Elliott Turner's Blog, page 4
September 29, 2016
The Afterlife of Paperbacks
The NYTimes ran this funny story a week ago: an author's debut novel was a total flop. The sales were meager, and his quarterly "royalties vs. advance" statement was a joke. Basically, the publisher was not seeing that advance money earned back in this lifetime and had also eaten the cost of returns.
Even funnier (or more sad), the author went to signings and readers brought in books for him to sign....that had been bought online used from Amazon and had stickers from public libraries around the world. The author called one such library, and, apparently, the book was not being checked out often enough. Hence the sale on Amazon.
In a sense, the paperback book market is fierce. You normally sell the books wholesale at a 55% discount to stores. For a $16 paperback, that means you sell it to them for $8. When you subtract production and shipping costs, not a lot of cash is left over for the publisher or author.
And then you have returns - if a book does not sell well, bookstores will return it and the publisher both pays shipping and buys the book back. Where does that book go? Some authors do giveaways, some books are destroyed, and others are in warehouses somewhere, collecting dust.
Here's the funny wrinkle: you sell your book at a 55% discount to a library. At the same time, you sell your book brand new on Amazon (and earn 60% off the sale). After a few months, the library decides to sell your book, slightly used, on Amazon, and at a price less than your listed new book price.
Your book that you already sold at a 55% discount is now in effect cannibalizing the profits off your online book sales at a 60% profit. If you sell a ton of books each week, it's no big deal. For smaller publishers, it's a bit of a business hazard.
Of course, the counterargument is that a high secondary sale value, like with refurbished iPads and iPhones, may encourage more people to buy them new in the knowledge they can sell them again at a later date.
More importantly, as an author, you just want your story to be read by as many as possible AND by somebody who appreciates it. Just like a relationship, if a book doesn't click with a reader, finding a new reader is the right solution.
Even funnier (or more sad), the author went to signings and readers brought in books for him to sign....that had been bought online used from Amazon and had stickers from public libraries around the world. The author called one such library, and, apparently, the book was not being checked out often enough. Hence the sale on Amazon.
In a sense, the paperback book market is fierce. You normally sell the books wholesale at a 55% discount to stores. For a $16 paperback, that means you sell it to them for $8. When you subtract production and shipping costs, not a lot of cash is left over for the publisher or author.
And then you have returns - if a book does not sell well, bookstores will return it and the publisher both pays shipping and buys the book back. Where does that book go? Some authors do giveaways, some books are destroyed, and others are in warehouses somewhere, collecting dust.
Here's the funny wrinkle: you sell your book at a 55% discount to a library. At the same time, you sell your book brand new on Amazon (and earn 60% off the sale). After a few months, the library decides to sell your book, slightly used, on Amazon, and at a price less than your listed new book price.
Your book that you already sold at a 55% discount is now in effect cannibalizing the profits off your online book sales at a 60% profit. If you sell a ton of books each week, it's no big deal. For smaller publishers, it's a bit of a business hazard.
Of course, the counterargument is that a high secondary sale value, like with refurbished iPads and iPhones, may encourage more people to buy them new in the knowledge they can sell them again at a later date.
More importantly, as an author, you just want your story to be read by as many as possible AND by somebody who appreciates it. Just like a relationship, if a book doesn't click with a reader, finding a new reader is the right solution.
August 30, 2016
NOTV Fun and Indie Author Updatery
When I wrote my two nonfiction books, I had no fing clue about the book promotion/marketing/publicity game. I did invest and experiment with PPC ads at GoodReads, Google, Reddit, and even Facebook. For the record, GoodReads is a pretty sound investment. Google even did decent numbers, but then everybody jumped on that gravy train, key words got expensive, and major publishers priced me out.
(Shakes fist).
As you may have gathered, The Night of the Virgin, has already appeared on iTunes for PreOrder and is even here at GoodReads. If you've been reading my monthly Tiny Letter, you'd have read some fun facts about my reading habits and, more importantly, that NOTV is basically done. After 10 months of editing and hiring a pro editor - formerly a senior editor at Bloomsbury - it's printing press ready.
So why the wait?
Reason number uno: super unscientific beliefs held by me. Namely, that novels and most books sell better when published at the start of summer. I don't envision NOTV as a bestseller or a beach read, but the English-speaking world loads up on books in May and June.
Secondly, and more scientifically: reviews. Press. Publicity. For my nonfiction books, I had no clue just how powerful and influential book reviews were. Thus, I've been tracking down cool sites, be they blogs, medium-sized sites, niche sites, or major news orgs, to whom my agent-publicist will send advanced copies in January/February.
