Tudor Robins's Blog, page 24

Blog posts

If it seems like my blog’s been quiet – well, that’s because I’ve been writing a thousand (OK, maybe half-a-dozen) guest posts for other blogs for my upcoming September blog tour.

I can’t thank Kathleen at Pump Up Your Book enough for all her hard work in setting up what I think is going to be a really fun, and exciting, September!

I’ll try to provide some kind of map so you can follow the various links as APS appears on them.

Amazon’s true colours

Many people have been speculating about what Amazon’s intentions really are and, in case you’re curious, here they’ve spelled them out very clearly.

The surprise to me? That this is a surprise to anyone.

This seems clear, simple, and straightforward from where I sit. This isn’t news.

But for some it’s mind-b0ggling and earth-shattering.

I can’t figure out which group is missing the basics here …

The Bad Boyfriend

I have to thank my friend Christina for giving me the theme I needed to pull together this post. Christina says she, and her family, are like a bad boyfriend – they can’t commit to anything. I look at it differently – as farmers, Christina and her family are ridiculously busy. In a very short space of time they have to plant, maintain, and harvest. They have to take care of equipment, and their land, and their home. We’re honoured that every summer, during their most hectic time, they put time aside to hang out with us while we’re on Wolfe Island.

So, no Christina – you are not a bad boyfriend – but you mentioning it reminded me of what it felt like to have one.

I’m sure most of us have known what it’s like to wish with all our hearts that a certain boy, or girl, would call us. Or return our call (or our six calls). That we would get their undivided attention. That they’d commit to us.

That roller coaster is crazy-making. It’s also, sometimes, exhilarating. Ninety-nine per cent of the time it’s a ride you don’t want to be on, but one per cent of the time it puts you on top of the world.

I remember meeting my husband and having a decision to make. I knew, with him, I would never again be waiting for the bad boyfriend to call. I knew he would always do what he promised – and more. That was a huge relief. But it also required me to grow up. To be willing to let go of that fleeting, but intense, spike of joy when somebody who never seems to think of you, suddenly puts you in the centre of their world.

Leaving that behind turned out to be incredibly freeing. For the first time in my life I was just myself. Which left me all kinds of energy to do other, more important things … like raise a family, for which energy is incredibly useful!

This does relate to writing – I promise. Because, in my experience, seeking a publishing contract was the same as seeking to date that uber-popular person who has dozens of other people also wanting to date them.

When I was querying agents and editors, I had to be on all the time. Every tiny email was cause for agonizing revision and second-guessing. I couldn’t follow up too quickly, couldn’t be too pushy; couldn’t offend, and couldn’t bore.

I watched my inbox the way a teenager watches her phone the week all her friends are getting asked to the prom.

I had all kinds of superstitions about my email:

… that agent will get back to you if you don’t check too often …

… if you wait to open the email from that editor, it will be a yes …

It’s OK – you can think I was pathetic. I was. It’s OK for you to think it, and me to admit it, because I’m not like that anymore.

I’m free.

I felt it the minute I decided to self-publish APS, and made that decision official.

No more waiting. No more wondering. No more half-commitments.

When people ask “When is your next book coming out?” I can tell them.

I can decide what my next book will be, and when I’ll publish it, and what I’ll work on after that, and how much I’ll charge for my work, and EVERYTHING.

Early on, I wondered if I’d miss that rare, rare thrill when, after an endless procession of “no”s, I’d finally get a “yes”. Because, of course, I did have those.

And you know what? The yesses felt nice, but never nice enough to make up for all the angst in between. And, worse than the angst, was the wasted time.

People accuse self-publishers of moving too fast – of not taking the time needed to create a polished product. Some indie publishers do this; that’s true. However, some legacy-published projects are also pushed out too quickly. Or, even worse, take a long, long time to come to market, but still don’t have enough hours put into them.

In my case, it’s not that I want to move faster than I should – it’s still immensely important to me to let a project percolate, and to take the time needed in revisions and edits – it’s that I want it to move as fast as it can.

