# Veteran's Day "Gone, but not forgotten" promotion: call for submissions



## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

*Edit 12 Nov*
Lessons Learned (AAR) discussion: http://www.kboards.com/index.php?topic=200766.msg2809014#msg2809014
_Ok, I won't have total donations or earnings per charity estimates ready until tomorrow (13 Nov), but I wanted to post some quick stats and a huge thanks. We're at a bit over $1,200 in bonus pledges, not counting royalties.

Obviously this whole promotion wasn't the knockout hit we all hoped for, but that's my fault for coming up with the idea at the last second. I believe last Tuesday was when we first began hammering this together. Still, starting from scratch and with less than a week lead time, counting a 4-day weekend for most folks, I'm pleased with the results. Can't complain. Like Patton said, "An ok plan executed immediately and aggressively is always better than a perfect plan launched tomorrow." I'll start a separate thread for the AAR (lessons learned) later. Should be an interesting discussion! 

Now, I don't know where to begin thanking everyone! So many people chipped in! Big and small, all your help is greatly appreciated! Hasn't gone unnoticed. From the bottom of my heart, thank you all again! I want to give a special shout out to Clark Chamberlain, Wayne Stinnett, Richard Fox and Vinny O'Hare for really going the extra mile. Above and beyond!

Authors participating: 43*
*11 more tentatively agreed, but didn't confirm in time for various reasons

Total Challenge Page Views on Veteran's Day: 5,044
Total clicks on retailer links: 4,070 
(only 60 on non-Amazon links: 57 B&N, 1 Apple, 2 Books a Million)

Top 5 most clicked books:
1) Fast Men, Slow Kisses: 7 Romances Supporting Military Veterans edited by Sandy Loyd
2) The Perseid Collapse by Steven Konkoly
3) Fallen Out: Jesse McDermitt Series I by Wayne Stinnett
4) Combat and Other Shenanigans by Piers Platt
5) Origins of the Outbreak by Brian Parker

Top referral sources:
Facebook: 50.9%
Twitter: 21.2%
Other social media (Google+/Youtube/Linkedin/Pinterest): 3.1%
Total from social media: 75.2%

Search Engine: 10.4% (we had several offline, local news media mentions)

All other sources: 14.4%
Top "other" referrers
1) Kboards.com (blog and forum together)
2) Sfwa.org
3) serviceofchange.com
4) awesomegang.com
5) darknesshaunts.com

Visits by country:
1) USA (98%)
2) Canada
3) Germany (interesting)
4) UK

Single largest referrer across all sources:
US Military Videos (Facebook) = 10.6% of total traffic from these folks alone_

*Important Links*
- List of all participating books: http://bit.ly/VeteransDayChallenge
- List of bonus donations and pledged charities: http://bit.ly/VetsgivebackSponsors
- Event hashtag: *#vetsgiveback *
- Live chat with the authors on Veteran's Day: (email me at [email protected] to participate as an author) https://www.facebook.com/events/1514853995449955/?context=create&previousaction=create&source=49&sid_create=3813855202

*Edit*: I realize that not every author has access to daily sales stats. You can still participate though. As a workaround, you can pledge a flat rate for the day and we'll add the caveat to your book link: "_Author is pledging a flat rate of $X instead of royalties._"

*Event Summary:*
Veteran's Day 2014 Charity Challenge: Gone, but Not Forgotten!​_On Veteran's Day 2014, 50 veteran authors will pledge 100% of their print, ebook and audio book royalties to their favorite veteran's charity or a large flat-rate donation for the day. In most cases, these are organizations that assisted the authors personally and they are trying their best to give back.

Veterans from each service branch and every conflict period, from Vietnam to even one author deployed to Afghanistan at this moment, are pledging. This diverse collection of works includes New York Times and USA Today Bestsellers and covers most genres. From romance to action-adventure and everything in between, there's something for every taste here!

The ultimate goal of this event is to raise at least $10,000 for the 15+ veterans charities they're supporting. If you aren't interested in any of the books available, they have a page set up ranking the money raised for each charity and spotlighting bonus donations. Whether you contribute to the best performing or the least performing, either way your donation will be put to good use!

The complete collection of participating books and charities can be found here:
http://bit.ly/VeteransDayChallenge

Note: For the sake of transparency, each author will post their donation receipts within 90 days. If you are a veteran author, they are accepting submissions until noon (EST) on 11 November. Please visit the Writer's Cafe at Kboards for submission details:
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,199976.0.html_

*Call for Sponsors*
We have quite a few blogs and websites willing to "sponsor" this drive and promote it, but we're always looking for more. _Whether you make a public donation or simply Tweet about this, you're making a huge difference!_ Plese Email ([email protected]) or PM me if you'd like to assist in general or promote only certain genres. You do NOT have to lend your name to this event or endorse any particular charity/author to help!

*Requirements to Participate*: Accepting submissions until late on 11 November. It's not too late!

*You must be a US or allied veteran to join, but anyone is welcome to donate or pledge a bonus donation. You'll receive public acknowledgement.*

1) Pledge 100% of your proceeds to a veterans-themed charity of your choice on Veterans Day (11 Nov 2014). Alternatively, you can pledge a flat rate for the day instead of royalties. Proceeds are considered the net payment to the author for print/ebook/audio sales and Amazon KU/KOLL borrows recorded on 11 November. Anything you earn from affiliate links is up to your own discretion whether to include or not. One day only event required, but feel free to pledge as long as you like! Let's use Amazon's Pacific Time Zone (California) to determine sales range.

2) Send the following information to the event coordinator: ([email protected] or PM me here)

a) Which book and which charity you'll pledge to (include link to charity). No restrictions as long as it is even loosely aimed at veterans, active duty, family, etc... Only space for 1 book from each author on the promotion page. The charity will be highlighted under the book.

b) A thumbnail book cover image ( 250x high)

c) All retailer links. Use your own affiliate link; that's encouraged! By default, they'll only be one link to the paperback/audio, for Amazon. Let me know if you want some other arrangement.

d) Branch of service and years, any combat tours and/or major medals (will be included on some ad venues).
There's no space for a real bio, so we'll keep it short and standardized. Example: _US Army, x years, Iraq Vet (05-07), Awarded Congressional Medal of Honor with Silver Oak Leave Cluster_

e) If writing under a pen name, let me know how you want to be identified.

f) Any ideas you have to improve this. We're open to all suggestions.

3) Please add the pledge, using whatever wording you like, in bold print on your product's description page. It's suggested, but not required, to also post the link to the main promo page listing all participating books.

4) CRUCIAL: If pledging royalties, authors must post the estimated dollar amount raised for their charity to the event coordinator by midnight EST on 12 Nov 2014. This will be posted on the main promo page. You don't have to list exact sales/borrows. If your publisher does not provide daily sales stats, that's ok. We'll work around that issue. You always have the option of pledging a flat rate for the day.

