Check out my Book Series!
All my books have a thread of Catholicism running through them.
Ryan Mallardi Private Investigations
Jack Nolan Detective Series
Newport Vampire Stories Series
Category: Diary of all blog posts
Book Formatting – 6″ x 9″ Manuscripts
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?
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.
HOW TO ENTER:
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.
If winner is unable to receive the book or fails to offer mailing address within the United States, the prize will be forfeited, and an alternate winner may be selected in accordance with these Official Rules from among the remaining eligible entries for that prize. Prizes may not be transferred or assigned except by Sponsor.
ODDS:
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.
THE LEGAL STUFF:
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.
If a potential winner cannot be contacted by email, or receive the prize for any reason, or he/she is not in compliance with these Official Rules, the prize will be forfeited and will be awarded to an alternate winner.
If a winner is otherwise eligible under these Official Rules, but is nevertheless deemed a minor in his or her state of primary residence, the prize will be awarded in the name of winner’s parent or legal guardian who will be required to execute an affidavit on minor’s behalf. No substitutions are permitted except if prize is unavailable, in which case a prize of equal or greater value will be awarded. Prize is not redeemable for cash and non-assignable and non-transferable except to a surviving spouse.
Winner is responsible for all federal, state, local sales and income taxes. Any other incidental expenses on prize not specified herein are the sole responsibility of winner. Entry and acceptance of prize constitute permission to use winner’s name, prize won, hometown and likeness for online posting and promotional purposes without further compensation, except where prohibited by law.
Limit: one prize per household. Prize is guaranteed to be awarded.
Participating entrants agree to these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, and release, defend and hold harmless the Sponsor and its affiliated companies, including all social media platforms on which this giveaway will be advertised, and all other businesses involved in this Sweepstakes, as well as the employees, officers, directors and agents of each, from all claims and liability relating to their participation, acceptance and use or misuse of prize. Winner assumes all liability for any injury or damage caused or claimed to be caused, by participation in this Sweepstakes or use or redemption of prize. Sponsor is not responsible for any typographical or other error in the printing of the offer, administration of the Sweepstakes or in the announcement of the prize.
Winner acknowledges the Sponsor and all other businesses concerned with this Sweepstakes and their agents do not make, nor are in any manner responsible for any warranty, representations, expressed or implied, in fact or in law, relative the quality, conditions, fitness or merchantability of any aspect of prize.
In the event of a dispute over the identity of an online entrant, entry will be deemed submitted by the “Authorized Account Holder” of the e-mail address submitted at time of entry. Authorized Account Holder means the natural person who is assigned to an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization that is responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address.
Failure to comply with these Official Rules may result in disqualification from the Sweepstakes. Sponsor reserves the right to permanently disqualify from any sweepstakes it sponsors any person it believes has intentionally violated these Official Rules and cancel the Sweepstakes if it becomes technically corrupted.
Legal Warning: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN individual, whether or not an ENTRANT, TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE, destroy, tamper or vandalize this WEB SITE OR interfere with the OPERATION OF THE SWEEPSTAKES, IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS and SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES and diligently pursue all remedies against ANY SUCH individual TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.
October 2024 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:
★★★★★ – 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.
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.
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.
HOW TO ENTER:
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.
If winner is unable to receive the book or fails to offer mailing address within the United States, the prize will be forfeited, and an alternate winner may be selected in accordance with these Official Rules from among the remaining eligible entries for that prize. Prizes may not be transferred or assigned except by Sponsor.
ODDS:
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.
THE LEGAL STUFF:
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.
If a potential winner cannot be contacted by email, or receive the prize for any reason, or he/she is not in compliance with these Official Rules, the prize will be forfeited and will be awarded to an alternate winner.
If a winner is otherwise eligible under these Official Rules, but is nevertheless deemed a minor in his or her state of primary residence, the prize will be awarded in the name of winner’s parent or legal guardian who will be required to execute an affidavit on minor’s behalf. No substitutions are permitted except if prize is unavailable, in which case a prize of equal or greater value will be awarded. Prize is not redeemable for cash and non-assignable and non-transferable except to a surviving spouse.
