Chuck Barrett's Blog, page 7
February 3, 2014
Latest Audiobook Winner!
Congratulations to Dan Oswiecinski as the latest winner of a Breach of Power audiobook from Audible. Thanks to everyone who entered at the BooksAlive! festival on February 1, 2014 in Panama City, FL.
December 22, 2013
Chance to Win Breach of Power Audiobook FREE from Audible!
On December 17, Audible, Inc released the Jake Pendleton series on audiobook narrated by Scott Brick. Very exciting stuff! So now you can add them to your Audible audiobook library. The process is simple and I have attached all the Audible ‘BUY’ links at the bottom of this post for your convenience.
Here is Scott Brick’s bio:
Scott Brick has recorded bestsellers and Pulitzer-Prize winners for every major publisher, over 600 titles since his debut in 1999, including MYSTIC RIVER, FAHRENHEIT 451, IN COLD BLOOD and HELTER SKELTER. In addition to over 50 Earphones Awards, he’s also received two Audie Awards for his work on the DUNE saga. In 2004, AUDIOFILE MAGAZINE named Brick “one of the fastest-rising stars in the audiobook galaxy” and proclaimed him a Golden Voice, and his work was thereafter profiled in THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES and ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY. In 2012 Publisher’s Weekly named Scott their Audiobook Narrator of the Year for the second time, and his work on the multi-voice recording of THE MARK OF ZORRO was nominated for a Grammy. An active and passionate teacher, Scott recently wrote an intensely detailed and multi-media analysis of the narration process called NARRATING AUDIOBOOKS BRICK BY BRICK, debuting soon on his website (www.scottbrickpresents.com <http://www.scottbrickpresents.com> ). In addition, Scott just completed work on his first novel, a supernatural thriller based on an 18th-century murder in New England. No word on which celebrities will be asked to record the audiobook.
Here is a sample of Scott Brick narrating Breach of Power—
Now you have a chance to win a copy of the Breach of Power audiobook for free so keep reading…
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Rules: (yes, there are rules)
1. You must LIKE my Facebook page. Click here to open page then click LIKE. All winners & LIKEs will be verified.
2. To enter, send an email to contests@chuckbarrettbooks.com with “BREACH OF POWER ROCKS” in the subject line. Anything other than that will not be captured and your name will not be entered. Also include your name in the body of the email. After the contest ends, the winners’ names will be announced on my Facebook page. By entering this contest, you understand and consent to having your email address added to my Kill Zone newsletter list. (You may unsubscribe at any time)
3. Enter only once. Duplicate entries will be discarded.
4. Enter only during the contest time frame of December 22, 2013 at Noon EST until December 25, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. Any entries received before or after that time frame will be discarded.
5. 3 winners will be selected by a random generator and notified on December 26, 2013. Each winner will be sent step-by-step instructions and a promotional code to redeem your copy of Breach of Power on audible.com.
6. Not required but encouraged! Please tell all your friends, share the blog link, or Facebook link, or Twitter link.
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Here are the ‘BUY’ links for each book on audible.com—
Thanks for participating…and good luck!
Chuck
September 23, 2013
Publishing Unchained: WHAT TYPE OF PUBLISHING IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
As a publisher you must decide on which format(s) you will publish your book. Do you want to publish e-books only? Do you want to publish print books only? Both?
Each carries with it a cost uniquely associated with the format published. E-books tend to be the cheapest to produce. But unless you are a top-notch do-it-yourselfer, you will still need someone to design your cover, your book’s interior, and convert your manuscript to e-book files. Depending on the book itself, this could cost anywhere from $100 to several hundred. The more graphic intensive (read labor intensive) the book, the higher the cost will be.
For print books there will be setup fees. If you want to keep your own copies in stock, expect printing and shipping costs. What about audio books? Production, studio, and narrator fees aren’t cheap so expect to dig deep into your pockets if you want to hear your book on your iPod.
