G.P. Ching's Blog, page 2

Have you registered for the Writer's Digest Annual Conference?

The following was in my inbox this morning.  Talk about a FABULOUS opportunity.  Are you registered yet?  Don't miss this one! -G.P.
 The   Writer's Digest Annual Conference —July 31–August 2 in New York City—is an exciting event for a number of reasons, from the  stellar lineup of instructors  to the giant Pitch Slam . This year, however, we're adding something that takes the pitch of excitement to a whole new level.

Writer's Digest has created a new mentoring program that we'll be offering to one lucky conference attendee selected at random. It's a terrific opportunity to improve your craft, revise your work, find an agent and hopefully get published!

Here how it works:

On Saturday night, August 1, right before the introduction of our central keynote, I'll be drawing the name of one attendee at random. That person will be announced as our first ever Writer's Digest mentee. For the next year, we'll provide that writer with a host of FREE educational tools, services, and more—all designed to help the recipient achieve his or her writing goals.

Here's what the mentee receives:
A credit for our 2nd Draft editing services (including a  manuscript critique , a  developmental edit , or a  line edit ), good for up to 500 manuscript pagesFour  query letter critiques Access to one  live webinar  per month, including any critiques offered by the instructorsA one-year subscription to  Writer's Digest Tutorials , including access to more than 200 online instructional videosA $1000 credit good towards Writer's Digest University  courses
But that's not all. Our mentee will also receive a direct line to the Writer's Digest editorial staff. Have a question about agents? Give us a call. Curious about the inner workings of publishing, or how to position your book so that an editor will take notice? Send us an email. We'll be there to answer your questions and assist where we can.

The mentorship program lasts for an entire year, until the next annual conference. At that point, we'll announce our next mentee.

If you're thinking about attending the Writer's Digest Annual Conference, but are still undecided, now you have one more reason to join us!

Come experience the excitement, the energy, and the education found at the Writer's Digest Annual Conference and maybe—just maybe—you'll be working with us in the year to come.
   
I hope to see you there!
Phil

Phil Sexton
Publisher, Writer's Digest

Want to meet me?

Due to my personal circumstances I rarely attend conferences. However, I'll be at two this year, and I'd love to meet you if you are in the area.

1. Penned Con (July 23-25th, 2015) St. LouisI attended this one last year and highly recommend it!
If you plan to attend this event and would like to pre-order books from me, please use this form. I sold out early last year and only bring a limited supply of books that are not pre-sold.

2. Writers Digest Annual Conference (July 31-August 2) New York CityI'll be speaking about the business of self-publishing and how to get started on a limited budget. I'll also answer questions as part of a panel and be signing books. Please complete this form to order books. Because I'll be flying to this venue, I'll have very few extra books with me.


There's still time to register for both of these conferences. I hope to see you there!

The Soulkeepers Easter Sale! #mustread #deal

For one week only, every individual book in the Soulkeepers Series is on sale for $1-$3 off the regular price! If you've started reading the series, this is an excellent time to pick up the rest. Happy reading and happy Easter!
AmazoniBooksKoboBarnes and NobleGoogle

YA Lovers' Blog Hop! Enter to win!

Hey everyone! Today, on the blog, I'm hosting author Cameo Renae as part of the YA Lovers' Blog Hop. My hashtag is #‎lovebug‬. (Make a note of it. You'll need it later.) Make sure you visit each of the blogs on the hop.  Good luck!

My name is Cameo Renae, bestselling YA Fantasy author of the Hidden Wings Series and The After Light Saga.  Links: Website: www.cameorenae.comFB: https://www.facebook.com/CameoRenaeFanPageTwitter: https://twitter.com/CameoRenaeGoodreads: Cameo_RenaeAmazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Cameo-Renae/e/B004X2PEH0/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

I am thrilled and honored to be on GP Ching’s blog today. She totally rocks!I'm featuring an excerpt of a story I started a while back and didn’t finish. But it's something you haven't read before, and I know I haven't mentioned it to anyone. It's been sitting patiently in my TBW (To Be Written) pile. hahaIf you’ve read my books, you know I’m a huge romantic. This excerpt is about a young girl named Kate, who has been bitten by a Vampire Prince named Tristan, in his attempt to keep her safe from the other clans. Her life is in danger because of a certain "problem" which I am not mentioning. And, of course there is a "connection" between her and Tristan. The problem is… she must seal the bond by drinking his blood. But doing so will forever bind her to him and his clan. She’s seventeen and doesn’t want to be bound by anyone, especially someone she doesn't know. I love the characters in this story, and hope you will too. This story will be releasing at the end of this year. So, without further ado, here is the excerpt for Quintessence. FYI: the title might change. I had to come up with something on the spot.And PLEASE remember this is a very ROUGH draft, and not near being edited, and this is NOT the beginning of the story. With that being said... enjoy!


