Tuesday 6 November 2012

Balancing New Writing with Publicising Published Works

Is this simply a case of, How To?

Pretty much everything we do is based on a 'How To' recipe or set of instructions. That is of course until we come across something new, which we think is original. Then, off we go on a quest to search for the answers. So using a popular search location on the web, I asked, 'How to write?' and in 0.22 seconds, I was offered 934 million results! 'How to Blog' returned a mere 141 million in 0.17 seconds. So I had better learn How to Blog before it becomes as popular as How to Write!

What about the header of this Blog?

Balancing New Writing with Publicising Published Works

There is no shortage of How To material here either so long as you get the right search terms or read a useful Blog.
The one word (or acronym) answer is S.M.A.R.T. To those of you not familiar with this term, click here for a great article all about it before reading on.
Now, all a little more educated; what is all this balancing about? Every great recipe has to be copied more or less exactly and practised a few times before adapting it to taste and that of your audience. I am still practising mine and it may well differ slightly from that of another writer but so does apple pie. All a matter of taste.

The Specific tasks associated with this balancing recipe begin with my passion and raison d'etre Writing and I will write 1000 words a day.

The Specific task is simple enough to Measure. I keep a diary of what I do each day and I always finish each writing session by checking the word count. Do I manage 1000 words each day? Yes, it's Achievable and Relevant because the words contribute to the completion of my next novel, Time; which will be out next spring (2013).

So far, everything seems to be simple enough and I am well on my way to the publication of my next novel. What about publicising my published novel? This is a D.I.Y. project due to the absence of a great publishing house, but so long as I stick to the S.M.A.R.T. principle, I will achieve my goal of selling the product. How I work out those goals will be the subject of my next Blog on Wednesday 21st November.

Find out about my début novel at www.horando.com and good luck being S.M.A.R.T.

Steve Costello


Tuesday 23 October 2012

Goals Matter

Some years ago when the WWW was in its infancy and I was coming to terms with the aftermath of a disabling accident, one of my 'lines of therapy' included sharing my management and training experience through an Ezine that I developed called KEYZine. It was wonderful for my self-esteem because it had over 6,000 genuine followers inside six months and many of those followers interacted with me, showing that the content was both valuable and interesting to them.
Circumstances changed and I had to move on and KEYZine was painfully saved to 'floppy disk'. Oh how I wish I had those followers now.
My book is published and it is not a best-seller yet despite some extremely promising reviews so what next?

I sense one of those 'catch 22' situations developing. I have enough major writing projects to keep me busy for a very long time but if a publisher is going to pick-up my work, I am going to have to make sure that I get the message out there and, if nothing else, I need to be a hit on Amazon (http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009M5RZ2K) through Kindle and the print-on-demand service at CreateSpace. Maybe then, one of those big publishers will see the light.

I need a plan.

That's simple enough, I have enough skills and experience to work that one out! So I must ask myself several questions.

What are my goals?

    • Short-term
    • Medium-term
    • Long-term

What do I need to do to achieve them?

    • Make a list

Break-down the list into a To Do list.

    • Daily
    • Weekly
    • Monthly

Get on with it!

It is not rocket science and there are other ways of realising my goals. The most important point however is To Do and NOT procrastinate. Regardless of how I feel and what other aspects of life are going on around me, I must do at least one thing from my list every day.

Off to my list, have a great day.

Steve Costello

Author of Horando - Going Home

Novel. Age 8+ Horando is reminiscent of other classic fantasies in particular some readers may identify with Blyton’s ‘Famous Five’ stories.
The difference with Horando is that it goes beyond adventure and lashings of ginger beer. This group of children have magical abilities waiting to be uncovered and used for the greater good. Teamwork is crucial to a happy-ending as their childhood is put on hold while they step up to destroy the evil that threatens peace and prosperity. A great read with numerous messages for life for those who choose to see them.




Saturday 20 October 2012

Authors of books for children unite!

As a new-comer to the Wonderful World of Web, I am doing my best to promote my new novel for children  (www.horando.com) and I would like to offer FREE space and links on this Blog and my website. All that I ask is that you do the same for me and work with me to promote our work.
Leave a comment and some contact details on this Blog or email me at steve@horando.com  if you might be interested and I will get back to you.
I have a large Facebook following and my Twitter followers although small today, are growing each day.
Once we confirm our willingness to work together, I will also mail you a paperback of my début novel, Horando - Going Home.

Steve Costello

Horando on Amazon




Thursday 18 October 2012

Next book from the author of Horando - Going Home

Steve Costello's next novel will feature one of the characters from The Horando story who sets out to discover how and why he can move around in time.
This is another exciting story for over 8's who want to take part in a great adventure, places are not limited so be there at the start.
More information coming soon.

Talking about Horando. There will be a day of FREE give-aways on Amazon Kindle very soon. If you would like a FREE copy, watch this Blog for details and in return, please leave your feedback on the Amazon site once you have read it and pass on the word to your networks!

Wednesday 17 October 2012

Reminiscent of classic fantasies


Written by new author Steve Costello this novel for 8 to 12 year olds is reminiscent of other classic fantasies in particular some readers may identify with Blyton’s ‘Famous Five’ stories.
The difference with Horando is that it goes beyond adventure and lashings of ginger beer. This group of children have magical abilities waiting to be uncovered and used for the greater good. Teamwork and looking after one another is crucial to a happy-ending as their childhood is put on hold while they step up to destroy the evil that threatens peace and prosperity. A great read with numerous messages for life for those who choose to see them.
This story helps children to discover and unpack a new world where there is plenty of space to include their own imaginations in the fun while they explore and learn.



Blogged by Steve C, October 2012

Tuesday 16 October 2012

Horando - Children's Novel

Searching: Horando - Children's Novel: OUT NOW! New children's book, 'Horando - Going Home'. Get a copy from Amazon Kindle, Over 1000 sold in the first three days. Novel. Age ...

Monday 15 October 2012

Horando - Children's Novel

OUT NOW! New children's book, 'Horando - Going Home'. Get a copy from Amazon Kindle, Over 1000 sold in the first three days.


Novel. Age 8+ Horando is reminiscent of other classic fantasies in particular some readers may identify with Blyton’s ‘Famous Five’ stories.
The difference with Horando is that it goes beyond adventure and lashings of ginger beer. This group of children have magical abilities waiting to be uncovered and used for the greater good. Teamwork is crucial to a happy-ending as their childhood is put on hold while they step up to destroy the evil that threatens peace and prosperity. A great read with numerous messages for life for those who choose to see them.