Answering Questions on The Emperor’s Edge Series

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Lindsay

Those of you who were around on the weekend know I’m bribing people to ask questions for me to answer here on the blog (seriously, you can check out that post now — ask a question for a chance to win an Amazon gift certificate for the holidays). It’s a chance for me to give away some goodies and also find out what people would be interested in reading about here.

So, for this first post, I’ll answer a couple of the questions related to the Emperor’s Edge books:

Merry asks:

When will your next full length novel be out?

Next month! Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be doing the final edits for EE3 (Deadly Games), then sending it off to my editor. The cover art is already done, so it should be up by Thanksgiving.

Eyezak asks:

As a soon to be owner of a Kindle (Fire), which of your ebooks do you suggest a new reader start?

This page has everything listed with reading orders, but you could start with Emperor’s Edge (the first in my series of high fantasy novels), Encrypted (a stand alone set in the same world as EE), or Flash Gold (a steampunk novella set in the Yukon in the late 1890s).

Mihir asks:

Do you have a fixed number of books planned for the Emperor’s Edge series?

And Tiffany asks:

Do you already know where you are going to end up in the EE series, how many books there will be and how the story arc will go?

I have tentative plans for six books, each with a different member of the group for the alternate POV character. As for where the series is going and how it will end… kind of? Is that a good answer? Probably not, but I definitely plan to wrap up the story arc in that six-book span rather than stringing things along indefinitely.

Anke asks:

Are you writing the 2nd, 3rd… books differently from the first one regarding how well wrapped-up they are?

I like for each novel to tell a complete story, and I try to wrap up that story. That doesn’t mean I won’t leave you hanging with some teasers as to what will come in future books though. 😉

Carr asks:

I had hoped that Sespian [snipped due to spoilers 😀 ] would have made an appearance in the second book of the series (Dark Currents), having speaking lines rather than being mentioned by the main characters in passing. Will we see more of him in the next book in which he interacts face-to-face with Sicarius and Amaranthe, perhaps following up on the infatuation that was brought up in the first book (Emperor’s Edge)?

Sespian pops in at the end of Book 3, and he’ll have a significant role in Book 4.

Stephen asks:

I read The Emperor’s Edge on my Kindle, after buying it because it was touted as a steam punk novel…and because I liked the plot synopsis. I’m not some die-hard Steam Punk type, but I noticed that you barely touched on the technology. I love your stories, but wonder if the whole steam power thing was an afterthought to gain a genre following.

But steam, no steam or Sauna Time, please keep it up!

Hah, I never promoted Emperor’s Edge as steampunk! I mentioned it was a high fantasy in “an era of steam” because I didn’t want people buying it, expecting a medieval world (I’ve come across some folks who don’t like their fantasy to have guns and more modern tech in it) and then being disappointed because it’s more of an Industrial Revolution type setting.

I guess because I mentioned steam, though, people started tagging it as steampunk on Amazon. But honestly, steampunk is a pretty niche market, so I’m not sure it’s helped sales or not. I’ve found that a lot of people who are into the steampunk culture don’t actually read fantasy (horrible, yes).

That’s it for today. Have a question? Ask it here. Thanks!

Posted in My Ebooks | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Book Winners + New Giveaway (Amazon Gift Certificate)

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Lindsay

Many thanks to those who entered my first paperback books giveaway. The winners were Claire, Karen B., and Rochelle, and their books are on the way!

If you’re interested in purchasing copies of the paperbacks, you can get Emperor’s Edge at Barnes & Noble or Amazon. Dark Currents is also available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

And now for a new giveaway. *insert exciting drum roll*

amazon-gift-certificate-giveaway
I have an Amazon gift certificate to give away to someone, a little extra spending money for the upcoming holidays. How much money? The amount of the certificate will depend on the participation level.

To enter…

In the comments below, ask a question about self-publishing, writing, blogging, or my books. Questions that fall outside of these topics won’t count (you don’t want to know what I’m wearing or my favorite food anyway — boring!).

I’ll pick and choose and answer some (many?) of the questions in upcoming blog posts.

