Blurb or Excerpt?

I recently received a fantastic review for my first Malone mystery, Mixed Messages. The reviewer, Martha A. Cheves, author of several cookbooks including Stir, Laugh, Repeat, quoted a passage from the book at the beginning of her review. And, it got me thinking. Maybe that would be a better way to promote my books.

Traditionally, in the interest of keeping my post short when I’ve been a guest on another author’s blog, I’ve included the blurb from the back of the book but it never occurred to me to use an excerpt instead. So, I’ve decided to conduct a little experiment. Below, I’ve listed both the blurb and an excerpt from Mixed Messages and I would appreciate your opinion as to which of them is the most likely to entice you to read the book. Blurb or Excerpt?

Blurb:

It’s estimated that there are at least twenty to thirty active serial killers in the United States at any given time. There’s one on the loose on the west side of Cincinnati.

It’s the week of Halloween and Ann Kern struggles with several issues. Her primary concern is her marriage which, like her west side neighborhood, is in jeopardy. Her husband is drinking heavily and his behavior toward her is erratic. One minute, he’s the kind, loving man she married and, the next minute, he’s cold and cruel.

Ann dismisses a psychic’s warning that she is in danger. But, when she receives a series of ominous biblical quotes, she grows nervous and suspicious of everyone, including her own husband.

As the bizarre and frightening events unfold, Ann discovers a handmade tombstone marked with her name, pushing her close to the edge. Will she be the Westwood Strangler’s next victim?

Excerpt:

“Ann went directly to her grandmother's grave and stooped down to clear away the debris that covered the inscription on the tombstone. She heard a noise behind her that sounded like light footsteps making their way through the dried leaves and twigs... But there was no one there.

It's probably your imagination, she said out loud but, when the sun went behind a cloud, she shivered. Then, she heard the noise again... All of a sudden, a black cat sprang from the woods... 

As she turned back toward her grandmother's grave, she noticed a mound of freshly dug earth a few feet away. Curious, she went over and looked down. Her eyes opened wide and her hands flew to her mouth to stifle a scream. There, printed in bold black paint on a large rock were the words, "FUTURE HOME OF ANN KERN."

 

Chris Swinney talks about Social Media

Chris Swinney, author of Gray Ghost

I thought everyone could benefit from a little pep talk concerning social media. So, that’s what I’m going to write about today.

I know the whole business of promoting (mostly ourselves which is tough) is daunting, tiresome, boring, and most of us loathe it. I’m with you, certainly, but I feel until we “make it,” we must do it. I’m from a younger generation of writers and remember just a few years ago the buzz word was “platform.” The concept relied heavily on social media and one’s presence on the World Wide Web (some people call it the Internet). Nowadays, talking about platform is a thing of the past, and people smack you in the face about promoting a thousand different ways several times a day. It stinks, but I believe we writers must do this or we will struggle to sell our work.

So, a few things to think about. First, I created a social media group (called Social Media 101) on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/104837-social-media-101 where I break down the biggies in the social media realm so you can understand how to get started, what the lingo means, and how each one can benefit you. I was frustrated and consulted numerous experts in the field before compiling the work. Now, 204 people are in the group. You can participate in great discussions or add to them and ask questions. I or others will respond fairly quickly and help you out. It’s TOTALLY FREE!

And second. How would you feel if I told you there was a way, free for the most part, in which you could write one message and get it out to at least seven of your social media sites with one click? Sound pretty cool? I think so. The software is called Hootsuite (www.hootsuite.com). There’s a lot more you can do with the software, but for the most part, you can link your social media sites to one account, write a message, and with the click of the button, send it out to the social media sites linked to your Hootsuite account. It significantly lessens the amount of time you spend on social media promotion. Again, it’s TOTALLY FREE! If you choose to link more sites to it (more than seven), it will cost you a monthly fee. One thing I really like about it is I can set or pre-schedule messages AHEAD of time.

For example, I know that posting on social media sites at 9 am, 12 noon, 6 pm, and 9 pm are the best times to have the most people see my posts. So, with Hootsuite, I can set these messages up AHEAD of time and it does the rest. You need a little knowledge of spreadsheets or excel, but it’s really not that hard. And, Hootsuite will help you out with their great customer service. I use this site and service all the time and have been very happy with it. Think about this, you go off to a signing or a conference or even a vacation and while you are gone, Hootsuite sends out messages to readers, fans, and potential buyers for you. You just can’t beat that!

Anyway, I hope some of you will be a little less stressed out with the social media aspect of promotions. I’m available anytime to answer questions or try to give you some pointers.

To read Chris’ biography and/or to order a copy of Gray Ghost, click on the link below.

http://www.amazon.com/C.-L.-Swinney/e/B00DSWIANQ