To Select or To Not Select, That's the Question

So, Amazon's self-publishing arm, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), recently announced a new feature for self-publishers called KDP Select. To say that it's created a bit of a stir in the self-publishing world is an understatement.

It presents indie authors with a bit of a double-edged proposition. In order to "join the club", you must make your book exclusive to Kindle for 90 days (ie, it cannot appear anywhere else in any form...including teasers on your own web site). In return, your book will be made available through the Kindle Owners' Lending Library for US Amazon Prime members for "free." (Prime members pay $79 a year for expedited shipping and other perks). Authors will also have an opportunity to set their price to $0 for five days every 90 days (while some books are currently free on Amazon, it's only accomplished through "tricking" the system and putting your book free through another distributor. The new setup will allow authors to set the price to $0 right through the KDP manager).

So, what's the hook? A share of half a million dollars a month. Authors' cut of the share is based on how many loans their book(s) gets. Amazon's example is a bit conservative, in my estimates: "...if the monthly fund amount is $500,000 and the total qualified borrows of all participating KDP titles is 100,000 in December and if your book was borrowed 1,500 times, you will earn 1.5% (1,500/100,000 = 1.5%), or $7,500..."

But, you're not gaining anything by letting your book go essentially for free, you say? Not quite. You see, borrows are now being incorporated into the Amazon ranking algorithm. So, though you may not see increased sales, any "free" borrows will push you up in the rankings (which, theoretically, would lead to more exposure, borrows, sales, etc). Conversely, it means that if you're book is NOT in the program, you're not only fighting sales of other books, but the added weight of borrows against your book's ranking.

Tempting, no? Like a good number of self-published authors, I have cast my book's net as far as possible. I have uploaded my book to Amazon, B&N, and the multi-platform distributor Smashwords for the other ebook fish (eg, iPad, Kobo, Sony). However, when it comes down to actual sales (like a good number of self-pubbed authors as well), I have received the most sales through Amazon. Here's how the numbers break down for my ebook sales after 6 months on the market:

• Amazon - 77.9%
• Apple - 10.3%*
• B&N - 8.3%
• Smashwords - 2.0%
• Kobo - 0.7%*
• Sony - 0.7%*

*May be higher, but reporting is monthly at best

Now, comes the question that many indies are faced with. Do I give up that ~20% of sales produced by the other channels for 90 days to try and grab a piece of the Amazon carrot? To be honest, the only channel I'm loathe to give up is the Apple one. As much a I'm a fan of B&N, they've done little to spur the kind of interest in indies that amazon has. Whereas, Apple hasn't quite got a hold of the potential clout they have with the iBookstore. They could probably be a major player in the ebook world if they just got their act together and cared about it, but therein lies the rub. They'll probably never invest the time and energy required, simply because it's not the game they want to play. They're only in it because the game came to them.

At the moment, my answer has been to not do anything. If the process of removing my book from the various sales channels was an easy one, I might have jumped on the band wagon. However, because it can be a bit convoluted and slow to pull books back from Kobo and Sony, it might be January before I'd be "let into the club." But, with my sequel on the horizon (the slowly developing Divisible by Six), I will have to seriously consider my options. By then, the results from the December kickoff will be in and we'll have some numbers to consider.

But, besides the consideration of whether it will be a financial boon or not, we may need to consider whether we, as self-pubbed authors, are fueling the desires of a machine bent on monopolizing an industry. Yep, I said it. And, it shouldn't be much of a surprise to anyone. Sure, you're only giving exclusivity for 90 days, but what comes next? How much money will it take for authors to completely forego all other outlets and remain exclusive to Amazon? Some have already taken the bait. How many authors might just not bother to put their books back up on other channels after their 90 days is up? It's a subversive move, and akin to a recent move that some US retailers are openly calling ruthless. Is it ok because "everyone else is doing it" and "I don't want to be the one that missed out"? Last time I checked, those were pretty lame excuses. Perhaps we all really need to take a step back and consider the possible consequences of our actions.

Comments? Thoughts? Ideas? I know you've got 'em. Would love to hear 'em.

Guest Post - Chris Blewitt - The Path from 100 Rejections to #1

Today, I'd like to welcome back one of my Same Six Questions alum, Chris Blewitt. Chris has stopped by today to share his self publishing journey with us. So, without further ado...

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            My publishing journey has been long and arduous.  I finished my second novel, Deep Rough in 2005 and anxiously awaited all of the agents and publishers to scoop it up.  I was naïve in my thinking, but I didn’t know any better.  I sent out a handful of queries and then forgot about it.  Years later, the itch returned.  I had a good story to tell and the world must have it available to read.  I edited furiously and then proceeded to send out over 100 queries to publishing agents.

            Zip.  Zero.  Nadda.

            Sure, there were a few that said, “Good story, well written, but unfortunately no one reads sports fiction anymore.”  I was frustrated and heartbroken.  Down and out on my luck, I was put in touch with a published author who said I need to find an agent.  Well, I already tried that, I explained to him.  He said to shoot his friend an email that had some success in self-publishing. 