PRINT BOOKS ONLY
Is there a future for print books or has the digital revolution started this format down an inexplicable path to extinction? If I had a crystal ball, I could answer that question with some degree of certainty. Print is still the largest medium and will continue to be that way…at least for a long while. My personal opinion is that print will be here forever. It might diminish its stronghold, but I foresee no extinction for the printed word. At some point in the future, the equilibrium between print and digital will find its own fulcrum. The fulcrum might shift from time to time (like the current resurgence in popularity of vinyl records), but print will always be around.
As much as I am a printed book fan, I am also a Kindle fan. Perhaps, since my wife and I travel a lot, it makes more sense (to me) to travel with one book-sized reading device that can hold thousands of books rather than hauling around several books from destination to destination. I find fiction more enjoyable to read on my Kindle, however I find non-fiction best suited for my needs in the print format. I’m a die-hard DIY person. I buy and use non-fiction books for reference. I mark pages with sticky notes. I find it downright painful to use my Kindle for reference as I haven’t mastered the art of bookmarking and fast retrieval of those bookmarks. For me, research is easier and faster with print books. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not advocating one medium over another—just stating a personal preference. And my point is, I am not alone in that preference.
Print books still sell—a lot. Non-fiction and fiction alike. Most beach goers and poolside readers don’t want to contend with sand and/or water getting on their electronic reading device.
As an author of print books, you must take a more active role when it comes to promoting your books than with e-books only. That means getting out and doing book signings at local bookstores and libraries. If an author’s name and face isn’t out there greeting the reading public, then that mountain of boxes stacked around your house will never dwindle in size.
E-BOOKS ONLY
Many authors/publishers are choosing not to invest in print at all but instead are opting to publish e-books only . There is nothing wrong with that if that’s your choice and that’s how you want to be represented. There is indeed a market for e-book only authors and a lot of money can be made without ever seeing your book(s) in print. But keep this in mind, as fast as e-books are growing, print still holds the lion share of the market. One day that might change, but as close as it has gotten, it isn’t there yet. And also keep in mind that there is still a strong resistance to e-books by many diehard print book lovers. If you choose to publish only e-books, your book will never reach their hands and you run the risk of permanently alienating them as readers. The best thing you can do as a publisher is offer your reader a choice. Remember, you don’t want to miss a sale therefore it makes sense to offer your book in as many formats as possible.
PUBLISHING BOTH P-BOOKS & E-BOOKS
Most traditional and independent publishers take this route. And there are advantages. As I mentioned above, if you publish both print and electronic books then you saturate your potential market exposure. Another advantage is that the same manuscript [and usually formatted interior design] can be used for both mediums. If your interior is print ready, most of the work has already been accomplished for conversion to e-books.
Another question that seems to pop up for publishers who publish both p-books and e-books is when to release each medium to the public. Some publishers release the print version first and allow the e-book version to follow later. Other publishers do the opposite. The current trend is to release them at the same time (same release date) and personally, I think this is the way to go. I’ll discuss the intricacies of choosing a release date later.
Another big decision with print books is which format(s) to print. Do you want hardcover or paperback? Trade or mass-market? What price should you charge? At first the task might seem daunting and intimidating, but, as I will detail later, it doesn’t have to be that way. If you’re reading this now and your book is 100% finished, meaning you have a cover, and your interior is already designed, then you are only a couple of weeks away from having a top-quality print book delivered to your doorstep and literally only hours away from seeing it available in e-book form for purchase online.
But don’t be too hasty and jump the gun. There is still a lot left to consider before publishing your book. Remember, do this right.
If you would like the entire book, Publishing Unchained: An Off Beat Guide To Independent Publishing, Click here. Available in eBook or Trade Paperback
September 1, 2013
Publishing Unchained—Publisher Responsibility
My father once told me that if something was worth doing, it was worth doing right. I took the same approach with writing and publishing. Don’t confuse the two. This book is not about writing. The market is already flooded with wonderful and informative guides about writing and writing well. All I can suggest is that whatever you write, you write well…and edit better.