I've actually already sent a few copies to cool people at cool sites - NOTV is about 80,000 words long, and I assume people have a 'to read" queue as long as mine, so I wanted to ship out copies ASAP.
I've also sent a few copies to readers that I know on Twitter and GoodReads; folks who have liked my writing for awhile. I know that seems a bit slanted, but there are so many "paid for" positive reviews in this world (which I flat out reject), that I don't feel bad zipping advanced copies out to longtime fans. I can only send so much.
Yes, I am pirating my work in a sense. In a bigger sense, though, I write to be read. I'm not hurling sentences and grafs out into the void just because I can. Also, most major publishing houses have a special email listserv for beta readers and blog reviewers. In a sense, I gotta compete with the Joneses.
Thus, between you and me, would you like an eBook version or paperback of NOTV to read and review on GoodReads (honestly preferred - no need to kiss my ass)? If so, message me here on GoodReads by the end of September. I only have so many copies left of the paperback to dish out, though. And a tiny mailing budget. And I probably can't send any more copies to spots outside the US.
Please keep this offer to GoodReads and I"ll also post it on my private, invite-only subreddit. No Twitter. No Facebook. It's not that I'm embarrassed - it's that I can't really hand out a whole shitload of copies per se. I'll have to start saying no, and that's no fun.
EDITOR'S NOTE - Still have a few copies, so I plugged it on Twitter.
(Shakes fist).
As you may have gathered, The Night of the Virgin, has already appeared on iTunes for PreOrder and is even here at GoodReads. If you've been reading my monthly Tiny Letter, you'd have read some fun facts about my reading habits and, more importantly, that NOTV is basically done. After 10 months of editing and hiring a pro editor - formerly a senior editor at Bloomsbury - it's printing press ready.
So why the wait?
Reason number uno: super unscientific beliefs held by me. Namely, that novels and most books sell better when published at the start of summer. I don't envision NOTV as a bestseller or a beach read, but the English-speaking world loads up on books in May and June.
Secondly, and more scientifically: reviews. Press. Publicity. For my nonfiction books, I had no clue just how powerful and influential book reviews were. Thus, I've been tracking down cool sites, be they blogs, medium-sized sites, niche sites, or major news orgs, to whom my agent-publicist will send advanced copies in January/February.
I've actually already sent a few copies to cool people at cool sites - NOTV is about 80,000 words long, and I assume people have a 'to read" queue as long as mine, so I wanted to ship out copies ASAP.
I've also sent a few copies to readers that I know on Twitter and GoodReads; folks who have liked my writing for awhile. I know that seems a bit slanted, but there are so many "paid for" positive reviews in this world (which I flat out reject), that I don't feel bad zipping advanced copies out to longtime fans. I can only send so much.
Yes, I am pirating my work in a sense. In a bigger sense, though, I write to be read. I'm not hurling sentences and grafs out into the void just because I can. Also, most major publishing houses have a special email listserv for beta readers and blog reviewers. In a sense, I gotta compete with the Joneses.
Thus, between you and me, would you like an eBook version or paperback of NOTV to read and review on GoodReads (honestly preferred - no need to kiss my ass)? If so, message me here on GoodReads by the end of September. I only have so many copies left of the paperback to dish out, though. And a tiny mailing budget. And I probably can't send any more copies to spots outside the US.
Please keep this offer to GoodReads and I"ll also post it on my private, invite-only subreddit. No Twitter. No Facebook. It's not that I'm embarrassed - it's that I can't really hand out a whole shitload of copies per se. I'll have to start saying no, and that's no fun.
EDITOR'S NOTE - Still have a few copies, so I plugged it on Twitter.
July 19, 2016
NOTV Tiny Letter
Hello reader pals,
I've always loved connecting with readers and writers and y'all on GoodReads at this blog. I will continue to pen some odd things here from time to time. However, as things get really heated up in the creation process for my debut novel, The Night of the Virgin, it felt appropriate to migrate that content into its own proper space.
Thus, for people really into my fiction aka The Night of the Virgin, there's now a Tiny Letter that will give you all the sultry details (on a monthly-ish basis):
http://tinyletter.com/NOTV
I will still air plenty of dirty laundry in these parts, especially if/when Amazon tries to fuck me on pricing (as they have done to other Indie authors), so stay tuned amig@s! I hope your summer has been full of lovely novels and the such.
