Los Angeles Times Interview

https://www.latimes.com/local/orangecounty/tn-wknd-et-orange-county-probation-officer-20190510-story.html

Marketing and Sales

Marketing is probably the most frustrating of all for an author, but a necessary evil if you want sales. And who doesn't? Your book is finished and published. Your baby is out in the world, you hope. But how do you get it there so readers can learn of the wonderful novel you've written. Writers aren't sales people. Unless you are already well-known, your publisher expects you to do the heavy lifting. With hundreds of new books coming out almost daily, how do you stand above the crowd? With three novels under my belt, I still don't have the definite answer, but I've learned that personal contact with your potential reader is the most successful way for me. I've tried Amazon ads, Publishers Weekly promotions, and NetGalley with little success. When I do local book signings I'm able to engage readers personally, resulting in sales as well as invitations to speak at book clubs. Recently I was able to be interviewed by the Los Angeles Times. They gave me a half-page spread with a nice picture and a very complete overview of my books, my background and credibility for the theme of my novels. The result, my book sales immediately spiked, with 31 Kindle sales so far, and still counting. For months I had no sales at all. I hope these readers will like what they read, tell their friends, and maybe the word will spread. I'm always interested in new ideas, so readers, if you have any, please let me know.

The Oxford Comma

I've been using the Oxford comma for years and never knew it had a name. For those who may not already know what that means, it is the comma that appears after the last word in a grouping. For example: I ate cookies, drank milk, cleaned up, and left the kitchen. Many writers do not use a comma after the last word and apparently it's OK. The important thing is to be consistent in your writing. It makes more sense to me to use the comma in such a grouping. Now I know there's a name for it!