SPA Girls Podcast

Knowing as much as you can about your category, genre or sub-genre is vitally important if you’re going to succeed as a self publisher, and Alex Newton is keen to help you with that.

He’s the creator of K-lytics (www.k-lytics.com) a website where you can get in-depth reports on various genres and sub-genres on Amazon that will help you find your niche, boost sales in your chosen genre, and basically give you the information you need to stand out in this crowded publishing space.

Alex explains the reports and how to use them, talks about the Amazon environment and how it works, and also dishes the dirt on the romance genre, giving us some helpful tips along the way! This is a must listen episode!

WATCH this episode’s video recording on You Tube and you’ll be able to see Alex’s charts!

Ines is back to give us great advice for incorporating screenwriting techniques to make our writing stronger and improve read through!

Aside from being a writer and professional reader, Ines Johnson is a seasoned educator. She’s taught screenwriting, story development, and media history for an art college in Washington, DC. A lifelong learner (read: academic addict), she holds a Master’s in Instructional Design, and a Doctorate in Educational Technology.

Here are those 7 Tips:

1. Seasons: try thinking in 3s (3 book series, 6 book series, 9 book series) – long series FTW!

2. Series / Serial
A Series – can be read out of order – in romance, different couples but common element across series such as setting, community, event etc
A Serial – needs to be read in order

3. Scene / Beat : a category of action that needs to happen and can be encapsulated by time and space – eg. in romance the “meet cute”, “black moment” etc 
For beat advice see Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes, Save the Cat, Heros Journey

Ines writes in Scrivener and her chapters are usually a beat. There needs to be a purpose for each chapter / beat – needs to move the story forward, not just pretty words.

4. Teaser – in fiction, another name for prologue. Ines recommends downloading TV Scripts to see how they use a teaser at the beginning of an episode to give a jumping point into the story. At the END of Ines’ books, she uses a teaser of the next book to enhance reader clickthrough/buy through

5. Leads / Launches Same meaning for what starts the beginning of each chapter – can be action, character pov, narrative, setting description. Mix them up. So don’t have everyone chapter starting with the same lead (eg someone waking up).

6. Hooks & Twists
Every scene needs five things: Scene purpose, goal, motivation, conflict, twist / hook The twist or hook at the end of the chapter or scene is what gets the reader turning the page. It’s asking an “end question” and leaves the reader on a … rather than a period.

7. Open Doors – this is the story question / conflict teaser for the next book. It leaves the door open for the reader to go into the next story. Not a cliffhanger – those don’t resolve the main story. Know your tropes! Ines’ open doors are short – no more than 500 words from the pov of the upcoming MC in next book.

Links:

Ines Johnson You Tube Channel where she details advice for authors: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClivO7XAP2GCRRz-7Bm3Nhw

Ines’ website: https://ineswrites.com/

Script sites: https://www.dailyscript.com/

TV scripts at Scriptorama: 
http://www.script-o-rama.com/tvscript.shtml

You’ll find all the show notes at: www.spagirlspodcast.com

Keen to join the SPA Girls in a live workshop? Join our mailing list here and we’ll let you know the minute we have workshop bookings open. https://selfpublishingworkshop.co.nz/index.html

Come say hi on Facebook and twitter @spagirlspodcast

This is a special two-part series with the awesome Ines Johnson, a highly successful indie author who has an extensive background in television writing, media production and college education.

In this episode, we cover Pen Names and Productivity. Ines has three pen names (that cover different genres) and she is the epitome of an organised, savvy and productive author that has so much to share with us!

Topics we discuss include:

This is a must-listen episode that you will find incredibly motivating. Ines is a powerful educator and this is such a treat to have her in the Spa! (which is also why we’re convincing her to come back next week too 😉 )

Ines Johnson Bio:

Lover of fairytales, folklore, and mythology, Ines Johnson spends her days reimagining the stories of old in a modern world. She writes books where damsels cause the distress, princesses wield swords, and moms save the world.

Aside from being a writer and professional reader, Ines Johnson is a seasoned educator. She’s taught screenwriting, story development, and media history for an art college in Washington, DC. A lifelong learner (read: academic addict), she holds a Master’s in Instructional Design, and a Doctorate in Educational Technology.

Ines’ website: https://ineswrites.com/

Links mentioned:
Klytics: https://k-lytics.com/
Ines’ you tube channel for her plotting method and how she sets up her world building doc in scrivener: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClivO7XAP2GCRRz-7Bm3Nhw

For all shownotes and previous episodes, visit www.SpaGirlsPodcast.com 

To watch the video recording of this episode go to the SPA Girls You Tube channel (and please subscribe!): http://www.youtube.com/c/SPAGirlsPodcast

In this episode we talk about power words. Those take action words that entice your readers to click that BUY NOW button!

 Research and numerous studies from psychologists and social scientists have come to a consensus on the five most powerful words in the English language.
You
Free
Instantly
Because
New

But first, remember it’s really important to know:
– Who you’re writing your advertising copy for
– How that person thinks
– What that person needs
So before you craft your beautiful book description or facebook ad, keep top of mind your understanding of your readers – what tropes they like, what type of hero, what you actually want them to DO (eg buy now, read more, visit website, enter giveaway etc).

David Ogilvy (“The Father of Advertising)*’s top twenty power words were:
Startling
Miracle
Revolutionary
Bargain
Announcing
Sensational
Compare
Improvement
Now
Suddenly
Magic
Quick
Easy
Hurry
Wanted
Offer
Remarkable
Amazing

Greed words – we want more!

