New AudioBook & Book Review! (The Passage by Justin Cronin)

NEW AUDIOBOOK!

Back in the year 2008 I wrote my first book: SWEET DREAMS. That groundbreaking novel turned into three and now I give you, the CROSS OVER box set, in AUDIO! I know... you about had heart failure and wet yourself. But hold the screams and hoots of joy and let your finger do the walking and buy this so you may enjoy my voice in your ears... well not my voice, but my words... anyway, how about that Super Bowl game? :)

Here is the buy link to the audiobook: BIGFUNLINKTHING

* * * 

Now for the promised book review and recommendation based on what I am reading. You would think you could find books on your own, but if I must point you in the right direction to words of wonder to fill your mind with worlds of unknown so you may escape the confines of this life... well, you are welcome!


The Passage: NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST NOVELS OF THE YEAR BY TIME AND LIBRARY JOURNAL—AND ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post • Esquire • U.S. News & World Report • NPR/On Point • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • BookPage

 
An epic and gripping tale of catastrophe and survival, The Passage is the story of Amy—abandoned by her mother at the age of six, pursued and then imprisoned by the shadowy figures behind a government experiment of apocalyptic proportions. But Special Agent Brad Wolgast, the lawman sent to track her down, is disarmed by the curiously quiet girl and risks everything to save her. As the experiment goes nightmarishly wrong, Wolgast secures her escape—but he can’t stop society’s collapse. And as Amy walks alone, across miles and decades, into a future dark with violence and despair, she is filled with the mysterious and terrifying knowledge that only she has the power to save the ruined world.

This is a great book, well written, different and just cool. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy. Here is the link to AMAZON

Well, thats it for today. Remember to do something scary, new and stop living a safe life. Oh, I almost forgot to bother you about signing up for my Super Secret Fan Club! DO IT.... 

Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

Coming soon!

You can buy The Suicide Club here: AMAZON

I have not post in here much the past few months but I have a good reason... I've been writing! Yeah...whatareyougonnado?

So just to wet your book buds here is a sneak peek into what is coming. Oh and if you want to buy any of them they are up for Pre-order on just about every retailer out there... I would go for iBooks myself but that is just me.

You can buy ZERO here: IBOOKS

The Suicide Club is really exciting and like nothing I have ever written before. Edgy and will push your own boundaries...well maybe I have written other books like this lol.

Zero is a young adult dystopian series that is set in a controlled world where fences and walls keep out "The Infected" or maybe they keep everyone else in...

And if you want to meet Kirk Weston the star of The Suicide Club you can read a short story that is part of the Flight 12 project. This book is live so go get a copy and let me know what you think of Mr. Kirk AKA Mr. bad attitude.









You can get Flight 12 here: IBOOKS

That is what I have been doing, that and the holidays, kids, wild cats and a ton of other stuff... Post a comment and say hi.






















Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

Learn how to Self-Publish

I Will Hold Your Hand. 

In the past I have worked with many writers who wanted to self-publish. I consulted and in other words held their hands as they tread the sometimes scary waters of the publishing world. Most of my clients have gone on to not only publish their own books but become national bestsellers. 

Some of you have taken my webinars and I am glad to see many of you doing really well and tearing it up out there. I have done this a few years now and have some good ideas that can give you an edge over the average Joe…sorry Joe… out there when it comes to having a great product and with what I have done with my publishing houses I feel the need to pass along some of that information. 

If you have listened to me online or heard me speak at a conference you know that I am a huge dork and not much for sparing you for your feelings. I figure this is a business and you want the truth over a pat on the back. 

All this being said here is how it works. 

What you get:

60 days of coaching

Meetings in person or over the phone if you are out of state.

Together we will take your MS from a WORD doc to in "Print"

I will show you how to get your book through the editing process.

Connect you with the right people to get your book converted to an eBook.

Help you find and get an amazing cover created. 

Have your book designed and layer out for print.

Help you set up all your accounts online and with booksellers. 

COST:

Cost of this will depend on your book. The price if for coaching and contacts to give you everything you need to succeed. Each client is different and has different needs but budget for 3-5K. I can only work with one person at a time due to my own busy life so openings are limited. 

If you are serious about this business and want to make a living as a writer this is a great opportunity. Let me know if you have any questions. 

Aaron

Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

Just Remember, It's All About You.

Like my mother used to say, "The world revolves around you."

Wait, or was it something else? I swear she said that… yeah. Good advice.

I get asked a lot of questions as a writer and publisher. Some of the best ones, or worst ones depending on your humor scale have to do with what to do about someone stealing their book. Or "What if the agent or publisher steals my idea and does their own book?"

I really had someone submit a MS to me once but in bits, they wouldn't show me the whole book cuz I might steal it.

So here is the deal:
You are important. Yes, you, are more important and amazing than anyone else in the world. You alone are the reason it is worth getting up in the morning. If I could wait at your feet, learn from your mind so one day I could write like you I would do so at a moments notice.

You are one of a kind. No really. No one has ever thought of your story, you spun it from your vast mind and it is so original that it is sure to bring readers to tears just to behold its glory. So please, please in the name of all thats holy WRITE FASTER!!!

The next thing I want you to know is that when you post on Facebook about your life, how you are growing as a person, how you saw yourself in the mirror and realized how amazing you are and that not sharing your gift with the rest of us would be a crime against humanity… I wept. I beg, I plead, I hang on every word, follow your every post, wait up at night thinking about how your life must be. Don't stop. Don't ever stop giving us, giving me your gift.

Now that you understand how because of you my life if full, my life has meaning I need you to know something. I can't stop thinking about you. I mean I wake up in the morning and grab my phone to check on your Facebook page. I search for your books in the hopes that you in the last 12 hours happened to write another one. I am consumed by you. You are. Nothing else matters. It is like that movie, can't remember what it was called but they say: "The Dude Abides." It is so deep, the dude just IS. You just IS, you abide and I need to know that you know that I know you know that.

So my life and breath. Remember it is about you. With your aid we all see how to go on and be something. Thank you, and may you live long and …and… danrit, I can't remember how it goes.

*No real authors were harmed in this post. If you know someone who is plagued with the ItsAllAboutMe syndrome, pass this along to them. I do not approve of mocking people so if you are offended I am sorry and no real people were in mind when this was written. All likenesses to real people are accidental. I do not really thing you are all that and this post should be read by looking in the mirror over your left shoulder. Due to some lawsuits we are required to list some potential hazards of reading this post. Choking due to consuming a beverage upon reading. Gut rot, headache, body cramps, loss of air leading in some cases to death. Fluid loss out upper and lower openings. Mental trauma, stress, hair loss and death. We recommend smoking weed and or being drunk before reading to prevent some of these symptoms. 

Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

Cover Reveal for MELTING STEELE! A Sarah Steele Thriller

MELTING STEELE!

A Sarah Steele Thriller

You like covers? How bout them there cover!

The first book in this series is BREAKING STEELE. Elle Ann and I teamed up on this series because we wanted to write fast paced novels in a TV series style. Much like CSI or Bones where you get to know all the cast as the season goes along yet each one is its own new story. 

So if you want to try something a little different--Not like I can do anything normal--try out any of the Sarah Steele books. 

Breaking Steele

Twisting Steele

And now the cover for book #3:

MELTING STEELE

Coming this winter.

Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

Amazon Acquires Goodreads!!!

Amazon and Goodreads... it's about time. 

I have not been blogging as of late, what can I say, I've been writing. lol But this brought me out of my hole and I will come up for some air to report on this amazing news.

I will paste the press release below but the long and short is Goodreads has needed to do something to monazite itself for a long time. People love Goodreads and most books get way more reviews on Goodreads than Amazon. So as a writer this is great news.

What I hope happens:

I hope they let reviews on Goodreads carry over to Amazon, maybe have a tag that says this was a Goodreads review.
I hope they take on the Wish list so people can add a book to their list, maybe even a reading now section. Goodreads is great at connecting readers and writers.
I hope they make it a one click buy on Goodreads so if someone wants to buy a eBook they can click on the Goodreads page and it will go right to the checkout. You never know.

In short, this is yet another reason why Amazon is where it is at. B&N, Kobo, and Apple are so far behind that if I was part of any of these companies I would be a little embarrassed. I really think it is time for one of the others to step up and make a run for it. I mean come on B&N, do something new, make us stop and stare in awe at your new innovation!!! Or just sit there with that same dumb look on your face... lol

Free advice people: Learn Amazon, work Amazon, and step up your Goodreads presence. This is gonna be one fun ride, grab your surfboard, the wave is HUGE!!!

Amazon.com to Acquire Goodreads

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar. 28, 2013-- Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Goodreads, a leading site for readers and book recommendations that helps people find and share books they love. “Amazon and Goodreads share a passion for reinventing reading,” said Russ Grandinetti, Amazon Vice President, Kindle Content. “Goodreads has helped change how we discover and discuss books and, with Kindle, Amazon has helped expand reading around the world. In addition, both Amazon and Goodreads have helped thousands of authors reach a wider audience and make a better living at their craft. Together we intend to build many new ways to delight readers and authors alike.” “Books – and the stories and ideas captured inside them – are part of our social fabric,” said Otis Chandler, Goodreads CEO and co-founder. “People love to talk about ideas and share their passion for the stories they read. I’m incredibly excited about the opportunity to partner with Amazon and Kindle. We’re now going to be able to move faster in bringing the Goodreads experience to millions of readers around the world. We’re looking forward to inspiring greater literary discussion and helping more readers find great books, whether they read in print or digitally.” “I just found out my two favorite people are getting married,” said Hugh Howey, best-selling author of WOOL. “The best place to discuss books is joining up with the best place to buy books – To Be Read piles everywhere must be groaning in anticipation.” Following the acquisition, Goodreads’s headquarters will remain in San Francisco, CA. Founded in 2007, Goodreads now has more than 16 million members and there are more than 30,000 books clubs on the Goodreads site. Over just the past 90 days, Goodreads members have added more than four books per second to the “want to read” shelves on Goodreads. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Subject to various closing conditions, the acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of 2013.

Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

The most misunderstood writing rule: Write what you know.

Write what you know? I say write what you want to know.

Every time I hear someone use this line I cringe. Not because it is not true but because the one saying it most the time has no clue what it means or how to explain it to others. 

If it was true that a good writer has to write what he or she knows, there would not be young writers, or what about people who write about dragons and wizards... did they grow up on a dragon ranch and study magic? 

Now in crime fiction or a story that has to be real this rule gets to be even more misunderstood. So I shall give you my 29 cents about the subject. 

Write what you know: What most writers mean is if you were a doctor write medical thrillers or the like. If you were a cop write police procedurals. This is NOT what you should do, yeah it might be easier but you can write whatever you want.

I am not a cop, doctor or dragon wizard. But I write about cops, time travel, angels, demons, and sometimes romance.

Write what you know: The correct way to view this rule is to write what you know--what do you know about heartbreak? What do you know about fear, love, hate, greed, truth, lies, and revenge?  You ever get that feeling you are being watched, the fear that someone might be in the house in the middle f the night?

This is what it means to Write what you know. Old or young we all feel and have life experiences. Even children feel shame and loss when one of their friends says their mean and that they don't want to play anymore. 

Stephen King said in his book On Writing: that a great writer writes without fear. I never understood this till I understood that it takes courage to look at a painful time in my past and draw from that pain to write a scene about that same feeling. It is hard to let myself feel again the feelings I may have buried and transfer that to my story. But to go from a good writer to a great writer you must feel.

Now that you know what this old saying really means, can you Write what you know? No matter if the book is about dragons or cops it is all the same thing, feelings and how that moves the story.

What are some examples you may have had with your own writing? Did you draw from your past or maybe what you are going through now in your own life?

Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

Let's do the numbers! (3rd edition)

Let's do the numbers... Again

The Numbers! I know, so many writers are freaked out and never talk about this stuff and each year I let it all out for you to see. Why? So you the writer, who wants to make a living can really see what you can do, make plans and write to the income you want, not cross your fingers and hope you hit it big.

Many of you know about my "Amway" speech, it goes something like this: Find your averages. That is what do you make per title per month. Notice that I didn't say per unit? That is because in the land of eBooks it is about your per month income NOT your per book or unit income. This is where a lot of authors get mixed up.

If you make 1K per title per month you have to write how many books to make the money you want? It is simple math and I HATE math, but this I can do. So, even if your averages are low you can still make a living, it just means you have to write more books. Now, don't you feel better knowing what you have to do? Do you feel more in control? Good, that is the point.

Now that I told you all that lets go over the last year, see what this may look like.

My average per book per month is around 4.1k. This means that on 5 books I will make 50K per year per book. These averages are good, not the best I've seen but not the worst. This means in the book world I would be a mid-lister, and most mid-listers don't make a lot of money based on 12-15% royalties. But me? I can make a good living selling what in the traditional publishing world would only grant me a 4K per year check.

Now, in case you are just as bad at math as I am, here is the end of the year total. 250K off 5 titles. Not bad for a home-schooled punk huh...

Now, what if I want to make more, build and grow this thing. What happens if I have 10 titles at the end of the year? That means I make 500K per year. Now lets keep going, 20 titles, will put me at one million a year based on these averages. But I don't count for the rollover that will happen by having that many titles out. I should hit a million a year with 12-15 titles as the chance for one hitting big goes up and the fallout from that gives me a boost.

So you see, anyone can make money as an author. The key is to get away from the big publishing model, and reach out on every platform you can. audio, E, print, bulk sales, book clubs etc... if you think publishing is just having a print and eBook you are missing out on a lot of money.

This is like Amway, the more books you write, the more you make and with eBooks it can keep going, nothing gets old, update your titles every three years and you have a new book to sell to new readers!

Any questions?


Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

Off Topic (Cussing and other fun things to do)

***Off Topic***

To $*&@ or not to $*&@

Don't swear! Don't cuss! Don't offend me! Don't burst my bubble! I mean I have never heard a swear word in my life and own a Clean TV box that changes the word "Sex" to "Hugs" so I don't have to hear the word. This is all fine and well, I grew up in church and write clean books.

But why don't I label myself as a christian fiction writer? Because once you slap that label on yourself you become tied to a list of rules that even God himself would break as he does not have as strong a conviction as most Christian fiction publishers.

I don't write sex scenes, use profanity because in my personal decision, I am a writer, I can think of other words to use and want to show how my character is feeling. So what is my personal rule?