What I want to cut out is the months and months of waiting, and watching my inbox, and hoping that an email will come soon, and it will contain a contract, or at least a firm publication date. I don’t have time for that, and it saps my energy and kills my momentum.

I’m very happy with the friends I have, the husband I have, and the people I work with to bring my books into the world. Not a bad boyfriend among them.

APS is in Kindle Unlimited

The jury is still out – and very confused! – as the what this means for authors.

I think everyone agrees it’s a great opportunity for readers.

To see if you’re eligible for the service, and to sign up if you are, go here!

Facts, Evidence, Opinions, and Feelings – Part One

I could add more words to this title, but what I’m trying to get at, is some of the different things we use to make decisions.

It’s my experience, as I grow older, and gain life experience, that many of our decisions are based on opinion and feeling, more than facts and evidence. We say “that’s just the way it’s done” or “I’ve always done it that way” – and that’s when we recognize that we’re actually making decisions. Sometimes we skip right by the decision without even knowing we’ve made it, because it never occurs to us to even consider doing it any other way.

Now, of course, I have examples of this from my own writing career, but I’m going to use some non-writing examples to illustrate just how deeply I think this is ingrained in us:

1) Drugs and Alcohol: I recently listened to a radio phone-in (CBC, of course!) about MDMA (aka Ecstasy). Having kids who are growing up too quickly, the thought of them being exposed to Ecstasy strikes fear in my heart – justifiably so; it can be very dangerous. However, the point was made that if you make an attempt to chart drugs scientifically under categories including addictiveness, toxicity, etc., nicotine is far more addictive than MDMA, and alcohol is probably more toxic. I realize this is a complex topic, with lots of variables, but it’s interesting that our society decided long ago that cigarettes and alcohol should be regulated, while other drugs (e.g. MDMA) are illegal. Why? And why is it still that way? Is it a fact based decision, or one that grew out of history?

2) IVF. Ontario recently announced they will pay for one round of IVF for people experiencing fertility challenges. This is a controversial, and sensitive topic. I wasn’t sure what to think about it. It’s hard to think of financing IVF – as life-changing as it can be – when we can’t always afford to provide potentially life-saving cancer treatments to certain patients. However, the evidence I’ve heard suggests that provincial funding of IVF actually saves money in the long run. The province can control the conditions, and therefore eliminate some high-risk pregnancies that are extremely costly to our health system. Here’s a case where your gut might say “How can we fund IVF?” but the facts might convince you otherwise.

I was recently lucky to be able to have a great conversation with Shannon Jones of Broadfork Farm. She was helping me with some research I’m doing for an upcoming book. We were talking about Farmer’s Markets and Shannon told me about a spreadsheet she uses to determine whether it’s truly worth their while to attend the market. She factors in depreciation on the items they use at the market (canopies, tablecloths, etc.), gas to drive there, their time – not just while there, but also loading and unloading and preparing – and so on. She now has a strong baseline number of what it really costs to go the market, and how much money they need to earn to make it worthwhile.

Listening to Shannon explain this really changed the way I look at many of the things I do to promote my books. I’m trying to use more facts when I decide how to spend my time and energy (and money), instead of going on gut instinct, or “how it’s always been done”.

Hugh Howey’s serious of Author Earnings reports is an example of the great sources of factual information that are available to writers in determining how to grow their careers, and which paths to take, if we’ll only use them.

I think, too often, we don’t even know there’s another way. Then, maybe we do know, but we don’t know how to collect the information. Sometimes, even with the information in front of us, we want to stick our heads in the sand and not face the facts that are there.

For me, that doesn’t work anymore. I need to understand why I’m doing things, and whether they work for me.

This post is already long, so let’s leave it at that, with the groundwork laid, and next time I’ll give you some specific examples of decisions I’ve made about my writing based on facts I have to work with.

 

Love This Line!

