"This book was excellent."
"This book turned out to be as vivid and attention grabbing as the picture on the cover."
"It's hard to put down your Kindle while reading this book."
"You can't help but like Rose and Peter and I eagerly await the next
installment to find out what happens to both of them and their family."
"I fell instantly in love with Rose and I found myself being so sad when the book was over."
Those are excerpts from reviews of my ebook "Rose Of Skibbereen", posted on the Amazon Kindle site. I am happy that readers like the story and characters, and I'm glad that some of them are posting reviews.
Online reviews are like manna for an indie author. We don't have the traditional publishers behind us, with their big marketing budgets, and most of us are doing this on a shoestring. We work hard every day to get the word out about our books, and online reviews can give us a big boost.
Think about it. When you buy a book online, do you read the reviews? I do. Some of them are helpful and some aren't, but I always read them. I feel that if other readers have taken the time to write a review, I should find out what they have to say. It also gives the book more credibility when you see that readers have put their opinion of it in writing. A book with no reviews makes you pause before considering whether you'll buy it.
The online booksellers all know the value of reviews. Amazon sends an email within days after you've purchased a book from them, asking if you want to post a review of it. They know that people want to see reviews before they buy a book, so they try to encourage readers to post them.
So, I'm making a plea to anyone who buys "Rose Of Skibbereen": Leave a review. I don't care if you leave a negative review, and I don't care if it's only a one sentence review. Anything you post is appreciated, because it shows that you were engaged with the book, and you took the time to post your opinion about it. That's good for authors, good for readers, and good for the future of digital publishing (especially as it pertains to the small, independent guys like me).
Put your two cents in. Register an opinion. It helps us all.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Free For A Very Limited Time
I've waxed enthusiastic about the wonders of self-publishing in the digital age, but there are times -- thankfully not too many of them -- when the process can be frustrating. When you self-publish you're a one man band, playing all the instruments, singing the songs, putting up the posters and paying the bills. Sometimes it seems like you could spend so much time on the administrative jobs that you'd have no time to write. When you're that busy and your attention is so split up, that's when mistakes can happen.
One just happened to me. Yesterday I happened to check the Amazon sales figures for my ebooks, and I noticed that my "Rose Of Skibbereen" novel had a ton of downloads. Normally that would be a good thing, but these downloads were in the "Free Price Match" column. I surfed over to the Amazon listing for my book and sure enough, the price was reduced from $4.99 to free. So, I Googled "Rose Of Skibbereen" and clicked on all the online book retailers who had my book listed. Lo and behold, I found that Sony had my book listed for free. Amazon automatically matches the lowest price it finds online for a book, so it was obvious that Sony's free listing was what triggered the Amazon price match.
What to do? I contacted Smashwords, which handles distribution for retailers like Sony, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble, and asked them what was going on. I had to wait almost 24 hours, during which time hundreds of my ebooks were downloaded for free, before the Smashwords rep got back to me and said he would contact Sony. As of right now, which is 3:34 Eastern time on May 8, 2013, my book is still free on Sony and Amazon. Whenever Sony puts the correct price on my ebook, Amazon will match it and I can once again get paid for my creative efforts.
I don't know how this happened, unless it's that I published a short version of "Rose Of Skibbereen" containing only the first three chapters, and it's free. I did that to stimulate interest in the longer version. Maybe Sony got them mixed up, I don't know, but the bottom line is that it's cost me sales. So far I haven't gotten an explanation from Smashwords. I've generally had a positive experience publishing on Smashwords, but this is definitely not one of my favorite moments. I guess it comes with the territory if you're self-publishing, though. You just have to stay on top of every aspect of the process, or something like this can happen.
So, folks, until this gets straightened out you can download a copy of "Rose Of Skibbereen" for free and there's nothing I can do to stop that. I'll chalk it up to the cost of doing business, but maybe you could do me a favor. If you do download the novel for free, could you write a review and post it on Amazon or Smashwords? It doesn't matter if it's positive or negative, any review will do.
It would make this indie author very happy.
One just happened to me. Yesterday I happened to check the Amazon sales figures for my ebooks, and I noticed that my "Rose Of Skibbereen" novel had a ton of downloads. Normally that would be a good thing, but these downloads were in the "Free Price Match" column. I surfed over to the Amazon listing for my book and sure enough, the price was reduced from $4.99 to free. So, I Googled "Rose Of Skibbereen" and clicked on all the online book retailers who had my book listed. Lo and behold, I found that Sony had my book listed for free. Amazon automatically matches the lowest price it finds online for a book, so it was obvious that Sony's free listing was what triggered the Amazon price match.
