Stephen Drivick's Blog, page 5
November 18, 2014
It is Complete!
The first draft, that is. :)
Sometimes We Ran 3: Rescue is born, complete with misspelled words, plot holes, clichés, and other goodies.:) Now, it will sit for a few weeks and rest on my hard drive as we go through the holidays. I'm not even going to look at it again until at least early next year!
Getting the words onto the screen was the beginning. Now comes the editing and the revising and the rewriting until it sounds right. Then it goes off for a final polishing by an editor to become a real book.
I'm still shooting for maybe a Feb. 2015 release. Stay tuned, zombie fans!
Sometimes We Ran 3: Rescue is born, complete with misspelled words, plot holes, clichés, and other goodies.:) Now, it will sit for a few weeks and rest on my hard drive as we go through the holidays. I'm not even going to look at it again until at least early next year!
Getting the words onto the screen was the beginning. Now comes the editing and the revising and the rewriting until it sounds right. Then it goes off for a final polishing by an editor to become a real book.
I'm still shooting for maybe a Feb. 2015 release. Stay tuned, zombie fans!
November 13, 2014
The Final Chapter
My current work in progress, Sometimes We Ran 3: Rescue hit it's first milestone last night. The first draft has reached the final chapter.
The final chapter. A time to sum it all up. A few words to bring everything together, and wrap up any loose ends. The action and drama are complete, and now it's time to put the story to bed. Endings can be hard to write.
As a reader, I like a satisfying ending. It doesn't have to be happy, but I just want to feel that the story was wrapped up, and neatly put away. Many times I've read novels where I turned off my Kindle and said, "Great book ...but the ending really sucked.
This is why I get terrified when I have to write a final chapter. I wrote and rewrote the endings for both Sometimes We Ran 1 and 2 until I was satisfied. Volume 2 saw no less than three partial rewrites until it looked right!
So, sometime this evening, Sometimes We Ran 3 will get it's final chapter. The first draft will be done ...finally! In a way, the last chapter is really just a beginning. When the last word is typed, Sometimes We Ran 3 has begun its journey to becoming an actual book.
That takes editing. Lots of editing.:)
The final chapter. A time to sum it all up. A few words to bring everything together, and wrap up any loose ends. The action and drama are complete, and now it's time to put the story to bed. Endings can be hard to write.
As a reader, I like a satisfying ending. It doesn't have to be happy, but I just want to feel that the story was wrapped up, and neatly put away. Many times I've read novels where I turned off my Kindle and said, "Great book ...but the ending really sucked.
This is why I get terrified when I have to write a final chapter. I wrote and rewrote the endings for both Sometimes We Ran 1 and 2 until I was satisfied. Volume 2 saw no less than three partial rewrites until it looked right!
So, sometime this evening, Sometimes We Ran 3 will get it's final chapter. The first draft will be done ...finally! In a way, the last chapter is really just a beginning. When the last word is typed, Sometimes We Ran 3 has begun its journey to becoming an actual book.
That takes editing. Lots of editing.:)
October 27, 2014
Sometimes We Ran - 250 Copies Sold.
Sometimes We Ran Vol 1 hit a milestone this week - 250 copies sold. The zombie apocalypse/post-apoc genre is pretty crowded, so I consider this a pretty good accomplishment. It's not a best seller (yet), but it's still pretty cool.
When I set out to write my little zombie story, I didn't know if it would sell anything at all. I'm so glad at least 250 readers have found my work, and read the words I put down. Still blows me away.:)
Thank you, zombie fans. See you at 300.
When I set out to write my little zombie story, I didn't know if it would sell anything at all. I'm so glad at least 250 readers have found my work, and read the words I put down. Still blows me away.:)
Thank you, zombie fans. See you at 300.
October 24, 2014
It's Time Again.
Based on the Christmas decorations now showing up in the stores, it must be time for Halloween.:)
It's also time for some zombie-based book sales. I'm running a Halloween Kindle Countdown deal with Sometimes We Ran. Only 99 cents for a limited time.
