Marketing with Mandy~Aphrodite’s Apples Publishing Part II

Q: Tell us a little about your experience with Aphrodite’s Apples.

I remember way back when…in the summer of ‘05, first hearing the rumor of Aphrodite’s Apples on a Star Wars fanfic site. My faithful beta, PG, now known as Kayleigh Jamison, filled me in on the concept and asked if I wanted to submit a proposal. Sure, I figured. Why not? I’d just started writing erotica and hadn’t ever sent anything out into the wide world except my fanfiction. Sometimes ignorance really is bliss.

Heather and Kayleigh, AA’s owner and chief editor, accepted my novel, The Summoner, on three sample chapters and the promise that, ‘More good stuff was gonna happen.’ LOL I had no idea that such faith was an exception – not a rule – in the publishing industry.

Since then, I’ve had my fair share of acceptances from other publishers, and perhaps more than my fair share of rejections…but I’ll always remember AA as being my first. The first ones to say, ‘Yes, we want your story.’ So, no matter how often I stray, I’ll continue to reserve some of my work for the wonderful ladies at AA. ‘Cause that’s my way of saying, ‘Thanks for believing in me before anyone else did.’ J

Q: What tips/tricks do you use for marketing or promoting your own titles?

Marketing is tough. No doubt. I think many of us who write have no idea what we’re setting ourselves up for when we get that first ‘novel’ idea. It seems like after we’ve sweated and cried and deleted more words than we’ve actually put to paper – after we’ve cursed the fact that we want to write, and after we’ve celebrated the fact that we can write – it seems like after months of angst and elation, when we’ve edited our story for the thousandth time and have finally hit the send button on that fateful submission Email…Well, it seems like the hard part should be done, right? Doesn’t it seem that way?

No, no, no, dear heart! It’s after the acceptance that the fun really begins, for that’s when you realize that you have to – you simply must – stick your head in the monster’s mouth. Yep, may as well get comfy way down in Marketing’s saber-toothed maw, you’re gonna be there for a while. Bring supplies.

So, alright…tips you ask? Here’s what’s worked for me, and what really hasn’t:

· MySpace is grand. I’ve had wonderful exposure, my readers get to stay in touch, and the networking has been super. All good.

· Advertising is important, but really hit and miss until you get your bearings. Spend a lot of time researching where to use the finite advertising dollars you have and then, for God’s sake, stay within budget. The best $10 I’ve spent would have to be for a cover ad at The Romance Galleria – in their lobby. That 3D site is really taking off and is a great place to be seen, in my opinion.

· Keep your eyes open for the many fantastic free promo ops that are out there. Blogs. Author spotlights. Etc. I think this would be an excellent time to thank Ms Roth for having me, don’t you? Thanks very much, Mandy.

· Chats haven’t worked for me. I’ve given up on loop chats, and live ones are only productive if they’re big, heavily sponsored events with many different authors and publishers.

· The best advertising for a new author is word of mouth. Honestly. And to that end: hold some contests. People will read a book they’ve won whether it’s something they’d normally buy or not. What an easy way to attract new fans.

· Ask local hotspots if you can put up some flyers. Since I write a lot of M/M stuff I have ads posted at a few gay clubs around town. I’ve had some nice response from that alone.

· Call your city’s underground newspaper and buy a $20 ad, or – if you’re lucky and they’re looking for new article ideas – get them to write a piece on you.

· Submit to review sites. I’m not actually sure if this generates much interest, but hey, it’s a nice boost to read a positive review of your work every once in a while.

Q: What is one thing you’d want to tell a newer author, just coming into the game?

Above all, stay confident and keep writing. Bad reviews, low sales, rejections…ignore them. Sometimes it’s your 2^nd book, or maybe your 5^th, that’ll be the one to really take off, but when it does those readers are going to be checking out the rest of your work. Make sure you have stuff for them to buy.

Q: Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

I’ve been doing a lot of anthology stories lately and I’d rather tell you about my first full length novel with AA.

The Summoner started out as a single ‘what if’ question. You know those ‘what ifs’ everyone’s mind creates for them when they’re bored? My ‘what if’ that day was, ‘What if demons really hate being called demons?’ From there I imagined a beautiful winged man losing his temper when a ‘contemptible mortal’ insists on calling him a demon, despite his having corrected her more than once on the subject. “We prefer the name fallen!” And then I thought… what if the contemptible mortal he’s annoyed with is a feisty, no-nonsense young woman, and what if she says something like, “Yeah? Well, a thorn by any other name…” but then she runs, like any sane person would do when faced with a pissed-off demon.

That was as far as the initial thought took me, so I jotted the above down in my big spiral notebook where it sits to this day, amongst about two-hundred other story ideas – some just a paragraph, some a complete outline, and more than a few only one or two sentences. From these disjointed ramblings stories are born.

