There is some confusion about the purpose of Authonomy. Someone has mistaken it for a mere hang-out for wannbe writers. That is SO not the case.
First, human nature is that people stick with people they like. It is called support - which carries the connotation of "carry."
I was in ABNA when I came to Authonomy - I saw a book that I felt in LOVE with - 'Catch a Falling Star.' I joined Authonomy to back that book, and left it on my shelf until it hit the ED. HC panned the book. It was painful to watch. But the author did not let that stop her. When the book hit the Kindle Store, people went nuts over it. (As soon as I have time to read it again, I'll buy it.)
Isn't that what Authonomy is about? You read something, you love it, you support it there with a shelving and a comment. Then when it hits the Market place, you support it, buy it and maybe even review it?
I've had many people there (first time around) say they would buy my book, if they could. I'm back to launch a second book - there, then in the market place.
It is the logical progression of this site - we come in, edit our books with the support of other writers and either hit the ED, get picked up by an agent, get signed with a publisher or self-publish it as pulp fiction.
What that poor young man doesn't understand is the purpose of Authonomy - TO LAUNCH BOOKS. Once HC gets an idea of what the market REALLY wants (by watching books succeed in the market) then they shift their direction to signing books that SELL.
Isn't that what we are really there for? To find the cream of the crop and help it rise as high as it can???
Why the f@#k go there if not for that?
The only thing this poor young person has discovered is that Authonomy WORKS.
Silly child, wake up and smell the coffee.
Writing is an art - (rolling eyes) but publishing is a business.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Wisconsin - WTF?
I'm utterly disgusted with the idiot Governor from Wisconsin.
I'm starting to believe there IS a vast Right-Wing conspiracy. I don't think that it is the Trilateral Commission. But there's a dead fish in the pantry - we all smell it.
I'm starting to believe there IS a vast Right-Wing conspiracy. I don't think that it is the Trilateral Commission. But there's a dead fish in the pantry - we all smell it.
What has happened to this country? When has there been open warfare on the middle class? This turkey has cut taxes for the rich, so now he's going to mess with TEACHERS?
When the biggest problem in the US is LACK of education - why cut the teachers? Why is it in the best interest of the Republican Party to stop education? Because they can afford private schools, so now public schools aren't needed?
I'm so glad I didn't have kids - this country is FUBARed.
Monday, February 14, 2011
"Dark Harbor" – Paranormal Pulp Fiction
As Launch Day gets closer and closer – I can't help but think about the reaction to my paranormal pulp fiction "Swallow the Moon" once word reaches 'back home' about the book. This is a case where Face Book is not my friend. I'm hooked into a discussion group with people from 'Bula, some of whom may be offended with my description of the city.
The "Dark Harbor" paranormal series takes place in a very real, very dysfunctional Rust Belt city, my birthplace, Ashtabula, Ohio. I call it a "God-forsaken place" – it is a place where the fabric between the Earth and Hell has become tattered and 'things' are breaking through.
I suppose that's enough to piss some people off right there.
Of course, if the series catches on, there are going to be even more people laughing their asses off. Some people in the Harbor are going to love it, others – well a sense of humor is a rare thing in parts of 'Bula.
I would like to be a fly on the wall when some innocent tourist walks into the Iroquois Club and asks the bartender if s/he ever heard of a book called "Swallow the Moon" and are there really rooms for rent upstairs? (evil cackles)
You know, this is the kind of thing where I'm going to have to take the book to Create Space just so I can go down to Bridge Street and have a book signing in the metaphysical shop. I'll hope that the ghosts of Harborites past will join me.
I know they will appreciate it.
The "Dark Harbor" paranormal series takes place in a very real, very dysfunctional Rust Belt city, my birthplace, Ashtabula, Ohio. I call it a "God-forsaken place" – it is a place where the fabric between the Earth and Hell has become tattered and 'things' are breaking through.
I suppose that's enough to piss some people off right there.
Of course, if the series catches on, there are going to be even more people laughing their asses off. Some people in the Harbor are going to love it, others – well a sense of humor is a rare thing in parts of 'Bula.
I would like to be a fly on the wall when some innocent tourist walks into the Iroquois Club and asks the bartender if s/he ever heard of a book called "Swallow the Moon" and are there really rooms for rent upstairs? (evil cackles)
You know, this is the kind of thing where I'm going to have to take the book to Create Space just so I can go down to Bridge Street and have a book signing in the metaphysical shop. I'll hope that the ghosts of Harborites past will join me.
I know they will appreciate it.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Pulp Fiction - a Bit of Brainstorming
Will the "Pulp Fiction" moniker replace "Indie Author" in the minds of - er - well - Indie writers?
I've always been taught that you can't DO a negative. If I say to someone "I'm NOT a trade published writer....blah, blah, blah." They will reply with "Then who ARE you?" I'm stuck looking stupid "the hell if I know."
Andre Jute - this is all your fault. If you hadn't started that post on Kindle Boards Cream rising I wouldn't have started brainstorming all this stuff about awards which led me to branding (whatcacallit is a lousy name for a genre) - which led me to getting my back up about the "Death of Culture" crack that....nevermind.
This isn't so much for my own work as it is for Mother's stories. There are so many that nothing really ties them together - except there is a general style to them. Mom loves it. "I write pulp fiction," she said at the dentist office yesterday. The girl got it.
I posted a cleaned up version of the first post to Nookboards (crickets!) then Kindleboard where it got a number of responses. I wasn't the first to use it, but I am the first to suggest wholesale adoption of it.
Let's make it OUR label. That way I can say "I wrote a dime novel called "Let's Do Lunch" that sells for $.99 on Kindle and Nook." It sounds catchy. Descriptive, positive, and vaguely qualifying.
More on this subject:
The New Age of Pulp Fiction?
Pulp Fiction II: The Rise of the Penny Dreadful
I've always been taught that you can't DO a negative. If I say to someone "I'm NOT a trade published writer....blah, blah, blah." They will reply with "Then who ARE you?" I'm stuck looking stupid "the hell if I know."
Andre Jute - this is all your fault. If you hadn't started that post on Kindle Boards Cream rising I wouldn't have started brainstorming all this stuff about awards which led me to branding (whatcacallit is a lousy name for a genre) - which led me to getting my back up about the "Death of Culture" crack that....nevermind.
This isn't so much for my own work as it is for Mother's stories. There are so many that nothing really ties them together - except there is a general style to them. Mom loves it. "I write pulp fiction," she said at the dentist office yesterday. The girl got it.
I posted a cleaned up version of the first post to Nookboards (crickets!) then Kindleboard where it got a number of responses. I wasn't the first to use it, but I am the first to suggest wholesale adoption of it.