IF THE BIBLE SAYS IT, SO CAN I!

I think this is a solid rule. If you wish to write clean and sell into the CBA market as well as the general market--which I do, it is about as close to the line as you can get. I have yet to get a reader complaint because I didn't have profanity in my books.

Now the reason for this post is because some of you out there have a thin soft skin and think you are better than God. Better than God you say? Wow Aaron, tall claim, harsh words... all true. If the shoe fits and all that...

Who gripes about book content? Not the Christian bookstores, not the general market. I'll give you two guesses and one don't count.

So let me help you out my dear thin skinned reader.

The bible uses a few words in a derogatory way, here are a few:

Bastard
Whore
Dog
Harlot

Even Jesus told a woman she was a dog, others that they were vipers and so on. Now I don't want this to get into a religious post but the point is, don't have higher standards than God. He used harsh words to make a point and if he did, I think I can use them as well.

Do I use them much? Nope, maybe once in a whole book, I try to make it the right word for whatever the scene calls for. So next time you want to get all hot under the collar because you saw a word you didn't like, remember:

1. This is NOT Christian fiction, never said it was.
2. Chill out, there are so many fights about this subject and the only people fighting are the Christians, the rest are busy reading a good book.
3. You and your opinion are just as important as the rest of the universe and their opinion, which is a nice way of saying, no one cares what you think. =)
4. Be an adult. I know, this is asking a lot, but it was worth a shot.
5. If you want a down the line Christian fiction book, one that never says the word sex and everyone is nice to each other and never makes anyone feel bad, go get one, there are many to choose from.
6. Be real, if you even watch a movie, TV show, let people cuss on the subway in earshot of you than don't be all up in my grill if I decide to use the word bastard. Oh crap, you just read a cuss word!

Got you!

--Aaron




Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

2012 -- The Year of Change.

2012 -- The Year of Change.

-off topic-

A mentor of mine told me at the beginning of the year that 2012 was a year of change. I didn't know what he meant at the time but as we get closer to the end of the year and we are all still here, I look back at my own life and agree with him. This has been the year of change for me personally.

There were times that I wished the Mayan's had it right. My world seemed to be on the brink of ending and some days I wished it would have.

The last two years felt like slugging through mud with a messy divorce, trying to keep it calm and as safe for the kids turned out to be one of the hardest things I would ever do. But at the same time things on every other level were rockin! Business took off, I was growing in my own writing and deep down to my core I was happy.

I got this, we are going strong and just when I thought I could handle this stress and pressure I got a call. My little brother was dead. Shock, anger, fear, sadness, relief, confusion, anger again. All the feelings hit me in the face. He was a year and a half younger than me and even has three kids like I do. He left behind a wife and a large hole in many hearts.

No worries, I was good at managing stress, dealing with pain and loss...no big deal! Sometimes we lie to ourselves and don't even know it.

A month later I had to have a talk with my father and cut off all communication. This in the wake of my brothers death. My publishing house was still going strong but the demands grew. The way it felt was like being strung to a few horses and having them run in different directions.

No biggie, but that was only what my mind said, my body said something different. 6 years ago I hurt my low back and it decided to take this opportunity to go out. Three months of pain to a point that I could not sit longer than an hour and hundreds if not thousands of dollars for Massage, Yoga, PT, Personal Training and lots of drugs I am almost back to 100%.

Why am I telling you all this? Why be do blue? Because I am a person, a human with trials just like anyone. We all go through crap so why don't we cut each other some slack? Why are we so mean to each other? Why do we assume that we are alone?

In all this how do I feel, what do I take away?

*That my kids are strong and amazing. That I love them more each day and love to be with them.
*I know that true friends will stick with you no matter what, that I am a jerk sometimes and sometimes I am a good guy.
*I learned that I cannot trust myself and that my gut is right most the time.
*People are ruled by fear and change and that I need to listen to my body, when it says stop I need to stop.
*I found out that I have some loyal friends and that I need to be a better one.
*That people who are crazy will always be crazy, don't try to understand them, just learn and be wise.
*Humor is a healer, laughing is a medicine and sometimes you just need to do something stupid.

This year has been a year of change, but for the better. I have made so many mistakes but have also done some good things. Life is like a tree, it grows and along the way picks up a few scars and knots. But when it is old it shades and protects younger trees.

Please don't comment if you feel sorry for me, I don't! I love my life, and I have a great one. We all have things we want different but hey...it is what it is.

Now go out there and connect with someone, and if you want to attack someone remember that they may just need a hug instead.

Later

--Aaron

Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

Why people hate Indie authors!

Indie authors are like the redheaded step-child of publishing. 

But it’s their own fault! 

Mean? Yes, Cruel? Yes, True? Yes!

"Aaron, come on, we all know you like to hit the touchy issues, but why so hatful?" I'll tell you my friends and stalkers. I have been involved in writing and publishing for only three years now but in that time I have seen and done many things. I have watched the Indie publishers and authors grow and I consider myself an Indie as well. But we are at that point where we need to put on our suit, brush our teeth and come to the party looking good. Right now we look like we spent the last year under a bridge. 

Now before you write me off—lol small writing joke there—take a moment t consider what I am about to tell you. I also understand that some Indie authors do not fit this bill, guys like Joshua Graham and CJ Lyons are what to shoot for, doing it right and all that. But the bulk of Indies will fit my title rant perfectly. 

I like to sum up things...so here is a list that about nails the Indie:

Lazy

Ignorant 

Petty

Jealous

Gullible

If you are still with me, Gratz! You have thick skin or you just want to see what is wrong with me. =)

Lazy: 

What, you mean I have to market? I don't want to do a blog tour! Aaron, can't you just do it for me? I can't count the times I see an author work like mad to get their book published and once it is out they fall off the face of the earth. They see that this is a business and takes work. Don't be lazy, don't cut corners and hire your neighbor to do your cover. You are in the race with New York and big money, if you cannot put out a book that at least looks the part, than keep your day job. Yes, it is a ton of work; yes you will put in hours and not see a return right away. But the difference between a successful author and one who is not, is one put in the work and the other one gave up. Don't be lazy. 

Ignorant:

Don't get me started! Educate yourself! Take classes, webinars, learn all you can about the business you are in. Would you take a job and expect to do well if you have no clue what you are doing? Don't know how to use Facebook, learn. Twitter? Learn. You should know that you don't auto tweet someone your book link, or email your FB friends your book info. No one cares about your book; if they want to buy it they will find you. Social media is SOCIAL! The hard part about this point is most ignorant people don't even know that they are ignorant. Everyone is looking around wondering who I am talking about...good chance it is you. 

Big sign that you are ignorant. 

You hound people on social media. 

You have to beg for people to interact on your blog or FB wall.

You never have someone say how amazing your cover is... without you asking.

You can't understand why your sales are not higher, cuz you market all the time!

You don't know what a blog tour, auto tweet, metadata, author central, keyword, tag, SEO, or the difference between Mobi and ePub.

You are not selling on Apple because it is hard and requires an ISBN number.

You think this list is me just being a jerk.

I really want to help you, because helping you means helping me. I am in the same campground as other Indies and I want us all to rock, not suck!

What can you do? Imagine you were going to school to be a doctor. Spend 4-6 years teaching yourself everything there is to know about publishing and what is going on with eBooks. This is your job, if you ever want it to being in enough money to be your job that is...

