bedrooms
10. Men and women dancing at an arm's length in ballroom
11. Cobblestones, war-torn looking brick walls, roman brick arches, gas street lighting,
12. Town crier reading from a long scroll about "murder most foul" -- they are announcing there's been a stabbing murder. The people are all outraged and beginning to form a mob.
13. Mob rises up and storms into the streets
14. The noose around a bad buy's neck with a priest alongside for last rights
15. Hand-held kerosene lanterns
16. Village mob justice

OLD WORLD ENGLISH FASHIONS:

Hats - Top hats, fancy hats for upper class, sleeping cap like hats for the lower class
Long dresses, lots of layers - servants usually have an apron over their dresses
Muff to keep the hands warm while riding in the horse drawn carriages
Scarfs tied into bows for ascots
Globe gas lights among the rich
Suits with vests

PORTRAYING THE POOR:

Clothing is mismatched, rumpled, dirty, and torn
Messy and/or overgrown hair.
Women with balding issues or long straggly hair
Old worn-out shoes
Stick as a cane

RICH PEOPLE:

Scenes are always shot in more light
Estate homes
Expensive oil paintings
Clocks
Men are dressed in crisp suits, well fitting with stiff 'ironed' collars
Ruffled shirts (historical pictures)
Formal settings even the men wear white gloves
Men smoking cigars and pipes
Ultra straight posture, almost looking down their noses

CONCLUSION:

This is a great movie to watch when you're in the mood for an old world Gothic flick. It's also a great choice for new authors and writers to learn about historical settings, anchoring each scene in it's time, and how to portray a moral tale. This is a good move to see how to present the rich against the poor.

Very often the movies I watch are posted by regular people and they are then taken down by YouTube. So I will post the free YouTube video below. If it's no longer there, you can find it at the links I posted at the beginning of this review.

Movie Review and Crossword – The Picture of Dorian Gray

THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY - PRODUCED BY DAN CURTIS - PRODUCER OF DARK SHADOWS:

I discovered this Movie Review channel on YouTube called New Castle After Dark. I love these two guys. They are a riot together. The atmosphere is very unique and the way they talk is very entertaining. It's very rare that you see smokers anymore, but these two are always smoking!

They present the movies on their channel and they begin with a short introduction and quick discussion about the movie and who plays what parts.

Then they return again in the middle of the movie, like an intermission and again participate in a short maybe four minute discussion -- and some more smoking. They always add very interesting trivia about either the actors or the movie itself. They are never boring.

For some reason, watching the movie on their channel with them popping in twice makes it seem like you're watching it with someone else. I really think this makes it even more enjoyable.

OVERALL REVIEW: I LOVED IT RIGHT OFF THE BAT:

The New Castle guys in their commentary said the beginning of the movie was a little slow but it got better. However, it had such a great spooky, gothic, old England feel to it, I loved it right off the bat. It didn't seem too slow to me at all. I absolutely love movies that are shot like Broadway plays and this is one of those. The sets are beautiful although some of the scenes take place in the seedier and darker parts of town and those are not quite as beautiful. Like most movies in the '60s and '70s, everyone in the movie was handsome or good looking -- not just the mediocre-looking sons or daughters of stars of yesteryear like we get today. I miss seeing the best looking people from all over the country!

DIRECTORIAL STYLE: THERE WAS A TOCUH OF SOAP OPERA ABOUT THE MOVIE:

Anyway, because of the play-like atmosphere, no laugh track or crazy 70's music in the background, there was a bit of a TV movie (which I believe it was when it debuted) or soap opera feel to this film but I tend to love this style anyway.

Fairly early on in the movie, I recognized the actor named John Karlen in one scene. He played Willie on the old Dark Shadows soap opera back in the 1970s. I'm a recent but big fan. Once I saw him and saw the style of the movie, I suspected that Dan Curtis was associated with it, and, sure enough, he was. He was the producer. During their intermission chat, the Dark Castle guys confirmed that the movie was a Dan Curtis production. No wonder I loved it. They even mentioned that Dan had reused some of the music from Dark Shadows which I recognized in the second half of the movie.

Although the actual Dark Shadows movies were crazy and terrible, I assumed Dan Curtis was just cashing in on the Dark Shadows craze back then and they were just quickly thrown together. I've seen a few of his other films which he took more time with and they were great, as this one was.

