Q. Kelly's Blog, page 10
March 29, 2013
The Banana Phone
I started on a short story earlier today. It's along the lines of some of the wackier shorts in my collections, and I thought I'd share the first 580ish words. Unedited, etc. so forgive the lack of polish. The tentative title is: THE BANANA PHONE. This will be a light lesbian romance (girl meets girl).
****
THE BANANA PHONE
Chelsea was forty years old and liked banana phones. Yeah, she was one of these weirdos who pressed a banana to her ear before she ate the fruit. “Hello?” she would chirp. If she was alone, she’d carry on a few sentences’ worth of conversation, her end only:
“Yes, this is she.” PAUSE. “Certainly, I’m available to organize your closet.” PAUSE. “Let me make sure and check my schedule. How’s next Tuesday? Great! Buh-bye.”
If someone, such as her mother or best friend was with Chelsea, Chelsea would exclaim “Hello!” into the banana phone and look expectantly at the other person. Usually, the other person played along.
On a Saturday morning in mid-September, Chelsea awoke and performed ordinary bathroom ablutions. She dressed for her usual weekend-morning jog, a four-miler through her residential neighborhood.
Underwear. Sports bra. T-shirt. Running shorts with a soft fabric liner. Socks. Shoes.
In the kitchen, Chelsea grabbed an empty water bottle and stuffed four ice pieces through its opening. She filled the rest of the bottle with tap water and took a swig.
Yum. Good stuff. She loved water. None of that soda pop poison, nope. And forget bottled water. It was tap water dressed up in fancy names such as Shining Creek or Diamond Stream. Studies showed as much.
Chelsea tore a banana from its cluster. She’d gone shopping yesterday and bought five bananas yellow as the sun.
“Hello?” she said into the banana. PAUSE. “Oh, I’m fine. Just going for a jog in a minute.” PAUSE. “I slept great. How about you?”
“Excuse me? Who is this?” A deep, growly male voice.
Chelsea blinked. Dropped the banana and whirled in place. Her kitchen was the same as always. Lazy waves of sunlight rolled through the windows, and the kitchen table sat on four unthreatening legs. All the windows were closed. Her neighbors’ voices never carried.
“Who is this?” The same deep, growly male voice. It seemed to come from the banana.
Which was impossible.
Chelsea’s gaze fell upon the blue CHIQUITA #4011 COSTA RICA sticker on the banana. She pressed a desperate finger to it. End call! End call!
She waited a few moments before venturing a: “Hello?”
Nothing.
She sagged against the counter and sucked in a relieved breath. Her heart jerked back to life, and she took a tentative bite from the tip of the banana. It tasted the same as any other banana. Certainly no deep growlies.
Chelsea decided that something close by must have picked up a radio signal. She had been about to eat a banana, damn it, and a strange voice wouldn’t stop her.
She bit into the thing with gusto.
*****
Later that day, Chelsea went out to dinner with her parents, then to their house to play cards. She arrived home about eight p.m., and her stomach rumbled. Her parents were early birders—had to be at restaurants by five p.m.
Chelsea peered at the cluster of four bananas. She’d told no one about the surprise voice. Had somewhat managed to convince herself it never happened. Her mind had played tricks on her.
“I won’t let bananas scare me,” she muttered, and ripped a banana from the pack. She forced the fruit to her ear but said nothing. What if the man talked to her? Or what if a different voice did? Chelsea clenched her teeth, and for the first time she could remember, proceeded to eat a banana without saying hello first.
*****
****
THE BANANA PHONE
Chelsea was forty years old and liked banana phones. Yeah, she was one of these weirdos who pressed a banana to her ear before she ate the fruit. “Hello?” she would chirp. If she was alone, she’d carry on a few sentences’ worth of conversation, her end only:
“Yes, this is she.” PAUSE. “Certainly, I’m available to organize your closet.” PAUSE. “Let me make sure and check my schedule. How’s next Tuesday? Great! Buh-bye.”
If someone, such as her mother or best friend was with Chelsea, Chelsea would exclaim “Hello!” into the banana phone and look expectantly at the other person. Usually, the other person played along.
On a Saturday morning in mid-September, Chelsea awoke and performed ordinary bathroom ablutions. She dressed for her usual weekend-morning jog, a four-miler through her residential neighborhood.
Underwear. Sports bra. T-shirt. Running shorts with a soft fabric liner. Socks. Shoes.
In the kitchen, Chelsea grabbed an empty water bottle and stuffed four ice pieces through its opening. She filled the rest of the bottle with tap water and took a swig.
Yum. Good stuff. She loved water. None of that soda pop poison, nope. And forget bottled water. It was tap water dressed up in fancy names such as Shining Creek or Diamond Stream. Studies showed as much.
Chelsea tore a banana from its cluster. She’d gone shopping yesterday and bought five bananas yellow as the sun.
“Hello?” she said into the banana. PAUSE. “Oh, I’m fine. Just going for a jog in a minute.” PAUSE. “I slept great. How about you?”
“Excuse me? Who is this?” A deep, growly male voice.
Chelsea blinked. Dropped the banana and whirled in place. Her kitchen was the same as always. Lazy waves of sunlight rolled through the windows, and the kitchen table sat on four unthreatening legs. All the windows were closed. Her neighbors’ voices never carried.
“Who is this?” The same deep, growly male voice. It seemed to come from the banana.
Which was impossible.
Chelsea’s gaze fell upon the blue CHIQUITA #4011 COSTA RICA sticker on the banana. She pressed a desperate finger to it. End call! End call!
She waited a few moments before venturing a: “Hello?”
Nothing.
She sagged against the counter and sucked in a relieved breath. Her heart jerked back to life, and she took a tentative bite from the tip of the banana. It tasted the same as any other banana. Certainly no deep growlies.
Chelsea decided that something close by must have picked up a radio signal. She had been about to eat a banana, damn it, and a strange voice wouldn’t stop her.
She bit into the thing with gusto.
*****
Later that day, Chelsea went out to dinner with her parents, then to their house to play cards. She arrived home about eight p.m., and her stomach rumbled. Her parents were early birders—had to be at restaurants by five p.m.
Chelsea peered at the cluster of four bananas. She’d told no one about the surprise voice. Had somewhat managed to convince herself it never happened. Her mind had played tricks on her.
“I won’t let bananas scare me,” she muttered, and ripped a banana from the pack. She forced the fruit to her ear but said nothing. What if the man talked to her? Or what if a different voice did? Chelsea clenched her teeth, and for the first time she could remember, proceeded to eat a banana without saying hello first.
