Self-publishing: status report. Part II

Happy Easter, everyone.

So, I have some good news to report in this status update. I was reviewed over at Red Adept Reviews. You can read the review here.

If I haven't already pointed this out, I will now just so there is no confusion. HUSH, HUSH, MY LOVE was an experiment in self-publishing. Sure, I wrote it and had it published in a professional magazine, but I also used it to venture into the world of self-publishing, familiarize myself with the process to put it up on Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords.

Well, one thing I learned was that you can give away stories (and books) on Smashwords. On B&N and Amazon, you can't. This is unfortunate because my short story is very short. I wouldn't charge anything for it if I was able to get away with that. Mainly, my intention was to put the story out there for free just so I could increase my audience, get my name out there to people who have never heard of me. Hopefully, my strategy has worked despite me having to charge for the damn story on Amazon and B&N. To any readers who purchased the story from either of those markets, I want to thank you and to apologize. I appreciate you parting with a buck to read my story. I apologize that is was so short. However, I hope you enjoyed it very much despite its brevity. I will be releasing an anthology soon with more short stories (all longer than HUSH, I promise). I hope you'll read it and enjoy some of my other work.

My downloads at Smashwords has slowed, but I think this is to be expected. The last time I looked (this afternoon), I had 169 downloads. I have no idea what other self-pubbed authors would expect, but for me, that is awesome! That's just in a month and the month isn't over yet. It surprises me because I am virtually unheard of, and like I said, this was an experiment, so I am very excited about that number. Also, I've sold two units on B&N and five on Amazon when I looked today.

I'm still researching marketing strategies, reading posts on the Kindle Board, as well as blog posts by Joe Konrath, Amanda Hocking, and other self-pubbed authors in addition to formatting and proofing my anthology. I'm eager to release the anthology because there's no feeling like seeing that people have taken an interest in something you've created.

I've traditionally published short stories in the past. As a matter of fact, I'm waiting for word on two short stories now. The thing I love most about self-publishing is the quick turnaround we writers have with our work. When I'm ready to give readers another story, I don't have to sit on my hands for months waiting for them to get it. All I have to do is design the cover and format it (all of which is under my control) and then upload it. It's as simple as that. There's none of this waiting and waiting and...

Lastly, I'd like to give a personal thank you to everyone who has downloaded a copy of HUSH. You guys rock! I appreciate it more than you know.

Self-publishing: status report. Part I

Okay, so my short story, Hush, Hush, My Love, has been available on Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords now for nearly two weeks. Here's the lowdown on what's happened during that time.

B&N was the last one to make the story available. Despite the note on their site that says it takes anywhere from 24 to 48 hours, it took considerably longer. Almost a week! That's crazy slow, so just be forewarned.

Smashwords is my favorite of all the platforms so far. Why, you ask? Well, for starters, they are quick about making the work available to readers. As per my previous post, I had a lot of downloads quickly. Of course, that could be due to the story being free. To date, I've received four 4-star reviews. That really made my day to get those. The majority of the downloads came during the first two days and have since tapered off, but I am still seeing downloads each day.

On Amazon, I've only sold two copies. :( Not impressive, I know. I managed to sell one on B&N so far. If truth be told, I'm actually happy that I sold anything on Amazon or B&N. I mean, I haven't gone all out and tried to do any heavy marketing. Also, Hush is a short story. A very short story, at that, so asking someone to pay to read it is a long shot. (Although, I must admit, it's a damn good story and I think anyone who parts with a buck to read it won't be disappointed.)

So, there you have it. I've probably made $1.50 total from the story. But, that's not why I self-published the short story to begin with. The reason Hush is out there is two-fold. First, I wanted to make it available as a promotional tactic, in order to put my work out there and let readers see what I create. The other reason was for me to test the waters with self-publishing and experience the steps necessary to make my work available on the various platforms. So far, the experience has been very easy and pleasant.

For those who do not know, I am working on putting together a collection of my best short stories. The tentative title is An Adverse Anthology: strange & disturbing short stories. I'm nearly finished composing it and I hope you'll check it out when I publish it. Of course, you can bet I will make it known when it hits the various distribution channels. Also, I hope you'll come back to see what I have in the pipeline for future releases.

Thanks for reading.

Experiences in self-publishing

This is probably the first post of many about my experiences with self-publishing. Recently, I've been reading a lot about authors embarking on this path and their stories. Most of these authors you may have heard of. Well, that is, if you're into that sort of thing. If you're reading this blog, I imagine you probably are.

So far, everything I've heard from these authors has been compelling enough for me to dip my proverbial toe into the self-publishing waters. If Amanda Hocking's or Barry Eisler's story doesn't excite you--well, you need to check for a pulse.

