Tout your Kindle and E-Publishing!

A question this time.

I have noticed that book trailers--even for traditionally published books--are the in thing these days.

Is there someone who make them for writers? Or can help? They probably would charge quite a bit but it would still be interesting to find out. 

New lands, fantastic creatures, and more than a drop of magic. Fathoms is a collection of six short tales, each set in an original world.

A dragon raises Esmerelda, Letty, and Flint--three human children--as if they were her own, but her teachings may not be enough to spare them from the wrath of her own kind.

Gaylen enlists in the army, hoping to use his healing magics to save lives, but he could never have imagined the consequences of an army that cannot die.

A race that controls others through their gaze threatens to take over the village of Weiltide, and Olivia is determined to drive them away at any cost.

Salem loses herself in deepening visions of an ancient, magical war, only to find that she is the only one who can reunite the spirits of long-dead lovers.

In a broken world, Julianne must discover why she has the body of her best friend, and why he has a price on his head.

In the sleepy mountain town of Vint, bad dreams are made into euphoria-inducing wine, nightmarish creatures protect the villagers, and Lucas, the youngest member of the night watch discovers that the darkest of secrets are the ones you keep from yourself.

Just adding my little drop into the bucket. A collection of six short fantasy tales, two of which placed as HMs within the last year. What with Amazon's ill-conceived behavior recently, I decided against giving them exclusive rights, which unfortunately exempts me from a lot of their promotional tools.

It is available on Amazon right now:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KO41VBY

And Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/443389

The collection will also be available on Google Play soon. Please give it a gander, but I won't ask for any favors beyond that.

Been a while since I have been here. I really should check out some of the books listed since that time. But we are changing the credit card we use online so I can't buy anything right now even though I am finally thinking about it.

I came here though to state--I wondered what word to use since this isn't venting, nor crowing yet, or even advertising--but anyway I am closing in on the end of the final revision of one of my novels. I had a lot of false starts with it--and other written novels--but three more chapters and it will be done.

A nice woman copy edited it for me. So I am correcting all the commas mistakes and some sentences that were too rough, changing the position of a couple of scenes, and related editing. I just pretty much finished ch 8 of 11. I say pretty much, but I still need to reposition two scenes. I can do that easy even though I will probably have to rewrite a couple of sentences. I will done in three weeks or less. A final spell check since I added a bit here and there and even rewrote a couple of scenes that she showed me didn't fit right, and I will be ready to start looking at a cover. Even though I would like one specifically drawn for the novel that will cost a couple hundred at least. I have a cover in mind that should cost a lot less. Maybe nothing if I do it.

Hey, folks,

My Q2V29 finalist is free on all platforms until the end of the month.

Hey, folks,

My Q2V29 finalist is free on all platforms until the end of the month.

That is one beautiful cover and very well done.

Not to mention the writing and story--egads you have a good combination there.

That is one beautiful cover and very well done.

Not to mention the writing and story--egads you have a good combination there.

Thanks, LD!

Hate to ask this here, but has anyone used CreateSpace?

Hate to ask this here, but has anyone used CreateSpace?

Yep.

Hate to ask this here, but has anyone used CreateSpace?

Yep.

How did it go?

You order any of your own books?

Hate to ask this here, but has anyone used CreateSpace?

Yep.

How did it go?

You order any of your own books?

For each of my novels, I have an ebook version as well as a print version (and sometimes an audiobook version). I use InDesign to create the file for the print version. It took a little learning curve at the beginning, but now, it's super easy. Once you have the book set up, you can order your own books at a discount. I use these to get reviews, since not everyone has an ereader, and if they take a print copy, they're more likely to follow through with the review. I also order an extra to have on my Wall of Books.

Did this answer your question?

Thanks.

Two more things. This isn't for this novel but a couple of story sets. Did you use their cover software? If so do you know if the allow us to use a cover made with CreateSpace on smash words?

And now I will be needing a web site. I used to know some good sites to do my own, but can't think of them right now. What do you use? Or anyone else here.

Thanks.

Two more things. This isn't for this novel but a couple of story sets. Did you use their cover software? If so do you know if the allow us to use a cover made with CreateSpace on smash words?

My wife makes my covers in Photoshop. She started doing them a few years ago when she wanted to find a creative way to help my writing career. Now she's making covers for other people, too. If you don't have a helpful wife, then your best bet is to buy a cover from a good cover artist. There are lots out there.

You need a full wrap-around cover for a POD, so the one you have for Smashwords won't work.

Thanks.

Two more things. This isn't for this novel but a couple of story sets. Did you use their cover software? If so do you know if the allow us to use a cover made with CreateSpace on smash words?

My wife makes my covers in Photoshop. She started doing them a few years ago when she wanted to find a creative way to help my writing career. Now she's making covers for other people, too. If you don't have a helpful wife, then your best bet is to buy a cover from a good cover artist. There are lots out there.