THE QUICKEST SYNOPSIS IN THE WORLD

The story for anyone that doesn't know it is that an artist paints a picture of Dorian Gray while he is in his youth. He wonders out loud that wouldn't it be great if the picture could age and he could stay young, instead of the other way around. Well, that's what happens.

However, the moral tale underlying this concept was done so well in this adaptation that I hope you will take the time to watch this movie.

PRODUCTION STYLE: THE MOVIE WAS SHOT ON SETS EVEN WHEN THEY WERE ON LOCATION:

These movies that are shot almost like plays are very helpful in setting a scene for a book. Nothing is ethereal or being described with shooting camera angles or other MTV style movie effects.

The play-like atmosphere gives each scene a stable setting that is easy to take in and think about "describing" as an author. This is a great exercise for new authors or ones that want to get better at describing castles or cobble stones or whatever. I'm sure you get the point.

The beautiful sets always add so much to the enjoyment of the movie. Beauty raises the spirits and lifts the heart. There's nothing worse than watching a movie in a dirty city being shot live with a hand-held camera. Nothing like that here. This film was an upgrade from watching a play in the front row.

THE CHARACTER ARC:

The main character arc was with Dorian Gray. The production did an excellent job at portraying Dorian's youth and innocence at the beginning of the movie. You saw the one ch

THE MORAL TALE:

I have seen many other movie adaptations of The Picture of Dorian Gray, but this was my favorite because it didn't gloss over the moral tale behind the story. It addressed it head on. The other adaptations didn't really focus on the underlying morality of the story and without it, it was almost like a crazy fantasy movie. This one was done so well because it was guided by the moral tale that was underneath the story.

I also like that the homosexual aspects of the movie were done with discretion. They were unmistakable but not in your face like some of the more modern movies. There's nothing worse than these virtuous lectures that are written into modern movies.

Because the moral tale is handled so well, there is a sense of true justice or true satisfaction at the end.

THE ACTING:

Here was John Karlen who played Willie in Dark Shadows

Because it was shot like a play, the actors had to be really good and they were. Many modern movies shoot back and forth from one to two lines spoken by an actor in a close up to another close up with the actor responding with two lines. There's no real acting so to speak. The older movies and certainly this one showed the actors in action, speaking and moving along the sets interacting with props and each other. It was great.

As an author, it is a great way to learn how to embed dialogue tags into little snippets of movement in a scene. By doing this, it's a way to anchor the reader in the scene and to also create movement on the black and white page.

In a movie shot like a play, there are so many opportunities to see the actors interacting with props and each other, how they stand and face one another, how they turn to add a dramatic effect. There's so much to absorb.

WHERE TO FIND THE MOVIE:

I'm not sure how this YouTube Channel gets to show movies on their channel, so if they take it down anytime soon, here is a link to find just about any movie in the world. It's called Just Watch and it gives you a tiny synopsis and tells you where you can find the movie to watch for free, rent or buy.

Here is a direct link to it on Just Watch.

DISCUSSIONS ON MOVIES ANYONE?

Every now and again I stop into two reddit subgroups where people talk about movies, especially when I find one that I really like:

HorrorLit Reddit Group

Book Discussions

ANY OTHER DARK SHADOWS FANS?

Dark Shadows Reddit Group
Dark Shadows Everyday
Dark Shadows from the Beginning
Dark Shadows Fandom

Marketing Analytics Without Pulling Your Hair Out

I FINALLY WAVED THE WHITE FLAG WITH GOOGLE ANALYTICS

I tried so many times to understand Google Analytics but I never go much further than creating an Analytics property, putting the code onto my website and being able to pull up some information in Google Analytics. Sounds good, right? No, it wasn't.

As a self-publisher, I don't need to know which of my one million customers (I wish) were coming from where and what their other interests are. I want to know how my self-publishing business is doing and if I'm covering all my bases.

What it took me too long to figure out was that this is not a job for Google Analytics, but of a customized analytics setup to look at everything in my self-publishing business to see if my marketing is paying off and how my books are doing.

HOW CAN I KEEP TRACK OF EVERYTHING BY CLICKING FROM INFOMATION PAGE TO INFORMATION PAGE?

