NaNoWriMo 2018 is coming fast and furious and I'm currently rooted in my preparations for the 50,000 words in 30 days challenge (term Prep_tober coined by Rachael Stephen).
In order to force myself to finish projets, I like to keep to only one active project, and I haven't complete my manuscript from 2016-17 The Compendium of Curiosities and Impractical Magic which would normally mean I'd be a NaNo rebel and try to add another 50,000 words to that manuscript. But I'm feeling motivated to write on a new idea and motivation is key to success in the NaNo challenge, so break my own rule, I must.
My new novel-to-be, Revenge Served Neat, is part mystery, part thriller: When Lydia “Liddy” Randall’s husband, Nick, dies on what should have been the most significant night of his budding political career, she thinks it’s the worst night of her life. But the night before the funeral, the police arrive at her door to tell her that Nick’s heart attack appears to have been triggered intentionally by an overdose of a prescription medication, making the recent acquisition of a high dollar figure life insurance policy for Nick very suspicious and changing her from grieving spouse into the number one murder suspect. Liddy must dig through Nick’s life and hers to figure out who would want him dead before she’s charged with murder and loses custody of her children to her enraged mother-in-law.
See the cover on my Works In Progress page - it's fabulous! I purchased it from SelfPubBookCovers.com. (I'm not affiliated or compensated by them in any way.)
Over the few remaining days in October (only 21 to go!), I'll be posting a bit about my planning process. For now, if you'd like to know more about NaNoWriMo or are interested in taking the NaNoWriMo challenge: visit NaNoWriMo.org
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Thursday, March 29, 2018
Truce or Consequences Book Chat
38 minute chat with Kelly Lopushansky, Author of Truce or Consequences
Monday, February 12, 2018
Saturday, February 10, 2018
One Author's Plea Regarding the Terror of a Book Release
Today, my novel released as an e-book which means that people may, in fact, read it.
While an exceptionally exciting time in my life (goodness, I should be in a more celebratory mood), it's also one of the most terrifying. Why? Because people I actually know, and who know me, may read my book. My stomach churns at the very thought. Someone I know might read it!!! Ack! Is this really what I signed on for? (Answer: yes)
People I actually know, may:
1) Hate it. (Please don't tell me if you just plain hate it and have no other thoughts to share. I'll never even know you purchased it unless you tell me, so just don't tell me you bought it, read it, and hated it.)
2) Judge me for its content. (Perhaps you don't care for something in the book. Maybe you're shocked by what I wrote. Maybe just reading this book will change your opinion of me, discolor our friendship forever, and I'll never know why. On this one, I think I'd rather know, even though I can't do anything about it. At least I'll understand.)
3) Find errors. (I may melt into the floor, but PLEASE TELL ME if you find an error. At least I can correct it for a new edition.)
4) Not like it. (This is fine. I've read books I didn't like. You can tell me it wasn't your cup of tea. That won't offend me.)
5) Have a criticism that they share with everyone BUT me. (Please, if you have a comment worthy of sharing with anybody else, share it with me too.)
I'm sure there are more items to add to this list of neurotic thoughts, but at the moment, these are the ones preying on me.
If you've released a book and have any suggestions on how to battle the crazy, please comment your thoughts. I need them!
While an exceptionally exciting time in my life (goodness, I should be in a more celebratory mood), it's also one of the most terrifying. Why? Because people I actually know, and who know me, may read my book. My stomach churns at the very thought. Someone I know might read it!!! Ack! Is this really what I signed on for? (Answer: yes)
People I actually know, may:
1) Hate it. (Please don't tell me if you just plain hate it and have no other thoughts to share. I'll never even know you purchased it unless you tell me, so just don't tell me you bought it, read it, and hated it.)
2) Judge me for its content. (Perhaps you don't care for something in the book. Maybe you're shocked by what I wrote. Maybe just reading this book will change your opinion of me, discolor our friendship forever, and I'll never know why. On this one, I think I'd rather know, even though I can't do anything about it. At least I'll understand.)
3) Find errors. (I may melt into the floor, but PLEASE TELL ME if you find an error. At least I can correct it for a new edition.)
4) Not like it. (This is fine. I've read books I didn't like. You can tell me it wasn't your cup of tea. That won't offend me.)
5) Have a criticism that they share with everyone BUT me. (Please, if you have a comment worthy of sharing with anybody else, share it with me too.)
I'm sure there are more items to add to this list of neurotic thoughts, but at the moment, these are the ones preying on me.
If you've released a book and have any suggestions on how to battle the crazy, please comment your thoughts. I need them!
Saturday, February 3, 2018
Measure Twice, Cut Once and a Review of CreateSpace.com
With the upcoming release of my second book, Truce or Consequences, I'm looking forward to some on-line promotion, including a "book chat" video that will post to youtube. With that in mind (and that fact that it will probably be recorded this week), I dashed out for a haircut to make myself more presentable. Thankfully, the cut turned out great. But it put me in mind of the frustration I've had all week with putting my paperback together.
