Dr. J’s Life Lesson And How To Do A Goodreads Book Giveaway
Today’s post comes in two flavors. The first tastes of generality and should appeal to all. The second carries a hint of specificity and should interest those dwelling in the seedy underbelly of book-marketing. Sample the former; stick around for the latter; or savor the aromas of both. I’ll never know one way or the other.
Flavor 1: What I Learned From An ENT Doctor
Years ago, I worked with an ENT physician (Ears, Nose, and Throat) for part of my medical student surgery rotation. Dr. J was awesome and double-O groovy. He had that caustic, sarcastic personality I so much enjoy, but underneath he was one big softie. Not only did Dr. J let me take out a tonsil, he taught me a valuable lesson to boot.
What was this cherished piece of wisdom? A mnemonic for the differential diagnosis of neck masses? A list of effective sinusitis treatments?
No.
In fact, what I took away from that rotation wasn’t medical at all. It was a handy description of life phases. Read them and ponder where you currently fall:
Dr. J’s Life Pearl:
When you’re young, there’s nothing better than good sex.
When you’re middle age, there’s nothing better than a good night’s sleep.
When you’re old, there’s nothing better than a good bowel movement.
Ah, the seeds of wisdom passed from one medical generation to the next…
Flavor 2: Goodreads Book Giveaways
Many of you, authors or not, are on Goodreads, a social media site for book lovers. As part of my book marketing attempts, I gave a Goodreads Book Giveaway a whirl. It’s most often used by publishers to give out free ARCs (Advanced Reading Copy), but any author can sign up for a book giveaway to help seek new readers.
Information about the giveaways can be found here and here, but the process is simple. The author completes a short online form including the title of the book, the ISBN number, a short description to go along with the giveaway (e.g., book blurb, contest wins, reviews), the number of copies you wish to give, and a selection of the countries to which you’ll agree to send. You also must enter the start and end dates. I chose two weeks. Some choose longer; some choose shorter. Then you submit it for Goodreads approval.
So What’s the Benefit?
After two weeks’ time, 992 people signed up to win a copy of The Seneca Scourge, and over 400 people added it to their ‘to-read’ list. That amounted to 992 pairs of eyes that hadn’t seen my book before. Well, perhaps some of those folks lacked two anatomical eyeballs, but you get the drift. Whether they ever read my book or not remains to be seen, but I’d like to think at least a few will do so.
Of note, many authors and publishers only agree to ship books to the US, Canada, and the UK. I expanded my giveaway to all countries thinking, Hey, what’s the chance the winner will fall outside one of these three countries? Well, I can now answer that question. It’s 66.6666….% My three winners were from Canada, Malaysia, and Croatia. As a result, my local post office was happy.
So if you’re an author, I encourage you to give a Goodreads Giveaway a try. One more marketing tool, and a relatively benign one at that. And if you’re a reader, consider entering one for a chance to win. Who doesn’t want something for nothing?
Have you ever entered a Goodreads Book Giveaway or used one to promote your own book? What phase of Dr. J’s helpful life reference are you? Any pearls of wisdom to pass on to us?
All images from Microsoft Clip Art
Helpful Related Article:
How to Run a Goodreads Giveaway with Maximal Results: 11 Tips We Know You’ll Need
177 Responses to “Dr. J’s Life Lesson And How To Do A Goodreads Book Giveaway”
[...] Update: Carrie Rubin (check out her blog here) tried this recipe for her family. Here’s what she had to [...]
Oh, how I wish I had found you in my reader sooner! I would have loved to get a free copy of Seneca Scourge. Thanks for the advice!
I’m sure there’ll be more giveaways in the future. Thanks so much for your interest and for stopping by and commenting. Always appreciated!
[...] Carrie Rubin [...]
Carrie, this is great advice. Thank you for sharing your experience. Between my blog and writing, I have real trouble keeping up with all this social media stuff. I haven’t been on goodreads in ages. I really need to make the time for at least that site. Sigh.
I think as an author, Goodreads has so far been more beneficial to me than Facebook. It seems most of the people who frequent my FB page are other bloggers, whereas on Goodreads, I reach a different audience. Same thing with Kindleboards. But it all takes so much time, doesn’t it? I can’t touch base with every social media site daily. Or if I do, sometimes it’s just for a comment or two. I’d never get any writing done if I invested in them all an hour or so each day. Yikes.
Glad you found it helpful. Thanks for visiting!
Thanks for the great advice. p.s. When you described Dr. J’s personality I thought of Dr. House!
