How Do You Say Goodbye To A Series
November 5, 2024 by Tracy Reed in category Pink Pad by Tracy Reed tagged as Planning, series, The Good Girl Series, Tracy Reed, writing
I have been working hard to close out a series. It’s hard to believe my series The Good Girl started as a one off novella for a boxset. I had no idea this novella would turn into a six book series.
I am doing pre-edits on the six book and find myself in a position I’ve been dreading…saying goodbye…Au revoir to characters I love. Gabriella and Phillippe have had me on a roller coaster ride. Over the years this series has become classed as slow burn. As the story progressed so did my writing style.
Now I find myself in the position of a possible spin off. Although I tied up all of the lose ends, I left a few options for possible spin offs. If I do, I will find a way to include Gabriella and Phillippe because they are the main draw.
In addition to a maturation in my writing style, I also changed the original covers for the first two books. I opted for a more seductive style for the covers and steamy ads. Apparently, Facebook didn’t like the ad image and tag line and shut my account down. I completely freaked out. I did some modest begging and got my account reopened in time for the release date.
I also made the first book free as a way to draw people into the series. This move proved to be wise. The free book has been in the number one slot in a couple of categories several times. Has the read through been what I want? No, but I’m very grateful for the progress of the series.
Once some time has passed, I’ll look at the next ways to share these characters which will include audio, hard cover and special editions.
Here’s a question, How do you end a series?
The Good Girl Series
(Hover over the cover for buy buttons and click on the cover for more information.)
Steamy Lit Con Recommendations
August 5, 2024 by Tracy Reed in category Pink Pad by Tracy Reed tagged as books, Recommendations, Steamy Lit Con, Tracy Reed
Sigh…that’s me exhaling from the all the excitement from spending the weekend at the Steamy Lit Conference (SLC). I’m going to make this brief because I’m recovering. My voice tuckered out before I did. I don’t know what happened, but around the last thirty minutes of the conference signing, my voice gave up.
This was my second year participating in SLC and it was even better than last year. This year, I was able to do a little book shopping. A part from hanging out with my author friends, I get to meet readers and make new author connections. I met some amazing authors and culled some very helpful information and resources.
This year, I was able to do a little book shopping and thought I would share these books with you. If you aren’t familiar with them, I highly recommend reading them.
Fake It Till You Make It – Siera London
A Fire In The Sky – Sophie Jordan
Whiskey Business – Elliot Fletcher
My Fault – Mercedes Ron
Trial Of The Sun Queen – Nisha J. Tuli
Course Correct – Aliza Mann
The Duke Gets Desperate – Diana Quincy
Her Night With The Duke – Diana Quincy
Along Came Love – Tracey Livesay
Forbidden – Beverly Jenkins
To Catch A Raven – Beverly Jenkins
Night Hawk – Beverly Jenkins
Rebel – Beverly Jenkins
The Art Of Scandal – Regina Black
Sex, Lies and Sensibility – Nikki Payne
Pride and Protest – Nikki Payne
An Extraordinary Union – Alyssa Cole
Pardon My Frenchie – Farrah Rochon
Never Cross A Highlander – Lisa Rayne
And Some of Tracy’s Books
UNEXPECTED NOVEL
February 5, 2024 by Tracy Reed in category Pink Pad by Tracy Reed tagged as brainstorming, ideas, titles, Tracy Reed, writing
Tracy is out of town this month, so we are reposting one of her columns. Hope you enjoy it.
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday.
Let’s talk about unexpected stories.
I apologize if I’ve already told the story about my upcoming release, “UNEXPECTED LOVE.” My relationship with this story goes back several years. When I first became an Indie Writer, I had quite a few stories dancing around in my mind. I had this idea for a series about a woman and the many men in her life. More like all the men she’d married.
When I set out to write the series, the task seemed a little daunting. I don’t know about anyone else, but I easily get attached to my characters. But if I don’t feel a connection, it’s difficult for me to tell their story.
When I got the idea for this story, I imagined it as a five book series. I had all the husbands mapped out. However, when I started writing, it felt very forced. I was so overwhelmed trying to tell this woman’s story. I abandoned the series and thought I would tell it as a standalone. Summarizing each of the husbands and focusing on the one she really loved.
I picked up the pages I’d started, made a few changes, and set out to write. I liked where this story was going, but as I got more involved with the characters, the story changed. It was no longer a story about a bitter divorcee, but a liberated divorcee who finds love in an unexpected source, her ex-husband’s ex-best friend, who just happens to be her divorce attorney. That’s either a mouthful or a blurb.
The more involved I got with Fiona’s story, the more I liked her. But I also felt sorry for her. She’s a sweetheart, searching for her voice. In a nutshell, she married her college crush, who later deceived her. Once she decided to divorce him, she found her voice. I love her transition, although it’s not without its ups and downs. One of which is the change in her relationship with her attorney and her self-esteem.
