Not only was Kelvoo’s Testimonial my debut novel, it was my first attempt at any sort of commercial fiction. As such, I wasn’t confident that I had written something that would interest people. I thought it was good and my family and friends liked it, but I would have expected them to humor me no matter what they really thought. A few weeks before releasing my novel, the manuscript of Kelvoo’s Testimonial was sent to Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus is an independent reviewer of books and well known throughout the publishing industry. Publishing companies send new books to Kirkus for review, helping them to determine the quality of their new offerings from an independent, unbiased perspective. Kirkus Reviews also offers their services to independent authors like me. That’s how Kelvoo’s Testimonial found its way to Kirkus. When Kirkus reviews a book, they don’t use a rating system (e.g. 1 – 5 stars). They typically provide a paragraph of information and a one-line summary. Once in a while, Kirkus will provide a “starred review” for what they term, “books of remarkable merit”. About 10 percent of books from major publishers earn a Kirkus star. That number drops to between 1 and 2 percent of “indie” books. Shortly after I released Kelvoo’s Testimonial, Kirkus Reviews informed me that Kelvoo’s Testimonial had been awarded a starred review! I could hardly believe it! That day, I was bouncing off the walls with unmitigated glee! Today, the news is ten times better! Each year, Kirkus Reviews selects the best books of the year from its list of books with starred reviews. Every December, Kirkus releases its list of their 100 best indie books. I was overjoyed beyond words when I learned the Kelvoo’s Testimonial had been honored with inclusion in that list! I just might have to start taking myself seriously as an author! Order your copy of Kelvoo's Testimonial For the eBook, click here For paperback or hardcover, click here
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About a year ago, I joined Twitter, not knowing a whole lot about the platform. The whole thing seemed odd to me. I didn't really get the point of tiny messages about random stuff. My intent was to use the platform to promote Kelvoo's Testimonial, but I couldn't comprehend how to make Twitter work for me. Earlier this summer, I decided to reply to tweets that used the #WritersLift hashtag, which invite authors to post a blurb about their current work. I started to get some positive feedback and a better understanding of Twitter, and I began to see some positive results. I also used Twitter to browse, and sometimes respond to, social and political tweets. In doing so, I was disturbed by the amount of misinformation and negativity on the platform. Things started changing as soon as a certain billionaire took control of Twitter. With the future of Twitter in doubt, I set-up an account on a similar platform called Mastodon. There are a few key differences with Mastodon vs. Twitter:
As an author, the disadvantage of Mastodon is that it isn't as open to self-promotion, so I won't use it to tell people to buy my book. Nevertheless, I can answer questions or share positive news about Kelvoo's Testimonial when it is appropriate to do so. Essentially, spending time on Twitter and then on Mastodon feels like leaving a crowded room full of screaming, angry people and hucksters, and entering a calm glade in the forest on a lovely summer day, surrounded by happy, helpful, interesting beings! For now, I'm keeping a presence in both worlds, waiting to see what happens next. My presence on Mastodon isn't huge just yet, but if you'd like to check out my profile and a few of my posts, just visit universeodon.com/@KelvooBook Order your copy of Kelvoo's Testimonial
For the eBook, click here For paperback or hardcover, click here |
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Blog posts in chronological orderWhat is Kelvoo's Testimonial?
A bit about me The publishing process - Editorial Evaluation Who or what are the Kloormari? What's the twist that differentiates Kelvoo's Testimonial? Which issues does Kelvoo's Testimonial address? Where did the idea of Kelvoo's Testimonial originate? Is Kelvoo's Testimonial intended to reflect the experiences of native people in the Americas? Book cover - Initial concepts Depicting Kelvoo - My work with an amazing artist Book cover - Final selection Kelvoo.com website launch! Original Song #1 - The Boys of Jezebel's Fury Original Song #2 - Home on the Yangtze Original Song #3 - Flying Away My First Printed Copy My First Review and Bookstore Order! Now Available at Bolen Books! Kelvoo's Testimonial gets a Kirkus Starred Review! Official Launch Day! More Reviews! A Sequel to Kelvoo's Testimonial? Come Visit Me on Mastodon Phenomenal News from Kirkus Reviews! First Draft of Kelvoo's Terra Completed! Kelvoo's Terra - Cover Reveal! Kelvoo and Kindle Unlimited Kelvoo's Terra - Official Launch! Kelvoo's Books in your Local Bookstore Kelvoo's Terra - First Amazon Reviews Book 3 - Kelvoo's Teachings - First Draft Kelvoo's Testimonial featured on Podcast Kelvoo's Teachings - Official Announcement Kelvoo's Teachings - Launch Day! |