Sales Update - June 2013

Hard to believe it's been nearly seven months since my most recent sales update (which is actually longer than the update prior to that. Things have been a bit hectic over the first half of this year, but I do have updated numbers (except for my Champagne titles, which I have not yet received royalty statements on this year. So, here goes:

Heroes Die Young has sold a total of 426 sales (print and e-book total), which means 9 copies have sold since November (for a total of just over a copy a month over the past seven months). This compares to 27 copies sold in the July-November 2012 range, so sales are way down (of course, this may not be the case after I see a royalty statement, but the trend has seemed to hold steady for all of my titles. The five-year anniversary for this one is coming up in September, so it's going to take a bit of action to maintain my previous average of around 100 copies per year.

Friends in Deed has sold a total of 96 copies (print and e-book total), which means that 2 copies have sold since Novermber (for a total of around 1 copy every four months). This compares to around 13 copies during the previous reporting period which is another reason I've said that sales across the board have been down (again, I haven't yet seen a royalty statement this year, but based on all indicators, things are not looking up for this one. January marked the three-year anniversary of this one, so the average is still less than 30 copies per year. One thing that was pointed out to me is that bluish cover art (such as these first two books) tends to sell less than red, yellow and orange. That may be something to look into on any future books I publish.

Seeker has sold 84 copies (99-cent e-book only), so only 5 copies have sold since the last update (compared to 7 copies during the last update). December was the 2-year anniversary for this novel, which means we're still on track for an average of 40 copies per year). However, I decided to go forward with this title (at least for the remainder of this year) as a free giveaway, so my sales stats on this one will be skewed (since I'm not tracking the free sales other than spot checks). I will mention that in the course of about two weeks on Amazon, I've given away over 250 copies, proving another point that people are more willing to try out free stuff when it comes to new authors.

 Dead or Alive has sold 83 copies, with 13 copies sold during this reporting period. This compares to 48 copies sold during the previous update period (although many of those were earlier sales reported by the publisher). The book was running about 4 copies a month at last count, and so now we've dropped to about 2 copies a month. I believe that the two-year anniversary is coming up on this one in July, so we're on track for another 40 copies per month title.

The Cure has now sold 83 copies (print and e-book total), so 16 copies have sold since my past update, compared to 12 copies during the previous update (making it the only title in the field that has increased sales since last time). This book has been out almost 2 years (the anniversary is in July), so again I'm seeing a little over 40 copies per year. It does match to the earlier comment I made about cover art, in that this one stands out for its color (as does Dead or Alive) more so than Friends in Deed.

Death Brings Victory was released just over a year ago (in March), and 48 copies have sold, meaning 11 copies have sold since the last update (which was the same quantity as the last time, but over a greater amount of time). This puts it on track with most of my other novels, at just over 40 copies per year. It's hard to say whether this cover tends more toward the blue or more toward the orange/red, as both are included. However, the fact that this is third in a series (and is much more tied into the first and second books, making it less standalone) may mean that future sales will come after people read the first two.

I now have two Triple-Shot collections out, with the first having been released in November 2011, and the second in July 2012. 40 copies have sold, so 7 copies sold since my last update (versus 12 copies from the previous update). Breaking this down, 29 copies of the first have sold and 11 of the second. The first triple-shot has been placed as free everywhere except Amazon (hopefully they'll price match soon), so sales numbers are probably going to be skewed from here on out (since I won't be recording free sales in the total.

Now for the analysis of this latest period:

Since my latest update (November), I've sold 63 books compared to 82 books during the previous update for an average of just over 10 books per month over the last four (compared to 20 books per month from my previous update). On the plus side, I was anticipating this latest period to be far slower than the last, but now I have evidence to back that up.
And so I have a statistic when people ask (and quite often they do), the latest "total sales" number now stands at 860 copies.

I never saw any bump from sales of e-readers over the holidays. My choice to offer Seeker and the first Triple-Shot for free is my attempt at getting discovered by readers. The first week it was free on Amazon, I did see sales of my other Aston West titles, so it's quite possible that this will help things along in the next update.

In the meantime, I really need to finish more projects. I currently have a short story, a novella and a novel to complete.

Thanks for stopping by!

SFFS: Another Snippet from THE CURE

Well, after a week off to take care of my table at ConQuest, I'm back in the saddle for another week of Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday posting. I will, however, mention that because of some impending surgery (Friday), I may be a bit slow getting around to all of the other posts to leave comments. To keep things in line with my previous post, I'm pulling another snippet from my standalone novel, The Cure..

Last week, we were playing with zombie mice. This week, Mila is confronted by a pair of Guardians, religious zealots on her planet, who've come to provide a "warning" to her.

She looked around for anything to aid in her defense. These two hadn’t just come to give her a warning. If they’d not meant to harm her, they could have just phoned in their warning.

“You need to end your research.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. My cures save lives.”

The woman laughed. “Don’t be coy. We know all about Project Genesis.”

She’d known these people were here for it, but the fact they mentioned it by name still shocked her.

Unfortunately, it seems that "secret" projects haven't stayed secret...and maybe, if you're all good, I'll continue this snippet where it left off next week. In the meantime, you could read the entire book, by picking up your own copy of  The Cure. Be sure to go check out the rest of the Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday snippets. And again, I'd be remiss in not letting my legions of Aston fans know that although this is a standalone novel, it does come into play with a future Aston novel. So stay tuned!

ConQuest Recap

This past weekend, I attended ConQuest 44 in Kansas City. This is my third year at the event, and the first I've been on a few panels. This was, however, the first year at its new location, across the highway from The K (home stadium of the Royals). I enjoyed the hotel, though I think that its integrated water park may have been the source of severe mold problems in certain areas of the hotel.

