Scott Nicholson's Blog, page 22
July 11, 2011
Ebook subscription models
Angry Robot, a UK sci-fi press, is doing what Big Six publishers should have done five years ago. It's launched a discounted subscription model for ebooks. Over 12 months, you get 24 books at a savings of more than a dollar per title. That's not knocking it out of the park, but it's a bargain for loyal customers, and Angry Robot also provides an out in case people want to cancel (customers pay full price for any book they downloaded up to the point of cancellation). It not only seems workable, it is smart business and I expect it to proliferate.In fact, last year I predicted Amazon would be going to a subscription option for Kindle books, mirroring its Prime program for movie downloads. The kicker will be how many downloads you get--if it's only one book at a time, it will be like a Netflix model, where maybe you check out one premium book while other, less-popular titles are freely available at any time. No word yet on how authors get paid under the discounted model, but I'd assume their percentage would be the same (with the publisher making the case that they will sell more books at the lower prices). I'll be digging more into this in my next Indie Reader column.
###
July 10, 2011
Listening to The Red Church
Currently proofing the audio files for The Red Church, which will be released through SpringBrookAudio as soon as I finish the proof. SpringBrookAudio has an interesting co-op model in which the author subsidizes some of the cost of the talent and then shares royalties on an escalating. The book is read by Aaron Tucker, who I hope will read more of my books.
Under the SpringBrook model, there are four tiers--the more you pay upfront for the voice talent, the higher your royalty rate and the faster your payback period, assuming you connect with the audience. SpringBrook distributes the book through various sites like audible.com, and rights eventually return to the author. So it's a half-indie, progressive model in which the author has a lot of choice but also some investment.
It's odd to hear your own book being read, especially when the reading has dramatic quality. At times I forget I wrote it and get caught up in the story, and feel the movement instead of just intellectually analyzing it. The truth is, I often forget books after I write them and get startled when someone points out a line or phrase. I go "Huh, did I write that? Well, it's pretty cool. And it sort of sounds like something I would write."
Now time to write more. I am getting more interested in writing the third book in the series, ARCHER McFALL, which I have been thinking about for a year or so. Just a few chapters to go on the CHRONIC FEAR sequel before I decide what to write next.
###
Under the SpringBrook model, there are four tiers--the more you pay upfront for the voice talent, the higher your royalty rate and the faster your payback period, assuming you connect with the audience. SpringBrook distributes the book through various sites like audible.com, and rights eventually return to the author. So it's a half-indie, progressive model in which the author has a lot of choice but also some investment.
It's odd to hear your own book being read, especially when the reading has dramatic quality. At times I forget I wrote it and get caught up in the story, and feel the movement instead of just intellectually analyzing it. The truth is, I often forget books after I write them and get startled when someone points out a line or phrase. I go "Huh, did I write that? Well, it's pretty cool. And it sort of sounds like something I would write."
Now time to write more. I am getting more interested in writing the third book in the series, ARCHER McFALL, which I have been thinking about for a year or so. Just a few chapters to go on the CHRONIC FEAR sequel before I decide what to write next.
###
July 8, 2011
The Old Fart Writing Convention
It's been fascinating to watch the uneasy boundaries shift and sway on every frontier of the Ebook Revolution. The uninformed opinions, the narrow-minded perceptions inflated to universal wishes, the selective experiences designed to affirm a certain outcome of what the future will look like...
No, this isn't a publishing industry rant. At this point, the industry deserves sympathy, not vitriol.
I am talking about the "experienced" writers who formerly used their platform to warn against all the perils of traditional publishing and have suddenly become self-publishing experts. You know, the ones who used to sit on the Old Fart Writing Convention panel and stay stupid stuff like "The money always flows toward the writer" while they themselves gave 85 percent to a publisher and an additional 15 percent to an agent. That's like having your mouth at the bottom crack at the far end of the trough, even though it was the only meal in town.
Those writers were among the first to frown at self-publishing. Indeed, another Old Fart panel staple was "Never self-publish." Then, when self-published writers were kicking their asses in sales, and the Kindle catapulted unknown writers over those who had been laboring on contract work for decades, they blinked and looked around, wondering why nobody was sitting before the Old Fart panel anymore.
The reason was because everyone was across the hall in the "How to Self-Publish" panel. The Old Farts, seeing their panel had been abandoned, went to the doorway to peek in. No, they couldn't enter, because this was turf they didn't rule. Entering would be admitting they were out of date and their time maybe had passed. Worse, that their advice was not only worthless, it was actually harmful.
With time, the Old Farts went in and sat in the back room of Self-Publishing, and soon worked their way up to the front seats. By making comparative judgments based on their "experience" ("Blah blah self-publishing should work like THIS because THIS is how publishing used to work. You need to go from A to B to C."), soon the Old Farts were back on the panel. After so many decades, it was assumed they had knowledge. However, it was like Copernicus trying to explain Hawking's theories, something based on an entirely different set of rules that were still inventing themselves.
Unfortunately for anyone who takes Old Fart advice, publishing books hasn't gone from A to B to C. It jumped to D-and-a-half. The writers who had no traditional publishing experience started at D and moved ahead of all the "experienced" writers. The Old Farts are still hanging on to B because it more closely links them to A, an era where A mattered and they mattered. The writers at D-and-a-half don't have any use for A advice, and the newer D writers who listen to A advice tend to move back to B or C.
Heck, I'm kind of an Old Fart myself at this point, even though I'm not enough of one to star on an Old Fart Writing Convention panel. And I am probably wrong about what's going to happen with ebooks and writers. But I'm equally sure the other Old Farts are probably wrong. If it comes down to it, I'm going to trust my D experience and tune out A, B, and C.
I guess the only advice this Old Fart has to offer today is to not listen to Old Farts. Let them serve you drinks in the hospitality suite, nod at their war stories, and then go to back to your room and create E, F, and G.
###
No, this isn't a publishing industry rant. At this point, the industry deserves sympathy, not vitriol.
I am talking about the "experienced" writers who formerly used their platform to warn against all the perils of traditional publishing and have suddenly become self-publishing experts. You know, the ones who used to sit on the Old Fart Writing Convention panel and stay stupid stuff like "The money always flows toward the writer" while they themselves gave 85 percent to a publisher and an additional 15 percent to an agent. That's like having your mouth at the bottom crack at the far end of the trough, even though it was the only meal in town.
