Amy’s Comments (group member since Jan 15, 2017)

Amy’s comments from the Navigating Indieworld Discussing All Things Indie group.

What part of the world are you in Dale?

I've been reading conflicting things online. Some people say you shouldn't bother with multiple pen names because keeping track of them and promoting the different brands is a nightmare. They also say that in today's digital market no-one can hide online so what's the point of a pen name in the first place ? I already use my real name for another business, which is one of the reasons I used a pen name. Facebook doesn't like you using anything other than your real name on an account and whereas I know other people get away with that, history indicates I am not as lucky as other people.

Some people talk about changing your name so you can appear near popular authors on the book shelves in the shops. Excuse me? Bookshops? I hardly think I'll accomplish that.

The other issue may or may not still be a problem. Sci-fi written by a woman. There are plenty of books in the sci-fi genre written by a woman (OK I've not heard of many of them, but they exist). And the sci-fi genre doesn't just have to be about things set in space. As a modern woman I had no idea until recently that it was indeed a thing to turn your nose up at a sci-fi book just because the author didn't possess a penis. To which I say, what century are we in, people? Grow up.

Yeah, dunno. The easiest thing to do is to just say "sod it" and carry on using Amy J Hamilton with the assumption that nobody will read it anyway so why bother changing.

Dale wrote: "Amy wrote: "I'd change the whole lot if I was using a different name."

There are plenty of successful authors who have written cross-genre under their own names. I'm not planning on changing my na..."

lol. Nope, neither do I.

I'd change the whole lot if I was using a different name.

I'd have to decide whether to use DJ Cooper or Debz Cooper. It probably complicates the hell out of Goodreads, Amazon and everything else.

Or is it thousands by now?

Oh now that sounds positive and a step in the right direction. I wouldn't expect them to bend the rules for someone like me, other than that Instafreebie giveaway of 700 copies, I've probably only sold 40 copies of two books. You've sold hundreds.

I thought he wrote them before he was a name and that they were early works. I wouldn't know. I've only read a few King (Christine, It, Misery and possibly Dolores Claiborne). I much preferred James Herbert, I've read all of his.

Still unsure. On the one hand having all genres under one name would show my versatility as an author. On the other hand I have had face to face conversations with people who forgot I was in the room when they physically turned their noses up at my first two books because I said they were erotica.

I can't remember the sign up procedure-such is my atrocious memory-could you sign up for KDP using a new gmail email account then go through the contact us thing? Having done all that whether you'd get through to someone with a modicum of common sense or drone no-one knows.

Even he had a pen name, although I have never read the Bachman books and only a few of the books he wrote after that.

Ugh, I don't know. I can't help thinking writing erotica was a mistake. It's a huge genre that many people read, but the promo is a nightmare. I have no idea how you market the genre successfully.

Amazon is really bad with communications with hoomans. Sure, they're quick to send millions of automated emails to my inbox, that I still haven't got around to unsubscribing from, but try to talk to a person for anything and it's a nightmare.

Do they have an online chat service?

Things I'm contemplating at the moment:

With the two books I'm working on (sci-fi mystery and sci-fi paranormal), do I publish them under my real name and distance myself from the erotic sci-fi I published under the Amy pen name? It's not like I built up a following with the first two books. Some people who know me have not been convinced the first two books were mine because they didn't have my real name on them, and I had to explain what a pen name was. Some people were put off because they were erotic. I wonder if those same people would dismiss anything I write under the Amy name because the first two books were erotica and therefore to be looked down on.

Anyone got any thoughts?

Alex wrote: "Are your paperbacks through Createspace? The extended distribution with them isn't great but it will get your books places like B&N. ."

Nah, I used the paperback beta service that Amazon offered for the first two novels. They are therefore restricted to Amazon alone. Frankly, to me having a paperback made no difference, the only people who bought one is me and one friend.

I wish you could have a real conversation with Amazon and sort out a KDP account, it would make life a lot easier.

I need to master he art of having my future paperbacks available at places other than Amazon. Apart from that I don’t sell books. I pay for promotion, I get no sales. I’ll get these two books finished and have a think. At the moment I’m just managing to fit in writing along with everything else.

I’m sure you’ll be ok. Will your reviews carry over when you switch to Lulu?

It will work out again Alex. But it’s total crap that you’re having to go through it again. The one thing I don’t like about Amazon is how difficult it is to talk to a human.

I haven't used Smashwords for Amazon, I opted out. I was on Amazon before I wanted ibooks, kobo, nook etc.

So at the moment, where are your paperbacks sold Alex?

Alex wrote: "You look good for your age, Amy."

Thanks. I try.

In some cases you can convince yourself they help and they will. In some cases simply thinking positive won't make one iota of difference.

Music, yes Carmel, I have to listen to music to get through everything.

Smashwords does Amazon ebooks.

What a bugger, I was hoping to look into Pronoun for some reason.

Which one distributes paperbacks to places that aren't called Amazon?

Theodore wrote: "Amy wrote: "lol. I only went with a pseudonym because I started by writing erotica and it seemed the thing to do."

And we all know you are an 80-year-old man from Miami."

Excuse me, I'm 87!

Yes, pushing through is about what it comes down to. Knowing that after winter there is spring. Can't guarantee summer in the UK, but you know what I mean.

I love the dark. Outside, night-sky dark, I need proper lighting indoors if I'm not trying to sleep, and we probably have LEDs too now. We went to the cinema last Friday night and it was great (film wasn't, but I liked being outside after dark).

My husband gave up using his telescope because of cloud cover and light pollution, which was a shame. I think he's too tired to be outside that late waiting for the sky to clear.

I'm not sure if I've ever had SAD. I've certainly been diagnosed with depression in the past. People who come out with "just think positively" get my mental "spork in the eye" treatment. Or maybe my mental "slight tap round the head with a ruddy great sledgehammer." (Last time I checked I couldn't be arrested for my thoughts.) As you say Alex, unless someone has been there, they may not understand.

My main problem with winter was walking on icy pavements. For years I walked 4-6 miles a day doing the school run. I am terrified of icy pavements. I never fell over on them, but because I fell over plenty of other times, I was always scared the ice was going to get me. I've got boots with retractable crampons and hiking poles for stability (got a disability that leaves me unstable on my feet), but it still scares me.

I would love to be in your position Carmel. We used to have a holiday in February too.