Power to the people

Aka: My final decision on ISBN’s

So this weekend, in case you didn’t realize, I’ve published my newest novel In The Time Of Dying. I went the usual Lulu route, and I’m also going to try Smashwords for the eBook as well as Lulu.

I sat down on Saturday to create the hardcopy, and decided I was curious enough to see what it would be like to choose the Lulu option of a free ISBN (owned by Lulu) so as I was preparing to upload the formatted file, I clicked that box instead of the usual. At first, it all seemed very normal. They wanted me to read the licensing agreement that said Lulu would be the owner of the ISBN assigned to my novel, and while I would own the novel and all the rights, the number would always be theirs.

This wasn’t news. I knew this, and I’ve discussed it here at length. There are pros and cons to taking this approach, and neither one is right or wrong – it’s a personal choice.

So to further my curiosity, I picked the option that would put my novel out in the wilds of the Bookselling Marketplace. And by that, I mean any retailer dumb enough to be willing to stock or order it !

Things were moving along just fine. I was a little peeved by Lulu’s insistence at this stage that I would have to purchase, review, and approve my hardcopy before it would be made available – due to the ISBN assignment and all. The reason that peeved me was because I wanted it released NOW, and had been too busy to get this done any sooner.

But then it happened. I’d reached the stage of setting the price and I was confronted by a real surprise.

Because assigning an ISBN would place my novel in the general Marketplace, where retailers could order it – and return it – and discount it – and offer it up for whatever price they felt like it – - the list price to sell my 665 page Trade Paperback would be no less than $34.95.

WTF?

Yeah, $34.95 for a Trade Paperback, 665 pages.

Oh, sure, they’d automatically granted me a profit of $13.40 whether I wanted it or not, but they’d given me no option to remove that, which would have altered the final sale price. No, they set that all in stone, and when I clicked the “What’s This?” link I was directed to a very convoluted, and frankly confusing, explanation of Retail, Remander, Returns, Sale Prices, Discounts, Profit Margin, and I’m pretty sure there was a line in there about blood, turnips and first borns.

My momentary freak-out included a panic that Lulu had undergone some sort of catastrophic change in pricing, and that a novel I would have priced UNDER $20.00 would now, regardless of choice, be sold at prices even I wouldn’t pay.

Fearing that was the case, I backed all the way out of there, started again from scratch, and followed my routine – choosing NO ISBN at all, like all the others. I followed my usual steps, and when I finally reached the pricing section I was once again in familiar territory.

So long as I did not want my book to contain an ISBN of my own or Lulu’s possession, and so long as I didn’t care if Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Joe Blow’s Books and Tea Emporium could stock, discount, or return my novel – I could price my lovely little Trade Paperback of 665 pages at a modest $19.05

What does this all mean?

Well, I’ve made my decision about ISBN’s for one. They’re an antiquated tracking system designed for the “man” to keep track of things hardly anyone keeps track of any longer. They’re markers of a dusty system that is going to have to grow with the times, or find itself obsolete.

Which is to say, I’m not interested.

I can’t see what an arbitrary number will do for me, aside from forcing me to charge ridiculous prices for my novels and ensuring zero sales. Or offering up a profit margin for booksellers who can then return the purchase for full refunds. ISBN’s don’t guarantee sales, or reviews, or even any sort of respect.

Low prices and well written novels are the only avenue to sales and building readership. Consistency and reliability garner return visits, quality stories win a writer respect. So from this lesson, I’ve come to the definitive conclusion that ISBN’s are not for me. I’m going to remain fully and completely Independent. Forging my own way, good, bad or indifferent.

Your mileage may vary

Power to the People!

Make Love, Not War!

Buy my new Book!

new release!

Earth was used up, and humanity had a choice – leave, or perish. And so they left, in great ships full of colonists and scientists, with soldiers to protect them all.  Hurling through space in a timeless sleep. Waiting for the ship’s computers to find their new home and wake them.

But when they wake, they realize things have gone horribly wrong. They aren’t where they should be. The ship has malfunctioned and landed them on an alien planet not even on the charts. A world bathed in permanent darkness due to an unusual orbit.

