Fear is an Empty Page

I'm on the verge of starting a new novel (writing not reading).  Well, I'm actually a bit past that.  I had intended on starting a couple of weeks ago, but something got in my way . . . FEAR.

I'm not the kind of writer that uses outlines.  I lean a bit more toward free writing.  I know this causes all the outliners to gasp and shake their heads.  What about the plot holes?  The dead ends?  The run on writing?  Truth is, that's not what I'm afraid of.  Free writing comes natural to me and some of my best ideas come straight out of the blue.

What is it that scares me, then?  A blank page does.

Once I get words down on paper (more like computer screen) then my muse usually kicks in and the story unfolds on its own.  Now, that's not to say I don't hit snags that have to be fixed in the rewrites, but most often the Fear stays away.

But it's the moments just before starting, the time when you sit down to a blank page and search for the perfect opening line, that gets me.  That's when I start second guessing my muse.  Are you sure I shouldn't write this thing in first person?  Should this character live or die?  Is a mutant dragon/unicorn really necessary to my YA Police/Doctor drama with sparkly swamp creatures that teach children to do taxes?

The problem is, this new novel has a few elements that I've never tried before.  It's dystopian, it's the first in a series, and the horror aspect of the story has the capacity, if not done right, to come of as hackneyed and b-rated.

So, here I sit, procrastinating, second guessing, staring at a blank page.

If You Dream It . . .

It's no big secret that I'm a HUGE Jim Carrey fan.  I remember seeing this guy flail around on stage during his stand up, or drive me into fits of hilarity while he was on In Living Color.  Even back then, I knew he was going to be something special (like most everyone else).

Now, don't get me wrong.  I don't stalk the guy, but I do find him very interesting.  Below is an interview with Mr. Carrey.  Pay special attention to his story about the bike.  It is a wonderful testament to the power of positive thinking, and I believe it applies to all of us reaching for a dream.

My dream?  To be the self-published Stephen King.  Lofty goal, I know, but I'm putting it out there.  I'll continue to work my butt off and see what doors open to me.

Don't be afraid to speak your dreams aloud.  You never know who might be listening.

What Else Can I Say?

So, I've been considering weighing in on the DoJ's case against Apple and five of the Big Six, but there is so much out there already.  Needless to say, I am taking the DoJ's side in this, and not just because I'm a self-pubber.

There is plenty of Amazon-bashing going on, and I just don't understand it.  Yeah, they are a powerhouse, but they seem to be the only one that is working to improve both the writer's and the reader's experience.

But it's late and I spent the day digging large rocks out of my yard, so I think I'll defer this to three people that can blog circles around me.

Nathan Bransford tackles the subject in his post What Will the Book World Look Like After the DoJ Lawsuit?

Then there is the ever-vocal Joe Konrath and his post The Agency Model Sucks.

And lastly is David Gaughran's Don't Be Fooled: Big Publishing Hates Competition.

Sorry for phoning this post in, but my hands hurt and I really need to get to bed.  If these three can't convince you that the Big Six don't care about you, then there isn't much I can say that will.

Free Weekend Results

This past weekend I used the last two days of my KDP Select free days.  In my previous post I shared some helpful tips others had used to make the best of their free days.  If you are planning on signing up with KDP Select and you haven't read that post, go now.  Right now!

I came across many of those tips too late, and wasn't able to implement them, but you better believe I will with the next book.

I used the first of my five days at the end of January.  I did a moderate amount of tweeting, I did a blog post, and did an all out Facebook assault, hitting every book related page I could find.  The results:  221 free US downloads for Contemplations of Dinner and 740 free US downloads for Guarding the Healer.  I was pretty happy with that, though I didn't see very many paid sales follow behind.

I used two more days at the end of February.  I fell ill to a bad case of self-promotion remorse so I did a little tweeting, a blog post and very little on Facebook.  Self promotion can be a lot like drinking a gallon of castor oil, but it doesn't have to be that way.  If done right it can be an enjoyable experience.  I, however, didn't do it right.  The results:  23 free US downloads for Contemplations of Dinner and 346 free US downloads for Guarding the Healer.  Ouch.  And that was over two days.  That just goes to show you, if you don't care to spread the word about your books no one else will, either.

For the final two days I went all out.  I tweeted up a a storm.  I carpet-bombed Facebook.  I contacted all the places that mention free books.  I highly recommend you read my previous post and follow the links.  The results: 2,038 free US downloads for Contemplations of Dinner and 4,565 free US downloads of Guarding the Healer.  Wow! What a difference.  Contemplations topped out at #126 in the overall free rankings and hit #2 in Horror>Short Story.  Guarding the Healer topped out at #84 in overall free and stayed in the top 100 for a good while.  I've had a steady stream (albeit a small one) of paid sales and I've already received a 5 star review.

Although I'm not going to re-enroll these two books in KDP Select, I'm pretty sure that I'll be giving it another try with the next book.

Another Round on Me

I'm here to announce my final two day giveaway for both of my books, Guarding the Healer and Contemplations of Dinner.  Both will be FREE from 12:00 am PST March 23rd until 11:59 pm PST March 24th.

Like most other writers I had my reservations when Amazon first announced their KDP Select program.  Then, like everyone else, I started hearing all the success stories of books coming off of their free promotions.  I wasn't selling much of anything on Barnes & Noble and Smashwords, so I figured what the heck.  It's only three months, after all, and e-books are forever.

I split my five free days into three sections: one in January, two in February, and the last two this weekend.  I wish that I could tell you that I am one of those writers enjoying an enormous sales boon, but alas, I can't.  My downloads were nice while the books were free, but nothing to write home about.  The numbers quickly dropped off once the books were no longer free.

But don't let that discourage you.  I made a lot of mistakes.

Kristen Lamb tackled the subject of FREE a while back in her post R-E-S-P-E-C-T isn't Free.  I really wish I would have read this before I joined KDP Select.  Would it have stopped me from trying it out?  No, but I would have waited a bit longer.  I don't agree with everything she writes, but there is a lot of good wisdom in this post.  She's a smart chick and if you don't already, I recommend you start stalking reading her blog.

David Gaughran is another intelligent writer that has been scrutinizing the Select program.  He has had many guest bloggers post about their KDP successes.  In his post Why Giving Away Thousands of Free Books is a Good Thing, author Tony James Slater lays out an amazing story: 22, 701 downloads!  Don't think it was easy, though.  He put a lot of thought and elbow grease into the venture, but it paid off.  I've often heard it said that "Preparation always precedes a blessing".

If you go over to Digital Books Today and read their post Maximize Your KDP Select Free Days you will find a cornucopia of great advice from author Ruth Francisco.  Once again, I wish I would have read all of these posts before I signed up.  Oh well.  There is always the next book.

So, while KDP has yet to lead me to large paying sales, it doesn't mean is has to be that way for you.  You'll just have to prepare a little better than I did.  I tried to implement as many tips as I could for this last free promotion, so hopefully this will be the one that brings me to #1 and starts bringing in the dead presidents.

If you haven't downloaded my books yet, then please stop by sometime this Friday or Saturday and take advantage of the free.  And don't forget to spread the word.  As always, I can use all the help I can get.

Have a great weekend.