​🎯 Price Wars and Freebies: My New Plan to Win the Review Game

 

I've decided to aggressively reduce the price of my ebook and give away free copies because, right now, I am after reviews more than profit. You learn quickly that people reading your book is more important than making money, especially on your first book. If these readers review, and they are good reviews, that alone will help drive sales.

​I know I've set the price on most sites to £1.99/$1.99, which I hope people will take a chance on, but I will continue to give the ebook for free to people who want to read it.

​💸 Discounts and Deals You Can't Miss

I've decided to aggressively reduce the price and offer free copies because, in reality, you often only get a handful of reviews, and I need to boost the volume of readers.​

• Global Discount: Amazon will let me reduce the book on the UK website to £1.99. The aggregator site I use, D2D, has let me reduce it to $1.99 globally. If you are in America or Canada, you can now get An Irish Mystery for this price at Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Fable, Apple, and Smashwords.
• ​The Big Freebie: I received a notification from D2D that I can join the Smashwords End of Year Sale! This means from December 8th, 2025, to January 1st, 2026, you can get Book 1 of the Newman Adventure series for FREE on Smashwords. If you want to help an author like me out, please grab a copy and, if you enjoy it, please leave a review!

​🎯 My New Review Strategy

​​I need a way to vet people when offering free copies, especially since Amazon is still holding reviews. I'm thinking of asking people to leave reviews on platforms where they show immediately, like Goodreads or Fable.

​If you are reading this and would like a free ebook copy of An Irish Mystery, send me an email with who you are and your Goodreads handle. Even better, follow me on Goodreads! Here you will see what I read and my reviews.

​The Booksprout Experiment

​You can still get my book at the moment on Booksprout here: I've tried to use this platform to generate reviews, but I've learned that reviews from Booksprout can be slow (23 days and counting) or rejected by Amazon. It seems reviews on later sites are the way to go.

​​📓 The Always FREE Prequel (The Reader Magnet)

​I still haven't finished what I am calling my "Always FREE" book—a prequel about the seven years Hans was in prison, giving the backstory for An Irish Mystery.

​What is a Reader Magnet? It's an enticing tool authors offer—a free story—to engage readers, let them sample the writing, and encourage reviews.

​Why haven't I finished it? Because I think I need more readers and more books out in the series before it's worth offering. Since it's a backstory, I worry it might not be a great reader magnet if it's the first book people read. The idea is to give background to the main characters and explain why and how things ended up the way they did in the first book. I just managed to write another chapter the other day, so the progress continues!

​🎁 Local Promotion: Peterborough Book Drop

Next Wednesday is when I drop off the paperbacks I bought for the Book and Pudding Club here in Peterborough. I'm due another delivery on Friday, which will give me a few copies to sell and the rest will be given out free to the club.

​A massive thank you to Leanne, the organizer, who emailed me this past Friday with a vital correction:

​"Just to confirm our venue is Amore Dolci in Stanground not The Coffee Hive as on the website, this is still wrong 🙈."

 

​Thank God she emailed me! That would have been an embarrassing moment. Note to self: next time you organize something like this, ask to confirm where you are going.

​The Signing Dilemma: What Would You Do?

​I also have these stickers that say "Signed Copy." I'm unsure about the best approach:

1. ​Do I sign the books now before handing them out?
2. ​Or do I hand them out unsigned and sign them in person when I go back in the New Year for the Q&A?
3. ​Do you think sticking the signed sticker on the back cover is viable with the new design?

​Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

​​​📚 What Am I Reading? (A New Action Hero)

​​

​I am still reading Any Means Necessary by Jack Mars (from the Luke Stone Thriller series). Honestly, hockey, work, and the dreaded Christmas forthcoming have taken over, and I haven't read any of it this week. The book, however, is fast-paced and typical Jack Mars from what I've read already. I will keep you posted about my thoughts as I progress through the book.

​Want to see all my latest reviews and reading progress for series like this? You can find me here:

• ​Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/dcsalmonbooks 
• ​Fable: https://fable.co/daniel-salmon-267793179821 

📬 Want to follow the journey?

I send occasional emails about writing, publishing, and the stories behind The Newman Adventures.

Newsletter subscribers also get an exclusive sneak peek of Book 2, An American Treasure.

👉 Join here: The Newman Chronicle 

📖 Enjoyed this post?

An Irish Mystery is a fast-paced historical adventure about stolen treasures, hidden histories, and the cost of obsession.

Ebook, Kindle Unlimited, Paperback & hardcover

👉 Available on Amazon: An Irish Mystery

You can also find me on Instagram / Bluesky / X / Facbook, where I share writing updates and behind-the-scenes moments.

🌍 www.dcsalmonbooks.com

​🤷 Doubt, Dollars, and Disappointment: The Hard Reality of Marketing

 

This has been a week where I truly contemplate where I go from here. Nothing seems to get any traction, and I've spent more time looking at metrics than writing.

