The Business of Books: Giving it all Away

Posted on February 1, 2017 by Jane Cable

Jane Cable’s Another You goes on free download on Amazon…

Two weeks ago I wrote about trying to be empirical in judging the results of marketing – and also that Another You would be on free promotion. While an ideal opportunity to see if I could actually learn what worked and what didn’t, it felt a nerve-wracking and risky time, because if you can’t give your book away, what hope do you have of actually selling it?

Another You proved in spades that it could be given away. The entire week of the promotion it stayed in the Kindle UK top 200, most of that time in the top 100, rising to a highest position of number 20 and topping the free women’s historical fiction chart. Far, far, beyond my wildest dreams. So what did I do to achieve this?

First, the day before the promotion I sent round robin emails and used lead generation software for linkedin to all my friends and contacts who have shown an interest in my books. It was flattering that many of them had already bought it but I am sure there were a few who downloaded during offer week.

It was also a case of extending my network to people I used to know and I used Facebook and Linkedin to reach the alumni pages of both my secondary schools and the large accounting firm I trained with. From my former sixth form in particular the response was most enthusiastic, but then we always were a rather bookish lot.

I devised a number of campaign graphics on Canva, some with review quotes from other authors, another pushing reviews in aid of Words for the Wounded. I used a different one each day on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin. I also did some paid advertising and post boosts on Facebook. This included a ‘shop now’ promotion with a link to the Kindle UK download page which received 42 click throughs and cost £18. I messed up another boost later in the week by not noticing I’d reach the spend limit on my account, but by that time the book was flying and it didn’t seem to matter very much.

I also spent a little money (around £10-£15 each) on three free book promotion sites. For the UK market I tried Book Bongo but I have to say I was disappointed with the amount of coverage on social media and the book didn’t appear in their newsletter until after the free period was over. There was also a free listing on Book Angel.

For the US market I tried Awesome Gang and Pretty Hot on different days. The jump up the free chart was far more impressive on Awesome Gang day when Another You rose to number 671. The main Amazon.com marketing came from my publisher, Endeavour Press, who sent out hourly promotional tweets with a link to the site throughout US book buying hours. I can only think this was hugely successful because at the end of the week the book reached the dizzy heights of number 68. Amazing – as a quintessentially British author I never expected to have such appeal in the USA.

Overall the key must have been to reach enough downloads early in the promotion for the Amazon algorithms to kick in. Endeavour advises getting as many people as possible to download on the first morning and I suspect this is the reason.

Although I wish I’d had more time to prepare for the free offer period I really couldn’t knock the results and in the week since it ended Another You has continued to sell well and remained in Kindle UK top 20 women’s historical fiction. Now I need to somehow launch it closer to number one and that coveted bestseller label.

Protecting Little heads from tiny pests with Kit & Coco: Complete Treatment Review

Posted on January 31, 2017 by Frostie

There are many things that parents dread. Parenting nightmares are very real things and head lice is a big one. The ick factor is there and so is the embarrassment. Past head lice treatment can smell- and be- too chemical. Others are not that effective.

Kit & Coco is a haircare brand created to be gentle but effective on little heads. Launched earlier this year, Kit & Coco’s haircare is enriched with coconut oil which is naturally hydrating, nourishing and soothing. When massaged in, it both strengthens hair fibers and soothes irritations of the scalp, leaving hair even softer and shinier than before. Coconut oil has a bonus quality: it is an active participant in the treatment of head lice. Very handy.

Kit & Coco provide a gentle and fuss free solution to headlice and their pesky eggs.

Lice can produce around 10 eggs a day which take around seven days to hatch so one small problem can escalate into a larger issue very quickly. The Kit & Coco complete treatment kit includes treatment shampoo, a gentle ergonomic nit comb, applicator brush, protective shower cap and a surprise treat for little ones.