*****
March 27, 2013
Strange Bedfellows Book 3 -- Victoria's Very Awkward Love Story
"Victoria's Very Awkward Love Story" (in other words, Strange Bedfellows Book 3) is done with the beta process for the most part. Reception has been great! I'm thrilled, and even better, the betas who haven't read the first (or second) "Strange Bedfellows" say this book can function as a standalone. This is probably the fastest book I've written, but in all honesty, parts were written before. In these incarnations, Vic was paired with different leads, depending on the incarnation. I couldn't get anything clicking, but seems like finishing "Three's a Crowd" (Strange Bedfellows Book 2) finally got me on the right track for Vic's story.
I anticipate release in about a month, perhaps a bit before. Some betaing and final editing remains. In about a week or so, I'll probably post the first one or two chapters.
Here's the cover. One of my favorite covers!
One of the betas (a new beta to me and who hadn't read any of my works) said she couldn't envision this book having a happy ending given the setup but that I managed to pull off the impossible. Yep. That's what I do for most of my novels. I put characters in impossible situations and have them deal with them realistically and pragmatically. And lo and behold, life does work out! ;-)
So, now that this is finished for the most part, what's next for me writing-wise? A "SB" Book 4? Probably not right away. I did have a novel (perhaps novella) in progress that I stopped working on to focus on SB3. Had to, because Victoria and Felicianna kept bothering me--these pesky gals wanted their story told ASAP! I may go back to that novella or start completely new on a project. Who knows. I do have a feeling that when I write SB4, it'll focus on Elena and Frances. I'm ready to have their POVs back, especially Frances's. And as one subplot in SB3 shows, they're about to have a quite major life change. I have a few additional "life" curves in mind for them too--like one of Frances's parents dies and the other parent moves in with Elena and Frances after an unsuccessful stint with Frances's brother.
Here's the preliminary blurb for "Victoria's Very Awkward Love Story": Why would Victoria Dourne strike up a friendship with Felicianna Grey, the woman who almost ruined the lives of Victoria's mother and stepmother? What started as mere curiosity on Victoria's part has developed into much more. She and Felicianna have been chatting online a few months, and Felicianna thinks Victoria is a twenty-five-year-old secretary from Chicago, not the eighteen-year-old girl she is. They’ve bonded over the fact they’re both in love with women they can’t have. They’ve even engaged in cybersex with each other. The online thing is getting old, though, and when Felicianna shows signs of losing interest, Victoria figures the time has come to tell the truth—in person.
Felicianna is horrified when Victoria confesses all. An eighteen-year-old girl! The stepdaughter of Felicianna’s former best friend. The daughter of a woman Felicianna despises. This was what happened when Felicianna took risks. When she decided she could trust someone.
Victoria begs Felicianna to give her a chance. Just one chance. A dinner. If, after that, Felicianna still wants Victoria to stay away, she will.
Can Victoria persuade Felicianna to look past the trappings of age and circumstances to find her way back to the woman she thought she knew online? Can Victoria and Felicianna surmount their many, many obstacles?
I anticipate release in about a month, perhaps a bit before. Some betaing and final editing remains. In about a week or so, I'll probably post the first one or two chapters.
Here's the cover. One of my favorite covers!
One of the betas (a new beta to me and who hadn't read any of my works) said she couldn't envision this book having a happy ending given the setup but that I managed to pull off the impossible. Yep. That's what I do for most of my novels. I put characters in impossible situations and have them deal with them realistically and pragmatically. And lo and behold, life does work out! ;-)
So, now that this is finished for the most part, what's next for me writing-wise? A "SB" Book 4? Probably not right away. I did have a novel (perhaps novella) in progress that I stopped working on to focus on SB3. Had to, because Victoria and Felicianna kept bothering me--these pesky gals wanted their story told ASAP! I may go back to that novella or start completely new on a project. Who knows. I do have a feeling that when I write SB4, it'll focus on Elena and Frances. I'm ready to have their POVs back, especially Frances's. And as one subplot in SB3 shows, they're about to have a quite major life change. I have a few additional "life" curves in mind for them too--like one of Frances's parents dies and the other parent moves in with Elena and Frances after an unsuccessful stint with Frances's brother.
Here's the preliminary blurb for "Victoria's Very Awkward Love Story": Why would Victoria Dourne strike up a friendship with Felicianna Grey, the woman who almost ruined the lives of Victoria's mother and stepmother? What started as mere curiosity on Victoria's part has developed into much more. She and Felicianna have been chatting online a few months, and Felicianna thinks Victoria is a twenty-five-year-old secretary from Chicago, not the eighteen-year-old girl she is. They’ve bonded over the fact they’re both in love with women they can’t have. They’ve even engaged in cybersex with each other. The online thing is getting old, though, and when Felicianna shows signs of losing interest, Victoria figures the time has come to tell the truth—in person.
Felicianna is horrified when Victoria confesses all. An eighteen-year-old girl! The stepdaughter of Felicianna’s former best friend. The daughter of a woman Felicianna despises. This was what happened when Felicianna took risks. When she decided she could trust someone.
Victoria begs Felicianna to give her a chance. Just one chance. A dinner. If, after that, Felicianna still wants Victoria to stay away, she will.
Can Victoria persuade Felicianna to look past the trappings of age and circumstances to find her way back to the woman she thought she knew online? Can Victoria and Felicianna surmount their many, many obstacles?
March 16, 2013
A Few Good Beta Readers
Howdy doo. A quickie post (booty call? ;-) ) to solict a few good beta readers for Strange Bedfellows Book 3. A few of my regular beta readers are sitting this one out because of other obligations or that horrible thing called REAL LIFE.
If you're interested in being a beta, please drop me a line: yllek_q(at)yahoo(dot)com. The story is about 3/4 finished, and if you're someone who is OK reading in parts, please do consider this! :)
You will need to have read "Strange Bedfellows." You don't need to have read "Three's a Crowd" (Strange Bedfellows Book Two), although one reason Felicianna is softer in Book Two is so that readers' most recent memories of her would hopefully be of the gentler woman in Book 2 rather than the somewhat harsher-edged woman in Book 1. I'm getting off track, sorry. Plot-wise, you definitely don't need to have read Book 2, only Book 1.
Here's the blurb for the story, which is tentatively titled "Victoria's Very Awkward Love Story":
Why would Victoria Dourne strike up a friendship with Felicianna Grey, the woman who almost ruined the lives of Victoria's mother and stepmother? What started as mere curiosity on Victoria's part has developed into much more. She and Felicianna have been chatting online a few months, and Felicianna thinks Victoria is a twenty-five-year-old secretary from Chicago, not the eighteen-year-old girl she is. They’ve bonded over the fact they’re both in love with women they can’t have. They’ve even engaged in cybersex with each other. The online thing is getting old, though, and when Felicianna shows signs of losing interest, Victoria figures the time has come to tell the truth—in person.