You need a full wrap-around cover for a POD, so the one you have for Smashwords won't work.

Actually now that you mention it I remember that. Anyway I just agreed to have someone make my cover.

And for practice over at CreateSpace. I published my fantasy story set through them.

But back at smashwords I had problems with this set trying to get it ready for their premium catalog. The SF set worked fine, but I have no idea what I did right on that one. So I probably should solve that problem though so I will be ready for my novel.

So got a title, the cover is being designed, working on the file for smashwords and one for CreateSpace, so according to the artists a week more--ten days maybe--and I will be ready to show my novel to the world.

Now I need a web site. Got a blog, but need a real live web site.

It's getting closer.... I say eight to eighteen days to make sure there is room in that prediction in case there is trouble.

Nice cover for Above My Pay GradeX2 It is still being worked on or I would show it.

And for those interested there is

http://musingsofle.blogspot.com/2014/07/flying-eagle-seven-fantasy-stories.html

While I am waiting.

Just released a novelette that earned an honorable mention in V30 Q1, The Kerephrine Reaction. Also, if anyone knows how to resize images so they're not ridiculously large, that would be great info to pass along. The BBC codes I tried, didn't work.

Blurb: Thousands lay dead after a brutal crime wave swept through San Francisco in a matter of hours. The cause: Kerephrine, an alien compound that allegedly only Nira Rosenberg’s lab can synthesize.

Forced from her lab. Watched by the authorities. Nira must race to find the answers to clear both her and her lab’s name. Answers she soon learns with much higher stakes: her brother’s life.

That's a great cover, Jeffrey! Grats on the release!

That's a great cover, Jeffrey! Grats on the release!

Seconded! Really, really nice.

That's a great cover, Jeffrey! Grats on the release!

Seconded! Really, really nice.

Thanks! It was fun to put together.

My first E-novel is up. https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/459861

B&N, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/above-my-pay-gradex2-l-e-doggett/1120006911?ean=2940045657600.

Its up as a pre-order.

I would show the cover, but I can't get the picture to show on the post.

While I was at it I redid the covers for my two story sets.

The Science Fiction set https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/339435

and the Fantasy set https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/353870

Both covers are better I think, even though the fantasy one is way better than the old one. I took the pic and even though not planned, I think it fits in with one story. Yet readers seem to like the SF better. Personally, I think the stories and writing is better in the Fantasy set. Of course that may not be saying much about the writing.

Just e-published a new short story at Amazon. To Walk the Earth was a WotF Honorable Mention and was published in Perihelion Science Fiction in January 2014.

Caldress Mai is a fugitive--a pregnant cyborg who desperately longs to be human. In a world where the government exercises strict reproductive controls, soldiers will hunt her to the edge of civilization, where the sea pounds the cliffs in a churning swirl of mist and brine, to terminate her unborn child. To survive, Caldress must learn to embrace the mechanical side of her nature, while driven by the most human of emotions--a mother's love.

6,744 words

It's available now, but in a month, I'll be running a $0.99 promotion.

Nice story concept Rebecca. Sounds like it will be a good read. Congratulations.

Nice cover, Rebecca!

Nice one, Rebecca.

I've also stuck my claw back into the self publishing ocean. I got my rights back on my first sale ages ago so thought I'd self publish it. I don't necessarily suggest anyone buy it as it's a bit pricey probably for such a short tale but since it's my only thing on Amazon right now there's not much point in selling it cheap. (That'll come later, when I have more to offer.)

It won a semi finalist place here at WotF though, and has been one of my most popular stories it seems, so in time I hope to use it as promotion. Probably. Maybe. Hehe.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MDV4G68
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00MDV4G68?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

Thanks, Storysinger, Jeffrey, and Elinor!

And good stuff, Elinor. Cool concept!

Very well. I have decided to bite the bullet and purchase a cover photograph. This represents my favourite character from the book, the red witch, in her English country mansion home. I am indebted to Cristi Iancu and Dreamstime.

Now we shall see how far the cover was holding us back.

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/366676

Some nice covers here!

I've recently self-published a novelette to Amazon (and only Amazon at the moment. Will do the rest later.)

If you're a "Kindle Ulimited" reader, you can apparently read it for the low price of free. It's about a Zen abbot in post-war Japan, interdimensional travel, Borges, and rock gardens (among other things)

You can read a preview at http://www.infomancy.net/now-on-amazon-kindle-the-abbots-garden/

The ebook also includes my short story "Raising Words," which was first published in Penumbra eMag, July 2013.

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Abbots-Garden-short-story-ebook/dp/B00MQ75IN4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408056021&sr=8-1&keywords=%22the+abbot's+garden%22

I ended up making an advertisement for inclusion in Pithy Pages, a new magazine for which I created the website, so here's that in lieu of a cover:

My E-novel was suppose to go live but last night I realized an updated file I sent never got sent or received.

More info here