All in all, I had a great time. Attendance seemed to be up this year (most likely due to the presence of Game of Thrones author George R R Martin) over last, about double. Panels were interesting, ranging from a discussion of world building to one on anti-heroes (like good ol' Aston). I also had a reading with my dealer room tablemate, Patrick Stutzman (pictured below). Attendance was a bit low at this reading, but I've actually had fewer folks show for other readings I've done, so...

Sales were actually high. I can confirm that I sold more books this past weekend than I had at the other two years I've attended. I'd venture to say (would take too long to confirm for sure) that I actually sold more books than I had at any other convention I've attended since Heroes Die Young came out in 2008.

I do believe Martin's attendance (though not listed as a guest of honor, surprisingly) boosted the attendance, which helped sales, but a few other notes:

- Series help sales when you make repeat apperances. I had several sales where people remembered me from previous years, had purchased my first book (or my first and second), enjoyed them and wanted to buy the rest.

- People like free stuff more than a sales pitch. When talking up my books, I'm usually a good judge of when people aren't interested. However, this year I had the added benefit of having Seeker available for free most everywhere. When I gave out bookmarks for this one, and informed them of it being free, attitudes certainly changed. Time will tell whether this leads to sales of my other books, but I think it's a good start (and can only be better than having a person leave the table with no inclination toward checking out my work).

- The curse of the introvert. I tend to be introverted, but have conditioned myself to be able to talk with people one-on-one when it comes to selling my books. Panels, however, are still a frightening experience for me. I did have some good points, but I constantly had to think through what I was going to say, which had one moderator calling on me because he thought they were skipping over me. At one point, I think I may have sparked some fire in the crowd, though, because one of my comments tended to get some rather vehement responses...but one of the folks involved came by and bought a book, so guess it wasn't a problem.

- Ensure a sufficient supply of books on hand. Patrick actually sold out of his first book in his series, and still had some of the second book remaining (which with a series, is difficult to do). Myself, I did have just enough of my series novels (the first and second books nearly selling out), but I did end up selling out of The Cure before the end of the convention. 

Like I said, I enjoyed my time this year, and am looking forward to attending next year. My next event is only in a couple of weeks, up in Emporia, Kansas. I've made sure to order some extra copies of the necessary titles, so here's hoping that I'll be able to build on the success here, and sell out of everything then as well.

The Demon-Spawn

Wendy, the one who pretends to love her daddy

Miss Fritz, queen of the demon-spawn

Don't mind me...just posting these here so that I have a way to show someone

SFFS: A Snippet from THE CURE

I apologize upfront for being so lax in my Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday posting...what's it been, almost a month now? Well, amidst all of my posts about my free Aston giveaways (Seeker and my first Triple-Shot), it almost seems like I'm a one-trick pony, stuck on all things Aston West. Now you may not think this is a problem (and bless you if you fall in this category...), but for those who like a little variety, I also have a standalone novel, The Cure, which I'm going to be providing a snippet from today.

The premise of The Cure is simple...A scientist (Mila Groso) watched her family get murdered, and has decided to bring them back to life at any cost. Unfortunately, she has no idea how much it may cost her in the end. So, to set up this scene, Mila has just been informed that her team has something special to show her from their testing (of dead rodents).

Mila drew close to the chamber wall, watching as the small animal came to a standstill. Her team had overestimated her potential for being impressed at this. “Just looks like involuntary muscle spasms.”

“Wait for it,” Billy’s lighthearted tone cautioned.

She grimaced at this waste of her time, but held her tongue and did as he said.
Without warning, the mouse stood on its haunches, eyes wide, whiskers twitching. Mila let out a joyful squeal.

“Zombie mouse.” Rachel laughed as the rodent stumbled across the chamber on two legs. “How cool is that?”

Sadly, ten sentences barely seems enough, but it will have to suffice for this week. Enjoy the snippet? Pick up a copy of the full book...and be sure to go check out the rest of the Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday snippets. And of course, I'd be remiss in not letting my legions of Aston fans know that although this is a standalone novel, it does come into play with a future Aston novel. So stay tuned!

Also, be sure to check out my other novels and novellas.Or even better, buy a copy of all my books (and those of folks I know) from Amazon through the promotion board to the right...

Bestseller Status?

Well, just received an e-mail from the folks over at All Romance E-Books, notifying me that my novella Seeker has reached best-seller status. Interesting to me, as it's not truly a romance in the modern sense of the word, but I'll still take it. And if you're on ARE, and haven't yet picked up a copy, then click the images below.

SFFS: A Snippet from "Ever Dark"

So, for those who haven't been following along the past few weeks on Facebook or Twitter, I've had my first Aston West Triple-Shot available for free, at least over at Barnes and Noble and Smashwords (and possibly other spots linked via the cover above...though I haven't checked personally). So, this week's Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday snippet is taken from one of the three stories in this freebie. To set up this excerpt, Aston has just been surprised by a freighter coming out of hyperspace.

“Freighter’s status?”

A few moments passed as Jeanie gathered information from the freighter’s computer. “Original destination was the Triton system. The ship is out of fuel.”

“Triton? I’d say the crew is having navigation problems. We’re not on any shipping route to Triton.”

“The crew does not have a navigation problem.”

“How’s that?”

“I find no life signs to indicate a crew.”

Enjoy the excerpt? Head over and get the full Triple-Shot for free. And if you have a Kindle, tell Amazon about the lower price...because I would have figured they'd price-match by now, but no such luck.

Get a Little Taste

Just wanted to post a tidbit, in case you missed it through my sporadic posts on Facebook and Twitter...but two of my e-book titles are currently available for free (unfortunately, Amazon hasn't yet followed suit).

