Jane-Holly Meissner liked a review for APEX

The author has shared the first chapter of this upcoming book, and it's an terrific scene-setter, very much much in a Coons or Crichton vein. That's a compliment. The ecological and wildlife management issues should be familiar to Oregonians, especially those of us who have resided in rural areas, and it's intriguing to see them incorporated into a fictional scenario, one that promises to expand into something exciting and dangerous. Looking forward to more!

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Jane-Holly Meissner followed M. P. Sturrock

M. P. Sturrock

Once a rabid consumer of all entertainment - movies, TV, games and books - now a writer with no time...

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Jane-Holly Meissner created a forum thread: Pinterest

It occurred to me today that Pinterest could be a great way to get the word out on Inkshares and our books. I’ve been pinning books today (mine and others that I’ve backed), and I would humbly suggest that if you have a Pinterest board that you should do the same! After all, your mom/aunt/sister might not use Twitter, but I’m almost positive she uses Pinterest (as do your uncles/brothers/nephews)!

https://www.pinterest.com/jainhollie/books-worth-reading/

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Jane-Holly Meissner liked an update for Rune of the Apprentice

Hello Masters and Apprentices!

Hardcovers Shipping This Week!
Exclusive Letter In Hardcover Version
Signings / Events
Reviews

1. Hardcovers Shipping This Week

For the past few weeks, I feel like I have been in a mental daze as I’ve watched RUNE’s official release date quickly approach. But the wait is finally over, physical copies of Rune of the Apprentice are SHIPPING THIS WEEK!

This whole experience has been been both an exciting and terrifying experience. Some of you will be surprised to hear this, but I am actually a deeply introverted person. So going to conventions and meeting new people and sharing such an intimate thing as my first novel has been personally challenging beyond words. (In truth, the only way I could do it was by dressing up in cosplay!) Although immeasurably stress provoking, putting myself out there in such a emotive degree--and risking humiliation, failure, and ridicule--has forced me to grow in ways I never imagined possible. You all have allowed me this opportunity to share myself on such a visceral level, and for that I am eternally grateful. It is my deepest hope that you enjoy the epic journey that is Rune of the Apprentice and take as much pleasure in its world and characters as I have.

In that vein, many of you have already downloaded your ebooks and told me via email and Twitter (@stonejamison) how much you are enjoying the novel--thank you so much for your kind notes! It also warmed my heart to see a new blog review posted by THE NERDY GIRL EXPRESS this morning. Words cannot describe the joy I feel when learning of a new set of readers who resonates so deeply with my story and its characters. RUNE was a labor of love and I am filled with gratitude knowing that people are enjoying reading it as much as I enjoyed writing and sharing it with the world. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you all for making this experience possible not only for me, but each and every reader, too!

(An excerpt of THE NERDY GIRL EXPRESS review is at the bottom of this update -- but click HERE to read the full version.)

2. Exclusive Letter In Hardcover Version

Sadly, due to logistics outside of our control, we were unable to get the hardcovers signed by launch date. In fact, Inkshares actually had to perform some publishing magic to get the books printed and shipped to you on time.

BUT to make it up to you all, I have personally (at my own expense) designed and printed a special letter to be included in each physical copy of the novel. This letter includes the fateful and prophetic message to RUNE’s main character, Aleksi -- sent by his exiled mentor, Master Rudra. This is the letter which not only spurs the epic journey of Rune of the Apprentice, but also serves as a cryptic guide to our young hero upon his tumultuous adventure.

Embedded within the letter is both guidance and warning to Aleksi, and although confusing (for both him and you, the reader!) it is my hope that having your own physical copy will help you discern, decipher, and be able to find each and every prophetic hint and reference, hidden within Rudra’s message. Seriously, every line of this letter is in direct reference to the events of the book and directly correlate to Aleksi’s trials and tribulations. I think I will run a special giveaway for people who can find all of the references. Think you "catch’em" all?

The only way to get this physical version of the letter is either by pre-ordering the book like you all have, or meeting me in person at a convention or book signing. I have also included a brief thank you note from me at the end, too. I want to mention, I won’t be the one physically folding and inserting these letters into the books being shipped to you this week -- that noble task was graciously accepted by Elena Stofle of Inkshares, who has truly earned over a thousand thank-you’s (there are a lot of books being sent out, folks.) I have been folding my own set of letters in preparation for upcoming signings, and I can tell you this is no small feat.

