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Join The Mega Tour Dec and Jan.


As I mentioned in a recent post (http://www.jolinsdell.com/2017/11/ready-for-mega-tour.html), I'm going to be doing a mega virtual tour over December 2017, and January 2018.

The tour will be to promote, all my books, my Jo Linsdell brand in general, my book cover design services, Promo Day, and my blog www.writersandauthors.info. 

I've prepared a mega media kit packed full of information that can be used in blog posts, and for social media. The media kit even has a clickable table of contents so you can hop to the bit you want quickly ;) 

Posts can be; single book features, a selection of books, an author feature, a Promo Day feature, about the Writers and Authors blog, or a mixture of all of the above. 

The media kit has several sample interviews (one for each section) which can be used as a stand alone or you can pick and mix from them all. 

There is also a wide variety of images and graphics that can be used with posts, and some premade click-to-tweets for easy social sharing. There's even a selection of graphics with quotes by me on them. 

You can find the mega media kit at:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1CFW5HvWGZX3c3X8wE-0sCsyRrgRUCBK0

I'm still adding to the file and will continue to update it over December and January to add more fresh content. Time allowing, there will also be some guest posts and video content uploaded that can be used too.

If you can host me, either on your blog, or via a social media channel (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram, etc...) please add yourself to the posting schedule in the file. Please also feel free to share the link to the media kit with others that might be able to host me. My goal is World Domination! ;)

Thank you in advance for you support. It means the world to me.

Join The Mega Tour Dec and Jan.





Book Review: Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella


My thoughts about Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning, I get a commission if you purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Read the full disclosure here.


Book Review: Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

Lexi wakes up in a hospital bed after a car accident, thinking it's 2004 and she's a twenty-five-year old with crooked teeth and a disastrous love life.But, to her disbelief, she learns it's actually 2007 - she's twenty-eight, her teeth are straight, she's the boss of her department - and she's married! To a good-looking millionaire! How on earth did she land the dream life??!

She can't believe her luck - especially when she sees her stunning new home. She's sure she'll have a fantastic marriage once she gets to know her husband again. He's drawn up a 'manual of our marriage', which should help.

But as she learns more about her new self, chinks start to appear in the perfect life. All her old colleagues hate her. A rival is after her job. Then a dishevelled, sexy guy turns up... and lands a new bombshell. 


What the **** happened to her? Will she ever remember? And what will happen if she does?

You might also like: Book Review: Shopaholic on Honeymoon by Sophie Kinsella






Amazon affiliate link

Goodreads

You might also like: Book Review: Twenties Girl By Sophie Kinsella
Book Mail Unboxing


I love it when my postman brings me nice stuff in the mail instead of the usual bills, bills, bills. This week I got some awesome book mail from the lovely people at AllWorth Press. 

I can't wait to jump into reading this one. Review will be coming soon.

Watch the video for my unboxing:




Book Review Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Charlotte Butterfield


My thoughts about Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Charlotte Butterfield


This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning, I get a commission if you purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Read the full disclosure here.



Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Charlotte Butterfield

A wonderfully warm-hearted and laugh-out-loud funny romantic comedy for fans of Just Haven’t Met You Yet and Mhairi McFarlane. When Leila finds herself on the painful end of yet another disastrous break-up, no amount of Ben & Jerry’s and trashy rom-coms can cheer her up. And so – to the amusement of her friends and family – Leila takes a more drastic approach to dealing with heartbreak: she swears off sex for an entire year. Luckily, she has plenty to keep her mind off men. Between starting a business with ice queen Lucy, straightening out her sister Tasha’s tangled love life, and running a blog read by thousands of single ladies, Leila is soon snowed under. But she can’t help finding a little time for irresistible architect Nick – Lucy’s funny and infuriatingly sexy brother. After an unplanned encounter under the mistletoe, the Man Ban looks like it might be skidding to a halt. Has Leila found love when she least expected it?




 

Amazon affiliate link: http://amzn.to/2ywuv9h




Ready for the Mega Tour? Promotional VBT coming soon, want to be a host?

I'm planning a virtual book tour for the month of December (and maybe January too of I can find enough hosts). This one will be a bit different from past VBTs though. I'm touring all my books. Yep, all of them at the same time. I'll be promoting my premade book covers, Promo Day event, and my Writers and Authors blog too.

I'm in the process of putting together the biggest, most complete media kit I've ever created. This mega media kit will then be uploaded to Google drive so that hosts can easily pull the info they want to use in posts.