The minimum gift certificate awarded will be $10. I’ll add $0.50 to the total for every question asked (only one question per person, and you need to use the email address linked to your Amazon account, so I can send the gift certificate electronically — in other words, no cheating and entering with multiple names and email addresses!). The maximum possible award is $75 (hey, I have to save a few bucks for my own holiday shopping), which we’ll reach if we get 130 questions ($10 base + .50 per question).

In other words, the more people who comment with a question, the higher the prize, so please share this contest around (Facebook, Twitter, etc. links are at the bottom of the post). Thank you!

Let’s run this through Sunday the 23rd. On the 24th, I’ll randomly pick a winner and award the prize.

*If you live outside of Amazon’s sphere of influence (I’ve heard it’s possible) and want to enter, go ahead and do so. We’ll figure out a way to hook you up somehow if you win.

Let the questions begin…

[UPDATE: The contest is now closed. Amy Murphy was the giveaway winner. Thanks for participating, everyone!]

Posted in News | Tagged , , | 66 Comments

Becoming a Book Blogger (and getting free books!) with Laurie Lu from Bonafide Reflections

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Lindsay

Last spring, I wrote a series of posts on How to Make Money as a Book Blogger, based on my years of paying the bills with my internet income (before shifting my focus to writing stories and self-publishing, I blogged about everything from home improvement to the cruise industry and actually earned a living that way). As I admitted in those articles, it’s not easy to make piles talking about books, but it’s certainly possible to make enough to cover web hosting and pay for a few new reads now and then. At the very least, book bloggers can snag a lot of free stories to review.

Laurie Lu from Bona Fide Reflections started her blog in February this year and has built up a following and managed to acquire a lot of books to review (traditionally published as well as indie offerings). I thought I’d ask her some questions, in case any of you are thinking of starting a book blog (or have one that you’re hoping will become more popular).

Interview with Laurie Lu from Bona Fide Reflections

What prompted you to start a book review blog?

Well hmmm… *taps finger on chin,* I love to read. And one day I found Goodreads, a book community, online. As I looked around, I noticed that a lot of people had links to other websites. I started poking around more. Looked at what they were doing and realized I could be doing the same thing – blogging about the books I read and interacting with an audience of like-minded individuals. So, long story short: blogging is just an extension of my love for reading.

You’re on Blogger, but you have a custom design and your own web address (www.bona-fide-reflections.com), so it doesn’t look like you’re on Blogger. Can you tell us how much those upgrades cost and how you went about having them done?

I have a friend who is a webmaster and I sought out advice from him on how to take my blog one step further than Blogspot. It is important to own your own domain (i.e., .com, .net, .org) so no one else can use that name. I went to Go Daddy and bought two domain names – bona-fide-reflections.com and bonafidereflections.com. The latter to cover all bases for “search” purposes. I think it cost me all of $12 for a year. After purchasing my domain names, my friend had changed everything over for me from my blogspot addy to my domain name. I have no idea how he did that part.

Bona Fide Reflections

Regarding the design of Bona Fide Reflections… when I first started by blog, I used the blogger templates to use as my blog design. But, I was not able to create the look I really wanted. I knew what I wanted it to look like. I just did not know how to make it happen. So, I enlisted the help of a blog designer whose work I had seen around the blogosphere. I really liked her style of design. The cost of having her do my blog renovation was close to $200. However, she did everything for me: Header Design, Column styling (2 or 3 column design), Background Design, Bloggy Button with grab code, InstallationCustom avatar/illustration, 4 HTML installations, 4 extra graphics (winner, interview, guest post, Teaser Tuesday etc.), Custom Style Sheet, Navigation (drop-down available), Signature. There are other cheaper options. This just what I wanted and what worked for me.

Hmm, maybe I should hire her! Okay, now for the good stuff: what’s the secret to getting free ebooks to review?

Great question. Well, I think networking helps a whole lot in getting your name out there. I made sure I interacted with authors and publishers on Goodreads, Twitter, and Facebook. Interacting with other book bloggers has also been very helpful in this endeavor because they were able to offer advice and introduce me to some authors. Once you get your name out there, the authors and publishers tend to seek you out to help get the word out on their upcoming release or, in some cases, already published books.

