I have made several attempts to write this entry, each of them sounding like I’m having a nervous breakdown. Which perhaps wasn't far from the truth. It has certainly been a time of high anxiety, but I’m out the other side.

Before I explain, I’d like to say a big thank you to anyone who has bought a copy of If Looks Could Kill.  I'm honoured that anyone has chosen my book to read.

And, of course, I hope that you are enjoying it. 

If you did buy a copy in the first couple of weeks, you are now proud possessor of a rare first edition. I have republished and there is now a second edition, complete with its own very special ISBN, not the Amazon version, but an author-owned one that I thought would give me more flexibility. 

I have gone through the steps to register this more widely recognised ISBN and of contacting the company that supplies Waterstones, thinking that perhaps I could get my book into a high street bookshop. However, it seems that for this strategy to work, I'd need to become not only the book’s writer and publisher, but also its distributor. I’d buy and receive books from Amazon, then post them in a box to Gardners the wholesalers who would respond to orders from my local bookshop. To break even, given this convoluted arrangement, I’d have to set a £14 RRP which seems insane. Each time I sell a book on the internet, I earn £1.55. The rest of the £10 price goes in printing costs and Amazon’s rake-off. I’m still trying to accept the idea that I’m an author with a trickle of money going into my bank account, at an age when I thought I was long past my earning sell-by-date, and when it seemed a book on the bookshelf would only ever be someone else’s dream come true. But at least I’m getting something.

The future of my book then is on the internet. And it seems that once you’ve thrown in your lot with Amazon, you are committed to the world of online marketing and distribution. Amazon may be frighteningly powerful, but for an author, its size isn't necessarily all bad. Waterstones has proved to be out of my reach, my local independent bookshop reacted with horror to my suggestion that an Amazon-printed book should darken its door, but Amazon, the rapacious retailing behemoth, does, after all, have a huge market and world-wide reach. I’d need to sell thousands of copies to make much money from my book, so I’m not holding out hopes of that. But it would be good for Connie to find her way out into that wider market. 

What that requires is a marketing strategy. I need to don my publicist's hat.

My first line of attack is to get some reviews (preferably good ones!).  People don’t generally buy a book without first checking the reviews. If there’s a book without any stars or evidence that anyone is willing to give up a bit of time to write about their experience of reading, a buyer might feel like they are the first person ever to give this particular author the benefit of the doubt. However interesting or tempting the book sounds, they might put off their purchase until another time… 

Thankfully, a few If Looks Could Kill reviews are beginning to trickle in on both Amazon and Goodreads, but this blog entry is my plea for more! 

If you have read and enjoyed, please, valued reader, take a few moments to tell others about your experience…

And here is my user-friendly guide to writing a short review (did I mention that I used to be a high school English teacher?)! First, jot down some answers to these questions…

1. What do you think about the plot? Were you hooked at the start? Did the story keep your interest? What about the ending - were there any surprises/twists (of course, you won’t want to give any spoilers away!)?
2. What were the main ideas that the book explored? Was there anything that made you feel uncomfortable? Was the book too long or too short?
3. Did you like the characters? Were they believable? Did you care about them?
4. What about the writing style? Was there too much/too little description? Was it easy or difficult to read?
5. Did you like the cover?
6. When you finished the book, did you feel it lived up to its promise in the blurb? Was the book memorable? Would you recommend it to a friend or your book group?

If you’ve answered these questions, adding anything else you think relevant, you’ve gone a long way to completing your review. Now all you need to do is give it a title and a star rating on Amazon (if you’re eligible), Goodreads, my Facebook page or elsewhere. 

I am really grateful for every review I receive! And who knows, you may inspire someone else to read!