QuintessenceThe Golden Flask Vampire Series: Book OneBy: Cameo Renae(Releasing: Late 2015)Excerpt:Sitting at the bar was a well-dressed, fairly handsome young man who looked out of place. He turned and gave me a smile so I quickly made my way over and sat on the barstool next to him.“Hi,” I greeted, hoping he would give me a sign he was my contact. “Well, hi. What brings you to this pig sty, beautiful?” His words slurred and his eyes were bloodshot and droopy.My conscience waved a huge red flag, smacking it upside my head. Dammit. This guy was not my contact, and now I’d opened myself up to the rest of the drunken riff-raff. I could feel the lustful eyes violating my backside.“I’m meeting someone,” I answered.The bartender, a tall man with a bald head and tattoos running down his neck and arms, stood in front of me. “Aren’t you a little young to be in here, darlin’?” he asked. “We could get in a lot of trouble servin’ alcohol to a minor.”“I’m not here for the drinks. I’m here to meet someone,” I replied, trying to subdue my inner shaking.“Who would ask you to meet them in a shit hole like this?” he questioned, shaking his head. “I don’t know,” I sighed. “I was just thinking the same thing.” The bartender gave a half-smile, shrugged, and walked off to serve a drunk pounding on the end of the bar table.Heavy footsteps clanked across the wood floor and stopped directly behind me, and soon I caught a whiff of strong body odor. My heart hammered against my chest, sensing trouble. I wasn’t going to turn around. Nope. “Hey precious.” A strong hand grasped my shoulder, forcing me to turn back. “You’re new here. You lookin’ for a good time?” Three large, bearded and burly men stood behind me, completely plastered. Their wasted eyes held looks of evil intentions. “No. I’m waiting for a friend. A very large male friend, who will be here any minute,” I answered as bravely as I could, praying my words were true. “I think I’ll wait outside.” They laughed, calling my bluff. I started to scoot off of the stool but the man’s grip tightened on my shoulder, keeping me in place.“Hey Bill, why don’t you let the little lady go,” the bartender suggested, drying a freshly washed glass. Bill glared at him, making him turn and walk away. “We don’t want you to leave, precious,” Bill slurred. Spittle flew from his mouth onto my face as he said precious. My insides shuddered. “We’ll show you a real good time.” His breath, a mixture of alcohol and bar food, invaded my nostrils. Vomit threatened to force itself up my throat, but I swallowed hard to keep it down. Stepping into this place was a horrible mistake. Tristan lied to me. Bastard. But it was complete stupidity on my part for putting my trust in someone I didn’t know.“I just want to leave,” I said, attempting to release the man’s fingers from my shoulder, but he was too strong.“Hey dumb shits!” a voice yelled from behind them. All three brawny men twisted their huge heads, but I couldn’t see who they were looking at. Their girth blocked any visual. “The girl is with me. I suggest you let her go before someone gets hurt.” “Who the hell are you, asshole?” Bill spit his words, his steel grip still attached to my shoulder.“I’m her bodyguard, and if you don’t get your filthy, vile hand off of her, I’ll break it into pieces,” the mysterious voice answered.My bodyguard?The men burst into laughter. Bill smugly and slowly threatened, “I’d like to see you try.”In a split second I heard the sickening snapping of bones. The two men next to Bill were on the floor, curled into fetal positions, crying in pain. Bill’s grip finally released, and with a pained yelp he fell to his knees grasping his limp, broken hand. What the hell? I didn’t see anyone touch him. “Let’s say we ditch this joint,” a soft voice whispered in my ear. I turned, my breath caught in my throat. A handsome young man, who looked a little older than me, held his hand out. He was around six feet tall, with the clearest blue eyes. Jet-black hair was clean cut and drawn back, but there were a few misplaced strands which fell over his strong-featured, pale, porcelain face. Black jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt hugged the defined the muscles bulging from underneath. He reminded me of Tristan.I grasped his hand, and he led me out the door into the nearby forest. We traveled in silence for a while before he spoke.“My name is Stefan. Tristan sent me in case you chose not to complete the bond. I’m sorry I was late,” he said. His voice was melodic, and he had an English accent.“Thank you. It’s fine. I mean, I’m fine, so it’s… fine.” I stumbled through my words. Oh God. I sounded like an idiot.A grin formed on his full lips.“Where are we going?” I questioned. “To a safe place. You’ll meet the rest of the team Tristan sent to aid you. “He sent a team?” I squeaked.“Yes, and tomorrow you begin training. Tristan has been gathering information on the charges against your grandfather. He wants you to know he’ll do his best to try and keep your family safe, but his hands are somewhat tied without the bond.”“You know about the bond?” I asked.He stopped, and then turned to face me. “Everyone under the Vladu Clan knows about the bond. Tristan is our Prince, therefore, if you ever decide to seal the bond with him, you will become our princess.”Wow. That was a lot to swallow.---------------------------------------------------Well, that’s all folks! I hope you enjoyed it. The next blog to hop on over to is: Author Amber Garza!Happy Hopping/Valentine’s Day!!!
Rafflecopter Giveaway: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Get Charged! 2 ways to win!