The receipt number is also required when payment has been made. We understand that Amazon releases the funds 60 days after the end of the calendar month, so you'll have 90 days maximum to make payment. The payment confirmation is the only issue where we aren't flexible.
In the unlikely event any author makes this public pledge and reneges... well, we all know what happens to Blue Falcons. Don't force us make you famous.

Looking forward to your submissions!

Final Note: This is the program's first year, but it won't be the last. We plan to hold week long events next year for Memorial Day and Veteran's Day. We'll conduct an After Action Review here on 13 November to hammer out the details and see where we can improve this program.


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## CEMartin2 (May 26, 2012)

What awesome timing. I was trying to think of something to do for veterans day this year. 

Is there a link to veteran charities? I've always been partial to the USO and Toys for Tots.


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## Wayne Stinnett (Feb 5, 2014)

Toys for Tots is a good choice, C.E. 

As Pete said, I'm all in on this and I'll match his hundred to the top charity.

My charity is close to my heart. Homes for Warriors is a local program instituted by the Space Coast Paratroopers Association. The guy that heads it up is a friend from my early teen years, David "The Snard" Isnardi, who is a retired Army Sergeant First Class. 100% of all donations to this charity go to the purchase of material and labor that aren't donated, in the remodeling of homes to accommodate severely injured Warriors in the Brevard County, Florida area. We both not only contribute financially (half of the profit of Fallen Pride is donated monthly), but with sweat equity, as well. Damn good cause.

I'm hoping Vinny will see this post and contribute some ad space. Any and all bloggers are welcome and encouraged to help with promotion. I don't think Pete's idea of $10K is out of reach, but time is of the essence. We have less than a week to pull this off.


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## CEMartin2 (May 26, 2012)

Given Amazon's 60 day turnaround on royalties maybe I ought to do Fisherhouse.org instead?


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## Guest (Nov 5, 2014)

Wonderful cause. Though I'm not a vet, I am a military brat (my father is a retired Marine).  I'll shoot you a PM. Would be happy to help promote.


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## Rae Scott Studio (Jan 26, 2014)

I am not military but at times feel like I am living through it. I take care of my dad who is a vet and has PTSD and had Agent Orange exposure. Its not an easy road.  I appreciate what your doing, It means a lot, if I was able to I would participate no issue. as such all I can really do is applaud from here and tell people about it.


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## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

Rae Scott Studio said:


> I appreciate what your doing, It means a lot, if I was able to I would participate no issue. as such all I can really do is applaud from here and tell people about it.


Thanks so much Rae! But even just telling people about this makes a huge difference! By the way, the (very rough) beta page listing participating authors can be found here:
http://rappeters.wordpress.com/veteran-authors-pledging-100-royalties-to-charity-on-veterans-day-2014/

Really appreciate your help and sympathize about your father. Well, since you're taking care of him, you're actually doing more to help veterans than most of us. The struggles of caregivers are so often overlooked, but I have a lot of respect for anyone that assumes that burden. It takes one heck of a strong soul. My hat's off to you.


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## Wayne Stinnett (Feb 5, 2014)

ThePete said:


> My hat's off to you.


Mine as well.

Pete, or do you prefer Richard? I'll email you the information on my submission shortly.


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## Wayne Stinnett (Feb 5, 2014)

FussyLibrarian will post a link at the top of their Monday email in all genres. Just sent an email to BookBub.


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## Vinny OHare (May 3, 2013)

Haven't had my coffee yet and brain still foggy, but I am open for whatever you wish to do. We can add a link to the top of Awesomegang, Pretty-hot, and Book reader magazine email. If someone wants to write up a blog post about it I would be happy to put that across all the sites also. 

Since we already have a url for the challenge page why don't we put it in a link shortener and get some tweets and post written which I book sites can blast out over and over on the 11th. 

My grandfather was part of the Battle of the Bulge and reenlisted for Korea. Toughest man I ever knew.


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## Wayne Stinnett (Feb 5, 2014)

Vinny OHare said:


> Haven't had my coffee yet and brain still foggy, but I am open for whatever you wish to do. We can add a link to the top of Awesomegang, Pretty-hot, and Book reader magazine email. If someone wants to write up a blog post about it I would be happy to put that across all the sites also.


Here ya go, Vinny. http://waynestinnett.blogspot.com/



> My grandfather was part of the Battle of the Bulge and reenlisted for Korea. Toughest man I ever knew.


I bet he was.


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## Piers Platt (Mar 27, 2014)

Love this idea - I'm in.  Email inbound, ThePete.


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## Wayne Stinnett (Feb 5, 2014)

Piers Platt said:


> Love this idea - I'm in. Email inbound, ThePete.


Will you need a map and compass, Eltee?


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## susan_illene (Aug 10, 2014)

Sounds like a great idea.  I'll be sending an email shortly.


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## Piers Platt (Mar 27, 2014)

Wayne Stinnett said:


> Will you need a map and compass, Eltee?


LOL. No, I'll just delegate all the actual work to my platoon sergeant


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## Wayne Stinnett (Feb 5, 2014)

Piers Platt said:


> LOL. No, I'll just delegate all the actual work to my platoon sergeant


LOL. Welcome aboard, Lieutenant.


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## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

> Haven't had my coffee yet and brain still foggy, but I am open for whatever you wish to do. We can add a link to the top of Awesomegang, Pretty-hot, and Book reader magazine email. If someone wants to write up a blog post about it I would be happy to put that across all the sites also.
> 
> Since we already have a url for the challenge page why don't we put it in a link shortener and get some tweets and post written which I book sites can blast out over and over on the 11th.
> 
> My grandfather was part of the Battle of the Bulge and reenlisted for Korea. Toughest man I ever knew


Thanks a million, Vinny! I see I was far to conservative with a goal of raising $10,000 in one day. No. No smiley. I ain't jokin'!


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## Wayne Stinnett (Feb 5, 2014)

The page looks real sharp this morning, Pete. Anything you need me to do?


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## susan_illene (Aug 10, 2014)

I agree with Wayne.  The page is looking good today.


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## Usedtopostheretoo! (Feb 27, 2011)

Count me in. I'll send my information to the event coordinator, and I'll contribute a $100 kicker to the lowest earning charity...spread the love. Blue Falcon...I almost spit my coffee out. Haven't heard that code word used in a long time...


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## Wayne Stinnett (Feb 5, 2014)

Steven Konkoly said:


> Blue Falcon...I almost spit my coffee out. Haven't heard that code word used in a long time...


Same here. And thanks for stepping up for the underdog.

We need to clarify something. Top earning charity or author? About five authors are giving to Wounded Warrior Project, so it's sure to be the highest charity donated to.


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## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

Thanks everyone! Sorry for the delay in responding. I've been crawling around the internet, cap in hand, hunting down sponsors and promoters. Why won't Clive Cussler return my email? It's been hours! Anyway...

