Hey Folks, This morning, after spending about ten minutes with email and Facebook, I dived right into Smashwords. Time for some admin work and hard choices. That led to the topic below. I’ll be back tomorrow with another set of recommendations re DWS’ lectures (as opposed to his workshops). Topic: Why I’m No Longer Using Smashwords for My Novels and Short Stories This is kind of a personal author earnings report. I’ll still use Smashwords for … Read more
Hi Folks, Note: This post was originally scheduled for 8/30/2013. It didn’t post to MailChimp, so I’m posting it again now. I have NOT revised the original post other than reparagraphing some of it. This post goes hand in hand with my previous post on Busting the Myths of Digital Publishing. I often hear from folks who say they want to “publish like you, on Amazon” but they don’t mention any other venues. If you self-publish, … Read more
Hi Folks, This morning as I emailed a friend, I had occasion to revisit an old blog post, one I wrote here back in October, 2015. The information in it bears repeating, especially in light of recent posts over at Dean Wesley Smith’s website. I recommend you read my older blog post before continuing with this one, even if you think you remember everything about it. To do so, click Brave New World of Publishing. After … Read more
Hi Folks, First a couple of announcements— 1. On September 23, Author Earnings released a new report that ALL writers should see. Especially if you’re locked into traditional publishing or if you’re on the fence. The previous report I mentioned talks about market share in ebooks from traditional publishing vs. indie publishing. So it was kind of abstract. But this report shows the actual distribution of income to individual authors who choose to publish traditionally vs. independently. This probably … Read more
Hey Folks, This is not part of the usual sequence and it will be very short. If you’re a writer and/or an indie publisher, this is some VERY exciting news. The 2015 Author Earnings Report just came out. It turns out ebooks are NOT declining as reported by traditional publishing’s “Big 5.” Ebook sales by traditional publishers are declining. It turns out, indie published ebooks are on the increase. They also are taking a lot larger market share. … Read more
Hi Folks, I’m thinking about doing a daylong seminar on this. It would depend on interest. If you happen to be interested and able to travel to Tucson, let me know by email please at harveystanbrough@gmail.com. A brief announcement for a friend. JoAnn Popek and Deborah Owen recently told me about a no-fee short story contest. The deadline is September 15 though, so get cracking. (grin) For guidelines, visit Creative Writing Institute and scroll down. I’ve had questions … Read more
The Day Rolled out at 3 this morning. Still feeling a little under the weather – ulcer stuff – and then padding through the living room, I was hit by a wood scorpion. Fortunately he caught me on the outside of the left heel and apparently hit a callus. Either that or I’ve developed a tolerance for things that sting. Fire and intense pain for about a half-minute, then a very small, dull and subsiding ache … Read more
Well, maybe not suicide, but at least a really severe professional mangling. Hey Folks, I’ve recently become aware there are still some writers out there who have made a conscious decision not to publish their work through Smashwords. Frankly, I suspect that’s due in part to the Smashwords Style Guide being so stinkin’ convoluted that it’s difficult to read, much less understand. That’s okay. I agree. In fact, I agree so much that after I finally … Read more
Hi Folks, This is another in the non-series series of posts that I hope you might find useful. This morning I rolled out of bed right at 2 a.m. I’ve been getting up between 2 and 3 for quite awhile now. I consider it working the morning shift. Quiet time. Writing time. And on this particular morning, I awoke realizing I had a short story due. In April 2014, I challenged myself to write at least … Read more
Hi Folks, Dean Wesley Smith is the professional long-term fiction writer whom I consider my mentor. He’s made his living with his fiction for over 3o years and has well over 100 novels published through traditional publishers. This is back before traditional publishers lost their minds and made their contracts completely one-sided. I emailed Dean about my most recent (at the time, back in November, 2014) short story, “Saving the Grenlow”: “Seriously doubt I’m up to … Read more