Those writers were among the first to frown at self-publishing. Indeed, another Old Fart panel staple was "Never self-publish." Then, when self-published writers were kicking their asses in sales, and the Kindle catapulted unknown writers over those who had been laboring on contract work for decades, they blinked and looked around, wondering why nobody was sitting before the Old Fart panel anymore.
The reason was because everyone was across the hall in the "How to Self-Publish" panel. The Old Farts, seeing their panel had been abandoned, went to the doorway to peek in. No, they couldn't enter, because this was turf they didn't rule. Entering would be admitting they were out of date and their time maybe had passed. Worse, that their advice was not only worthless, it was actually harmful.
With time, the Old Farts went in and sat in the back room of Self-Publishing, and soon worked their way up to the front seats. By making comparative judgments based on their "experience" ("Blah blah self-publishing should work like THIS because THIS is how publishing used to work. You need to go from A to B to C."), soon the Old Farts were back on the panel. After so many decades, it was assumed they had knowledge. However, it was like Copernicus trying to explain Hawking's theories, something based on an entirely different set of rules that were still inventing themselves.
Unfortunately for anyone who takes Old Fart advice, publishing books hasn't gone from A to B to C. It jumped to D-and-a-half. The writers who had no traditional publishing experience started at D and moved ahead of all the "experienced" writers. The Old Farts are still hanging on to B because it more closely links them to A, an era where A mattered and they mattered. The writers at D-and-a-half don't have any use for A advice, and the newer D writers who listen to A advice tend to move back to B or C.
Heck, I'm kind of an Old Fart myself at this point, even though I'm not enough of one to star on an Old Fart Writing Convention panel. And I am probably wrong about what's going to happen with ebooks and writers. But I'm equally sure the other Old Farts are probably wrong. If it comes down to it, I'm going to trust my D experience and tune out A, B, and C.
I guess the only advice this Old Fart has to offer today is to not listen to Old Farts. Let them serve you drinks in the hospitality suite, nod at their war stories, and then go to back to your room and create E, F, and G.
###
July 7, 2011
Cross-web linky
Here are some other cool places I've been recently:
Interview at author Gary Ponzo's blog
http://www.strongscenecontest.com/2011/06/guest-post-from-author-scott-nicholson.html
Guest at Allan Guthrie's Criminal-E blog
http://criminal-e.blogspot.com/2011/07/scott-nicholson-interview-liquid-fear.html
The Slowest Bookworm reviews Transparent Lovers
http://www.theslowestbookworm.com/2011/07/book-review-transparent-lovers-by-scott.html
Eerie Digest: arts and entertainment magazine interview
http://www.eeriedigest.com/wordpress/2011/07/interview-with-author-scott-nicholson/
And of course you're invited to the Summer Book Club on Facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/summerbookclub
###
Interview at author Gary Ponzo's blog
http://www.strongscenecontest.com/2011/06/guest-post-from-author-scott-nicholson.html
Guest at Allan Guthrie's Criminal-E blog
http://criminal-e.blogspot.com/2011/07/scott-nicholson-interview-liquid-fear.html
The Slowest Bookworm reviews Transparent Lovers
http://www.theslowestbookworm.com/2011/07/book-review-transparent-lovers-by-scott.html
Eerie Digest: arts and entertainment magazine interview
http://www.eeriedigest.com/wordpress/2011/07/interview-with-author-scott-nicholson/
And of course you're invited to the Summer Book Club on Facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/summerbookclub
###
July 6, 2011
Cheryl Shireman: Summer Book Club
Cheryl's one of the dynamos behind the Summer Book Club, in which nine bestselling writers are selling and giving away a book (free at Smashwords) to raise awareness of the Joplin MO Library Relief Fund.
I BURNED MY BRA FOR THIS? ONE WOMAN'S FANTASY
I'm a Baby Boomer. Which means that I remember bell-bottoms, Happy Days, and having only three channels on the television. I played Donny Osmond albums on a record player. My parents watched Gunsmoke, and on Sunday nights we all watched The Wonderful World of Disney. In the living room. Together. On the only television we owned. Imagine that! I remember the first time I saw Bonanza in color. I remember the first time I heard about remote controls for televisions. The whole idea seemed ridiculous. With three channels, really, how often would it be needed? I remember the Watergate hearings playing on the television when I came home from school.
I also remember watching feminists (does anyone use that word anymore?) burn their bras and march for equal rights. I grew up believing that a woman deserves equal pay for equal work and that a woman is not defined by the man she marries or by the children she gives birth to. In fact, we were told that both men and children were optional. The idea seemed revolutionary at the time. It still does. Women were mad as hell and they weren't taking it anymore. We called it Women's Liberation, and though it was never said, it was certainly implied (and believed in most circles) that a woman who did not work was a bit inferior to a career woman.
That was when such women were called housewives and not "stay at home" moms. Women were divided into two groups – those who worked and those who didn't. Back then, no one thought that staying home and taking care of a family and home was work. The women of my generation wanted more, demanded more, and believed we were entitled to just that – more. We sometimes looked at our own mothers, most of whom did not have real jobs, as women who simply did not understand that there was more to life than being a mother. If truth be told, we thought they were a bit simple-minded and we secretly vowed to do more with our lives.
And yet…as this Baby Boomer looks at her life, I realize nothing I have ever done, or will ever do, is as important as being a mother. Not career, volunteer work, graduate school, or any creative pursuit. Nothing else even comes close to being a mother. Period.
One of my children lives half an hour away, another is one state away, and the third is on the other side of the world in Denmark. Yesterday, my husband and I spent the entire day with our two-year-old granddaughter. She then spent the night. As I write this, I hear her gentle breathing in the baby monitor positioned atop the table close to where I sit.
To say that my children, and now my granddaughter, have filled my life with love and joy is an understatement. As children, they expanded my heart in ways I could never have imagined. For the first time in my life, I not only understood, but received unconditional love. As adults, they are three people that I know I can always count on. They will always be there for me. Just as I will always be there for them. Can you say the same about your career?