I began putting together my publication earlier this week. Actually, truth be told, it took me longer than that to construct the cover image and get it just right. I owe a shout out to James (a colleague at work) who gave me invaluable information to help me out in that department. Thanks, James! You da man. I managed to have everything prepared and uploaded my work to Amazon and Barnes & Noble Wednesday afternoon. That night, I went through the Style Guide on Smashwords, heeded its advice, and when finished, submitted my work to Smashwords.

Amazon and B&N state that it could take 24-48 hours until the work is available in the marketplace. If Smashwords gave an estimate, I don't remember what it was. When my submission was received by Smashwords, it said that I was number 808 in the queue. Needless to say, I figured it would be the last to hit the market. I was wrong. I received an email from Smashwords during the wee hours that said my book was available for download. Wow. That was fast.

My story did not hit the market on Amazon until today (Friday). Barnes & Noble still hasn't finished processing the submission. On the first day the story was available on Smashwords, I already had 89 downloads and received three four-star reviews. Although the first reviewer gave away one of the twists in the story. I can't believe he did that!

I wanted to release this story for free, as a promotional device to reach readers and spread my name. Well, the unfortunate downside to that plan is that Amazon and B&N require authors to sell their work. Smashwords, on the other hand, allows you to give work away. So, as a side note, let me apologize to anyone who is turned off that my story is only for sale on Amazon and B&N. It's not my fault. I would give it away on those platforms if I could, but alas, I can't.

So, there you have it. My experience so far with self-publishing. It has been exciting and pleasant. I hope it continues to be. Now, I must spread the word, let others know it is out there, available for download, and hope they get a copy. Even more, I hope they enjoy it and help spread the word.

So, if you've managed to read this far, I hope you've gotten something out of my experience thus far. Also, if you haven't yet read the story, here is the link so you can check it out. Free Smashwords copy. Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy(ed) the story and I hope you'll come back for more.

Decisions, decisions.

I can see light at the end of the tunnel. There are less than 25 pages remaining until I finish editing my crime novel, MAJORING IN MURDER (btw, that's the working title. It could still change). I'm excited as hell because this means I am close to handing it over to my beta readers for their reactions/feedback. Of course, this is also a time of apprehension for me as a writer because it means I have to release my creation into the world to see if it has wings to fly.

In addition to finishing the editing process (well, the bulk of it anyway), I need to decide whether or not to query agents when the manuscript is complete or self-publish. Lately, I've been keeping up with the news about authors selling their books on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, etc. and the perception of self-publishing is changing. In the past, self-publishing was equivalent to failure. It was the last resort of a desperate author who wanted their work in print. They had exhausted their list of agents and publishing houses only to face rejection after rejection. Considering a vanity press or P.O.D. publisher was to admit defeat, that your work wasn't considered commercially viable by industry professionals. Your writing talent was not validated.

It appears that those days are waning. One only needs to look at Amanda Hocking and J.A. Konrath to name two examples or authors who've been successful self-publishers. With the plethora of eReaders in readers' hands, eBooks are beginning to turn the tables in the publishing industry. No longer does an author need to convince an editor that their book is a mega bestseller that will benefit the publishing house with riches. There is no gate keeper who decides whether they think your book is commercially viable. I can't express enough just how subjective this industry is. Just because your work doesn't appeal to a few people doesn't necessarily mean that it will not appeal to a larger audience. Also, authors can make more money self-publishing because the split many eBook sellers offer are larger than those of the traditional publishing houses. Let's also not forget that the author maintains all rights to his/her work, not relinquishing them to a traditional publisher who can stop print runs of an author's back list when they feel it is not financially sound for the publisher. Self-publishing is free. All an author needs is a computer to create the electronic file, an internet connection to upload the work, and no limit to the number of copies sold. Ever.

Those are just some of the benefits of self-publishing. Some might say that with traditional publishers the author will receive help/funds marketing their work. This is not necessarily true. Unless you are already a best seller, the publisher will most likely not spend marketing dollars on your new book. They tend to spend that money on authors they know have a large fan base. This is almost unheard of for debut authors. These authors must market their books themselves in most cases. Also gone are the days of fat advances. There again, if you're a mega bestseller (ie - Stephen King, James Patterson, et al.) you can expect hefty advances because the publisher knows they will most likely earn that money (and much more) back.

So, with all of that being said, self-publishing is looking more and more appealing to me. Sure, I'd like to receive validation that my work is commercially acceptable, but why? If I might only receive 14% off the sales of my work and I have to do all the leg work to market my book, why not just self-publish it since I'd do that anyway and I could earn more money from each sale? To not do that seems ridiculous.

