The Busy Month Of June

Work-wise, I have been deep-diving into translations, which is time-consuming but fun. I also updated my website with a new theme, which now breaks my books down into genres. Hopefully it's less overwhelming than the previous wall of book covers! I use Carrd for doing small wesbites like this, and often knock one up for a one-off event, as it is so easy with Carrd's tools. Have a look at what they offer if you are thinking about new website options: they're really good value.

I had a meeting today with the creative director of a local organisation, about my involvement in an upcoming festival called Market of Possibilities, tied to the creative writing sessions I run. We discussed lots of good ideas. I may run a session on publishing options for authors in 2023, and another which mashes countdown with song lyric creation and live music. We'll see how that goes!

I have also been to south Wales to visit family last week. One of the train journeys was twelve hours long, enough to give anyone a sore arse. The time with my family was great, it was only the journeys that sucked! Have you ever had a nightmare journey? Hit reply and let me know about it.

Despite being busy I have made time to sit in the garden and admire the flowers. It's important to do that. Nature is amazing.

A Second Favour – Help Defeat The Blue Meanies!

Following on from last time, I'd like to mention an issue I have faced with reviews. Some books have hardly any, and as such often get targetted by mean-spirited people who like to anonymously one-star things, since they can really affect the average score and whether new customers buy the book or not. Oh, the power to have a negative effect on an author's life! I can't imagine the mindset, but I've seen it on my own books. They especially like to do it when I have a new book out and it hasn't yet received any reviews. (Or maybe it's another author sabotaging me, who knows?)

One day I am determined to make a normal living income from being an author! That requires good books (I think I tick that box), but it also requires sales, and that requires social proof from good reviews and ratings to tempt people. I apologise that I often ask for help here, but it's one of the few marketing things I can't do myself. Big publishers have whole teams of people set up to do reviews on release day as part of the buzz, whereas I just have a trickle over a year. (I think I get about one review for every thousand sales.) Until I get enough positive ratings/reviews, the books are vulnerable to attacks by blue meanies.

If you have an Amazon account and have spent enough with them to be allowed to leave ratings/reviews, I would particularly benefit from at least a rating on these three books, since the lack of ratings (or the low ones given anonymously) have pretty much killed sales of them on Amazon:

Hidden Solace (UK / US / CA) – a few drive-by one stars
Raising Solace (UK / US / CA) – hit by anonymous low ratings
Finding Solace (UK / US / CA) – no ratings/reviews at all! :-(

If you have a Goodreads account then here are links to the three books on that site:

Hidden Solace (luckily that's only been hit by a single one-star rating)
Raising Solace
Finding Solace (only 1 rating at present ...)

I'm very grateful for any ratings or reviews you can add to those three books on either site. With a few clicks you can really make a big difference to my income, and introducing other people to my work. Peace and best wishes, my friends.

Thanks for reading, I hope you are having a lovely summer!

Karl

If you're so inclined, have a look at my books, or join me on Discord for a chat. You can also reply to this email if you want to contact me.

Something is changing ...

Movie Projections & Mind Benders

July: Bad Backs And New Books

Onwards And Upwards

Paperbacks: Finding Solace