After a single night of fire, death, sabotage and destruction, this world is now their home.

They’ll have to make a life here without going mad in the eternal darkness. A task made even more dangerous when they realize they’re not alone.

Buy the book, or read Online as chapters are posted.

a scary story

It was Spring, 2009, and my body was beginning to do things I didn’t much care for, but like most of us tend to do, I chose to ignore it for a while. “It’ll clear up,” I figured. Only three months later, when it hadn’t, I decided it was foolish of me to be avoiding the doctor, after all – I have excellent health insurance.

So in I went, and after a few rather unpleasant tests, and what turned out to be a smooth surgical procedure (one of those nice day-surgery visits) I was on the road to recovery.

What I hadn’t counted on were the biopsy results. Early Stage Endometrial Cancer, is the fancy description they gave me, and while I spent a solid 24 hours in a slight panic, after talking to my doctor the next day I was relieved to hear that they might have already removed it all during the procedure. All I needed to do was return in six months for another biopsy, and if it’s coming back, a nice tidy hysterectomy should take care of things. If it’s not returning, another six month check would be in order, but it was likely I’d dodged a bullet, as it were.

So I relaxed. In the past two years, I’ve had friends and in-laws diagnosed with some pretty terrifying cancers, a few have died, a few are terminal, and just that word – CANCER – was enough to unnerve me.

But then, not even a month later, my sister confessed to feeling a lump in her breast. She’s unemployed, and has no insurance at all, and had been pretending it wasn’t there for three weeks until she finally couldn’t stand the stress any longer.

We decided to remain calm, but we couldn’t ignore this. Our mother had pre-cancerous cysts and a double mastectomy in the early 1980’s and we knew these things could turn serious. So she went to see her doctor, and we paid out of pocket for an exam, then found out that she’d need a mammogram and ultrasound – and they’d “go from there.”

Well there was nothing else we could do, we’d have to get her the tests and pay out of pocket.

So she went in. The two tests would come to $400 and they only needed a $100 initial payment. We knew if there would be a biopsy required, that could run us into the thousands, but after some worried consideration and final resignation, we knew that if the clinic would allow us to make payments, we’d get by.

And sure enough – the tests showed a solid mass that would require a needle biopsy for further evaluation. Her doctor phoned up, and told us that just to see the specialist – just to walk in the door – would run $700. Not including the procedure, or the lab. And if this turned out to be cancer, we were looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars out-of-pocket.

That sent us reeling a bit, I don’t mind admitting. With her on unemployment, I’m the sole bread winner, and while we’re getting by, we’re not exactly as comfortable as we’re used to being. But what could we do?

That’s when her doctor really came through. She told us that thanks to the Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Society, the mammogram, ultrasound, and biopsy would be covered through the Health Department. Then, if the results required further surgery, she would be referred to Swedish Hospital here in Seattle where everything would be paid for.

The next week was filled with some tension. She had to make an appointment with the Health Department to meet with a Nurse Practitioner and fill out paperwork, in order to qualify for the free care she had to prove she was unemployed and had no source of income beyond unemployment checks.

That done, she was scheduled for a biopsy the following week.

Seeing how nervous she was, and knowing how nervous I’d felt myself, I took to assuring her of all the things this could turn out to be. After all, there are a number of reasons for a woman to find a lump or abnormality in her breast, most of which are NOT cancer. Women can form various cysts, or fibrous tissue, clogged glands, simple infections. There was no reason for us to panic, I told her many times. This was a single lump, very shallow, located just under the skin, and it would turn out to be nothing.

I spent that week convincing her we had nothing to worry about. Then, I used this little scare to finally go in and have my own very first mammogram. My doctor had been urging me to do this for years, and I admit I’d been avoiding having it done simply out of fear that they might find “something” and I’d have to deal with it.

I knew, for years, I wasn’t going to be able to deal with it. So I let ignorance be my bliss. There were no lumps, I told myself, my self-exams were always normal. My yearly physicals were always normal. Nothing to worry about, right?

So out of solidarity, while we awaited my sister’s appointment, I went in for my first mammogram.

