Show your favorite authors some love!

Once again my publishers placed my first novel Rain Song as a free download on Kindle. The rankings on Amazon were great. For two months, Rain Song was on the top-sellers listings on Amazon. There were days it was at #34 and then at #53. It was even #1 in Christian romance and contemporary. Free, of course. So in reality, my novel wasn't "selling" at all because how do you sell something if it is already being given away for free?

As of September 1, Rain Song is no longer free. I was certain that it would no longer be on the top charts of Amazon either.

Because it's true, people love free. People will take free over paid.

So I wrote the following yesterday:

Some readers are only willing to "purchase" a book if it is free. I think the logic behind the marketing department of a publishing house is that a customer will get the free book, read it, like it and then want to read other works by the author. In theory that sounds great. Many wrote to tell me how much they enjoyed Rain Song, people I didn't know before. As a result I have lots of new Facebook friends. Some said that they would be reading my other novels, now lumped together on Amazon as the Heart of Carolina Series.

Reviews went up, too. There were only 184 reviews two months ago and after my novel's two months of freedom, there are now 291 reviews. I imagine some are good in order to keep it at a four-star rating, and I know some are poor. (I have given up reading reviews because my reactions to the bad ones made my husband crazy.) I have found that many times when a book is free, readers don't treat it as an investment (because it's not) and might lightly scan it, not bother to get into it, but feel free enough to add a "not so favorable" review based on the one or two pages read.

I like seeing my books on any top chart, free or not. I thrive on hearing from readers. I like meeting new people.

But when folks ask what is next for me and when my next book is coming out, I want to say, "You know, you can't keep writing just cuz you want to. An author has to make money with her writing in order to continue to be picked up by publishers."

If you like an author's work, why not help an author by actually spending money on a book? If you like her writing style and story lines, why not promote her so that others can also be introduced to her work?

Rain Song is no longer a free Kindle read on Amazon. Free is over and with it, all the hype it generated. Now it goes back to being a book that you need cash to purchase. Even so, it's only $2.60.

The way I see it, if a reader really wanted to show me some love, she or he could skip the second cup of morning coffee at Starbucks or at the Circle K and buy Rain Song. Or any one of my other four novels--How Sweet It Is, Hatteras Girl, A Wedding Invitation and Still Life in Shadows.

And I just might be able to continue to write and make my publishers (Bethany House and River North/Moody) happy.

Update, update!
Today I checked my babies (i.e. books) rankings on Amazon and lo and behold! Yes, lo and behold. What did I find? Rain Song is being bought! By Amazon readers! It is now on the top-sellers for Kindle Paid Books. #8 in Christian contemporary fiction. How Sweet It Is is at #13 in the same category.

Did somebody get the word out that writers need to make a living? If that was you, thank you!

I hope the great rankings continue, but I'm not holding my breath. For right now, I am surprised, grateful, pleased, and ready for another cup of Earl Grey tea.

Rain Song on Amazon.

Selling Books Like A Client Advisor

Selling Books Like a Client Advisor

By Alice J. Wisler


My husband Carl makes a tasty beef stroganoff, cleans the kitchen after cooking, is an attentive listener, and when asked, will give his opinion. He also sells used cars. Of course, you would expect that the company where he's employed - BMW - would come up with a classy name for its used car salesmen. They are known as client advisors. And the cars aren't called used; they are pre-owned. During his first weeks at BMW, Carl still had a lot to learn about each feature of the cars in stock, but even so, he was praised. His ability to engage with customers was appealing to the management. He'd also sold a number of cars, and one of his clients invited both of us to his annual Christmas party.

As authors with books, we can learn from client advisors. True, what each of us really wants is to sell is a 328i or a romance novel. But the manner in which we do our selling is key to staying credible and authentic in a society that is filled with irritating sales folk. Plenty of authors push their paperbacks as though they are better than immortality. This can be exhausting for the customer. The real question to ponder is, do you care about your readership? Does it show?

The other day I read a post on a business blog, promoting a particular author. This blogger was impressed with the author for the way in which he responded to email messages. "He is quick to write back, unlike typical authors." I read between the lines: Unlike most authors, who either don't respond, or take forever to do so, this author cares. Write to him. You won't be wasting your time.

