#BookBlast The Book Blogger Platform by Barb Drozdowich @sugarbeatbc

Social Media and Wordpress Consultant Barb Drozdowich has taught at Universities and Colleges, trained technical personnel in the banking industry and, most recently, used her expertise to help dozens of authors develop the social media platform needed to succeed in today’s fast evolving publishing world. She owns Bakerview Consulting and manages the popular blog, Sugarbeat’s Books.

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Blurb:

Book Blogging - One of the Best Hobbies in the World!

Join thousands of book bloggers in expressing their joy of reading!

Are you a book blogger or do you want to be one? Are you having trouble handling the technical details of blogging? The Book Blogger Platform can be a "user manual" for your blog! A book written by a book blogger for book bloggers and that answers all your questions!

The Book Blogger Platform covers topics such as:

1.         What a book blogger blog needs to contain

2.         A step by step guide to manipulating images and videos

3.         A description of all the common features hosted by book bloggers

4.         A description of the social media aspect to a book blogger platform

5.         Being Social - the social aspect of book blogging

 If you are tired of always asking other bloggers questions

Let The Book Blogger Platform guide you painlessly. Over 80 color graphics lead you step by step through some of the more difficult technical issues that bloggers face.

Pick up a copy today and approach blogging with confidence!

Buy it on Amazon!

Excerpt:

from Chapter 3: Review/Promotion Policy—Review Philosophy

As I’ve commented before, some book bloggers review books and some don’t. Some book bloggers promote any book, regardless of whether or not they have read it; some don’t. These are preferences; there isn’t a right or a wrong. Since everyone will run their blog differently, I believe all bloggers need a page that outlines their review/promotion philosophy.

Authors often mistakenly assume that everyone reviews books. They also often mistakenly assume that all book bloggers operate their blogs in a similar fashion.

Because of these assumptions it is a good plan to be honest and upfront with anyone coming to your blog. Create a page—call it Review Policy, or whatever title suits you, and outline what you do on your blog. If what you do is post your thoughts about books that you get from the library and aren’t open to submissions of any sort from authors, state that. If you review submitted books, state what genre you prefer to read. Even if you think you will review all genres, be honest about what your favorites are. Also be honest about other details like length of book, heat level of romance, goriness of a horror novel, etc. For example, I refuse to read anything over 350 or so pages as I find a book longer than that overwhelming, I don’t read horror as it gives me nightmares, the sexual explicitness of a book doesn’t offend me, but I don’t want to read romances involving anything other than human beings. What are your specific thoughts? Make note of them on your Review Policy page.

If you do review, you might want to include information about your reviews. How do you format your thoughts? Do you include spoilers? Do you offer up any quotable quotes that an author can then use in promotions? Do you rate a book using hearts, stars, hopping bunnies, or flashing numbers? Do you post negative reviews? Do you post your thoughts about books that you were unable to finish reading? Do you contact the author and offer up a copy of your review before you post it on your blog? Do you post copies of your reviews on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, or other locations?

With regards to other types of promotions, your Review Policy might include information on the types of features you are willing to post. Do you post for blog tour companies? Do you need you have read and liked a book before you are willing to put anything about it on your blog?

Lastly, you should include how you want to be contacted and what information you need to consider when featuring or reviewing a book. I know I prefer to be contacted via email, but a lot of bloggers use an embedded form that authors need to fill in to be considered. Make sure you are clear about the information you require from the author to decide about their book. If you aren’t, you may find what some authors deem sufficient leaves you with questions.

Do authors always read your review policy? No! I think there are enough people like me harping on the fact that they have to read the policy—that they need to treat bloggers as individuals—that the message will gradually get through.

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Tagged and writing

There's apparently this blog hop going around where you're tagged by a (so-called *G*) writing friend to continue the hop. I've been tagged by Susan Macatee AND C. Margery Kempe.

What is the working title of your book?

Improper Conduct

Where did the idea come from for the book?

Police procedural + hot monkey sex + a desire to write something different = a story I didn't intend to write but am enjoying!

What genre does your book fall under?
Contemporary romantic suspense

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Oh, good one. Let me think on that...oh, I know. Daniel Craig and Rachel Weiss. They look hot together, their chemistry sizzles, and frankly I think if there's another Daniel Craig James Bond, she'd make an excellent Bond girl (woman).

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

When her new captain takes a seductive interest in her, Detective Jules Marshall can't resist despite her ongoing investigation.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Self-published. It's an odd work-count and frankly submitting to agents/publishers sucks the energy from you. So I'll have it professionally edited with a kicking cover and then professionally converted.
  

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Still working on that! As you can see by the sidebar, I'm not even to the 25% mark. 11% specifically, but I have other projects I'm working on and want to be able to devote the time and energy necessary to make this story really rock. I hope to have it finished by the spring.