Winner is responsible for all federal, state, local sales and income taxes. Any other incidental expenses on prize not specified herein are the sole responsibility of winner. Entry and acceptance of prize constitute permission to use winner’s name, prize won, hometown and likeness for online posting and promotional purposes without further compensation, except where prohibited by law.
Limit: one prize per household. Prize is guaranteed to be awarded.
Participating entrants agree to these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, and release, defend and hold harmless the Sponsor and its affiliated companies, including all social media platforms on which this giveaway will be advertised, and all other businesses involved in this Sweepstakes, as well as the employees, officers, directors and agents of each, from all claims and liability relating to their participation, acceptance and use or misuse of prize. Winner assumes all liability for any injury or damage caused or claimed to be caused, by participation in this Sweepstakes or use or redemption of prize. Sponsor is not responsible for any typographical or other error in the printing of the offer, administration of the Sweepstakes or in the announcement of the prize.
Winner acknowledges the Sponsor and all other businesses concerned with this Sweepstakes and their agents do not make, nor are in any manner responsible for any warranty, representations, expressed or implied, in fact or in law, relative the quality, conditions, fitness or merchantability of any aspect of prize.
In the event of a dispute over the identity of an online entrant, entry will be deemed submitted by the “Authorized Account Holder” of the e-mail address submitted at time of entry. Authorized Account Holder means the natural person who is assigned to an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization that is responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address.
Failure to comply with these Official Rules may result in disqualification from the Sweepstakes. Sponsor reserves the right to permanently disqualify from any sweepstakes it sponsors any person it believes has intentionally violated these Official Rules and cancel the Sweepstakes if it becomes technically corrupted.
Legal Warning: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN individual, whether or not an ENTRANT, TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE, destroy, tamper or vandalize this WEB SITE OR interfere with the OPERATION OF THE SWEEPSTAKES, IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS and SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES and diligently pursue all remedies against ANY SUCH individual TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.
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:
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:
ANY OTHER DARK SHADOWS FANS?
Dark Shadows Reddit Group
Dark Shadows Everyday
Dark Shadows from the Beginning
Dark Shadows Fandom
CROSSWORD BASED ON DAN CURTIS' THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY:
Click here to do the puzzle online
Click here to download the puzzle with the answers
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.
How to Create an Author Page on Amazon Author Central
SELF-PUBLISHERS NEED AN AUTHOR PAGE ON AMAZON.COM
All book authors want readers! Many readers are curious -- either before reading your book or after -- about who wrote the book. Many of them only want to see what you look like or where you live.
An Author Page on AuthorCentral.amazon.com is the equivalent of a mini website right inside the Amazon bookstore. Think of it as a corner display in the section of genre you write in. You want it to be as professional and interesting as possible.
It's easy enough to put one together and I'll go into what snippets of information and other items you will need to put together a professional author page.
WRITING A NEW AUTHOR BIO:
You will need a bio with a picture. The picture will be reduced to an icon or avatar size, so be sure to have one that is crisp and clear and mainly of your face and shoulders. Otherwise, it won't look professional.
Besides your name and avatar, feel free to add a bit about what you write, why you write or anything else that might be of interest to the readers. Besides the basics, they like to know if you were a life-long teacher or an ex-cop or ex-lawyer; things like this. Or if you have an interesting hobby or two.
If you are not a famous author, I would suggest keeping the bio short, maybe two to three short paragraphs -- or thereabouts. Once the reader has seen you and knows a little about you, you're no longer a stranger to them. You are officially an author that they know and would recognize. Feel free to ask them to follow you.
Let's look next at the actual Amazon Author Central Page setup.
THE POWER OF AMAZON AUTHOR CENTRAL:
If you only have one or two books and aren't ready to build a full website, think of the Amazon Central Author page as a website. Besides adding your avatar picture, Amazon will pull in all of your books onto the one page. Each viewer is given an opportunity to click on the FOLLOW button. So if they really like your work, they can sign up to follow you and then will get notice of any new books released by you. So there is this little bit of marketing built into the Author Central page.