 

Aston's faced the law many times, but now they have a secret weapon that could bring him down for good in my novella Seeker, available for free over at Barnes and Noble and over at Smashwords (and maybe others...click here to check the other formats). 

In this first of a new series of collections, Aston West is featured in the following stories:

"Ever Dark": Aston goes with his instincts, only to get more than he bargained for.

"Samaritan": No good deed ever goes unpunished, as Aston discovers in spades.

"Dead Man's Forge": When all hope seems lost, sometimes you just have to give your all anyway.

Pick it up at Barnes and Noble or Smashwords.

Piling on the Projects

So, how many projects should a writer take on at one time? A writer could write on a project until it's completely finished, and then move on to the next project. But how long will it take to complete? If it takes you three years to write and finish a novel, that's a lot of time between releases. Readers forget, publishing trends change, and what you may have been successful with back then may not work now.

But what if you work multiple projects...how many can you write on at once, and still expect to complete in a timely fashion? On the flip side, if you can finish projects on a staggered schedule, you can release intermediate projects while readers wait for your next novel.

As an example, my first novella Heroes Die Young came out in 2008, after being accepted the year before. In that year between signing the contract and release, I began writing short stories and getting them published. In the span of that year, I had two short stories published in Ray Gun Revival, giving readers a glimpse of what they'd see with the upcoming novella.

But at the same time, I was also finishing up my second novel Friends in Deed. That one was accepted and then published in 2010. In the meantime, I continued writing short stories, and had several of them published along the way. At the same time, I was also working on two other projects, my novella Seeker and my novel The Cure. And somewhere in there, I also started and finished the third Aston novel Death Brings Victory.

And so on and so forth...I always have at least two or three projects going on at the same time. Currently, I'm working on the fourth Aston novel Resurrection, another novella Fallen, and a screenplay for Heroes Die Young. In my opinion, multiple projects at the same time are the only way to keep your brand fresh in the minds of readers and fans. If not, people will read your work, and most likely forget about you by the time you have another novel come out (assuming you can't write a complete novel from start to finish in the course of 3-6 months).

But what do all of you think?

SFFS: Terribly Wrong (another FALLEN snippet)

Two weeks in a row? I think it's starting to become a pattern again...time again for reading your weekly dose of Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday posts, everyone. Once again, we're watching Aston's latest excursion in Fallen. Aston's just faced the natives of the planet for the first time, and now Life has been a bit down in the dumps lately. When we last saw Aston, he had a disintegrator cannon in hand and was ready to meet his new visitors. So, thanks in advance for all of your comments, and be sure to go visit all of the other writers through the link above.

Gazing around the area, my selections for the demonstration were limited, but I narrowed it down to the closest tree, sitting alone in the sand. Unsure of how it would fare against a disintegrator cannon, since I’d only used it against living, breathing targets before, I fired off a single shot at the top.

The broad, green leaves atop the tree all burst into flames, falling toward the ground. Unlike my past targets, the tree burned straight down its trunk, leaving only a collapsing remnant of ash until only a stump was left, barely sticking out of the ground.

I stood there, even finding myself impressed with the display. Chuckling under my breath, I turned back to face the natives. Figuring they’d followed their friend, so I could get off this planet, I was dismayed to find that not only had they not fled, but that they’d dropped to their knees.

Perhaps this would be harder to do after all.

And then they uttered some sort of obnoxious incantation, and at the same time, began bowing down to the ground and up again, before repeating the process over and over again.

Something had just gone terribly wrong.

Now don't everyone act surprised at that last line...

While you're waiting for next week's snippet, be sure to check out my other novels and novellas.Or even better, buy a copy of all my books (and those of folks I know) from Amazon through the promotion board to the right...

SFFS: Another FALLEN excerpt

Sorry for the long delay between Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday posts, everyone. Life has been a bit down in the dumps lately. When we last saw Aston, he had a disintegrator cannon in hand and was ready to meet his new visitors. So, thanks in advance for all of your comments, and be sure to go visit all of the other writers through the link above.

“Open the hatch,” I told Jeanie while climbing back to my feet. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, as the gears ground in echoes around me. I had the advantage – a first for me as far back as I could remember – being in possession of superior firepower. Yet even with this cannon in hand, I wasn’t prepared for the sight before me.

A handful of deeply tanned natives, one man and four women, stood in absolute astonishment, wide eyes taking in my ship. I stepped out onto the hatch’s first step, which broke their intense concentration. One of the females screamed and ran off toward the sparse treeline of lonesome palms.

I put on a broadening smile. This was going to be easier than I thought.

And you can almost say it with me...Aston, have you learned nothing? Thinking anything in life will be easy...ha.

While you're waiting for next week's snippet, be sure to check out my other novels and novellas.Or even better, buy a copy from Amazon through the promotion board to the right...

Finding One's Calling

With each passing day, I find myself less and less motivated to write. It could be any number of things going on in life, both professionally and personally. It could be none of the above, and just general malaise about writing and publishing. Sales (or the general lack thereof) haven't really helped my motivation any. And of course, it's a vicious cycle that churns...not writing prevents new titles which eliminates the possibility of additional sales, which then stifles motivation, which keeps a person from writing.

That said, I've spent the past several days working on a screenplay version of Heroes Die Young. It's been great to get back to the old tales of Aston from yesteryear. And to be perfectly honest, my mind has always come up with all of my short stories and novels in terms of quick, action sequences with characters that jump off the page (in my humble opinion). I guess that's why I find it so easy to write in screenplay format.

So, then, maybe the question I should be asking is whether or not writing novels is truly my calling...or perhaps I've been wasting over half my life in that pursuit when I should have been taking a different path. One never truly knows, I suppose......