Let's make it OUR label. That way I can say "I wrote a dime novel called "Let's Do Lunch" that sells for $.99 on Kindle and Nook." It sounds catchy. Descriptive, positive, and vaguely qualifying.
More on this subject:
The New Age of Pulp Fiction?
Pulp Fiction II: The Rise of the Penny Dreadful
Monday, February 7, 2011
Pulp Fiction II – the Rise of the Penny Dreadful
For my next trick – I say that because we are merely playing with words – trying to put the Indie e-publishing craze and the rollercoaster ride that is pricing into some kind of historical context.
First a short history lesson, for that we shall go back to our friend Wikipedia for a definition of the "Penny Dreadful."
"A penny dreadful (also called penny horrible, penny awful,[1]
penny number and penny blood) was a type of British
fiction publication in the 19th century that usually featured lurid serial stories appearing in parts over a number of weeks, each part costing a penny. The term, however, soon came to encompass a variety of publications that featured cheap sensational fiction, such as story papers and booklet "libraries." The penny dreadfuls were printed on cheap pulp paper and were aimed primarily at working class adolescents.[2]
For the sake of this argument, I'm going to say that the 21st century 'Penny Dreadful' is a full-length novel that sells for $.99 to $1.99.
That doesn't mean the writer can't make money. Sell them puppies as long as they're hot. After all, if the author is making a couple grand a month – cry all the way to the bank.
Because that's not saying the next book won't sell at a higher price. We aren't making judgment calls about the writers – just the books. If common wisdom is correct, the 'average author' will turn out five or more books (or a million words) before they 'break out' and their work takes a quantum leap forward.
The writer can always move to the next level, – a 'dime novel' sells higher – $2.99 or a bit more. This may sell more copies of the first book. The point is that sales and income will rise at the higher price. I see authors all over Kindle boards planning how to make the transition to 'dime novels.'
'Slicks' are the next step up, Mid-list writers will most likely find a home somewhere around the $2.99 to $3.99 level. They are recycling previously published work, already have fans and readers – so they may start at $3.99 where the 'average jane' author will need to 'break out' to sell well at $3.99.
Then there are the 'super-slicks' who have their own pricing structures. Some can sell short fiction at $2.99 for 10k words. Why not? They have the advertising budgets and turn out a professional product. They probably know who their readers are and have no problem targeting them in the most efficient manner.
Remember, too, there are e-publishing companies who have a pricing structure by length that has worked for them for 10 years or more. There is no reason that they can't carry on. They have a professional products and hot markets like romantica/erotica.
So we have a series of terms to describe this mushrooming e-market, nicknames that look back fondly to the glorious Golden Age of Pulp Fiction.
Pulp fiction – Short stories & novellas that sell for $.99. Also a blanket term for any work self-published to an e-book vendor.
Penny Dreadfuls – Pulp Fiction novels that sell like crazy for $.99 to $1.99.
Dime Novels – Pulp Fiction novels priced from $2.99 to $3.99, written by Indie authors.
Slicks – Novels or backlist by Midlist authors self-published in the $3.99 range.
Super Slicks – Work by e-publishing companies that have their own price structure. Short stories can start as high as $2.99, for 10k words.
More on this subject:
The New Age of Pulp Fiction
Pulp Fiction: A Bit of Brainstorming
First a short history lesson, for that we shall go back to our friend Wikipedia for a definition of the "Penny Dreadful."
"A penny dreadful (also called penny horrible, penny awful,[1]
penny number and penny blood) was a type of British
fiction publication in the 19th century that usually featured lurid serial stories appearing in parts over a number of weeks, each part costing a penny. The term, however, soon came to encompass a variety of publications that featured cheap sensational fiction, such as story papers and booklet "libraries." The penny dreadfuls were printed on cheap pulp paper and were aimed primarily at working class adolescents.[2]
For the sake of this argument, I'm going to say that the 21st century 'Penny Dreadful' is a full-length novel that sells for $.99 to $1.99.
That doesn't mean the writer can't make money. Sell them puppies as long as they're hot. After all, if the author is making a couple grand a month – cry all the way to the bank.
Because that's not saying the next book won't sell at a higher price. We aren't making judgment calls about the writers – just the books. If common wisdom is correct, the 'average author' will turn out five or more books (or a million words) before they 'break out' and their work takes a quantum leap forward.
The writer can always move to the next level, – a 'dime novel' sells higher – $2.99 or a bit more. This may sell more copies of the first book. The point is that sales and income will rise at the higher price. I see authors all over Kindle boards planning how to make the transition to 'dime novels.'
'Slicks' are the next step up, Mid-list writers will most likely find a home somewhere around the $2.99 to $3.99 level. They are recycling previously published work, already have fans and readers – so they may start at $3.99 where the 'average jane' author will need to 'break out' to sell well at $3.99.
Then there are the 'super-slicks' who have their own pricing structures. Some can sell short fiction at $2.99 for 10k words. Why not? They have the advertising budgets and turn out a professional product. They probably know who their readers are and have no problem targeting them in the most efficient manner.
Remember, too, there are e-publishing companies who have a pricing structure by length that has worked for them for 10 years or more. There is no reason that they can't carry on. They have a professional products and hot markets like romantica/erotica.
So we have a series of terms to describe this mushrooming e-market, nicknames that look back fondly to the glorious Golden Age of Pulp Fiction.
Pulp fiction – Short stories & novellas that sell for $.99. Also a blanket term for any work self-published to an e-book vendor.
Penny Dreadfuls – Pulp Fiction novels that sell like crazy for $.99 to $1.99.
Dime Novels – Pulp Fiction novels priced from $2.99 to $3.99, written by Indie authors.
Slicks – Novels or backlist by Midlist authors self-published in the $3.99 range.
Super Slicks – Work by e-publishing companies that have their own price structure. Short stories can start as high as $2.99, for 10k words.
More on this subject:
The New Age of Pulp Fiction
Pulp Fiction: A Bit of Brainstorming
Saturday, February 5, 2011
The New Age of Pulp Fiction?
Welcome to the New Age of Pulp Fiction – courtesy of e-reader technology and digital self-publishing.
How many people remember the "Golden Age" of Pulp Fiction? Okay, maybe no one remembers 20th century history. I wasn't born yet, but at least I had heard of it. Just so you don't have to google it – I'll post the Wikipedia definition of Pulp Fiction:
Pulp magazines (often referred to as "the pulps"), also collectively known as pulp fiction, refers to inexpensive fiction magazines published from 1896 through the 1950s. The typical pulp magazine was seven inches wide by ten inches high, half an inch thick, and 128 pages long. Pulps were printed on cheap paper with ragged, untrimmed edges.
