Jonathan Moeller's Blog, page 161
June 19, 2019
are you an indie author?
A reader emails to ask:
“Sorry quick question. Are you an Indie writer? I assumed you were no idea why just did. A friend was pretty sure you are not. So I just had to ask, sorry if it is offensive question.”
Nah, it’s not an offensive question. It’s just the truth!
All my ebooks and all of my paperback books are self-published. As of right now, 8 of my 17 audiobook titles are self-published, and 9 are through the publishers Podium and Tantor. If all goes well the numbers of both self-published and traditionally published audio titles will rise before 2019 is over. I admit that I am very hard on publishers (much more on that below), but I’ve had nothing but good experiences with Podium and Tantor, and the money always arrives on time, which is something of a rare condition among publishers.
I’m not embarrassed to be self-published. I own it proudly. I spent most of the 2000s trying to get traditionally published, and while I had two books traditionally published (DEMONSOULED and what would become THE TOWER OF ENDLESS WORLDS) I got mostly nowhere and made very little money. In fact, I made more from tech blogging and Google Adsense in 2010 than I did from everything I had traditionally published in the entirely of 2000 to 2010. By contrast, in the eight years I’ve been self-publishing, I’ve sold 1.32 million copies of my ebooks.
Bit of a difference between traditional publishing and self-publishing, yeah?
I will concede that indie publishing is not for every writer. However, I am quite convinced that traditional publishing isn’t good for any writer. Sure, traditional publishers will talk about all the good they do for writers, marketing support and editing and cover design and so forth. However, the nasty truth is that 1.) it’s nearly impossible for a new writer to become traditionally published unless they have connections or are somehow trendy, or 2.) and even then, new writers don’t get all that stuff that trad publishers promise. The big sellers like Stephen King and James Patterson and Nora Roberts and their peers get the marketing support and all that because their books is where the money is. What new writers or mid-level writers are likely to get is an editor who either mauls their manuscript or ignores them entirely, and royalty payments that either never show up or somehow go missing. There are many, many, many documented cases of publishers stealing from writers, and that doesn’t even get into agents. (Check out my last Interesting Links post for links to a few of the most recent examples.)
However, many writers still want to be traditionally published. This will sound mean, but I think that desire for traditional publishing comes from insecurity, a need for validation. If you look at the Twitter or Facebook pages of many traditional writers, many of them talk frequently about how MY agent or MY editor or MY publisher just LOVES my book. I get that attitude – I used to think that way until my growing disgust with publishers in general almost led me to quit writing novels at the end of 2010. Then in 2011, I discovered the Kindle, and I realized a writer no longer needed to waste time attempting to impress the obsolete gatekeepers – it was now possible to reach the readers directly.
So, it is my strong and firm opinion that self-publishing is now better than traditional publishing in every aspect. I’m sure there are people who disagree with me, but I’m even more sure that I’m right. 
June 18, 2019
Jonathan Moeller Novel Excerpt Tuesday: SEVENFOLD SWORD: CHAMPION
It’s Jonathan Moeller Novel Excerpt Thursday! Today we have an excerpt from SEVENFOLD SWORD: CHAMPION, which seems appropriate since SEVENFOLD SWORD: SOVEREIGN, the final book in the series, came out last week.
In this excerpt, Ridmark encounters a muridach for the first time in the realm of Owyllain.
The first time, but definitely not the last.
June 17, 2019
MALISON: DRAGON WAR editing underway!
The rough draft of MALISON: DRAGON WAR, the fourth and final book of the MALISON series, is finished! Editing is underway, and the book should be out in early July.
You can see the cover image below.
Once I’m done with MALISON: DRAGON WAR, it will be time to start on DRAGONTIARNA: KNIGHTS. I’ll give a few previews of the new series then.
[image error]
-JM
June 16, 2019
Interesting Links #33: Dodgy Publishers
It’s time for Interesting Links #33! In this week’s collection, we have articles about working with an audiobook narrator, self-publishing scams, and cheating publishers.
-Yet another reason why you should self-publish instead of going with a publisher. The Curious Incident of the Dog & the Missing Royalties.