Felicianna is horrified when Victoria confesses all. An eighteen-year-old girl! The stepdaughter of Felicianna’s former best friend. The daughter of a woman Felicianna despises. This was what happened when Felicianna took risks. When she decided she could trust someone.
Victoria begs Felicianna to give her a chance. Just one chance. A dinner. If, after that, Felicianna still wants Victoria to stay away, she will.
Can Victoria persuade Felicianna to look past the trappings of age and circumstances to find her way back to the woman she thought she knew online? Can Victoria and Felicianna surmount their many, many obstacles?
**END OF BLURB**
Just a few interesting tidbits. This is the novel that I was originally hoping to be the sequel to "Strange Bedfellows." It'd be titled "Strange Bedfellows Too." In previous incarnations, Vic was paired with different leads, depending on the incarnation. I couldn't get anything clicking, but seems like finishing "Three's a Crowd" (Strange Bedfellows Book 2) finally got me on the right track for Vic's story. After releasing 3AC, I planned to go back to work on a psychological suspense lesfic, but the characters of Victoria and Felicianna wouldn't let me go. My heart was way more with them than with the other lesfic (which I'll get back to after this book, maybe).
If you're interested in being a beta, please drop me a line: yllek_q(at)yahoo(dot)com. The story is about 3/4 finished, and if you're someone who is OK reading in parts, please do consider this! :)
You will need to have read "Strange Bedfellows." You don't need to have read "Three's a Crowd" (Strange Bedfellows Book Two), although one reason Felicianna is softer in Book Two is so that readers' most recent memories of her would hopefully be of the gentler woman in Book 2 rather than the somewhat harsher-edged woman in Book 1. I'm getting off track, sorry. Plot-wise, you definitely don't need to have read Book 2, only Book 1.
Here's the blurb for the story, which is tentatively titled "Victoria's Very Awkward Love Story":
Why would Victoria Dourne strike up a friendship with Felicianna Grey, the woman who almost ruined the lives of Victoria's mother and stepmother? What started as mere curiosity on Victoria's part has developed into much more. She and Felicianna have been chatting online a few months, and Felicianna thinks Victoria is a twenty-five-year-old secretary from Chicago, not the eighteen-year-old girl she is. They’ve bonded over the fact they’re both in love with women they can’t have. They’ve even engaged in cybersex with each other. The online thing is getting old, though, and when Felicianna shows signs of losing interest, Victoria figures the time has come to tell the truth—in person.
Felicianna is horrified when Victoria confesses all. An eighteen-year-old girl! The stepdaughter of Felicianna’s former best friend. The daughter of a woman Felicianna despises. This was what happened when Felicianna took risks. When she decided she could trust someone.
Victoria begs Felicianna to give her a chance. Just one chance. A dinner. If, after that, Felicianna still wants Victoria to stay away, she will.
Can Victoria persuade Felicianna to look past the trappings of age and circumstances to find her way back to the woman she thought she knew online? Can Victoria and Felicianna surmount their many, many obstacles?
**END OF BLURB**
Just a few interesting tidbits. This is the novel that I was originally hoping to be the sequel to "Strange Bedfellows." It'd be titled "Strange Bedfellows Too." In previous incarnations, Vic was paired with different leads, depending on the incarnation. I couldn't get anything clicking, but seems like finishing "Three's a Crowd" (Strange Bedfellows Book 2) finally got me on the right track for Vic's story. After releasing 3AC, I planned to go back to work on a psychological suspense lesfic, but the characters of Victoria and Felicianna wouldn't let me go. My heart was way more with them than with the other lesfic (which I'll get back to after this book, maybe).
March 12, 2013
Toilet--A Very Important Sign
This is a post about...well, about nothing, really. I was mulling over possible blog posts, and this came to mind. Okay then. For those of you who don't know, I've been deaf since birth. Obviously, most people don't know sign language, so when my mother would drop me off with a babysitter or at a church group or some sort of organization that was charged with watching me for a few hours, she would always show the person in charge one VERY IMPORTANT SIGN. Not help. Not food. Not water. Nope.
She showed the sign for toilet (or bathroom--same sign). Here's a link to it: http://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/TOILET
I've always found this amusing, but it makes total sense. I remember using it only once, though, when I really had to go. I was a painfully shy kid. Still am (but not a kid). I believe I am more "myself" online when I don't have to worry about groups and communication issues--or in person when I'm drunk or I've really gotten to know someone.
Annnnd...I guess this blog post really has no point. Carry on. ;-)
She showed the sign for toilet (or bathroom--same sign). Here's a link to it: http://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/TOILET
I've always found this amusing, but it makes total sense. I remember using it only once, though, when I really had to go. I was a painfully shy kid. Still am (but not a kid). I believe I am more "myself" online when I don't have to worry about groups and communication issues--or in person when I'm drunk or I've really gotten to know someone.
Annnnd...I guess this blog post really has no point. Carry on. ;-)
March 7, 2013
Lammys and Awards and Anne Boleyn in "Third"
Ahhh, what a difference a year makes. About this time last year, I was glued to my computer (or constantly checking my phone) to see if I was a Lammy finalist. I had especially high hopes for "Strange Bedfellows," which had already won several awards, particularly a Rainbow Award for one of the top five lesbian books of the year. Come to find out, the Lammy announcement would be delayed a few days. Eeek! More waiting.The result?
I wasn't a finalist for anything. But of course! ;-)
What happens this year? Yesterday, I check my email. I see a message from the Lambda Literary Foundation announcing its finalists. A vague something stirs in my mind: "Oh yeeeah, wow! That time already? I did enter 'Third,' so hmm, let's see. Well, they would've emailed me directly if I would've won, right?" I almost deleted the email (yes!! dummy me almost deleted it), but in the end, something propelled me to open it. Lots of categories! I searched for "lesbian paranormal romance." Didn't find it. Realized: "Oops! That's for the GCLS. In the Lammys, 'Third' is in lesbian romance."
So! I searched for lesbian romance. Finally found it. Went down the list. Nope, nope, nope, nope (didn't notice the pattern of titles in alphabetical order--hey it was early in the morning) . No "Third." Got to the very last title:
10. Third, Q. Kelly, Ride the Rainbow Books
I stared. I thought: "No way." I can't have woken up this morning and then alla sudden, with no warning, be a Lammy finalist. But sure enough, I was. I ran shrieking to my wife, who was home from school because of a snow day. You know, one of these snow days in which the roads are clear and very little snow fell.. (Most of her snow days this year have been that type! ;-) )
Me: "Third" is in the Lammy finals! *lots of wooohooooing at my end*
Wife: ????