The name pulp comes from the cheap wood pulp paper on which the magazines were printed. Magazines printed on better paper were called "glossies" or "slicks." In their first decades, they were most often priced at ten cents per magazine, while competing slicks were 25 cents apiece. Pulps were the successor to the penny dreadfuls, dime novels, and short fiction magazines of the 19th century. Although many respected writers wrote for pulps, the magazines are best remembered for their lurid and exploitative stories and sensational cover art. Modern superhero
comic books are sometimes considered descendants of "hero pulps"; pulp magazines often featured illustrated novel-length stories of heroic characters, such as The Shadow, Doc Savage, and The Phantom Detective.
Cheap stories – often lurid and poorly edited – easy to get, easy to discard; what does that sound like? The modern Indie e-book has been touted as the 'slush pile come to life' by the 'trade' publishing establishment.
I say the Indie Publishing masses could do much worse than embracing the label of 'Modern Pulp Fiction.'
Why not?
"At their peak of popularity in the 1920s and 1930s, the most successful pulps could sell up to one million copies per issue."
Fiction novels for $.99 from Indie authors are very much like the 10-cent magazines. Your mileage – or quality – will vary greatly from author to author and book to book. Already there are lines drawn – certain authors continue to sell books at a higher price. While others have their sales stall at the $2.99 break point.
Whether or not people actually read $.99 books is a good question. However, they do buy these books – often thousands a month. In that case – why should the author care if the book is read or not? Cry all the way to the bank. Of course, some people don't feel that way.
"Literature and culture per se would die if every writer wrote only to satisfy a market bowing to instant monetary gratification."- Authonomy Author
Well, that tidbit of British snobbery came from an Authonomy wannabe who couldn't be bothered with something as – common? – tedious? – as marketing their work.
If only I could have stopped myself from replying:
That sounds very British.
Culture doesn't pay the rent - but if you are independently wealthy you can be as literary and cultured as you like.
Me, I have bills to pay and elderly parents to take care of.
No wonder the Brits hate the Irish. We insist on being – practical – even when it comes to 'Literature and Culture per se' by bringing filthy money into it. How ghastly and common of me.
Is there a puking smiley?
How does this tie into pulp fiction? The distinction between 'literature' the art and 'story-telling' entertainment is the difference between a 'trade' published, $12.99 e-book and a KDP, $.99 pulp fiction e-book.
This is a wild and wonderful free for all – that may kill off 'Literature and Culture per se' but WFT – it's about time that mid-list and Indie writers had some fun and made some money.
The point is that pulp fiction gave a lot of writers their start. They made their living pounding on typewriters – entertained thousands, or even millions, of people. They put smiles on people's faces, and became a beloved part of pop(ular) culture long after the books themselves were forgotten.
Mom just recalled a box of pulp westerns in her attic that they read as kids. My aunts Joyce and Elizabeth read these pulps and played "Cowboys and Indians" so many times that they ended up with life-long nicknames. Joyce became "Steve" and Elizabeth became my beloved Aunt 'Dillon.' I was a teenager before I discovered that Aunt Dillon had another name.
That's not art, that's family history.
Guess which one is more important to me.
Got that in one, didn't ya?
Pulp Fiction II: The Rise of the Penny Dreadful
Pulp Fiction a Bit of Brainstorming
How many people remember the "Golden Age" of Pulp Fiction? Okay, maybe no one remembers 20th century history. I wasn't born yet, but at least I had heard of it. Just so you don't have to google it – I'll post the Wikipedia definition of Pulp Fiction:
Pulp magazines (often referred to as "the pulps"), also collectively known as pulp fiction, refers to inexpensive fiction magazines published from 1896 through the 1950s. The typical pulp magazine was seven inches wide by ten inches high, half an inch thick, and 128 pages long. Pulps were printed on cheap paper with ragged, untrimmed edges.
The name pulp comes from the cheap wood pulp paper on which the magazines were printed. Magazines printed on better paper were called "glossies" or "slicks." In their first decades, they were most often priced at ten cents per magazine, while competing slicks were 25 cents apiece. Pulps were the successor to the penny dreadfuls, dime novels, and short fiction magazines of the 19th century. Although many respected writers wrote for pulps, the magazines are best remembered for their lurid and exploitative stories and sensational cover art. Modern superhero
comic books are sometimes considered descendants of "hero pulps"; pulp magazines often featured illustrated novel-length stories of heroic characters, such as The Shadow, Doc Savage, and The Phantom Detective.
Cheap stories – often lurid and poorly edited – easy to get, easy to discard; what does that sound like? The modern Indie e-book has been touted as the 'slush pile come to life' by the 'trade' publishing establishment.
I say the Indie Publishing masses could do much worse than embracing the label of 'Modern Pulp Fiction.'
Why not?
"At their peak of popularity in the 1920s and 1930s, the most successful pulps could sell up to one million copies per issue."
Fiction novels for $.99 from Indie authors are very much like the 10-cent magazines. Your mileage – or quality – will vary greatly from author to author and book to book. Already there are lines drawn – certain authors continue to sell books at a higher price. While others have their sales stall at the $2.99 break point.
Whether or not people actually read $.99 books is a good question. However, they do buy these books – often thousands a month. In that case – why should the author care if the book is read or not? Cry all the way to the bank. Of course, some people don't feel that way.
"Literature and culture per se would die if every writer wrote only to satisfy a market bowing to instant monetary gratification."- Authonomy Author
Well, that tidbit of British snobbery came from an Authonomy wannabe who couldn't be bothered with something as – common? – tedious? – as marketing their work.
If only I could have stopped myself from replying:
That sounds very British.
Culture doesn't pay the rent - but if you are independently wealthy you can be as literary and cultured as you like.
Me, I have bills to pay and elderly parents to take care of.
No wonder the Brits hate the Irish. We insist on being – practical – even when it comes to 'Literature and Culture per se' by bringing filthy money into it. How ghastly and common of me.
Is there a puking smiley?
How does this tie into pulp fiction? The distinction between 'literature' the art and 'story-telling' entertainment is the difference between a 'trade' published, $12.99 e-book and a KDP, $.99 pulp fiction e-book.
This is a wild and wonderful free for all – that may kill off 'Literature and Culture per se' but WFT – it's about time that mid-list and Indie writers had some fun and made some money.
The point is that pulp fiction gave a lot of writers their start. They made their living pounding on typewriters – entertained thousands, or even millions, of people. They put smiles on people's faces, and became a beloved part of pop(ular) culture long after the books themselves were forgotten.
