The Long Road Back...

It's nice to know when someone disappears, they are missed. Particularly when I have been writing two books each year for the past several years, and two books per year have been published - one in the spring and one in the fall. And as I get back on track, there are four books scheduled for release in the upcoming 24 months.


My disappearance from the public eye began several years ago when I had to cancel part of a book tour due to a heart abnormality which resulted in the sensation that I had stopped breathing (actually, my heart was stopping), followed by a series of extremely rapid heartbeats as my heart rushed to catch back up.


I underwent a heart ablation, which literally everyone told me was a standard procedure and there was "nothing to it". I was on the table for about four hours, under general anesthesia, and the procedure was not successful.

And there was a complication.


Shortly after the procedure, I complained that my leg was hurting. I was assured that it was normal and it would soon heal. Not only did it not heal but I soon found myself almost unable to walk. I went through a variety of diagnoses and treatments from knee pain to arthritis to hip pain, but none of the medication worked and I began relying on a cane. Steroids resulted in a lot of weight gain, which put even more pressure on my leg.


Then, quite by accident, we discovered the root cause.


It turned out that during the heart ablation, I suffered nerve damage. And it turns out that approximately 10% of nerve damage is brought about by heart procedures. There is no cure for it, and in my case it created excruciating migrating pain from the bottom of my foot to the top of my hip.


Once we had the diagnosis, I was placed on Lyrica. That's when things became real interesting. The Lyrica immediately blocked the nerve pain, allowing me to begin to get back to my former self - physically. Unfortunately, a side effect was the inability to write. I simply could not focus. Even following a conversation was challenging. I stopped public appearances because I couldn't even focus enough on what I was saying.


Flash forward to today and I am on a different medication - Gralise, which was originally developed for nerve pain resulting from shingles, but which also has had a tremendous affect on my damaged nerve. It helps with the pain and I no longer feel as though I am in a thick mental fog. I have been able to exercise again and more importantly, I am getting back to my writing.


I have been incredibly fortunate because my doctor took me seriously and he stayed active in finding the cause, even though it took several years, specialists and tests. When I was ready to give up, he was not.


So now I am catching up on four books and if I can meet my deadlines now (fingers crossed!) they will be released in 2017 and 2018:

Near Neely Home (now gone) at Glencull,
outside the village of Ballygawley,
County Tyrone, Northern Ireland

1. The sixth book in the Black Swamp Mysteries series has political strategist Christopher Sandige paying a visit to a human genome specialist after her report landed on the President's desk - a report that could have catastrophic repercussions.
2. The seventh book in the Black Swamp Mysteries series has Dylan Maguire and Vicki Boyd heading to Dylan's native Ireland for their wedding. Of course Sam wants them to take care of a small CIA mission while they're on their honeymoon, which leads to another encounter with Dylan's past.
3. The third book in the Ryan O'Clery Mystery Series has the Irish detective investigating a series of disappearances that lead him to a prominent citizen's doorstep.
4. And another historical book about the Neely family. This one is inspired by my trips to Ballygawley, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, the home of my ancestors. In the 18th century, three brothers left Ballygawley for America and this book follows their lives as they chase the American dream. One became a pub owner in New York, another owned a fleet of sailing ships that took goods - and later Irish people fleeing from famine - between Ireland and America. The third became a successful rancher. His son, William Neely, would later clear the land around the original Fort Nashborough, and William's daughter, Mary Neely, would be captured by Shawnee warriors in 1780. (The rancher brother, by the way, is also my ancestor.)

In addition, I have had so many authors ask me for advice over the years that I have begun The Novel Business, a new website in which I'll be offering courses on everything from marketing and promotion to inside information on the publishing industry. Check it out if you have the chance.

It's great to be back!

Five Things Authors Do Wrong on Social Media

Here are five things that authors do wrong on social media:

 

1. You Don’t Have a Plan
   
   I know how difficult it is to go from a chosen profession as an author to a forced profession as a marketer, but only the most successful self-promoters will sell enough copies of their books to earn a decent living. Most authors hop on social media haphazardly, sometimes flooding their feeds and alternately ignoring them. You should always start with a plan or campaign: When will it start? When will it end? What is your message? What will you post to capture your readers’ interest? Even if you’re posting continuously, break it down into monthly campaigns. It will help you focus.
   
   
2. You Confuse Number of Followers/Friends with Success
   
   It isn’t the quantity that matters. It’s the quality. If you have a million followers but only 10 buy your book, that won’t convert to success as an author.
   