I did a video about this and demonstrated how I use one private page on my website to set up links so I can open each of the sections with one click to get the specific information I want. I will explain what information these sections give you and how you can use each link as a gauge regarding how your book publishing business is going.

If you click open this image of a Word document above with two columns of links, you can see that I have organized my links into sections. Each section has a link that takes me to one specific page where I can gather one data point that I need to give me an overview of my books. By adding up all the data points, it creates an overall picture of how the entire business is doing.

I'll explain two examples below:

MARKETING DATA POINTS EXAMPLE ONE:

WHAT'S GOING ON WITH MY BOOKS? In order to know how my books are doing, I have four targeted links. One link shows me the actual sales/downloads. Another link goes directly to the page to tell me how many pages are being read according to KDP. This answers the questions: How are my books selling? Are my readers reading through my series or stopping at Book 1? And it also gives me an idea of how much they are reading and when.

Another link in this section goes to my KDP Dashboard so I can keep track of my Ranking (where I am in the pecking order at Amazon.com), my Ratings (how many five star, four star, etc. ratings I'm getting), and the last link goes directly to the page that shows me the last reviews that are posted about my books.

By reviewing these few links, I can get a idea in less than five minutes about how my books are doing and even some future marketing ideas.

MARKETING DATA POINTS EXAMPLE TWO:

I do still use Google Analytics, but after isolating the specific links I need, I no longer use the menu along the left side of google analytics. Just the sight of it is enough to give me a headache. I simply click on the links that I set up so I can get a few bits of specific data information as described below:

TIME OUT FOR A SECOND:

TIME OUT FOR A SECOND: Before I go into any details, be aware that I shortened all of these google analytics by copying the address bar, going to tinyurl.com, using an alias of RTC which stands for Read First Chapter, and creating a shortened link.

If you go to tinylink.com, it's free and you can get shortened links for any of the long links with the crazy question marks or percentage signs, etc.

BACK TO THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMING:

By looking at the page entitled Engagement Overview, I can see what pages are being viewed by website visitors and which pages and subject matters are the most popular. I can even see what cities and countries are getting traffic.

The second link, Demographics, give me the names of other countries that I may want to add to my marketing budget as I go along. If you're a new author or publisher, you will want to spend most of your budget in the USA.

Pages and Screens: This page allows me to see the top 50 pages and which pages are the most popular and what kind of action and/or engagement they are getting. This answers the questions: Where am I putting my marketing efforts? Where am I putting my marketing dollars? Are my efforts working? What topics do my viewers especially like?

Traffic Acquisition: This page shows me which social media website is sending me the most traffic. This helps a lot because I don't do that well on social media. In other words, I have very few followers and the quest to get more leaves me cold. I don't particularly like social media, I think aside from posting business ads, it's kind of a waste of time -- with a few exceptions.

However, I have been posting about 4 to 6 social media posts (ads) for my books and writing information for over a year now and I do get quite a bit of organic traffic for someone with not that many followers. Organic traffic is free traffic which is the best kind. I don't get a huge amount of traffic, but I've only been at this extensive marketing for going on two years. So I'm happy that I am progressing, going in the right direction. Keeping track of these numbers allows keeps my confidence up because it's easy to feel you're wasting your time when you have so few followers. It's slow but I'm heading up the chart.

MAKE YOUR OWN CHEAT SHEET:

Using the Word doc above, make your own cheat sheet with links taking into account all of the same areas. This way, you can keep track of all of these areas and you can be assured that you're keeping an eye on everything on a weekly basis and extracting all the information that will be helpful in keeping you on track.

Be sure to make your links open to a blank page. WordPress allows you to click on the gear icon and choose open in a new window. But if you are using google sheets or some other document, be aware that the code for opening to a blank page is to add target="_blank" to the end of any link. Be careful with the quotes, spaces and underlines, because if there's even one typo, it won't work.

A normal link to W3Schools.com looks like this:
<a href="https://www.w3cschools.com"> This means, however, when you click on the link, you will automatically abandon the page you are on and go right to W3Schools.

But if you use add the "target="_blank"> code after the link, it will hold open your page on the tab you are on, and open the new page in a new tab. That's what you want. I have created a picture of the link in case WordPress does something crazy with these codes I've just typed out.

