Tag Archives: thriller

Cover Reveals or Cover Input?

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I’m partaking in a HUGE event right now for writers and lovers of stories of suspense called Mystery Thriller Week. (Check out the giant calendar of events HERE.) Somewhere during the preparation for this event, I was asked by author Bryce Gibson if I would host a cover reveal on my blog.

Cover reveal? What’s the purpose of that?

Frantically, I went to my favorite reference (google, of course) and did a little preliminary research before I explained to Bryce that my blog is more about the writing journey…then thought that a post on what cover reveals are would be an interesting topic.

So here we are. As followers of my blog know, I’ve never done a “cover reveal” with my own novels. I always ask for input on my covers. Here were some of the graphics I’ve created in the past when I was seeking input from various social media channels:

which-cover-do-you-like-better_-1 which-catches-your-eye-first_-1

I know this way of feedback isn’t perfect, but it’s better than me picking which one I like best. (BTW-I have terrible taste.)

So…on to the point of this blog post.

What is a cover reveal? A cover reveal is a planned day, before the release of your novel, for you to give the world the first glimpse of your story.

What are the benefits of a cover reveal? As I’m learning, much of the marketing of a novel is done BEFORE release day. A cover reveal is another outlet to start pre-publishing advertising. To begin to get readers excited for your book. If you’ve read anything about marketing and advertising, a potential customer needs to see something many times before they decide to make a purchase. (Some say 7 times, other say the magic number is 20. Wow.) A cover reveal is another way to get branding and image in front of the reader.

So…on to the cover reveal I have for you today.

Drumroll…

the-reading-buddy-cover

I don’t know about you, but this definitely makes me want to read the blurb. The Reading Buddy will be up for pre-order on Amazon in April. You can watch for it on Bryce’s Amazon Author Page or by following him on any of these social media channels.

 

 

 

About author-photothe Author: Bryce Gibson writes Southern fiction that takes readers to charming and oftentimes sinister areas of the The South. He has a degree in Media Arts from the University of South Carolina, works full time as a farmer, and lives in South Carolina with his wife and their dog.

Bryce is the author of the Young Adult thriller, Perennials, and the Southern mystery, Unclaimed Acre. His next book, The Reading Buddy will be available in 2017.

 

 

And finally, to answer my question in the title of this blog post: Cover Reveal or Cover Input?

Well, I think it depends on your platform. For me, I’m sharing each step of my journey, which includes me wanting to share the actual design and selection of my cover. (And the multiple failed attempts in between.) If I didn’t blog…and had a professional design team, I’d probably go with the cover reveal.

What are your thoughts?

Crime Division: Medications as a Murder Weapon (in Fiction Writing, Of Course) Joynell Schultz, PharmD, RPh

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Here’s an article I wrote for Mystery Thriller Week called, “Medications as a Murder Weapon (In Fiction Writing, of Course)” Check it out if you’re interested.

Mystery Thriller Week

Hmmm… You have someone to kill. You need a creative way, and the old-fashioned gun, knife, rope, or pillow suffixation simply won’t do. Using a medication sounds intriguing. In the alphabet soup of drugs, which one makes the perfect instrument of death?

View original post 1,191 more words

Need a book? Don’t Miss These Promos

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I just wanted to let everyone know of two limited time promotions I’m participating in. It’s a great time to load up your kindle. One focuses on Speculative fiction novels and the other on mysteries/thrillers. (Of course Love, Lies & Clones is in both promotions–see my happy face?)

The first is a speculative fiction (fantasy & science fiction) collection. Over 70 authors are participating in this one and it ends tonight at midnight, SATURDAY 1/14/17, so you’ll need to hurry if you like this genre. One great deal here is the “Name Your Demon” box set that includes 15 fantasy and paranormal romance novels for nearly free. There are a ton of other stand alone novels too. Click the graphic below for more information.

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The second promotion runs through SUNDAY 1/15/17 at midnight. It’s a large collection (40+) of mystery / thriller / suspense novels discounted for 99 cents. Click the graphic below for more information.

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I hope you find your next favorite book 🙂

–Joy

Is Your Book Done Yet? (Part 2)

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If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me that question… well, I’d have made more money that I’ve done self-publishing so far (Ha. Ha. But that’s a topic for another blog post). But, seriously, how long does it really take to write a book? Check out PART 1 or PART 3 of the three part series.

Comments from Part 1 of this blog post series asked about writing vs. editing time. As a new writer, I had no idea how long it took to polish a novel once it was written. What was really eye-opening to me is how quickly I can put words down on a page and call it a novel. The real magic happens with rewriting and edits. One of my favorite authors, Michael Crichton has said, “Books are not written–they’re rewritten.”

Here’s the real timeline breakdown of Love, Lies & Clones.

  • February/March–Wrote “Draft Zero” which was a 50,000 word ROUGH, ROUGH draft of the novel.
  • April–Camp NaNoWriMo Project–First round of edits/revisions to try to have it grow from 50K to 80K.
  • May/June–Two rounds of beta readers and edits.
  • July–Put this novel away. Wrote Blood & Holy Water for Camp NaNoWriMo.
  • August/September–Another round of beta readers.
  • October–Editor/Prep for Kindle Scout
  • November–Kindle Scout Campaign. I read through the novel one more time, and still caught issues! (And I attempted to win NaNoWriMo with another novel.)
  • December–Published! Horary!

How about other self-published authors? 

Today’s Spotlight: Mystery / Thriller / Crime Authors

Note: You can CLICK any book cover below to learn more. You may find your next novel to read!

QUESTION: How long did it take you to write your most recent book(s)?

The Olympus KillerThe Church MurdersDeath of a BrideLuke Christodoulou: I give myself a year for each book. I finish earlier than that though, giving plenty of time for the book to go to my editor and for my proofreaders to provide feedback.

A Jar of Thursday

The Secret Notebook of Sherlock Holmes A House of MirrorsLiz Hedgecock: I write the first draft quite quickly, but I’m pretty thorough in the edit. I wrote the draft of A House Of Mirrors in 6 weeks, then put it away for 6 months, and took a month to edit it.

The SplitWarriors

Carey Lewis: It takes me about a month, and that includes research and two rounds of edits on the manuscript. Then I’ll put it away for a couple of weeks and give it another couple of edits with fresh eyes.

The Adoption

Greg Merritt: About 8 months.

How much of your time is devoted to writing opposed to editing/rewriting?

Please post in the comments.

Love, Lies, & Clones to Kindle Scout

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I’m trying something new with my novel, Love, Lies, & Clones. I submitted it to Kindle Scout.  I’m really interested to see if the novel pulls any interest.  I’m not hoping for a contract, though I wouldn’t turn it down, but I’m really excited for the number of viewers that will see my story. (A great way to advertise for free.)

I’m participating in November’s NaNoWriMo with a new novel tentatively titled, The Secret Lives of Superhero Wives. I thought having Love, Lies, & Clones out of my hands would be great — I need to stop micromanaging it.  I don’t think I can make it much better.

Here’s my Kindle Scout Page… It’s looking like a real book!

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Here’s my rough draft cover for my next novel.

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I can’t wait to see you all in NaNo Land.

Are you doing NaNoWriMo this November?

Have you done anything with Kindle Scout?