The Summoner ended up being a novel of which I’m quite proud. In it, I tried to grapple with concepts of good vs. evil, loyalty vs. love, and monogamy vs.…hmm, let’s leave that one open. The amusing thing is – I tried to explore these issues while weaving them into a pretty hard-core erotica piece. *snort* I think I may have pulled it off, too. It’s hard to know for sure, but so far reader response has been good.

Q: Can you tell us a little about your current WIP’s?

Ahh. Uhmm. Hmmm. Can any author really answer this question coherently? Surely I can’t be the only one who has fifty partials in their ‘In Progress’ folder. I suppose the ones closest to being completed are ‘Kalinar’s Serpent’ (soon to be changed to Kaleb’s Dragon, just haven’t got around to it yet) and Nashaar Unleashed, which I think will sell better if re-titled Unholy Desire. Yes. I believe I’ll do that.

Okay – quick and dirty plot synopses.

Kaleb’s Dragon is a science fiction/ erotica novel concerning the love triangle between a student, (Kaleb) his teacher, (a Sentinel Lord named Sasheul), and the woman, (Aiyanna) who loves them both. To add tension, war has broken out between the Sentinel Council and a race of illusive psionic aliens called the Drakk. Sasheul discovers that Kaleb is the Drakk’s ‘Dark Dragon,’ a powerful warlord whose coming has long been prophesized, and finds himself in spiritual crisis. Can he follow the twisted road his young student has begun to walk, or will a lifetime of rigid training force him to stand against the only man he’s ever loved? Stay tuned… This novel is on draft 1.5. I hope to have it out sometime in 08.

Unholy Desire is a paranormal erotica. I’ve done a small blurb on this one, so I’ll just provide that.

When Nashaar, a succubus, is accidentally unleashed on Earth, Devon and Beka have to rescue their friend Eric from her inner-circle and find a way to send the demon back to hell. The only way to get close to Nashaar is to join in on her unholy orgy. Will they be able to free Eric and banish the demon, or will Nashaar snare all three of them?

As the blurb suggests, this one is going to be another ménage (+) focused story, though Devon and Beka are the main love interest. I’m about 25,000 words into what I plan to be a 75,000 word novel. Hopefully, Unholy Desire will be available end of 08, beginning of 09.

I also have shorts coming out in Cleis Press’ Hard Hats anthology, and Starbook’s Press’ Don’t Ask, Don’t Tie Me Up: Military BDSM Fantasies anthology. Since these are currently in production and won’t be available until 08, I guess they count as WIP’s.

Q: Why do you like writing romance/erotica?

I like men.

Now, I know that sounds like a rather silly, overly simplistic reason. But it’s the honest to God’s truth. I write erotica because I like men. Hell, I love ‘em. I love pale, thin men and buff musclemen, angsty brooders and arrogant go-getters. I love ‘em all. And what I especially love is being able to write them into as many kinky, humorous and/or romantic situations as I can think of. The tragic hero who’s so tied up in knots over my heroine that his heart stutters and his palms grow damp at the sight of her. The cocky Alpha who finds himself being taken down a few pegs by my spirited leading lady – or lad, depending on the genre – and enjoying it.

I write in this genre because I derive immense pleasure from exploring the male psyche.

That’s it.

That’s all.

Long live the sexy guys who lurk in my imagination.

Q: What would you do if you weren’t a writer?

I’m an Interior Designer. At least, that’s what I went to school for and spent fifteen years doing. When my first son was born five years ago my husband and I decided that since I could, I should stay at home with him. A year and a half later I took my first writing class, mostly just to get out of the house and to talk to other adults about something – anything – not baby-related. Plus, I was afraid that my idle fantasy of finding the actor who plays Barney and shoving a size 18 dino foot right up his ass was becoming way too much of an obsession.

After the first writing course came another, then an erotic-specific one…after that I was too busy writing to take any more courses. I still do design on the side, and when my writing muse is playing hide & seek I paint the occasional landscape, or perhaps a wall mural for a friend. Sometimes I craft – most often around Christmas. But with a second little one running around biting at my ankles, and story ideas that multiply like goddamn bunnies in that spiral notebook of mine, I do those other things less and less. I guess what I’m saying is – if I didn’t write, I’d do something else creative, I always have. But I tell ya…I probably wouldn’t enjoy it as much.

LINKS:

http://www.alishasteele.com/

http://www.myspace.com/alishasteele

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sultrysirens/

Thanks again.

Alisha Steele

Marketing with Mandy ~ LA Taylor

Q: Tell us a little about your experience with Aphrodite’s Apples.

