Showing posts with label Amazon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amazon. Show all posts
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Spring Into Books Blog Hop
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Formatting Your Book
So, your book is all edited. It's ready to go! Yea, you!
What now?
You can go with Smashwords and have their program get your book in various formats. But--didn't you know there would be a but--there are some important things to consider when formatting for an e-book.
WORD (Microsoft Word) makes it relatively easy to prepare your book for e-book versions, both mobi (Kindle) and e-pub (Nook).
Some basics.
1. Get rid of TABS. Go under Format-Paragraph-Indention Here, you want to click the box and check "first line"--I always use .3 as my indention. This makes your first line of each paragraph with that nice indention that makes it easy to read. It's best to format you book at the beginning with this method. Tabs are not your friend, for those of you that remember Typing 101 in school.
2. When you hit the end of a chapter, hit enter one time. Now, go to INSERT and click "page break" for mobi format. (For Nook (e-pub) you will need to use "Next Page" instead)
3. If using a table of contents (which I recommend)use "INSERT-REFERENCE-INDEX and TABLE" from there, choose the single heading style, uncheck the page number box. E-books don't use page numbers.
4. Don't use Headers and Footers in e-book files.
5. For the copyright page--be sure to give credit to the proper people. If you're using iStock, for instance, credit the artist whose picture you used. If you have someone else design your cover, give them the appropriate credit. The copyright page should be formatted single spaced. If you're using 1 1/2 spacing in the book, highlight the copyright page and left justify it--with single space. Put your ISBN number here as well. Remember, an ISBN is different for an e-book version and a print version. (Amazon and Barnes & Noble don't require an ISBN. I recommend one. Smashwords will provide one free)
6. Insert the cover image on page 1--and don't forget to use page break (for mobi) so the copyright page is on the next click of pages when read. KDP allows you to tell the program to use the image inside the book--or to use one you upload to their site)
7. Fancy fonts aren't your friend. It's fine to do the first word in a chapter with a slightly larger or bold font--but don't use fancy fonts that aren't compatible. Also be sure to include the links to your cover, table of contents and the beginning of your book for Kindle. It's easy to do. Click the cover and then use "Insert Bookmark" and type in 'Cover" for Table of contents, same steps, using "TOC" and for the Beginning, use "Start"
8. You can also save your WORD document as an unfiltered web page. For Amazon, this seems to work best--though the WORD doc will work if formatted properly.
9. After uploading your file to either Amazon or Barnes & Noble, review the file! Look at every paragraph. (Amazon does automatic word wrapping--and justification) Are the paragraphs indented at the first word? Are any scene symbols centered?
10. Set your prices and rights, etc. This is an easy process, but still requires some thought. By now, your book should have gone out to reviewers--but if it hasn't, consider this a 'soft release' and make sure your reviewers have the link to the Amazon or B&N site to leave reviews. Personally, I used KDP Select for one of my books--because I wanted to have those 5 free days to use. I make more on Amazon Prime LOANS than I do for sales at my price point. Worth it for me, without a doubt.
11. If using Smashwords, be sure to opt out of Amazon and Barnes & Noble distribution--it's just as easy to do it yourself and save those few cents on commission.
If you don't want to do formatting yourself, there are a multitude of sites that will handle this for you. Prices range from $50-$100 for a book. Well worth the cost if your version just doesn't look right. First impressions mean everything. It must look good when a reader downloads the sample or uses the "Look Inside" feature on Amazon.
So, there you go. Formatting is a snap--if you remember to keep things simple. Be sure to include an author bio with links to all your websites.
One last thing to remember--if you're also doing a print version, I highly recommend you use the template from Create Space to do so. But, and this is an important but..don't use this version for your e-book. Too many things are different.
Be sure to check back tomorrow. I'm going to be having a contest for a Blog Tour I'm participating in. Lots of prizes :)
What now?
You can go with Smashwords and have their program get your book in various formats. But--didn't you know there would be a but--there are some important things to consider when formatting for an e-book.
