Exclusive

I have decided to take my stories and go all in with Amazon.* I know many of you will tell me what an unwise decision that is, and you may be right. But the thing is, in three years I haven't earned squat on all of the other retailers combined.

It may be a failed experiment, then again, maybe not.

I'm working toward publishing book one in a new series. I'm just waiting on the cover art to come back. But then I went and did something stupid, like read this blog post by Hugh Howey, and now I'm wondering if I should wait until I have the others ready to go.

So many tough decisions. It is true that the easiest part of self publishing is writing the books.

What to do?

*If you wish to read any of my stories and you don't want to go through Amazon, please email me and I will do my best to get you the story.

A Deal Too Good to Pass Up

Who doesn't love a deal, am I right?  There is nothing quite like happening upon something you want for a price way under what you expected to pay.

Now, I know you usually get what you pay for, and anything worth having should cost you something, but don't get all philosophical on me.  Just hear me out.

I'm not talking about those cut-corner, buying generic, sacrificing quality kind of deals.  I'm talking about a Copy of the Constitution Found in a $4 Painting kind of deal.

Okay, I'm being dramatic again.  But I still have a really good deal to tell you about.  And before you click away thinking this is a self promotion thing, let me assure you it is NOT.

If you are just a reader of books this post may not excite you (sorry, but thanks for stopping by).  This one is for all my writerly friends out there, more specifically self-pubbers.

One of the pitfalls of self publishing is the upfront costs you have to pay to get your book into the public.  Cover art, editing, and formatting are things you should not be skimping out on.  If you can't do it yourself, you should hire a professional.

But say you're like me, strapped for cash and trying to decide whether you should spend your hard earned cash on the cover, the editing or the formatting.  Well, I can help you out with one of those.

When I decided to separate the stories in my collection Contemplations of Dinner into single shorts I knew I couldn't afford to pay for ten expensive covers.  I can justify paying $200 -$500 on a cover for a novel, but it's harder for me to shell that out for just a 6,000 word short.

So I went on over to the site Fiverr.  For those that don't know, Fiverr is a website where people offer all kinds of services, some legit, some comical, for five dollars each.  I sifted through the many graphic designers and came across an artist going by the handle Freestyle25.

Freestyle 25 is actually a wonderful young lady by the name of Emily Lam.  I liked the samples Emily had displayed on her Fiverr page, but I was a bit worried.  That whole "getting what you paid for" thing.  But Emily quickly put my fears to rest.

Long story short (too late, I know) I hired Emily to create covers for eight short stories and new covers for both Contemplations of Dinner and Guarding the Healer.  She is professional, courteous, patient and extremely talented.

I have seen covers of Emily's caliber go for $200+ easily.  I feel a bit guilty about only paying her $5 a piece.  Even though it would be shooting myself in the foot, I've tried to suggest to Emily that she ought to start her own cover design business, but unfortunately Fiverr has strict policies about directly emailing each other.  I'm hoping she will read this blog post and consider it.  But until then I suggest you take advantage of her generous nature and grab a cheap cover.

It's one of the best deals I've come across in a long time.

If you want proof you should head over to my Amazon page and look at the covers.  The only covers that aren't hers are the paperback version of Guarding the Healer, Predatory Animals, the audio version of Contemplations of Dinner and the anthology Cat Tales 2.

A Couple More Shorts

I've published two more short stories from Contemplations of Dinner as singles.  Here are the covers for A Town Full of Holes and The Barn.


















I will be releasing a brand new short titled The Promotion just as soon as the cover comes back.

In other news, I made the jump from hobbyist to professional.  No, my writing has not yielded enough sales to allow me to quit the dreaded day job.  But I did add writing as a profession on my taxes.  The past couple of years has been a loss (hey, what start up company doesn't struggle in the beginning?) but things are looking up.  February has been my best month ever, and I'm convinced that as I add more titles I will eventually be in the black.

I've also started my own publishing house (sort of) called Gemini Gremlin Ink.  I'm not publishing other authors at this time.  It seems strange, I know, but the reason is that it looks more professional to have a publishing company listed instead of just my name.  I have watched other authors do this, and I thought I'd give it a try.  If you want to be professional, then you better act like a professional.

I'm hoping that the upward trend in sales continues into March.  I'm also waiting to hear some news, but I have a couple of weeks until I know if it's good or bad.

And Lord knows I hate waiting.

A Quick Announcement

I just wanted to pop in real fast and announce that Predatory Animals is now available in paperback.  You can find in on Createspace right now.  It should show up on Amazon in a few days.

So, those of you that still love the feel of dead-tree books in your hands, head on over and have a look.

Predatory Animals is Live

I'm happy to announce that my latest novel, Predatory Animals, is now Live.

You can pick up a digital copy at Amazon, Kobo and Smashwords.  It should be available anytime on Barnes & Noble, but they seem to be taking their own sweet time.

Predatory Animals isn't available in print, yet, but it will be soon.  I promise.

IN THE TOWN OF SHADELAND, PEOPLE ARE VANISHING.

After suffering a near-death accident, Casper Brown awakens with a strange new connection to three stray dogs recently adopted by his family. Casper’s nights are filled with dreams of the dogs’ activities; at times he can even see through their eyes. And what he witnesses has him worried for his family’s safety.

AN ENIGMATIC EVIL IS HIDING, WAITING TO STRIKE.