There used to be a tv show called Fantasy Island. People visited the island and lived out their fantasies – no matter how wild (okay, not that wild – this was primetime family tv in the seventies). Not too long ago, my husband and I had a discussion about that old tv show and asked each other – What would your fantasy be? Mine was easy. If I could have a Fantasy Island day, I would relive one day with my children. My son would be 10, which would make my daughters 4 and 2. We would spend the day doing whatever they wanted. Going to the park, going to the movies, playing games, baking cookies, or just sitting on the floor playing with Legos and Barbies. I would hug them a lot. And kiss the tops of their heads. And take tons of pictures. I wouldn't cook. I wouldn't clean. And I wouldn't worry about my career.
I would watch my son show his younger sisters how to do things, like he always did in his older brother sort of way. I would watch my 2 year-old daughter follow her older 4 year-old sister around the room, shadowing her every move. Just as she did, even through their college years when they shared an apartment near Indiana University. I would watch the older sister taking care of her younger sister, as if she were her baby. Which is what she called her when she was born – my baby.
Bedtime would be later than usual on that fantasy night. I would tuck them into their beds, fresh from baths and smelling of shampoo. The girls smelling like baby lotion. My son would hug me goodnight with his long skinny arms and tell me he loves me. And I would feel the truth in that. I would tuck in my girls and tell them it is time to go to sleep. I would take extra care in covering the older girl's feet, because she always kicked her blankets off during the night. I would kiss the baby and hold her a little longer, because I would know that, as I type this she is in Denmark which makes visiting tough.
And, as I walk down the hall and turn out the lights, I would call out to all of them, as I always did… "Goodnight. Love you. Sweet dreams. See you in the morning."
And that would be my fantasy day. Oddly enough, it has nothing to do with my career as a writer. Even though being a writer has always been my dream. My first novel, Life is But a Dream, was published earlier this year. The main character, Grace Adams, is a woman facing an empty nest and the possible demise of her marriage. Grace withdraws to a secluded lake cabin to redefine her life and try to find a reason to continue living. While at the lake, Grace not only finds renewed purpose and hope, but when things take a turn for the worse at the lake, she finds a strength she never knew she possessed. The novel is thought-provoking, sometimes frightening, and often funny (just like life). It is also, very definitely, fiction.
Even though my "nest" is empty, I am enjoying this time and this new focus on my career. I am not suicidal or lacking in purpose. My husband and I both work from home (he designs websites), we live on a lake, and our schedule is our own. It is truly a wonderful time in our lives. Sometimes I have popcorn for dinner. Enough said.
But, would my current life be as wonderful if I had not pursued career and graduate school and developed the skills I am using now? Probably not. I managed to combine work and school and motherhood. I believed I could have it all, and do it all, but to be honest – the kids always came first. And being a mother is the strongest and best part of my identity. It is the thing I am most proud of. My greatest achievement. And, once in a while, I miss those days when toys where scattered across the floor, the washer was always running, and we bought eight gallons of milk a week.
If you have children at home, cherish those simple every-day moments with them. They really will be gone in the blink of an eye – sooner than you can possibly imagine. Get off of your computer. Now. Go sit on the floor and play a game. Pop some popcorn, put on one of their favorite movies, and cuddle up on the couch. Live that "fantasy" right now. You will never be able to recapture these moments again. Enjoy them now. There is no greater gift than the love of your children. Spend the rest of your day letting it pour over you. And pour your love right back over them.
As I type this, I can hear my granddaughter waking up. I am shutting my computer off, too. Right now, I am going to go upstairs and scoop her up from her crib. She will probably wrap her little arms around my neck and ask, "Play blocks, Bomb Bomb?"
And we will play blocks.###
Cheryl Shireman is the author of Life is But a Dream which can be purchased as an ebook for 99 cents at Amazon US Amazon UK Barnes&Noble or as a paperback for 11.99 at the Amazon locations. Learn more about Cheryl
She will be doing a live Facebook chat on Saturday July 9th at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time at http://www.facebook.com/summerbookclub Please join us with your questions for Cheryl!
(thanks for stopping by, Cheryl!)
I BURNED MY BRA FOR THIS? ONE WOMAN'S FANTASY
I'm a Baby Boomer. Which means that I remember bell-bottoms, Happy Days, and having only three channels on the television. I played Donny Osmond albums on a record player. My parents watched Gunsmoke, and on Sunday nights we all watched The Wonderful World of Disney. In the living room. Together. On the only television we owned. Imagine that! I remember the first time I saw Bonanza in color. I remember the first time I heard about remote controls for televisions. The whole idea seemed ridiculous. With three channels, really, how often would it be needed? I remember the Watergate hearings playing on the television when I came home from school. I also remember watching feminists (does anyone use that word anymore?) burn their bras and march for equal rights. I grew up believing that a woman deserves equal pay for equal work and that a woman is not defined by the man she marries or by the children she gives birth to. In fact, we were told that both men and children were optional. The idea seemed revolutionary at the time. It still does. Women were mad as hell and they weren't taking it anymore. We called it Women's Liberation, and though it was never said, it was certainly implied (and believed in most circles) that a woman who did not work was a bit inferior to a career woman.
That was when such women were called housewives and not "stay at home" moms. Women were divided into two groups – those who worked and those who didn't. Back then, no one thought that staying home and taking care of a family and home was work. The women of my generation wanted more, demanded more, and believed we were entitled to just that – more. We sometimes looked at our own mothers, most of whom did not have real jobs, as women who simply did not understand that there was more to life than being a mother. If truth be told, we thought they were a bit simple-minded and we secretly vowed to do more with our lives.
And yet…as this Baby Boomer looks at her life, I realize nothing I have ever done, or will ever do, is as important as being a mother. Not career, volunteer work, graduate school, or any creative pursuit. Nothing else even comes close to being a mother. Period.
One of my children lives half an hour away, another is one state away, and the third is on the other side of the world in Denmark. Yesterday, my husband and I spent the entire day with our two-year-old granddaughter. She then spent the night. As I write this, I hear her gentle breathing in the baby monitor positioned atop the table close to where I sit.