Mom just recalled a box of pulp westerns in her attic that they read as kids. My aunts Joyce and Elizabeth read these pulps and played "Cowboys and Indians" so many times that they ended up with life-long nicknames. Joyce became "Steve" and Elizabeth became my beloved Aunt 'Dillon.' I was a teenager before I discovered that Aunt Dillon had another name.
That's not art, that's family history.
Guess which one is more important to me.
Got that in one, didn't ya?
Pulp Fiction II: The Rise of the Penny Dreadful
Pulp Fiction a Bit of Brainstorming
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Recap of 2010 - Setting Goals for 2011
As the month comes to a close - I have to draw a sigh of relief. Real Life has settled down - for the moment. My project for the month - that had nothing to do with writing - was to get my antique Western Union clock running on time. I've had it running a few times, but always loosing time. This time I used 2 sets of 2 D cells - and he's running like a champ!
Mom and I are working on getting her stories sorted and ready to publish. I transferred her index to a spreadsheet - I have the title, word count, page count, and a brief(!) subject. I also copied that index, tweaked it and added some vendor columns so I can track the date published to each vendor.
It appears that sales of "Let's Do Lunch" will end up at 12. Most of them sold at $3.25. Since I dropped the price to $.99. I will not change prices again. No matter what sales of "Let's Do Lunch" do - the price is the price until August 2011.
I also have a title for the second book in the 'Dark Harbor' series. So Book #4 is simmering in the background. The theme has changed a bit - 'the sins of the mother' has replaced 'he wants to be a rock star.' Quite an improvement.
Editing has stalled for "Swallow the Moon" I'm now wigging out over the book cover and the number of comma errors in the first chapter. The cover needs COLOR I'm worried that it won't stand out.
Also of concern are covers for the Ice Road Anthology stories. There is no way we can afford to hire out 220-odd covers. There are a dozen volumes to the anthology. What a project! I'm not sure how to tackle something this large. Plus it's not like Mom can work 8 or 12 hour days until we get this done. Not an option - though we will give it a couple hours a day.
Finally, I'm avoiding Authonomy for a few days. There are still some interesting looking books, but I need to get "Swallow the Moon" published before I do any more reading.
Mom and I are working on getting her stories sorted and ready to publish. I transferred her index to a spreadsheet - I have the title, word count, page count, and a brief(!) subject. I also copied that index, tweaked it and added some vendor columns so I can track the date published to each vendor.
It appears that sales of "Let's Do Lunch" will end up at 12. Most of them sold at $3.25. Since I dropped the price to $.99. I will not change prices again. No matter what sales of "Let's Do Lunch" do - the price is the price until August 2011.
I also have a title for the second book in the 'Dark Harbor' series. So Book #4 is simmering in the background. The theme has changed a bit - 'the sins of the mother' has replaced 'he wants to be a rock star.' Quite an improvement.
Editing has stalled for "Swallow the Moon" I'm now wigging out over the book cover and the number of comma errors in the first chapter. The cover needs COLOR I'm worried that it won't stand out.
Also of concern are covers for the Ice Road Anthology stories. There is no way we can afford to hire out 220-odd covers. There are a dozen volumes to the anthology. What a project! I'm not sure how to tackle something this large. Plus it's not like Mom can work 8 or 12 hour days until we get this done. Not an option - though we will give it a couple hours a day.
Finally, I'm avoiding Authonomy for a few days. There are still some interesting looking books, but I need to get "Swallow the Moon" published before I do any more reading.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Nasty, Ugly, Tempting
I'm only human after all, nor am I particularly ethical.
But when these ugly thoughts nest in my head - I'm better off to write them out - then get over it. I'm still whining (whinging for my British friends) about sales, or the lack of sales, in the UK especially.
Could I be so crude as to offer to take bribes for space on my book shelf. To sell my vote for a mere $.35 each? Would anyone be desperate enough to spend a buck, or a quid or something?
There is a very nasty little troll on my shoulder who is chortling wickedly, licking her lips and rubbing her hands together with glee. "So what if you get caught?" she says. "Laugh it off. Look at the 'slut backings,' the two for one backings. You didn't invent that crap, nor did you take advantage of it. Wimps never win you know. Cheaters win. They win all the time."
"TRY IT!" She jumps up and down like an excited Min-pin dog.
I flick her off my shoulder like a booger.
"I'll be back!"
I'm not that pathetic.
Really.
But when these ugly thoughts nest in my head - I'm better off to write them out - then get over it. I'm still whining (whinging for my British friends) about sales, or the lack of sales, in the UK especially.
Could I be so crude as to offer to take bribes for space on my book shelf. To sell my vote for a mere $.35 each? Would anyone be desperate enough to spend a buck, or a quid or something?
There is a very nasty little troll on my shoulder who is chortling wickedly, licking her lips and rubbing her hands together with glee. "So what if you get caught?" she says. "Laugh it off. Look at the 'slut backings,' the two for one backings. You didn't invent that crap, nor did you take advantage of it. Wimps never win you know. Cheaters win. They win all the time."
"TRY IT!" She jumps up and down like an excited Min-pin dog.
I flick her off my shoulder like a booger.
"I'll be back!"
I'm not that pathetic.
Really.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Kitty Caves In - "Let's Do Lunch" Now $0.99
After reading everything on the e-book price debate on the blogs of 'e-book' and 'Indie Publishing' community, I have caved to the pressure to sell my book for the bare-assed minimum price.
DAMMIT!
My BFF and I went to eat Chinese while I sniveled about it for an hour. Bless her heart, she agreed, this is a big bummer. That's the beauty of having a BFF.
Pricing by length is common sense. Pricing a 75k novel the same as a short story is just crazy. Whatever, its done, it's over and anyone who wants to buy it cheap can from here on out. I'm not going to change prices again.
Now I'm going to get over it.
DAMMIT!
My BFF and I went to eat Chinese while I sniveled about it for an hour. Bless her heart, she agreed, this is a big bummer. That's the beauty of having a BFF.
Pricing by length is common sense. Pricing a 75k novel the same as a short story is just crazy. Whatever, its done, it's over and anyone who wants to buy it cheap can from here on out. I'm not going to change prices again.
Now I'm going to get over it.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Cool New Widgets - Sales Rank and Badge
I've added two new widgets to this site.
The first is the Kindle Sales Rank widget. It will show the ranking of "Let's Do Lunch" for the Kindle. Eventually, I think I can compare the sales of "Let's Do Lunch" and "Swallow the Moon" when it comes out this spring.