Another great avenue to take is signing up with NetGalley. They offer a lot of ARCs (advanced reader copies) in a lot of genre categories. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for a book you’re interested in from the author or publisher. The worst that can happen is that they will say no; but, you are no worse off than before you asked. In other words: nothing ventured, nothing gained.

What do you do if an author sends you a book to review and you just don’t like it?

I approach them first to let them know how I felt about the book and why I felt that way. Then I ask them whether or not they want me to post my review. Most often times…., er, no every time they ask that I not post my review. But, I can completely understand why. Often times, I am dealing with an indie author just starting out and they really don’t need bad press. Just because I did not like the book does not mean they won’t find a following for it and I don’t want to hinder the author’s efforts to sell their work.

I know you’re active on Twitter. What have you done to promote your blog online and pick up followers?

Within the past couple of months I have really utilized Twitter. This a place where like minded folks seem to “congregate” and share information. Once you start socializing, you find yourself developing a larger network. This helps to get your blog’s name out there while having some fun. Plus, Twitter is a platform that can be used advertising your blog when you have got something going on the blog and need some traffic directed there. You pick up followers by putting yourself out there and interacting and following others. Many people tend to follow you back.

I have also gained a lot of followers by participating in blog hops. What’s a blog hop? A blog hop consists of linking up participating blogs which are hosting a giveaway and the blogs link up together allowing our followers to hop easily from one giveaway to another. For followers that means lots of chances to win free books. For host blogs it means lots of new visitors and followers.

Any tips for new readers thinking of starting a book review blog?

Having a blog is a lot of fun. I have enjoyed meeting some really wonderful people who are like-minded in their reading preferences and I have connected with really wonderful bloggers, authors and publishers. However, it has been a lot of work. It is hard not to get discouraged and feel overwhelmed. The most important thing to remember is that you are doing it for fun (or at least, I am) and just focus on that fact. If you have bitten off more than you can chew, always be honest and communicate whether it is with your peers, authors, and/or the publishers when you get to a point where you are overwhelmed. When, you are feeling discouraged, reach out to the peers you feel closest to because often times they have been in your shoes and can offer support or advice to help you get through a rough patch.

Thanks for sharing all that information, Laurie!

Posted in Blogging | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Kindle Fire Tablet, Who’s Getting One?

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Lindsay

Kindle Fire Tablet from AmazonI’ve been eyeballing the iPad since it came out, but haven’t been willing to pony up the $500+ for one yet, but now that the Kindle Fire Tablet is on the way, I might give that a try. Is anybody else thinking of getting one?

In case you’re just hearing about these devices, here’s the information from Amazon:

The Kindle Fire Tablet

Features:

  • Color display that lets you watch movies and tv shows, read picture-filled children’s books and magazines, and (of course!) play games.
  • Free no-commercial movies and shows for Amazon Prime members.
  • “Ultra fast” web browsing (I sure wouldn’t mind an upgrade to my Kindle’s web-browser)
  • Free cloud storage (you can access any digital Amazon purchases you’ve already made — this would be nice for me since I bought some stuff from their instant video library only to find out I couldn’t download them onto my Mac, so I can only watch my shows online)
  • MP3 player (I believe the Kindle has this, too, but I’ve thus far stuck with my iPod)
  • Amazon’s free “WhisperSync” wireless technology (I’m all about the no extra monthly costs)
  • Compact size with 7″ screen (this makes it smaller than the iPad, but perhaps more convenient for travel too)
  • 7.5-8 hours of battery life on a charge
  • $199 price tag (this sounds much more reasonable to me than the hefty iPad prices)

So, what do you think? Are you getting a Kindle Fire or sticking with a basic ebook reader? Or do you already own an iPad and have no need for Amazon’s offering?

Kindle Fire Tablet Color

Posted in Ebook News | Tagged , , , , | 18 Comments

Last Day to Enter to Win Signed Paperbacks

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Lindsay

Hi folks,

Just a reminder that this is the last day to enter my giveaway for signed copies of Emperor’s Edge and Dark Currents. I’ll do the official drawing (the part where I close my eyes, spin around, and point to a random entrant) tonight and contact the winners this weekend.

