Author: K. Rowe

K. Rowe is an experienced and prolific multi-genre author. She draws from over twenty years of active Air Force service. Kathy lives in eastern Kentucky with her husband and a zoo of farm animals. Among her many duties she finds time to offer services as a publishing consultant for new authors. Learn more about Kathy from Facebook, and her Amazon author page.

How the Smashwords Summer eBook Sale Can Give You a Boost

smashwords-logoI’ve been on Smashwords since November of 2010. Admittedly, it’s still not as widely known as the mighty Amazon or iBooks, but folks are learning about it. If you’re a new author, it’s a great place to sell your work because unlike Amazon, you can set the price as free in order to gain new readers.

For the last several years, Smashwords has done their July Summer/Winter (yes, it’s winter Down Under) sale. Who doesn’t love a sale? Right? Well, for us starving authors, this is a fantastic way to possibly earn a few bucks. The website has been set up to allow authors to discount their books in varying rates. They make it easy as pie to offer these discounts — even marking them down to free if you’re trying to get folks interested in a new story or series. Continue reading “How the Smashwords Summer eBook Sale Can Give You a Boost”

Maximum Effort, Minimum Profits for an Author Event

Louisville Comic ConSometimes, despite the best planning and execution, stuff doesn’t go right. As an indie author, you should always keep this in mind. It’s especially true when doing book events. In March, I attended a large local comic con. Deciding that wasn’t enough punishment (we minions are hard-headed!), I signed up for one in Louisville, the Derby City Comic Con, which is three hours from my home.

Comic Cons are a longshot for authors because most folks are there to see celebrities and get comics. Not many are looking for their next great novel. But it’s a good venue to meet and greet thousands of people and hopefully get your name out there. Despite the March con being financially painful, I thought I’d take lessons learned and see if I could shave $$s off this one. The price for the booth was $100 less than Lexington, which made me happy. I already had bookmarks, business cards, a banner, and a good stock of books. My illustrator invited me to crash on his sofa (he lives in Lexington and Louisville is roughly 1hr 20min away), so I’d be driving more, but not having to pay for a pricey hotel. And I’d stocked up on munchies so I didn’t have to buy expensive concession foods. I thought all was going to be good. Continue reading “Maximum Effort, Minimum Profits for an Author Event”

Author Promos on the Cheap (or even better — FREE!)

dar's adventures in space comic
Photo courtesy of Comics and Games in London, KY (click to enlarge)

Face it, most Indie authors are strapped for cash. We can’t always afford to put out hundreds to thousands of dollars for promotions. We need quick, easy, and preferably FREE. So here’s one way I managed to sell a few books, had a fun time, made a few contacts, and became a more accessible part of the local community.

I don’t have any comic books, but I’m in the process of working with an illustrator to create one. (see: IU post) But that didn’t stop me from going to a local comic book store and inquiring if they had any upcoming events where I could set up a table and sell books. The owner was very cool — especially when I told him I was working on a comic, and said there was going to be National Free Comic Book Day in May (May 7th it was). The store was going to be hosting an event that ran from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and I could set up and try to create interest in my books. Yes! Continue reading “Author Promos on the Cheap (or even better — FREE!)”

The Cost of a Comic Con for an Indie Author

Comic Con Lexington K. Rowe BoothA couple of months ago I wrote about becoming a vendor at a local comic con. Now that all is said and done, I’m ready to tell you how much it cost, and what I gained from it. For a first time experience, I can’t exactly say what the gold standard is, but I can share my experiences as an author in a widely commercial setting.

Okay, let’s crunch some numbers. I have to admit, it was a good case of sticker shock. For an Indie author, going to an event such as this is a leap of faith. And I was crazy enough to take that leap. These totals are for the three-day Lexington Comic and Toy Convention (Kentucky) which started on a Friday evening and ran until Sunday afternoon. My big plan was to debut a new release so folks would feel like they were getting in on something new and great — and that idea worked!

Here is the breakdown for you: Continue reading “The Cost of a Comic Con for an Indie Author”