GoodReads.com and Darkhouse have teamed up for a giveaway. Been thinking about getting in on the adventures of ghost hunters Perry Palomino and Dex Foray, but haven’t taken the plunge yet? Now might be a great time to enter this giveaway for one of five paperback copies available. See below for details and to enter! Contest closes May 31st, 2011.
A slice of time
Writing a book is simple. It really is. If you have a story, some talent, and a whole lot of passion, writing should come easily to you. I mean, sure, there are times you’ll want to bang your head against the computer (or just chuck it out the window, or drown your sorrows in a bottle of Jack Daniels), but when you look back on it — wow, writing was a trip.
Then there is selling. In today’s world, where publishing houses are battering down the hatches and a few writers are making money on lucky breaks (talent + good timing = luck), actually selling books has become a fight to the death. This isn’t anything new, of course. Go into any bookstore and you’ll see shelves of books you have never heard of. What makes people pick a book off the shelf and say “this one”? Even with recommendations, a nice cover, fancy placement, or media blitzes, there are still no guarantees that your book will sell.
Selling books has never been as easy as selling music, or ideas, or movies. A song you can download and listen to in three minutes. A movie takes two hours of your day. An idea can be had in seconds.
But a book…a book is time. When you sell a book, you are, essentially, selling a slice of time. The time it takes to read that book. And time, in this day and age, is a luxury. You are asking people to essentially indulge. To take a moment out of their busy lives to not only buy the book, but to actually read the book. You are asking for a commitment in a divorce-a-minute society.
No wonder selling books is so hard.
I guess the secret here is to find out a way to say “Hey, my book is worth a slice of your busy day. It’s worth the time spent on your commute to work, it’s worth your evening ritual with tea and a cookie. It’s worth being a companion on your vacation to Mexico.”
And it’s a gamble. No one likes to waste time.
But the risk might be worth it. And if it is, those are some moments in time that will enrich you. Or at least give you a pleasant diversion while waiting at the bus stop. Even if my books are just the latter, I’m grateful that people have taken a slice of time out of their lives and given it to me.
Darkhouse — One week in…
Well, it’s been one week since Darkhouse went on sale. This may have been the longest week ever. There’s something so… anti-climatic about finally publishing your work. All the months (years, actually) of anticipation, sweat, blood, tears and then… now what? Luckily, I immediately left for a week of music and friends in San Francisco, so I wasn’t left alone at home and analyzing my book sales (which by the way, ain’t too shabby, considering).
Anyway, I’ll be back to being a promoting machine as soon as I return home. But for now, I’m just kicking back and enjoying the “down time.” And cool moments, such as the photo above, where Shannon, the swell bartender at Polk Street bar Blur, asked to buy a copy of the book — so as long as I signed it. And sign it I did (hope you like it, Shannon!). Actually, I’ve been selling a lot of in person copies. Signing them for certain people has been quite surreal. And silly
Publication Day — The Aftermath
If you ever write a book (or get said book published), you really ought to do something to celebrate the occasion. Me? I got a tattoo.
I’m not much of a tattoo person, but last year, while in Finland, I got a tattoo of my favourite band on the back of my neck. It’s brought me nothing but amazing luck, especially with regards to my music journalist career. I thought it was the only tattoo I’d ever get.
Until I mentioned the Darkhouse publication date to my friend Helen. She pointed out that many people get Friday the 13th tattoos. Suddenly, that’s all I wanted. A tattoo to commemorate the publication of my first novel and the start of something amazing.
So, yesterday, I got the little 13 behind the ear. For some reason, it barely hurt, took less than 10 minutes, and is really discrete. I love it, though. I think it’s going to bring me, and my books, nothing but good luck.
Also, now when my hair is up, I look pretty hardcore
Author Karina Halle
Welcome to Karina Halle’s Experiment in Terror page. While this website focuses more on Perry Palomino and Dex Foray and their Experiment in Terror Series, you’ll find information about the author and her other books. For Karina Halle’s author site, please click HERE.
WHAT IS “DARKHOUSE” and the EXPERIMENT IN TERROR SERIES?
A paranormal, supernatural journey with two unlikely ghost-hunters who must battle not only spirits but their attraction to each other. Scooby Doo, this ain’t.
“Darkhouse turned out unlike anything I’d expected. It drew me in from page one, with its easy-to-relate to, flawed but loveable characters, its fast pace, the unpredictable plot twists and its eerie, surreal atmosphere. If you’re searching for the scariest book of this season, then search no more. Darkhouse is exactly what you’re looking for.” — I Heart Reading
“I don’t think, short of being completely ridiculous, I can encourage you more strongly to read this series. It has quickly moved to the top of my favorites list” - The Bookish Babes
Purchase on Kindle HERE and on Smashwords HERE and on NOOK here. Paperbacks available HERE.