Thanks for reading!

Posted in Ebook News | Comments Off on Last Day to Enter to Win Signed Paperbacks

Cut Scene from Dark Currents

Posted on October 5, 2011 by Lindsay

In my Self-publishing Adventures post on Monday, I wondered aloud (well, on the screen) what people thought I should blog about here (since I’ve moved most of the self-publishing stuff to a new site). There were several requests for tidbits about my books and characters (in other words, my characters are way more interesting than I am, but I already knew that :D).

More than one person has hinted about cut scenes or extras, so…why not?

This was a conversation between Amaranthe and Sicarius that took place shortly before they left for the mountains in Dark Currents. Since they didn’t get back to the city until the epilogue, I ended up cutting this thread and most of the references to Rockjaw, a fellow I was working in as a disreputable ally.

* * *

“Rockjaw mentioned something about you that I wasn’t aware of,” Amaranthe said.

Sicarius said nothing. She wondered if he had an inkling of what she meant to bring up.

“Apparently the word is out amongst our demimonde that you’re available for the assassination of Emperor Sespian, should someone want to hire you.”

Again he said nothing.

“I assume this is so you can easily find and kill people who are planning Sespian’s demise. Naturally, they’d want to hire the best, so they’d go to you first. At which point…” She dragged a finger across her throat. “While I can understand your reasoning, the emperor has an intelligence network, doesn’t he? He’s sure to hear about this. It won’t endear you to him, and it’ll make our mission — our goal of expiation — harder.”

Sicarius’s expression had gone from unreadable to unfriendly. He did not want to discuss this. After what had happened the last time she probed into his personal affairs, she could understand that, but surely his plan had a few flaws. She had to say so, or what kind of comrade would she be?

“I know I’m not the wisest person you know, or even the wisest person in this room, but I think your choice may possibly need…the teeniest bit of reconsideration.”

“Really.”

“What happens when you get hired?” Amaranthe asked.

“I kill the hirer.”

“Right, so what happens when you’ve killed several people?”

“Nothing yet.”

“You mean you’ve already…?”

Amaranthe interpreted his silence as an affirmative. She could not blame him for killing someone who plotted to kill Sespian, but… “Eventually it’ll get out that you’re not doing the job people are hiring you for, and folks will wonder why you’re protecting Sespian. Maybe they’ll pry. Maybe they’re trade notes and put things together, realize he could be used as a lever against you. Maybe your actions have already given them enough to talk about.”

“Maybe not everybody talks as much as you,” Sicarius said coolly.

Amaranthe looked away, stung. She was giving too much of a lecture. He didn’t appreciate it. Or her wagging tongue.

Fine. She had voiced her concerns. He could consider them, or not.

She headed for the door.

Sicarius caught her with a hand to the shoulder. Amaranthe braced herself, fearing further chastisement, but his grip was gentle, not firm. “Speaking of this discomfits me.” His tone sounded vaguely apologetic.

She eyed him over her shoulder. “Is that supposed to be an apology? For snapping at me even though I’m only questioning you because I care?”

His eyes softened. “And because you’re nosy.”

“You’re horrendous at apologies.”

“Yes.”

* * *

Thanks for reading! I’ll post some teaser chapters for Book 3 at the end of the month.

Posted in Cut Scenes and Fun Extras | 6 Comments

Self-publishing Adventures: 9 Months and 10,000 Ebooks Later…

Posted on October 3, 2011 by Lindsay

Success CartoonJust before Christmas in 2010, I e-published my first novel, The Emperor’s Edge. Encrypted and a short story collection followed. Next came Flash Gold, a novella I never would have written if I’d been thinking of getting published under the traditional paradigm. 18,000-word stories just don’t sell. But with ebooks…there are no rules on length. (For more on that, see previous posts How Does Short Fiction Sell in Ebook Form? and Novellas and Short Stories–Ebooks Not Just for Novels.)