I just read a great new review of APS on Goodreads. It was detailed, and thoughtful, which I loved, and it was written by a sixteen-year-old – BINGO! That’s who I want reviewing my books (by which I mean REAL, everyday, readers – not only professional reviewers).

Anyway, one of the lines in her review gave me a big smile. It was this:

“Plus, she’s an Indie Author! Can’t get much better than that!”

The world is changing. What was once frowned upon is becoming celebrated – especially by a new generation with fewer pre-conceived ideas.

Up until now I’ve been calling myself “Self-Published” – which I am, and I still will – but this young reader is inspiring me to embrace the “Indie” label.

Learning something new every day …

Dollars and Cents

Well, Hugh Howey’s at it again. He’s advocating for writers – talking about ways authors could get paid more – and his post has made me realize there’s something I can do.

I can tell you what I earn.

Because it’s a reality of my day-to-day life, I assume you already know. But, just as most readers probably don’t know who published the book they’re reading, I think many of you also don’t know what the author got paid.

So I’m going to tell you my numbers. These aren’t everyone’s numbers, and these numbers can change depending on certain contractual circumstances, etc., but they’ll give you a rough idea of what an author makes every time you read a book that entertains you. These are all approximations, and are for specific markets, but I’ve chosen the main markets where I sell books, since they’re the most relevant to my income:

1) Objects in Mirror – Print: List price is $12.95, and I earn just under $1.30.

2) Objects in Mirror - eBook: List price is $12.99, and I earn $3.25.

3) Appaloosa Summer – Print: List price is $9.99, and I earn $2.22.

4) Appaloosa Summer - eBook: List price is $2.99, and I earn $2.09.

These numbers say something to me. These numbers, of course, factored into my decisions about the future of my writing career.

But I’m not really interested in what these numbers mean to me – I already know that – what do these numbers say to you, as readers? Do you have questions / thoughts / comments?

If so, I’d love to hear them, and I’ll do my best to give you an intelligent response.

A Great Summer Reading Deal!

If you’re looking for summer reading, here’s a chance to load up your eReader for free! Zero dollars! Absolutely nothing …

APS will be free on Monday, July 14 – along with hundreds of other eTitles – as part of Digital Book Day. Download and enjoy; no payment necessary!

Let me know if you stumble across anything you really like – it’s always nice to know when a reader discovers a new author!

The Environment #2: Keeping Cool

I still have lots and lots to say about the world of publishing, and how it’s changing EVERY DAY, and how I’m learning something new EVERY DAY, but I sadly fear the environment is also changing every day, and not in such an exciting way, so I’m finally making time to pick up on this series again.

My first shout-out in this post goes to Andrea Tomkins, blogger extraordinaire, who turns out to be a kindred spirit to me in the worship of ceiling fans. Ceiling fans! Was anything better in the world ever invented? OK, maybe narrow that down to anything that hangs from your ceiling. Andrea and I had a great discussion a couple of weeks ago about how much we love our fans.

Our house is small. I think it’s about 1,300 square feet. And we have SEVEN ceiling fans. Which still leaves us without one in the spare bedroom. However, the spare bedroom has now mostly become my office (perhaps I will post photos later), which means it’s just about due for a ceiling fan.

To tell you why I love these fans so much, I need to also tell you how little I enjoy AC, and how I struggle not to use it. Our cooling thermostat is set to 26 Celsius during the day. If I don’t bake a lasagna, and keep the blinds semi-closed, the house will never hit 26 during the day – except on one, or two, ridiculously hot days in the summer - and so our AC really doesn’t come on during the day. In the late afternoon (when my more heat-sensitive husband comes home from work) the thermostat lowers to 25, and the AC cycles on a few times, and then at bedtime, it goes down again to 24 – that’s the lowest we ever set it at. Because our house is nearly 100 years old (and leaky), the thermostat being 24 means the upstairs bedrooms are about 26 – but it’s a DRY 26. No humidity thanks to the AC.