I know one thing: I don't want to be that author who neglects her audience. I want to be like the salesman at Lowe's, who claims, "In the fourteen years that I've been a salesman, I've always made it a point to meet my customers' needs first. It's not about selling what I want them to buy, but finding out what meets and suits their needs." His customers even followed him when he transferred to another store in town.

In a similar fashion, my sister-in-law, a massage therapist, asks her newsletter subscribers for their advice. "Tell me how I can make your experience better," she writes. She wants her readers to lead enhanced lives, offering details about workshops she's attended that have helped with her mental and physical health. She's looking at the whole person, not just that they get their muscles taken care of by her.

In their book, The Heart of Marketing: Love Your Customers and They Will Love You Back, authors Judith Sherven and Jim Sniechowski are more interested in creating a relationship than closing a sale. They use the soft-sale approach to marketing products and services as opposed to the bottom-line driven method. Much recognition has been given to them as they lead others in this heart-inspired style of doing business.

As you market your books, don't be so focused on the sale, but on the buyer. Naturally, you want him to buy a book or two (how about ten?), but there is more to life than your book. You can tell him how helpful the book is with its tips on collecting butterflies or growing petunias. Or for a novel, you can tell of its merit due to reviews you've receivedóhow others have found it enjoyable. But if you are vain, prideful, or snotty, you can turn customers off. Listen to those who come to your book signings. Engage in their thoughts and comments about what makes them tick. Let it be about them, and they will remember how good you made them feel. Follow this rule of the heart and watch your readership grow.

You, too, can become a caring client advisor!

[This article was first published in the July 07, 2010 issue of WritersWeekly.]

~ Alice J. Wisler loves it when her husband cooks dinner so that she has more time to create characters for her Southern novels. While she feels everyone would benefit from reading about Ducee and her pineapple chutney-making rituals (RAIN SONG), bandana-wearing Jonas and his swinging wrench (HOW SWEET IT IS), and Aunt Sheerly's enthusiasm for winning the Kitty Hawk song competition (HATTERAS GIRL), her children remind her that there is more to life than her novels published by Bethany House. However, she's sure they wouldn't mind if you ventured to her website to read more, sign up for her newsletter, or comment on her blog: http://www.alicewisler.com

After Christmas Novel Sale

Want an after Christmas special just for being at my blog?

Of course you do! My novels go well with that flavored coffee Santa brought you.

So act now!

Order any one of my five novels for only $14.00.

Rain Song
How Sweet It Is
Hatteras Girl
A Wedding Invitation
Still Life in Shadows


Yes, order any novel for $14.00 (includes S/H). I'll sign each one. Order by January 3, 2013! The offer ends then.

Send a check for $14.00 to:
Daniel's House Publications
c/o Alice Wisler
201 Monticello Avenue
Durham, NC 27707

OR

Use the Paypal tab below. The menu drops down; choose your selection.

Choose a novel for only $14.00

Option 1---Rain Song $14.00 USD Option 2---How Sweet It Is $14.00 USD Option 3---Hatteras Girl $14.00 USD Option 4---A Wedding Invitation $14.00 USD Option 5---Still Life in Shadows $14.00 USD

Don't send fruitcake; send bread in a can!

Christmas is coming. Instead of fruitcake, why not send bread in a can?

I like modern technology and that includes the oven and range, but when it comes to making bread, I don’t mind being old fashioned. Neither does Ashlyn. She’s the sheriff’s daughter in my new release, Still Life in Shadows. Ashlyn makes bread. Not just any bread, but bread steamed inside a can.

Generations ago when there were no stoves and only fires to cook over, bread was made this way. A coffee can was used to pour flour, milk, and other ingredients into and then the can was sealed and steamed in a kettle of water. As the water boiled, the bread inside the coffee can, baked.

After two hours, the can was removed from the pan and if greased well, out slid a round bundle of bread. Often known as Boston brown bread due to the color of the flour and the molasses, some cooks also added raisins as an ingredient.

The recipe Ashlyn uses has molasses, buttermilk, raisins, cornmeal, whole wheat and rye. It’s truly a tasty and healthy treat. Her finance Luke, an ex-Amish man who left the Old Order lifestyle and now works as a car mechanic, likes it when she brings the bread to his shop.

