The Twitterverse is Calling...

Finally, an instance where following people isn't considered stalking!

Microblogging, or micromedia (depending on you you ask) is spreading like wildfire. Forms of it have shown up on most of the social networking sites, such as MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn. In the last couple of years, though, it's taken on a life of it's own.

Welcome to the Twitterverse.

Like most Questers, I, too, have been drawn to the ability to unveil a random stream of consciousness on a regular basis. While like most social media, it's a good place to keep in touch with your friends, it's also a pretty good tool to get the word out about your book.

Plus, if you look in the right place, you'll find a few sites to help you with your Quest.

Lulu's on there - http://twitter.com/Luludotcom

And a new one I found, and an excellent source for Quester, Blog Book Tours - http://twitter.com/blogbooktours (Oddly enough, Blogger thinks they're a spam blog, to which I do not concur!)

I can be followed, too - http://twitter.com/bobmcdonald

A Long Overdue E-Book Introduction

It had to be done...

Months after I converted Dilemma into an e-Book, thanks to the folks at Mobipocket, and after months of struggling to figure out why it was a good idea to hold off for so long, I finally made the right move and put Flagrant Foul into the same format.

We all know what this means, of course. Within the next week or so, Flagrant Foul should grace the pages of Amazon finally as an e-book for the ever-popular Kindle device.

If, as you're reading, you think that I'm touting Kindle to be the iPod for books, well, you're probably right.

Of course, I own neither a Kindle nor an iPod. But hey, I don't begrudge those of you out there that do!

So, if you've got a Kindle and have some extra cash, give this book a shot!

And for those that don't, it is still available in paperback at Lulu...

After All That???

Now that it's the beginning of August, I must take personal stock in how the Quest is going.

Um, not so good...

Sales so far:

Flagrant Foul (from lulu.com): 0
Dilemma (from lulu.com): 0
Dilemma (from Mobipocket/Amazon): 0
Average daily hits on http://www.flagrantfoul.com/ (Main site, not the Quest): 1.17

So, I take this to mean one of three things. Either...

A. I'm not applying myself.
B. My books really are crap.
C. This is a tough, tough racket to break into.

For the time being, I'm going to choose Answer C, and press on. And instead of moping, I'm going to just turn it over to you guys. How has your Quest been going? What's your experience been like so far. I've got a couple of different Quest reports posted already. Come join in! I know I'm not the only one!

The Lost Week...

Well, after my interview with Pete Klein on BlogTalkRadio (which you can still listen to here!), the rest of my week has, to be honest, been completely shot.

...no promotion...

...no writing...

This is not a week any Quester should have! But here I am!

So, it's time to get back up and keep on moving! After all, I still have my proof copy of Dilemma to look over. Plenty of work to be done!

Plus, it looks like I've got to give Flagrant Foul yet another once over. You would think after five years it would be perfect! Sheesh!

Putting the Q! in Quest (aka the Australia Experience)

Make a mental note - The Aussies are your friends.

During the brief time on this Quest, I have found a surprising section of folks Down Under who, like me, are fellow Questers and are willing to help out writers get the word out.

First, there's Metha Metharom. The Brisbane native and author of numerous books in his own right, has set up both an Author's Spotlight and a Book Review blog. I have been fortunate to be featured in both, though I blame myself for the 3-star review of Flagrant Foul. Rule No. 1, folks: ALWAYS give the reviewer a full copy of your book!

And from the Victoria province, there's Kevin Balshaw. Talk about someone who's been busy. For proof, just go to his Q!2write Web site. Not only are there a ton of resources for the up and coming writer, there's a showcase of books and writer bios! Plus, I've been promised that there will be more to come in the near future.

I expect plenty more from this part of the world as time progresses!

Get Back in Line!

As I'm patiently waiting for my proof copy of Dilemma to show up at my doorstep, I am often brought back to the original question of why this book got in front of the ISBN line instead of Flagrant Foul, which is the basis of the Quest. As I've posted previously, I thought it to be a test of what an ISBN could do to increase exposure (Paraphrasing, of course).

But now, maybe that's not the real reason...

While the Quest, along with every other bit of promotion (radio, reviews, etc.), is primarily dedicated to Flagrant Foul, Dilemma remains, in fact, the first story in the Forester rotation. And as such, there is ample justification as to why it is already available on Amazon as a Kindle Book, along with the aforementioned Published by Lulu venture.

Regardless, the Quest will continue, now for both books. The question that remains, of course, will be which one will come out of the gates of popularity first?

(BlogTalk) Radio Days

Long, long ago, I often wondered what it would be like to be able to put together a radio show on the Internet. Those dreams were dashed by the fact that at the time, the cost and time of putting it together, not to mention the level of technical expertise, became major deterrents.

Fast forward to 2008, and the landscape has changed considerably. And I plan on using it as part of the Quest.

BlogTalkRadio, for those of you who didn't know, allows anyone anywhere to have their own live, streaming broadcast, complete with audio archives and everything! All you need is a phone line (users call a number provided to broadcast) and you're all set!

How will this help the Quest? Do a BlogTalkRadio search for books or writers...

I've lost count on the number of shows solely dedicated to books and writing. And I fully anticipate requesting an audience with all of them. But baby steps, first.


The first appointment will be with Pete Klein on Saturday, July 12th at 6:30 pm. We'll be talking about Flagrant Foul, and, most likely, the rest of the Forester series. Be sure to listen and I'll even take some questions!

30 Seconds...

Yep. You get the idea...

The Turning of the Promotional Wheel

I realize that the Quest can never get off the ground if nobody on the planet knows about me or the book. And it's great advice for anyone looking to get their project off the ground. So, with that, here's some things I've come up with.

Social Networking - I have dropped my info in the following places:

LinkedIn
MySpace
Plaxo/
Gather
Facebook

You get the idea. Be everywhere, not to mention my Twitter page.

I'm confident to reach the end of my Quest soon. Give it a ahot yourselves and see what you come up with!