On this blog in 2015

Please click on the image to embolden

Dear Reader,

As my own writing career demands more and more of my attention, I'm finding less and less time for everything else. And thus I've been forced to make a difficult decision. Effective January 16, I will no longer publish guest posts. (My last guest will be Victoria Chatham.) 

This will be my new blog blurb...

Leanne Dyck invites readers and writers to join her on her "wild" author journey. She promises to keep you entertained, informed and inspired. One new post will be available every Monday. Leanne writes from Mayne Island, B.C., Canada.  Thank you for helping to nurture this blog by visiting, sharing the link and commenting. 

As we meet the promise of a new year, I hope I can continue to count on your support.

And please note, my decision to cancel Friday posts does in no way effect my goal of building community and supporting those in the publishing industry. I plan to continue to share my Internet finds -- publishing opportunities, informative articles and more. In fact, I hope to meet this goal more effectively by utilizing Google Plus and Twitter. 

Please follow me...

on Google Plus, please click this link

and on Twitter as lustfulgraces ( link )

(I'd also enjoy connecting with you on Facebook.)

Of course, the over 100 guest posts that I began publishing on this blog in 2010 will still be available for your reading pleasure on the guest post page. 

Thank you to the publishing industry professionals who have contributed to this blog. I've learned a lot from you. The most important lesson is that if you continue to strive to build a successful life in writing you will be successful. Believe in the power of your words.


I'm looking forward to spending 2015 with you.
Best wishes for a fun and successful new year,
Leanne

Friday's Guest:  Reality Skimming Press

Next Monday's post:  No MFA? Submit to these literary magazines. 

Sharing my author journey...

Guest Post: Introduction to Booktrack by Karen Tay, Community Manager

If you’re looking for a way to increase the audience for your books, why not try creating a Booktrack?

Booktrack synchronizes soundtracks to eBooks, resulting in a new movie-style reading experience. Our platform is free for both readers and creators, and the ability to sell books is coming soon.

The great thing about Booktrack is that not only do we have an active community of avid readers, we can also reach other non-traditional reading audiences: musicians, educators, gamers and technology lovers – to name just a few. Booktrack offers a way to make reading immersive, fun and cool again.

There are many innovative ways that authors can use Booktrack to market to all these different audiences. We have over half a million users on the platform, and that number is growing by the day. Here are some ideas to get you started!

Publish an excerpt/short story

One of the ways you can take advantage of the free nature of Booktrack is to publish a sample chapter or two, linking to your paid novel from there. Short stories are also popular on the platform and a great way for new authors to establish an audience.

Serialized fiction

With traditional publishing getting increasingly harder to break into, many authors are finding success through releasing serialized fiction. Giving away the first few chapters, stories and even book for free can be a way of drawing in an audience. On Booktrack, writer Danielle Harjo is currently releasing her book Demon Wolf in instalments.

Use the Booktrack community

There are many ways you can reach the Booktrack community. The most important thing is to publish a good, well-written and edited Booktrack with a strong cover and well thought out soundtrack. Secondly, read other people’s Booktracks, not just so they will read your story, but to get ideas about using different sounds and music. By participating in discussions (commenting on, reading and rating other Booktracks), you can become an active and valued member of our digital community!

Show off your personality

Booktrack can be a great way of showing off the more colorful side of your personality. Authors often work in isolation, only getting feedback from their editors and readers when the story is complete. With Booktrack, you can choose to put up blog posts with a soundtrack to share with your social media friends, or write fun short stories based around writing exercises in between completing your novel. It all means more people reading your work at the end of the day!