​Since my last blog, I've had a week of serious doubt. This blog, if lucky, gets 5 reads over time (spiking to 11 max), and I just don't know how to drive more traffic. Maybe switching to my own website was the wrong thing to do? Who knows is the answer to that. I am looking every day to improve my visibility, but I might as well staple the money I spend on the wall because I don't appear to be getting any traction.

​This tells me I am obviously doing something wrong, but I don't know what. Algorithms don't seem to like my content, and nobody—even with the cover change—wants to read my book! At least, that's how it feels.

​💸 The Cost of Marketing Experiments

​I seem to be making continuous mistakes when trying to advertise, which costs me time and money.

​The Book Adrenaline Blunder

​I paid just over £26 ($30) to advertise my book for 99p/c on a website called Book Adrenaline, which sends emails to over 36,000 readers in the mystery/thriller genre.

​My Mistake: I supplied all my links, but I forgot to manually reduce the price on my Amazon account, which is separate from my Draft2Digital account. Amazon wouldn't let me lower the price without being enrolled in Kindle Unlimited, so the price remained at £2.99 on Kindle, not the 99p/c advertised. I sincerely apologize if you tried to buy it for your Kindle from that ad!

​How many did I sell? I haven't a clue! It takes a while for these sites to report sales data, and right now, the reports still read zero.

The Booksprout Dilemma

​I even renewed my subscription to Booksprout for another month (about £6.50/$9) to try and get more reviews with the new cover (max 25 claims).

• ​Result: So far, after two weeks, I've had 262 impressions, 5 views of the landing page, and 0 takers. Nobody, even with the new cover, wants to read my book for free.
• ​The Review Hold: The 5-star review I received from the last round still isn't showing on Amazon. Booksprout confirmed it's "delayed" and that Amazon can be slow (it's been 23 days) or sometimes rejects reviews. I couldn't even contact the reviewer just to say thanks.

​I am feeling disheartened, and it makes you wonder if it is worth spending another £600 on a cover for Book 2.

​​​🔍 New Avenues: Free Tools & Discovery

​I cannot afford to spend money on sites like BookClub.org or BookSirens with no guarantee of return, so I am focusing on free discovery tools:

​I found an excellent blog on Pinterest called "100 Free and Paid Book Promotion Sites" by Kindlepreneur. If you're a new author, I wish I had known about this list back in early 2025! Find their blog here: https://kindlepreneur.com/list-sites-promote-free-amazon-books/ 

​I am testing three sites from that list:

• ​CreativeBooks.com & BestBookMonkey.com: I submitted my book for promotion today (my promo day on both sites). I will tell you how it went next week!
• ​BookPraiser.com: I chose the free service to add my book to their library for discovery. It takes time to be added, but my thought is: it's free, why not? It's another site where you can find my new cover.

​📦 The New Covers Are LIVE (And They Look Amazing!)

I'm thrilled to report that my publishing hurdle is officially cleared! All my book formats now feature the stunning new cover: the ebook was updated, and the hardback was uploaded and is now available as well. I just hope people like the cover as much as I do and that it helps people at least want to read it.

​On Saturday, paperback copies of my book arrived with the new cover, and they look great, honestly. Again, if you want a new cover, get in touch with Peter and Caroline at BespokeBookCovers.com—you won't be disappointed!

​🍮 Local Promotion: The Book and Pudding Club

These new copies are all for my local promotion! I am going to deliver them to the Book and Pudding Club at their next meet-up on 3rd December. They meet at a lovely little cafe right here in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, called The Hive. I cannot wait to get the books into their hands and go back in the New Year for the Q&A to see what they all thought. This local initiative is all about getting honest reviews and connecting with readers right here in my home city.

​​​📚 What Am I Reading? (A New Action Hero)

​​I nearly bought Book 3 in the Troy Stark Thriller series after finishing Books 1 and 2, but then I realized I had another book by Jack Mars already on my TBR list!

​I’ve switched to Any Means Necessary from his Luke Stone Thriller series. I've only just started it and am about 10% in. Like the Troy Stark books, it is fast-paced, and I'm eager to see where this new adventure takes the character. I will share my thoughts as I progress through the book next week.

 

Want to see all my latest reviews and reading progress for series like this? You can find me here:

• ​Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/dcsalmonbooks 
• ​Fable: https://fable.co/daniel-salmon-267793179821 

📬 Want to follow the journey?

I send occasional emails about writing, publishing, and the stories behind The Newman Adventures.

Newsletter subscribers also get an exclusive sneak peek of Book 2, An American Treasure.

👉 Join here: The Newman Chronicle 

📖 Enjoyed this post?

An Irish Mystery is a fast-paced historical adventure about stolen treasures, hidden histories, and the cost of obsession.

Ebook, Kindle Unlimited, Paperback & hardcover

👉 Available on Amazon: An Irish Mystery

You can also find me on Instagram / Bluesky / X / Facbook, where I share writing updates and behind-the-scenes moments.

