In memory of a magnificent Lion 🙂
Month: July 2015
What Is DRM? And Why I Don’t Like It
Derek on the bane of all authors, whether Indie or otherwise, when a book is added to the lists on Amazon and other eBook outlets.
http://www.derekhaines.ch/justpublishing/what-is-drm-and-why-i-dont-like-it/
All Writers Crave Feedback
When it comes to meaningful dialogue with our readers it rarely if ever happens, more’s the pity. We writers need the connection. All a review ever tells us is that the individual responsible for it either loved or hated the book in question.
Most writers like myself have a blog like this one where you can leave comments below a post, and a Facebook page where you can voice your thoughts in person on any book written by us, should you choose to do so. Or if you want, we can just chat about something else entirely. The point is that by chatting, we get to know each other, hopefully forging a lasting friendship.
Like you, every writer is plagued with the typical faults, passions and emotions that all human beings share. Some are known to hold strong views on varying subjects. Don’t let that necessarily put you off talking to any of us. We’re not ogres.
~~~
Now a word to the wise, so please pay attention!
With book sites like Amazon, we are well aware of the inevitable one star reviews, often written by other writers hiding behind pseudonyms. And so, unless you have just landed on planet Earth within the last half hour, by now you will have noticed that my latest offering is now in its second free Kindle download giveaway day.
Here’s the rub. I fully expect it to gain endless one star reviews as a consequence. That always happens when a book is given away in any promotion. To that end I would remind anyone who has taken advantage of the offer, that you did get it for nothing. Therefore if you feel the uncontrollable urge to write a cutting review of your free copy, don’t! No one likes an ungratful smart-arse. Peversity on your part will hardly endear you to others, now will it. For the majority, please feel free to write your reviews and post them on whichever Amazon site you downloaded it from.
Lastly, I’m well aware that there will be errors. All books have them. Once the promotional period is over I will take it down temporarily to search them out before uploading the corrected version.
As they say in America – have a nice day.
😀
Get Your Free Kindle Copy Of The Guardian
For a short time only anyone who wants a free Kindle copy of The Guardian can get it at their nearest Amazon outlet. Just click on the appropriate link listed below:
Once you’ve read it, don’t forget to review it.
While you are here why don’t you click on the link below for Derek Haines’ promo for The Guardian:
http://www.derekhaines.ch/whizbuzz/2015/07/the-guardian-jack-eason/
Indie Or Traditional, That Is The Question
Ok so you’ve finally decided to pluck up the courage of your convictions to make your passion for writing a fulltime career. Before you even begin, the one question you have to seriously take into consideration is this. Do you become an independent author, or do you try to break into the world of traditional publishing?
If you decide on chancing your arm with the latter, after first avoiding the tempting adverts from vanity press and some of the other fly by night options out there, like the plague, bearing in mind that every one of them is waiting to fleece you while masquerading as legitimate traditional publishers, you will immediately be confronted by what the industry commonly refers to as gate-keepers. What are they? Simply put, they are the publishing houses’ often seemingly impenetrable lines of defence, designed to extract the occasional gem for serious consideration from among the monumental piles of utter rubbish that cross their desks on a daily basis. If by sheer good fortune they want to publish your work, depending on how it sells, either they will offer you a contract or end the partnership.
To begin with your manuscript will have to appeal to the first of the gate-keepers, otherwise known as a literary agent. Always providing of course that you find one prepared to take a chance on you in the first place, based on the fact that they like what you’ve written. Even so there is still no guarantee that they will be able to sell your story to any of the top publishing houses. When it comes to it, like any other business, traditional publishing’s raison d’être is to make money. To that end they are extremely picky when it comes to choosing from the thousands of new manuscripts on offer. Cold hearted reality dictates that unless you have written an absolute blinder of a potential best seller, the product of all your hard work will wind up in the garbage bin along with all the others from hopefuls like you and me.
Then there is the question of the contract they will offer you if they decide they want to employ you. Are you up to the pressure that will be placed on your shoulders by signing a two, three of four book deal for the promise of a monetary advance? Many aren’t up to working within the confines of an often highly restrictive contract. I know I wasn’t. I was far too bloody minded for the traditional publisher I was contracted to.
Does all of this sound extremely tough and one sided to you? It should. By its very nature our business is a merciless one. There is no room for the starry-eyed day dreamer, or for that matter anyone foolishly labouring under the false assumption that having a book published, guarantees them instant fame and fortune. It rarely if ever does. Even choosing to follow the independent route is still no guarantee for success. In either case it always involves a lot of hard work on your part.
Out of the nine titles written by me so far since nineteen ninety-five, only one came close by Indie mid list standards to being considered a best seller at 100,000+ copies. I live in the vain hope that my latest offering might at the very least equal it. But only time and the vagaries of this business will ultimately determine its fate.
Being a true Indie requires a much higher degree of self discipline and bloody-mindedness on your part, more so than for an author in any traditional writing stable. Anyone who thinks it is the easier of the two publishing options, seriously needs to think again. Mind you there are no easy options…
While its true that any Tom, Dick or Harriette can come up with a story, that is only the first step in a long and often tortuous road to get it noticed in the first place.
