PROMO BYTES: The Author Newsletter and Goodreads by Lisa Hu hey

!o"yri ht #$%% Lisa Hu hey S&ashwords Edition This eboo' is li(ensed )or your "ersonal en*oy&ent only+ This ,REE eboo' &ay not be re-sold+ .) you would li'e to share this boo' with another "erson/ "lease "ur(hase an additional (o"y )or ea(h re(i"ient+ Than' you )or res"e(tin the hard wor' o) this author+ This arti(le was ori inally "ublished in the San ,ran(is(o Area Ro&an(e 0riters o) A&eri(a newsletter+

1The Author Newsletter: To Write or Not to Write?

Be)ore the e1"losion o) online so(ial &edia/ author newsletters were an e))e(ti2e (o&&uni(ation tool+ 0hile Twitter/ ,a(eboo' and blo in are ubi3uitous &ethods o) (onne(tin with your reader/ )or lon er (o&&uni(ations the author newsletter is still an e1(ellent way to et in)or&ation into their hands+ A((ordin to So"hie Little)ield 4A Bad 5ay ,or Pretty/ Tho&as 5unne hard(o2er/ 6une #$%$7/ your newsletter should be a )o(used sour(e o) in)or&ation about your boo's and yoursel)+ Distribution How o)ten you want to distribute a newsletter is author (hoi(e/ ran in anywhere )ro& &onthly to stri(tly enerated )or a boo' release+ Little)ield also releases a newsletter durin the holidays+ Content Below are a )ew uidelines )or the (ontent o) your newsletter+ 6uliet Bla('well 4A !ast-O)) !o2en/ Obsidian/ 6une #$%$7 su ests 'ee"in it short and sweet+ 8 ood news 8award no&inations 8additional "rintin s 8re-releases 8new sales 8author a""earan(es 8 i2eaways 8"ost +*" 9s o) your boo' (o2er 4i) a2ailable7 8new releases So&e additional su estions: 8Gi2e a bio ra"hy o) your &ain (hara(ter+ 8Tell the readers about the (on)li(t )a(in your "rota onists+ 8Post a teaser about the u"(o&in release+ 8En(lose a deleted s(ene+ 8E1"lain the ins"iration )or the boo' or series about to be released+ 8Hi hli ht a resear(h boo' you used while writin or a resear(h tri" that you too'+ 8.) you en(lose an e1tra/ &a'e sure it oes with your author brand+ Extras .n order to i2e your reader so&ethin e1tra )or subs(ribin / you (an "ut little bonus in)or&ation in the body o) your newsletter+ Ra(hael Herron 4How to :nit a Lo2e Son / A2on boo's/ Mar(h #$%$7 has a se(ret lin' that she doesn9t re)eren(e anywhere else+ The newsletter reader will et a((ess to out-ta'es )ro& her !y"ress Hollow Yarn series+ Contests ,or her Art Lo2er9s Mystery series 4by Hailey Lind/ Bla('well9s "seudony&7/ Bla('well/ who is also a "ainter/ ran a (ontest to win a "ortrait in (on*un(tion with a boo' release+ She ad2ertised

the (ontest on her blo and website/ usin the newsletter as a tertiary &ethod o) ettin the (ontest in)o to her readers+ Branding To stay true to your brandin / be sure to &a'e the (ontents o) the newsletter (onsistent with your i&a e+ .) you write risly horror/ "uttin in an arti(le about your stu))ed ani&al (olle(tion &ay not be the best idea+++unless you (an e))e(ti2ely tie the )urry beasts ba(' into your (urrent horror release+ .) you are writin a series about a restaurant/ then en(losin a re(i"e in your newsletter )its with the the&e o) your stories+ Howe2er/ i) your 2illain is &odeled a)ter Hannibel Le(ter/ then in(losin your )a2orite )a2a bean re(i"e is out+ Another ti"/ try to stay true to the (olor s(he&e on your website or blo usin the sa&e or si&ilar i&a es+ E2ery (han(e you et to rein)or(e your i&a e and brandin hel"s (e&ent your in)or&ation and your na&e in the readers &ind+ Mailing List E2eryone a rees you should &a'e sure the re(i"ients o) your newsletter ha2e re3uested your in)or&ation+ The worst thin you (an do is alienate readers and buyers o) your boo's by si nin the& u" )or a &ailin without their "er&ission+ Maintain a database o) e&ail address to re(ei2e your &ailin list or use a ser2i(e that will si n u" newsletter re(i"ients and distribute the newsletter )or you+ ,inally/ the author newsletter (an be an e))e(ti2e way to (o&&uni(ate with your readers and et your in)or&ation out+ The best rule o) thu&b is to &a'e sure that your newsletter )its in with the rest o) your author i&a e+ Settin u" your )or&at and (ontent uidelines ahead o) ti&e will ensure that the ti&e you s"end to (reate and distribute the newsletter will be as "ainless as "ossible+ To answer the 3uestion in the title: the answer is yes+ 0ritin the author newsletter should be a )un e1"erien(e i2in you the o""ortunity to (onne(t with your audien(e and share )un e1tras that (an9t be in(luded in your boo's+

