Author's Thread #13

[Jim Gamma]

Book 15 will be an anthology, with a framing story in the form of a documentary. This should be fun!

[RJDiogenes]

The other extreme from Book 14.

[Lupine]

After a long sales drought I made a sale of Diaspora. Now I've made a sale of Secrets in the Sand. Wondering if it was the same person.

[RJDiogenes]

Nice! I hope they spread the word.

I haven't seen a deposit from Amazon in months.

[australis]

It's me!

I've been busy. Since putting out 'Catching Light' on Amazon nearly 5 years ago, I've been struggling with moving houses, lockdowns, difficult personal relationships, pneumonia and a bunch of other things. Reorganised my mental processes. Now about 85% through a fantasy novel, the goal being to get an agent. Also working on a second short story collection which has been dragging so hard, so I set up a chapbook of 4 stories and a poem. The aim of it is to use it as a test bed for marketing; it has a story from the previous book, one from the forthcoming book, and 2 new ones. Hope this works.

The fantasy novel has some magic but is more action-adventure. And instead of a doorstop trilogy, I'm using the original Conan books as a template - short books made up of short stories. To me, they'd be easier to pick up and put down, and keeping the action high will encourage people to come back. Howard's Conan stories, I found on rereading, are dark and gloomy (he was writing for Weird Tales so...) and I thought something more upbeat and more adventure, Conan crossed with PotC, maybe. Indeed the 3rd book will be the pirate one, and the 4th the Castaway arc. The idea is to get these ones out fast. Terry Pratchett could put out 2 books a year at his peak, so I'm aiming for one a year rising to 3 in 2 years.

I also noticed something. I was really stuck on the novel, so I stopped to put the chapbook together, writing and editing parts of it, and when I got back to the novel, it was so much easier, taking a break was a good thing.

Amazon is a pain in the arse to deal with though! Not strictly in payments and whatnot, just setting up the actual book the way you want it!

All this aside from caring for grandkids and being involved in a male choir. As well as social services being a pain to deal with too.

Life, eh?

[Lupine]

^Welcome back, australis!

Good luck with getting an agent. I was never able to get one.

I also noticed something. I was really stuck on the novel, so I stopped to put the chapbook together, writing and editing parts of it, and when I got back to the novel, it was so much easier, taking a break was a good thing.

I hear you there. My current novel is dragging to the point I've started working on a novella instead but I find myself with little time to write.

Amazon is a pain in the arse to deal with though! Not strictly in payments and whatnot, just setting up the actual book the way you want it!

Have you downloaded Kindle Create? It's pretty easy to work with and I've had luck with it.

[RJDiogenes]

It's me!

Me who?

I set up a chapbook of 4 stories and a poem.

This puppy right here?

Howard's Conan stories, I found on rereading, are dark and gloomy (he was writing for Weird Tales so...)

I never got into the barbarian thing, but I've got a couple of his non-Conan collections.

Conan crossed with PotC, maybe.

Planet of the Chimps?

All this aside from caring for grandkids and being involved in a male choir. As well as social services being a pain to deal with too.

Dare I ask why social services?

Life, eh?

Tell me about it. But don't ask. You don't want to know.

Have you downloaded Kindle Create? It's pretty easy to work with and I've had luck with it.

Oh, yeah, I meant to do that. Maybe tonight.

[australis]

This puppy right here?

Hmm, yeah, but I updated the cover an' everything! Bloody Kindle!

Social services is the welfare net, in effect. I've been off work since I had cancer and am reliant on it. Hence trying to get more books out and start generating even some modest income. Want life to be a bit better.

[australis]

Have you downloaded Kindle Create? It's pretty easy to work with and I've had luck with it.

I'm doing it online. Better to DL an app and do it "in-house"?

[Lupine]

^Kindle Create does a lot of the formatting for you.

[RJDiogenes]

Hmm, yeah, but I updated the cover an' everything! Bloody Kindle!

I'm sure the right version will download when it goes live. Somewhat sure.

Social services is the welfare net, in effect. I've been off work since I had cancer and am reliant on it. Hence trying to get more books out and start generating even some modest income. Want life to be a bit better.

Ugh. Indeed. Well, keep us posted and we'll do what we can.

^Kindle Create does a lot of the formatting for you.

I've got it downloaded and installed. Now to start experimenting.

[Lupine]

I found someone selling a paperback printing of Time Immemorial on Ebay for $26. Even though its still available for $12 on Amazon.

[RJDiogenes]

Maybe you should increase the price. There are those who believe that people are more likely to pay a higher price because they don't trust a bargain.

[Lupine]

I found that bing has an image creator that I got some good results with.

[RJDiogenes]

Ooh, a new toy. Looks like I have to register, though, so I'll give it a try later.