The Kit & Coco shampoo has coconut oil and rich botanic oil to deliver gentle yet effective prevention and treatment for head lice and nits. As head lice are constantly adapting to create a resistance to Pediculicides (chemical based insecticides), KIT & COCO has utilised plant based active ingredients – to totally eliminate head lice and nits (eggs) through asphyxiation, which head lice simply can’t develop any resistance to. The treatment range utilises the fatty acids from coconut oil to clog the respiratory system of head lice to banish those little pests for good. The 45-minute treatment we reviewed is proven to be 100% effective against lice and nits, find out more here: http://uk.kitandcoco.com/kit-coco-proven-efficacy

So what did we think? Kit & Coco Complete Treatment Review smells so much better than most head lice treatment. It is well packaged and the comb is a good one. You get four lots of the shampoo and…it works. Our tester was very impressed with the results. Great packaged stuff that looks fun and works. What more could you want?

The KIT & COCO range is available to buy online at KIT & COCO, Amazon and independent pharmacies nationwide.

The 50 Most Boring Things In Life Revealed

Posted on January 30, 2017 by Frostie

Changing duvet covers, people who Instagram their meals and Ed Sheeran have been voted among the nation’s top 50 most boring things.

And the average Brit is bored for over NINE years of their life, a study has found.

Brits describe themselves as “bored” for over three hours a day, and say that on average, they feel like they have “nothing to do” at least twice daily.

Work is one of the most common places for boredom to strike, with 22 per cent of respondents saying they’re bored for up to two hours – or 25 per cent – of their workday.

The study of 2000 adults in the UK was commissioned by online gaming company Casumo.com, whose spokesman said: “Boredom can be a real problem for many people, even if they’re happy with their lives in general.

“Boredom can sap productivity, and make people feel like there’s nothing good going on in their lives.

“We were surprised to find that people are more likely to feel bored at home than they are at work, and perhaps this shows a lack of imagination on the nation’s part, that they can’t entertainingly fill their free hours.”

Being stuck in traffic emerged as the most boring thing about modern life, aggravating over half of the nation.

This was closely followed by waiting in queues at the post office, being put on hold, and the humdrum routine of everyday life.

A slow internet connection, listening to drab football pundits’ analysis and cleaning the house also appeared in the list of the most boring things in life.

As did PowerPoint presentations, the Kardashians and unnecessary work meetings.

Four in 10 respondents said that they are bored more often now than they were as a child, and the most common time of day to experience boredom is 12:44 pm.

On average, Brits say that their lives stopped being exciting at the age of 37 and a half, and three quarters say they wish their lives could be more exciting.

And 25 per cent of Brits say that can’t even remember the last time something truly memorable happened to them.

Almost a tenth of the nation believes that all of their time drags past slowly, and a further 46 per cent say they notice it happening sometimes.

Casumo’s spokesman said: “A quarter of the population say that playing games online is one of the ways they defeat boredom. We can help with that, but unfortunately, we can’t do anything to make being stuck in traffic more exciting.”

THE 50 MOST BORING THINGS IN LIFE

1. Being stuck in traffic
2. Standing in line
3. Being on hold
4. Junk mail
5. Slow internet connections
6. Listening to politicians
7. Watching TV adverts
8. The routine of everyday life
9. Sitting in a waiting room
10. Queuing in the post office
11. Having no money
12. Tidying up the house
13. Waiting in for a delivery
14. The Kardashians
15. People who Instagram their food
16. Football pundits’ analysis
17. Unnecessary meetings
18. Cleaning the bathroom
19. Reality TV shows
20. Doing the washing-up
21. Selfies
22. Television shopping channels
23. Emptying the bins
24. Paying bills
25. Delayed trains
26. The daily commute
27. Formula 1
28. New mums on Facebook who constantly upload pictures of their baby
29. Social media challenges
30. Small talk
31. Changing a duvet cover
32. Waiting for a train
33. Phone calls that could be quick emails
34. Looking for a parking space
35. Company-wide emails
36. Filling tax returns
37. Horse racing
38. PowerPoint presentations
39. Places without Wi-Fi
40. Trailing around behind your partner in a clothes shop
41. Dieting
42. Waiting for your phone to recharge
43. Waiting for the oven to heat up
44. Rice cakes
45. Ed Sheeran
46. Gardener’s World
47. People telling you about their dream
48. Working overtime for no extra pay
49. Replacing the toilet roll on the holder
50. Bargain Hunt

Leading Charity Highlights Work of Inspiring Female Researchers

Posted on January 27, 2017 by Catherine Balavage

Leading charity highlights work of inspiring female researchers

International Day of Women and Girls in 2017

As the largest charitable funder dedicated to diabetes research in the UK, leading charity Diabetes UK is putting the spotlight on the organisation’s inspirational female researchers ahead of International Day of Women and Girls in Science* on 11 February.

