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3 Media Kit Tips for the New Year – and another free preview

Weekend Zombie News

3 Media Kit Tips for the New Year – and another free preview

My work is cut out for me this coming year! I’ve got to bring my media kit up to date! I’ll give you 3 Media Kit Tips I’ve learned and show you how to do them!

Wait. What’s a Media Kit? Here you go:

3 Media Kit Tips
3 Media Kit Tips
media kit is a document containing information about your business, product or event. They are mainly used at events and for launches as a package of information for journalists to help them write their story.

3 Media Kit Tips: The First Tip

First, I must give credit where credit is due.  All I know about media kits I’ve learned from this book:

The First Tip – Headline for Your Media Kit

My headline is here:

Andy Zach’s Media Kit

3 Media Kit Tips
Andy Zach planning his media kit

It seems basic, simple, but it’s very necessary.  Your website visitors don’t want to waste time looking for your media kit.

Oh, you don’t think you need one? How do you feel about communicating with your readers? Your customers? People in the media, writers, reporters, photographers, book reviewers, interviewers all help you do that. Don’t you want to help them?

The Second Tip – Navigation of the Media Kit

Navigation? ‘We don’t need no stinkin’ navigation!’

You probably also said, ‘We don’t need no stinkin’ headline,’ too. And you’re probably a poor, struggling, indie author who’s wondering why everyone doesn’t buy your ‘stinkin’ book’.

Just humor me, and try it on your website. With the other two tips I give you.

Of course, I have website navigation, but I’ve never had media kit navigation–until now. (I’m also a struggling indie author and a natural-born hypocrite!)

Here it is:

Media Kit

  1. Headline – Andy Zach’s Media Kit
  2. Navigation – Index
  3. Contact Information – Contact Andy Zach
  4. Product Information – Andy Zach’s books
    1. Specs – size, weight, material
    2. Available Formats
    3. Product photos
    4. Trailers, short and long form
    5. Author headshots
  5. Sales Copy – Short and Long Form Sales Copy
  6. Endorsements
  7. Promotion Information,
    1.  appearances
    2. Interviews, Questions and Answers
  8. Biographical Information
    1. Short and Long form
    2. Bio talking points
    3. Outline of information
    4. Interviewer topics

Obviously, I have a lot of work to do on my site. Maybe you do too!

3 Media Kit Tips – The Third Tip

I’ve kind of spilled the beans on this.

3 Media Kit Tips
Andy Zach spills the beans on 3 Media Kit Tips

It’s this:

Contact Information – Andy Zach 

But my contact information isn’t complete.

All I have is this:

Andy Zach Author:

[email protected]
Zombie Turkeys book:
[email protected]

I need to add:

https://www.amazon.com/Zombie-Turkeys-Blogger-Fought-Unkillable/dp/B0771SPL5R/
Zombie Turkeys audiobook cover. Click to get!
2. My website: andyzach.net and my old website zombieturkeys.com
4. My Twitter accounts: @Zombie_turkeys @AndyZach2 and @UndeadMotherLaw
5. My Amazon author page:  Andy Zach
And Kindle page for Zombie Turkeys:
 
And Kindle page for My Undead Mother-in-law: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0743FQ3QC
6. Createspace page for My Undead Mother-in-law:
Christmas Potpouri My Undead Mother-in-law discount
Get your copy of My Undead Mother-in-law by clicking here!
And Createspace for Zombie Turkeys: https://tsw.createspace.com/title/6622481
Resources
Andy Zach Thinking about 3 Media Kit Tips

8. My Goodreads author page: Goodreads

Andy Zach

Andy Zach has 441 books on Goodreads, and recently added Dragon Ship by Sharon Lee, Search for the Dragon Ship b…

9. My Book Daily site: http://www.bookdaily.com/account/authorprofile

3 Media Kit Tips – More Tips to Come!

In my next blog post!  In the meantime, tell me what I’m doing right or wrong; let me have it! I’ll listen and learn.

Finally, Your Paranormal Privateers Preview

In Tattersalls, a London pub, David Leicester looked up from his half-finished pint of Guinness as a new guy came in. Leastways, he thought it was a new guy; he looked very familiar. The new pubber had a square, muscular build, like a serviceman, but gray hair like David had, and light blue eyes. The bloke gave him a big smile like he knew him. Then the light dawned.

“Paul! Is that you, Paul Huddersfield? I guess your time in the colonies agreed with you!” David knew Paul had gone to the US to get a special cancer treatment. Although the PHS, Public Health Service, was free, the waiting lists for treatment were long; sometimes too long for life.

But Paul looked far better than just healthy. His beer belly was completely gone, replaced by flat muscle, as far as David could tell. Further, his face was less wrinkled and less worried than the last time he’d seen him. If it weren’t for the gray hair, David would think he was seeing Paul as he was in the SAS when he was around forty, twenty-five years ago.

