P. Austin Heaton

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PAustinHeaton1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paustinheaton

My Historical Adventure Novel on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1070510645

My Historical Murder Mystery Novel (1^st in a series) on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/169609738X

Friday, November 1, 2019

Four FREE Ways to Promote Your Books

There are tons of ways to publicize and promote your books. I’m blogging about four that are easy, fun and FREE.

#1. Most towns or areas have a Facebook page. I joined one for my town (Friends of Fallbrook). The site has 20,000 Facebook followers. For the six weeks prior to my book launch, I’m posting a teaser blurb every Sunday at 5 p.m. I end each post with: “Watch this spot next Sunday for more information.” Also, I add a photo of the area and time period of my novel. The last three posts will give a date, time, and finally the address. Sample of first three posts.

10-6 COMING SOON – A delightful & deadly romp through 1915 San Diego, Fallbrook, LA’s Chinatown, Santa Barbara & other So Cal areas. Fallbrook author, P. Austin Heaton’s new murder mystery is coming in November. Book launch in Fallbrook, mid-November, mid-week, mid-day. Watch this space next Sunday for more information.

10-13 COMING SOON – A new sleuth is in town. Sadie Brown, Aviatrix, San Diego newspaper columnist, & undercover snoop launches her first murder investigation after a prominent doctor’s body is found in Balboa Park during the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. Watch for more information next Sunday.

10-20 COMING SOON – “Murder at the Expo: Miss Sadie Brown & the Death of Dr. Wolf” A prominent Agnew Sanitarium surgeon and researcher into female hysteria has been murdered! Join Miss Sadie Brown as she follows the clues in 1915 San Diego, Fallbrook, Redondo Beach, Tijuana, and other California seaside towns. Peek into the silent film industry, early aeroplane business, and LA’s Chinatown. Fallbrook book lunch set for mid-November. More details next Sunday.

#2. My local newspaper allows free news releases for local authors who have published a new book...300 words and a photo of the book cover. Check with your local newspapers to learn about their requirements. It may trigger a write-up by a staff reporter. UPDATE: This lead to a speaking engagement for a local university women's group who asked that I bring books to sell.

#3. If you know the names and emails of people who have purchased your book, send a free “Thank You” email card from an online greeting card site. I use 123greetings.com. You can also include a message that asks the reader to please write a comment on Amazon and Goodreads if they enjoyed the book.

#4. Check with your local independent book/gift shops. Many will order local authors’ books. If you are self-published like I am, your shop may sell your signed author-copies on consignment. Also, it's nice to mention in your pitch that so-and-so bookstore carries your books. UPDATE: This led to a large book club selecting my book to read on the recommendation of the shop owner. Smooze, smooze, smooze those shop owners.

BONUS. A semi-free idea. Join a group that correlates to the subject of your book. Membership will probably require a small fee. Because I write historical mysteries, I joined a local Southern California historical society and made some great friends who are also interested in purchasing my book.

SECOND BONUS. Another semi-free idea. It’s fairly inexpensive to make your own bookmarks or have them printed professionally. Distribute at libraries, coffee shops, doctors’ offices, and (depending on your target market) beauty salons, auto repair shops, etc. If I see someone reading a book, I offer a bookmark and give an elevator pitch. They may forget my pitch, but the bookmark will be a reminder. AND the reminder will tell them where to buy the book. UPDATE: A lady showed up at my book launch and bought copies of both my books. A week prior to the launch, I gave her bookmarks as we stood in line at the local grocery store.

Do you have more free ideas that have worked for you? Please share in the comments. Writers helping writers is the name of the game.

See you next month.

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IT’S ARRIVED!!! My first historical murder mystery book (a new series) is now available on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/169609738X If you enjoy the Molly Murphy series and the Masie Dobbs series, you’ll find Sadie Brown a fun read as she begins her career as a sleuth and undercover investigator.

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Like my blog? Please click on the "follow by email" icon to receive a notification when the next blog is posted.

Other places to find me:

Website: www.paustinheaton.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PAustinHeaton1

My Historical Adventure Novel on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1070510645

My Historical Murder Mystery Novel (1^st in a series) on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/169609738X

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Getting the Most From a Writers' Conference

Writers’ Conferences can be a great place to learn new ideas and network. Before you go, here are a few hints.