I am all about diversity in bloggers, reading, and books, but am on this weird 20th century "Masters of English" kick that sees me perusing works done by rich, white people. I promise it will end eventually.
I've always loved connecting with readers and writers and y'all on GoodReads at this blog. I will continue to pen some odd things here from time to time. However, as things get really heated up in the creation process for my debut novel, The Night of the Virgin, it felt appropriate to migrate that content into its own proper space.
Thus, for people really into my fiction aka The Night of the Virgin, there's now a Tiny Letter that will give you all the sultry details (on a monthly-ish basis):
http://tinyletter.com/NOTV
I will still air plenty of dirty laundry in these parts, especially if/when Amazon tries to fuck me on pricing (as they have done to other Indie authors), so stay tuned amig@s! I hope your summer has been full of lovely novels and the such.
I am all about diversity in bloggers, reading, and books, but am on this weird 20th century "Masters of English" kick that sees me perusing works done by rich, white people. I promise it will end eventually.
June 28, 2016
Editing aka A Sigh for Sore Eyes
In case you don't stalk me on social media (aside from here), the Kick Starter for funds for my debut novel kinda sorta stalled and then failed to reach its goal. My crest is fallen because while seven G's is a small stack compared to major publishers, those funds could have/would have gone towards publicity and other behind-the-scenes stuff for Round Ball Media Publishing (my indie publisher) that would have helped make the book better and get read by more people.
As it is, RBM is still happy to publish this thing in June of next summer, Pete filed his edits three weeks ago, he will be paid in July, and Erik has started to do drafts for the cover. I am excited because Pete is smart and had some great comments and big picture things to think about (WARNING: I read too many dimestore romance novels - wink wink they never appear on here how convenient as "read/want to read" - so head hopping is something I fall into and POV is a big point of improvement).
The Master Manuscript on Google Drive is basically a rainbow at this point: red for style, tone and voice edits, purple for head hopping edits, orange for "overboard" (if you have edited me or read my blog, you get this). I kinda vomited out this manuscript in one to two months, but editing this project has easily eaten up 10-20 hours per week for the last three months. Blue is for copy edits. Blue used to be my favorite color, but I am having second thoughts.
That is just editing the copy, tone, style, narrative flow, etc. There's that pesky "publishing" thing too. I have the eBook version in great shape and "to publish" ready pretty much but for some ePub conversion snafus. I did this for RBM as part of my contract for those first two nonfiction tomes you have read and loved, so it was easy.
The actual print-on-paper manuscript has been a pain-in-the-arse. I taught myself XHTML and PHP and CSS to launch Futfanatico, so I thought: how hard can formatting be on DOC? The MS will be a safe, easy to print 6X9, so it should be as simple as making and eating microwave popcorn. Flash forward a month: the microwave exploded and the popcorn tastes like cyanide.
On the plus side, I have learned ever so much about page breaks and section breaks and even/odd headers and footers. I cleaned the gutters on my house, and then hopped on my laptop and decided on the absolutely perfect gutter trim for this puppy. I actually realized that I do not like the MS style and format of the Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (at least the header). Take that Junot! I have found the flaw!
ACTUAL CONTENT: I cut down the MS from 80K to 78K and made Part III shorter, funnier, and slightly less opaque. The head-hopping is stomach-able. The painful (and perhaps melodramatic) death scene will stay. From the start, the ending was, is, and will be perfect.
In September, I will hopefully be pre-ordering a special advanced copy to smell and taste and also one last run at copy/word choice edits. Then, come January, the out for review copies will be mailed and the fun starts (from behind the curtain). Ingram Spark has approved RBM as a publisher, so libraries and indie stores will have a chance to order the paperback if they want.
SUPER THANKS to everybody who backed and supported the Kick Starter in any way, shape or form. Also thanks to all my nonfiction editors and Pete. You are all gems.
As it is, RBM is still happy to publish this thing in June of next summer, Pete filed his edits three weeks ago, he will be paid in July, and Erik has started to do drafts for the cover. I am excited because Pete is smart and had some great comments and big picture things to think about (WARNING: I read too many dimestore romance novels - wink wink they never appear on here how convenient as "read/want to read" - so head hopping is something I fall into and POV is a big point of improvement).
The Master Manuscript on Google Drive is basically a rainbow at this point: red for style, tone and voice edits, purple for head hopping edits, orange for "overboard" (if you have edited me or read my blog, you get this). I kinda vomited out this manuscript in one to two months, but editing this project has easily eaten up 10-20 hours per week for the last three months. Blue is for copy edits. Blue used to be my favorite color, but I am having second thoughts.
