Newsletter #99 — Deeply Felted Flowers
February 1, 2025
Newsletter #99 — Deeply Felted Flowers
Exit Velocity Photos — I'm always looking for new ways to graphically advertise my books. I've used several different web sites and continue to use Canva. But based on suggestions, I'm also trying to photograph some of my books on my own, with interesting props. According to BookBub, this appeals to readers.
Here's my first attempt: a photograph of Exit Velocity next to a vase containing felted flowers which we bought at the Swedish American Museum a few years ago. I've titled it "Felted Flowers, Deeply-Felt Story." In concentrating on the "felted" part of the title, I wasn't even aware of the Deeply double entendre.
After I took the photo I imported it to Canva and added the QR code. And now I'm madly (maybe even deeply) pondering other possibilities: boots? baskets? parrot feathers? (where would I get any?) donuts? gardens?
Septology — Not too long ago I read a book review in Publishers Weekly that caused me to look twice. The review stated that the novel was the first in a septology. A septology??!! I'm contemplating writing a trilogy and am finding that daunting: a septology is out of the question. But I did notice that the first book is only 160 pages long. My novels are usually around 350 pages, which means three of my books would total maybe 1,050 pages. Seven of the 160-page books would total 1120. Not that much of a difference in the number of pages. The difference is in how the story is conceived of and divided. I can think in threes, I'm pretty sure. But not in sevens.
Pithy Review— My thanks to Norma D for this pithy comment on Amazon. Reviews and reactions, be they long or short, all help sell books.
CONvergence 2025— Yes! I've just received notice that I have been assigned a vendor's booth at CONvergence 2025, which takes place in Minneapolis July 3-6. I do hope that some of my proposed panel topics are accepted, and that I'm a panelist, but I won't know that until late March. But the vendor's table is very important.
Now I have to figure out how many books to order, how many Readers Favorite seals to order (I'm out of the first 250) and so on.
Setting— My February 1 blog post is titled "The Past Is Always There."