 

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Suzanne Brockman when she was good? Her earlier books I'd say, not the works she has out now. Really liked her earlier works. Hmm, it's been so long since I've read a romantic suspense I can't think.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

I don't know that anyone one thing or person inspired me, I wanted to restart my writing in something different than the istorical paranromal I'd aleady published and decided a contemporary, hot and sexy, suspense was the way to go.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

• It was originally supposed to be a lot heavier on the sex but the plot got away from me. I plan on making it just as hot and sexy as I can, but still focus on the plot.
• The 11% finished is the second time I've written those words, the first didn't quite work.
• I did the cover. :)

Who I tagged for December 5:

Kristabel Reed

Yes...just one. It's getting harder and harder to find authors who haven't already been tagged

Slacker

Yup.

But I'll get back to blogging soon.

Ever just feel like if you spent another second online you'll scream?

Yup.

Next week. Promise.

With fun new posts, new guests, and a new energy that I somehow lack this week.

When to pull back

Lately I've come to realize (see yesterday's post) that time is slipping by. Between work, dog, family, writing, and everything else I cram into my days, blogging takes a distinctive back seat. I blog on 2 other sites, Slip into Something Victorian and Unusual Historicals and barely remember when I have a post due or what it's supposed to be on.

I've been thinking of pulling out of at least one of them because I believe in honoring my commitments and by not blogging when I say I am, that makes everyone else's lives just that much harder.

The question is, would you try to keep up? Keep blogging, keep your name out there...or would you pull back?

And don't forget Tuesday August 8, Sonya Clark is joining me here to talk about her release, Mojo Queen.

Is this thing working?

I admit, I've let the chronic blogger problems allow me to become lax in my blogging. Not working today? OK, I'll just skip it. There's always tomorrow. Or the next day. Or next week. It's so easy to let things go when I know I'll be aggrivated by not being able to log into my blog!

Before I get to the rest, July is guest blogger month! Friday 7/15 I'm hosting Amanda Arista, Saturday 7/16 is Stacey Thompson-Geer, Monday7/18 is Lorelie Brown, and Wednesday 7/20 is David Brown.

Be here or be square.

Now then, what have I been doing instead of blogging? I actually watched a few B sci-fi movies. Of the following 3 titles, which I watched based only on the titles, what one do you think was the best?

Lost City Raiders: The year is 2048, and global warming has flooded much of Earth's land areas. A father and his two sons try to salvage treasures from sunken buildings when they are given an important assignment by the New Vatican.

Sand Serpants: Jason Gedrick and a small group of Marines are stranded in the remote Afghan desert. But it ain't the Taliban that's worrying them, it's these giant refugees from Tremors. In fact the big worms prove to be an ally of sorts by doing better against the Taliban than themselves but battling these enemies is something not covered in their training.

Mongolian Death Worms: When an American oil company sets up an experimental drilling plant out in the vast deserts of Mongolia, they are completely oblivious to what actually lies beneath them. Pumping hot water deep into the ground, the company is hoping to expose untapped oil, but what they end up uncovering is something no one ever expected. As the superheated water plummets its way into the earth, it strikes a nest of deadly creatures that have been dormant for centuries. Thought to be purely mythological, these monsters are in fact real…and now they have been awakened! They are angry and they are bloodthirsty.

If you said Mongolian Death Worms, you'd be correct! Skocking, I know, but you have to love a movie that makes fun of itself.

Tuesday Comings and Goings

I'm over at Unusual Historicals blogging about George M. Cohan and his long and colorful journey.

Monday Musings

Have tweaked the blog based on the less is more theory. I can't begin to tell you how often I've heard this, because less is always more in just about everything, but at last week's Computers in Libraries Conference, they had excellent tips on maximizing webpage retail space.

Hence some changes.

Am also working on adding search terms and relevant content.

Shorter posts? I can do that. More focused on writing? On reading? On the publishing market today? On randomness? I can do all that too!

But what drives reader to your blog? I'm okay with not commenting, I rarely comment on a post myself unless I have a point I want to make or support to offer. But what drives people to THIS blog of the millions out there?

Ideas?

Friday Guest: Kristin Tualla

It's my pleasure to welcome Kristin Tualla today. She caught my attention with her blog choice of: Why Norway is the new Scotland. How could I not be intrigued? So please read through and learn why I now must read these stories, and have already started A Woman of Choice.

Cause tall hot Norwegien men? All over that...and you may take that statement as you will. :)

So, Norway is the new Scotland, huh? Prove it.

I'm not afraid to admit it.

When I began writing my very first novel for publication, I intentionally chose to write something other than the "kilted warrior." I wanted to be unique; I didn't want to be just another book in the crowd. A foin crouwd, to be surrre… but still. I wanted to create my own niche.