“Let me buy you a pint!”

“I’ll never say no to that!” Paul’s voice was younger too; stronger, more vigorous than it had been in years.

“So tell me all about the States! I can see the cancer treatment was successful.”

“I had a fine time there. They’re great people, but I missed my fish and chips, and good beer. And, my old buds.”

“Did they put you on some kind of exercise program? You look brilliant!”

Paranormal Privateers Preview Part 2

“Thanks, David. You can say that. I got a secret for you.” He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, although no one was within three meters of them at the bar. “I’m a zombie!”

David just stared at him.

“Yeah, I know I’m illegal. Look at me orbs.”

Squinting, David saw the faint line of contact lenses.

“So, how does that,” David avoided the ‘z’ word, “make you look twenty years younger? Hell, you look thirty years younger, except for the hair!”

“It’s like this. I feel like I’m twenty years old, full of energy, ready to tackle the world. I’m hungry all the time and I can eat anything—and drink anything. In fact, the only drawback I’ve found it that I can’t get drunk.”

“That’s brilliant! But what about the anti-zombie law?”

“Shhh!  I’m here as an undeclared zebra. Here comes Andy.”

Andrew (Andy) Smith, the second member of their SAS squad walked to the bar. “Paul! I hardly recognized you! You look smashing!”

“I feel smashing too! I’m a zebra!” Paul laughed.

“Right.”

“Uh, Andy, ‘zebra’ is code for,” David whispered, “zombie.”

“Oh! I think I need a pint.”

Overhearing Andy, Christopher Stewart, the last member of their retired SAS squad, called out, “Get a pint for me too!” as he walked up and sat with them at their table.

“Big news Christopher!” Andy said. “Paul’s become a zebra!”

“Make that two pints!” Then they explained to him about Paul’s new illegal status.

“Make that three pints!”

“I’ll have three with you!” laughed Paul.

“We’ll make that an even dozen then!”

“Just bring the keg over here!”

The barmaid brought pint after pint to the table as the old friends shared stories and marveled at Paul.

Paranormal Privateers Preview Part 3

“So you can drink all night and never get drunk?” Christopher asked some time later.

“Sorry to say, yes.”

“And your beer belly just disappears?” Andy queried.

“Right. It took about a month after I became a zebra.”

“And all your old aches and injuries are gone, right?” David followed up.

“Right, just like I told you five minutes ago.”

“Hell,” ejaculated Stewart, “why don’t we all become bloody zebras?”

“I’m in!” said Andy.

“Me too,” David said.

“You’ve come to the right man, boys.” Paul pulled out three EpiPens from his coat pocket. “One for each of you, guaranteed to make you into zebras! All I ask is free beer for the rest of my life!”

“Deal!” exclaimed David. “One, two, ready, go!” They all jammed the EpiPens into their legs.

“How long does it take?” asked Andy.

“Not long,” said Paul. “Maybe an hour.”

“Might as well keep drinking. I’ve got a good buzz. I want to enjoy it as long as I can!”

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New Year, Andy Zach’s New Novel Paranormal Privateers

Happy Mother's Day

New Year, Andy Zach’s New Novel Paranormal Privateers

The next year 2018, is just three days away! I’ll post excerpts and tidbits from my New Novel Paranormal Privateers between now and next year.  Paranormal Privateers continues the Life After Life Chronicles,

 

New Novel Paranormal Privateers
The Life After Life Chronicles phoenix

which began with the world-shaking zombie turkey apocalypse book, Zombie Turkeys:

New Novel Paranormal Patriots

Zombie Turkeys audiobook cover. Click to get!

and continued with the startling developments in My Undead Mother-in-law:

New Novel Paranormal Privateers
Get your copy of My Undead Mother-in-law by clicking here!

But the Life After Life Chronicles is not over! Prepare for new adventures around the world as our paranormal heroes and heroines travel around the world fighting evil and battling for truth, justice, and the American way!

Get Your New Novel Paranormal Privateers Excerpts Here!

I’ve already published an excerpt of the first chapter on this blog, right here: Paranormal Privateers Novel Progress.

How about another excerpt?

A motion on the floor caught my eye as I sat on the bed. A cockroach crawled up the drain and onto the floor. Surprising. Usually, Britain kept their prisons pest free. Then another. And then a dozen more. Then hundreds.

This was not normal cockroach behavior. They do not come into the light in swarms. I sat cross-legged on the bed and watched the swarm with fascination. They each climbed the door, walked the steel perimeter, and went back down the drain, even as others went up.