In June, I published Dark Currents, a novel-length sequel to The Emperor’s Edge, and in August, I published Hunted, a followup to Flash Gold. I just finished a major editing pass of the third EE book, Deadly Games, and I’m hoping to get that out by the end of November.

Looking back, it seems like I’ve been doing a heck of a lot of writing and publishing! I did have Encrypted, Emperor’s Edge, and the short story collections finished before I thought of turning to self-publishing, but I’ve still done two full-length novels and two novellas this year. In other words, I’m writing a lot more than I was before self-publishing. Before that, I was on-again-off-again with my writing (EE was five or six years in the making, with larges gaps in the middle where I wandered off to play games like World of Warcraft instead of doing any writing at all, ahem). What’s changed?

Well, a couple of things. I always dreaded the idea of querying agents (and stalking them into the bathroom at writing conventions to pitch my story to them from the next stall over…), so I didn’t bother. E-publishing isn’t easy, exactly, but its barriers are ones that I didn’t mind. Learning how to get an ebook online and promote it were more my cup of tea (I’ve been making a living online, one way or another, since 2003).

So, as a self-publisher, I was able to get my first book out. As for what’s prompted me to write so much this last year, there were a couple of things. First, it’s the difference between nobody reading your work and lots of people reading it (and asking for more, thank you, good readers). Also, I have to admit it’s motivating when you’re actually making money from your writing.

Ah, yes, the numbers…

I always waffle back and forth on whether I want to talk about this stuff or not, but I know folks are curious. There may be a point when I decide not to, but since I’m still making less than my teacher buddies, I don’t think it’s too uncouth.

Though I’m not a bestseller (and with my quirky sense of what’s amusing and what isn’t, probably never will be), I’ve been fortunate to find some success, even though I ignore many of the book promotion tactics that don’t fit my personality (see my post on: book promotion tips for hardcore introverts).

Since I released Dark Currents in June, I’ve been selling more than 2,000 ebooks a month, and I’ve steadily broken the $2,500/mo mark.  August was my best month to date with earnings bumping into the $3,000 range, though sales dropped in September (about $2,500 again).

Amazon made one of my short story collections free in August, and I believe that’s what gave me a boost there (authors interested in trying this, see my video on How to Get Your Ebook Listed for Free at Amazon / Barnes & Noble), albeit a temporary one.

Some of you guys may be thinking I’d make more if I charged more for my ebooks. Maybe so (though I’m sure I’d sell fewer copies, so who knows if things would even out), but it’s a crummy economy all around, and, for now, I prefer to keep my ebooks affordable, rather than experimenting a lot with price. My highest priced ebook is Dark Currents at $3.99. I have the same philosophy with print publishing, and I made my paperbacks as inexpensive as I could without losing money.

So, what’s next?

As I mentioned, the third Emperor’s Edge book should be out next month. I’ve heard from many authors that their sales tend to increase across the series as they get more books out in the sequence. I know that was the case when I released the second book, and it’s also been true for the Flash Gold novellas. It’ll be interesting to watch. I admit, I’m always a tad jealous when other indie authors come onto the scene with one or two books and start out selling thousands of copies a month (of one title) right off the bat (I’ve yet to break 1,000 a month with any particular book).

As far as blogging goes, some of you know that I was writing a lot about self-publishing and book promotion here (sharing the things I was learning along the way), and I recently decided to break that off and start a self-publishing blog. I figured people who find this site and want to contact me about my books might not be particularly interested in those topics.

Of course, that’s left me not entirely sure what to blog about over here. If you have any thoughts or suggestions for topics, let me know. Of course, I’ll chat up my books now and then (if you’re reading this, and it’s not yet October 7th, you can still win signed paperback copies of Emperor’s Edge and Dark Currents), and you’ll probably get some travel talk as I’ve been selling off most of my stuff so I can go on some extended trips. (One of the perks of being an author/blogger is that you can work from anywhere in the world.)

But as for the rest, I guess I’ll figure it out as I go along.

