The Henderson Files

Guest Blog Today: SARAH ETTRITCH

2011-08-12T00:36:00.003-04:00

Print or eBook? Why Print is No Longer the Default Choice

In early 2010, Rymellan 1: Disobedience Means Death, the first book I published through my publishing company, Norn Publishing, hit the online bookstores. Going to print was a no-brainer. The eBook was an afterthought.

Then the eBook revolution took publishing by storm, and the dust hasn’t settled yet.

When it came time to publish my latest book, I had a decision to make: print, eBook, or both? A mere sixteen months earlier, print would have been a given.

I decided to make Threaded Through Time, Book One available as an eBook only. Why? Like many self-publishers, I sell way more eBooks than print books. To illustrate, I tallied up my sales numbers for 2011 (through July), and my sales breakdown was 90% eBook, 10% print. Since Threaded Through Time, Book One is only available in eBook, I didn’t include it in my calculations. The breakdown applies to my three books that are available in both formats.

When faced with a data like that, it’s difficult to justify the extra time and expense required to take a story to print. Editing is always a given, so let’s move that aside and examine the areas where print and eBook differ: cover design, formatting, and setup fees.

Cover Design

An eBook cover is a simple JPG file. I can hear cover designers screaming that it’s not that simple to design one, but I mean simple to produce relative to print covers. :)

Print covers are more complicated. Printers require what’s called a print-ready PDF file, and each printer has unique specifications, some of them quite technical. In addition, the cover designer has to design the front cover, back cover, and spine. As you can guess, this means that print covers are more expensive than eBook covers.

If you’re publishing in both print and eBook, the eBook cover cost is absorbed by the print cover cost, since the eBook cover is just a JPG of the print front cover. But you’ll pay more for that print cover than you would have paid for only an eBook cover.

Formatting

Formatting an eBook means taking a Word file and converting it to formats that can be read by Kindles, nooks, kobo readers, etc. You can do it yourself, or you can pay a formatter to do it for you, usually for less than $100.00.

Print books have to be typeset. This is usually expensive, and will definitely cost you more than $100.00. If you do it yourself, you’ll have to teach yourself how to typeset, and you’ll probably have to buy pricey typesetting software to get a professional look.

Setup Fees

Most eBook venues don’t charge you to upload a book. If you use Amazon KDP and an aggregator like Smashwords, you can upload your eBooks to all the major venues for free.

When it comes to print, you’re looking at setup fees. CreateSpace, Amazon’s print-on-demand service, only charges to send a proof copy to your home (a test print of your book, so you can see what it looks like and correct any problems before you release it into the wild). When you sell a book on Amazon, CreateSpace takes 40% of the list price. If you put your book into CreateSpace’s extended distribution channel and sell a book through one of its extended partners, CreateSpace will take a hefty 60% of each sale.

Lightning Source, another popular print-on-demand printer, charges a $75 setup fee, $30 for your proof, and a $12/title/year catalog fee. But you can set things up so that you only give up 20% of each sale, no matter where you sell your book. You pay more up front than you would with CreateSpace, but you also keep more money on each copy sold. Over time, you’ll earn more by going through Lightning Source.

The setup costs will vary depending on the printer. Since there are reasonable ways to get your eBooks into all the major venues for free, setup costs are an extra expense for print books that eBooks don’t have.

Do it All For Free

Sure, you can do the cover and formatting yourself and pay $0. However, not all of us are talented cover designers or know how to typeset. If you want your print book to look as professional as those released by traditional publishers, you probably don’t want to do it all yourself.

My Books

Let’s get back to my decision. I don’t do my own covers. I used a talented designer named Patty Henderson—perhaps you’ve heard of her! Patty charges more for a print cover than she does for an eBook cover, as all designers do. Formatting is a wash for me, because I format my own eBooks and typeset my print books. I use Lightning Source for printing, so that’s $75 + $30 + $12 = $117 extra for print.

Overall, taking a book to print costs me several hundred dollars above and beyond what I’ve already paid to take it to eBook. As I said earlier, it’s difficult to justify that cost, given the number of print books I typically sell and how long it will take me to earn back those several hundred dollars. Going to print would put me hundreds of dollars in the red before I get started, and that’s in addition to the editing dollars I’ve spent. But while editing is essential, taking a book to print is no longer required to sell a decent number of books.

On the Fence

Having said all that, I still haven’t decided whether to take Threaded Through Time, Book One to print. As the title implies, Book One is the first book in a series (of two). If I do take the story to print, I’ll do it by releasing Books One and Two in a single print volume. I’ll pay the cover design costs and setup fees once, rather than twice.

So...

Conventional wisdom says to offer your book in as many formats as possible, but if your data tells you that not many are buying print, then releasing a title as an eBook only can make more sense.

Publishing only eBooks isn’t new. Some publishers have always been eBook only publishers, and new digital publishers are springing up all the time. Others initially release to eBook and take only those that sell well to print.

If you’re wondering what you should do, think about how many print books you expect to sell vs. how much it will cost you to produce a print version. If going to print will significantly multiply the number of books you’ll have to sell to break even, it might not be worth it.

Keep in mind that not going to print isn’t an irreversible decision. If your eBook sells well and you’re confident that you’ll make back your extra print costs, go for it. Or perhaps you’re in it for the long haul and won’t mind if it takes 20 years to recoup your costs. That’s okay too. When it comes to self-publishing, it’s whatever works for you.

About Me

To learn more about me and my books, visit http://www.sarahettritch.com.

Thanks for hosting me today, Patty.

It's an Editor's Market

2011-04-19T23:34:00.000-04:00

How many of you indie authors use professional editors? No, this is not a rhetorical question. Once we decide to self-publish, the responsibility falls on each author to put out a book with production values and looks that can compete with any book published by a small press or even the Big NY guys. No easy task, I know. But I love my fiercely independent streak and wouldn't sign a book contract at this point in my writing life.

Although I'm one of those authors who self-edits as she writes, I am a firm believer that you must have your manuscript edited or at the very least, proofread by someone that knows the business or is damn good at editing (yes, I believe there are born editors out there. LOL.) When I was with Bella Books, my editor was one of the best. She interned and did some editing for a NY publisher. I was very fortunate to have had her as my editor. When I requested to be released from my contract with them, I used the same editor for my next book because she has her own freelance editing business. However, she was expensive. $1,200 for a 59,000 word manuscript.

I know many of us are hurting in this economy. My thoughts are: How many self-published authors are going to begin getting creative in how they pay for editing? How many will only go with several good, high quality beta readers? Or how many will just learn to self-edit? Still, I have to wonder how many professional editors will be willing to take payment plans? Even with a very generous payment plan, I still owe the final payment to my editor. I will not be able to afford $1,200 again for editing. I will lean heavily on my own editing potential and use the services of good, reputable beta readers and one good friend who is really a great editor although she has no business and doesn't even do it freelance. I pay her a small fee because I feel she deserves some compensation. But it isn't anywhere near the cost of most editors advertising their services. I've been saying that editors are going to be the main gainers in the eBook and self-publishing revolution.

So my question is one of concern for all self-publishing authors. How are you handling the costs of self-publishing? The cost of editing, book formatting (if you're going to publish in paper) and also eBook conversions. How many have learned to do the work yourself?

GUEST BLOG: M. Louisa Locke on Selling Your Kindle Book

2011-03-10T23:56:00.000-05:00

7 Tips on how to sell books on Kindle

First of all, why should you listen to me, an unknown author, tell you how to sell your book on Kindle? A little more than a year ago, I was a semi-retired professor of U.S. Women’s history who, besides a few academic articles, had never published a thing. What I did have was a manuscript of an historical mystery I had written 20 years earlier, based on my doctoral research on working women in the late nineteenth century. In the 20 years after writing the first draft, while I pursued my teaching career, I found an agent, collected rejections, lost an agent, published briefly with a small Print on Demand (POD) press, rewrote the manuscript several times, and I was now giving the book one more chance. I also owned a Kindle, which I loved. After serious investigation, I decided to publish my book, Maids of Misfortune: A Victorian San Francisco, as an ebook with Amazon and Smashwords, and in print through CreateSpace. I paid for a cover design, but put the book up on Kindle myself. That was December of 2009.

Since then, I have sold over 9000 books, the vast majority of them from the Kindle store. I now average 55 books sold a day, and I am making enough money that I have retired completely to work on the sequel, Uneasy Spirits. When I started, I had no particular expertise and no fan base, but I did have access to a world of advice being put out daily on blogs and websites hosted by indie authors, designers, editors, and marketers. I found that when I put their advice to work, was patient, and persistent, it paid off. Here are some of my tips distilled from what I learned from others and my own experience.

Tip #1: Think about selling from the buyer’s perspective. When a reader goes to buy a book in a traditional bookstore, they either go to the store looking for a specific book because they have heard about it, or they browse the shelves and tables in the store and discover a book. Then they either buy it or they don’t. As an author of an ebook, you need to figure out how readers are going to find out about your book or find it among all the more than 800,000 books in the Kindle store. Then you are going to have to do everything to make sure that once they have found it, they buy it.

Tip #2: Hang out where readers of Kindle books hang out. While you can promote your book through traditional means (print reviews, book tours and signings, mailed postcards, conventions, business cards), increasingly this is a world where potential readers hang out in cyberspace. They find book reviews on blogs like Mysteries and My Musings that specialize in reviewing the genre they, they look for lists on line (Cozy Mystery List or Historical Mystery Fiction), they “like” the facebook pages of their favorite author or favorite subgenre (Mystery Most Cozy), they follow twitter #tags, they join reader sites like GoodReads, and they subscribe to blogs and groups that cater to Kindle owners like KindleBoards, Kindle Forum, Kindlechat, or Kindle Nation Daily.

As an author you need to go to these sites, sign up, become active, and participate in the conversations. Most of these sites let you put up a profile picture, and if people begin to see your face, they will begin to feel like they know you. Your voice in a comment or a guest blog post or a Goodreads review will tell a potential reader if they think they will like your perspective on the world. Your customized signature, with links back to your author website and or blog, and small pictures of your book covers, linked to your Amazon product page, play the role of your business card. The more times a potential reader runs across your name and your book titles, the more likely they will decide to put that name and book title into their search bar when they are looking for new books to download.

Tip #3: Besides having a well-written and edited book, your cover design, interior design and formatting are the most crucial elements to success. If you are going to shell out any money out front-this is where to spend it. If the cover looks home made, or you can’t read the title and author in a small thumbnail, or if the cover doesn’t convey the type of book it is (thriller, cozy, etc), then the reader isn’t going to make the effort to find it, look at, it or buy it. If the book is hard to read and has lots of formatting errors in the excerpt, they will also take a pass. If you have the technological expertise or design experience, you can do this yourself, but if you don’t, this isn’t where to skimp. There are lots of freelancers out there with reasonable rates. See a recent post on do’s and don’ts of cover designs or the blog by Joel Friedlander, The Book Designer

Tip #4: Make sure your book is ready for prime time before you start to promote. Your product description needs to be well-written, your excerpt must be available, and you should have at least 4-5 reviews written by professional reviewers (not just friends and family members). There are more and more websites, blogs, and enewsletters that are willing to review ebooks, and with Kindle gift certificates you can easily send a free copy to a reviewer. Most professional reviewers will then go on and put their reviews on Amazon. However, it is a good idea to have a print edition (POD) to send to those reviewers who insist on this.

Tip #5: Make your pricing competitive. Go to the specific categories in which your book will show up and look at prices of your competitors. If you aren’t a big name with a new release, $2.99-3.99 is probably the safest price point for genre fiction. While 99 cents is ok for an initial offering, in order to get a bump in sales to send you up the rankings, you really have to sell a lot to make up for the loss of the 70% royalty Amazon gives for books between $2.99-9.99. For example, if you look at the vast majority of other books in the historical mystery category, they are $6 and above, often for books that have been out for five or more years. This means there is a good chance they have either already been read by the buyer, or simply seem too expensive for an ebook, when the paperback or hard cover book may be only a few dollars more (or sometimes even the same or a lower price than the ebook. What are those traditional publishers thinking???) No wonder I am out-selling those books.

Tip #6: Don’t make your big promotional push prematurely. Banners on Kindle sites, promotional packages on Kindle Nation Daily, paying for an ad blitz, or promotional contests, can cause a temporary bump in sales. But only if everything else is in place (see tip #4. If the book ranking is too far away from them top 100s in the rankings of any sub-category, a temporary bump isn’t going get the book up high enough in the rankings to self-perpetuate the sales. One of the wonderful things about self-publishing is that you have time. Time to tweak your cover or book blurb, time to get those book reviews, time to correct errors in the text, time to build your readership and your rankings. Then spend the time and money on the big promotional push.

Tip #7: Use Amazon’s browsing capabilities effectively. If you were selling your book in a traditional bookstore, you would hope that the buyer would find your book by browsing the bookshelves. They would have the best chance of finding your book if it was on one of the bestseller or bargain tables at the front of the store, or had a little “staff recommends tag” on the book on the shelf. What would be awful would be if your book wasn’t shelved in the right place, so the potential reader looking for a good mystery to read, didn’t find your book there because it was shelved in general fiction, or romance.

What is truly wonderful about publishing on Kindle, is that your book will be recommended or find its way to the bestseller table along side the traditionally published books at no additional cost or personal contact with the bookstore.

First, when a buyer goes to the Kindle store, if they have purchased book in your category, your book may show up in the list that says “Recommended for you.” Or, your book can show up on the “Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought” list at the bottom of the screen. I’ll never forget when I went to look for an Anne Perry book--the star of Victorian mysteries—and found my book on that list!! If you sell enough books, Amazon will actually send out little emails to targeted customers saying that they think they might like your book. Talk about free promotional support!

Finally, if your book sells enough and has good enough reviews, your book can make the over all top 100 ranked books on Kindle (I have made it to the 200s, so I have hope) or more likely, it will make it to the top 100 in a sub-category (as I have in historical mysteries) and be called a best seller. Readers browse through those best sellers looking for books to buy. If you make it into the top 10-20 books in a specific sub-category, this means if someone browses in that category that your book will pop right up on the screen, ready and waiting for an impulse buy.

But none of the above is likely happen if your book can’t be found in the right browsing categories. As an indie author, this is your responsibility. When you upload your book you have five choices of browsing paths. Think carefully, but inventively. If I had just listed my novel in the main category, “mystery & thriller,” Maids of Misfortune would be competing against 32,000 other books in the Kindle store. But if I instead chose the sub-category of “mystery,” my book would then be competing in a group of 8000. Better odds, but still not great. When I went even further, and chose an additional sub-category, “women sleuths,” my book now is in a category with 5300 other books, giving it even better odds of being found. However, when I put in the right tags on my book as well, for example the tag “historical,” and the buyer puts that tag into the search box, because 5300 books is still too much to for them to browse though, my book becomes one of only 446 books listed. Bingo! In fact if you do that today, Maids of Misfortune comes up number one.