Another Excerpt from DEATH BRINGS VICTORY

Been a bit down lately, so haven't had a snippet posted for Saturday over the last couple of weeks. While I try to figure out what I should work on next, allow me to offer up a longer excerpt from my novel Death Brings Victory. And if you haven't picked up a copy, head on over and pick the store you frequent most...

And now for the excerpt...Aston's gone off with a Rulusian officer who serves as the ship's medic. Playing doctor? Uh oh...

We stepped inside, where about half of the stacked bunks were empty. She helped me unzip the white pressure suit, and I stepped out of it before plopping my butt down on an unused cot. Facing Jaclyn, I watched while she stepped over to the corner, rummaging through a wall-mounted medical supply cabinet. I stared at her thin, green figure in its black dress uniform.

She grabbed supplies while she talked. “It looked like they were going to blow your ship to bits out there.”

I hadn’t been so scared of death in quite a while, but played it cool. “I’ve been through worse.”

“I’m sure.”

She shut the small metal cabinet door, walked over and sat beside me. A small medication dispenser was in her right hand and a flexible pad in the other.

“Strip,” Jaclyn commanded.

I chuckled. “We barely know each other.”

She rolled her eyes. “You want me to fix up your shoulder or not?”

I reached for my right side, but pain roared through my left shoulder as I did. Clenching my teeth, I changed hands and awkwardly grabbed for the zipper at my neckline.

“Let me help.” Jaclyn placed her gear down, then reached across my chest. Her face drew near mine, with her silky smooth skin close enough to touch. A floral scent invaded my nostrils. She gave a little smile and winked before pulling the zipper down to my waist. The slick, black body suit slid off my chest, the material falling in a pile around my waist. Beads of sweat formed all over the exposed skin, and begin rolling down toward the bedding. She moved away slightly and stared at the various scars on my chest, the largest in particular running a quarter of the width across my torso.

“This must have a story behind it.” She raised an eyebrow, running a finger just below my ribs along the old wound. It took every bit of willpower I had not to jump at her touch.

I pursed my lips. “Bar fight.”

“The other guy must have been pretty upset at you.”

I didn’t even remember what we’d been fighting about. Strange, since I’d almost died.

“I imagine so.”

She pulled her finger away from the scarred tissue. “Looks like you’re lucky to be alive.”

“Guess so.” The other guy wasn’t so lucky. I omitted that tidbit of information.

She noticed the scarring in my shoulder. “Another fight?”

I grimaced, not willing to talk about that one. “You could say that.”

She lifted an eyebrow, but sensed my reluctance. Others tended to push for more, but Jaclyn simply pointed past me. “Turn.”

I followed Jaclyn’s instructions, then felt the medication dispenser prick my shoulder. A numbing fog spread throughout the area and brought instant relief.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t thank me just yet.”

I heard the rumpling of plastic and looked back as she scrunched the pad back and forth in her hands. It wasn’t something I’d seen before. I scrunched my eyebrows. “What exactly is that?”

Her light green eyes sparkled. “You’ll find out soon enough. Don’t worry.”

For emphasis, she leaned over and planted a kiss on the back of my damp shoulder. It would have served a little more use if she hadn’t used the numbing agent first.

Finished with her work on the pad, she laid it onto my shoulder and I nearly screamed as the fire-hot surface bypassed the numbing medication completely. I swore it burned the first three or four skin layers off.

“Aren’t medics supposed to do no harm?” I complained.

She chuckled. “You forget this isn’t my main job. Now, stop being a baby. It’ll be over soon enough.”

And as Jaclyn suggested, the heat passed into my shoulder and the pad normalized at a lower temperature just before she ripped it off. It felt better, but I wasn’t sure the excruciating pain had been worth it.

“Thanks.” I started to stand.

She pulled at my suit, sitting me back down. “Still not done.”

Then, she massaged my shoulder with her soft, green hands. The numbing agent was wearing off and it was almost as if my shoulder was good as new. I decided the pad had indeed been worth it, if only for Jaclyn’s touch.

I smirked, still facing the other direction. “So, you often take a hands-on technique in doctoring your crew?”

“No.” She planted another kiss. This time, the sensations raced full steam ahead.

I stumbled over my words. “Well, then...” She gripped my shoulder and massaged a bit deeper. I stopped talking.

Then, another voice interrupted. “What is this?”

Rione stood in the doorway when I turned to look. Her pressure suit was off, but she still wore the black body suit, while her long black hair was matted from the heat and humidity. Her emotion ridges were deep red in anger.

Jaclyn kept her focus on me. “Fixing Aston’s shoulder.”

It didn’t faze Rione. “Captain Dillager wants us to join him in his quarters. All of us.” She stormed out.

“What’s her problem?” Jaclyn pulled her hands away.

I shrugged, before easing my body suit back on and slipping out of the pressure suit completely.

She helped me with the zipper, her face right next to my own when she finished. “We’ll continue this later.”

Be sure to let me know what you think of this excerpt, or of the entire novel, if you've already read it.

Happy Birthday, Death Brings Victory!

Celebrating one year in publication, Aston's third and latest novel, Death Brings Victory! If you haven't picked up a copy yet, why the heck not?

SFFS: Bring on the Natives (Another FALLEN Snippet)

Welcome back to yet another installment of Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday here on the blog. Thanks for all the feedback you give on my snippets, and be sure to go visit all of the other writers through the SFFS link above.

This week, I'm continuing on with last week's snippet. from FALLEN. The natives are restless (or at least standing outside his ship)...

Ultimately, I couldn’t bring myself to harm anyone who wasn’t out to do the same, or usually worse, to me. I needed to clear these folks out of the area.

“Are they armed with weapons?”

“It is unknown whether the items they’re carrying are tools or weapons. They’re handheld and not energy-based.”