Since I just added the widget, it will show zero sales. However, should the book start selling, the sales rank will be recorded. Now, if I can just figure out the right marketing technique to get the ball rolling.
The second is a badge for Barnes & Noble. If only the sales reports for B&N's Pubit worked - I would have good news to share. Alas, the glitch goes on.
As far as I know, the sales for B&N and Kindle are tied at - 1 sale each.
The first is the Kindle Sales Rank widget. It will show the ranking of "Let's Do Lunch" for the Kindle. Eventually, I think I can compare the sales of "Let's Do Lunch" and "Swallow the Moon" when it comes out this spring.
Since I just added the widget, it will show zero sales. However, should the book start selling, the sales rank will be recorded. Now, if I can just figure out the right marketing technique to get the ball rolling.
The second is a badge for Barnes & Noble. If only the sales reports for B&N's Pubit worked - I would have good news to share. Alas, the glitch goes on.
As far as I know, the sales for B&N and Kindle are tied at - 1 sale each.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Home Sweet Home
News from my home town.
I suppose that having the home town make headlines this way should make me embarrassed.
But frankly, this is why seems fitting to write a paranormal romance set in Ashtabula.
I suppose that having the home town make headlines this way should make me embarrassed.
But frankly, this is why seems fitting to write a paranormal romance set in Ashtabula.
The Agent Debate - Continues
Dean Wesley Smith is one of my heroes. He 'tells it like it is' to newbie writers like me. What I find most interesting is that I agree with more than 80% of what he says, just from a couple of years of lurking around the publishing e-world. When his latest post hit my email this morning, it was the first thing I read.
Take a look, the New World of Publishing for today is about the role of agents in the wide-open frontier of e-publishing and Indie Publishing. The first thing is a reference to this page by Mary Kole of Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Mary talks about the New Agent's role, I quote:
Whether we're presenting a book to editors or an app proposal to a digital publisher, we will have had a more active hand in its reaching "market ready" status.
Read more at DigitalBookWorld.com: The Agent's Role in Today's Digital Book World | Digital Book World
http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2011/the-agents-role-in-todays-digital-book-world/#ixzz1BDJFDi5W
This article gave DeanWS the screaming shudders, because this "role" would also give the agent a larger (50%) share of a work. It would also perpetuate the myth that 'Writers Need to be Taken Care of" because we are unworldly (and stupid) enough to take the bait.
What gave ME the screaming shudders was her reference to Four Fathom Five – John Frey's you-write-it-for-$250-and-I'll-take-the-rest scheme. Now, Mary Kole is in the world of children's books and apps, far from my corner of the market. Still the idea will spread – the author is the goose of content, and everybody wants the golden eggs.
I mean I get it, agents have very, very little to offer a tech-savvy writer. THE Rock Star of Agents got a Real Job. The writing is on the wall, there will be VERY few agents needed in the future. A handful will have best-selling clients, the rest, who knows?
Not all writers are silly geese who don't know which end of a USB cable is up.
DIY is where the Mid-list will live from here forward. Readers (a lot of them women) are STARVING for good Stories. They adopted e-readers like MAD this Christmas. Barnes & Noble website is still staggering under the load. B&N did 1.1 billion dollars in sales in December. Writers are screaming because the sales data isn't updating fast enough to be accurate. My report shows only my first sale, but my book has jumped 300k in sales rank. (Batch file processing in the 21st Century? What Cobol programmer designed their software? GAG me!)
It is a fact the generations coming up ARE computer savvy. Now the Baby Boomers who refused to learn more than word processing and email will be suckers for these "Let Me Help You" schemes. Still, it is something that anyone with a pair of ovaries can learn. (Tee hee, I made a sexist joke!) Sorry guys, any woman who has worked as a secretary in the last 30 years can figure this out.
I spent years working my way into, then out of, the Secretarial Pits only to end up in Call Center Hell. Now those years are going to pay off, because I have formatting and design skills as well as hardware and networking.
So, I've done my bit by passing this on. I have chapters of "Swallow the Moon" to work on. In spite of Real Life throwing curves at me, I'm back to work. It's a new year and I'm determined to make the most of it.
Just be aware that any writer who doesn't pay attention is going the way of the Goose that laid the golden eggs.
Take a look, the New World of Publishing for today is about the role of agents in the wide-open frontier of e-publishing and Indie Publishing. The first thing is a reference to this page by Mary Kole of Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Mary talks about the New Agent's role, I quote:
Whether we're presenting a book to editors or an app proposal to a digital publisher, we will have had a more active hand in its reaching "market ready" status.
Read more at DigitalBookWorld.com: The Agent's Role in Today's Digital Book World | Digital Book World
http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2011/the-agents-role-in-todays-digital-book-world/#ixzz1BDJFDi5W
This article gave DeanWS the screaming shudders, because this "role" would also give the agent a larger (50%) share of a work. It would also perpetuate the myth that 'Writers Need to be Taken Care of" because we are unworldly (and stupid) enough to take the bait.
What gave ME the screaming shudders was her reference to Four Fathom Five – John Frey's you-write-it-for-$250-and-I'll-take-the-rest scheme. Now, Mary Kole is in the world of children's books and apps, far from my corner of the market. Still the idea will spread – the author is the goose of content, and everybody wants the golden eggs.
I mean I get it, agents have very, very little to offer a tech-savvy writer. THE Rock Star of Agents got a Real Job. The writing is on the wall, there will be VERY few agents needed in the future. A handful will have best-selling clients, the rest, who knows?
Not all writers are silly geese who don't know which end of a USB cable is up.
DIY is where the Mid-list will live from here forward. Readers (a lot of them women) are STARVING for good Stories. They adopted e-readers like MAD this Christmas. Barnes & Noble website is still staggering under the load. B&N did 1.1 billion dollars in sales in December. Writers are screaming because the sales data isn't updating fast enough to be accurate. My report shows only my first sale, but my book has jumped 300k in sales rank. (Batch file processing in the 21st Century? What Cobol programmer designed their software? GAG me!)
It is a fact the generations coming up ARE computer savvy. Now the Baby Boomers who refused to learn more than word processing and email will be suckers for these "Let Me Help You" schemes. Still, it is something that anyone with a pair of ovaries can learn. (Tee hee, I made a sexist joke!) Sorry guys, any woman who has worked as a secretary in the last 30 years can figure this out.
I spent years working my way into, then out of, the Secretarial Pits only to end up in Call Center Hell. Now those years are going to pay off, because I have formatting and design skills as well as hardware and networking.
So, I've done my bit by passing this on. I have chapters of "Swallow the Moon" to work on. In spite of Real Life throwing curves at me, I'm back to work. It's a new year and I'm determined to make the most of it.