Check to make sure that your combination of five browsing categories and sub-categories and the tags you have listed gives you the most competitive advantage. Initially, because of a computer glitch, Maids of Misfortune didn’t show up in the historical mysteries sub-category. I still sold books, but not that many of them. Once I got this fixed and got my reviews in place (tip #4) and lowered my price (tip #5), I did my one big promotional push-got my short story on Kindle Nation Daily shorts (tip #6), and Maids of Misfortune ran to the top of the historical mysteries category, where it has been ever since, my sales success began.

So, time, patience, persistence, attention to my 7 tips, and, of course a well-written book, and the Kindle store can be a great place for indie authors to sell books.

Full Circle

2011-02-04T22:06:00.004-05:00

Perhaps I should issue some sort of apology for not blogging since October 14th, but since my mom died on October 5th, neither the need or desire has compelled me to come here and pitter-patter away on my keyboard.

I can't promise how often this blog will be active, perhaps more than usual or less, but today, I wanted to reflect on the state of my publishing and my writing and how I believe I have come full circle in both. This will not be a short and pithy blog entry (I don't think I'm made up of short and pithy, anyway).

I've been writing since the 60s and published since the late 60s, early 70s. When I say published, I don't mean novels or books. No, that didn't come until 2001. In 1969, I began to bask in the limelight of publication in fanzines. PARAGON ILLUSTRATED was a semi-professional fanzine published by Bill Black, artist and writer. I got my first big break with him writing under a pen name. I wrote "Dark Zodiac" entries, short fictional illuminations of the dark side of each zodiac sign. Bill Black did the illustrations. Unfortunately, I only did two or three zodiac signs and then devoted the rest of my writing to short stories. I was so very fortunate to come across Dale Donaldson, a pioneer in horror fiction during the 1970s. He was just launching his MOONBROTH fanzine. It was a unique publishing endeavor and one that appealed to my bohemian publishing leanings. You see, Dale Donaldson's idea for MOONBROTH was that of issuing stories and artwork as loose leaf, photocopied colored pages with holes pre-punched so you could make your own magazine binder. I liked what he was doing and the fiction he was accepting. Jessica Amanda Salmonson and Janet Fox both started out in MOONBROTH. Salmonson went on to publish the excellent "Tomoe Gozen" female samurai series. If you can find the mass market paperbacks, buy them and enjoy. I was writing then because I loved to write. For me, it was a drug I didn't want to be weened off of. I found inspiration everywhere. I never expected to be famous or even entertained the desire. Dale Donaldson was very supportive of my writing and assured me I would make it to the "pros" one day. I had my doubts. Dale published three or four of my dark, horror short stories, I think. When Dale got sick......very sick, MOONBROTH folded. And Dale Donaldson passed away. There has been a Dale Donaldson Memorial Award created in his name. The void that his death and the death of MOONBROTH left in my writing life got filled with my own little petty attempts at home-spun fanzines. These were basically done at home on my typewriter....yes, typewriter, and distributed to friends and some who wanted copies. Remember, this was 1971 or 1972. I never submitted another short story to a fanzine again.

Life interfered shortly thereafter and I basically gave up writing. Since this is not a reflection on my personal life, we'll skip that and jump ahead to 1997. The writing Muse apparently decided I deserved another chance at penning dark fiction and I became quite obsessed with a tale of vampirism unlike others I'd read and were being published. I had officially "come out of the closet" and thought that vampire fiction always seemed to focus on male vampires and their helpless female conquests. Enamored of the film "The Hunger," where chic vampire Catherine Deneuve seduces Susan Sarandon into the vampire life in a really sexual yet exquisite scene, I was determined to write a female, lesbian vampire book that used all the trappings of traditional vampire lore, yet infusing it with more innovative ideas. The book, SO DEAD, MY LOVE, was published in 2001. I have since published a new edition, SO DEAD, MY LOVE, Author's Choice edition.

Leaving vampires behind, I decided it was my turn to write my "haunted house" story. But I didn't want it to be just another haunted house story. Besides horror and supernatural fiction, I also enjoy mysteries. I wanted to blend mystery and my love for the supernatural together. And I had a private investigator in mind. But she wouldn't be just any regular private investigator. She has psychic powers. The "X-Files" was very big in television in 2000 when I started writing the first Brenda Strange book, THE BURNING OF HER SIN, and could be positively compared to the cases Brenda Strange sometimes gets involved with. Brenda Strange and her supernatural adventures came about from my love of the supernatural and the mystery. It seemed a perfect blend. Her name came from my passion for the Marvel comic book hero, Doctor Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts and Sorcerer Supreme, and my fascination with an old comic strip, Brenda Starr, Reporter. She was an adventurous female reporter. So far, there are four Brenda Strange novels published, THE BURNING OF HER SIN, TANGLED AND DARK, THE MISSING PAGE, and XIMORA, with more to come.

But publication didn't come easy. I have my own horror stories forever branded in my memory of the road to publication. To keep this blog within a reasonable length, I neither became famous or rich from my writing. Having signed and resigned from four publishers, I am now my own publisher, making quarters from my writings and once again, doing it on my own, with my own publishing imprint, Black Car Publishing. This time, I'm using digital, Print On Demand and eBook publishing and not a typewriter. Independent publishing has empowered many an author to keep and retain their rights and their royalties. I will never sign a contract with a publisher again. Yes, I remain still, a publishing bohemian.

The question remains, do I still have enough passion to write only because I love to write? At 60, the pixie dust and stars of fame and fortune in publishing have long disappeared from my eyes. I'm back to writing and publishing not for big publishing contracts or publicity, but because I still have stories to tell and the passion to write them. It no longer matters if only one or two enjoy the stories or buy my books. I enjoy writing them and sharing them. The same way I did back when typewriter ribbons came in either black or two-tone black and red. Full circle.

Without my Mom, What Remains of Me?

2010-10-14T20:00:00.003-04:00

My mom passed away on the morning of October 5th, 2010. I was there in the hospital room, holding her hand when she passed through the light and into HIS loving arms. She was everything to me. This is one of my favorite pictures of me with my mom. We'd just finished unwrapping Christmas presents and I was tucked into my pajamas for the night. I don't remember how old I was but I know that the silver plated horn became a long time companion. No, I never learned how to play a horn professionally, but I sure enjoyed play acting like I knew what I was playing on it! And the toy cash register was fun for awhile until I figured out no one was going to give me real money to play with.

I look at this little snapshot from the late fifties or early sixties and I want to just pretend that some of those Twilight Zone episodes could come true and I could actually go back into that photograph and be right there.....right then.....with my mom and my family. My father is gone. My mom is now gone. I am frightened.

I have no interest in writing. The emptiness I feel inside may cause me to stray from writing. I've had my serious bouts of giving up the writing and concentrating on other things in the past and I suspect this may sever me completely from the barely glowing embers of my passionate affair with writing. I may seek diversion in something more immediate. Instant gratification might be what I need right now and writing doesn't provide me with that. Who knows.

I know this particular blog is just a way for me to express what I'm feeling right now and not really anything many of you will be interested in. Please hold on to all the moments you can capture with your parents if they are still alive.....or with family and loved ones.

I've Just Lowered My Kindle Books. Is Pricing The Secret To Kindle Success?

2010-08-14T23:43:00.000-04:00

First things first. I just lowered all my $5.99 priced Brenda Strange books to $4.99. That is a whopping $1.00 off. Now all the Brenda Strange books are reasonably priced and for those who have been wanting to read one or more, now is the time to pick one or two up and try them on for size. But please wait 24 hours before ordering. Amazon tells me that once I change the price of an eBook, the book will not be available for purchase for 24 hours.

And the above brings me to the subject of eBook pricing. It's a hot topic among readers and authors and I imagine publishers too. What is a good price for an eBook? For me, I will bypass an eBook if it is over $6.99. That is just my own, self-imposed limit. Without going into all the controversy of how much eBooks still cost to produce and that they should be priced as competively as paper books, I still think $9.99 is a good limit for the price of an eBook. Is that because Amazon has been telling us this for so long that I've finally been brainwashed into believing it? I don't know. But even so, because of my budget, I usually won't splurge over $7.99 for an eBook and no more than $4.99 for an unknown or new author. Again, these are my own decisions based on budget restraints. Those that have unlimited or more expendable capital may not care what the price of an eBook is and that is fine too.

In any case, if you care to post about your own ideas and beliefs on the pricing of eBooks, please leave your comment. All comments are extremely welcomed. And don't forget to check out the lower prices on my Brenda Strange Kindle releases.

eBook? Paper? Prices?

2010-07-23T15:05:00.000-04:00

Okay, I never thought I could love more than one. Smelling, touching and enjoying a paper book was always at the top of my most enjoyable pastimes. I questioned eBooks immediately and never imagined I could enjoy an electronic book like a paper book. Plus, my budget prohibited even considering ever, ever owning an eBook. Then a wonderful friend gifted me with an older Kindle 1. I now understand being able to love more than one. I really am enjoying my Kindle.

I have at least four books I would love to read as a Kindle book. I probably won't be reading them.....at least not on my Kindle. Why? They are over $10 each. I simply cannot afford to pay $11.99 or more for a Kindle download when a used copy in very good condition is half the price. The problem, however, is that I am running out of space to put books. I am enjoying my Kindle so much that I planned on making most purchases really low-priced eBooks or freebies.

I know publishers have been fighting off Amazon to have the rights to sell their books for a higher price than the recommended limit of $9.99 suggested by Amazon, but if they get their ways, will we be looking at eBooks being priced at $20 eventually? Who will buy? Will the reader say the hell with it, give away or sell some of their books taking up space, and merely continue to buy used or lower priced copies of paper books? An eBook will never offer the sensation of a good, paper book, so I won't ever get tired of that or give it up.

So, right now, the best thing is that we have the option of eBooks and paper books. I'm not going to pay that much for an eBook even though I would have preferred it. I will buy the cheaper paper book and just make room for it by donating another book off my shelf or giving it away to make room for the new one.

eBooks.....they should remain reasonably priced. Under $10. I know many will disagree, but this is merely my own opinion. I won't support an eBook priced higher than $10. I will wait or find a more budget-friendly alternative.

How Indie Publishing Can Raise Money for Charities

2010-07-14T10:57:00.001-04:00

This is a very special post. Why? Isn't it just another book I'm going to tell you about so that you'll go out and buy it, enjoy it and feed the authors and publishers who brought you the entertainment?

No. Well, it is a book I want to tell you about, but the only ones who will profit from buying a copy of DARK THINGS will be the readers who are definitely going to enjoy a collection of stories that will surely entertain and creep you out (that is a good thing for horror fans, right?) and the ASPCA. For those who don't know what that is, it stands for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The ASPCA has shelters all over the country who are humanely housing, feeding, neutering, spaying and attempting to adopt out dogs, cats, beloved pets. They run on shoestring budgets, all of them dependent on donations from the national organization and also local patrons. Animal charities truly need our help. The economic struggles in this country have affected so many families already living on the edge, that some have had to move from or leave their foreclosed homes. Many pets are being left behind. It isn't the right thing to do and most of us would never leave a family pet behind, but it is happening. Shelters, normally on a tight budget, are now overwhelmed with left behind pets. They need our help.

Publishing eBooks has become a digital revolution. It is possible for independent authors to publish eBooks and bring many books into the hands of readers that might not have been possible in print. Three authors, myself included, have given of their time and talent, to pen four stories of dark fiction that will please all who love the genre. Every single cent from the proceeds of the sales of DARK THINGS will go to the ASPCA. Black Car Publishing will not receive one penny. The authors have donated all their royalties. Here are the blurbs for the stories in the book.
"From Patty G. Henderson, Her Apparition is a chilling and tragic tale of a house with an unrestful spirit that must reveal a long ago, brutal murder before it can rest. And in I Sing the Body Dead, Henderson weaves a touching story of a young girl's unholy gift she shares with her mother and the terrifying consequences of calling up the dead.

From MJ Williamz, The Hunted is a vampire tale set in the steamy, sultry city of New Orleans. With vibrant storytelling sure to please the thirst for blood among vampire fans, Williamz blends the allure of New Orleans and the exciting story of an unlikely relationship between an ancient vampire and the descendant of her arch-nemesis, a vampire hunter.

VW Massie presents Skin, a tale that builds to a frightening and unbelievably chilling end. Two sisters become the unwilling victims of demonic beings using modern technology to terrorize us. Maybe you'll think twice about installing that cable box after reading this story. And you will never again look in the mirror without a shiver and without thinking of Massie's Skin.

DARK THINGS is now available for purchase as a Kindle book on Amazon.com for only 2.99. This is a great read to take to the beach or to curl up with on a late night. However, I can't guarantee that you'll be able to turn out the light after reading DARK THINGS.

If you enjoy the supernatural/horror genre or even a mystery with a big splash of horror in it, order a copy of DARK THINGS. You won't just be getting a chilling collection of short stories, but you'll be helping out millions of unwanted pets waiting for new owners who need our help. It's only spending $2.99 for reading pleasure and a worthy donation. Win-Win situation.

Order from Amazon at: DARK THINGS by Patty G. Henderson, MJ Williamz and VW Massie.

Will Cover Artists Be a Thing of the Past or the Next Most Important Thing to the Success of Your eBook?

2010-07-06T19:52:00.001-04:00

So, the eBook revolution has begun. And I believe it to be a true revolution this time. eBooks aren't going back into the closet after false starts. Indie publishing especially has been pushing and embracing this eBook euphoria. New and formally traditionally published authors are finding freedom and financial satisfaction in independently publishing their own Kindle books and selling on Amazon while keeping all the profits for themselves. Why split it with a publisher?

A disturbing trend I have found is that when I buy and download some of the Kindle books from major publishers, they have no cover image. I was shocked and surprised. I also found no cover image for an independently published books as well. Are many of you discovering the same thing? Fearing it could be my Kindle 1 being on the "fritz," I actually downloaded a sample from one of my own Brenda Strange Kindle eBooks, knowing full well I had uploaded a cover image myself. Sure enough, my cover image was including in my Kindle purchase of my book. Yet, there were no cover images in three of the Kindle books I had ordered from a prominent mystery paperback publisher.

