Amazon Again

I read a recent news article about Amazon opening more physical stores across the USA. They're not going to carry many books but will likely promote Amazon's electronics line, like their tablets and phones. The monster expands. I saw another stat that said of readers who pay attention to reviews, 46% of them list Amazon reviews as the ones they pay the most attention to. No other review source had more than 10% saying they took note of them.

Anna Simpson, a member of IWSG, wrote a post about another publisher biting the dust. She's feeling some of the same frustration I went through last year when two of my three publishers closed. Stop by and give her some encouragement. It's a tough business.

Peace flourishes when reason rules.  American Proverb

Wednesday is International Day of Peace. If the above proverb is true, it makes sense that there is so little peace in the world because there certainly is little reason. Some days I feel like there is a viral infection spreading across the globe. It causes the loss of common sense, human decency and any sense of compassion for others.

"Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe." H.G. Wells


Don't forget that Thursday, the 22nd, is the Autumnal Equinox. The days are really getting short and fall will be here for real.

"To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring." George Santayana

Went to a street craft show in local town with my daughter. It was a lot of fun though the two of us mostly looked. We each only bought one thing. The two of us have become real conservative in our purchasing of 'things.' Except for books. We always buy books.

And I need to add a happy thought today. Books!

What do you think of Amazon's stores? Do you own any Amazon electronics? Do you think peace will overtake Earth on Wednesday? Have any of your publishers closed recently? Is there a 'thing' you buy whenever you can like I do with books?

On IWSG today, our very own Joylene Nowell Butler, talks more about deep POV. It's something writers and editors talk about all the time but not everyone understands what it means. Check out today's post and last week's.

Book Signing

As many of you might have heard, we had some brutally cold weather in the northeast USA this past weekend. On Saturday we had the low temperatures, a brisk wind and drifting snow. Our annual book-signing event at a local greenhouse and gift shop that has been wonderfully successful in past years ended up being a complete bust on Saturday. No one to blame except the weather. Roads were drifted and dangerous and with the wind chill, the temperatures stayed below zero all day. On a grim note, there was a horrific traffic pile up on one of the interstates which took lives. Not a good day.

But I'm still working on that third draft of my second Galactic Outlaws series. At least the weather gives me an excuse to stay inside and write. Though I'm tempted to drink hot tea and read under a blanket.

"Laziness may appear attractive, but work gives satisfaction." Anne Frank

Industry News

So I found this article by the New York Times. I mentioned in an earlier post that Amazon was opening its first physical bookstore. According to this article, they have intentions to open many more. Why when their online retail store is so monstrously successful? Must Amazon rule every thing? The truth is that despite the online store's inventory of anything you might want, many buyers of books still like the experience and ambiance of a physical store. Readers like to browse the shelves. So of course, Amazon wants in on that. Whenever a discussion among my fellow writers comes up, one of the things we talk about is the increasing difficulties for small presses in today's market. Will they survive as Amazon grabs more of the publishing industry into its net?

In other industry news, and something much less depressing, the anthology put together by IWSG is available for pre-order. Check out Parallels: Felix Was Here

Enter the realm of parallel universes!

What if the government tried to create the perfect utopia? Could a society linked to a supercomputer survive on its own? Do our reflections control secret lives on the other side of the mirror? Can one moment split a person’s world forever?

Exploring the fantastic, ten authors offer incredible visions and captivating tales of diverse reality. Featuring the talents of L. G. Keltner, Crystal Collier, Hart Johnson, Cherie Reich, Sandra Cox, Yolanda Renee, Melanie Schulz, Sylvia Ney, Michael Abayomi, and Tamara Narayan.

Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these ten tales will expand your imagination and twist the tropes of science fiction. Step through the portal and enter another dimension!

On TV

On the entertainment front, I'm enjoying Legends of Tomorrow so far. I like the teamwork as the Legends get to know each other but the characters themselves with all their quirks and flaws are what make the show so interesting. Some team members aren't even good guys but this is their chance to be something better than they were.

 I'm giving the show Lucifer a chance. I'm not sure yet if I like it. I guess I want to see where they're going with the character. Redemption for the devil?

TV hasn't really been exciting lately. I despise the 'awards' shows where entertainers congratulate each other. I never watch a minute of it. I enjoy TV shows, movies and music, but it's only entertainment. Will prime time every have an awards show for medical people, teachers, policemen, firemen, social workers, religious leaders and volunteers who do really important work that safe lives and souls? Not likely since there is no money in that. Hopping off my soapbox.

"A man who has made a mistake and doesn't correct it is making another mistake." Confucius

Hope you had a great Valentine's Day or made it good for someone else.

Why do you think Amazon is venturing into physical bookstores? Did the brutal cold intrude on your weekend? Do you know how to write in deep POV? 

By the Numbers

In an earlier part of my life, I was a real math and science geek. Numbers interest me and stats about anything just beg me to read them. Like most readers, I enjoy print and ebooks. I love my Kindle Fire and read on it a lot. But I also read lots of hardback books that I usually get from the library. I've never thought the ebook surge would drown traditional books or at least wouldn't during my lifetime.