WORD (Microsoft Word) makes it relatively easy to prepare your book for e-book versions, both mobi (Kindle) and e-pub (Nook).
Some basics.
1. Get rid of TABS. Go under Format-Paragraph-Indention Here, you want to click the box and check "first line"--I always use .3 as my indention. This makes your first line of each paragraph with that nice indention that makes it easy to read. It's best to format you book at the beginning with this method. Tabs are not your friend, for those of you that remember Typing 101 in school.
2. When you hit the end of a chapter, hit enter one time. Now, go to INSERT and click "page break" for mobi format. (For Nook (e-pub) you will need to use "Next Page" instead)
3. If using a table of contents (which I recommend)use "INSERT-REFERENCE-INDEX and TABLE" from there, choose the single heading style, uncheck the page number box. E-books don't use page numbers.
4. Don't use Headers and Footers in e-book files.
5. For the copyright page--be sure to give credit to the proper people. If you're using iStock, for instance, credit the artist whose picture you used. If you have someone else design your cover, give them the appropriate credit. The copyright page should be formatted single spaced. If you're using 1 1/2 spacing in the book, highlight the copyright page and left justify it--with single space. Put your ISBN number here as well. Remember, an ISBN is different for an e-book version and a print version. (Amazon and Barnes & Noble don't require an ISBN. I recommend one. Smashwords will provide one free)
6. Insert the cover image on page 1--and don't forget to use page break (for mobi) so the copyright page is on the next click of pages when read. KDP allows you to tell the program to use the image inside the book--or to use one you upload to their site)
7. Fancy fonts aren't your friend. It's fine to do the first word in a chapter with a slightly larger or bold font--but don't use fancy fonts that aren't compatible. Also be sure to include the links to your cover, table of contents and the beginning of your book for Kindle. It's easy to do. Click the cover and then use "Insert Bookmark" and type in 'Cover" for Table of contents, same steps, using "TOC" and for the Beginning, use "Start"
8. You can also save your WORD document as an unfiltered web page. For Amazon, this seems to work best--though the WORD doc will work if formatted properly.
9. After uploading your file to either Amazon or Barnes & Noble, review the file! Look at every paragraph. (Amazon does automatic word wrapping--and justification) Are the paragraphs indented at the first word? Are any scene symbols centered?
10. Set your prices and rights, etc. This is an easy process, but still requires some thought. By now, your book should have gone out to reviewers--but if it hasn't, consider this a 'soft release' and make sure your reviewers have the link to the Amazon or B&N site to leave reviews. Personally, I used KDP Select for one of my books--because I wanted to have those 5 free days to use. I make more on Amazon Prime LOANS than I do for sales at my price point. Worth it for me, without a doubt.
11. If using Smashwords, be sure to opt out of Amazon and Barnes & Noble distribution--it's just as easy to do it yourself and save those few cents on commission.
If you don't want to do formatting yourself, there are a multitude of sites that will handle this for you. Prices range from $50-$100 for a book. Well worth the cost if your version just doesn't look right. First impressions mean everything. It must look good when a reader downloads the sample or uses the "Look Inside" feature on Amazon.
So, there you go. Formatting is a snap--if you remember to keep things simple. Be sure to include an author bio with links to all your websites.
One last thing to remember--if you're also doing a print version, I highly recommend you use the template from Create Space to do so. But, and this is an important but..don't use this version for your e-book. Too many things are different.
Be sure to check back tomorrow. I'm going to be having a contest for a Blog Tour I'm participating in. Lots of prizes :)
Monday, April 2, 2012
Tips For Getting in the Proper Categories on Amazon
Hello fellow writers and those that read us~
Today's Tip is on getting your book in the proper category on Amazon. My two books have been up quite a while and did so-so. I believe that in a large part, this was due to them not being in the proper category.
When you publish your book to KDP on Amazon, there is a large list of possible categories to list your book in. I'm sure, if you've already published, you've picked the category that you feel fits to a T. But does it?
