10/17/17 - part 2

Sorry for second message, but I totally spaced!

I also wanted to say a HUGE thank you to Craig Munro and the Fantasy Syndicate, who also selected "The Devil You Don’t" as their October pick to back.

Thank you all very much -- I really appreciate the support and vote of confidence.

Best,
Susan

10/17/17

Well, we are down to hours and I continue to tell myself that the silvery strands in my hair are sparkles and not grey hair from stress.

Last 24 hours have been, as I suspected they would be, wild. I gained some ground and then lost it again. So, "Devil" remains in 4th place right now with a little distance to make up before the final aria gets belted out.

We can still get Devil into the Top Three, but that means mustering the troops. As always, this is a team sport.

So, how can you help? I’m glad you asked!

If you have already ordered a copy... if each of you could get one person--just one!--to put in a pre-order before 10:00 pm Pacific time, that would be beyond amazing, and would make a HUGE difference. So if you’re at the office, hit up a friend in the cube next to you. Call your best friend (or your sibling or spouse), tell them you’re sending an email, and you need a favor...

In fact, here’s some information you can send them: My friend, Susan, has a novel manuscript that’s in a national competition, and she could win a full publishing package for her book. The contest ends tonight at 10 pm West Coast time. Do me a favor and order a copy--I know she’d appreciate the support: https://www.inkshares.com/books/the-devil-you-don-t 

If you have NOT ordered a copy yet... That’s a super easy solution! PLEASE put in a pre-order. You have the chance to be my Fairy Godmother today, how epic would that credit be on your resume?

And don’t forget, if we make the Top Three and win this bad boy, I will be doing a "thank you for your support" raffle for all of my readers -- for a $100 Amazon gift card.

No matter what happens at the end of the competition, I could not ask for a better set of friends, colleagues, and fans...

1

Best,
Susan

10/15/17

Hello! Well, we are certainly coming down to the wire in Launchpad and I think I’m going to have grey hair and high blood pressure by the time we’re done.

Right now, less than 20 pre-orders stand between "The Devil You Don’t" and that third place spot! So a HUGE thank you to those of you who have ordered and gotten me this far. WE ARE SO CLOSE!

I am doing my best to network and contact all of my prospects, and hopefully will see more orders come in to propel us up into that third place spot (or better!). Please, if you have not ordered yet, it would be a tremendous boost to have you become an official reader.

The competition will end on October 17 -- That’s in just a few days!

And don’t forget: If I’m in the Top 3 at the end of the competition, I will be doing a "thank you" raffle for everyone who pre-orders a copy, and the prize is a $100 Amazon gift card!

And speaking of raffles. I’m happy to announce that the winners of my first raffle were Tracey Bigelow (gift card) and Trinity McKay (signed copy of "Darkstar Rising"). And I just passed my 100 reader mark, so as promised, I’ve done the second drawing. The lucky winners are Karen Bradbury (gift card) and Jessica Hackett (signed copy of "Darkstar Rising")! Congratulations.

I’ll send another update before the competition ends -- thank you for your support and enthusiasm. You guys are the best readers ever!

All the best,
Susan

10/9/17

Well, it has been a day full of surprises, let me tell you!

First, I learned today (and it was confirmed by Elena), that the original deadline for Launchpad was incorrect! That’s right -- all this time I’ve been working towards a 10/10 finish when the real contest deadline is October 16 (that’s next Monday).

So I am psyched to have the chance to continue building my reader base over the next week, but I know all the other authors will be doing the same thing, so I will keep at it right until the end. The thing that terrifies me about this is that I built my entire marketing plan around that first date so now, I’m flying without a net a little. But that’s where the magic happens, right?

Second, I was thrilled to learn today that "The Devil You Don’t" was selected as the October pick for the Rite of Passage Syndicate on Inkshares. I am delighted and humbled that this wonderful group of folks has elected to throw their backing behind my book. 

Where does that leave things then?

As of right now--with one week left--I am in fourth place, and thanks to the syndicate and several orders that have come in over the past 24 hours, am working towards that elusive top three. But there is a lot of time left, and I can’t just kick back and assume orders will roll in. I know it takes a lot of focus and hard work to bring in pre-orders, and I’m up for the challenge.

 

If you haven’t ordered yet, the clock has reset, but it is still winding down. Please consider a pre-order -- if not for you, a gift for the book lover in your life? A donation to your local library? The possibilities are endless!

And if you have ordered, you know you have my constant and sincere thanks for your support.

I’ll update again soon. Until then, "Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more."

