Writing Part 3: Finally Publishing... Independently

While I was busy writing up story outlines to submit to Games Workshop's Black Library, my friend Jack Badelaire lost interest in doing the same and instead began exploring Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). At the time I thought he was missing the boat. KDP was interesting, but ebooks weren't all that popular (yet), and I was more interested in writing stories for Games Workshop. Seeing how into their games I was, it seemed like a dream job.

It did not take long for me to realize that it was I who was missing the boat.

Writing Part 2: Dodging Bullets

In my experiences with publishing my writing, I feel that I dodged some bullets in that I failed to get published. Had I gotten published by a legacy publisher, I think I would have gone down a bumpy road of frustration, disappointment, and ultimately failure. Failing to get published was actually a good thing. Each failure on the road to publication was like dodging a bullet. Yes, some of those bullets might have missed me by inches and others by miles...but the important thing is that I didn't get hit.

Writing, Part 1: How my Teachers Crushed my Creativity

I started writing creatively in elementary school, but rarely finished anything.  I started a story about wild horses that was a few pages long, and I started a novel about "Will the Cat" that lasted a chapter or two before I lost interest. In any event, I didn't mention my extracurricular writing to my teachers. Looking at the scrapbook where my mother collected selected assignments, I can see that some of my school writing efforts received standard praise, but that's not what I remember about my experiences. Mostly I remember the rejections.

In Praise of the Kindle

Back in the early 2000s, I considering buying my first digital camera. I was leery of doing so, as all the photos I would take would end up on my computer, and how would I get prints? All of my family photos were in photos albums where I could feel nostalgic occasionally paging through them, provided I could get over the slightly musty smell. To be honest, only the oldest photos were in the albums--the more recent ones were more likely to be still in the envelopes from the local drugstore photo-developers.

I was already scanning some of the pictures I took after having them developed, and I could see doing more of that going forward, so I bit the bullet and bought a digital camera.

I never looked back.

The Effectiveness of BookBub Ads

BookBub is the most popular mailing list / advertisement venue for ebooks right now. BookBub sends out a daily email to well over three million subscribers showcasing ebooks that are being offered for a discount. There are many other promotional sites out there that are useful, but they don't have nearly the number of subscribers that BookBub does.

For an independent author, the downsides to BookBub are twofold:  the chances of getting accepted, and the high price of entry.

There are innumerable posts out there already that give advice on how to better your odds of acceptance, including one by BookBub itself, so this post will not address that.

Instead, this post will address the high price of entry, or more specifically, the potential return on investment (ROI) of running a book ad. Depending on the popularity of the genre and the type of promotion involved, a Bookbub ad can cost anywhere from $55 to $2,350. (as of January 2016) As an author I am most interested in submitting to the Fantasy or Action and Adventure genres, where prices range from $260 to $1,450.

RANGER: Operation Axehammer is Released for Kindle!

My third novel, the first in a new series, is now available on Kindle!

Eager to take the fight to the Germans, hundreds of young American soldiers volunteer to become Rangers, an elite unit modeled after the famed British Commandos. Chuck Hawkins and Alan Patrick are two such men, ready to accept the challenge and show the world that Americans are ready to fight. 

After surviving months of hellish training, Hawkins and Patrick are selected to join a Ranger squad on a covert mission in occupied France. Under orders to avoid contact with the Germans, the plan goes awry when bullets start flying minutes after their landing. Hawkins, Patrick, and the rest of the Rangers are determined to complete their mission, all the while pursued by a ruthless SS officer and his fanatical troops. 

 RANGER: Operation Axehammer is a military action - adventure novel written in the spirit of classic war movies and wartime pulp adventure fiction.

The ebook is available from:

Amazon US	Amazon UK	Amazon DE	Amazon FR
Amazon ES	Amazon IT	Amazon NL	Amazon JP
Amazon BR	Amazon CA	Amazon MX	Amazon AU
Amazon IN

Behind the Scenes of a Free Book Promotion: Part 4

In posts one, two, and three of this series I talked about my previous promotions and how I prepared for the next one. Now for the results. Did it have an impact on my sales?  Did I get a return of investment?

Behind the Scenes of a Free Book Promotion, Part 3

In the third post of my Behind the Scenes of a Free Book Promotion series, I will talk about Promotion Day itself.

The day before the promotion, I got an email from Booktweeters saying that my book wasn’t free today (that is, the day before the promo), and so they couldn’t feature it. I quickly responded saying it wasn’t supposed to be free the day before, and enclosed a copy of my invoice as proof. They responded, apologizing for the mistake. Good, but this wasn’t exactly increasing my confidence in them…

Behind the Scenes of a Free Book Promotion, Part 2

In my first post in this series I talked about my previous experience with Free promotions. Lackluster at best, with no return of investment (ROI) with my first attempt at an ad. Here I'll talk about my next attempt at an advertised free promotion.

