Is FaceBook Worthless for Marketing Your Book (and other related questions)?

My friend, J.S. Chancellor, once asked me if I have ever purchased a book from another author I met on FaceBook. I thought it was a good question and one I should open up to everyone.

For my answer, I have to say, rarely. I have so many books waiting to be read and so much writing that I still need to do, I don't have a chance to check out everyone's work. On occasion, I'll buy a book from someone I have made a personal connection with during FB chats, but I never buy a book just because someone friended me and then posted a link to their book on my wall. Maybe some of you have, which is why I'm asking the question. Hey, I'm not knocking trying such a tactic, as we have to do everything we can to sell books, I'm just wondering if it ever works.

After all, I post links to my book and book-related stuff all of the time. But does it actually sell books?

Even with my earlier answer of rarely, as to the question of buying books from new FB friends, I have to say that overall, it doesn't work. Wait a minute, you say. I said rarely, so that must mean it works sometimes, right? Well, not exactly. I have 900+ friends on FaceBook. Out of those 900 friends, I'm guessing 50-100 of them are friends of mine from the "real" world. Then, another 30-40 have become people I enjoy talking with on FaceBook because we've taken the time to engage in conversation for whatever reason. That leaves a lot of authors that have friended me or I have friended who are simply promoting their work, which is the same thing I have done. But out of all of those numbers, I'd say I've purchased 3 books. Yeah. Three.

Does that make me a jerk? Or selfish? I sure hope not. When I started acquiring friends here on FB, I had every intention of checking out their stuff while hoping to find avenues of promoting my own work. I do share other author's stuff on occasion, but only if I was particularly interested in what they had said or if they had made some kind of personal connection with me.

So, that brings me to my next set of questions. In saying all of this, does it mean that FaceBook is worthless for authors? That answer for me is still a resounding "no way." First and foremost, I have made friends on FaceBook and I enjoy chatting with them quite a bit. Second, and more to the point, I do think things I have written have spread by this medium. Blogs, for example. This blog, even. If you are here participating in this debate, I am willing to bet you found it from Facebook, Twitter, or through some other social media. Does that mean you are going to rush out and buy my book now? No, of course not. I've learned that everything doesn't have to be about selling books. I am happy you are here regardless of whether you read fantasy or have any interest in ever paying for what I've written.

The fact that you're reading this and (hopefully) commenting, hint, hint, is enough for me to continue being active on FaceBook and Twitter and such.

Really, I wish I could buy all of your books and you could all buy mine, but that just isn't reality.

Which brings me to my final series of questions today. What is your purpose for using FaceBook as a way to market your work? Is it simply to throw your latest book at the FaceBook wall and hope something catches on? Is it to make friends and build relationships with other authors? How about name recognition? For example, if you've seen my book title a few times and then you are searching WalMart or Barnes and Noble or wherever for something to read and you come across my book again, will you give it a try? Does that ever work?
I'd love to hear your opinion. Have you found something different in your FB marketing? Have you found a place where actual readers go looking for your stuff to read? Like Goodreads, for instance? Maybe you have a different goal or maybe you ARE one of the ones who uses FaceBook to find your next read. I'd like to hear your take.

Oh yeah, and if you are using FB to find your next read, do I have a suggestion for you ;)

The Scene of the Crime

On Saturday, August 6, 2011, an unspeakable crime was committed at a local comic book store in Newark, Ohio. Here are the facts as we know them. A 38 year-old male snuck into the Comic Shop Plus in Newark, armed with boxes of books, bookmarks, and possibly door "prizes." This individual, along with a rogue gang of friends and family, proceeded to set up tables, give out beverages, and sign books that he eventually sold to the unsuspecting public. This is a strange crime indeed and one that police believe could become an ongoing phenomenon. There are already rumors of this so-called "author" making an appearance at the New Albany street fair on August 20th, between 2-4 PM. Please keep your eye out for this man as, if you get too close to him or his accomplices, they may lighten your wallet of $15.00 in exchange for some made-up story. Please watch the surveillance video below closely as this "criminal" unloaded 56 books before he vanished without a trace.

If you know one of these people, be sure to like Epertase on Facebook, or hurry over to www.epertase.com. Thank you.

Launch Day... Eh.

Last Monday was the official launch of my book, "The Light of Epertase: Legends Reborn." In celebration, I... well I... uh... worked at the fire house. I know, kind of a letdown, huh?