            I quickly learned about Createspace and a few months later, I had Deep Rough in paperback form, in my hands.  It was exhilarating to say the least.  Seven years after I began to write, I finally had the finished copy in my hands.  I told everyone I knew and I sold around 50 paperback copies that first month, October of 2010.  I uploaded to Amazon’s KDP and now DR was available in Kindle, and a month later I put it on Barnes & Noble’s Nook. 

            Now what?

            Sales trickled in.  Sales were decent in December, about 40, and then completely stalled in January.  I sold 4 copies on Kindle, 3 paperbacks, and surprisingly 19 on the Nook.  I made some connections and soon I found Kindleboards, an online networking forum for Kindle owners and Indie authors.  I lowered my price to $.99 in February and sold 23, up from 4.  In March I sold 45 and started to be interviewed on other people’s blogs and websites.  I contacted Daily Cheap Reads and they agreed to feature my book on the Monday of The Masters (the subject of my book).  I sold around 40 copies that day.  I received an email on Masters Sunday from Pixel of Ink and they were featuring my book that day.  I sold 65!

            I was ranked # 1 in Sports Gambling, Sports, and Golf.  In the month of April I sold over 200 copies of Deep Rough.  It was a dream come true.  Was I making any money?  Not really, but at that point I didn’t care.  I leveled out at around 100 sales for May and June but maintained the # 1 position in Sports Gambling and the top 10 in Sports and Golf.  So I did something drastic.  I raised the price to $2.99 and sales fell.

            But not by much.  I sold 63 in July and made a lot more money too.

            Then something strange happened.  I started selling more at $2.99 than I did at $.99.  180 in August.  240 in September and 250 in October!  Sales have since leveled off which I’m okay with because I’m excited about my new release, The Lost Journal.

            So what are the lessons learned:

-          Never Give Up

o   I went from 4 sales in January to 250 in October

-          Have a Plan

o   Request to be interviewed from fellow authors.  Make sure you are on social networking sites as a reader and an author.  Make friends in the indie-world.  Get on Twitter, Facebook, and most importantly for me, Kindleboards.  Don’t be afraid to ask questions. 

-          Experiment with Price

o   $2.99 did not work right out of the gate for me.  I experimented with $.99 and also $1.99.  I got high rankings in my categories so then I raised my price to $2.99.  See what others are pricing their books at in your categories and price accordingly, or cheaper.

Everything I did may not work for everyone.  You definitely have to experiment.  I was on a cover review blog once and they suggested I put something about Augusta on the cover.  I did, “A Thriller in Augusta” now appears and I think it helped sales.  Most of all, don’t give up.  It takes time and energy to get results and I heard this once and it’s a saying I live by:  “If you want to be successful, do what other successful people do.”

The Lost Journal is available on Kindle for $2.99.

In 1778, during the peak of the Revolutionary War, a secret document is hidden and its whereabouts are known to only one man. Now, more than two centuries later, Seth Layton accidentally discovers the journal that will unlock its location and he is on a quest to find it. Joined by his grandfather and new female friend, Madison, they are chased by unsavory characters and some powerful people through historic Philadelphia to the streets of Washington DC. What American secret will the journal unveil and will Seth and his companions live long enough to reveal it? 

Questions?

Feel free to shoot me an email at chris@chrisblewitt.com.

The Same Six Questions - Anne Holly

Hi, and welcome to another installment of The Same Six Questions. Today, we have author Anne Holly. Welcome, Anne!

Hi Andy! I am a Canadian instructor at a university and mom with a secret double life—I write romance at night! Growing up on a little family farm in Nova Scotia, without television or computers, reading, drawing and making up stories were my life. From an early age, I knew that my home, while beautiful, wouldn’t hold me, and soon I was off to the big city, where I studied and eventually had a child, my three year old son. When I finished my education, I returned to writing, and published my current new release, Strings Attached, which I originally wrote in 2001. Since then, I’ve been a double agent—working the day job to pay the bills, and spending the nights (when I finally get the tot to bed) thinking of new adventures for people who don’t exist, and doing the “buy my book!” dance on the internet.

So, what are your answers to The Same Six Questions?

1. Have you published a book yet?

Strings Attached was written at a crossroads in my life. I had just finished college and wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue in academics or work. Then one day, I read the foreword to the last book from romance author LaVyrle Spencer. She wrote that romances had been good to her, and about the love of her readers, and about how people should write if they feel the fire to do so. And I recalled when I was a kid and loved writing.

So, facing this indecision, I sat down and wrote Strings Attached. At face value, it’s a simple story—a Canadian rancher, Josie, falls in love with an Australian rancher, Theo, and then proceeds to convince him they have a future. Theo has been badly damaged, and is convinced that his life is over—he has become an automaton. It’s up to Josie to save him. The novel comes from a dark place, where the road ahead isn’t very clear, every grasp for happiness is a huge gamble, and sometimes you feel damned if you do and damned if you don’t.

I was too young in some ways to write this story. It was partially inspired by an American case of a woman killing her children, and the discussion of postpartum psychosis surrounding it. This case made me think about how people can face this kind of tragedy and still go on. This was the seed of Theo’s story—a father without a child—and he wouldn’t stop nagging me. I knew I had to make someone save him. And Josie was born. Only love and hope can dig a man out of that kind of pain.