That is just editing the copy, tone, style, narrative flow, etc. There's that pesky "publishing" thing too. I have the eBook version in great shape and "to publish" ready pretty much but for some ePub conversion snafus. I did this for RBM as part of my contract for those first two nonfiction tomes you have read and loved, so it was easy.
The actual print-on-paper manuscript has been a pain-in-the-arse. I taught myself XHTML and PHP and CSS to launch Futfanatico, so I thought: how hard can formatting be on DOC? The MS will be a safe, easy to print 6X9, so it should be as simple as making and eating microwave popcorn. Flash forward a month: the microwave exploded and the popcorn tastes like cyanide.
On the plus side, I have learned ever so much about page breaks and section breaks and even/odd headers and footers. I cleaned the gutters on my house, and then hopped on my laptop and decided on the absolutely perfect gutter trim for this puppy. I actually realized that I do not like the MS style and format of the Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (at least the header). Take that Junot! I have found the flaw!
ACTUAL CONTENT: I cut down the MS from 80K to 78K and made Part III shorter, funnier, and slightly less opaque. The head-hopping is stomach-able. The painful (and perhaps melodramatic) death scene will stay. From the start, the ending was, is, and will be perfect.
In September, I will hopefully be pre-ordering a special advanced copy to smell and taste and also one last run at copy/word choice edits. Then, come January, the out for review copies will be mailed and the fun starts (from behind the curtain). Ingram Spark has approved RBM as a publisher, so libraries and indie stores will have a chance to order the paperback if they want.
SUPER THANKS to everybody who backed and supported the Kick Starter in any way, shape or form. Also thanks to all my nonfiction editors and Pete. You are all gems.
June 15, 2016
Guh Guh Guh Giveaway (And An Uneasy Truce)
Friends and readers and everybody else;
my eBooks are finally back on Amazon at basically the prices I want. Yes, the Soccer Spanish book is discounted by one dollar, but that's okay. I'm still in that 70% royalty bracket of Amazon, so no complaints....for now.
Now, the fun part: the first five people to write a review of my Real Madrid & Barcelona history tome on Amazon and on iTunes will get a DRM-free, eBook copy of my Illustrated Guide to Soccer Spanish.
Just go to Amazon, write a review, publish it, take a screen shot to prove it was you, and email me at Futfanatico (AT) gmail (DOT) com.
my eBooks are finally back on Amazon at basically the prices I want. Yes, the Soccer Spanish book is discounted by one dollar, but that's okay. I'm still in that 70% royalty bracket of Amazon, so no complaints....for now.
Now, the fun part: the first five people to write a review of my Real Madrid & Barcelona history tome on Amazon and on iTunes will get a DRM-free, eBook copy of my Illustrated Guide to Soccer Spanish.
Just go to Amazon, write a review, publish it, take a screen shot to prove it was you, and email me at Futfanatico (AT) gmail (DOT) com.
June 3, 2016
The Warm Feeling of Freedom
Going the Indie publishing route is both scary and terrifying. You really have to learn about R.O.I. in terms of publicity, advertising, book conversion, and pricing. You basically become a mini-CEO but you lack an MBA. Still, one principle of all negotiations and relationships comes out:
Never let anyone fuck you today or tomorrow.
About a year ago, I felt Amazon's hot dick in my ass and it hurt and I was uncomfortable. Basically, Amazon's plan for books and eBooks is simple: it's Dime-Store economics. They want to steadily decrease your book's price "in theory" to drive up sales, but at the very real cost of profitability. Also, the temporary boost in sales never ever lasts. There are a handful of winners in their Kindle Unlimited "ploy", but mostly losers.
Consumers clearly win, but authors are stuck in the Dime-Store trap of lowering prices to chase after really cheap buyers. Yes, you can sometimes strike it rich, but I think people should only publish an eBook to Amazon for 3-6 months to make that fast cash, and then unlist it.
That's what I did. As stated earlier, I unlisted my books from Amazon and, funny enough, they continue to sell at iTunes and elsewhere. Also, I realized something: books should not be victims of deflation. If anything, like the minimum wage, they should be tied to inflation in terms of value. Prices should go up over time.
Ergo, I recently raised the price of my short soccer eBooks by one dollar. I plan on raising the price every 5-10 years commensurate to inflation. I've worked hard to pen books that will be relevant for many years and are not just fanboy gossip or ghostwritten star player autobio shit.
You can get my Soccer Spanish book here at iTunes.