On the topic of measuring, I have proof that I can't measure on a computer worth anything (no matter how many guidelines I use). I've now upload 4 different versions of the book jacket. Unfortunately, CreateSpace.com takes about 24 hours to review the jacket and interior before I can see if I've got it the way I want it, so it's taken 5 days. The book back has been fine since upload #2, but the front has been "a little off" every time and I keep hoping that this next one will do it. In this case, I've measured 4 times, and haven't cut a thing. (For the record, it's possible I'm taking the hard route, making my book jacket rather than having it done by the site, but I purchased a beautiful book cover for the ebook and I want it on the paperback exactly that way.)
With the release due on 2/10, I don't think the paperback is going to quite make it, but I'm not losing heart... the ebook is out everywhere as a pre-order already! So the release will happen. I'm just sorry the paperback may not be available the same day.
A quick review of CreateSpace.com for creating a paperback. First, the service is print-on-demand, meaning that when someone orders the book, that's when it's printed. No warehousing and no indie author purchasing a hundred copies to sit in their basement for however long it takes to sell them. A pretty great model! The author can also purchase copies at a "member" price plus shipping and handling (no royalties for those, of course), so you could fill your basement, if you wanted.
The process of creating the book, with the exception of the trouble with the cover, which is my fault, has been simple and fast. Once I chose the size of the book, they provided a template for the interior. I pasted in my manuscript, made a few tweaks with the templates styles so my chapters looked just right, and uploaded it. All told, the interior took about an hour. Had my manuscript been shorter, I doubt it would have taken that long and the interior has been perfect since the first upload (though I caught a typo and had to do one more).
They also provide everything you need to put together your cover. You can even choose a style from their pre-made layouts without extra cost. I looked at this method and you can use your own images and so on. I chose to make my own because I wanted something very specific and their layouts didn't match my vision. But, the layouts were very nice and extremely professional.
If you want someone to do all the work for you, you can pay for it. I didn't even consider it, so I didn't shop around and I can't say whether or not the pricing is competitive... but the products are fantastic. Check it out, if you're interested.
On many issues, CreateSpace is very flexible. The range of book sizes is tremendous and they do tell you about the industry standards, very important for a first-time publisher. You can use your own ISBN or get one from them for free, I chose their free one. In order to sell on-line, you need to provide information to Amazon about your book. They have a creation step that walks you through it and they provide answers to your questions as you go.
You have a pretty wide choice for distribution, though they are owned by Amazon, so that's the major retailer at which the book is available (not Barnes & Noble). They do provide options for expanded distribution, including libraries and independent booksellers, but the cost does go up (hey, everybody needs to get their cut, so I understand). One of the creation steps is dedicated to pricing and they provide help with that too.
Unless you don't want to work with Amazon, I definitely recommend CreateSpace for indie publishers.
So, why publish a paperback at all? Since CreateSpace doesn't really charge me for the service (I guess that their cut is in the orders), I really didn't see a drawback to having a physical book. I figure you never know who might hear about it and want a physical copy. I know I still like to read that way. And then I thought about having a copy sitting on the my bookshelf that I could see and touch. That's worth it's weight in gold.
On the topic of measuring, I have proof that I can't measure on a computer worth anything (no matter how many guidelines I use). I've now upload 4 different versions of the book jacket. Unfortunately, CreateSpace.com takes about 24 hours to review the jacket and interior before I can see if I've got it the way I want it, so it's taken 5 days. The book back has been fine since upload #2, but the front has been "a little off" every time and I keep hoping that this next one will do it. In this case, I've measured 4 times, and haven't cut a thing. (For the record, it's possible I'm taking the hard route, making my book jacket rather than having it done by the site, but I purchased a beautiful book cover for the ebook and I want it on the paperback exactly that way.)
With the release due on 2/10, I don't think the paperback is going to quite make it, but I'm not losing heart... the ebook is out everywhere as a pre-order already! So the release will happen. I'm just sorry the paperback may not be available the same day.
A quick review of CreateSpace.com for creating a paperback. First, the service is print-on-demand, meaning that when someone orders the book, that's when it's printed. No warehousing and no indie author purchasing a hundred copies to sit in their basement for however long it takes to sell them. A pretty great model! The author can also purchase copies at a "member" price plus shipping and handling (no royalties for those, of course), so you could fill your basement, if you wanted.
The process of creating the book, with the exception of the trouble with the cover, which is my fault, has been simple and fast. Once I chose the size of the book, they provided a template for the interior. I pasted in my manuscript, made a few tweaks with the templates styles so my chapters looked just right, and uploaded it. All told, the interior took about an hour. Had my manuscript been shorter, I doubt it would have taken that long and the interior has been perfect since the first upload (though I caught a typo and had to do one more).
They also provide everything you need to put together your cover. You can even choose a style from their pre-made layouts without extra cost. I looked at this method and you can use your own images and so on. I chose to make my own because I wanted something very specific and their layouts didn't match my vision. But, the layouts were very nice and extremely professional.
If you want someone to do all the work for you, you can pay for it. I didn't even consider it, so I didn't shop around and I can't say whether or not the pricing is competitive... but the products are fantastic. Check it out, if you're interested.
