Friday, 1 September 2023

Chapter 13 - How's the new book 'Memories Of...' coming along?

' Memories Of...' 

by Carol M Mottershead

So how's the new book coming along?

Well, I have to admit 'Memories Of...' has been off to a bad start! Not because it's a rotten book but because there has been changes in the way Amazon runs things with regards to categorizing of books! It's been all over the place since the new book launched... Lots of authors and specialists in Amazon algorithms have been struggling to get to grips with the way the new algorithms work! 

The first thing to change was instead of being able to upload ten categories... two basic categories and eight additional categories added via KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) they claimed that they were 'improving' categorization; they were giving us the chance to choose three basic categories yayy!!šŸ˜ But then came the catch... there NO MORE THAN THE THREE! šŸ˜ž

Now it seems, Amazon algorithms decide what categories to place our books in!

For this I would like to apologize to any readers who may feel mislead by choosing a book from a category that doesn't fit the book... it is beyond the control of any of the authors!

I'm told by teamsters from Bryan Cohen's Ad School, that this is by no means a personal problem. Everyone who changed to the new categorization have been affected. (Some authors didn't do it until Ad School advised it), but I thought I was being 'uptodate' and ahead of everyone else - I went ahead in ignorance, and my poor book 'Memories Of...' has got caught in the changes šŸ˜”

Amazon ad campaigns which I pay for 'per click' aren't working and the only sales being generated are from posts on social media that I've put out myself, which are free - crazy isn't it?

Amazon dot com have even stopped blogs being posted on the Amazon site now, so I don't even know if anyone gets to read these blogs, ha!

But for anyone who is enjoying reading blogs, I hope you'll check out my books

Memories Of... (HERE) and JOAN put on a happy face (HERE)

   


If you've already read a copy of my books and want to review, drop an email
carol.m.mottershead@gmail.com

or add it to the site from which you bought it, that would fantastic - and THANK YOU!

If you enjoy a different genre such as Epic Fantasy, check out the books by Susan and John Ruff

'Til Next Time - HAPPY READING! šŸ˜„






Monday, 3 July 2023

Chapter 12 - So who won the battle to be heard next?



 I've said from the very beginning that I have never dreamed in my wildest dream I'd be a writer. I can't believe, even now, that I have written and published two books, but I have and I've really enjoyed the journey!

To my mind, fiction has got to be the most rewarding sort of writing. Your mind is free to write whatever it wants to write... of is it? That's what I used to believe, haha!

In reality, it's the characters in your book that seem to come to life. Their story pops into your head and you find yourself 'having' to write their story! It's strange but true!

So who won through to be the lead protagonist in my next book?

I had thought it was going to be young Nicholas, but I was wrong. His half-brother young John had more to tell. You may remember that young John left Joan, Pulcinella and his brother young Nicholas to seek adventure in the colonies of America. As he boarded the ship, he had been asked his name - 'John' he'd said, then called out to Punchinella (as he always called his Father) just at the same time that the boson asked for his last name. Hearing the name Punch, that's what was written down - John Punch (OK it's a bit of a stretch, but it's literary licence - right!)

Anyway, I found that there was a real person called John Punch who had lived in the Virginian colony during the exact same period, so I chose to research his life and make it the basis for my second book. That seemed fair enough.

As it turned out, the 'real' John Punch is quite famous in his own way. He is known as the first slave of Virginia, the 11th generation great grandfather of Barack Obama (first black President in USA) on his mother's side, and the 10th generation great grandfather of Ralphe Bunch (first African American to win a nobel peace prize) on his father's side, quite a famous family!

To my good fortune, despite his fame, there are only two recorded documents that even prove he existed. Many of the records in that area of Virginia were burned to the ground leaving me carte blanche to make up a fictional life for John. It's been great too, for although only two documents exist for John himself, the owner of his indentures 'Hugh Gwynn' has much written about him one way or another. Married twice with two children by his first wife and one by a lover, later to become his wife and long lost love of his life. Haha! There was definitely a story brewing and the story has been written.

'Memories Of...' by Carol M Mottershead

tells the life and memories of John Punch, his family and friends. It's currently available only on Amazon but will be joining the expanded distribution shortly. I hope you'll enjoy reading this romantic historical and biographical fiction - HAPPY READING!