BOOK MARKETING 101:
If you are self-publishing a book, setting up an Author Central page is first and foremost. This is the first step in building your own personal readership and brand. Establishing a presence at Amazon and using the Author Central page as a mini website is the best marketing you can do until you're ready to put up a dedicated website and really start marketing.
AMAZON CENTRAL AUTHOR HOME PAGE:
An Amazon Central Author page is created automatically behind the scenes when you upload a book. To find your actual page and the link to it, after uploading the book at KDP, go to authorcentral.amazon.com. You may be asked to log in or you may go to the page automatically. Record the link in the address bar because this will be the same as a website link if you're a new author.
I have a video posted below where I go into this in a little more detail, but if you are the type that wants to see the steps written out, this section is for you:
When you log into the page, it will show you the books that are getting the most action. These will change from time to time, especially if you do Kindle Countdowns or give them away for free a few times.
The screen shot above is what the page looks like when you open it. This is the left side of the page . It has the books that are doing the best and there are three links to the left of the best sellers. The top link is to see all of your books.
VIEW SALES RANK:
The View Sales Rank link brings you to a section where you can track the ranking of your books at Amazon. These numbers can be very discouraging at first, so don't take them to heart when you are brand new. It takes time to get soaked up by the algorithms and start climbing the ranks at Amazon. These numbers don't really tell you anything that can be easily tracked. In another blog post, I will show you how to keep track of your reviews, if you want to do that.
If you click into the rankings page, you can at least see if your book is trending up or down. They all tend to go up and down so don't take anything to heart as a beginner. Your books will begin to go up when you start marketing them, promoting them or giving them away.
VIEW CUSTOMER REVIEWS:
The customer reviews link goes to your written reviews. That means if someone takes the time to go to Amazon and write a full review, it will appear here. However, many people read on tablets or eReaders and Amazon doesn't make it easy for them to leave reviews, so you may just get 5-Stars but no words. That is considered a rating but not a review. That's why it's important to know a different way to keep track of actual ratings and reviews. That will be for the next blog post.
AUTOMATIC UPDATE AT AMAZON:
As state above, the Author Central page is created automatically by uploading a book. The page is associated with the author or pen name who uploaded the book. This page has three links to follow your Sales Rank and Reviews. It shows you what your most popular book is. It also presents visitors with all of your books, with links to purchase.
TO CHANGE YOUR AUTHOR PAGE NAME:
In case you choose to write under a pen name or want to update your page name in any way, here is a link with information on how to do that: https://author.amazon.com/help/GRGZ458YRBZBYBDH
Below is the video where I go into all of this information and a little more. I hope you enjoy it.
WRITING EXERCISE YOU CAN DO WITH A SPOUSE
CHANGE THE WAY YOU WATCH MOVIES:
Turning the viewing of a movie into a writing exercise will change the way in which you watch the movie. For your spouse, it won't change anything. Most people love to go into the story not knowing anything. There are some who any hint of a spoiler will ruin the movie for them. You may be one of them now!
However, in order to watch through a writer's eye, you will need to watch not only the unfolding story, but you want to know ahead of time what action will be playing out. This way, you can watch for the subtleties. In other words, you will be on the lookout for foreshadowing and tiny insignificant clues that are being dropped that will wind up being the clue that solves the mystery.
I started to watch movies in this way several months ago and I have to say it didn't ruin my movie watching, it has enhanced it greatly. Knowing what will happen doesn't ruin a movie for me. I have always been that way, but I get so much more out of the movies I watch with this technique, that I will continue to watch in this way.
So how does it work?
WATCHING A MOVIE WITH A PURPOSE:
Find a summary of the movie on Wikipedia. Most movies have a page about them and it gives all the technical information about who wrote the original story, the producer, director, stars, etc. But there is a section entitled PLOT. This is where the plot is laid out for you.