Here is your link zombie fans:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CZLEYZE
Thanks, and Happy Halloween (or maybe early Christmas).
It's also time for some zombie-based book sales. I'm running a Halloween Kindle Countdown deal with Sometimes We Ran. Only 99 cents for a limited time.
Here is your link zombie fans:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CZLEYZE
Thanks, and Happy Halloween (or maybe early Christmas).
October 14, 2014
All In
Well, I've gone and done it. Sometimes We Ran 2: Community is in Kindle Unlimited. Now you can read both books of my little zombie apocalypse saga for free with your membership!
Enough promotion - here's the link:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HUGWWQC
And just for the heck of it, here's the first one:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CZLEYZE
Enough promotion - here's the link:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HUGWWQC
And just for the heck of it, here's the first one:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CZLEYZE
September 21, 2014
Nice Day for a Cruise - 09/20/14
The weather in North Georgia turned downright nice, so it was time for a cruise.
I took my 182,000+ mile daily driven road warrior Firebird Formula in Pewter Metallic to the great city of Canton, GA. It's home to the Po Boys Car Club Cruise-In, located in the Riverstone mall off of Highway 5 North.
It's billed as one of the largest cuise-in's in the South, and does it deliver. At its height, it probably drew about 1000 car crazy owners and about twice as many spectators to the mall. Some nights, they had to park them in the aisles.
These days, 400-500 cars usually show up. It's a eclectic mix of 1950's showboats, hot rods, muscle cars, and other strange, automotive creations. One night, an old Greyhound bus showed up and took up about a row of spaces.
Everyone is very friendly, and the talk usually turns to cars we used to own, races that were run, cops that were eluded, and college football.
And the best part of all. After the night is over, I have a simple, 20 minute ride home on a pleasant Georgia night. No judging, no trophies, just a great cruise.
September 18, 2014
Then Again ... (Kindle Unlimited)
I know I said I wasn't going to do it, but I changed my mind.
I put Sometimes We Ran into KDP Select and the Kindle Unlimited program.
Other authors had stated that it did okay for their books, so I decided to give it a try. I'm not a big fan of going exclusive with Amazon, but it's only three months. If it doesn't work out, I can go back to the other bookstores.
JA Konrath (big time author dude) recently wrote a blog on what to do when your sales tank and you lose visibility. He had some great suggestions, including one saying "join KDP Select to shake things up."
So, I took his advice and "shook things up." Sometimes We Ran is now in Select and Kindle Unlimited, at least for the next three months.
Then we'll see what happens. :) Don't worry NOOK, Kobo, Apple, and DriveThruFiction, I might be back.
And, if you would like to read Sometimes We Ran for free and you're a Kindle Unlimited member, step over to this link:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CZLEYZE
Be sure to press the magic "Kindle Unlimited" button, and thanks.:)
I put Sometimes We Ran into KDP Select and the Kindle Unlimited program.
Other authors had stated that it did okay for their books, so I decided to give it a try. I'm not a big fan of going exclusive with Amazon, but it's only three months. If it doesn't work out, I can go back to the other bookstores.
JA Konrath (big time author dude) recently wrote a blog on what to do when your sales tank and you lose visibility. He had some great suggestions, including one saying "join KDP Select to shake things up."
So, I took his advice and "shook things up." Sometimes We Ran is now in Select and Kindle Unlimited, at least for the next three months.
Then we'll see what happens. :) Don't worry NOOK, Kobo, Apple, and DriveThruFiction, I might be back.
And, if you would like to read Sometimes We Ran for free and you're a Kindle Unlimited member, step over to this link:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CZLEYZE
Be sure to press the magic "Kindle Unlimited" button, and thanks.:)
September 2, 2014
Sometimes We Ran - 60 copies sold.
Another milestone for Sometimes We Ran 2: Community - 60 copies sold as of today. Thank you, zombie fans!