Haha. Yes, he was kind of like Dr. House, but less mean. And he knew better than to spew the sexist comments Dr. House did. Even back then, an attending was unlikely to get away with that. Of course, there was plenty of more subtle sexism.
Thanks for the retweet, by the way. Much appreciated.
I have no pearls – hidden within the soft tissue of my brain, or hidden within the soft tissue of a mollusc. But, I always love learning book marketing strategies and tucking them away like a surprise dollar in a coat pocket for future use. This one really is good, and it occurs to me that oversees marketing is worthwhile. It definitely is in the music industry.
In 10 Items or Less (the movie), Morgan Freeman mentions a good bowel movement at the top of his “list of things he loves.” Wise doctor, and how cool that he let you remove a tonsil!
Yes, I was rather proud. I was the only med student Dr. J let remove a tonsil. Guess I did my homework. But before I puff out my chest too much, it was on an adult patient with a big ol’ tonsil that would have been hard to mess up on.
I’ve not seen that Morgan Freeman movie. I like that actor.
Glad the post was helpful, should ever the need arise for you in the future. Thanks!
I love your posts, Carrie. They always have such a …variety…of information. This one was not exception (I’m still laughing at the “three stages of life”–though it’s scary that it’s true…) But I’m so curious about your son’s wonderful question about “pubs” on the toilet. Are you going to tell us how you answered him, perhaps in another post?
Happy New Year!
Haha. Yes, variety is the name of the game. I have readers who enjoy news in the writing world; others who enjoy news of life experiences; and then there are those that enjoy reading about the garbage that comes out of my sons’ mouths.
But really, how does one respond to a teenage boy’s comment such as the urinal one? I believe I said, “Oh, please don’t go there, son. You know I won’t be able to eat if you do…”
Thanks, Marylin!
The next thing to show up on my Goodreads “currently reading” icon is The Seneca Scourge!
I just joined Goodreads and haven’t really explored it much. What are your favorite things about it? Have you ever used it to hold a virtual book group?
Thanks, Kylie! But as a public health aficionado yourself, just remember I took a few liberties for dramatic purposes. Creative license and all.
On Goodreads, I like checking out other reviews of the books I’m reading. I also recently joined the mystery and thriller group, and I enjoy interacting on that. Depending on what their next month’s book is, I might get involved in a book discussion. I’ve added my thoughts to some of the past discussions.
Thanks!
I’ll suspend my disbelief.
I figured out how to download Kindle to my iPad… making progress
That’s how I use my Kindle. Not sure why I didn’t just mention downloading the Kindle app to your iPad when you connected with me on Facebook. Duh. Guess I had a brain skip there.
By the way, look me up on Goodreads. I’d love to follow your reviews. I tried to find you, but there are a lot of Kylies on there.
I haven’t done any reviews there, but I’ve done a couple on my blog (see Rants & Raves in menu… soon changing to “Think”).
I can start cross-posting!
More social media to learn! Egads!!
Oh, reviews on Goodreads can be as simple or as complete as you want them. I keep my short and sweet for the most part. Just say whether I liked the book and why.
I think I am still middle aged (55) but I still appreciate Life Lesson 1 more than Life Lesson 2.
I am a member of Goodreads and search for books all the time! Books I haven’t read yet, books others recommend or books by new authors.
Of course, I loved your book !
Thanks, Valentine!
Yes, Goodreads has a lot going for it, whether one is a reader, author, or both. And I’m glad you’re still in your youthful phase of life.
I didn’t know about the giveaway, but it sounds like a great deal for authors. And readers. While I prefer to pick up a book based on the recommendation of a friend or a blogger whose opinion I trust, I still scan social media sites for book reviews/recommendations. I do this mainly because I like to see what’s trending, as I can’t make it to all the books I’d love to read.
992 extra possible readers is exciting, Carrie. Are you able to do any kind of followup to see how many of them read the book and may be willing to write a review?
There’s no way to really know if they’ll read the book or not unless they change the book from their ‘to read’ list to their ‘currently reading’ list. You can track how many people are currently reading your book, and you can see how many ratings/reviews it’s gotten, but beyond that there’s no way to give the people who signed up for the giveaway a ‘nudge.’
I have entered Goodread book giveaways, and I have purchased at least one book that I didn’t win (haven’t won any. ) I think it makes a lot of sense to use Goodreads that way. It is a good venue for new authors and it doesn’t make a difference if your book is electronic or tree based. As I said before, I enjoyed your book tremendously, AND that was before your contest.
I must be all ages, all the time, according to Dr. J’s logic.