I was nervous, I admit. After changing into the gown, the technician took me into this little room, with dim lighting, lovely photos of roses on the walls. There was soft mood music playing, and thick, pretty curtains covering the window, all designed to keep the patient calm and relaxed. The technician was very personable, explaining everything she was doing. I calmed down quite a bit, and we chatted while she took the images. It’s not a pleasant experience, but it’s certainly tolerable for the few seconds it takes.

Afterward, as I sat in the dressing room waiting to hear if the images were good enough, I felt very calm and rather pleased with myself for finally having done it. I knew, in the back of my mind, that breast cancer is more and more a survivable thing. And that early detection, as in all cancers, is the key. I also knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that there was nothing wrong with me. After all, I’d just been told a few weeks ago that I had early stage endometrial cancer, so nothing else was going to happen.

One cancer’s enough for anyone, right?

A few minutes later, I was told the images were fine, and that I’d be called the next week if the doctor wanted more images, otherwise I could come back in two years.

Happy, and feeling pleased with my own sense of bravery, I left, and for the rest of that weekend continued to assure my sister that she had nothing to worry about. We figured she’d have her biopsy, find out it was benign, and then relax and enjoy the Fall.

Then I got a phone call.

They wanted me back to have another look at “something” they found on one side. So I made an appointment for the next week, and then went all white.

I remember feeling cold, and scared, and then for a couple of hours my brain just went wild. I began to quickly research what this could mean, and ended up on way too many cancer websites, painting myself a terrifying picture of what the future could hold.

It was easy to ignore the nurse’s words on the phone “This does not mean you have cancer, it could be any number of simple things.” And it was even easier to ignore all the information I was finding that told me, first and foremost, not to panic. But slowly, over the next few hours, it did begin to sink it. I realized I couldn’t very well try to convince my sister she had nothing to worry about if I wasn’t willing to believe that myself.

So I put it aside, as best I could, and eventually the time came for my sister’s biopsy. Our mother came along, nervous as she could be, and I’d already decided I wasn’t going to tell her about my call-back. It was enough to deal with, having her upset over one daughter, there was no sense bothering her with another when it all might well be nothing.

My sister’s biopsy went just fine, and she was given a 3-4 day wait for the results. So we returned to our habit of assuring each other these things were nothing, just benign little growths, and we’d be just fine. But then Wednesday rolled around and it was time for me to go in and get more pictures done.

I was slowly freaking out, I admit, and by the time I was sitting in the dressing room waiting, I was pretty stressed. The technician took two more films, and I sat and waited to hear if that was enough, my mind racing and trying hard to think of the novel I’m writing, or the pendants my sister was making at home, anything but what was going on. Then the technician came in – the doctor wanted two more films – so we did it again, and again I sat waiting.

I soon grew tired of toying with my fingernails, so I found a tie on the gown I was wearing and started to wrap that around a finger, over and over, back and forth, concentrating on nothing at all and everything I could think of. Any second now, she was going to come in and tell me it was all good, they’d finally seen that there was nothing there, and I could go home.

Any second now.

I’d be on my way home.

Then she came in – he wanted two more films, a slightly different angle. The stress was starting to really get to me. Why couldn’t they see what they were looking at? What was taking so long? Was there something there, or not?

I played with the little tie some more, felt a little faint off and on, started to worry a bit. Then she came back in.

“We need to do an ultrasound,” she said. “There’s something there they just can’t get a good look at. But don’t worry, just breathe, try to relax, it’s probably nothing.”

“Probably nothing,” I told myself as I got dressed, then waited for another technician to come take me to the ultrasound room. Once there, it was disrobe again, and let a student come in to watch. Oh joy. At least this time I could see what they were seeing, a little black circle on the ultrasound screen. Just barely under the skin, and completely contained.

A cyst? Well, maybe. Although . . . So the doctor comes in, and he has a look, also not completely sure what he was looking at, although he kept telling me it could just be a cyst or something similar.

“We need to do a needle biopsy,” he says finally, “So we’ll schedule you for next week. Could be a cyst, could be a cancer, but it could be a cyst. Although it might be a cancer, but it could be a cyst. There’s no ductile involvement, so it hasn’t gone anywhere else.”