🌍 www.dcsalmonbooks.com

​🎉 The New Chapter Begins: My WOW Book Cover Reveal!

 

At last, the time has come—my new book cover is out! I had decided the old cover didn't represent my book, the story, or the future of the series. But the new design has taken the brand, I think, to another level. I might be biased, but I think a bestselling author would be proud of this design!

​I cannot thank Peter at BespokeBookCovers.com enough. If you want a book cover like mine—or just something that stands out and gives your book the professional look you're searching for—then give them a call. You won't be disappointed. They even have another website, BespokeAuthor.com, with everything you need to get your book designed and published.

​So, if you haven't seen the cover yet, here it is:

​🤝 What I Learned About Hiring Designers

​I previously approached GetCovers.com, who are by all means a budget-friendly option. While they didn't produce the exact vision I wanted (perhaps they deal more with romance and sci-fi than Adventure/Thrillers), I have to commend them on their service. They still gave me a full refund of $60 after two designs, which is more than fair. If you have a budget that is next to nothing, give them a try!

​🎯 The Review Strategy: Book Clubs and Pudding

Now what? I need to get the book back out there, but more than anything, I need more reviews. So, free copies will be available somewhere soon.

​Ironically, the inspiration for my next strategy came from the spam emails I wrote about last week (which you can read here: "The Scammers" blog post. Those scammers made me ask: Are there any legitimate book clubs in my home city?

​A bit of searching revealed two groups. One declined, but the other, charmingly called the Book and Pudding Club (sounds exactly like my kind of club!), has said they would love to do a Q&A with me in the New Year!

​I initially offered them free ebooks, but I am upgrading that now to free paperbacks with the new cover. It's a cost, but one I feel will pay off with future promotions with a local club. They meet on the first Wednesday of every month at a local café to discuss books, consume hot drinks, and pudding.

​My plan is simple: I'm hoping to deliver the books to their next meet-up, pop in to introduce myself, and leave. When I go back in the New Year for the event (and some pudding, of course), I hope they've read the book and are ready to fire me with questions—which I will then convince them to turn into reviews!

​If you are an author, just google book clubs in your area—you may be surprised! It's an excellent avenue for generating reviews.

​​💎 An American Treasure Update: The Final Hurdle

Book 2, An American Treasure, needs a cover. That's all it needs.

​It's November, and next month is December. I don't think it would be prudent of me to pay out another load of money on a second book cover unless I sell enough books to pay for it—and that is highly unlikely right now.

​For now, you can join my mailing list where you will get an excerpt of An American Treasure, which includes the prologue and the first 10 chapters to get your mouth watering.

​Personally, I enjoyed writing Book 2 the most. It wasn't an experiment anymore; the characters had developed, and the antagonist in An American Treasure was so fun to write. It had my brain working overtime trying to work out how old-time ciphers worked and how I could make them as real as possible in the storyline. If you enjoyed An Irish Mystery, I know you will enjoy this sequel!

​🚨 Scammer Alert: They Are Everywhere

Just when I thought I was done typing, I got a new scam attempt—this time on Goodreads! Yes, they are hitting that site now, too. I instantly defriended them and reported the account as spam. I wouldn't mind, but who is Brad?

​This is what it's like every day: spam after spam after spam. Usually, it's emails or DMs on social media, so seeing it on Goodreads was a new experience.

​​📚 What Am I Reading? (Continuing the Action)

​I am still deep into the Troy Stark Thriller series. After finishing Book 1, Rogue Force, I immediately bought Book 2, Rogue Command.

​I am about 78% through and, like the first book, it’s exactly my kind of read: fast, action-packed, and full of intrigue. I've been flying through it this week because there are no fluffy edges—you know exactly what you are dealing with. It follows the kind of action hero trained to kill and little else, and the story just keeps charging forward. I may even be finished by the time this post goes live! I'll let you know my final thoughts next week.

📬 Want to follow the journey?

I send occasional emails about writing, publishing, and the stories behind The Newman Adventures.

Newsletter subscribers also get an exclusive sneak peek of Book 2, An American Treasure.

👉 Join here: The Newman Chronicle 

📖 Enjoyed this post?

An Irish Mystery is a fast-paced historical adventure about stolen treasures, hidden histories, and the cost of obsession.

Ebook, Kindle Unlimited, Paperback & hardcover

👉 Available on Amazon: An Irish Mystery

You can also find me on Instagram / Bluesky / X / Facbook, where I share writing updates and behind-the-scenes moments.

🌍 www.dcsalmonbooks.com

​🛑 What Is The Worst Thing About Being An Author? (The Scammers)

 

​I haven't been publishing for very long—my book came out in May—and I still don't really class myself as an Author. Storyteller, yes. Self-published writer, check. But Author? I look at people who do it full-time as Authors. In the sports world, you have professionals, semi-pros, and amateurs. Where am I? I'm making money on every sale, but I’ve definitely spent more than I’ve made. You decide!

​But let's get back to the question: What is the worst thing about being an Author?