I'll have a second page up tonight to organize all these bonus pledges. At the moment it won't be anything elaborate, but at least a comprehensive list of charities supported, brief description and amount raised. Let folks decide who to support. Logically, it does make more sense to support the _worst _performing charity out there, regardless of how much fun competing is. 

I'm sure this approach will evolve over the next few days. These bonus pledges are adding up fast! As a matter of fact, if anyone wants to volunteer to host that page, maybe with some pur'ty graphs, I'd be incredibly grateful.

By the way, we're setting up a live Google Hangout event for any authors that want to participate on Veteran's Day. Clark Chamberlain's spearheading that (was his idea). Everyone that's signed up will get an email with further details tonight and we'll post it here when set up.

If anyone else has any great ideas, toss 'em up here, please!


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## Robert Stanek (Nov 16, 2013)

Veteran's organizations I've long supported are:

Wounded Warrior Project
http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

Make It Visible
http://makeitvisible.org/

Fallen Heroes Fund
http://www.fallenheroesfund.org/About-IFHF.aspx

Good choices for your donations!


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## Vinny OHare (May 3, 2013)

Don't know if any of you use Hootsuite or another scheduling service for social media. Just created a spreadsheet with a Tweet or Facebook post for every hour aimed at the Military landing page they set up above. Click on File > Download as CSV. Then upload via bulk editor tool. Or feel free to copy and paste into your scheduling tool.

https://docs.google.com/a/vinnyohare.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Asta5mZFZ9oUdGhRWmJlZFp4RG1Iek9TNU1Tcm5Id2c&usp=sharing


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## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

> Don't know if any of you use Hootsuite or another scheduling service for social media. Just created a spreadsheet with a Tweet or Facebook post for every hour aimed at the Military landing page they set up above. Click on File > Download as CSV. Then upload via bulk editor tool. Or feel free to copy and paste into your scheduling tool.
> 
> https://docs.google.com/a/vinnyohare.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Asta5mZFZ9oUdGhRWmJlZFp4RG1Iek9TNU1Tcm5Id2c&usp=sharing


Hot damn! You just saved hours of time. Good thing you're in another time zone, or I'd kiss you. Thanks for the great tip!


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## Vinny OHare (May 3, 2013)

I am a Hootsuite Ambassador so if anyone uses the tool and is not sure about how to bulk upload let me know. 

These will be going across about 10 Facebook, Twitter, and G+ accounts. 24 messages each so I just scheduled 240+ post. I am not a fan of using link shorteners but if you need to add the url to the tweets to make it shorter go ahead.


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## Robert Stanek (Nov 16, 2013)

This is fantastic to see!


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## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

To answer a quick question about the promo page: the order of books will be rotated at least once a day. On Veteran's Day, every 4-6 hours. So if you're on the bottom of the list right now, you won't be for long! Everyone will get a chance at the top slots.


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## Casper Parks (May 1, 2011)

I am a Navy Vet... 

If I take part, are we mailing in checks or money orders?

Side notation, I get my healthcare through the VA. When at a VA hospital, I leave paperbacks of my books for their libraries. Some homeless shelters for vets have libraries.


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## Wayne Stinnett (Feb 5, 2014)

Casper Parks said:


> I am a Navy Vet...
> 
> If I take part, are we mailing in checks or money orders?
> 
> Side notation, I get my healthcare through the VA. When at a VA hospital, I leave paperbacks of my books for their libraries. Some homeless shelters for vets have libraries.


It's on the honor system, Casper. You chose what Veterans charity you're going to donate to and make the donation yourself. Be glad to have you aboard. Email ThePete at the email address in the OP with the information he provided.


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## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

> I am a Navy Vet...
> 
> If I take part, are we mailing in checks or money orders?
> 
> Side notation, I get my healthcare through the VA. When at a VA hospital, I leave paperbacks of my books for their libraries. Some homeless shelters for vets have libraries.


Just want to make things clear... *no one* here touches any money. We're merely connecting pledging authors with ad venues and readers. Any checks sent to me will be converted into whiskey! 

Like Wayne said, we're on the honor system. The only verification we do is ask for your estimated earnings for Veteran's Day and the receipt number when you've made the donation (you have a 90 day window to make payment).

The amount raised for each charity will be posted here on 13 November:
http://rappeters.wordpress.com/veterans-day-2014-challenge-supported-charities-and-sponsors/

In the _extremely_ unlikely event someone refuses to send us the donation receipt number after 90 days and five attempts at contact... well, they then become my new hobby! They'll get a website dedicated all to themselves.


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## susan_illene (Aug 10, 2014)

ThePete said:


> In the _extremely_ unlikely event someone refuses to send us the donation receipt number after 90 days and five attempts at contact... well, they then become my new hobby! They'll get a website dedicated all to themselves.


Dang, that sounds like fun. Don't tempt me to forget to send my receipt, lol.


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## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

susan_illene said:


> Dang, that sounds like fun. Don't tempt me to forget to send my receipt, lol.


Ha! I seriously doubt that'll be an issue. Most of these authors are already donating on a regular basis to these charities. This will just be a larger check than normal. _Much_ larger, with a little luck and support!


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## Wayne Stinnett (Feb 5, 2014)

ThePete said:


> Ha! I seriously doubt that'll be an issue. Most of these authors are already donating on a regular basis to these charities. This will just be a larger check than normal. _Much_ larger, with a little luck and support!


I hope so. My next donation to Homes for Warriors is only going to be $700, it's usually almost double that. I didn't do any promos in September. My friend, who administers H4W emailed me yesterday. He heard I was going to be in town next week, so I'll be swinging a hammer for a day. He used my last two donations to build a deck with a ramp on the current project home. The young Warrior and his wife want to meet me. I think The Snard said something about drywall. I hate drywall.


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## susan_illene (Aug 10, 2014)

ThePete said:


> Ha! I seriously doubt that'll be an issue. Most of these authors are already donating on a regular basis to these charities. This will just be a larger check than normal. _Much_ larger, with a little luck and support!


My regular charity is actually SPCA International because they work to bring troops pets home from combat zones. Some people might not think it's important, but the bonds formed over there make it super difficult to leave a cat or dog behind. Plus some of those animals have actually saved their lives. It is ridiculously difficult and expensive to get an animal from the Middle East to America, but they've managed it many times through fundraisers. I just wasn't sure if that charity counted for this event so I picked a different one.


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## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

> Ask Robert to recheck line 13 of his DD-214.


Thanks, but this is a different person. I'd love to rope in a Korean war vet though, but haven't had any success earlier than Vietnam.


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## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

susan_illene said:


> My regular charity is actually SPCA International because they work to bring troops pets home from combat zones. Some people might not think it's important, but the bonds formed over there make it super difficult to leave a cat or dog behind. Plus some of those animals have actually saved their lives. It is ridiculously difficult and expensive to get an animal from the Middle East to America, but they've managed it many times through fundraisers. I just wasn't sure if that charity counted for this event so I picked a different one.