If the new wave of Kindle eBooks are going be completely text.....the book as published but minus any cover graphic, will the importance of cover art be the next thing to get hit in the publishing industry? If publishers will no longer even supply a cover image for your eBook purchase, why bother getting a real, attention-getting cover? Just push the brilliance of the actual book.....the author's story.

Or, could an outstanding, completely eye-popping cover be the most important sales tool an eBook author is going to have? When your browsing is no longer the spine of a book at a brick and mortar store, but the Internet page on Amazon or iPad or other online bookseller, you will need to stand out from all the other books vying for your eye-candy appeal. Unless you already have a ready-made fan base or brand, new or developing authors will need to appear as professional and "ready to be read" and draw more attention than other authors vying for the same space. If you're looking for a new author and you've got a page of covers, which cover will you click on first, the one with a plain, one color and single graphic or the professional looking, custom created cover with multiple graphics and unique fonts? Yes, of course, your story blurb will also need to sell your book, but the cover, in a sea of covers, will be the initial grab. Or will it?

As we move into a digital publishing world, we still don't don't know what impact the eBook will have in the long term look of publishing. Will it be merely a slight tremor instead of the full blown earthquake we are anticipating? If so, what will the publishing terrain look like after the dust settles? Will covers be a major selling point in the eBook world or something that takes a back seat to the meat and potatoes of book publishing, the written word? As both an author and a book cover artist, I am very intrigued by the possibilities.

Thoughts? Comments?

"Stigma..." It's Such a Nasty Thing

2010-07-01T11:49:00.001-04:00

Indie publishing might be making waves and splashes in the big business world of publishing, but so many still won't let go of the stigma attached to self-publishing. I'm taking it upon myself to quit using the term "self-published." No, not because I don't like it or because it means a bad and dirty thing.....No. It's because it still has the stink of stigma attached to it.

Let me expound. I was a fairly successfully published author by one of the bigger traditional, lesbian publishing companies, Bella Books. Yep, they are approved by the MWA. Imagine that. I requested and opted out of my contract. I had decided to independently publish my own books. It was MY own decision to break my contract with a well-established, traditional press.

For those who don't know, I write the Brenda Strange Supernatural Mystery Series. Bella Books published the first three books, THE BURNING OF HER SIN, TANGLED AND DARK, and THE MISSING PAGE, in trade paperback (I now own the rights and have published them as eBooks available in Kindle at Amazon). The second book, TANGLED AND DARK, was reviewed and featured as a recommended read in the mystery community's highly praised magazine, Mystery Scene. The column was the Small Press Review by Mary V. Welk. It was an honor to be featured in the Holiday issue #87, 2004 with the honorable Tony Hillerman on the cover. Mary Welk is sadly no longer doing the column. Betty Webb has taken the mantle.

What is my point in all this? I am still writing the Brenda Strange Mystery Series. I am a better writer since TANGLED AND DARK got recommended in Mystery Scene Magazine. What has changed is that I am no longer part of a traditional publisher. I am an indie author. My latest Brenda Strange book, XIMORA, is as good or better a book than TANGLED AND DARK. It was edited by the same editor that did the work for Bella Books. But my own publishing imprint, Black Car Publishing, published it. Mystery Scene Magazine refused to accept my book for consideration to be reviewed because I am an independent author. Their policy is to not accept independently published books. It made me very angry. I couldn't understand why an author is stigmatized by the mere fact that she chose to independently publish instead of give away her rights to a publisher. What difference does it make? Mystery Scene didn't know how good my new Brenda Strange book was. How could they.....they refused to even consider it. Just several years ago, I had one of my books recommended and reviewed in their magazine. And now, because I opted to take control of my writing future, my fiction must have gotten worse than before....not even worth a look at? It doesn't make sense and it is unfair. Why adopt such a broad and negative brush toward indie published books? Maybe if I'd hidden the fact that Black Car Publishing is my own imprint, I'd have gotten the review. Why does it have to come to that?

Time to wake up and realize some very good work is being published independently. Continuing this practice of discrimination smells of prejudice and something worse. I don't want to point my finger only at Mystery Scene Magazine. I love the magazine and sometimes can afford to buy an issue here and there. They aren't the only ones who need to come into the light of the new publishing paradigm.

Throwing Print Books Overboard?

2010-06-25T16:16:00.000-04:00

I'm seeing it more and more often. Authors opting to go the eBook route directly, bypassing a print version entirely. Is this practical? Logical? Is it the wave of the future?

Many authors who have been in print either with larger New York houses or even with smaller, independent presses, are taking their out-of-print books and going "Indie," publishing those books as eBooks on Amazon or Smashwords. And Barnes and Noble is now going to offer their own indie eBook publishing platform. It looks bright in the eBook world.

But what interests me most are the authors who are skipping print versions of new books and releasing them only as Kindle editions. Mystery author Robert Walker is one of the biggest proponents of this new phenomenon and speaks highly of his success (see Guest Blog below). Another highly rated print author and mystery favorite, J.A. Konrath, has also released original eBooks. But you could argue the point that in the case of both Walker and Konrath, they have had previous success at garnering readers and a fan base because of publication with big NY publishing firms. They have ready readers hungry for their books.

What about the lesser known authors? There are authors writing in the shadows of the more well-known names who are also grand storytellers but may lack as big a fan base or name recognition. Can they sell as many eBooks? Despite all the noise and fanfare of the eBook revolution, eBooks still account for a smaller market share of books sales. Can an author without an already established brand name or readership do better in the eBook market without the safety net of print books? Creating an eBook and offering it for sale on Amazon as a Kindle download costs the indie author nothing if you do your own cover and your own conversions. Publishing a print version will cost you for distribution and ISBN purchase.

In my opinion, the eBook market is going to expand. Print books will always be around to snuggle with the eBook versions, of course. But the quandary for authors is whether there is sanity, profit and stability in ditching print versions of original books and hanging their careers solely in the eBook corner. I have been selling more eBooks than print books. For the indie author with a strict or non-existent budget and no lingering love for print books, the answer should be simple.

Will it be simple for most of us?

GUEST BLOG: Robert W. Walker......Marketing Book Before It's Written? eBook eVolution

2010-06-01T18:11:00.004-04:00

by Robert W. Walker

How often over a 30 year career in writing supported by teaching and scraping have I had to “Re-invent” myself? I forget at this juncture, but this year I had to do it again. I did so in what I consider two bold moves… One has to do with going “gaga” for Kindle for good reason, and two taking a page from Julia & Julia, the movie.

In what I consider a bold move, a writer decides to resurrect his “dead books” – all those out of print titles and some gathering dust, never before published, in his desk drawer. In a second bold move, he creates a journal-type blog that will follow his work in progress—which he also intends to take to Kindle, thus bypassing traditional routes to publication (and to be sure with thanks to many hundreds before who self published for the past 30 years!

Furthermore, in this journal-blog. The bold Prof. Walker makes challenging deadline predictions for completing the rough draft and the edited-vetted final: a book in a year, a rough draft in three months. This prediction came in mid-February of this year. You can learn more in depth on how I did it at DIRTY DEEDS – ADVICE.

This idea came about after seeing the film Julia & Julia. I figured why not “Cook Up a Book” and I sent it forth using that as my marketing ploy – Let’s all Cook Up a Book in Julia & Julia styled blog. I went forth to garner followers interested in looking over my shoulder as I worked who could make comments as I worked. I felt confidant as a writer to make it happen once I had decided what the project would be, and it was and is an ambitious one: a retelling of the Titanic story that blows away every other “theory of the crime” for my theory. In a sense if Michael Crichton had rewritten this chunk of history, well he is high up on my most admired authors list. I blogged once a week at outset, then more like every other week as the book progressed, also noting when things were going badly as well as smoothly. Along the way, I took up issues that any author must deal with in crafting a novel such as dialogue, action, setting, etc.

At the same time, I used social networking to let people know about the online Journal for my Titanic efforts. I managed to make my first prediction fairly closely. While I failed to finish the rough draft in three months, I did so in three and a half months—while teaching and dealing with life’s typical obstacles at the same time. Now that I am doing my first major reading and rewrite, there is a lot more for the journal to cover. Finishing in a year appears now to be a deadline that I will come in on early – perhaps as early as November which would be ten months. I may make that prediction soon.

Aside from just carrying on at the online journal, I have targeted all my chat groups, Twitter, Myspace, and Facebook, of course. I have pushed the idea for other authors to try on MurderMustAdvertise and DorothyL, encouraging anyone on these sights to have a look-see. I have also placed it up on Kindle boards and at KindleKorner in quick bursts. I increased the number of blogs that I am a regular on—four now, and on each of these blogs, I give comments
on for the online journal – marketing a book not yet written…now not yet edited…and not yet published or being written on speculation for an agent or editor. I have never turned down a request to guest blog, and I am writing articles routinely for www.1stTurningpoint.com and www.speakwithoutinterruption.com In this I have an online presence that supports my Julia blog but also supports sales of my Kindle titles.

Early on in the process, I decided to take my predictions and climbing out on the limb much further. I announced that I am writing this work in progress not for anyone anywhere but Kindle Readers. This will go straight to Kindle, by-passing the usual clap-trap of sending out outlines and parcels to agents and editors. I have been doing that for 30 years. Thanks to Amazon.com/Kindle I am given an attractive alternative, and since my other 44 titles on the Kindle bookshelf are doing extremely well, making me more money in the past month than I have made in paper/traditional publishing in the past three years! – well you might imagine that writing a fifth “Original to Kindle” title is the way for this author to go. If interested in learning more about ebook pubbing with Kindle, go to www.dtp.amazon.com which is where I started, and if you’re interest is POD with Amazon, check out www.Createspace.com

I work hard to get discussions going on Facebook where I truly open up and just “be me” asking silly, crazy questions, exploring fun issues as well as making my feelings felt when others bring up issues on FB. I try to build interest in me first before hammering FB friends about my books; often I tease them with a line. Often I bring up a theme in a book, a location. I set up contests and raise interest in the issues being discussed at my various blogs. Social networking is ADVERTISING for my ebooks. I believe the initial sales of my books on Kindle were as a result of all of the above activity that I set in motion along with smart “packaging” of the product(s).

Once you acquire those first, early readers, then news of a good read goes viral—and your readership grows exponentially—far more so than with paper book readers. Still, my early kindle book sales a year ago were terribly unimpressive; some might say dismal. I had little faith it would improve and it did not all summer (I began in June last year), but when I placed up the Instinct Series on the heels of Children of Salem, suddenly sales soared, along with the Edge Series. This tells me that the word and idea behind SERIES works wonders on Kindle as all my earlier titles were stand-alone titles! Then the series followed and whamo!

This is significant as the first to take off was Children of Salem but I billed it as 3 Volumes in one at 160,000 words! A whopping “self-contained” epic SERIES. In fact, I wanted it to have an old traditional book feel to it so I divided it into three volumes. People on Kindle truly responded to this novel—a novel turned down by every agent and editor who’s ever looked at it. Then getting up the eleven-book Instinct Series, which is now out-distancing Children of Salem. Behind but not by much is the four-book Edge Series. I have as a result put up my DECOY Series of four, and my Dean Grant ME Series of four books, a trilogy, a two-some, etc. as Kindle readers appear to absolutely “love” series characters, I feel this is a significant DISCOVERY. And so my response—put up my Abe Stroud horror trilogy and my two-some about the monster behind Spontaneous Human Combustion. Next on horizon is a two-some of YA historical coming of age novels along with Titanic which is in and of itself TWO books in ONE, the 1912 story with Insp. Alastair Ransom, and the 2012 story with Oceanographer David Buckland.

Even if you have only one book to place on Kindle, I suspect you would do better to indicate that it is “just the beginning” of a series wherein this ensemble of characters will play a part in future titles. In point of fact, I also place Chapter ONE of the next book at the back end of the one preceding it, and this I believe helped my sales tremendously as well.

Then too Joe Konrath and I did some cross-pollinating by his placing one of my chapters back of one of his books and visa versa—and whenever, wherever, as buddies will do, we talk each other’s works up on social networks.

This new Kindle era venue has been a huge boon for new writers but even more so than anyone? Yes, the hugely put-upon Midlist Authors – and many of us have been wise in regaining our rights to out of print or DEAD books, and miraculously these are resurrected for an entirely new generation now who do not have to scrounge around in dusty used book stores for them. Plus they are offered up at prices below two and three dollars; they also offer a whole new income for their authors with a better contract or “treaty” than any Indian or workhorse (midlist author) has ever imagined – a 70/30 split in favor of the author!

Do not be fooled, a publisher puts a book up on Kindle for you and prices it at 16.00 or at the same price as the paper book (which is the case with my City Series, controlled by HarperCollins) and I have made NOTHING on these as they are selling nothing, so the price per unit holds it like a stone going nowhere, whereas the new Amazon model of selling in bulk at say 1.99 or 2.99 has earned me enough to give some thought to a vacation this summer. So another thing, 70 percent of 1.99 is far better than say 30 percent of 25.00 or even 7.00 if there are NO sales at the higher price but sales are going through the roof at the lower price. I make far more on the Amazon model than I do the HarperCollins model.

For the likes of Joe Konrath, Rob Walker, and many more whose series have been cut by our publishers, it is wonderful to be discovered anew by young and old thanks to the advent of the Kindle reader. And now I am planning a 12th Instinct title, a 5th Edge title etc. despite their being “dead series” to NYC’s Penguin Publishers.

Furthermore, my control and freedom is a wonderful new sense given the author too. In fact, a dream and a miracle come true for yours truly as no publisher could ever keep up with my output anyway, so I always dreamed of lottery winnings so I could afford to become my own publisher. The Kindle has given me my dream and the times they are miraculous as a result for on Kindle I am the publisher, producer, PR and marketing rep, ultimately editor, copy guy, all of it and it feels great to be in charge. It is a wonderful boon, and nothing succeeds like success, and since I am a happy camper, I have more positive vibes running through me and far more motivation and energy to pursue all the steps I need to take in terms of marketing, PR, social networking, etc. necessary to keep the train on the tracks.

One more thing is the “dreaded” bottom line as Kindle allows you to see your bottom line at any time of day, any day – no waiting months to know sales results & no returns beyond a handful electronically handled. Now for more on what I am doing Google me on Google, and also Google: Write Aide a blogspot wherein I give advice. Another presence is www.makeminemystery.blogspot.com where I blogger-mouth every other Saturday. Another is my staple, each Friday at www.acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com

Yes you can generate buzz for a novel not yet published, and you can start at inception, before birth! Hand out those cigars! Think of it: a blog that WARNS people of your impending opus.

