Failed marketing strategy

So, it's just over 2 weeks since I posted out my unusual and hopefully eye catching marketing press packs, and so far I have hade absolutely no feedback or contact from any of the firms I posted them to.

Zero

Nil

The scientist in me assures me that a failed experiment is as important as a successful one, but that doesn't mean I have to like it!  On a slightly better note, I now have the cover of New Light to share with the world, check it out below.

It's the first cover to feature one of my characters, Ben in this case, but he looks enough like the description in book 1 that I was happy to put a face to him.  The shadows still give the reader the chance to put their own details to his face.

I am back to writing more of New Light today, still behind schedule but hoping to have the first draft completed early next year!

New push for exposure

Ok, done something a little off the wall yesterday to try and get exposure for my books.  I've already sent off copy after copy of press releases in the last year, just like a lot of other people I bet, and had absolutely no feedback or contact following any of them.  I expect they all just get filed in the big round filing cabinet on the floor.

So, I decided to try something a little different.  I've made up a false document, several actually, and posted them in a manila folder to various local and national papers, radio, book review magazines,  sci-fi magazines, and some of my favourite authors.  The document and fake newspaper clippings ask the reader to look into a mystery, involving a cover up, conspiracy, murder, and all the bits that make a mystery fun.  The articles and documents involve new characters and characters from my first 2 books, as well as, wait for it, ME!

That's right, I'm trying to break down the 4th wall here and engage these people in my writing at the same time.

Here are a few examples of the bits and pieces in the manila folder posted this morning...



There's also a letter from a concerned wife, a memo with some very revealing information about Excelsior Technologies (the fictional corporation in my books), as well as a heavily redacted document with clues littered through it as to what really happened.

There is also a CD with copies of both novels, just in case any of the people I have sent this to actually want to read them.

 

Will it work?  No idea.  Does it look amateurish?  Just a bit.  I only hope that it will make people pause before adding it to the ever increasing pile on the floor.

 

So, what do you think?  Interesting idea or completely insane?

Review of Thor-The Dark World

Here in the UK, we are lucky enough to have the new Thor movie open a week or so before the US (something that almost never happens), and I was lucky enough to see it on the 30th October with my family.

I am very happy to say that it was fantastic.  It followed up nicely from the Avengers, being sure to continue from the first Thor too, making a very personal story about the Asgardians and Thor and Loki in particular.

Beware, minor SPOILERS ahead.

Events start off with a piece of history, and then introduces us to various worlds of the nine realms.  We then follow Jane Foster as she tracks down some strange readings in London (played by the always wonderful Natalie Portman as before).  There's a lot of humour and fun in this part of the movie, especially with the character of Erik Selvig.  Shortly though, things begin to go wrong and Thor travels in to save the day, taking Jane Foster back to Asgard with him.

Once there, events slowly taken a turn, with the resurgence of a great evil and a spectacular action sequence as Asgard is attacked.  Events conspire that force Thor and Loki to work together, fighting against Malekith.  This is followed by the awesome set piece finale set in Greenwich in London and then some interesting revelations before the closing credits.

Oh, and just so you know, this movie has two post credit sequences, one after the stylised credits that nicely sets up Guardians of the Galaxy, and a second scene at the very end of the credits.

Overall, an absolutely great movie.  It wasn't as exciting or action packed as the Avengers, but then it was never supposed to be.  If a threat is so great that it needs all of the current roster of heroes to deal with it, it wouldn't work in a standalone movie.

I give it 9/10

Now I have to wait for Captain America - The Winter Soldier!