My head was spinning. It’s like they want you to realize this could be something, but they’re required to reassure you that it could be nothing. I made it home and told my sister, and we both agreed it was best not to tell our mother. After all, it could still be nothing.

Today she got her results.

My sister has breast cancer. She’s at the Health Department as I type this, filling out some paperwork in order to get referred and have the costs picked up by the Department of Social and Health Services.

So how does this scary story end? I don’t know yet. It’s still in the making, so tune in at the end of the month, and I’ll finishing telling the tale. In the meantime, in honor of Cancer Awareness Month – get tested.

Man or woman, get tested. Early detection really IS the key to a cure. Awareness is Knowledge, and Knowledge is Power.

smash it up

So this morning, as I was doing my morning routine ‘net wanders to check up on news and happenings around the interwebbies, I found myself once again directed over to Smashwords – and online self ePublishing site I’ve glanced briefly at before.

The news article that drew me there was some sort of agreement Smashwords has with the Sony eReader and eBookstore which, honestly, for the most part just rolled over my pre-coffee brain as rather unimportant in the grand scheme of things.

As much as I am, and do, feel strongly about eBooks being a huge portion of the future of publishing, I’ve been wary of much of the news concerning them as pertains to we Indy folk. Mostly because of the whole DRM and Kindle kerfuffles out there that get in the way of an Indy author handing his/her work across the lines to the general public.

Much has been made of Smashwords since it first hit the scene, and many touted it as some kind of bonanza to the Indy publishing author – a quick route to eReaders, fame, fortune, bla bla bla.

Don’t fall for the hype. Smashwords is, at best, another tool we can harness in our arsenal and stuff in our belts. The appeal I’m taking notice of is the power they have of taking your eBook and formatting that file into every version out there. Kindle, PDA, smartphone, etc. which will increase your chances of finding readers. They offer a contract of Non-exclusivity, so you can still put your title out via Lulu, sell it on your web, hand it out on the street corners. They offer a comprehensive formatting guide that must be followed to the letter in order to give your eBook the best chance across platforms, and if you follow those formatting guidelines then Yes, your eBook will be available to people who use the Sony eBookstore.

They do swallow a percent of sales, looks to be about 15%, which is no big deal in the grand scheme of things. Price your eBook at $2.00 a pop and they’re keeping .30, but you’re taking home $1.70.

I’m bringing out my newest title tomorrow evening, and I’m going to give Smashwords a try for the exposure. I’ll let you all know how it goes, if it was easy to do, if I see any results, etc.

But just as with Lulu or any other formate, venue or avenue out there, it’s all going to come down to advertising – and Indy or Traditional (like it or not), that’s all on the author’s shoulders. Smashwords won’t help me one iota if I’m not out there advertising on sites, spreading the word, and telling anyone and everyone who’ll listen that I have a book I want them to read.

I had great success using Project Wonderful, and this Friday I plan to do another advertising blitz, not only for Midnight Reading, but also for my lapidary business, Fable’s, and the new online store at www.Fables.artfire.com

Which is a subtle way of saying, HEY – I’m selling agate and jasper pendants online, check me out! Jewelry and Jewelry-making components just in time for the holidays.

That’s me, Ms. Subtlety.

Power to the People!

Make Love, not War!

OMG, Christmas is only 85 days away!

a free-for-all

As an Indy Author, my novels are mine to control, completely, from head to toe as it were. I can use a POD like Lulu, I can create eBooks, I can post them for free on my website, I could even print them on toilet paper and hand them out to the homeless if I wanted.

And I do, all of the above, except the toilet paper thing.

Every now and then I’ll see a comment from a Traditional, bashing writers who “give it away” and curse how they’re ruining everything by giving publishers the wrong impression of what writing is worth. And I admit, these comments used to torque me, until I realized – after a friend explained it – that I’m taking it the wrong way.

That’s when it occurred to me the big difference between Giving it away, and Writing for free.

Giving It Away is what I’m doing every time I post a new novel online, to be read at no cost, by anyone who happens by. It’s something I do willingly, and with enthusiasm. I’m not seeking publication in a traditional sense, I’m secure and happy and doing my own Indy thing. I’m not even swimming in the same pool as the Traditionals who are writing articles for magazines or publications. I have my own floaties, and there’s no lifeguard.