Let's use an example from my own work. THE STORM WITHIN & TABLE FOR TWO is an anthology of romantic suspense. Its ranking has been dismal--until I fixed the category.
Here is the main thing to consider--people have to FIND your book to buy it.
As of 6 a.m. today, THE STORM WITHIN is at #6 in Romance Anthologies and #37 in Romance Anthologies overall. (The latter list includes both print and e-book)
Below is a screen shot.
My other book, LINKED, is also in a Top 100 List--and has been every day since I targeted my categories.
How did I do this? Did I write the best books in the world? Did I spend a ton of money to promote them on every website in the world? No, I didn't spend a dime. Really.
LINKED is a paranormal romance. It's Book One in the Prophecy Series I'm writing. Now, if you've looked on Amazon KDP, you'll notice that there isn't a category for Paranormal under Romance. While LINKED is available in print and e-book--I'm marketing the e-book o KDP.
What did I do? It was actually pretty easy. I simply picked the categories that best matched my books based on their content. I emailed KDP and asked them how to get in the proper categories.
Here are the steps to do:
1. Know your category! Is it romance? Is it a thriller? Mystery? Great--but what else is it? Is there a sub-genre to your work? Does it fit in any other category? Sure it does. Every book does. The trick is to get it there.
2. Go to your Amazon page (for the book) and scroll down to the bottom. See those categories there? Look at the lists. There will be several of them. See the image below:
Does one of them fit? GREAT! Now, copy the two that fit the best (remember, you want to be found under e-books) so don't pick the 'overall' category of 'books' unless yours is a print book.
In the above instance, I picked "Anthologies" and "Contemporary". Remember, narrow down your list as much as possible. "Romance" is too general. There are thousands and thousands. Unless you're selling 1k books a day--you're not going to rank high on that list.
The key is narrowing. Pick several books from the Top 100 List in your genre. See what categories are available. Pick the ones that most closely match your work.
3. Now that you know what category you want it, you need to let Amazon get you there. Copy the exact line you want, like this:
# Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Romance > Anthologies
When you contact Amazon KDP, they will put your book in whichever categories you ask. Be sure to list your book as non-classifiable under KDP. (At least I had to do that) Amazon will not create a new category--but they will add your book to any existing category.
Give it a few days and watch your books climb the charts! Remember, once you make a bestseller list--you've a best-selling author. Granted, it's best-selling in a particular genre. That's fine. It can take up to three days for it to cycle through.
It's fine to say "Amazon Top 100 bestselling romance" or "Amazon Top 100 bestselling in its genre" or even "Amazon Top 10 bestseller in its category" when it hits the Top Ten.
As an author--we need to make every effort to get our books in the hands of readers. Many readers buy their books based on those lists. The best day LINKED had last month was the day it first made an Amazon Bestselling Top 100 list.
Readers read because writers write. But first, they have to know you're out there.
Here's to seeing your book on that Top 100 List. Maybe even #1~
Today's Tip is on getting your book in the proper category on Amazon. My two books have been up quite a while and did so-so. I believe that in a large part, this was due to them not being in the proper category.
When you publish your book to KDP on Amazon, there is a large list of possible categories to list your book in. I'm sure, if you've already published, you've picked the category that you feel fits to a T. But does it?
Let's use an example from my own work. THE STORM WITHIN & TABLE FOR TWO is an anthology of romantic suspense. Its ranking has been dismal--until I fixed the category.
Here is the main thing to consider--people have to FIND your book to buy it.
As of 6 a.m. today, THE STORM WITHIN is at #6 in Romance Anthologies and #37 in Romance Anthologies overall. (The latter list includes both print and e-book)
Below is a screen shot.
My other book, LINKED, is also in a Top 100 List--and has been every day since I targeted my categories.
How did I do this? Did I write the best books in the world? Did I spend a ton of money to promote them on every website in the world? No, I didn't spend a dime. Really.
LINKED is a paranormal romance. It's Book One in the Prophecy Series I'm writing. Now, if you've looked on Amazon KDP, you'll notice that there isn't a category for Paranormal under Romance. While LINKED is available in print and e-book--I'm marketing the e-book o KDP.