1. Go over the schedule and select what classes you want to attend in advance but be flexible. You may meet someone who highly recommends a different class. And sometimes a class or lecture isn’t what you expect.

2. Sign up for as many one-on-ones as possible with authors, editors and/or agents. Some are free. Some have a fee attached. I’ve found these one-on-ones to be extremely helpful, and I always feel encouraged afterward.

3. Find out about parking in advance. Some events have very pricy parking. Scrooge McDuck has nothing on me. I’d rather walk a few blocks for free parking.

4. Pre-check where to purchase meals. Bringing your own light snacks and water seemed acceptable at the conferences I’ve attended.

5. Bring a notebook and plenty of pens or a well-charged laptop (and the charger).

6. Have a supply of business cards and any PR material* you have to share with new friends.

7. Practice your elevator pitch and your five-minute pitch.

8. For introverts like me…have a list of questions that pertain to the classes and/or lectures you plan to attend.

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My first Writers’ Conference was a semi-bust. I was too timid to participate in class discussions and didn’t introduce myself and mingle as I should have.

Here’s what I now do to get the most out of the conference.

1. I raise my hand and participate in classes.

2. I ask other attendees how far they came to attend, if they write in a specific genre, and ask them to tell me about their current WIP. They are always delighted to share their work and invariably ask what I am writing. This is where your elevator pitch comes in handy.

3. I make new business cards with the names of my books on the back which I exchange with people when I introduce myself. Hopefully, their email address is on their card. If not, I'll ask for it and ask if I may add them to my mailing list.

*4. I also make bookmarks with my current book or WIP printed on them to give to people along with the business cards. People seem to love them. (I use PrintMaster8 Platinum © software...$40 at Office Depot) One participant went one step further and made very clever “Do Not Disturb” doorknob hangers. Mary Putnam is a PR maven.

*5. Make your own pair of book earrings…instant conversation starter. Mary Putnam (again) wife of author David Putnam wore a pair of book earrings she made. Here’s a website with Mary’s instructions. http://www.mysteryplayground.net/2016/02/crafty-thursdays-diy-book-earrings.html

6. After the conference, add your new acquaintances to your mailing list. Email them when you arrive back home with a short personalized note.

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Most importantly, go, learn, meet new people, and have fun.

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If you enjoy my blog, please click on the "follow by email" icon to receive a notification when the next blog is posted.

See you next month which will be about the launch of my new murder mystery, Murder at the Expo: Miss Sadie Brown & the Death of Dr. Wolf set in 1915 San Diego.

Other places to find me:

My Historical Adventure Novel on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1070510645

(Note: Conference Room photos from Startup Stock Photos)

Sunday, September 1, 2019

Research Tidbits: Fascinating People of Early 1860s San Francisco

Writing historical novels involves months of research. For me, only a fraction of my sleuthing ends up in my novels. The rest is filed away in a cabinet and also floats about in my head.

Because I was writing a Civil War-era adventure novel (Deserter, Rebel, Renegade), I researched 1862-1864 San Francisco and some of the fascinating people who lived and worked there.

Life in early 1860s San Francisco focused less on the Civil War raging in the eastern part of the United States (a world away) and more on the import and export of goods from around the globe, building fortunes, and the unwanted immigration of Chinese and other foreigners willing to take undesirable jobs for less money. Sound familiar?

The town was full of risk-takers, colorful characters, oddballs, and outcasts who brought life and vitality to the city. The following are five of my favorites.

· Belle Cora (1827?-1862) Celebrated madam and reputed to be the best-dressed woman in town, Belle and her husband Charles opened a gaming house in San Francisco in 1852. Cora House offered games of chance, food, drink and the highest priced girls in town. Charles came to a bad end at the hands (and rope) of the Vigilance Committee. Cora turned to philanthropy but died quite young.

· Domenico (Domingo) Ghiradelli (1817-1894) Italian born businessman who was

apprenticed to a chocolate maker in Genoa. Moving to South American he opened a confectioners business and then to California to cater to the miners who craved sweets almost as much as gold. In 1852 he moved to San Francisco and opened the Ghiradelli Chocolate Company. Today, The Original Ghiradelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop located in Ghiradelli Square is a major tourist destination in the city.