I wasn’t about to take any chances, so went straight for the secret compartment under my cot. Rather than stick with my old, trusty Mark II blaster, I decided to pick up my disintegrator cannon. I planned on giving them a proper demonstration on why they needed to vacate the area as soon as possible.

While you're waiting for next week's snippet, be sure to check out all of my other novels and novellas.

SFFS: Another Snippet From Fallen

Welcome back to yet another installment of Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday here on the blog. Thanks for all the feedback you give on my snippets, and be sure to go visit all of the other writers through the SFFS link above as well.

This week, I'm jumping ahead a little bit (can't give away *ALL* my goodies, after all) in FALLEN. Aston escapes Jaysen Ro for the time being (as if there was any doubt), but has crash-landed on a nearby planet. Enjoy today's snippet...

Swapping out new modules for new ones took no time at all, and I certainly hoped Ro’s ship had suffered more damage than mine. If not, my escape plan was going to be short-lived.

Except Jeanie had to make it all the more interesting. “There appear to be several beings approaching.”

“It can’t be Ro and his thugs.”

“These seem to be natives of the planet.”

“Can we still lift off?”

Jeanie took a moment before responding. “The most likely result would be to cause them harm from flying sand from the underbelly exhaust ports.”

It was still mighty tempting, considering I didn’t know these people at all.

While you're waiting for next week's snippet, be sure to check out all of my other novels and novellas.

Repairing the Blogroll

Apparently, when re-working my blog to my main site, my blogroll (over on the RH side) was completely eliminated. I've attempted to add as many as my feeble mind could remember, but I'm certain I've missed a bunch. If you notice yours isn't listed, let me know in the comments section and I'll get it added back in...

An End of an Era

After nearly five years of my old website (with some even telling me that it looked like it was made in the 90s...oddly enough, the 90s were when I first got on the internet and started writing HTML), it was time for a change...so I've converted my blog here into a pseudo-site. Hopefully this will mean I'll be creating more posts on a more frequent basis. Be sure to wander around and let me know if you find any issues that slipped through the cracks (and not to worry, all of your old links should still be functional...).

Supercritical

A friend of mine today in writer's group made a comment that got me thinking (which is never a good thing, ask anyone), along the lines of the fact that I'm always critical of items that end up in front of my editing pen. Now, this friend happens to be a full-time writer, multi-published, with publishers that have distributed her books far and wide, and we've been friends a long time. She has also been a big fan of my books (and vice versa) ever since she first saw them, so I'm not so sure about her taste, but hey...

The author in question...I do love her books, so go give them a read.

The comment struck me today for some reason. I've given comments and critiques to folks for many years, and I'm no different (in my mind, at least) with her than I am with any author. I have this built-in need to do my best for anyone, because that's how I'm wired. Writers always see things in another author's work that the other author may never see (and I'm not immune to that issue). That leads me to always give every thought that comes into my head when commenting or critiquing to the fullest extent, when another author asks (and when I have time to do it). The way I figure, I'm trying to give another author a tool to use for the next time they're editing their own work, to help them improve.

I've noticed, too, that I tend to get odd reactions from my direct employees (where my job puts me in a place where I need to comment and critique on their work), in that they almost seem fearful of my critiques. My assumed duty is the same thing there. I'm not trying to be mean or supercritical, just to help them improve so that they'll have the tools they need for the next time they're doing the same work.

My guess? This is why the comment hit me today...that maybe my mindset has been off-kilter this entire time. Perhaps all of those who've received writing critiques view me in the same vein as my employees (presumably) do...that I'm mean and supercritical. Perhaps my perception of what the feedback should be is not the same as those who are looking for my feedback.

So, then the question is...is being supercritical an issue?

I'd love to hear your thoughts...because at the moment, I have a chapter from Nancy that needs a critique.

New Shorts Page

I'm slowly transitioning my main page over here to Blogger...so excuse the mess, and go check out all of my short stories while we're undergoing construction.

SFFS: FALLEN continues

Welcome back to yet another installment of Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday here on the blog. Thanks for all the feedback you give on my snippets, and be sure to go visit all of the other writers through the SFFS link above as well.

This week, I'm continuing with another snippet from my in-work novella (currently labeled FALLEN) and if you haven't already checked it out, here are the first and second snippets. Today's snippet carries on from the last, so enjoy!

Jaysen feigned a hurt look, sticking out a pouty, gnawed lip for emphasis. “You don’t want to hang out and play?” Then, he stood from his chair and pointed a long, fungus-infested nail at me. “Too bad, because you’re a dead man! Fire all available weapons!”

The inset screen disappeared from view, and I barely uttered a command before Jeanie started carrying them out. “Evasive maneuvers!”

While the ship jerked around, I turned to face the side console and tried to come up with a plan.

Jeanie alerted me to the obstacles we were going to be facing shortly, “Rockets inbound. The other ship’s plasma cannons are firing.”

Whew! Let's hope Aston can make out of this one...and while you're waiting for next week's snippet, be sure to check out all of my other novels and novellas.

SFFS: Another Snippet From FALLEN

Welcome back to yet another installment of Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday here on the blog. Thanks for all the feedback you give on my snippets, and be sure to go visit all of the other writers through the SFFS link above as well.

Last week, you had your first look at my new novella (currently labeled FALLEN) and Aston was facing off against an old acquaintance. We continue the saga in today's snippet...enjoy!

“How’d you get out? You were arrested.”

“And now I’m back.”

I made a quick pass through the rest of the image presented to me. Two grungy men who barely looked old enough to be called suck took up a pair of control consoles at the forward end of the pirate ship’s bridge. I noticed that his previous partner, the one who’d caught me trying to escape with my stolen money the last time, was nowhere to be seen.

“Jeanie, get us out of here!”

She responded in kind. “Hyperspeed system is offline. There appears to be a signal jamming it.”

