The Doggie Trick or Treat

That look says it all. "Mom, why are you doing this to me?"

I wanted to get a shirt for Bella before cold weather really sets in. This little fashion arrived Sunday morning, and she wore it while the temps were still in the 60's.

NO, I'm not one of THOSE dog owners. Since both Yorkies and Maltese have one layer of hair, instead of a double-layer of fur like most canines, they have trouble regulating their body temperature. They need protection from cold weather just like we humans do.

Once it warmed later yesterday afternoon, we took the shirt off our baby. It's supposed to in the 90's for the next three days, so she's not going to need it.

For now, the A/C's running, Bella's cuddled in my lap, and  it's time to write.

I Love the '80's!

Catch-up Fridays

I've been busting my butt to get Resurrected finished. The writing is going pretty smoothly since it's been done in my head for years now. I just have to leave the house because I'd much rather play with the new dog (who's butt is once again on my arm as I type).

Today was bill day, so I've got a stack of mail to get dropped and a pile of paper that needs to be filed.

These little tasks means I have the TV on. I've been watching Supernatural from the beginning since the last season starts in two weeks.

To top off the week, someone I used to respect has been very clickbaity this year. I've stopped reading this person's blog. I know things are changing in indie publishing, but the things people are doing to rake in the dough is turning my stomach.

Something else I'm questioning is whether to release my newsletters more often. I've been keeping up my publication schedule this year. However, a part of me is a little superstitious. I fear if I send newsletters more often, another life bomb will explode in my face, and I'll be back down to one or two releases per year.

So many questions--no real answers.

However, one thing I can control is my word count. So, back to my wip I go!

Writing Backward

When I get stuck in the middle of the story I'm currently working, I usually go clean the bathroom. It's the chore I hate the worst. Therefore, my mind quickly formulates a solution to the problem.

But sometimes, not even a grody toilet can shake loose an answer.

That's when I start writing backward.

Not literally. I write the last chapter so I know my destination. If that doesn't produce an idea for the middle of the book, I write the next-to-last chapter. And so on and so forth. By knowing where I need to go, I can layer in the elements back at the beginning and middle in order to get to the end.

Will this work for everyone? Hell if I know. It's worked for me a couple of times.

Here's the thing. You have got to figure out what works for you. There isn't a one-size fits all method for writing.

But if you need to do something to jar you out of the quicksand you're in, my bathroom could use a good scrubbing.

Puppy Butts on My Arm

My desk is currently covered with piles of receipts, dog paraphernalia, and cancer-related crap, so I've been mainly working while sitting in my recliner. Bella loves curling up with me. For whatever reason though, her butt has to be touching me.

This picture is from this morning. What you can't see is her new pink Kong. It's tucked under her hip and ear. In the last forty-eight hours, the Kong has not left her side.

In the meantime, I'll keep typing one-handed.

I Love the '80's!

Why Would You Take a Trad Deal?

The lovely Phoenix Sullivan posted an interesting Twitter thread yesterday. She talks about her efforts to secure a trad deal to expand her revenue streams and the lack of enthusiastic response to her frank talk about money.

I wish I could say I was surprised by the responses she's received from agents and editors. Five years ago, I talked about a post written by agent Donald Maass. His opinions of the worthlessness of both midlisters and indie writers was derogatory at best. This attitude has infected nearly every corner of trad publishing now. There's a few areas that remain open-minded, but those generally involve pet anthology projects from what I've been seeing.

The problem from the trad publishers' perspective is that we indies are competing with them for the same dollars. It doesn't matter what kind of hard-earned savvy we bring to the table. To trad publishers, why pay a competitor when there are plenty of shills willing to accept $0 advance just from the privilege of having someone choose them?

And that's what it comes down to--what is the real reward you the writer wants for signing a deal?

Indies are often mocked for only caring about the money. In some cases, that's true. However, a lot of us love the freedom being indie affords us. I can write what I want, when I want, instead of being ordered to write in a genre I detest.

And having a book with a trad publisher isn't really broadening your income stream. They go through the same retailers and distributors indies do. To broaden our income streams we need to look at licensing our stories, characters, and worlds. (For more on this, check out Kris Rusch's blog series on licensing starting here.)

Overall, it always come down to the readers. As long as I'm entertaining them, they will be willing to pay for my stories. When I stop doing that, they'll move on. This is a truth that applies to both trad published and indie writers whether we like it or not.

Promotion and Advertising Shock

It's been several years since I've actively promoted my books, much less bought advertising. I feel like I'm swimming in a sea of information with waves washing over me in their efforts to drown my tiny little books.

Back when I started publishing in 2011, e-books were the red-headed stepchild of the publishing world. So I didn't have to do a lot. People with e-readers were starving for content because the bigger publishers couldn't deign to put their products out in e-book formats. Print was king!

I sold a shit-ton of books simply by uploading them, then listing them on social media. Maybe a few friends would mention my work on their blogs. Blog tours were big back then. Or someone would put an excerpt in the back of their book. E-book promo sites were in their infancy, and there were a plethora to choose from. You had to have your ear out with those who worked and those who were looking to make a quick buck from writers.

Nearly nine years later, none of the things I did back in 2011 will work today. Plus, the big publishers have woken up. They now like to undercut indies by putting their backlists on sale. (Seriously, I picked up the first nine books of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series for $1.99.) So the competition has stepped up.

What does this all mean? We indies are now competing with the big fish on ad spend. Especially with ads on Facebook, Amazon, and Bookbub.

There's still e-book promo sites, though they are fewer, and the ones that survived have become bigger. Bookbub has become a monster in its own right. No longer is it just a daily e-mail newsletter, but paid ads on both its website and the newsletter. The bigger publishers realize what a difference a BB newsletter makes, and they now run regular promos with their backlists.

I'm tentatively dipping my toes in the new ad/promo pool. It's more expensive than it used to be. But I'm being selective about which companies I use, and I'm keeping a strict accounting of the money I spend. I've heard too many stories of people spending $25K to make $30K. That's way too much overhead for my tastes.

I've got some things lined up for the rest of the year. Hopefully, I'll have some good data of what works and what doesn't in January.

Release Day!

Need something to do besides watching football on a Sunday? Ghouls in the Grocery Store is out! The penultimate chapter of the Bloodlines saga focuses on Tiffany Stephens and her daughter Ellie after the tragic events of Sacrificed.

GHOULS IN THE GROCERY STORE

After the murder of her husband by enemies of her uncle’s coven, Tiffany Stephens wants a normal life for her five-year-old daughter. But little Ellie’s blood hold the key to the vampires’ salvation or their destruction, and there are those who will stop at nothing to obtain the child.

Jake Wong will do anything to protect his best friend’s daughter, but can he convince Max’s widow second chances are the best thing for both of them as well as Ellie?

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I Love the '80's!