A TEN MINUTE OVERVIEW OR AN HOUR ANALYSIS:

I will use this system to take a snapshot, a five to ten minute look at the end of each week to see what is going on and to make sure that all of my bases are covered. This sounds easier than it is because a self publishing business is like a one man band. You're responsible for everything surrounding the production, marketing and sales of the books.

From the latest I've heard from inside professional publishing gossip channels, even authors who sign with big publishing houses -- unless you are one of their already-established big guns -- you will be expected to do your own marketing too. So hopefully, this will be helpful even to this group of authors.

Movie Reviews – Rosemary’s Baby

ROSEMARY'S BABY MOVIE REVIEW FOR AUTHORS

SPOILER ALERT - QUICK SUMMARY OF THE MOVIE:

Rosemary and her husband move into an apartment in NYC next to an eccentric but interesting old couple who are a big pushy. They are friendly enough and Rosemary agrees to meet them for dinner with her husband Guy. Guy is an actor and he is struggling. He lost a part to another actor and is disappointed but tries to remain upbeat.

After Rosemary agrees to have dinner with the elderly neighbors, Guy is reluctant to go because they are an old couple. They go out of politeness. After their visit, Guy is enamored with the couple and becomes best friends with them.

Guy decides it's time to have a baby and she is thrilled. Guy gets a phone call that the actor who got the last part has gone blind and now he has the part. He is sorry he had to get the part in such a way, but he is happy to be working.

The neighbors, now being so close with Guy, begin to take over Rosemary's life in what appears to be a caring parental way. They insist she got to the best obstetrician in NYC, a friend of theirs and Minnie makes a call to set an appointment.

THE PREGNANCY:

Minnie makes a fresh vitamin filled drink for Rosemary to consume everyday. Instead of gaining weight, she loses weight. Sapirstein tells her it's normal. Just keep drinking the herb drinks and things will be fine.

Strange things keep happening throughout her pregnancy and a friend Hutch has a book sent to her about witches. He has done background research on her neighbors and finds out that Minnie's husband is a descendant of a famous satanist. Rosemary is now scared that they want her baby for rituals.

There is a chase as Rosemary now tries to save herself and her baby but in the end the coven of satanists capture her. She gives birth and is told the baby was stillborn.

She hears a crying baby through the paper-thin walls in the apartment and even though she is told it's a new tenant who has a baby, she believes it is her baby. She enters Minni's apartment and sees the whole coven of satanists around a bassinette. THereis an upside down cross hanging off the front of it. She peaks inside and is horrified by what she sees.

She asks what happened to his eyes and is told he has his father's eyes, his father is Satan. She is scared and wants out of there. The leader asks her to consider mothering the child even if she doesn't want to join. She is reluctant but when she sees another woman rocking the bassinette too hard, she responds to her motherly instincts and approaches and rocks the bassinette.

WHAT I LEARNED AS AN AUTHOR:

This is a great movie to see foreshadowing in play. There is a huge dresser and a closet that seem unimportant. Rosemary has an older man who is a friend, I believe, who turns out to play more of a role in things. The lucky charm necklace, the scrabble board, etc. If you want to see examples of foreshadowing, this is a great move to watch.

Motif: The locket with the fowl-smelling herbs (tannis root) kept showing up, first with the neighbor who jumped or was pushed out the window, then it was given to Rosemary as a gift, then later on, Dr. Sapirstein's nurse secretary said he had the same smell of tannis root on him.

The mention of tannis root occurred several times and each time only a tiny bit of information was given about it. It kept the viewer guessing. I learned about how to break down the significance of an item and only reveal one tiny puzzle piece. It allows you to keep the thread of mystery going.

CHARACTER ARCS:

The character arcs were very subtle and well-orchestrated. The acting was fantastic and this added to the character arc. An example: First the husband is turned off by being around a bunch of elderly neighbors. Then he wants to go back the next day and he is suddenly best friends with them. Not much is said about it and it was believable that they were just interesting people.

Guy didn't present as a religious person at all, nor did Rosemary, but they appeared to be "normal" in that Guy did not seem at all the kind that would get into satanism. He was interested in success but not spirituality. This character description helped to hide his participation in anything untoward until the last 25% of the movie.

RUTH GORDON:

Ruth Gordon plays Minnie, the neighbor, and as usual, her character is hysterical. She appeared funny, quirky and harmless in the beginning of the movie. This added to hiding what was really going on.