Of course it qualifies!  Whatever organization you feel strongly about that's even loosely related to veterans. It's not my place to be some type of fundraising gatekeeper. Besides, you make a great point. When I was bandaged up in Landstuhl I would've loved to have my dog there! Would have made a world of difference.

Should I change your pledged charity?


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## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

@Gator:

I'm afraid I'm not familiar with this commercial site you linked to. If I have any doubts as to an author's authenticity, I ask to see a scanned copy of their DD214. If anything seems odd, I send it over to the Stolen Valor folk (unfortunately I've worked with them too often in the past!).

Obviously I can't share this person's private information, so I recommend you contact them directly or send a request for official records to the NPRC-MPR (it's free): 
http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/


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## susan_illene (Aug 10, 2014)

ThePete said:


> Of course it qualifies!  Whatever organization you feel strongly about that's even loosely related to veterans. It's not my place to be some type of fundraising gatekeeper. Besides, you make a great point. When I was bandaged up in Landstuhl I would've loved to have my dog there! Would have made a world of difference.
> 
> Should I change your pledged charity?


That's my mistake for not asking (silly me), but I'll keep donating to them anyway. It's fine to do something different for this event and I've made announcements already so I hate to confuse people. Thanks for giving me the option, though!


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## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

Thanks everyone.

*I've got a call for volunteers.* I've lost count of how many blogs and FB groups have agreed to pin our promotional posts on Monday (10 Nov) through Veteran's Day. It's at least 600 so far. Does anyone feel like splitting the list and posting for me? My clicking finger (also my damn trigger finger) is worn out! I'll send you all the promo stuff you need Sunday and a few dozen sites who've already given permission; you just need to copy and paste. Though feel free to put your own twist on them! I don't claim to know it all.


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## richard.r.fox (Jul 13, 2013)

I'm in! 

Two 15 month long tours in Iraq and ten years on active duty. I'll donate to The Battle Buddy Foundation, service dogs for veterans with PTSD/TBI.

I don't know if anyone has told Pete how awesome he is lately.


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## Robert Stanek (Nov 16, 2013)

Already supporting extensively through my social media channels. Thanks so much!


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## Robert Stanek (Nov 16, 2013)

Gator said:


> Pete, thanks for all your work on this project. However, there appears to be an error on that page:
> 
> *Robert Stanek*
> Service: *US Air Force*, Iraq Vet *(1985-1996)*, Awarded *Distinguished Flying Cross*
> ...


There's no shortage of Staneks with distinguished military careers. During the Korean War, LCDR Robert Stanek was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for action on May 3, 1953, also the Bronze Star w/Combat Distinguishing Device, and four air medals. He passed away Sept 3, 1966. Cpl Robert Stanek served in Vietnam and was killed in action on Feb 4, 1968. He is the recipient of the purple heart, the navy achievement medal with valor and more. I was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for my actions during the first Gulf War, along with seven other medals including the air medal, the air force commendation medal, and the humanitarian service medal.

My DD-214 is public at http://www.robertstanek.com/rsblog1.htm.


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## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

@ Fox: You nut, you were one of the first added! You've got some of the sexiest covers around! I've also read Into Darkness and it's one of my top 10 favorites.

@Stanek: It's all good; I talked to him offline. He was just curious. Don't worry; your authenticity is not in doubt! But FYI: I'll never fault someone for being skeptical and doing their due diligence. It's all groovy now.

Back on track: we're always looking for donors. Even if you're not able to participate, you can still publicly pledge to any of our great charities here:
http://rappeters.wordpress.com/veterans-day-2014-challenge-supported-charities-and-sponsors/


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## Robert Stanek (Nov 16, 2013)

Great to hear! I'll be promoting the event as well in my social media channels. Events like this really mean a lot and are great to be a part of.


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## Vinny OHare (May 3, 2013)

ThePete said:


> Thanks everyone.
> 
> *I've got a call for volunteers.* I've lost count of how many blogs and FB groups have agreed to pin our promotional posts on Monday (10 Nov) through Veteran's Day. It's at least 600 so far. Does anyone feel like splitting the list and posting for me? My clicking finger (also my damn trigger finger) is worn out! I'll send you all the promo stuff you need Sunday and a few dozen sites who've already given permission; you just need to copy and paste. Though feel free to put your own twist on them! I don't claim to know it all.


Just send me what you want to put up and I will do it across Awesome, Pretty-hot and Bookreadermag. Email is vinny(at)Awesomegang.com If you could get that to me before Sunday it would be appreciated. I will be busy on Sunday taking photos for Veterans at the local Veterans Day Parade.


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## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

> Just send me what you want to put up and I will do it across Awesome, Pretty-hot and Bookreadermag. Email is vinny(at)Awesomegang.com If you could get that to me before Sunday it would be appreciated. I will be busy on Sunday taking photos for Veterans at the local Veterans Day Parade.


Thanks Vinny! I'm sending you an email. For everyone else wanting to promote, here's the event summary. We cut and tweak to fit the venue, but here's the basic template:

*Veteran's Day 2014 Charity Challenge: Gone, but Not Forgotten!
*_On Veteran's Day 2014, 50 veteran authors will pledge 100% of their print, ebook and audio book royalties to their favorite veteran's charity. In most cases, these are organizations that assisted the authors personally and they are trying their best to give back.

Veterans from each service branch and every conflict period, from Vietnam to even one author deployed to Afghanistan at this moment, are pledging. This diverse collection of works includes New York Times and USA Today Bestsellers and covers most genres. From romance to action-adventure and everything in between, there's something for every taste here!

The ultimate goal of this event is to raise at least $10,000 for the 15+ veterans charities they're supporting. If you aren't interested in any of the books available, they have a page set up ranking the money raised for each charity and spotlighting bonus donations. Whether you contribute to the best performing or the least performing, either way your donation will be put to good use!

The complete collection of participating books and charities can be found here:
http://bit.ly/VeteransDayChallenge

Note: For the sake of transparency, each author will post their donation receipts within 90 days. If you are a veteran author, they are accepting submissions until noon (EST) on 11 November. Please visit the Writer's Cafe at Kboards for submission details:
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,199976.0.html_


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## Wayne Stinnett (Feb 5, 2014)

Pete, send me a couple dozen of those contacts you mentioned. I have a few hours today I can work on them. Last night, I attended a Marine Corps Birthday Ball. Actually it was Mess Night, a long time tradition in the Corps. The President of the Mess, is a retired Major, who worked his way up through enlisted ranks. He's the author of two Marine related books. I just sent him an email about the promo. If you get something from Ralph Bates, see if you can squeeze him in.


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## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

> If you get something from Ralph Bates, see if you can squeeze him in.


