Amy DuBoff's Blog, page 3
April 16, 2015
The Day Before Release Day
It's hard to believe release day is almost here. I have uploaded the final manuscripts to all of the sites, and now I wait.
I feel relieved and nervous at the same time. It's a pretty big deal sending a book out there into the world—especially since this series was 17 years in the making. Authors sometimes compare producing a book to birthing a baby. After working on this for so long, I feel like I've raised a child almost to adulthood.
Here are a few of my thoughts leading up the final hours before the release:
1.I'm really releasing a book. Am I crazy?
2. Wait, did I update all the sites to correct that typo I caught?
3. This cover is so pretty...
4. It's great to hear from so many old friends and have their support.
5. Google Play, why do you hate me???
6. Amazon is awesome.
7. Yes, I'm crazy.
8. Okay, I think I have everything in order. I've got this. I think...
9. The cover really is so pretty... (thanks, Tom!)
10. Crap, now I need to finish Volume 2.
I'm proud of what I've created. I live in the universe inside my head, the characters are my friends, and I am committed to telling their story. I hope others want to come along for the ride.
I feel relieved and nervous at the same time. It's a pretty big deal sending a book out there into the world—especially since this series was 17 years in the making. Authors sometimes compare producing a book to birthing a baby. After working on this for so long, I feel like I've raised a child almost to adulthood.
Here are a few of my thoughts leading up the final hours before the release:
1.I'm really releasing a book. Am I crazy?
2. Wait, did I update all the sites to correct that typo I caught?
3. This cover is so pretty...
4. It's great to hear from so many old friends and have their support.
5. Google Play, why do you hate me???
6. Amazon is awesome.
7. Yes, I'm crazy.
8. Okay, I think I have everything in order. I've got this. I think...
9. The cover really is so pretty... (thanks, Tom!)
10. Crap, now I need to finish Volume 2.
I'm proud of what I've created. I live in the universe inside my head, the characters are my friends, and I am committed to telling their story. I hope others want to come along for the ride.
April 6, 2015
Writing Music: Getting in the Mood
Music can make or break my writing productivity. I know every writer has their favorite background atmosphere—mine is so-called “epic music” (with the occasional techno).
Epic music makes for my perfect writing background because of its many flavors. There are songs ranging from the textural action of a chase scene, to the heroic trumpeting of victory, to melancholy strings that conjure images of loss. Even better, most songs either don’t have lyrics or the vocals are in another (often made up) language, so there’s limited distraction from trying to listen to other words as I write. The trick is finding the right album or songs to suit the mood of a particular scene. If I get in that sweet spot of finding the perfect musical accompaniment, I’ve been known to put 40 seconds on loop until I’m satisfied with how a few paragraphs are written.
It might be because I have a background in music, but I have a deep connection between visualizing a scene and the soundtrack that only I can hear. I picture the character actions, the dialogue and how they are feeling in that moment. If music can evoke a reaction—a quickened pulse from excitement, or a heavy heart from sadness, I’m more easily immersed in the reality I’m trying to create.
More than just music to match a specific scene, sometimes a particular song can elevate to become the theme for an entire book. I think of this as the trailer for the book, or perhaps the opening credits. This first happened for me while I putting together the initial outline for Volume 5 in the Cadicle series—a musical selection that I will reveal in due time. Each of the earlier volumes has subsequently taken on a theme in my mind.
So what would be the official theme of “Architects of Destiny,” if I had to pick one? Thomas Bergersen – Starchild (“Sun”): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCvzks...
Epic music makes for my perfect writing background because of its many flavors. There are songs ranging from the textural action of a chase scene, to the heroic trumpeting of victory, to melancholy strings that conjure images of loss. Even better, most songs either don’t have lyrics or the vocals are in another (often made up) language, so there’s limited distraction from trying to listen to other words as I write. The trick is finding the right album or songs to suit the mood of a particular scene. If I get in that sweet spot of finding the perfect musical accompaniment, I’ve been known to put 40 seconds on loop until I’m satisfied with how a few paragraphs are written.
It might be because I have a background in music, but I have a deep connection between visualizing a scene and the soundtrack that only I can hear. I picture the character actions, the dialogue and how they are feeling in that moment. If music can evoke a reaction—a quickened pulse from excitement, or a heavy heart from sadness, I’m more easily immersed in the reality I’m trying to create.
