Kindle Direct Publishing

[Malacandra]

Hiya,

Those who knew me over on the Dope know that I've tinkered with writing bits and pieces of stuff over the years. I actually approached a few agents with a manuscript about the time I first discovered the SDMB but had no luck attracting any interest. Inspired by a comment the school librarian made during the week though, I've signed myself up for KDP and uploaded a couple of my works.

It's entirely possible that they're both somewhere down the food chain from another Dope-authored work that has been roundly mocked over the years here and elsewhere, so I shan't shill them too blatantly. However, if you think that curiosity or poor judgement might induce you to take a look, even to the extent of $2.99 US (or the marginally cheaper UK price for people who live over here) then PM me and I'll tell you titles and the name I've released them under.

There may be one or two others go up in the next week or two also, depending on how the editing goes and whether my fragile confidence is feeling up to it.

[JackieLikesVariety]

good for you! I say, the hell with mocking.

[picunurse]

I now have all three. I've read about 15% of two and so far, I like one a bit better, but both are easy reads. Oh, the two are the fantasy and the pirate story.

[Malacandra]

Glad you're enjoying it so far. I've just moved the Foreword in the space story to the Afterword. I figure people previewing the book would like to get straight into the story. The text isn't altered, though.

My immediate challenge is to sell at least one copy to someone I've never met face to face.

[Sour Grapes]

Sound interesting. Where do I find them?

[Malacandra]

PM sent.

...And in pursuit of ambition I have now slashed, slashed I say, the prices to below the cost of even a deeply regrettable cup of coffee. Got to start somewhere.

Since picunurse got 'em through Kindle Unlimited and so didn't have to pay directly for them, I don't have to feel too bad about this.

[Anacanapuna]

I've published two e-books on Amazon; one is a small collection of short stories (they were supposed to be parts of bigger works, but didn't work out) and one a novel. I'm working on another novel now, hope to publish in May or June. Haven't made much money -- about $40 from family and friends, but it's fun to look 'em up and see my name on a book cover.

[Malacandra]

Yay, sold another one, and this one may not even be family or friend. I shan't be retiring on the proceeds, though.

[Anacanapuna]

Yep, as a pension plan this hasn't really amounted to much. But it's an easy way to share what I write with people who want to read it and don't mind spending four bucks for the effort.

[Malacandra]

Four bucks? I just dropped mine to a buck forty-nine. One more sale to crack double digits. Unfortunately a fair few friends have already read my work for free, although one of them very kindly shelled out for all three titles anyway (he'd only read one before so I guess it wasn't that bad a deal).

[Anacanapuna]

I offer "coupons" on my books -- selected friends and family enter the coupon code when they "purchase" and get it for free. Once my web site gets up and running, anyone who visits the web site can get the code.

[picunurse]

Originally Posted by Malacandra

PM sent.

...And in pursuit of ambition I have now slashed, slashed I say, the prices to below the cost of even a deeply regrettable cup of coffee. Got to start somewhere.

Since picunurse got 'em through Kindle Unlimited and so didn't have to pay directly for them, I don't have to feel too bad about this.

One thing I forgot to tell you sooner (sorry) Not only are there at least three other authors with your name, two of the three titles share their names with other books. I found 4 other Pieces of Eight before I found yours.

[Malacandra]

Both title and author?

My Facebook pages have links through to the right books, but I may have to consider a pen-name, then.

[Ludovic]

Originally Posted by Malacandra

Four bucks? I just dropped mine to a buck forty-nine. One more sale to crack double digits. Unfortunately a fair few friends have already read my work for free, although one of them very kindly shelled out for all three titles anyway (he'd only read one before so I guess it wasn't that bad a deal).

I'm in the same situation and barely not cracking double digits is the worst*. It means that people actually tried to read it but didn't like it enough to get enthused about it. I don't even get the satisfaction of telling myself that if people just tried it they'd love it.

*Actually I'm not clear as to whether you mean 10 or 100, but for me it's the same -- I wouldn't actually start to feel better on the curve until I were to hypothetically crack 100.

[Malacandra]

Oh, I mean I'm still hoping to make my tenth sale. Still waiting on my promised reviews, but it needs quite a lot of favourable reviews before that will start to help sales. Odds are low that I will get that far.

My ninth sale may possibly be to someone I know only online, but I don't know for sure.

[Anacanapuna]

I've been asked elsewhere what I have on Amazon, so here they are (only two):
The Virtual Monk by Jeff Rice
The Catalpa Trees and other stories
Don't just search for my name or you'll come up with the other Jeff Rice, who wrote all of the Night Stalker books. That's not me.

[Mr. Plumbean]

PM me the detes Malacandra. I'll look up Puna's.

[Malacandra]

Sent. Let me know if for any reason it doesn't work.

[Malacandra]

I happened to check KDP today and I noticed Sidewinder Precision Pro has a review from someone who lives some place in Scotland I never heard of. Five stars, they really like it!

[Mr. Plumbean]

Cool!

[Malacandra]

To anyone who's either bought one or more of the books, or read 'em via KU, or otherwise expressed a polite interest, I'm delighted to say that total sales have now reached 20 after only two months.