Will do. I plan to keep taking submissions until noon (EST) on the 11th. It doesn't take but 5 mins to process someone. So... keep 'em comin'!


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## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

By the way, Clark Chamberlain has setup a live Google hangout event to meet the authors involved:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1514853995449955/?context=create&previousaction=create&source=49&sid_create=3813855202

morning https://plus.google.com/u/0/events/c1f4k4g477m4dh5s8oms3fc8at0
afternoon https://plus.google.com/u/0/events/cksct3gkph5a9ovoqa3t8hs71t8
evening https://plus.google.com/u/0/events/cvf0ripp789n34gvi6i27jt2be4
facebook https://www.facebook.com/events/1514853995449955/?


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## Wayne Stinnett (Feb 5, 2014)

Cool! I'll be sure to drop in from time to time.

Wish we'd planned this before my trip next week. On Sunday, I'm having lunch and beer (okay, mostly beer) with a group of Wounded Warriors, about 10 or 15, down in my home town. I'll be talking to them about writing, while we track sales of Fallen Mangrove during a BookBub ad. I hope to light a fire in one or two of those guys to write about their experiences.


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## Robert Stanek (Nov 16, 2013)

Great to meet everyone! Wayne, one of my thrillers takes place in Florida too. The main character goes from DC to Palm Beach/West Palm Beach/Boca Raton.


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## Robert Stanek (Nov 16, 2013)

ThePete said:


> By the way, Clark Chamberlain has setup a live Google hangout event to meet the authors involved:
> https://www.facebook.com/events/1514853995449955/?context=create&previousaction=create&source=49&sid_create=3813855202
> 
> morning https://plus.google.com/u/0/events/c1f4k4g477m4dh5s8oms3fc8at0
> ...


Pete, in reading through the materials I didn't see if there's going to be a particular twitter hash tag for those tweeting about the event. Is there one I missed? Something like #VeteransDayChallenge.


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## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

Robert Stanek said:


> Pete, in reading through the materials I didn't see if there's going to be a particular twitter hash tag for those tweeting about the event. Is there one I missed? Something like #VeteransDayChallenge.


You beat me to the punch. I'm sending out a broadcast email in a few minutes. I plan to use: #vetsgiveback for a tag.


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## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

I'm happy to be supporting this initiative. Had a lot of relatives who fought in WWII and some who were lost. My father was 13 in '39 when Canada joined the war, and 18 when V-E Day arrived, so he avoided service for which I am thankful. Proud of those who served.


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## Robert Stanek (Nov 16, 2013)

ThePete said:


> You beat me to the punch. I'm sending out a broadcast email in a few minutes. I plan to use: #vetsgiveback for a tag.


Excellent, great choice: #vetsgiveback!


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## Wayne Stinnett (Feb 5, 2014)

Been out all day. Had a Patriot Guard mission for a fallen Sailor. I like the idea for the hashtag, though I'm still not sure just how hashtags are used.


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## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

While I sent out a broadcast email, there are a few folk who've contacted me through other means. So I'll repost here.

Hello everyone! So, we begin heavily promoting the Veteran's Day event today and won't stop until tomorrow at midnight. I'll be chained to my computer for the next 48 hours non-stop, so drop me a line if you have any questions/ideas.

You've all done so much already, but here's my last-minute suggested To Do list:

1) Update your Amazon page to mention this event. Sample wording:
*100% of this book's royalties will be donated to (your charity) as part of the Veterans Day "Gone, but Not Forgotten!" charity drive. A complete list of all participating veteran authors can be found at: http://bit.ly/VeteransDayChallenge*

2) Start blasting your social media today and tomorrow. We're using *#vetsgiveback* as a standardized promo tag. Don't forget to remind folks that we have a page to spotlight any person/organization pledging bonus donations. Also don't forget to ask site admins to pin your posts or approach sites having nothing to do with books/veterans. You'll be surprised at the responses you'll get! Sponsor page: http://bit.ly/VetsgivebackSponsors

3) Double check your listing and make sure the info's correct/links work. I've made some changes today. Note: List position will be rotated twice a day. http://bit.ly/VeteransDayChallenge

4) Clark Chamberlain has setup a live Google hangout event for the authors involved to chat with readers on Veteran's Day. Even if you can't make it, please take a moment to visit the page and invite others:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1514853995449955/?context=create&previousaction=create&source=49&sid_create=3813855202

morning https://plus.google.com/u/0/events/c1f4k4g477m4dh5s8oms3fc8at0
afternoon https://plus.google.com/u/0/events/cksct3gkph5a9ovoqa3t8hs71t8
evening https://plus.google.com/u/0/events/cvf0ripp789n34gvi6i27jt2be4
facebook https://www.facebook.com/events/1514853995449955/?

Clark is the POC for this. Email him if you want to take part: [email protected]

5) Last, but not least, don't forget to send any veteran authors you know, regardless of genre, an invitation. Feel free to share my email. We'll continue taking submissions throughout Veteran's Day on 11 November. Better late than never!

Thanks again and let's add another zero to that goal of raising $10,000!
Pete


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## Robert Stanek (Nov 16, 2013)

Wayne Stinnett said:


> Been out all day. Had a Patriot Guard mission for a fallen Sailor. I like the idea for the hashtag, though I'm still not sure just how hashtags are used.


Hashtags, does that have something to do with corned beef? :-D


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## Casper Parks (May 1, 2011)

Robert Stanek said:


> Pete, in reading through the materials I didn't see if there's going to be a particular twitter hash tag for those tweeting about the event. Is there one I missed? Something like #VeteransDayChallenge.


What time zone?


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## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

> What time zone?


All time zones. Do you mean the Google Hangouts? That should be on EST.


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## Vinny OHare (May 3, 2013)

I like the #VetsGiveback hashtag. Nice and short! Looks like I am the first one to use it on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ourawesomegang/posts/843516765700151


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## Vinny OHare (May 3, 2013)

Just updated the CSV file for tweets to add the hashtag https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Asta5mZFZ9oUdGhRWmJlZFp4RG1Iek9TNU1Tcm5Id2c&usp=sharing


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## Casper Parks (May 1, 2011)

Posted links for list of authors taking part and for the Hangout at Google Plus Book club that has 21,635 members.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/115163419704378077670


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## Piers Platt (Mar 27, 2014)

Wayne Stinnett said:


> I like the idea for the hashtag, though I'm still not sure just how hashtags are used.


I'm not the most savvy of social media marketers, but the general idea is it "tags" the post with a link that allows it to be aggregated with similarly-tagged posts from other people (even if you're not friends with them). When someone sees your hashtag, they can click on it (anything after a # symbol becomes a hyperlink), and they get taken to a list of posts that include that hashtag, from anyone that's used the tag. On the flip side, some people use them to search for stuff - like #EbolaDallas if you want to know what the latest news is on that topic. And of course, people use them ironically all the time (#ILoveBieber). If you're lucky, and enough people use your hashtag, that hashtag can then "trend" (go viral) and appear on the "top trends" lists. Realistically, we're not likely to make those lists, but we can hope!