Bargain, bonus, cheap, discount, 99c, ultimate, expires, limited, new, now, before, ultimate, value, running out. (don’t miss out!)

Curiosity words – what’s going on?

hush-hush, banned, be the first, behind the scenes, class full, little known, login required, sneak peek, strange, top secret, unauthorized, insider. (not everyone knows about this…)

Sloth words – how can I make this easier?

All-inclusive, cheat sheet, downloadable, easy, effortless, kickstart, how-to, in less than, piece of cake, roadmap, freebie, gift, guide, no problem. (I want to do it but only if it’s easy)

Lust words – I really, really want this!

Captivating, compelling, crave, dirty, mind-blowing, steamy, sex, urge, forbidden, exposed, mouthwatering, naughty. (How can I not want this?)

Vanity words – I don’t want to look bad…

At the top, amazing, awe-inspiring, boost, booming, fearless, sassy, saucy, spectacular, jaw-dropping, kick-ass, legendary, conquer, courage, hero, dazzling. (How can I be like this?)

Trust words – They know what they’re talking about.

Approved, accredited, authority, official, results, secure, refund, proven, well respected, world wide, USA Today bestseller, NYT bestseller. (I can trust this to be good)

Anger words – This makes me angry!

Abuse, agitate, arrogant, backstabbing, foul, greedy, hostile, lies, loser, ruthless, smug, sneaky, brutal, morally bankrupt, diminish, evil, victim, violent, payback. (I hate those nasty peeps, I love it when they get theirs)

Fear words – I don’t want to miss out! (most powerful motivator of all)

Hack, danger, dangerous, fail, looming, mistake, pitfall, catastrophe, agony, annihilate, backlash, beware, bloodbath, corpse, destroy, poor, prison. (I don’t want to make this mistake, so I’ll do what you ask) 

As a writer there are many areas we can amp up with power words:

Your manuscript – think about word choice: Eat vs devour or nibble, walk vs stride or stalk, smile vs smirk or grin. 

Your blurb – this is sales copy. You need to use a strong hook, and even stronger words to evoke emotion. 

Your tag line – Short, sharp, evoking emotion.

Your FB Ads – use power words to trigger emotional or psychological responses in readers.

Your AMS Ads – limited words, make sure you use powerful ones.

Your FB Posts/ Your Instagram Posts / Your Twitter Posts – appeal to your readers by knowing the emotion you’re trying to elicit, and the action you’d like them to take.

Your Newsletter – again, know the emotion you want to elicit. Know how you want them to feel about your book.

Further Reading:

* Highly recommend reading his book if you’re interested in this https://www.amazon.com/Ogilvy-Advertising-David/dp/039472903X)

Blog post: Magic Power Words for Conversion
https://www.crazyegg.com/blog/magic-power-words-for-conversion/

You’ll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at: www.spagirlspodcast.com

Make sure you’re signed up to our weekly self-publishing tips newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bGkz8L

Come say hi on Facebook and Twitter @spagirlspodcast  

Have you been told you need more reviews, but you don’t know how to get them? Are you wanting to find some BETA readers, but can’t figure out where they lurk? Ever wondered who you send an ARC to, and what you get in return? 

This is the episode for you!

We go through each topic, explaining the terms, telling you how to find more of them, and why they’re all so important to us as writers. 

SHOW NOTES

Beta Readers
A BETA reader is a (non-professional) reader who receives a pre-edited (NOT first draft- give them your best writing!) copy of your work. Ideally, this person will be someone who is in your target audience and who reads plenty of books in your genre.
Once the BETA reader has read your work, they can provide helpful insight on how to improve your important elements of your story: characters, setting, and plot (point out plot holes and continuity issues). They can also provide suggestions for spelling, grammar, and fact-checking.
You should begin gathering a list of BETA readers as early as possible so that you can send your work to them during the revision stage. Do this as soon as you can, giving them enough time to read the book and make notes.
A good place to find BETA readers is to reach out on your own social media platforms (if you’re planning on releasing a book, you should already be developing a strong social media presence) or from your mailing list. Make a post for your sites or ask your mailing list if anyone would be interested in providing feedback for your work-in-progress. Make a list of who agrees to do this so you can keep track.

ARC Readers – Advanced Reader Copy
An ARC (Advanced Review Copy) reader is a person who receives a pre-published copy of your book (usually after final editing, but before proofreading). ARC readers are given a free copy of your book in exchange for leaving an honest book review (typically on Amazon and/or Goodreads) once the book is available for distribution.
You should also make a list of ARC readers early on and send the copy of your book at least eight weeks prior to your book launch date.

Where do I find ARC readers?
There is no rule on who you can ask to review your book- although avoiding family and friends do so is better. Amazon will remove any review they might assume come from these sources, including other authors!
Book club, fans, book bloggers or anyone who you think might be interested in reading and reviewing your book are best. Use the same tactics for Beta readers.
Just be sure to keep track of who signs up so you can update and follow up as the launch date gets closer.
Be aware that you could ask 100 people to review your book and only get a fraction of those people to say “yes.” Of those maybe 75 people who agree to review your book, there might be 25 who actually do, if you’re lucky! It’s a tedious process, but if you’re starting your book launch with 25 positive reviews right off the bat, it’s totally worth it! Be sure to send out a friendly reminder a week before your book launches to your list of ARC readers to have their reviews ready to post.