You can get my Real Madrid-Barca "first hundred years of rivalry" book here at iTunes.
Never let anyone fuck you today or tomorrow.
About a year ago, I felt Amazon's hot dick in my ass and it hurt and I was uncomfortable. Basically, Amazon's plan for books and eBooks is simple: it's Dime-Store economics. They want to steadily decrease your book's price "in theory" to drive up sales, but at the very real cost of profitability. Also, the temporary boost in sales never ever lasts. There are a handful of winners in their Kindle Unlimited "ploy", but mostly losers.
Consumers clearly win, but authors are stuck in the Dime-Store trap of lowering prices to chase after really cheap buyers. Yes, you can sometimes strike it rich, but I think people should only publish an eBook to Amazon for 3-6 months to make that fast cash, and then unlist it.
That's what I did. As stated earlier, I unlisted my books from Amazon and, funny enough, they continue to sell at iTunes and elsewhere. Also, I realized something: books should not be victims of deflation. If anything, like the minimum wage, they should be tied to inflation in terms of value. Prices should go up over time.
Ergo, I recently raised the price of my short soccer eBooks by one dollar. I plan on raising the price every 5-10 years commensurate to inflation. I've worked hard to pen books that will be relevant for many years and are not just fanboy gossip or ghostwritten star player autobio shit.
You can get my Soccer Spanish book here at iTunes.
You can get my Real Madrid-Barca "first hundred years of rivalry" book here at iTunes.
May 16, 2016
Bookery - Crowdfunding/PreOrder
Webbie, with his "big brain", kinda stole my thunder but yes I am Kickstartering this project/novel. Basically, friends who are authors told me how to get an agent, and I would have to divorce my wife, disappear from my kids' lives, and schmooze at the happy hours after writer conferences weekend after weekend for a few years. I will do NONE of those things.
Instead, I will beg/plead/annoy/pester you, my friends (online counts!), for money.
Please note: you can get the novel in PDF format for only $12, which is/will be less than the retail eBook price if this happens. You also don't pay sales tax, and I get a bigger slice of the pie than when u buy something at Amazon or even iTunes.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...
Instead, I will beg/plead/annoy/pester you, my friends (online counts!), for money.
Please note: you can get the novel in PDF format for only $12, which is/will be less than the retail eBook price if this happens. You also don't pay sales tax, and I get a bigger slice of the pie than when u buy something at Amazon or even iTunes.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...
May 9, 2016
Bookery: Behind the Scenes Glance
The story: a youngish Emmanuel “Manny” Hernandez leaves the RGV (Rio Grande Valley) with his bud Hector to chase his dream of being a pro soccer player. As always happens when you chase your dreams, things fall apart. Manny doesn't have papers, which hinders things. A few of his personal tics push away those he should keep close. Can Manny overcome it all?
The story behind the story. After a good chunk of time, I have queried over 50 literary agents, all of whom I’m sure are really cool, nice, and professional people. Yes, I got plenty of rejections, lots of silence, but also some requests for the manuscript and a bit of feedback. Basically, here is my conclusion from this process: an agent needs to believe that they can sell your book to a publisher for a handsome profit and do this sooner rather than later. That means that if your book is a bit odd, you are in trouble from the get go.
My book has a male protagonist, but he is not white. Strike one. He is not even American: he is undocumented because his parents brought him to the US as a kid. Strike two. Next, (NO SPOILERS) one of the major themes of the novel - aside from the sports! - is the corrosive and pernicious ways heterosexism can tear apart the bonds of friendship and family. Strike three. I cannot write about my fellow Mexicans and Mexican-Americans without touching on the topic of the Catholic Church (and a few gentle ribs and potshots). Strike four. Lastly, lots of the hero’s friends are, like him, people of color from various backgrounds. Kiss of death.
The manuscript is too literary for multicultural fiction, too multicultural for literary fiction, too queer (1) for a sports novel, and too sports for a queer novel (2). If my novel had only one strike against it, an agent may be happy to take on the project and pester acquisition editors for me. This process can take years, though, if not a decade. My friends with book deals say I need to “pay my dues” and “hustle to get an agent” and attend conferences and even go to Iowa. However, I went to Iowa for Odyssey of the Mind in high school, the state was nice, but I don’t want to go back there just yet (unless I am asked to judge Odyssey of the Mind).
