Monthly Archives: September 2015

Indie Authors Get No Respect From the New York Times, Despite Kicking Ass in the Marketplace

How does the The New York Times come up titles for their articles? For example, how about: The Plot Twist: E-Book Sales Slip, and Print is Far From Dead.

Is the journalist actually stupid enough to believe their title or are they simply a shill for the traditional publishers? They canvased 1200 publishers, and discovered that e-book sales for them have stalled, while print is rising. Is that any surprise? The trad publishers are pricing some e-books higher than paperback these days. How does that make sense, other than to blatantly rip off the buying public?

The journalist completely ignores sales by Amazon and other e-tailers of indie writers in their so-called analysis. In fact, Author Earnings does an excellent analysis, which shows e-books sales continue to go up, and e-books, mostly written by indie authors, are dominating the romance, sci fi, and fantasy genres.

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Filed under Art and Craft of Writing

A Summer of Reading and Writing

It’s been a productive summer for me of reading and writing. On the writing side, I’m nearing completion of the first quality draft of my sci fi book Mindfield after figuring out the final chapters while on vacation. The final proofing of my historical fiction Magellan’s Navigator is in process. Thanks to Laura Henson, Dave Mueller, and Kerry Stevens for their invaluable beta read of this manuscript. I’ll need covers for both these books and formatting both for ebook and paperback. Being an indie author isn’t easy. Equally exciting, I’m part of a newly formed group of serious writers meeting regularly for critiques.

I’ve done a lot of reading this summer, due in part to my discovery of the great deals on Bookbub. (I’ve had to restrain myself lately, as it’s easy to build up a backlog of books.) My favorite author of my summer reads is Lindsay Buroker. While on vacation, I finished her “boxed set” Forgotten Ages. This steampunk set consists of her Encrypted, Enigma, and Decrypted novels. These books have good characters, fast moving plots, and an intriguing world. Most of all, I liked her voice and her use of language. It’s much more alive than that of many authors. And, from her facebook page, it looks like she’s a fellow Vizsla owner!

Whether you’re a fantasy reader or a writer of any genre, I suggest you check out Ms. Buroker’s webpage at www.lindsayburoker.com.  She’s proof that a hardworking writer can make it as an indie writer, and her blog has lots of useful info on the secrets to her success.

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Filed under Art and Craft of Writing, Book and Movie Reviews, Magellan's Navigator, Mindfield