Holiday Ebook Buying Guide

Greetings ereader owner!

There are literally millions of ebooks currently available to put on your Kindle/Nook/Sony/Kobo/iPad/Other Ereading device.

But have no fear. I'm here to help.

The following ebooks have all been vetted by readers just like you. Each of these indie authors is selling at least 1000 ebooks a month on various platforms.

Best of all, most of these are under $2.99.

Happy holidays!


Suzanne Tyrpak -- Vestal Virgin
Kindle US Smashwords Kindle UK

(Introductory priced at just .99 cents through January 1, 2011)

Q: What is Vestal Virgin about?

My debut novel Vestal Virgin is dark suspense set in ancient Rome. Elissa Rubria, a visionary and priestess of the sacred flame, is one of the most powerful women in The Roman Empire, but when the emperor, Nero, brutally executes Elissa’s brother, she’s locked into a deadly game of wits and sexuality.

“A torrid tale of love, honor, and sacrifice pitted against horrific acts of murder, betrayal, and depravity. Rife with intrigue and brimming with exquisite detail.”
— Eldon Thompson, author of The Divine Talisman

Q: What advice can you offer authors thinking about self-publishing?

The advice Terry Brooks gave me:

Write, write, write. Read, read, read. Write, write, write. Repeat.

Also, take your work seriously. You are the writer and the publisher--the editor, the art director, the marketing department. And keep writing--the more books you publish, the more you sell. I've also published a collection of nine short stories Dating My Vibrator (and other true fiction).

J.A. Konrath -- Shot of Tequila

Kindle US Amazon print Sony eBook Nook iTunes Smashwords

Q: How many ebooks have you sold/are you selling?

I've sold over 100,000 self published ebooks, and am currently selling
around 9000 a month.

Q: What is Shot of Tequila about?

Shot of Tequila, a thriller featuring my series character, Jack Daniels, is
currently my bestselling title.

A GUTSY ROBBERY
Several million bucks, stolen from the mob...

A PERFECT FRAME
All caught on video, with no chance of redemption...

A RED HOT RECIPE FOR RAMPAGING REVENGE
Now one man must face the entire Chicago Outfit, a group of hardened Mafia
enforcers, a psychotic bookie, the most dangerous hitman on earth, and
Detective Jacqueline Daniels...

His name is Tequila.
And he likes those odds.

Q: What advice can you offer authors thinking about self-publishing?

Make sure it's a good book, professionally formatted, with a good cover. And
price it low, under four bucks.


Blake Crouch -- Desert Places

Kindle US Smashwords

Q: How many ebooks have you sold/are you selling?
I put my first ebook up in March of this year. I now have 12: (3 novels, 2 novellas, a short story collection, and six short stories). I’m selling about 2000 ebooks a month now.

Q: What is Desert Places ebook about?

Here’s the product description:

"GREETINGS. THERE IS A BODY BURIED ON YOUR PROPERTY, COVERED IN YOUR BLOOD. THE UNFORTUNATE YOUNG LADY'S NAME IS RITA JONES. IN HER JEANS POCKET YOU'LL FIND A SLIP OF PAPER WITH A PHONE NUMBER ON IT. CALL THAT NUMBER. IF I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM YOU BY 8:00 P.M., THE POLICE WILL RECEIVE AN ANONYMOUS CALL. I'LL TELL THEM WHERE RITA JONES IS BURIED ON YOUR PROPERTY, HOW YOU KILLED HER, AND WHERE THE MURDER WEAPON CAN BE FOUND IN YOUR HOUSE. (I DO BELIEVE A PARING KNIFE IS MISSING FROM YOUR KITCHEN.) I STRONGLY ADVISE AGAINST GOING TO THE POLICE, AS I AM ALWAYS WATCHING YOU."

Andrew Z. Thomas is a successful writer of suspense thrillers, living the dream at his lake house in the piedmont of North Carolina. One afternoon in late spring, he receives a bizarre letter that eventually threatens his career, his sanity, and the lives of everyone he loves. A murderer is designing his future, and for the life of him, Andrew can't get away.

Q: What advice can you offer authors thinking about self-publishing?

If you’re an established author and you have out-of-print titles, releasing them as an ebook can truly be a resurrection for these books, provided you have professional formatting, a great cover, and a great product description.


Valmore Daniels -- Forbidden the Stars
Amazon US Amazon UK Smashwords B&N Kobo Sony

Q: How many ebooks have you sold/are you selling?

Forbidden The Stars just passed the 4000 copies sold mark, and has sold over 1000 copies per month in the past two months.

Q: What is Forbidden the Stars about?

Forbidden The Stars takes place at the end of the 21st century when a catastrophic accident in the asteroid belt leaves two surveyors dead. There is no trace of their young son, or of the asteroid, but a new element is discovered that unlocks the secret to interstellar travel.

Q: What advice can you offer authors thinking about self-publishing?

Research all aspects of the industry before you put your book out there. Make sure you have a quality cover, a strong hook in your description, and an error-free manuscript.

William Meikle -- The Invasion (Extended Version)
Smashwords Amazon US Amazon UK B&N

Q: How many ebooks have you sold/are you selling?

