Thoughts on serials and ebook pricing

I’m going to do something potentially dangerous and discuss pricing strategies in a rather candid way.  I may risk turning off some of my potential readers, especially the ones who don’t like shorter works, but I want to be as open and transparent as I can, since I figure it’s only fair, especially to someone… Continue reading Thoughts on serials and ebook pricing

Star Wanderers: four novelettes or a novel in four parts?

So my plans to publish Star Wanderers have run into a little snag…Part II was rejected for distribution to iTunes, Sony, and other retailers, with an order to unpublish both parts and republish them as one work.  The order probably came because of this clause in the Smashwords Terms of Service: 9d. You further warrant… Continue reading Star Wanderers: four novelettes or a novel in four parts?

Finding the right price

One of the most controversial parts of indie publishing is deciding what price to set for your books.  Epublishing is so new that there isn’t any good data to base pricing decisions off of, and everyone seems to have a different feeling as to what is “fair.” Most readers (including me) agree that $12.99 is… Continue reading Finding the right price

Journey to Jordan is now up on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

That’s right–my travel journals from the 2008 study abroad to Jordan are now up on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and almost everywhere else!  Here’s a complete list: Kindle | Kindle UK | Kindle DE | Kindle FR | Kindle ES | Kindle IT | Nook | Smashwords | Kobo | Diesel | Xinxii | Sony… Continue reading Journey to Jordan is now up on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

Why I’m not submitting to the 2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest

Last year, I submitted Genesis Earth to the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest and made it to the quarter-finals.  I’m pretty sure I could do at least that well this year, but after reading the contest rules, I’ve decided not to participate. Why? Because of this: 5. GRANT OF RIGHTS. By submitting an Entry and… Continue reading Why I’m not submitting to the 2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest

Random updates before leaving

I’m spending Thanksgiving with my parents this year, which means I’m leaving for Massachusetts tomorrow…by train.  Well, technically, Sunday morning, since the cross-country trains come through Salt Lake City in the wee hours, but to my way of thinking it’s tomorrow and not Sunday.  Either way, I won’t be posting anything until Tuesday night, since… Continue reading Random updates before leaving

Should I keep it free?

My first three ebooks have been available for free for several months, and I’m happy for all the attention they’ve received, but I’ve got mixed feelings now about keeping them free indefinitely.  Downloads have more or less bottomed out, and they aren’t really driving any interest in my other work, so part of me wonders… Continue reading Should I keep it free?

How do you know when you’ve succeeded?

With books and publishing changing so quickly, a lot of writers are wondering how they can tell when they’ve actually “made it.” It’s a valid question, one that I think we all need to answer if we want to write seriously.  For myself in particular, as an indie writer, how will I know when I’ve achieved… Continue reading How do you know when you’ve succeeded?

Sholpan 2.0 is finished!

Today I finished the second draft of the novella Sholpan, only two days after the deadline I set for myself.  Here are the stats: ms pages: 173 words: 37,466 file size: 94 KB parts: 5 start date: 1 Aug 2011 end date: 15 Aug 2011 I decided to divide it into parts because I read… Continue reading Sholpan 2.0 is finished!

“Memoirs of a Snowflake” is now free!

So I come back from my camping trip, and what do I find?  Amazon has made my short story “Memoirs of a Snowflake” available for free–and it’s at the #16 spot on the fantasy bestseller list!  Awesome! Camping was fun, as was the road trip down there.  The stars out at Huntington Reservoir were absolutely… Continue reading “Memoirs of a Snowflake” is now free!