Writing For Free is a whole other animal – and one that has no logical reason for being, y’ask me. This is when you’ve written an article, short story, or perhaps even a novel, and submitted it to a traditional publication of some sort, and had them explain to you that their method of payment is actually nothing more than “exposure.”

As a friend of mine likes to say, “exposure is something you die from”.

Too many small ePublications and magazines seem to think so much of themselves that they honestly believe just publishing your piece with them is such a high honor, you should bend over backwards and be grateful for the chance to be SEEN within their pages! After all, they have a circulation of (if they’re honest with themselves, about 10) and you should be thanking THEM.

If you’re a Traditional, and you write to be paid, why would you stand for this? You wouldn’t. So if you’re a Newbie, seeking traditional publication/payment for your writing – Don’t.

Don’t assume that because you’re new, or haven’t built your resume yet, that they’re doing you a favor. Try switching out “exposure” with “dying in the wilderness due to a lack of adequate clothing or gear.”

“I’m happy to inform you that your submission has been accepted! Now, as I’m sure you’re already aware, we don’t pay our writers cash. We offer them the opportunity to die in the wilderness due to a lack of adequate clothing or gear. So just sign here . . .”

Sounds a tad less exciting when put that way, doesn’t it?

So if your goal is to be paid for everything you write, and you’re seeking Traditional publication – don’t settle for less.

By the same token, don’t assume those of us who happily Give It Away are ruining the party for the rest of you, or doing so because “well, no one pays for writing anymore.” It’s Apples and Oranges here, folks. Over here in this pool, we’re twisting to a different tune. We’re not concerned with traditional publications, or taking up space in the magazines. We’re not the cause of the proliferation of douchebags who feel you should accept death-by-wilderness as payment for your work.

If you don’t want to give away your work, don’t. But you can’t blame us when you fail to find a market that pays cash, which is just as good as money.

Power to the People!

Make Love, not War!

This granola tastes like ass.

greed

Contrary to that movie line, Greed is NOT good. We’ve all seen what greed has done to our nation – and our jobs, bank accounts and retirement funds – Greed caused the Second Great Depression.

Well Greed, when applied to an Indy or Self publishing writer, will also cause a Depression. One in which no one buys your books.

I’ve seen it happen quite a lot, when an author is using, for instance, Lulu to POD their titles. You’ll see it when you find a 200 page book going for $24.95 or some other ridiculous sum designed to give the author a profit of well over $10.00 per title.

That’s Greed.

When you reach the end of your design process with Lulu – and I assume it’s the same with all the PODs – you get to the point where you set the purchase price of your book. They show you what it costs, then give you a little square to add your author slice, and the calculator neatly displays what the purchase price will be for the public to buy a copy of your book.

Naturally the more pages you have, the more expensive it is to print. So a nice, thick, 400 page book is gonna end up in the $13.00 or $14.00 neighborhood. If you were to assume your efforts and creativity are worth a solid ten bucks per reader – you’ve just priced a 400 page paperback novel at $23.00 or $24.00.

Now ask yourself – do I honestly think someone’s going to pay that ?

Would YOU?

Go to your local Barnes & Noble and wander around the hardback new releases. See those popular titles with price tags of $24.95? Not only is that a hardback, but it’s an established author with a big name publishing company behind it, probably sitting nicely atop the NYT BS list, or there’s a photo of Oprah holding it.

Well, until you’re on Oprah’s summer reading list, you’re gonna need a cold shower and a serious reduction in expectations. No one knows you, you’re using a POD to expose your novel to the world, and while it just may BE the next great American novel, no one’s gonna find that out if you’re pricing yourself out of the market.

Even your average midlist traditional author is only making a few cents for every book sold. This is why they have day jobs. Now, I don’t have overhead – I don’t have to pay a cover artist, or an editing staff, or see an agent take a big cut. And I don’t have to see portions of my profits pay for the running of a publishing house from the top exec down to the mail boy. So in the interests of full disclosure, I can admit that I make exactly $1.00 for every book I sell.