What to do? I contacted Smashwords, which handles distribution for retailers like Sony, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble, and asked them what was going on. I had to wait almost 24 hours, during which time hundreds of my ebooks were downloaded for free, before the Smashwords rep got back to me and said he would contact Sony. As of right now, which is 3:34 Eastern time on May 8, 2013, my book is still free on Sony and Amazon. Whenever Sony puts the correct price on my ebook, Amazon will match it and I can once again get paid for my creative efforts.
I don't know how this happened, unless it's that I published a short version of "Rose Of Skibbereen" containing only the first three chapters, and it's free. I did that to stimulate interest in the longer version. Maybe Sony got them mixed up, I don't know, but the bottom line is that it's cost me sales. So far I haven't gotten an explanation from Smashwords. I've generally had a positive experience publishing on Smashwords, but this is definitely not one of my favorite moments. I guess it comes with the territory if you're self-publishing, though. You just have to stay on top of every aspect of the process, or something like this can happen.
So, folks, until this gets straightened out you can download a copy of "Rose Of Skibbereen" for free and there's nothing I can do to stop that. I'll chalk it up to the cost of doing business, but maybe you could do me a favor. If you do download the novel for free, could you write a review and post it on Amazon or Smashwords? It doesn't matter if it's positive or negative, any review will do.
It would make this indie author very happy.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
A Change In Plans
I freely admit I'm not a marketing guru when it comes to this brave new world of digital publishing. I'm a fiction writer, not a shill; I'd rather spend my time creating characters and seeing where their lives take them than sweating over a new marketing campaign.
For that reason I sometimes make mistakes when it comes to marketing my ebooks. Take Rose Of Skibbereen, my newest novel. At first I thought I'd release it in installments, one every week for five weeks, priced at 99 cents each. I thought it was a good way to build readership, because people seem to like reading installments on their e-readers.
But I bailed on it.
I put out the first three installments, then changed my mind. I simply can't find it inside myself to give away my writing for 99 cents. I've been writing my whole life, and I've been doing it for a living since the 1980s. I have a Master's in English literature, I've been published in a slew of places, and I think I'm a damn fine writer. I could not stomach putting out my novel in 99 cent installments.
So, I changed the plan. Now, I'm giving away the first installment for free. You can download it here.
If you like that little taste, you can buy the whole book here for $4.99.
I think that's a fair price for a multi-generational Irish American family saga that has romance, humor, passion, action and heartache, set against the fast-changing world of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These are characters I've grown close to, and I think you will too. So, take a chance and download the free installment. I hope it will be the beginning of something you'll truly enjoy.
For that reason I sometimes make mistakes when it comes to marketing my ebooks. Take Rose Of Skibbereen, my newest novel. At first I thought I'd release it in installments, one every week for five weeks, priced at 99 cents each. I thought it was a good way to build readership, because people seem to like reading installments on their e-readers.
But I bailed on it.
I put out the first three installments, then changed my mind. I simply can't find it inside myself to give away my writing for 99 cents. I've been writing my whole life, and I've been doing it for a living since the 1980s. I have a Master's in English literature, I've been published in a slew of places, and I think I'm a damn fine writer. I could not stomach putting out my novel in 99 cent installments.
So, I changed the plan. Now, I'm giving away the first installment for free. You can download it here.
If you like that little taste, you can buy the whole book here for $4.99.
I think that's a fair price for a multi-generational Irish American family saga that has romance, humor, passion, action and heartache, set against the fast-changing world of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These are characters I've grown close to, and I think you will too. So, take a chance and download the free installment. I hope it will be the beginning of something you'll truly enjoy.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
The Second "Rose" Is Out
Serial publishing is big these days, and many ebook authors are publishing their work in installments. It harks back to the Victorian era, when thousands of people would read installments in the newspaper of the latest novels written by Charles Dickens, William Thackeray, and others.
Well, I've joined the trend, and I'm publishing my latest ebook, "Rose Of Skibbereen" in weekly installments. The second installment is online now, and you can find it at Smashwords and Amazon. It's available at a special price of 99 cents a copy for a limited time, so I recommend downloading it right away!
"Rose Of Skibbereen" is a family saga that spans the late 19th century all the way up to the present. It's about a girl named Rose Sullivan who emigrates to America from Ireland, in search of a better life. She arrives in America at a time of great change, and her life transforms in ways she never could have imagined back in her little town of Skibbereen, Ireland. It's got romance, heartache, action, twists and turns, and a cast of unforgettable characters. A crackling good read, if I do say so myself!
Well, I've joined the trend, and I'm publishing my latest ebook, "Rose Of Skibbereen" in weekly installments. The second installment is online now, and you can find it at Smashwords and Amazon. It's available at a special price of 99 cents a copy for a limited time, so I recommend downloading it right away!
"Rose Of Skibbereen" is a family saga that spans the late 19th century all the way up to the present. It's about a girl named Rose Sullivan who emigrates to America from Ireland, in search of a better life. She arrives in America at a time of great change, and her life transforms in ways she never could have imagined back in her little town of Skibbereen, Ireland. It's got romance, heartache, action, twists and turns, and a cast of unforgettable characters. A crackling good read, if I do say so myself!