Just be aware that any writer who doesn't pay attention is going the way of the Goose that laid the golden eggs.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
"A Snake in Paradise" by Brenda Sedore
A Snake in Paradise by Brenda SedoreMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a cold snowy weekend.
So a light romance about sunny Italy, and hot Italian men, was the perfect escape. Brenda Sedore has a good touch with characters, and a great feel for the setting.
I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.
View all my reviews
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
I Can't Believe I'm Saying This
I've been working my butt off today.
I created a PubIt! account - uploaded "Let's Do Lunch" tweaked the formatting until I couldn't look at it again. Kicked around the Nookboards, Kindleboards and - gasp - Authonomy.
I've had a bee in my bonnet all week about my sluggish e-book sales. I re-joined Authonomy because I feel that I lost a lot of visibility when I left. At the time, I couldn't stand the bullshit. I lurked from time to time, checked out the new system, and wondered if going back would reconnect me to potential readers.
I created a PubIt! account - uploaded "Let's Do Lunch" tweaked the formatting until I couldn't look at it again. Kicked around the Nookboards, Kindleboards and - gasp - Authonomy.
I've had a bee in my bonnet all week about my sluggish e-book sales. I re-joined Authonomy because I feel that I lost a lot of visibility when I left. At the time, I couldn't stand the bullshit. I lurked from time to time, checked out the new system, and wondered if going back would reconnect me to potential readers.
I just posted this little gem on the forums, I'm posting it here because I think I should look at it from time to time, and recall why burning bridges sucks. The idea behind Authonomy was golden. The original algorithm sucked. I still don't give a damn about the Editor's Desk. But the community is priceless.
I don't see the big publishing companies going anywhere. They will lumber around and eventually figure out a way to keep going just fine. Best sellers will still hit their stride and leave the rest of us envious. Celeb's will still give us the shudders.
Amanda Hocking and Zoe Winters sell oodles of paranormals and are banner examples of 'Yes, it can be done.' I admire the heck out of those gals. I don't know Amanda, but I've 'talked' to Zoe. She's an astute business woman as well as a good writer. She's gonna break out all over the place, because she's a hard worker. I'll bet Amanda is equally as hard working - but not as colorful - as Zoe.
There are still going to be plenty of writers taking the tradtional path of agents, editors, publishers and so forth. This economy has slowed the industry down a lot. Indie writers are coming out of the woodwork because the new technology has allowed them to take their best shot. Eventually this will all shake out.
I don't agree with those who yell that 'Publishing is Dead!' I think that fiction has taken a big step forward in a market that adores $0.99 e-books 'cause everybody is broke and the books are cheap. I think this is a great time for mid-list writers to upload their backlist. I think it is a tremendous time for those who can afford it to take the plunge. (The cost is time, IMO, which is more dear than money.)
But I very much doubt that everybody here is going to jump on the $.99 novel bandwagon. Heck, I don't want to jump on that bandwagon. But guess what - I may end up there.
What is going to hurt everyone - Best Sellers, Mid-listers, back-listers, new Indies and all - is if people who don't have a top-notch manuscript self-publish. The Kindle store is NOT the place to send your rough draft! You are going to get slammed on Amazon Forums as a poster-child for self-published fungus-eating morons. The trolls will leave only scraps, like teeth and toe-nails.
Which is what makes Authonomy a great proving ground. I was able to do a lot of work on my second manuscript because of the people who reviewed it - (t)here. Now, everyone may want to take a turn on the ED. They can spam for backings all they like, because the important thing is getting the help revising the manuscript so you can decide what to do with it from there.
I think I'll get off my soap box now.
Amanda Hocking and Zoe Winters sell oodles of paranormals and are banner examples of 'Yes, it can be done.' I admire the heck out of those gals. I don't know Amanda, but I've 'talked' to Zoe. She's an astute business woman as well as a good writer. She's gonna break out all over the place, because she's a hard worker. I'll bet Amanda is equally as hard working - but not as colorful - as Zoe.
There are still going to be plenty of writers taking the tradtional path of agents, editors, publishers and so forth. This economy has slowed the industry down a lot. Indie writers are coming out of the woodwork because the new technology has allowed them to take their best shot. Eventually this will all shake out.
I don't agree with those who yell that 'Publishing is Dead!' I think that fiction has taken a big step forward in a market that adores $0.99 e-books 'cause everybody is broke and the books are cheap. I think this is a great time for mid-list writers to upload their backlist. I think it is a tremendous time for those who can afford it to take the plunge. (The cost is time, IMO, which is more dear than money.)
But I very much doubt that everybody here is going to jump on the $.99 novel bandwagon. Heck, I don't want to jump on that bandwagon. But guess what - I may end up there.
What is going to hurt everyone - Best Sellers, Mid-listers, back-listers, new Indies and all - is if people who don't have a top-notch manuscript self-publish. The Kindle store is NOT the place to send your rough draft! You are going to get slammed on Amazon Forums as a poster-child for self-published fungus-eating morons. The trolls will leave only scraps, like teeth and toe-nails.
Which is what makes Authonomy a great proving ground. I was able to do a lot of work on my second manuscript because of the people who reviewed it - (t)here. Now, everyone may want to take a turn on the ED. They can spam for backings all they like, because the important thing is getting the help revising the manuscript so you can decide what to do with it from there.
I think I'll get off my soap box now.
I know that I've got a good story in 'Swallow the Moon' - as the time comes for me to 'pull the trigger' on it (love that term!) I'm getting antsy.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Getting Ready for the Book Launch
There is a very interesting conversation on Kindle Boards with Joe Konrath and the other Kindle authors on the subject of pricing. There is also a very interesting conversation on Goodreads about pre-publication publicity.
As I'm getting ready for a spring launch for "Swallow the Moon" I need to figure out what to do to generate some 'buzz' for the new book. To that end I have done a few things that I thought I would not do otherwise.
As I'm getting ready for a spring launch for "Swallow the Moon" I need to figure out what to do to generate some 'buzz' for the new book. To that end I have done a few things that I thought I would not do otherwise.
- I re-joined Authonomy, posting "Let's Do Lunch" and creating a presence in the forums. The reason that I took this (drastic!) step was to promote my books. The changes to the rules appear to be working, so I will give them a chance.
- I dropped the Amazon price of "Let's Do Lunch" to $1.99. This price change is in support of the Authonomy posting. We'll see if it does any good.
- I've dug out and dusted off a couple short stories that I can turn into novelettes. These will go on sale for $.99 each.
