Gobsmacked

Firstly, an explanation.

Gobsmacked is a well-known colloquial saying in the county of Yorkshire. (That’s Yorkshire, England, for all my American friends.)

Gobsmacked roughly translates as; So surprised you cannot speak. Overwhelmed with wonder, surprise, or shock. Astounded.

Liken such a surprise to that of being punched in the mouth and you are beginning to understand the word.

To break it down, ‘Smacked’ as in hit, slapped, punched, struck etc. and ‘Gob’ a slang word for mouth.

Hence, I would say it means; So surprised you are dumbfounded, unable to speak, as you would be after being ‘smacked in the gob’.

 Now, on with this post.

I do not feel Gobsmacked about the general lethargy and apathy I see and sense within the indie author community of late. I have noticed it, slowly but inexorably, growing over the past year or so.

Don’t get me wrong, this dispirited indifference is not an affliction which infects every single author, but a general condition proliferating throughout our worldwide community.

It could be a reaction to the changes at Facebook, the closure of CreateSpace, Amazons ever-changing algorithms or the news G+ is soon to close to the general public.

It could be a response, a consequence of them all. A mass writers communal PTSD from the constant shock and awe of all changes on social media… doubtful, but who knows?

(Much of what has passed this year, 2018, I predicted and wrote about on this blog. Not surprisingly about a year ago.) Check it out HERE.

So, you may ask, what is it that causes me to feel Gobsmacked?

Allow me to elucidate.

Point one.

I frequently, make that continually, read posts on social media where writers ask how to market their books.

I read questions that ask what is the ‘best way’ to do this or that. I see authors enquiring “who has had success with (such & such) and how did they do it?” or “what is the best book marketing platform?” and “is it worth paying Joe Bloggs ltd to market my book, they only want £10,000 a week“… okay, maybe that figure is a little exaggerated, but you get my gist.

Far too many times have I read how authors have been ‘ripped off’ or ‘scammed’ by the unscrupulous preying on writers.

I have no doubts I shall read similar accounts tomorrow of people feeling ‘robbed’ as I did yesterday and today.

 Point two.

Why then, when a genuine marketing method is offered do so many authors fail to grasp the opportunity?

I am speaking of a marketing organisation run by well respected, established and recognised indie authors.

No strange claims.

No get rich quick schemes.

No large sums of money required.

Just a solid method of creating awareness and establishing trust with readers.

What’s more, I am speaking of a marketing method which pays full royalties to those participating. In effect, it is a marketing which pays authors to sell their own books.

Yet this is one writers ‘cannot be bothered’ looking at or cringe about paying the small, token (once only) membership fee.

Instead, those very same authors, the ones who did not want to spend a few pounds or dollars, then post on Facebook about how they have lost a fortune on scammers and vanity promotions.

This then has the effect of pulling down the mood of the whole indie community. Something which is currently tangible. All you have to do is follow a few of the author group conversations on social and you will soon see for yourself.

 That is why I get ‘Gobsmacked’.

I am the founder of Electric Eclectic, a book brand marketing programme and author co-operative.

Electric Eclectic is not a get rich quick scheme. It does not offer magical solutions for generating massive sales.

Electric Eclectic offers a dedicated promotional strategy with growing market reach. It is a long-term, slow burn plan generating loyalty and confidence within our marketplace.

Oh, and yes, authors who are part of Electric Eclectic earn royalties too… but that’s only part of being an Electric Eclectic author.

Want to know more? Then why not visit our WEBSITE

Download the Electric Eclectic android app… NOW.

Just before I go, don’t forget Kindle Unlimited. You can get your 30 day FREE trial HERE

You have nothing to lose and a whole library to gain!

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Lots of Author Stuff You Need to Know

This blog is all about sharing ideas and information about writing, to writers and authors.

Mostly, I share this information solely by way of a post, or two, on this blog.

Occasionally, however, a blog post is not enough. The amount and complexity of the information given are far too great, as with the following.

In these instances, I find it best if I assemble all the information and bind it together in one place. In other words, make it into a book.

Recently, I have published a second book dedicated to answering questions I am frequently and regularly asked by novice and established writers and authors.

This post is an introduction to that book.

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In February this year (2018), I published an eBook called ‘The Frugal Author’.

It is, as one might expect from the title, a book about publishing at the lowest possible cost.

It is NOT a ‘how to’ book. Neither does it portend to be a step by step guide.

The Frugal Author is a book which considers indie authoring as a professional, commercial practise and, therefore, endeavours to share ideas behind the methods employed to minimise costs and maximise profits, just as any well-run, good mercantile enterprise should.

Following the publication of The Frugal Author, I am continually asked numerous questions about being an indie, small-press or hybrid author.

Many questions are common, others are those which frequently plague our minds; the ones we never openly inquire about for fear of feeling ‘foolish’ before our peers.

This has led me to create a book which gives the answers to those questions and maybe a few more? A book I have simply titled,

I called it so because that is exactly what it contains, lots of author stuff you need to know.

This book is all about helping indie authors by sharing knowledge, like insights into book parts – which to use & where, important printing terms, best word counts for genres, formatting, the differing forms of editing and a ton of other ‘Stuff’ which is considered in this books various sections.

‘Lots of Author Stuff You Need to Know’ is produced as an easily downloadable eBook, available from most online retails including Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Scribd, Baker & Taylor, Tolino, Angus & Robertson, 24Symbols, Playster, Overdrive, Bibliotheca and, of course, Amazon.

Get, Lots of Author Stuff You Need to Know HERE

Or from Amazon HERE

Go on, treat yourself today.

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My fiction, semi-fiction and non-fiction books can be found by visiting my website, http://bit.ly/paulswebsite

See you there, Paul.

Me!

Just before I go, don’t forget you can read many e-books with Kindle Unlimited. Why not try it FREE for a whole month (30 days), HERE.

You have nothing to lose and a whole library to gain!