This tour is not just for blogs. There's a load of pre-written social media posts and click to tweets to use on social media too. Newsletters are also welcome. Of course, there will also be a huge amount of graphics to use with posts too.

Hosts can choose to feature just one book, or a selection of books. Or they can do an author feature instead. I'll be putting in lots of general author info and a Q&A sheet to pick and choose from for interviews too.

There will be some video content as well that can be embedded into posts if you fancy going multimedia ;) I may even throw in some infographics and guest posts if I have time.

E-copies of all books are available for reviewing too. Just drop me an email if you'd like to review.

A linky will be up on my website where hosts can submit the links to their posts during the tour. I will of course, be promoting all of them during, and after the tour.

Obviously I'd like to have as many hosts as possible, so if you can squeeze me in somewhere I'd really appreciate it.

I'll be doing another blog post once everything is ready to share the link to the mega media kit. Today's post is just a heads up ;)

Next step, World domination!

Ready for the Mega Tour? Promotional VBT coming soon, want to be a host?





3 Ways You Can Back Up Your Work

That time I almost lost all my work


When my Mac Book Pro stopped working earlier this year I went into panic mode. I hadn't backed up all my files. I had first drafts of novels, premade book cover designs, and more... that were potential lost. Yes I did cry a little.

Anyway, I finally got it fixed, and the first thing I did when I got it back was back up all the files. Words can not express how happy I was at finding all those files still there. Unfortunately, the problem came back again quite quickly and so it's back at the repair shop again. I should comment at this point that my Mac Book Pro is a model from a few years ago (2013 I think), which they aren't producing anymore due to this problem. This however also makes it harder to find the pieces needed to repair it. Hopefully the newer versions all work fine.

As a side note, I really do miss my Mac though. Well, if I'm honest, I really miss the programs I had installed on it. My trusty old HP Pavilion laptop is always there for me though, and I do have most of the programs on that too (just older versions). 


Lesson learnt: My favourite back up tools


Needless to say, it's a good idea to regularly back up your files. As this is such an important topic, I thought I'd take you through a few of the ways I back up my files.

External Hard Drive

This is my preferred way to back up my files. I just plug in the USB and select the files I want to save from my computer. When I need them on another device I just plug the USB into that and transfer the files over. 

I have several external hard drives that I use to back up my files. The biggest is the Verbatim 1 TB http://amzn.to/2znMqOi. It's a bulky model but does the job. I've never had any problems with it. This is the one I use for all my bigger projects.

Then I have a My Passport Ultra external hard drive http://amzn.to/2zoGAOD. This is much smaller and so easier to move around. Again, works great, and I've never had any problems with it. 

Online Back up

I have several accounts for saving files online. Google Drive is the one I use most. One Drive and Drop Box are next on the list. This particular method of backing up files is really useful if you need to send the file to other people as you can get a shareable link, and give permission to view, and even edit the file to selected people. 

There are free and paid options available for both Google Drive, One Drive, and Drop Box (and the many other types out there). 

Email

This one is often overlooked, but beautifully simple. Just email yourself a copy of the file as an attachment. You'll then have a copy sitting ready for you in your inbox. 

BONUS!

Surprise! Now I'm going to tell you about a bonus way to back up, that can be super useful for writers: Amazon's Free Kindle Reading App. This has saved me more than once. When I finish writing the first draft of a book I always send a copy of the file to my Kindle Reading App on my ipad. It really helps during the revising and editing stages as my brain goes into 'book reading mode', and so I find errors that I might have missed reading it on my laptop. 

It is just a reading app and so you won't be able to edit the file from the app, but it does give you another copy. Once I wrote a big chunk of a non fiction book, and sent a copy to my Kindle App. Due to a problem with my computer, I lost the original file. Luckily I'd sent the file to the App and so managed to write up another one quickly. Not the best way to back up, but definitely a useful, extra layer to your safety net.



Now go back up your work. Trust me. You'll be glad you did.


3 Ways You Can Back Up Your Work




Book Review: Little Girl Lost by Carol Wyer



A perfect family hiding disturbing secrets. A killer who wants the truth to be told. A little girl in terrible danger.


