Shadows of Valor is complete! On finishing a trilogy...

Yeah, I know I've posted about this before, but I'm still excited about it. Even more so now, because I just received my first review for Fight for Valor on the Michaelscifan blog.

 

You know, it's very scary putting out a book. But what's even more scary is putting out the final book in a series or trilogy. There's this overbearing feeling of potential failure, that people will be disappointed, that as an author you'll drop the ball. I've seen this happen with other trilogies. I spent much longer finishing and then editing this one than with any other. I redesigned all the kindle covers so that they had a common feel but were distinct from each other. I read this thing from front to back more than a dozen times, to check for errors, to gage the flow, to confirm, at least to myself, that the story was fun to read and interesting. Finally, I took some deep breaths and hit publish.

 

And then I waited. I posted some links and put half of my books on sale in celebration. I asked for reviews from just a couple of folks who liked the first two books. And last night, late, I saw the first review. I feel like that one person reading and loving my book has made it all worth it.

 

Will everyone love it? Probably not. But I know one person did, and that just makes my day.

 

 

And, if that wasn't enough, he also reviewed my other newish release, The Freeze. I must say I'm pretty excited about this one, too. I think my only regret is that I didn't flesh The Freeze out more. A common thread in all the reviews so far is that it missed opportunities. A good lesson I plan to take to heart. But, still, folks do seem to like it, and that's awesome.

Here's the link to Michaelscifan's The Freeze review.

Finished with another book, or am I?

Yesterday I wrapped up a very promising 3rd draft of last year's NaNoWriMo story, The Freeze.  I had that feeling, that I'm done feeling. A rush of emotions. Happiness, relief, but then doubt and weariness.

Why?

Because one thing I've learned since I started self-publishing is that when you think you're finished, you're usually wrong.  No, take that back, you're definitely wrong, particularly if you are celebrating finishing your final draft.

So, you might ask, what's left to do?

Good question. Here's a quick list to give you an idea, and perhaps to give me one as well.  A checklist of things I have yet to do.

1. Get a second look at the thing.
Honestly, I haven't done this in the right place yet. Getting a beta reader to look at your story should happen after you are confident it's ready for public eyes.  Maybe this time, eh? I really should.

2. Format for publishing.
This gets tricky, particularly if you distribute through more than one venue, like I do. I've found that each one prefers, or even requires, a very specific set up. Some require standard front matter. You have to obtain an ISBN # and put it in the right place, or an ASIN # if you're publishing on Kindle. And, while you don't necessarily have to do it, you probably should write a quick note for the end of the book. Yeah, that's not really fun, but think about how you feel when you finish a good story and find that the author has tacked that personal touch at the end. I know I like it.

3. Come up with a back cover blurb.
 This can also be the description you will post with the book on websites. For me they are either the same or very similar. I don't think I've yet mastered the art, but writing reviews has made the task easier. My goal is to write a single paragraph, short and sweet, that shows what the story is about and why the reader should want to read it. In any case, this needs to be ready before you go to publish. All the venues I use require you to post one, and some don't have a save progress option; it's all or nothing with those, so have it ready.

4. Craft a cover.
Ok, so this one's tricky. So far, I've done all my own covers, but I must say that you'll probably get better results if you hire someone with a solid portfolio and graphic artistry skills to do it for you. Then again, if you're like me, you don't have a budget for that just yet.  So, I will be doing it again.

Right now, I'm looking at my topic and at my other books and thinking, "Holy cow, did I really just write another book that lends itself to a blue cover?" Sure, blue's my favorite color, but honestly, I'm not doing this on purpose.  Can't make it white or the edges disappear on the selling pages.  Le sigh.

So, yeah, you need a cover before you publish as well, and like the content, the cover needs to be formatted differently for different venues.  I usually use the same one for Kindle and Smashwords, but the print one has to be a specific size and quality. And it has to be set up a bit odd because the top, bottom and right edges will be chopped off. That's a pain.

Photoshop helps, but not as a means to stitch together different pictures or fix a fundamentally flawed one.  I use it to layer background color, image, boxes (on which to place the text), and text onto the cover. Don't get caught up in fancy fonts or complex images. Simple is good. Readable is good. Shrink your cover to the size it will be posted on Amazon. Can you still read it and tell what it says? And, like the content, ask a few people to give you their opinions.

5. Get ready to publish the book.
This is where you'll actually start uploading all the content, the cover, and the blurb. Personally, I like to load the book everywhere and save, but not publish. Then I like to order a print proof and do one more round of line editing. Whatever I catch there, I fix in all three formats: print, kindle and smashwords. It's amazing how many things you'll find in the print version of the book you thought was perfect. It's worth the few dollars you'll spend on the proof and the shipping. And yeah, this is another reason why I say I'm not done when I think I am. I know better.