Diabetes UK is dedicated to supporting the leaders of diabetes research. Currently 54 women scientists funded by the charity are working to change the lives of people with diabetes. Ground-breaking research funded by the charity for longer than 80 years has been instrumental in improving diabetes care and moving us closer to a cure.

Diabetes is a huge and growing problem in the UK which costs the NHS £10 billion every year. If not managed properly, it can lead to causes serious consequences for people living with the condition which can include sight loss, limb amputation and kidney failure.

In the UK, there are more than 4.5 million people who have diabetes of which more than 1 million people have Type 2 diabetes but don’t know they have it because they haven’t been diagnosed. Almost 12 million people are at increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes UK’s Research Communications Manager Dr Emily Burns said:
“All of our fantastic researchers play a vital role in helping us to know diabetes, and fight diabetes. This International Day of Women and Girls in Science we recognise the achievements of our amazing female researchers, who have had a huge impact on the treatment of diabetes. They will continue to be leaders in the world of diabetes research and care. There are of course many more people doing incredible work and we would like to take this opportunity to thank them for everything they do.”

For more information about diabetes, visit www.diabetes.org.uk

A Day in the Life of author Rosie Jackson

Posted on January 26, 2017 by Tracy Baines

A prize-winning author, Rosie Jackson is widely published. Her books include The Glass Mother, The Light Box, Mothers Who Leave and What the Ground Holds.

Rosie is a Hawthornden Fellow 2017. She is a member of Arts and Health South West.

My days vary depending on where I am with any writing project. When I’m in the middle of something big – my memoir, say, or putting together a collection of poems – it’s easy to be disciplined. I can happily sit at my desk six or seven hours each day and sometimes into the night as well, writing, editing, re-writing, re-editing… But in the fallow periods in between, I’m more self-indulgent, going for long walks, to see galleries, films, friends, travelling, rather like a camel stocking up on culture for the dry patches.

I live alone, so can be as flexible as I like with my time. But my 17^thcentury cottage and its demanding garden always find some job to tempt me away from my study, especially in the summer, and I have to be strong-willed to keep the writing going. It’s important to me not to get isolated. I belong to a couple of monthly peer groups – in Frome and Bath – for my poetry work, and am collaborating on my next project – a book of poems about the English artist Stanley Spencer and his first wife Hilda Carline – with Devon poet Graham Burchell. Exchanging poems with him by email for critique every few days helps sustain the momentum. I go to poetry readings and cafes, and also run writing groups, on memoir and poetry, which all add to a sense of creative community. Next month I go to Hawthornden Castle in Scotland for a fellowship – a whole luxurious month of nothing but writing, all meals provided. Thank you, Mrs Heinz!

Like most of us, I spend a lot of time on the Internet – there are so many excellent sites, blogs, tips, research, resources available at the click of a mouse- and I feel tempered use can really improve one’s work. I love receiving messages from people I don’t know who’ve suddenly discovered my books.

I make sure I exercise every day, even in the midst of a project. Nothing too fanatical, but for an hour at least I walk, cycle, or do yoga, and swim half a mile each week. I’m very impractical – oh, for a DIY husband! – and have to gear myself up to do jobs like checking car oil and tyres, buying replacement hoover bags, let alone decorating. I’d far rather be inside a book, whether my own or someone else’s.

What tends to get squeezed out is reading. If I’ve cleared time to be at my desk, I’m more likely to be writing than reading, and I need to find more time for that. It’s all about balance really – alone time and being with others; living enough to have something to write about; sitting and moving; being with words and in a space of silence.

I do try to carve some time out each day to do without words altogether. They are not, after all, as important as what we do, as the life we actually live.