​For many indie authors who do everything themselves, the answer is marketing. For me, when I have the time, I actually enjoy the marketing process. What I truly hate is social media spam and scams.

​🎣 The Constant Drip of Spam

It appears that unless you are prepared to spend money, social media is broken. I'm lucky to get 30 views on a post, and my content rarely gets shown to the people who need to see it. But I carry on, hoping one new follower might lead to one more sale.

​The main thing that irritates me, and many authors, is the constant stream of spam. The direct messages and comments claiming to be book promoters, proof-readers, book trailer makers, or anything they think you need. They always use the same spiel:

​“Your book cover is truly captivating, it immediately draws attention and reflects a strong sense of professionalism and creativity.”

 

​They'll like a few posts to look legit, but then the constant messages start: "How are you?" "I love connecting with authors." They always start the message with awkward formalities like "Hello D.C." or "Hi Salmon." And when you don't answer, they just type "Hello?" or "Are you there?"

​​🎭 The Scammers Evolve: Impersonation and Implying Success

When I first started, I received a lot of messages like this. It quickly escalated into:

• ​Impersonation: People would create fake profiles of successful authors, often changing just one letter or adding a number to the name. Their social media photo might not even match the picture on the Amazon page they link to.
• ​The Pitch: The goal is always to eventually scam money out of you. They might claim: "I sell lots of books because of my literacy agent—here is her link." You approach the 'agent,' and they charge you for services that never materialize or don't actually help.

​The scamming has since spread to email. I used to get emails promising to connect me with "thousands of followers who want to discover books like yours." When you check their profile, they have thousands of followers but only single digit likes on their most recent post—a huge red flag.

​✅ My Due Diligence Saved Me

​I sent a professional email back to them, using the official website email address to confirm the person's legitimacy:

​"Thank you for your email... For my own records and security, I am in the process of verifying this request. The email address on the official [Club Name] website is different from the one you're using, so I have reached out to that address to confirm the details. Once I receive confirmation through that official channel, I will be happy to proceed."

 

​I received a polite reply saying they understood my caution, and they haven't contacted me since.

​Conclusion: Investigate, Don't Donate

​The key takeaway is this: investigate, don't ignore every message, but look deeper before handing over any money. If you think it's a con, it more than likely is a con. I've had three similar attempts since then, including one where the scammer forgot where the book club was located, jumping from Berlin to Oakland!

​Let the games begin.

​🚨 The Scammers' Audacity: Impersonating Sebastian Barry

After typing this whole post, I received yet another email that proves my point. I'm going to refer to the people who do this as 'Them' or 'They.' This past Saturday, I received an email that began:

​"Hey 👋 I came across your email on Facebook and noticed that you're an author as well—always a pleasure to connect with fellow writers. My name is Sebastian Barry, a multi-award-winning Irish novelist and playwright..."

 

​The email then went into a beautiful, detailed description of his acclaimed historical fiction work. It sounds convincing, right?

​But here's the reality: Sebastian Barry is a renowned, 70-year-old Irish literary figure. Any contact with authors like me would almost certainly be handled by his literary agency, not from a personal email sent after 'finding me on Facebook.' A quick check confirmed the email I received was yet another different address than the one listed publicly for Mr. Barry.

​As I’ve said before: trust your gut, people. If a famous, award-winning author wants to connect with you, the communication will likely come through a professional channel. This attempt, brazenly using a famous name in historical fiction to build trust, is exactly why we, as indie authors, must always investigate and never immediately hand over money or details.

​That final example brings your post to a powerful conclusion, reinforcing your message about vigilance.

​​📚 What Am I Reading? (In Too Deep)

After thoroughly enjoying the fast pace of Rogue Force last week, I immediately jumped into Book 2, Rogue Command, by Jack Mars.

​I am about 25% through and, like the first book, it’s exactly my kind of read: fast, action-packed, and full of intrigue. There are no fluffy edges here—you know exactly what you are dealing with. It follows the kind of action hero trained to kill and little else, and the story just keeps charging forward. So far, so good!

​What would you like me to do next for your author brand and blog? Perhaps an SEO check of your previous blog post about short chapters?

📬 Want to follow the journey?

I send occasional emails about writing, publishing, and the stories behind The Newman Adventures.

Newsletter subscribers also get an exclusive sneak peek of Book 2, An American Treasure.

👉 Join here: The Newman Chronicle 

📖 Enjoyed this post?

An Irish Mystery is a fast-paced historical adventure about stolen treasures, hidden histories, and the cost of obsession.

Ebook, Kindle Unlimited, Paperback & hardcover

👉 Available on Amazon: An Irish Mystery

You can also find me on Instagram / Bluesky / X / Facbook, where I share writing updates and behind-the-scenes moments.

🌍 www.dcsalmonbooks.com

​📧 The Newsletter Link Broke (And Why I Keep Making Things Up As I Go Along)

​Last week, I wrote about why I write short chapters (if you missed it, you can find it here: link ) and announced that you can sign up for my newsletter to get an exclusive excerpt of Book 2, An American Treasure.