Me: The Lammys! The awards! The ones that are like the Oscars of GBLT lit. Remember I entered "Third"--the only book I entered this year. I guess they announced finalists today! [Last year, my wife no doubt got sick of the hundred times I bemoaned: "When will they announce the finalists already?"]
Wife: Oh! Oh! *news settling in, as it had to for me also* Wow. *woohooing on her end too*
Sooo that's my Lammys story for right now. I love New York City. Only been there once and for a very brief time a few years ago (most of a Saturday, overnight, and then most of a Sunday). My wife and I always planned to return, and now we have our chance. I can write off most of this on taxes, too.
****
A bit on "Third" and awards programs. I admit I have mixed feelings on pretty much any awards ceremony. Some seem incredibly incestuous and political. Some seem to allow stinkers to final and win, while others seem to pass over wonderful, deserving works. But that's art. Art is subjective. Overall, I like awards. (Let me note here I am biased because I grew up winning awards. My parents entered me every year, and so I like being recognized by awards. I went indie in August 2011, and some people said they would not buy my stuff. They automatically assumed my stuff was bad because I was indie. Winning several awards among a veritable sea of books with publishers minimized the complaints. These days--early 2013--being indie is much more acceptable/popular.)
Awards are an issue that ignites lots of passion from some people, and I understand all sides. Bottom line, though, I think there's a place for awards.
If nothing else, awards help books find more buyers. Some books don't sell well, but they score big in awards. Readers hear about these books, and well-deserving books get a wider audience. Authors work long and hard and put up with scathing reviews and personal attacks all the time. People who are not authors may have a hard time understanding this. Awards are one way to recognize authors' hard work. Sales are another way, sure.
Competition is another motivator. Awards, I would expect, motivate some authors to write better than they would otherwise.
As for awards fees, they help pay for the awards. Doesn't mean I LIKE them. My wallet cries and reaches for the Kleenex every time I enter an award, but I understand that in most cases, fees are necessary.
****
Okay, so that bit above was really on awards programs. Now enough about me and awards. Let's get to what really matters-- da book. I knew before starting on "Third" that it would be a risk. It combines history, sci fi, Anne Boleyn, a married lesbian couple, Benjamin Franklin and polyamory. Eeek! Polyamory! I hoped in spite of all this, sales would be good. They weren't. Oh, "Third" didn't bomb. In fact, it probably sold (and sells) the same or better than, say, an "average" lesfic book. (And who knows, someday its sales could rocket off.) It basically stirred up two types of responses, with a smallish middle ground. Response 1: "I don't want to read about polyamory. I'm not reading 'Third.' " Response 2: "Oooh! Lesbian sci-fi! Oh! Polyamory, what a cool concept. I read 'Third' and loved it. It's my absolute favorite." Response 3: [the middle-ground response] "The idea of polyamory put me off, but I love your books, so I gave 'Third' a chance and ended up enjoying it way more than I thought I would. Great book!"
"Third" did bring me a new base of readers (the Response 2 readers), and it remains to date the mostest favoritest work of mine I've done. Despite the so-so sales, I'm glad I did it. And I am also glad that while I didn't quite get the sales and fan validation, this weird, quirky book is getting recognition via awards programs. It won a Rainbow Award a few months ago, and being a Lammy finalist is in itself an award and a huge honor. (GCLS announces their finalists in a few weeks.)
I'd like to take this opportunity to toast Anne Boleyn, who is probably my favorite character of all my works and a fascinating, fascinating woman. I put a rather unique historical spin on a real woman, and who knows, it might be true. Nothing out there says it can't be true, right? (For Anne's sake, though--the sake of the REAL Anne who didn't get a happy ending in "Third," I do hope it wasn't true that she was a lesbian in real life.)
Anyway, enough blathering. Gotta put this blog post to rest and hit the gym!
March 5, 2013
"Switch" Lowered to $2.99 for "Read an Ebook Week"
March 3-9 is "Read an Ebook Week" in which authors and publishers lower prices on some of their e-works. As usual, I am late to the party. You know the saying, though: better late than never. (And I brought fresh booze and chips!) Here's the party ebook treat: I've lowered the price on my novel "Switch" from $6.99 to $2.99 on all retailers (Kindle, Nook, Smashwords). With other retailers such as Apple and Kobo, the price will take some time to trickle down from its distributor, Smashwords. This offer is for a limited time (how limited, I don't know).This blog post takes you to the blurb for "Switch" and to buying links: http://www.qkellybooks.com/2012/04/switch-is-out.html.
Word count for "Switch" is about 68,000 words.
Blurb:
Ellora Landry and June Blue Sky meet after they find out a nurse switched them when they were newborns. Ellora and June are forty years old and have led vastly different lives. June, raised by hippie parents, is an out lesbian who has not had the best experiences in the love department. Ellora, from a conservative family, is coming to terms with her lesbian identity and has just left her husband.
Ellora and June experience an undeniable attraction. However, they are reluctant to risk their hearts, especially since that means revealing secrets and telling the entire story behind half truths.
Will they realize that perhaps they were fated to be together since their births?
February 28, 2013
Crunching Sales Numbers
Hey y'all! This blog post is sort of me thinkin' out loud about something that may not interest you. If that's the case, skip right on! ;-) This post, however, may be of interest to authors (and others) who wonder why some books sell the way they do and why certain books sell. Read on to find out how freebies play a large role.
The focus is on Amazon Kindle U.S. and UK only for February and January. (February final results may change a little after this posting but oh well.)
I didn't tally results from Barnes and Noble, Smashwords and the like because they don't compile their data in look-at-a-glance categories like Amazon does. It'd require a lot of collating and adding. Plus, Amazon Kindle (U.S. and UK) are my #1 and #2 markets in terms of sales and income.
A quick note about Kobo, which does have easy-to-see categories like Amazon does. I have four books directly uploaded there (before Kobo enabled this option, I distributed there through Smashwords and have kept doing that for those older books). The four books I have directly through Kobo are "Three's a Crowd," "Love's Spell," "The Girl Prince and Her Princess" and "All in the Family." The results here puzzle me. I don't know what to make of 'em, quite honestly. For some reason, "The Girl Prince and Her Princess" is the huge, crazy, absolute top seller at Kobo. This is odd when you consider that on Amazon, "Love's Spell" outsells it by about a double margin. On Kobo, however, "The Girl Prince and Her Princess" outsells all my other works by about sixteen times combined. Yep. That wasn't a typo. Sixteen times combined. Weeeird, but hey! At least it sells.
The pattern on Amazon is much more discernible, and it's interesting to see the differences between U.S. and UK sellers. I'm only discussing the top five spots for each month, though.