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## Wayne Stinnett (Feb 5, 2014)

ThePete said:


> All time zones. Do you mean the Google Hangouts? That should be on EST.


I think Robert meant what time zone for sales. Good question. I'd recommend we all use Amazon's Pacific time zone. That way, we can know from our dashboards exactly how many sales we had and not have to take into account the difference in time zones.

Also, a question I asked earlier hasn't been answered. Both you and I are adding $100 to the highest earning charity. I'm assuming that will be highest donation (royalty amount) by a single author. Otherwise, we should go ahead and write checks to WWP, as at least half a dozen writers have chosen it for their charity.


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## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

> I think Robert meant what time zone for sales. Good question. I'd recommend we all use Amazon's Pacific time zone. That way, we can know from our dashboards exactly how many sales we had and not have to take into account the difference in time zones.
> 
> Also, a question I asked earlier hasn't been answered. Both you and I are adding $100 to the highest earning charity. I'm assuming that will be highest donation (royalty amount) by a single author. Otherwise, we should go ahead and write checks to WWP, as at least half a dozen writers have chosen it for their charity.


Very good point, Wayne. I completely missed that. Yes, let's stick to Pacific time for everyone. I'll update the rules and mention it on the follow up email.

About the charity, you can always change your pledge. By top performing, I meant total contributions, counting author royalties and public bonus pledges. Those bonus pledges are already at $500 for non-Wounded Warrior programs. Have to see how it goes.

And to answer the question about hashtags earlier, it's just a way to keep track of the conversation. A lot of folks (youngin's) use it as short text. So you'll have a tweet with a hashtag for text and 6 or more addresses. Then those "tagged" people click the # to figure out what's going on from all sources. I don't agree that's the most effective method, but that's what all the cool kids are doing.

*#vetsgiveback* summaries:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/search?q=%23vetsgiveback&src=tyah
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/vetsgiveback?source=feed_text&story_id=10204077295466460&pnref=story


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## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

> Realistically, we're not likely to make those lists, but we can hope!


@ Piers: I believe we can! Twitter and FB are our aces in the hole for this event, but only if we pour it on. Look at CNN, they get 90% of their news from Twitter. You can make 2,400 tweets a day... Fire mission, over!

@ Everyone: I remade the original post since this is the landing page for new author submissions. Hopefully it's clearer now and not so rambling.  Let me know if I missed anything important!


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## Wayne Stinnett (Feb 5, 2014)

I'll just leave it the way it is. I've already donated over $2,000 to WWP anyway.

Thanks for the links on the hashtags, now I understand it a bit better. I already tweeted twice with the hastag, not even knowing what they were.


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## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

Reorganized the site by broad genres. Added a little order to the chaos!


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## Wayne Stinnett (Feb 5, 2014)

I just updated to see how many there were. Separating by genre is a good idea.

A question: When I share the link, the link text on the shared post says:
Veteran's Day 2014

*----This page is under construction----* These Military Veteran Authors are Pledging 100% Royalties to Charity on 11 November 2014 Click here for rules and sign up information. Sponsors always welco...

But, when you click the link and the page opens, "----This page is under construction----" isn't on the page itself. It's kind of offputting on the shared link though. Is that in the site description?


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## Vinny OHare (May 3, 2013)

Probably in the meta title description


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## Wayne Stinnett (Feb 5, 2014)

Thanks, Vinny. Didn't know the nomenclature. And thanks for your pledge and all your help, too.


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## Vinny OHare (May 3, 2013)

Wayne I did write a book on 25 ways to fix that nomenclature  

Thank you for your service.


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## susan_illene (Aug 10, 2014)

I just posted an announcement about the charity event on my blog, Facebook, and Twitter.  I've decided to add a kicker to mine so that for every $100 raised through my book's sales I'll add another $50 of my own funds.  Hoping it helps push more people to buy or at least promote our project.  Can't wait to see how things go tomorrow!


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## Vinny OHare (May 3, 2013)

My post is up on all Awesomegang properties http://awesomegang.com/veterans-day-2014-gone-forgotten/

Not going to post them all here as they all look the same. I would like to add though if you are on Twitter or Facebook and you see the hashtag today give a few seconds to share it.


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## Wayne Stinnett (Feb 5, 2014)

Eight sales/borrows in the first 4-1/2 hours for Fallen Out. Things should really pick up once the blogs come out.


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## Piers Platt (Mar 27, 2014)

I just blasted FB, G+, and Twitter. I always struggle to write good tweets, so figured I would share what I posted - here's the tweet:

Proud to join 50 authors & donate my book sales to charity today. Books at http://bit.ly/VetsgivebackSponsors - help me support @wwpinc! #vetsgiveback

Note: @wwpinc is the twitter handle for Wounded Warrior Project, my charity...search for your own charity's name and replace it before you post.


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## susan_illene (Aug 10, 2014)

Piers Platt said:


> I just blasted FB, G+, and Twitter. I always struggle to write good tweets, so figured I would share what I posted - here's the tweet:
> 
> Proud to join 50 authors & donate my book sales to charity today. Books at http://bit.ly/VetsgivebackSponsors - help me support @wwpinc! #vetsgiveback
> 
> Note: @wwpinc is the twitter handle for Wounded Warrior Project, my charity...search for your own charity's name and replace it before you post.


Thanks for a copy of your tweet. I just used it! (we share the same charity so I didn't have to change a thing)


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## Vinny OHare (May 3, 2013)

For those strugling with Tweets I have some prewritten https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Asta5mZFZ9oUdGhRWmJlZFp4RG1Iek9TNU1Tcm5Id2c&usp=sharing


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## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

Great job everyone. This here's the final push.

One tweet variation I use is:
50 Vet Authors giving 100% royalties to vet charities. You can also donate without buying! http://bit.ly/VeteransDayChallenge #vetsgiveback

or:
50 Veteran Authors Pledging 100% royalties to veteran's charities on Veteran's Day! http://bit.ly/VeteransDayChallenge #vetsgiveback

When they retweet, follow up with:There's a page to spotlight anyone pledging bonus donations. You don't have to buy a book to give! http://bit.ly/VetsgivebackSponsors


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## Robert Stanek (Nov 16, 2013)

Buying many of the books on the list today. Hope other Kb'ers are too!


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## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

> Buying many of the books on the list today. Hope other Kb'ers are too!


I've been plugging the one's in KU extra. It's an easy way to donate without giving any money! I don't know what more I can offer folks!


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## CharityT (Jul 26, 2014)

After I did my blog post, Facebook and Twitter blasts (and I've been going to the hash tag and re-tweeting like a mad woman), I went to the landing page and went a little crazy with the Buy Now one-click and the borrow button.