Yeah, it’s too bad Goodreads doesn’t also have e-book giveaways. Certainly would be cheaper in the postage department…
Thanks again for the kind words about my book. So nice to hear. And as for your life phases, sounds like you’re very well-rounded.
Yummy flavours Carrie.
The Goodreads tip was very welcome and I cheered at your Dr J’s wisdom because I learned I can’t be all that old yet – I love a good night’s sleep!
See? You have plenty of time before you need to be hoping for those good BMs!
Thanks!
Such a relief!
I’m pretty sure I’m in the good sleep phase, but not done with Phase I. At least I hope not! This sound like a really worthwhile marketing move and so worth it! You got a great response. What wonderful news!
Thank you. If only those eyes would translate to sales, but so far I don’t think that’s the case.
I hope so, too! Maybe a movie deal would help
Now you’re talking!
I know…it’s so hard these days! Maybe you should write a screenplay, too.
Hi Carrie,
New follower here; Christy (aka Running on Sober) sent me here and mentioned your piece about your Goodreads giveaway. I’m finished up an anthology I’m going to self-publish soon, and what you’ve written about the book giveaways is something I’m already aware of, and very keen on taking advantage of. Great info here, and thanks for sharing!
Congratulations on your soon-to-be-published book! A Goodreads Giveaway will be a great way to get some publicity (or so the hope is, anyway…) Thanks so much for stopping by. I appreciate it.
The Goodreads Giveaway sounds like a pretty great marketing tool to add to the tool belt. Maybe you’ll become an overnight sensation in Croatia! Also, thanks for sharing Dr J’s fantastically hilarious pearls of wisdom.
Well, at least now I can say someone in Croatia has read my book. And that’s pretty cool in and of itself.
Okay, I’m mad I missed the Goodreads Giveaway – how did that happen? And I think that’s a really, really cool thing that happened for you! Congrats. I’m off to check it out. And that advice from the Dr? Priceless. Made me laugh out loud.
Thanks, Amy!
I mentioned the giveaway on my blog and other social media sites last month, but it took place 2 weeks before Christmas, so it was probably a crazy time for people! Hope you had a nice holiday. Now it’s back to the grind.
Carrie,
Driving in to work I was thinking about Dr. J’s pearls of wisdom and thought, “He’s probably right on the mark… for the average bear.” However, since I’m an ass-backards type of gal, I suspect you probably already know my stance on healthy evacuations.
But of course, I couldn’t leave it there. I began thinking about all those multitaskers out there and how to express the different combinations without getting a XXX rating. That’s probably a different forum! ;0
And maybe add a 4th phase: When you’re really old, there’s nothing better than a good deep lung full of oxygen.
That was very useful advice /information on the Goodreads giveaway. I think you are definitely getting the hang of this marketing thingie. Nikki
Thanks, Nikki! And yes, I agree, a full lung of oxygen is a treat indeed. Of course, you need that good lung capacity for the first phase too. And perhaps the third as well…
so, so true.
And maybe an addendum for writers: “When you’re a writer, there’s nothing better than a well told story…better than sex, better than sleep, better than a bm.”
Indeed.
I remember when I was in my early twenties, my ex-father-in-law shared a joke very similar to Dr. J’s words of wisdom and I looked at him like he had two heads – maybe three!
Ah, yes, but I suppose there’s some truth in that little tidbit, after all…
Thanks for commenting, Cathy.
I stayed for both flavours and thought the second exceptionally generous. I have no book, but if I ever do. I’ll know where to promote it.
I am now going to reveal myself as being sadder than the saddest sad person in Sadland. When I read your flavour one title in caps I assumed – momentarily, but I did think it – that you were referring to someone who could minister medically to Tolkein’s talking trees.
I may have just had a holiday but I think I need another one.
Haha, you are the third commenter to think such a thing. Given I am not a fan of Lord of the Rings, I did not make the connection, but I guarantee my youngest son would have.
Thanks, Kate!
Very behind in my blog reading, but so glad I didn’t miss this. What good information. Thank you, Carrie.
You’re welcome. Another commenter mentioned that she thought the Goodreads Giveaways can only be done for books published within the last 6 months, so I’m going to look into it. If I find out that’s the case, I’ll make an addendum to the post to let people know.
Thanks, Lynn!
I really ejoyed your book! (I can’t remember if I told you or not – I’m sorry if I didn’t!) When I got to the end, I thought, “no.no.no…..it can’t end now!” (I wanted more!)
The Give-away sounds like a good promoting deal!
(good sex followed by a good nights sleep…) haha!