If you've not yet read the story of 'JOAN - put on a happy face' by Carol M Mottershead CLICK HERE and once again - HAPPY READING!

If you have already read a copy of 'JOAN - put on a happy face' by Carol M Mottershead maybe you would be kind enough to spread the word and write a review on Amazon, Goodreads or on the site you bought your copy from and help a poor starving writer to become a number one best seller! haha!

All the best, til next time... Keep smiling!


Thursday, 1 June 2023

Chapter 11 - My next book

 Who will be the central character of my next book?

As I was writing 'JOAN', ideas for a next book would pop into my mind.  Back stories of each character. I made notes on who and what came into my train of thought. I didn't intend to write another book when I started, but I guess the characters got jealous ha! 

Judy and Mr Punch aka Joan and Pulcinella are characters everyone thinks they know all about already, but not the way I'm writing their story. They're not puppets, like in that film 'Judy and Punch' that came out in November 2018. It was interesting to watch... once, and I 'loved' the twist right at the end giving a reason why Punch and Judy went from being performed with marionettes to being performed with hand puppets - that was a jewel! ha! I won't tell you about the ending, but let's just say it was the best bit of the film... to me anyway! šŸ˜Š

I might write a short story for each of the characters, their back story, what makes each of them tick. I say short, but that depends a great deal on just how much they want their story to be told, some times they get so self-absorbed you know šŸ˜Š(No... I'm not crazy, I'm just an author and our characters come to life for us lol!)

As you probably realize by now, my story's theme is the puppet show known as Punch and Judy. It's a traditional iconic show, and a favourite seaside puppet show that's been loved by children for over 450 years, so almost all the characters in my story have their own reason for being, and they have their own back story. The difference is that JOAN is immortal. Her family have a secret that Joan knows nothing about. My story is a mystery waiting to unfold with each book bringing the reader just a little closer to the whole truth and nothing but the truth... in my imaginings at least.šŸ‘šŸ˜‰

I don't want the blog to be too long, or for you to get bored with my ramblings, I have got a head cold as I write, so I do apologize haha! 

Remember - Joan is available at many online bookstores already

       Amazon   Blackwells   Barnes & Noble   Waterstones

Memories Of... is still being released and is, at the moment, only available on

Amazon  AllAuthor and Author Central

Oops! I gave it away! šŸ˜‚šŸ‘Hope you like it

Happy Reading and Put on your happy face!

- Happy reading!









Thursday, 4 May 2023

Chapter 10 - Don't stand and wait!

Donā€™t Just Stand and Wait!

The first lesson you learn after publishing your book? You canā€™t just sit back and wait for readers to find it! They wonā€™t buy your book unless you let them know itā€™s out thereā€”and thatā€™s when the real hard work begins.

At first, I kept things simple, posting on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Then I added LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. Before I knew it, Iā€™d discovered even more: Pinterest, Tumblr, Reddit, TikTokā€¦ the list seemed endless! It quickly became exhausting. I was spending more time marketing than writing my next book, and it wore me out.

Bryanā€™s Ad School came to the rescue for a while, teaching me how to choose the right keywords to advertise andā€”hereā€™s the kickerā€”make them relevant. What does ā€œrelevantā€ mean? Iā€™m still working that out fully, but hereā€™s the gist: your ads need to reach potential readers in your bookā€™s genre. Thatā€™s what Ad School emphasizes. Start running the ads; get your book seen by the right audience (ah, so thatā€™s relevance!).

Like all advertising, it takes time for readers to notice. A key lesson I learned is that readers often wonā€™t buy your book the first time they see it advertised. They might need to see it a few times before their curiosity gets the better of them. The trick is to play the long game. Be patient. As Bryan says, channel your ā€œzen lemurā€ mindsetā€”donā€™t expect miracles overnight! After all, no writer becomes famous overnightā€¦ right? šŸ˜„

So, I launched my ad campaigns on Amazon in both the US and the UK. This time, I didnā€™t fall into the trap of bidding too high, as Amazon suggests. My first attempt at advertising left me Ā£100 lighter in just two weeksā€”lesson learned! Bryanā€™s Profit Challenges recommend bidding low: 34c for standalone books, 39c for the first book in a series. In the UK, he suggests 16p. Itā€™s a much more affordable strategy for authors, though Iā€™m not sure Amazon is thrilled about it, haha!