Finally, with regard to writing “Original to Kindle” titles it cost you nothing to set a novel down on the virtual shelf. Should you do this with your work in progress? I will admit, writing novels has become somewhat second nature after doing some 50-odd novels, but part of the purpose of the blog is to demonstrate just how many ways I mess up and pick myself up and go on in the face of adversity and life in general and STILL craft the best novel I can create. My best advice to get a winner on Kindle pay close, close attention to your title, cove art, and description. All three MUST capture the imagination and enrapture a reader in those early moments where his or her eyes are on your book.

Write the most important short story you will ever write – the story about your story. Be sure to put in as many of the journalistic 5 Ws as you can along with character and place names. Be specific and brief at once. Write what your “dream” of what should be on the backflap copy of your book. Get professional help to edit your description (no errors!) as you must get professional help to edit the book itself as I do. Get a pro to do your cover art as well. I rely on my son, a pro..

Check out Killer Instinct (for ME fans) and Children of Salem (for HYstery-Romance-Mystery fans). Below is an EXAMPLE of a description I wrote for my second highest selling ebook:

Children of Salem

An eccumenical spy, Jere Wakely returns to Salem Village Parish where it has become obvious to church athorities that this parish is in serious trouble. Wakely works for Increase Mahter. But he is reluctant for many reasons, not the least being that his heart is broken and returning to his boyhood home means he will inevitably run into Serena Nurse

Jere assumes that Serena is by now married with children. He had left her without saying goodbye to go off and make something of himself. He has no their love would be rekindled, but it parallels a greater fire—one of terror amid the infamous Salem Witch Trials. A witch hunt in this important election year of 1692 is backdrop to a romance filled with intrigue and mystery; the history is accurate, and the truth is disturbing yet fascinating.

Man, I sure hope I didn’t misspell ecumenical in the descript….

Hey all, major thanks, and do find me on facebook and twitter and elsewhere! And do leave a comment here, please!

Rob Walker

THE MISSING PAGE Gets An eBook And A Brand New Cover

2010-05-24T23:42:00.003-04:00

This June, Black Car Publishing will be releasing THE MISSING PAGE, the third Brenda Strange Supernatural Mystery Series book, as a Kindle download eBook. That will make the complete series currently published, available in eBook format. THE MISSING PAGE will also be available in ePUB and PDF format as are the other books in the series.

What I'm asking all visitors is to respond to a little poll. This is the cover for the eBook edition of the book. What do you think of the cover? Does it work for you? I happen to think it's a smashing cover and brings the gist of the book chillingly to life. I look forward to all your comments, pro or con.

Now is your chance to read the entire Brenda Strange series on your eBook reader if you haven't had the chance to get them in trade paperback. All the Brenda Strange Black Car Publishing eBooks are moderately priced and available at Amazon.com or the Lulu Marketplace.

Make sure to check out my web site at: www.pattyghenderson.com or the official Black Car Publishing web site at: www.blackcarpublishing.yolasite.com. You'll be able to buy all the books at the BCP web site.

I look forward to your input on the new eBook cover for THE MISSING PAGE. And don't forget to subscribe or become a follower to The Henderson Files. It's the easiest way to keep up when there is a new post so you don't have to remember to check back. We remind you.

Thank you for your support.

It's About Time....eBook Time!

2010-04-29T14:20:00.003-04:00

I never stopped to think about how much time had gone by since I posted here. January, apparently. While I won't be bold enough to promise I'll be more timely, I can at least attempt to post something more frequently, just not regularly.

The big news from me and for me is eBooks. My eBook editions have been outselling my trade paperbacks. I think that isn't real news for most writers in this brave new publishing kingdom. After dipping the toes in the publishing waters in years past, the eBook is here, in your face and here to stay, I would venture to say.

All my books released via my publishing imprint, Black Car Publishing, are all simultaneously available as eBooks as well, in Kindle on Amazon and in ePUB and other formats through the Lulu Marketplace. I'm also in the process of making all my previous Brenda Strange books published by Bella Books available as eBooks. I got my rights back to the first three Brenda Strange Supernatural Mystery books and already released the first book in the series, THE BURNING OF HER SIN, as an eBook with a brand new cover. The brand new and fourth Brenda Strange book, XIMORA, has been available in Kindle and ePUB since October. The third book in the series, THE MISSING PAGE, will be available in June or July, completing all the Brenda Strange available in several eBook formats and on Amazon.

And I want to take this opportunity to announce that the second book in the series, TANGLED AND DARK, is now available as an eBook. For now, the only format is ePUB, PDF and other formats, but the Amazon Kindle is coming soon. This eBook edition also sports a brand new cover for this edition.

But this posting isn't just BSP. Authors, how are your eBooks selling? I keep hearing from more and more indie authors that their eBooks are outselling their paper books. Is this the wave of the future? Will you, the author, consider releasing only eBooks in the future? Does that somewhat frighten you, shock you or excite you?

Readers, is the eBook explosion and all the cool ads Amazon is running on TV for their Kindle edging even closer to investing in a Kindle? How about the amazing iPad? Is that the item that will bring you into eBooks? Do you plan on continuing to enjoy both paper books and eBooks? What about pricing? Authors and publishers have been haggling about pricing, but for the indie author, we can damn well do whatever we want with our eBooks. We can choose the price we want without having to worry about a publisher sticking their finger in your pie or making the decision for you. So, how are choosing to price your eBooks? On the low end to increase sales or high end to get the most profit? Readers, do you have a perceived worth for an eBook and how much you are willing to pay for it?

I enjoy hearing from you and joining a lively conversation.

Buy my eBooks at these online locations:
XIMORA, THE BURNING OF HER SIN, TANGLED AND DARK......ePUB:http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=363561

Kindle at Amazon: XIMORA: http://www.amazon.com/XIMORA-Strange-Supernatural-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0031569AQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=digital-text&qid=1272567769&sr=8-2

Kindle at Amazon: THE BURNING OF HER SIN: http://www.amazon.com/Burning-Strange-Supernatural-Mystery-ebook/dp/B003ELPND6/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=digital-text&qid=1272567769&sr=8-7

Senior Moments....Writing and Publishing After 60

2010-01-27T11:13:00.003-05:00

Your brain cells begin to deteriorate as you age. You lose coordination and memory. Thought processes begin to slow. We've all heard those dire predictions of what it's going to be like in our "golden years." But doctors aren't really sure what actually happens to our brain as we age. All they've been able to agree on is to disagree. I guess we'll just have to wait and experience it for ourselves, right?

There have been several articles detailing the trials and tribulations of writing if you're an older author. Many of the articles try to remain positive but ultimately must offer reality based advice. If you're sixty-plus and already in the publishing loop, you will have certain advantages....somewhat. But what about those who are late starters and have started writing well into their fifties and maybe even sixties. What are your chances of finishing your manuscript and getting it published? Is there age discrimination among publishers? Yes....and no.

Publishers view authors as investments. They want the most production and longevity from their investment. It isn't hard to see why agents and publishers will skip over a fifty-eight year old novice over a twenty-eight year old with a long life ahead of making money for the publisher. Well, if you're famous, age isn't a barrier, but then, if you're famous, you won't be reading this blog. And publishers want books on a regular basis from their authors. How many books will a sixty year old have in her? How long does it take for a senior to complete a book? Is it true that the brain slows down, hence your writing abilities and speed? If you're a senior author, do you find it more difficult to put your thoughts to paper in an easy manner? Are complex plots too complicated? Does your mind wander to everything but your writing?

Please don't think I'm talking about dementia or worse. I'm asking a serious question that seniors should face as they age but want to continue writing. I know I have slowed down. I realize that each and every one of us will age differently. Some of us will be struck with diseases that might take a bit out of us while others may remain healthier. That will definitely affect your writing. But let's talk about what awaits the senior author once they have a book finished.

The reality is that the senior author will have a much bleaker chance of landing an agent or a publisher if they have never published before. Certainly, there are smaller publishers that will be open to senior authors. Some won't care at all about the age of the author. Still, it is tough out in the publishing business even for younger authors. How up are you, if you're sixty and pushing a manuscript, to wait a year, two years or more for an agent? And are you willing to wait another year or two or more for publication? If you're in your sixties, you might be close to seventy by the time you see print.

Is independent publishing more attractive to the senior author? If you're a late-blooming author or an author who has published before but has since been out-of-print or been dropped by your publisher, does the thought of independently publishing your work appeal to you?

If you'd like to share your thoughts, I welcome other opinions and discussion.

The Self Publishing Review Site is Back Online

2010-01-04T15:24:00.002-05:00

http://www.selfpublishingreview.com

This is a great place to hang out if you are an independent publisher. They just re-lauched and it looks great.

Through the Glass Deadly: A Bloody Little Christmas Tale

2009-12-17T16:29:00.005-05:00

Maggie shook the large snow globe with the gold-plated tag on the bottom that said "Pineyville," and watched the swirl of fake micro-crystals cascade down on the little town. She'd fallen in love with the colorful plaster buildings—bakery, bank, bookstore, church and assorted houses, mountains, pine trees, cars and little people walking, skating, and shopping. It was one of her favorite holiday decorations. She plunked it down on the table and looked around the floor. She was surrounded by boxes labeled “Ornaments and Decorations.” It was Maggie's favorite time of the year.

“Never a Christmas without Pineyville and your boxes of thrift store junk.” Vicki, who stood at the top of wooden step stool putting the paper and glitter angel atop the completed Christmas tree, smirked at Maggie.

“You’ve hated this snow globe since I bought it.”

“Yeah, I do.” Vicki stepped down off the step stool, dusted off her hands and faced her lover. “But it isn’t just that stupid snow globe. It’s all the other junk you’ve brought home for years from those nasty thrift stores.”

Maggie felt her anger flush to her face. “You’re a snob…” she paused, wondering if now was the best time to start another argument over the same thing. “At least I collect harmless things and not other women right under my nose.” She couldn’t control herself.

Vicki had cheated. More than once and out in the open. The arguments were always loud, frequent and accomplished nothing. They were still together, but this year, it felt to Maggie as if they were merely going through the motions. Perhaps it was time to call it quits.

Vicki’s eyes blazed red in the blinking Christmas lights. “Don’t you start that shit again with me.” She poked her finger at Maggie’s chest. Maggie slapped her hand away.

“Don’t you threaten me. I think I’ve had enough of your anger and your affairs.” She turned her back on Vicki. “I’m going to call your newest little girlfriend and give her a piece of my mind. And while I’m at it, I might fill her in on your anger issue.”

“No, you’re not.” Vicki grabbed the step stool and swung it hard at Maggie’s head, cracking her skull and sending a ribbon of thick blood across the Christmas tree and the wall. A large drop of it landed on the top of the snow globe. Maggie fell in a heap atop her half-opened boxes, the ornaments inside making a loud, crunching sound.

Inside the snow globe, a group of men, women and children pressed their plastic faces against the glass. The policeman who had stood in the middle of the snow-covered street directing the tiny cars sighed and looked at the others who had gathered.

"Well, I think our time here is up. Tell Ma Brady at the Bakery to take the cookies out of the ovens and the others to turn down their lights. We won't be staying here." The fake snow continued to fall in Pineyville.

One of the skaters from the glazed pond gazed forlornly at the policeman. "Will we be able to share this Christmas with anyone?"

The policeman didn't know. All he knew was that the blood on top of the glass globe cast a red, unhealthy glow over Pineyville and it didn't bode well. "There's still time before Christmas. Someone may want to share their holiday with us."

The boy took off to take up his skating pose on the Pineyville pond. As all the others in Pineyville strolled away to their designated places, the policeman continued to watch as Vicki wrapped Maggie's body in the oriental carpet and drag it to the door. He shook his head, guessing Pineyville would end up back in a dark box and in another bright store.

He sighed as he walked slowly back to where he had always stood, directing traffic along the lone Main Street in Pineyville. Perhaps there would be someone else who might want a slightly used and blood-stained snow globe on their Christmas table this year.

PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO HELP IN THE AIDE TO THE HAITIAN PEOPLE BY CONTRIBUTING YOUR CREATIVE OUTPUT, STORIES, POEMS, ARTWORK, ETC. http://crossedgenres.com/haiti/#haitiform

Brand New Book Trailer, XIMORA, the new Brenda Strange Supernatural Mystery

2009-12-02T14:51:00.002-05:00

On "Picking up the Marbles and Going Home..."

2009-11-13T13:17:00.003-05:00

We all know what the phrase means, but how does it relate to self-publishing?

Publishing is a tough business. Yes, it is a business. If all we wanted to do was write and create magic using words as an art, then why do we need a "business?" Surely, if you want to write and then share your art, you could offer it via your web site for free. You certainly don't need to publish it or get involved with the harsh and cruel world of publishing. If you want to make a little change from your art, why not install a "Donation" button on your web site and ask readers who enjoyed your story to offer a little for the pleasure of reading it for free. It could work and you could bypass publishing completely.

But most authors want a "book." A book that is considered "published" and available on the great and mighty Amazon. We want to feel as if we've arrived as an author and only by having an honest-to-God, "real" book listed on Amazon will we feel accomplished.

And what about self-publishing? What makes the self-published author feel as if they've "arrived?" Large sales? High rankings on Amazon? Having everyone talking about your book? Landing a "real" publishing contract from one of the "real" publishers? Getting fan email? Having to turn down blurb requests? What makes it real for you?

And what about the times when writing and publishing begin to tear you down? The work involved in self-publishing is hard and long. Never ending. You are basically going at it alone. Personally, the freedom of going it alone is what attracted me to self-publishing. But what about the times when no matter how much time you spend online promoting or sending out review copies, your books get little to no sales and little to no notice. You blog and blog and no one shows up at your blog. What then? No, you don't have the funds to hire publicity agents. It's only you. Will you remain a happy writer? Will you continue writing when no one is buying your book or talking about your book? Is the love of writing that strong in your physical and emotional psyche to stand up to that kind of frustration and disappointment?

I may be off-base here, but I believe we are fooling ourselves if we think we are writing only because we "cannot not write." We write because we are storytellers. As writers, we are writing down our stories. But what is a storyteller without a listener? A writer without readers?

At what point do you pick up your marbles and go home?

When Humor Bites, it Hurts

2009-10-15T11:23:00.005-04:00

You simply have to read this article from the New Yorker online. So funny. So sadly true. It's painful.

It links up well with my post below. Enjoy and then weep:

New Yorker Online

Promotion. Promotion. Promotion.

2009-10-05T00:33:00.003-04:00

Promotion and Marketing. Two bad and distasteful words for many authors. For self-published authors, the words take on new meanings of importance. If you opted to have your own imprint and publish your own books, you will now have to wear all the hats. Promotion and Marketing can make or break your book or at the very least, make some profit or lose your investment in the book.