What did I do? It was actually pretty easy. I simply picked the categories that best matched my books based on their content. I emailed KDP and asked them how to get in the proper categories.
Here are the steps to do:
1. Know your category! Is it romance? Is it a thriller? Mystery? Great--but what else is it? Is there a sub-genre to your work? Does it fit in any other category? Sure it does. Every book does. The trick is to get it there.
2. Go to your Amazon page (for the book) and scroll down to the bottom. See those categories there? Look at the lists. There will be several of them. See the image below:
Does one of them fit? GREAT! Now, copy the two that fit the best (remember, you want to be found under e-books) so don't pick the 'overall' category of 'books' unless yours is a print book.
In the above instance, I picked "Anthologies" and "Contemporary". Remember, narrow down your list as much as possible. "Romance" is too general. There are thousands and thousands. Unless you're selling 1k books a day--you're not going to rank high on that list.
The key is narrowing. Pick several books from the Top 100 List in your genre. See what categories are available. Pick the ones that most closely match your work.
3. Now that you know what category you want it, you need to let Amazon get you there. Copy the exact line you want, like this:
# Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Romance > Anthologies
When you contact Amazon KDP, they will put your book in whichever categories you ask. Be sure to list your book as non-classifiable under KDP. (At least I had to do that) Amazon will not create a new category--but they will add your book to any existing category.
Give it a few days and watch your books climb the charts! Remember, once you make a bestseller list--you've a best-selling author. Granted, it's best-selling in a particular genre. That's fine. It can take up to three days for it to cycle through.
It's fine to say "Amazon Top 100 bestselling romance" or "Amazon Top 100 bestselling in its genre" or even "Amazon Top 10 bestseller in its category" when it hits the Top Ten.
As an author--we need to make every effort to get our books in the hands of readers. Many readers buy their books based on those lists. The best day LINKED had last month was the day it first made an Amazon Bestselling Top 100 list.
Readers read because writers write. But first, they have to know you're out there.
Here's to seeing your book on that Top 100 List. Maybe even #1~
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Sample Sunday
HI
Here's my Sample Sunday. This is from The Storm Within. It's available on Amazon in the widget above this post. There is a new edition with a bonus second story inside. Read the first chapter below. Also check the post below this one for a contest I'm running to celebrate LINKED hitting a Top 100 list on Amazon.
Linked and The Storm Within are both on sale this week for 99cents.
THE STORM WITHIN
She was going to die. Kari Davis knew it as well as she knew her name.
Less than an hour ago, she’d been terrified that she would be killed—now, it appeared Mother Nature was calling dibs. What did it matter? Dead was dead. At least the storm wouldn’t go out if its way to make sure her death was as painful as possible.
A light snow had turned into a whiteout. Visibility was nearly non-existent. She couldn’t tell for sure that she was even on the road. Her hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles were cramping.
“Calm down,” she muttered. The last twenty-four hours had been a living nightmare—she hadn’t thought things could get any worse, but of course, they had. The snow had begun slowly, and then built gradually. The radio was warning motorists to stay off the roads.
If only she could. Pulling over wasn’t an option. Not if she wanted to live. She tried to relax her death grip on the steering wheel.
Before she could take her next breath, the car started careening out of control. Immediately she took her foot off the gas pedal, instinctively remembering her driver’s education course from years before.
She felt herself spinning and released an involuntary scream. She couldn’t see anything but white. She didn’t know how to drive in this kind of weather. All she could do is hold on. Was she supposed to put on the breaks? Straighten the wheel? God, help me, she thought wildly. She just couldn’t remember.
As if in answer to her prayer, the car began to slow, then finally came to a halt. Her hands were shaking badly as she relaxed her grip on the wheel. What was she supposed to do now? She didn’t know if she was headed in the same direction or not. For that matter, she didn’t even know if she was still on the road or if she’d ended up on the side of the road.
