I have written two novellas: Kept & Kept: Book Two. The first was a disappointment because I couldn’t find the audience for interracial romance even though my publisher, eXtasy Books, released the book. Yes, that is the correct spelling for the publisher, including the capitalize X. With Kept: Book Two, this is my baby. I’m beginning to get the hang of spreading word-to-mouth although I intend to advertise and promote on different sites. Although both novellas deal with interracial romance, I’d like to reach a more mainstream audience by nudging the readers to try something new, to try something different, and to abandon their comfort zone for a quick read. Although my novella is populated by African-American characters, they have heroines, plots, character development just like the white mainstream characters. I would encourage the mainstream to spend $4 or $5 by indulging in a work outside your comfort zone. This also goes to both white and black males.
Kept: Book Two is my latest novella. I was inspired to write the sequel because of the heroine. There is so much more to her flawed character. She was begging for another storyline.
Yes, my writing habits are unusual. Every eleven weeks, we graduate students take a break in our studies. I then plot and get to know my new characters then write about them.
Authors who have influenced me are Terry McMillan, David Baldacci, James Patterson and Christopher Reich.
Currently I’m working on my graduate work in American history.
In no particular order, I use Awesomegang, Kindle Mojo, Facebook, Twitter, GoodReads, Book Pimp, Get Down With The Awethors to name a few.
Yes, I advise authors to start promoting months or weeks prior to your book’s release. Get those reviews. Spend a little money. Get those pre-orders. Authors should step outside their comfort zone, purchase and read an interracial or African-American or Latino-American book. Follow these authors and tweet about them. Perhaps they will return the favor. Perhaps they will read and review your book or mention the mainstream author in an article, as I did.
If you don’t have a following, then you must invest in promoting and advertisements.
In my next two-week break, I’m going to write Kept; Book Three as well as study the newest book marketing techniques.