If you are a true Indie, by the very definition of the word it means that you must go it alone, literally doing everything for yourself. Even the traditional publishing houses these days require their contracted writers to do far more than merely write a novel to justify their advance.
If you feel you are incapable, you can always take the easy way out, paying lip service to the notion of independance by opting instead to spend a lot of money to employ others to edit, format and market your book for you. Always bearing in mind of course that before you even begin to earn royalties, you first have to recoup your often expensive initial monetary outlay, a factor than many of today’s indie’s simply choose to ignore, let alone fail to grasp.
Like all true independents I choose to rely on no one other than myself, and a handful of individuals I consider to be competant beta readers of anything I write. To follow in my independent footsteps, you must become accomplished in a number of disciplines. The first of these involves every writer’s nighmare – editing. To make your story stand out among the millions already published, it has to appeal from the very first sentence. While there are a lot of competant people out there prepared to assist you at a price, there are also many charlatans. Like all things we encounter in our daily lives, shopping for an editor or publicist is always a case of buyer beware. Ask them for samples of their work along with the names and email addresses of those they profess to have helped before employing them.
I’m still amazed by the number of Indies out there who have convinced themselves that an eye-catching cover is guaranteed to sell their book. It doesn’t! Yes it’s true it will help. But on its own its nothing more than the literary equivalent of eye candy. Ever since the first printed book rolled off a hand operated press hundreds of years ago, what has always sold the book to the reader is its content, never its cover!
Still want to become a published author? If the answer is still yes, good luck. Just remember that you must be prepared for a hell of a lot of hard work, harsh criticism from your fellows, competition, jealousy, envy and heartache.
Do I regret becoming an Indie? Not for one moment. Remember this, if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing well…
😉
Amazing Art made of Books
The latest from Celine 🙂
Today my book comes out of its pre-order bubble and goes out into the big bad world (at Amazon US and Amazon UK). Woo hoo! If you read it and enjoy it by the way, please tell someone who you think might also like it — word of mouth means life for a new book. So please share the love!
In the mean time I thought I’d celebrate my book news with a post on amazing book art — that is art made of books, not art put in or on books. Here are a few of my favourites:
This is my absolute favourite — looking past the fact that an antique book has been used (which I really don’t agree with). But the idea of making a book into lungs and blood vessels is a beautiful way to represent how important books are to life.
Giving a whole new…
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What Amazon Could Do For Authors
While what Derek suggests is perfectly logical and sensible, he is talking about trying to get Big Brother to agree to see sense. A chance would be a fine thing!!!
http://www.derekhaines.ch/justpublishing/what-amazon-could-do-for-authors/
The Guardian Is Now Available For Purchase
Click on the cover to go to Amazon.com
Well, here it is folks. The Guardian is now available for purchase in paperback. You can order your copy on any Amazon site as well as on Createspace. If you are one of the minority of people who never buy anything online, (I’m acquainted with one or two of them) but would still like to purchase a copy, simply go to your local bookshop and ask them to do it for you. All you will need to provide is the following information:
The Guardian by Jack Eason
ISBN-13: 978-1515213611
ISBN-10: 1515213617
BISAC: Fiction / Science Fiction / Adventure
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If you buy directly from Createspace or your nearest Amazon outlet it will cost you US$5.38, or your country’s equivalent (£3.45 here in the UK) plus postage and packaging.
You will note that I’ve changed the cover. While I still like the original cover pictured above, to give The Guardian a decent chance to attract readers across the world, I decided to go with the more professional looking one seen at the top of this post. One or two of my fellow writers pointed out that to their way of thinking, the original gave the impression of it being a cover more suited to a horror story, instead of an erotic science fiction tale.
~~~
Will it appear as an eBook? Given the way books offered in that particular format instantly attract internet trolls and pirates, especially when offered for free in any online promotion, I’m sorry to disappoint any of you but it won’t happen in the immediate future. In six months or so, if and when I do decide to offer it as an eBook it will be via Smashwords.
So for now my muse and I are taking a much needed R&R break until next year. We’re both worn out. Go on, buy yourselves a copy, you know you want to. Don’t forget that like any other book out there, The Guardian needs reviews, be they good, bad or indifferent to help sell them.
😉
Har! How to Deal with Book Piracy
The latest from Nicholas. 😉
image: ghostradio.wordpress.com
I saw the other day a post about book piracy in Anastacia Moore’s blog. She was rightly fuming, because, while checking out her video trailers, she noticed that someone was advertising on You Tube a link to receive free copies of said books.
A few days before that, my friend N.N. Light had kindly emailed me to let me know that she had found her book, “Princess of the Light” on a similar website, and that she had seen my work there as well.
Then came the news that Australia’s Copyright Agency has welcomed a decision by the British High Court requiring internet service providers (ISPs) to block access to websites hosting millions of pirated e-book titles. The decision means Britain’s five major ISPs – BT, Virgin Media, Sky, TalkTalk and EE – will be asked to block seven offshore-hosted websites within 10 working days.
The sites – AvaxHome…
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Writing Has Never Been A Get Rich Scheme
Here’s another one for the get rich quick brigade to contemplate!
http://www.derekhaines.ch/justpublishing/writing-has-never-been-a-get-rich-scheme/
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