6. Set a date and promote.
Yes, time to let people know the book's coming. There are a few ways to drum up interest. You can sign up for blog tours, book blitzes and schedule interviews. You can take out ads.  You can recruit some ARC reviewers and get them to post their opinions before release date.  So far, I've not been very good at this part of it, mostly because I just want to skip right to publishing.  Because of that, I won't go into detail here.

7. Publish the book.
At this point, you are ready. Everything's in place. It's release day (or just prior to). You've announced/promoted. You're happy with the book, the cover and the blurb. You know where you're publishing. Now, just log in, hit publish and wait. Wait, because with self publishing, your book usually has to go through a review before it posts.

If you've done this before, you'll have a good idea how long it takes for each venue. Like for Amazon, I'll hit publish the night before release. For CreateSpace, I'll hit it 2-3 days before release. For Smashwords, well, I just post it on release day and the book filters out to the various booksellers over the course of a week, but it's available on the Smashwords site right away.

8. Promote the book.
And promote yourself and your brand. Talk with people. Chat with readers online. Write a blog. Share short stories and poetry. Write reviews and participate in the author community. Mention your book when context allows, but don't shout "buy my book" in every message board and chat room. Basically, this part of it never ends. Some of us are better at it than others. I've noticed that those that are good at it have readers and bloggers and fellow authors behind them, cheering them on and spreading the word. I hardly ever see an author that has achieved that standing on the power of their own, personal promotion efforts. And, it takes time. Have I reached that level yet? No, but I am enjoying the journey there and feel lucky to have met some very interesting people along the way.

So, yes, I'm finished with The Freeze, but as you can see, there is a lot of work left to do. I'll keep you posted.

Self Publishing: New KDP Reports!

If you self-publish on KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing), but haven't checked your numbers lately, you might be in for a pleasant surprise. I'd like to share two new Reports that I've noticed that should make things much easier.

The first one I noticed when KDP changed their payment frequency to monthly, no matter the amount. That in itself was a fantastic change. Even if you aren't making much, getting the little deposits is still pretty exciting.  Well, anyways, there's a new Payments report on there that breaks everything down. Not only does it clearly list the date and source of the payment, but also the exchange rate and ultimate amount of the actual amount dropped in your account.

Sounds good, right? What makes it better is that you don't have to select one Amazon site at a time and you don't have to dig through your bank statement to figure out what you're actually getting (exchange rates, you know). That will definitely help with the taxes.

Another neat thing is the new Sales Dashboard. Mine isn't all that impressive, since I haven't run any promotions or marketed much this month, but it's easy to see that the filters you apply can range from anything from a single title and market all the way up to everything, and you can add various date ranges, too. Add to that, the data is displayed as a graph, great for trending your sales and comparing the different types. And, sure, you can still look at the Month to Date Unit Sales report, which displays one month's numbers for a single market place, but why would you want to?  

Let's just say I like the new reports.  Now, I've got to drum up some sales so I have something to look at.  

Self-publishers Rejoice-New Goodies on CreateSpace and KDP

Today I logged on to CreateSpace to add a final polishing update to my upcoming book, Forgotten Valor, which is scheduled to be released November 20, 2013, and discovered some new goodies.

For those of you who don't know, CreateSpace is a self-publishing platform for print-on-demand paperbacks. It can be a pain to format your book for print, but it's awesome to be able to order prints and distribute them and to keep no inventory when you don't have a buyer lined up.

Ok, back to the point. I logged on and there right across the top of the dashboard were two announcements.

1. The long begged for (if you read the CS message boards) matte finish is now available. Not every book works with a shiny cover. Now you can order them with a nice soft finish. Excellent!

2. Expanded distribution to bookstores and libraries is now free, whereas before it required self-publishers to pay a fee. Of course, just as before, sending it out through middlemen to extra outlets requires a slightly higher price, but the option is there, and the mark up isn't all that much.

So, if you publish your books for print with CreateSpace, take a look.

I signed up all my books for the expanded distribution, which doesn't guarantee your book will be carried by other distributors, but does make it possible. I already have one showing up on B&N, but it didn't do that until I expanded all my e-books to them via Smashwords. I think there's a connection there, but I can't prove it.

On a related note, Kindle Direct Publishing also has some new coolness to offer. Their Kindle Match Book is live, allowing readers who buy a book in print to get a copy of the Kindle edition at a discount. And it's awesome because you don't have to be enrolled in Kindle Select.

The second new thing on KDP is an ability to set up better promotions for Kindle Select books. I didn't look at it too closely because you have to sell your ebooks exclusively on Amazon to enroll, and I'm trying to expand my distribution, not limit it. But for those of you interested in selling on Amazon, only, it's definitely worth a look.

So to all, happy publishing!

Here's to progress.

Legacy post from my Goodreads blog.

This quick update from December catalogs how I was doing on my goals for attracting an agent.  Since then I have expanced distribution for Shadows of Valor, not The Golden Ship.  It has been published on Smashwords.com, which distributes to popular ebook retailers like kobo, Barnes & Noble, and Apple.   