1Goodreads A Free Website for Booklovers

Nowadays &ore than e2er/ authors ha2e to be their own "ubli(ist+ 0hether you are traditionally "ublished with "rint boo's )ro& a New Yor' "ublisher or sel)-"ublished )ro& your li2in roo& on A&a;on9s :indle 5ire(t Publishin and Barnes and Noble9s Pub.t/ you &ust "ro&ote your boo's+ But )i urin out where to "ut your "ro&otion e))ort (an be dauntin + There are so &any )oru&s and "la(es a2ailable on the web+ 0here do you start< Goodreads is an e1(ellent way to (onne(t with readers+ Ea(h user has an a((ount with a boo'shel)+ They add boo's they ha2e read and rate the& and so&eti&es re2iew the& 4whi(h oes into the database statisti(s7+ They add boo's to their to-read shel)+ They ha2e a (urrently readin shel)+ And the readers (an (usto&i;e and add their own shel) ta s+ Goodreads has a hu e database o) boo's o) all sha"es and si;es+ The &ost attra(ti2e draw )or the author is these &e&bers are REA5ERS+ They lo2e boo's+ They lo2e to read+ They lo2e to tal' about what they read+ But *ust in (ase you9re still not sold/ here are so&e solid statisti(s 4these are ta'en )ro& the Goodreads Author Tutorial7+ 8=+> &illion users worldwide 8?+@ &illion uni3ue monthly users and AB &illion "a e 2iews 8#%C o) the users are also boo' blo ers 8Twi(e as lar e as LibraryThin and Shel)ari (o&bined 8!o&&unity is (o&"osed o) Boo'sellers/ Librarians/ Boo' Blo ers/ Readers and Authors 8Many Goodreads re2iews a""ear on do;ens o) E-(o&&er(e sites and Library (atalo sites So how do you et yoursel) an author a((ount at Goodreads< %+ First join Goodreads www+ oodreads+(o& #+ Find yourself in their database Ne1t sear(h )or your boo' or boo's in the inor&ous Goodreads database+ .) you )ind it/ (li(' on the boo' and it will ta'e you to the boo' "a e+ Dnderneath the boo' title/ it says By Author Author is you+ !li(' on the na&e and it will brin you to the author "ro)ile "a e+ At the botto& it will as' Eis this you? !li(' on that and they will send you a (on)ir&ation e&ail+ On(e you 2eri)y

that you are in )a(t you/ they will u" rade your user a((ount to an author a((ount and you (an start enterin your Author 5ata+ .) )or so&e reason/ you (annot )ind your boo'/ you are able to &anually add it to their database+ 3. Enter your Author Data 0ebsite lin' Genres you write Twitter Dserna&e Bio But that is *ust the be innin o) the ways Goodreads en a es readers+ 4. Lin to your !ersonal blog You (an lin' your own blo to your author "a e+ The tutorial is easy and sel)-e1"lanatory+ ". #ho$%ase your &!%o'ing E(ents You (an add any boo' si nin s/ wor'sho" "resentations/ or "ubli( a""earan(es on this "a e+ ). Lin a Goodreads statisti%s button on your blog or $ebsite This is all about (ross-"ro&otion and lettin your readers 'now what other "eo"le are sayin about your boo's+ Their tutorials are 2ery easy to )ollow+ *. Lin your Goodreads a%%ount to your Fa%eboo Fan +age .) you don9t ha2e a ,a(eboo' ,an Pa e/ &a'e oneFF ,. &!load eboo (ersions of your boo You (an sell your boo' dire(tly on Goodreads+ The "ro(ess to load your boo' is easy and "ainless+ You need a boo' in +ePub )or&at+ -. .oin a Boo Dis%ussion Grou! There are dis(ussion rou"s with all sorts o) enre (lassi)i(ations+ One (a2eat+ 5o not *oin a rou" solely to "ro&ote your boo'+ En a e in the dis(ussion "ro(ess+ There are rules a ainst *oinin a rou" and only sendin "ro&o e&ails+ All o) these entries i2e readers a way to (onne(t with you and a way to )ind your wor' throu h the Goodreads sear(h (a"abilities+ Goodreads is a si&"le/ easy/ and s&art way to "ro&ote your wor' to the online reader (o&&unity+ So i) you ha2en9t already *oined/ what are you waitin )or< "s+ E2erythin in this arti(le is si&"le and )ree+ Goodreads does o))er other "ro&otional o""ortunities whi(h in2ol2e a )inan(ial (o&&it&ent )ro& the author+ You (an read &ore about those "ro ra&s in the Author Tutorial se(tion+