So, what works for you? Do you spam everyone on your email address book? Some consider notices about new books spam. Do you mind receiving a notice in your mailbox from an author on his/her new book? How about paper advertising? Many authors still love postcards. But you have to actively collect physical addresses for postcards. Is that cost effective? Or do you use postcards to stack up on the freebie tables at writing conferences? Most of us know we should have business cards handy at all times so I won't include that in hard-core promoting. And many of us also get some kind of bookmarks done. Again, how effective has that been? Flyers? Press releases? How many review copies of your book do you send out?

We seem to be moving into the digital era at warp speed. Many authors believe online marketing and promoting is the way to go. Would joining reading and writing online groups and posting BSP (Blatant Self Promotion) notices for the release of your new book be cool or will members of that online community chase you off their group? How much is too much BSP? Having a professional and informative web site is a real necessity, but when you are a self-publisher, how prepared are you to have a site for your own publishing imprint? Can you afford two web sites? And if you have an author web site, you should make sure it is active and kept up to date. Do you think contests work?

Okay, how about you share some of your self-publishing promotions that work?

Guest Blog Author: DEBBI MACK

2009-09-18T15:22:00.010-04:00

Refusing to Die: My Story of Losing a Publisher, But Going on Anyway

This is actually a revised version of a piece I wrote for my Web site in February 2008. It's been updated to reflect developments since then.

Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald's, once said: "Press on. Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence." I couldn't agree more.

Persistence is an essential quality for anyone doing creative or cutting-edge work. Biotech startups, inventors, artists, musicians, and yes, writers, know that they'll never succeed if they allow failure and disappointment to stop them. I speak from experience when I say that if it weren't for sheer bull-headed persistence, I would've washed out of the fiction writing business ages ago.

It was the early 1990s when I began putting serious effort toward writing fiction. I finished my first mystery novel in 1997. I sent letters out to as many agents as I could and got a few nibbles, but no contract. I kept this up for a while, then decided to write a second novel with the same protagonist. I went through an even more extensive round of agent queries and rejections with this novel. Finally, I decided to submit it directly to small presses.

My first submission was to a small press that had agreed to publish and anthology called CHESAPEAKE CRIMES to which I had contributed a short story, my first published fiction. I submitted my novel manuscript to this publisher and a few months later, was offered a contract. By then, it was 2003 and I was ecstatic at having landed a publisher after so many years of rejections. But before I could even savor the feeling of sweet success of a first novel release, something terrible happened. I had a stroke.

I was extremely fortunate to have been treated quickly, so my recovery from total paralysis on the left side took place within hours. I was walking the next day and speaking with no problem. No one but the most observant person could even tell I'd had a stroke. But things got worse. A few months after the stroke, my left hand and foot began to clench. The contortions in my hand and arm became painful. It turned out the stroke had caused a condition called dystonia. It has no cure.

In short, I have been through numerous treatments. None of them has provided complete or lasting relief. The accepted medical treatment--injections of botulinum toxin to the affected areas--has produced minimal relief. I am unable to lift certain fingers or grip things in the affected hand. As I struggled with this, my first novel, IDENTITY CRISIS, was published in the summer of 2005, to the acclaim of many--many relatives, friends and acquaintances, that is. The rest of the world remained blissfully unaware of it. My small publisher was without the money or inclination to promote the book other than to make it available for sale through Amazon and other online booksellers. The rest was up to me.

So I hired a book promoter, did some interviews and signings, got a handful of good reviews and tried every way I could to get the word out about my book. Then things got even worse. Around the time my first royalties were due, my publisher had some kind of crisis and stopped paying his authors. They tried to reach the owner but didn't get a response until long after their trust in him was irreparably damaged. Ultimately, the vast majority of the authors, myself included, cut their contractual ties with the publisher. It was a difficult decision for me, but an inevitable one under the circumstances.

In early 2006, my novel had gone out of print, less than a year after its release. I think I'd sold maybe 125 copies in that time. I still had no agent. I was looking for a new publisher and at the same time, battling an incurable disorder that was still causing pain and constant clenching in my hand and foot. I've been told life is a journey, but I wasn't expecting the march to Bataan!

Still, I didn't give up. Like I said, if it weren't for persistence, I'd forget about fiction writing. Despite all the bad stuff, I kept writing, kept submitting, and kept getting rejections (rejections, I might add, that were getting more complimentary of my writing skills each time, like "Sorry, really close, but no cigar." Doh!). At one point, it occurred to me that I could get the book re-issued by Lulu.com. So I went to work on making that a reality.

I'd be lying if I said the process was completely transparent and I never ran into any glitches or delays. There were cover formatting issues that required frequent revisions and resubmissions. And it took me forever to understand some of the simplest concepts (in retrospect), like how the ISBN would get into the book or on the cover after I gave the go-ahead to publish. The Lulu publishing process is conducted completely online, which helps keep their costs down and make their service viable. But it eliminates the human factor (or at least minimizes it), so your communications are reduced to emails that may or may not explain everything you don't understand. Nonetheless, I muddled through the process despite myself.

After all was said and done, it took a little more than a year to publish the book, from minor editing to finished product. And the best part was that after all that patient effort, I could hold up the book to people and say, "This is my novel. It's back in print." And believe me, this achievement alone feels HUGE!

Even better still, though, I discovered e-publishing about a month before the new print edition came out. It opened a whole new world of possibilities for me. Uploading my novel was neither time nor cost-prohibitive. And it was relatively easy to market online. I made IDENTITY CRISIS available as an e-book for Kindle on June 2, 2009, and offered it on sites like the Scribe Store and Smashwords, as well. As of the end of August, I've sold more than 200 downloads through these three e-book retailers (and most recently, Lulu too). That's more books than I sold in the nine months it was originally in print. Assuming I hit 250 downloads within the next month or two, that'll be twice as many books as I sold during the nine months it was first released.

So, despite all the setbacks, as you can see, I simply refuse to die. I simply refuse to go away and pout over my troubles. I simply won't stop writing and trying to find another publisher. I simply refuse to quit. Because a quitter I'm not.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Debbi Mack's novel, IDENTITY CRISIS, features lawyer/sleuth Stephanie Ann "Sam" McRae in a hardboiled mystery involving a complex case of murder and identity theft. It's available in print through Lulu.com and will become available at Amazon and other online sellers and as an e-book through Lulu.com, Amazon, the Scribd Store and Smashwords. Debbie has a short story published in CHESAPEAKE CRIMES She will have more stories published soon in The Back Alley Webzine and in CHESAPEAKE CRIMES 4, coming from Wildside Press in March 2010. Her web site is www.debbimack.com and she has two fiction related blogs: Debbi Mack: My Life on the Mid-List and The Book Grrl

Guest Blog Author: SUSAN X. MEAGHER

2009-09-07T12:26:00.003-04:00

I began writing fiction in 1998/99, inspired, as so many others were, by the television show Xena: Warrior Princess. I was approached by a fellow Xenite who was starting a publishing venture, and signed with Fortitude Press in 2001.

In retrospect, one might see that running a publishing company, having a full time job and trying to write might be too much for one person, and that proved to be true. My publisher grew tired of the work, the low return on her investment, and the usual petty gripes and strife that all companies, no matter how small, seem to create. I was given back the rights to my books and tried to decide what to do next.

My experiences were not horrible, even though some of my fellow authors would disagree with my view. I got paid on time, I was satisfied with the quality of the books and I was thoroughly involved in editing and cover creation. So, I was fully expecting to sign with another publisher. But I decided to investigate self-publishing first, just to be able to compare.

After doing a good bit of homework, I decided to strike out on my own. My reasons were primarily financial and creative control. Self-publishing requires you to have some funds at your disposal, so it's not for everyone. But if you can afford to print 500 or 1,000 copies of your book and are fairly sure you can sell them, the financial return is greater than it would be if you signed with a publisher.

This makes perfect sense when you consider the money your publisher has to invest up front to get your book into your readers' hands. Someone has to invest a few bucks, and if it's your publisher, he or she is going to want to make a few bucks for fronting that money. Since I could afford to do that myself, however, it made sense to me to go for it.

My second major reason, creative control, might apply more to me than many other writers in the romance genre. My books don't follow a strict genre formula and I prefer them that way. That's just my style and I don't want to change it. Some publishers aren't interested in that kind of variation, so my options were limited. But even if they hadn't been, I'd heard too many horror stories from friends who had edits foisted on them that they didn't agree with; had sections cut from their books that they hated to lose; had strange covers created, etc. I just didn't want to deal with any of that if I didn't have to. Since I didn't have to--I didn't.

So far, self-publishing has worked out well for me. It isn't perfect. I'd like to have someone do some publicity for me. I'd like to have someone nominate my books for awards. I'd like to have people assume my book must be good if "X" publisher publishes it. Heck, I'd like to hang out with my fellow authors from "X" publisher. When you go it alone, you're really alone. But making a bit more money and being my own boss are worth the trade-offs to me. If I were just starting out--I'd probably feel different.

Since I started, POD (print-on-demand) has gotten more popular and a bit less expensive. I assume we'll see more and more people going their own way--if they can escape their contracts with their publishers, that is. Some publishers lock a writer in and make it very tough to get away--even if you've learned to hate each other. Rather like a bad marriage where neither will file for divorce.

I'm still doing full print runs of a few thousand copies since that's the only way to get the per copy price down low enough for me to make enough money to make this worthwhile. As it is, it's still hard to make even one dollar per book when you sell on Amazon. If I didn't have sales through my web site, www.briskpress.com, I doubt I'd go to the trouble of publishing my work. I love writing, but publishing is not for the lazy. But I think putting my books in print has made me strive to be better and put out the best product I can.

Most readers don't realize how little money is to be made in the publishing business. They pay $15-$18 for a book and assume someone's making a nice living off that. But if the book costs $6 to print and the distributor takes 40-60 percent off cover price--there's not much left. That's why I always try to encourage people to buy their books direct from the publisher. I realize Amazon is handy and can save a buyer some real money, but if everyone buys from them, small publishers won't be able to stay afloat. This won't hurt Amazon one bit. It also won't hurt big national best selling authors much. It will hurt people who love lesbian fiction.

I believe lesbian fiction has improved by leaps and bounds over the past ten years. I'm confident that's because everyone has stepped up their game. But we can't succeed without our readers. So, tell your friends about the books you love, and write reviews. That's the same as a love note to an author.

Guest Blog Author: Michelle Ann Hollstein

2009-08-31T18:11:00.006-04:00

When I wrote my first book, a fantasy novel called NIBERIA, I was jumping into something that I'd never done before. I've always had a passion for books and have always loved to read. I love being whisked away into someone else's world for a while. In college I studied art and obtained my degree in Art Studio with a focus in painting. Well, like most art majors, I didn't become a famous artist. I landed a job sitting in front of a computer doing administrative work.

Day after day of answering phones, entering data into spread sheets and doing other mindless tasks, my creative side was wilting. I was desperate for an outlet for my creativity. I began to write. In between phone calls, when works was slow, I delved into another world. I began to write my first book.

After finishing the story and a year of editing, rearranging and rewriting, I hadn't a clue what to do next. I finished what I would call a written piece of artwork but it wasn't complete. I wanted to be able to display my work of art and show it off. So I went online in search of a way to do that and stumbled across self-publishing.

The process was fairly simple. Everything was done through the mail. I was even able to use my own artwork to construct the cover. All I had to do was submit photographs and a description of what I had in mind. A few short months later, I had a finished novel to show off. And even more exciting than that, it was for sale through online bookstores.

I was addicted. Another story emerged from me in just a few short months. The self-publishing company that I used with my first novel, NIBERIA, was offering a two-for-one deal. All I had to do was publish my second novel, ASHES TO DIAMONDS, and I could published the book for free. The only catch was that I only had one year to do it.

Needless to say, I've just finished writing my seventh novel using their two-for-one deals! If it hadn't been for self-publishing, I would've stopped writing after receiving my first rejection letter from a traditional publisher. I was a novice and overly sensitive. Self-publishing gave me the confidence that I needed to continue writing and hone my craft. For those of you trying to choose between self-publishing and finding a traditional publishing, there are a few factors to consider:

PROS:
Your work is your own. This is your project and it can be written anyway you please. No one can tell you otherwise.

You own the rights. They're all yours.

You have a say in your cover design. You can include your own artwork or photographs.

It could take years and years to find a traditional publisher who may take a chance on you. With self-publishing, you story is published right away.

If you already have a fan base or have the money to advertise, you're set. Why not do it yourself?

CONS:
It can become expensive (but from what I understand, there are several companies willing to self-publish your book for free. They get a percentage of each book when they sell it. I'm currently looking into that for my next book).

If you don't have money to advertise and don't have a current fan base, it can be hard to establish one. (Something I'm currently working on).

Self published books cost more money to buy because they're print-on-demand. It can discourage people from buying your books and taking a chance on you if you're a new author.

Overall I'm happy with the path I chose. I enjoy having the creative freedom to let my imagination run wild. My current mission is to develop a fan base and get my name out there. Currently I'm writing a cozy mystery series that takes place in Palm Springs, California. My protagonist, Ms. Aggie Underhill, is from England and moves to Palm Springs to be near her daughter, Sarah, who is married to a United States Marine. My Aggie Underhill mysteries are fun, light, fast-paced books. Aggie isn't what you'd call a sleuth. She's a nosy lady who just happens to get herself involved in all kinds of messes.

I've just started the self-publishing process on my fourth Aggie book, A HARDBOILED MURDER. In this book, the body of a film star crashes on the roof of a moving tramcar, a mystery author is discovered hardboiled and bobbing in a hot tub, a home is ransacked and two grandmothers are battling. Keep an eye out for A HARDBOILED MURDER.

Hopefully, my post on self-publishing has been helpful. Happy writing everyone! Please visit Michelle's web site: http://www.michelleannhollstein.com/

A Wide-Open Future

2009-08-25T13:08:00.002-04:00

I've provided a link to a great article at Publisher's Weekly online. While not directly aimed at self-publishers, you only need read between the lines to realize that the publishing industry is about to shift drastically and that self-publishing can be included in the new hierarchy as a workable way to publish. The opportunities will be in place, however hard work still needs to be done. You can't kid yourself to thinking self-publishing will be easier in the future. You will still need strong, independent thinking and determination, but there will be room at the publishing table for self-publishing once the smoke clears.....Enjoy the article.

Link: http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6685324.html

Self -Publishing As a Viable Alternative

2009-08-20T14:29:00.005-04:00

After struggling with thoughts of discontinuing or trimming down my blog, I decided instead to take a totally different outlook and veer the whole blog in a new direction. Self-Publishing.