When it comes to publishing your book, you will find there are plenty of cheap ways to accomplish the task, but is it worth risking your name and reputation by putting out an inferior product? As a publisher, ask yourself these four questions—Has the book you are about to publish, whether your own or not, been carefully formulated, mindfully written, professionally edited, meticulously proofed, and creatively designed? Does it have a market? Who is your intended audience and will this book be useful to them? Does it meet the standards you want your publishing company to represent?
If you answered yes to all of those questions, then you’re ready to move forward with your project. But if you answered no to any of these then I suggest you step back and rethink your decision to publish until you can confidently answer yes.
Hold yourself to a higher standard of excellence. After all, the books you publish will reflect on you and your company—so do it in a positive light instead of a negative one. If more time needs to be dedicated to writing and editing a book before it is published, so be it. Remand it back to the author…even if that author is you. This might be easier said than done, especially if you-the-author already thinks your book is perfect. You must remove your author hat and don your publisher’s hat. Think like a businessperson. After all, publishing is a business and must be treated as such. And it is much different from writing. Make sound, logical publishing decisions by leaving any emotional attachment to a project at the door. Emotion muddies the already turbid waters of the publishing river. Separate yourself from your own work. If necessary, get opinions from other authors or publishers as to the readiness of a project. When you-the-publisher are 100% satisfied a project is ready to publish, then and only then move forward. But do it right.
Today, modern technology has made publishing a book easier than ever. It can be quick, easy, and relatively inexpensive. The temptation is strong to publish your book before it is ready. Don’t do it. It’s unfair to you. It’s unfair to the industry. But most of all, it’s unfair to your readers.
If you would like the entire book, Publishing Unchained: An Off Beat Guide To Independent Publishing, Click here. Available in eBook or Trade Paperback
August 21, 2013
Publishing Unchained—AUTHOR/PUBLISHER TOOLKIT
What do you need before you publish your book? This is an important question since you need to be promoting your book months before it becomes available. The world needs to know you’re an author or publisher. The world needs to know you have a book for sale and that they want to buy it. That’s right; want to buy your book.
In 2010 when my first thriller, The Savannah Project, was released, my wife watched me sell books (or attempt to sell books) at an event. I sat at my table with exactly zero experience in sales of any kind. She gave me a word of advice that, at first, I thought was useless. I mean what does she know about selling books, right? Turns out, a lot more than me. Her words of advice were these: “Everyone who walks through the door wants to buy your book, they just don’t know it yet. It’s your job to help them see it.” What she meant was that everybody is a potential customer. When I wrote The Savannah Project, I told her it was a man’s book and that women wouldn’t be interested in guns, action, blood, murder, mystery, etc. Sound silly? Let me say this from my vantage point 3 years and 2 books later—she was dead on. My wife and I waged a bet on whom the majority of my readers would be—she said women, I said men. The ratio now is 60/40, women leading the pack. Perhaps even 65/35. Nevertheless, she was right. Again. Bottom line is, you’re not just selling your book(s), you’re selling yourself. Successfully sell yourself and your books will sell.
When it comes to selling yourself, don’t sell yourself short by taking shortcuts. Be professional and mindful in everything you do and everything you say because, whether you know it or not, someone is paying attention. Make yourself known, just do it in a positive manner.
The author/publisher toolkit is vital if you are serious about writing and publishing your book. I’m assuming you are since you paid your hard-earned money to buy this guide. I am also making the assumption you’ve given up on, or never considered, pursuing a traditional publishing contract. But, without a minimum arsenal at your side, you’re dead in the water before you get started. In this day and age, if you don’t have a virtual presence, no one will know you exist. Or worse. That your book exists. What does your toolkit look like? Consider the following as your minimum equipment list or survival kit for authors/publishers.