It wasn’t until then that she realized the car had died. She turned the key in the ignition, but it wouldn’t start. She pumped the gas and tried again. Nothing. “Damn it!”
Here she sat, in the middle of nowhere with a dead car and the blizzard from hell blowing outside. There was no one to call; by now, Derrick would have convinced everyone that she was crazy—or worse, a murderer. She had no idea who she could trust, so had just run—into the worst storm in Oklahoma history, apparently.
Her eyes burned as she considered her situation. Dead car. Middle of the night. Storm of the century. With a muttered curse, she tried once more to start the car. Still nothing. There was nothing she could do.
Her eye caught on the book lying on the seat next to her. With an almost hysterical laugh, she picked it up. At least I won’t be bored, she thought wildly, and tossed the book aside.
Kari considered getting out of the car and trying to walk—but didn’t—at least not yet. She’d read somewhere that you were supposed to stay with a stranded vehicle. Right now, though, she wanted away.
Would she rather freeze in a car or let Derrick and his henchmen find her? What did it matter? she thought yet again. At least with the cold, she’d just fall asleep. She had little doubt that if Derrick got a hold of her that her death would be far different. She shivered, both from cold and from reaction. There was nothing she could do. If I car didn’t come along soon—she’d freeze before Derrick had a chance to find her.
She didn’t have any clue at all where she was. Somewhere between Oklahoma City and Shawnee. Now, though, she didn’t even know which direction was which.
Cautiously, she opened the door and stepped out of the car. It was too dark to see anything much, but at least it looked like the car was on the edge of the road. At least some poor soul wouldn’t plow into her car. Freezing, she climbed back into the car. Damn it! Just a little luck would be nice. Someone will stop. Someone safe.
She wanted to live! Not that it mattered one iota what she wanted.
She’d run from Derrick as fast and as far as she could—only to put herself more at risk.
It wasn’t supposed to snow like this here! She was sitting on some road in the middle of central Oklahoma. She cursed her own stupidity for getting off the freeway. At least there, someone would have spotted her—even just a cop doing patrols.
But here, no one would find her. She hadn’t seen one car the entire time she’d been on the road—and that had been when she could see the road. Now, she had no certain idea where the road even was. With a tired sigh, she leaned back and closed her eyes. At least she had a flashlight, and wasn’t in total darkness. She guessed that was some small consolation. Part of her wanted to grab the hammer in the backseat and bash something, but of course, she didn’t do that. As it was, she was freezing. As satisfying as breaking a window might be, it would also make her freeze a lot quicker. Suddenly, she was tired. Just a little sleep. She’d been running on adrenaline for hours. It had easily been twenty-four hours since she’d slept.
She’d sleep a few hours until morning. Maybe someone would come by once the sun was out. Surely at least some road crews would be out trying to clear the major roads.
With that thought, she remembered she’d avoided the major roads. She wasn’t anywhere near a major road right now. That likely had as much to do with her not seeing another car for hours as the storm did.
Someone had to live around here somewhere—but even as she had the thought, she couldn’t stop the pessimistic thought that she wouldn’t be waking up. Even with her coat on, she was already freezing. Her hands felt like blocks of ice. The radio had said the temperature was in the single digits. She was more than sure the chill factor was much colder than that. Maybe if she layered her clothes? Would it matter? Probably not, she decided gloomily. She’d be likely frozen by morning.
If you'd like to leave a comment, please do. I love hearing from my readers.
Here's my Sample Sunday. This is from The Storm Within. It's available on Amazon in the widget above this post. There is a new edition with a bonus second story inside. Read the first chapter below. Also check the post below this one for a contest I'm running to celebrate LINKED hitting a Top 100 list on Amazon.
Linked and The Storm Within are both on sale this week for 99cents.
THE STORM WITHIN
She was going to die. Kari Davis knew it as well as she knew her name.
Less than an hour ago, she’d been terrified that she would be killed—now, it appeared Mother Nature was calling dibs. What did it matter? Dead was dead. At least the storm wouldn’t go out if its way to make sure her death was as painful as possible.