Last year, when I set out to write twelve titles in a year, I had this title on the schedule as a short story. However, I didn’t think there was enough story for a book. So I resolved myself to make it a short story. I cleaned up the first chapter and started writing. But when I started writing, the story took a turn. It was no longer about Fiona and her husband, but Fiona and her attorney.
I continued writing, thinking I could tell the story in novella length. As I got closer to what would be maximum novella length, the characters kept talking. No matter how hard I fought to end the story, they kept talking, so I kept writing. I really enjoyed the direction the story was going. Then I wrote myself into a hole. Crap! I didn’t see a way out, so I introduced another character, thinking she would help me. Instead, she led me to a wall, and the only way around the wall was another character. Hold on, it gets better. When I introduced this character, he brought his own storyline in addition to tearing down the wall.
So here I was with a full-length novel. But here’s the kicker. When I introduced Fiona’s brother (aka “the wall”) into the mix, the story took another turn and led me to a place I never would have imagined being, “Cliffhanger Boulevard.”
Yep, my five book series originally titled, “My Five Husbands” was changed to a standalone novel. Then it got a title switch to “UNEXPECTED LOVE.” Then it became a short story, that grew into a novella that reverted to a full-length standalone, which is now book one in a new series. Talk about unexpected.
So what’s the lesson learned? Never throw out an idea. Instead, put it aside and, when the time is right, revisit it. You might be surprised what story you can tell.
See you next month.
Here’s a cover peek.
Tracy’s Books
CONFERENCE PREP Part Four
December 5, 2023 by Tracy Reed in category Pink Pad by Tracy ReedHappy holidays. Let’s finish up this series with the sales.
This was my first mega signing and therefore I had no idea what to expect. It was also the inaugural Steamy Lit Conference and mega signing. No one really knew what to expect. This was a huge event. Think Book Bonanza but slightly smaller and you will have an idea of what this event was like.
On a side note the energy was amazing. If you ever get the opportunity to attend as either a signing author or reader, go. It was fun being amongst like minded people who understand your love of books.
I don’t think any of the authors knew what to expect sales wise from this conference. Prior to the event I asked God for an abundance of sales. Did I sell out? No. Did I earn back all of my expenses? No. Based on the size of the event, I really thought I would sell out. My expectations were wrong, because I’m a relative unknown author. The sales I received were mostly from new to me readers which is very good. I am very grateful for the sales I made because I have new readers I don’t think I would have gotten if it hadn’t been for this conference.
Did I discount my books?
How much to sell your books for at signings is always a tricky question. I did a lot of research from previous authors on this subject. I also stalked every pre-order I could find for event signing pricing. What price to sell your books for is something only you can answer. I chose not to discount my books and I’m glad I didn’t. I write a mix of large and small books. I felt I would be doing myself a disservice by discounting my books.
In speaking with some readers they informed me, they don’t expect to get discounts or freebies. They come to the conference prepared to spend money. I tried to find out how much they had spent, but I was politely told, “you don’t need to know that”. I learned if a reader is interested in your book, they will buy it no matter the price. If you have an exclusive hardcover or boxset and they like it…they will buy it. I saw readers buy VERY pricey exclusives and not blink. The readers I spoke to said, if they like a book or series, they’ll buy it in every iteration available.
This leads to another area for future book signings….Exclusives. Since I’m doing SLC 2024, I’m already thinking about exclusives and hardcovers to take. Now that I know what readers expect, I better able to prepare. I’m also working on building my name recognition to increase my sales.
Was this event a financial failure?
No. This was the most profitable signing event for me. I also gained new subscribers, met some nice readers and sold some books. I got some valuable input from readers. I discovered some new authors to read, made some new friends, industry professionals and gained some publishing knowledge.
Will I do a mega signing again?
Of course. I like meeting with new readers and I like doing signings.
However, when it comes to signings, I am limiting the number of signings I do per year because it’s a lot of work and expensive. Ideally, I would like to do a signing a quarter. Two local and two out of town, but nothing is etched in stone. I could change my mind and sign up for more signings.
I hope this series has been helpful. If I missed something or you have some signing tips, please share them.
See you next year when I recap my quest to increase my mailing list.
Au revoir.
0 1 Read moreCONFERENCE PREP Part Two
October 5, 2023 by Tracy Reed in category Pink Pad by Tracy Reed tagged as book signing, business of writing, Conference prep, SWAG
Happy Fall. Let’s get right into it. I am enjoying sharing with you what I learned about preparing for a book signing.
Picking up where I left off last month.
I got a sign.