I am very honored to be part of this effort. Thank you so much for organizing it.

Charity


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## susan_illene (Aug 10, 2014)

CharityT said:


> After I did my blog post, Facebook and Twitter blasts (and I've been going to the hash tag and re-tweeting like a mad woman), I went to the landing page and went a little crazy with the Buy Now one-click and the borrow button.
> 
> I am very honored to be part of this effort. Thank you so much for organizing it.
> 
> Charity


I just bought several myself. Not only is it for a good cause, but I've discovered some new books/authors as well!


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## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

Yeah, I've been plugging the KU books particularly hard.

So, final 11-hour stretch. Anyone have any last minute suggestions how to use our time wisely?


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## Wayne Stinnett (Feb 5, 2014)

I'm up to 22 sales/borrows for the day. A little above normal, but it's just now quitting time here on the east coast.


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## susan_illene (Aug 10, 2014)

So far Darkness Haunts has earned $70.89 in royalties.  Not too bad, considering the evening hasn't come yet where I usually get a decent amount.  I plan to do some more tweeting and another post on Facebook.  Not sure what else might help.

ETA- It's actually a couple dollars more than that because I forgot to convert UK sales to US dollars.  I'll wait until the end to do that, though.


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## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

@Susan: good news! We've still got the evening and late afternoon on the west coast. Take year this should be a week-long event.

@Wayne: Don't forget that borrows won't show up until they hit 10%. I bet most of the KU folks will see above average borrow rates for the next weeks. I saw one author go from the 2.7 m sales rank to 25,000 earlier today. I'm curious to see how everyone's paperback sales are. Most of our clicks have gone from venues having nothing to do with ebooks. A lot to add to the AAR!


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## Wayne Stinnett (Feb 5, 2014)

Next year, we can start arranging earlier. I'd suggest royalties of all books sold be donated. With two or three weeks planning, this could become really big.


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## susan_illene (Aug 10, 2014)

ThePete said:


> @Susan: good news! We've still got the evening and late afternoon on the west coast. Take year this should be a week-long event.
> 
> @Wayne: Don't forget that borrows won't show up until they hit 10%. I bet most of the KU folks will see above average borrow rates for the next weeks. I saw one author go from the 2.7 m sales rank to 25,000 earlier today. I'm curious to see how everyone's paperback sales are. Most of our clicks have gone from venues having nothing to do with ebooks. A lot to add to the AAR!


I agree with you and Wayne that we could make this even bigger next year, especially if we plan it out well ahead of time so that we can get more marketing scheduled. Also, I've missed being around folks who know what an AAR is. It's such a useful term when reviewing how events (of whatever nature) went and how to make them better next time. My family just gives me strange looks if I try to use it.


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## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

susan_illene said:


> Also, I've missed being around folks who know what an AAR is. It's such a useful term when reviewing how events (of whatever nature) went and how to make them better next time. My family just gives me strange looks if I try to use it.


I know the feeling. When something breaks and she wants it fixed right now... she's less than Hooah when I tell her to "Adapt and overcome, babe!"

Alright ya'll. I'm racking out. It's 0100 over here and I'm not pulling another all-nighter on this project. We'll pour over the details and results tomorrow.

Good luck everyone and thanks for everything! It was a blast!


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## Wayne Stinnett (Feb 5, 2014)

ThePete said:


> @Susan: good news! We've still got the evening and late afternoon on the west coast. Take year this should be a week-long event.
> 
> @Wayne: Don't forget that borrows won't show up until they hit 10%. I bet most of the KU folks will see above average borrow rates for the next weeks. I saw one author go from the 2.7 m sales rank to 25,000 earlier today. I'm curious to see how everyone's paperback sales are. Most of our clicks have gone from venues having nothing to do with ebooks. A lot to add to the AAR!


KU/KOLL borrows shown on the graph on the dashboard are point of download. What's reported on the Month To Date Unit Sales are when they've been read past 10%. Tomorrow's graph will show total borrows (whether read past 10% or not) and total sales (whether the transaction was completed before midnight PST or not). I suggest that to keep things simple, we use the numbers from the graph. If someone doesn't read it at all and returns it unread, it's only a buck and a half. I'm sure we can all afford to donate a cup of coffee.


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## Robert Stanek (Nov 16, 2013)

I want to thank @Pete and others who got this started. I will be tallying sales for all pre-orders/orders of "This Mortal Coil. After the Machines" for all episodes, formats and editions for all 240 retailers I work with. The Amazon,B&N,Kobo numbers are easy to get together (and can be done in a few days), the others can take a mighty long time (up to 90 days for some because of how the reporting works). Regardless, I will be donating large very soon to Wounded Warrior Project and other charities I work with regularly.


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## Wayne Stinnett (Feb 5, 2014)

Didn't go nearly as well as I expected. Hope others did better. One thing that was unusual was that for the first time one of my books had more borrows than sales. Altogether, Fallen Out had 14 US sales, 1 CA sale and 18 borrows, for a total of $58.47.

The fifteen sales is only 1 above average so far this month, but the 18 borrows is more than double the monthly average. Did anyone else have unusually high borrows?


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## CEMartin2 (May 26, 2012)

2 borrows. My sales are in a steep nose dive since october. Darn fall tv.


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## susan_illene (Aug 10, 2014)

Here's the totals for me:

Amazon US- 40 sales
Amazon UK- 3 sales
Createspace- 1 sale (UK)
Kobo- 1 sale (Canada)

Total sales- 45
Total earned- $123.15 (plus an additional $50 I'll kick in since I promised I would if it went over one hundred)

For sales, I was definitely up by about 15 on Amazon US, but I was down with all the other sites for ebooks.  Usually I'll get some in Germany and Australia, but those have been declining lately since my last book release was a couple months ago so it wasn't totally surprising.  B&N has been doing very well for the last few months and now it's lagging this month.  Not a single sale from them yesterday for any book.  I'd hoped for a slightly better turnout overall, but considering we didn't have much time to plan and market I thought it went reasonably well.  Next year if we start working earlier on setting up promotions we should see better results.


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## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

Ok, I won't have total donations or earnings per charity estimates ready until tomorrow (13 Nov), but I wanted to post some quick stats and a huge thanks. We're at a bit over $1,200 in bonus pledges, not counting royalties.

Obviously this whole promotion wasn't the knockout hit we all hoped for, but that's my fault for coming up with the idea at the last second. I believe last Tuesday was when we started hammering this out. Still, starting from scratch and with less than a week lead time, counting a 4-day weekend for most folks, I'm pleased with the results. Can't complain. Like Patton said, "An ok plan executed immediately and aggressively is always better than a perfect plan launched tomorrow." I'll start a separate thread for the AAR (lessons learned) later. Should be an interesting discussion! 