If it's not one thing, it's another...let's hope he figures a way out of this one, and fast! And while you're waiting for next week's snippet, be sure to check out all of my other novels and novellas.

SFFS: A Snippet from FALLEN

Welcome back to yet another installment of Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday here on the blog. Thanks for all the feedback you give on my snippets, and be sure to go visit all of the other writers through the SFFS link above as well.

I'm working through a first draft on a brand new novella, which I'm currently labeling FALLEN (thanks to JC Cassels for the assist on naming). Ol' Aston is going to have his hands full in this one, and it starts off from the very beginning, when he's facing off against a pirate vessel coming in fast...enjoy!

“Whoever you are, I hate to disappoint you, but I’m not carrying any cargo.”

“They’ve entered weapons range.”

Still no response, and I began to wonder what the problem was. Just before I had Jeanie set an escape route, and take us to hyperspeed, a window finally opened at the side of my forward viewscreen.

And it was at that very moment I realized that poor timing had nothing to do with it.

“Jaysen Ro,” I muttered.

I’d thought I’d seen the last of those haunting eyes, blue lenses that filled both sockets, when I’d turned him in for stealing an obscene amount of money from a casino transport. The fact that I’d had the money first really hadn’t been a problem.

“Miss me?” He grumbled, finishing with a snarl.

If you're a fan of Aston, I hope you recognize where he met up with this villain before...and if you can't wait for this one to show up for sale, be sure to check out all of my other novels and novellas.

Ray Gun Revival Lives On

For those who didn't already know, several of my short stories found their way to publication through Ray Gun Revival, which ended their stint as an online magazine after 6 glorious years.

As a tribute to the magazine, an anthology is in the works which will feature some of the best space opera stories (including one of mine) from the magazine's run, along with some newly penned pieces.

Currently, the creators of the anthology are accepting donations via Kickstarter (in order to pay the contributors). If you're a fan of great space opera stories, I'd highly encourage you to check out the details.

SFFS: Another Snippet From "Hiding in the Shadows"

Welcome back to yet another installment of Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday here on the blog. Thanks for all the feedback you give on my snippets, and be sure to go visit all of the other writers through the SFFS link above as well.

I've been slowly working through edits on my short story "Hiding in the Shadows" this past week. Lest everyone get the impression from last week's snippet that Aston was facing the villains of this story, I've decided to post up another snippet from later in that same scene. Enjoy!

I nodded sharply, then stepped backward, trying to put some distance between us before turning.

Sand exploded off to my left. I grabbed for my weapon, forgetting it was still on the ship. My eyes went wide at more than a dozen personnel decked out in golden body armor and full helmets covering their faces.

Then I saw the firepower they were sporting. It looked as if they’d taken stock automatic blast rifles and outfitted them with larger power generation units and targeting computers normally reserved for military use.

I’d fallen into a sting operation.

Things going from bad to worse? I'd say so...

SFFS: A Snippet From "Hiding in the Shadows"

Welcome back after a long hiatus from the regular Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday installments on the blog. Thanks for all the feedback you give on my snippets, and be sure to go visit all of the other writers through the SFFS link above as well.

I'm deep into working several different projects at once (because I'm a glutton for punishment). Hopefully this will keep my blog filled with snippets for the rest of the year. At the moment, I'm working up a submission for an anthology call. The title is still a bit up in the air, but for now, we'll keep the interim title, "Hiding in the Shadows" for this Aston tale. As always, things go from bad to worse for poor Aston. At this point, he's making one of his usual transactions that may or may not be completely legal:

I watched the ship’s mechanical arm lift out a cargo container, easing it down into the soft sand. The claw remained attached as I’d instructed. Though these three professed no love for the black market beauty Angelika, I didn’t plan on getting screwed over in this deal.

One of the other men scrambled over, popping open the latches atop the rectangular container. He climbed up the frame, lifted the lid and peeked inside, before giving a nod of confirmation to his leader.

The team leader tossed the money box toward me. I snatched it mid-air and examined it closer. My stomach churned and I stared daggers at him.

“There’s only six thousand here.”

This is why it's always important to get your money upfront and in full. Hope you enjoyed the snippet, and can't wait to bring you more in the coming weeks from this and other projects.

The Usefulness of Smashwords

Something that has been weighing on my mind recently is the usefulness of using Smashwords for distribution of my self-published works. With Barnes and Noble and Kobo (two of the major distribution channels for Smashwords) both setting up their own avenues for authors to put up their titles, it's something to seriously consider. So, for the past year, I've been tracking the number of sales directly through Smashwords.

The charts below display the trends of Smashwords sales (red lines) compared to the number of Smashwords sample downloads (blue lines) for my three major works.



One thing I notice is that Smashwords users tend to do a lot of downloading, but not a lot of buying. My free download "Entrapment" (only available through Smashwords) just recently passed the 1000-download mark. My hope had been that the free sample would drive users to buy a copy of my other works. That really hasn't panned out as I'd hoped.

Now, for a comparison of sales via Smashwords to the sales made through B&N and Kobo:

For Seeker, the only "sales" made via Smashwords were free giveaways using coupon codes. Kobo sold half as many (but as full price), while no sales were made over at B&N.

For The Cure, the only "sales" made via Smashwords were free givewaways. Kobo didn't sell a copy, but B&N still made seven times as many sales over Smashwords, and all of them were for money.

For Death Brings Victory, Smashwords was the only spot that sold copies, and 80% of the sales were for full price. I will point out that it took several months for this title to show up over on B&N, which may be skewing the numbers a bit.

That said, it certainly does look like most Smashwords users are out for free stuff only. So, perhaps the thing to do would be to use them only for the sites where I can't distribute books myself, but go directly through Kobo and B&N myself for each title.