​I sent the newsletter out to all 106 subscribers on Tuesday, and of course, there was a problem. Nothing is simple when you do things yourself and learn as you go! The link to the landing page didn't work. It was frustrating because it worked perfectly fine when I tested it before pressing "send."

​Since I was at the sports center for roller hockey, the problem had to wait. I sent a correction email the following morning with an apology and a working link, so that problem was rectified... I hope.

​📉 The Newsletter Dilemma

I use MailerLite for distribution, and I find the newsletter process to be the hardest part of building my author brand. Everywhere you read stresses how important newsletter readers are, but I struggle with what to send them.

​I try to give them the scoop first—like early access to the An American Treasure excerpt, and they will see the new book cover first—but beyond that, I don't know how I am supposed to use the newsletter.

​I have or had 106 subscribers. I don't mind sharing that number. But I've had only 4 downloads of the Book 2 excerpt to date! My open rate has plummeted from nearly half of my subscribers opening the email down to 21%, and of that, only 4.81% clicked the link. Five people unsubscribed, which is fair enough—if you're not interested, you should leave!

​This is the part I do not get: are you following me because you like what I write and do? Or did you just want that initial freebie (An Irish Mystery excerpt) and now have lost interest?

​These are questions I cannot answer, and I don't know how to rectify. The learning carries on, whether I ever get the hang of it, only time will tell.

​📊 The Hard Truth About Traffic

​I moved my blog from Blogger because every site I read claimed that using blogger.com looked unprofessional, and for me to be successful, the blog needed to be on my own website. It also meant all traffic went directly to my site, where I advertise my books.

​Just before I transferred everything, I had my record views in a month—three short of 700! Now that it's all on my website, those numbers are a pipedream. Last week’s blog had two views (thank you to you two, though one was probably me getting the URL for social media!).

​Batting in the Dark

​In another blog, I wrote about using Pinterest and was told it takes a few months to pay off. At one point, I was at 5.2K monthly views on my pins, but likes and clicks were probably below 1%. I cannot say I have had one person find my blog and read it from Pinterest.

​It does feel like I am batting in the dark, swinging at fresh air and hoping I hit something. Maybe the algorithms don't like my content, but I don't know what else to do. I’ve spent my whole life making it up as I go along, so why stop now? You never know, something might stick one day!

​🤩 The New Cover: A Moment of Triumph!

Now for some genuinely exciting news!

​The new book cover for An Irish Mystery has been sent to me, and my reaction when I opened the Dropbox was WOW! It was beyond what I expected. I have asked for a few small, necessary tweaks to ensure the details are true to the book, but the core design is phenomenal.

​I honestly cannot wait to show you all and get it uploaded so I can order some author copies for myself. This truly is exciting!

​💎 An American Treasure Update: The Excerpt is Out, But the Cost is Real

As I mentioned earlier, the excerpt for An American Treasure is now available exclusively to all my newsletter readers (you can sign up here: [Newsletter Sign-up Form]). You will get the prologue and the first 10 chapters to whet your appetite for what is coming in Book 2.

​But when will the book actually be out?

​The short answer: The manuscript for An American Treasure is essentially ready. I may send it out to a final review group soon. I would love to publish it tomorrow, but the new cover design for An Irish Mystery has cost more than I originally budgeted for, and Book 2 is also going to need a professional cover. Quite frankly, I cannot afford it at the moment.

​How You Can Help Launch Book 2

​You will see a widget hovering on the left side and in the right column called Ko-Fi (a place to buy me a coffee). This is where fans can help me reach my goal quicker. Any donations made through Ko-Fi would go directly toward getting Book 2 out in the world faster.

​However, the best way to help me is by taking the plunge and buying An Irish Mystery and leaving a review once you have read it. The more copies I can sell, the more books I can afford to produce for the series!

​​📚 What Am I Reading? (A New Thrill)

I’ve finished my previous read, but I instantly jumped into Rogue Force (Book 1 of the Troy Stark Thriller) by Jack Mars. And I have to say, this is my kind of book!

​It’s fast, action-packed, and the sort of story that, if it were a movie, would star Jason Statham. I was so engrossed that I read the whole book in every spare minute I had over the last seven days! I enjoyed it so much that I immediately bought Book 2, Rogue Command. I will let you know my thoughts on the sequel next week.

​If you are one of the few who found this blog and like what I write about, please leave me a message below—it genuinely makes a difference!

📬 Want to follow the journey?

I send occasional emails about writing, publishing, and the stories behind The Newman Adventures.

Newsletter subscribers also get an exclusive sneak peek of Book 2, An American Treasure.

👉 Join here: The Newman Chronicle 

📖 Enjoyed this post?

An Irish Mystery is a fast-paced historical adventure about stolen treasures, hidden histories, and the cost of obsession.

