Brett’s War Journal #4
Good News Everybody!
The holidays are finally over and life can finally get back to normal. I went from working 60-70 hours a week down to a more manageable 50, so back to work with me. So, what have I been up to in the last few days? Writing-wise, not a heck of a whole lot, but there’s a reason for that. For one, I had three Christmas parties, a birthday party, and a run-in with the norovirus all in a week, but I’m back on my feet and my schedule is mostly clear. Fortunately, last year I had thought ahead and booked a week of vacation for this week.
Launch Day is Looming!
January 1st, 2025 is going to be a landmark day in my life. At All Costs hits shelves across the web for my small but growing fanbase to finally sink their claws into. Though I’m technically a published writer thanks to my years in the journalism business, I can finally lay claim to the esteemed title of ‘Published Author.’ Sure, I’ll be a nobody for a good while longer, but this is a moment twenty years in the making, and I am over the moon to see one of my novels released. Even if I don’t sell a single copy on day 1, I’ll be celebrating in my brother’s rec room with a few Modelo Negra and Especial beers, a big bowl of popcorn, and the WWE Royal Rumble 2025. It’s going to be a great day.
Multiple Versions of At All Costs
At All Costs will be released in multiple formats. From what I could gather, Amazon will combine them all into one storefront, so you can choose kindle, paperback, and hardcover. However, there is a second kindle edition aside from the Amazon bundle. That’s the result of a distribution deal I have with Lulu publishing. It’s the exact same version of the book and will be available to you upon purchase, so no worries. The only reason it exists at all is because Lulu distributes to multiple ecommerce platforms across the world such as Amazon, Indigo, Bol, Exlibris, Kobo, and probably a few more that I’m not aware of at the moment.
Marketing Troubles
I alluded to not selling a single copy on day 1, but thankfully, that won’t be the case. I’ve sold a handful of pre-orders for the kindle edition, and while that number could have been higher, I’ve had some marketing troubles. While most just throw money at online marketing, my marketing strategy was a three-pronged approach of guerilla marketing, online marketing, and calling in business favors.
My main marketing approach was launching my website and handing out business cards to customers on my delivery route, and anyone else that might be interested. While cheap in cost, this was a very effective strategy. Unfortunately, there’s only so many people I can reach through my delivery job, and I’ve hit a wall. On the plus side, it scored me a few pre-orders, earned me a couple emails for the mailing list, and it certainly helped spread the word – somehow ‘Brian’ Kihlmire was the top keyword searched one week.
My second strategy was an Amazon Ads campaign. Though I didn’t have high hopes, an Amazon campaign was worth trying. As expected, it didn’t make too many waves. I reached about 90 people worldwide, which drove a handful of international readers to my website, so there’s that. While no one clicked the ad for more information, the campaign worked in my favor in a way. Amazon Ads is pay-per-click, so I reached 90 people worldwide without paying a penny. I’ll call that a win.
The last prong on my marketing trident was reaching out to media organizations I had worked with through the years, and typically for free. How did that work out? It didn’t. Though I was able to get a reply from the Editor-in-Chief at the UWM Post, the student journalist assigned to me ghosted me on multiple occasions. At first, I figured he was just busy with school, so no big deal since I was in that exact situation once upon a time. However, after scheduling another interview and blowing me off with no explanation I was a tad pissed, but whatever. I’m more disappointed that the editor-in-chief for a news site I put in a lot of unpaid work for couldn’t even reply to my email. That one hurt, but I’m soldiering on with a plan for post-launch and I’m sticking to it.
Current Project
With At All Costs done, key information cataloged, and all my revision notes organized, I am diving headlong into the first revision of the sequel, Hallowed Ground. I don’t want to give away too much about the plot just yet, but the novel begins ten months after the end of At All Costs and ends exactly a year after the end of At All Costs. Unlike its big brother, Hallowed Ground is less political and more action oriented. While the politics of the novel’s world still play a major role, this book largely follows the men of GROM Squadron B and their Russian counterparts from Alpha Group as they hunt down a terrorist group calling themselves the Polish Liberation Army.
As of this writing, I’m just about through act one, and quite satisfied with what I’ve written. There will likely be one more revision before I consider peer reviews, but it’s a solid story. I just need to add a bit of detail in some places and rethink some things in the B plot.Thanks for the support!