Petty:

Fill in the blank. You get mad when another author does well, you may even leave them a bad review. You worry about what everyone else is doing and forget about your own house. Stress out over someone pirating your book and spend hours hunting them down only to make yourself look bad and miss the point. Come on guys, we are adults. We are in business. Do you think Trump stresses over what people think about his hair? He is working, making deals and pushing forward. He does not have time to worry about petty things. Look at the big picture, does it really matter? Where are you going, will this (Whatever is getting to you) get you there? Again, I see this all the time. We worry about things that just don't matter, but I covered this in another post, the one about chilling out. 

Jealous: 

Be happy for others who make it. And if someone does not do it like you do it, don't worry. Learn all you can and see what bestsellers do, some of it may work for you and some of it won't. But this "We 4 and no more" attitude is just lame. There is enough room at the top for all of us. People buy books, it is not like a car where they only but Ford or Chevy. Help each other out, share links to other books, don't fall into the trap that if you help out another author that that will hurt your own sales, if anything, it will help. 

Pretend that you are 3 years old, and your mom tells you to share! Share!

Gullible: 

We all want the lazy way out. The silver bullet. Face it, we just want it to be easy, buy that lottery ticket and cash it in. But life does not work that way. So what do we do? We jump on that site that offers a tweet for our book link, oh, they are going to market me for free and they care about women or pets or whatever! Think about it, what’s in it for them? 

I know of one site that is a Mecca for this crap. They claim to be there just to help and all they do is get ignorant Indie authors into their tagging chain or tweet list. They will tweet their own books back to you like 10X a day and just use you the ignorant author to ride their way to bigger sales. We all think that if we hang out with authors that do well that we will start selling. Think people! They just want to build a list, and if you watch they will start offering stuff for sale. 

Want an award? Here is the cost...oh but it is special. 

Want more tweets from us...here is the fee. 

Now some sites like Pixel of Ink are good, they are up front, they market books and some plans they charge and some are free. But the point is, they just tell you. There is no bait and switch, no "I am here to help Indie authors cuz my heart is just so big and juicy!" Cross these guys and they will rip your head off...believe me I know. 

You might wonder how this falls in with what we are doing over at StoneHouse University. Yes, there is a fee for classes but that is only there to pay the speakers and the administrator, so she can make her house payment. Look out for scams; don't think you are going to get something for nothing. There is always a catch even if it is to get you to buy a book so they can ride off your back up the bestseller list. 

Because I believe in being real and up front I am gonna tell you my evil little plan. You ready?

I wand to build a list of 50-100 books by the time I am 65 and take over after James Patterson dies. I know, mean. I would love to see StoneHouse Ink grow to have 100 authors and over 60% of them hit bestseller status. I want to teach and help other indie authors because it helps the little guy and I really want to see the big 6 go down. If I can take away a few of the big guys and make some waves I will giggle. I want authors to GET PAID! So many for so many years have been getting raped. Everyone should be making 50%, not just Indies. So, you see... I just want to take over the world. Is that bad? lol 

Oh, and have fun. If you know me you know that I love my job, love writing and publishing and love marketing! It is fun! Join me and some will see us coming and cringe and others will smile. 

Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

Creating Great Novel Beginnings – 3 Webinars With Les Edgerton

LES EDGERTON, well-known writer, writing teacher, and author of HOOKED: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One and Never Lets Them Go, is teaching a StoneHouse University 3-class series on creating great novel beginnings. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn from one of the best writing teachers around! These are online classes (webinars), so anyone with an internet connection can participate.

Note: Registration for all 3 classes isn't required, but is highly recommended. You must register for each class separately.

Class 1 – Creating a Great Beginning for Your Novel—Basic Elements

Tues June 26 10-noon MDT | $32 before 6/9, $50 after

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* How openings have changed profoundly over the past decade.
* The basic elements of great openings and what’s important about each and how to achieve them.
* The inciting incident—what it is and why it’s crucial to understand this most important of all elements.
* Why backstory and setup “kill” novel openings.
* Creating surface and story-worthy problems and how they’re related.
* The differences between scenes and sequels and why everything truly important in a novel needs to be delivered via scene.

Class 2 – Creating a Great Beginning for Your Novel—Red Flag Openings

Wed June 27 10-noon MDT | $32 before 6/9, $50 after

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* Five openings that almost always doom the story.
* Misconceptions about the two most important characters in a novel—the protagonist and the antagonist.
* The causality of plot.
* Why theme is unimportant when writing a novel’s first draft.
* How a publishable plot is constructed.
* Creating a road map for your novel—an outline that works and consists of 15-20 words.

Class 3 – Putting It All Together—Creating a Great Beginning and Using These Techniques Throughout the Novel

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* When exposition/summary are used and when they shouldn’t be.
* Exploring that “all of a piece” that Flannery O’Connor defines a great story by and how to achieve it.
* Discussion of literary and writer’s terms and why they aren’t understood properly.
* Creating a novel from the template of the first 10-15 pages.

About Les Edgerton

Well-known writer and writing teacher Les Edgerton has had dozens and dozens of his personal students secure top agents and sell their books to a great many publishers, and thousands more have used the techniques from his hugely-popular classic writer’s text, HOOKED: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One and Never Lets Them Go to gain an agent and get their books taken as well.


Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

My Journey to Amazon Bestseller by Indie Publishing: Guest Post by Debra Burroughs

My Journey to Amazon Bestseller by Indie Publishing – by Debra Burroughs

Although I published my first book two years ago with a small press, about a year ago I plunged headlong into the dark unknown of Indie Publishing.

Well, it’s not really dark or unknown, that’s just how it felt to me – at first. My first book, CHICANA, a labor of love that took me over two years to write, did not set the world on fire as I had hoped. I had visions of going on The Oprah Show and The TODAY Show to talk about my gripping and compelling story, but the invitations never came.

After I decided to go it alone, I was determined to learn all I could about self-publishing and how I could market my books to the masses. From the day I made that decision, I voraciously devoured everything I could find on the subject.

I began by following the blog thewritersguidetoepublishing.com, which posts every day on all things indie (which was a fantastic place to start). I read J.A. Konrath’s blog on self-publishing, Bob Mayer’s Write It Forward blog, and Kristen Lamb’s WarriorWriters.wordpress.com. I joined KindleBoards.com and hung out there in the Writers’ Café, interacting with other indie authors.  

Here is a list of some of the books I read to learn about Indie Publishing:
Dollars & Sense: The Definitive Guide to Self-Publishing Success (by Carolyn McCray et al)
Smart Self-Publishing: Becoming an Indie Author (by Zoe Winters)
Let’s Get Digital (by David Gaughran)
The Indie Journey: Secrets to Writing Success (by Scott Nicholson)
How To Really Sell eBooks (by Jon F. Merz, who turned me on to TweetAdder.com)

I know we all think we can write the “great American novel,” but you will find you improve with each book you write. And the more you read, the better you get, so regularly read top authors in the genres you want to write. You’ll be surprised how it will improve your writing.  

Here are some of the writing books I read to improve my writing skills:
Plot & Structure (by James Scott Bell)
Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One and Never Lets Them Go (by Les Edgerton)
Story Engineering (by Larry Brooks)

After all of that, I have to tell you that my best marketing promotions are done on Twitter (with the help of TweetAdder) and those I have done in conjunction with the Indie Book Collective (IndieBookCollective.com), I have found, at least for me, that cross-promoting with other good authors can be very successful.