This is where the ceiling fans come in. I’m telling you; a ceiling fan circulating dry air around, will easily keep you cool on even the hottest day. They’re also great on those “should-we-shouldn’t-we” days, where we don’t really want to turn the AC on, but it’s a bit hot for sleeping. More times than not, the ceiling fan means we go without AC and then, of course, overnight it cools off a bit and we’re glad we never turned the AC on in the first place.

Other things ceiling fans are good for:

1) Entertaining babies. Our first – very colicky – child was only ever quiet when being held (and bounced) or when lying on his back staring up at a ceiling fan. Other mothers got to know this worked, and would call to see if they could bring their babies for a “playdate” (aka, lying the babies side-by-side under the ceiling fan).

2) White noise. Whether it’s for babies, or yourself, I love the sound of a ceiling fan. Not a buzzing, unbalanced, fan, but the hardly there swooshing of a constant, even fan. So soothing. I find the bedroom so quiet the first night in the fall that it’s too cold to have the fan on.

3) Heat redistribution. A well-placed fan will move cold air through the house in the summer, and warm air through the house in the winter too. They can be year-round money-savers / comfort-makers.

4) Beauty. A well-proportioned ceiling fan is gorgeous. Andrea Tomkins has a lovely one in her addition.

We stay cool in the summer, while trying to minimize our impact on the environment, by using fans – ceiling and stand-alone, too – keeping the house closed up and shaded and, when all else fails, a swim before bedtime is fantastic for cooling the skin and letting you fall off to sleep.

How do you stay cool in the summer, without cranking the AC?

NetGalley

Seriously, this Amazon-Hachette battle is taking up so much of my attention, it’s hard to focus on anything else.

But I will valiantly try. Today I’m going to tell you about my experience with NetGalley.

I’m going to steal directly from NetGalley’s site to tell you what they’re about:

Do you review and recommend books online, in print, for your bookstore, library patrons, blog readers, or classroom? Then you are what we call a “professional reader,” and NetGalley is for you. Registration is free, and allows you to request or be invited to read titles, often advance reading copies, on your favorite device.

Are you a publisher, author, or PR professional launching a new title, series or season? NetGalley offers a way to provide secure, digital versions of your titles to our community of professional readers, and your own contacts.

Hopefully that makes sense to you – NetGalley is a service that gets review copies of books into the hands of serious readers.

It was during my (never-ending) self-publishing research that I first realized I could actually access this service. At first it seemed impossible – these types of services have traditionally catered to big publishers. The big publishers have lots of titles to promote. Review services charge a fairly substantial annual fee. It’s worth it for a publisher, promoting many titles. Not so much for a self-publisher with one, or two books.

Then I found out about these Co-ops that have sprung up to help individual authors use services like NetGalley. This is the one I used.

I paid for two months which was really affordable, and Kellie – my contact - sent me a really good questionnaire to fill out. I had to fill out a similar, but MUCH longer questionnaire for my traditional publisher when OIM came out and I liked filling this one out much better because a) it asked for stuff I had already had to figure out / prepare in the course of publishing APS, and b) I was sure all the information would be used.

Kellie then set up my NetGalley page for me – here it is – and we were good to go.

I still have quite a while left to run on my NetGalley term, but I’m already really happy with the results. APS has more reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, etc. in just a few weeks, than OIM does after a year. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; reviews are IMPORTANT. I believe reviews influence readers to take a chance on an author they haven’t previously known.

The NetGalley readers give good reviews. Good in terms of thoughtful, detailed, reasoned. I’ve really enjoyed reading them. It’s interesting to see the common themes, and the very individual things readers pick out. Mostly, it’s just nice to feel a close connection to my readers.

So, NetGalley:

(1) Will I use it again? YES

I thought I’d say more, but guess that’s all I really need to say! I’m satisfied with this as a promotional tool, and I love dealing with Kellie. If you’re self-publishing I vote that you try this.