About the Author

Lisa Hu hey writes ro&anti( thrillers with es"iona e heroes and heroines+ Her no2el BLO0BA!: is a2ailable A&a;on/ S&ashwords/ Barnes G Noble+(o&/ and Goodreads+ She has been writin 1ro&an(e sin(e the )ourth rade/ whi(h was also about the ti&e she be an her lo2e a))air with s"ies+ Harriet and Nan(y 5rew and the Hardy Boys later a2e way to 6a&es Bond and Lara !ro)t and 6ason Bourne+ E1"lorin the (o&"le1 nature o) a "ro)ession that re3uires subter)u e and lies )as(inates her+ She lo2es (o&binin her two "assions into )i(tion and ho"es you lo2e the results+ You (an )ind her on the web at www+lisahu hey+(o& / on Twitter HLisaHu hey/ and on ,a(eboo' htt":IIwww+)a(eboo'+(o&I"a esILisa-Hu hey-,an-Pa eI%BBA>?%@BBBJ%??

Additional PRO O B!T"# b$ %isa &u'he$

Author Brandin a2ailable on S&ashwords )or ,REE and on A&a;on )or K+@@

"()er*t of B %O WBA+ , -Bla)k +i*her Files. ON"

Blowba(' 4blo ba'7 n. A deadly/ unintended (onse3uen(e o) a (o2ert o"eration+

Eerie blue li ht "enetrated &y (ons(iousness )irst+ The re ulated thu&"-thu&" o) tires "ounded in &y head/ e(hoin with )ier(e resonan(e+ Where the hell was I? Why did I feel like this? . 'e"t &y eyes (losed/ 'nowin "retense was "ara&ount to &y sur2i2al+ 0here2er . was/ it wasn9t nor&al+ Ha+ My li)e would ne2er be nor&al+ . tra('ed ba(' to &y last &e&ory+ .9d hoo'ed u" with a uy+ Had relati2ely indis(ri&inate se1 with hi&+ . inhaled shallowly/ (are)ully/ not wantin to i2e away anythin + . still s&elled li'e se1+ Really reat se1+ . wanted to s&ile but 'e"t &y e1"ression la1+ .9d lon ed to stay in that bed+ Slee" with hi&+ 6ust slee" with the (o&)ortin war&th o) another hu&an bein + The a(he had been so intense that as soon as he do;ed o))--. le)t+ That was &y last &e&ory+ LYou (an sto" "retendin +M . (ontinued to )a'e slee"+ . didn9t 'now that &ale 2oi(e+ .t was bland/ not an ry/ but with a sli ht s&ir'/ as i) he 'new so&ethin . didn9t+ LYou should be awa'e by now+ 0e (alibrate our doses 2ery (are)ully+M That state&ent raised so &any 3uestions/ . de(ided to (o&"ly with his uns"o'en re3uest and let