More than just music to match a specific scene, sometimes a particular song can elevate to become the theme for an entire book. I think of this as the trailer for the book, or perhaps the opening credits. This first happened for me while I putting together the initial outline for Volume 5 in the Cadicle series—a musical selection that I will reveal in due time. Each of the earlier volumes has subsequently taken on a theme in my mind.
So what would be the official theme of “Architects of Destiny,” if I had to pick one? Thomas Bergersen – Starchild (“Sun”): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCvzks...
March 29, 2015
Ongoing learning
Just when you think you've made a decision, you get new information that switches things up.
In my previous blog post, I indicated that was going to use BookTango for all distribution outside of Amazon. After beginning the actual publication process, I ran into a few snags--namely, the inability to set a release date. In short, I decided to just use BookTango for iTunes, Scribd, and Flipcart. I will be going to Google Play, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo directly.
I was also recently informed by an author friend that $1.99 is a "dead" price point for ebooks. There's not a clear reason why, but it's the way of things. I'll take a cue from the pros and stay clear, going with $2.99 instead.
On that note, Veil of Reality is now available for pre-order! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VDKSD8C
In my previous blog post, I indicated that was going to use BookTango for all distribution outside of Amazon. After beginning the actual publication process, I ran into a few snags--namely, the inability to set a release date. In short, I decided to just use BookTango for iTunes, Scribd, and Flipcart. I will be going to Google Play, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo directly.
I was also recently informed by an author friend that $1.99 is a "dead" price point for ebooks. There's not a clear reason why, but it's the way of things. I'll take a cue from the pros and stay clear, going with $2.99 instead.
On that note, Veil of Reality is now available for pre-order! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VDKSD8C
March 17, 2015
Navigating the Maze of Self-Publishing: A Newbie’s Perspective
I am currently self-publishing my first book. I am also currently planning a wedding. Let me tell you, the self-publishing has required me to make just as many decisions!
Much like when you find the person you want to marry, saying “yes” to your book is the easy part. You love your book, and now you want the entire world to know. But, what’s the best way to present it to prospective readers?
While trying to answer this question for myself, I made one important realization: there is no one “right” way to go about self-publishing. Each author is different, and what might be a good strategy for one book might not apply to another. At each juncture, I tried to make the best decision for me and my book series. I scoured advice columns and talked to other author friends.
The following are some of the key decisions I had to make, and why I made my selections:
Self-publishing, versus traditional
Self-publishing offers a degree of flexibility that traditional publishing does not. The series that had been floating around in my head had several components that were important to the overall story, but not really standalone novels. The ability to self-publish a novella addressed my concerns—allowing me to tell the story I wanted to tell without trying to comply with arbitrary page length restrictions publishers typically place on their books, especially with a new author.
Distribution platform
There are dozens (or more) ways to distribute an ebook. I looked over as many comparison charts as I could find about the various platforms. There were pros and cons to each. Ultimately, I decided to pursue a multi-prong approach.
1. I started with Amazon.com, using the Kindle Direct Publishing option. The interface is easy to use and doesn’t require additional software. I was able to set up a pre-order, which has allowed me to promote my book in advance of the official release and offered the added benefit of giving me a deadline. What better way to make sure I follow through with my commitment to publish!
2. As a secondary platform, I am going with BookTango. BookTango is free to use and the royalty structure is very favorable. They claim royalties are 100% paid to the author, but that’s after the retailer fees. While it might not offer the financial benefits of going directly to each of the big distributors, it’s an easy way to get in the door with Barnes & Noble, Google Play, Sony, Apple, and Kobo without separately managing all of those accounts. While BookTango also works with Amazon.com, I elected to opt out and go directly to Amazon because of the pre-order flexibility.
There were two other sites I considered before settling on BookTango. The first was Smashwords. Aside from less favorable royalties, I decided against Smashwords because of its “meat grinder” publication process, which requires “Smashwords edition” in the book info. I also considered BookBaby, but having to pay for an ISBN and having less control over the production process made me go with BookTango instead.
Digital Rights Management (DRM)
At first, I was all about DRM. After writing a book, who would want to make it easier for it to get pirated? But, that’s an oversimplification. The truth of the matter is, anything can get pirated if someone knows what they’re doing; DRM isn’t going to solve that problem. What DRM does do, however, is keep someone who’s bought your book from being able to view it on multiple devices. How frustrating for the customer! Once I realized that, the decision to go DRM-free was easy.