Then I put the book away when I decided to go to graduate school. When I graduated, I was again at a crossroads. Now a mother myself, I pulled out that old manuscript and rewrote it—finding new wells of pain and hope inside myself. What the younger me had written naively, the older me could rewrite into something both heartbreaking and redemptive. This became my novel, Strings Attached.

2. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I can’t recall a time when I wasn’t making up stories, or illustrating them, or acting out plays of my own devising. We were a very low-tech family, so it was entertainment. I spent a lot of time by myself, outside, and my characters were my friends. One summer after reading too much Farley Mowat, I spent all my daytimes fantasizing the story of an abandoned wolf cub for the whole school break.

As idyllic as my childhood was in some ways, in others it wasn’t. I also can’t recall a time when we weren’t poor as dirt. And anyone who grew up out of charity boxes knows this doesn’t make for happy school society at times. I was always eager for validation as a child, and I quickly realized my teachers liked my writing—winning their approval was the saving grace of my early school years, so I kept at it. While my classmates teased me, I was off in my stories.

In high school I decided to become a “real writer.” And I saw it as my ticket up and out. Eventually, academics swayed my path, but I never wandered too far from writing being a means of improving my mind, supporting my family and distinguishing myself from what others thought me capable of. And as a means of escape.

3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction? What was it about? When did you write it? Do you still have it?

In the eighth grade, I wrote my first novel. It was about segregation in the American south of all things, as if a white kid in Canada during the 1990s knew anything at all about it. It was tawdry and awful, I know now, but at the time I felt like the next Harper Lee. I do still have it. It’s in the same binder that held the loose leaf back then, although quite worse for wear. It lives in a storage box in my closet. I think I also still have the second draft on a now completely unusable giant floppy disk I typed it into in computer class. It will never, ever see the light of day, and if I become famous I will destroy it so no one gets the bright idea of publishing it in a “juvenilia collection” after I’m dead.

4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

I give all the credit for my initial ideas to become a writer to my wonderful teachers. In high school, I won a regional competition for a play I wrote, and some essay and poem prizes. I got in the local paper. Most importantly, my teachers were constantly urging me to hone my skills and focus on a career in writing. I realized, “Hey, I can do this!”, despite my natural inclination towards shyness, because they believed in me so much that they were always pressing me to enter this or that contest, and helping me publish small bits here or there.

Being a writer is wonderful, but being a teacher can literally save lives. I cannot ever thank them enough for what they did for me.

Then, in 2010, after re-writing Strings Attached (which had been rejected by a publisher—quite rightfully, I know now—back in 2002 or so), I decided to give “being a writer” a chance. When my editors and test readers embraced the book, I felt like maybe I really could really do it. When I then came up with new books, that’s when I did know my teachers had been right.

5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

I have a huge crush on the writer Kale, who is the main character in my Christmas romantic comedy novella Unwrapping Scrooge. I loved him so much, and had such a good time writing him, that I still miss him. I would like it if he were real—and I am now writing a short story where a novelist falls for her main character, based on the weirdness of crushing on Kale.

In truth, though, I would be happy to know most of my main characters. I try to put positive energy out there, and even the most flawed of my characters are usually people I could live amongst happily.

6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl/boy (they kinda scream the same anyway). What's on the doorstep?

I don’t know—that depends. Is it a good scream or a bad scream? I guess, if it were Kale from question 5, it would be both, because I would be gleeful while also realizing I had finally lost my crackers.

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Thanks so much for spending some time, Anne! For more of Anne’s work, please check out her blog, website, and Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Makes sure to stop by on Thursday when author Lisa Scott answers The Same Six Questions!

The Same Six Questions - Chris Blewitt

Welcome to another edition of The Same Six Questions. Today, I'm happy to have along Chris Blewitt, a fellow New Jerseyan! Welcome Chris!

Thanks Andy! I live in South Jersey with my wife and 3 kids. I grew up just south of Philadelphia, went to school at the University of Dayton (Go Flyers!), and graduated with a degree in Criminal Justice. Which proves that your career path is not determined by your degree. I've spent 16 years in sales, first selling golf clubs right out of college. I've always enjoyed golf and my biggest regret is quitting the high school golf team to play ice hockey. Who knows? I had my handicap down to a 5 before kids, then golf got put on the back burner. So instead of golfing, I wrote a fictional novel about golf.

Now it's time for The Same Six Questions

1. Have you published a book yet?

I published Deep Rough in October of 2010 through Createspace and Kindle Direct Publishing. Finishing DR 5 years ago, I thought agents would be fighting over my manuscript. Not so much. I received over 100 rejections, mostly form letters, and a handful of "I love the story but there is no market for sports fiction." So, after a few lengthy discussions with other authors, I self-pubbed and couldn't be happier. I'm not getting rich but to know my hard work is in the hands of readers is rewarding enough. DR can be found on Amazon in paperback and for Kindle as well as on Barnes & Noble's Nook.


2. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I knew I wanted to be a LAWYER after reading The Firm. Since that didn't work out, I figured I could try my hand at writing. I was overtaken by this book. I think I read it in 2-3 days. I was not a big reader at the time, so this was new to me, the overwhelming feeling of suspense and fear by placing yourself IN the book. That's when I knew that I would love to write something like this that captivates the readers imagination.

3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction (say, >1000 words)? What was it about? When did you write it? Do you still have it?