&y eyes dri)t o"en+ . (al(ulated we were &o2in at a s"eed o) about thirty &iles "er hour+ Suburban/ bla('ed out windows/ bullet"roo) lass+ The blue li ht (a&e )ro& the interior do&e in the bi SDN+ LThe li ht is to "rote(t your eyes+ The dru a))e(ts your "u"il9s ability to dilate and (ontra(t+M What drug? . 'e"t silent+ LNot 2ery (urious/ are you<M My last (ons(ious &e&ory was )ro& the &otel o)) o) #@J near Ale1andria around nine in the e2enin + .t was "it(h dar' out now/ so .9d been out )or awhile+ Lu(as+ !ould the uy ha2e been a "lant< Possible+ Sin(e he was &y last (lear &e&ory/ it &ade sense+ . si)ted throu h the s"a hetti o) &y brain+ ,or the "ast two days/ .9d been under(o2er/ shadowin Sta(i Grant9s li)e+ Last ni ht/ .9d en(ountered Lu(as Good&an/ who9d been loo'in )or Sta(i and thou ht he9d )ound her when he )ound &e+ The se1ual heat between us had been instantaneous and &utual+ A )ew sweaty hours later/ .9d le)t/ (on)ident &y &o2e&ents as Sta(i had been tra('ed+ My (o2er had been wor'in + They9d 'idna""ed Sta(i+ E1(ellent+ . was ri ht where . needed to be+ Now . needed answers+ My tas' was to dis(o2er why !.A/ 5.A/ and NSA a ents were bein 'idna""ed/ the &ethod o) interro ation/ and who was doin the 'idna""in + The answers would be (o&in + . *ust had to be ready+ . settled into the ba('seat o) the (ar to wait/ ta'in in details+ Mista'e nu&ber one+ They hadn9t ta'en &y rin / so the satellite audio trans&itter should wor'+ . twisted the unusual rin with &y thu&b and "ressed the (itrine stone twi(e+ . was now sendin 2oi(e-a(ti2ated re(ordin s ba(' to

!arson+ Mista'e nu&ber two+ They9d (u))ed &y hands/ in )ront/ but le)t &y le s unsha('led+ They9d ta'en &y o2ern&ent )irear& but &issed the 'ni)e in the sheath at &y waist+ Mista'e nu&ber three+ Always/ always (he(' e2erywhere )or hidden wea"ons+ Althou h &y &ind was the &ost "ower)ul wea"on . had+ My wat(h was one and &y o2ern&ent-issue GPS with it+ Slou(hin to the side/ . ot a better 2iew o) the dashboard "anel+ My 'idna""er had (on2eniently su""lied &e with another GPS syste&/ li2e and tra('in + !oordinates+ LatitudeE=A+ Lon itudeE%##+ . was in the Pa(i)i( Northwest+ . loo'ed out the &isted window to see a re)le(tion o) the S"a(e Needle and "in"ointed &y lo(ation as Seattle+ . was a lon way )ro& Nir inia+ . returned &y a;e to the 'idna""er+ Sub*e(t was &ale/ s&all head/ blond hair elled into little s"i'es/ (res(ent-sha"ed birth&ar' below his ri ht ear+ The (ar rolled to a sto"+ The ro('in intensi)ied &y 3ueasy sto&a(h+ . i nored it+ L0e9re here+M Here was a warehouse near the water+ The uy wasn9t rou h but the sudden &otion as he lu ed &e out o) the SDN (aused &y sto&a(h to roil+ . breathed in the (old/ da&" air throu h &y nose/ tryin to 3uell the nausea+ As he led &e toward a se&i-tru(' trailer/ . noted the "ar'in lot was e&"ty e1(e"t )or one other tru(' and a (ar/ too )ar away and too dar' to &a'e out details+ The warehouse/ (onstru(ted with lon (inder blo(' walls interru"ted by doors at twenty )oot inter2als/ was to &y le)t and behind &e+ The trailer was &odi)ied )ro& a re ular shi""in (ontainer/ doors lo('ed u" ti ht in the ba('/ with another entran(e on the side+ .t loo'ed as i) the stairs were all one solid blo(' whi(h (ould )old u" into the interior o) the trailer+

The re(essed entran(e loo'ed e1a(tly li'e an old-)ashioned )ront door (o&"lete with s(reen door+ A "or(h li ht )li('ed on+ The s(reen door whee;ed o"en as a dar'-haired wo&an in a white (oat ste""ed out onto the "lat)or&+ The li ht behind her )illed the doorway with shadows+ . (ouldn9t &a'e out her )eatures but . (au ht a )urti2e &o2e&ent/ the li ht illu&inatin her hand as she tu('ed a syrin e into her "o('et+ LThan' you+ You (an o now+M She nodded re ally to the &an holdin &e+ Her &elodi( 2oi(e held a hint o) Asia/ "robably se(ond- eneration A&eri(an+ He "ro&"tly let o o) &y ar& and wal'ed away+ They &ust belie2e that the "lasti( restraint (u))s would be a bi deterrent to resistan(e+ The (li(' o) his heels e(hoed in the silen(e as she stared at &e/ her hands (las"ed ti htly in )ront o) her/ so ti htly her 'nu('les showed white+ There was so&ethin in her stan(e--tension/ stress< . eased ba(' a ste"+ L0el(o&e+M She "ut a hand on the railin and too' a ste" down+ Then she hesitated and lan(ed ba(' at the o"en doorway+ L0e won9t hurt you+M . thou ht about the syrin e in her "o('et+ No thank you. .9d had dru resistan(e trainin but honestly . didn9t want to "ut it to the test+ At least/ not yet+ Althou h i) that s(enario be(a&e una2oidable and they "u&"ed &e )ull o) dru s/ the trans&itter in &y rin uaranteed . would et the in)or&ation !arson and the NSA needed+

