Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 304, Website, Marketing Materials

8 February 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 304, Website, Marketing Materials

Announcement: My new novels should be available from any webseller or can be ordered from any brick and mortar bookstore.  Information can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  Check out my novels--I think you'll really enjoy them.

Introduction: I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon. This was my 21st novel and through this blog, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel beginning with http://www.pilotlion.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-novel-part-3-girl-and-demon.html.

I'm using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I'll keep you informed along the way.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

The four plus one basic rules I employ when writing:

1. Don't confuse your readers.
2. Entertain your readers.
3. Ground your readers in the writing.
4. Don't show (or tell) everything.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:
1.  The initial scene (the beginning)
2.  The rising action
3.  The climax
4.  The falling action
5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my 25th novel, working title, Escape, is this: a girl in a fascist island nation will do anything to escape--a young cargo ferry pilot not following the rules crashes on the island.

I'll make a slight digression because I'm developing advertising and publisher materials for my newest completed novel, Lilly.  Here is the cover proposal for Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer. 

Cover Propsal

One of the reasons for developing marketing materials is to be able to produce a website.  First, you need a website.  Go to Godaddy.com or another reputable domain seller and buy your name as a domain.  Buy your book titles as a domain.  If the domain is taken, get booknamenovel or booknamestory as a dot com--where bookname is the title of your novel.  The point is to own the domain for your marketing and future marketing.  You also want web-presence for your writing.  This gives publishers a means of seeing your work.  It also lets your readers and fans see your work. 

Use the information you put together for marketing your novel on the website.  Make it fancy, but not too fancy.  Put up a proposed cover and a proposed title.  These won't necessarily be the actual cover or title, but you want to present your best marketing foot forward.  I also like to provide a secret page for my readers and fans.  This gives more information about the novel and the research I did for the novel.

The point is to build your marketing materials, get a website for the novel, and put them up on that website.  Take a look at my websites to see some ways you can build a site.

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com