Using a combination of a Free promotion and a cross-promoting campaign, I was able to get my latest release, Three Days in Seattle, into Amazon’s Top 100 Paid for 15 days in a row last month and it has sold over 17,000 copies since its release at the end of February, 2012.

I believe that through all I have learned on this exciting indie-publishing journey, I can boil it down to three things – write a good book, have a professional and attention-grabbing cover, and market the heck out of it (which is the hardest part).

In the end, as I have been told by long-time and successful authors, the best promotion for your books is to write another great book. I am getting ready to release my fourth book this June, The Scent of Lies, and plan two more before the end of 2012.  

What has your publishing journey been like?

You can follow Debra on Facebook, Twitter@DebraBurroughsAuthor and also check out her website@http://www.debraburroughsbooks.com  

About Debra Burroughs:
Debra Burroughs grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area during the tumultuous 1960′s, during the time that the Civil Rights Movement was gearing up and racial tensions were mounting. Her parents moved the family to a more peaceful town in the Central Valley of California, where she became the assistant editor of her high school newspaper and even had a teen column in the city paper.

Starting college, she majored in broadcast journalism, but over time she changed her major to business. Even though she moved her focus to the business world, she never lost her love for writing. She always hoped one day to return to it.

Over the years, with a large Mexican family, she heard many stories about their history, particularly from her grandmother and mother. As she would relay these colorful and heart-wrenching family stories to her friends, many times she would hear them say, “You should really write a book about that.” So, finally, she did. CHICANA, a Memoir debuted in November, 2010. Her other books include Three days in Seattle and She had no choice.  

Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

Building a career: Guest Post By Allan Leverone

Building a career: Guest Post By Allan Leverone

It’s been said that over eighty percent of the U.S. population believes they have a book in them and would like to write one. If you apply that percentage to the current population of this country, there are potentially two hundred fifty million aspiring authors typing away, maybe as we speak.

In the olden days, say way back around 2007 or so, probably 249,900,000 of those aspiring authors would never have even bothered to try to write the Great American Novel, and for good reason: it was damned near impossible to get published. It was easier to marry a Kardashian—probably a lot easier—than to get your manuscript into the hands of a publisher.

Now, of course, with the rise of ebooks and the ease of self-publishing, the barriers to anyone with a story to tell and the diligence to type all those words into a computer have pretty much disappeared. And that’s a good thing.

Sort of.

The problem with typing up your masterpiece and clicking “Submit” at Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing or Barnes and Noble’s Pub-it or at Smashwords or at whatever other self-publishing venue might be out there is that being an author—if you’re serious about it—involves so much more than just writing the book.

What about editing? Have you done any? And I’m not talking about self-editing, I mean real, back-and-forth editing with a pro who knows what she’s doing. Can you take the constructive criticism intended to make your book the best it can be? Are you willing to change your baby based on someone else’s input?

What about cover art? Do you have any idea whatsoever about how to design a cover that will draw readers to your book? “You can’t judge a book by its cover” is a pithy little cliché, but unfortunately it doesn’t hold water with most people. Cover art is the first thing potential readers look at and if it’s unimpressive or amateurish or just simply inappropriate, you’ve probably already lost them. Not a good thing if you’re competing with potentially millions of books.

What about promotion? Any idea how you’re going to go about the process of introducing readers—almost all of whom will be unfamiliar with you—to you work and convincing them that your book is the one to pick out of a practically limitless supply when they’re looking for a new read?

What about reviews? They’re pretty important to developing a reputation and hopefully some buzz for your masterpiece. How are you going to convince book bloggers to give your novel the time of day when they’re already booked up months in advance?

And while we’re on the subject of reviews, what about bad ones? How are you going to react to them? Because you will get them. Are you professional enough to accept that not every reader and not every reviewer is going to think your creation is as good as you think it is? In fact, some of them are going to be vicious, mean-spirited and nasty. Can you take that? Hope so, because if you respond, even just to defend yourself, you’re the one who’s going to come off looking petty.

And these are just a few issues, there are dozens of other considerations that factor into this author gig if you’re trying to be serious about it.

I came along just about the time publishing was beginning its seismic shift from an exclusive undertaking to basically an all-inclusive one, and boy am I glad I did. I won’t kid you, it wasn’t easy getting rejection after rejection from agents—hundreds of them, if you add up the ones I received for different manuscripts—but at the same time I wouldn’t change a thing. I learned a lot about myself, about my commitment to the craft of writing, about improving my work, about picking myself up and continuing when it seemed there was no way I was ever going to get anyone outside my immediate family to read my work.

Maybe the struggle doesn’t matter to those millions of people who believe they can be authors now, the same people who tell me, in all seriousness, “I should write a book, too,” like doing so involves nothing more than sitting down and pounding it out.

But it should matter to them. Because the day you can simply sit down and do it without a second thought is the day it becomes completely meaningless, the day “author” means “typist.”


Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

Update of IBPA and chillin with Amazon!

Amazon and the future of books and authors!

A few weeks ago I was asked by amazon to come and speak at the IBPA show in SanFran or as my friend calls it,(The City). I was not sure what to expect and by the time I got home I found out that this trip will change my life and my business forever.

First, the Amazon peeps were super cool, we had dinners, conversation and joked and laughed so hard that tummy's hurt and tears were shown. I was glad to find out that just like you or I, they are people too and just trying to do the best job they can.

Second, I met three amazing authors that are killing it in eBook land! Bella Andre is a rock-star, I mean not only is she way cool, but she makes some crazy cash! She knows her stuff and we have some exciting plans in the future. Stay tuned...

How will this all filter into your world? Well, the first thing is next month, StoneHouse University will be hosting Amazon for a one-of-a-kind webinar. Yeah, you heard it right. Real people from Amazon are going to join us, and you can ask them questions and learn from THEM, (Not some rumor-mill) what they are up too and what they have planned looking forward. This is...(Sorry Ashley) EPIC! Yes, I hate the word Epic, yet in this case there is just no other word.

I am so honored to have Amazon come and hang with us at the University. At what other time can you have a chat and hear from them direct? Unless you fly to a Con and pay hotel and flight etc... I am way stoked about this class, and if you want to get in on it keep a look out for the dates and times.

Here are some things I learned.
Amazon wants B&N to do well. Why you might ask? Because the government will step in if they get to far out front. It can be looked at as a monopoly. So a lot of things that Amazon wants to do, try and gain ground in are on hold because they are waiting for B&N to catch up. This is crazy to me, I mean, Amazon is holding back, keeping from growing to fast because their competition is #lame! They are going to win the race, in fact, they already have but they just need it to LOOK close.

The other thing is that Amazon wants authors like me and Bella and you to do well. The more I make and the better I do the more they will bend over backward to help. It is good for them and for their image to have authors and small publishers do well.

As to some of my questions. The advertizing they tried in the past but because they did not feel like it was bringing in the return compared to the money it cost for the authors they pulled it. Again, they were looking at how much the author was getting out of it and did not want to cheat them. They are open to more options but only if the cost of the advertizing and the return is worth it for both parties.