A light snow had turned into a whiteout. Visibility was nearly non-existent. She couldn’t tell for sure that she was even on the road. Her hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles were cramping.
“Calm down,” she muttered. The last twenty-four hours had been a living nightmare—she hadn’t thought things could get any worse, but of course, they had. The snow had begun slowly, and then built gradually. The radio was warning motorists to stay off the roads.
If only she could. Pulling over wasn’t an option. Not if she wanted to live. She tried to relax her death grip on the steering wheel.
Before she could take her next breath, the car started careening out of control. Immediately she took her foot off the gas pedal, instinctively remembering her driver’s education course from years before.
She felt herself spinning and released an involuntary scream. She couldn’t see anything but white. She didn’t know how to drive in this kind of weather. All she could do is hold on. Was she supposed to put on the breaks? Straighten the wheel? God, help me, she thought wildly. She just couldn’t remember.
As if in answer to her prayer, the car began to slow, then finally came to a halt. Her hands were shaking badly as she relaxed her grip on the wheel. What was she supposed to do now? She didn’t know if she was headed in the same direction or not. For that matter, she didn’t even know if she was still on the road or if she’d ended up on the side of the road.
It wasn’t until then that she realized the car had died. She turned the key in the ignition, but it wouldn’t start. She pumped the gas and tried again. Nothing. “Damn it!”
Here she sat, in the middle of nowhere with a dead car and the blizzard from hell blowing outside. There was no one to call; by now, Derrick would have convinced everyone that she was crazy—or worse, a murderer. She had no idea who she could trust, so had just run—into the worst storm in Oklahoma history, apparently.
Her eyes burned as she considered her situation. Dead car. Middle of the night. Storm of the century. With a muttered curse, she tried once more to start the car. Still nothing. There was nothing she could do.
Her eye caught on the book lying on the seat next to her. With an almost hysterical laugh, she picked it up. At least I won’t be bored, she thought wildly, and tossed the book aside.
Kari considered getting out of the car and trying to walk—but didn’t—at least not yet. She’d read somewhere that you were supposed to stay with a stranded vehicle. Right now, though, she wanted away.
Would she rather freeze in a car or let Derrick and his henchmen find her? What did it matter? she thought yet again. At least with the cold, she’d just fall asleep. She had little doubt that if Derrick got a hold of her that her death would be far different. She shivered, both from cold and from reaction. There was nothing she could do. If I car didn’t come along soon—she’d freeze before Derrick had a chance to find her.
She didn’t have any clue at all where she was. Somewhere between Oklahoma City and Shawnee. Now, though, she didn’t even know which direction was which.
Cautiously, she opened the door and stepped out of the car. It was too dark to see anything much, but at least it looked like the car was on the edge of the road. At least some poor soul wouldn’t plow into her car. Freezing, she climbed back into the car. Damn it! Just a little luck would be nice. Someone will stop. Someone safe.
She wanted to live! Not that it mattered one iota what she wanted.
She’d run from Derrick as fast and as far as she could—only to put herself more at risk.
It wasn’t supposed to snow like this here! She was sitting on some road in the middle of central Oklahoma. She cursed her own stupidity for getting off the freeway. At least there, someone would have spotted her—even just a cop doing patrols.
But here, no one would find her. She hadn’t seen one car the entire time she’d been on the road—and that had been when she could see the road. Now, she had no certain idea where the road even was. With a tired sigh, she leaned back and closed her eyes. At least she had a flashlight, and wasn’t in total darkness. She guessed that was some small consolation. Part of her wanted to grab the hammer in the backseat and bash something, but of course, she didn’t do that. As it was, she was freezing. As satisfying as breaking a window might be, it would also make her freeze a lot quicker. Suddenly, she was tired. Just a little sleep. She’d been running on adrenaline for hours. It had easily been twenty-four hours since she’d slept.
She’d sleep a few hours until morning. Maybe someone would come by once the sun was out. Surely at least some road crews would be out trying to clear the major roads.