· Emperor Norton (1818-1880) Born in England, Joshua Abraham Norton arrived in San Francisco approximately 1849. He was a successful businessman but lost everything in a crash of the rice market. In 1859 he appeared in town, dressed in a ragtag uniform and declared himself Norton I, Emperor of the United States & Protector of Mexico. The Emperor strolled about town posting various proclamations and declarations. One such declaration stated the United States Congress should be disbanded by force. He paid his expenses with his “official” money which he printed. It’s said over 10,000 people lined the streets as his coffin was carried to his funeral. Whether he was eccentric, insane, or crazy as a fox is up for debate.

· Levi Strauss (1829-1902) German-born businessman

who along with Jacob W. Davis saw the future of combining rivets and denim. In 1854, he opened a wholesale company in San Francisco to import fine dry goods. He began making tents and jeans which were valued by the miners and new arrivals starting fresh in California. At the time of his death in 1902, his estate was worth about six million dollars. That would be approximately $170,000,000 today.

· Ah Toy (c.1828-1928) Chinatown madam, Ah Toy was tall and attractive and arrived in the city in 1849. Unfortunately, her husband died on the ship from Hong Kong. To put food on her table and a roof over her head, she turned to what some call the ‘world’s oldest profession.’ Eventually, her famous bordello was on the same street as Cora House. Intelligent, financially savvy, and knowing her way around the court system, she was able to retire to Santa Clara, California where she passed away at an advanced age.

The above five people are just a few of the amazing people who called San Francisco home in the mid-1800s. Four of them made it into Deserter, Rebel, Renegade.

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NOTE: To read another Research Tidbit, see my July Blog about the Oregon Trail titled “Disease, Death & Burial Practices.”

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September 15^th I’ll be attending a writers’ conference and gathering information for the October 1^st blog. See you then.

Other places to find me:

My Historical Adventure Novel on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1070510645

Thursday, August 1, 2019

The Perfect Elevator Pitch

I’ve been up since 4:00 a.m. for the last three mornings. Why? Because I’ve been worrying about an elevator pitch. On September 15, I’ll be attending a writers’ conference where I’ll be making a practice pitch to a literary agent. The agent might find my WIP interesting or I might only get advice to make my pitch better. Either way, it’s a good thing.

As a self-published author,* an actual face-to-face pitch is a first for me. I have mixed feelings about paying fees to an agent and a publishing house, but it’s good to be knowledgeable about all the details and different paths to publishing my current WIP.

So back to 4:00 a.m. I signed up for the conference and the pitch weeks ago. My mind must have been mulling it over quietly, behind the scenes, and eventually kicked into over-drive. Because three mornings ago at 4 a.m. exactly, I awoke to my mind-voice droning on:

“A notorious politician is found dead of an apparent heart attack.” No, no no. How about this?

“After the death of prominent politician, Sylvester Fox, journalist Harry Jersey uncovers Sly’s sinister past and dangerous double life…” Nope, nope not right either.

“A journalist needs a really big story…” Ummm. Did that sound a little like Ed Sullivan? Wow, this isn’t easy.

My mind-voice went on tossing out ideas until I gave up, turned on a light, picked up a notepad and pen, and started taking notes. Did I say it was 4:00 a.m….in the morning? Did I say it’s happened three mornings in a row?

A friend kindly emailed me a couple of articles on pitching and I Googled more. Boiling all the advice down to bullet points, this is my pitch list.

· What’s the Genre and word count?

· Who’s my hero?

· What is my hero’s goal?

· What conflict is keeping my hero from his goal?

· What is the resolution?

· And, importantly, what is my target audience and what are some examples of comparable books that are making big money for their agents.

Next authors are told to make the pitch short and sweet, a sentence for each bullet point. Here’s what I have for now. No doubt it will change many, many times over the next seven weeks.

· The novel is a 90,000-word political thriller.

· Hero is a down-on-his-luck reporter living in Miami.

· To keep his job, the reporter has one last chance to write a killer investigative newspaper article, and the perfect story could be the murder of a powerful politician living a dark double life with a secret stashed in Alaska. (Okay, that’s a compound sentence. So I cheated.)