Ebook, Kindle Unlimited, Paperback & hardcover

👉 Available on Amazon: An Irish Mystery

You can also find me on Instagram / Bluesky / X / Facbook, where I share writing updates and behind-the-scenes moments.

🌍 www.dcsalmonbooks.com

 

​🎬 Why I Write Short Chapters: Scene-by-Scene Pacing in Thrillers

 

I've been asked on more than one occasion: "Why are your chapters so short?"

​Honestly, it never hit me that this was something unique until people pointed it out. I just used to write. I have a scene in my head, and I write it. If that scene is only two pages long, then so be it. What's the point of stretching a scene just for the sake of making a chapter longer? Once I’ve explained what I need to explain and the action is done, it’s time to move on to the next beat.

​I don’t really call them chapters; I call them scenes. In my head, that is what they are—like a movie or a TV series. A scene tells a specific part of the story, and once it's complete, the camera moves to another part of the story. That is how I write, scene by scene.

I've been asked on more than one occasion: "Why are your chapters so short?"​

​📏 Short Chapters and Word Count

My father-in-law was the first person to mention it while I was signing his copy of An Irish Mystery. Since then, I've considered amalgamating some chapters in my newest book, An American Treasure, but people have told me to keep it as it is. If that's how I wrote it, keep it original and keep it authentic.

​When you look at the stats, it highlights the difference:

• ​An Irish Mystery is 83,773 words long and has 60 chapters.
• ​An American Treasure (Book 2, still unpublished) is 96,539 words long and has 94 chapters.

​Is that too many chapters? Maybe, but keeping the chapters short definitely helps me with the massive task of writing a whole novel. I love reading Clive Cussler's books, and while I wouldn't say his chapters are short, they are frequently 80 to 90 chapters long. Perhaps his style is an unconscious foundation to my own writing.

​✈️ The Power of the Jump Cut

The true reason my chapters are short comes down to pacing and structure.

​The book I finished, Everybody Lies by L.J. Breedlove, initially seemed to have long chapters—I was over 60% through and only on chapter 12! But as it turns out, the entire book only had 20 chapters, including the epilogue. This makes sense for its continuous storyline.

​My stories are very different. They are Adventure Thrillers that often jump from location to location, from character to character, or even different time zones and countries. They require different angles and different perspectives. Short chapters, or scenes, allow me to achieve that classic thriller pacing:

1. ​High Tension Ending: Every scene can end on a mini-cliffhanger.
2. ​Location Switch: Moving from Hans in Arizona to Cedric Newman in London (or vice-versa) requires a hard cut.
3. ​Multiple Timelines: The ability to instantly shift to a different perspective keeps the reader engaged and unable to put the book down.

​Ultimately, chapter length doesn't bother me as long as the story flows and is enjoyable. And for an adventure thriller, the short, quick scenes are essential for the ride.

​🎨 The New Cover: The Clock is Ticking!

The good news is that the new chapter in the An Irish Mystery saga has begun!

​As of Monday, my book designers officially started work on the new cover design. While I gave them plenty of context and inspiration—including drafts and covers from my favorite adventure thriller authors—I've stepped back and left them to work their magic.

​I have no clue what they have planned, but the suspense is building! I'm really hoping that by next week, I'll have more information for you, maybe even a glimpse of a completed design. Watch this space!

​🚀 An American Treasure Excerpt: Early Access is LIVE!

​

This focus on short, sharp scenes and instant jumps in the narrative—essential elements of an adventure thriller—is what I’ve carried into my next novel, An American Treasure.

​Which brings me on to Book 2...

I couldn't wait until the next official newsletter date! I am thrilled to announce that I sent a special newsletter yesterday with a link to download an exclusive excerpt for my upcoming book, An American Treasure (Book 2 in the Newman Adventure series).

​You can get early access to a sneak peek of the next thrilling chapter right now.

​How to Get Your Excerpt

​Want access? It's simple: you just have to be a subscriber! I use my newsletter for exactly this—giving early access to content, special offers, and the latest news before anybody else.

​Once you sign up, you will be able to download the excerpt onto any of your preferred ebook platforms (via my BookFunnel channel).

​👉 Sign up for the newsletter here to get the excerpt:

​Catch Up on Book 1

​If you haven't yet read An Irish Mystery, you can now find it on lots more platforms, making it easier than ever to dive into the adventure. It's now available on Apple Books, Kobo, Nook, Kindle, Smashwords, Fable, and many more!

​📚 What Am I Reading?

I am thrilled to report that I finished Everybody Lies by L.J. Breedlove!

​The opening hooked me straight away, and the book's pacing—despite its long chapters—flowed beautifully. I loved how the author's descriptive style and rich internal dialogue kept me firmly rooted in the characters' perspective. The mystery was definitely strong: the twists kept me guessing and made me doubt my early suspicions about the accused's identity. The suspense was maintained right up to the end. Well done, L.J. Breedlove! I will absolutely be picking up Book 2.

