|
I've used Scrivener for ages and like it well enough, but some people in my writing group have been getting awfully excited about Vellum lately. It's worth putting on y'alls lists of potential ebook creation software, especially if you're some kind of oil baroness who gives zero fucks about discretionary spending.
|
#
?
May 13, 2015 21:30
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 16, 2024 13:42 |
|
|
For shorts, I give no shits and just upload a word file. For longer works, I generate an epub in d2d and then modify the styles etc in Sigil until I'm happy with it.
|
|
#
?
May 14, 2015 05:13
|
|
|
Has anyone done a short story lead up to a novel? I'm writing a contemporary vampire novel. My novel features four protagonists. There is one main protagonist who holds POV for most of the novel. There are three other vampires who are part of his gang. POV switches between them, depending on the limits of the story. The main thrust of the story is these vampires come to a new city, and become involved in a struggle for control of blood magic. One of these vampires is a blood mage. All four of the vampires have their own issues which a good portion of the novel will explore. I have started writing a short story for the blood mage. It will detail how she became a vampire: how she met her sire, why she agreed to become a vampire (some vampires are forced into changing, she has to agree which will be detailed) and her immediate struggles post-vampirification. My plan is to have four short stories published for each of the protagonists, detailing how they became vampires by the time the novel is released. I've never published anything before (and aside from matters of how good my writing actually is) I can see a few upsides to this. First off, it might win me a few sales at launch of the novel but I can't quantify this. I also imagine it's better to have a marketing push with some writing extant on your Amazon page rather than to go cold into it with nothing there until your main novel is launched. These short stories could become a hit (however unlikely that is.) After I publish my novel, these could also provide a small cash boost as people read the origin stories for their favourite vampire. It could also provide holding material for any fans until I publish a follow up novel. It could help keep awareness and enthusiasm for a follow up novel higher than what it would be otherwise. Basically, does anyone have advice on publishing origin stories for my vampire protagonists while I write my main vampire novel?
|
|
#
?
May 15, 2015 20:38
|
|
|
I really don't know what I'm talking about from a professional perspective, but as a reader that sort of thing makes more sense for after the novel is already out, and possibly as a freebie. I have in the past bought tie-in novellas (e.g. Mira Grant's "Countdown"), but only after reading and being sold on the author's longer work.
|
|
#
?
May 15, 2015 23:27
|
|
|
Pinky Artichoke posted:I really don't know what I'm talking about from a professional perspective, but as a reader that sort of thing makes more sense for after the novel is already out, and possibly as a freebie. I have in the past bought tie-in novellas (e.g. Mira Grant's "Countdown"), but only after reading and being sold on the author's longer work. Yeah, a freebie to drive sales of the main novel would be the way I'd go. If you have a bunch of them, maybe price a few at 99¢ but have the best or most important one be the freebie...? Its promotional value would almost certainly outweigh the bit of money you'd lose.
|
|
#
?
May 16, 2015 12:42
|
|
|
As a reader unless the shorts are OMFG awesome (in which case why are they not novels?) I would be annoyed at a gap between picking one up and the main novel coming out. Although honestly im much more likely to read the novel and pick up backstories for 99c if I enjoy the novel a lot.
|
|
#
?
May 16, 2015 16:26
|
|
|
Can anyone recommend good books (non-fiction or contemporary non-genre fiction) featuring multiple personality disorder lead characters?
|
|
#
?
May 19, 2015 22:36
|
|
|
Sundae posted:Can anyone recommend good books (non-fiction or contemporary non-genre fiction) featuring multiple personality disorder lead characters? Multiple personality disorder stopped being a recognized disorder a while ago and no longer appears in the DSM, etc. Even Dissociative Identity Disorder, the...uh...successor, is pretty controversial, with a lot of experts arguing that it's the result of therapy techniques that end up giving ideas to very suggestible and troubled people with some other dissociative disorder. I'm not remotely qualified to go into detail; I just paid attention in Psych 101 and read a lot of wikipedia. Point is, anything contemporary that deals with multiple personalities--particularly if they call it that--isn't going to be any better than making it the hell up for yourself. Wikipedia is a decent place to start, with the usual wiki caveats. Vvv oh, whoops. Just wanted to make sure you didn't, like, get a third of the way into a novel and go "WAIT, poo poo." 