A teacher goes missing under suspicious circumstances and a man is murdered at a local reservoir. For Detective Robyn Carter, there’s no obvious link between the cases. But as she starts to delve into them, her investigations lead her to Abigail, perfect wife and mother to beautiful little Izzy. What was Abigail’s connection to the victims? And why is she receiving threatening messages from an anonymous number?
But as Robyn starts to inch closer to finding the killer, Izzy is abducted. Unless Robyn gets to the twisted individual in time, a little girl will die …




http://amzn.to/2hILfkd


Premade Creation: Before and After

Welcome behind the scenes


I recently decided to post about how I create my premade book cover designs in a series of posts showing you some of the before and after.

Today I'm going to show you PMBC75. This is a spy theme. The awesome image of the woman came from Neo Stock Photography. They have some fantastic images in their collection. 

Some additional illustration and special effects completed the design.

Premade Creation: Before and After PMBC75


When you buy a professional premade cover design you are paying for more than just the end result. A cover designer spends a large amount of time searching for images to use, and editing them to give you a unique design. You pay for their time, experience and skills. 

PMBC75 is available now for €50 (ebook cover), €100 (ebook and print wrap package). Email now to order. Once a cover is sold it is never sold again.

Premade Creation: Before and After PMBC75


Find more premade book cover designs at http://www.jolinsdell.com/p/premade.html


Branding: More Than A Logo


Building Your Brand


If you remember, I did a rebranding in September this year. In this post I talked about why I decided to do a full makeover of my brand design. I also promised in that blog post that I would do some more blog posts on the topic of branding for you, so today we're taking a closer look at what branding is... and isn't.


You might also like: The Ultimate Guide for Book Bloggers

What does "branding" mean?


The Business Dictionary defines branding as:

The process involved in creating a unique name and image for a product in the consumers' mind, mainly through advertising campaigns with a consistent theme. Branding aims to establish a significant and differentiated presence in the market that attracts and retains loyal customers.

Branding is what makes people think of you. It's not just the visual, but we'll go into that in a minute. 


More than a logo


Of course, your logo is part of your branding. It's your symbol, and is generally placed on your marketing material. A logo doesn't have to be complicated or even have an image. In fact, a simple text logo can actually be better. 

For my new logo I decided to go with simple text. Depending on the logo you choose you might want to have an alternative logo too. For example I have two.

Logo:

Logo for Jo Linsdell

Alternative logo:

Logo for Jo Linsdell
The alternative logo is just a simplified version of the logo. This is in case I need a transparent version to use (without the background colouring).


Colour scheme


Whilst your logo is something people will immediately identify with your brand, your colour scheme also plays a role. 

This is my main colour palette for my brand:


Using the same colours helps people identify your brand, and gives consistency.

Fonts


I use BEBAS NEUE, Aileron Thin, and Verdana as my main text fonts. Using the same fonts across the board is also a visual part of your branding. Again consistency. 

What about the non visual part?


This is the most important part of your brand. This is what people think of when they think of you. What words do people use to describe you, and therefore ultimately, your brand? 

What personality adjectives describe you?

adaptable, adorable, agreeable, alert, alluring, ambitious, amusing, boundless, brave, bright, calm, capable, charming, cheerful, coherent, confident, cooperative, courageous, credible,cultured,dashing, dazzling, debonair, decisive, decorous, delightful, determined, diligent, discreet, dynamic, eager, efficient, enchanting, encouraging, enduring, energetic, entertaining, enthusiastic, excellent, excitable, exuberant, fabulous, fair, faithful, fantastic, fearless, frank, friendly, funny, generous, gentle, good, happy, harmonious, helpful, hilarious, honorable, impartial, industrious, instinctive, jolly, joyous, kind, kind-hearted, knowledgeable, likable, lively, lovely, loving, lucky, mature, modern, nice, obedient, painstaking, peaceful, perfect, placid, plausible, pleasant, plucky, productive, protective, proud, punctual, quiet, receptive, reflective, relieved, resolute, responsible, righteous, romantic, sedate, selective, self-assured, sensitive, shrewd, silly, sincere, skillful, splendid, steadfast, stimulating, talented, thoughtful, thrifty, tough, trustworthy, unbiased, unusual, upbeat, vigorous, vivacious, warm, willing, wise, witty, wonderful, zany, zealous.
So when you're thinking about your branding make sure you take into consideration all the above elements to ensure a professional look, and most importantly, more effective branding. 

In this post we've looked at branding in general. This is the basic stuff that you can use on your website, blog, marketing materials, etc...