The reviews are being tightened up, in fact a lot more quality control is going on all fronts. Some of it is annoying but that is better than a free for all!

The legal contracts are not going to change, they have so many bases to cover it just has to be like it is. But what is a law if not enforced?

As to more human interaction...well this webinar is step one. They do want to reach out to their authors and this is part of that.

It is a big company so things just move slow but they are moving. I look forward to more good things from Amazon in the future.



Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

Guest Post by bestselling author, J. Carson Black. (Update)

I did a post with J. some time back and I wanted to do an update. She has been on fire and yesterday she was #1 on the Amazon Bestseller list for Kindle with her novel, "The Shop". She is a great lady and so without much more from me, here is the interview.

P.S. Here is her author page on Facebook, she has a cool app you should check out: HERE

J. Carson Black:


1. So, we all want to know and I could ask after some small talk, but what is the fun in that? What is with T&M? We want details, juicy and the behind the scenes!
How do I feel about T & M? What’s not to love? I kiss the hem of their garments.

They have been with me every step of the way, and involved me in everything. Maybe it’s because they’re new. But here’s an innovative idea: they actually listen to the author who wrote the book! For the first time in my writing life, I’m not at the bottom of the food chain.

They are responsive, organized, smart, and generous. They’d make a great husband. Here’s an example. My editor asked me to send ideas about the cover of my book, ICON. I went looking on Amazon at “Thrillers”, and saw the book cover/movie poster for ONE FOR THE MONEY by Janet Evanovich. And it hit me—hard—that when you’re talking about a man who is an icon, you have to put him on the cover. I could see it. I described him walking toward the camera on a desert road (a scene in the book) and he’s got to be both handsome and dirty. T-shirt, jeans, desert boots. And mad. Mad as hell. It’s got to come off him like testosterone. He’s holding a gun and he’s had enough. So they did that. And then they made it “one louder.” They made the words “ICON” huge! It looks like a movie poster.

T & M gave me a five-mile-long questionnaire, even asking me to describe my ideal reader (which I did, right down to the capri pants—middle-aged women love thrillers, they love Coben, Crais, Koontz, Child and Connelly. Which means they love the “k” sound, too). T & M asked me about my style and vernacular, so the copy editor wouldn’t try to change it.

They included me on everything, including the jacket copy and copy-editing and page proofs--a completely different experience than I’d had with a traditional publisher.

And, since they own the company, they know how to push the book.

They have been generous with me, too. We have the coolest app called Odyl on my J Carson Black author page. This allows me to incorporate a website Glenn and I built together called http://www.whokilledbriennecross. It’s the pre-story, of sorts, to the murders in the Aspen house at the beginning of the book. We can do giveaways, polls, quizzes, and provide additional “exclusive content” for the reader.


2. The Shop is making waves, again. How do you feel about the future of your books?

Honestly? I have no idea. I believe they’ll be a steady stream of income. But how much that will be? I don’t know. It’s a bit unpredictable. I’m feeling my way along like everybody else. I listen to people who have put in the time and learn from them. Vin taught me to raise the prices when the books started to go on. Smart stuff like that.

I think we’re all learning as we go.

3. Are you planning on doing some of your own books or will you do them all with T&M?

I kept my Laura Cardinal series, and plan to write a fourth when I get some time. I have one more book with T & M, tentatively titled THE SURVIVORS CLUB. I also have kept a bunch of books that were previously published to little or no acclaim, and I like them, although they won’t be burning down any barns. They’re a source of steady income. I plan to put up my two historicals next—I’m very proud of them. I think it’s good to have your own books, books you can always depend on to keep you going. I’d love to sell more books to T & M, but I think it’s good to diversify.

4. Can I publish one of your books? Hey, I had to ask!

Who knows? I may come crawling to you, and it might not even be too long from now. You’ve done a great job with your authors, that’s for sure.

5. Amazon, B&N, bookstores, what do you see in three years, is the future bright or dull?

I think Barnes & Noble is already stepping away from the Nook – as I recall, they are outsourcing that part of the business. Amazon is a monster, and right now it’s bigfooting everyone in sight. But Kobo may be the wave of the future—or not. I think it’s good to keep your ear to the ground and be flexible and willing to make judgments on the fly—and hope they’re for the best. Like this KDP Select thing. Is it good for the author or not? The jury is out. What might be great for us now could kill us later. I’m hoping that independent and specialty bookstores will start coming back. I’m seeing some growth there. For instance, Mysterious Galaxy http://www.mystgalaxy.com/ in San Diego just added a second store. And other bookstores are opening across the country as well. I read a news report that even Amazon’s opening a bookstore.

6. Freestyle, tell me something we may not know?

You probably already know this, but there are few overnight successes, even in this ebook craze. There are people who have been working on their careers for 20, 30 years. They may have been traditionally published, but some of them never had a publisher; they kept submitting and maybe they only came close. But one thing the majority of these folks have in common is mileage. They’ve put a lot of miles on their writing craft. They’ve developed themselves as writers whether they’ve actually sold books are not. (Selling books in NY is a crapshoot, and has been for some time.) Writing isn’t a static thing. You get better, but you also get worse. Sometimes you have to hit the dip before you start improving. Taking chances can really foul you up, but it can also make you better. And perhaps that actually hurts some writers, because the audience for ebooks is massive but somewhat amorphous. You can sell a lot of books, but a goodly number of those books may go to people who don’t like the kind of stuff you write. It’s great to get a huge audience, but it’s even better to reach a targeted audience who will get what they want. I try to aim my books toward the crime-fiction and thriller kind of crowd, and make “a concerted effort”, for lack of a better term, to brand my books with the covers and product descriptions. Tastes are different. The greatest urban fantasy book in the world will probably never reach me, because that’s just not my taste. Same for sci-fi. So I try to dance with them that brung me.

7. What is one thing you would say to a new writer and one thing you would say to a guy like James Patterson or Stephen King?

To a new writer I would say, find your bliss in the kinds of books you want to write, and study the best. Learn from them. Their lessons are there for anybody—all you have to do is open their books and open your mind.

I’d say to Stephen King, “Good on ya!” In my opinion, his latest book, 11/22/63, (based on the few books I managed to read this year) is the best damn book of the year. In that book, he taught me that I need to reward the reader more. It’s all about the internals of a book. He brings things full circle several times in that story-- puts the periods to the sentences--and that satisfies a reader and makes him smile. They’re gifts, pure and simple. Readers are smart, and they like to feel smart.

To James Patterson, I’d say, “congratulations on your franchise.”

8. With new stuff coming out and the potential for some green, cash, money! What is one thing you might buy or do that is kind of a splurge?

Oh, shoot. I don’t know. I would like to be a partner in a racehorse. But then if anything happened to the racehorse, I’d be a basket case.

I’d like to take a small ship tour into the Sea of Cortez. Yeah. I’d like that.

9. Biggest fear?

Being broke again. Or getting sick. One of the two. Or both at once. Ick.

10. Funniest thing that ever happened at a book signing?

I signed my first book, DARKSCOPE, at a B. Dalton in the local mall. I got my Masters Degree in vocal performance (opera singing) and the ladies of the local Opera Guild helped me out in a number of ways. I was young and thoughtless then. To be honest, they all kind of blurred together, lovely people though they were. And the signing was about five years later. So one of these ladies came up to me and I thought I knew her name, and I said, “Rita! How good to see you!” and hugged her. I signed the book to Rita and she left, smiling. (I think she was smiling.) Ten minutes later, the real Rita showed up. I’d gotten them mixed up. I still can’t believe the non-Rita let me sign the book to “Rita”. Now that’s polite!