Comforting Recipes From Nicola Millbank AKA Milly Cookbook: Hangover Spicy Rice

Posted on January 26, 2017 by Catherine Balavage

Hangover Spicy Rice

Serves 1

Perfect after the night before and a doddle to make; you’ll be feeling better in no time.

Ingredients:

– 2 tsp. of vegetable oil

– A few cherry tomatoes, halved

– 1 spring onion, finely sliced

– 1 pack of microwavable brown rice

– 1 tbsp. of soy sauce

– 1 tbsp. of sweet chilli sauce

– 1 tsp. of toasted sesame oil

– Juice of 1 lime

– A good pinch of dried chilli flakes

– 1 free range egg

– Extra soy sauce and sweet chilli sauce to serve.

Method:

– Heat 1 tbsp. of vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and add the spring onion and tomatoes. Cook down for a couple of minutes until softened and then add in the pack of rice, frying for a further 2 minutes.

– Pour in the soy sauce, sweet chilli and sesame oil and squeeze in the lime juice. Allow to fry for a further few minutes, stirring occasionally.

– In another small frying pan, heat 1 tbsp. of vegetable oil and fry the egg until cooked in the middle and crispy around the outside.

– Plate up the rice, top with the fried egg and add a dash of soy and sweet chill sauce to serve.

Catherine Balavage’s Poetry Book What Do You Think?: A Collection of Poems Free Until 27th January

Posted on January 25, 2017 by Catherine Balavage

Some good news for poetry fans, you can get Catherine Balavage’s poetry book, What do you think?: A collection of poems, for free until the 27th January 2017. It is free on Amazon Kindle across the world. The book has received good reviews and has reached no 1 in the women’s poetry fiction chart on Amazon. Get your copy of What do you think?: A collection of poems here.

The Bookshop Owner Jane Cable talks to Sandra Foy

Posted on January 25, 2017 by Jane Cable

This week Jane Cable talks to Sandra Foy, a bookseller living in Manchester who is also a book blogger, blogging at readingwrites.wordpress.com. She love crime books and watching cricket.

What is your writing related job or business?

I am a bookseller who owns a shop in Urmston Manchester. This time last year my only connection with the publishing world was through my blog and the occasional advanced reading copy that I was offered in return for an honest review.

I was in the book club at Urmston Bookshop, but then, in March, quite by chance, I saw that the shop was for sale: it seemed like divine providence. I had always wanted to own a bookshop but never imagined that it would happen. At first together with my husband we made tentative enquiries about the business which then just snowballed and everything just seemed to slot into place incredibly well.

The previous owner really wanted someone who loved books to take over, so I had the advantage over the other potential buyers who had no interest in books and just wanted a shop. They were fabulously helpful to me during the sale and also afterwards, teaching me everything they knew.

I was also incredibly lucky that during the sale a lady walked into the shop looking for a job, she has worked in many libraries and is now a fantastic colleague and friend.

What is the most rewarding part of it?

There are so many rewarding parts of owning a bookshop.

Being a huge part of the community and bringing them together for author events and film nights and hearing them say how much they have enjoyed them and look forward to more is enormously rewarding.

Putting a book into someone’s hands who wouldn’t otherwise read such a book and have them come back and ask for more because they so enjoyed it is just fabulous.

And a massive reward is being able to take authors into local schools and seeing the children’s faces light up with delight and enthusiasm.

What do you consider to be your major successes?

I have only been in the shop for seven months, but I feel the successes are the book clubs. We now have three adult book clubs and one children’s club (Talking Tales) for 8-11 year olds, with membership growing all the time. Seeing adults come together to discuss books is great, but to be able to enthuse children and see them want to read is beyond wonderful.

Have you always loved books and what are you reading at the moment?

I have loved books from being a very young child. Enid Blyton was my first love, I even created my own Secret Seven with friends. She gave me a life-long love of the crime genre.

At the moment I am reading Some Luck by Jane Smiley for one of our book clubs and also Intrusions by Stav Sherez (really good!) as we are doing an event at the bookshop with Stav and Sarah Ward in February.

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