The first item in your toolkit should be your website. If you don’t already have one, get one and get it now. To get started, there are several good sites on the Internet that will allow you to build a website for free (wix.com & weebly.com are examples). A simple Internet search will reveal many more. Your website is the critical spot to sell yourself. You will need a professional, eye-catching website that is easy to navigate. Your ultimate goal when you start social networking is to drive people to your website. Your website is where you will introduce yourself, market your books, and sell yourself to the book-buying public. It is a representation of you-the-author or you-the-publisher. It is also a reflection of you. If your website looks like crap or is confusing to navigate at first glance, visitors will feel disappointed, leave, and probably won’t come back. They will view your book just as unprofessional as your website…whether it is or isn’t. Your website needs, as a minimum, an attractive home page that invites visitors to browse around, and if it’s an author website, a bio page preferably with a good quality photo of yourself (you don’t have to spend a fortune on a photographer, use your spouse or significant other or a friend). People like to see the face of the author they are reading. They want to establish a connection to the book they read. It is human nature. You’ll also need a synopsis page for each book and links to buy your book(s). Let me emphasize this again: Links to buy your books. Don’t make potential readers (buyers) have to search for your books on Amazon or any of the other sites, give them the links on your website to all the sites where your book is available. This might sound like a “duh” comment but you would be amazed at how many authors don’t make the buying process simple for potential customers.
Next item in your toolkit is your Twitter account. If you haven’t already, open a Twitter account now. Use it and link it back to your website. Remember, your ultimate goal is to drive people to your website.
Every toolkit these days also needs a Facebook fan page. If the whole idea of a fan page seems pompous to you, get over it. You need this. When you set it up, link it to what? Your website! Also save yourself some energy now. Link your Facebook fan page to your Twitter account so every time you post on your fan page, your post is automatically tweeted on your Twitter account.
Do the same with Goodreads, LinkedIn, and any other social media networks in which you will be actively involved. Key word—actively. If you’re on a site and inactive, you’re turning off prospective readers…who are also prospective buyers.
Now add a blog. Sound difficult? Really it isn’t. There are plenty of good blogging sites out there, such as WordPress. As a matter of fact, many authors, and publishers alike, create their entire website on one of these blog sites, linking it to a personalized URL, such as mine: http://www.chuckbarrettbooks.com.
My author website was designed by AuthorBytes but powered by WordPress.
Now you’re ready to start blogging about your upcoming release, or anything else that crosses your mind for that matter. But remember one thing, ALWAYS leave a link on your blogs back to your main website. Set your blog feeds to automatically send out to Twitter, your Facebook page, Goodreads, LinkedIn, and anywhere else you want it posted. The more exposure you get, the better your odds of driving more people to your website which is, once again, where you will sell yourself as an author or publisher.
Let’s do a quick recap of your barebones toolkit:
Website
Twitter
Facebook Fan Page
Blog
Other Social Media Sites.
Link them together to minimize your online efforts and maximize your visibility.
If you would like the entire book, Publishing Unchained: An Off Beat Guide To Independent Publishing, Click here. Available in eBook or Trade Paperback
August 7, 2013
Publishing Unchained—Introduction
Over the course of the next few weeks I will post sections of my book about publishing entitled Publishing Unchained: An Off-Beat Guide to Independent Publishing. The first snippet is the introduction below. Designed as an eBook for Kindle, Publishing Unchained is also available for sale in paperback. Here is the link if you’re interested in either: http://chuckbarrettbooks.com/books/publishing-unchained/overview/
INTRODUCTION
For the past several years the publishing industry has been in an ever-changing state of flux. With all the uncertainty in the industry, Self-Publishing and Independent Publishing are booming. Between the years of 2006 and 2012, the number of print and e-titles grew by 287% with a total of 235,625 titles released in the year 2011 alone. Bowker research attributed this growth to an explosion of self-published titles. There were 148,424 self-published titles, or 43% of that year’s total output.
Also on the rise are independent publishers. Small independent publishers, those with less than 10 published International Standard Book Numbers (ISBN) yearly, have grown from 12,430 in 2008 to over 21,000 by the end of 2011. What is the difference between self-publishing and independent publishing, you ask? There has been a lot of debate lately on whether self-published authors can be considered independent publishers. Although the line blurs in many instances, it boils down to who officially published your book. In the publishing industry, whoever owns the ISBN assigned to the book is considered the official publisher. Whether you choose Create Space, Outskirts Press, Tate Publishing, or any one of the many publishing sources available, your title will be considered a self-published venture and they, not you, will be considered the publisher of record because they own the ISBN. Nothing wrong with that if it works for you.