Now, I don't know where to begin thanking everyone! So many people chipped in! Big and small, all your help is great appreciated! Hasn't gone unnoticed. From the bottom of my heart, thank you all again! I want to give a special shout out to Clark Chamberlain, Wayne Stinnett, Richard Fox and Vinny O'Hare for really going the extra mile. Above and beyond!

Authors participating: 43*
*11 more tentatively agreed, but didn't confirm in time for various reasons

Total Challenge Page Views on Veteran's Day: 5,044
Total clicks on retailer links: 4,070 
(only 60 on non-Amazon links: 57 B&N, 1 Apple, 2 Books a Million)

*Top 5 most clicked books:*
1) Fast Men, Slow Kisses: 7 Romances Supporting Military Veterans edited by Sandy Loyd
2) The Perseid Collapse by Steven Konkoly
3) Fallen Out: Jesse McDermitt Series I by Wayne Stinnett
4) Combat and Other Shenanigans by Piers Platt
5) Origins of the Outbreak by Brian Parker

*Top referral sources:*
Facebook: 50.9%
Twitter: 21.2%
Other social media (Google+/Youtube/Linkedin/Pinterest): 3.1%
Total from social media: 75.2%

Search Engine: 10.4% (we had several offline, local news media mentions)

All other sources: 14.4%
Top "other" referrers
1) Kboards.com (blog and forum together)
2) Sfwa.org
3) serviceofchange.com
4) awesomegang.com
5) darknesshaunts.com

*Visits by country:*
1) USA (98%)
2) Canada
3) Germany (interesting)
4) UK

Single largest referrer across all sources:
US Military Videos (Facebook) = 10.6% of total traffic from these folks alone


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## Robert Stanek (Nov 16, 2013)

It's release day for "This Mortal Coil. After the Machines" and it's a new series that's been available as a pre-order since August 15. I've been working to spread the word about it for the past week. Normally, I'd be heads down writing, which is what I'm going to go back to after this.

Looks like I had a few additional sales in each of the markets I can get sales data from quickly. Getting sales data from the other markets will take time, for some up to 90 days.

In honor of this event, I'll be donating $200 to each of the veterans-related charities I normally work with. This is on top of what I normally donate annually.

My donations are normally anonymous, but for this event I will donate in my name, as here:










For those who may be disappointed in their results, I personally spent most of Monday and Tuesday promoting this event, the authors and books involved, not for my sales but for the opportunity to give back and to help others.

I've participated in many events like this and more often than not the results of nowhere near expectations. It's how things usually works out.

Thanks everyone. I'm sometimes on Facebook if you want to connect.

Robert Stanek


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## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

Those are very good results, Pete! You've done a great job in creating something new and actually having a measurable effect in short order (amidst a string of long days, I'm sure!) Well done.


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## Vinny OHare (May 3, 2013)

Next year we will do better. Getting 5k in visits to a brand new page isn't too shabby at all. Looks like next year we have a focus with Facebook and Twitter and focus less on G+ and Linkedin or maybe adjust strategies for those. My mind is full of ideas that can help for next year. I am thinking we need a permanent page on each author sites that can be optimized now and lead to one place by changing a link on that page every year to where the authors are. Just a thought.


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## Wayne Stinnett (Feb 5, 2014)

That's some really good data, Pete. Over 4K retailer link clicks and 5K visits? That's phenomenal in the short time we had to put it together and market it. I agree with Vinny, next year we'll do far better. We should start planning in early October, maybe limit it to 20 or 30 submissions for greater effect. With Facebook being the largest referrer, we should think about putting some money together to do paid Facebook blasts. If each book submitted paid a flat dollar amount and all of that was used for advertising, the results will be much better.


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## susan_illene (Aug 10, 2014)

I agree with the others that Pete did a fantastic job putting this fundraiser together, especially under the time constraints.  Great work, Pete!

For sales, it looks like some are still coming in for me.  B&N is reporting late so a sale on Darkness Haunts just showed up for yesterday.  I'm going to wait until tomorrow just to be safe before tallying the totals and donating.  It's very rare I see anything new once 24 hours have passed from the date.

About Facebook ads, I did spend $10 to boost the announcement on my author page.  It linked to my website and the details I'd posted there. I think it helped get more eyes on the fundraiser.  Certainly something to consider for next year.


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## Gail Hart (Apr 11, 2014)

I agree - considering this was put together so late (only a week in advance), the results were very satisfactory! I'll be happy to participate again next year, and hopefully my sales will be better.

Gail


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## Piers Platt (Mar 27, 2014)

I netted 5 sales...I haven't been in this game long enough to know why, but my sales have been slumping something awful since August.  KU effect?  Who knows.  Anyway, I'm going to donate more than that!

Concur with all of the above sentiments - would love to participate next year (if you'll have me), will pitch in on any pooled ad funds, and most of all, big props to Pete for the idea and hard work.  Was nice to be part of a team promoting OUR books, and for good causes, as well.


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## john podlaski (Nov 12, 2014)

Unfortunately, Cherries - A Vietnam War Novel did not perform as well as expected for the Veteran's Day event - selling only 5 copies with royalties less than $15.  As a result, I will pledge a total of $50 to the Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 154.  As I understand it, I'm to write / mail a check for this amount and scan the receipt - posting it here?  I wish we could have done better.  Let me know when planning another similar event.  Thanks!


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## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

Got a new thread for the AAR: http://www.kboards.com/index.php?topic=200766.msg2809014#msg2809014

Don't pull your punches! We need to go over this event with a fine-tooth comb for next year. I'd like to add Memorial Day to the calendar as well. 
If you don't want to say something publicly, just shoot me a PM. After pledging your money and investing your time, I think everyone's earned the right to vent if they need to! I won't take it personally.


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## CoraBuhlert (Aug 7, 2011)

ThePete said:


> *Visits by country:*
> 1) USA (98%)
> 2) Canada
> 3) Germany (interesting)
> 4) UK


The German visitors might have been partly due to me, since I tweeted/+1/tsued your promotion and also included it in the Speculative Fiction Showcase round-up. And since you're in Germany as well, the stats might also have counted your own visits to your own site.


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## ThePete (Oct 10, 2013)

Just a head's up, we raised *$2,700.34* for veteran's charities so far. There are still a few stragglers that haven't reported yet, but all the authors of the most heavily bought books have sent their confirmation numbers. Quiet a few of them are rounding up their donations to the nearest $100.

Great job everyone!


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## Robert Stanek (Nov 16, 2013)

Awesome! Great to see such a big success for the first time out.


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## Robert Stanek (Nov 16, 2013)

ThePete said:


> Just a head's up, we raised *$2,700.34* for veteran's charities so far. There are still a few stragglers that haven't reported yet, but all the authors of the most heavily bought books have sent their confirmation numbers. Quiet a few of them are rounding up their donations to the nearest $100.
> 
> Great job everyone!


I see the number is still going up. Fantastic to see!


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