The Pummels are the most beloved family in town. Though their wealth, philanthropy, and charisma form a cloud of mystery about them, their work with the town’s exotic cat rescue center has captured the heart of the people. But the Pummels are guarding a secret. One they will kill to keep quiet.

ITS HUNGER IS INSATIABLE.

Shadeland is a town of shadows, where hunters hide in plain sight and prey scurry about unaware. But a new predator has been unleashed. One unlike any this world has seen.

ITS SURVIVAL IS OUR DOOM.

Curious About King

There has been much and more written lately about the supposed "war" between Traditional and Indie writers.  I'm not going to expound on that right now, except to say that I think either is a fine choice.  I love self publishing and I'm sure that I will continue to do so as long as it is a viable way to reach readers and make money.  But if a Trad deal fell into my lap, I can't say that I'd turn my nose up at it.

Like many others, I'm of the opinion that it wouldn't hurt to dabble in both arenas.  There is no "war", no competition--except in the minds of those that resent the other side.

Crap!  I said I wasn't going to expound.  *shrugs*  Oh, well.

It's a great time to be a writer.  We have more choices than ever to get our stories out there.  The power is shifting back to where it belongs:  into the hands of those that read stories and those that create stories.

There are some on the indie side of the coin that shake their heads and wag their fingers at Trad writers that are supporting their publishers.  They think they are obtuse, archaic, brainwashed and shortsighted.

Am I one of those people?  Sometimes, but not always.  Just like most of you, I'm complex and my views shift depending on the information I've assimilated.  Most days, though, I understand why Trad writers stay.  It's comfortable.  It's safe.  Publishers are the ones that brought them into the light, made them their money.  And right now print books are still outselling ebooks.  I stress the "right now" part.  I understand.  It seems treacherous to turn your back on people you were seeking approval from.

What I don't understand is why more Trad writers aren't at least testing the self publishing waters.  That's what seems shortsighted to me.  Don't burn your bridges.  Don't bite the hand that feeds you.  But why not stretch your legs and wander outside your own yard?  There is a whole big world out there.

Take for instance Stephen King's decision to publish his latest book, Joyland, as a print version only.

Mr. King has been a revolutionary force in writing.  He has talked candidly about the biases and snobbery of the writing world (mostly literary vs genre writers).  He has expanded into movies, mini-series, and experimented with almost every way to tell a story.  In 2000, way before the ebook explosion, he stepped out and released Riding the Bullet in an electronic format.

So, now he as decided to cut off a whole section of readers.  I know he says it's due to his love of paper books, but I don't quite buy that.

I'm not saying Mr. King should shuck off his Traditional Publishing cloak and put on the mantle of the self publisher, but I'm a bit surprised he hasn't at least dipped his toes in the water.  If any writer has the power to go it alone--even if it's just one book--he does.  His name alone sells millions of books.  He has the connections in the industry.  He can definitely afford the upfront cost of producing a quality book.

So why not try?

It may be that if King tries and succeeds at publishing his own work that it would encourage other Trad writers to follow and would speed the collapse and restructuring (not death) of the Traditional world.  I don't know, but I think that stepping over all of the readers that prefer digital books is an unwise decision on King's part.

Joe Konrath addressed this very topic on his blog.  Konrath predicts that Joyland will be one of the most pirated books.  He also showcased what he believes will be the next big thing . . . animated ebook covers.  I think he may just be right.

So, what do you think?  Is Stephen King crazy?  Out of date?  On the right path?  An indestructible futuristic writing cyborg sent back in time to depress me about my own writing?

Let me know what you think.

My Twen'y 'Leven

The past year has been a year of changes--some good, some bad--for just about everyone I know.

After deciding on a career path, going back to school (while working full time), my wife was accepted into nursing school and successfully completed her first semester. Yay!  Then her job was outsourced so people with more money than they know what to do with could afford another ivory back-scratcher.  Boo!

My house became officially diaper and pacifier free.  Both children are now in their own rooms and their brains have become Johny Five style super computers, absorbing every bit of input available.  Needless to say, we can no longer watch Family Guy, Futurama, and certain Simpsons episodes while they are awake.

As far as my writing goes, it was the year I said goodbye to traditional publishing and jumped on the indie bandwagon.  I self published Guarding the Healer at the end of May and Contemplations of Dinner just a few days ago.  I upped my virtual presence in the digi-sphere in a valiant attempt to self promote my work.  I'm a blogger, a Facebooker, Goodreader, and even a Tweeter.  If you would have called me that ten years ago I probably would have taken it as an insult. 

I also wrote another novel titled Predatory Animals.  I know several people wrote novels (sometimes two or three) but this means a lot to me because after a long time of seeking an agent, I had lost my love of writing.  Those of you that have traveled the Traditional Path know what I mean.  You pour all you have into a novel, spending several months or even years just to perfect it, then your only hope of landing a publishing contract is to convince an agent to take you on.  But you can't query all of them at once.  At most ten.  Six months go by and half don't even bother to respond.  Three say they like it but don't feel "passionate" about it.  The other two ask for a partial read, hold the manuscript for another four months to six months only to send you a form rejection letter.  Then you have to start all over again with another group of agents.  If you are lucky, you sign with an agent and the same mess starts all over with publishers.

What insane person wants to go through that?

Self publishing changed all of that.  It set me free and the words started flowing again.

It's been one of the strangest years for me in memory.  Not a bad one by any means.  I'm thankful for another year with my family and friends and I'm looking forward to 2012.

Happy New Year!