For the authors amongst you, branding can be used for your books too. Maybe you use the same fonts on all your book covers, or a certain style, or elements. For example, author Nicholas Sparks often has an image of a couple almost kissing on his romance covers. Again, using the same fonts across your books can help brand them. I'm happy to change the fonts on any of my available premade book cover designs should you require it. As well as my premades, I also offer custom cover designs too, and so can definitely help you brand your books.


Branding: More Than A Logo


You might also like: Tips for a Successful Brand Photo Shoot


How would you describe your brand? Do you have consistent visual branding?  Let me know in the comments below. Also feel free to ask questions. I love a good discussion 😉



Book Review: The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher



The Princess Diarist is Carrie Fisher’s intimate, hilarious and revealing recollection of what happened behind the scenes on one of the most famous film sets of all time, the first Star Wars movie. Named a PEOPLE Magazine Best Book of Fall 2016.
When Carrie Fisher recently discovered the journals she kept during the filming of the first Star Wars movie, she was astonished to see what they had preserved—plaintive love poems, unbridled musings with youthful naiveté, and a vulnerability that she barely recognized. Today, her fame as an author, actress, and pop-culture icon is indisputable, but in 1977, Carrie Fisher was just a (sort-of) regular teenager.
With these excerpts from her handwritten notebooks, The Princess Diarist is Fisher’s intimate and revealing recollection of what happened on one of the most famous film sets of all time—and what developed behind the scenes. And today, as she reprises her most iconic role for the latest Star Wars trilogy, Fisher also ponders the joys and insanity of celebrity, and the absurdity of a life spawned by Hollywood royalty, only to be surpassed by her own outer-space royalty. Laugh-out-loud hilarious and endlessly quotable, The Princess Diarist brims with the candor and introspection of a diary while offering shrewd insight into the type of stardom that few will ever experience.





http://amzn.to/2ydmGGF



Premade Creation: Before and After

Welcome behind the scenes


I've been asked by a few people about how I create my premade book cover designs, and so thought I'd do a series of posts to show you some of the before and after.

Today I'm going to show you PMBC73. This is a steampunk theme. The images used all came from www.pixabay.com. This is one of my favourite sites for getting images as they have such a wide variety of great images available for free commercial use. 

I liked the image of the chimney sweep, but decided to edit out the brush. The gears were layered on to make up the background, and the clock element became a nice point of interest. I also added in a few special effects to complete the look.

Premade Creation: Before and After PMBC73

As you probably realise from this post, when you buy a professional premade cover design you are paying for more than just the end result. A cover designer spends a large amount of time searching for images to use, and editing them to give you a unique design. You pay for their time, experience and skills. 

PMBC73 is available now for €50 (ebook cover), €100 (ebook and print wrap package). Email now to order. Once a cover is sold it is never sold again.

Premade Creation: Before and After PMBC73

Find more premade book cover designs at http://www.jolinsdell.com/p/premade.html




My Alternative NaNoWriMo Challenge


November is here and that normally means I jump into the writing frenzy that is NaNoWriMo, and try to write a 50K novel in 30 days. Last year I reached a new personal best by going over the 50K mark in just 25 days (YAY me!). 

Well, this year, even though I'm incredibly tempted to start a new project, I won't be doing NaNoWriMo. I will be challenging myself to write everyday though. I'm doing an alternative NaNoWriMo challenge. You see, I just have too many works in progress. I need to finish them. So my project for November is to finish as many of my WIPs as possible in 30 days. Like I said, I have several so this is going to probably be even harder than the actual NaNoWriMo challenge is. 

My goals for November


I have lots of projects that I need to finish writing/editing. So here's the list of WIPs I'd like to finish this month:

  • KOSMOS Episode 8: Shadow
  • KOSMOS Episode 9: Reboot
  • KOSMOS Episode 10: Future
  • KOSMOS Episode 11: Sacrifice
  • KOSMOS Episode 12: Home
  • From Idea To Published Book
  • Do You LIKE Me?


This isn't even half of my current WIPs! I really need to get better at finishing my books [hangs head in shame].

Do you have a lot of unfinished WIPs too? (Please tell me I'm not alone here!) Are you doing NaNoWriMo this month? Got some tips for getting it done? Let a comment below.


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      • Join The Mega Tour
      • Book Review: Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella
      • Book Mail Unboxing
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      • Ready for the Mega Tour?
      • 3 Ways You Can Back Up Your Work
      • Book Review: Little Girl Lost by Carol Wyer
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      • Book Review: The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher
      • Premade Creation: Before and After
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