Pricing
I considered several factors when setting my pricing strategy. First, I knew that price is a barrier to entry for some readers. “Free,” of course, eliminates that barrier. However, the obvious drawback is the author makes no money. Less likely—but still a possibility—is that prospective readers will associate the author’s work with free content, and may therefore be less likely to pay for future releases (hoping to just snag them on another “free” promotion). Given the goal of ultimately establishing a paying customer base, I wanted to find a price point that would mitigate the purchasing barrier while still making the reader feel like they “got their money’s worth.”
To find that ideal price point, I browsed through my competition—namely, the other books available in the Kindle store within my genre (science fiction). The other titles ranged from novellas to long novels. I ran a few $/word analyses, but I didn’t find a consistent ratio. So, I started looking at just overall price. Most full-length novels were in the $2.99 to $3.99 range.
Now, my first book is barely novel-length by SFWA standards at approximately 43,000 words. It is not fair to charge a reader full-length novel pricing for a book half the length of a standard space opera. The second book in the series will be somewhere around 56,000 words. So, I decided to price the first book at $0.99 and the second book at $1.99—making it $2.98 for the equivalent of a good-length novel and in line with the market. However, the modest $0.99 entry point for the first book will let readers see if they like my style without making a large commitment.
Promotion
I work as a business writer for my day job—writing proposals to solicit new work for my company. However, trying to promote myself is an entirely different matter. As a more introverted person by nature, I’m not one to walk up to a stranger and say, “Hey! You should buy my book.” I knew I needed someone to help me. So, I “hired” my fiancé, Nick. Most people have a Nick somewhere in their friends group—that person who will make friends with anyone while they’re standing in line. I strongly advise any author to find their own Nick to be an advocate and promoter (and such people often come with a broad social network to help get the word out).
Further, author A.B. Keuser helpfully pointed out that having a credible online presence is important. When a prospective reader searches for you, something other than your personal Instagram account should show up. So, I invested in a personal website (nothing fancy, but functional enough for now), created an official Facebook page, and got set up as a GoodReads author. While the searches for me and my book aren’t 100% optimized (yet), it’s a significant improvement over when I started the process.
Give clear “next steps”
At the end of my ebook, I have a blurb for the next book in the series and links to social media pages. As a self-published author, it is critical to take every chance to build a relationship with readers and cross-promote. If a reader stays engaged all the way to end of one book, they are likely to be interested in the next book in the series.
Closing thoughts
Early on in the self-publishing journey, I needed to accept the fact that I’m a total unknown. Building trust with readers is a process. I wanted to make myself credible by showing that I’m invested in being a writer (website, social presence). I also wanted to eliminate barriers to entry for potential readers by setting my work at a reasonable price point and referring those readers to upcoming releases.
To start forming a relationship with readers, I am releasing Chapter 1 of my book one month prior to the official publication date. It will be available for download from my website on March 17, 2015 (http://www.amyduboff.com/publications...). Oh, that’s today :-).
I’d be interesting in hearing others’ perspectives or if you disagree with my approach. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Much like when you find the person you want to marry, saying “yes” to your book is the easy part. You love your book, and now you want the entire world to know. But, what’s the best way to present it to prospective readers?
While trying to answer this question for myself, I made one important realization: there is no one “right” way to go about self-publishing. Each author is different, and what might be a good strategy for one book might not apply to another. At each juncture, I tried to make the best decision for me and my book series. I scoured advice columns and talked to other author friends.
The following are some of the key decisions I had to make, and why I made my selections:
Self-publishing, versus traditional
Self-publishing offers a degree of flexibility that traditional publishing does not. The series that had been floating around in my head had several components that were important to the overall story, but not really standalone novels. The ability to self-publish a novella addressed my concerns—allowing me to tell the story I wanted to tell without trying to comply with arbitrary page length restrictions publishers typically place on their books, especially with a new author.
Distribution platform
There are dozens (or more) ways to distribute an ebook. I looked over as many comparison charts as I could find about the various platforms. There were pros and cons to each. Ultimately, I decided to pursue a multi-prong approach.
1. I started with Amazon.com, using the Kindle Direct Publishing option. The interface is easy to use and doesn’t require additional software. I was able to set up a pre-order, which has allowed me to promote my book in advance of the official release and offered the added benefit of giving me a deadline. What better way to make sure I follow through with my commitment to publish!