Utterly curious, I nabbed one with my lightning reflexes before it descended. Examining it carefully, I saw a metal dot under its thorax and a narrow tube attached to its abdomen. A pungent, acidic smell came from the tube. I looked back to the door. A narrow trench had been eaten in the door’s perimeter, right where the cockroaches still marched. Near the ceiling light, I saw mist curl away from the door.

Modified and controlled cockroaches—that was like Vik Staskas’ cyborg controlled animals. I read his Ph.D. paper on the technology as well as the Midley Beacon’s de-classified reports on his battles with the zombies. Since Vik was dead, at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, this could only be one of my siblings or Papa Smith trying to rescue me.

New Novel Paranormal Privateers Excerpts – Part 2

Going back through my perfect memory of the twists and turns where they led me here hooded, counting my steps, and remembering the doors, I was confident I could retrace my steps.

The last of the cockroaches marched around the door, leaving its trail of acid. The steel was etched deep, perhaps a centimeter or more. Couldn’t be much left.

I knocked on the door. Yes, it felt like a centimeter thick, and it echoed like it was almost cut through. Then someone knocked back, much harder.

“I’m here!” I called. I assumed this was my rescuer.

“Step back,” grated a curious, tinny voice, like it was coming through a small radio.

I stepped away.

CLUMP! CLUMP! Two metallic thunks hit the other side of the door. Then, SKREERK! The door tore off like the lid of a tin of meat.

I didn’t expect what I saw. A male, silverback gorilla filled the doorway and the whole hallway beyond. Thick armor covered his body. Casually, he placed the door scrap against the hall.

“Follow me,” he said.

Paranormal Privateers Prognosis

First, I’ve written 58,710 words, as of today. I’m partway through chapter 8 – Washington DC. I plan to have fifteen chapters, but I’ve already split three chapters due to length. I’m driving to finish the novel by the end of January.

Then come the edits. First mine, then my line and copy editor, and then my layout editor. My goal is to complete editing by April 1st.

After the edits, I’ll publish Paranormal Privateers to Kindle and Createspace.  I want to do this by May 1st.

Then I’ll contract with my voice actors to create an audiobook version. That usually takes one to two months. You should get it by July 4th, 2018.

Finally, you’ll get more tomorrow!

next novel, Paranormal Privateers
Andy Zach smiling about his next novel, Paranormal Privateers
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Pre-Christmas Potpourri – News and Your Free Short Story

Christmas potpourri

Pre-Christmas Potpourri – News and Your Free Short Story

Greetings zombie fans, Zombie Turkeys fans and My Undead Mother-in-law fans! This is Andy Zach here with my Christmas Potpourri before Christmas. More on Christmas later!

Christmas potpourri
Andy Zach dreaming of a white Christmas.

Let’s begin with Facebook!

Christmas Potpourri: Andy Zach Facebook Posts

Here’s my free short story offer! Just click on the post, follow the directions, and I’ll send you my short story, A Phoenix Tale. Or you can reply to this blog post. Or contact me on this blog!

Next you can read my review of Ksenia Anske’s humorous fantasy young adult book, The Badlings.

Life wouldn’t be complete without a video excerpt from me reading from My Undead Mother-in-law.

Christmas Potpouri My Undead Mother-in-law discount
Get your copy of My Undead Mother-in-law by clicking here!

Christmas Potpourri: Zombie Turkeys Posts

The zombie Turkeys were busy posting too!

Free Short Short Part Two by Andy Zach
Hungry zombie turkey wanting more

December 24th is the last day of Twelve Days of Christmas Buying on Facebook.  Dozens of fantasy, science fiction, and humor authors are offering their best deals. Don’t miss it!

Did you know authors, even me, Andy Zach want reviews? Do you know why?

And now for a humorous dog video:

Next, I have a spooky turkey video: turkeys vs a cat.

Now we have a writing sample from a guest author: a computer!


Then I have this zombie-themed Dilbert cartoon:

And then a video of me reading a Zombie Turkeys excerpt:

Paranormal Privateers Progress

Moving on, let me give you an update on my Paranormal Privateers novel, volume three in my Life After Life Chronicles. I had the delight of researching flying saucer movies of the 50s, like this one:

I also had a chance to compute the apparent diameter of the seven-mile in diameter flying saucer next to the ISS, International Space Station, orbiting at two hundred and fifty four miles above the earth. I compared it to the moon at 240,000 miles with a diameter of 2,100 miles. The saucer would look three times the size of the moon.

Adding these and other items to my novel, I’m in chapter 8 Washington DC with 55,000 words done. The first draft will be around 100,000 words. It’ll probably edit to 80-90,000 words.

Let me know in the comments what elements of Zombie Turkeys and My Undead Mother-in-law you’d like to see and I’ll send you an advanced readers copy, the same text I’ll send my editor.