-In the realm of self-publishing audiobooks, one writer’s account of working with narrators. Working With A Narrator.
-This is good advice – if you self-publish, most of your revenue will probably come from ebooks instead of paper books. The #1 Mistake New Self-Publishers Make That Leaves Them Vulnerable to Publishing Scams.
-I think a “growth mindset” is important not only for self-publishing, but for many other areas of life: Psychology Of Success For Authors.
-Barnes & Noble has finally found a new owner: Barnes & Noble to be Acquired by the Hedge Fund that Owns Waterstones.
-Don’t put too much trust in computers, or centralize your networks too much: Target cash registers fail nationwide.
June 15, 2019
what’s next?
Now that SEVENFOLD SWORD: SOVEREIGN is out and the SEVENFOLD SWORD series is complete, a few people have asked what’s next.
Well, here’s what I want to do for the next few months:
-July: MALISON: DRAGON WAR, the final book of the MALISON series. I’m about 60% of the way through the rough draft.
-August: DRAGONTIARNA: KNIGHTS, the first book of my new epic fantasy series. (And another sequel series to FROSTBORN and SEVENFOLD SWORD.)
-September: GHOST IN THE VAULT, the 23rd Caina novel overall and the 5th of GHOST NIGHT.
Watch this space for updates!
-JM
June 14, 2019
GHOST IN THE STONE now available in audiobook
I am pleased to report that GHOST IN THE STONE, the 5th book in THE GHOSTS series, is now available in audiobook format at Audible, Amazon US, Amazon UK, and Amazon AU, (iTunes availability should be in a few days) as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy.
Additionally, with GHOST IN THE STONE, the first five Caina books are now in audio for nearly 60 hours of listening enjoyment, and you can also get CHILD OF THE GHOSTS, GHOST IN THE FLAMES, GHOST IN THE BLOOD, and GHOST IN THE STORM at Audible, Amazon, and iTunes. Binge-listen today!
-JM
June 13, 2019
SEVENFOLD SWORD: SOVEREIGN now available!
I am pleased to report that SEVENFOLD SWORD: SOVEREIGN, the final book in the SEVENFOLD SWORD series, is now available at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, Amazon CA, Amazon AU, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play, and Smashwords.
The quest of the Seven Swords has been a trap all along.
For the dark elven tyrant known as the Sovereign will use the power of the Swords to ascend to godhood and enslave the world for all time.
And only Ridmark Arban stands in his way…
-JM
June 10, 2019
a free Mazael book
I’ve been self-publishing for eight years now, so as a way of saying thanks to everyone, MASK OF SWORDS is free for the first time ever!
It will be free on at Amazon, Amazon UK, Amazon Germany, Amazon Canada, and Amazon Australia until 6/12.
-JM
June 7, 2019
The Last Blockbuster
I read this article about the last remaining Blockbuster Video store, and it struck me that it was less of a store and more of a museum. Reading the article, it seems the last Blockbuster store is almost something of a historical reenactment.
You know how you can go to historical monuments and parks, and at some of them there will be someone in period costume explaining how things worked back then? Or how some people dress in American Civil War uniforms and reenact some of the battles of the war?
Maybe in another twenty or thirty years, there will be historical reenactment of video stores, with docents dressed in period-appropriate blue polo shirts and khaki pants. They’ll do demonstrations of the day-to-day activities of ancient video store clerks, such as fixing the popcorn machine, rewinding returned tapes, imposing late fees, and stopping teenagers from smoking marijuana in the bathrooms. Grade school children will marvel that these clunky black rectangles called “video cassettes” could only store a pitiful 120 minutes of video. A section of the store will be set aside to show a 12-minute educational video clip about the rise and fall of that great American institution, the video rental store, complete with somber violin music and sepia-toned photographs.
There will, of course, be a gift shop by the exit.
-JM
June 6, 2019
SEVENFOLD SWORD: SOVEREIGN Table of Contents
At last I am far enough along to share the Table of Contents (in lightly redacted form) for SEVENFOLD SWORD: SOVEREIGN below!
If all goes well, the book will be out sometime before 11:59 PM on June 30th.