However, if you start your own imprint, register it with Bowker, buy your own ISBNs, do the leg work yourself, i.e. cover and interior (or hire it out), then you are one of the growing segment of independent publishers. Many independent publishers have also chosen to publish other authors’ works when, of course, the author foots the bill or pays a fee for a package deal. That author is then considered self-published. If you publish your own book under your own imprint, then you are both an independent publisher by virtue of your imprint AND a self-published author under that imprint. Clear as mud? Never fear…it only gets worse!
There are many facets of publishing, many options available, and many decisions you must make. Publishing has never been easier, which brings with it the good, the bad, and the ugly. There are thousands of worthy books, self and/or independently published, hitting the market every year that traditional publishers miss out on because they have made the path to a traditional publishing contract too painful and, with the average advance now coming in between $5000-$10,000, not worth giving up the rights to your book. Especially if you’re good at marketing your work. Today’s options for publishing are abundant and, unfortunately for the industry, more and more authors are publishing their books without vigilantly editing their work. Because publishing has become so easy, there are a lot of books hitting the market that are just…well, bad.
I wrote this short guide because I wanted to share what I have learned through the school of hard knocks. My goal is to simplify the publishing process for you while stressing the importance of publisher responsibility. I struggled to learn the process, but managed to find a way to successfully publish my books and make money doing it. And you can too. I’m not saying I have all the answers, I don’t. I am saying I found a way to be my own publisher and produce top-quality books, inside and out. I found a way to do it at a reasonable cost…because I was willing to put forth the effort. By the time you finish this short guide, you’ll know whether you want to take that same path, one similar to it, or choose an entirely different one.
What this book won’t do is teach you how to write a good book, how to format your manuscript, or how to convert it to an e-book. I will explain what I did, how I did it, and why I chose my particular path. Writing your book, editing your book, designing your cover, and having the interior of your book designed are things you will need to accomplish on your own. There are plenty of books out there that address all of these critical elements.
So…onward we go. Let’s start with your bare bones toolkit—
Stay tuned for more…..
July 17, 2013
Time Travel with Dad
The title of this blog might sound like science fiction, but I assure you it isn’t. Rather it’s a voyage back in time; my father’s time…and he took me along for the ride and what I saw was a glimpse at what his life was like growing up in La Grange, Georgia during the 1940s. Oh sure, I had heard those stories several times during my childhood. I’d even seen most of the same places before…but not since I was a child. As we so often do when we’re young, I simply nodded and said, “That’s cool, Dad” but all the while I was wishing we’d get the heck out of there and go do something fun.
This time was different—this time I saw La Grange from my father’s eyes, from his era, from his perspective… and this time I understood. Most of us (my generation anyway) were bored of hearing those stories about our parents’ generation walking to school in the rain (and sometimes snow) uphill—both ways. After retracing my father’s childhood steps I realized, believe it or not, it was uphill both ways. As a matter of fact, up several hills…to school and back home again.
Of course, there are several stories of him walking home from the store…carrying bags of groceries in his arms…over a mile, but I won’t bore you with them…although now I view each and everyone of them as precious crystals from my father’s hour glass. One that unfortunately has more sand at the bottom than the top.
Why the tribute to my father at this time…well, he’s about to turn 79 and he isn’t getting any younger and his health isn’t getting any better. Time does that you know, and I am only a generation behind myself. I realize time does slip away and my time on this earth with him resides mostly in the past. Besides, I can’t think of a single person who has had a more significant impact on my life than my father. The bond between fathers and sons is forged with tough love and compassion. Rules that must never be broken or the consequences were swift and sometimes harsh. Words that never have to be said, they’re just understood…even though they are said from time to time. Successes and failures. Good times and bad. Rewards and punishments. Criticism and praise. A love of immeasurable bounds.
My voyage back in time began as my wife and I were planning to go visit my parents for their 57th anniversary at their home in Florida in late June. My father suggested instead we meet for a few days in Pine Mountain, Georgia (home of Callaway Gardens) or Warm Springs, Georgia (home of FDR’s Little White House). He located a log cabin halfway in between which worked out great. Also, we were only about 25 miles from La Grange.