*****
Amazon U.S. -- February
1. THREE'S A CROWD -- Strange Bedfellows Book 2 (released February 22)
2. LOVE'S SPELL
3. MISS LUCY PARKER AND OTHER SHORT STORIES
4. THE GIRL PRINCE AND HER PRINCESS
5. (tie) STRANGE BEDFELLOWS and WAITING
Amazon U.S. -- January
1. LOVE'S SPELL
2. THE GIRL PRINCE AND HER PRINCESS
3. MISS LUCY PARKER AND OTHER SHORT STORIES
4. THE OLD WOMAN AND OTHER LESBIAN STORIES
5. (tie) ALL IN THE FAMILY and WAITING
Amazon U.K. -- February
1. THE OLD WOMAN AND OTHER LESBIAN STORIES (by a large margin)
2. WAITING
3. LOVE'S SPELL
4. (tie) ALL IN THE FAMILY and THE GIRL PRINCE AND HER PRINCESS
5. THE ODD COUPLE
Amazon U.K. -- January
1. THE OLD WOMAN AND OTHER LESBIAN STORIES (by a large margin)
2. LOVE'S SPELL
3. (tie) ALL IN THE FAMILY and WAITING
4. THE GIRL PRINCE AND HER PRINCESS
5. MISS LUCY PARKER AND OTHER SHORT STORIES
*****
A few things jump out right away.
1) "Strange Bedfellows" tied for fifth on Amazon U.S. February because of a late surge obviously propelled by its prequel and sequel, "Three's a Crowd." This heartens me because I was afraid of diminishing returns (say, if Book 1 sold 1,000 copies, and 800 of these people enjoyed the book enough to buy another, then Book 2 might sell 800, and Book 3 may sell 700 and so on). I didn't think there'd be much effect the other way around (sales of a Book 2 propelling sales of a Book 1), but there apparently is, at least initially.
2) The sales numbers for "Three's a Crowd" have me quite optimistic, especially given #1 above. I'm not sure diminishing returns apply in this case, but time will make the picture clearer. It does say a lot that a book out only one week this month is the month's top seller.
(By the way, I am hard at work on Book 3 in the series. I tried to continue with a psychological suspense lesfic I had in progress, but the characters in Book 3 kept calling to me. So I said: "Dang it!" and got to work on Book 3. It's going beautifully.)
3) My short-story collections sell well. At least, two of them do. "Miss Lucy Parker and Other Short Stories" and "The Old Woman and Other Lesbian Stories" were free on Amazon for several months last year. Because of that (all the free downloads), Amazon's algorithms position them more often in "People who bought this also bought..." situations. My third short-story collection, "Cupid Pulls a Prank and Other Lesbian Tales" was never made free, although I tried to do so. (Amazon never price matched.) The "Cupid" collection hasn't even begun to approach the success of the other two collections, and it's clear that the free run and the recommendations algorithm have a huge part in this. This is especially true considering that before "Miss Lucy Parker" and "The Old Woman" went free, they barely moved any copies.
** A little side note, though. While Amazon never did price match the "Cupid" collection, that collection's sales through stores Smashwords distributes to, especially Apple, increased a lot after I reverted it to $2.99. Made the "free for a while" move more than pay off.
If it still isn't clear enough, though, then let's look at the UK-specific numbers. Why is the "The Old Woman and Other Lesbian Stories" hugely outselling everything else? The answer, again, is algorithms. For a couple of days a few months ago, I made the collection free on Smashwords. I don't quite remember what my reasoning then was, but I did it. Reverted the collection to its usual $2.99 price not long after. Thennn.... for some reason, Amazon UK decided to make it free. I wasn't crazy about this, but nothing I could do. It kept this way for at least three months. I lost money while the collection was free these three months, but it happens. I didn't understand why only UK made it free, but whatever. It was still paid in the U.S., Germany, France, etc.
Then in December, yay! Amazon UK, for whatever reason, changed it back to the $2.99 price. Whatever income I lost in the few months it was free has probably been made back and then some because of the steep sales. The recommendation algorithim, yep.
Free CAN pay off.
4) Most of my top sellers (at least the past two months) are my novellas and short-story collections, and they're priced at $2.99 or 99 cents. I reckon price is a key factor here, but how key, I am not sure. If price was a huge, overwhelming factor, then "Cupid" should sell crazy well, right? Makes me think at least for short-story collections, the algorithms play a large part. (Again, this is especially true considering that before "Miss Lucy Parker" and "The Old Woman" went free, they barely moved any copies.)
It's different for novellas. "Love's Spell," when it was released, rocketed to become my all-time seller, outpacing the previous top seller, "Waiting," by more than twice. This was very heartening to me because it shows that novellas sell--just as well as novels or better. Of course, they're priced lower. In the case of "Love's Spell," the volume of sales way more than made up for the lower price.
5) You see that "Three's a Crowd," a new release, is my #1 U.S. seller this month but doesn't even make the top 5 on UK. Here's the thing: my new releases almost always skyrocket to the top of my sales charts on Amazon U.S. Not quite so in UK. I have a theory for this, but I may be wrong. Here's the theory: Because Amazon UK adds VAT and possibly other taxes, UK (and many other international buyers) buy at Smashwords. "Three's a Crowd" has been extremely popular at Smashwords. And over time, more people just kind of happen to buy at Amazon UK and increase the numbers. I don't know, but after hearing quite a few British readers say they buy at Smashwords rather than at Amazon UK, I think my theory has some weight.
The focus is on Amazon Kindle U.S. and UK only for February and January. (February final results may change a little after this posting but oh well.)
I didn't tally results from Barnes and Noble, Smashwords and the like because they don't compile their data in look-at-a-glance categories like Amazon does. It'd require a lot of collating and adding. Plus, Amazon Kindle (U.S. and UK) are my #1 and #2 markets in terms of sales and income.
A quick note about Kobo, which does have easy-to-see categories like Amazon does. I have four books directly uploaded there (before Kobo enabled this option, I distributed there through Smashwords and have kept doing that for those older books). The four books I have directly through Kobo are "Three's a Crowd," "Love's Spell," "The Girl Prince and Her Princess" and "All in the Family." The results here puzzle me. I don't know what to make of 'em, quite honestly. For some reason, "The Girl Prince and Her Princess" is the huge, crazy, absolute top seller at Kobo. This is odd when you consider that on Amazon, "Love's Spell" outsells it by about a double margin. On Kobo, however, "The Girl Prince and Her Princess" outsells all my other works by about sixteen times combined. Yep. That wasn't a typo. Sixteen times combined. Weeeird, but hey! At least it sells.
