What Did I Buy for 5 Bucks at Fiverr?

I browsed through Fiverr for a few hours; yes, I said hours because it's hard to leave. Fiverr's a bit addictive. There are so many interesting and, yes, bizarre things going on there. In fact, it feels like a high school drama club gone techy--and who can resist that?  Certainly not me. So, for 5 bucks one of the first things I bought was the above image: I had my flat book cover turned into this stunning cover. Which I rather like.

I bought lots of other things as well. I bought a whole basketful of interesting and odd things, and I'll show them to you as they come in.

Our Mentor: Mike Larsen on Self Pubishing

My Platform--All For 5 Bucks!

If you'll remember, I promised to build a platform that should be able to convince any agent that:

* I am highly visible on the internet
* I am engaged in social media
* my internet presence is professional
* that I can run a grass roots campaign
* that I can sell books
* that I have PR worthy accomplishments
* that I understand marketing

That being said, theses are the things I plan on doing:
-create an Ebook (creates internet presence and proves I can sell books)
-create two fan pages in Facebook (proves I use social media)
-make a website (to look professional on internet)
-start another blog (for the MotherHeart project--again, proves I use social media)
-throw a conference (to prove I can run a grass roots campaign)
-market my Ebook by creating book trailers (proves that I understand marketing)

Sound expensive? You bet. But here are some tips...
Free Facebook fan page from Pagemodo (you only get 1 freebie)
Free Facebook page from Wix.com (in case you need 2 pages for free)
Free website from Author Central
or one from Authors Den
or from Wix.com
... and then there is...
Any thing for 5 bucks from Fiverr.com

Inkubate up and Running

So I got an email from Inkubate asking me to finish creating my profile page; Inkubate is all ready to go--and I guess, so am I.

I've added myself as an author and finished my bio, then I included an excerpt and added my proposal. But not without a few hic-ups...at first the site kept refusing to let me add my material, but a quick email was rapidly responded to and eventually every thing got loaded.

Actually, I like Inkubate's setup. I'm able to add enough material that a prospective agent will be able to get a clear feel for my work. (Unlike Webook's AgentInbox--which only allows a short query.)

But still, I'm skeptical. Will real live agents actually take the time to search Inkubate? And will they actually PAY to read my proposal? Only time will tell; I'll keep you posted.

On another note, I'm still enjoying Webook's Page to Fame. My material from Saving Mary is scoring 53% hate it and 42% love it. If you want to vote go to Webook/PagetoFame/Rate/Category/non-fiction...I should be there...somewhere.

Tip: if you decide to upload your own story, be sure to place as lengthy an excerpt as you can...I'm wishing I had put in a longer excerpt.

Book Giveaway!

Just a reminder that I will be drawing from followers at the end of February. The winner can choose a book from one of our mentors or the big book of agents.

Ack! How do I Get My Fab Ebook Out There?!

Ebook Distribution These guys turn your words into Ebooks and upload them to the sellers that you choose...some only upload to the major sellers: Amazon, B&N, Kobo, Google. Remember, these large distributors take a royalty cut--*watch out for Ebook distributors who take a LARGE royalty rate like 50%...shop around. Make sure you are actually getting something for your money! They then pay you your cut and some offer nice on-line accounting details of your sales. Of course, you can choose to be your own distributor and create and upload files yourself (through Smashwords). I am paying a small publishing house (located in my city) to create and distribute the Ebook for me--with no royalty rate.



MintRight
PublishGreen
BookBaby
PayLoadz
lulu
ebookit
GoodeReader

Reviews on Distributers
Blog on Distributors

 Ebook Retailers So now, with a nice Ebook created, you then upload to retailers who then sell them for you. These guys take a royalty rate. Anywhere from 15% to 60%. (Some are both distributors and retailers.)

OverDrive
Smashwords
Blio
Amazon and its affiliate in India junglee.com


and...

Borders (B&N) eBooks.com Kobo Sony Reader Store All Romance eBooks IndieBound OmniLit Books on Board Baker & Taylor

Boomerang Books Bookstrand Digitalbok.no DocStoc eBookExpress eBook.nl eFollett eBookPie Gardners

Infibeam LibraryBIN Librisite Livraria Cultura Papyless Powells Read Without Paper WHSmith Waterstone's Gato Sabido

...and Google Ebooks, Fictionwise, Diesel, weRead, GoodReads, Epubbooks, Copia where you can social network--while reading! And don't forget ProjectGutenberg (free ebooks)

Interesting video on the different uses of Ebooks and Apps

Okay, that's enough of that. My head hurts now. (I hope all the links work.)

Platform Building--The New Slush Pile

It's been said that the slush pile is dead. Meaning, ever since the emergence of the ebook wanna-be authors no longer have to wait (sometimes in vain) hoping, dreaming, praying to be fished out of that dreaded pile of queries that sits, I imagine, in a cardboard box on the office floor of some wonderful perspective agent.

But the slush pile isn't dead--it has just transformed into something beautiful: the indie ebook list. As mentor M tells us, one of the best ways to market your book (and yourself as an author) is to test-market your material by self-publishing. So, in the spirit of revolution I am preparing to release Saving Mary: The Possession as an ebook.

The idea in this is to get my name out there and release my work as a sample of what I do. Thereby generating a fan base and a hunger for more. Of course, this is also a test in marketing...Can I prove to agents (and publishers) that I can actually market a book? Succeeding in this area means I have bypassed Mentor's M's Reason No.32 for getting  REJECTED: You Have No Idea How to Market a Book  -- REMEMBER TO LIKE THIS ON FACEBOOK --

The wonderful part about the ebook slush pile is that the author can actually make money while swimming in the slush--and the money can then be invested in building platform. For the author it's a win-win situation. After all, if your ebook does good, grabbing an agent--for the same book or an additional book--will be easier. If the ebook does mediocre--at least you're out there and bringing in some money. And, of course, if the ebook bombs ...well, at least you know to write another book.

For myself, part of my marketing strategy is to divide my memoir Saving Mary: The Possession and The Deliverance into two books. After all, I don't want to get REJECTED because of mentor M's Reason No. 73 There is No Real Sequel Potential for Your Book

Links:
Indie slush pile

Get Known Before the Book Deal: Use Your Personal Strengths to Grow an Author Platform by Christina Katz