In fact, I've recently posted up Death Brings Victory over at B&N using the PubIt feature...so we'll see how it does in a head-to-head competition. Someday soon, maybe I'll do the same thing over at Kobo.

The Next Big Thing - Round 2

I actually did one of these "Next Big Thing" blogs back in October (where I was mentioning my new in-work novel Resurrection), but since I was tagged for another by Lee S King, and since I just came up with a new novella idea New Year's Eve, I figure I'll go ahead and give it another go with that one.

The rules of the blog hop:

1. Mention who tagged you, and link to their post.
2. Give the rules.
3. Answer the ten questions below.
4. Link to several more people.

Enjoy!

1) What is the title of your next book?

I haven't come up with an official title for this latest novella, and actually I haven't even started brainstorming potential titles. So right now it's being saved off under "New Novella" - but if I had to come up with some thoughts off the cuff, I'd probably go with Silver and Gold, The Sacrifice or perhaps The Fall.

2) Where did the idea come from for the book?

I'm a plotter, and while I was over in India back in February, I was generating plenty of notebook paper sheets with scribbled notes of potential ideas. Two of the sheets ended up merged, and New Year's Eve, I started putting fingers to keyboard and came up with a general plot summary and character sheets.

3) What genre does your book fall under?

Science-Fiction Space Opera (toying with the idea of how to make it incorporate some steampunk as well)

4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

Plenty of folks who'd be good as Aston...I used to say Nathan Fillion, but I saw him the other day in "Castle" and since I can't go back in time for his "Firefly" look, I'll have to come up with someone else...perhaps Viggo Mortensen or Matt Damon.


The female lead, in my mind, resembles Ursula Andress of Dr. No (007) fame...but again, since we can't go back in time, I'll have to settle for someone modern. Maybe Heather Locklear...

The villain would probably be good as Mickey Rourke, but only if he could resemble his character from The Expendables.


5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Aston West lands on a technologically-simple planet where he's considered a deity, but must try to protect his new-found followers from a group of pirates bent on exploiting them.

6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

If the question is between these two, I'd go with self-published. If the question is meant to be self-published or submitted to a publisher, the jury is out, but I'm still leaning toward the same end.

7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

I've only put together character sheets and a rough plot summary at this point. Once I get started, I'm hoping that everything moves quickly. Since I'm shooting for a novella-length piece, I'm hoping that it will take me about three or four months for the first draft.

8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I'm sure if I thought hard enough, I'd come up with a suitable comparison. At the moment, I can't think of anything that similar.

9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?

2012 had been a rough year, output-wise. I guess that when New Year's Eve came around, I decided it was high time to get some stuff done this coming year.

10) What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?

I'm once again toying with the idea of bringing romance into this story...we'll see how it goes, but...

That, and the fact that the villain is someone who readers of my short stories will remember from a pair of my pieces ("Obedience" and "Profit and Loss").

And now it's my chance to inflict some pain...er, pass the baton (I decided to spare those who I tagged in the previous edition):

• Sandra Cormier
• Tanya Eby

The 2012 Recap

To give myself some motivation for 2013, here's a recap of everything that went on in my life (writing and otherwise) this past year. I'll try not to make this come off as a "holiday letter"...

January: Mindflights published my short story "Sweet Embrace" in their January issue.

February: I was sent off to Bangalore, India by my employer for a two-week excursion, which I documented day-to-day in my "Banglalore or Bust" segments. Ironically, I spent a lot of my free time coming up with story plot lines which I still have sitting around here. Some ended up being worked, and others didn't. Maybe next year.

March: The e-book version of Death Brings Victory, the third in the Aston West series of novels, came out after a nearly two-year hiatus since the last novel.

April: I was hard at work on a few short stories, mostly featuring Kasey Reynolds, one of which was accepted for an anthology to appear later in the year. I also attended the spring edition of the Renaissance Festival here in Wichita.

May: Attended the ConQuest science fiction convention in Kansas City, which was the first public debut (and fresh off the presses with the paperback version) of my new novel Death Brings Victory.

June: Attended the Author Extravaganza at Town Crier Books in Emporia. Completed my story "Supply and Demand" (which ended up in my second Triple-Shot).

July: I began my experiment in serialized fiction, by providing my short story "Genesis" as a weekly episode in the SFFS loop. Also, my second Triple-Shot featuring "Temptation" was released as a 99-cent e-book. I decided to test out the KDP Select program with this one. One of my Kasey Reynolds stories appeared in an anthology from Ring of Fire Books. Worked on an Aston short story "Crossfire."

August and September: I slowly began to sour on the KDP Select program, deciding to exit the program when my 90-day period was up. Worked on an Aston short story "Downtrodden."

October: Attended the fall edition of the Renaissance Festival in Wichita.

November and December: Heroes Die Young passed the 400 sales mark in my November sales update. Work continues to progress on my fourth series novel, Resurrection, which I hope to complete this coming year. Completed an Aston short story "Adrift" (which I've agreed never to let see the light of day).

Well, there's the year in review. Probably could have finished a few more short stories, and the work on Resurrection has been lacking until the last few months. Guess it's time to get back into my goal-setting.

My Upcoming Reads

With the day job now done for the year...it's time to kick back, get a little work done around the house, and get some reading (and maybe writing, but we'll see) done. I generally load up a handful of books or so at a time, and then read through them all before loading up another handful. So, what's on tap?

I'm currently reading Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds. So far, it's been a real bear to get through, with all of the things I despise the most about hard science fiction. There have been a few redeeming points to the plot, but I'm still struggling through at the half-way point.

And what's on deck? The following titles, in no particular order:

Year Zero by Rob Reid. I picked this book up on the advice of a friend who has read my own books.