The pattern on Amazon is much more discernible, and it's interesting to see the differences between U.S. and UK sellers. I'm only discussing the top five spots for each month, though.
*****
Amazon U.S. -- February
1. THREE'S A CROWD -- Strange Bedfellows Book 2 (released February 22)
2. LOVE'S SPELL
3. MISS LUCY PARKER AND OTHER SHORT STORIES
4. THE GIRL PRINCE AND HER PRINCESS
5. (tie) STRANGE BEDFELLOWS and WAITING
Amazon U.S. -- January
1. LOVE'S SPELL
2. THE GIRL PRINCE AND HER PRINCESS
3. MISS LUCY PARKER AND OTHER SHORT STORIES
4. THE OLD WOMAN AND OTHER LESBIAN STORIES
5. (tie) ALL IN THE FAMILY and WAITING
Amazon U.K. -- February
1. THE OLD WOMAN AND OTHER LESBIAN STORIES (by a large margin)
2. WAITING
3. LOVE'S SPELL
4. (tie) ALL IN THE FAMILY and THE GIRL PRINCE AND HER PRINCESS
5. THE ODD COUPLE
Amazon U.K. -- January
1. THE OLD WOMAN AND OTHER LESBIAN STORIES (by a large margin)
2. LOVE'S SPELL
3. (tie) ALL IN THE FAMILY and WAITING
4. THE GIRL PRINCE AND HER PRINCESS
5. MISS LUCY PARKER AND OTHER SHORT STORIES
*****
A few things jump out right away.
1) "Strange Bedfellows" tied for fifth on Amazon U.S. February because of a late surge obviously propelled by its prequel and sequel, "Three's a Crowd." This heartens me because I was afraid of diminishing returns (say, if Book 1 sold 1,000 copies, and 800 of these people enjoyed the book enough to buy another, then Book 2 might sell 800, and Book 3 may sell 700 and so on). I didn't think there'd be much effect the other way around (sales of a Book 2 propelling sales of a Book 1), but there apparently is, at least initially.
2) The sales numbers for "Three's a Crowd" have me quite optimistic, especially given #1 above. I'm not sure diminishing returns apply in this case, but time will make the picture clearer. It does say a lot that a book out only one week this month is the month's top seller.
(By the way, I am hard at work on Book 3 in the series. I tried to continue with a psychological suspense lesfic I had in progress, but the characters in Book 3 kept calling to me. So I said: "Dang it!" and got to work on Book 3. It's going beautifully.)
3) My short-story collections sell well. At least, two of them do. "Miss Lucy Parker and Other Short Stories" and "The Old Woman and Other Lesbian Stories" were free on Amazon for several months last year. Because of that (all the free downloads), Amazon's algorithms position them more often in "People who bought this also bought..." situations. My third short-story collection, "Cupid Pulls a Prank and Other Lesbian Tales" was never made free, although I tried to do so. (Amazon never price matched.) The "Cupid" collection hasn't even begun to approach the success of the other two collections, and it's clear that the free run and the recommendations algorithm have a huge part in this. This is especially true considering that before "Miss Lucy Parker" and "The Old Woman" went free, they barely moved any copies.
** A little side note, though. While Amazon never did price match the "Cupid" collection, that collection's sales through stores Smashwords distributes to, especially Apple, increased a lot after I reverted it to $2.99. Made the "free for a while" move more than pay off.
If it still isn't clear enough, though, then let's look at the UK-specific numbers. Why is the "The Old Woman and Other Lesbian Stories" hugely outselling everything else? The answer, again, is algorithms. For a couple of days a few months ago, I made the collection free on Smashwords. I don't quite remember what my reasoning then was, but I did it. Reverted the collection to its usual $2.99 price not long after. Thennn.... for some reason, Amazon UK decided to make it free. I wasn't crazy about this, but nothing I could do. It kept this way for at least three months. I lost money while the collection was free these three months, but it happens. I didn't understand why only UK made it free, but whatever. It was still paid in the U.S., Germany, France, etc.
Then in December, yay! Amazon UK, for whatever reason, changed it back to the $2.99 price. Whatever income I lost in the few months it was free has probably been made back and then some because of the steep sales. The recommendation algorithim, yep.
Free CAN pay off.
4) Most of my top sellers (at least the past two months) are my novellas and short-story collections, and they're priced at $2.99 or 99 cents. I reckon price is a key factor here, but how key, I am not sure. If price was a huge, overwhelming factor, then "Cupid" should sell crazy well, right? Makes me think at least for short-story collections, the algorithms play a large part. (Again, this is especially true considering that before "Miss Lucy Parker" and "The Old Woman" went free, they barely moved any copies.)
It's different for novellas. "Love's Spell," when it was released, rocketed to become my all-time seller, outpacing the previous top seller, "Waiting," by more than twice. This was very heartening to me because it shows that novellas sell--just as well as novels or better. Of course, they're priced lower. In the case of "Love's Spell," the volume of sales way more than made up for the lower price.
5) You see that "Three's a Crowd," a new release, is my #1 U.S. seller this month but doesn't even make the top 5 on UK. Here's the thing: my new releases almost always skyrocket to the top of my sales charts on Amazon U.S. Not quite so in UK. I have a theory for this, but I may be wrong. Here's the theory: Because Amazon UK adds VAT and possibly other taxes, UK (and many other international buyers) buy at Smashwords. "Three's a Crowd" has been extremely popular at Smashwords. And over time, more people just kind of happen to buy at Amazon UK and increase the numbers. I don't know, but after hearing quite a few British readers say they buy at Smashwords rather than at Amazon UK, I think my theory has some weight.
February 22, 2013
"Strange Bedfellows" Book 2 Is Out!
Today I release "Three's a Crowd," my first novel in nearly a year. Wow! Hard to believe, but true. In the past year, I released two novellas, but no novels. This link will take you to the first four chapters (safe for work and a bit more than the ebook samples provide), and here's the release information in case you don't hang around for the rest of this blog post:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BJACL1Q
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/288220
BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/threes-a-crowd-q-kelly/1046083158?ean=2940016229867
Kobo: STILL PROCESSING, WILL UPDATE WHEN AVAILABLE
Print: https://www.createspace.com/4179697 (will take a few days to reach Amazon.com)
Word count: About 59,000 words
Usually, no matter what I am releasing (novel, novella, short-story collection, cookie, gremlin, pillow) I get release jitters. It's no different this time around, except that the jitters are more jitteryish than usual. Why? Well, for several reasons. Here are a few:
1) This book ("Three's a Crowd") is Book 2 in a series. It's the first sequel, so to speak, that I have done. This brings pros and cons. One pro: built-in audience ("Strange Bedfellows" sold pretty well, won awards and received critical acclaim). Cons: audience (many people may not have read "Strange Bedfellows" and so will pass up on this rather than if it was a standalone--or will read it and not completely understand it because they didn't read "Strange Bedfellows." Who knows). I really want to do a Book 3 (Victoria's rather awkward love story), but that in part may depend on how well Book 2 sells. I see a law of diminishing returns for some series (say, if Book 1 sold 1,000 copies, and 800 of these people enjoyed the book enough to buy another, then Book 2 might sell 800, and Book 3 may sell 700 and so on).