My first piece of fiction was actually my first novel (unpublished), entitled The Three-Sided Square. I finished it about a year after college and gave it to an author I knew who said it was not very good and that I should write "what you know." I still have it somewhere and I may whip it out and polish it up now that self-publishing is a reality.

4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

It had to be after I joined a writer's group at the local Y. I was surrounded by women and felt totally out of place. We would do exercises and share them with the group. I would read mine and receive critiques from each member of the group. After hearing their stories, I thought mine was so much better! I loved writing random things down. Our instructor would say, "one-armed man on a bus" and you would just write a few paragraphs and let the imagination flow. It was great.


5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

It would have to be Red Maitland. He is a conniving old man that is a member of Augusta National. He is dark, soulless and carries a 30-year grudge. He is not your typical country-club member and it would be intereting to play a quick round of golf with him.


6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What's on the doorstep?

Ed McMahon and the crew from the Publisher's Clearing House handing me a check for $10 million.

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Thanks so much for sharing, Chris! For more of Chris' work and writing, be sure to check out his web site and give him a follow on Twitter!

That concludes another fascinating round of The Same Six Questions. Be sure to stop back on Monday, when my guest will be author Z.D. Robinson! See you then!

Sales Results After 1 Month

With the 1st Month Anniversary of my book launch upon us, I thought I'd throw out some numbers from the last 30 days. As an indie author, I know I've always been curious to see how others are doing, even before I was published. Now, I'm equally curious (and sometimes jealous) to see where others stand.

Let me tell you, it's been an emotional 30 days. There is nothing quite like putting your heart and soul (ie, book) out into the public eye. So far, Multiples has received great reviews (AMZ: 3 US, 1 UK [all 5 stars]; B&N: 1 [4 stars]) and many inquiries into the whereabouts of book 2 (Divisible by Six, which is set to launch by mid-January at the latest). Because it's so easy to track sales, I must admit I've become a bit obsessed. I'm trying to ween myself down from checking every hour, but it's so darned easy! Curse you Amazon! However, despite some authors' totals I've seen in the past, I have not been so obsessive to write down a daily tally.

Here are my totals as of 8/17 at 7:30 AM:

Amazon US: 27
Amazon UK: 1
Amazon DE: 0
Amazon Paperback: 1
B&N: 8
Smashwords: 3 paid, 39 free

Grand total: 40 paid, 39 free.

The freebies through Smashwords were part of a giveaway done through LibraryThing.com in an attempt to garner reviews. I made 50 ebook copies available and had ~75 people sign up. I had a review appear on LibraryThing today due to the giveaway and though it's 5 stars, I'm not sure I trust the source. It's certainly not one I'd wish to see on Amazon (it's vague and full of typos). But, exposure is exposure, right? ;)

So, what does this all mean? Not much, really. I know the majority of the folks who have purchased my book, as I'm sure happens with most first-time authors. But, I've been really surprised by the response I've had from folks I don't know personally. I must be doing something right 'cause folks seem to be entertained by my writing. And that's all I've ever really hoped for.

Now, I've got to put this launch behind me and focus on book 2. Folks seem much more keen to purchase a book that already has a sequel out than otherwise. A lot less waiting.

If you haven't already, be sure to check out my autographed paperback copy giveaway on GoodReads.com!

The Same Six Questions - Jason Kristopher

Today’s episode of The Same Six Questions features author Jason Kristopher. Take it away, Jason!

Thanks, Andy! I was born in Waco, Texas, and spent the first years of my life moving with my family around northern Texas and the Panhandle, including Lubbock. After settling in northern Colorado, I spent nearly two decades there soaking up the creative energy and enjoying the beautiful weather, before moving back to Texas ten years ago for "real" work.

Throughout this long journey, I continued to write all kinds of fiction, including fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and children's tales, and even tried penning a poem or two. My family members were constantly invited to read incomplete works; finally, on pain of death, I finished my first novel, and hope that their ire will be at least somewhat sated.

I currently live in Houston and enjoy reading, writing, movies, music (live and not), the Houston Astros (winning and not) and the Texas hill country, especially the vineyards.

Thanks for that, Jason. Now it’s time for The Same Six Questions!

1. Have you published a book yet?

Indeed, I have! It’s a zombie apocalypse novel that one reviewer called “the best zombie book since World War Z!” It’s got 4.6/5 stars at Amazon, with 26 reviews, nothing less than 4 stars. For 410 pages and only $3.99 (on Kindle), it’s a heck of a bargain. It’s a good solid story, with a focus more on the characters and how they deal with the end of the world—and each other—rather than concentrating on just the zombie-bashing… although there’s plenty of action, too. Lots of readers have said that it reminded them of The Walking Dead on AMC, which is great, because that’s exactly the feel I was going for.

Here’s the blurb:

"I didn't see Rebecca die the second time."

The United States military hides a secret: the completely real existence of eat-your-brains, one-bite-and-you're-dead zombies. The Army has known they exist for over a hundred years, and has been quietly and expertly keeping the secret.

Until now.

His hometown destroyed, with everyone he has ever known dead and gone, the sole survivor of the massacre at Fall Creek joins a secret military group to combat the single greatest threat our world has ever faced. Unfortunately, his help may come too late. Even as victories over the walkers mount, the seeds of our ultimate doom are sown from within, and at the last, only a brave few may survive to carry on.

2. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I would say always, but it’s only been in the last couple years that I decided to actually make a go of it and put the pedal to the metal, so to speak. I started putting pen to paper in 7th grade (don’t ask me how long ago that was, thanks), and I knew then that I was going to have this be a part of my life for a long, long time. As it stands, I figured out the other day that with just the ideas I have right now, I could write for forty years—if I put out four books a year. That’s novels, not short stories or novellas. 100,000+ words or more. And that’s just the ideas I have now; I get more every day.

I’ll be eighty *mumble* and have more than 100 books by the time I’m done with all those. I’d call that a pretty good career. But the kicker is, it doesn’t feel like work, to me. And that is the best feeling in the world, to do something you love as your job. It just doesn’t get better than that.

3. What was your first lengthy piece of fiction (say, >1000 words)? What was it about? When did you write it? Do you still have it?

My first lengthy piece was that one I wrote in 7th grade, about a crashed alien wolf and the boy who finds him. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the way I wrote it – shifting viewpoints back and forth between the two of them – was pretty advanced, according to my English teacher. It was very, very rough and needed a lot of work, but he was surprised I’d come up with something like that. It’s been lost to the depths of my “keepsakes,” sadly – or scattered to the four winds – but I still have most of my other unfinished works.

4. When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

When I hit the final period on that last page. I remember thinking “Holy crap!” The genie doesn’t go back in the bottle, and I realized that nothing in my life would be the same ever again. Because I’d done it. It didn’t matter if I never sold that book or made a dime off it; I was a writer, and I’d written a whole novel. An original idea, set on paper by me, and it was good. I knew then that there was no way I could keep doing the 8-5 grind that everyone else does. This was the life for me, pure and simple.

5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

I would meet Kimberly Barnes, and hope she was single, or write her that way. Seriously, though, I’d meet any of them. They’re almost all good people, and even the nasty ones started out good. Except Gardner. At the very least, they’re interesting, and I would love to hear more about their stories that I don’t know. It would be surreal at best, but I could really get into their heads and find out what makes them tick, and that could only make the sequels to my book better. And Kimberly is pretty good-looking, too.

6. It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl. What's on the doorstep?

Freddy Krueger. Jason Voorhees. Michael Myers. And they’re arguing about how best to carve me up. Those movies always scared me and are a primary motivation for me not watching horror movies now. And yes, I realize it’s more than a little ironic that a horror writer doesn’t like horror movies. But any of those three would scare me that much. Or Charlie, from Ania Ahlborn’s Seed. Uber-creepy.

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Great answers Jason! Thanks for stopping by.

For more information on Jason and his writing, check out his about.me profile, publishing site, follow him on Twitter, or like him on Facebook!

Be sure to stop by on Thursday, when my guest will be indie author Brent Nichols. Until then, keep writing and reading!

eBook Launch Postmortem

Having just completed a full week of having Multiples of Six available online, let me give you some more epublishing tips.

1. Read, read, and re-read your book before you post it. If you've read it X times, read it one more time. One day will no make or break anyone. I know it's an exciting thing, but errors are turn-offs to readers who are used to well-polished traditional books.

2. If you're expecting friends and family to propel your sales, you'd better have a lot of both. Instead, try and find your true audience. That's not to say that friends and family aren't, but you need to seek out readers of your genre. Writers tend to cling to one another like popularity might wear off or trickle down. And, though it's good to have other writers/authors to bounce ideas off of, they also have an agenda of their own (sell their book).

3. If you can handle the monotony of formatting your work for Smashwords, it'll pay off for when you upload to B&N and Amazon. It took a long time to go through and do all of the necessary style changes to get it through Smashwords' Meat Grinder, but the product I was left with made it all the easier to upload to the BIG 2. If you find that you are unable to get it done on your own, there are people out there who will do it for you...for a small fee. Oh, and don't leave this till the last minute. It can be time-consuming no matter how easy you find it and the last thing you want delaying your publication is a formatting error.

4. Make sure your cover looks good at every size, large or small. I've noticed the font on my cover gets a little pixelated at the smaller sizes. But, there are two very important things I can do when it's that small: (1) read the title and (2) read my name. You wouldn't believe how many ebooks I've seen where you can't distinguish either when the cover is 1" x 2". The reason the phrase "Don't judge a book by its cover" exists is because that's exactly what we do...even if we shouldn't! Rest assured, there are readers out there doing just that when they see yours.

5. Don't cry when the sales don't start flooding your Amazon stats. Realize this: your book has no expiration date. There is no point at which it will "sell out." You've got time on your side. If you haven't marketed your release, make a plan to do post-launch marketing. It doesn't have to cost you anything. There are plenty of web sites and blogs out there (this one included) that will post your content for free. Now, whether or not it generates sales is another story. Just remember that you get out what you put in. If your work is good quality, it will eventually gain traction on its own merit.

6. The writing doesn't end when you click "upload." If you're writing a series, it's time to get cracking on the next book! A week in and I've already had several people ask when the sequel to Multiples will be out (tentatively titled Divisible by Six). Folks don't like to wait years for their favorite authors to publish their next book. And, as ebook authors, we have the ability to provide a much more rapid response. I'm hoping to have my sequel out in time for Christmas, but a lot has to happen in order for that to happen.