Sound good? It is! Slice a round of this bread, warm it in the toaster oven or microwave and serve with butter or a dab of cream cheese. Tastes great at breakfast!

If you like the flavor of gingerbread, you'll love bread in a can!

Orders for Bread in a Can will be taken the whole month of November. Place your order by November 30th. The bread will be packed and shipped to you or to a friend's and arrive between December 11th and 15th.

Simply use Pay Pal or send a check to the address below. Also, you can order a round of bread and a copy of Still Life in Shadows. Pricing is as follows:

* 1 delicious loaf (actually in the shape of a round coffee can) of bread -- $14.00 (includes priority shipping)

* 1 delicious loaf plus an autographed copy of Still Life in Shadows -- $27.00

PAYMENT
Send check to:
201 Monticello Avenue
Durham, NC 27707

OR
Use the PayPal tab below

Bread in a can

Bread in a can $14.00 USD Bread in a can and Still Life in Shadows $27.00 USD

In honor of Dixie

Today, and today only, I am offering any of my inspirational novels (autographed) to you for only $11! It's Dixie, my beagle's 11th birthday and she thinks this is a great way to celebrate her life and the joy of reading! (Of course, she reads.) The $11 price includes shipping costs. My novels retail for $14.99, so this is a nice birthday deal! (And if you like cake, How Sweet It Is is about a cake decorator in the mountains of North Carolina.)

Simply send a check today for $11 (USD) to the address below or pay via PayPal.
Specify which novel you'd like.





Address:
201 Monticello Avenue
Durham, NC 27707

OR

Use the Paypal button below.

Choose your novel

Rain Song How Sweet It Is Hatteras Girl A Wedding Invitation Still Life in Shadows

Giving away a summer read!

Per my newsletter, Literary Lyrics, this month I'm giving away copies of a most suitable beach read, Hatteras Girl. In order to qualify for the giveaway which will be two drawings, one on the 18th and one on the 25th, you must follow this blog or LIKE my Facebook Fan Club page. After you do that, send me an email at info@alicewisler.com with Giveaway in the subject line and you'll be entered. I hope those of you who are already following my blogs and/or are Facebook fans will enter the contest as well.

Play to win!

And we have a winner!

Thanks to all who played the Hiding Food Contest at the Alice J. Wisler Facebook Fan Club Page. My daughter, Elizabeth, just turned 14, and since she has the birthday this week, I let her pick the name from the names of all who LIKED the fan club page and wrote a post about hiding food from yourself or other family members. (I do this all the time, and so does a character in my novel.) Elizabeth drew Faye McCord of Mississippi's name!

Congratulations, Faye! An autographed copy of my latest novel, Hatteras Girl, will be sent to you soon!

Thanks, everyone, for playing!

Contest! Win a Novel!

Friends,

Here's a contest you can't miss out on.

In my newest novel, Hatteras Girl, Jackie hides tortilla chips in the kitchen pantry (behind a can of green beans) from the five-year-old who lives with her. Do you hide food from your kids? Your spouse? Your roommate? Go to the Alice J. Wisler Fan Club Page, click LIKE and join in the discussion. On May 1, there will be a drawing for a copy of Hatteras Girl for one lucky winner whose name will be drawn from all who participate. Open to all, as long as you LIKE the page.

Happy entries! Tell your friends!

The Famous Bailey House Lemon Cookies

You have to try these lemon cookies. Yes, they are famous! In my novel, Hatteras Girl, Jackie and Minnie need the recipe for the famous Bailey House Lemon Cookies, and when they find it, they know that they can carry on the cookie tradition at the bed and breakfast in Nags Head, North Carolina.

At a recent craft fair, I sold these cookies and received many wonderful comments.

Enjoy making these cookies today! Easy to make, and so yummy! The recipe is from the back of the novel. If your eyes are like mine, you'll need to click on the photo of the recipe to enlarge so it is readable.

Happy baking!

Saturday at Cornerstone Bookstore in Boone

I enjoyed an afternoon at Cornerstone Bookstore in Boone this past Saturday. This beautiful bookstore is one of the most inspirational shops I have ever been in, so what a nice gift to be able to sign copies of all my novels there, along with author Marybeth Whalen (The Mailbox).