Behind the Scenes of a Free Book Promotion, Part 1

Discoverability is the primary obstacle for new writers.  Lost in the ocean of literature, it is difficult to attract readers.  There are various strategies a writer can attempt to remedy this, including using social media, taking out advertisements, and write more books!

Word of mouth is one of the most effective means of getting new readers, but you already have to have readers to spread the word in the first place. It takes readers to get readers.

Indie publishing champion David Gaughran states the issues far more eloquently than I can in his post Starting from Zero.

I have two novels out now, The Pirates of Alnari, and The Grand Masquerade. Sales are almost non-existent. What reviews I do have are good, so I know that my writing isn't utter dreck. The problem is not that my writing stinks; rather it's that no one knows about my writing at all. I don’t have readers, so I can’t get readers. What to do?

The Pirates of Alnari Free Today on Amazon!

The Pirates of Alnari is free today on Amazon! Check it out!

Martyn and Arycke are two young nobles forced into hiding after experiencing an act of unspeakable violence. They buy passage on the Isalian frigate Selene, but after a bloody battle against two pirate vessels, Martyn and Arycke find themselves shipwrecked castaways along with a beautiful young woman, her ever-watchful grandfather, and the rest of the Selene's crew.

Unfortunately for the survivors, they are stranded within reach of the pirate city of Alnari. In short order, Martyn and Arycke must fight for their lives, not only against marauding bands of savage pirates, but mutinous elements within the Selene's own crew.

The shipwrecked survivors are dragged into a maelstrom of vengeance and intrigue, as rival pirate lords maneuver against each other for dominance over Alnari. Martyn, Arycke, and the rest of the Selene's crew will need every ounce of courage, cunning, and strength they possess if they hope to escape alive...

The Pirates of Alnari is also being featured today on multiple websites & mailing lists, including:

Kindle Books & Tips
The Fussy Librarian
eBookHabit
eBookSoda
EReader News Today
BookGorilla

Here there be Pirates: Q&A with Nick Smith, author of Gentleman of Fortune

Nick Smith is one of the seven piratical authors to participate in the Here there be Pirates Book Giveaway in celebration of Talk Like a Pirate Day on September 19.

Nick was generous enough to answer some questions about his books and fascination with pirates, as well as his new novel Gentleman of Fortune, the sequel to Rogues' Nest.  You can win a copy of Gentleman of Fortune or one of the other six pirate novels at the end of the interview.  Be sure to visit Nick Smith at his website and follow him on Twitter!

On to the interview!  Arrr!

Here There Be Pirates Book Giveaway!

Talk Like a Pirate Day is just around the corner and that’s just cause to celebrate! Swashbuckling! Plundering! Rum! The sea!

And how about a little literary treasure on top of all that, eh? To celebrate, myself and six other historical fiction authors are giving away seven pirate novels...

Book Review: What Kings Ate and Wizards Drank

I picked up What Kings Ate and Wizards Drank: A Fantasy Lover's Food Guide by Krista D. Ball after seeing it mentioned on David Gaughran's inestimable writing blog, Let's Get Visible.  I respect David's opinion regarding anything to do with writing, and it seemed like a perfect research material for a fantasy writer, so I snapped it up.

The Grand Masquerade is now available in Paperback!

The Grand Masquerade is now available in Paperback!

The pirate city of Alnari burns, a victim of its own success. In the aftermath, the pirates thirst for revenge, the rival nations Isalus and Vaskuen grow ever more antagonistic, and the downtrodden nation of Hesborea is eager to play all sides against the middle.

The two young nobles Arycke and Martyn, survivors of the punitive raid on Alnari, attempt to settle in the city of Vinyalas, quietly attending the university while enjoying the exotic culture. But the threat of war throws their plans into chaos, as Duke Karleo of Alene conspires with his fellow Hesborean nobles to take advantage of the rising tensions to strengthen Hesborea’s position and exact revenge on his enemies.

Arycke and the noblewoman Starissa are sent on a diplomatic mission to Hesborea only to get more than they bargained for. Back in Vinyalas, Martyn is welcomed into the home of his new mentor, but when danger arrives on their doorstep, he must risk everything to protect his adopted family from the coming storm.

The Grand Masquerade continues the gritty fantasy adventure story begun in The Pirates of Alnari. It is a tale filled with glamorous masquerade balls, deadly political intrigues, brutal sieges, daring escapes, desperate swordfights and fiery naval battles.