Shortly after we arrived it seemed clear my father wanted to spend a day showing us his old haunts in La Grange. I could read it on his face when he talked about it and, unlike when I was young, this time I actually looked forward to the trip. I gazed into his crystal ball and experienced the 1940s & early 1950s from his eyes.
As he drove us around this small town in which time seemed to have forgotten, he got frustrated with all the new one-way streets in downtown La Grange. I had to smile; the streets had probably been designated one-way years ago but nonetheless, it was a little amusing to listen to him narrate the tour while he repeatedly attempted to turn down the wrong streets (or wrong-way streets). His memory is still sharp, he remembered exactly where everything was—getting there was an adventure at times.
After showing us several of the houses he had lived in with his mother and brother, (most of which had given themselves to the years and had fallen in disrepair…or were just gone) he took us by his old high school. He smiled when he saw it. At least some things hadn’t changed.
Hunger pangs set in, so we went to a place he’d frequented many times when he was young…Charlie Joseph’s Grill…or CJ’s as he called it. I asked him if he remembered it and he said, “Oh yeah. It looks exactly the same…(long pause while he takes a bite of hotdog)…except there’s a lot more stuff on the walls.” Look at these pictures and you’ll understand.
After lunch he drove us around a bit more and we ultimately found ourselves at La Grange College. I’m sure this was preplanned! We were greeted outside “The Quadrangle” (does every college have a Quad?) by a member of the college’s administrative staff named Martha Pirkle who reminisced with my father about his years at the college. She brought out some old yearbooks and my father and Ms Pirkle updated each other on some of the people they both knew. Unfortunately, the number of his old classmates diminishes each year.
He reminisced some more on the drive back to the cabin and, even though he was tired, I could tell he was thinking of days of old, yesteryear, times long since gone by, and friends that had passed before him. No one likes getting older and I could tell it was a bittersweet visit. So many childhood memories flooding back and, growing up poor, not all of them good ones. He learned to do without many things that we, and certainly I, take for granted…and took for granted growing up.
This was more than a transfer of information from one generation to another, it was an insight into a man I have always been proud of. My father took me on a trip back in time—his time. And it’s a trip I will never forget.
Perhaps that was his plan all along.
Sneaky old codger!
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December 27, 2012
Crunch Time Again! ~ But what does that mean?
Crunch time. We’ve heard it said many times. Everybody seems to have one and it means something different to each one of us. Basically it’s a deadline. Like being tied to a railroad track while a locomotive is bearing down on you. Can I get untied and off the track in time?
For a writer, there are many crunch times in the life of a book. For some, crunch time to get an outline or a proposal to the editor in time. Another one for the manuscript, the the revisions and rewrites. Copy edits reviewed. Endorsements and blurbs. Cover copy. Bio updates, author photos…. Whew! I could be here all day.
The next few days are crunch time for me as well as I get the final edits completed and review what my final proofreader discovered. So, now I making that last pass through the manuscript, seeing what mistakes she found. (And…shh…what I found that she missed) In 2 1/2 weeks, the final interior (and cover art) must be uploaded to the printer, so the pressure’s on. For this I need a quiet and distraction free environment. Maybe need is the wrong word. I really, really want a quiet and distraction free environment.
So what do I get? The owner next door who just bought the house and is having major repairs done just had some men fire up their chain saws and start felling trees. First one came too close to smacking the side of my house. Now my confidence in them is shaken so now I feel pressured to keep an eye on them while I try to work on my edits. It’s always something, isn’t it?
While I’m listening to dueling chain saws and my concentration derailed, I’m writing this post….Wait…
Harken!
What do I hear?
Silence…could it be that the wannabe lumberjacks next door are finished or am I being lured into a trap? Is it a trick? Are they waiting for me to click ‘Publish’ before they fire up their blue smoke tree eaters again and keep me from my crunch time work?
Only time will tell. Either way, crunch time takes precedence. Time to find the earplugs and get back to work…..
