I promised you a new site for Indie e-Con - and here it is.
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I'm still working on the main website part of GiraffeCrafts, where I'll be offering services to authors, including:
Cover Reveal Organization
Blog Tour Organization
Novel Critiquing
Basically, this means that I'll read a book for an author and help them identify what they need to do before it's publishable. Not a full-on edit, but I may point out any consistent grammar errors.
Reviewer Recruitment
I don't believe that authors should buy reviews (a post for another day), but, frankly, asking people to review your book can be intimidating. Basically, this will be me playing middle-man. I'm setting up a Netgalley of sorts dedicated to Indie Book so that readers can get good Indie fiction, and authors can get good reviews. There will be a fee to the author, but they are buying my time for FINDING reviewers, not the reviews themselves. And, frankly, it'll be a lower fee than many reviewers charge for their reviews.
For some of these, I'm going to need you guys' help on it. For the Cover Reveal and Blog Tour Organization, I need bloggers, and, of course, I need reviewers for the reviewer recruitment. This week only, joining these teams can enter you for a FREE blog tour planned by moi. (See rafflecoptor giveaway at the bottom of this post!!)
I'm also looking at providing advertisement for editors, artists, cover designers, formators, and other such folk who provide services to Indie Authors. Since I know I'm not a great risk just yet, it'll only be a $3/month fee (via PayPal), but taking advantage of the price will lock you in at this price permanently, even if I do raise it in the future, and you can leave for up to three months without losing this price-lock. Advertising through me will feature you in the main site's services pages with a chance to be featured on the main home page. It will also place you on a short list of companies that I will personally recommend to authors who use my Critiquing service. Email me at kendraeardnek@gmail.com if you're interested.
Don't have a website? I'm also looking at hosting other editors/artists/cover designers/etc. directly on my site. This will NOT make you an employee of GiraffeCrafts, and you will have to manage all of your money and tax information yourself. You will merely need to pay a monthly $5 hosting fee (again, via PayPal), BUT only if you made any sales that month.
I'm also in the process of putting together a Goodreads Group for Indie authors, focusing on being a support group for each other.
But for now, the blog.
The GiraffeCrafts blog is dedicated to advice for writing, editing, publishing, and marketing - giving authors tools so that they can make their work worthy of promotion. At the moment, I'm in the process of porting over all writing advice that I have posted on this blog, including me "Tips from a Young Writer" posts and all of the Indie e-Con Articles, so, for the next few weeks, you can expect one to two of those posts to be posted each day until I run out of them.
When I have those exhausted, I have plans, but I'm also open to outside contributors.
The GiraffeCrafts blog will host future Indie e-Cons, so stay tuned for information on that. I'll be writing a post where I address all of the concerns and suggestions brought up in the survey.
If you haven't yet, do consider signing up for the GiraffeCrafts Mailing List to stay up to date on Indie e-Con news and other marketing opportunities.
I also now have a weekly radio show on Eagles Nest Broadcasting where I'll be interviewing authors on Friday nights at 8-9 CST.
I have new social media set up for GiraffeCrafts:
Now, I think that's everything, so, on to the giveaway! As stated, this is for a FREE blog tour. I will (1) set up sign-up forms and graphics if you need them (2) blast your blog tour to my bloggers (and you'll be expected to share it with all of your followers) (3) advise you on posts (4) if you wish me to, handle communication.
You would not be required to redeem this immediately, and will allowed to hang on to it until you need a Blog Tour organized. However, the book promoted MUST comply with the GiraffeCrafts content policy.
Oh, and for the record, for the "comment" option on the giveaway, the comment MUST be on the GiraffeCrafts blog. Any post you wish, but comments on this post do NOT count.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Ooh, that's so exciting, Kendra! I'm excited to see what's in store for GiraffeCrafts. I have a quick question about guest contributors - do you have to have a published book to contribute to the website? Also, about the reviews - if I sign up for bi-monthly reviews, do I have to review a book in those two months, even if none of the available books interest me?
ReplyDelete~ Savannah
scattered-scribblings.blogspot.com
I don't require you to have any published books, no. In that case, just select the "other" option.
DeleteAnd you are not required to take part in ANY blog tours that you don't want to. I ask for frequency just to give me a rough estimate of my potential reach, and it will affect how often I send you notifications and how specific I will make your recommendations. I will send a broader range of options to someone who's willing to do four tours a month than to someone who only only volunteers for bimonthly.
Wow, Kendra, you've sure been busy! This sounds like an incredible aid to the Indie Author community. And now the wheels in my head are whizzing....
ReplyDeleteBest wishes, m'dear!
~R~
Ok, so the reviewer thing sounds super awesome . . . but before I sign up, I'd like to be absolutely clear: how often would I be committing to review books? Every week? A few times a month? How much leeway do you give before kicking someone off the team? What happens if I have a busy semester and can't really read-to-review* more than maybe one book a month?
ReplyDelete(*There is a difference between reading to review and reading just for fun. Namely, if I'm reading to review, it moves up my priority list in relation to other things because, (A)deadlines, and (B)I don't want to say "The characters confused me" or whatever when the problem is really just that I've spent two weeks on this one book and I forgot what happened at the beginning.)
You are not committing to any reviews. You are allowed to accept as many or as few books as you feel you can fit into your schedule. The only reason I would kick you from the team is if you constantly accept books but then never actually review them. (That said, you are allowed to bail on a review, for any reason. Just, let me know and don't make it a habit.)
DeleteGot it! Thanks for clarifying that!
DeleteI'll fill out the form and join up tomorrow, then.
This sounds great. I'm in the process of editing my first book and it can get pretty lonely here in NZ. I love the idea of the Goodreads group, and the blog tour. I don't have a blog at present. That is something I was going to do when my website was up and running when I've published. Can I still sign up to be a part of this?
ReplyDeleteTo be a blogger, you'll need a blog, but otherwise, yes.
DeleteHonestly, though, I recommend getting a blog now, so you can get a headstart on marketing, begin gaining an audience. I also recommend using blogspot or wordpress for your blog, even if you have your website through a different platform. Blogspot and Wordpress are built for blogging, have more intuitive posting options, and are easier for readers to follow.
But I can still sign up as a reviewer? I'd really like to be a part of this
DeleteSure, just make sure you send me a link to your blog once you have it up.
DeleteOh, this sounds awesome! I signed up to review . . . can I still sign up as an author when you get that form up? :)
ReplyDeleteOh, yeah, you can totally still take advantage of the author side.
Delete