Thanks for everything!

J. Carson Black
jcarsonblack@gmail.com
http://jcarsonblack.com
http://www.facebook.com/JCarsonBlack.authorpage

Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

Guest Post by J.R. Rain: (The Waiting Game is Over)

The Waiting Game is Over
by J.R. Rain

Hi there. My name’s J.R. Rain and I’m a self-published author. No, this isn’t an AA meeting. In fact, I’m proud to say that I’m a self-published author. Admittedly, this designation once had a negative connotation to it. Now, not so much.

Now, thanks to Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook and a place called Smashwords, writers from around the world are publishing their books independently, giving birth to the indie author.

I kinda like that: indie author.

It fits me. I’ve always been independent, from my complete inability to play well with others (read: bosses), to living on the fringes of society.

Yes, indie author. I like it. It fits. I’ll take it.

Like many indie authors on Kindle and Nook and elsewhere, I had gotten close to selling books to the major New York publishers. Specifically, The Lost Ark nearly sold to Mira Books, Moon Dance nearly sold to Kensington and Dorchester and Elvis Has Not Left the Building nearly sold to St. Martin’s Press.

That’s a lot of nearlys.

Meanwhile, while I waited months and months and months to hear from these publishers (Kensington never gave me a response...do you sense some bitterness here?), I went bankrupt, lost everything, and was generally one big, pathetic mess.

All because I was pursuing my writing dream.

All because I was waiting.

Then came Kindle. In 2009, I had heard about this thing called Kindle, that Amazon was allowing authors to publish directly onto their “platform” and, subsequently, directly into their bookstore.

Oh? I was intrigued.

Turns out, publishing with Amazon Kindle was the best choice of my life. It also turns out that these traditional publishers (see above) had done me a phenomenal service. By not publishing my books and leading me along and dashing my dreams, they gave me a great gift:

Product.

I still owned the rights to all my books. Books that didn’t quite fit the typical mold--like a soccer mom private detective who just so happened to be a vampire--a book I had written in 2003. A man writing about a woman was apparently taboo, and more than one publisher rejected it based on this alone. Now my “Vampire for Hire” series has gone on to sell more than 400,000 copies, hitting #1 in many categories. Maybe a man can write about a woman. What a concept.

Now publishers approach me. In fact, I had the very great pleasure of turning down a major publisher’s offer a few months back. Their offer wasn’t much of an offer. Put it this way: they were offering to take my money and my rights.

It was an easy no, although a part of me was flattered. And why wouldn’t I be flattered? I’m forty years old and I had spent the greater part of my life pursuing a writing dream.

Thanks to Amazon, I’m living my dream. Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords.

Sometimes people just need a voice, and, as it turns out, writers just needed a platform, an outlet. We got that initial outlet thanks to Amazon Kindle. Publishers told me they didn’t know how to market my books; well, I had a fair idea how to market my books. Turns out it wasn’t that hard to do, after all, and it was a lot of fun, too.

And this brings me back to my main point:

Thanks to Amazon’s revolutionary approach to getting books to readers, by helping authors bypass the traditional publishers, they have given us the gift of time. They have freed us from the waiting game. The endless waiting. The mind-numbing and soul crushing waiting.

That, in and of itself, is priceless.

Now, the waiting game is over, and the living game begins. Now I can spend my time writing the best books I can, with the full knowledge that they will be published on my terms, and in my time. My time.

That, in and of itself, is priceless.

--J.R. Rain

Friend J.R. on Facebook
Website
Follow J.R. on Twitter

BOOKS BY J.R. RAIN

VAMPIRE FOR HIRE
Moon Dance
Vampire Moon
American Vampire
Moon Child
Vampire Dawn (coming soon)

THE JIM KNIGHTHORSE SERIES
Dark Horse
The Mummy Case
Hail Mary (coming soon)

ELVIS MYSTERY SERIES
Elvis Has Not Left the Building
You Ain't Nothin' But a Hound Dog (coming soon)

THE SPINOZA SERIES
The Vampire With the Dragon Tattoo
The Vampire Who Played Dead
The Vampire in the Iron Mask (coming soon)

THE GRAIL QUEST TRILOGY
Arthur
Merlin (coming soon)

WITH SCOTT NICHOLSON
Cursed!
Ghost College
The Vampire Club

WITH PIERS ANTHONY
Aladdin Relighted
Aladdin Sins Bad

STANDALONE NOVELS
The Lost Ark
The Body Departed
The Silent Echo (coming soon)

SHORT STORIES
The Bleeder and Other Stories
Teeth and Other Stories
Vampire Nights and Other Stories
Vampire Blues: Four Stories

SCREENPLAYS
Judas Silver
Lost Eden

SHORT STORY ANTHOLOGIES
Vampires, Zombies and Ghosts, Oh My!

Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

Traditional vs. Self-Publishing: The Good, Bad & Ugly (Guest Post by Kristiana Gregory)

Traditional vs. Self-Publishing: The Good, Bad & Ugly
By Kristiana Gregory

For the past 35 years I’ve been a professional writer and have published more than two-dozen middle-grade and young adult novels for traditional houses: Harcourt, Scholastic and Holiday House. And as of last November, I’m also a self-published author. From big signings and national tours to now managing the whole thing myself, I can say there are joys and stresses to both routes:

Time: With several books I’ve waited at least two years between acceptance and seeing them in print, and often have already turned in the final manuscript before receiving the contract. With self-publishing you just click a button. It’s instantly gratifying to publish right away, but the time it takes with a traditional house isn’t for naught (points below:).

Support: Editorial, sales and marketing is a huge plus with regular publishers as is Production. This is the cover design, copyediting, formatting, and adding the title to their catalogue. It’s a team effort getting a book out to libraries, schools and stores. When you’re on your own, all this is up to you.

Economics: Okay, here’s the money part. An advance with traditional publishers is actually a loan against your future earnings, which may or may not blast out of the park like J.K. Rowling. If your works don’t sell, the advance is it, probably gone by Christmas, and it’s time to start the process of submitting and waiting—and waiting—all over again. Publishing with, say, Amazon Kindle, there’s no up-front money but you’re guaranteed 70% of sales if your title is priced at $2.99 or above.

Royalty statements: Traditional publishers send these in the Spring and Fall, reflecting earnings from the prior nine months. My recent novel, STALKED, took two years to write and edit, then my artist son did the cover. I published it on Amazon Kindle in November and received a check in December! A monthly royalty, wow!

Trends: Success with traditional houses often depends on fads and inflated expectations for profits. I was invited to create two paperback series for young readers, which the publisher initially loved but soon cancelled. The reason? Despite mountains of fan mail from kids, parents and teachers, sales weren’t as brisk as hoped for. Now out on my own, I can directly reach my readers with new adventures.

All this to say, there are benefits to both approaches. I’m deeply grateful to my former editors and publishers. They put my stories into the hands of so many children, many of whom are now adults reading to their own kids—and many of these kids have e-readers! What a great time in history to be an author.