If you haven’t been there lately, check out my new & improved website. Click here~
While you’re there, take a look at my upcoming release Breach of Power. Also notice that all my books are now available in ebook formats for Kindle, NOOK, & Kobo!
December 19, 2012
THE NEXT BIG THING BLOG HOP
Welcome to this blog hop.
What is a blog hop? Basically, it’s a way that readers can discover new authors, because with bookstores closing and publishers not promoting new authors as much, we need to find a way to introduce readers to authors they may not see in their local bookstore.
I’ve been tagged by Parker Francis (aka Vic DiGenti), author of the Quint Mitchell Mystery series. Parker’s award-winning series continues with his newest release, Bring Down the Furies, which pits Quint against a serial arsonist. New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry had this to say about Parker and his book, “He’s a powerhouse storyteller and a welcome addition to the thriller genre. Hang on tight and remember to breathe.”
You can learn more about Parker Francis on his website, www.parkerfrancis.com.
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So now it’s my turn to answer the 10 questions about Breach of Power as well as some insights into the process, from characters and inspirations to plotting and cover decisions. You’ll find the five authors I’ve tagged at the end of my blog hop post.
BREACH OF POWER
1: What is the working title of your book?
Breach of Power
2: Where did the idea come from for the book?
When I was plotting Breach of Power, I wanted to add a quasi-treasure hunt theme to the story when I ran across a news article about hikers in Austria who found the remains of a man inside a glacier. The man was believed to have fallen into a crevasse in the glacier in 1957. The idea intrigued me so much I modified the setting and the year then added a mystery to it that would apply to modern day.
3: What genre does your book come under?
I would classify Breach of Power as a thriller with political overtones. So a large extent and certainly more than The Savannah Project & The Toymaker, it also could fall into the mystery genre as well.
4: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Chris Pine as Jake Pendleton, our hero
Berenice Marlohe as Francesca Catanzaro, Jake’s partner
Evangeline Lilly as Abigail Love, our villainous assassin
Emma Stone as the charming and witty Kyli
Harrison Ford as Elmore Wiley—The Toymaker and Kyli’s grandfather
5: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? One sentence? Ha! Here’s the not so short & sweet—
A hiker finds a journal deep inside a glacier that was lost during World War II. On its frozen pages are etched the secret locations of treasures lost since the 1940s. But something more ominous is scribed in the journal.
Something that threatens the Presidency of the United States.
Jake Pendleton is summoned to the White House and instructed to locate and acquire the book, but soon realizes there are others on a quest to find it as well.
Others who will kill to get to it first.
6: Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?
Somewhere between self-published and an independent publisher.
7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Actually writing of the story itself took roughly 5-6 months. With research and plotting about 9 months.
8: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I’ve heard it all! From books by David Baldacci to Dan Brown to Brad Thor and Vince Flynn. While I’m flattered, I don’t quite see it the same way. Certainly there are some commonalities; I try to make my stories unique in my own way.
9: Who or what inspired you to write this book?
The desire to write and continue Jake’s adventures is probably my biggest motivator. Reading books from the above-mentioned authors, as well as David Morrell, Steve Berry, Lee Child, and so many others, keep me motivated.
10: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
THE TWISTS! I put several twists in Breach of Power. Big twists too. Game changers in a couple of places. I wanted to blindside the reader…but in a way the reader will enjoy. The clues are there, the reader just has to figure them out.
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Below you will find authors who will be joining me by blog, next Wednesday. Be sure to bookmark and add them to your calendars for updates on WIPs and New Releases! Happy Writing and Reading!
Dean K. Miller
Richard C. Hale
Shane Etter
Bruce Thomason
Missy LaRae
October 2, 2012
Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained—Epilogue
It is now October 2012, and my experiment ended months ago. So how did it all work out? Is KDP Select worth it? How about the giveaway, was it worth it? I’d like to be able to give a definitive ‘yes’ or ‘no’ but I’m afraid it just isn’t that simple. There are certainly pros and cons that need to be weighed into your decision PRIOR TO a giveaway.
