SSG: Spy/Spec-Ops Group discussion

Authors, please give me a quick show of hands if you are currently promoting your recent-release book within our group.

I'd just like to get a clear idea of who our authors are.

Please send me a simple PM or reply to this thread. Thanks!

Please speak up. If you're a published author, with a book currently in circulation, sound off. Who've we got on hand?

Frederick Aldrich

Feliks, I've been actively posting news and reviews about my spy novel THE OLD SPOOK without a great deal of success. It's been frustrating, especially since the reviews have been most favorable; the latest by Charles Kovacs (completely unsolicited) said that my book was "one of the great novels of the Cold War." That may be stretching it a bit, but I had hoped it might be a break through. You may read the full review on the following link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Thanks--just trying to make a shortlist for the sake of organization and perhaps of launching some future project around here.

As for your publishing woes, I am not sure what to advise you. There are groups on Goodreads created to help authors improve their marketing effectiveness, master the intricacies of Amazon, etc. Consider joining them?

Feliks my first military thriller, Clear by Fire come out Aug 18. It is being published by Simon and Schuster

Hi Feliks and all,

I have four thrillers out, my latest released this month, and am working on my next. I write with the entire alphabet: CIA, FBI, NSA, and even the SEC.

All the best,

Helen

This is great. I'm glad I reached out

I've got four novellas and 3 novels out in the Amsterdam Assassin Series:



And this is my blog: https://amsterdamassassin.wordpress.com/

Feliks,

I have a series of four books on Amazon and am working on a fifth. The series is based on a fictional OSS intelligence officer. The series begins with the Operation Torch landings in Morocco and ends in Germany at the end of the war. A bit of a troublemaker, a bit of an action hero, my character explores the moral complexities of the war while operating in places that have received little attention in popular literature.



Thanks,
Patrick Nolan Clark

Thanks everyone. I'm collating the responses. A few of you, I responded to directly.

Like I said in those messages: I don't know exactly what I have in mind but I think whatever it is, will be better enabled by knowing who our authors are. This first step is just getting a list together so we can see--and remember--names/faces a bit better.

Y'know, all our authors in this group have been pretty good as far as observing our rules about self-promo. Y'all post your notices in the designated areas and I've yet to see anyone cause a row or quarrel. In other groups, authors are hard to manage. Not here.

So ..I'm kinda thinking that we should make more of the fact that we have around two dozen active, well-behaved, well-spoken authors-in-residence, as a highlight of our group. I think we might state this upfront in our page, and make it an attractor to new members.

See, many readers come here seeking 'the latest'. The latest thriller, the latest page-turner. Unfortunately, I don't think they immediately find currently active authors by "poking around in our discussion shelves". Threads get buried, topics languish, chats are forgotten. Also, some of you authors don't yet have your books represented on our group bookshelf.

So..why not take hold of this currently sloppy situation and make it something which actually works for us?

I believe 'author promo' can be cloying when done --as it usually is--randomly, intrusively. In an 'un-managed' fashion. Authors usually "pipe-up" 2x per month, say a little something about themselves, and then sink back down. Then some other author does the same thing. I feel this is what wearies and desensitizes individuals browsing for new books. Who to select? What book to purchase? Its like walking down a city street and being catcalled by vendors and hucksters. Its a cacophony.

So at the very least I think I'm going to make a sort of 'roll call' thread at the front of our group page and have a clean, readable list for the prospective book-seeker to quickly thumb through.

This "cleaned-up look" will be more appealing, should Spy-Spec/Ops ever be a 'featured group' on Goodreads. Remember, we are nearing 1,000 members. That's a notable feat in the Groups environment.

And from such an 'author directory' we can also arrange other events like "author roundtable" or "author spotlight" or such things as this.

So that's where I'm headed. Opinions? Questions?

Yeah..things taking shape in my mind.

Two threads in ALL CAP letters, right up front:

NEW AUTHORS DIRECTORY
NEW TITLES DIRECTORY

in 'authors directory', each author will have a one-line entry (as in the following sample)

Patrick Nolan Clark - WWII Espionage - www.patrick-nolan-clark.com

then, in 'titles directory', this:
'The_Quicksilver_of_Deception' (Tom O'Brien OSS Agent #4) - by Patrick Nolan Clark

This will make for an easy mnemonic.

Next. Here's the results I have so far.