Thanks so much for the feedback on my book. Very nice of you to say. And I’m glad to hear you are still between the first two life phases. Probably the best place to be.
An international sensation! 8)
Um, yeah, something like that…
The Goodreads giveaway thing sounds great! I hope I shall be in a position to have a book to give away on there at some point!
I feel bad that I still haven’t read Seneca Scourge, it’s defo on my 2013 reading list though!
You don’t have to feel bad about not reading my book. You stop by and read my posts. That’s a treat in and of itself.
Over Christmas we had a ‘Lord of the Rings’ fest at our house ~ a fairly regular occurrence, we love it. So when I saw ENT I instantly thought Tree Beard heh-heh … good life phases from the doc though ‘eh?
Thanks for the heads up and the stats re good reads giveaway … might give that a go
You’re the second person who thought of Lord of the Rings. I’m not into those movies, much to my youngest son’s chagrin, so that reference was completely lost on me.
While I’m nowhere near writing my own book, it is cool to know you can get books for free – I do like reading! The only problem is finding the time to read. Or for the other things on Dr. J’s list, for that matter…
Where does the time go?!
And unfortunately, time disappears even more quickly the older we get.
Great cycle of life lesson there.
And thanks for the info on Goodreads–that sounds like a great way to get your book in front of new people. 
Goodreads is great. Not sure why it took me so long to get more involved on the site.
Describe what you call ‘involved’ at Goodreads. I have an account, but find the site a bit overwhelming. How do you make manageable pieces out of it?
I try to review every book I read, and I check out other people’s reviews for the books I’m reading as well. I also started messaging people for some interaction. But mostly, I finally joined one of the groups, and I’ve been interacting on the various threads.
Thanks! Do you like it?
I do. I’m having fun on some of the forums in the Mysteries and Thrillers group.
I try every now and again to get myself doing something there. Guess I’ll ramp up the efforts. Enjoy your day.
Thanks. You too.
I’m a reader there, just not sure how to be an author there.
I like the Goodreads idea–will look into the process for future reference. As per those loverly life pearls, I’m adding a great one I read in a magazine from an article on longevity in a marriage: The wife slowly goes blind while the husband slowly goes deaf.
Do you concur?
Haha. I like your life pearl! But in my case, my husband would tell you his goal is to drive me crazy. So instead of blind, I will be crazy. Oh wait, perhaps I already am?…
Thanks for making me smile, Joanna.
Probably my hubby’s goal too. You’re welcome
Curious life phrases. I seem to enjoy all three though – does that make me immortal, or Benjamin Button, or…?
Giveaways must be the way to go when you’re a new and relatively unknown author. Market is flooded with books, so to carve some niche in it you have to at least give a few free samples out, right?
I think so. In fact, overall, I may have given away more books than I’ve sold.
As for your life phase, I believe it means you’re immortal. I always suspected as much.
Congrats on all the eyes! Hope the non-winners still give it a read!
And what if you do all three of the part 1 things in one night?
(Hint: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!)
“And what if you do all three of the part 1 things in one night?”—Then you are a very content man, indeed!
Oh No!!! I think I may be aging backwards!!
Haha. Well, you’ll die a happy man then.
That’s the spirit!! Thanks for turning my frown upside down.
Happy to be at your service.
Goodreads – good tip.
Thank you!
Alas, according to Dr. J, I’m very middle aged… (not looking forward to the next phase…)
Haha. Keep up that great diet and exercise, and you might not have to.
Thanks, Tamara!
Love the post and the Dr. J quote – either I’m really immature or I still meet the definition of young
lol. On the Goodreads thing, am I correct in thinking this is an option available only to hard copy books? I suppose it wouldn’t have quite the same appeal to give away an ebook? In any regard, I’m glad to hear your book is doing so well! I had no doubt!!
Well, I don’t know that my book is doing well, but at least several eyes saw it. It’s not like it’s flying off the Amazon shelves, however.
And yes, the book must be a paper copy–hard or soft cover. E-books aren’t accepted, which is too bad. They should have a separate giveaway for e-books, I think. There is no denying their popularity. Do you have a paper copy of your book?
Glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks, as always, for reading. But be careful about admitting that s-e-x thing online. You might get some crazies following you.
My reply disappeared into the ether I guess
Okay, so no my book is ebook only but happy to report that a book I have in the works for this year will be a hard copy 
And yes, the crazies have come out before so you’re right 
Why in the heck can’t we play by men’s rules and get away with it just once, though? My little feminist is coming out… lol
It is a double standard, for sure. Sigh. And nothing worse than writing out a long comment only to have it disappear into the ether. Double sigh. But thank you for rewriting it, and good luck with the current WIP!