SPOILER: It turns out her husband sold their baby for fame. He met with the other actor, did a tie swap so the witches could have an article that belonged to the victim and that's why he is now blind. This came much later in the plot where it had a much greater terror impact. When this was revealed gave it it's best horror value.

The rest of the group of weirdo characters were all great. This same group of characters could have been an ensemble in a romantic comedy with a different script. Ruth Gordon was her eccentric self. She was as funny as she was weird. Her husband appeared normal but there was something a little off about him. He stood too close and seemed to have that same pushy personality as his wife. The actors had the fake smiles and pretentiousness down pat.

GUY THE HUSBAND:

Her husband Guy admitted to being selfish but he loveable for 3/4 of the movie because he was always so apologetic and caring towards Rosemary about his selfishness. He was always committing to being better. He came across as wanting to be a good husband, wanting to start a family together, and maybe he had a little selfishness that went along with it. It didn't take away from his likeability.

ROSEMARY'S FRIEND HUTCH:

Hutch was an older man, about the age of the neighbors, and he was a friend to Rosemary. He warned Rosemary of a dark past for the Bramford building where this apartment was. But Rosemary and Guy blew it off as suspiciousness over nothing.

Hutch seemed to be a father figure to Rosemary in the beginning of the story probably because of his age. He seemed to be finished with his part when he warned them about the building and they blew him off. Then he made another appearance to acknowledge that Rosemary looked horrid during her pregnancy. Again, as a viewer, I figured he was done.

But he went on to call Rosemary and want to meet to tell her something, but he fell ill and then went into a coma. The next few scenes were not about Hutch, so again, I thought he was really done. But no, Rosemary meets a friend of his who passes on the book and the cryptic message that helps to enlighten Rosemary to what is really going on.

This was a great lesson is showing how a character starts out with a definitive character portrayal (fatherly friend) and later one he is revealed as the one who has the biggest clue to drop in terms of moving the story into the chase and the ending.

THE BIG CLUE DROP:

Hutch wanted to meet with Rosemary at 11 AM at a spot in NYC. He never showed up. She called and found out that he got sick and slipped into a coma. No one on the other end gave her any messages about anything further. As a viewer, I felt that that whole line of help was now a dead end. However, later on at the funeral, a woman handed Rosemary a book from Hutch and a statement that the name was an anagram.

Rosemary, with her scrabble tiles, found out the author of the witches' book was none other than her neighbor by another name. This confirmed in her mind that this was a group and they were all in it together.

FROM PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER TO THE CHASE:

The last quarter of the movie takes place when Rosemary is two days from her delivery date. She knows that Dr. Sapirstein is involved with the witch's coven, so she no longer wants him to treat her baby. She figures out from reading the book she was left and another book she got on witches that they make sacrifices with children. They use the blood and even the flesh. She believes this is the fate of her baby.

She tries to get away and go back to her original doctor, but he thwarts her plans. I won't reveal how he does it, so as not to spoil the ending.

She is told by Sapirstein and her own husband that her baby died and they will just try to have another one. She doesn't believe he's dead but they insist. She then hears a baby crying through the walls and she goes into the closet and looks through a keyhole and can tell the group is all together. She knows the baby crying is coming from this apartment.

She enters the apartment with a knife and sees the baby and is horrified. She is told the baby's father is Satan and she was chosen to be his mother. She is horrified and wants nothing to do with it. Her final word to her husband as he tries to gloss over the whole thing (as he is enjoying his new found fame and success) is to spit in his face.

The head witch, her neighbor, tries to get her to consider being the child's real mother as the other women are too old. She refuses. But one of the older women is rocking the cradle too hard and the baby is crying. Rosemary tries to tell her she is rocking too hard, but the lady won't listen. The head witch dismisses the other woman and Rosemary approaches the bassinet. Although she is horrified, it is the cry of her own flesh and blood that is calling to her. The movie ends with her approaching the baby carriage.

WHAT CAN AN AUTHOR LEARN:

Plot development, especially in terms of creating a character that will morph into someone else in the storyline like Hutch and even the neighbors. I plan to watch again to see the subtleties in how this actual transformation took place.