If you are scheduled to watch a horror movie, decide ahead of time what you will look for. It's important to notice how the movies create a spooky atmosphere. Is it done with fog or lighting? Or maybe sounds of footsteps. These will all come in handy if you write horror yourself.
If you are watching a mystery, watch how some clues are planted but made to seem insignificant. This is slight of hand that is required in writing mysteries. Seeing this play out in a movie will give you many ideas on hiding clues in your books.
For any movie, notice how much information is dropped in the beginning to set the stage. Do they show a panorama of famous buildings to let you know you're in New York or Paris? Do they show carts and horses to let you know you are going back into the 1800 or 1900s? Notice how much information is conveyed with just the presence of certain props and locations. Almost every scene is a lesson in itself.
WON'T KNOWING THE PLOT RUIN THINGS?
To be honest, most plots are too long to even remember or put together with one reading. I can usually follow the plotline for about the first four paragraphs. After that, I can't remember who is who but it doesn't matter. As long as you have a gist of an idea of what will take place, it allows you to watch for it.
You can see whether the drama plays out slowly or whether there is a jump scare to introduce a twist in the plot. All of this is what you will feed on as an author. You are getting an up-close look at how the script writer and the director have choreographed the telling of the tale.
WHY I CHOOSE THE OLD MOVIES:
I choose to watch old movies from the 1960s and 1970s because the method of shooting movies was different back then. The directors tended to fill the scene and writing fiction requires you to 'fill the scene' too. In modern movies, although they spend a fortune on sets, you see the set once in a while, but most scenes are one close-up of one star with a quick move to show a close up of another star. It's not as rich for a writer.
EXAMPLE MOVIE: THE GORGON
This is one of the Hammer Film Production movies that I have recently fell in love with. They are old movies from the 1960s but so charming. These are easy to follow as an author and you can learn a lot about adding suspense, atmosphere, how people show fear, methods of showing distrust. These movies are short and shot on or in one set at a time, so there's a lot of action and background for you to pick up hundreds of tips.
You can even watch with a notebook and pen. Jot down the things you see that would be helpful to you in your writing. If you watch mystery movies with police work, you can write down the specific terms for things that come up over and over. For example, the words having to do with arrest warrants or fingerprint evidence, etc.
A WRITING EXERCISE AFTER THE MOVIE:
CAPTURE A SCENE: If you are watching on a computer, pause the movie in the middle of a great scene. Take a screen shot of the scene for later. If you're watching on a TV, pause and take a picture on your phone.
WRITING EXERCISE: Next time you are sitting down to write, pull up the picture and create a scene in your head -- not from the movie, but from your own imagination. Using this setting as inspiration, think of something that is about to happen in the room or what just happened in the room. Be sure to include a description of the room and/or the main elements in the room. This exercise alone will improve your descriptive writing and could even lead to a short story! You never know.
CONCLUSION:
- Read the plotline -- at least three quarters of it so you can be on the lookout for all the techniques of storytelling.
- Think ahead of all the information you will want to keep watch for. Make either a mental note of all the techniques you see or write them down.
- If you watch police procedurals and write them, jot down all the technical names for things so you have them at your fingertips when you are writing your own fiction.
- Take a picture of a great setting in the movie for later. Using that scene as inspiration, think up your own small plot for what is going to happen in this room, what could happen, or what just happened. Be sure to describe the setting adding all of the emotions and/or mood elements you saw in the movie.
So that's it. Follow me on social media and let me know if you like this method of watching movies to learn.
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR WRITING WHILE WATCHING MOVIES
THIS IS AN EXERCISE IN IMPROVING YOUR NOVEL WRITING BY WATCHING OLDER MOVIES:
I've been doing this exercise for about six months now and it has turned into my favorite way to experience movies. This allows me to experience the movie as a normal viewer but also watch it with an author's third eye.
I choose to watch mostly movies from the 1960s to the late 1970s for a few reasons that I'll go into below:
OLD MOVIES VS. NEWER MOVIES:
FIRST: Classical Hollywood Style: The old classic Hollywood style focused on clear storytelling, three-act structures, and a focus on character development. The writers and directors infused their work with a fresh perspective, but there was a reliable style to the storytelling. I believe this style is easier to learn from as a new author.