To say that my children, and now my granddaughter, have filled my life with love and joy is an understatement. As children, they expanded my heart in ways I could never have imagined. For the first time in my life, I not only understood, but received unconditional love. As adults, they are three people that I know I can always count on. They will always be there for me. Just as I will always be there for them. Can you say the same about your career?
There used to be a tv show called Fantasy Island. People visited the island and lived out their fantasies – no matter how wild (okay, not that wild – this was primetime family tv in the seventies). Not too long ago, my husband and I had a discussion about that old tv show and asked each other – What would your fantasy be? Mine was easy. If I could have a Fantasy Island day, I would relive one day with my children. My son would be 10, which would make my daughters 4 and 2. We would spend the day doing whatever they wanted. Going to the park, going to the movies, playing games, baking cookies, or just sitting on the floor playing with Legos and Barbies. I would hug them a lot. And kiss the tops of their heads. And take tons of pictures. I wouldn't cook. I wouldn't clean. And I wouldn't worry about my career.I would watch my son show his younger sisters how to do things, like he always did in his older brother sort of way. I would watch my 2 year-old daughter follow her older 4 year-old sister around the room, shadowing her every move. Just as she did, even through their college years when they shared an apartment near Indiana University. I would watch the older sister taking care of her younger sister, as if she were her baby. Which is what she called her when she was born – my baby.
Bedtime would be later than usual on that fantasy night. I would tuck them into their beds, fresh from baths and smelling of shampoo. The girls smelling like baby lotion. My son would hug me goodnight with his long skinny arms and tell me he loves me. And I would feel the truth in that. I would tuck in my girls and tell them it is time to go to sleep. I would take extra care in covering the older girl's feet, because she always kicked her blankets off during the night. I would kiss the baby and hold her a little longer, because I would know that, as I type this she is in Denmark which makes visiting tough.
And, as I walk down the hall and turn out the lights, I would call out to all of them, as I always did… "Goodnight. Love you. Sweet dreams. See you in the morning."
And that would be my fantasy day. Oddly enough, it has nothing to do with my career as a writer. Even though being a writer has always been my dream. My first novel, Life is But a Dream, was published earlier this year. The main character, Grace Adams, is a woman facing an empty nest and the possible demise of her marriage. Grace withdraws to a secluded lake cabin to redefine her life and try to find a reason to continue living. While at the lake, Grace not only finds renewed purpose and hope, but when things take a turn for the worse at the lake, she finds a strength she never knew she possessed. The novel is thought-provoking, sometimes frightening, and often funny (just like life). It is also, very definitely, fiction.
Even though my "nest" is empty, I am enjoying this time and this new focus on my career. I am not suicidal or lacking in purpose. My husband and I both work from home (he designs websites), we live on a lake, and our schedule is our own. It is truly a wonderful time in our lives. Sometimes I have popcorn for dinner. Enough said.
But, would my current life be as wonderful if I had not pursued career and graduate school and developed the skills I am using now? Probably not. I managed to combine work and school and motherhood. I believed I could have it all, and do it all, but to be honest – the kids always came first. And being a mother is the strongest and best part of my identity. It is the thing I am most proud of. My greatest achievement. And, once in a while, I miss those days when toys where scattered across the floor, the washer was always running, and we bought eight gallons of milk a week.
If you have children at home, cherish those simple every-day moments with them. They really will be gone in the blink of an eye – sooner than you can possibly imagine. Get off of your computer. Now. Go sit on the floor and play a game. Pop some popcorn, put on one of their favorite movies, and cuddle up on the couch. Live that "fantasy" right now. You will never be able to recapture these moments again. Enjoy them now. There is no greater gift than the love of your children. Spend the rest of your day letting it pour over you. And pour your love right back over them.
As I type this, I can hear my granddaughter waking up. I am shutting my computer off, too. Right now, I am going to go upstairs and scoop her up from her crib. She will probably wrap her little arms around my neck and ask, "Play blocks, Bomb Bomb?"
And we will play blocks.###
Cheryl Shireman is the author of Life is But a Dream which can be purchased as an ebook for 99 cents at Amazon US Amazon UK Barnes&Noble or as a paperback for 11.99 at the Amazon locations. Learn more about Cheryl
She will be doing a live Facebook chat on Saturday July 9th at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time at http://www.facebook.com/summerbookclub Please join us with your questions for Cheryl!
(thanks for stopping by, Cheryl!)
July 5, 2011
Tuesday round-up
I'm gearing up for a super dooper giveaway/promo event in September and I'm looking for a core handful of supporter/promoters to spread the word about my books and earn lots of gift cards and good old American cash. I'm still formulating the details but if you're eager and willing, then the more you promote, the more you earn. Details to come, but a good first step is to sign up for my monthly newsletter: scottsinnercircle-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
In other news:
I posted on "Author Empires" and J.K. Rowling's massive self-publishing venture at Indie Reader: http://indiereader.com/2011/07/author-empires/
I've signed to do short stories in Z: Zombie Stories for Nightshade Books and Unnatural Disasters edited by D.J. Pyle. I think I have a couple of other stories coming, and book news dead ahead, some of it having to do with Chronic Fear (which was originally going to be released June 21).
###
In other news:
I posted on "Author Empires" and J.K. Rowling's massive self-publishing venture at Indie Reader: http://indiereader.com/2011/07/author-empires/
I've signed to do short stories in Z: Zombie Stories for Nightshade Books and Unnatural Disasters edited by D.J. Pyle. I think I have a couple of other stories coming, and book news dead ahead, some of it having to do with Chronic Fear (which was originally going to be released June 21).
###
July 2, 2011
Self-Publishing Agents: Unnecessary Evils
Two prominent names in self-publishing (Barry Eisler and J.A. Konrath) are making the case that agents have a desirable role as facilitators for authors who choose to self-publish. Barry makes a rational argument at Joe's blog, and Joe himself is trying it with his existing agent. The basic premise is the agent handles the cover, the formatting, and the uploading and derives a 15 percent commission (the same commission the agent would make selling a book to a U.S. publisher). Joe calls them "estributors" but they are not distributing the book to readers, they are distributing them to distributors, which puts them more in a wholesale role, except of course they aren't selling anything.