2. As a secondary platform, I am going with BookTango. BookTango is free to use and the royalty structure is very favorable. They claim royalties are 100% paid to the author, but that’s after the retailer fees. While it might not offer the financial benefits of going directly to each of the big distributors, it’s an easy way to get in the door with Barnes & Noble, Google Play, Sony, Apple, and Kobo without separately managing all of those accounts. While BookTango also works with Amazon.com, I elected to opt out and go directly to Amazon because of the pre-order flexibility.
There were two other sites I considered before settling on BookTango. The first was Smashwords. Aside from less favorable royalties, I decided against Smashwords because of its “meat grinder” publication process, which requires “Smashwords edition” in the book info. I also considered BookBaby, but having to pay for an ISBN and having less control over the production process made me go with BookTango instead.
Digital Rights Management (DRM)
At first, I was all about DRM. After writing a book, who would want to make it easier for it to get pirated? But, that’s an oversimplification. The truth of the matter is, anything can get pirated if someone knows what they’re doing; DRM isn’t going to solve that problem. What DRM does do, however, is keep someone who’s bought your book from being able to view it on multiple devices. How frustrating for the customer! Once I realized that, the decision to go DRM-free was easy.
Pricing
I considered several factors when setting my pricing strategy. First, I knew that price is a barrier to entry for some readers. “Free,” of course, eliminates that barrier. However, the obvious drawback is the author makes no money. Less likely—but still a possibility—is that prospective readers will associate the author’s work with free content, and may therefore be less likely to pay for future releases (hoping to just snag them on another “free” promotion). Given the goal of ultimately establishing a paying customer base, I wanted to find a price point that would mitigate the purchasing barrier while still making the reader feel like they “got their money’s worth.”
To find that ideal price point, I browsed through my competition—namely, the other books available in the Kindle store within my genre (science fiction). The other titles ranged from novellas to long novels. I ran a few $/word analyses, but I didn’t find a consistent ratio. So, I started looking at just overall price. Most full-length novels were in the $2.99 to $3.99 range.
Now, my first book is barely novel-length by SFWA standards at approximately 43,000 words. It is not fair to charge a reader full-length novel pricing for a book half the length of a standard space opera. The second book in the series will be somewhere around 56,000 words. So, I decided to price the first book at $0.99 and the second book at $1.99—making it $2.98 for the equivalent of a good-length novel and in line with the market. However, the modest $0.99 entry point for the first book will let readers see if they like my style without making a large commitment.
Promotion
I work as a business writer for my day job—writing proposals to solicit new work for my company. However, trying to promote myself is an entirely different matter. As a more introverted person by nature, I’m not one to walk up to a stranger and say, “Hey! You should buy my book.” I knew I needed someone to help me. So, I “hired” my fiancé, Nick. Most people have a Nick somewhere in their friends group—that person who will make friends with anyone while they’re standing in line. I strongly advise any author to find their own Nick to be an advocate and promoter (and such people often come with a broad social network to help get the word out).
Further, author A.B. Keuser helpfully pointed out that having a credible online presence is important. When a prospective reader searches for you, something other than your personal Instagram account should show up. So, I invested in a personal website (nothing fancy, but functional enough for now), created an official Facebook page, and got set up as a GoodReads author. While the searches for me and my book aren’t 100% optimized (yet), it’s a significant improvement over when I started the process.
Give clear “next steps”
At the end of my ebook, I have a blurb for the next book in the series and links to social media pages. As a self-published author, it is critical to take every chance to build a relationship with readers and cross-promote. If a reader stays engaged all the way to end of one book, they are likely to be interested in the next book in the series.
Closing thoughts
Early on in the self-publishing journey, I needed to accept the fact that I’m a total unknown. Building trust with readers is a process. I wanted to make myself credible by showing that I’m invested in being a writer (website, social presence). I also wanted to eliminate barriers to entry for potential readers by setting my work at a reasonable price point and referring those readers to upcoming releases.
To start forming a relationship with readers, I am releasing Chapter 1 of my book one month prior to the official publication date. It will be available for download from my website on March 17, 2015 (http://www.amyduboff.com/publications...). Oh, that’s today :-).
I’d be interesting in hearing others’ perspectives or if you disagree with my approach. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