Times, they are a-changing and the digital revolution is here. It's making a strong showing in publishing and I couldn't be happier. After experiences in traditional publishing that left me dazed, confused and totally unsatisfied, I looked at and embraced self-publishing. With the advent of POD....Print on Demand, I was able to free myself from contract shackles and publisher injustices. It's a fantastic feeling.

There are as many pros and cons to self-publishing as there are to seeking traditional publishing. My hope with this new post is to touch briefly on those issues that might affect self-publishers. At the top of my list is that more and more tiny, one-man or two-man (or woman) publishing houses are popping up that are using POD for their publishing method. They are basically anyone who can set up an account with Lightning Source.....a POD printer and distributor.....take on a name and begin calling for submissions. Many authors contract their books with small POD publishers and end up giving up their rights and getting a pittance in royalty with little to no promotion or marketing. Also, since many of the micro POD publishers often have no money for top notch editors, they often shift some of their own authors to do the editing on other books. In some instances, authors who have gotten only their first or second books are doing the editing on many of the publisher's other books.

YOU can do the same thing for yourself. Why give up your rights and your earnings? YOU can open an account with Lightning Source. YOU can become your own publisher. There are also other POD printers who charge you no money to start up your own imprint. Sure, you will have to learn how to do the page layout the first time out, but using a template provided for you, it will be easy once you do it once. Most of the POD printer services also offer easy to do covers. You can also find a cover artist for a reasonable cost to do a bang up cover for you (Hint: I'm cheap and need the work. LOL). It can be very satisfying to do all the work yourself. And you reap all the rewards. You can list your book on Amazon, Barnes and Noble online and all the other online book services. Some of the online POD printers will charge a bit extra to get distributed and listed online, but well worth it. Don't have the money to hire an editor? Get other author friends to read your book and do the edits or get involved in a writing group where you can utilize the services of a beta-reader. Most of this will cost you nothing. Again, many of the current crop of micro POD publishers are doing the same thing. Their authors are their editors. You say you don't like to market or promote? Most small presses do very little to no marketing or promoting. They depend heavily on their authors. Why wouldn't you want to keep all your rights and profits and do the same thing for yourself? It is your creation. With self-publishing, you can guide your creation through all the steps and enjoy the fruits of your labor without giving up earnings or rights to someone else.

The drawbacks? Well, if you absolutely are flat broke and cannot save up the little money that it would take you to self-publish, you might want to just try and place your book with a publisher. If you are a beginning author with little to no contacts or a solid fan base of readers, then self-publishing might not work. But again, it all depends on what you want from your writing. First, let me make this clear....If your goal is to spend years attempting to woo an agent for a try at one of the Big New York publishers, then self-publishing or even seeking a small press isn't even an option. However, if you plan on publishing with a small press, keep in mind that you will not get wealthy or even be able to leave your day job with your earnings. And if you go with a micro POD press, your earnings become even more invisible. And you will be expected to work hard to promote your book. Would a new writer be any less successful by self-publishing instead of going with a micro POD publisher? I believe if you work hard, you can be as successful publishing yourself. Another thing to remember is that even within self-publishing, there are many avenues you can take. The old way of self-publishing is not using POD at all but paying a printer to print a run (of whatever size you choose) of your books. The cost is generally high and you will be in charge of storing all your books. If you don't have a large house with an extra room just for your books or a storage space to store them, this option is not for you. With the advent of POD, that old method of self-publishing has lost some favor. For those who have a Green streak, it is environmentally friendly to use POD and print only a small amount of books initially or print them as they are purchased. Why waste so many trees and paper for your books to sit in storage? There is also the option of going with one of the many online publishing packagers. These are iUniverse, Outskirts Press, Xlibris and dozens of others. They offer you select packages that go from basic packages with no editing and basic covers, to the high cost packages that could run you into hundreds or thousands of dollars. But they do everything for you. At a cost. For those with money to spend and without the desire to do all the set-up and work, these are ideal. Again, research before you decide the road to take in self-publishing. A big drawback that some detractors of self-publishing insistently point to is that the major bookstores are not going to stock your self-published books. What many authors don't realize is that even if you sign with a publisher that is using POD to print their books, your books still won't be in the bookstores. So you are losing your rights and a big chunk of your royalties for no bookstore exposure. Zilch.

In the end, my recommendation is to educate yourself before making any decisions on your publishing future. It is an exciting time to be an author. The digital revolution is here and the freedom it brings to authors is extraordinary. Self-publishing can allow you to explore not just print books but also e-books. The next wave of authors might be totally digital, offering their works online or as e-books, completely bypassing print publishers. Freedom is the key word. The freedom to keep your rights. The freedom to be stress-free from publisher restraints that might hamper your creativity. The freedom to grow your creation, your book, from infancy to fruition in your own hands and in your own time. You won't have to wait two years to have your book available.

I'll be featuring authors who are self-published here at The Henderson Files. I know there are many fine non-fiction works, but I'll be concentrating on mostly original genre fiction that has been self-published. If someone wants to do reviews, I will host them here. Hopefully, I can cover news that will affect self-publishing. If you're a fiction author who writes sf, fantasy, mystery, horror or any other combination of such, please email me and I will set up a guest author spot for you. But I want open discussion of self-publishing, not just a blurb on your book. Tell the readers why you did it your way and your results and feelings. I have several authors already lined up that will be talking about their experiences with self-publishing their own works, so please keep checking back often.

I'm excited. I hope you will be too and check back often.

Pre-Release Advance Book Trailer: XIMORA, the new Brenda Strange novel

2009-07-28T22:08:00.004-04:00

2009-05-26T15:34:00.003-04:00

This is my little (well, she isn't little at all, but fat, fluffy and sassy) loving companion who happens to have four legs, paws and is awfully furry. Her name is Lulu. She's a quirky and lovable Calico girl who brings lots of laughs and joy to my world.

Hope you enjoy the pics. Chances are, this will be the final postings at The Henderson Files. Hope Lulu brings a smile your way.....

Guest Blog Author: CRYSTAL MICHALLET-ROMERO

2009-05-22T06:54:00.013-04:00

I was always a strange child growing up. When I watched the thrillers on Creature Features, I used to cheer for the monsters. I would shout with joy every time Godzilla stomped on a military jeep and whoop and holler with glee when the Creature from the Black Lagoon dragged off a scientist to the depths of the dark lagoon. To me, the monsters weren’t evil, they were simply misunderstood. They were innocent beings who, for no reason of their own, became the hideous monsters that we came to fear. According to Dr. Jay Stevenson, Ph.D., the differences between demons and monsters are that while demons are of the supernatural evil origin in opposition to God, monsters are man-made and are in direct conflict with the natural order. Following this criteria, Godzilla, werewolves, vampires, and Mr. Hyde are no different from Frankenstein’s monster. None of them asked to be created, nor did they cause their own creation. They were brought about by man and man’s technology. As such their actions are not their own but are manifestations of our conduct against our fellow man.

Once I understood this it became easier for me to understand my own obsession with vampires. I recognized that the characters in Anne Rice’s novels were portrayed as sympathetic creatures that were dragged into an existential crisis. Like the zombies from George Romero’s Land of the Dead, vampires were simply trying to find their place to exist in order to live an undead life in the only way that they knew how. Yes, so there was that itty bitty problem of having to survive on human blood, but was it their fault that the creator made them this way? At least that is how I see vampires.

Like many in contemporary society, I was engulfed in the post-modernist thought of turning away from the oppressive concepts brought about by authority in favor of viewing the outsider in a sympathetic light. They were the Others, the minority that exists on the fringe of society. I viewed these Others as not hideous creatures to be feared, but monsters to be understood. Indeed, they are monsters. They are the antithesis of all that was considered natural. Vampires are the undead, creatures who escaped the darkness of death to live an eternal existence. In all ways I see them as the Others, the ones who live on the fringe of society. For me, they’ve become the manifestation of everyone who lives on the edge of acceptance. Vampires are akin to all lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders because like us, they are not accepted. Their existence puts into question decades of dogma, and they challenge all that we know to be sacred and profane. In this light, is it a wonder that I would have written a novel that favored the vampire character? The Veil of Sorrow, my first novel, turned out not only to be a final project for my Gothic Literature class, but also became a culmination of all of my years of favoring the monster. It is a novel that I hope will be entertaining as well as shed a sympathetic light upon vampires.

Visit Crystal at her web site: WWW.CHARANI.ORG

Guest Blog Author: JEFFREY LYNN STODDARD

2009-05-08T01:35:00.008-04:00

Isn’t it funny how life changes? Sometimes for the good, sometimes for the bad. In spite of it all, though, life never seems to lack entertainment value. As a kid, in my wildest dreams I would never have imagined myself waking up one morning and saying, “Hey, I’m gay. Let’s throw a party (and don’t forget to invite the Naval fleet).” But it happened… well, all but the Navy part (damn it). This, then, led to more discovery about myself. My likes, dislikes, attractions. Questions abounded. Why do I keep looking at guys when everybody is telling me that I am supposed to be looking at girls, and what is this funny feeling in the pit of my stomach? Am I a cat person? Am I a dog person? Am I afraid of ice cubes?

Through all these discoveries and advancements, one constant remained steadfast: my wild and vivid imagination. It was through this that I managed to cope with my days in grade/high school where I was mercilessly taunted and teased (and yes, threatened) daily for being the ‘queer’ boy. The funny thing was that those guys seemed to know of my leanings even before I did, which makes me now wonder what they were hiding about themselves. Incidentally, I suspect that these bullies are either long gone, now doing time in prison, or secretly cheating on their wives with guys in dark alleys. Under assumed names. Wearing ski masks.

Throughout my younger years, my imagination continued to expand in ways unexpected. First I found a proclivity toward composing and performing music. Jotting down plays and short stories came next, with the inevitable conclusion being the creation of novels. Writing had become, and continues to be, an escape. An adventure. Through this medium I am able to live the perfect life I can only dream of living. Only the best people (yes, the villains, too) are allowed to visit me in my delusional brain… well, there was that one guy I thought up who insisted that he was thinking me up. We parted ways quickly before either one of us made the other disappear.

The first manuscript of great length to make it out of my typewriter (remember typewriters?) was simply entitled “Billy”, so named after the lead character. Originally, Billy was straight, but sadly, the poor fool stuck around too long and found himself being dragged out of the closet, kicking and screaming. Oddly, his surprising metamorphosis just happened to coincide with my own coming out. I wonder if there’s any possible correlation? Nah. It was at that time that the entire story underwent a massive rewrite. Not only that, but having become so familiar with the cast and Billy’s sexual revolution (my own, ironically, stagnating before my eyes) the book was added to, years later being published as; Billy: A Gay Trilogy. It was at that moment that my path to writing gay novels exposed itself. Fortunately, there were no police around at the moment.

Meanwhile, back at my life, something else was happening. I had always been extremely interested in things that went bump in the night. This intrigue was really nurtured along by my really living in a couple of really haunted houses. Really! A single one of those stories would have you sleeping with all the lights on, and since I refuse to be held responsible for increased electricity bills I will keep my ghostly tales to myself. Anyway, the point of this is that it was only a matter of time before the subjects of gays and ghosts melded together, and once that happened there was an ethereal explosion of creativity. “The House on Capitol Hill” and “Face Your Fears” were my first ventures into this new and exciting realm. In such stories freedom is the key element, leaving me to bypass the restraints of reality, thereby allowing my mind to wander where it will. Hopefully it will return, some day. I do kind of miss it.

Visit Jeffrey at: www.jeffreylynnstoddard.com

Calendar of Guest Author Blogs....MAY 2009

2009-05-06T17:30:00.003-04:00

FRIDAY, MAY 8

Our first author this month is Jeffrey Lynn Stoddard. Not only does he write some genuinely scary tales of hauntings, but he is an accomplished radio and podcast star as well. Come and share the day with Jeffrey. He will be here all day to answer your comments.

FRIDAY, MAY 22

Crystal Michallet-Romero has written a gem of a vampire tale told in a unique voice. If you read one vampire book this year, check out THE VEIL OF SORROW. If you enjoy some of the classic vampire tales of the past, Crystal's book is a perfect blend to satisfy any blood cravings. Visit with Crystal and make sure you leave comments. Crystal will be happy to chat with you.

To Conference or not?

2009-05-01T15:16:00.006-04:00

The lesfic community is a fairly small niche. How many conferences can lesbian writers and readers attend in a year? As a writer, do you feel that attending a conference will help your visibility, hence, your sales? Or do you find that meeting other authors and readers in a social atmosphere is what enriches and rejuvenates you as a writer?

I'm sure attending a conference isn't on every writer's or reader's most important things to do, but most writers, aspiring writer or adoring reader will attend one or more in their lifetime. Choosing which is becoming more difficult when there are more than just one to choose from. Granted, for the lesbian purist, the hot places to be seen are at the Golden Crown Literary Society Conference and Provincetown's Women's Festival Week. The later isn't really a "writing conference" per se, merely a week-long revelry of music, dancing and activities where bookstore readings are attended by new and popular lesbian authors. The Golden Crown Literary Society is an organization dedicated to the study, encouragement and preservation of lesbian literature. A very admirable goal, for sure. Their yearly conference moves around the country and they award the Goldie Awards for lesbian fiction. The GCLS offers a great benefit to authors strapped for cash by offering Scholarships which helps out in conference fees, food, lodging, etc. Before I move on, there is another very popular and worthy conference held in New Orleans each year, Saints and Sinners. It's a high powered conference with popular and new gay and lesbian authors filled with interesting panels and activities dealing with all aspects of gay and lesbian literature.

All of these conferences have their sponsors and favorite "sons and daughters," or popular authors who attend those select conferences year after year. What I have noticed is that certain sponsors and some authors have pulled out of some conferences, including their sponsorship and attendance. One can't help but wonder why and what makes a certain author prefer one conference over the other, besides relative proximity to the location where the conference is held. Travel and hotels are expensive as are the conferences themselves.

Which brings me to the economy. With the shrinking budget squeezing every dime and nickel for life's necessities like food, meds, car payments, mortgage, rent, etc., how do you decide if or which conference to attend? Will the economy put a hit on one or more of these conferences?

I invite authors, publishers and readers to comment. There are also other genre conferences that are not gay or lesbian oriented like Fantasy, SF, Romance and Horror conventions. Do you feel you, as a lesbian or gay genre author, can benefit more from attending one of these conventions instead of our beloved gay/lesbian conferences?

I would love to hear your thoughts.