** Kristiana Gregory’s most recent novel is STALKED, a young adult thriller set in NYC in 1912, available on Amazon Kindle -- CURIOUSLY ODD STORIES is also on Kindle

Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

How to leave a book review.

The GOOD, The BAD and the UGLY!
If you are a writer, a book review is a big deal and if you are a reader and want to leave a review it can be a daunting task. What do you say, how do you say what you want?

First off I want to talk about bad reviews. I have talked to the old school authors and it was a rare thing to get a bad review as most people who left a review was because they liked the book. But with shows like American Idol, the public thinks that what they think matters.

I say this with a bit of a evil grin as in the end most opinion's are not worth thinking about as it may burn brain cells. But, now we have a problem and online more and more bad reviews are popping up as being mean and speaking your mind is glamorized. If you are mean and cruel it must mean you are cool, yet I bet you not one mean reviewer would tell the author to their face the same thing.

So if you want to leave a bad review, remember, this is a person, be nice and talk about the book and the good and the bad, what you liked and didn't like and keep the personal comments out. Pretend that this is your mother, or best friend, how would you talk to them? Would you say "You suck and should go hang yourself?" Some reviews are this bad, and very personal. Remember, writing is Art, if you do not like it, that is on you, some other person may love the book. If you hate a painting do you blast the painter? No, you may just "Not get it" or may just not be for you.

Good Reviews:

You read a book and liked it, what do you do?
First, leave a review. To combat the bad review crazy people, it is even more important for you to give the gift of a good review if you liked the book.

But what is a review for?

It is to let people know if they should buy the book. Do you think other people would like it and what would they like about it?

Leaving a review is not you endorsing the book, it is telling people what you liked and even what you did not like.

Don't worry about how long it is. You can just say, "Great book for Teens and I loved the story." you do not need to write a long review, if you want, go for it but even a one liner helps for other readers as they read to make a choice.

I had a blogger who is very wise read my book and she did not like it, but she saw that it was just not for her, she liked my writing and knew of other people that would love it. So now she knows who to recommend the book too. See, it is not about if you loved or hated it, who do you know that would like the book? I have read books that were not for me but I would pass them to someone who i knew would like that style or whatever.

This is what a review is for. Who will like the book? Teens, Women, men? Think about who is the perfect reader and try to lead your review to speak to them.

I know being honest is a good thing but do not be honest and mean. We have so much hate and piss poor people in this world that spreading it around more is just lame...yes, #Lame. Hashtag that!

Hate a book? Leave a NICE review that is HELPFUL and not just proof that you need more lovin. If you love the book, leave a HELPFUL review and make sure you take the time to do it, every review helps even the bad ones if they are done in a spirit of kindness.

I hope this helps and get out there and read, and share. Reading is a wonderful thing. Have a great day and if you do not agree with me... leave me a comment and practice being nice and say how messed up in the head I am! =)

P.S. I forgot to mention, don't leave a UPDATE review. "I am reading your books and so far I love/hate is, I will leave more as I read..." And leave 3 stars based on how far you are in the book. Really? Come on... read the book! And on that note, if you do not finish the book, don't leave a review, you did not finish. And if that means it sucked, well what if the ending made up for the suck? But you do not know cuz you did not read the whole book. Again...#Lame

Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

So what is up with Amazon Kindle Select?

The Kindle Select mess and #lameness to follow!

Warning...this is a rant, so I may not be the nice little author you know and love... oh wait, you all know me...never mind, carry on =)

I must be getting old or something, or maybe the rantings of well meaning writers just gets under my skin. Not that normal stupid people make me feel all warm and fuzzy, but is it me or does everyone think that they are so important as to think that we really matter in the game the big boys are playing???

Yes, as you can gather, I am in a MOOD.

So here is the deal: KDP Lending program, good or bad? IMO it is good if you know how to use it.

1. Use it with your special titles. Doubles, UNCUT books and books that do not sell well on other sites.
2. Stop the madness!!! Amazon would have taken over the book market long ago if they had the stones to do it... but I talk to them once a month or so and they are like a sleeping giant that thinks they are small and are just figuring out that they are small, but that they live in a ant world. Amazon is playing a game. Putting publishing imprints in place for the future, buying up authors to one day crush the publishing world. They could do it tomorrow but they don't realize how much power they really have. So, you can be "In The Family" or fight what IS coming.

What do I mean by this?

I mean, all Amazon wants is to make money. And to do that they have to keep authors and readers happy so they walk a thin line. They are not going to shoot themselves in the foot and piss off all the indie authors as they make bank on them. BUT they will kill B&N soon just like Borders and a new book monster will have to rise up to give them a fight.

Through all this we authors can still sell and sell well building a fan-base the whole time. But to make it sound like they are a big ol mean online bully is just writers getting all fussy cuz they want to whine about something. I know... I am harsh...

The other thing that makes me hot under the ugly sweater is authors that think the Big 6 care about little kidz reading! Oh and Amazon is just a money hungry so in so. You really thing the publishers care if a poor kid gets a book for Christmas? Really?

All they want is money, to sell you a book to make a dollar... the only difference between Amazon and the Big 6 is Amazon will pay you!!! Yeah I said it! They pay their authors and know how to sell a crap load of books! The publishers do not, they are out of touch, lost in the land of print and sucking their thumbs cuz eBooks messed up all the money they were making!

So what should you do?

first, stop looking for the bad news. Look at the new whatever it is... and do your research and try something new instead of running with the masses into a wall.

Next, stop thinking of yourself beyond what you are. Do you really think that your eBook and your huge sales is going to bother Amazon or anyone else? We are all small fish, not worth most readers time, so stop making it out like you and your book sales are going to go under cuz Amazon wants you to sell only on their site. Really... so you sell so many on B&N? I don't...so what does it matter... you don't hear in the news when B&N has "Exclusive" titles... they do! did you know that? They have eBooks (James Patterson) that you can only get on B&N.

Now let us all take a breath... suck in some air and realize that all of this is about the money. Publishers want to make it, Amazon and B&N want to make it and yes you little author want to make it... if you don't call me and I will make it for you and you can just write cuz you believe in the art.

Amazon is trying new things... that is why they do so well, they are not afraid to try something new and fail. If this lending thing does not work they will try something else. I know they were talking about giving 80% to authors that wanted to just sell on Amazon and decided to try this lending thing instead. So try it, if you make more money, great. if not, oh well, it is not forever... you are not selling your soul. I look at it as advertizing, what if the one or two books I put in the program lend really good and I can use the extra promotion to boost my other sales... you never know. And you will never know if you do not try.

This is just the start, soon B&N will want you to just sell a book on their site, and new programs will hit the market. Think about how it may help or hurt you, and don't worry about the world falling around you... you may not live to see it so lighten up.

and a note to the high brow authors that think NOT selling and getting awards is a mark of success... you will die alone with 5 readers who thing you are a god... but what good will it do the world? If you do not connect with the people you missed your mark. Books are written to be read, the mark of success is to reach as many people as you can and to leave them better off. What grand thing do you do if you do nothing because you are scared to act? I could care less if I get an award... the reader who emails me and says they loved my book is my reward. If you do not sell, don't turn it around and make out like it is cuz you don't want too... or maybe it is that you have lost touch with the people... but don't look down on the author that puts his or her heart on the line and jump in the big pond.

End Rant!


Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.