Words of wisdom for sure:
When you’re young, there’s nothing better than good sex.
When you’re middle age, there’s nothing better than a good night’s sleep.
Mind if I rephrase? NO? Good! When your middle aged their is nothing better than a good night sleep dreaming about good sex.
Ah, Dr. J would love you! What a great point. That way you get your sleep and your fun, too. You are a regular scholar, you are.
Thanks for the retweet!
I’m a regular something, at any rate!
You are welcome for the RT!
I’ve used the Goodreads giveaway four times before and it definitely has its benefits! I don’t think the 1000 people who added my book to their To-Read shelf would’ve known it existed had it not been for the giveaway.
And even though I’m far from being middle-aged, currently there’s nothing better than a good night’s sleep for me. I’m really not getting enough.
1000 people, that’s fantastic! How long do you usually run your giveaways for? I found two weeks to be plenty long. In fact, I could see where a shorter run would have its merits as well, especially for books like mine that are already out there.
Thanks so much for the comment!
I usually run them for two weeks too! It’s a shame that you can only have a giveaway if your book was published in the last six months; I would’ve loved to do more.
Oh, I didn’t know that about the last six months part. I didn’t see that. Thank you for letting me know. Maybe I better add an addendum to this post.
Well, when you visit the help section on Goodreads it says there’s no rule against it. However, if you visit your Author Dashboard, it says: “List any title that is not yet released or was released during the last 6 months.”
Conflicting messages!
Conflicting for sure. I’m going to check into that later–maybe send them an email. Thank you again for alerting me to it.
Giveaways are such a good idea. You are famous all over the world. A true shining star.
Ooh, I like your way of thinking, even if it is delusional. But I can now say I have had readers in Afghanistan (you!), Malaysia, Croatia, Spain, Saudi Arabia, England, Denmark, and the US. There’s nothing that says each country has to have more than one reader, right?
Thanks, Liz!
My book is (sadly) a bunch of scenes in my head. I need to get going on that, so that I one day can be doing giveaways! You inspire me!
You’re sweet to say that. Thank you. But don’t underestimate the power of scenes in your head. I’m convinced much of our novels are written before we even sit down to type them out. I’m expanding the outline of my current novel (I’ve finished the outline, but now I’m really getting the scenes down) by incorporating all those mental scenes and ideas I have in the shower or while exercising or while making dinner. They’re all useful bits and makes the actual writing that much easier.
I haven’t entered a Goodreads Book Giveaway, Carrie and didn’t know it existed until now. Thanks so much for the tip
Doctor J sounds like a classic and I LOVE “Dr. J’s Life Pearl” – so true!
Glad you enjoyed Dr. J’s pearl and glad I could provide some useful information.
The giveaways are easy to do, and a little extra visibility can only be a good thing.
Thanks, Dianne!
Was that the same Dr. J that played for the 76ers? That guy was versatile.
In regards to your previous post, I’d like to know what you told your kid about the pubic hair on the urinal.
Haha. I believe my words word, “Oh, please don’t go there. You know I won’t be able to eat now.” Of course, it’s not like I eat anything at Quaker Steak & Lube anyway, but I was at least hoping for a sandwich from one of the other Q Arena vendors. Gross.
As for Dr. J being THE Dr. J? Why yes, yes he was…
My book is not finished – yet – but I do enjoy reading. I have to give it a whirl.
There are so many giveaways listed. I’m going to have to scroll through them and sign up for a chance to win. You never know. I could get lucky.
Thanks for the comment!
Love the life phases. And thanks for the tips on Goodreads. That article you linked to at the bottom was super helpful as well. I will have to do a giveaway some time.
You should, Char. It takes very little time to submit, and it’s nice to see others show interest in your book. I’m glad you found the post useful.
Yes, it was very useful. I just need to put your useful knowledge into action now (this 2nd book has just consumed me for months and I haven’t worked too hard on any marketing or other things). But I promise to do this within the month (no DQ blizzards if I don’t)
Always good to set rewards for ourselves, and DQ blizzards are the perfect reward, in my opinion.
I knew you would understand.
I think I’ll try it. Thanks!
Good luck! It’s easy to do with no real drawbacks. Well, except for shipping to Siberia…
Against my better judgement, I ran an ad on Goodreads last year. I never saw it, but supposedly 150 people “clicked through.” I just have to hope they weren’t chained to chairs in a warehouse somewhere clicking at a rate of .7 cents per click. I will try a give-away. Thanks for the info.