One Dollar. That’s more than traditional authors make per unit, but I’m not selling nearly their volume, or having ninety percent of each sale pay so many other people.

When I reach the final stage in my production line at Lulu, I take whatever their flat cost is, then I add one dollar, and that’s the price of the book. Am I making any money? Yeah, I am. Is it a lot? Of course not. Remember, I also let readers enjoy these novels online for free if they prefer not to send me any money.

Am I having a great time, enjoying an extreme sense of self-satisfaction, and basking in the light of my personal happy place?

Damn straight, I am.

If you’ve gone Indy, or you’re considering it, just remember – You’re going to get out of it exactly what you put in. Hard work, research, experimentation, writing, careful edits, and pride all pay off in the end. But sometimes the currency isn’t what you expected.

Power to the People!

Make Love, not War!

Is that the Sale Price?

ad-lib, week 1

Okay, so it hasn’t quite been a full week yet since I started my foray into advertising, but I have some interesting results to report on.

I got my first ad up and running at noon on Thursday, being the high bidder for an online comic that enjoys very high daily numbers, and immediately began to see a change in my own site views. Within a few hours, I saw a marked increase in my own stats.

Within twelve hours, my site views had increased by three hundred percent.

In twenty four hours, that average held, and some sales came through, as well.

By Saturday, I was holding steady with a daily improvement of three hundred percent per day unique page views, and a small handful of hard-copy sales. So I added another site, using the smaller banner ad, but had some difficulty being the high bidder. One site continually outbid me, and on both I had to wait for approval by the site owners.

By Sunday, I was high bidder on one other site for about three hours, then lost the space, but gained exposure on a third, which I then lost a few hours after that. Although I did notice a few hits coming in from those two sites, I found a fourth to bid on by Monday and have seen marked interest in click-throughs from them.

While mulling over the whole affair, I ran out of paid exposure on the original site but still have exposure on the fourth choice – my stats are holding, but I’m beginning to develop a strategy.

The two sites that gave me the most bang for my buck – resulting in dramatically increased readership and several hard copy sales – are one online webcomics. I’d been contemplating changing my plans, and trying to spend more money on a single, expensive-to-bid-for site hoping for a massive wallup over the course of, say, a day or two. It would cost minimum around $10-20 / day of exposure, so I could only afford a day or two on that experiment.

But I’m starting to think the less expensive, longer running ad space is more profitable, in the grand scheme of things.

My first, most productive ad has run out, so right now I only have a banner at one smaller online comic – I’m seeing results from them on par with those of the larger web comic, so I’m going to hold steady and let that ad run its course without adding another one to the mix, for at least the rest of this week.

I’m curious to find out if the new readers I’ve gained will stick around, hopefully add Midnight Reading to their regular visits, maybe tell a friend, etc. I’d like to see if my readership levels maintain at this higher number without running new ads, or if they begin to decline. With the premier of my latest novel, In The Time Of Dying, coming out in October, I’d like to see numbers high enough to spread the word and generate sales, or at the very least garner some new, weekly readers.

It’s very interesting, using Project Wonderful. I have to say it’s very easy to use, and well laid out. Took me a few minutes to really gain my footing there, and I’m still learning how best to utilize the auctions, but I’m getting the hang of it. Oddly enough, it’s a tiny little bit like playing the stocks – you find yourself checking numbers, predicting outcomes, spotting trends.

As you’d expect, the sites available that have the most viewership are also the most expensive to bid on, and no matter how high you do bid, you can still easily be outbid by someone more savvy. Once you place a bid, if you’re approved right away, you also find out right away if you were the high bidder. If not, you can change your bid, or just hang on and wait until the higher bid expires. I’m finding I get a lot of notices of being outbid, then instantly being the high bidder again – I believe that’s due to the maximum amount I have set – a new bidder might go above what I’m paying now, but then my maximum kicks in and I oust them.

Like I said, I’m still learning the ropes here, and collecting the data – but I can say without doubt that buying ad space, and using Project Wonderful to do it, is worth the time, effort and slight expense to anyone looking for increased exposure that may lead to sales and return visits.  You only spend what you’re willing to spend, and you can rest assured if your ad runs, the expenses will not exceed what you’ve designated. You can track how much you’ve spent, and what’s left in your account – you can add or subtract using Paypal.  And frankly, it’s kinda fun.

