Books, Blogs, Authors and More discussion

Hi, Having seen Emily's email about separating into folders (which I heartily approve of), I thought I would add my book onto the pile in the Science fiction area. As a new author I am struggling to gain any traction with my first book, which is puzzling as all the reviews so far have been very positive (apart from one puzzling entry that gave it 3 stars but simply said "I did not read this book"!). Perhaps the problem lies in it not being strictly Steampunk as regarded by the fraternity, as it is set in a future where electricity is banned. It's use is forbidden by mysterious overlords that enforce the prohibition through the use of flying Sentinels, which destroy anything that generates electricity.

As you can imagine, given the lack of modern technology resulting from this ban, society has had to undergo radical changes, both scientific and social. The result is a second age of steam, with a society reliant on clockwork and steam power, but having twentieth century knowledge. It is into this world that the lead character Professor Coombs arises from his cloistered world of academia to embark on a life changing mission to find the lost centre of learning known as Cern.

I have had the book out on Kindle for some months now and I have recently put it up on Barnes and Noble for Nook (and should soon have it available on Google Play). I think I am doing all the right things to get it promoted and build my readership but progress is alarmingly slow. So any feedback or offers of review would be helpful.

One thing that would be helpful for you would be to claim an author profile on Goodreads. Right now there is an author profile for F A Baker that includes The Search For Cern and a non-fiction book which may have been co-written by another F A Baker. If you claim your profile by scrolling down to Is this you? Let us know, you can control your profile and make sure only books written by you are listed on it. You can also link your blog to your profile. Then people can follow you on Goodreads and get e-mails from Goodreads when you update your blog.

BTW, this is the first book I've seen in the Steampunk sub-genre that gives a background explanation for the existence of the alternate universe. I really appreciate that.

Faye,

There are a number of promotional tools you could utilize. Most books and seminars on the subject recommend a multi-faceted approach.

Website - Custom designed to promote a specific work and its author.

Push Cards, Business Cards, Book Marks, Thank You Cards - Custom designed to promote a specific work and its author. To be passed out during personal appearances and book signings.

Blog - Maintained and updated at least bi-monthly, preferably weekly.

Networking - Personal appearances at literary festivals and conventions, book clubs, public libraries, book stores, and reading cafes.

Keep in mind that very few readers post reviews. Those that do, merely wish to share their personal opinion of a book with other readers, not the author. A review is usually neither intended nor effective as a promotional tool.

Hopefully, some of these suggestions prove helpful. I wish you success with your writing.

Hey Faye,
congrats on the book. I agree with everything Shomeret and Jim had to say as these are simple things to help you promote and get your book noticed. Also, if your active on social media such as Facebook and Twitter those can be quite helpful as well.

Steampunk is not a well known genre so that alone may make it harder to promote then most genres so your best bet would be to find your audience, specifically readers and fans who enjoy Steampunk books.

Thanks for the tips everyone. I have got a website and I am working on a second one! I also have a facebook page and belong to a local Steampunk meetup group. I am hoping to do more networking this year with Steampunk events.

Perhaps I should try and push the book simply as a science fiction book to avoid being such a small niche market.

Faye wrote: "Thanks for the tips everyone. I have got a website and I am working on a second one! I also have a facebook page and belong to a local Steampunk meetup group. I am hoping to do more networking th..."

Faye,

You could list the genre as science fiction and the sub-genre as steampunk just as main line publishers do on the copyright page of a book.