Of course, there is more research I need to do before I pinch my nose and jump into self-publishing. I've done some research already. Hence, where I pulled the above information. But, I want to be aware of any pitfalls and snafus that may arise. So far, however, there don't seem to be any real problems that I can find. The self-publishing world seems to be the wild, wild west where authors are releasing their work, marketing to reach their audience(s), and are reaping the rewards of the D.I.Y. novelist. I want to get in on the ground floor before the big publishers realize they are becoming obsolete and change the self-publishing world so they can still make money to pay their large staffs.

So, what do you think? Is self-publishing a current fad? Do you think it will change dramatically? If so, how long do you think it will last and how will it change? I welcome your comments.

Waiting is the hardest part...

Okay, so it's been nearly half a month since my last post in which I said I was submitting short stories. I'm pleased to say they are out at the respectable publishers I chose to send them to and now I am anxiously awaiting word from the editors. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that at least one will be accepted. But, of course, it would be great if they all received acceptance.

I think I said in my last post that I was submitting two stories, but since then I sent out yet another. So, there are three out making the rounds instead of just two. It's been a while since I've submitted anything and I forgot how frightening and, at the same time, exciting it is to await the editors' responses. Hopefully, I will have good news to post soon concerning any feedback. If, that is, I haven't worried myself into a knot.

Let the submissions begin

We're half way through February and Valentine's Day looms on the horizon. I finally pulled myself away from editing my novel in order to submit two short stories. Actually, the second of those short stories won't go out until tomorrow. I packaged the manuscript according to the publisher's guidelines, trying to follow their instructions to the letter--very important! My wife is mailing it off for me tomorrow since she goes by the post office and I don't.

Anyway, I am excited to be awaiting word from editors/publishers regarding my submissions. Having been on hiatus during the holidays leaves me feeling unproductive even though I have been editing. I hope to hear good news soon and post where my stories have found homes. Meanwhile, I will continue editing one of my novels and get it into shape. With any luck, I should begin querying agents/publishers later this year after I polish the manuscript into the best story it can be. I also hope to get a few more short stories ready to submit soon. Stay tuned to see where my stories wind up. Thanks for stopping by.

A gift for other writers

Yesterday, I came across a post on Nathan Bransford's forums where a writer had inquired about ways to keep track of submissions. I responded, telling about a program that I created to do just this. It's called Submission Tracker. I made this program last year after reading a different post somewhere where a few writers were commiserating over the chore of keeping track of manuscripts during the submission process.

As a software developer (yes, that's still my day job), I decided I would create an application for myself to help keep track of my own submissions because there was no applications out there that already did this (I didn't do any extensive searches to determine this, but it's been my experience that there are few apps out there for writers). I created a rudimentary program and added functionality to it when I deemed it necessary throughout my own submission process.

I've been using it ever since to keep track of my stories, markets, and submissions. Since reading that post in the forums, I've decided to make my program available to other writers who feel a desire to use it.

Some of the features:
1. Ability to enter story details. This includes: Title, word count, genre, number of drafts.
2. Ability to enter publisher information. Name, publication type (webzine/print, paying/non-paying), approx. response time, two web addresses (useful for home page and submission guidelines for quick reference).
3. Quick reference history for stories that have been submitted. Shows current submission location and prior submitted locations (if applicable) with publisher's response.
4. Grid view listing of current stories on submission, stories written, and publishers, each on their own tab.

I'm making it available free of charge, downloadable at the bottom of this post on a couple of conditions.

1. The software is available as-is.
2. Do not contact me with any bugs you find in the software. I created this app for myself and I program every day. In my spare time I write and do not want that time to be used programming. It's a free program, after all. If you find you don't like it, simply uninstall it.
3. This is a Windows application. Unfortunately, anyone using a different operating system will not be able to use it.

With that said, I would like to add that I will more than likely enhance the application by fixing any bugs I find and adding new functionality to make the app more robust. But, as I've already said, I don't enjoy programming during my time away from work, so these enhancements may be slow in coming. While I do not want people sending me bug reports, I am open to receiving wish lists for features. If there is something lacking that you think would make the application better, feel free to email me.

Here are a few screen shots:

This is a detail view of a submission.


This is a list of publishers I entered into the program.


A shot of the new story and new publisher dialog screens.


This is the submission history from a single story. Notice the context menu (right-click) to view detail, edit the entry, or delete it.


If you find yourself interested in using the Submission Tracker application. You can download it here. Check back for future updates. Perhaps I will add a feature that you find useful and, remember, if there is something you'd like included, you can always send me an email requesting it. I may or may not include it depending on how useful the suggested feature is, but you never know. I hope the program makes tracking your submissions much easier. Thanks for visiting.