A: I’ve been with AA, as we affectionately call it, a year now, and my experience has been nothing short of tremendous. The administration, starting with owner H.S. Kinn, have been there for me 100%, always answering questions within days, or more usually, within hours. They have a great editorial staff, great artists, all of whom have been wonderful to work with. They’ve also been patient and supportive through a rash of recent upheavals in my life, and for that, I’m ever grateful. In short, I can’t imagine a better group.

Q: What tips/tricks do you use for marketing or promoting your own titles?

A: I admit that I’m still trying to become internet savvy and wish I was better at it. I do have a website and blog, and have made up business cards with my book covers on it, to hand out whenever I can. To start myself off, I emailed all my friends and family and presented myself as professionally as I could, with requests for them to pass on my info to their email lists. I’m also trying to learn more about the likes of Yahoo Groups, etc. I’m also a member of Science Fiction Canada on-line. I did a Vancouver radio interview in February, and got featured a few times in my hometown paper. The e-book format still has a tentative hold in Canada, but I believe it’s growing. I’m looking forward to print, forthcoming in a few months.

Q : What is one thing you’d want to tell a newer author, just coming into the game?

A: Have faith in yourself! There are so many fantastic writers and titles out there, it’s easy to get discouraged and believe your work will never be good enough to be noticed or sell well. You must believe that what you write is unique and can never be compared to anyone else’s work. We are all unique. Just keep the faith.

Q: Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

A: My two novels were released just weeks apart, but Solar Sensations is the latest. I actually wrote ‘Solar’ first, and I put my heart and soul into that one. I wanted to write an expansive epic, lush, yet gritty tale with mouth gaping action. Thrown in is the tenderness of an unexpected romance which appears to have absolutely no future. Yet, the forces of attraction cannot be denied, monstrous responsibilities notwithstanding. I love good subplots that weave tightly into the main story and leaving no loose ends. My personal triumph with Solar Sensations is believing that pulled this off. 

Q: What’s your favorite genre to write in and why?

A: When I was working in Saudi Arabia (1990-95) and writing Solar Sensations, I thought I’d start my own genre and call it, “Science Fiction Romance.” After my return to Canada, I learned that I wasn’t alone in wanting cross-over genres to become acceptable to publishers. The internet has since allowed a whole generation of new genre writers. I’m glad that so many have taken the risks I have and thrown out those old stuffy rule books.

I love this genre because of its flexibility. I love political thrillers with lots of action. I love romance, especially fueled by a great plot. But, to write contemporary romantic thrillers, you have to study world politics and make sure all your facts are right. With Sci-Fi, I can visualize the story, almost like a movie. I tend to avoid bizarre creatures with no purpose except to scare or create angst. To me, man’s inhumanity to man provides plenty of fuel. I do write contemporary romance, but instead of flying from country to country, you fly from planet to planet. This opens up the entire imagination with no restrictions or limits.

Q: Can you tell us a little about your current WIP’s?

A: Yes, I’m working on the sequel to Azar, or at least, trying to. I’m hopefully at the end of an Anis Horribilis (illness, divorce, and death, for starters) that has really stressed my creative mind, and I must say that I had hoped to have it finished by now. Instead, I’m months behind. There I go, having to tell myself to keep the faith and trust that I’ll get there, and I not lose my entire readership in the process.

As a diversion to the besieged sequel, I started a…get this…modern romance. Actually it’s science fiction in a way that it involves the space program in the very near-future era of manned space missions. It too has suffered delays recently, but it’s much fun, and will be great. Thank God for the song, “I Will Survive.” 

Q: What types of research do you do for your books?

A: I love doing research because, in my genre, it’s more fun than work. I study futuristic art the same way a nature writer might study the intricacy of bark on a tree. I don’t read as much as I’d like, but I study every line and see how writers use words, phrases, then seam things together. I read both science and political works in order to learn things like cockpit instruments, or the basics of a hyperdrive engine. It helps that most of this is still hypothetical, and that again gives me leeway.  I like political thrillers, and use them to learn more about how governments run, or fail to. I want to offer plausible politics in my books. This also attracts a wider audience. As for romance? I’m working on getting some hands-on experience—the best research possible, don’t you think?

 Q: Why do you like writing romance/erotica?

A: To me, life is first and foremost, romantic, so how could I not write about it? A book that offers little or no romance tends to leave me feeling as if something fundamental is missing. If you look at it, even the early Tarzan series that I was raised on were romantic. I admit, my whole life revolves around finding that perfect love, and this becomes possible on the page. On a positive note, having been thrown back into the “land of the looking” just a month ago will be good for my muse (and the wonderful, good looking guy next door has helped me see that I’m hardly dead yet! So…the research has begun. Oooh, what luck!).

 LINKS: 

http://www.lataylor.net/

http://alicethewriter.blogspot.com