​Now for the big question: What am I reading next? Who knows! My TBR (To Be Read) list is currently a mile long, but I'll make a decision soon and will update you next week on what adventure I'm diving into.

​If you want to see my progress and reviews, you can always follow me on Goodreads or Fable!

📬 Want to follow the journey?

I send occasional emails about writing, publishing, and the stories behind The Newman Adventures.

Newsletter subscribers also get an exclusive sneak peek of Book 2, An American Treasure.

👉 Join here: The Newman Chronicle 

📖 Enjoyed this post?

An Irish Mystery is a fast-paced historical adventure about stolen treasures, hidden histories, and the cost of obsession.

Ebook, Kindle Unlimited, Paperback & hardcover

👉 Available on Amazon: An Irish Mystery

You can also find me on Instagram / Bluesky / X / Facbook, where I share writing updates and behind-the-scenes moments.

🌍 www.dcsalmonbooks.com

​🤕 Headaches, Hockey, and The Final Countdown to a New Cover

 

This is the view as I finally start typing this late blog post—a view I’ve earned after a rough week. For those who follow me, you know I’m heavily involved with my local roller hockey club. Today was our first EC1 (Eastern Counties Division 1) seniors game day, but the season has delivered some tough hits.

We managed a hard-fought goal with twenty seconds to go in the first game I coached, pulling us out of a 2-0 deficit. But the joy was short-lived: two of our players picked up injuries that weekend, and we later found out one has a fractured thumb and the other a broken hand (huge sympathy to Jake, the barber, who can’t work for a while). With another player injured in our first Premier league game of the season and another player already serving a ban, our game this weekend is canceled. It's tough news for the club, but it unexpectedly frees up my weekend for writing and reading!

​🎨 The Long-Awaited Cover Transformation

Next Monday, the company I chose will finally start designing the new cover for An Irish Mystery. I am so ready for this change! The book needs that Adventure/Thriller feel, moving away from the "Mystery Irish Detective" look it currently has.

​I was surprised last month when I did sell books despite cutting back on advertising. This month, however, feels different. We’re already halfway through October, and I haven’t sold a single copy. I know this is a result of stopping advertising due to the confusing cover, but it’s still tough. Everything is part of the master plan... or so I keep telling myself!

​The Review Roadblock

​The worst part is that reviews have stalled. It feels like forever since I last got a review on any network. I recently tried Booksprout, offering the book for free in exchange for an honest review, but that was another disappointment: one claim, and the review date has passed without the review being left. This makes you question everything: Was Booksprout the wrong platform for my genre? Or was it indeed the current cover giving off mixed vibes that turned readers off?

​What review platform would you use for an Adventure/Thriller book? Let me know!

​​🚀 Book 2 Excerpt: Delayed but Not Forgotten

​​I was hoping to release the excerpt of An American Treasure today, but unfortunately, a nagging migraine knocked me out and threw off my schedule. If you suffer from headaches and migraines, you know exactly how that goes.

​The good news is that with the cover starting next week and my weekend now unexpectedly free, I am determined to use this time to get the excerpt ready for you. Fingers crossed I have more updates on both the design and the sequel next week!

​📚 What Am I Reading?

I'm still fully immersed in Everybody Lies by L.J. Breedlove, and I am now 48% through the book!

​However, my progress has been slow this week due to the persistent headaches I've been battling. As you know, reading when a migraine is looming is next to impossible. Despite the slow pace, I'm genuinely enjoying the mystery. It’s proving to be a highly descriptive, engaging thriller that constantly keeps me guessing. I'll be sure to update you next week on where the plot has taken me.

​If you want to see my reading progress, along with all my past reads and reviews, you can always follow me on Goodreads or Fable (or both!).

​What thriller or mystery is keeping you guessing this week? Let me know in the comments!

📬 Want to follow the journey?

I send occasional emails about writing, publishing, and the stories behind The Newman Adventures.

Newsletter subscribers also get an exclusive sneak peek of Book 2, An American Treasure.

👉 Join here: The Newman Chronicle 

📖 Enjoyed this post?

An Irish Mystery is a fast-paced historical adventure about stolen treasures, hidden histories, and the cost of obsession.

Ebook, Kindle Unlimited, Paperback & hardcover

👉 Available on Amazon: An Irish Mystery

You can also find me on Instagram / Bluesky / X / Facbook, where I share writing updates and behind-the-scenes moments.

🌍 www.dcsalmonbooks.com

​📚 The Paper Problem: Why This Post Is All About Trim Size and ISBNs

 

This is my second blog this week! I normally post every Wednesday, but I thought an end of the week update was necessary. Since transferring to my website, Swimming Upstream feels like it's becoming more of a personal diary that now and again, a few curious people open and read.

​So why two blogs in one week? Because I am having a new cover designed, and the complications involved are endless! Quite frankly, the things I’ve been researching and contemplating get me down as I keep making mistake after mistake—mistakes that cost me time, and sometimes money. As I've said before, hobbies sometimes cost a lot, and we all spend money on things we later regret, thinking, "Why didn't I think this through first?"