2) The blurb for "Three's a Crowd," in order to avoid massive spoilers, doesn't make explicit the connection to "Strange Bedfellows." I am afraid that may turn off some people who would've bought it otherwise because these people may not think there is a true connection to "Strange Bedfellows."
3) Not only is "Three's a Crowd" a Book 2, it is a "Strange Bedfellows" prequel and sequel in one. I've never read a book that's both a prequel and sequel, but I am sure such books exist. They have to! Nevertheless, it's a bit of an offbeat format.
So, yeah, the release of this particular book comes with its share of risks. That said, I'm very excited and very proud of this book. It truly is different from anything else I've done.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BJACL1Q
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/288220
BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/threes-a-crowd-q-kelly/1046083158?ean=2940016229867
Kobo: STILL PROCESSING, WILL UPDATE WHEN AVAILABLE
Print: https://www.createspace.com/4179697 (will take a few days to reach Amazon.com)
Word count: About 59,000 words
Usually, no matter what I am releasing (novel, novella, short-story collection, cookie, gremlin, pillow) I get release jitters. It's no different this time around, except that the jitters are more jitteryish than usual. Why? Well, for several reasons. Here are a few: 1) This book ("Three's a Crowd") is Book 2 in a series. It's the first sequel, so to speak, that I have done. This brings pros and cons. One pro: built-in audience ("Strange Bedfellows" sold pretty well, won awards and received critical acclaim). Cons: audience (many people may not have read "Strange Bedfellows" and so will pass up on this rather than if it was a standalone--or will read it and not completely understand it because they didn't read "Strange Bedfellows." Who knows). I really want to do a Book 3 (Victoria's rather awkward love story), but that in part may depend on how well Book 2 sells. I see a law of diminishing returns for some series (say, if Book 1 sold 1,000 copies, and 800 of these people enjoyed the book enough to buy another, then Book 2 might sell 800, and Book 3 may sell 700 and so on).
2) The blurb for "Three's a Crowd," in order to avoid massive spoilers, doesn't make explicit the connection to "Strange Bedfellows." I am afraid that may turn off some people who would've bought it otherwise because these people may not think there is a true connection to "Strange Bedfellows."
3) Not only is "Three's a Crowd" a Book 2, it is a "Strange Bedfellows" prequel and sequel in one. I've never read a book that's both a prequel and sequel, but I am sure such books exist. They have to! Nevertheless, it's a bit of an offbeat format.
So, yeah, the release of this particular book comes with its share of risks. That said, I'm very excited and very proud of this book. It truly is different from anything else I've done.
February 20, 2013
Life As a Kindle Owner
OK then! I've been the proud owner of a $69 Kindle for about a week now (here's a link to the post explaining why I bought a Kindle). This blog post is to update y'all on my Kindle--because, ya know, you're hanging onto every word of my exciting, exciting life. Right? Riiiiight. :D
So here we go.
Bottom line: I am deliriously happy with my Kindle. The closest thing I have to compare it with is my Nook Simple Touch, so this'll basically be a comparison of the two.
What I love about the Kindle:
1) Smooth library check-out process, wireless for most books (with the Nook, a cable is required, and library books have stopped working with my Nook Simple Touch, although they still work with the Nook Color)
2) I can e-mail documents to myself. No wires needed.
3) No glitches so far (I had to erase both my Nooks at least four times apiece due to "glitches")
4) Reading/appearance of text is much smoother
5) Improved (oh my, it really is) store navigation for Amazon vs. Barnes & Noble
6) The Internet! Wow. I had no idea about this part, but I can access the web, check email, etc. with WiFi if I want to. The Nook Simple Touch definitely doesn't have this.
Neutrals:
Since I have the $69 Kindle, I have advertising when I'm not reading. It doesn't bother me one bit. I actually enjoy seeing some of these deals. I used my free trial Prime membership on one (ONLY THE INNOCENT by Rachel Abbott, which I highly recommend).
Cons of the Kindle:
1) Library books tend to come out in .epub first, so I have to wait longer for .mobi format. However, I do have my Nook Color (with the back light, eh) if I absolutely don't want to wait for the .mobi version.
2) No touch screen, so "page turning" is bit more awkward (I do love that aspect of both Nooks!) -- minor issue
3) The keyboard, which is controlled by a cursor, is clunkier than with a touchscreen -- minor issue
4) Less-friendly Table of Contents. ToCs are much easier to make for .epubs, so fewer Kindle books have an active ToC in the menus. I rarely use ToCs so this is, to me, less than a minor issue !
Overall verdict:
The Kindle leaves the Nook Simple Touch in the dust. The Kindle's many pros outweigh its minor issues, and at only $69, the Kindle is a steal. I only hope I remain happy with my Kindle as time goes on!
So here we go.
Bottom line: I am deliriously happy with my Kindle. The closest thing I have to compare it with is my Nook Simple Touch, so this'll basically be a comparison of the two.
What I love about the Kindle:
1) Smooth library check-out process, wireless for most books (with the Nook, a cable is required, and library books have stopped working with my Nook Simple Touch, although they still work with the Nook Color)
2) I can e-mail documents to myself. No wires needed.
3) No glitches so far (I had to erase both my Nooks at least four times apiece due to "glitches")
4) Reading/appearance of text is much smoother
5) Improved (oh my, it really is) store navigation for Amazon vs. Barnes & Noble
6) The Internet! Wow. I had no idea about this part, but I can access the web, check email, etc. with WiFi if I want to. The Nook Simple Touch definitely doesn't have this.
Neutrals:
Since I have the $69 Kindle, I have advertising when I'm not reading. It doesn't bother me one bit. I actually enjoy seeing some of these deals. I used my free trial Prime membership on one (ONLY THE INNOCENT by Rachel Abbott, which I highly recommend).
Cons of the Kindle:
1) Library books tend to come out in .epub first, so I have to wait longer for .mobi format. However, I do have my Nook Color (with the back light, eh) if I absolutely don't want to wait for the .mobi version.