Best, 
Susan

Congratulations on winning the Rites of Passage syndicate! I’m really excited about your book, and I have my fingers crossed you make it into the top 3!! :)

10/8/17

Hi there, hope you’re all having a great weekend.

We’re now a little under 48 hours left in the Launchpad Competition. Thank you to everyone who has ordered so far -- you’ve managed to help "Devil" into fourth place as of today. Getting into third or better isn’t out of the question, but I’ve got to get a little momentum for that to happen.

Every pre-order counts in this competition so if you’ve been following this excellent adventure, you can totally make a difference by pre-ordering. I would really, REALLY appreciate the support: https://www.inkshares.com/books/the-devil-you-don-t

"The Devil You Don’t" would be a great holiday gift, too (yes, I realize that it isn’t even Halloween yet). For anyone who orders "Devil" -- if you’re considering giving the book as a holiday gift, after the competition is over (assuming, of course, that I’m in the Top 3) I’d be happy to send you a fancy certificate for you to give at the holiday!

And I have an update on the first raffle! First, congrats to Tracey Bigelow, the lucky winner of the $25 Amazon gift card. The winner of the signed copy of "Darkstar Rising" hasn’t contacted me yet, though -- I’ve emailed the winner twice, but no response so far. So if you have "gamerkitten" as part of your email, I’m looking for you! If this person doesn’t come forward by Tuesday (10/10), I’ll draw a second name for the prize.

Okay, that’s it for tonight. Again, please pre-order if you haven’t yet! I can’t do this alone!

Best,
Susan

10/4/17

Hello -- a quick update for everyone on where we stand in the competition (we’re down to 6 days!)

First, I’m thrilled to announce that "The Devil You Don’t" was chosen by the Quill Brotherhood Syndicate as their selection to back in the month of October. Big thank you to the QBS for that -- there are lots of excellent books on Inkshares and I’m honored that you selected this one.

Second, we have passed the 50 order mark! Thanks to a random generator, I’ve selected my two raffle winners and notified them via email -- and I’ll announce names once they get back to me (one is listed as "reader writer" so until he/she responds, I don’t know who the winner actually is!).

And thanks to some recent activity, we’re now tied for 4th place in the competition!

Since I was in Launchpad last year as well, I am well aware of how much can change in the last week--and especially the last days--of this contest, so this is  not a time to start coasting. Fourth place is great, but third place or better is what I’m shooting for, so I’m going to keep looking for new readers right up until the end because every person makes a difference. 

Please share info about "The Devil You Don’t" with your friends or order a copy for yourself if you haven’t already!

Best,
Susan

Full link to my page in case anyone needs it: https://www.inkshares.com/books/the-devil-you-don-t

9/27/17

Good morning.

There are now officially less than two weeks remaining in the Inkshares piece of the 2017 Launchpad Competition. “The Devil You Don’t” is hanging out in 5th place right now with just under 40 readers, so getting into the Top 3 is a reachable goal, but I definitely need to start seeing those pre-orders ramp up.

To my official readers, I can’t say this enough but: THANK YOU for supporting Devil on this little adventure. Please keep sharing your enthusiasm for The Devil You Don’t with your friends, relatives, dog sitters, and UPS dudes (pretty much anyone you know who likes to read). Every pre-order counts, and personal recommendations really carry a lot of weight with potential readers.

All of you awesome folks who are following my progress in Launchpad, thanks to you as well. Please consider pre-ordering a copy before the 10/10 deadline. (https://www.inkshares.com/books/the-devil-you-don-t)

Don’t forget: when we reach 50 readers, that will trigger my first raffle. Two prizes will be raffled off: a signed copy of Darkstar Rising (my first novel) and an Amazon gift card.

And here’s a little tidbit you might not know about my main character, Mara Dullahan. I created her name from two different Irish legends. The Mara (or Mare) is a demon that causes bad dreams, and a Dullahan is Ireland’s version of the Headless Horseman. This headless rider (usually on a black horse) carries his or her own head under an arm. While typically male there are some female versions of the Dullahan, and the mouth on the head is typically a gruesome grin that touches both sides of the head.

Personally, I think my Mara is much more attractive than that, but it was important to me that there be some darker meaning behind her name given that she is a devil.

With the clock starting to count down, I’ll update again soon. In the meantime...

Best,

Susan

September 21, 2017

Hey, your book sounds great and I’m happy to support, and ask for the quid pro quo. The good news is I’m fresh meat here and the likelihood this first project gets funded is really low :o) Check it out, and if you feel comfortable, place that pre-order and I will follow suit. Thanks!
https://www.inkshares.com/books/murder-happens