On many issues, CreateSpace is very flexible. The range of book sizes is tremendous and they do tell you about the industry standards, very important for a first-time publisher. You can use your own ISBN or get one from them for free, I chose their free one. In order to sell on-line, you need to provide information to Amazon about your book. They have a creation step that walks you through it and they provide answers to your questions as you go.
You have a pretty wide choice for distribution, though they are owned by Amazon, so that's the major retailer at which the book is available (not Barnes & Noble). They do provide options for expanded distribution, including libraries and independent booksellers, but the cost does go up (hey, everybody needs to get their cut, so I understand). One of the creation steps is dedicated to pricing and they provide help with that too.
Unless you don't want to work with Amazon, I definitely recommend CreateSpace for indie publishers.
A word about pricing and my book... due to the length of my book, the cost to have it printed is pretty high, so I decided to stick with just Amazon distribution as my paperback portal for now. This way, I can keep the price lower. While I'm always going to hope for some paperback sales, the truth is I expect far more from the cheaper ebook.
So, why publish a paperback at all? Since CreateSpace doesn't really charge me for the service (I guess that their cut is in the orders), I really didn't see a drawback to having a physical book. I figure you never know who might hear about it and want a physical copy. I know I still like to read that way. And then I thought about having a copy sitting on the my bookshelf that I could see and touch. That's worth it's weight in gold.
Saturday, January 20, 2018
I'm my own punchline
Today I visited my local Barnes & Noble with my husband and daughter. I like to browse through more sections than either of them, so I was under a little bit of time pressure (they are pretty patient with me, but I prefer not to keep them waiting too long).
I picked up two books in my general browsing and then met my family in the bargain books section. The line to check out wandered past some of those tables and I found myself leaving my selections with my husband to peruse "just a little bit more." I came back with a third book.
On the way home, my husband was discussing his purchases, a desk calendar and a puzzle book, and commented that he hadn't actually looked to see what I had found. I immediately told him about the books I had chosen earlier on but was stumped with the third bargain book. I knew that the cover was yellow and the price was $7.98!
We laughed a little that I could remember the price and not the title. (Once again, I chose to share something embarrassing for a laugh.)
After we arrived home, I jumped at the chance to see my purchases and discover the title of the yellow covered book which turned out to be "Ageless Memory" a book on how to improve your memory.
I'll be reading that one first.
I picked up two books in my general browsing and then met my family in the bargain books section. The line to check out wandered past some of those tables and I found myself leaving my selections with my husband to peruse "just a little bit more." I came back with a third book.
On the way home, my husband was discussing his purchases, a desk calendar and a puzzle book, and commented that he hadn't actually looked to see what I had found. I immediately told him about the books I had chosen earlier on but was stumped with the third bargain book. I knew that the cover was yellow and the price was $7.98!
We laughed a little that I could remember the price and not the title. (Once again, I chose to share something embarrassing for a laugh.)
After we arrived home, I jumped at the chance to see my purchases and discover the title of the yellow covered book which turned out to be "Ageless Memory" a book on how to improve your memory.
I'll be reading that one first.
Saturday, March 4, 2017
"Read an Ebook Week" #ebookweek17 #smashwords
Interested in discovering, reading, and supporting Indie Authors at a vastly discounted price? Smashwords.com (a publisher site I use and highly recommend for both their catalog and their treatment of authors) is hosting their annual "Read an Ebook Week," where, for one week only, thousands of Smashwords authors and publishers will provide discounts on Ebooks, of 25%, 50%, 75%, and even 100%.
At one minute past midnight Pacific time on March 5, the special Smashwords Read an Ebook Week promotion catalog goes live on the Smashwords home page. Readers can browse the catalog and search by coupon code levels and categories. After 11:59pm Pacific time on March 11, the catalog disappears. Coupon codes to receive the discount are displayed on the Ebook's book page on Smashwords.com
I'm participating and my Ebook, Heavenly Matchmaking: Meant to Be will be FREE for the entire week (use coupon code SFREE at checkout).
Whether you are interested in my Ebook or interested in looking for great deals, this is a week not to be missed. You'll have the opportunity to discover new authors, many for free. Ebooks are available in multiple formats, including epub, mobi, pdf, lrf, pdb, txt, and html so they can be read on most E-readers, phones, and computers/netbooks with WiFi/internet connection.
At one minute past midnight Pacific time on March 5, the special Smashwords Read an Ebook Week promotion catalog goes live on the Smashwords home page. Readers can browse the catalog and search by coupon code levels and categories. After 11:59pm Pacific time on March 11, the catalog disappears. Coupon codes to receive the discount are displayed on the Ebook's book page on Smashwords.com
I'm participating and my Ebook, Heavenly Matchmaking: Meant to Be will be FREE for the entire week (use coupon code SFREE at checkout).
Whether you are interested in my Ebook or interested in looking for great deals, this is a week not to be missed. You'll have the opportunity to discover new authors, many for free. Ebooks are available in multiple formats, including epub, mobi, pdf, lrf, pdb, txt, and html so they can be read on most E-readers, phones, and computers/netbooks with WiFi/internet connection.
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