tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142930702674170471.post6351612696562369736..comments2023-02-21T00:26:51.051-08:00Comments on Why Isn't My Book Selling?: Two HalvesVictorinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06052077366367623323noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142930702674170471.post-37022625627600653202012-05-29T10:23:22.615-07:002012-05-29T10:23:22.615-07:00If this isn't YA, I would definitely put a por...If this isn't YA, I would definitely put a portrait of someone on the cover. Peruse JR Ward, Kresley Cole, Jeaniene Frost, pretty much every heavy hitter and almost every indie cover and there is a portrait. <br /><br />If you're not comfortable with describing your heroine or getting one which will be too generic then have her on the cover from a back angle. Her hair showing, billowing so you aren't stuck with a cover that looks like every other paranormal or UF cover. Or have a handsome man on the cover from the neck down with lots of pecs on display. Personally, I find this a bit cheesy but those books tend to sell a lot and they aren't always good. <br /><br />Also, there should be some more action in the beginning. I am a huge offender of too much back story up front so I know where you are coming from and I am not criticizing but try to space the back story out throughout the book. Don't give the game away all at once and definitely not in the beginning.<br /><br />Price: this is a sticky subject as it takes quite a bit of money to get a book made. You can jump on the 99 cent bandwagon but I think that is dead. I don't even buy 99 cent books. $2.99 is a fair price and once it starts to sell, push it up to $3.99. Or enter Select and give some copies away and keep the price at $4.95 and hope the momentum carries over but I would definitely recommend re-pricing to either $2.99 or $3.99.<br /><br />Just my two cents. Good luck and I really do hope you start to sell more. ;-)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17624296734028156426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142930702674170471.post-66142948087826895312012-05-28T18:29:56.700-07:002012-05-28T18:29:56.700-07:00Beautiful cover, but it doesn't say "urba...Beautiful cover, but it doesn't say "urban fantasy" at all. If I was looking for urban fantasy, I would skip right over this.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142930702674170471.post-53841520655557530732012-05-27T04:46:34.389-07:002012-05-27T04:46:34.389-07:00Much, much thanks! Very enlightening experience:)Much, much thanks! Very enlightening experience:)Marta Szemikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16100791404636754754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142930702674170471.post-50571078354041230512012-05-26T18:58:39.785-07:002012-05-26T18:58:39.785-07:00I think the blurb could use a rewrite. I'm no...I think the blurb could use a rewrite. I'm not sure what to suggest, and I can't find anything particularly wrong with it. It just didn't capture my attention like the first 300 did.<br /><br />I do like the first 300. Good luck improving your work!<br /><br />Rich, visitor from KB.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142930702674170471.post-19502226208942144302012-05-26T08:15:05.582-07:002012-05-26T08:15:05.582-07:00I, personally, didn't have any issues with the...I, personally, didn't have any issues with the cover. In fact, I downloaded Marked: A Two Halves Novella because of it. I'm sick of covers that have portrays on them. What threw me off a little is that the cover's size wasn't full screen on my Kindle. It sort of got me thinking that maybe the text wasn't as good as I thought it would be and I delayed reading it. I know it's not this book, but since I purchased the Novella for free I guessed it was an ad for this one, the main thing. And I just wanted you, Marta to know that it's not working very well. I'm a little nit-picky with covers, since I like to take a good look at them before I start reading.<br /><br />Regarding this book, I also think that the price could be causing part of the problem.Hermina Oláh Vasshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07935651102183020533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142930702674170471.post-74356252838290143762012-05-26T04:47:15.425-07:002012-05-26T04:47:15.425-07:00Again, Thank you Everyone! I appreciate the input....Again, Thank you Everyone! I appreciate the input.Marta Szemikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16100791404636754754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142930702674170471.post-38354003238824137652012-05-25T23:23:01.039-07:002012-05-25T23:23:01.039-07:00The cover: it's pretty, but no urban fantasy. ...The cover: it's pretty, but no urban fantasy. It looks more like epic fantasy, at least for me.<br /><br />Description: I'm going to disagree with Victorine, and say that I found it really hard to parse, especially the second paragraph. Also, the use of the word 'serums' threw me. It doesn't sound authoritative. <br /><br />First 300 words: it's all narrating and skimming over stuff that has happened. It doesn't connect with the here and now, which is what first person writing should do.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142930702674170471.post-38036663334974925722012-05-25T19:25:28.948-07:002012-05-25T19:25:28.948-07:00The cover is kind of pretty, but doesn't tell ...The cover is kind of pretty, but doesn't tell me anything about the genre or the story. <br /><br />"Twenty-one-year-old Sarah is a child of a human mother and a vampire" <br /><br />I think if you said "is the child" it would work better. The word "beaconed" also throws me off. Did you mean "beckoned?"<br /><br />I kind of liked the beginning. I felt drawn in to his "run." The only problem is that I thought it was Sarah doing the running and not her father. <br /><br />I think the biggest problem is the cover and the price. The cover is striking but the meaning is unclear.Margarethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04832055618604176686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142930702674170471.post-15245824718210863422012-05-25T14:56:59.715-07:002012-05-25T14:56:59.715-07:00It's really hard to gauge a book in just 300 w...It's really hard to gauge a book in just 300 words, but I agree with what is said above. Just focus in on what he is running away from in a snippet, then sort of pan out to the big picture. The cover reminds of those fairy images that were all over Myspace a few years ago. Two Halves image doesn't quite work, maybe just two halves of one ring, or two halves of one butterfly. Or the good old cliched girl looking in a mirror, and only half her face staring back, and the rest...is it hidden in shadow, or is she half vampire? I think that would draw me in more, but that is me.JKellynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142930702674170471.post-80764172388266529482012-05-25T10:39:26.558-07:002012-05-25T10:39:26.558-07:00Some great advice here:) Thank you!Some great advice here:) Thank you!Marta Szemikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16100791404636754754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142930702674170471.post-80726950855245327982012-05-25T10:32:48.356-07:002012-05-25T10:32:48.356-07:00My first impressions of the cover: straight fantas...My first impressions of the cover: straight fantasy, possibly romantic, possibly YA, possibly to do with fairies. It looks pretty. It doesn't say urban or vampire. It doesn't have to say vampire, IMO, but it does need to say urban--a city, a person, or just a little more gritty.<br /><br />The blurb: "Twenty-one-year old Sarah is a child..." Well, no, she's not anymore, is she? I'd say she's the 'daughter' of a human and vampire. And I think you mean "beckoned" not 'beaconed'. The rest of it reads pretty boilerplate. Parentless protagonist has dark secret which causes evil creatures to pursue her, and which causes her to need the help of a handsome stranger. I'm not seeing what makes this story different or unique from the hundreds of other half-human-half-vampire urban fantasies out there. It may very well be the next best thing in UF, but your blurb doesn't hint at it.<br /><br />First 300: It paints a good picture of a man on the run for the sake of his family, but it's not a particularly hooky opening. It, IMO, belongs a little further in the first chapter, not upfront. Also, for 300 words it seems to lack detail--we get roads, bridges, and directions but nothing concrete (like highway names, U.S. city names, etc.) Overall, it is backstory. I'd rather start with the protagonist, Sarah, or at least what this man (her father) is doing currently.<br /><br />If I were to take a guess at the biggest factor for slow sales, it would be price and blurb. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of UF tales which could match your description, why should I pay 4.95 for yet another when I could probably find many, many more for .99 or free? I'd either lower the price, or fix the blurb so it showcases what's special about your story.Fairchildhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07047483452208772141noreply@blogger.com