Here’s the bigger problem: I have been in labor too long and want to give birth to this mofo desde ya. Here’s the cool part: I have not signed on to be repped any particular agent because, to be honest, some independent publishers (at least one) have been in touch. After my two nonfiction books sold well, I actually got two cold-pitches or “queries” from independent publishers but lacked the energy at the time to follow through. Still, I actually would prefer to go the independent route for my novel with the right person/team/entity. I don’t need a huge advance but would like a sliver of control (and that is NOT what an agent wants to hear).
I also just may Kickstart and self-publish this mofo. A dear Editor friend is already editing it for me, and Erik Ebeling is on board to do a kick-ass cover.
I am also putting the finishing touches on an excerpt for your reading pleasure which will be very very weird.
(1)The term “queer”, perhaps used incorrectly, is meant to refer to “Queer Theory.”
(2)What the fuck is this chicano mofo bro married with kids doing writing a book and throwing around the term “queer novel”? Like, wtf???? Bottom line: a novel is a product of a singular imagination, that of the author. In my world, and my head, lots of great LGBT people enrich my daily life and no universe of mine can exist without said persons. Like all works of fiction, not to be confused with non-fiction autobiography, an author writes about people who are not exactly like him or her. I have done so, and hopefully done so well. If I have used the term “queer novel” incorrectly, my apologies.
The story behind the story. After a good chunk of time, I have queried over 50 literary agents, all of whom I’m sure are really cool, nice, and professional people. Yes, I got plenty of rejections, lots of silence, but also some requests for the manuscript and a bit of feedback. Basically, here is my conclusion from this process: an agent needs to believe that they can sell your book to a publisher for a handsome profit and do this sooner rather than later. That means that if your book is a bit odd, you are in trouble from the get go.
My book has a male protagonist, but he is not white. Strike one. He is not even American: he is undocumented because his parents brought him to the US as a kid. Strike two. Next, (NO SPOILERS) one of the major themes of the novel - aside from the sports! - is the corrosive and pernicious ways heterosexism can tear apart the bonds of friendship and family. Strike three. I cannot write about my fellow Mexicans and Mexican-Americans without touching on the topic of the Catholic Church (and a few gentle ribs and potshots). Strike four. Lastly, lots of the hero’s friends are, like him, people of color from various backgrounds. Kiss of death.
The manuscript is too literary for multicultural fiction, too multicultural for literary fiction, too queer (1) for a sports novel, and too sports for a queer novel (2). If my novel had only one strike against it, an agent may be happy to take on the project and pester acquisition editors for me. This process can take years, though, if not a decade. My friends with book deals say I need to “pay my dues” and “hustle to get an agent” and attend conferences and even go to Iowa. However, I went to Iowa for Odyssey of the Mind in high school, the state was nice, but I don’t want to go back there just yet (unless I am asked to judge Odyssey of the Mind).
Here’s the bigger problem: I have been in labor too long and want to give birth to this mofo desde ya. Here’s the cool part: I have not signed on to be repped any particular agent because, to be honest, some independent publishers (at least one) have been in touch. After my two nonfiction books sold well, I actually got two cold-pitches or “queries” from independent publishers but lacked the energy at the time to follow through. Still, I actually would prefer to go the independent route for my novel with the right person/team/entity. I don’t need a huge advance but would like a sliver of control (and that is NOT what an agent wants to hear).
I also just may Kickstart and self-publish this mofo. A dear Editor friend is already editing it for me, and Erik Ebeling is on board to do a kick-ass cover.
I am also putting the finishing touches on an excerpt for your reading pleasure which will be very very weird.
(1)The term “queer”, perhaps used incorrectly, is meant to refer to “Queer Theory.”
(2)What the fuck is this chicano mofo bro married with kids doing writing a book and throwing around the term “queer novel”? Like, wtf???? Bottom line: a novel is a product of a singular imagination, that of the author. In my world, and my head, lots of great LGBT people enrich my daily life and no universe of mine can exist without said persons. Like all works of fiction, not to be confused with non-fiction autobiography, an author writes about people who are not exactly like him or her. I have done so, and hopefully done so well. If I have used the term “queer novel” incorrectly, my apologies.
April 9, 2016
THE THIRD BOOK!!!
Readers, friends, fans, family members, and people who subscribed/read this blog by some accident of Google: I have written a new book. Well, a 74,000 word manuscript to be exact. Yes, it involves soccer. No, it is not non-fiction. Rather, it is fiction. Here's the plot:
A young man named Manny from South Texas dreams of becoming a pro soccer player, but there's one big problem: he's undocumented. Still, he's sick of living in the RGV, so he and his best friend Hector head North. Manny's quest takes them from San Antonio to San Francisco, but just as he's about to sign a pro contract, a tragedy strikes that derails his plans. Even worse, his friendship with Hector falls to pieces.