I respect their experience (Barry is married to an agent, and he'd probably BE a good agent if he so chose), and Joe is probably the most educated self-pubber on the planet, but I just don't see why agents should be considered ideal candidates for this task. What is an agent's current job and experience? To assess a manuscript and find a market.
In self-publishing, they do neither. Their assessment skills have zero value in self-publishing. Right now they assess with one measure: can I sell this to one of the few dozen editors in New York? Self-publishing requires no assessment, unless the agent says, "Whoa, this is crap, you can't publish this!" And who is going to lose their 15 percent to be that blunt? The agent's second role and experience is also rendered useless. The market is already there, and it's the millions of readers owning electronic devices or ordering print-on-demand books.
Presumably they aren't editing the manuscript (which is a different skill that an agent may or may not be qualified for), but it's certainly not a task the facilitator is handling. Let's assume the facilitator knows cover artists. You still have to describe the book, send suggestions, approve the cover file, and basically DO EVERYTHING you would have done on your own except make the first contact (find your own designer) and the last (upload the final file). And you're paying for it, I assume, unless the facilitator is footing some risk and cost.
Okay, the agent can format your file, or have that service arranged. Ted Risk at Dellaster Design will do a very clean epub and mobi for $89. A one-time fee with a fast turnaround time. The "facilitated" author still has to email the MS Word file to the agent/self-pub facilitator, who then sends it to a formatter or has one in-house. The author has merely saved two steps: (1) receiving the formatted file back from the formatting service and (2) uploading it to the markets.
Even if the agent/self-pub facilitator is writing the product description, that won't be written in a vacuum. The author will still have to outline it, proof it, and suggest keywords, because even IF the agent reads the book, the agent will never understand it as well as the author (this is actually true of the cover design, too). Time saved: not much. It actually sounds like more work to me.
Employing someone in this role means giving up 15 percent for the entire life of copyright, for a book remaining on sale forever, for a job not only saving the author hardly any time at all, but possibly even CREATING MORE WORK FOR THE AUTHOR!
Yes, now you have an employee/partner to manage, and account for, and play email and phone tag with, and the money that could flow straight to your bank account every month will now be held by someone else who MAY, if you're lucky, dispense it quarterly, removing their share first. In my experience in the publishing world, the biggest risk in the entire venture is letting ANYONE handle your money when you don't have to. Too many things can wrong. I am not saying fraud is likely, but imagine how hard it would be to audit Amazon if you thought your sales figures weren't adding up. And then imagine how hard it would be to audit an Agent/ Self-Pub Facilitator when sales figures don't add up from multiple revenue streams.
No, I am not suggesting all agents are shady and that 15 percent may magically expand to 50 percent under the table. But what would you do if it did? How are you going to audit six or 10 different distributor payments every month or three? Personally, I'd rather have my money shoot straight into my bank account. And in three years, when all the agent does is trim 15 percent before sending the rest on its way, and is not adding any new value at all, an author may just get a little bit resentful, even if everyone kept their word.
(Okay, I forgot the third role and experience of an agent: handling your money. Don't forget, agents are have no certification, degree, membership association, regulatory oversight, or even uniform code of ethics. Most are self-selecting English grads who moved to New York and hung out a shingle. There aren't a lot of accountants and MBAs on the agency rosters. But you're willing to give them your money just because they once were necessary evils?)
Okay, that being said, IF I thought such a service was valuable (and I clearly don't because my overhead on Liquid Fear was exactly $6 and a few hours of time, and it's earned me more than any book I've ever written, including ones that had dozens of fingerprints on them, and I get paid regularly, and heck, sounds like I'd be a better estributor than almost every agent on the planet, except I don't want to handle your money), I would prefer to have an experienced and downsized New York editor handle the task.
While an agent has never picked out a book cover, editors have. While an agent has never handled promotion, editors have. While an agent has never assessed a manuscript's value in the true marketplace of readers, editors have. While an agent has rarely handled layout or formatting, most editors are at least aware of the process, if not having hands-on experience. Agents handle the very front end of a book, an abstract idea with no intrinsic value. Editors are solidly on both edges of the middle of book production.
But the real question is, why would you assume anyone with experience in traditional publishing knows ANYTHING about what is happening right now? Indeed, it's the outliers who seem to be the most successful, not those who are most closely imitating the old model. I am not relishing the fact that a once-respected profession may soon be on the ropes, but I don't need my blood on the canvas to keep agents in the ring.
There's a great Harlan Ellison line in his story Mephisto in Onyx: "Don't confuse a thousand years of experience with the same year of experience a thousand times." If you want to be the monkey, you'll climb higher if you don't have a gang of carnivorous dinosaurs sinking their teeth into your back.
###
If you want more of this type of insight imbued with passion and scars and joy, why not try The Indie Journey: Secrets to Writing Success, on sale in July for $2.99 at
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/58806
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Indie-Journey-.../dp/B0050I5TXA
BN.com: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/indie-journey-scott-nicholson/1101046538
###
I respect their experience (Barry is married to an agent, and he'd probably BE a good agent if he so chose), and Joe is probably the most educated self-pubber on the planet, but I just don't see why agents should be considered ideal candidates for this task. What is an agent's current job and experience? To assess a manuscript and find a market.
In self-publishing, they do neither. Their assessment skills have zero value in self-publishing. Right now they assess with one measure: can I sell this to one of the few dozen editors in New York? Self-publishing requires no assessment, unless the agent says, "Whoa, this is crap, you can't publish this!" And who is going to lose their 15 percent to be that blunt? The agent's second role and experience is also rendered useless. The market is already there, and it's the millions of readers owning electronic devices or ordering print-on-demand books.
Presumably they aren't editing the manuscript (which is a different skill that an agent may or may not be qualified for), but it's certainly not a task the facilitator is handling. Let's assume the facilitator knows cover artists. You still have to describe the book, send suggestions, approve the cover file, and basically DO EVERYTHING you would have done on your own except make the first contact (find your own designer) and the last (upload the final file). And you're paying for it, I assume, unless the facilitator is footing some risk and cost.