📏 The Publisher's Legacy: Size and Paper

​I paid a 50% deposit for a new book cover designer last week, and I have high expectations based on our initial discussions. The only hold-up? My book's existing formatting.

​I used a self-publishing service for my first book, and they designed everything: the internal layout, formatting, and cover. As a new author with no experience, you trust what they do. I think we produced a professional-looking book, but... there's always a but.

​The "but" is the trim size and paper. The book is 6 x 9 inches, which is a standard size for self-published authors, and I quite like the bigger format. The bigger "but" is that it was produced with white paper. Until I got my own physical copies, this never really registered. Now, five months on, I feel the white paper should have been cream. To me, white paper is more suited to Non-fiction, and cream paper is standard for Fiction. What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments.

🔒 The ISBN Dilemma: Why You Can't Just Change the Paper

​My next mistake was with the ISBNs. I had assigned three ISBNs, one for each of my book's variants (Paperback, Hardback, and Ebook), with the intention of uploading them to sites like IngramSpark for wider distribution.

​The problem with a physical book is that once you assign an ISBN or Amazon's ASIN, the book is largely locked in. The only things you can easily change are the cover (if it's the exact same size and spine thickness), the blurb, and the price.

​Changing from white paper to cream paper changes the thickness of the book:

• ​White Paper: Page Count \times 0.0572 \text{mm}
• ​Cream Paper: Page Count \times 0.0635 \text{mm}

​Since the spine width changes, the original ISBN and cover can no longer be used. This is the Physical Book Problem!

🗺️ The Plan: Targeting the World Market

​I have a plan to manage this without losing my valuable existing Amazon listing and reviews. My goal is to align the series so the current 6 x 9, white paper version becomes exclusive to North America. Then, I will create a new version for the UK, Europe, and Commonwealth countries.

​My idea involves three steps:

1. ​Immediate Update: Have the new cover designed for the current 6 x 9, white paper version. I will update the cover on Amazon and D2D (for the ebook) so the book is at least up-to-date everywhere.
2. ​Reformatting: I need to purchase a program like Atticus to reformat my book into the UK-friendly B-Format (for paperback) and possibly Royal (for hardback) with cream paper.
3. ​New Edition Creation: Once the reformatting is done, I will upload a brand new edition to KDP using a new ISBN, explicitly targeting the UK and European territories.

​This is what I have read is the correct approach for managing two different-sized paperback editions on KDP. The key steps are:

• ​Restrict the Original 6x9 Book: Change the territory rights on KDP from "Worldwide rights" to "Individual territories," selecting only the US and Canada.
• ​Create a New UK Edition: Start a new paperback title, use a new ISBN, upload the B-Format interior and cover, and set the territory rights to only the UK, Europe, and other non-restricted markets.

​By doing this, I will have the 6x9 format that is more commonly distributed in North America and the B-Format that is more common in the UK, all without losing any of my ASIN or ISBN numbers—that's the theory, anyway!

🤷 The Other Options

​I have a lot of decisions to make, and none of them are truly easy:

• ​Option 1 (The Easiest): Just stay with what I have! Get the new cover, keep the 6x9 size and white paper, and just run with it.
• ​Option 2 (The Mid-Way): Unpublish all my e-books and redesign all of them (even the ebook) to align with a 6x9, cream paper version.
• ​Option 3 (The Complicated Way): Proceed with my two-market, two-size plan above.

​Do you think 6x9 with white paper is a major stumbling block when buying or selling a book? What would you do in my position?

 

📚 What Am I Reading?

I'm continuing to dive into Everybody Lies by L.J. Breedlove and am now 43% through it! I'm really enjoying the journey. This book isn't what you expect after reading the first chapter, which is a testament to the author's compelling storytelling. The writing is highly descriptive, and I love the rich mix of conversations and internal thoughts that keep the pace moving. The mystery is definitely strong enough to keep me guessing, and I truly cannot see where the plot is heading next! I'll be sure to keep you posted on my progress next week.

​If you want to see my reading progress, along with all my past reads, reviews, and progression, you can always follow me on Goodreads or Fable (or both!):

​What thriller or mystery is keeping you guessing this week? Let me know in the comments!

📬 Want to follow the journey?

I send occasional emails about writing, publishing, and the stories behind The Newman Adventures.

Newsletter subscribers also get an exclusive sneak peek of Book 2, An American Treasure.

👉 Join here: The Newman Chronicle 

📖 Enjoyed this post?

An Irish Mystery is a fast-paced historical adventure about stolen treasures, hidden histories, and the cost of obsession.

Ebook, Kindle Unlimited, Paperback & hardcover

👉 Available on Amazon: An Irish Mystery

You can also find me on Instagram / Bluesky / X / Facbook, where I share writing updates and behind-the-scenes moments.

🌍 www.dcsalmonbooks.com