Charged, Book 2 in the Grounded trilogy, releases Tuesday, December 16th!

Learn more about Charged:

http://bit.ly/Chargedkindle

http://bit.ly/Chargedibooks

http://bit.ly/Chargedkobo

http://bit.ly/Chargedplay

http://bit.ly/Chargednook

What better way to celebrate the story of a simple Amish girl genetically engineered to be electrokinetic by her dystopian overlords than with a power bank!
I am giving away a bunch of these 2200 mAH power banks. Just charge this up and throw it in your pocket or purse, and you have emergency power for your cell phone or other electronic device.


There are two ways to enter (and you can do both if you want):

1) Enter via my Facebook page. All you have to do is enter your email (which is how I will contact you if you win*) via this link. Charged Giveaway I'll be giving away 10 chargers this way.

2) Sign up for my monthly newsletter. Those fans who sign up and stay signed up for my newsletter will automatically be entered for a monthly giveaway every month of 2015. Winners will be announced within a section of my newsletter each month, so you do have to open it to win. I will be giving away a SECOND BATCH OF 10 to ten random newsletter subscribers, five in the December issue and five more in the January issue. *

*As always, winners are responsible for checking their email and responding within fifteen days or they forfeit their prize.

Deals and Reels! (Don't miss this)

Are you ready for Thanksgiving!  I'm thankful for you stopping by my blog. Here are three quick things you need to know.


1. IBOOKS EXCLUSIVE!Do you have an Apple device?  The ENTIRE Soulkeepers series is available for just $4.99 for a VERY limited time.  This is an #iBooks exclusive and this box set is regularly $14.99. That's $10 off!! There is no place else you can get these six books for this price, and I'm so thankful to the people at #iBooks for helping me offer this to my #iBooks fans.
Get it HERE!

2. GET GROUNDED! Have you read Grounded? As a special Black Friday deal for my fans, I'm offering this book for 99 cents for a limited time.  This is the perfect time to get and read it in preparation for Charged, Book 2 which is releasing December 22! 
Get it on:iBooksKoboGoogle PlayNookAmazon
3. CAST YOUR VOTEThe Soulkeepers is now available on the If list. Click here to support the Soulkeepers movie and vote for your fantasy cast. 
http://iflist.com/stories/thesoulkeepersseries
Blessings to you and yours!

Grounded is BACK!

Grounded, Book 1 of The Grounded Trilogy available now!

Faith kept her plain. Science made her complicated.Book 1 in the Grounded Trilogy
Seventeen year old Lydia Troyer is far from concerned with science or politics. Growing up behind a concrete wall in the exiled community of Hemlock Hollow, life hasn't changed much since her Amish ancestors came to America. She milks her cow by hand, makes fresh bread every morning, and hopes to be courted by a boy she’s known since childhood. 
But when Lydia's father has a stroke and is rushed to the outside world for medical treatment, Lydia poses as an Englisher and leaves Hemlock Hollow. An ordinary light switch thrusts her into a new world where energy is a coveted commodity and revelations about her personal history have life threatening consequences.


Get your copy of the book readers call a unique, suspenseful, edge of your seat read!
iBooksKoboGoogle PlayNookAmazon
IF YOU PREVIOUSLY PURCHASED THE BOOK:  
1. For most retailers, it's as simple as pressing the update or cloud button to get the new version. You will know you have the new version because the new cover will appear on your device and "Second edition: November 2014" will appear on the copyright page.
2. Amazon: There is a glitch at Amazon and files are not always being overlaid properly. Please contact Amazon to have the new file pushed to you.
FAQ
Do I need to read book 1 again to understand Charged, book 2? How much has changed?
The second edition of Grounded is approximately 20,000 words longer and contains new details and chapters about The Green Republic and The Liberty Party.  While the overall story arc is the same, the first version was written as a stand alone while the second was written as the basis of the trilogy.  So, while you may understand book 2 after reading the original version of book 1, some details have changed and will not match up exactly.
When will Charged, Book 2 come out?
Charged is already available for pre-order on Amazon, Apple, and Kobo.  The book is complete and in the editing process.  It will be released on December 22.  Wired, Book 3 (final book in the trilogy) is in development with an expected release date of June 2015.