Posted in E-publishing | Tagged , , , , | 29 Comments

Free Fantasy Audiobooks (Podiobooks) You Can Check out

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Lindsay

If you like listening to audiobooks, but you don’t like paying for them (hey, they’re pricy, I understand!), you can find a wealth of listening material over at Podiobooks.com.

These are independently published audiobooks. (They’re called podiobooks, because they get published, an episode or two at a time, and can be downloaded on iTunes and other podcast-friendly sites.)

With the help of my friends over at DarkFire Productions, I started publishing The Emperor’s Edge podiobook last month (it’s up to chapter 9, right now, and if you subscribe, you’ll get a new chapter delivered to your iPod or other mp3 player each week). So, that’s one free fantasy audiobook for you to try out.

But there are lots of others, too, including many that are already completed (so you can listen at your own pace and don’t have to wait patiently for authors to upload new chapters).

Here are a few popular fantasy novels over at Podiobooks:

Heart of the Ronin by Travis Heermann (historical fantasy)

Thirteenth-century Japan is a dangerous place, even in a time of peace. Capricious gods, shape-changing animals, and bloodthirsty demons are as real and unpleasant as a gang of vicious bandits. From the wilderness emerges a young, idealistic warrior with his father’s mysterious sword on his hip, a wise, sarcastic dog at his side, and a yearning in his heart to find a worthy master. He dreams only of being samurai. Little does he suspect the agony and glory that await him when his dreams come true….

Union of Renegades: The Rys Chronicles Book I by Tracy Falbe (epic fantasy)

Dreibrand Veta has killed for his country. At the frontlines of imperial expansion, he seeks to rebuild the fortune of his noble family. In his daring travels he encounters the rys, a race far more powerful than the human empire that bred him. Dreibrand cannot defy the rys Queen Onja nor defend his companion, Miranda, and her children from the wicked tyrant Queen. Desperate for help…

Shadowmagic by John Lenahan (YA fantasy)

A rip roaring fun fantasy adventure novel by John Lenahan very loosely based on Irish mythology where every chapter ends on the edge of a cliff (or at least a high curb.) Join Conor as he grapples with typical teenage problems like, how to deal with a father’s high expectations, how to survive in the world on your own and how to woo a beautiful girl – that wants you dead. Shadowmagic a podcast novel for young adults from 12 to 112.

Max Quick 1: The Pocket and the Pendant by Mark Jeffrey (YA fantasy)

When time mysteriously stops, young Max Quick must travel across America to find the source of this ‘temporal disaster’… Along the way, he and his companions encounter ancient mysteries, quantum Books, and clues to the riddle of stopped Time. But the more Max learns, the more it seems that his own true identity is not what he once believed…

Billibub Baddings and the Case of the Singing Sword by Tee Morris

It is The Era of Prohibition, where crime runs rampant in the streets and a city divided into territories serves as the ultimate prize.

Somewhere in this Underworld of Chicago, an enchanted weapon holds the key to ending The Gangland Wars. In the wake of The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, only one is man enough to stand up against Al Capone…

…a four-foot-one dwarf named Billibub Baddings.

Legon Awakening by Nicholas Taylor

Join Legon and his sister, Sasha, search to understand their true heritage, confused at the possibility that of being part human and part elf. Surrounded by elves, the newly introduced Iumenta race, Dragons and Humans; Legon and Sasha’s lives are filled with adventure and fantasy on their search for answers as they begin an epic journey of discovery; not to mention the incredible battle scenes which will be surely to capture your imagination…

The Secret World Chronicle, Book One: Invasion by Mercedes Lackey and Steve Libbey

Emerging mysteriously during World War II, metahumans became icons of the best – and worst – humanity had to offer. Yet sixty years later, the world still suffers from war, greed and madness. Worse, man’s nadir of systematic cruelty returns with bizarre new weapons. The metahumans of Earth must find a way to defeat this powerful foe and discover what lurks behind the scenes – a secret world hidden from our own. Mercedes Lackey, one of fantasy’s most beloved voices, and new talent Steve Libbey bring you a podcast series that catapults the classic superhero into the 21st century.

Posted in Fantasy / Science Fiction, Videos & Podcasts | 3 Comments