July 2020 Author Chat Recap

July 22 – Recap of Last Night’s Author Chat. I posted a link to the video, but here’s an overview of what we discussed.

Shannon gave an update of how the edits are going. She posted in the chat some trending issues she’s seen in both the books as well as the proposals that we’ve received.

The list-building contest ended last night. We wound up with 524 signups. One was me, as a test, so really 523. Great job, y’all! We reached our goal of at least 500! I had the contest software choose the winners, and I’ll post those on our Facebook page later today and contact them.

Monthly unit sales contest – Neena is pulling away from the pack. She briefly shared some of the things she has done to increase sales. Great job, Neena!

Influencers – I plan to finish the setup of the Influencers part of our website. They will have a community area just like the authors, and that’s where they can find downloads. I have a few more influencers to contact with the link, but if you have any reader friends you think might like to be part of this, please share this link with them (https://scriveningspress.com/influencers). This group will be limited because we can’t just give books away to everyone. 😉

Scrivenings Press Blog – There are still some July slots available for those who wish to participate on the main blog at Scrivenings Press. If you want to blog this month, here’s the link to sign up – https://scrivenings.link/julyblogposts. I’ll try to get the August schedule up by the end of this week. Maybe we’ll have more bloggers next month.

If you haven’t yet set up your profile pic and cover image on the author community of our website, please do so soon. We’re going to use that area more and use Facebook less. To get to the author area, click the LOGIN tab on the main menu to log in. Here’s the link to the author area directory: https://scriveningspress.com/author-area-content/ I’m going to start posting updates there as well as our Facebook group, beginning with this one. Some people are limiting their time on social media for a lot of reasons, so we need a safe place to communicate. That’s why I set up this community on our website.

Book Orders – You can get the 50% off author copies through July 31. After that, the rate will revert to the regular 40% off of retail. Author copies of new releases can be ordered at the 50% discount for the first 30 days. All author book orders will be pre-paid via PayPal. Once notification of payment has been received, I will place your order and email you a confirmation.

Beth Westcott gave a report from the recent conference she attended in Montrose, Pennsylvania. (https://www.montrosebible.org/OurEvents/tabid/113/page_550/1/eventid_550/1362/Default.aspx) It was great that she was able to attend an in-person conference, as so many of them were online only or canceled completely this year. She shared about the main class she attended, which was based on the book Tailor Your Fiction Manuscript (https://www.amazon.com/Tailor-Your-Fiction-Manuscript-Days/dp/0989106497). I browsed through the Table of Contents this morning, and this looks like an excellent book. I ordered a copy. Thanks, Beth, for sharing with us about your conference and introducing us to this book!

Our first book that wasn’t republished from Mantle Rock will release in just a few weeks—Kokopelli’s Song by Suzanne Bratcher. This book is Young Adult Fantasy based upon Hopi Lore. It launches her new series: Four Corners Folklore Fantasy. Each book will be set in one of the Four Corners states. Kokopelli’s Song’s primary setting is New Mexico. You can read the book’s description and watch the video trailer here: https://scriveningspress.com/book/kokopellis-song/

Suzanne is a gifted writer. I have said more than once she can make a sentence sing. Here’s an example from this book:

“A rifle cracked, splintering the night into a thousand fragments of fear.”

Retreat – Spring 2021. Nothing is set in stone, but start saving now so you can attend our first (hopefully annual) Scrivenings Press Writers Retreat. I’m looking at the weekend two weeks after Easter, so April 16-18. I’ve looked at a few venues in Hannibal, Missouri (Mark Twain’s hometown), and the Holiday Inn Express has a classroom that will seat 30 people. The person who schedules that space is supposed to be in the office today, so I plan to call her and see about rates, etc. That would put us in a business-class hotel with a reasonable rate. Plus, unlike some Marriott’s, HIE offers free wi-fi and free parking. The registration fee will be $100. So, you’ll need to budget for travel, two nights lodging, and meals. Breakfast is included at HIE, but there isn’t a restaurant on site at this hotel. I’m pretty sure we can include at least one meal in the registration fee, but again, we haven’t made any official plans yet.

Writer’s Contest. Another hopefully annual event will be the Scrivenings Press Writers Contest. Shannon & I have both judged a LOT of contests, so she had the idea of us sponsoring a contest. The Grand Prize will include a publishing contract and paid registration to our upcoming retreat. (Only the registration fee will be included – not lodging or travel expenses – maybe next year we can foot the bill for the whole enchilada.) I’ll be getting the details posted on the website ASAP, but the main points are: This is open to published (indie or traditional) and/or unpublished authors. We may split the categories for other prizes, but I’m pretty sure there will be only one grand prize. Other prizes will include thorough critiques from Shannon, who does a great job at that, plus Amazon gift cards. The entry fee will be reasonable – $25. Scrivenings Press authors will not be eligible to enter, however we will need your help promoting and perhaps judging. Elena has volunteered to be the contest coordinator, so all entries will be sent to her, and she’ll send them to the appropriate judges. Shannon and I will judge the final round. The contest will run from August 1-September 30 (probably). Only completed manuscripts will be eligible. We don’t want to offer a contract to a book that isn’t yet written. 😉 We will work out the details and post it to the site, but what we need from YOU is to make a list of friends you know who would like a traditional publishing contract (if they’re an indie author) or a friend who is seeking a new publisher or a friend who isn’t yet published. This is a great opportunity for someone out there with a great book. The whole point of the contest is for Scrivenings Press to discover new talent. So, please make a list of as many author/writer friends who would be interested. Then, when the details are posted to our website, I’ll let y’all know the link. Thanks!