I was, and am, pleasantly surprised.

Power to the People!

Make Love, Not War!

Do I get a discount if I’m paying cash?

Exposing myself

Minds outta the gutters, people! I mean Advertising.

I’m taking the plunge, and putting up some Ads for the Midnight Reading site this week, and taking yet another of the steps one must climb all by one’s onesie – or, something.

I may have mentioned a few posts back that I was looking into using a site called Project Wonderful, a place that acts as liaison between you, the advertiser, and them, the popular websites / blogs. My friends mentioned this site to me months ago, as a source of advertising that perhaps wouldn’t break the piggy bank. And I admit, when I first checked it out, I freaked.

At Project Wonderful, you’re faced with hundreds upon hundreds of sites to pick from, but instead of a simple “price tag” for an ad, you bid on ad space and time – - something that confused me to the point of running in the opposite direction. But then, a few days later, I caught my breath and wandered back, then started seriously checking it out.

Well, okay, I was bored one day and had the time.

But I’m glad I did, because as one would expect – upon further and more calmed exploration, I realized it’s not all that scary. A little odd, but after reading everything and seeing some examples, I realized it’s really pretty damned nifty. You create your own ads per their size templates, then pick from a massive list of sites available – and yes, you have to put in a bid for space and time – but instead of paying massive huge amounts for ad space, you’re only paying what you WANT to pay. You bid a minimum, and a maximum, and you can set total limits so that, regardless of what happens, you’re not spending a penny more than you say you want to.

And you’re not charged for any time your ad isn’t on display.

I have a feeling it will require some fussing and watching, to make sure your bid is the highest often enough to give your site some exposure. And in time, I might learn to time it along with a new release, and up my bids to ensure more exposure when I have something new to offer. But it’s a start, and a step in the right direction.

And in keeping with my Indy mindset, I’m using ONLY profits from my book sales to fund the advertising, via Paypal. One hand washing the other, or perhaps the snake eating its tail, but it works. I vowed when I got into this that no money was coming out of my pockets for the books that the books hadn’t already put in there.

Again, your mileage may vary, that’s your business.

I’m still setting things up, and checking out some sites, but I hope by Friday to have some bids in, and I’ll be watching my stats to see if there’s any affect. Naturally I’ll report back, pro or con, in case some of you are teetering on the edge and wanna see someone else hit the ground first.

I can happily report I learned today that Keeper was reviewed by a blogger and thanks to him, my page stats increased – prompting me to finally get my advertising stuff together and get moving.

Power to the People!

Make Love, Not War!

Call now, and we’ll double your offer, just pay additional shipping!

money for nothin’

I came across a website last week that had yet another un-known, un-proven writer with pie-in-the-sky ideas of making his or her fortune with a subscription-based online novel. This happens now and again, someone gets the idea he or she can web publish a novel and expect people to pay a subscription fee for the privilege of reading it in weekly, or monthly installments.

If that author had a proven track record of quality writing, perhaps had a few traditionally published novels that sold moderately well, or at least could boast a massive online audience who had expressed a willingness to pay for a chance to read their work – great. Go for it.

I don’t expect them to succeed.

The one in particular, I’m not linking to mainly because I can’t for the life of me recall the url for, happens to be “writing this as I go” in a completely unpolished, unedited form. He or she expects the readers to pay for the chance to watch this novel take shape in real time. Okay, sure, to each his/her own. I was reading the standard “About Me” information and following along well enough, ignoring spelling and grammar errors in that page, and trying to ignore the use of “Fiction Novel” in one sentence. This author was taking the Indy stand, and I was prepared to at least offer a golf-clap, if not full-on applause, until I reached the final line . . . Asking any Publisher who may want this novel to Please Please Please email at this addy.

Well alrighty then. Completely lost the point, my respect, and frankly any hope of happiness until that huge wrinkle gets ironed out.