   
3. You’re Not Connecting with Your Ideal Audience
   
   This ties into Number 2 above. Take some time to look at your followers’ and friends’ feeds. Who are they? Where do they work? What are their hobbies? Are they buying your book? Tap into your ideal audience by finding out where they hang out and join them. Interact without the hard sell.
   
   
4. You’re Not Listening
   
   Successful marketers engage in Social Listening. A lot of authors flood their social media with advertisements for their books without reading others’ posts or establishing relationships. And today, it’s all about relationships.
   
   
5. You Give up Too Soon
   
   I’ve seen a lot of authors engage in a month-long campaign and then declare it a failure when book sales were not immediate. Consider your own buying habits. When was the last time you heard or read about a book that would interest you? Did you rush right out or click right through to buy the book immediately? Or did you make a note of it, planning to buy it sometime in the near future? Especially if books are sold through retailers such as independent book stores or brick-and-mortar chains, the sales might not be reflected in your royalties for another 3-6 months.
   
   Selling books is not a sprint; it’s a marathon. You can’t promote it for a month or six months or a year and then think it will grow legs and take off. Sure, some do. But we hear about those because they are not ordinary. The average author, whether traditional or self-published, must continue to market throughout their career.

 

Are you a successful author who has used social media to your advantage? What are your tips?

p.m.terrell is the critically acclaimed, multi-award-winning author of more than 20 books in several genres. She has been a full-time author since 2002, the founder of the Book 'Em North Carolina Writers Conference and Book Fair, and will soon be launching her advice column for authors of fiction, called The Novel Business. Learn more about her, read free excerpts from her books, and watch the book trailers at www.pmterrell.com.

The Changing Face of the Publishing Industry

Bowker released its annual Self-Publishing in the United States Report, and it’s worth noting even for traditionally published authors because it underscores the changes that are taking effect in the publishing industry.

Bowker is the official ISBN Agency for the United States, US territories and Australia, which means that all ISBN’s are issued through Bowker for these jurisdictions. Bowker was once known as R. R. Bowker and got its start way back in 1872 when they founded Publishers Weekly. It first published Bowker’s Books in Print in 1948, and in 1968 they became the official ISBN Agency for the United States.

When my first book was published in the mid 1980’s, around 75,000 titles were published that year. Compare that to 2015 in which 727,125 ISBN’s were issued to self-publishers according to Bowker’s Self-Publishing in the United States Report. This does not account for titles published by traditional publishers such as Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Harper Collins and Hachette.

Of those 727,125 ISBN’s (which represent a 375% increase over books published in 2010), 573,965 were printed books. To give you an idea of the increase in printed books as a result of changing technology, in 2010 only 114,215 titles were printed. By far, the biggest increase has been due to the rise and popularity of CreateSpace, who is owned by amazon and who printed 423,718 titles in 2015. Their nearest competitor—Lulu—printed 46,972 in that same period.

When we add ebooks into the mix, the field becomes even more cluttered. In 2010, only 38,763 ebook titles were generated. In 2015, there were 153,160—which actually showed a decrease from the year before, in which there were 172,511.

Self-publishers and small publishers (printing less than 100 books per year) are changing the face of the publishing industry. They are driving the growth and in an age in which almost anything can be sold on the Internet, they are changing the way in which books move from the author to the reader. 

Some years ago, there was a record store in every shopping mall. Today, they are increasingly harder to find. Some experts predict that books will go the same way: readers will browse and purchase online. 

As a reader, where do you buy your books? Do you still browse the shelves of a brick-and-mortar store? Or do you turn to an online source?

How do you find a new author? Is it through the recommendation of a librarian or physical bookseller, or is it online in social media? Or is it through advertising or other means?

p.m.terrell is the author of more than 20 books in several genres. A full-time writer since 2002, her first book was published in 1984, launching her computer business. It would take nearly 20 years for her to circle back around to her true love: writing. Take a look at her books, view the book trailers and read free excerpts at www.pmterrell.com. 

Free eBooks

Yesterday I was discussing a great book I'd read with a friend of mine, highly encouraging her to read it. It had been on the New York Times bestseller list in 1996, but let's face it: some books are great regardless of their initial release dates.

My friend turned to her mobile device, entered only a few keystrokes and the book instantly appeared on her screen.

"How did you do that so quickly?" I asked.

She explained that she entered "pdf" followed by the book title in a Google search engine (though any search engine would do). Up popped a website where the book had been converted to a PDF file, and with one click, she was able to read it for free in its entirety.

As you can imagine, I saw every color of the rainbow with this revelation. Authors, publishers and book stores (online or brick-and-mortar) do not get paid when a book is given away for free. And any book released over the last fifty years should be assumed to be copyrighted, unless the copyright holder has allowed it to lapse.