Okay, the agent can format your file, or have that service arranged. Ted Risk at Dellaster Design will do a very clean epub and mobi for $89. A one-time fee with a fast turnaround time. The "facilitated" author still has to email the MS Word file to the agent/self-pub facilitator, who then sends it to a formatter or has one in-house. The author has merely saved two steps: (1) receiving the formatted file back from the formatting service and (2) uploading it to the markets.
Even if the agent/self-pub facilitator is writing the product description, that won't be written in a vacuum. The author will still have to outline it, proof it, and suggest keywords, because even IF the agent reads the book, the agent will never understand it as well as the author (this is actually true of the cover design, too). Time saved: not much. It actually sounds like more work to me.
Employing someone in this role means giving up 15 percent for the entire life of copyright, for a book remaining on sale forever, for a job not only saving the author hardly any time at all, but possibly even CREATING MORE WORK FOR THE AUTHOR!
Yes, now you have an employee/partner to manage, and account for, and play email and phone tag with, and the money that could flow straight to your bank account every month will now be held by someone else who MAY, if you're lucky, dispense it quarterly, removing their share first. In my experience in the publishing world, the biggest risk in the entire venture is letting ANYONE handle your money when you don't have to. Too many things can wrong. I am not saying fraud is likely, but imagine how hard it would be to audit Amazon if you thought your sales figures weren't adding up. And then imagine how hard it would be to audit an Agent/ Self-Pub Facilitator when sales figures don't add up from multiple revenue streams.No, I am not suggesting all agents are shady and that 15 percent may magically expand to 50 percent under the table. But what would you do if it did? How are you going to audit six or 10 different distributor payments every month or three? Personally, I'd rather have my money shoot straight into my bank account. And in three years, when all the agent does is trim 15 percent before sending the rest on its way, and is not adding any new value at all, an author may just get a little bit resentful, even if everyone kept their word.
(Okay, I forgot the third role and experience of an agent: handling your money. Don't forget, agents are have no certification, degree, membership association, regulatory oversight, or even uniform code of ethics. Most are self-selecting English grads who moved to New York and hung out a shingle. There aren't a lot of accountants and MBAs on the agency rosters. But you're willing to give them your money just because they once were necessary evils?)
Okay, that being said, IF I thought such a service was valuable (and I clearly don't because my overhead on Liquid Fear was exactly $6 and a few hours of time, and it's earned me more than any book I've ever written, including ones that had dozens of fingerprints on them, and I get paid regularly, and heck, sounds like I'd be a better estributor than almost every agent on the planet, except I don't want to handle your money), I would prefer to have an experienced and downsized New York editor handle the task.
While an agent has never picked out a book cover, editors have. While an agent has never handled promotion, editors have. While an agent has never assessed a manuscript's value in the true marketplace of readers, editors have. While an agent has rarely handled layout or formatting, most editors are at least aware of the process, if not having hands-on experience. Agents handle the very front end of a book, an abstract idea with no intrinsic value. Editors are solidly on both edges of the middle of book production.
But the real question is, why would you assume anyone with experience in traditional publishing knows ANYTHING about what is happening right now? Indeed, it's the outliers who seem to be the most successful, not those who are most closely imitating the old model. I am not relishing the fact that a once-respected profession may soon be on the ropes, but I don't need my blood on the canvas to keep agents in the ring.
There's a great Harlan Ellison line in his story Mephisto in Onyx: "Don't confuse a thousand years of experience with the same year of experience a thousand times." If you want to be the monkey, you'll climb higher if you don't have a gang of carnivorous dinosaurs sinking their teeth into your back.
###
If you want more of this type of insight imbued with passion and scars and joy, why not try The Indie Journey: Secrets to Writing Success, on sale in July for $2.99 at
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/58806
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Indie-Journey-.../dp/B0050I5TXA
BN.com: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/indie-journey-scott-nicholson/1101046538
###
Summer Book Club now free
The Summer Book Club is now free! At Smashwords, and coming free soon to multiple formats.
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/70762
We're still donating proceeds to the library relief fund at Joplin MO, but are asking people to support the fund directly if they can. Joplin Public Library has established a fund to assist the 10 employees who lost their homes and were injured during the tornado. Please send checks to the Joplin Public Library Staff Relief Fund, c/o Jacque Gage, Joplin Public Library, 300 South Main Street, Joplin MO 64801. The library is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/joplinpubliclibrary and messages of support are appreciated.
Summer Book Club features nine bestselling indie authors. It's free. Grab it and get a tan from the heat. Or use sunscreen and merely bask. Or jump in the ocean. Whatever metaphor works for you!
###
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/70762
We're still donating proceeds to the library relief fund at Joplin MO, but are asking people to support the fund directly if they can. Joplin Public Library has established a fund to assist the 10 employees who lost their homes and were injured during the tornado. Please send checks to the Joplin Public Library Staff Relief Fund, c/o Jacque Gage, Joplin Public Library, 300 South Main Street, Joplin MO 64801. The library is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/joplinpubliclibrary and messages of support are appreciated.
Summer Book Club features nine bestselling indie authors. It's free. Grab it and get a tan from the heat. Or use sunscreen and merely bask. Or jump in the ocean. Whatever metaphor works for you!
###
July 1, 2011
Jared Sandman Blogbuster Tour
Jared Sandman's Blogbuster Tour 2011 runs from July 1st through August 31st. His novels include Leviathan, The Wild Hunt and Dreamland, all of which are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords. The Shadow Wolves will be released in August. Follow him on Twitter (@JaredSandman) and be entered to win one of several $25 Amazon gift cards. See rules at www.jaredsandman.com for eligibility.