2) No touch screen, so "page turning" is bit more awkward (I do love that aspect of both Nooks!) -- minor issue
3) The keyboard, which is controlled by a cursor, is clunkier than with a touchscreen -- minor issue
4) Less-friendly Table of Contents. ToCs are much easier to make for .epubs, so fewer Kindle books have an active ToC in the menus. I rarely use ToCs so this is, to me, less than a minor issue !
Overall verdict:
The Kindle leaves the Nook Simple Touch in the dust. The Kindle's many pros outweigh its minor issues, and at only $69, the Kindle is a steal. I only hope I remain happy with my Kindle as time goes on!
February 15, 2013
Determining Book Length--Word Count vs. Page Count
I'll just jump into this blog post without a witty, long-winded introduction: page count isn't an accurate determinant for calculating how long a book is. You want to know a book's length, look at word count (with one caveat, which I'll get to later).
So why in the heck is page count an unreliable estimator? Simply put, because so many factors go into page count. A jaded person might put it thusly: page count is easily manipulated.
Compare two books. Book A is 250 pages. The story font is big, and the publisher (or author) sticks blank pages among the chapters. This book could equal 75,000 words. Book B is the same size but 200 pages. The font size is on the smallish side. Its word count could easily amount to MORE than 75,000 words. So, Book B is 50 pages less but a longer story. This happens all the time in all genres.
Here is a more-concrete example. "Strange Bedfellows" is my longest book at 75,000 words. When I put out the first print edition I used Times New Roman font at 12 points. Book size was (and is) 6.25 by 9.5 inches. The page count (and I'm counting from the first page in the book to the last) was 242. Some time later (almost a year later, maybe?) I put out a second print edition because I'd caught a typo on the back text of the back cover. Since I had to change that, I figured I would do a bit of spring cleaning. I changed NOTHING of the story, but I did make the quotation marks consistent (some were smart quotes, some were straight quotes), that kind of thing. I also changed the font to reflect the rest of my print books. The font went to Book Antiqua 10 (Book Antiqua is a bigger font than TNR, so to speak, so a smaller size Book Antiqua isn't that much difference from a TNR two points larger). The "Strange Bedfellows" page count dropped to 213. Wow! That's a significant difference, I'd say. 242 to 213. Exact same story, subtle font changes. By the way, I passed on the production savings to customers and reduced the price of the print book.
I got a print book last year that took quite a bit for me to get used to. Why? The HUGE FONT. I felt like I was reading a large-print book (you know, these books designed for people with vision issues). But I wasn't reading a large-print book. Nope. Given a standard-size font, I reckon that this book's page count would've decreased by at least fifty.
Yeah, I know word count isn't sexy, and some people don't want to bother with it. That's fine, but it does remain the most accurate tool for determining book length. Now, here's my caveat: some word count labels include the extra stuff--say, the excerpt(s) for the next book, the blurbs for the author's other books, all the promotional quotes. In short, every single word in the file is counted. Sometimes, this won't make too much of a difference--no more than 1,000 words (or approximately four double-spaced Times New Roman 12-point font 8.5 x 11 pages). But if an excerpt is long, say several chapters, then it can make a difference. Even so, it may give a more accurate ballpark estimate of length than page count. Smashwords gives word counts automatically, which I applaud. I wish all booksellers would do this, but again, there's that caveat--which is true for Smashwords.
I always list word counts for my short-story collections and novellas--plus, of course, I list that they're short stories or novellas. I don't want readers to feel cheated if they're expecting a novel but get a novella. (My two novellas are about 23,000 words and 24,000 words--a bit less than half the size of a short novel).
One important thing that I think people overlook sometimes is that a longer word count doesn't equate to better quality. I would rather spend $6.99 on a 50,000-word book that grabs me, is tightly written and doesn't have unnecessary subplots than on a 100,000-word book full of bloat and flowery descriptions and four supporting characters that should've been combined in one.
So why in the heck is page count an unreliable estimator? Simply put, because so many factors go into page count. A jaded person might put it thusly: page count is easily manipulated.
Compare two books. Book A is 250 pages. The story font is big, and the publisher (or author) sticks blank pages among the chapters. This book could equal 75,000 words. Book B is the same size but 200 pages. The font size is on the smallish side. Its word count could easily amount to MORE than 75,000 words. So, Book B is 50 pages less but a longer story. This happens all the time in all genres.
Here is a more-concrete example. "Strange Bedfellows" is my longest book at 75,000 words. When I put out the first print edition I used Times New Roman font at 12 points. Book size was (and is) 6.25 by 9.5 inches. The page count (and I'm counting from the first page in the book to the last) was 242. Some time later (almost a year later, maybe?) I put out a second print edition because I'd caught a typo on the back text of the back cover. Since I had to change that, I figured I would do a bit of spring cleaning. I changed NOTHING of the story, but I did make the quotation marks consistent (some were smart quotes, some were straight quotes), that kind of thing. I also changed the font to reflect the rest of my print books. The font went to Book Antiqua 10 (Book Antiqua is a bigger font than TNR, so to speak, so a smaller size Book Antiqua isn't that much difference from a TNR two points larger). The "Strange Bedfellows" page count dropped to 213. Wow! That's a significant difference, I'd say. 242 to 213. Exact same story, subtle font changes. By the way, I passed on the production savings to customers and reduced the price of the print book.
I got a print book last year that took quite a bit for me to get used to. Why? The HUGE FONT. I felt like I was reading a large-print book (you know, these books designed for people with vision issues). But I wasn't reading a large-print book. Nope. Given a standard-size font, I reckon that this book's page count would've decreased by at least fifty.
Yeah, I know word count isn't sexy, and some people don't want to bother with it. That's fine, but it does remain the most accurate tool for determining book length. Now, here's my caveat: some word count labels include the extra stuff--say, the excerpt(s) for the next book, the blurbs for the author's other books, all the promotional quotes. In short, every single word in the file is counted. Sometimes, this won't make too much of a difference--no more than 1,000 words (or approximately four double-spaced Times New Roman 12-point font 8.5 x 11 pages). But if an excerpt is long, say several chapters, then it can make a difference. Even so, it may give a more accurate ballpark estimate of length than page count. Smashwords gives word counts automatically, which I applaud. I wish all booksellers would do this, but again, there's that caveat--which is true for Smashwords.
I always list word counts for my short-story collections and novellas--plus, of course, I list that they're short stories or novellas. I don't want readers to feel cheated if they're expecting a novel but get a novella. (My two novellas are about 23,000 words and 24,000 words--a bit less than half the size of a short novel).
One important thing that I think people overlook sometimes is that a longer word count doesn't equate to better quality. I would rather spend $6.99 on a 50,000-word book that grabs me, is tightly written and doesn't have unnecessary subplots than on a 100,000-word book full of bloat and flowery descriptions and four supporting characters that should've been combined in one.