I’ve wondered about doing a Goodreads ad and whether it would be worthwhile or not, so I’m pleased to get your input. I’m not convinced paid advertising is the way to go for fiction, but if the cost were reasonable, it might be worth a shot. Or not. I have it on my list of things to explore, but your experience helps me push it lower on the list.
Thanks, Honie!
Hi Carebear! You know, I am a Goodreads member but never go there. I’m going to have to give this a second look.
It’s worth a second look. It’s taken me a while to recognize its advantages, and there’s still much more I could do on the site, but as with everything, baby steps. I have joined one of the groups though and am enjoying the interaction.
Thanks, Wendy!
We must be mind readers because I was just wondering about the whole Goodreads Giveaway thing. Goodreads is still kind of a mystery to me – I should really go into it more often but I usually end up doing the blogging thing instead for some silly reason.
I didn’t do much with Goodreads for the longest time, but for an author, it seems like a smart way to reach readers. And now that I’ve joined one of the groups, I’ve found I really enjoy the interaction. It really doesn’t take too much time, either.
Thanks, Sheila. And if you’re reading my mind now, you’ll know that I’m thinking of Chipotle for supper, since my family is gone for the day.
I love good common sense medical advice, especially when it’s true. I have to FINISH my book before I can do all this stuff but you’re great for informing writers about it. Thanks, Carrie.
How far along are you in your book? I imagine with everything going on in your life, it’s been tough to find the time to work on it.
Enjoyed both parts, as always!
As for Goodreads, I did a giveaway (two, actually) in hopes that the folks who got the books would write a review. I guess they weren’t encouraged enough (“Winning members are encouraged but not required to write a review of the book they receive,” Goodreads says). But overall I thought the giveaways were worthwhile: the cost of postage for a few books got those eyeballs looking at my title.
I’m going to have to look into the Kindle boards again. I found myself lost and overwhelmed among them but they sound worthy of attention.
It remains to be seen whether my winners will leave a review, but I already noticed someone in Spain gave my book a rating on Goodreads the other day, so that’s good. What’s with me and the foreign lands?
I like Kindleboards. There is some good dialogue. But I find the Goodreads group discussions just as engaging. Not sure why it took me so long to join a group, but there’s only so much time, I guess.
Thanks, Audrey!
Good to know I’m still young! But I think I like @braintomahawk’s attitude best.
I can’t remember who said it, but my favourite quote on aging is “Middle age is when a man wakes up every morning thinking tomorrow he’ll feel better.” Too true.
I did a Goodreads giveaway for Never Say Spy. I kept it short – only 5 days – but I got 682 entries, and 294 people added it to their to-read lists. I don’t know whether that’ll translate into any sales, but it was nice to get the eyeballs.
But here’s the funny thing: I set my giveaway to worldwide, too… and both my winners were from Texas. Go figure.
Wow–what a great response! And the Texas thing was lucky. I’ll probably do another one in the future, but I’ve run out of author copies so had to order more from my publisher.
As for your quote: “Middle age is when a man wakes up every morning thinking tomorrow he’ll feel better.” That is so perfect and so true. Love it.
I read both parts and found them both quite enlightening.
Actually, I think that whole Goodreads thing is one of the coolest features of the online book lover’s community. Also, Dr. J seems awesome. Just saying.
He was awesome. I think you’d have clicked well with his type of humor. And that’s a compliment.
Goodreads is great. It took me awhile to branch out in it, but I’m feeling more grounded there now.
Thanks for the tips on the Goodreads book giveaway. I want to do it for a client of mine, so this is very helpful. And now, we’ll have to really think how far we want to ship books!
As for Dr J, he sure tells it like it is! One thing I’ve noticed too is, when you’re 20, older men look sexy. When you’re forty, older men look…. old!!!
I’ve been looking for inspiring quotes for the new year. The best one I’ve found so far is on my FB personal page:
“Learn from yesterday, live for today and hope for tomorrow.” ~ Albert Einstein
It doesn’t keep simpler than that.
Yes, I love that Einstein quote. I think I first saw it on your FB page. And you made me laugh about your older man comment. It’s the opposite for me. When I was younger, older men did not appeal to me. Now that I’m older, they do. I’m not talking Hugh Hefner age–gross. Of course, when I’m 80 he might do it for me. Then again, he’ll be dead. But you know what I mean.
I think it’s great you’ll help your client do a giveaway. It was really easy, and honestly, it didn’t cost that much to mail the three copies out, even to the foreign lands. It was about $29 for all three combined, so that’s not bad. And the recipients were really pleased to win (I messaged them a congrats on Goodreads). The hope is they’ll leave a review, but that’s not an expectation.
