marketing | Meredith Mansfield, Author

Posts Tagged ‘marketing’

Flash Sale

Posted in writing, tagged fantasy, marketing, sale, series on January 18, 2017| Leave a Comment »

The Shaman’s Curse is on sale today only (January 18th, 2017) for only 99 cents!

A Couple of Things

Posted in writing, tagged critiques, fantasy, first drafts, marketing, series, writing on January 8, 2017| Leave a Comment »

So, on BECOME:

becomeblue

I’ve been a little stuck on that last scene before that exciting one I mentioned in my last post. I don’t really know why, except maybe just being too distractable.

But I did block in the dialog for an important chapter that will follow the excitement this morning. Because it was in my head and the best thing to do when that happens is to get it down so I won’t forget it. So, that’s some progress.

Also, I’ve been using the time to mark up comments for revisions to earlier chapters based on critiques by some critique partners. It’s always good to get a feel for what’s working, what’s not, and what’s confusing to readers.

Aside from that, I’ve been trying to expand my social-media-promotion toolkit. Instead of just using the cover of one of my books, I’ve been trying for a little more. I started this a little before Christmas. Here are my efforts so far:

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2017 Writing Goals

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged critiques, e-publishing, fantasy, first drafts, Goals, Learning, marketing, revisions, rewrites, series, writing on December 31, 2016| 1 Comment »

Since I was a day late earlier in the week, I suppose I should make up for it by posting a day early.

It’s time to decide on my writing goals for 2017.

Publish BECOME: TO CATCH THE LIGHTNING. This means:
- Finish the first draft.
- Figure out how many books there actually are in this series and where the break points are.
- Let it rest for about a month.
- Run through a couple of revisions.
- Get it critiqued.
- Another round of revisions.
- Polishing edit.
- Format for publication.
That first goal may be close to enough. But I also want to get restarted on the rewrite of MAGE STORM. (No cover, yet, though I have a couple of ideas.)
I doubt very much that there’ll be a lot of writing time left over. But that doesn’t mean I won’t be jotting down ideas on some of the other stories I have simmering on the back burners.
- MAGIC AND POWER: Another story in the same world as DAUGHTER OF THE DISGRACED KING, but centering on another set of protagonists. (MAGIC AND POWER might end up being the series title.)
- A couple of fairy-tale retellings buzzing around the back of my mind. One of them might end up in the MAGIC AND POWER world.
- My weird Oz story is always out there. I actually wrote about ten chapters of it, but it wasn’t working. Partly because I’d left my protagonist completely alone for too long. I need to figure out how to give her an unhelpful, but talkative sidekick that will fit in this more dangerous version of Oz.
- The prequels to the DUAL MAGICS series, though I don’t think I’m quite ready to go back to that world yet.
- Someday, I’m going to have to go back and write the third book in the Chimeria series. That is a fun world to play in.
Get better at marketing. The only way that’s going to happen is if I make a plan and devote some attention to it at least every month, not just around book launches. It’s just not nearly as much fun as writing. But it has to be done.

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The Importance of an Occasional Pause

Posted in writing, tagged e-publishing, fantasy, first drafts, marketing, series, writing on October 30, 2016| Leave a Comment »

For the last week or so, I’ve felt stuck. No obvious progress on BECOME–other than an improvement to the cover.

becomeblue

However, sometimes I just have to allow myself those pauses. As often as not, it’s because my subconscious is busily working on the story behind my back.

Yesterday, the story just . . . came unstuck and started to flow again. It wasn’t that I didn’t know what happens next as much as I just didn’t have the emotional part worked out. Though it seems obvious to men, now.

So, forward.

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Boxed Set

Posted in writing, tagged boxed sets, e-publishing, edits, fantasy, first drafts, marketing, sequels, series, short stories, writing on August 28, 2016| Leave a Comment »

I am now about half-way through the polishing edit for WAR OF MAGIC. Expect to have it done in the next couple of days. Meanwhile, this fourth and final book in the DUAL MAGICS series is now available for pre-order at a special, limited time price.

And, after a few formatting headaches (mostly surrounding images), the boxed set of the first three books, plus the short story “Modgud Gold” is now available, too. DUAL MAGICS Books 1 – 3

Now I just need to finish the polishing edit and format the print book. Oh, and schedule a few promotions. Then I can get back to work on BECOME.

Become 5

Busy, busy.

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Finish Line

Posted in writing, tagged boxed sets, e-publishing, fantasy, launch, marketing, sequels, series, writing on August 24, 2016| Leave a Comment »

And WAR OF MAGIC is now available for preorder.

The special preorder price of $0.99 won’t last past the release date of September 27.

Now, it’s on to completing the polishing edit. (I have until 9/16 for that.) And getting the boxed set of the first three books together.

Dual Magics 1-3 Boxed Set

And planning promotions around the launch. Oh, and formatting the print version, probably my least favorite task.

And then I can get back to work on BECOME.

Become 5

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Promotion Results

Posted in writing, tagged boxed sets, e-publishing, events, fantasy, Learning, marketing, revisions, sales, sequels, series, writing on May 8, 2016| Leave a Comment »

So, last week’s promotion was the first time I’d tried a free promotion. Here are the results:

For THE SHAMAN’S CURSE:

I gave away 914 copies, including books in two markets I’d never “sold” to before–Italy and Japan. Now, if only a quarter of those continue on to buy THE VOICE OF PROPHECY, BEYOND THE PROPHECY, and (eventually) WAR OF MAGIC, that will have been well worth it. Especially if they go on to leave reviews.

I’ll have a better idea how well this worked by the middle of next month, when the royalty report for May comes out. Of course, that won’t be complete. I’ve certainly downloaded a free book–or two–and not gotten around to reading it immediately.

BY SWORD, TALE, OR MAGIC didn’t fare quite as well, even at three books for $0.99.

Only 15 sales. Still, hopefully those are new readers of my work. Hopefully they’ll go on to read some of my other books. Or at least leave a review. BSToM doesn’t have any reviews, yet. (Which may be part of the reason it didn’t sell better.)

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May the Fourth Be With You

Posted in writing, tagged boxed sets, e-publishing, events, fantasy, marketing, Multiple Projects, revisions, rewrites, sequels, series, Special Events, writing, Young Adult on May 4, 2016| Leave a Comment »

And also the Flinch-Free Fiction sale by Clean Indie Reads.

THE SHAMAN’S CURSE is free during this sale.

And BY SWORD, TALE, AND MAGIC is only $0.99.

In other news, I’ve finished that new chapter for MAGE STORM and I’m turning back to the revisions on WAR OF MAGIC.

WarMagicNew

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Sale!

Posted in writing, tagged e-publishing, events, fantasy, marketing, sales, Special Events on May 1, 2016| 4 Comments »

Two of my books will be part of the Clean Indie Reads sale starting on May 4th. (May the Flinch-Free Fiction be With You!) You really should check out the sale.

Meantime, BY SWORD, TALE, OR MAGIC is already on sale for $0.99.

That’s three young adult fantasy novels for less than a dollar: FIRE AND EARTH, THE BARD’S GIFT, and DAUGHTER OF THE DISGRACED KING.

And THE SHAMAN’S CURSE will be free for five days starting tomorrow.

Free can make sense for the first book in a series.

So, if you’ve never read anything of mine, now’s the time.

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