So I thought, who else is sexy? Vikings! Big, blond, buff, and beautiful, with oceanic eyes. But the Viking era was pretty harsh. And limited. And dirty. So Nicolas Hansen, my Norwegian hero, lives in the 1800s Missouri Territory. He (and all my Norse heroes to follow) are some version of big, blond, buff, and beautiful. Strong. Stunning. Smart.

Spectacular.

So, imagine my surprise when this creative streak turned out to be a hindrance! Publishers said, “We don’t do American historicals… no one can sell Scandinavia… write Scotland, BUT Scotland is a very crowded market… publishers LIKE their boxes…” I’ve heard it all.

Nonetheless, I stuck by my men. Especially when Nicolas told me (and his very surprised new wife) that he was a prince! Great-grandson of King Christian VI. Who knew? So in the second book of the trilogy, off we go to Norway in 1820 while Nicolas decides whether or not to be king.

I had been blogging about my heroes and my path to publishing, when the following article, “Common Mistakes by New Authors” by Irene Goodman, appeared in the September 2010 issue of Romance Writer Report (RWR) published by Romance Writers of America:

“It’s always sad when an earnest author spends years working on something that absolutely no one is interested in except a few geeks or hobbyists. Let’s say you want to write historical fiction. You need to understand that unless you are writing something very literary and high quality, you must pick a marquee name. If you fall madly in love with the life story of an obscure Norwegian king, please don’t think that you are going to convince the world to love it, too. Furthermore, learn the market and what it requires. Commercial historical fiction is very female-driven. Even if the Norwegian king had some kind of interesting hook or quality to him, readers are more likely to be interested in the queen.”

Hm. Coincidence? Possibly. Probably. Maybe not.

Make me more determined? Definitely.

It was back in 2007 that I was driving past IKEA when I heard a hyped-up commercial on the radio: H&M was coming soon! "Hmm," I thought. "These are both Scandinavian stores… I guess that's the next big thing."

And then it hit me. My hook. My brand. My big, blond, buff, beautiful heroes with oceanic eyes! Norwegian men are the next big thing.

"Norway is the new Scotland" was born. And it's growing.

So. Is it time you found a new brand of hero? Please allow me to help.

For every 10 people who comment here, I will give away one free e-copy of A Woman of Choice - the beginning of the trilogy. And, yes. Commenter #11 warrants 2 copies! Comment #21? I'll give away three.

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!

In February at the end of my blog tour, I'll give away one SIGNED PAPERBACK SET of the trilogy. Here's how you can get in on that deal:

1. Go to http://www.kristualla.com/ and find the "Secret Word" on my home page.
2. Send an email to ktualla@cox.net with "Signed Trilogy Giveaway" in the subject line. Put the secret word in the body.
3. Comment on any blog at any time in the tour to activate your entry. Each day's blog location is listed at http://kristualla.wordpress.com/blog-tour-dates-locations/

A Woman of Choice, A Prince of Norway, and A Matter of Principle are all available at http://www.goodnightpublishing.com/

A Woman of Choice - Missouri Territory, 1819
A woman is viciously betrayed and abandoned by her unfaithful husband. She is rescued by a widower uninterested in love. In desperation, she becomes engaged to his best friend. One woman, three very different men. Life is about choices.

A Prince of Norway - Christiania, Norway, 1820
American-born Nicolas Hansen has been asked to candidate for his great-grandfather's throne. His new wife Sydney isn't about to let him go to Norway and face that possibility alone. The moment they arrive at Akershus Castle, the political intrigue and maneuvering begin. Can Sydney trust anyone? Will Nicolas resist the seduction of power? Or will he claim the throne for himself? Most importantly: will their young marriage survive the malicious mischief of the ambitious royal family?

A Matter of Principle - St. Louis, State of Missouri, 1821
Nicolas Hansen has returned from Norway determined to change the world. But when he runs for State Legislator in the brand-new state of Missouri, the enemies he made over the past two years aren't about to step quietly aside. Sydney has made enemies of her own, both by marrying Nicolas and by practicing midwifery. When a newspaper reporter makes it his goal to destroy them, Nicolas must rethink his path once again. But this time, it's a matter of principle.

Guest blogging, statistics and thoughts

First, tomorrow I'm over at Fang-tastic blogging about historical paranormals and why I find them fascinating to both read and write.

Now...statistics...

They're fascinating things. Here on Blogger, it's easy (now) to check your blog stats. For instance, I know my guest post from Keira of Love Romance Passion post from last year is still hugely popular, as is my review on Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife. (May-December 2010: 119 for Keira, and 236! for Mr. Darcy.)

I also seem to be popular in Russia and Hungary. (Spam anyone?) Even though the only thing I know in Russian is goodbye and that's in the Roman alphabet not Cyrillic. Hungarian? Nada.