Monday, March 11, 2013
"Rose Of Skibbereen" Is Out
I like to write many types of fiction, and my latest project is a romance/family saga about a girl named Rose Sullivan who comes to America in 1880 from a small town in Ireland, and the many twists and turns her life takes after that. It's called "Rose Of Skibbereen". Skibbereen is the name of the town in Ireland that Rose comes from, and it just happens to be the town where some of my Irish relatives came from, back in the 19th century. It's a town that is famous for being hard hit by the Great Famine of the 1840s, and in fact contemporary reports say that conditions were worse there than in any other place in Ireland. There's even a song, "Dear Old Skibbereen", which tells the story of an Irish farmer who is forced to leave his home because of the terrible tragedy of the Famine.
So, you might ask, is this book I've written based on my family history? I've done a fair bit of family research, as well as reading up on the Irish immigration of the 19th century, so there are some similarities. Like most writers, though, I've found that once you get the characters on the page, they take on a life of their own, and they go off in directions you never dreamed of. Rose, her friend Mary, and the handsome but mysterious boy named Sean all had their own ideas about where this story should go, and I just sat back and let them have their way. The result is an entertaining multi-generational story of love, betrayal, joy, tragedy, and a lot of other emotions during a very tumultuous time in the history of Ireland and America. I'm offering the first installment for free at the moment, so I hope you'll download it and enjoy the ride! Here's the link: Rose Of Skibbereen
So, you might ask, is this book I've written based on my family history? I've done a fair bit of family research, as well as reading up on the Irish immigration of the 19th century, so there are some similarities. Like most writers, though, I've found that once you get the characters on the page, they take on a life of their own, and they go off in directions you never dreamed of. Rose, her friend Mary, and the handsome but mysterious boy named Sean all had their own ideas about where this story should go, and I just sat back and let them have their way. The result is an entertaining multi-generational story of love, betrayal, joy, tragedy, and a lot of other emotions during a very tumultuous time in the history of Ireland and America. I'm offering the first installment for free at the moment, so I hope you'll download it and enjoy the ride! Here's the link: Rose Of Skibbereen
Sunday, February 17, 2013
A Character Interviews Her Creator
Since my ebook "13 Horror Stories" has been such a success, especially on Amazon UK, I thought I would conduct an author interview. However, this one's a little different in that I asked one of the characters from the book to interview me, the author. You'll have to bear with this character, Sally Withersfield, the main character of my story, "The Beauty Part". She's a little strange.
Sally: So, how did you come up with the idea to write about a beauty queen like me?
Me: I was fooling around with some flash fiction ideas one day, and I hit on the idea of a story with a character who's narcissistic, stubborn, and who can't stand rejection. That eventually became you.
Sally: I bet it was fun writing about a beauty queen. I mean, we're such amazing people!
Me: It was interesting, for sure. You have some very unique character traits.
Sally: And my looks? Did you picture what I looked like?
Me: I did have a picture in mind of what you looked like at the end of the story. It was not a pretty one, though.
Sally: Well, I admit I was probably not looking my best. I had just found my husband Todd in bed with another woman. It's the kind of thing that would make any woman come apart, you know?
Me: Yes, you certainly did come apart.
Sally: I think Todd was still in love with me, even though he seemed a bit, well, stunned by my appearance.
Me: Stunned is a good word for it.
Sally: Oh, he'll come around. I think he was just surprised at my stick-to-itiveness, you know? We beauty queens never give up!
Me: You can say that again!
Sally: Do you think you'll write a sequel? Maybe you could write about what happens after Todd gets over all that shivering and jabbering he's doing at the end of the story. It could be a kind of happily-ever-after story, about the wonderful life we have together. He'd have to get used to my appearance, of course.
Me: Of course.
Sally: But I still think it would be a really gripping story.
Me: Maybe. I kind of like the way it ends now. I think the readers can imagine what's going to happen next. Although, I'll give it some thought.
Sally: Promise?
Me: Promise.
Sally: Good. I'll make sure to come back in your dreams and give you some ideas.
Me: Uh, that's what I was afraid of.
That concludes our author interview for today, folks. Stay tuned for more interviews with characters from my ebooks!
Sally: So, how did you come up with the idea to write about a beauty queen like me?
Me: I was fooling around with some flash fiction ideas one day, and I hit on the idea of a story with a character who's narcissistic, stubborn, and who can't stand rejection. That eventually became you.
Sally: I bet it was fun writing about a beauty queen. I mean, we're such amazing people!
Me: It was interesting, for sure. You have some very unique character traits.
Sally: And my looks? Did you picture what I looked like?