I have been putting this off for quite a while. Side note, I had no idea how expensive signage could be. I really like my sign. Shout out to Office Depot. They hooked me up. It took approximately a week to get my retractable banner. Here again, I had questions. Should I use a book cover or an image that represented my brand. I chose the latter option.
Let me explain why I chose a generic image. Change. I like to change my covers every couple of years. If I’d gone with a cover, the sign would have a limited lifetime.
Back to the cost. There are a lot of banner/sign companies. However, I chose an Office Depot. They aren’t necessarily known for making signs. But they were my source for one reason…money. I had approximately $40 Office Depot rewards, plus I took advantage of a 25% sale. When I finished, my sign was less than than $40. It also included the stand, carrying case and free shopping. Advice, give Office Depot a try for some of your marketing materials.
Marketing Materials.
This is one of those areas where I was a little confused. There are so many paper options…bookmarks, postcards, stickers, business cards, etc. I like digital products, but, I love paper products more. I’m that person who still sends greeting cards, notes, uses a paper planner and makes paper lists. I also keep birthday cards. I look at paper products as part of my history. It brings a smile to my face when I come across a card or letter from a loved one. And I like to display artistic postcards from a brands I like.
When it came to my paper products I wanted to give the reader something they would want to keep. For me the only company to help me achieve my goal was Moo.com. I have been using Moo for quite a while. Their products and customer service are phenomenal.
Over the years, I’ve learned how to create items from their categories that work for me. In my lingerie business I offer a bra fitting guide which I printed on rack cards. The front has my logo and a bra graphic. The back are the instructions on how to find your bra size. I saw on their IG page how someone used a post card as a branded notecard. I copied that idea using some of my book covers.
Another reason I love Moo.com is Printfinity. Printfinity is the ability to load up to 50 different images on one side and another for the back. If you aren’t using Moo.com, Printfinity is reason enough to do so. Here’s what I did. I selected seven cover images and one with my tagline, for the front and my information on the back. Then I order 250 post cards. So here’s another cool thing about Moo…they give you paper options. For my postcards, I used the original paper, which for some printers is considered premium. Since I’ve been working with them for a while, I understand they are known for offering special pricing. I was under a time crunch, and took a chance hoping for a sale or special discount. I gave myself a deadline to place my order, sure enough a 25% discount popped up in my email. I jumped on it.
I also ordered a larger postcard and turned it into a church fan with some sticks from Amazon.
When it was said and done, I ordered all of my paper products from Moo.com. You may ask why didn’t I get traditional bookmarks? Simple…I wanted to stand out. I gave readers a card with all of my books. It also works as a shopping list.
FYI: Moo.com is good about replacing defective items without an additional cost to you.
I ordered swag that worked for my brand.
There are a sea of options when it comes to swag. I also know, the longer you shop the more confused you are likely to get. I ordered swag that was multi-purposeful for me. I know that sounds selfish, but I’m still looking at buttons that are five years old. And don’t get me started on paper swag vs. tchotchke. That debate alone will give you a headache.
When you attend a huge signing one of the goals is to stand out and gain the attention of the reader who doesn’t know you. When selecting swag I tried to stay within my brand. In the past, I tried buttons, stickers, magnets, bookmarks, free downloads and lip balm. Some were winners and some fell flat. There’s nothing wrong with those items, but some of them weren’t right for my brand. I used SLC to rid myself of a few sag items.
So what did I give away? In addition to the reading list card, I sprinkled the table with the left over buttons. (FYI, even after the signing, I still have buttons.) I ordered stickers and coasters from StickerMule.com. Of course I caught a sale. StickerMule.com is another source for great marketing products. I got 50 3” round stickers and round coasters for $19 each. Plus, I got 50 large poly mailers, which I used as shopping bags for $29.
Purchasing tip: Every Tuesday, StickerMule.com features a product at some insane price. And sometimes they run a surprise weekend deal.
The other thing I gave away, was an exclusive sampler. This sampler is only available at signings or when you order signed books direct from me. (I also gave away the ebook version to my mailing list.) I weighed the cost of the various swag options and this was cheaper. It also acts as an introduction to my library. How much was this freebie, using KDP $2.30. The look of delight on reader’s faces when they realized it was free with each purchase, confirmed I made the right choice.
I’m stopping here. I told you this was a long series of posts. I’ve included a 25% discount link for Moo.com if you want to try them (https://refer.moo.com/s/pinkduchess8).
Next month, I’ll share a few more tips on what I did and how you can prepare for your next book signings.
Tracy’s Books
Featured Books
NUMB
Will greed prevail, landing the Vitality Gem in the hands of an unpure soul or will Johnny Tanzer stand in his way with the wrath of the Gods?
More info →
DESERT ICE
Sin City in 1955, where the women are beautiful and almost everything is legal-
More info →