Recent numbers seem to agree with my view. In the numbers from 2014, it seems that ebook sales have leveled off some and traditional books are now holding their sales stats from the past few years. Huffington Post shares some figures that suggest Print books may once again be outselling ebooks. Publisher's Weekly also uses recent counts to propose the two forms of books can coexist and share the market.

Some of the more interesting stuff I read while researching this topic is the small percentage of Amazon's income that actually comes from book sales. Only 7% of their total revenue. Not sure what to even think about that. Then again, I've bought a number of video games and movies from Amazon and my daughter watches for their deals on Crest White Strips and gets them a lot cheaper than she can in a store even with a coupon. This same article in Forbes blames B&N and Borders as much for the decline in independent books stores as it did Amazon.

Those big stores like Borders, B&N, and BAM are struggling even after pushing half the independent booksellers in the country out of business. Why? My local B&N is usually so crowded it's difficult to browse and forget about getting a seat in the cafe. Borders already closed shop. In a few years, perhaps the indies that managed to hang on will be the last booksellers standing.

Not being self-published, I have no personal knowledge of how those sales are going but I've read enough on my friends' blogs and listened at my writers' meetings to know income for indie authors isn't making many people rich. Is it because ebooks sales have evened out?

Don't forget to take advantage of the Goodreads Giveaway chance to win a copy of Alex J. Cavanaugh's upcoming release of Dragon of the Stars.

Christine Rains' newest book, Loose Corset, is now available at all ebook retailers. You can enter a cool contest on her blog

Do you think the indie bookstores will outlast the big box stores? Do you see Amazon as the big bad wolf like discussed in the Forbes article? Did you know how little of their revenue Amazon makes on book sales even though that's how most people think of them? Do you buy anything other than books from Amazon?

Frantic Friday

Are you doing Black Friday shopping? Are you crazy? Hopefully, you're home like me in the warm thinking about shopping online. If you have a moment, check out my post at the A to Z blog. I'd appreciate some company over there.

One of the things I like about this day is no cooking. Lots of leftovers to be had. I'll probably drag out some Christmas decorations but otherwise, I'm going to work on my writing and preparing for the release on Monday of The IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond. Don't miss it.

With the start of holiday shopping, I expect lots of new electronic devices will be gifted to deserving persons. Like most writers, I hope the new owners fill their device with books. I hope they use all those Amazon, iTunes, and Barnes and Noble gift cards to buy my books. How will I convince them.

Getting 'found' is a conundrum. There are so many books out there and many platforms to buy them from. Most small press authors like me make the majority of their sales on e-books. In the USA, Amazon sells around 50% of digital books. Nook captures 15-20% as does Apple. Kobo and others split the rest. Kobo is based in Canada and actually edges Amazon out on their home ground. How does one get noticed among the millions of books available on each of those retail sites?

Were you expecting an answer? I have no understanding of why some of my books have been bestsellers and others not so much. I'm taking the advice of many to just keep writing and telling the best story I can. And check out the ideas on promotion found in the IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond. Learn how to use social media to grow your readership and some other unique ideas to market your work.

From The Old Farmer's Almanac:
A word to the wise is enough. English proverb

Did you go shopping today? Shop from home? Buying book gift cards or some new tech for Christmas? Have a word for the wise?

Bestseller?

What writer doesn't want to see their names one of those iconic bestseller's list? New York Times or the USA Today? Wouldn't it be wonderful? What does it mean to you as a writer? What resources are used to determine those rankings?

I did some research on this and let me put it this way. It's complicated. Those two big name lists figure their rankings differently which is why their lists don't always match. This post would get very long even if I wrote about in even the most general terms. The USA Today lists seems to take ebook sales into account more but from my research its seems there are some mysteries involved in how exactly the numbers are arrived at. But one thing for certain about both lists. They measure the sales for one week, as one source called it, the velocity of sales.

For instance, a highly promoted book might sell like crazy on its release date. But if poor reviews come in the sales might drop off sharply. So a book that never makes the top of the lists but sells steadily over a period of time may out sell and out earn a book that hit the top ten for a week or two.

Many publishers, like mine at New Concepts, have a bestsellers list on their website. New Concepts sell a lot of books directly from their website which not all publisher do, so being on their list helps with sales.

And what talk of bestselling numbers would be complete without talking about Amazon ranking? Being on one of their top 100 lists gives an author a reason to tweet about. Getting one book on the top will lead readers to other of the author's books.

Have you been on a bestseller list? Do you buy books that are recommended by such lists? Have you ever investigated how those lists are determined?

Well....Duh

It had never happened to me before, but today I received a one star review on Amazon for one of my books. The poor guy said he wanted his money back because it was a more a romance novel than a science fiction book. Well...duh. Didn't he read my bio or any of the other reviews before he bought it?

I've been thrilled that the book had been selling so well in science fiction categories because it was written as a ROMANCE novel under my romance pen name, Susan Kelley.