SECOND: The Pace of the movie. Modern films tend to have a faster pace, driven by shorter attention spans and the need to engage audiences immediately and constantly. It's common to see the camera move back and forth shooting so fast you can't keep up. As a writer, there's nothing to learn with this.
THIRD: Classic films relied more on dialogue, staging and backdrops to tell the story. This is the richness that I find most helpful to see and learn from as an author. Modern storytelling is worried about the 3-second attention span. Older movies assumed the audience was grown up and could sit still and pay attention for a few minutes without intense stimulation.
FOURTH: The older movies were 'agenda free'. There wasn't any heavy-hand pushing politics or debauchery at every turn. In my humble opinion, this ruins even the best of movies.
FIFTH: Newer movies have upgraded post production technology and CGI, so they are now focused on movie effects, jump scares and gore shocks. Although many of you may enjoy this type of thing, it really doesn't have much to teach a new author.
SIXTH: Even though the costumers and set designers have come so far and their work is breathtaking, the gorgeous backdrops seem to be shown one or twice and the rest of the scenes are filled with quick close-up shots to showcase the facial acting. Whereas, in the older movies, the directors would set up a whole room, have the actors roam through the room while acting. They were constantly doing things, picking up a cigarette, or stoking a fire -- action that you can learn from. This is the type of action that keeps fiction dialogue from being boring. These small movements keep the scene real in the readers' minds.
SEVENTH: There's nothing more irritating than the movies that were made with hand-held cameras and watching it is the equivalent of being on an unattended rollercoaster ride. There is a chaotic feel to the entire movie. This was unthinkable in old Hollywood. Again, you may like this type of film to watch and just enjoy, but there's nothing to be gained as an author from it.
WHICH MOVIES SHOULD I WATCH?
Everyone has to find their own subgenres whether it be old gothic movies or old mystery movies. But a good place to start is at Wikipedia. Below are two links to the 1960s and 1970s in film. Movies made in these years would fall into the categories I mentioned above.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960s_in_film
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1970s_in_film
SO HOW DOES LEARNING FROM MOVIES AS A WRITER WORK?
It requires you to know ahead of time what will happen. If you are the type that hates to know what will happen first, then watch the movie first to enjoy it as a viewer. Then you can go onto the next section where I talk about the process:
Look up the movie on Wikipedia. Most movies have a full pages with all the information about who wrote it, produced it, directed it and starred in it. It also has a section called Plot. Read the Plot before watching the movie.
Knowing the plot ahead of time doesn't ruin the movie for me because it allows me to watch the movie as a viewer but to also watch for how the writer and director choose to dramatize the action of the plot. You will learn how they do foreshadowing, how they create red herrings, how they hide the true culprit.
You will also learn about tropes. For example. I've been watching Hammer Horror movies from the 1960s and they all have gothic settings. Every gothic movie has the carriage and horses. They all have the castles and fog. THey all have the candelabras. These are the tropes that readers and watchers want. Some tropes never get old.
As the plot unfolds, you can see how it all comes together and how they placed and showcased the final clue or the comeuppance or the final chase, etc. I find this so helpful in seeing the story elements handled by the script writers and the directors.
paragraphs describing this WHILE describing an imaginary character interacting in this setting.
TAKE THE EXPERIENCE ONE STEP FURTHER:
If you are watching the movie on a computer, take a screen shot of a scene and then set up an imaginary happenstance that occurs in this setting. Describe the setting in words, attempting to capture the essence of what you saw on film. Doing this a few times will help you get better and better in describing backgrounds and scene settings.
This type of experience can even lead to an actual short story. Just think up what type of problem could go wrong in this setting and take it from there.
10 Minute Exercise - Watch the first ten minutes of any movie or TV show to see how much background and personality info is dumped just by the background, music and setting. Every movie or show assumes viewers are starting out in the dark. There is always a lot of good ideas in the first 10 minutes of a movie on how to convey information from background and props without dialogue or info dumping.