Good luck with your own book. I'll definitely keep you up to date with how Multiples is doing.

Happy Birthday to My First Book! Multiples of Six Release Day!

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There is something both inherently exciting and frightening about letting your story go out into the world. As a writer, it's the ultimate moment of exposure. Until now, I've limited the readership to my debut novel to a trusted few. But, the time has come to let go of its hand and see if it can walk on its own.

I am very proud to announce that my suspense/thriller, Multiples of Six, is now available through most ebook retailers. It's been a long time coming, as the initial idea for this story began in 2004. Phew!

It's just over 70,000 words and I've had a lot of great feedback on it so far. I hope you'll give it a chance and let me know what you think if you do.

For Nook owners, the book can be found at Barnes & Noble.

For Kindle owners, you can click on the link below:

For all other formats (Sony, Apple, Kobo, PDF, etc), please check out Smashwords.com.

Next week, I'll have a new post regarding the final steps to publishing. In the meantime, I'll have a new edition of my indie author interview feature, The Same Six Questions every Monday and Thursday. Make sure to stop by and check it out. You never know, you might find a new author to read (besides me, of course)! ;-)

The Same Six Questions - Ty Johnston

Hi, and welcome to the inaugural edition of “The Same Six Questions”! Today, we have author Ty Johnston.

Before we begin with the “official” questions, Ty, can you tell us a little about yourself?

Thanks, Andy! Born in Kentucky, I now spend my time traveling with my wife. Much of our time, of late, has been spent in the South of the U.S. I was a newspaper editor for 20 years, but upon losing my job like so many others of the last few years, I have been fortunate enough to turn my hobby of writing fiction into my profession. My main interests are writing and reading, though I am also somewhat of a connoisseur of fine beers. I love to study history, philosophy, religion and literary theory. Renaissance fairs are a favorite pursuit of mine. When not involved with all that, I like walking my beagle or spending time with our two house rabbits.

Thanks! Now, the hard part. Here’s The Same Six Questions

1.            Have you published a book yet?

Not in print, but in e-book formats I have self-published seven novels, six short story collections, one non-fiction book and two screenplays. I also have short stories available in various venues throughout the Web and in print. As of yet, none of my longer works are in print, but hopefully that will change soon; I have worked with two different print publishers over the last couple of years, but for reasons mainly having to do with the economy and changes in the publishing industry, we’ve not been able to bring out my novels in print. That being said, I am excited with some recent behind-the-scenes action and hopefully I’ll be able to announce something in the next month or so.

I write mainly epic fantasy and horror, with my “City of Rogues” novel probably being my best known work. The story in that novel involves my Kron Darkbow character who returns to his home city after being away for 15 years, seeking vengeance for the deaths of loved ones. Unfortunately for him, he quickly discovers that revenge can be complicated, especially when innocent people become involved.

2.            When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I have always wanted to be a writer. I cannot remember a time, even when very young when I did not have some aspirations to be a professional fiction writer. Even when I was five and six years old, I would spend days upon days writing and drawing my own comic books. My drawing and painting talents, however, have floundered with time and lack of practice, so nowadays I mostly stick to writing. I wrote my first novel in fifth grade, what today would be considered fan fiction about the James Bond character, though back in themid-70’s I don’t believe too many people had heard of fan fiction, at least not outside of hardcore genre and convention fans.

I eventually became a newspaper journalist because I thought it would pay the bills while I worked on my fiction, but it turned out to be the other way around. Journalism kept me too busy to work on my fiction at a consistent level, and it was only after I left the business that I began to find any success with my novels and short stories.

3.            What was your first lengthy piece of fiction? What was it about? When did you write it?   Do you still have it?

Well, I mentioned that James Bond novel I wrote in fifth grade, but that was probably only about 20,000 words, to be honest. The first long piece of fiction I ever tried my hand at was a horror novel called “The Storm” I started when I was 19 years old. I wrote about 70,000 words, but then I got into college and have never gotten back to it. I hope to someday, but it has yet to be high on my priority list because I realize I would probably have to start from scratch and don’t really look forward to that. Yes, I still have my copy of that novel stuffed away in a file. It was about a small town in Kentucky where an ominous other-worldly figure tries to kidnap a child for its own ends, but the child is a telekinetic and has friends and neighbors who help combat this horror. Of course, it’s more complicated than that, but I don’t want to give too much away in case I ever get this thing written. I still think it has a workable plot and interesting characters.

4.            When was your first indication, "I can do this (write)"?

I’ve always felt like I could write. I’ve always known I had to work on my craft, and there are still mistakes I make today, but I know I can write. I have no delusions about being a great writer, however. I am a decent writer, one who can entertain enough people to make a living doing this. I think journalism helped some in this regard because I was always writing in that business, even when I was an editor, and you have to write quickly and on deadline and you have to write decently, at the least.

5.            If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which would it be?

I’ve seen similar questions put to other authors before, but I’m not sure I’d want to meet any of them. My nicer characters tend to have bad things happen to them, and I wouldn’t want to be around that. On the other hand, my rougher characters probably wouldn’t like me or tolerate me for long and I’d end up with a dagger stuck in my back. If I had to meet any of my characters, I would probably pick Walt from my literary novel, More Than Kin, but again, bad things happen to Walt, who is a pretty nice guy.

