eBook pricing

I've recently (and belatedly) started using my Twitter account to interact with other writers and publishing industry types, and in the course of these interactions, I've seen that the majority of ebooks at Amazon.com (where my ebooks live) are priced at $2.99.  Many, as indicated in this piece in the Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/20/ebooks-cheap-price_n_1160383.html?ref=books), are being offered for only $0.99 as an attempt to inspire more sales through impulse buying.  I've had my ebooks set at a selling price of $10.00 since they first came out.  There have been some sales, but I can't help but wonder if maybe I'm pricing myself out of  business.

It's so difficult to try to operate as an independent author, especially when you're self-publishing.  It's more commonplace these days, so the earlier stigma attached to self publishing is waning (excuse me while I offer a moment of thanks to all good deities).  It's also devilishly hard to drum up any sort of buzz when there is absolutely zero marketing machinery supporting the work.

I'm doing a lot of reading and a lot of research that, quite honestly, I should have done long before now.  At least I'm looking, though, so tardy or not, maybe I can still get points for the effort.  I don't have any answers, and I'm just as lost as I was when I took my first step in this direction.

I will never get rich as an author.  I'm fine with that.  I just would really like to have someone read my words.  As I say in my intro message on my website, a writer is no good without readers.  I'm happy that some people have chosen to take a chance on my books, and I only hope that they've found that the product was worth the investment.

I'm learning.  I'm writing.  I'm still breathing, which means that there's still hope for positive changes and growth.  I'm hoping that as 2012 goes on, I'll gain a little wisdom along the way.

I guess I'm just ruminating.  I really should get to work on that 300-word pitch I need to finish.  (God, but I hate writing pitches.  Anybody out there want to pitch LEW for me?  I'll pay in cookies.)

The Light at the End of the World is done.

It's twenty-four chapters of surprises, unruly characters, and not a single happy ending. I didn't expect things to end quite the way they did. I'm not certain how I feel about it, either.

I've got so much character blood on my hands tonight that I feel like a serial killer. Yeesh.

Hip hooray and hallelujah!

For the first time ever, I successfully completed the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, for the uninitiated) challenge. In the month of November, I wrote 50,000 words that more or less pertained to the same topic. ;) Just kidding! I actually added 12 chapters to LEW (The Light at the End of the World) and will be finishing the entire book tomorrow, if not tonight, provided that none of my characters stages an eleventh-hour jailbreak.

I'm feeling very accomplished and very pleased with myself, and while the book certainly could use some editing love (all books do, but especially those written at ludicrous speed), I think it's turning out pretty well.

Yes, Crickets, I said I'm happy with my writing. That's what you call a red-letter day. Make a note of it - I don't know when this feeling will be coming again. I just know that I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts.

If I don't chirp at you before then, I hope that your respective cricketdoms have a beautiful holiday season!

So, yeah... I signed up for NaNoWriMo. I'm going to be working on LEW. They say that you have to start from scratch, but I think that LEW will still count if I add the required 50,000 words to the stuff I've already written. I'm nowhere near to finished with this little opus, so I'm certain 50,000 words will be welcome.

I will therefore attempt to write a little every day, a habit that I should have been resurrecting anyway. They say that to reach the 50,000-words-by-midnight-November-30 goal, you need to write 1,999 words a day (or something like that). Let's just say 2000. That's not so bad... that's only a few pages. I can do that.

I will keep you apprised of my progress, my dear Crickets, as things move forward. Wish me luck! Hopefully I'll reach the goal and finish the book, and we'll all live happily after until the next project.

I've been very involved with Resonance of late. I was unable to find any actors who were willing to participate, so I've extremely reluctantly cast myself in the role of Alisha Williams, the central character in the Detroit Resonance story. I'm limited in more ways than one, but I'm going to give it a go anyhow. The video portions of this offering will take the form of a video diary, I think, filmed through my digital camera. We'll see how this works out.

In other areas of my writing, I'm still wrestling with Light at the End of the World and thinking thinky-thoughts about Knight of Sorrows and Catherine's Wheel. I'm also playing with the idea of writing a screenplay that may or may not be based loosely on one of my short stories. We shall see.

In the meantime, keep cool, Crickets. It's been hot out there.

Bugger.

What part of "I have to finish LEW and KOS" sounds like "Please, new characters, come and start telling me a new story"? Idiot cast of thousands, they never let me get anything done around here....

Google eBooks is still processing my submissions. I am getting impatient and may have to start shaking my spear.

Also, Not Named is now named: The Light at the End of the World. I am trying hard to avoid outright cheesiness while still accepting the basic pulpiness of the story.

Also, in good and awesome and excellent news, I believe my second migraine in six days has finally released my brain from its loveless claws. Let's hear it for pharmaceuticals!