Friday, August 16, 2013

The Progress: Week Two

Smashwords
I forgot to mention Smashwords in my week one post. I went directly to Kobo to try to have Seven Crows published on the Kobo eReader. Several indi-publishers advise focussing on Amazon. That way everyone goes to that one place to buy, and all reviews go there. True, and made even better with an option in Kindle to join an exclusive Kindle program. However, a large number of students, that I know would like to read my book, have Kobo. So I wanted to hit both the Kindle and Kobo markets. The kobo website was a bust. The banking information for payments just wouldn't work. I called my bank and got everything the website was asking for, yet still would not recognize it. So I went to the Smashwords website, and publishing through Smashwords was quick and easy. Smashwords formats a word doc into numerous ePub formats, all available on the Smashwords site. However, if the doc is approved, then it is also sent out to several partners, like Kobo. Seven Crows showed up on the Kobo store about a week later. Two things about Smashwords; 1. You NEED to make sure your document is formatted to their specifications in order for it to approved to be sent out to the other sites (where you really want it). 2. A friend and indi-publisher (B.C. Laybolt) cautioned me about Smashwords. Other indi-authors had used it, then later found their books showing up on Amazon and Kobo under other author's names. When you publish through Smashwords, by default it does format your book into A LOT of different eBook formats. Which would make it easy for someone to download one of the formats, make a few changes, and then republish your work under their name and rip you off. :( I went back into Smashwords and it was very easy to remove almost all of the formats. I only left Kobo and Sony eReader there. None of the others were necessary. Hope it works and I have no issues.

Week Two
Seven Crows is live on Amazon in print and on Kindle, as well as Kobo and Smashwords (Links are all this blog page). The release day is Friday 23rd at the local Yarmouth library (which only cost me 2 copies of the book for the library, which is awesome). I am running a giveaway on my Facebook Author page. 1 Name to be drawn for a copy, 2 if I reach 100 likes. And I have updated my Goodreads author page and created a Goodreads Giveaway of 5 Copies. As of today, over 100 people have added Seven Crows to their "to-read" shelf and about 250 people have entered the giveaway draw, which will end Sept. 8th. I had an interview with the local Yarmouth newspaper (the Vanguard) yesterday, talked about Seven Crows and the indi-publishing process, and had some pics taken (I shaved this time :P). And the box of books, my first order of Seven Crows, arrived very early. For a box of 35 books, the customs only cost me $15, not too bad.

I Have Done It!
I wrote, in the week one post, about having your indi-novel published and then feeling underwhelmed that it was done. Instead of feeling joyous and in awe, I just felt like nothing was happening. Well nothing happens until you go out and make it happen, and that takes people. The first moment I felt that joy and awe at my accomplishment was when my first review went up at Amazon. It was a great review, written by another writer who's opinion I hold in high regard, and it didn't hurt that it was a 5 star review. Then a few other people, who's opinion I also hold in high regard, started messaging me with their thoughts as they read the book. Their thoughts were good, great even. They were loving the book, and hopefully that is continuing. The point is, my sense of accomplishment did not occur until people began to enjoy my work. So, please, if you enjoyed reading Seven Crows, tell me why (then tell everyone else why). If you did not enjoy Seven Crows, also tell me why, so I can improve. :D

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