Self-Promotion is not my thing-

So, it has been a busy time for me. For a retired guy I am working a lot. Not seeing much money, but working a lot. I have uploaded all of my completed novels in the Edge of the World series to Barnes and Noble. I also finished compiling, editing and uploading my short stories. These are the compiled short stories from my blog, Short Stories by MLockridge. They are now available as an ebook.

Though I have had enough sales so far to say I have had some sales, I am not seeing any current revenue to augment my rather sparse pension. I am very thankful for that pension, having invested twenty years of my life in a dangerous and unpleasant environment to win it. Still, there is little money from the books thus far.

So, the books will need a little promotion.

This amounts to promoting myself. I have never been so inclined. It is a learning curve the whole of which I must climb. Social networking, both online and in the real world. Meeting people, and talking myself and my books up. I suppose some people gravitate to this kind of thing. I much prefer the thought of taking my Mobile Man Cave down by the river and just watching the water flow down to the sea.

I have set my foot on this trail, however, and I intend to see it through. So, I have begun gathering materials and preparing to go out there and do something. What, I am not entirely sure of, as yet. Still, a few ideas. Barnes and Noble book store in Medford seems a good place. I can go and have informal meet-the-author events there. Perhaps some coffee houses would be good venues. I hope to participate in a gamers convention at a local game shop, being present as a local author of fantasy adventure novels.

I am just beginning to collect a list of upcoming events in Oregon and Northern California which might serve as suitable venues. The how-to of all of this is a thing I will have to grow into. Book events, storytelling conventions and the like seem to be related and interesting to me. How to promote through attendance is something I will have to develop.

Meanwhile, due to the limited funding of my retirement I am exploring some employment options. I have a qualification test this weekend for a job that could serve well enough. I will provide details as those become prudent and available. If the hours are right I can gain a bit of income, some of which can support the whole promotion process.

It really is rather fun, and it is healthy to have a challenge to face. I look forward to seeing how it all turns out, and will certainly keep friends and readers posted.

Keep Moving Forward-

The past month or two have been busy. I have been committed to editing, formatting and uploading my novels to Barnes and Noble through their Pubit program. Along with continuing to move into a new home, with all of the chaos and the yard work and this and that and the other.

Marcus of Abderus and the Inn at the Edge of the World, the first novel in my Edge of the World series of Fantasy Adventure novels, is on sale. So are the following two titles. Plus a little set of rules for a super simple war game I wrote up.

So, I have been away from blogging. It is time to turn that around, now. I am pretty much on my own for promoting my novels, and every source I come across focuses on Social Networking. Blogging is a part of that. Most of you blog readers already know that. Indeed, most of you are far better at this social networking thing than I am. This is going to be work.


Not that I mind the work. Indeed, this is the best thing I have done in the way of work. Granted, my revenue from these efforts has not been sufficient to buy a cup of coffee, but I have made a few cents already. Income that can be measured in actual dollars lies at the other end of some serious promotion. That, and continued writing.

I recently visited our local Barnes and Noble book store and talked with the people there. Though supportive and encouraging, they had nothing to offer with regard to promotion other than the social networking thing. There are no in-store promotions for ebooks, and that is quite understandable. The brick-and-mortar book store makes money selling physical books, along with a lot of reading related items.

Some ideas are percolating in my cogitator, however. Ideas that will allow me to use their venue to a mutual advantage. I have signed up for Twitter and am expanding my presence on Facebook to prepare for this very low budget promotional tour. It may net only a few readers, but every reader has friends. With social networking that makes for potentially viral expansion.

I visited a local game shop, as well. Astral Games of Medford, Oregon. I talked with Aaron, the owner. We have a shared audience, in that many of the games he sells and promotes in his store are Fantasy Adventure games. My Edge of the World series is a Fantasy Adventure. Somehow, I feel that at least a few of his customers will take some interest in the novels. At least, that is my hope.

It is quite likely I will frequent his store for "meet the author" events. Indeed, I am also considering little "meet the author" events at coffee shops and other locations. Probably just an hour here, an hour there, as time permits and opportunity provides. Chat with people and invite them to read my works.

With my desire to travel I can see incorporating informal "meet the author" events in any travel adventures I might take in the years to come. I don't imagine the return on these little events will be particularly great, but over time I hope that at least a bit of traffic will come back to my Barnes and Noble offerings.

Whatever the case, I must keep moving forward. Come along with me, won't you?