Guest Blog Author: MOONDANCER DRAKE

2009-04-23T23:57:00.007-04:00

When I was asked to talk about myself, I thought “what am I going to say that I haven’t said before?” There’s always the basics, where I grew up, where I live now, favorite color and foods. Those seemed less then interesting to talk about at my very first author chat. Then, as future would have it, I was talking to a friend about what first got me writing for more than just my own enjoyment when it hit me. Why not talk about that?

You see, growing up as a Cherokee woman, whether in the rural areas of West Virginia, or later on in the cities of the Midwest, one comfort remained constant for me. Books. They were my company when I spend summers at the library, while my mother worked. When I had trouble making friends, because we moved around a lot and I was always so different than the kids around me, stories were where I found moments of solace. Now as much as I loved reading, the relationship between myself and books was never a perfect romance. It was hard to find stories where strong, independent women were the heros, much less Native American women.

Yes later, on one of my many years as a Wiscon attendee, I was sitting in on a panel where authors like Tempest Bradford and Nisi Shawl were taking about their own frustrations growing up, about the fiction they loved and the fact neither they or the other panelists ever saw anyone like them in that fiction. I think it was Nisi I spoke to after the panel when I said “some days I think I should just write the stories instead of waiting for someone else to!” She smiled at me and said, “Well, maybe you should.”

So nearly three years later, and numerous hours writing and loving my new obsession, my first novel, Ancestral Magic, is finally a reality. The story started like many of my stories do, from a dream. And from that frozen moment of inspiration the Story of Sky and Meg unfolded into something I could’ve never imagined. I’ve learned character will do that to you. You have an idea for a story, even might write out what you foolishly think is w perfect outline to go by. In the end you let the characters take you where they will. It’s always for the best that way.

>>>

In a world where magic has become no more than childish fantasy or cinematic illusion, secret towns exists beyond the sight and understanding of mundane humanity.

Green Grove is such a town.

Sky Hawthorn is a single mother struggling to support herself and her blind son, on nothing more than a waitress’ salary and hardheaded determination.

Meg has spent years watching Sky stumble through one doomed relationship after another with the wrong men, never daring to reveal the secret love she has for Sky

When a lawyer arrives to tell Sky that an aunt she’s never known has left her a manor house in a place she’s never heard of, her family’s life is turned upside down and Sky is left with a big choice to make.

At that moment, with that single decision, the three of their lives change forever.

Hidden away in northern Wisconsin, inaccessible to anyone without magic in their blood, Green Grove’s secrets prove to be big ones. There’s a dark underbelly to the friendly town called the Sect, and they want Sky’s home and the magical place called Sacru Teren, a place her family is bound by ancestry to protect.

With the arrival of Roger Thompson, a charming local doctor that seems determined to sweep Sky off her feet, Meg is left with little but jealousy and doubt. Will the handsome doctor steal away their chance to be happy together, or will visions of Sky’s past and the dark secret that past holds change everything?

Ancestral Magic by Moondancer Drake

Coming April 2009 from PD Publishing. Available online through Starcrossed productions or from you favorite neighborhood bookstore.

Cover change for the new Brenda Strange book, XIMORA

2009-04-15T07:39:00.004-04:00

Since the new Brenda Strange suspense starts with a new publisher, Black Car Publishing, I wanted a whole new "look" for the series book covers.

This cover screams feral....demonic....and deadly. Will Brenda Strange finally face an evil more ancient and horrifying than she can handle?

Watch out for the new Brenda Strange supernatural suspense, XIMORA.

Guest Blog Author: RICK R. REED

2009-04-10T00:54:00.013-04:00

Getting BASHED: Where Book Ideas Come From

By Rick R. Reed

It doesn't matter what you write, whether it's crime, suspense fiction, literary fiction, or some other genre where you make stuff up, the most frequently asked question writers get from readers is: "Where do you get your ideas?"

Usually, I give them some smart ass answer, like "Off eBay. Some guy there sells plot ideas, six for a hundred bucks, minimum bid." Or, "The dollar store. It's all I can afford." But the truth is there's usually a different inspiration for every story or book I write, so the question is one that's truly difficult to answer, without sitting down and taking it on a case by case basis. Ideas come from all over. It seems the more of them I get, the more of them I have. Inspiration comes from dreams, snatches of conversation overheard on public transportation, a news item on the 'Net or in the paper, and asking myself the one question writers ask themselves more than any other: "What if..."

And sometimes, ideas come from real life. Such is the case with my just-released novel, Bashed, from MLR Press. For a lot of gay men and women, hate crimes are a fact of life. Many gay people have either themselves experienced the terror, violation, and persecution of being attacked simply for who they are (and whether the attack took the form of words, fists, or something more lethal) or, at the very least, they know someone who has. I've been lucky. I have no permanent physical scars. But I did come very close to experiencing a hate crime up close and personal (and I suppose one could argue that what I did experience was actually a hate crime) and that formed the basis for the inspiration of my novel, Bashed. The title, of course, refers to being fag-bashed.

My close call came one October night several years ago back when I still lived in Chicago. I was once into what's affectionately called the "leather scene" and owned chaps, biker jacket, boots, and other accouterments that passed the dress code in either a gay leather establishment or a biker bar. That particular night, I had been hanging out at the Eagle, one of Chicago's foremost leather establishments. I had stayed late, arriving after midnight and leaving near closing, at close to four o'clock in the morning. I had made a new friend and we were making our way to my car, which was parked on a side street that ran parallel to St. Boniface Cemetery. It was a very dark and quiet side street, made all the more so by the late night hour. My companion and I weren't thinking about things like fag bashers or hate crimes. But we suddenly were when we noticed an idling old car parked just opposite from my own. The car was a souped up muscle vehicle of some sort and inside it, we could see several dark figures, all turning their heads, alert, as we approached. Both of us tensed and quickened our pace. Even in the middle of a metropolis like Chicago, it was easy to feel vulnerable and alone. And we felt even more vulnerable when the still of the quiet night was broken by the sound of car doors opening. Suddenly, my friend and I stopped, feeling exposed in our leather gear, as four young men emerged from the car. To the man, they all sported shaved heads and were dressed in uniforms of baggy jeans and hoodies.

And one of them was carrying an aluminum baseball bat.

They didn't call us "fags" or "queers". They didn't say anything. Their silence was perhaps more frightening than if they had hurled epithets our way. To reach my car, we would have to walk right by them...and it didn't appear as though they were planning to let us pass.

It was like being confronted by a Grizzly in the woods, or a lion in the jungle. What do you do? Run the other way, knowing that four strong men are on your heels? Try to get to your car and hope that the baseball bat was for a late night game of sandlot?

We froze. The four, as a unit, moved closer. One of the guys, the one with the bat, grinned, swinging the bat slightly.

This was a moment of irrational fear. My heart pounded. A trickle of sweat ran down by back.

In books, they call what happened next predictable or deus ex machina, but at just that moment, one of Chicago' finest rolled down the quiet street, very slowly, toward us. The men got in their cars quickly. And so did we.

Thankfully, I do not know what the outcome of that night would have been had not the police come along on such a fortunate patrol.

But the incident did stick with me for many years, until I got around to dramatizing the incident as the opening to Bashed. But in my fictional world, no police car came to the rescue and the pair of guys emerging from the leather bar end up bashed very badly...with an aluminum baseball bat. Its chilling to think that one of your characters could have been you, a you that might not have survived to tell a tale again.

BUY your copy of Bashed.

Rick R. Reed is the author of ten novels and has short fiction in more than twenty anthologies. He lives in Seattle, WA. Find out more about the author at his website.

BIO

Rick R. Reed has been hailed as "the Stephen King of gay horror" (Unzipped magazine, October 2006) and his dark, suspenseful fiction has been called, "a harrowing ride through cutting-edge psychological horror" (Douglas Clegg, author of The Attraction) and having a "knack for presenting the gruesome lower depths of a soul" (New City).

His most recent novels include Dead End Street, a young adult horror novel; Orientation, an EPPIE award-winning novel about lost love, reincarnation, and sexual orientation; a sexy thriller called High Risk about a bored housewife who chooses a very handsome--and very psychotic--stranger to come on to; Deadly Vision, a paranormal page-turner about a psychic reluctantly caught up in the murders of two teenage girls in her small western Pennsylvania town; In the Blood, a tragic vampire love story, and IM, a thriller about a serial killer preying on gay men using online gay hookup sites.

Past writing credits include A Face Without a Heart, a modern-day, Chicago-set version of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray; Penance; and Obsessed. Both Penance and Obsessed were published in Dell's lauded horror line, Abyss and, together sold more than 80,000 copies. Both books were reissued in 2006. His horror short story collection, Twisted: Tales of Obsession and Terror, was published in 2006. His short fiction has appeared in more than twenty anthologies. He lives in Seattle, WA with his partner.

Calendar of Guest Author Blogs....APRIL 2009

2009-04-03T15:17:00.000-04:00

FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2009
For April, we kick off our Guest Author Blogs with none other than Rick R. Reed. He's been called "The Stephen King of gay horror." Rick will open up about himself and his new novel, BASHED. Mark your calendar and be here on Friday, April 10th. He's dark and handsome and totally into horror and suspense.

FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2009
It's a real treat to welcome Moondancer Drake on Friday, April 24th, for an interactive day of comments or questions with Moondancer. Her first book, ANCESTRAL MAGIC, has just been released by PD Publishing and she will share a bit about herself and her paranormal book and be available live, in between her busy schedule, to interact with readers and comments for the whole day. Don't forget to jot down the date to come and meet Moondancer Drake.

The Henderson Files Welcomes New Blood!

2009-03-31T17:01:00.000-04:00

The good news is that I'm hoping to have Guest Bloggers staking new ground here on The Henderson Files. You'll have a chance to meet and greet lesbian and gay authors writing the best in paranormal, horror and supernatural genre fiction.

If you're not already registered at Google Blogspot, I urge you to do it now so you don't miss out on your favorite author's Guest Blog.

Keep coming back for dates and announcements for future Guest Bloggers!

Peace and nightmares, ghouls and fiends.
Patty G. Henderson

Everyone Loves a Sexy Vampire

2009-03-31T16:33:00.000-04:00

It has been such a long road for this vampire tale. I am satisfied that as the author, I finally got the book I wanted. I am pleased to offer SO DEAD, MY LOVE Author's Choice to vampire lovers. The book, under a different title, was published by a now defunct publisher. It was edited beyond what I had intended, but as a new, unpublished author, excited to get her first book into publication, I eagerly agreed to any and all editing suggestions. The experience was a disaster. After starting up my own publishing imprint, Black Car Publishing, I decided to offer the book again after acquiring the rights back. I changed the title to the original one and paid an editor to take a look at the book again. I wondered about the beginning being so padded and a bit confusing, but this editor also suggested (as did the first), that some of the information at the beginning of the book was necessary and should stay. I published it with a new cover and a few things I wanted to add. This was during an especially tough time in my life when I spent time in the hospital and was very ill. Because I didn't have all the time to devote to the construction of the book, the printing and typesetting in the first batch of this edition had some problems. Since I own all the rights to my book and had the luxury of taking one last chance on putting out the story I wanted to tell, I took the opportunity to add much more to the story, eliminating some of it that didn't work.

I hope that those that have read previous editions and enjoyed them might welcome this Author's Choice Edition as well. For those who read the book and didn't care for it, perhaps this edition might be more to your liking. And lastly, if you like vampire stories but haven't read SO DEAD, MY LOVE, the Author's Choice Edition is now your perfect chance to read it.

The book is available online at Amazon.com, BN.com (Barnes and Noble) and other online booksellers. As an added treat, if you order through my web site : www.pattyghenderson.com, you will get an autographed copy. It's easy to order if you have PayPal and I will ship promptly.

Thank you for allowing me to share my vampire tale with you. I'm working on the second book, THE BLOOD RUNS COLD.

Fun Poll.....Give-away Brenda Strange Bookmark......Free Bookplates!

2009-01-13T15:53:00.000-05:00

WIN A BRENDA STRANGE AUTOGRAPHED BOOKMARK! Do you enjoy the Brenda Strange series? Do you have a favorite book in the series? I'll be running a poll here in The Henderson Files and giving away an autographed Brenda Strange bookmark like the one you see above as a prize to one lucky person. All you have to do is email me the answer to the following poll:

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BRENDA STRANGE BOOK?

1. The Burning of Her Sin
2. Tangled and Dark
3. The Missing Page

Email me your answer and a short explanation why the book was your fav. I will select a winner from the responses and mail you your autographed bookmark. This was a special bookmark created by a Brenda Strange fan. At the moment, this is the only way you can get this unique bookmark. I will not be giving these away until the 4th Brenda Strange book is released later this year and this poll and give-away may be terminated at any time in the future. Please email me your responses via my website: www.pattyghenderson.com. Good luck and have fun.

FREE BOOKPLATES......FREE BOOKPLATES......FREE BOOKPLATES.......FREE BOOKPLATES
If you loved the Countess Lara Karnov in my vampire book, SO DEAD, MY LOVE or have a cherished copy of the hot new anthology of flash fiction horror stories that I edited for PD Publishing, CHILLING TALES OF TERROR AND THE SUPERNATURAL, and would love an autographed bookplate like the cool ones above, please email me your address and I'll happily mail one out to you. One bookplate per person, please. Don't forget to tell me if you want the Vampire Countess or the Chilling Tales cover. These are perfect to just tip inside the book or paste on the front page. Your choice. Each one will be autographed.

Pop Open the Champagne....XIMORA is finished!

2009-01-07T09:56:00.000-05:00

It's always a bittersweet celebration when finishing a book. You've spent months, if not years, living, breathing and being totally immersed in the world and characters of your story and then it ends. Just like that. We all know it has to end but I'm sure many writers, like myself, find themselves missing the drama and excitement.

As of 9:30 this morning, Wednesday, January 7th, the fourth Brenda Strange adventure was finished. I didn't have Champagne, but I did sit back and enjoy a cup of smooth coffee with non-diary creamer. I'll put the manuscript aside for about a month, read over it again, revise once, maybe allow a beta reader to take a look at it, then send it on to my hard-as-nails editor.

The best way I cope with the withdrawal of saying goodbye to a book I spent so much time with is to start on a new one. Now, which one calls my name the loudest? Will it be the bloodthirsty adventure and romance of a sequel to my Karnov vampire trilogy or the bold dip into a period gothic romantic suspense? And Brenda Strange will surely begin demanding my attention sooner than later.

I find the choices challenging and delightful. Oh, and there is that barely audible whisper of a pirate yarn.....

Writer's Block? Or Fear?