Blue Footed Booby fucked around with this message at 03:11 on May 20, 2015 |
|
#
?
May 19, 2015 23:40
|
|
|
Blue Footed Booby posted:Multiple personality disorder stopped being a recognized disorder a while ago and no longer appears in the DSM, etc. Even Dissociative Identity Disorder, the...uh...successor, is pretty controversial, with a lot of experts arguing that it's the result of therapy techniques that end up giving ideas to very suggestible and troubled people with some other dissociative disorder. I'm not remotely qualified to go into detail; I just paid attention in Psych 101 and read a lot of wikipedia. I actually meant DID and used the wrong name. My apologies. I'm aware of the controversy around it, but that's not quite where I was going with the question. To be clearer, I'm interested in seeing other authors' handling of the subject with respect to main characters and their thought processes. Also, I'm curious to see how they handled narrator reliability (or lack thereof). Basically, I'm doing craft research and want to see how other authors wrote the topic, since it's a useful example. I'm not looking for R&D on the actual subject, but rather to find examples of contemporary pop literature on the subject to study the writing itself. Sorry that my question wasn't clear earlier. 
|
|
#
?
May 20, 2015 00:06
|
|
|
I released part 3 of my three-part erotica series last weekend. I got everything setup (linked everything together in the "more from" sections, got newsletter running etc.) and scheduled the free promo for Part 1 to begin on Tuesday. I paid for the full BKnight service, but did no other promos (so $25). From my limited experience, BKnight is totally worth it for the price, but until I gain more traction I don't think other services or advertising would be worthwhile. My last free promo netted me roughly $35, so even on my first book it at least didn't lose me money, and the exposure is more valuable than the money for me at this point. I had similar, but slightly higher free download rates throughout the day compared to my first free promo a few weeks ago.  412 units downloaded on first day of my previous promo, 481 units on first day of this promo. My book is up to #5 on free BDSM, and #69 (lol) on free genre fiction. I've had my first newsletter signup, and people are actually buying parts II and III now. It's nothing compared to what many people in here are doing, but it's still the first day of the promo, and I'm guessing most people who downloaded likely haven't even finished part I yet. I'm hoping to get some decent number of people actually buying after the free download. Today was my highest sales day ever, with three real buys   I'm 4,500 words into my next story (will be a new series) so I'm on track for the secret success ingredient of "just keep writing and publishing a lot and consistently."
|
|
#
?
May 20, 2015 05:41
|
|
|
Super congrats, angel opportunity. The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step, and this really can be a fantastic journey.
|
|
#
?
May 20, 2015 09:19
|
|
|
angel opportunity posted:I released part 3 of my three-part erotica series last weekend. I kept reading "promo" as "porno." Just FYI
|
|
#
?
May 20, 2015 13:23
|
|
|
whenever I refer to my erotica irl or with online friends I definitely do just call it "my porn"
|
|
#
?
May 20, 2015 13:25
|
|
|
Congrats, AO. Agreed with Sean here -- tiny steps now, but it's worth it. Mental trick for you along the way: Think of your sales not in terms of how they are relative to where you want them to be, but in terms of what you're no longer paying for as a result of them. "Man, I only made $100 when my goal is $1,500" feels terrible, whereas "holy poo poo, all my beer is free every month" is awesome. First it's your beer, then your electric bill, then all your utilities, then your rent... etc etc. Before you know it, you've hit your goal and suddenly realize that $X was just the beginning. New goals ahoy! New benchmarks! The sky's the limit!  Seriously - keep writing and enjoy the ride.
|
|
#
?
May 20, 2015 15:03
|
|
|
I am definitely trying to think of it like that It really helps that my day job is completely dead end, and no matter how hard I work and no matter how many extra projects I take on, my salary will always remain completely stagnant. Writing erotica, each new free promo I do, seeing any increase at all is a huge deal even if it only starts out increasing from like $30 to $50. It's a huge motivating factor knowing that the more work I put into this, the more reward I will get. I've been at my day job for 3.5 years and have received a 1% merit raise in that time... 
|
|
#
?
May 20, 2015 15:10
|
|
|
Yeah, seeing that my efforts actually impacted my bottom line turned me into a workaholic.
|
|
#
?
May 20, 2015 15:29
|
|
|
holy poo poo, all my car is free this month
|
|
#
?
May 20, 2015 16:22
|
|
|
EngineerSean posted:holy poo poo, all my car is free this month You should buy me all the car this month too, then. I mean, if you've run out of garage and parking space at your own, I'll gladly accept a Chevy Volt anytime to replace my 19-year-old Corolla.  (I'd replace the 20-yr-old Grand Marquis, but the fucker who slashed my tires effectively did that already.)You just need to set your sights higher now. All your yacht docking fees are paid for this month.
|
|
#
?
May 20, 2015 17:11
|
|
|
lol I just replaced my 13 year old Corolla (original owner), very liberating
|
|
#
?
May 20, 2015 17:21
|
|
|
I'm trying to get to the Moana level, which I think is "all my Rolexes are free this month!"
|
|
#
?
May 20, 2015 19:08
|
|
|
the brotherly phl posted:I'm trying to get to the Moana level, which I think is "all my Rolexes are free this month!" You never go full Moana
|
|
#
?
May 20, 2015 19:17
|
|
|
EngineerSean posted:You never go full Moana Not without lube, a dental dam, and a warm speculum.
|
|
#
?
May 20, 2015 19:23
|
|
|
You guys seen this? Holy poo poo... https://www.getbookreport.com/install
|
|
#
?
May 20, 2015 20:03
|
|
|
Yep. It's awesome.
|
|
#
?
May 20, 2015 20:09
|
|
|
Sundae posted:Yep. It's awesome. Are you paying for it? I'd buy it but I don't support monthly payments on a mostly feature-complete software. I don't even like it on Windows 10 but it makes a lot more sense than this being a monthly fee.
|
|
#
?
May 20, 2015 20:12
|
|
|
It seems like it's free...am I missing something? edit: ohhh, if you make a lot of money it's not free, haha
|
|
#
?
May 20, 2015 20:14
|
|
|
EngineerSean posted:Are you paying for it? I'd buy it but I don't support monthly payments on a mostly feature-complete software. I don't even like it on Windows 10 but it makes a lot more sense than this being a monthly fee. I agree with this. At a certain point, unless he/she keeps adding more features, you've paid way more than it's worth. Frankly, for what it does, I'm not even sure it's really worth more than a few months.
|
|
#
?
May 20, 2015 20:33
|
|
|
EngineerSean posted:Are you paying for it? I'd buy it but I don't support monthly payments on a mostly feature-complete software. I don't even like it on Windows 10 but it makes a lot more sense than this being a monthly fee. I bought the 1-yr $100 version since he has a lot more coming up in features (also, because he responds to bug e-mails and questions pretty quickly), plus the time-savings of it preventing my compulsive spreadsheeting is worth the $$$. By the time one year passes, I'm sure something bigger/better will be out, or (hopefully?) my numbers will be so big that I won't feel the need to care anymore. Edit: Left to my own devices, I'd generate spreadsheets and track sales minutia to the detriment of everything else. I can't even pretend to justify spreadsheeting when I have a super sexy output from one-click that auto-updates itself, so the $100 is worth it to get myself out of my own way. Sundae fucked around with this message at 20:39 on May 20, 2015 |
|
#
?
May 20, 2015 20:35
|
|
|
oh yeah I just sperg out on the 15th instead, though when I did have this during the trial period I found myself tracking my sales a lot more intensely
|
|
#
?