All o) the 'idna""ed a ents had an unidenti)ied dru in their bloodstrea& and un'nown (onse3uen(es )ro& those dru s+ 0e had no idea what national se(rets they9d i2en away or what 'ind o) lon -ter& e))e(ts were "ossible )ro& the dru (o('tail &ost li'ely in that syrin e+ My *ob was to et &ysel) 'idna""ed/ a(3uire the dru s/ identi)y the "er"etrators/ and et out be)ore they (ould a((o&"lish their ob*e(ti2e+ . wobbled as i) unsteady on &y )eet and eased ba(' two ste"s/ assessin &y "osition+ As the Suburban le)t/ the bea& )ro& the head la&"s shone on her+ The sha"e o) her )a(e and the

tilt o) her eyes &ar'ed her as !hinese+ Lines o) strain (urled around her &outh/ the e1"ression was su""osed to be a s&ile but (a&e o)) as &ore o) a ri&a(e+ L!o&e with &e+M . don9t thin' so+ .9d e1"e(ted the 'idna""in / the intel su ested that Sta(i Grant would be ne1t+ .9d "lanned to resist at )irst+ . didn9t want to &a'e it too easy )or the& to subdue &e+ !arson was su""osed to ha2e a tea& on standby waitin to (a"ture the 'idna""ers a)ter . (o&"leted &y ob*e(ti2es+ But sin(e we hadn9t "lanned )or a (ross (ountry abdu(tionEall o) the other 'idna""in s had been lo(al and a((o&"lished within a &atter o) se2eral hoursEit would &ost li'ely ta'e a little ti&e be)ore the e1tra(tion tea& ot here+ .) they ot here+ . "i2oted and ran )or the warehouse door nearest &e+ Her )ootste"s ran on the &etal ste"s as she )ollowed+ LShe9s ettin away+M A &an9s shout/ older/ dee"er/ sli htly )ranti(/ re istered as . rea(hed the door+ Two a ainst one+ More di))i(ult/ but not i&"ossible+ 0o&an/ older &an+ Dntil . saw his "hysi3ue/ . (ouldn9t *ud e who was &ore dan erous+ L.92e ot it/M the wo&an re"lied and s"rinted toward &e+ . yan'ed on the handle/ )lun the door o"en/ and slid inside+ The hea2y &etal swun shut with an o&inous (lan + Ob2iously/ the dru s were &a'in &e &elodra&ati(+ The warehouse was di&ly lit+ .ndustrial &etal li hts hun )ro& the (eilin / their &uted "in' low &a'in the surroundin s blurry+ Metal shel2in se"arated the (on(rete )loor into lon / wide aisles+ Three tiers o) *u&bo shel2es housed wooden "allets o) oods+ . stood at the end o) one aisle+ . hustled o2er two aisles/ "ullin the 'ni)e )ro& the sheath at &y waist as . went+ The restraint (u))s at &y wrists too' a )ew swi"es be)ore sli(in (lean throu h+

. rabbed so&e s&all (era&i( ri(e bowls and sho2ed the& into &y *a('et "o('ets+ Mista'e nu&ber )our+ They9d let &e 'ee" &y *a('et+ The door ban ed o"en+ L5on9t let her es(a"e+M . (ould hear the &an hu))in / and a rhyth&i( thu&"in noise as they "ursued+ LShe won9t es(a"e/M the wo&an re"lied ri&ly )ro& so&ewhere behind &e+ . stal'ed down the industrial (e&ent aisle/ &y )ootste"s silent+ Glan(in around/ . sear(hed )or another way out+ LPlease don9t try to es(a"e/ A ent Hunt+M The &an9s "lea had a des"erate ed e to it+ My le s )altered+ . wanted to sto"/ stand rooted to the )loor+ Only trainin 'e"t &e &o2in + He9d s"o'en &y real na&e+ My real na&e/ not the (o2er . was usin )or this assi n&ent+ So who did they really want< Me/ 6a&ie Hunt/ NSA a ent< Or Sta(i Grant/ !.A o))i(er< 888 BLO0BA!: is a2ailable on A&a;on