Jo-Ann Carson
Patrick Nolan Clark
Helen Hanson
Joshua Hood
Frederick Aldrich
Gideon D. Asche
J.R. Rogers
Don Satalic
Graeme Shimmin
C.E. Martin
Hock Tjoa
Henry Mosquera
S. L. Jones
Richard Fox
Martyn V. Halm
Paul Bartusiak
Uri Norwich
Michel Poulin
Jon Spoelstra
Barry Sierer
M.J.Kephart
Bill Fairclough
Charles Ameringer
Daniel Brownell
Steve deWinter
Shab (aspiring)
Jonathan Webb (soon to be published)

Well now look at that. In our group bookshelf for 'recent releases' I have only 13 titles. But the above names are double that, in number. So one immediate benefit of all this, is that once and for all, you authors will get your books and series categorized on our shelves for people to find...

p.s. Now what y'all ought to do is fill in for me the sub-genre of your books and any external site links and this task is in-the-bag. Tack them onto this post.

Also:
1) correct any errors my copy/paste may have picked up
2) verify the first link is correct
3) if your name is not on this list, let me know.

Something like this:

Martyn V. Halm[suspense fiction][https://amsterdamassassin.wordpress.com/]

Do you want us to add our books to the BookShelf under 'Authors in Residence'?

Yes please. You're getting the gist of where I'm headin'. Make sure you tag your titles correctly..

Martyn V. (aka Baron Sang-Froid) wrote: "Something like this?

Martyn V. Halm[suspense fiction][https://amsterdamassassin.wordpress.com/]"

Yes, that's right...

Feliks wrote: "Yes please. You're getting the gist of where I'm headin'. Make sure you tag your titles correctly.."

I think adding books to the bookshelf is only open for moderators of the group...

Edit: No, I found out how, so I added my books to the bookshelf under 'Authors in Residence' shelf

Its a shame that Goodreads makes that task somewhat counter-intuitive..

Feliks wrote: "Well now look at that. In our group bookshelf for 'recent releases' I have only 13 titles. But the above names are double that, in number. So one immediate benefit of all this, is that once and for..."
Feliks,
please find below the information you requested. Is it where you would like to have it or some other place? Appreciate your input.

Uri Norwich (political-espionage)
The American Deluge
http://www.amazon.com/Uri-Norwich/e/B...

Hi, guys n gals,

I normally lurk as much as possible on GR. I write supernatural military pulp thrillers in a series called STONE SOLDIERS.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/bookseries/B...

I'm finishing up #11 right now, then will try a spinoff, less pulpy book this summer. I find the threads here very helpful as far as seeing what readers want. I wish I had more time to read--you've disussed some stuff that sounds right up my alley. Ah, well, with kids and a day job, it's unfortunately read OR write these days...

Thanks Uri. Looks good.

C.E., glad to have ya lurk if that's all you have time for. Its reassuring to hear, because this lets me know that a post which gets no replies is probably still being read/enjoyed by someone like yourself.

Really..chatting on the internet should be all our last priority in life. Family, and *tangible* goals, should always come first!

p.s. 'supernatural soldiers' sounds nifty, I must say

p.s. what d'ye all think of the titles I chose?

Are they intuitive?

'New Title Directory' and 'New Author Directory'--do they make immediate sense?

Feliks... Your work is awesome. Well done my friend. As the minutes go by, we see it paying off.

Hi Feliks,

My debut novel is listed below and I'm now working on book two in the Trent Turner Series:



Thanks!
Steve

Frederick Aldrich

The Final Inhumanity - International Thriller
The Doomsday Diary - International Thriller
Two Peasants and a President -International Thriller
Absolute Zero - International Thriller

Not sure if this is what you're looking for Felix.
By the way, I received a message requiring me to go through FB. Sorry, I don't do FB.

Fred

Felix, feeling a little dense tonight. Are the sub-genres coming from a list or do we make up our own?
Patrick Nolan Clark

Thanks for the response. And thanks for taking the time to do this, Felix.

Fred

Frederick wrote: "By the way, I received a message requiring me to go through FB. Sorry, I don't do FB. ..."

No one despises 'FB' more than I do, so nope that was not I.

What you submitted...close, but not quite right, let me go over it with you once more.

1) What book is your latest or next to be published? Please provide link.
(Also mention of any series it is a part of)
2) What genre do you write in most? I guess you would say Int'l Thriller, right? It is for you to say.
3) Do you have a site (not Goodreads) where you sell or promote yourself? Provide me the link.