THE SHADOW WOLVES
ALTHOUGH THE TWO men wandered the desert, neither was lost. Unbeknownst to them, GPS devices had been slipped into the heavy backpacks they carried. Such technology was unnecessary, however, so long as the North Star shined ahead of them. Following Polaris would eventually lead to freedom. They had entered the United States from Mexico deep within the SonoranDesert. Their sole obstacle at the permeable border had been a barbed-wire fence, cut and repaired so many times that it sagged low enough to the ground to overstep. The biggest threat it afforded was tetanus if its rusty barbs pricked them. That barrier had been left a few hours behind. They crossed into the U.S. around midnight and had stopped once since then, a ten-minute rest to slake their thirst. The water from their flasks was warm and stale, yet it tasted sweet on their parched tongues. The normally cruel environment became bearable at nighttime, temperatures cool and dipping to the low fifties. Another twelve hours would drive the mercury well into triple digits. Had they not worked up a sweat, they would've been downright chilly. A full moon offered ample brightness by which to journey, the stars overhead sparkling with the light of long-dead suns. Neither man spoke to the other. The travel companions had never met prior to that night. The younger of the pair, Carlos, was almost twenty and had never before undertaken such an outing. He'd been raised to believe America was like heaven, the streets paved with gold. Now that he was here, he found it looked remarkably like home. Diego, Carlos's partner for the trip, was in his thirties and done this at least a dozen times. So often, in fact, he knew the route by rote. On his fourth voyage, the Border Patrol had detained him; after finding no criminal background, he was released back to the state of Sonora. The men started out shortly after nightfall. Dropped off near the border outside Sonoyta, each had been outfitted with a canteen, a couple apples and their cargo: twenty-five kilos of marijuana apiece. They toted the dope in burlap sacks, the street value of which neared three hundred grand. Of that amount, the men were being paid two thousand dollars each to trek it sixteen miles across the desert, half on acceptance and half on delivery. Two thousand bucks for an evening's work, easy money only the most steadfast of men might refuse. Carlos didn't have the luxury of ethics. Morality meant nothing to someone who couldn't afford to eat. Empty stomachs fueled poor decisions. He'd made less than that in six months working fulltime at the maquiladora in his hometown. That money could feed his extended family for the rest of the year. Not a diet of tortillas with rice and frijoles either — hearty meals of chicken fajitas and chipotle beef roast. Diego stopped atop a slight hillock. From this higher vantage, the desert basin stretched out before them. The GrowlerMountains were barely perceivable in the distance, black against black. Moonlight threw shifting shadows on the objects below. The albedo light had played tricks with Carlos's vision throughout the evening. At a couple points, he thought they were being followed. He saw shades astir in his peripheral vision; whenever he looked directly at them, they turned out to be saguaro cacti or greasewood trees. As Carlos gazed upon the bottomlands, he again fell for this optical illusion. Only when Diego pointed out the movement as well did he realize the shadows were changing. Amid the sagebrush the men spied a group of illegal immigrants marking a straight path through the desert. The smugglers could use this development to their advantage. If they kept ahead of the migrants, their own footprints would be obliterated by the heavy foot traffic in their wake. The Border Patrol made regular sweeps through this area, a known passageway for drug running and human trafficking alike. They opted to forge in front of the immigrants. Their destination, the small town of Ajo, was several miles away yet. The men walked more briskly now, tried to outpace their compatriots far enough as to go unnoticed. They'd traveled for the better part of five hours. Their legs ached from the added weight of the burlap sacks, their backs a latticework of spastic knots. The soreness between Diego's shoulderblades was agonizing, and the straps that dug into Carlos's chest chaffed his pectoral muscles raw. One foot in front of the other. The promise of cash alone kept the men going. The only sounds between them were their labored breaths and the crunch of gravel underfoot. It would be another hour until they arrived at the drop zone. Carlos had spent most of the night lost in thought. He had a major decision to make. After unloading the cargo, he could hitch a ride to Mexico and try again. Another night, another two grand. Given the poor state of the economy, smuggling at least presented steady employment. America's voracious appetite for narcotics continued to grow, and he could choose to feed it. Working for even a few months would allow him to save up a significant amount of money, enough to move out on his own. By the end of the year he could buy his own place in Ensenada or La Cruz, somewhere along the coast. He'd always dreamed of living on the ocean. He and Diego would likely stay the day in Ajo and split a motel room. A hot meal and a cold shower sounded blissful. Then they'd sleep away the afternoon, after which they'd start back to Mexico at nightfall. But Carlos had a second option: disappear into the American backdrop. Wire money home to his family once a week after landing a job elsewhere in the southwest. There was stable employment in the United States for someone with a strong work ethic and a stronger back. That was if he evaded capture. Because the Border Patrol was ever vigilant and — A baleful sound splintered the night, cut short his thoughts of the future. The mournful bay of a coyote carried on the air. Both men stopped, tried to orient wherefrom the howl originated. The sound reverberated off the rocky plateaus and foothills, bombarded them from all directions. "Ensombreza lobos," Carlos whispered. Shadow wolves. Diego shushed his partner and listened hard to the night. There were stories — superstitious hearsay, really — about devil dogs cooked up by farmers and locals to dissuade drug mules from trespassing through private land. Many spoke of the animals in jest, others as cautionary tales. A few were convinced they were real, rabid canines the size of men that roamed the wastelands in search of prey. Nothing more than myths and legends misinterpreted across lifetimes. Coyotes did make the desert their hunting ground, but they were scavengers, not predators, and certainly not imbued with supernatural qualities. Yet in that instant both men wondered what the darkness held.
###
June 30, 2011
Killing Cupid: Summer Book Club
Killing Cupid - Mark Edwards and Louise Voss
Killing Cupid is the first book to be featured in the Summer Book Club. Mark Edwards, who co-wrote this darkly-funny stalker thriller with Louise Voss, will be on Facebook on Saturday evening to answer questions and chat. He will even answer questions about the controversial Dan Brown/Stieg Larsson subtitle scandal if you are nice. Please drop by as his psychiatrist has warned him several times about talking to himself... Go to www.facebook.com/summerbookclub for more information.
Can you sum up your book in no more than 25 words?
Killing Cupid is a stalker thriller in which a wannabe writer becomes obsessed with his tutor. But then she turns the tables, with devastating results.
How important is a book's central character?
Vital. Killing Cupid has two central characters. I wrote Alex, who starts off as a creepy stalker but, I hope, becomes more sympathetic as the novel goes on. Louise wrote Siobhan, a lonely writer who it turns out, has a lot of issues. The central idea of the novel is that there is someone out there for everyone - no matter how crazy you are.
What are the central themes of the book?