Thereā€™s more to learn in Ad School, but some insights are exclusive to enrolled students, so I canā€™t reveal everything here. I will say thisā€”his course and methods are brilliant for identifying why a book isnā€™t selling and what can be done about it. (Why do you think I revamped my book cover and description? šŸ˜‰)

Looking Ahead Next time, Iā€™ll share some details about my next book, working title: Memories of John Punch.

If you havenā€™t grabbed a copy of Joan - Put on a Happy Face yet, hereā€™s the link. If youā€™ve already read and enjoyed it, Iā€™d be so grateful if you could leave a review. šŸ‘Œ

I hope you enjoy reading my blogs! While I write them for my own enjoyment, if they help or inspire even one person, the effort has been worthwhile.

Happy readingā€”and as always, keep smiling! šŸ˜Š

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Joan-Happy-face-Carol-Mottershead/dp/B08HTM1M2Q


Wednesday, 26 April 2023

Chapter 9 The Making of 'JOAN' - Bryan Cohen's Ad School Challenge

Well, Here We Are Againā€¦

I thought I had it all figured outā€”the plan, the direction, everything. But the reality couldnā€™t have been further from the truth! After friends and family had done their part supporting my book, sales came to a sudden standstill. I was so disheartened, I almost gave up. What now? Where do I go? Who could I possibly turn to for help?

I didnā€™t have money to waste, and there are far too many vultures preying on newbie indie authors. Social media seemed like a good idea initially, with its countless groups encouraging authors to join and connect. But many of those so-called ā€œprivate groupsā€ turned out to be a haven for predatory marketing companies, sliding into direct messages to push their services. It didnā€™t take long for me to realize these groups werenā€™t filled with readersā€”the public, the people I wanted to reach. Instead, they were packed with other authors and opportunistic vultures.

As you can tell, I became pretty disillusioned.

I watched endless videos and sat through countless webinars Iā€™d discovered on social media. They all shared a tiny nugget of helpful advice before diving into their inevitable sales pitch. Every single time.

Then I tried Amazon advertising. It works on a bidding system where you set the price youā€™re willing to pay per click for each keyword. Well, that turned into a disaster! Nearly Ā£100 spent in just two weeks with zero sales to show for it. Frustrated, I gave up.

A Fresh Approach: Bryan Cohenā€™s Amazon Ads Profit Challenge

Getting Ready for the 5-Day Amazon Ad Challenge

Months later, I came across Bryan Cohenā€™s Amazon Ads Profit Challenge. My initial reaction? ā€œOh, here we go again.ā€ But what did I have to lose besides a bit of time? So, I took the two-week challenge. I followed the homework, watched the suggested videos, andā€¦ nothing. At least, not at first.

What sets Bryanā€™s challenge apart is that he runs it every three months. Authors at any stage of their careerā€”whether theyā€™ve written one book or dozensā€”are welcome. For two full weeks, participants can ask Bryanā€™s team anything about their advertising strategy. And the best part? The advice is completely free. Genuine, no-strings-attached guidance for two weeks. That alone felt like a rarity!

I decided to join again for the next session. By then, Iā€™d had a nibble or two in terms of sales, and thanks to Bryanā€™s more measured, careful approach to ad bidding (what he calls the ā€œzen lemurā€ method), I could afford to keep advertising longer. Slowly but surely, my book started gaining visibility on Amazonā€™s digital shelves. It was progress! After all, the point of writing a book is for people to see and read itā€”not to let it gather virtual dust. Advertising works on repetition; the more people see something, the more curious they become. Eventually, they might just take the plunge and give it a try.

Ad School and Beyond

Ad School sounded like a fantastic opportunity. The level of support and advice offered was intriguing, but I couldnā€™t afford to enroll. Still, Bryanā€™s team continues to invite authors back to the free challenge every three months. You canā€™t argue with that kind of generosity!

Then came an unexpected surpriseā€”I won a spot in Ad School! Me, someone who never wins anything! It felt surreal, and Iā€™ve been with them ever since. It hasnā€™t always been smooth sailing, but the support and advice have been invaluable. Iā€™ll keep you updated when I hit the big leagues as a famous author, but for now, Iā€™m busy working on my next book.

Watch This Space!