- I have actively started looking for opportunities to promote my books and my blog. This means dusting off an interview with Zoe Winters and being interviewed by others.
- All of these action items are contingent on family matters remaining constant, at the very least, but I pray that the worst is over. Last year was 'interesting' in the worst possible sense of the word. It could have been a lot worse. Still my parents' illness, my husband's bike wreck and multiple hospitalizations sucked pretty damn bad.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Mini Ice Age?
It all depends on who you talk to, or read. Some people claim that the current cold snap is 'proof' that there is no such thing as 'Global Warming.' Others insist that 'Cimate Change' has come and we, as a species, are endangering ourselves.
All I know is that its cold outside today, and it was dry, dry, dry this summer. Saying "it is" is a foolish as saying "it ain't" at this point. For one thing, we had a couple of volcanic eruptions in the past two years. For another, there was a heck of a fire in Russia this summer. You can't tell me that all that smoke and dust is NOT going to mess up the atmosphere. If there is already something going on - which there is - then it's going to make the weather worse - which it has.
Some darn fool - I erased the link after I read the post - thinks that we are going to have the coldest winter in 100 years. He sites sun-spots, El Nino~ the volcanos and climate change as coming together in the worst possible way. Yippy, skippy!
I've also noticed that gasoline is creeping back to $3 a gallon, while hay is scarce.
Fortunately, we replaced the windows in the house, put up fences and put on the back porch while the weather was good. All three are paying off. The porches have cut the sun, the windows block the wind and the fences won't blow down in this rotten weather.
We are as snug as we are going to be for the next week or two. I've got three dogs and an electric blanket to keep me from freezing tonight. I also know from the Ice Storm just how cold and miserable it can be to try to heat this place with a fireplace. I have a propane heater just for such an occasion. Between the fireplace and the heater we should be okay. There is wood, hay and grain for the critters.
I know that I'm not prepared for the worst, but we'll be fine for a few days.
All I know is that its cold outside today, and it was dry, dry, dry this summer. Saying "it is" is a foolish as saying "it ain't" at this point. For one thing, we had a couple of volcanic eruptions in the past two years. For another, there was a heck of a fire in Russia this summer. You can't tell me that all that smoke and dust is NOT going to mess up the atmosphere. If there is already something going on - which there is - then it's going to make the weather worse - which it has.
Some darn fool - I erased the link after I read the post - thinks that we are going to have the coldest winter in 100 years. He sites sun-spots, El Nino~ the volcanos and climate change as coming together in the worst possible way. Yippy, skippy!
I've also noticed that gasoline is creeping back to $3 a gallon, while hay is scarce.
Fortunately, we replaced the windows in the house, put up fences and put on the back porch while the weather was good. All three are paying off. The porches have cut the sun, the windows block the wind and the fences won't blow down in this rotten weather.
We are as snug as we are going to be for the next week or two. I've got three dogs and an electric blanket to keep me from freezing tonight. I also know from the Ice Storm just how cold and miserable it can be to try to heat this place with a fireplace. I have a propane heater just for such an occasion. Between the fireplace and the heater we should be okay. There is wood, hay and grain for the critters.
I know that I'm not prepared for the worst, but we'll be fine for a few days.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Curious Things About Chickens
I think I've posted a few of my more spectacular chicken failures this year. The worst was the purchase of two batches of EXPENSIVE day-old Dominique chicks, only to loose them to predators.
I also lost my best hen, a Dominique named "Smudge" who was the first and only hen to successfully raise 2 batches of babies. The first batch was 3 chicks, (Sony the current rooster is the only survivor) the second was 4 and the last was 19, which was 4 of her own and 15 purchased. However, she and all the babies but 2 were killed by my own dog. Minnie and Mickie survived. Mickie is now my back-up rooster and Minnie is a very large hen.
The second big loss was "Seven" and 1 of her own, 15 purchased chicks and 4 duck-hatched babies. She was killed by either a fox or a hawk. Only 3 of the duck-hatched babies remain. They are small, but hardy, and appear to be under the protection of Minnie.
The odd thing is this - the first flock was 7 hens. The longest lived was the mother of the current rooster and all the second generation hens. The second flock was 12 Barred Rocks - an offshoot of the Dominique. I've spent all last year trying to raise a second generation of those, but only Seven and a duck managed to hatch any. Not one of 4 incubator loads had survived.
Weird chicken fact #1, the drive to set on a nest of eggs and the ability to raise chicks has been bred out of the modern chicken. There are occasional broody hens, like Smudge, but she was too old to lay more than an egg or two. Seven was also an exception. But she's also gone to her reward.
I attempted to teach a chicken to 'go broody' during last winter when I put a half dozen chicks with a pullet. Three of those turned out to be roosters, so I gave them away, two died. One hen survived, but I've lost track of her. (Leg bands only work when you record where each hen came from.
This year, I'm going to start hatching eggs earlier. This January I'll take up a batch of eggs. Should I get a hatching, I'll put them in the tack room where there is heat. Then I'll put the youngest pullets in with these babies to get them started. The young pullets will love the food and the heat lamp. If I'm lucky they will let the little ones snuggled under their feathers.
I'm taking an odd stance between 'Nature' and 'Nurture' with a big bite of 'Natural Selection' thrown in for a good measure. If there is a way to train a hen to 'mother' it would be for her to be raised by a hen, then to have her assist in raising a brood of babies. The instinct would be reinforced.
Since the only young chickens surviving to this point are the ones hatched here, and they are all a cross between a Dominique and a Barred Rock, I'm going to suppose that hybred vigor is playing a part. I'm very sad that the Dominique (the oldest American breed) is not a hardy enough chicken to survive here. Maybe that's why it's nearly extinct - they no longer have what it takes to survive a 'free range' life.
Sony the rooster is purebred. But he's the last. There are no more Dominique hens. Only Smudge survived four years. Sampson, the original purebred rooster, died two years ago. Mickey is a hybred, but he doesn't get any hens for himself. He sneaks a breeding here and there, but Sony beats him up every chance he gets. So Mickey lives outside of chicken world, and sleeps by himself in the rafters.
It will take all winter and spring for me to test my theory. But I'm going to bet that a combination of selection and nurture is going to be the only way I increase my flock of laying hens. 'Imported' chicks don't survive long enough to lay.
I will have to rely on the faithful flock to reproduce itself. Which is going to kill my egg sales.
I also lost my best hen, a Dominique named "Smudge" who was the first and only hen to successfully raise 2 batches of babies. The first batch was 3 chicks, (Sony the current rooster is the only survivor) the second was 4 and the last was 19, which was 4 of her own and 15 purchased. However, she and all the babies but 2 were killed by my own dog. Minnie and Mickie survived. Mickie is now my back-up rooster and Minnie is a very large hen.