Later, I got out my iPad and began searching for my own book titles, followed by "pdf" in the search box. Sure enough, there were my earliest works - works that are still copyrighted, I hold the copyright, and yet there they were free for the taking.

Before I began writing full-time, I worked in the computer field. My specialties were computer crimes and computer intelligence. So I began investigating.

It didn't take long before I discovered that 100% of the websites offering my books for free were located in Russia, the Eastern Bloc (particularly the Ukraine), China and other countries that do not abide by U.S. laws. But that was not all that I found.

I discovered each of the files I investigated contained malicious software code - viruses, worms, trojans and bots.

The viruses could wreak havoc with any computer downloading the file. It can easily destroy information, overwrite legitimate files with malicious files, and propagate itself continuously, eventually making the computer unusable.

The worms were similar to the viruses, but they latched onto other legitimate software, extracting information from the software - information you don't want to share, such as user names and passwords and personal data.

The PDF files themselves are trojans. Trojans get their name from the method the Greeks used to infiltrate Troy's defenses - by delivering a trojan horse that contained warriors inside. The file looks legitimate - it appears to be an exact copy of a book, page by page - but it contains malicious software that, while the reader is reading away, it is busy extracting files, looking for passwords and personal data, and uploading the information to host computers halfway around the world.

In other words, it is stealing your identity, bit by bit.

A fourth malicious software I detected were bots. Bots got their name from robots, morphed into webbots, and finally simply called bots. They perform functions that humans normally would, but at lightning speed. For example, it could be labor intensive for a person to try and infiltrate another's computer and copy each of their email addresses out of their address books. But with a program to do it for them, while the reader is reading away, the bot is working in the background to extract each of the website addresses, which in turn serves as a server to send spam around the world. It can take mere seconds to accomplish.

Some of the files contained all four types of malicious software.

Are there really legitimate websites that allow a person to download a book for free, or are they all frauds?

There are legitimate websites. Before using a website, and most particularly before clicking on a link or downloading a file, check to see where the website is registered. It's a dead giveaway that the site is not legitimate if it's offering free books by U.S. authors out of the Ukraine or Russia. In one instance, I even found my books offered for free out of Australia - but the website was linked to others in China.

Second, look at the date the book was originally released. There are some books that are considered classics that were never copyrighted and are now in the public domain. In the United States, any work published prior to 1923 is considered in the public domain. If the author and/or publisher is located outside the United States, you must refer to that country's copyright law.

If the work was published between 1923 and 1963, the copyright had to be renewed every 28 years (U.S. law). A book that has had continued protection would list each of the copyright dates in the front matter. Each book had to contain the proper copyright notice and the copyright holder had to formally register it.

From 1964 through 1989, copyrighted books were deemed protected into the infinite future - meaning once it was copyrighted, it would always be considered copyrighted. The copyright holder had to complete formal copyright paperwork and the copyright notice had to be included in each book.

However, after March 1, 1989, copyright laws changed in the United States. Once the author puts pen to paper (or types the document), it is considered copyrighted. It does not need a formal copyright notice nor does it require formal copyright paperwork, though both are recommended to prevent the assumption that it is in the public domain. Works published after this date are copyrighted and protected throughout the life of the copyright holder (deemed to be the author unless otherwise noted) plus 70 years.

What does all this mean to you?

It means if you are downloading a free PDF copy of a book from an unknown source through the Internet, chances are the website is violating copyright laws - unless the book is considered in the public domain - meaning it was never copyrighted, is an old book whose copyright has expired, and was certainly released prior to 1964.

The only exception to this is if the copyright holder signed an agreement with the website to offer the work for free, which some authors do through legitimate sites - amazon, for example, often offers free eBooks because the copyright owner elected to allow readers to download it at no charge.

It also means if you're looking to get something for nothing, you might have just downloaded more than you bargained for.

Work in Progress - Writing AND Events

Last Friday on the Book 'Em North Carolina blogspot, I wrote about all I have been involved in with organizing the annual Book 'Em North Carolina Writers Conference and Book Fair. It has to be a labor of love because it takes so many hours out of every week, all year long. I've been very blessed and fortunate to have more and more people helping me out, taking on larger roles, and carrying more of the weight.

If you missed my blog, follow this link to find out how I spend much of my time when I am not actively writing.

I hope you'll join me for the next event - Saturday, February 22, 2014 I'll be at Robeson Community College in Lumberton, North Carolina. For more information, click here.

Tuesday Teaser - Wrapping Up

My next book, The Pendulum Files, is due to be released this March and I am spending this week finishing up the last of the edits. When my first suspense was published, it took more than a year for the book to go from the editing phase to the bookshelves. Now it seems the process has sped up like supersonic jets. Sometimes the book cover is completed and online before I am halfway finished writing the first draft.