With that thought, she remembered she’d avoided the major roads. She wasn’t anywhere near a major road right now. That likely had as much to do with her not seeing another car for hours as the storm did.
Someone had to live around here somewhere—but even as she had the thought, she couldn’t stop the pessimistic thought that she wouldn’t be waking up. Even with her coat on, she was already freezing. Her hands felt like blocks of ice. The radio had said the temperature was in the single digits. She was more than sure the chill factor was much colder than that. Maybe if she layered her clothes? Would it matter? Probably not, she decided gloomily. She’d be likely frozen by morning.
If you'd like to leave a comment, please do. I love hearing from my readers.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
LINKED hits the TOP 100 in Fantasy Series on Amazon -- So a CONTEST
It's been a long time coming! Linked hit the Top 100 list on Amazon at 3am. Now, you may be asking why this excites me. It doesn't mean I've sold 2000 books today or anything. It just means that enough people are reading it that it's finally making a place for itself on the lists.
Can I have a moment of ecstatic excitement and squeal? I'm #60. Hey, it's a Top 100 Best Seller in that category--so does that mean I'm a bestselling author now? (LOL)
Well, in any case. I'm happy. When I'm happy--I want to make you happy.
So...
A CONTEST of course. There are a few things you have to do, though. See options below
I just uploaded a new version of The Storm Within, because I wanted to add a second story to it. So, now, it has two romantic suspense stories in it.
Linked, The Storm Within & Table For Two are on sale for 99 cents this weekend as well.
Help me celebrate!
Oh, and if you have Amazon Prime, you can borrow LINKED and keep it as long as you like.
The Storm Within & Table For Two have a new cover. If you don't see the new cover, don't download it--it won't have the free 2nd story in it. Here's the cover.
Can I have a moment of ecstatic excitement and squeal? I'm #60. Hey, it's a Top 100 Best Seller in that category--so does that mean I'm a bestselling author now? (LOL)
Well, in any case. I'm happy. When I'm happy--I want to make you happy.
So...
A CONTEST of course. There are a few things you have to do, though. See options below
I just uploaded a new version of The Storm Within, because I wanted to add a second story to it. So, now, it has two romantic suspense stories in it.
Linked, The Storm Within & Table For Two are on sale for 99 cents this weekend as well.
Help me celebrate!
Oh, and if you have Amazon Prime, you can borrow LINKED and keep it as long as you like.
The Storm Within & Table For Two have a new cover. If you don't see the new cover, don't download it--it won't have the free 2nd story in it. Here's the cover.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Reviews and General Rumblings and Rants
First and foremost, let me say...that without reviews, books do not do well. Any author will tell you that they both need and appreciate the time it takes the reviewer to read your book and write a review. Always, we appreciate your time. Second, let me explain that none of these comments were directed at my writing. LOL I'd have to have a few reviews first!
But. (didn't you know there was a but coming?)
A few things to remember when you review. These books are written by real people. We all know that not every reader will automatically love our work as much as we do. We don't expect it. But, would it be so difficult to at least pretend to consider the feelings of the person that wrote the book in your review?
Review the story. Let the reader know what worked for you and what didn't. But, keep your review polite and non-antagonizing.
"A rip-off of (insert your favorite title here)"
The above is my personal pet-peeve. There is very little that hasn't been done somewhere before. Vampires, faeries, elven, shapeshifters, love triangles--they've all been done. The key is the ability to take an old idea and make it new and exciting.
"Riding the coat tails of. (insert your favorite author here)"
Hello, your favorite author isn't the only author out there. Her/his work isn't the only work out there. Often, we haven't even read the author you're accusing us of 'coat tailing'.
"I couldn't get past page X"
Again, hello? Many times part of the character growth happens via some situation that happens in a story. The protagonist might seem weak, shy, whiny, (insert verb here) or whatever in the beginning. How can you give an honest review if you don't finish it?
"I don't read this kind of book and..."
Then why bother to read it? Just so you can bash it because it's not your type of book?