Patrick this should answer your query as well. Steve--you too, please. If you follow these suggestions it makes this lots easier. See the 'TITLES' thread if you're still unclear.

Frederick, you're very welcome. I'm excited to come up with a new wrinkle for a change. Who knows where it will lead? And hey I'm sure it must take some of the anxiety of self-promo off your shoulders. From now on, all your names are as upfront as we can possibly make them, at least you know that much is being done. You don;t have to worry whether our members can see/find you or not.

Most recent book - The Doomsday Diary - February 2014
http://www.amazon.com/Doomsday-Diary-...

Genre - International Thrillers, often with military backdrop Sub-Genre Terrorism (for the Doomsday Diary and Absolute Zero)

Sub-Genre for Two Peasants and a President is Geo-political/Medical Thriller

Sub-Genre for The Final Inhumanity is Science/Espionage Thriller

Zon and Goodreads are my only outlets. Zon also markets my hardback books

Thx. Link for 'Zon' please?

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&...

Feliks, if I understand you correctly, the sub-genre for all four books would be military/espionage. Do you need the Amazon links?

Patrick

Aye. I'd need the link to either your most recent publication or your next upcoming release


S.L., you as well. What is your particular sub-genre?

http://www.amazon.com/Quicksilver-Dec...

Thanks, Feliks

Okay Frederick, Martyn, S.L. and Uri are done. Take a look at the Authors Directory now, to see the latest draft.

All you guys are also among the first entries in the 'New Titles Directory', so double-check your listing there as well (for accuracy)

S.L. I 'guessed' at your genre. Correct me if its not what you want

Martyn, please name the most recent release in your series

Okay, Felix, here we go....right?

Don Satalic (Mystery/Spy) (http://goo.gl/y4IeG)

And the the Titles Directory would be:

Return of the Falcon - by Don Satalic

Looks good. I'm on it

Thanks for including me, Felix.

Patrick wrote: "http://www.amazon.com/Quicksilver-Dec...

Thanks, Feliks"
Hi Feliks, Great work, you're doing.
A small correction to my entry requires your attention.
In the "New Authors Directory" my name link probably should be as
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

(You may leave it as it is now. However, it is linked to my other unrelated-subject book).
Thank you for all your good work.

Thanks for doing this Feliks.
My profile
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Sub-genre
Asian/Chinese point of view of international intrigue.
First title

blog:
http://hockgtjoa.blogspot.com/

You're welcome Uri.
BTW, I double-checked just now. Not sure I follow the distinction you want me to understand.

What I see so far is that your name link (in 'Authors Directory') goes to your Goodreads author page and your second link 'Political espionage' goes to your Amazon profile. That is in line with what I'm trying for here.

Meanwhile, your latest publication 'American Deluge' (on Goodreads) is linked from the 'New Titles Directory'. Doesn't this cover all the bases?

Do you want the Amazon page for 'American Deluge' linked to (under 'Political espionage') instead of your Amazon profile?

Hi Feliks,
If you "click" on my name in the Author Directory, it links to my other book in Goodreads-"Russian Jews Don't Cry," not "The American Deluge."UN

Unnh! It still looks 'right' to me. :p
Your name goes to your Goodreads author page, what I am seeing. https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

That's how all the authors in the entire list, are set up. Its the first link for everyone. After all, you're going to write more books, aren't you? Have you tried refreshing your browser cache, perhaps? Unless we're still talking at cross-purposes I think you're in good shape. Your UR Goodreads page, your Amazon link to your latest book, and then in the Titles Directory there's the link to that same book again on Goodreads. Multiple angles of attack. PM me with details if it still needs work.

Hock--thx for your info--well done

Feliks,
thank you so much for your time. You are great and right. Leave it please as it is. My fault.
As you intended originally, I'd rather discuss books. In my particular case, a topic "One main reason a book has been written?" or "How does your book reflect our reality we live in?" or "How our beloved America has become what we have now?" You catch my drift...
Respectfully, UN

Oops. Sent wrong link. Sorry, Felix. Meant to send the one to my page on Amazon (Zon). Here it is.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_nos...

noted. that would be *after* your goodreads author link... the second link... under your 'genre type' in 'authors directory', eh

see what i do there? for 'genre'..that's where I link author external pages. to save space