With royalties currently running at UK£0.29 a pop I shall not be quitting the day job any time soon.

[Malacandra]

I would never, ever, ever have dared mention myself in the same breath as Robert Fucking Heinlein.

Almost in tears here...

No, I've never been to Seattle in my life.

[Sour Grapes]

Have you been drinking, Malacandra?

[Malacandra]

Truth be told, I was about half-way down a bottle of Kir when I saw the review. And the other half followed it soon afterwards.

More sales would be nice, but even so, a few kinds words came as one hell of a lift.

[picunurse]

Originally Posted by Anacanapuna

I've been asked elsewhere what I have on Amazon, so here they are (only two):
The Virtual Monk by Jeff Rice
The Catalpa Trees and other stories
Don't just search for my name or you'll come up with the other Jeff Rice, who wrote all of the Night Stalker books. That's not me.

Ok, I just bought The Catalpa Trees and other stories. It sounds very interesting. I'll let you know how I like it.

[Anacanapuna]

Originally Posted by picunurse

Ok, I just bought The Catalpa Trees and other stories. It sounds very interesting. I'll let you know how I like it.

Thank you!

Post a review. Good, bad, or indifferent, it's all helpful when you post a review. You paid your money, you have the right to review it.

[picunurse]

Originally Posted by Anacanapuna

Thank you!

Post a review. Good, bad, or indifferent, it's all helpful when you post a review. You paid your money, you have the right to review it.

I will. It may take a bit. There are a few in the queue. I usually read more than one at a time, so it shouldn't be too very long.

They both sound interesting, so I my pick up the other one down the line.

[picunurse]

Originally Posted by Anacanapuna

Thank you!

Post a review. Good, bad, or indifferent, it's all helpful when you post a review. You paid your money, you have the right to review it.

I finished it and wrote a review. I was gentle there, but here, among friends, however virtual, I'll be a bit more blunt.
Your endings need work. Your stories don't actually end, they just stop. As I said in the review, I was captivated by the beginning of every story, then it stepped off a cliff and disappeared. Only one had a fulfilling end, that was Terrence Weems Toasts Miss Diane.

You speak very well. I appreciate that. Many new authors speak like they do on FaceBook. I like the language to, at least, sound intelligent. Others may not care, but, I believe there are more like me than not.

Keep it up, eventually, you'll be on the NY Times best seller list!

[Malacandra]

Bumpity. Mainly because I'm discovering the joys of Createspace and have ordered myself a proof copy of Sidewinder, just so I can have a for-real paperback book that I wrote myself, but also because I want to try out this new feature Amazon just flagged up.

Direct link to a book preview

And another

And the one with the most "thud factor"

Hope this is all within reason and many thanks to Giraffe for the use of his board to spam promote my wares on. (Shoulda kept my nose clean on the Dope, really.)

[Anacanapuna]

Originally Posted by picunurse

I finished it and wrote a review. I was gentle there, but here, among friends, however virtual, I'll be a bit more blunt.
Your endings need work. Your stories don't actually end, they just stop. As I said in the review, I was captivated by the beginning of every story, then it stepped off a cliff and disappeared. Only one had a fulfilling end, that was Terrence Weems Toasts Miss Diane.

You speak very well. I appreciate that. Many new authors speak like they do on FaceBook. I like the language to, at least, sound intelligent. Others may not care, but, I believe there are more like me than not.

Keep it up, eventually, you'll be on the NY Times best seller list!

I can't tell you how valuable your assessment is to me. And encouraging. Thank you so much!

Yep, the stories are either exercises in writing or meant to be chapters of larger works. "The Catalpa Trees" was an experiment to see if I could repeat Hemingway's style in "Hills Like White Elephants." "Harry's Last Day" was meant to be the penultimate chapter of a novel that tracks a policeman's (modeled after my father) career. The collection itself is the "final project" of a workshop in e-publishing.

If you want a more satisfying read, I'd encourage you to download "The Virtual Monk" and, later this summer, my latest work, "The Fifth Folio." They're less cerebral, and I think you'll find them more engaging. And they have actual endings.

Thanks again for taking the time to read and to comment.

[Sour Grapes]

Any developments, Mal?

[Malacandra]

O hai. Actually I was just checking in to announce that the dead-tree proof copy has arrived... and as soon as I look at it, I see the need for some changes. Still, an actual book with my name on it is kinda exciting. The other two proofs are still in transit.

[Malacandra]

Back again. There is now a sequel to the space story (hey, it sold more than the other two titles put together) and this time I set it up on Createspace first so there is a paper copy available straight away. Here's the links:

Kindle

Paperback

[Malacandra]

Bumping on account of the local craft fair where I just sold twelve, I say twelve, books, which has instantly quadrupled my paperback sales to date even if I didn't sell enough stock to cover the costs of the books I'd bought (at any rate, not this time out). May get a callback later from someone who was there. Ah, the joys of authorship.

[Malacandra]

Bumping to announce the Kindle release of book 3 in the series.

And now the paperback!