Which leads me to my next topic...

3. Signings / Events

As a reminder to Boston people, this Saturday at 2:00 pm is the Official launch of RUNE at the Prudential Center Barnes & Noble so please come get your copy signed and/or tell a Massachusetts friend about the event! But if you do not live close to Boston, fear not, we have some other awesome signings scheduled. Here is our ever growing list below!

Oct 29th, Barnes & Noble Prudencial Center - Boston, MA
Nov 10th, Proctor Academy - Andover, NH
Nov 11th, Buffalo Books - Ithaca, NY
Nov 13th, South Maryland Comic Con
Nov 18th Bookends & Beginnings - Evanston, IL
Nov 19th, Barnes & Noble Napersville - Napersville, IL
Dec 1st, Fort Lee Exchange - Fort Lee, VA
Dec 9th, Langley AFB - Hampton, VA
Dec 12th Third Eye Comics - Annapolis, MD

I will be making Facebook events for each of these signings on RUNE’s Official Facebook page HERE so please head on over and hit it up with a "like" so you don’t miss the invite!

4. Reviews

I cannot stress this enough. Rune of the Apprentice and I NEED NEED NEED your review on Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes & Noble! I know it’s a pain, and most people don’t know what to say--but just stars a few honest words is all that is required and that small time investment from you will help both this project and me tendentiously. You can start posting reviews on all three sites NOW, so once you have read the book, PLEASE click the links below and share your stars and review. And if you have already read the book, please post your review NOW! It really means the world to me and will have a profound impact on the book’s success. THANK YOU!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Rune-Apprentice-Jamison-Stone/dp/1941758916
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28650517-rune-of-the-apprentice
Barnes & Noble: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rune-of-the-apprentice-jamison-stone/1123466804

This has already been a really long update, so I will keep my sign off quick: Words cannot convey the feelings in my heart. I am so humbled to be able to have my book in your hands. It is both an honor and privileged. Thank you.

"With Jamison Stone, you get a writer who clearly understands the epic fantasy audience, yet also must find a way to appeal to readers who rarely explore these kinds of books. I belong to the latter group. The key here is to excel at characterization and plot, as Stone does. In addition, I found that Stone’s writing has an almost poetic allure where there is a beautiful and insightful rhythm to his word choices. Stone’s writing style is quite seductive. Like an artist, Stone uses descriptive words as his brush, meticulously painting each character... I applaud Stone for demonstrating his incredible writing ability, psychological insight and descriptive flair in his first novel. Rune of the Apprentice offers readers a memorable experience." --THE NERDY GIRL EXPRESS (click HERE to read the full review.)

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Jane-Holly Meissner liked an update for The Bones of the Past

Copy edits are done, and we have a cover!

Thank you all for your comments and feedback! I am really grateful to everyone who took the time to voice their opinion. This final version has been tweaked to make it a little lighter, and I think will be really eye-catching both on store shelves and as an online thumbnail!

Next step is trying to secure cover blurbs from prominent authors or reviewers, then final proofreads, spine and back cover design, and final interior layout for both the ebook and hardcopy versions! It’s all coming together!

Thank you all yet again!

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Jane-Holly Meissner liked the forum thread, How I got to 250 orders in 10 days

So I’ve gotten a ton of messages about how I got The Punch Escrow to "Quill" in 10 days. Hopefully this is useful to some of you. I think it basically boils down to: Treat it like a job. It’s your job to get your book sold. If you believe in what you’ve got, if you think you know the audience you wrote it for will love it, then invest your time, energy, and money in your project.

1. Get lucky. Luck is something you need to succeed. Luck is something you can actually control. If you don’t believe me, do the research. Having a lucky attitude makes a huge difference.

2. Move quickly! I learned this through a couple decades in marketing. When it comes to contests, creating a distance between you and anyone behind you pays back huge dividends. Once you’ve established yourself as the frontrunner, you gain the benefit of being perceived as the favored incumbent. It pays to burn through all of your promotional energy early. If you manage to grasp first place, trust me, you will find a second wind. If you don’t, then you’ll have a pretty good perspective of your likelihood of winning and you can make the call on how much energy to reinvest based on that analysis.