One of the highlights for me was to see my childhood friend, Jo Moore Haynes. My novel, Hatteras Girl, is about friendships and childhood dreams coming true, and Jo is connected in a round-about way to that. When she and I were at Kyoto International School in Japan, we used to spend our Saturdays writing love stories. Jo seemed to love mine and her encouragement has played a part in my own story of becoming a published novelist. So, to see Jo, her husband, and the many friends she invited to the bookstore, was a fabulous treat!

The store had a pen engraved with my name and one for Marybeth. They also served refreshments to the customers while we signed. The Russian tea was delicious!

Marybeth and I will be in Wilmington on Saturday at the Salt Shaker Bookstore and Cafe from 2 to 4 PM and at Family Christian Stores on 301 Crossroads Blvd. from 11 AM to 1 PM on the 30th. Hope to see you there!

Hatteras Girl comes alive!

Today, October 1, marks the debut of my third novel, Hatteras Girl. While the heavens have yet to light up and a plane with a banner reading Hatteras Girl skirting across the sky has not been spotted, nevertheless, I am grafeful.

There have been postings on Facebook (a.k.a. the 21st century's town crier) and emails from readers, singing sweet songs of recognition.

Tonight, I will have the privilege of reading from and signing copies of Hatteras Girl at The Regulator Bookshop in Durham, NC. (Jimmy Carter was unable to make his book date there earlier this week, but I'll be there.)

So, here's to readers, family and friends, who offer support and encouragement. And here's to the wonderful region of the Outer Banks, my inspiration for writing about Jackie Donovan, the young woman eager to run a bed and breakfast on North Carolina's coast.

Hatteras Girl goes to Hatteras, NC!

We took our friend, Rick (visiting us from England) to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. What a fun time I had making sure Hatteras Girl (release date 10/1/10) got into nearly every photo. Stopping at the Orange Blossom Bakery and Cafe was a sweet treat. The bakery is mentioned in Hatteras Girl, so the staff there gave us the sweet royal treatment!

And Hatteras Girl arrived!

Excited that my new novel, Hatteras Girl, arrived. Thanks, Bethany House, and the Fed-Ex man!

Hatteras Girl!!

My third novel, Hatteras Girl, makes her debut soon! And we are going to celebrate with two events. The first is at Starbucks on 3801 Guess Road in Durham, NC on Saturday, September 25 from 4 to 7 PM. Come, get your favorite coffee concoction and listen as I read from Hatteras Girl.

On Friday, October 1 at 7 PM, we'll gather at The Regulator Bookshop on 720 Ninth Street in Durham, NC for a book reading and discussion. If you have a favorite tomato pie recipe, come ready to share it. Or how about a dream you've had since childhood and at last have seen it fulfilled? Come, ready to share those stories.

Hope to see you at one or both of these events!

Bookmarks and Postcards for Hatteras Girl!

The new bookmarks and postcards for my novels has arrived! I am so pleased with the creativity of these. As you can see, all three of my novel covers are on these items--all looking lovely.

Hatteras Girl makes her debut in October. If you'd like to pre-order a copy or two, please do so by August 1. My website holds the details of how to order a novel. This special deal ends soon, so order Hatteras Girl for only $10.99 now!

One of the recipes in the upcoming novel, Hatteras Girl

This recipe is from my upcoming novel, Hatteras Girl. Hatteras Girl takes place on the Outer Banks of NC, home to all things Southern.

L. J.’s Cornbread with Bacon

1 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
3/4 cup of white corn meal
1/4 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
3 eggs
1 cup of sour cream
1 can of creamed-style corn
1 cup of crumbed bacon, fried
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Then add eggs, sour cream, and corn. Lightly blend and add bacon. Bake in a greased 13-inch pan at 400 degrees F. for 20 minutes. Don’t overcook! (L. J. will tell you that if you do, it just won't taste as good.)

Hatteras Girl

My third novel, Hatteras Girl, will be released by Bethany House in October. The cover has been completed and I'm excited.

So what is the novel about? Read on.

There are two things that journalist Jackie Donavan dreams about--marriage and owning a bed and breakfast in Nags Head, NC.

But why is the bed and breakfast she desires deteriorating, and why won't her relatives behave so that she can go out with the handsome realtor? Filled with quirky friends and relatives that help and hinder Jackie to and from her goals, Hatteras Girl, is about uncovering the truth while finding the way to your dreams.