This year I have committed to finishing three manuscripts: the first, the one I am editing now, is still scheduled for release on March 17, 2014.

The second will be the sequel to The Tempest Murders, which placed as one of four finalists in the 2013 USA Best Book Awards. The Tempest Murders has also been nominated for the 2014 International Book Awards. I have pieces of the plot in my mind and the general outline has already been done and accepted. The target date for publication if I meet all my deadlines is the fall of 2014.

The third book is the 6th in the Black Swamp Mysteries series, which has Vicki and Dylan returning to Ireland for their honeymoon. Of course, things will not go as planned and Vicki will find out exactly what Dylan's Mam meant when she said that "in Ireland, the veil is thin"!

Just a few years ago, I couldn't imagine writing three books in one year. But like anything, I have found that the more I write (which is every day) the faster the writing becomes. And my editors tell me that they have fewer edits each time around, which I hope means I am getting better.

2014 Trend: Ladies' Braids

Last week I watched a television show on 2013 trends. One trend, which is expected to intensify through 2014, was hairstyles that included braids.

I found this very interesting because in my latest release, The Tempest Murders, Irish Detective Ryan O'Clery has a total fascination with long tresses that are pulled into braids or buns. It turns out that his ancestor, Rian Kelly, the man whose memories O'Clery relives in his dreams, had the same fascination.

Here is an excerpt from The Tempest Murders. It's been referred to as "the bathtub scene" between Rian Kelly and his lover, Cait O'Conor:

Leaning against him with her back against his chest was the woman he loved more than life itself.


She ran her hands along his legs as they rested on either side of her, sending a surge of emotion through him. “If we stay here much longer,” she was saying, “we’re likely to look like a couple of prunes.” She lifted one shapely leg out of the water as if to prove her point and he found himself staring at a birthmark that looked like a dainty dragonfly had landed on her ankle.

“Don’t make us move yet, Cait,” he answered. “It feels too good. I want this moment to last forever.”

She turned her face toward him and smiled. Her hair was pulled on top of her head in a loose, quickly arranged bun and he considered grabbing the pin that held it in place and allowing it to cascade over his body. But he knew the length of the brown tresses would reach the water and she’d made it clear in a gentle way that she wanted to keep it dry. He knew once they climbed out of the bath, she would allow her hair to escape from its confines and it would surround them as it had just an hour ago during their passionate lovemaking.

And later in the same scene (because it gets rather steamy):

When their ardor grew too intense for the bath’s confines, she reluctantly pulled back from him, her fingers lingering even as she rose to her feet. Now he had an unencumbered view of a body that might not have been perfect but it was perfect for him. The candlelight danced over skin that was taut and ivory as most Irish skin can be; the small of her back gently sloping to a full derriere that he couldn’t resist leaning forward and kissing as his arms wrapped around her thighs. He was gentle enough not to cause her to lose her balance and when she turned toward him in a flirtatious, playful manner, his kisses swept around her body.


As he glanced upward, her breasts enticed him and her hands moved from his hair to her own. She pulled the pin, releasing her tresses so they cascaded across her shoulders and down her back. Her hair always threatened to send him over the edge; it was carnal this hold she had on him, and he felt himself a willing prisoner.

The Tempest Murders was one of four finalists in the 2013 USA Best Book Awards (cross-genre category) and is a nominee for the 2014 International Book Awards. You can buy it at any book store or through amazon in trade paperback or Kindle format. It is also available for iBooks, the Nook and other eFormats.

New Year's Resolutions - Just a Wish List?

The holidays are over, the decorations put away, and as people around the world get back to work, it's time for those New Years Resolutions. No doubt what tops a lot of lists are losing weight, getting more exercise, eating healthier... And among my author friends I've heard selling more books and writing more books.

Do you know what can make the most significant difference in a resolution that is fulfilled versus one that fails miserably?

A plan.

If you want to lose weight, for example, but you eat the same way today as you did last month and last year, how can that help you reach your goal? Short and simple: it can't. It simply becomes a wish for something to happen. Sometimes wishes come true. But most often, we have to make them happen.

Once an author understands the process of writing and is getting their books published and in the hands of the readers, the whole dynamic changes to selling those books. And as many of my author friends know, simply stating that you want to sell more books does not make it happen. You need a plan.

There is not one-size-fits-all; that one solution that works for any and all writers.

I know authors who concentrate on in-store book signings and appearances, connecting one-on-one with their readers and book store staffs. They rack up thousands of miles of travel each year, living out of suitcases and hotel rooms, always moving from one place to another and rarely getting home.