Love. Or rather, obsessive love. Both of the central characters in Killing Cupid are lonely and frustrated; they feel that their lives would be complete with a significant 'other'. But neither of them know the best way to find that other person so they act in increasingly bizarre ways. Of course, we all do stupid things when we're in love, but Alex and Siobhan take it to the extreme. If this makes Killing Cupid sound like a serious book, it isn't. It's a dark comedy with lots of twists and turns and a great joke about haemorrhoid cream.
What was your motivation for writing it?
Killing Cupid was co-written by Louise Voss and me. When we started, Louise was in the middle of a four-book contract with Transworld. I had recently been dumped by my agent. We got drunk one night and came up with the idea of writing something together as an experiment - and also because we thought the idea of a stalker novel in which the stalker becomes the stalkee (I think I just invented that word) was compelling. Two months into writing it, a lucky meeting attracted the attention of a BBC producer who optioned it. It never got made in the end but it gave us the motivation to make sure we finished it.
What parts of the book are you most proud of?
Apart from the fact that we managed to pull off the tricky act of co-writing a novel without any tantrums, tears or throwing of teacups, my favourite parts of the novel are the scenes where Alex is creeping around Siobhan's house, inspecting her possessions, reading her diary, sitting on her toilet seat for a thrill.. And I love the second half of the book, in which everything turns around and starts moving really fast. And I love Louise's chapters because I just love reading everything she writes. It was like simultaneously writing and reading a novel. Great fun.
What's your favourite part of the writing process?
I love the first draft because my favourite aspect of writing is plotting, although we never work out the full plot before sitting down to write. We enjoy working it out as we go along. The characters tend to take a life of their own and tell you what they would do next. With Killing Cupid I wrote a chapter which I sent to Louise with some notes about what might happen next. She edited my chapter then did the same. We had no idea how it would all turn out.
Can you tell us something about being an indie writer?
The best thing about the rather insane few months we've spent as indie writers - apart from hitting the No.1 spot on Amazon.co.uk with our second novel, Catch Your Death! - has been the opportunity to 'meet' lots of other writers who have been incredibly supportive. That's where the idea of the Summer Book Club came from: the idea of creating a mutually-supportive group to celebrate the fact that we'd done it for ourselves, and to show readers out there how many great self-published books there are on Amazon.
Bio: Mark Edwards lives in south London with his girlfriend, their daughter and, arriving this August, a son. He is the co-author, along with Louise Voss, of Killing Cupid and Catch Your Death, a conspiracy thriller that was the first novel by British indie authors to reach No. 1 on Amazon. You can find him on Twitter @mredwards.
Killing Cupid is £0.49 on Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/gXGez2
and $0.99 on Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/eGhcPx
Mark's blog: http://www.indieiq.com
Killing Cupid is the first book to be featured in the Summer Book Club. Mark Edwards, who co-wrote this darkly-funny stalker thriller with Louise Voss, will be on Facebook on Saturday evening to answer questions and chat. He will even answer questions about the controversial Dan Brown/Stieg Larsson subtitle scandal if you are nice. Please drop by as his psychiatrist has warned him several times about talking to himself... Go to www.facebook.com/summerbookclub for more information.Can you sum up your book in no more than 25 words?
Killing Cupid is a stalker thriller in which a wannabe writer becomes obsessed with his tutor. But then she turns the tables, with devastating results.
How important is a book's central character?
Vital. Killing Cupid has two central characters. I wrote Alex, who starts off as a creepy stalker but, I hope, becomes more sympathetic as the novel goes on. Louise wrote Siobhan, a lonely writer who it turns out, has a lot of issues. The central idea of the novel is that there is someone out there for everyone - no matter how crazy you are.
What are the central themes of the book?
Love. Or rather, obsessive love. Both of the central characters in Killing Cupid are lonely and frustrated; they feel that their lives would be complete with a significant 'other'. But neither of them know the best way to find that other person so they act in increasingly bizarre ways. Of course, we all do stupid things when we're in love, but Alex and Siobhan take it to the extreme. If this makes Killing Cupid sound like a serious book, it isn't. It's a dark comedy with lots of twists and turns and a great joke about haemorrhoid cream.
What was your motivation for writing it?
Killing Cupid was co-written by Louise Voss and me. When we started, Louise was in the middle of a four-book contract with Transworld. I had recently been dumped by my agent. We got drunk one night and came up with the idea of writing something together as an experiment - and also because we thought the idea of a stalker novel in which the stalker becomes the stalkee (I think I just invented that word) was compelling. Two months into writing it, a lucky meeting attracted the attention of a BBC producer who optioned it. It never got made in the end but it gave us the motivation to make sure we finished it.
What parts of the book are you most proud of?
Apart from the fact that we managed to pull off the tricky act of co-writing a novel without any tantrums, tears or throwing of teacups, my favourite parts of the novel are the scenes where Alex is creeping around Siobhan's house, inspecting her possessions, reading her diary, sitting on her toilet seat for a thrill.. And I love the second half of the book, in which everything turns around and starts moving really fast. And I love Louise's chapters because I just love reading everything she writes. It was like simultaneously writing and reading a novel. Great fun.
What's your favourite part of the writing process?
I love the first draft because my favourite aspect of writing is plotting, although we never work out the full plot before sitting down to write. We enjoy working it out as we go along. The characters tend to take a life of their own and tell you what they would do next. With Killing Cupid I wrote a chapter which I sent to Louise with some notes about what might happen next. She edited my chapter then did the same. We had no idea how it would all turn out.
Can you tell us something about being an indie writer?
The best thing about the rather insane few months we've spent as indie writers - apart from hitting the No.1 spot on Amazon.co.uk with our second novel, Catch Your Death! - has been the opportunity to 'meet' lots of other writers who have been incredibly supportive. That's where the idea of the Summer Book Club came from: the idea of creating a mutually-supportive group to celebrate the fact that we'd done it for ourselves, and to show readers out there how many great self-published books there are on Amazon.
Bio: Mark Edwards lives in south London with his girlfriend, their daughter and, arriving this August, a son. He is the co-author, along with Louise Voss, of Killing Cupid and Catch Your Death, a conspiracy thriller that was the first novel by British indie authors to reach No. 1 on Amazon. You can find him on Twitter @mredwards.
Killing Cupid is £0.49 on Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/gXGez2
and $0.99 on Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/eGhcPx
Mark's blog: http://www.indieiq.com