Fearless by Jack Campbell. I'd previously read the first book in the Lost Fleet series, and enjoyed it quite a bit (even though I'm still trying to get my head around paying so much for e-books). So, I decided to plunk down a bit more money (actually, it helps that I received a gift card for my birthday last month) for the next book in the series.

Flank Hawk by Terry W Ervin. Again, I picked up the above book on the advice of a friend (who, by chance, is the author of the next book listed).

Renegade by Angie Lofthouse. I've known Angie for some time now, and if I'm correct, I believe I actually beta-read this manuscript prior to it being published.

Looking forward to all of these reads. Hopefully I can get through my current one in good time, and have plenty of vacation left to get most of these others finished as well.

Random Musings - 12/15/2012

Since it's been a bit since I've done just a post of general musings (which I mention under the title of the blog), I figured today was as good a time as any to do one. So, here goes...

On the general life front, everything is getting prepared for Christmas. Gifts have been (mostly) acquired, and wrapping should be accomplished this next week. Looking forward to some time off from work, although my guess is that I'll be spending some time finishing up work in the basement (new paint and flooring).

I have decided to re-implement my boycott of Best Buy. I'd originally put one in place after some nonsense involving an attempted return on a video game that wouldn't work on my computer, but negated it when I discovered that other stores had implemented the same draconian regulation on their game returns. However, this week, while attempting to replace a busted television, I learned that the staff at the store has no knowledge of the products they sell, but passes themselves off as having said knowledge. Much to my chagrin, I found out when installing the TV that I'm now going to have to go pick up a new DVD player and an RF modulator...sigh. So long, Best Buy, it was nice knowing you...

Work is going well, though hopefully things improve in the economy at large. The aircraft industry still seems to be limping along, and it's always been a tenuous one to start with. That said, I keep working hard and things seem to be going my way. I only wish writing and publishing was that easy. There has been some talk of a life-altering change, with my name on a list for overseas assignment (though I've been told that a lot of people have their name on that list, so I shouldn't feel too special :-P ). With the amount of other life events taking place next year, this change would definitely cause issues...

On the writing front, I learned this week that one of my favorite online magazines (where several of my stories have been published in the past) went on semi-permanent hiatus. The fact that it's been two months since they announced this change makes my heart ache that I haven't been keeping tabs. Sadly, this was their second chance at launching the magazine, and all of my stories appeared during their first incarnation. I'm not entirely sure why, but my submissions there during this second run all incurred rejections, even though said stories were picked up in other magazines. At some point, I stopped submitting...and stopped visiting the magazine itself. It still makes me sad that they couldn't make a go of it this time.

Well, it's been fun, but that's enough for this week...perhaps I'll work out a schedule for these posts to take place more regularly in the future.

SFFS: A Snippet From SEEKER

Welcome to another installment of Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday on the blog. Thanks for all the feedback you give on my snippets, and be sure to go visit all of the other writers through the SFFS link above as well.

For those who like a little romance, this is pretty much as close as I get. Aston faces off against a mind invader (sort of like a mind reader, but a lot more involved) who could find out every criminal activity he's ever committed in my novella Seeker. And for those who don't like to pay for their books, I'll point out that this novella is currently discounted down to FREE over at Omnilit (and who doesn't like free?).

I was privy to a lot of information not meant for anyone to know, much of it illegal activities. I’d mistakenly thought my present innocence would lead to freedom. Now, it seemed past misdeeds might be my downfall.

Fear building, I followed the officer, who watched with a subtle laugh under his breath. He hadn’t reprimanded his subordinate this time, which meant I’d used up my one get-out-of-being-assaulted-free card.

He let loose his chuckle. “Afraid of a pretty woman?”

I didn’t bother to answer, instead figuring out my options. I couldn’t fend off another mental invasion.

In other words, I was screwed.

Poor Aston...he has enough troubles in life without being subjected to a mind invader. Hope all of you are enjoying the holiday season, and we'll catch you next week with another snippet.

Making Yourself Into Something

I was just over reading Tanya Eby's latest blog, and felt compelled to write one myself. I, too, have felt like a slug lately. Maybe it's the holidays, maybe it's the other stresses in life. Trying to fund the wife's college education. The wife signing up for substantial surgery this coming year. Home repairs. Potentially life-altering changes at work (not to mention an economy in the toilet that has it out for my industry). It makes my head hurt thinking about it all...but I do have it better than most, though, so guess I shouldn't complain. Stay positive and all that...

Despite my continued book sales, it's been a rough couple of months lately all around on the book front. This has made it difficult to focus on getting any new writing done. In fact, other than a few pages here and there, there's been no progress on the next novel for some time. Short stories have been a little better, but even these last few months have been a bit dry.

Trouble is when the issues compound each other...my sluggish feelings have made me more antisocial than usual, so I don't feel like interacting with people (which is okay, because other than a few folks, not many people want to interact with me either). And as I've learned over the years, selling books without a huge bookstore presence requires a lot of social interaction. So, when I don't talk to people, the sales don't show up. When the sales aren't there, I don't feel like writing (why bother writing it if it won't sell, right?). And when I don't write, I feel like a slug, which makes me feel like talking with people even less and the cycle keeps on turning.

I wrote down an interesting thought the other day: When you spent an entire life making yourself into something, what do you do when it turns out poorly?

This is me and writing, in a nutshell. I've been seriously writing for almost 20 years now. Could I just give up writing altogether? Doubtful. But if my self-image has used writing as a major cornerstone this long, what happens when it starts crumbling?

One of the bright spots, though, is some recent workplace success...which has been good (even though stressful). Since I figure that has to be another cornerstone, at least there's that. But it also gives me an excuse toward the fact I'm not writing.

Maybe I'll find the solution soon. Until then...