6.            It's a dark and stormy night...you're alone in the house...there's a knock at the door...you open it, look out, and proceed to scream like a little girl/boy (they kinda scream the same anyway). What's on the doorstep?

Probably a big, twisted demonic beastie that looks like something from the John Carpenter movie “The Thing.” I’d try to slam the door shut and grab something as a weapon, but I think it would all be over within a matter of seconds. I’d hope I’d have time to scream for the wife to run or something. And don’t give me looks. You asked, alright? And I write horror, so you know it would have to be something nasty out there.

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Thanks so much for stopping by Ty! For more of Ty’s work, or to find him online, check out the following links:

Blog: http://tyjohnston.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/htjohnston
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/jharmonwriter
Search Amazon.com for Ty Johnston 

Don’t forget to come back on Thursday (7/21), when we’ll hear from author Stephen Martin!

New Feature! The Same Six Questions

Hi Everyone! I'm very excited to announce that I'll be having a regular feature on my blog called, The Same Six Questions. This feature will include brief interviews with independent authors/writers discussing their work. I hope you'll take the time to check it out!

Release Date!

Hi! Sorry for the lack of posts! Things have been rather hectic. New job, busy weekends...I know...excuses, excuses. But, while I've been slacking off, my beta readers/editors have been hard at work. Therefore, I'm very excited to announce that I have an official release date for Multiples of Six! Friday, July 22nd! Mark it on your calendar! Or, just like my Facebook page and I'm sure I'll bombard you with promotional reminders. :)

Why Cheap Books Won’t Ruin the E-Publishing Industry

Lately, there’s been a bit of a kerfuffle about how 99 cent ebooks are going to ruin the book publishing industry. That, somehow, by introducing thousands of new self-published “authors” to the booming epublishing industry (if you hadn’t heard, Amazon recently reported esales overtaking paper sales for the first time), it’ll take down the industry as a whole. As if the appearance of a cheaper alternative is the death knell of anything! It’s not going to go away, people! It’s just going to change!

As Americans, we are well aware of the introduction of cheaper alternatives. Pick up almost any consumer item on the shelf and you’ll more than likely see “Made in [insert favorite Asian country here].” But, that doesn’t mean you (A) can’t purchase said item, or (B) find that item with a “Made in the USA” label on it (though the label itself might still be made in Japan, but I digress). The same could be said of many consumer items.

Ebook pricing seems to be a rather contentious topic for some ebook authors though. Presently, most traditional (ie, big six publisher) authors ebooks are priced in line with their tangible (paper) publications. I don’t particularly understand buying an ebook for $8.99 when it costs significantly less to produce than a paper version. For nontraditional authors, the price line seems to dip below $3.99. I’ve debated my introductory price for Multiples of Six and feel that $2.99 is a fair starting price to ask. I’ve worked hard on it and I think it’ll be entertaining. But, only those who purchase and read the book can decide whether or not the work is worthy of the price point. And, I hope they’ll take the opportunity to tell me so one way or the other.

However, what seems to be happening of late is a smear fest against authors listing their works for $0.99 (the lowest amount Amazon will accept, other than free). Without reading the work, people are automatically disparaging the authors of these works. They claim they are diluting the virtual bookshelf with 99 cent trash. Now, mind you, they may be right. I’m sure there are plenty of slapped-together, typo-filled, incoherant novels out there, luring in readers with the 99 cent price tag. Hey, who doesn’t like a bargain? But, guess what? Consumers are pretty smart. If you buy something on the cheap, then you expect a certain quality. If the product matches the price point, then who is to complain? The consumer has only shelled out a buck and the author has, essentially, made not claim that their work will be worth more than that. If there is a sense, on the part of the consumer, that they haven’t gotten their money’s worth, rest assured that the author will hear about it.

Let’s think about it in terms of frozen dinners. You’ve got your top of the shelf--ahem--Stouffer’s and Mary Callender’s, then you have your Hungry Man, then you’ve got your Banquet. The Banquet is on sale for 99 cents and the picture looks kinda like the one on the Stouffer’s. You give it a try. You know you can’t expect the Stouffer’s quality--ahem--, but you can’t really complain about spending a buck. Now, either one of two things will happen. The consumer will either realize the error of his ways and never trust another $0.99 frozen meal again or the consumer will be satisfied with what they received in exchange for their money. No, it wasn’t Stouffer’s, but it was adequate and got the job done for a bargain price. Happy customer.

So, ok, get to the point then. The 99 cent price point won’t kill publishing. The influx of crappy writing won’t kill publishing. Consumers are pretty smart cookies (mmm…cookies). Give them what they want at the price they want and they’ll keep coming back. Give them crap and they won’t. And, in the end, the cream will rise to the top as it always does. And, just think, the top will be that much higher with so much more crap underneath!

The Importance of Having a Second Set of Eyes

We've all heard it before; two heads are better than one. I recently put the "final" touches on my novel, Multiples of Six, in order to get it to my final beta readers. Even after having read through it thoroughly, I still found that my early readers had caught things I still missed! The trick is, when you're so close to something like a novel, you can miss the simplest of plot issues.

