February 2012
1 post
Yep. I've gone and done it.
After saying I wouldn’t - on Twitter, no less; that is pretty public in the indie writing world - I drank the Kool-aid and signed up for KDP Select. My book has been exclusive on Amazon for a while now, but tomorrow and Thursday, February 15 & 16, the ebook version of River in the Sea will be free.
Free. Absolutely no cost. To anyone who downloads it off Amazon.
I could write much more...
January 2012
4 posts
Dear neglected blog,
I’m sorry. I have much to share with you; my reading at Tsunami with the wonderful Peter Brown Hoffmeister and the fabulous Miriam Gershow, for one. That was the reading where I had to stop and wipe my nose with toilet paper because it was running, and that was because I was crying…
And there’s the bout of crippling self-doubt I had that came out of nowhere, followed by some...
Freedom isn't free, but my book is!
Just a quick post to say that today, this lovely Friday the 13th, my novel, River in the Sea, is free via the wonderful WoMen’s Literary Cafe. Head on over there to download a copy for your ereader, or even to read on your computer in between checking your Facebook. :-) But hurry - this is for today ONLY.
Happy reading!
Sausage as euphemism, social media, and my 100th...
Like so many out there on the interwebs, I’d like to post my 2012 goals. But I’m still mulling those over, and in the interim, I thought I’d share a little tale about the wonders of social media.
In December, I had a goal of selling 100 books online.
NOTE: Before I go further, I know some of you might smile and think to yourself, shoot, I sell that many per day. And to you I...
December 2011
6 posts
2011, you came in like a horrible zombie...
… and went out like a, like a… a delightful fairy? Something happy and light but definitely not inconsequential. (I’m in the thick of my paranormal WIP, guess I have that on the brain. Except I’m not writing about brain-eating dead people or ethereal sprites, just one lonely ghost!)
This year has been, for lack of a better word, FULL. Lots of heavy things of a personal...
Thanks for stopping by, but...
… would you head over to Readinista instead? She was kind enough to interview me and host a giveaway of River in the Sea. Two lucky winners will receive either an ebook or paperback copy - your choice (mostly; if you’re international I prefer to give away ebooks. I’m not a bestseller with oodles of royalties…yet!)
P.S. The ebook of River is 99 cents for a few more days....
Got a Kindle for Christmas?
Or a Nook? Sony e-reader? Estimates suggest that FIVE MILLION people got Kindles for Christmas this year. WOW.
So I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that River in the Sea (historical fiction, WWII era), is available for download for 99 cents. The price will be going back up on January 1, 2012.
Here a couple of recent reviews to whet your appetite:
Great Imaginations
Portland Book...
Why you should buy your son a Kindle
(Or any e-reader, for that matter. But I’m partial to the Kindle.)
Let me explain.
Every spring I teach a seminar for freshmen college students called “Romancing the T(w)een: Sex, Love, and Gender in YA Literature.” It is the most fun I have teaching; we read Twilight, Forever, Rainbow Boys, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, and more. We also read some pretty...
Newsflash! Books make great gifts!
It’s getting closer and closer to gift-giving time, so I thought I’d share a few ways you can buy River in the Sea as a gift, either for someone else or yourself.
PAPERBACKS:
1) Buy from me direct:
Each book is signed and I will personalize it to whomever you choose. Email me to set this up (can’t get Paypal code to work, grrr.)
$12 per copy, with shipping at:
$3 for media...
The indie author and the indie bookstore
A few weeks ago I posted here, telling both Amazon and Google that they kinda sucked. They each make it difficult for indie bookstores to sell ebooks, and thereby make it hard for indie authors (yes I call myself that even though some feel it’s not entirely accurate and I should just stick with self-pubbed) to sell their digital wares through independent bookstores. With print in decline and...
November 2011
5 posts
Thanks.
Here’s what I am thankful for this November 24, 2011:
My family, in this house and strewn across the country.
My husband, who is mercurial and hilarious and difficult and always thinking of what he can do to be better to the world.
My dear friends, who I feel I have grown closer to over the last year, and remind me how powerful friendship is.