The ebook is available from:

Amazon US	Amazon UK	Amazon IN	Amazon DE
Amazon FR	Amazon ES	Amazon IT	Amazon JP
Amazon BR	Amazon CA	Amazon MX	Amazon AU

The Paperback version is available from:

Amazon

 Createspace

The Grand Masquerade is Released as an ebook!

The Grand Masquerade is now available on Amazon as an ebook!

The pirate city of Alnari burns, a victim of its own success. In the aftermath, the pirates thirst for revenge, the rival nations Isalus and Vaskuen grow ever more antagonistic, and the downtrodden nation of Hesborea is eager to play all sides against the middle.

The two young nobles Arycke and Martyn, survivors of the punitive raid on Alnari, attempt to settle in the city of Vinyalas, quietly attending the university while enjoying the exotic culture. But the threat of war throws their plans into chaos, as Duke Karleo of Alene conspires with his fellow Hesborean nobles to take advantage of the rising tensions to strengthen Hesborea’s position and exact revenge on his enemies.

Arycke and the noblewoman Starissa are sent on a diplomatic mission to Hesborea only to get more than they bargained for. Back in Vinyalas, Martyn is welcomed into the home of his new mentor, but when danger arrives on their doorstep, he must risk everything to protect his adopted family from the coming storm.

The Grand Masquerade continues the gritty fantasy adventure story begun in The Pirates of Alnari. It is a tale filled with glamorous masquerade balls, deadly political intrigues, brutal sieges, daring escapes, desperate swordfights and fiery naval battles.

The ebook is available from:

Amazon

Our Turn to Shoot

My World War II short story, Our Turn to Shoot, is now available at the Amazon Kindle Store.  It will be free for a short time, so hurry on over and pick it up!

In early 1942, while the Imperial Japanese Navy rampaged in the western Pacific and the East Indies, the US Navy was desperately attempting to recover from the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. A raid by US Navy aircraft carriers on the Japanese-held Marshall Islands was a small but important step in showing the world that America was still in the fight.

Ensign Jim Novak is a dive bomber pilot on board USS Enterprise, eager for a chance to take the fight to the enemy. This will be his first mission to strike a blow against the Japanese, but it could also be his last...

Our Turn to Shoot is a short story of approximately 6,300 words.

The Pirates of Alnari gets a new cover!

The Pirates of Alnari gets a new cover!  Recently I hired an great artist, Ander Plana, to make me a new cover.  He has also done some awesome work for my fellow author, Jack Badelaire, for his books Commando: Operation Arrowhead, and the recently released Commando: Operation Bedlam.

Here is is link to Ander's Deviant Art page, which has some really great stuff on it.  Check it out!

The Pirates of Alnari is Free Today!

In honor of my daughter's 4th birthday, my fantasy novel The Pirates of Alnari is free on Amazon today.

So pick up a your free copy now!

Martyn and Arycke are two young nobles forced into hiding after experiencing an act of unspeakable violence. They buy passage on the Isalian frigate Selene, but after a bloody battle against two pirate vessels, Martyn and Arycke find themselves shipwrecked castaways along with a beautiful young woman, her ever-watchful grandfather, and the rest of the Selene's crew.

Unfortunately for the survivors, they now find themselves stranded within reach of the pirate city of Alnari. In short order, Martyn and Arycke find themselves fighting for their lives, not only against marauding bands of savage pirates, but mutinous elements within the Selene's own crew.

The shipwrecked survivors are dragged into a maelstrom of vengeance and intrigue, as rival pirate lords maneuver against each other for dominance over Alnari. Martyn, Arycke, and the rest of the Selene's crew will need every ounce of courage, cunning, and strength they possess if they hope to escape alive...

The Pirates of Alnari is a gritty fantasy adventure story filled with bloody naval battles and vicious sword fights, combining the cutthroat political intrigue of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire with the dashing nautical adventures of Patrick O’Brian.

Amazon US store: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ACD1N1A/
Amazon UK store: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00ACD1N1A/
Amazon Germany store: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B00ACD1N1A/
Amazon France store: http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B00ACD1N1A/
Amazon Canada store: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00ACD1N1A/
Amazon Italy store: http://www.amazon.it/dp/B00ACD1N1A/
Amazon Spain store: http://www.amazon.es/dp/B00ACD1N1A/
Amazon Brazil store: http://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B00ACD1N1A/
Amazon Japan store: http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00ACD1N1A/


And if you don't own a Kindle, no problem! You can download the free Kindle App for multiple platforms from Amazon here.

Writing: The Charge of the Danoans, Chapter Three

The following is Chapter Three of my second novel submission to Black Library, entitled The Charge of the Danoans.  

Chapter One, Part 1 is located here.

Chapter One, Part 2 is located here.

Chapter Two, Part 1 is located here.

Chapter Two, Part 2 is located here.

Chapter Two, Part 3 is located here.