Contrary to popular belief, and the stories traditional writers will tell Indy authors until they’re blue in the face, is the truth that Yes, you can still become a traditionally published writer even if you’ve self published, or give your work away for free online. You’re not shopping those novels to an agent, you’re shopping something new that’s never been seen before. You haven’t completely tarnished your reputation with other work, and you don’t have “cooties“.

The point of this post today is two-fold.

Firstly, I’d like to address the All In concept. You may or may not agree, and I’m not offended either way, but in my opinion – what worked for ME in going Indy – was finally reaching the commitment stage of This Is It. This is what I’m doing. I’m not producing my own work in the hopes that maybe, possibly, some day an agent will come along and “discover” me.

That’s rubbish, and isn’t ever going to happen. To any of us. Trust me.

It wasn’t until I crossed completely over the line that I became fully committed and capable, not only to produce work myself, but to be happy about it. I’m not pining away in the dark, secretly hoping to one day become a traditionally published writer. And I’m not shunning you if you still are. But for me – and I think it’s true for a lot of writers who still aren’t willing to admit it – you can’t do it, and be good at it, or find happiness, with one foot on either side of the fence. First of all, it’s really hard to get anywhere straddling an old dream like that, and secondly – you could chafe.

If you’ve decided to go Indy for only certain titles, and still hold the dream of writing other fiction that will be published traditionally, that’s great. But I’m certain you realize you’ll have to still do all the work – writing, researching agents, submitting, waiting, all that. No one’s coming along and reading your webpage or your Lulu novel and offering you up a three book deal with Del Rey. You’ll have to go out there and work for it, but rest assured your self publishing days did not ruin you.

If you’re going Indy right now because it’s your only option right now, that’s fine too. Things may change for you in the future, they may not. You’re going into this knowing it’s the right move right now, but later on you may change your tactics. Again, your fairy god-agent isn’t going to flutter down on wings of contracts and spot you there, just remember that.

Which takes us to my second point – There’s no pot here.

Unless you rolled your own, this isn’t the end of the rainbow. You’re not gonna get rich being Indy, but nine out of every ten traditional author isn’t, either.

When I decided this was what I wanted to do, and then became fully and wholly committed to the idea that I’m an Indy author, everything fell in place. I knew I’d be giving away my fiction online for free, and I knew, deep down, that the free option was going to be the biggest hit. I knew I was offering up eBooks and paperbacks basically at cost, with little to no profit margin. I knew the idea of readers making donations was extremely low. But I did this will the full understanding that years of writing and research afforded me.

I do sell some copies, although the eBook is the biggest seller, it’s the online free version that gets the hits. Thousands of readers per month are taking advantage of the read-online version which – while it doesn’t fill my wallet, most certainly warms my heart. I have a day job that pays more than any mid-list writing contract ever could, so the real pride and pleasure for me is to see my novels reaching readers. To see my characters gain an audience.

I think that’s where most people choke up.

You’ve got a whole rash of writers out there who figure they’ve just stumbled on to the greatest idea since individually wrapped soy cheese slices, who then rush out and build a subscription-based online novel, with no proven record of sales or readership, no proven ability to even complete a cohesive novel, and completely lacking in any sort of advertising campaign.

All too often I see these appear, only to vanish a few months later when the lack of paying readers causes them to give up not only on the idea, but on the novel as well – proving once again they were just another in a stream of “oh, I could write a novel and get rich quick” thinkers who found out the hard way, it ain’t never gonna happen.

Does the idea of signing people up to read your work online only if they’ve paid you money sound appealing? Sure. Who’s gonna turn down dollars, right?

Does the idea of writing and posting a novel online that only two people have paid you to read seem like fun?

Respect yourself and your readers. Either Fold, or go All In.

Power to the People!

Make Love, not War!

Give me twenty on the number two horse in the third race!

a different kind of art

Sorry about the lack of updates this week, I’ve been hard at work getting ready for this weekend’s Art Festival, but next week I’ll be back with more thoughts and information about publishing the DIY way.

In the meantime, if you’re in the Pacific Northwest and happen to wander by Pouslbo, come see me!  I’ll be at the Poulsbo Art Festival, you can find maps and information here:

http://www.cafnw.org/