I won't be too spoiler-y here, but the book has plenty of bilingual humor and straddles that weird nether region between sports narrative/multicultural fiction/literary fiction. The first half of the book is neat and tidy omniscient narrator, but when Manny's life falls apart, things get messy. A first-person voice emerges from the ashes, and tears down everything you thought you knew. One of the key subnarratives is how the Hispanic/Mexican-American community has dealt with LGBTQ members and that relationship has evolved in some ways but not others. I also make quite a few inside jokes at lower tier soccer in the US (lovingly of course). If you have played PDL, USL Pro, or NPSL, you're in for a treat.
So, a release date? Yeah, about that. I have just started the literary agent query letter/sample shuffle. I decided to focus on agents who have worked for authors I love and adore, give them time to say "umm, no thanks", then regroup and send out more query letters/samples. If you have any tips or insight or leads, hit me up. You will be a legend, an angelic matchmaker with a direct pass through St. Peter's gates upon your exit from this life.
Some folks have asked: para que? Yes, I independently published and promoted my first two non-fiction books. However, I am trying out the traditional route because 1) Agents do lots of cool stuff for you besides finding a publisher - for example. they know all the best dive bars in Manhattan and Brooklyn, 2) I want a publisher to do my battles with Amazon, 3) Ebooks are easy, but making and pushing paperbacks is not so easy, and 4) If a publisher focuses on the format, cover, and promotion of my book, I get more time to write!
That being said, I am not waiting around forever. If, say, in one year I don't have serious progress on the traditional agent/publication front, you can rely on me to Kickstart and independently publish this mofo. There's this story that Paolo Coehlo tried for almost a decade to get his first novel published - folks take that as a moral of "persistence." I've always thought - what if a milk truck had run over poor Pablo after year five? Chingao.
I'd rather run to the indie press Sergio de la Pava/Lone Ranger style and would be happy to live the life of Billy Gaddis: unknown to 99%, absolutely loved by a few, and brilliantly misunderstood.
I wrote about four preliminary short stories to get the main characters and personality dynamics right for the novel, and they are in the incubator/possibly getting published at some rad literary mags and sites. The world of fiction moves about as fast as investigative reporting, so, yawwwwwwwn. As always, I will disappear for two years and then suddenly overwhelm you with content. Or keep you in the loop. I haven't decided yet.
A young man named Manny from South Texas dreams of becoming a pro soccer player, but there's one big problem: he's undocumented. Still, he's sick of living in the RGV, so he and his best friend Hector head North. Manny's quest takes them from San Antonio to San Francisco, but just as he's about to sign a pro contract, a tragedy strikes that derails his plans. Even worse, his friendship with Hector falls to pieces.
I won't be too spoiler-y here, but the book has plenty of bilingual humor and straddles that weird nether region between sports narrative/multicultural fiction/literary fiction. The first half of the book is neat and tidy omniscient narrator, but when Manny's life falls apart, things get messy. A first-person voice emerges from the ashes, and tears down everything you thought you knew. One of the key subnarratives is how the Hispanic/Mexican-American community has dealt with LGBTQ members and that relationship has evolved in some ways but not others. I also make quite a few inside jokes at lower tier soccer in the US (lovingly of course). If you have played PDL, USL Pro, or NPSL, you're in for a treat.
So, a release date? Yeah, about that. I have just started the literary agent query letter/sample shuffle. I decided to focus on agents who have worked for authors I love and adore, give them time to say "umm, no thanks", then regroup and send out more query letters/samples. If you have any tips or insight or leads, hit me up. You will be a legend, an angelic matchmaker with a direct pass through St. Peter's gates upon your exit from this life.
Some folks have asked: para que? Yes, I independently published and promoted my first two non-fiction books. However, I am trying out the traditional route because 1) Agents do lots of cool stuff for you besides finding a publisher - for example. they know all the best dive bars in Manhattan and Brooklyn, 2) I want a publisher to do my battles with Amazon, 3) Ebooks are easy, but making and pushing paperbacks is not so easy, and 4) If a publisher focuses on the format, cover, and promotion of my book, I get more time to write!
That being said, I am not waiting around forever. If, say, in one year I don't have serious progress on the traditional agent/publication front, you can rely on me to Kickstart and independently publish this mofo. There's this story that Paolo Coehlo tried for almost a decade to get his first novel published - folks take that as a moral of "persistence." I've always thought - what if a milk truck had run over poor Pablo after year five? Chingao.