I know others who tout the power of a blog. They blog seven days a week, day in and day out, rarely if ever taking one day off. They spend their days conversing with blog followers, visiting their followers' blogs, leaving comments and socializing, all in an attempt to get those followers to like them well enough to buy their books.

I know other authors who spent their time growing Twitter followers, who are constantly checking to see who follows them, unfollowing those that don't socialize, following more in the hopes that they'll be more loyal followers. It's a numbers game, seeing how many followers they can amass, setting goals that are consistently rising, all in an attempt to grow that platform.

Other authors lock onto Facebook day after day, some posting what they're eating for lunch, the results of their last doctor's visit, and what they see out their window. Their goal is to connect with their readers on a personal level, assuming that if they know them a little better, they will buy and read their books.

There are more social networks than this blog could ever mention - from Pinterest to LinkedIn to GoodReads and thousands more... And over this past year, I've met authors and publishers who tell me I MUST be spending hours a day on each of these websites in order to sell books.

If you are an author and you want to sell more books this year, how will you do it? If you simply want to sell more but you don't have a plan, it's nothing more than wishful thinking.

If you have a plan, what is it? Are you going with the tried-and-true, or are you trying something new and different?

If you don't have a plan, maybe your New Years Resolution should be to put together a plan for reaching your goal.

Whatever your resolution might be, I wish you the very best of success with it!

Admired People of 2013

The days leading up to the new year are always my favorite. They give me the opportunity to reflect upon the last year and to prepare for the coming one. I always enjoy the television shows about the most influential people of the year, and I always get misty-eyed when I see all the faces of those who passed away.

I didn't want this year to come to a close without weighing in on my own Most Admired List of People in 2013. Though I am not Catholic or Methodist or Jewish, there are people of those faiths on this list. Some people you have no doubt heard about, and others who you probably haven't. But all have influenced the world in a positive way in 2013.

#1 : Pope Francis

I've never been to the Vatican and will never be privy to the inner workings of the inner-most circle. But it has to be nothing short of miraculous for a Pope to lead followers in new directions, modernizing the church and banishing the old order. I admire Pope Francis for leading his people into a path of brightness. He will no doubt be recognized as one of the greatest popes who ever lived.

#2 : Nelson Mandela

It's easy to focus on those who have done us wrong in one way or another, and many of us stubbornly hold onto old prejudices and beliefs. Imagine how difficult it must have been for a man who was not treated as a man but as something less, to be imprisoned, forced into hard labor, beaten down both physically and mentally... To emerge victorious. Mandela showed the world what it is to forgive. His life was an example of a beacon that refused to be extinguished, and of a light that I hope will last far into the future.

#3 : Neelley Hicks

Neelley Hicks works for United Methodist Communications. In the past, she has worked toward eradicating malaria in third world countries and on improving the life of the poor throughout the world. She is now working on Information and Communications Technologies for Development (ICT4D), a project that can revolutionize the world as it brings the Internet, cell phone technology and computer technology to the poorest of the poor in the least advanced countries. She works tirelessly, giving of herself, her energy and her time, to improving mankind.

#4 : Michael Feinstein

Michael Feinstein is the CEO of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington (Washington, DC). I've known him for about twenty years and for almost ten years, he has mentored me. I know I am not the only one he mentors; he gives of his time and his energy without judgment, and he's shown patience when most folks would have been tempted to throw up their hands. Yet he never asks for anything in return. His work through JCCGW and personally is far-reaching and life-changing.

#5 : Mickey Gregory

Mickey Gregory is the Executive Director of the Lumberton Visitors Bureau in Lumberton, North Carolina. She works tirelessly to improve Lumberton and Robeson County, pulling together business leaders, community organizations and individuals from all walks of life. She seems to be everywhere at once: from early in the morning until well past evening, seven days a week, she is attending community events, making telephone calls, giving talks, answering emails - and never taking "no" as a final answer. She is undoubtedly one of the key players in taking Lumberton from a farming community into a new, exciting era as a tourist destination.

#6 : Mary Ann Masters

Dr. Mary Ann Masters is an Optometrist but she is on this list because of her vision for the Arts. She resurrected the Robeson County Arts Council, which had been dormant for several years, and has spear-headed efforts to revitalize Robeson County, North Carolina as an arts community. She has pulled together artists from theatre, the visual arts, the literary arts and more, helping to develop events that attract tourists from around the country, and profiling the vast talents of artists and artisans in this community.

There are many people, both well-known and obscure, both great and small, who help to make their communities and the world around them a brighter, better place to live. I salute each and every one of you!

Who has made a difference in your life this past year?