First let me give you a little history of Kindle sales of The Savannah Project and The Toymaker. The Savannah Project first became available on Kindle in May of 2010 and sales did nothing for months and months. 2010 totals were 43. Depressing, right? In May of 2011, one year after its release, I lowered the price to 99¢, as seemed to be the popular thing to do, and sales immediately picked up. In 2011, The Savannah Project sold 3645 and was steadily increasing. Each month I saw a rise in sales.
February 2012 saw the release of The Toymaker. Sales were good from the start at a price of $4.99. So, I started reading about all these independent authors who have made big money with great rankings by doing the KDP Select giveaways. I mulled it over until May of 2012 and decided to give it a try. Little did I know that in March, Amazon had once again changed its algorithms.
The Giveaway: In Mid-May, I did a 3-day offering of The Toymaker and a week after it ended I did the same with The Savannah Project.
The Results: 33,000 copies of The Toymaker and 10,000 copies of The Savannah Project were given away in the month of May.
Sales: While The Toymaker was on giveaway, the first book in the series, The Savannah Project showed an increase in sales at a price of $3.99 but during its giveaway, there was no increase for The Toymaker. I attributed it to the difference in the giveaway numbers. Was there a bump in sales, you ask? Absolutely, although short-lived from what I was led to believe would happen—again, the change in Amazon’s algorithms was likely the culprit.
After The Toymaker came off the giveaway where it held a #4 ranking for 3 days, it fell briefly out of sight then zoomed quickly back into the Top 100 paid list (at $4.99) and ultimately back into the Top 10 where it stayed (in and out) for nearly 3 days. It stayed in the Top 100 paid for another 3 days then made a steep descent down the rankings before leveling off at a place I wasn’t happy with AT ALL! The Savannah Project never did better than #212 on the paid list after its giveaway was over and after a week its ranking fell off the proverbial cliff.
Sales for May and June were very impressive for The Toymaker and somewhat for The Savannah Project. Subsequent giveaways showed very little in the way of a sustainable bump in sales. The first giveaway only sustained a substantial bump in sales for a week and after 2 weeks—watch out! The drop off in sales is dramatic and depressing. Sure I had great sales for May and very good in June but then…OUCH! Even The Savannah Project, which was steadily increasing up until the giveaway, took a horrific drop in ranking and sales.
So looking around at some of the other independent authors who had had such great success with KDP Select and the giveaways, how are they doing in sales and rankings? Well, it seems there sales did the same thing—an initial slow descent followed by a rapid drop off. Hmmm, how can that be and when did that happen for them.
March 19, 2012—the day that Amazon is believed to have changed their algorithms!
So the John Lockes and the Michael Hickses of this independent publishing world took the same powerful blow, as did those of us with less impressive numbers. Why?
The bigger question I want to ask is this: Why did the traditionally published authors see a substantial increase in their Kindle sales (at a much higher price point I might add) on or about the same date as the independent authors saw the bottom fall out?
Sure there are some independent authors whose sales are still high but they don’t stay there for very long. Could it be that Amazon’s new algorithms favor traditional publishers’ stables of authors over independent authors? Did Amazon cut a behind the scenes deal with the traditional publishers? Certainly gives off that appearance. Amazon doesn’t share this information with anyone so there is no way to prove anything. It wouldn’t be the first time something of this nature has happened. Just take a look at the internal policies of Barnes and Noble and Books-a-Million as far as excluding self-published authors books from the shelves. Oh sure, you can get your books in their bookstores but they deliberately made it difficult, anticipating that most of us won’t go to the trouble to jump through all their hoops.
Okay, now I’m done. The cynical, conspiracy theory side of me has spoken.
For the record: I use KDP Select. I made my books available on NOOK and KOBO for a couple of months, hit all the forums and boards, did tons of network marketing, and SOLD NOTHING on either. So back to Amazon and KDP Select where I’ve sold most of my books and know what to expect. Will I do another giveaway? The jury is still out so I can’t give a definitive answer.
Ebooks sell best on Kindle, it’s just that simple. Amazon is still by far the best place for independent authors to sell their ‘e’ and ‘p’ books.