With free streaming and books on eReaders, viewers are quicker to bore and it's too tempting to skip to the next movie on the streaming service or click to another book on the eReader. I think all scenes have to be tight.

Foreshadowing is done extremely well in this movie and can teach a writer a lot about presenting clues as 'little nothings' and even wrapping them up in romance or marital domestic stuff.

Psychological horror - The entire story is based in psychological horror. There's no dark rooms, jump scares, or footsteps in the dark. This entire story was about pure psychological horror. So if you are focusing or studying psychological horror, this is a good movie to watch and analyze.

MY ONLY COMPLAINT:

The movie was a little long and there were scenes that went on too long by today's standards. In the 1960s, people probably had an attention span of 3 minutes. Today, it's down to about 30 seconds, so as an author, I would tighten all the scenes, especially those that are just showing domestic bliss or Mia's emotions.

Check out my Book Series!

Check out my Book Series!

Check out my Book Series!

EASY FLOW EBOOKS:

PAPERBACKS & HARDBACKS:

SHOULD YOU MAKE THEM ALL THE SAME?

HERE IS A SNAPSHOT OF THE PAPERBACK & HARDCOVER MARGINS:

CHANGES FOR THE eBOOK:

REMINDERS FOR ALL MANUSCRIPTS:

BOOK REVIEWS:

ABOUT THE SERIES:

ENTER TO WIN:

Giveaway Rules:

HOW TO ENTER:

PRIZES & APPROXIMATE RETAIL VALUES (“ARV”):

ODDS:

THE LEGAL STUFF:

BOOK REVIEWS:

ABOUT THE SERIES:

ENTER TO WIN:

Giveaway Rules:

HOW TO ENTER:

PRIZES & APPROXIMATE RETAIL VALUES (“ARV”):

ODDS:

THE LEGAL STUFF:

QUICK SUMMARY:

HOW THE HISTORICAL TIME AND PLACE ARE ESTABLISHED:

A MORAL TALE:

ALL RICH CHARACTERS:

NUDITY IN THE 1960s:

ALL THE GOTHIC TROPES:

CHARACTER ARCS:

A FEW LESSONS IN CONFLICT:

PROPS THAT SCREAM 19TH CENTURY SCIENCE:

OLD WORLD ENGLISH FASHIONS:

PORTRAYING THE POOR:

RICH PEOPLE:

CONCLUSION:

THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY - PRODUCED BY DAN CURTIS - PRODUCER OF DARK SHADOWS:

OVERALL REVIEW: I LOVED IT RIGHT OFF THE BAT:

DIRECTORIAL STYLE: THERE WAS A TOCUH OF SOAP OPERA ABOUT THE MOVIE:

THE QUICKEST SYNOPSIS IN THE WORLD

PRODUCTION STYLE: THE MOVIE WAS SHOT ON SETS EVEN WHEN THEY WERE ON LOCATION:

THE CHARACTER ARC:

THE MORAL TALE:

THE ACTING:

WHERE TO FIND THE MOVIE:

DISCUSSIONS ON MOVIES ANYONE?

ANY OTHER DARK SHADOWS FANS?

CROSSWORD BASED ON DAN CURTIS' THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY:

I FINALLY WAVED THE WHITE FLAG WITH GOOGLE ANALYTICS

HOW CAN I KEEP TRACK OF EVERYTHING BY CLICKING FROM INFOMATION PAGE TO INFORMATION PAGE?

MARKETING DATA POINTS EXAMPLE ONE:

MARKETING DATA POINTS EXAMPLE TWO:

TIME OUT FOR A SECOND:

MAKE YOUR OWN CHEAT SHEET:

A TEN MINUTE OVERVIEW OR AN HOUR ANALYSIS:

ROSEMARY'S BABY MOVIE REVIEW FOR AUTHORS

** SPOILER ALERT ** - QUICK SUMMARY OF THE MOVIE:

WHAT I LEARNED AS AN AUTHOR:

CHARACTER ARCS:

RUTH GORDON:

GUY THE HUSBAND:

ROSEMARY'S FRIEND HUTCH:

THE BIG CLUE DROP:

FROM PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER TO THE CHASE:

WHAT CAN AN AUTHOR LEARN:

MY ONLY COMPLAINT:

SPOILER ALERT - QUICK SUMMARY OF THE MOVIE: