Finished draft 3 of MINE about a month ago and submitted back to the Inkshare’s editing team. Haven’t heard back, but I reckon them folks is busy as (fill in the blank here). Haven’t been engaged in marketing, because it’s not an easy thing to do as noted by Leo, author of Bane of All Things. But, I did put up the revised chapter one of MINE titled Oh My Darling. It’s a quickie, 3 minutes on average, so take a gander and let me know your thoughts. Most appreciated. Might put up more. Might not. You never know. Life’s a mystery. Also, took some proactive steps to get the Dean Fearce author page spruced up on Goodreads. And heck, now that I’ve mentioned that site, might as well throw in Twitter and Facebook, too.

Oh, and I started writing another story, so there’s that. I told my editor it’s a horror story. She said the last time I set out to write a horror story, I delivered a love story. Same difference, right? (Insert cynical chuckling.) Peace out, MINErs!

Oh, one other thing. Michael Welch needs sex talk advice. I know, right? I’m as shocked you all, too!

Hey, everyone. I hope you made it through January with your sanity intact. Things continue to chug along with BoAT. Inkshares has kindly granted another extension on the campaign. We continue to be the top title in funding in terms of pre-orders, and one of the top titles trending on the entire Inkshares site.

But we are still a looong way from hitting the 750 pre-order mark. You may be asking at this point, and rightly so, if that goal is even obtainable.

The fact is, I don’t have to hit 750 to get this book published with Inkshares.

That’s right. The Inkshares team has seen enough to know that pre-sales alone are not a full measure of a title’s popularity or marketability. It is tough to convince strangers to pre-order a book which they can’t actually have and read yet, even if they like it.

That’s why Inkshares also has a program called Blink that tracks metrics like page visits and time spent reading chapters. Inkshares will also chose a book for publication based on these metrics, aside from number of pre-orders.

The thing is, I have no idea how well I am doing on these other metrics. Inkshares doesn’t share them with me. I could be close, or still miles away. That’s why I have kept the focus with you on reaching 750 – it is the clear and obvious goal that I can track through my Inkshares dashboard. 

But I have done plenty to drive those non-pre-order metrics.

I have reached out to hundreds and hundreds of people, tried Tweet promotion on Twitter, post boosts on Facebook, secured local newspaper coverage, posted flyers and business cards in my local coffee shops, library and gym. Many of you I know have also been spreading the word to friends and family and supporting my efforts on social media with shares, likes and retweets, and I thank you.

Together, we are driving eyeballs to BoAT’s page, even if those pre-orders are slow to come.

So, let’s keep at it. While pre-orders remain of utmost importance, know that the needle is moving on other key indicators behind the scenes, too.

Lastly, I want to give a shout out to Ricky Ruszin, who launched a campaign for a suspense thriller called Showtime only 17 days ago and has already racked up enough pre-orders to make BoAT look like it’s standing still. That’s hustle for you. 

As always, I remain truly humbled and grateful for the support each of you have lent this dream of mine thus far.

Cheers

Leo

A happy new year to everyone, and all the best for 2019! We’re kicking things off with an interview with Battles of the First World War, a podcast which delivers exactly what it says in the name, a comprehensive examination of individual WW1 battles. Mike, who runs the podcast, took a break from the trenches to have a few words with me about my own military experience and how it relates to my fiction.

So, things seem to be going well. Over on Amazon.com, we’re just four (4) reviews short of fifty. I’m told that fifty reviews is when Amazon begins to take a book seriously, and starts doing a bit of the work in pushing it -- which in turn means I and everyone at Inkshares can devote more energy to creating the next book. So if you haven’t left an Amazon review yet, please do.

As for the "next book", an initial draft of "Cat’s Paw" has been written; tomorrow, I begin working on the next draft. I think we should be getting definitive news within a few days about whether it’ll be chosen as one of the "additional winners" of the Mystery & Thriller contest. Fingers crossed!

(Pre-ordering now should entitle you to a signed first edition, by the way. I admit that I never really understood the draw of things signed by me -- unless it’s a cheque -- but I was recently contacted by a bookseller asking for a signed copy of "A Gentleman’s Murder", so clearly I know nothing about how these things work.)

Meanwhile, I’ve also been working on a pilot screenplay (there’s a possibility I might be tapped to write the proposed TV adaptation of "A Gentleman’s Murder" myself) and catching up with my reading. On Inkshares, the latest projects to have caught my interest are "Goodbye Horses" and "All That Glitters". "Goodbye Horses" is a comedy; there’s murder involved, of course, but primarily it’s about the madcap woes of a Texas small town sheriff. "All That Glitters" is a mystery woven through one woman’s relationship with her parents when repeated murder attempts come knocking. So, yeah, check ’em out.

And have fun!

Happy new year!

Please take a moment and consider this (if you haven’t already): Is there one person in your circle of friends and family, just one, whom you could reach out to right now and encourage to lend their support to Bane of All Things over the weekend?

It could be your spouse, a sibling, a parent, one of your children, a co-worker, a neighbour, a friend in a book club, a buddy in the beer league or a classmate. 

If each of you who has kindly supported this campaign so far with a purchase were able find one other person willing to do the same, we would be halfway to that pre-sales target by this time next week. (I don’t think I could sleep if that happened.) They would only have to purchase a single ebook.

In my last update, I talked about the media coverage provided by my local community papers. This did yield modest results over the holidays. I continue to build audience with other Inkshares users and authors. At every turn, I look for opportunities to engage with new contacts and old ones at local events and through social media.

Heck, last night at a business networking event, I even pitched the staff working the cash bar, BoAT business cards in hand.

Your good word matters more than mine

Here is a simple truth I have learned from established authors, agents and publishers – word of mouth from existing supporters remains the most effective way for an author, at any stage of their career, to sell books.

Now for the good news: BoAT clung to top spot among titles in funding on Inkshares for most of the three-week period that ended Sunday past.

And the not so good news: BoAT achieved this by averaging just one sale a day. (Yes, that does mean every title in funding on Inkshares suffered a holiday slump, which was only to be expected.)

Over the holidays, more than one supporter said to me, “But I don’t want my money back, I want my copy of the book,” when I told them how Inkshares works.

I would much rather you get a book instead of a refund, too.

So, let’s make it happen … together. It is, after all, the birth of a new year—a time for fresh optimism and second chances.

If we hit some milestones in the near future, like 300, 400 and 500 pre-sales, there just might be a contest announcement or two!

As always, your continued support is deeply appreciated. 

(And remember, you can always purchase an additional copy yourself to give as a gift :).

Happy reading.

Cheers

Leo

It’s 2019!

I have to say it has been a rollercoaster through 2018, but I survived it. One of the great things to come out of 2018 was the friends I made through this site, and through joining and participating in the Writing Bloc’s group and their short story collection titled Escape! An Anthology, with 19 other talented writers  (now available on Amazon for $5.99!) 

We’re the Whiteheads is still funding: I have 50 more days! I would appreciate it so much for my story to be followed and/or pre-ordered. Thank you for your continuing support. Let’s make this new year a wonderful one. Link: https://www.inkshares.com/books/we-re-the-whiteheads/

Durena Burns

Hello Love Cats!

Check out this awesome review of The Love Fool on the renowned Kirkus Reviews.

Link: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/lorenzo-petruzziello/the-love-fool/

Spread the word and keep on loving.

Lorenzo Petruzziello (author)