Enthusiastic readers. Emails and FB posts on...
Ode to my book cover
To be more accurate, this is an ode to my cover designer, Kai Persons.
When I first began researching self-publishing, I ran across the same advice, over and over:
Write a good book.
Polish it - edit, proofread, etc.
Format it VERY well.
Have a great cover.
This all seemed very obvious, but after reading some self-published work where the formatting was wonky and there were just too many...
To celebrate a successful giveaway, let's have...
I just completed my first Goodreads giveaway, with nearly 800 people signing up for it, despite 99% of them not having any idea of my book. Which, of course, is why authors do giveaways - to attract attention to the book at hand. I’m committed to the long haul with this book; sales are slow and maybe they will be for awhile. But right now I have three new readers who I’m sending books...
Goodreads Giveaway!
Hey everyone! I’m so excited to announce that I’m giving away three signed paperback copies of my book. ***Sign-ups end November 12***. Help me honor Veteran’s Day and celebrate the release of my debut novel!
Goodreads Book Giveaway
River in the Sea
by Tina Boscha
Giveaway ends November 12, 2011.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Enter to win
Funny story behind my author photo(s)
My husband is a very gifted photographer, and a few years ago I suddenly (and wonderfully) needed an author pic. (For an award, not for a publishing contract. Still.) We went to a scenic spot nearby and in about 15 minutes we got this photo:
Not bad. I was going for brainy and mature, which isn’t too difficult with glasses and a short cut. In real life, brainy and mature is much harder...
October 2011
3 posts
Dear Amazon and Google, you both suck. Kinda.
I suppose I should be careful here, as my book is listed on Amazon.com and I have, in my opinion, a very beautiful paperback version that is as professional looking as it could be without going through a Big 6 press, thanks to Create Space (an affiliate of Amazon). But as I am in a quandary regarding how to get my books (digital and print) into independent bookstores, I’m just feeling a ...
The sky is falling!
(Phew. A long time between postings. Sorry. Work and promo and being sick suck up a lot of time.)
Amid all of the work that goes into getting the word about my novel, I’ve also been reading blogs by other self-pubbed authors as well as articles on self-pubbing. It seems that within the span of a year the tone has shifted dramatically. It used to be, “Join in and ride the wave!...
Already my author bio is out of date.
This is part of my author bio: “Tina Boscha lives in Oregon’s Willamette Valley with her husband and stepdaughters along with two nutty boxers and two silly black cats.”
But sadly, now it should read “one silly black cat.”
We’ve known for a few days that Simon was gone, but didn’t know exactly when or where until late last night. He was twelve years...
September 2011
4 posts
3 tags
When your book is about your mother...
And, she’s, um, how do I say this without sounding crass? Still alive.
Here’s a pic of me and my mommy taken in early August:
At that point in time, she knew I was publishing the book, so clearly she still loves me.
All kidding aside, my mom is probably the biggest champion of this endeavor. It’s (hopefully) clear that my novel is based on her life out of love, admiration,...
5 tags
Genre-hopping and the new indie author
As a new indie author, I’ve been reading a lot about marketing and promotion and have stumbled many times onto the phrase “author brand.” Essentially, it seems that you should be a lot like your books - the way you write should sound like your book, even the look & feel of your site should mimic your books.
I see two problems with this, for me personally:
1) I have one book...
2 tags
Why this MFA grad went indie.
Pop on over to the About Me page, where I tell you in great detail that I have an MFA in fiction, received some awards/grants, obtained an agent, and independently published my novel, River in the Sea.
All these things are true, but let’s be honest: to some degree, as a newly indie author, I want to convince my readers and other writers that I have some legitimacy behind me. This is more...
Why hello there.
Hi! This is my first posting on the blog. Your current rest stop on the interwebs is my official web site where I’ll post info about my book, upcoming projects, crafting, and general musings. I’m new to the indie publishing world, but so far, it has been a satisfying, anxiety-inducing, and freeing experience. No regrets!
Hope to see some folks drop by and leave comments.
And this...
July 2011
1 post