The second big loss was "Seven" and 1 of her own, 15 purchased chicks and 4 duck-hatched babies. She was killed by either a fox or a hawk. Only 3 of the duck-hatched babies remain. They are small, but hardy, and appear to be under the protection of Minnie.
The odd thing is this - the first flock was 7 hens. The longest lived was the mother of the current rooster and all the second generation hens. The second flock was 12 Barred Rocks - an offshoot of the Dominique. I've spent all last year trying to raise a second generation of those, but only Seven and a duck managed to hatch any. Not one of 4 incubator loads had survived.
Weird chicken fact #1, the drive to set on a nest of eggs and the ability to raise chicks has been bred out of the modern chicken. There are occasional broody hens, like Smudge, but she was too old to lay more than an egg or two. Seven was also an exception. But she's also gone to her reward.
I attempted to teach a chicken to 'go broody' during last winter when I put a half dozen chicks with a pullet. Three of those turned out to be roosters, so I gave them away, two died. One hen survived, but I've lost track of her. (Leg bands only work when you record where each hen came from.
This year, I'm going to start hatching eggs earlier. This January I'll take up a batch of eggs. Should I get a hatching, I'll put them in the tack room where there is heat. Then I'll put the youngest pullets in with these babies to get them started. The young pullets will love the food and the heat lamp. If I'm lucky they will let the little ones snuggled under their feathers.
I'm taking an odd stance between 'Nature' and 'Nurture' with a big bite of 'Natural Selection' thrown in for a good measure. If there is a way to train a hen to 'mother' it would be for her to be raised by a hen, then to have her assist in raising a brood of babies. The instinct would be reinforced.
Since the only young chickens surviving to this point are the ones hatched here, and they are all a cross between a Dominique and a Barred Rock, I'm going to suppose that hybred vigor is playing a part. I'm very sad that the Dominique (the oldest American breed) is not a hardy enough chicken to survive here. Maybe that's why it's nearly extinct - they no longer have what it takes to survive a 'free range' life.
Sony the rooster is purebred. But he's the last. There are no more Dominique hens. Only Smudge survived four years. Sampson, the original purebred rooster, died two years ago. Mickey is a hybred, but he doesn't get any hens for himself. He sneaks a breeding here and there, but Sony beats him up every chance he gets. So Mickey lives outside of chicken world, and sleeps by himself in the rafters.
It will take all winter and spring for me to test my theory. But I'm going to bet that a combination of selection and nurture is going to be the only way I increase my flock of laying hens. 'Imported' chicks don't survive long enough to lay.
I will have to rely on the faithful flock to reproduce itself. Which is going to kill my egg sales.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Grand Old Mare
A friend and her daughter were walking around the pasture. The old mare ambled up, sniffed us and stayed for pats. She was in such a calm mood that I sent daughter for a halter and lead rope. We boosted her onto the old mare's back - then we walked around the pasture talking.
While we walked the old gelding fell into step. The young mare got a bit huffy, I chased her off until she lost the attitude. Eventually, she fell into step with us. The parade went up and down the pasture before we ended up in the round pen. The old gelding came in, I chased the young mare out.
We gave daughter a second lead rope, she 'rode' the old mare around and had a great time.
It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. They've been back, we put daughter in a saddle this time. The old mare was simply wonderful.
This is the same horse who, at three, was a notorious bucker. She came to me because nobody wanted her. She's still tricky and has made me eat my share of dirt - but she loves kids, and always has. It always amuses me to see her be a perfect horse.
Today we tossed a young boy (maybe 8 years old) on her back and did pretty much the same thing.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Interesting Times
In case you are wondering why this blog hasn't been updated in a while - life has gotten 'interesting' so a lot of the things I was planning to post this month have been put on hold.
As soon as life is properly 'boring' again, I will return.
Hopefully with a launch date for "Swallow the Moon" (but don't hold your breath.)
I AM editing "Swallow the Moon" during these interesting times.
If you want to help out while I put 'real life' first, here is a link to the first chapter of "Swallow the Moon" posted on Goodreads.com. You can read the chapter and comment or 'like' it.
As soon as life is properly 'boring' again, I will return.
Hopefully with a launch date for "Swallow the Moon" (but don't hold your breath.)
I AM editing "Swallow the Moon" during these interesting times.
If you want to help out while I put 'real life' first, here is a link to the first chapter of "Swallow the Moon" posted on Goodreads.com. You can read the chapter and comment or 'like' it.
Friday, November 5, 2010
E-Book Pricing - Part III
Sometimes you have to strike out and blaze trails. The rest of the time it is much better to get advice from someone more knowledgeable.
I'm pleased to share this link and these quotes concerning e-book pricing from Dean Wesley Smith's blog:
"Short stories. 99 cents. Author gets about 35 cents per sale."
$0.99 Short Shorts: Under 3K
$1.99 Shorts: 3-7K
$2.99 Stories: 7-15K
$3.99 Novelettes: 15-35K
$4.99 Novellas: 35-50K
$5.99 Novels 50-70K
$6.99 Super Novels: 70-140K
$7.99 Super XL Novels: 140-250K
$8.99 Super XXL Novels: 250K +
For more on this topic:
E-Book Pricing - Part IV
I'm pleased to share this link and these quotes concerning e-book pricing from Dean Wesley Smith's blog:
"Short stories. 99 cents. Author gets about 35 cents per sale."
"Short novels and short collections (Anything from 15,000 words to 45,000 words)$2.99.
Author gets around 65% or about $1.95 per sale."
"Novels or long collections (45,000 words and up) $4.99-$5.99
Author gets around 65% or about $3.25-$4.50 per sale."
His prices are only a little different than the ones below.
Author gets around 65% or about $1.95 per sale."
"Novels or long collections (45,000 words and up) $4.99-$5.99
Author gets around 65% or about $3.25-$4.50 per sale."
His prices are only a little different than the ones below.
$0.99 Short Shorts: Under 3K
$1.99 Shorts: 3-7K
$2.99 Stories: 7-15K
$3.99 Novelettes: 15-35K
$4.99 Novellas: 35-50K
$5.99 Novels 50-70K
$6.99 Super Novels: 70-140K
$7.99 Super XL Novels: 140-250K
$8.99 Super XXL Novels: 250K +
For more on this topic:
E-Book Pricing - Part IV
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A Very Old Memory
After school at West Junior High I took the bus to West 5th Street. I checked in at the Leeward, where Opal was working behind the bar, ta...