December 15, 2012

Here's to progress.

My plans for attracting an agent include: 1) writing more books, 2) getting those books published, 3) gaining followers, and 4) writing a blog.

I can say I have made quite a bit of progress since I first thought up my plan to attract an agent.

I've completed one book, drafted another and am working on the draft for a third. All these in addition to The Golden Ship, the book that first made me consider getting an agent. Shadows of Valor is, of course, already published and I've mentioned it in a few posts already. The Zombie Logs is a draft ready for editing and revision. Finally, the as of yet unnamed Shadows of Valor #2 is in progress, perhaps about 80% complete (give or take depending on where the story takes me). So, that's one.

Writing for work and fun...

Here's another legacy post from my Goodreads blog.

Writing improves the more you practice, but the type of writing and the approach you must take to write effectively varies.  Writing blog posts is much different than writing a novel, and writing training materials is much different than technical writing.  Here are a few tips I've come up with through trial, error and research.

January 26, 2013

Today, I decided to write about the various types of writing I do, including creative writing, of course. Here's the breakdown, in order of highest to lowest volume.

1. Business writing (emails, memos, standard operating procedures, etc.)

2. Instructional Writing (training materials, eLearning Courses, lesson plans)

3. Creative Writing (stories)

4. Social Writing (blogs, essays, and reviews)

As you can see, the majority of the writing I do falls into the Business and Instructional Writing categories (my day job), but I spend a great deal of time at home on the Creative and Social Writing.

Are you the victim of human auto-correct?

Do you find yourself sending an email only to notice glaring errors only moments later? Do you hit publish or post, only to find comments about your grammar, or lack thereof, sprinkled throughout subsequent comments and reviews? If so, you may be the victim of human auto-correct.

The human brain is a wonderful thing. It helps us make sense of a chaotic world and helps us react accordingly; but, similar to the auto-correct on your phone, the brain also subconsciously hides, or auto-corrects, inconsistencies, errors and omissions we encounter in the written word. A duplicate word becomes invisible, a misspelling is overlooked, and missing words are filled in.

Surely, you've seen blurbs where almost every word is a jumble of letters, but you were able to read the message anyway. Take the following example.

The qicuk bworn fox jmups oevr the lzay dgos.

You probably read this with no problems. In fact, so long as the first and last letter of a word is in place, most people's minds will substitute the correct word, especially if there's context to go with it.

Finding inspiration: Writing without a plan...

Legacy post from my Goodreads blog.

Update since original posting date: I'm about halfway through the second round of edits and revisions for Fearless: A survivor's account of the zombie apocalypse (or The Zombie Logs, as I as refer to it in my notes), which is mentioned below.  My challenge now is corralling all of the unbridled creativity that writing a novel in 20 days generates. 

November 26, 2012

Sometimes inspiration is fickle and not even a good mind map can save the day.

This year was my first NaNoWriMo and all I knew going in was that I wanted it to be about Zombies and that it would be a journal. That's it.

These are a couple of things that worked for me:

Self-publishing on Kindle

Hello all,

I've been a little heavier on the book reviews than on official blog posts lately. Every time I finish one I sign up for two more, totally my fault of course. But today I'm on vacation and my "currently reading" shelf is down to a reasonable three, so it's time for a real post, the topic: self-publishing on Kindle.

Recently, a friend of mine told me how publishing my books has inspired her to write one of her own. She also told me that figuring out how to self-publish was difficult, even with web addresses in hand. So, here's a quick run down of how to get your story published on Kindle.

1. Read Building Your Book for Kindle. This free book walks you through the process, with instructions geared towards people writing their books in Microsoft Word and, of course, publishing on Kindle.

2. Write your book, edit your book, and proofread your book. Make it as perfect as you can possibly get it. Reviewers on Amazon can be brutal. Consider asking some close friends to review it and give you comments, or, if you have the cash, consider soliciting the help of a professional.

Beyond Goodreads: book-based social networking

It's been awhile since I last posted about my travails as an independent author, and one of the trickiest and most time consuming activities for any author is marketing. That's why I decided to write a short blurb on a few of the book related social networks I've come across since my books were published last year.

Currently, I know of three: Goodreads, Shelfari, and LibraryThing.

So here's what I think.

Goodreads 
What I like: free, easy to use, vibrant community of active members, meeting other authors, Read to Review programs, groups, message boards, free blog, author dashboard, html tips, ability to edit reviews and blogs you've written, ability to post reading status updates, talks to Facebook, ability to follow reviews, become a fan, block people from following you, friending

Am I addicted to it: yes

What I don't like: can't save a review in progress, have to finish in one sitting, book setup as an author is a pain in the behind (worth it, but painful), you have to upload your own picture of your cover or your book has the dreary generic look