Wow, I’m long-winded on my responses today. Must tame that down a bit…
As always, thanks for stopping by. You were one of my top 5 commenters on the WordPress 2012 summary, so thank you!!
I was in your top 5! Wow, I can’t believe I’m in the top anything. I’m going to draw myself a trophy.
Milka, you were my #1! I’m going to thank my top 5 commenters (and everyone else) in my next post. Is it okay to use your name? I’ll link to your Perfecting Motherhood and your photography blog.
I was? Well then, I’m giving myself a real trophy tonight! All made out of chocolate!
No problem using my name, and thanks for linking back to my sites. I’m glad WordPress rates the number of comments, not the quality of them!
Oh, and now I feel bad because I didn’t look at my 2012 blog stats at all…
Oh, yours are always great quality. You definitely deserve a chocolate trophy.
When I saw ENT, my mind jumped to the Lord of the Rings.
And I must join those who say all three are on their lists, but the good night’s sleep might be number one….
Now I know I have to check into Goodreads. But when? Something else would have to give…. Grr.
Honestly, I find forums like Goodreads groups and Kindleboards more useful than Facebook in terms of marketing. It always seems after I’ve commented on several threads in the group discussions, my Amazon rankings improve a little. That’s probably only one book, but a book sale a day keeps the book viable, in my opinion. Plus, I really like engaging on these sites. What’s not fun about interacting with others about great books? I’m only in one Goodreads group so far–Thrillers and Mystery Group–but I’ve encountered some fun people. It took me a long time to build up on Goodreads, and I still have far fewer ‘friends’ than others, but if you start now, by the time your book is out, you’ll have a nice gathering. I can’t visit the site every day–I have to spread the social media around–but I always enjoy it when I stop in.
Sorry for the long-winded response. Phew. I already made you read enough of my words today. But let me add that my youngest son would think you’re the coolest for connecting ENT to “Lord of the Rings.” I, on the other hands, don’t get that reference.
Don’t worry about the response length—this is all great information for those of us who aren’t published yet!
Ents — the “guardians of the forests” in Lord of the Rings who destroyed Saruman’s stronghold of Isengard. You did see it with you boys, didn’t you?!
That was one movie I had my husband take them to. I opted for quiet time at home. And by admitting that, I have fallen even lower on my son’s ‘cool’ scale, while your words raise you higher. “Guardians of the forest”? “Saruman’s stronghold”? Me thinks you’re speaking Greek…
It sounds like Dr. J had much wisdom gleaned from many a cavity searched.
Bazinga!
As I told another commenter, you guys are lowering my blood pressure today with healthy laughter thanks to your great comments. Thanks for stopping by!
I’m 48 and am interested in all three.
As for the Goodreads info … thanks for that. You’ve motivated me to give it a try. Now, I just need to see how many copies of the book I have laying around.
Oh, you really should. People are always looking for good legal thrillers, and although I know there’s more to your book than that, the tag ‘legal thriller’ is a good eye-catcher, especially when written by a lawyer. It’s really simple to do, but if you choose to, I recommend reading the article I included at the bottom of this post. That author gives great specific advice on how to approach the giveaway for best results.
Just did! Thanks for the post … I needed a kick in the butt to start something like this.
Good luck with it!
I’m depressed now. I’ve moved into the era of #2 and #3. -sigh-
Thanks for the Goodreads information. I’m sort of lost over there. I’ve listed my books, but after that, I don’t know where to start, how much more time of my day it would take, and is it worth getting involved in the groups? I’d like to figure that out this year.
Everyone’s comments about their life ‘phase’ are making me laugh. You are all lowering my blood pressure through laughter and making me healthy. Kudos.
I recently joined one group on Goodreads, and I’m really enjoying it. There are fun discussions on it. As you know, there are so many ways to market, and we have to use our time wisely, but Goodreads makes good sense as a place to ‘quietly’ market by responding to group discussions/threads. Plus I’m discovering great new reads. You should do a book giveaway. I think you’d get strong results. Your books are so much fun, and they’d appeal to a wide audience.
Glad you are laughing.
You’re making me smile like crazy. I will definitely check out what I can do there soon. Thanks for the kind words. 
I only say ‘em when I mean ‘em. And I’ll add a few more: I think you’ve built up a great brand. Your Gravatar is so easily linked to your books, and your ‘look’ has such a pleasant, fun feel to it. Well done.
I’m almost speechless. Thank you so much. It means a lot, and I’m appreciative.