Speaking of fans, SWR 2 got a five-star review the other day on Amazon. It simply said, "This book is awesome." I'll take it! :)
In other news, my short story bugs just came off Select. It's now available in the NOOK, Kobo, Apple, DriveThruFiction, Scribd, and Inktera bookstores as well as Kindle. In case you can't tell by the title, it's about giant, man-eating bugs destroying civilization. Just the ticket for a light, breezy, summer read.:)
Also, I made a decision about Kindle Unlimited ...I think. I'm going to stay out, and remain in the other bookstores. I'm sure the program is good, but I think I want to make my work available to all zombie fans across the ereader universe.
Then again, I might change my mind. You never know. :)
Speaking of fans, SWR 2 got a five-star review the other day on Amazon. It simply said, "This book is awesome." I'll take it! :)
In other news, my short story bugs just came off Select. It's now available in the NOOK, Kobo, Apple, DriveThruFiction, Scribd, and Inktera bookstores as well as Kindle. In case you can't tell by the title, it's about giant, man-eating bugs destroying civilization. Just the ticket for a light, breezy, summer read.:)
Also, I made a decision about Kindle Unlimited ...I think. I'm going to stay out, and remain in the other bookstores. I'm sure the program is good, but I think I want to make my work available to all zombie fans across the ereader universe.
Then again, I might change my mind. You never know. :)
August 28, 2014
Dang It, Amazon - Musings on Kindle Unlimited
Amazon has made another move.
First, it was an e reader that changed how we read (and purchase) books. Then they came out with the Kindle Fire, a tablet that made Apple sweat a little. Just this year, they added a device to stream data to television, and a actual smart phone!
No way around it, Amazon is trying to rule the world. I, for one, welcome our new overlords from Seattle. :)
A few years ago, they added Kindle Direct Publishing and turned the book business upside down. It's hard to grasp the power this gave to potential authors ...like yours truly, for instance. Now anyone could type a few words, make it into a book, and publish for the world to see and critique. People will pay to read your work. The publishing world hasn't been the same since.
Then, they went one better. Amazon created the Select program and let Prime members borrow your book for free. You still get paid though, because Amazon will give you a portion of a pool of money that they put up in the program. Many authors became Kindle millionaires almost overnight.
Now they've done it again, and it's sending the same shock waves across the interwebs.
Amazon has a new program called Kindle Unlimited. You pay a small monthly fee, and you can check out a lot of books to read. The authors who enroll in the program get a portion of money put up by Amazon. It's similar to Scribd and Oyster, but Amazon is putting its sizable muscle to good use boosting the program. This new program has stirred up so much emotion, #KindleUnlimited trended on Twitter for a short time.
Sounds good, but there's a catch. Authors must be exclusive to Amazon. That means no listings for NOOK, Kobo, Apple, DriveThruFiction, etc. And if you think you can sneak it by the mighty 'Zon, you can't. They'll find out, and send you a friendly email.
So, how do I feel about the program? Like anything Amazon does, it's not going into this half-ass. They are putting their considerable monetary and marketing muscle it, and they're really trying hard to woo authors. I have no doubt Kindle Unlimited is going to be a rousing success ...for authors and readers.
I've done okay with Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing. Eighty percent of my book sales come from the Kindle bookstore. CreateSpace, Amazon's paperback division, is also good for 3 or 4 sales a month as well. And I can't lie, sales are a little slow in the other bookstores. It would be nice to simplify, concentrate efforts on one bookstore, and get a little more exposure.
Will Sometimes We Ran go into Kindle Unlimited? Still trying to decide. I'm not a big fan of exclusivity. I hate to think of someone in the NOOK, Kobo, or Apple world not being able to read my work if they want. Many authors have told me that if a fan wants to read your book, they find a way.
A little exposure might be good, and my non-Amazon sales are flat anyway. The whole thing about selling books is that readers have to see you among all the books out there in the world. Amazon does a good job with programs that get people reading your book. The more you are seen, the more copies you might sell, then you get a higher ranking, and it goes on from there. Write a good story, (I think I did that part right) and you could become a Kindle bestseller.