I'd rather run to the indie press Sergio de la Pava/Lone Ranger style and would be happy to live the life of Billy Gaddis: unknown to 99%, absolutely loved by a few, and brilliantly misunderstood.
I wrote about four preliminary short stories to get the main characters and personality dynamics right for the novel, and they are in the incubator/possibly getting published at some rad literary mags and sites. The world of fiction moves about as fast as investigative reporting, so, yawwwwwwwn. As always, I will disappear for two years and then suddenly overwhelm you with content. Or keep you in the loop. I haven't decided yet.
December 10, 2014
Why my eBooks are no longer at Amazon
Hey folks,
I doubt anybody has noticed, but my eBooks are no longer for sale at Amazon. Basically, the problem is similar to the Hatchette dispute: pricing. Here's the history.
My eBooks were originally for sale at $5.99. Like most eBooks and independently published books, sales were super good for the first few months, then tapered off a bit, then, after two years, slowed to a trickle. That is to be expected. I'm happy with how both have done to be honest. I bought a car (used, but hey) with one of the eBook's royalties and pretty much wasted the other on frivolous delights like rent (for a few months).
So, if eBooks naturally decrease in sales, why is there a problem with Amazon? Because Amazon discounted my eBooks, meaning that the new, lower price for my very modest sales reduced my author royalty. Yes, I will concede that the Amazon price cut led to a brief mini-surge in sales (for a month or two), but then it went back to a trickle.
And that's the problem: do I then need to discount my eBook even further? And how much is an eBook worth? Every author will tell you the same thing: my iPad/iTunes sales have started to consistently beat my Amazon sales for the past two years, so why let Amazon reduce my royalty?
Amazon doesn't care about the publishing industry or authors: it just wants to control commerce so it can discount everything and anything so it can grow to control more commerce. Its the Wal-mart approach, which is funny - I've never bought an actual physical book in a Wal-mart, nor would I cry if a book of mine was not sold in one.
I recently returned my prices to the original $5.99 listing and iTunes and Nook agreed, but Amazon immediately slashed my price to the $3.99. Thus, until that changes, my old books won't be there. Any new book may be published at Amazon, but the second they cut the price, I'll unpublish. A lower price may move more books and make Amazon look amazing to consumers, but royalties to authors are the lifeblood of writing: not bargain bin discounts.
Bottom line: if you have a Kindle you can buy the eBook in MOBI format at Smashwords here. Then you can download it, email it to your Kindle, and you're good to go. Both books are still available for Nook at BN.com and iTunes for iBooks.
I doubt anybody has noticed, but my eBooks are no longer for sale at Amazon. Basically, the problem is similar to the Hatchette dispute: pricing. Here's the history.
My eBooks were originally for sale at $5.99. Like most eBooks and independently published books, sales were super good for the first few months, then tapered off a bit, then, after two years, slowed to a trickle. That is to be expected. I'm happy with how both have done to be honest. I bought a car (used, but hey) with one of the eBook's royalties and pretty much wasted the other on frivolous delights like rent (for a few months).
So, if eBooks naturally decrease in sales, why is there a problem with Amazon? Because Amazon discounted my eBooks, meaning that the new, lower price for my very modest sales reduced my author royalty. Yes, I will concede that the Amazon price cut led to a brief mini-surge in sales (for a month or two), but then it went back to a trickle.
And that's the problem: do I then need to discount my eBook even further? And how much is an eBook worth? Every author will tell you the same thing: my iPad/iTunes sales have started to consistently beat my Amazon sales for the past two years, so why let Amazon reduce my royalty?
Amazon doesn't care about the publishing industry or authors: it just wants to control commerce so it can discount everything and anything so it can grow to control more commerce. Its the Wal-mart approach, which is funny - I've never bought an actual physical book in a Wal-mart, nor would I cry if a book of mine was not sold in one.
I recently returned my prices to the original $5.99 listing and iTunes and Nook agreed, but Amazon immediately slashed my price to the $3.99. Thus, until that changes, my old books won't be there. Any new book may be published at Amazon, but the second they cut the price, I'll unpublish. A lower price may move more books and make Amazon look amazing to consumers, but royalties to authors are the lifeblood of writing: not bargain bin discounts.
Bottom line: if you have a Kindle you can buy the eBook in MOBI format at Smashwords here. Then you can download it, email it to your Kindle, and you're good to go. Both books are still available for Nook at BN.com and iTunes for iBooks.