Me: I did have a picture in mind of what you looked like at the end of the story. It was not a pretty one, though.
Sally: Well, I admit I was probably not looking my best. I had just found my husband Todd in bed with another woman. It's the kind of thing that would make any woman come apart, you know?
Me: Yes, you certainly did come apart.
Sally: I think Todd was still in love with me, even though he seemed a bit, well, stunned by my appearance.
Me: Stunned is a good word for it.
Sally: Oh, he'll come around. I think he was just surprised at my stick-to-itiveness, you know? We beauty queens never give up!
Me: You can say that again!
Sally: Do you think you'll write a sequel? Maybe you could write about what happens after Todd gets over all that shivering and jabbering he's doing at the end of the story. It could be a kind of happily-ever-after story, about the wonderful life we have together. He'd have to get used to my appearance, of course.
Me: Of course.
Sally: But I still think it would be a really gripping story.
Me: Maybe. I kind of like the way it ends now. I think the readers can imagine what's going to happen next. Although, I'll give it some thought.
Sally: Promise?
Me: Promise.
Sally: Good. I'll make sure to come back in your dreams and give you some ideas.
Me: Uh, that's what I was afraid of.
That concludes our author interview for today, folks. Stay tuned for more interviews with characters from my ebooks!
Friday, September 7, 2012
"13 Horror Stories" Cracks the UK top 25
This is a day I dreamed about but wasn't quite sure it would ever happen. My ebook of horror short stories, "13 Horror Stories" is climbing the charts on Amazon UK. A few days ago it was #25 in the horror short stories category, and today I've watched as it has steadily climbed to (the last time I checked) #19 for horror short stories and #82 for short stories of every category. Woo hoo, let's break out the champagne!
I am gratified because it means that my hard work is paying off. I have been a writer all my life, but even though I love fiction and got a Master's in English Literature because I wanted to keep reading it, I spent most of my life doing other kinds of writing. Just about every other kind, including catalog copy, speeches, trade magazine articles, blogs, newsletters -- you name it, if it involves putting words on a screen (or on paper, which is how I started out years ago), I've done it. I wrote a few short stories along the way, and I even got a handwritten rejection letter from The New Yorker magazine once (handwritten rejection letters are supposed to be not as bad for the ego as typewritten ones, because they mean an editor took a little extra time to tell you your work was unsuitable). I never pursued my fiction writing dream with any great effort, though. It was too scary to actually reach for, so I pushed it away.
Until I turned 50 and realized that if I had any intention of realizing my dream I'd better get to work. So, I started writing fiction every day, mostly awful stuff at first, but slowly the stories got better. I joined writing groups, kept polishing my craft, and started sending my stories out to online magazines. To my surprise, some of them got published. I kept writing, and then the ebook revolution came along. Now it was possible for anyone to publish a book, to reach an audience, and to get exposure for their writing.
I jumped in with both feet. I put out first one book of short stories, then another. And another. Now I have 11 books listed on Amazon. Some are horror books, some are humor, and some are the kind that pull at the heartstrings. I don't stick to one type of writing. My horror books don't have zombies, but they do have twists that sneak up on you. My humor is verbal; not in your face. My books are not mainstream, but they're finding an audience, and that's so gratifying.
Dreams can come true.
13 Horror Stories UK edition
I am gratified because it means that my hard work is paying off. I have been a writer all my life, but even though I love fiction and got a Master's in English Literature because I wanted to keep reading it, I spent most of my life doing other kinds of writing. Just about every other kind, including catalog copy, speeches, trade magazine articles, blogs, newsletters -- you name it, if it involves putting words on a screen (or on paper, which is how I started out years ago), I've done it. I wrote a few short stories along the way, and I even got a handwritten rejection letter from The New Yorker magazine once (handwritten rejection letters are supposed to be not as bad for the ego as typewritten ones, because they mean an editor took a little extra time to tell you your work was unsuitable). I never pursued my fiction writing dream with any great effort, though. It was too scary to actually reach for, so I pushed it away.
Until I turned 50 and realized that if I had any intention of realizing my dream I'd better get to work. So, I started writing fiction every day, mostly awful stuff at first, but slowly the stories got better. I joined writing groups, kept polishing my craft, and started sending my stories out to online magazines. To my surprise, some of them got published. I kept writing, and then the ebook revolution came along. Now it was possible for anyone to publish a book, to reach an audience, and to get exposure for their writing.
I jumped in with both feet. I put out first one book of short stories, then another. And another. Now I have 11 books listed on Amazon. Some are horror books, some are humor, and some are the kind that pull at the heartstrings. I don't stick to one type of writing. My horror books don't have zombies, but they do have twists that sneak up on you. My humor is verbal; not in your face. My books are not mainstream, but they're finding an audience, and that's so gratifying.
Dreams can come true.
13 Horror Stories UK edition
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