The thing I notice is that people come. They read. They do not comment. I wonder why that is. Curious. My post on reviews and why you do them, where you post them, and if you comment on others gets hits, but no comments. Hmmm...

Even my guests get hits, especially after the fact, and yet very few comments. Example: Friday Guest: Wendi Zwaduk with 120 page views but only a measly 6 comments. 120 vs. 6...my math seems skewed.

I'm running a Title Contest, and have 2 comments, great suggestions but from only 2 people? Interesting.

And that's my tangent thought for the day.

Guest Blogging

Today, I'm over at Caroline Clemmens blog, A Writer's Life. Come stop by and comment! There may be prizes involved. Maybe. ;)

Tuesday Comings and Goings

Today I'm revisiting the blogs I guested on last month. I have prizes to give away and need to get those out to the appropriate winners! I should have done that weeks ago, but August is always busier than I think it will be. All that vacationing and end of summer stuff to get through. Not that vacationing is difficult!

Last day of August and it's downright depressing. Where did the summer, the year get to??? I had big plans for this year, and it's flown by with only a few things on my list accomplished. Better revise that and soon, or this year will be a total bust.

Blogging today!

I'm over at Unusual Historicals talking about why people don't read (or really get) historicals. Any thoughts?

Am also over at Un:Bound revealing secrets of Isabel Roman.

So it's September

I feel like I should be in school. Damn, all that schooling really indoctrinated me to believe September was the end of summer and I should be ready for school! Have been trying to get out of that mindset for years now and yet with today being my city's official first day of school, it feels like nothing's changed. The weather sure hasn't.

So, with this horrible feeling like I should be sitting in a classroom, I'm going to post my September goals:

Blogging. Yup. Going to (really) be better at this. Not just here, but other places I blog, Slip into Something Victorian, Unusual Historicals, American Civil War: Beyond Scarlett & Rhett.

Finish my chapter breakdown to my untitled Switzerland 1797 story and begin it.

Write at least 2,000 words a day on this story.

Read some of my TBR pile without buying new stories. It's a weakness I'm sure all readers understand.

And if you're in the mood for Scandals throughout History, check out Unusual Historicals all month. It's our theme.

@ Slip into Something Victorian

I'm extremely late posting this, but I'm over at Slip into Something Victorian today blogging about research.

Today I'll be at...

Slip into Something Victorian blogging on women's rights during the Victorian Era and how they changed and how they sometimes just didn't.

Today is also the last day to leave a comment on either of my 2 Coffee Time Romance posts: Win a copy of Murder & Magick on that thread, and either Complicated Courtship or Wanton Woman on that thread.

Accomplished!

I was a very good girl yesterday and managed to do a LOT of writing.

1. Finished DDoD prequel entitled Tryst. Sure, it's only 6000 words but I wrote 400+ of them yesterday!
2. Started new Christmas story entitled Red Bow. Didn't get as far with that, 2 pages but I love where it's going and will finish it up Monday when I have time again.
3. And hey, back in the groove of blogging!

Promotion

On a few blogs now I've seen things on how to promote yourself - that you should, need to, and how to go about it. But how does an unpublished writer do that? Other than the blog I do and the site I have. No one really cares about the books I have finished that they can't buy yet.

Jennifer Linforth posted a wonderful post about just this. (I found her from the Unusual Historicals blog.) I read hers and thought, hmm, I belong to RWA. I have a critique group. I tell people about it, but not too many. After all, erotica isn't everyone's cuppa.

The big question is how to get out there. Not just this wonderful little circle, but that great big one of readers. Part of me wants to hold off on anything major until I'm actually published. The other part thinks Man, I need people to know about me!

That post has given me a lot to think about, and more yet to consider as I wait for word on my queries.

Research Blogs

I spend a lot of time online researching. Books are great, but when I want something specific I find the internet much more helpful. Not always, not everything's online, but the majority of the time. I also find people knowledgeable about certain topics I need to know about and have no compunction in mining them for what I want.

Two such places I've found are Slip Into Something Victorian and Unusual Historicals. In the Victorians case, I love their site because I do a lot of writing in that era (Birthrite). They always have something interesting to read. (And wonderful pictures!)

In the Unusual case, it covers such a broad time, and so many aspects of history you usually don't hear or read about, I can't help but love it.

If you get the chance, check out their blogs, I'm sure you'll find something over there.

Difficulties

This whole blogging every day thing is tough. I don't have that much to say, not every day at least. I can talk an ear off on my ms and WIPs, I can bore someone to tears with research on 1882 Philadelphia. But actually writing on what might interest a broader someone? Harder.

It's like broadening one's horizons. It's a scary leap but once done fantastic. I just have to take that leap, think outside the box, and hope for the best. In this case, that I'm not boring someone to tears. :)