· Hero is threatened by the politician’s co-workers and wife who are keeping secrets of their own and the hero’s editor who fears the political machine.

· Ends with a chilling meetup in Alaska between the hero and the killer who is determined to escape at any cost.

· A great read for adult readers who enjoy the novels of John Grisham and Tom Clancy.

I suppose my mind and I will be mulling this over and over until we are sick of each other. No doubt I’ll be woken at 4:00 a.m. any number of times between now and November 15. Ah, the life of a writer.

I’ll let you know how it all works out in my October 1^st blog, “Getting the Most from a Writers’ Convention.”

* SEE my 12/15/18 BLOG to read about my crazy adventure through the looking-glass world of self-publishing. https://paustinheaton.blogspot.com/2018/12/self-publishing-book-using-amazons-kdp.html

Other places to find me:

My Historical Adventure Novel on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1070510645

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Research Tidbits: The Oregon Trail - DISEASE, DEATH & BURIALS - One Very Long Graveyard

After months of research for my historical novel Deserter, Rebel, Renegade ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/1070510645 ) which begins on a Civil War Battlefield and travels along the Oregon Trail to San Francisco and Angels Camp, California, I learned some fascinating facts.

Of the estimated half-a-million people who journeyed to Utah, Oregon and California on the Oregon Trail, roughly one out of ten died and was buried on/alongside the trail or left beside the trail. The Oregon Trail may safely be called a 2,170 plus-mile graveyard.

Except for a few graves such as Mary Homesley’s grave west of Fort Laramie, Wyoming, grave markings are long gone. In fact many were never marked. A larger concern was preventing predatory animals from digging up the deceased. Piling rocks (if available) on top of the grave was one solution. This wasn’t always practical.

In my novel, I used another common method. A grave was dug in the middle of the Trail in front of the wagon train. After the burial (and funeral or memorial if time permitted), the wagons moved forward. The gravesite was packed down by heavy wagon wheels and the hooves of oxen, mules & horses. Any scent that would attract animals was eliminated. Impossible to imagine how that affected family members.

The trek from a jumping-off place such as Independence, Mo. took four to six months. On “Day One,” excitement and optimism were rampant. But reality quickly set in. Sometimes the trip west was exhilarating and fun. But mostly it was drudgery. Most folks didn’t ride in their wagons. They walked…an average of 10-15 miles a day alongside their wagons and animals (children generally barefoot.) The travelers wanted to save their animals from overwork. The animals would be needed at their destination to help build the home and plant crops. Although it's estimated over 50% of the pioneers traveling west returned back east.

It was an arduous, mind-numbing journey coping with dust, hot sun, sick and injured animals, pouring rain, mud, snow and…well you get the idea. Fatigue and tedium created inattention. People were run over by their wagons, accidentally shot, drowned during frequent river crossings and kicked by animals. If they didn’t die immediately, infection frequently came calling.

In addition, being pregnant in the 1800s was always a scary and sometimes fatal event. The previously mentioned Mary Homesley gave birth to a son while on the Trail. Left in a weakened state by the birth, a case of the measles added further stress. Crossing the Platte River to reach Fort Laramie, she and her infant son fell in the water. Although rescued, Mary was severely chilled. She passed away the next day. Her daughter, Laura, who was a toddler at the time, gave an interview at age 76. She still vividly remembered the details. The story of the accidental discovery of Mary’s grave and how it looks today is worth a read. https://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/grave-mary-homsley

By far, the biggest killer on the Trail was cholera. The wagon trains frequently camped in previously, well-used campsites next to streams and rivers. These “prime” campsites became littered over the years with trash and garbage. There was no sanitation. Rivers and streams became breeding grounds for disease, especially cholera.

Pioneers understood cholera was highly contagious and killed quickly. But they didn’t understand the water they drank and used to wash their chapped faces and blistered hands was the source of the devastating illness. Whole families could be taken away as cholera ran its course.

Thankfully in 1869, the Transcontinental Railroad was completed. Trains allowed people to travel to the Pacific Ocean from Omaha in four days instead of four to six months. Thereafter use of the Trail declined and was soon abandoned.

My hat’s off to those pioneers who made the journey on the dusty trails to the western states. That was an epic voyage that took faith, grit and pure determination to live a better life.

Other places to find me: