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Leng posted:But you can ask for the info to be suppressed for privacy reasons. So. Both agencies have now gotten back to me. One told me that my address and phone number and email can be suppressed and in fact that is the default for books marked 'I am the publisher as a private individual or sole propriety of a firm of which I am the only employee'. But like you say they cannot supress the name of the publisher or let me use the imprint as the publisher of record. They have to list the parent publisher and as a self-publisher that has to be, with them at least, my legal first & last names as appear on the government ID I showed them. The reasons they gave are e.g. if I libel someone, or write inflammatory hate speech, or if my book is a runaway best seller then the offended party, police, and tax authorities respectively need a clue as to who to seek out even if it's only a name. (Why they can't just release that information only in those cases isn't clear to me. Maybe they don't just don't want to get involved and have to make decisions on what counts as a valid request.) Canada however told me it's fine to use an imprint as the publisher of record and that's what they'll list. The owner of the imprint won't be publicly available although (obviously) it will be in their system. However if I am publishing as an entity even if an ad hoc, non-incorporated one they must list my address, telephone number, and email. Oddly enough the person responding to my emails told me it's fine to enter any made up address that the system recognizes as valid, and enter any phone number that likewise the system thinks is real (although I was told, needlessly in my case, that I should be polite and not use someone or something else's real number). The email has to be real, kinda, because people can complain to them about not being able to reach the publisher at the provided email unlike the provided telephone number, but that it can be a Gmail or Outlook.com address. edit: They told me that the main purpose of an ISBN is so that others can confirm whether a book was published in Canada by a Canadian publisher, everything else is an afterthought. Leng posted:It is searchable on the global ISBN database as that's the entire point of an ISBN. I haven't dug into it to see if all of those entries are the publisher and not just imprints if that's what the agencies provide them. But it does seem there are different purposes of the ISBN system and different agencies prioritize them differently. Bright Bart fucked around with this message at 22:03 on Oct 13, 2023 |
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Oct 12, 2023 20:58
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Been having this weird thing happen on KU lately where I get multiple days with single page reads in a row. Like literally 1 page read a day and that’s it. I would say this was just people opening my book up, realizing it sucks, and bailing, but it’s a new thing. Feels almost like a bot reading it or something. Anyone else have that happening? Or know what it is?
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Oct 14, 2023 19:59
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I let my vocabulary unlock and marinate a little bit by working on a short story for a little while, then returned to my blurb. The fine folks in TFR actually took some very adept stabs at making it better, and at this point I've got this much. It's clocking in at 212 words, which is good? ------------- The sadistic butchering of six goats left their severed heads staked to an old oak. But their terrified bleats awakened an ancient force, plunging the countryside into terror. Deep in the rolling hills of Tennessee, two Union veterans of the Civil War build a life outside the town of Lawrenceboro. Childhood friends Francis Meet and Freddy Monk were raised amongst the thick woods outside the Meet family homestead. Without wives or children, the pair quietly tend to the land while bandaging the wounds left by war. Most neighbors sent sons to fight for the Confederacy, who returned bitter and beaten men. Defeat channeled their simmering hatred into the burgeoning Ku Klux Klan, intent on maintaining the southern order of white supremacy through hooded nighttime raids and brutal lynchings. The presence of two Union veterans prospering was an affront to the worst citizens of Lawrenceboro. As rumors swirled around their supposedly unnatural lifestyle, the Klan took action. Their goats were the first casualties, sawn apart by dull Bowie knives and staked to an old oak. As the pair of homesteaders prepare to answer with lead, the mutilation awakens an ancient entity soaked deep within the soil. An infestation older than Cain and Abel takes root, choking the town with vines soaked with blood.
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Oct 15, 2023 12:14
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I think my first response to that synopsis is: yeah, and… ? The ending needs some work; I’m not left with any clear idea about what the novel’s really going to be about, who the antagonists actually are, or how the protagonists will attempt to address the threat. Do they need to defeat the KKK? Or is the “ancient entity” the real villain? Is that somehow siding with the KKK, or is it against people in general? My gut reaction is that introducing the KKK as villains, before introducing a supernatural enemy as a villain, seems risky as I worry it’s going to somehow diminish the very real threat of the KKK. I’m sure the book itself handles this better, but it’s a concern I have after reading this synopsis.
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Oct 15, 2023 13:14
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I'm staying out of this except to point out that the whole 'other humans are the real monsters' usually have the human baddies show up midway through without much warning even if not entirely unexpected. And the human baddies aren't already people every reader instantly identifies as being terrible. If this was realized before, carry on. Bright Bart fucked around with this message at 15:46 on Oct 15, 2023 |
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Oct 15, 2023 14:26
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rohan posted:I think my first response to that synopsis is: yeah, and… ? Bright Bart posted:I'm staying out of this except to point out that the whole 'other humans are the real monsters' usually have the human baddies show up midway through without much warning not entirely unexpected. And the human baddies aren't already people every reader instantly identifies as being terrible. Thank you very much for the input. Without going into deep spoiler territory, the "real" villain is meant to be vague at a glance. (It's the KKK, not the monsters.) The problem I'm running into is being punchy in a blurb. This story has tendrils, at least I hope it does, and takes time to shake out. Are the protagonists gay? Is there a monster in the woods? Is most of the town in the Klan? Is the actual Sheriff running the show? etc etc etc. This blurb inflated to almost 300 words before I took out my razor. I'm trying to find a balance of brevity, and it's hard.
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Oct 15, 2023 15:16
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Wife is looking for an agent and has no idea how to write queries for them, anyone who has any experience with it and can offer some suggestions please? Even if you don't (have experience), would appreciate some comments.quote:A fairytale planet and a mysterious but deadly tournament. Four species and four teams. Friends and enemies that you can’t tell apart. For comps: The original comps were Fourth Wing + The Serpent and the Wings of Night (which has the tournament format) rather that Fourth Wing + Squid games, so we're wondering which one is better to use? Also: Bio seems irrelevant so not sure if we should even bother including (some agents have a field for it anyway, so I guess for those it can go there)
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Oct 15, 2023 15:25
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Real quick analysis, will do more later. Also remember, the best advice you can follow is: The query is meant to get them to read the pages. Break all other rules if you are confident. Important to get feedback from agents/people in industry.Strotski posted:Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros meets Squid Games in STARBOUND Bad formatting. Can confuse who is the author and what book they are presenting. Yank out the "By Rebecca Yarros" and put your title of your book first. Strotski posted:an action-packed new adult sci-fi/fantasy romance "action-packed" is generic. SCi-Fi/Fantasy romance is a weak way to describe the book. Everything is generic here, ticking boxes. This will still probably work. Strotski posted:which follows Rayne as she fights for a place in this new world amidst a perilous game and an attraction she can’t suppress. It’s completed at 115 000 words and stands alone with a potential for series. Mixed mind here on summarizing your novel after the query. Gives agent opportunity to toss your query by asking "What is she attracted to, a planet? Why couldn't you be more concise." Strotski posted:I have a BA in Japanese studies and currently work in tech after obtaining a MS in Computer science. Having lived in Japan, Eastern Europe and the UK, I draw inspiration from my past and current experiences to create diverse worlds with high stakes and relatable characters. You need to research the agent to see if you need to include ANYTHING here. My main issue here is this is all about you, its boring, and at worst its generic. Oh wow you write diverse worlds. Sorry, but every query in my inbox says that. You need to prove it. You need to stand out, and you need to do it in 10 words or less. I'd cut everything after the "BA In Japanese Studies", and might even cut the BA part if Japanese studies doesn't include language. Here is, my very fast, attempt. I am focusing on being concise, while also expanding on the Comps. I also picked a genre, and used a comp to show how the setting is sci-fi. Feel free to mix those two up. Some dude so take this worth a grain of salt posted:I am excited to present my standalone novel STARBOUND, complete at 12 words. The book is written for romance readers who enjoyed the birds in FOURTH WING, the tension of krakens in SQUID GAMES and the sci-fi world of MY HEAD HURTS. DropTheAnvil fucked around with this message at 23:25 on Oct 15, 2023 |
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Oct 15, 2023 23:21
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That's very helpful, thank you for taking the time! As for how generic it is, yeah that's entirely a (big) problem because this book isn't meant to be representative of her work. Her best work is in m/m but at the moment she's trying to do what's more marketable and generic and she just modeled it after fourth wing which is huge right now. She's still trying to find an agent for it cause why not I guess? Strotski fucked around with this message at 07:15 on Oct 16, 2023 |
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Oct 16, 2023 07:13
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Strotski posted:That's very helpful, thank you for taking the time! Don't pitch it as New Adult - most agents and trad pub houses don't recognise it as a category and it's currently only consistently used in self-publishing (which is where Fourth Wing got its start). The query makes it sound Young Adult, and if you aged Rayne down a little then it'd slot right in. Rayne isn't about to let a lizard alien walk away with her dreams - but what are they? Not wanting to be homeless might be a reason to start the adventure, but that really all that keeps her going through the tournament? Does she realise she enjoys the power/the adrenaline rush/opportunities to make out with Sai’erel? Squid Game is pretty pointed in its themes - if you're comping it on the basis of 'tournament' and not because your book shares them, The Serpent and the Wings of Night is probably a better bet. Honestly, if your wife is writing interesting m/m SFF(?) books, then there's a market for that and she'd probably do better pursuing it than trying to sell a lazy Fourth Wing cash in that neither of you seem enthusiastic about.
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Oct 16, 2023 10:24
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Sally Forth posted:Don't pitch it as New Adult - most agents and trad pub houses don't recognise it as a category and it's currently only consistently used in self-publishing (which is where Fourth Wing got its start). The query makes it sound Young Adult, and if you aged Rayne down a little then it'd slot right in. Sally Forth posted:Squid Game is pretty pointed in its themes - if you're comping it on the basis of 'tournament' and not because your book shares them, The Serpent and the Wings of Night is probably a better bet. Sally Forth posted:Honestly, if your wife is writing interesting m/m SFF(?) books, then there's a market for that and she'd probably do better pursuing it than trying to sell a lazy Fourth Wing cash in that neither of you seem enthusiastic about. Both of us know going the rip off way isn't the right thing to do since it shows in the writing and especially us marketing it. The reason she did m/f to begin with is the same reason she plays lottery once every 2 weeks "might as well try", as dumb and illogical that reason may be. With her finishing editing this ripoff (which honestly has decent plot too, the only thing she was excited about writing) she's gonna pivot from m/f to m/m full time which is what we should've done from the beginning but she wanted to try and get lucky so. TL;DR just trying to salvage bad decisions and make the best of it, I suppose. Thanks for the help!
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Oct 16, 2023 11:00
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Strotski posted:They are sci-fi mm mostly, it's what she's really passionate about, she just knows it's a much smaller market, given both sci-fi AND m/m. I'm biased (agented, write queer SFF), but I think there's a demand and a market that's worth perusing - you're certainly not likely to get a Fourth Wing-esque success there, but then that level of success isn't likely in any area of publishing. The YA bubble of a few years ago has burst. One thing to be aware of is a good agent is someone who'll want to work with you to build a career, so make sure that when you query you approach agents who also sell in the space you want to write in, not just ones who'd be willing to rep this book.
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Oct 16, 2023 12:22
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Is using an agent a thing in the self-publishing space? This is a helpful conversation to read, regardless of the answer. I'm feeling a little stuck with next steps, and need to hit up the trad-publishing thread to make sure I'm pointed in the right direction.
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Oct 16, 2023 12:48
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Captain Log posted:Is using an agent a thing in the self-publishing space? Agents aren't part of the self pub process - you're right, this should be a conversation for the trad pub thread (if there is one?)
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Oct 16, 2023 13:12
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Sally Forth posted:Agents aren't part of the self pub process - you're right, this should be a conversation for the trad pub thread (if there is one?) Don't think we have Trad Pub thread. Should just call this the Published Goons thread?
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Oct 16, 2023 16:34
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Maybe how to publish, to separate it from the "books goons have published" thread.
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Oct 16, 2023 16:52
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Sally Forth posted:I'm biased (agented, write queer SFF), but I think there's a demand and a market that's worth perusing - you're certainly not likely to get a Fourth Wing-esque success there, but then that level of success isn't likely in any area of publishing. The YA bubble of a few years ago has burst.
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Oct 16, 2023 18:34
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I'm not too sure there is an easy way to successfully circumvent the conventions regarding the introduction of human baddies to a sci-fi scenario. i.e. They are to show up in the second act, and do so without much foreshadowing (even if everyone knows where 'Lets head north! The army base there will surely feed and protect us!' is heading. On the other hand the conventions about commoners saving the nation/continent/world/galaxy should be disregarded at every opportunity. You know the ones: 1. A commoner cannot be the proximal cause of saving everybody from an existential threat unless it turns out that they are actually descended from royalty or very, very high nobility or marry into it. 2. Proximal. The poacher's daughter can lead the princess through the forest filled with the death cult invaders. She can acquire the crystal needed to banish them. She can place the crystal in the exhausted princess's hands. But unless she is actually her long-lost sister, or they eloped before the final battle, the poacher's daughter CANNOT be the one to use the crystal. 3. A nomad chieftain is not royalty even if they are called a king or queen or prince. However marrying the chieftain's son or daughter does make a person from a settled civilization royalty. In a parallel, becoming the leader of a sovereign aristocratic order of knights or wizards also makes the character royalty, even if they started out as a blacksmith. But they have to work their way up. Starting the story as the grand master does not count. 4. Rules 1-3 only apply to saving a whole country, continent, world, or universe. A commoner who for instance is born with a special talent or was trained by a legendary order, may save the city.
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Oct 16, 2023 19:06
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Captain Log posted:Is using an agent a thing in the self-publishing space? Sally Forth posted:Agents aren't part of the self pub process Actually, agents can be part of the self-pub process, but they generally come in later to manage things like rights. Most commonly, they will handle translations and typically this only happens once you've found enough success in your primary language market that there's significant reader demand for translated versions. Ryan Cahill, for example, is an agented self-pub author and his agent handles things like his Russian translations. DropTheAnvil posted:Don't think we have Trad Pub thread. Should just call this the Published Goons thread? silvergoose posted:Maybe how to publish, to separate it from the "books goons have published" thread. I feel like the trad pub thread is just the default fiction writing thread because that's where all trad pub chat happens. Though maybe with a hybrid approach becoming increasingly common it might make sense to separate the publishing step from the writing bit.
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Oct 17, 2023 03:17
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I do have a quick question - Some publishers self-publishing companies asking for submissions will ask for an entire manuscript. Just plonking my 175k word manuscript into various places makes me nervous as hell. Is that a legit thing to ask?
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Oct 17, 2023 12:48
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Captain Log posted:I do have a quick question - Are you self publishing (uploading to Amazon, Kobo etc.) or submitting to publishers? If it's the former, I'll demure to the rest of the thread on what's normal. If you're submitting to publishers, there are a few things to be aware of:
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Oct 17, 2023 17:22
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Sally Forth posted:Are you self publishing (uploading to Amazon, Kobo etc.) or submitting to publishers? If it's the former, I'll demure to the rest of the thread on what's normal. Ah, thank you so much. That's an invaluable link and excellent way to cut between the bullshit. I've spent a solid part of the day dissecting different "publishers" and discovering plenty are bullshit. I've yet to post in the other thread, but I'm on the fence about how to publish. My goal on the first novel is expanding readership, not profit. I'm absolutely fine with breaking even, or even losing some. I'm disabled in America, so the possible income is a headache that will involve lawyers at some point. What I don't want to do is slop something together that isn't professional, sell ten copies, then have it just puff into the ether. Also, it's going to be cut into two novels if not three. It was written in one go and tells one story, so I've yet to commit to precisely how I'm cutting it apart. But naw, it isn't a 175k word single novel.
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Oct 17, 2023 22:10
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Captain Log posted:so the possible income is Bountiful optimism should be measured by cups forged in cynicism. If you are aiming at readership, expect to lose money. I know there are some goons here that have self published and done quite well to expand their readership. A buddy of mine that does well for self publishing expands his readership by writing in a niche market, generally being a cool dude in the writing community in my area, and doing marketing.
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Oct 17, 2023 23:26
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Vanity publishers have been rendered completely obsolete by internet self-publishing on large platforms like Amazon. Avoid them like the plague.
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Oct 17, 2023 23:57
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SimonChris posted:Anyone else having issues with Amazon's search? When I search in "All Departments", my book doesn't show up. I have to explicitly select "Books" in the dropdown to find it. The book has been out for more than a month, so surely it should have been indexed properly by now? https://www.amazon.com/s?k=%22simon+christiansen%22 Seriously, the book still isn't showing up when searching in "All". If I search for my name, it finds my other books but not the first one. I have to switch to "Books" to make it show up. Have anyone else had this issue? I would like to avoid contacting Amazon support if at all possible.
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Oct 18, 2023 13:29
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SimonChris posted:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=%22simon+christiansen%22 You need to contact Amazon. Here is what I get when I click on your link. I tried turning off my VPN, too. This is using Safari on a MacBook Pro that is completely up to date. 
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Oct 18, 2023 17:02
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SimonChris posted:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=%22simon+christiansen%22 Yes. Exactly as you describe, with an older piece called "The Fairfield County Friday Night Gridiron Bonanza". That piece had two problems with it in its lifetime: I was forced to change the cover for reasons never explained (either they thought my first cover was stolen, which it absolutely wasn't, or they saw something obscene in it that simply wasn't there, I truly don't grasp what the problem was), and I changed the keywords to something racier which may have gotten it 'disappeared' from certain search for all I know. — Course, it all could just be some weird glitch. (EDIT: I do _not_ get the blank screen when I click the link with your name, though, I get the listing as you describe it.) Now for a delightfully effortless segue, 'cause whatever the problem is with my old work, I'm really here to talk about my newest! This one's kind of a double feature of fun and angst, and it's FREE through Sunday October 22: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0CL32GLBN/  Lexi and her best friends forever are weeks away from everything changing. So before college splits them apart, they’re getting in one last night—and two movies—together. Specifically, they’re catching a cultural phenomenon, an improbable, meme-fueled double feature: one serious historical drama, one comedy based on a doll. For film freak Lexi, it’s the ideal evening out: her favorite pastime, her favorite venue, her absolute favorite people in the world. Her heart is breaking. Award-winning writer and filmmaker Adam Bertocci has been praised by Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, The New Republic, GQ, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Back Stage, Broadway World, E!, Maxim, IGN, Wired, Film Threat and more. In this tender, nostalgic short story of one night, two movies, three best friends and no idea what’s next, he touches on growing up, the things we lose, the connections that last and the cinematic craze that delighted the world.
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Oct 18, 2023 17:11
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Submitted the manuscript to Draft2Digital for a launch in early November. Hopefully I'll get an ISBN assigned in time to edit the file and put it on the copyright page. Bright Bart fucked around with this message at 20:29 on Oct 20, 2023 |
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Oct 20, 2023 16:43
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Bright Bart posted:Hopefully I'll get an ISBN assigned in time to edit the file and put it on the copyright page. If you bought your own this should be pretty much instantaneous. Make sure you bought it direct from the official ISBN agency for your country (there's only 1 per country), not from a reseller.
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Oct 21, 2023 07:20
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Leng posted:If you bought your own this should be pretty much instantaneous. Nope! I posted a little about how I did get free ISBNs from the national agencies in my two countries of nationality, but wasn't able to 100% withhold personal details and stay anonymous. So I went with the D2D provided one. Not sure if they tell you what it is before the book goes live. I hope so, because I literally left ISB-13: ... on the copyright page. And It's too late to use one of my own.
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Oct 21, 2023 07:41
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Bright Bart posted:Nope! I posted a little about how I did get free ISBNs from the national agencies in my two countries of nationality, but wasn't able to 100% withhold personal details and stay anonymous. Fair enough. Honestly it doesn't matter; you can update it afterwards and no one will care. Especially if it's ebook only; Amazon doesn't even require an ISBN.
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Oct 21, 2023 10:23
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Just going to ask a quick survey question - For all you fine self-published folks, do you use chapters?
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Oct 22, 2023 13:27
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Yes. They don’t have names, though. Just numbers.
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Oct 22, 2023 15:19
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Captain Log posted:For all you fine self-published folks, do you use chapters? Yes. I name and number my chapters.
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Oct 23, 2023 06:39
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Alright, work is 99% done on my co-authored tropical mystery/thriller, so I'm moving on to my next project! Work on the LitRPG begins in earnest today. After reading/participating in various communities around the internet, I'm a little nervous about launching on RR because of all the unknowns that can't really be quantified or planned for ahead of time, but I'm launching on RR anyhow! Hopefully the work will be good enough, and I can get connected with enough people, that the book hits rising stars at the appropriate time.
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Oct 23, 2023 17:00
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Captain Log posted:Just going to ask a quick survey question - My first work isn't published yet but it has chapters. A title alongside a date and location if appropriate. But no numbers. Bright Bart fucked around with this message at 21:49 on Oct 23, 2023 |
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Oct 23, 2023 18:58
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I appreciate the input on the chapters. Which means I'm going to be using them from here on out. I always preferred simple page breaks when the story is linear and from a simple viewpoint, like only two characters. But I don't want to give myself a disadvantage on the first thing I publish. I'm purposely using chapters in a short story/novella I'm working on the side, and it's an adjustment.
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Oct 24, 2023 17:57
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BARF Invite-Only KDP Beta for Audiobooks KDP posted:We’re excited to announce the launch of an invitation-only U.S. beta that enables KDP authors to quickly and easily produce an audiobook version of their eBook using virtual voice narration, a synthetic speech technology. Authors will now be able to:
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Nov 1, 2023 18:56
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Sounds about as appealing as reading an AI-written novel
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Nov 1, 2023 22:39
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the scuttlebutt is KDP already agreed with SAG-AFTRA to *not* use AI narrators, so maybe there's a lawsuit coming. I truly hope there is, and that KDP loses. I hate this race-to-the-bottom poo poo.
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Nov 2, 2023 14:24
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