If you plan on self-publishing a novel, it's imperative that you have beta readers who can be objective. It may also help if they have an eye towards editing as well. The fact is, we can't all afford to pay a professional editor to review our work. But, we all know at least one person who incessantly corrects our speech and/or emails/texts/tweets. Seek those people out as your readers and you won't be sorry. As you're finalizing your novel, the last thing you want to do is avoid objective reviews. If you really don't know anyone who fits this criteria, seek them out! Consider joining a local writing group or make connections through Twitter or Facebook. There are plenty of other writers out there and some are more than willing to help out if the favor is returned.

The important thing to remember is to not go it alone. There are just too many variables that exist in the course of a full length novel. And, you only get one shot at a first impression as a novelist. Though self-publishing does allow for the opportunity to fix your mistakes, you don't want those first readers to be put off by sloppy writing.

Luckily for me, the majority of my final beta read team also happen to be talented editors. I'm looking forward to hearing their comments and getting Multiples of Six published by the end off this month (or early July)!

Cover Art for Multiples of Six

So, I'm very excited to show off the new cover art for Multiples of Six.



I'm really quite pleased with it and its creation certainly makes me feel like everything is coming together. There's something a little egotistical about having your name (even if it is a pseudonym) on a book cover. With the new Web site and the cover art complete, it's just a matter of getting the feedback from my phase 2 beta readers in. I'm still aiming for the end of June for my release. But, if I'm not careful (and diligent with what's required of me) it might slip into July. Not a huge problem, but I would certainly like to have it go live sooner.

Looking forward to working on this book over the next month and wrapping up its publication. Then, the real adventure begins and I get to see if anyone actually wants to read it. ;)

Managing the Project of Self Publication

Seven weeks to go. I created a self-imposed deadline of the end of June as my publication date for my upcoming novel, Multiples of Six. Now, as that date begins to creep ever closer, I’m finding that I’m encountering many of the delays one experiences in mainstream publishing (I work in medical publishing). And, I guess I shouldn’t really be surprised!

Self Publication: The Adventure Begins

Sure, it’s easy enough to say you’ll self publish via ebook. The tools and resources to do so are all at your fingertips. But, what you may not realize is that you’re in for a boatload of work if you plan to be successful. Here are a few things to address before you press the submit button.

This list assumes you’ve got a completed manuscript. I would even go as far as saying this assumes you’re past the second or third draft. It’s a manuscript that’s ready to move forward. It’s one thing to consider what’ll happen when you're done, but don’t let the “what I’ll do when I finish” get in the way of actually finishing.

1. Find some honest readers. Whether it’s a writing group, a book club, or someone you’ve become friendly with through their blog. Your mom, sister, boyfriend, wife, just won’t cut it at this point. Sure, they may give you feedback, but how much are they holding back because they don’t want to hurt your feelings? Now is not the time to seek praise. It’s time to grit your teeth and get some criticism that can improve your book.
   


2. Make friends with an editor. There’re lots of them out there. Trust me…I was one. And, I would have loved if someone had asked me to edit their novel. Now, mind you…if you can’t befriend one, you might just have to pay one. If you have any doubts about your ability to self edit, it will be worth the money. No one wants to read a book filled with typos and poor punctuation.
   


3. Research cover designers. Yep, your ebook still needs a cover. Let’s face it, when browsing in the store, if you don’t know the author, you pick up the book because you were drawn to it by something on the cover. And, even if your release date is still a couple months off, you’ll want to have the cover in order to build buzz for the book. It makes a great marketing tool and once you’ve purchased it, it’s yours to use however you like. Now, in my time of due diligence, I came across a wide spectrum of services. Everything from $30 to $900 and up! And, like all things of quality, you get what you pay for. Take a look at what $30 will get you and you’ll understand why it only costs $30! However, having seen some of the examples on the high end, I’m pretty sure you don’t need to buy the Ferrari. Do your homework and find an artist and a price point you can live with.
   


4. Epublication sites like Smashwords.com will upload your book for free to multiple platforms (Amazon, B&N, Apple, etc). However, there’s quite a bit of formatting involved prior to upload, especially if you want to be included on the premium vendors list (this also refers back to #3…cover is required for sales on Kindle et al). Now, you can either go through the formatting guide and probably spend a lot of time cursing at the cruel makers of Word, or pay someone to do this thankless task for you.
   


5. Blog! If you don’t have any sort of web presence, what are you waiting for? How can you expect to generate buzz for an ebook if you don’t have the beginnings of a platform. Blogs cost nothing and are fairly simple to navigate. I use blogger.com, but this is only one of many blogging sites (eg, wordpress, livejournal, weebly, xanga, and yahoo just to name the first few that popped up on Google). Blogging gives you a voice outside of your novel. It allows you to build an audience of like-minded folks. And, it gives you a fairly inexpensive stage to show off your writing prowess.
   

As far as my progress goes, I’ve lined up readers (a few of which are also editors…I know…that’s cheating), contacted a cover artist, and established this shiny new blog. I’ll have to take a crack at #4 before deciding whether I want to pay someone to do it.

Thanks for reading and I hope you’ll join me again as I detail my path toward epublication.