When I arrived at work I was told that a brand new, first-day-out-of-the-academy, rookie firefighter was going to be on the truck with me. What's that mean for a lieutenant? A lot, actually. It means, among other things, on emergencies I have to keep a close eye on what he is doing in addition to my regular lieutenant duties. It also means that I need to sit down with him and explain what I expect on fire scenes, EMS calls, and around the station in general. Sure, he has had wonderful training in Columbus' fire academy, but it's a little different doing it for real.

Unfortunately, I only had an hour with him before I went to a meeting where I discussed my new position as a training officer for battalion four. But in that hour with him, we pulled some of the hose off of the truck for practice (called advancing hoselines) because different stations load their hose in different ways. And then I went to my training meeting.

After my meeting, I met with the rookie again, only this time the battalion chief joined us so he could lay out what he expects of new guys (and gals) at the station. As I went through the day with the new guy, I was careful to remember my own first nervous day and I tried to make him as comfortable possible. By that, I mean as comfortable as one could be with the imminent threat of a life-or-death situation weighing on them for 24 hours. I remember how my mind was racing on my first day and I wanted to give him a sense of calm. If you are excited and high-strung before a call comes in, then when the actual action starts, it'll inevitably get worse from there.

You ever played that game where you hold your hands out palms down and someone else holds their palms upward against yours? You know the one, where they try to smack the top of your hands before you yank them away. It doesn't take long before you are flinching at every subtle movement that the other person makes. Now, imagine that feeling throughout your entire body for 24 straight hours and I think you can understand how on edge he probably felt. The trick to the first few days at the fire house is to get past those feelings and to stop jumping at every crack of the PA speaker. He will; it'll just take time.

Between the calls and the paperwork and the rookie, you can see how I spent most of my launch day, far too busy to think much about my book. Does it sound like the air has been let out of the launch day sails a little? Yeah, probably a bit, but that's OK. My celebration will actually be on Saturday when I have my official launch party. In preparation for that, the local newspaper did a story on me (see blog here: ), I did a radio interview on Tuesday, and flyers have been posted in stores everywhere. So, hopefully, the launch party will be highly successful and a tad more fun than my actual launch day. We shall see.

But my launch day did end better. When I came home from work the next morning, my wife had left me a gift on the table next to a chocolate chip cookie cake as a congratulations. I ask you, what could be better than cake?

Awakening Evarun

My friend Thomas has released part one of a 6-part fantasy serial. I wanted to share my review.

Thomas Barczak writes fantasy like fantasy is suppose to be written. Thomas has a talent to his words and a voice made for the fantasy genre. Passages like, "Talus pulled his knees close and drew the veil of the dying over him" is a perfect passage to highlight Thomas' flair for story-telling.

I can't say a lot about the story as this is the first part of a 6 part serial, but let me just say wizards.

And then there is Thomas' art. Each chapter is highlighted by a sketch from Thomas' pencil and, at times, I found myself anxiously reading through his wonderful prose in anticipation of the next piece of art. Not that I wasn't enthralled in the writing, but I love his art. Thomas is talented in both writing and illustrating and anyone who likes high fantasy would be well advised to give Thomas' serial a read.

Here's a link to pick it up for $2.99 on your Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Awakening-Evarun-Part-VI-ebook/dp/B005CTBFWG/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1312287667&sr=1-1

My Local Newspaper Gives Me Some Love

My local newspaper recently did a story about me, my writing, and being a firefighter. Here are a couple of my immediate thoughts.

First, after doing the interview and having a few photos taken, I realized that I had no idea what the theme of the article was going to be. The anticipation started to feel like torture. After all, I had given him an ARC copy of the book, so the article could have been about how crappy of a writer I was. For all I knew, he could have written that he hoped I was a better firefighter than I was an author. OK, the article probably wasn't going to turn out that way, but that's my point-- an author can’t help but feel vulnerable in this situation, even though rationally he knows it’s a good product.

Also, I'm not a professional speaker, so in any interview I do, my words could easily be misconstrued or the wrong parts emphasized, and I’d look like a tool. (Heck, I talked quite a bit and even I don't know everything I said.) Our interview was probably 15 or 20 minutes long and then we spoke again casually on another occasion for a bit longer. What if I had come home from a bad day at the fire house and said, "Man, I hated work yesterday?" The entire story could have been "Firefighter Who Hates His job." Or "Fireman Complains of Hard Work." See how easy it is to misinterpret?