"The author is obviously writing about herself and her ...(insert whatever here)
Look up the term Fiction. Certainly authors will write what they know--and/or what they've researched. They aren't autobiographies. Just because the heroine falls in love online doesn't mean the author did. And if she named the cat in the story after her own cat, it doesn't mean she's secretly had an online fling.
Many books require hours and hours of research. Others, just seem to 'come' to us. But, we don't have to live something to imagine it. We can research or use our imagination. I personally have very steamy novels published under another name. They are stories. I had fun writing them--and they have a market. I certainly don't live it--but it's fun to write it.
"It's just romance, I didn't expect a lot but..."
Do you know that 40% of all books sold are romance fiction? It's a genre that allows a reader to escape into a fantasy for a couple of hours. The author still creates the world, the fantasy, the story. Don't knock an entire genre, then give it a one-star review--because it's not your genre.
Please, folks, consider the purpose of the review process, and, even more importantly, if you don't like the book--consider the person behind it when you hit the 'review' button.
Edited to add: None of these comments refer to my own books; they all refer to well-known or bestselling authors from Amazon.
Readers, thank you. We wouldn't be publishing our work if it weren't for you. But, please, remember to think when you review. We do understand that not every reader will love what we've written--honest. But review the work--not our lives!
I have intentionally not listed the names of the authors--as some of the reviews I'm discussing here are bordering on slander--and I don't want to propagate the idiocy I've read.
But. (didn't you know there was a but coming?)
A few things to remember when you review. These books are written by real people. We all know that not every reader will automatically love our work as much as we do. We don't expect it. But, would it be so difficult to at least pretend to consider the feelings of the person that wrote the book in your review?
Review the story. Let the reader know what worked for you and what didn't. But, keep your review polite and non-antagonizing.
"A rip-off of (insert your favorite title here)"
The above is my personal pet-peeve. There is very little that hasn't been done somewhere before. Vampires, faeries, elven, shapeshifters, love triangles--they've all been done. The key is the ability to take an old idea and make it new and exciting.
"Riding the coat tails of. (insert your favorite author here)"
Hello, your favorite author isn't the only author out there. Her/his work isn't the only work out there. Often, we haven't even read the author you're accusing us of 'coat tailing'.
"I couldn't get past page X"
Again, hello? Many times part of the character growth happens via some situation that happens in a story. The protagonist might seem weak, shy, whiny, (insert verb here) or whatever in the beginning. How can you give an honest review if you don't finish it?
"I don't read this kind of book and..."
Then why bother to read it? Just so you can bash it because it's not your type of book?
"The author is obviously writing about herself and her ...(insert whatever here)
Look up the term Fiction. Certainly authors will write what they know--and/or what they've researched. They aren't autobiographies. Just because the heroine falls in love online doesn't mean the author did. And if she named the cat in the story after her own cat, it doesn't mean she's secretly had an online fling.
Many books require hours and hours of research. Others, just seem to 'come' to us. But, we don't have to live something to imagine it. We can research or use our imagination. I personally have very steamy novels published under another name. They are stories. I had fun writing them--and they have a market. I certainly don't live it--but it's fun to write it.
"It's just romance, I didn't expect a lot but..."
Do you know that 40% of all books sold are romance fiction? It's a genre that allows a reader to escape into a fantasy for a couple of hours. The author still creates the world, the fantasy, the story. Don't knock an entire genre, then give it a one-star review--because it's not your genre.
Please, folks, consider the purpose of the review process, and, even more importantly, if you don't like the book--consider the person behind it when you hit the 'review' button.
Edited to add: None of these comments refer to my own books; they all refer to well-known or bestselling authors from Amazon.
Readers, thank you. We wouldn't be publishing our work if it weren't for you. But, please, remember to think when you review. We do understand that not every reader will love what we've written--honest. But review the work--not our lives!
I have intentionally not listed the names of the authors--as some of the reviews I'm discussing here are bordering on slander--and I don't want to propagate the idiocy I've read.
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