But maybe not all book buyers look are reviews. Maybe not all book buyers look at what else an author has written. When I find a book by an author I like, I tend to look up all their books. Sell me one of your books and I might buy them all or get them out of the library. When a book by an unknown to me author catches my eye, I look at reviews, I read excerpts, I might see what else they wrote.

With two children in college, dollars are important to me and somewhat limited. I buy books carefully. I make sure before I make a purchase. Of the books I've purchased over the past year, I only had one I was disappointed  in and wish I hadn't bought.

I didn't upset when I saw the guy's review where he says, 'don't waste your money.' I actually laughed, though he must have been really incensed since it was the only book review he's ever bothered with. My advice to him is know what you're buying. But then again, it's not my fault if the Amazon rankings indicate good sales in the scifi categories. Obviously, some scifi readers liked the book.

Do you investigate before you buy a book by reading reviews or checking out an author's backlist? Have you ever purchased a book and felt you were mislead as to the genre? Ever give someone a one star review?

A to Z Blogging Challenge: R

We made it through another week of The A to Z Blogging Challenge. I'll be using Sunday again to try and catch up on some of the many blogs I didn't get a chance to visit during the week. Still many more to go. I'm following along with my theme of things I'll be working harder at once I'm retired in June.

R: Read and Review. I read and read and then read some more, but between writing, promotion and more reading, I don't take the time to review the books I've read on places like Amazon and Goodreads. I don't fill my blog with reviews but I could make more mention when I finish a book and link to the reviews I've done on other sites.

All authors hope to get reviews for their books and I'm going to make sure I do it for more of my peers. It's a good way to give back to the community of writers.

Do you do reviews at Goodreads or Amazon? Do you review every book you read?

A to Z Challenge: A

Thanks to so many people who have done so much work to make A to Z Blogging Challenge the biggest blogging event ever. I don't know it that's true but it sounds good. I'm not sure everyone knows, but this challenge was the brainchild of Arlee Bird, one of the kindest, most generous and all around talented writer that I know(through blogging). It's appropriate on the 'A' day to honor him with giving some tribute to Arlee. We can do that best by visiting him today. Hello Arlee and thank you.

 My theme this year is about the steps I'll be taking to advance my career as a full time writer now that I'm retiring from my teaching career. Sometimes I'll be giving advice but lots of times I'll be asking for advice and opinions.

A: Amazon rules the world! Well, the writing world or so it seems. With the latest news of Amazon purchasing Goodreads, the giant expands its grasping reach. Is the purchase a good thing or a bad? Not sure and perhaps only time will tell.

Amazon sells nearly everything not just books. But many writers judge their success on how many books they sell on Amazon. If you self-publish, the process is very quick and relatively painless on Amazon. You can watch your books rank, read your reviews and see what books Amazon compares you to. If you a writer, you need to use Amazon. Agree?

Does Amazon rule the writing world? Is the purchase of Goodreads a good thing for writers? Visit Arlee yet?

Thank you all.

It's time to be thankful for the good things in life. Where to start? I have a wonderful day job. A terrific husband, four terrific children plus two great stepsons, a daughter in law I love and a super granddaughter and they'll all be at my house for Thanksgiving.

I'm grateful we have lots of food and the means to purchase it and prepare it. Our house will be warm and cozy, the football games playing on TV and probably a family basketball game in the driveway at some point.

If I could, I would gift everyone with the same joys I'm having this holiday.

But not all it perfection. I have to offer my apologies to those of you I haven't visited as often as usual in the blogging world. One of the pillars in my world has started to crumble. I only usually share general personal news on this blog but I have to explain my recent absences. My mother is very ill. It takes up a lot of my time as I try to squeeze in as many visits with her as I can. She's not in pain or unhappy, so I'm grateful for that. I'm also thankful for the 87 years she's enjoyed, maintaining her independence until a few weeks ago. She's one tough lady, fighting the good fight.

But all this means I will not be as active on my blog as I have been the last few months. I'll catch up as I can.

And I'll leave you with a few questions. Is it a good thing when Amazon recommends my own book, Beneath the Mountain, to me like they did last week?
What are you thankful for this time of year? Staying at home, traveling to relatives? Any special family tradition like our basketball game?

Can You Hear Me Now

As promised, Verizon delivered my new router today. It was just like the other big monster that brings my FIOS TV and high speed internet to brillant light all over my home. It was even easy to replace. So I'm back online and feel a great deal of relief. I can check in on my yahoo groups, visit facebook and stop in to tweeter. Life is as it should be again.
I was worried about promotion and all that daily stuff I do to 'keep my name' out there. But guess what? My web site had the average number of hits it always does. I don't know what to think about that.
In the meantime, my first fantasy novel, The Keepers of Sulbreth, is available for preorder at Amazon. Even if you don't want to preorder, I would appreciate a few tags. I'm working on book#3 in that series, tentative title, Beneath the Mountain. The second book, Beyond the Gate, is already contracted though I don't have a release date for it. Book #4 will be the final. It is an epic fantasy so it will have an epic battle for survival. Enough said.
Nice to hear everyone again. Can you hear me now?