Here is another potential pitfall in speaking to the press. As you talk to reporters, because their job is to be good listeners, you quickly forget that everything you say is on the record. Like a good friend, they don't cut you off after you make your point either. They will let you drone on and on and on for as long as you want to talk. Because he listened so well, I found myself unable to resist the urge of elaborating on whatever I had just said when there was actually no need.

I'm reminded of President Obama saying Chris Brown was a "jackass" to a reporter after the singer assaulted Rhianna a couple of years ago. And then I remember the president's immediate backpedaling as he realized that he wasn't talking to friends off the record, but to the media. Now, after doing my interview, I can see how that can happen. Though, I didn't call anyone a jackass...

I don't think.

Most of these fears, I admit, are fairly far-fetched, but, hey, it could happen. Overall, I don't think that I said anything too awful and, in the end, the final article turned out to be pretty cool. Here it is: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011107210306

What do you all think? My thanks to Chad Klimack of The Pastaskala Standard for his professionalism and accuracy.

Book Launch Party- Newark, Ohio

If you are in the central Ohio area on Aug. 6th, 2011, please join me at The Comic Shop Plus, 235 s. 21st street between 1:00 and 4:00 to celebrate the launch of "The Light of Epertase: Legends Reborn." I will be there along with cover artist, Steve Murphy, signing copies of the book. Come on by, I'd love to meet you. And bring your family. Everyone is welcome.

Local Firefighter Reactions to my Book

Now that "The Light of Epertase: Legends Reborn" has started to make its way into readers' hands, I thought I'd tell you how my firefighter friends have reacted. Although the book's official release date isn't until August 1, 2011, Walmart.com and Amazon have started sending out their orders. Plus, I have received my allotment from Rhemalda and have broken my own release date (please don't tell them).

The first reaction I'd like to mention was from my good friend, John. John and I have a rather unique friendship in that we spend most of our time cutting on each other. It can be quite comical as well as quite brutal, especially when others are around. In fact, if you read the acknowledgements in my book, I thank "everyone at station 22 except for John." I was excited to be able to actually dig at him in print. Let's see him top that.

Anyway, in front of a bunch of firefighters, and might I add potential buyers, John asked me how much I make per book sold. Mistakenly thinking he was genuinely interested, I told him. He said, "Then can I just give you a couple of dollars and not have to buy your stupid book?" Everyone thought that was pretty hysterical. It was, after all, the first funny thing John has said in the 11 years I've known him. ;)

Now that I've received copies of the book that I can sell, I've sold them to about 20 or so firefighters. Overall, the reaction has been better than I expected. (No, John still hasn't bought one.) The surprising part is in who has bought them. I have had three firefighters buy my book just to support me with no intentions of reading it, saying that they weren't much into reading. Here's the cool part. All three of them decided to try a chapter or two (probably so they would have fodder for their coming wise cracks) and all three of them finished the book within a couple of days. To me, that is a great sign when people who aren't big readers are unable to put my book down once they start. I'm beyond thrilled.
Having said all of that, they are still firefighters. My friend Roger read it at work while I was doing paperwork in the office. He found a small overuse of a particular word and proceeded to announce over the PA every time he came across that word. Just what I wanted to hear, an announcement to everyone what he perceived as a mistake. Arrrgghh.

In telling you that, I suppose you'd like to know what my overused word was. Well, you'll have to pick up the book and find out for yourself as I don't want to taint your reading of it. BTW, no one else has complained of the same, so I think it is just Roger.
But, let me tell you, I'll never overuse that word again just in case.

I've had other firefighter friends ask me what the book was about and I've told them a brief synopsis while adding, "You wanna buy one?" To which they've replied, "I'm not buying that crap."

I've even tried to convince one or two of them that my book comes with 384 pieces of kindling to no avail. Oh well, you can't win them all.

So, there you have it--my firefighter friends' initial reactions to one of their own releasing a book. In reality, 99.9% of my coworkers who have read Epertase have enjoyed it so much that they have called me at home and asked to preview book two so they don't have to "wait an entire year to find out what happens." That's pretty cool. If they were simply being nice, I don't think they would have taken the time to call me at home.