Joan - Put on a Happy Face is the first in a series 'The Elixir Chronicles', so stay tuned for whatā€™s to come.

Want to ask questions or keep in touch? Feel free to join my email list and email me at authorcmmottershead@gmail.com.

Happy reading, and as always, keep smiling! šŸ˜Š


Wednesday, 19 April 2023

Chapter 8 The Making of 'Joan' - Marketing my book

Marketing My Book

Publishing a book with Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is just the start. Once itā€™s live, they encourage you to advertise on Amazon sites. Setting up your sales page is completely freeā€”just like their publishing serviceā€”and you only incur costs once your book sells. Even then, the royalties are generous: 60% (minus print costs) for paperbacks and hardcovers, and a whopping 70% for eBooks. Compared to traditional or vanity publishing, itā€™s an excellent deal.

But hereā€™s the truthā€”marketing a book is, without a doubt, the hardest part! 

With traditional publishers, they handle the marketing for you: social media campaigns, email blasts, and everything in between. Of course, this comes at a cost, and nothing in the world of marketing is ever truly free. But for independent authors, the challenge is differentā€”itā€™s all up to 'you' to get your book noticed.

Publishing your book and having it displayed on Amazonā€™s ā€œshop floorā€ (your sales page) doesnā€™t guarantee that readers will pick it from the millions of other titles and buy a copy. That realization hits hard. This is where expenses come into play.

I tried Amazonā€™s advertising system, bidding on ad space in hopes of boosting my visibility. Let me tell youā€”itā€™s expensive! I spent more than Iā€™d hoped and saw little return on my investment. Enter Bryan Cohenā€™s Ads Profit Challengeā€”a genuine game-changer. His approach taught me how to advertise smartly, spending less while reaching more readers. While itā€™s called the ā€œProfit Challenge,ā€ itā€™s absolutely thatā€”a challenge! But with his insights, I started to see results.

Still, my sales mostly came from word of mouth, and even that has its limits. I wondered, ā€œWhatā€™s wrong with my book? Why isnā€™t anyone buying it?ā€

Bryan Cohenā€™s Ad School helped me dig deeper and pinpoint the issues. The first hurdle was figuring out the right genres for my bookā€”a daunting task given that "Joan - Put on a Happy Face" covers so many tropes.

Some examples include:

- A young girl loses her mother at an impressionable age.

- She defies her fatherā€™s wishes by marrying an older, vagrant actor.

- As a young mother, she battles postnatal depression while her husband is consumed by work.

- She uses play therapy to help her son express himself.

- A shy girl transforms into a fierce, confident woman through her experiences as a travelling performer.

- Her husband falls into addiction, becoming irresponsible and lazy.

- He strikes her, leaving her for dead and abducting their son.

- Guilt over killing his best friend pushes him into madness.

- As an immortal, he grapples with PTSD, unable to find peace or death despite his yearning for it.

And the list goes on. Identifying a starting point was overwhelming, but I took it step by step.

Next, we evaluated my book cover. Sometimes, the cover itself can affect sales. After much thought, I gave my book a makeover, and the new cover captured its essence more effectively.

Which Cover Do You Prefer?

Let me know in the comments, email authorcmmottershead@gmail.comā€”Iā€™d love to hear your thoughts!

In the meantime, hereā€™s the link to the paperback version:  

"Joan - Put on a Happy Face" by Carol M Mottershead


Happy reading!


Wednesday, 15 March 2023

Biographical Historical Fiction: Why should I read it?

Biographical Historical Fiction - Why should I read it?

If you're looking for a genre that combines history with a fascinating story, look no further than biographical historical fiction!

This genre offers readers a chance to immerse themselves in another time period and learn about real people who lived through incredible events.

Here are just a few of the many reasons to love biographical historical fiction:

-You'll gain a new perspective on history

-You'll be inspired by the stories of real people

-You'll learn about different cultures and time periods

-You'll be transported to another time and place

So if you're looking for a genre that's both educational and entertaining, make sure to check out biographical historical fiction!

Check out 'Joan: put on a happy face' by Carol M Mottershead out in paperback now

Joan: Put on a Happy face: Amazon.co.uk: Mottershead, Carol M: 9798683476625: Books




Joan reached out to more than just me!

Today I was researching for the final book in my trilogy and decided I needed to recap how it all came to pass. Why had I started writing my...