3. I steadfastly followed the advice given by previous Inkshares contests winners. I hustled really really hard and harassed everyone I knew through multiple channels: Texts, twitter, FB, WhatsApp, Snapchat, even LinkedIn. I would say personal contacts accounted for over 50% of the pre-ordered books. I injected a sense of urgency by explaining the contest, the timeline, and the ask: "I’m in a contest to publish my first book. If sci fi is your thing, you’re going to love it. Especially if you like hard sci fi, like The Martian. I need to get 250 pre-orders to get it published. Please click here to pre-order it."

4. Engage engage engage! Every single time someone bought my book I acknowledge and thank them. It makes them feel good and it encourages them to engage back with you and help promote the project. They’re part of the team now.

5. Get to know your fellow authors. Inkshares is an AMAZING community of readers and authors. I have yet to have a negative interaction with anyone here. I’ve joined three Syndicates and have interacted with countless authors. Everyone here has something valuable to pass on to you. It’s worth listening.

6. Promote and Invest! Remember when I said treat your book like your job? Well, you should also treat is like an investment. There’s a flywheel effect when people see you investing in your own work. It makes them feel like you really believe in it. I’ve been creating a ton of world-building content, videos, as well as taking advantage of every interview opportunity, promoted tweets, Facebook boosts, and such. If publishing this book is your dream, invest in making your dream come true.

So, these are the six steps I followed. Hopefully it’s useful to you. If you have more specific questions about those or the book itself, I’m at your service.

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Jane-Holly Meissner sent an update for Fae Child

Hello all!

Fae Child is still moving forward. I have been working on the manuscript in my spare time, and hope to have it completed in the next two months. In other words, before the campaign is over! We have 67 days left to make 175 orders (to reach Quill) which means I just have to sell 2.6 copies every day until the end of the year! Is this insurmountable? No, it isn’t, but it does mean that I’m going to have to start doing something different, because what I have been doing is only bringing in 2-3 orders a week.

In that vein (of making changes) I have commissioned a bit of artwork. This is Abbie, after she first comes through the pond into the Otherworld.

There will be more to come! Please share Fae Child’s link with your friends, and make use of the "recommend" button on the page. I am thinking up a giveaway for referrals to launch after we’ve hit 80 preorders and I’ve given away the last dragon.

Thank you all for your support,

Jane-Holly

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Jane-Holly Meissner liked an update for Witherfist

Happy Monday, all! Guess what? We’re now at 152 copies, 132 readers. This means Witherfist is now less than 100 copies away from Quill publication. I hope you’re excited about that as I am!

With new readers joining us, Witherfist has now taken the 8th spot in the Geek & Sundry top 10. There’s a narrow margin between myself and ’The Delicate Art of Soulripping’ - and ’Sorcery for Beginners’ is hot on both of our tails! Ahead, ’The Living God’ has a decent but not unshakeable hold on 7th place. I guess what I’m saying is - the final week of this contest is going to be exciting and every preorder now could mean the difference between shimmying up or sliding down the top 10.

I had a great weekend at a local convention, giving out postcards and printed samples of Witherfist. I was one of only a few authors at the convention - the big draw of the day was the actor Jerome Flynn, who plays Bronn on Game of Thrones - but there were plenty of people interested in finding out more about the book and Inkshares in general.

Here’s a picture of me, manning my little stall, wearing my Witherfist t-shirt. (Not pictured: my glamorous assistants or the unspeakable amount of Haribo that was consumed over the course of the two days at the convention.)

A couple of dozen people took my sample chapters (which were printed by the AwesomeMerchandise company, check them out if you’re in the UK!). Overall, it was a very enjoyable weekend and I’m hoping that many of the people I spoke to will be joining my list of followers and readers on Inkshares very soon. I think I might even have recruited a few would-be authors into joining the community.

Thanks for reading and, as always, for your support!

~ Jenny

PS. Here’s a bonus work in progress bit of character art, this time of one of the book’s antagonists: Karaben. She is a peer and former ally of Irusai’s who has also made an ink pact with an ancient spirit. Unlike Irusai, whose tattoo is on her hand and arm, Karaben’s tattoo extends from her lower lip down over her throat and connects her to a crow spirit. I won’t tell you exactly what ’power’ she gains from the spirit she’s connected to, but I will say this: Karaben acts as a spy and interrogator of sorts for the Empress and the people she questions are often found as eyeless corpses.