Though John did call me one night to tell me he was at a bon fire and needed something to burn. I told him he could burn as many of my books as he wanted...

As long as he paid for them first.

That damn John.

A Fun Firehouse Good-bye

Since I was promoted, I have been spending quite a few shifts at station 15 on the near east side of Columbus. If you have read my past blogs then you might recognize 15's as the station where I spent my first day as a promoted lieutenant. (See blogs here: http://epertase.blogspot.com/2011/01/last-day-first-day.html AND part 2 here: http://epertase.blogspot.com/2011/01/last-day-first-day-pt-2.html As you can see from that blog, the guys and gals can be pretty rough.

Anyway, one of the long-time station 15 firefighters (we call him Pup) has recently decided to transfer to another station. This is relatively common on Columbus Fire as firefighters decide to try new stations for one reason or another.

So, I was at 15's on the day that the newest transfer list, which revealed Pup's departure, was released. Let me say up front that everyone at 15's is going to miss Pup and no one wanted to see him go, but those aren't the feelings that firefighters express in most cases. Here is how they did express themselves.

The first thing I noticed was when I went to fill out some paperwork on totally unrelated matter. I scanned the roster to get Pup's ID number and saw that his name had been blacked out completely. The news of his leaving was less than an hour old and someone had already removed his name from the station roster. I thought it was harsh (and funny) but that was only the beginning. You see, Pup still had to work three more weeks at 15's before he started his new assignment at station 8.

A little later in the day I asked one of the guys what he thought of Pup leaving and he answered, and I quote, "Who?"

I said, "Pup."

He said, "I don't know this 'Pup' whom you are speaking of."

Meanwhile, Pup laughed along with the jokes as the crew jabbed him all day. He was called a quitter for "abandoning" the station, an idiot, and many other names that I won't put into print as to not offend anyone. But he knew it was all in fun. Firefighters are rough, I'm tellin' ya..

He didn't get much of a break from his future crew over at 8's either. A few days later, the crew at 8's sent station 15 a painted wheel chock (see pic) and was told it was part of the trade.



According to them, fifteens got a wheel chock and 8's got a Pup, hinting that all Pup was good for was being shoved under a truck tire so the truck doesn't roll backward.

But all of that was in fun. As I write this blog, we are at Pup's last day at 15's. You'd think his friends would buy him a farewell cake and a card or something, but if that is what you think, you haven't been paying attention. You see, a cake was purchased, only it was purchased by Pup for the rest of us. That's right. Pup's farewell cake was his responsibility and we ate every bite. Then we proceeded to tell him how terrible his cake tasted.

On a serious note. I won't see Pup as much anymore because he will be in a different area than I usually work. And do you know what? I'll miss him. (Even if he is a quitter and can't handle the pace here in Battalion four ;) So, I'll see you around... uh... um...

Who are we talking about again?

Fear and Relief

As I hold my first actual copy of my debut novel, "The Light of Epertase: Legends Reborn," I am struck by a couple of feelings at once. First, I have enormous relief. Relief in that the culmination of several years of hard work now rests in my hands. Relief in knowing that I have done everything I could in order to present my story in the absolute best way possible.
Now, with the actual book in my hands, I couldn't be happier with how it has turned out. Several years ago when I started imagining Epertase as a published novel, and not just something I worked on whenever I had spare time, I had but one wish. That wish had nothing to do with making money, or having people know my name, or anything like that. No, my wish was to be able to one day present my story to the world in the best way possible. I believe, with the tireless work of many people, that goal has been accomplished.

But, having said all of that, I have a new fear as well. Not really a new fear as much as a lingering fear that has suddenly rose to the forefront of my mind. Rhemalda and I have created something I am infinitely proud to have done. Whether we have, in fact, succeeded in our goal is now up to you, the reader. There comes a time in an artist's life when they must put their hard work into the public eye to be scrutinized. That time is nearing for me.

And that is what scares me. There is no way I can know how my work will be perceived until it is "out there."

Am I a good writer? Hmm. Well, for today I have to trust that I am. But come August 1st, it will be your turn to be the judge. My story will be out of our hands and at your mercy.
Rhemalda and I have done our best.

I hope you like what we have created.

I hope you will be entertained.

And I hope you decide to join us for the rest of my Epertasian journey.