Very tempting.
It might be worth a try. Maybe I'll just put the first book in and see what happens. If it goes well, the second book can join the first. It's a three month commitment, so it takes a while to see if it works or not. If neither book catches fire, I can republish on the other platforms. So, I might give it a try next month.
Or maybe I'll change my mind again. Or maybe Amazon will take over the Earth, and the decision will be made for me.:)
First, it was an e reader that changed how we read (and purchase) books. Then they came out with the Kindle Fire, a tablet that made Apple sweat a little. Just this year, they added a device to stream data to television, and a actual smart phone!
No way around it, Amazon is trying to rule the world. I, for one, welcome our new overlords from Seattle. :)
A few years ago, they added Kindle Direct Publishing and turned the book business upside down. It's hard to grasp the power this gave to potential authors ...like yours truly, for instance. Now anyone could type a few words, make it into a book, and publish for the world to see and critique. People will pay to read your work. The publishing world hasn't been the same since.
Then, they went one better. Amazon created the Select program and let Prime members borrow your book for free. You still get paid though, because Amazon will give you a portion of a pool of money that they put up in the program. Many authors became Kindle millionaires almost overnight.
Now they've done it again, and it's sending the same shock waves across the interwebs.
Amazon has a new program called Kindle Unlimited. You pay a small monthly fee, and you can check out a lot of books to read. The authors who enroll in the program get a portion of money put up by Amazon. It's similar to Scribd and Oyster, but Amazon is putting its sizable muscle to good use boosting the program. This new program has stirred up so much emotion, #KindleUnlimited trended on Twitter for a short time.
Sounds good, but there's a catch. Authors must be exclusive to Amazon. That means no listings for NOOK, Kobo, Apple, DriveThruFiction, etc. And if you think you can sneak it by the mighty 'Zon, you can't. They'll find out, and send you a friendly email.
So, how do I feel about the program? Like anything Amazon does, it's not going into this half-ass. They are putting their considerable monetary and marketing muscle it, and they're really trying hard to woo authors. I have no doubt Kindle Unlimited is going to be a rousing success ...for authors and readers.
I've done okay with Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing. Eighty percent of my book sales come from the Kindle bookstore. CreateSpace, Amazon's paperback division, is also good for 3 or 4 sales a month as well. And I can't lie, sales are a little slow in the other bookstores. It would be nice to simplify, concentrate efforts on one bookstore, and get a little more exposure.
Will Sometimes We Ran go into Kindle Unlimited? Still trying to decide. I'm not a big fan of exclusivity. I hate to think of someone in the NOOK, Kobo, or Apple world not being able to read my work if they want. Many authors have told me that if a fan wants to read your book, they find a way.
A little exposure might be good, and my non-Amazon sales are flat anyway. The whole thing about selling books is that readers have to see you among all the books out there in the world. Amazon does a good job with programs that get people reading your book. The more you are seen, the more copies you might sell, then you get a higher ranking, and it goes on from there. Write a good story, (I think I did that part right) and you could become a Kindle bestseller.
Very tempting.
It might be worth a try. Maybe I'll just put the first book in and see what happens. If it goes well, the second book can join the first. It's a three month commitment, so it takes a while to see if it works or not. If neither book catches fire, I can republish on the other platforms. So, I might give it a try next month.
Or maybe I'll change my mind again. Or maybe Amazon will take over the Earth, and the decision will be made for me.:)
August 11, 2014
We Have a Cover - Sometimes We Ran 3
We have a cover for Sometimes We Ran 3: Rescue, and it's a doozy. The initial concept was drawn up by an outfit called Damonza.com. After a few tweaks suggested by me, she emailed me the finals and I was impressed!
Now I'm only showing you half the cover (what a tease, huh?), but at least it's the good half.:)
Can't wait to see this cover on Amazon and the other sites. Sometimes We Ran 3: Rescue - coming to an ebook store near you soon.