2008-12-30T19:47:00.000-05:00

Okay, so you're racing toward the end of your novel, Muse on full throttle (for me, at least, my Muse is a fast, black, exotic.....sports car), and then suddenly, without warning, you....slow.....down. The Muse refuses to go faster than 30 MPH. What happened?

Is it writer's block? And what is writer's block? As a writer, I've never acknowledged that phrase. I've had periods where the writing has been sparse and not because of lack of ideas (those are always populating my head like super-fertilized clinging vines), but more because of other, less clear reasons. Could it be writer laziness? Maybe something more like fear or insecurity?

I've thought long and hard on the subject and read the many varied debates on it's existence or reasons for being and have come to my own, personal illumination on what causes my slow down in penning words to empty space. Fear. Yes, I had an epiphany, of sorts. No matter that I've written four entire novels (the fifth Brenda Strange, XIMORA, is nearly done, if only that black sports car that is my Muse will pick up speed.), had nominated short stories and edited an anthology of horror flash fiction, fear and uncertainty still rear their ugly heads. I'm leaning to the belief that there really is no "writer's block" per se. Allow me to explain, if you'll indulge me.

Let's say you have the entire scenario for one bang up of an ending. All the bits and pieces are neatly in place. You have the clear visuals as if the ending is a film winding down to an exciting ending. And then you falter when it comes down to writing them. It happens to me. Not often, than God. My epiphanic conculsion is that deep down in my writer's psyche, I am afraid that my writing skills will not match my creative skills. Will the language I use to describe the powerful scenes to end the novel make the reader see the picture I have in my brain? Am I a good enough writer? This is what caused my Muse to sputter and slow. I also know that once I add more fuel and gas her up, I'll be back at full speed, leaving all my doubts behind like so much exhaust fumes. I guess being able to overcome the fear and insecurity of writing is what makes us authors. Is it writer's block? Nah, I don't believe it for one minute. It just is what it is. The more we give power to the phrase "writer's block," the more we struggle with it.

Does this happen to you? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

How to cope when you are no longer employed?

2008-12-22T18:16:00.000-05:00

I was laid off from my job of thirteen and a half years this past Friday, December 19th. I was in shock first and that gave way to disbelief, followed by bitterness and then resignation that I was no longer part of the productive throng of the world. I currently run the gamut of emotions from depression, anxiety, hopefulness, despair, and back to hopefulness. As a diabetic that is insulin dependent and also take medication, a big concern is the cost of my meds. I no longer have insurance. I can't see my doctor because just her office fee is seventy dollars. I believe un-employment funds are only a third of your paycheck. That won't cover my meds, the mortgage, health insurance, etc. I did have a bit of money saved and that will help. And I am Blessed to have my Faith that keeps me strong and my family and friends that are the life-line to much needed support.

It's a strange, disconnected feeling....not being employed. It would have been nice if this had come closer to my retirement age. But it didn't. I suppose the ideal word for the feeling is...... Surreal. I think a good description is being pushed off the firm, earthy footing of a hill and suddenly be suspended in air, with nothing underneath you. Nothing. What lies below?

I'm living in surreal days and surreal nights. I hope to get much writing done. Don't they say that starving artists are the most creative? Don't they say that strife and hard times bring out the creativity? Does that mean that rich people can't be artists?

Juggling Desires

2008-04-05T13:11:00.000-04:00

I write and I create graphic art work. I've also been working since I was 18 years old. I'm tired of the 7:30 to 4:00 drudgery and am so wanting to retire, I can taste it like hot chocolate on my craving tongue. But alas, I have five years to at least early retirement. What does all this have to do with writing? I'm sure I'm not unlike most authors who, when embarking upon the great writing career, have hopes of becoming successful and famous enough to make writing the only thing they need to make a living. Who wouldn't want to work from home in jammies all day?

At 57, I am neither famous (not even well-known), nor able to make even enough royalty for a weekend dinner from my writing. I no longer have that burning passion or desire to burn down the doors of agents or big-time publishers in search of a lucrative contract that might propel me to the desires and expectations I once had. I've been through three disastrous contracts with publishers that were less than admirable and I will name them here: Justice House, Barclay Books and Bella Books.

So, what do you care if I'm stripping myself naked here in front of you? Well, on second thought, don't answer that. I'm at a crossroads where I wonder how many other authors might have come across or will come across. If you don't get what you expected, despite much work on your end, how prone are you to letting go of writing altogether and soul-search for something more fulfilling? I've been writing since the late 1960s. It was fun then. Today, I keep hearing the buzz words: "It's a business." Well, it might have been a business back then too, but it sure didn't feel like it. Mind you, I'm writing this simply through my own experiences. I never felt that writing back in the 60s and 70s was so cutthroat. Perhaps it was my own naivety. I was a beginning writer. What did I know?

I'm a graphic artist. I work for a photography studio and do Photoshop work. I've lately gotten freelance work doing book covers and am greatly enjoying the diversion. I haven't been writing as much. I like the instant gratification of creating a piece of art work in a day or two and presenting it to waiting publisher and author. I like it.

Juggling desires......Should writing be my mistress or my wife?

How Much is Enough?

2008-03-30T16:20:00.001-04:00

I belong to several online writing forums and the subject of promoting one 's work comes up often enough for me to post a blog about it. Writers can sometimes become obsessive about finding as many avenues to promote, market and otherwise, expose ourselves and our books online.

My question is, how many web pages, blogs, forums and online activities can an author indulge in without seriously injuring their ability to work on our actual books? At what point do you realize that keeping sites like MySpace, Facebook, and other "friends" type sites become a burden and full of people that aren't going to buy or promote your book at all and merely want to post pictures and converse? And do you think all the web pages and web exposure actually do anything to sell your book or draw more readers to you?

Are readers really spending their time online to find authors and visit author web sites? I sometimes get the feeling that the only ones who are joining forums, checking out web sites and communicating with authors online are other authors. Pitching your book to other authors isn't necessarily what I'm interested in. If we are really honest, author-ego is present within all of us and we are most interested in mainly our own books. Be honest. And how many of us have so much time, with work and life, to really read as much as we'd like? I know I can't.

How do you reach the non-writing reader online?

Let's start out with a recent Interview.....

2008-03-30T15:17:00.001-04:00

Author Interview Patty G Henderson:

It's rare today to find an author who does nothing but write for a living. Do you have a 'real' job other than writing, and if so, what is it? What are some other jobs you've had in your life?

Patty G Henderson: I’ve been a “Jill of All Trades” in that I’ve done many things from working in the library to pumping gas. I’m currently employed at a large, national photography studio where I do graphic retouch work with Photoshop. I’ve been doing that for 13 years!

What compelled you to write your first book?

Patty G Henderson: Disenchanted with not finding the kind of books I wanted to read, I thought I could write one. Seriously, I’ve had a desire to write since a young teen and quickly figured out the type of books I enjoyed. But as I grew up, more of those types of books became less common and books began to get bigger and fatter. The types of books I enjoy are shorter, more compact stories, much like those older paperback books from the 50s, 60s and 70s.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Patty G Henderson: Well, technically not “always,” but definitely as a young teen when I began to read voraciously. I wanted very much to write and I began with short stories.

Tell us a little bit about your book/s. What are their titles; which is your favorite if you have more than one, and briefly let us know what they are about. Pay particular attention to your most recent book and/or your first book:

Patty G Henderson: I love to talk about my books! I’ve written one vampire lesbian romance thriller, SO DE AD, MY LOVE, recently revised and re-distributed last year, and three books in the Brenda Strange supernatural suspense series. The first book was THE BURNING OF HER SIN, followed by the second, TANGLED AND DARK, and the third book, THE MISSING PAGE. I’m having a blast with Brenda Strange and hope the series remains as exciting to my readers. I’m working on the fourth book, XIMORA, which I hope to have out by the end of 2008. The Brenda Strange series is more than just a mystery/suspense series. The books follow Brenda through life changes and my intent is to bring the reader into Brenda’s life and be able to live the drama, tragedy and experiences.

As for my favorites, each book is my favorite while I’m working on it, but I have to say that I believe the very first book in the Brenda Strange series, THE BURNING OF HER SIN, was an almost mystical experience for me. I might have done some channeling while writing that book. It flowed from my mind and body without much effort on my part.

Are you currently working on any writing projects our readers should watch for release soon?

Patty G Henderson: You bet I am. Watch for the new Brenda Strange book, XIMORA, to be available this Christmas. You will never think of the story of Pygmalion fondly again! LOL.

I am also editing a gay/lesbian anthology of horror and dark flash fiction (stories under 1,000 words) for PD Publishing called CHILLING TALES OF TERROR AND THE SUPERNATURAL. There are some great writers lined up for the anthology and it should be available this summer.

What type of music, if any, do you listen to while you write?

Patty G Henderson: Music is the food my Muse requires for optimum writing. I don’t listen to music while I write, but I enjoy music as often as I can and that calls forth my Muse most of the time. I love mostly instrumental Ambient/Techno music like Delerium, Enigma and others of that type. Moody and dark. There are too many that I enjoy to remember or list them. But I enjoy most music and have an eclectic taste except for Country and Rap.

What about your family? Do you have children, married, siblings, parents? Has your family been supportive of your writing?

Patty G Henderson: I have no children and that is a regret I suffer. I am currently single and at 57, hope to still find that one, great partner in my life. I have been married once and still love my ex very much as a friend.

I have one sister. We have no common bond at all. My mother will turn 84 this summer and she is the focus in my life. She has my utmost admiration and love. Most of my family supports my love of writing, although some don’t understand it.

The main characters of your stories - do you find that you put a little of yourself into each of them or do you create them to be completely different from you?

Patty G Henderson: I try to distance myself from each of my main characters. As a matter of fact, I attempt to make them as different from me as I can. However, all the other characters that inhabit my worlds do carry the essence of who I am peppered through them. I love throwing in traits found not only in myself, but also parts of my unsuspecting friends, relatives and family. Not one single character is a carbon copy of someone I know entirely, but is more of a combination of a number of traits from different people.

Is there an established writer you admire and emulate in your own writing? Do you have a writing mentor?

Patty G Henderson: I’ve never wanted to write like anyone else and I hope that my writing has its own bold voice that is mine and mine alone. However, there have been writers that have forever burned their words in my heart and mind. Among the living, the early works of Stephen King were influential as was Anne Rice. In the mystery genre, Ellen Hart and Sandra Scoppettone are teachers I must forever credit.

I do have a writing mentor and I am in debt to her. I value not only her voice of reason but her friendship as well.

When growing up, did you have a favorite author, book series, or book?

Patty G Henderson: I would not be writing today if it hadn’t been for the love affair I had with Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft. My favorites were Poe, Lovecraft and the “Conan” series by Robert Howard.

What about now: who is your favorite author and what is your favorite genre to read?

Patty G Henderson: I honestly have no favorites now except for all of the Jane Lawless mystery books by Ellen Hart. I admit that I have such little time for reading; I don’t get as much done as I’d like. I read mostly lesbian fiction (in particular mysteries, pirate yarns or sf). I also love Ramsey Campbell and James Herbert. I no longer read Stephen King and Anne Rice has given up vampires and horror. My favorite genre is supernatural/horror and paranormal mystery, but will read a straight mystery and even some Star Wars series books. LOL.

Location and life experience can sprinkle their influence in your writing. Tell us about where you grew up and a little about where you live now. If you could live anywhere you want to live, where would that be?

Patty G Henderson: I’ve grown up in the city of Tampa, Florida since 1951. I come from a Spanish ancestry and learned how to speak Spanish before English. I now speak both fluently. Tampa has grown way too much and I seek a quieter, less congested country life. As long as there is a theater, a hospital, a bookstore and a Wal-Mart, I’ll be okay. My ideal place would be in the mountains, away from over-populated cities, (but not too far where in case of an emergency we could get there without dying! LOL), with a loving partner, lots of pets and plenty of cold winters. I am tired of the Florida heat.

Do you have any pets? What are they? Tell us about them.

Patty G Henderson: I love…love….love cats! I would have farm full of cats if I could! I have always had cats since childhood and continue to support the loving felines. I currently have only one, but will be adding another and have at various times had up to five at one time!

I am not a big dog fan….just don’t love them as much as kitties.

Bring us into your home and set the scene for us when you are writing. What does it look like? On the couch, laptop, desk? Music? Lighting, handwriting?

Patty G Henderson: I don’t have a set place to write. I write anywhere and whenever I can. I write at work at my first fifteen minute break. I write during my half hour lunch. I write in my last fifteen minute break at work. I write whenever I want at home on my laptop or at my desktop. I write in front of the television. I write in my room….I write on the dining table. I write on laptop or paper. Well, you get the picture. LOL.

Do you watch television? If so, what are your favorite shows? Does television influence of inspire your writing?

Patty G Henderson: I can honestly say I watch very little television. The one thing I share with my mom is that we both love the Spanish Tele-Novellas on the Telemundo Television Station. They are basically soaps with a beginning, middle and end, much like an adaptation from a book or novel. Oh, they are in Spanish, did I mention that? LOL. I especially like the historical period ones. I also watch some of the Barrett-Jackson automobile auctions and also “Ghost Hunters” on the Sci-Fi Channel.

What about movies? Same as above.

Patty G Henderson: Don’t laugh, but I love the computer animated flicks. I also enjoy the PG-13 supernatural/ horror movies, sf and fantasy. But with the astronomical price of a theater ticket nowadays, my trips to see a film are few and far between.

Focusing on your most recent (or first) book, tell our readers what genre your book is and what popular author you think your writing style in this book is most like.

Patty G Henderson: My main focus is the Brenda Strange supernatural mystery/suspense series and I would say this series defies categories and definitely crosses genres. Many enjoy the mystery and suspense while others love the supernatural aspect of each story. You could find my Brenda Strange series in the mystery section of any bookstore and you would be delighted with the book. On the other hand, you could also pick the book up in the horror section and be equally entertained. My style is my own and I refuse to share it with any other writer. LOL.

How long did it take you to write your most recent (or first) book? When you started writing, did you think it would take that long (or short)?

Patty G Henderson: It’s amazing how each book is never the same. The last Brenda Strange book, THE MISSING PAGE, only took about a year to write. I’m already taking far more time on the new book to be released late this year, XIMORA. It really depends on the amount of research you undertake for each book, your working schedule at the time and other matters life ultimately throws in your path. I’ve never honestly had any preconceived ideas on how long it would take me to write any book.

Now, use this space to tell us more about anything you want your readers to know.

Thank you, Michy, for the interview. My books are all available through the usual online bookstores such as Amazon.com or can be ordered at any local bookstore if they are not on the shelves. To keep updated on the new Brenda Strange book, contests and pictures, visit my web site at: www.pattyghenderson.com.