You’re welcome.
What does it say if you’re forty-two years old and you’d take a good BM (my auto correct just changed BM to BMW…I’d take that too) over sex AND a good night’s sleep? More fiber and less Cool Ranch Doritos?
Haha, Stacie, I think your answer to your own question might be right. Say adios to those Cool Ranch Doritos, and you may be having more sex than you ever dreamed of.
And yes, I’d take a BMW, too. Much prettier than my Prius.
Thanks for making me laugh, Stacie. You always do.
After reading this, it’s hard not to have a lot of respect for Dr. J. Not only is the man one of the best players of all time and one who made the NBA into the household name it is today, but during it all, he somehow found the time to go to medical school. That transcends the best sexual experience, good night’s sleep or bowel movement.
A good ear, nose & throat doctor is nice, but a good ear, nose & throat doctor with a sweet layup is unbeatable.
Yes, Dr. J was amazing all right. But I needed his services by the end of the rotation, because my neck was so sore from looking up at him. So tall, so tall…
Dr. J was nice and caustic like you. Maybe he has a blog now. Anything’s possible. Hey, you’re not Dr. J, are you?
Well, as you may or may not know, “J” is sometimes used as street-slang for “joint,” so in certain circles, I guess…
Righteous, dude. But that is not my circle, so I guess I’m a square. Of course, was there any doubt of that?…
To quote Socrates: “It’s hip to be square.”
Works for me.
My sister had a dog named Socrates. I think that’s who you’re really quoting. He was sage for a pup.
I must be mildly old. Nothing better than good sleep after a killer BM.
Haha. Thanks for a good laugh-out-loud on that one. Of course, both might preclude the first life phase, but top it off with a good morning work out, and you’re set!
Thanks, Chrystal!
I met one 76 year old Dr. K. He inquired if i smoke, drink. I said yes. “Do you exercise”. I said no. “hmm, Son there is life before 30, you do what you like. After 30 you are on my side of the fence.”
Dr. J is cool and I see that I’m torn between his first two pearls of advice. Every evening i yearn to get lucky eventually end up popping a valium.
Haha. Good answer! And Dr. K sounds like my kind of guy. Thanks so much for the comment and for stopping by. Is always appreciated.
[...] Carrie Rubin [...]
How did bowel movements come up while performing a tonsillectomy? Ew.
BTW . . . I’ve tagged you in The Next Big Thing blog-interview. Another chance for you to promote Seneca! Play along if you’d like. No pressure.
Thank you, Robin. I appreciate the mention! But as I commented on your site, I’m oddly tight-lipped about my current WIP. Perhaps I don’t want to jinx myself? Or maybe I fear ridicule. Who knows? So instead, I’ll keep writing about bowel movements…
Great. I look forward to more insightful bathroom posts from you.
A bathroom post is never far away…
Now I’m dying of curiosity… I knew a lot of ENTs in Chicago… And while I was on Bookreads for a while, I kept forgetting to log on and look at stuff. I like the idea of getting more potential readers though. I will save this post, for when my own novel is ready to market. Thanks Carrie.
Glad you found it useful. And don’t die of curiosity–Dr. J. was nowhere near Chicago.
Thanks!
Ahhh, thanks for that. I was right near the end…
Phew. Almost thought I was going to have to do a little CPR.
Carrie, You are becoming one Super Marketing Genius! I am ordering Seneca Scourge on my daughter’s Kindle (still don’t have one). Things like ordering books have been moving slowly in my world, particularly since my book club keeps doling out new ones each month, and I have to stay on top of that.
That Dr. J sounds like one smart dude.
Thanks for the interest in my book, Anne. I appreciate that! As for the marketing, I’m certainly acquiring a new set of skills I never knew I had. Of course, how much good they’re actually doing remains to be seen…
And Dr. J was smart. With attitude.
Could this Dr. J do the reverse slam dunk? Will be checking out the Seneca Scourge.
I’d have to say no to your question. I don’t think athletics were Dr. J’s strengths. And that’s probably putting it nicely. But apparently philosophy was…
Thanks for the interest in the book and for commenting. I appreciate it.
Hey, your book is going global. Which is better than the virus doing the same – work that angle!!
Famous Amos gave away his cookies at first – Chips Ahoy had NOTHIN on him
As for the first part, I’m a fan of all three. At different points of the day.
“Hey, your book is going global. Which is better than the virus doing the same”—So true! Hadn’t thought of it that way.
And I like that you drift in and out of all three life phases. You’re very well rounded.
Thanks for the comment!