May 20, 2015 20:47
|
|
|
Holy poo poo what a day. Finished a novel, paid off my student loans, and the guy who narrated Harry Harrison's audiobooks is doing one of mine. I'm drinking now.
|
|
#
?
May 21, 2015 02:22
|
|
|
Yooper posted:Holy poo poo what a day. Finished a novel, paid off my student loans, and the guy who narrated Harry Harrison's audiobooks is doing one of mine. gently caress yeah.
|
|
#
?
May 21, 2015 02:29
|
|
|
Yooper make sure you check back on those in a few days. When we paid off ours, they randomly charged us like $400 later until I got on the phone and yelled at them a bit (a lot).
|
|
#
?
May 21, 2015 02:37
|
|
|
EngineerSean posted:Yooper make sure you check back on those in a few days. When we paid off ours, they randomly charged us like $400 later until I got on the phone and yelled at them a bit (a lot). Ahh yes, I'll add that to my list. We had some difficulties with my wifes loans five years ago but luckily the charges disappeared as magically as they appeared.
|
|
#
?
May 21, 2015 02:48
|
|
|
Yooper posted:Holy poo poo what a day. Finished a novel, paid off my student loans, and the guy who narrated Harry Harrison's audiobooks is doing one of mine. Hell yeah, congrats!
|
|
#
?
May 21, 2015 19:30
|
|
|
Congratulations, Yooper! 
|
|
#
?
May 21, 2015 23:29
|
|
|
So, gently caress it. Just finished my first 20k-word installment of a billionaire serial. I think I'm going to write the second installment ASAP, then edit and publish the first. This will be my first work of fiction over 12,000 words ever published, and hopefully the start of my big, beautiful new direction. How do I decide how to price this thing? Write HM Ward ($2.99) on one side of a coin and Meg Watson ($.99) on the other and then flip it? And how the hell am I going to write on of these things per week every week?
|
|
#
?
May 22, 2015 18:56
|
|
|
Mr. Belding posted:So, gently caress it. Just finished my first 20k-word installment of a billionaire serial. I think I'm going to write the second installment ASAP, then edit and publish the first. This will be my first work of fiction over 12,000 words ever published, and hopefully the start of my big, beautiful new direction. How do I decide how to price this thing? Write HM Ward ($2.99) on one side of a coin and Meg Watson ($.99) on the other and then flip it? And how the hell am I going to write on of these things per week every week? HM Ward and Meg Watson have different publishing schemes and pricing isn't the only thing that sets them apart. Let me ask you the following question: 1) How long do you plan on having this serial go? 2) Will it be in Kindle Unlimited to begin with? Will it be in KU permanently?
|
|
#
?
May 22, 2015 20:03
|
|
|
EngineerSean posted:HM Ward and Meg Watson have different publishing schemes and pricing isn't the only thing that sets them apart. Let me ask you the following question: I'm interested in doing 10-16 episodes assuming reader interest is there. I'm committed to doing at least 4 and HEA wrap up even if interest is tepid. It will be on KU at first and for the foreseeable future unless I have to change strategies.
|
|
#
?
May 22, 2015 20:35
|
|
|
Mr. Belding posted:I'm interested in doing 10-16 episodes assuming reader interest is there. I'm committed to doing at least 4 and HEA wrap up even if interest is tepid. That last bit is of course correct, that you should always be willing to make changes to your publishing strategy, but I'd still consider that "permanent". I'd absolutely do it at 99 cents then, and the reason is average royalty rate. Shoot me a PM if you'd like any additional help.
|
|
#
?
May 22, 2015 20:39
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 16, 2024 13:42 |
|
|
On the topic of serial fiction, I have a story that will probably stretch 70,000-80,000 words total: from a business standpoint, is there any general consensus on whether it would be preferable to publish it as a single complete novel, or as an ongoing serial?
|
|
#
?
May 23, 2015 08:06
|
|