Limited Time: Weaving Destiny Sale 99 Cents!

For the first and probably last time ever, I've put Weaving Destiny (Book 2 of The Soulkeepers Series) on sale via Bookbub! If you've downloaded the first book but haven't read it yet, or read it but were waiting to get book 2, now is your chance.  After August 8th, the book goes back up to $2.99.

Get yours via bookbub by clicking here.

For Writers: Createspace AND Lightning Source- What-what?

Recently, I switched my paperback distribution to go through Createspace for distribution to Amazon and Lightning Source for distribution everywhere else.  I didn't come up with this idea on my own.  As a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors (Alli), I'd heard this was the recommended way to go, but to be honest, I didn't fully understand the benefits until I took the plunge. Now that I have, I'm getting lots of questions about the move. Here's what you should know.

First, this post applies to self-published authors who:

Use their own ISBNs or want to use their own ISBNsRegularly sell paperbacks at venues other than AmazonHave a few hundred dollars in capital to invest in the moveDon't change their paperbacks often
If these three things don't apply to you, stop reading and go directly to Createspace. Createspace is by far the cheapest and most user friendly way to deliver POD to your customers.

As the owner of Carpe Luna publishing, I started with using Createspace only but soon was selling enough via expanded distribution to notice the disparity in royalties between Createspace to Amazon and Createspace to all other channels.  To illustrate, let's take a book priced at $12.99, 340 pages, Black and white with Cream interior.  Here's the royalty breakdown at Createspace.


Now, the line I want you to focus on is "Expanded Distribution". This author is earning only a quarter for every sale ANYWHERE other than Amazon. And-- here's the part that really opened my eyes--when anyone orders a paperback through another retailer, like say Barnes and Noble, that order is going through Createspace to Lightning Source to be fulfilled. Plus, because I wanted my paperbacks published with my own ISBNs because I am my own publishing company, Createspace would limit my choices for expanded distribution. Eventually,  going directly through Lightning Source had more appeal to me.

Lightning Source distributes everywhere that is included in Creatspace expanded distribution. Let's see the royalty model for Lightning Source for the same book. Same specifications but LS gives you one additional benefit, you can change your discount. Here, I've calculated using the minimum discount of 20%, but you can select up to 55%.


So, we've gone from earning a quarter per book to $5 per book, or even at the full 55% discount 50 cents per book.  (When I switched over, I chose 35% which made my royalties about the same as selling on Amazon).
Publishing through Lightning Source isn't free.  It's $75 set-up cost per title and $30 if you order a physical proof. ( I'm comfortable using their digital proofer).  In addition, any time you make a change to the cover or interior, it's going to cost you $40, so make sure your books are in a semi-permenant state before publishing.  But here's an over-simplified break even:
(LS Profit) (Sales)  = $1055(X) = $105X= 21
At the minimum discount, you will break even if you sell around 21 books of each title (Or more or less depending on your price, discount, pages, and if you get a physical proof). After 23 books, your profits will have exceeded what you might have earned using Createspace during that period of time.  For me, thats doable, so this made sense. In addition, I don't plan to touch my interiors or covers for at least a year.
Why not just use LS?  Createspace is faster to Amazon and free.  It's a good way to go with newer titles that you know you are going to change.  Plus, you can use the same ISBN in both places as long as you have never used that ISBN before for expanded distribution.
When you upload to Createspace, simply do not select the expanded distribution channel.
Some things you should remember about Lightning Source:You must apply and be approved as a publisherYou must purchase and use your own ISBNsDon't make mistakes because changing things will cost youThe user interface isn't as easy to use as Createspace and so you may want to find a friend to help you through the first go round.The cover and interior requirements are slightly different, so I recommend using a professional designer and formatter if you go this direction. An LS format will work at Createspace but not necessarily the other way around. Color requirements on the covers are slightly different and LS paper is slightly thicker, so you will need a separate version of the cover from your artist.Make certain you select "Non returnable" during setup to create a true POD Again, not for everyone, but I'm glad I made the switch! 

Order Your Soulkeepers T-shirt Here

Hello Soulkeepers!

By popular demand, I'm selling the rest of my inventory of this awesome Soulkeepers t-shirt. Complete the form below for your chance to get one. While supplies last. Once these are gone, this design will be retired.




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