I've been averaging over 1200 a month, and a lot more some months

Q: What is The Invasion about?

The Invasion is my homage to '50s SF. It's an old-school alien invasion story, complete with fleets of ships overhead, plucky survivors, and last-minute rescues. And slime. Lots of slime

Q: What advice can you offer authors thinking about self-publishing?

Treat it seriously. Make sure your product is the best it can be, from beginning to end, cover to back-copy. Once that's done, target your audience and you're well on the way.

Danielle Lee -- Inhuman
Kindle Nook Smashwords

Q: How many ebooks have you sold/are you selling?

My total is 3600 since July 2010.

Q: What is Inhuman about?

With tuition fees looming, university student, Cassia Tiponi, is forced to offer herself as a guinea pig to the science department. After much poking and prodding by future doctors and nurses, a blood test reveals something startling...

Cassia does not have human DNA.

While being hunted by a dark faction of the government, she must uncover the secrets surrounding her mysterious birth to discover who...and what...she is.

Q: What advice can you offer authors thinking about self-publishing?

My advice to authors would be that it is extremely hard work, but so worth it. The pride I feel for what I've accomplished in such a short amount of time is immeasurable. There are three essentials: a great book, a great cover and belief in your work.


D.B. Henson -- Deed to Death
Amazon Smashwords

Q: How many ebooks have you sold/are you selling?

Deed To Death has sold a little over 42,000 copies since being published on April 26, 2010. It has already sold over 7500 copies this month alone, and recently made Amazon’s Best of 2010 Customer Favorites list.

Q: What is Deed to Death about?

Real estate agent Toni Matthew's problems begin when her fiancé, Scott, is murdered just a few days before the wedding. Frustrated with the police, she begins her own investigation into his death. Toni soon realizes she didn't know her fiancé quite as well as she had thought. Scott had been keeping secrets. Secrets that make Toni the killer's next target.

Q: What advice can you offer authors thinking about self-publishing?

Write the best book you are capable of writing. Once the book is complete, hire a professional editor. What may seem like a large investment at first will actually pay for itself many times over in the long run. If you aren’t already familiar with HTML, hire a pro to do your formatting. If you expect to build a readership, your self-published novel must look just as professional as a traditionally published book.


Maria Rachel Hooley -- October Breezes
Amazon

Q: How many ebooks have you sold/are you selling?

I've sold almost 9,000 books since I started publishing.

Q: What is October Breezes about?

October Breezes is an edgy young adult novel that deals with the aftermath of rape and abortion. Neither pro-choice or pro-life, it's a novel about picking the pieces when life falls apart.

Q: What advice can you offer authors thinking about self-publishing?

Writing is about taking risks, not playing it safe. Sometimes you're going to fall. There's no way around that, but if you don't try, you're never going to publish, either.


Karen Cantwell -- Take the Monkeys and Run
Kindle Amazon print B&N

Q: How many ebooks have you sold/are you selling?

I have sold over 7800 ebooks since June of 2010. Over 7500 of those were my novel, Take the Monkeys and Run. I released my short story collection in November and have sold just over 250 of those.

Q: What is Take the Monkeys and Run about?

Take the Monkeys and Run is a humorous mystery about a soccer mom and movie lover named Barbara Marr who finds monkeys in her trees and a severed human head in her neighbor’s basement. When she gets a little too nosy for her own good, she lands herself into the middle of a major action adventure, just like in the movies . . . only these bullets are real.

Q: What advice can you offer authors thinking about self-publishing?

Now is the time. I say go for it, but make sure you do your research and that you have a quality product: a good story that is well written, great cover, excellent formatting, enticing description. The beauty of self-publishing is that you, as the creator of the art, can keep control. And it’s fun!

Sandra Edwards -- Secondary Targets

Kindle Amazon print Nook Smashwords

Q: How many ebooks have you sold/are you selling?

I've sold over 1300 books so far this month--mostly on Kindle.

Q: What is Secondary Targets about?

Secondary Targets is currently my bestselling book. My log-line is: What would you do if you woke up one day and found out everything you thought you knew about your father turned out to be a lie?

Q: What advice can you offer authors thinking about self-publishing?

Learn everything you can about the process before dipping your feet into the pond to maximize your chances of success.

Tess Oliver -- Camille

Nook Kindle

Q: How many books have you sold?

From Dec. 1 to Dec. 20 I sold 1205 books on Amazon and 800 books on Barnes and Nobles.

Q: What is Camille about?

Sixteen-year-old Camille Kennecott and her guardian, Dr. Bennett, live a most unconventional life. They hunt werewolves.

When unwitting victim, Nathaniel Strider, wanders into one of their full moon pursuits, Camille and Dr. Bennett believe they have found a specimen for their study. Finding a scientific key to unlocking the mystery of lycanthropy would end their late night excursions. But as each experiment fails, Camille faces the prospect of destroying the boy who has stolen her heart.

Q: What advice would you give to other authors who want to self-publish?

Write what you love. Be your own harshest critic. Don’t be afraid to delete even if you’re certain it’s pure gold. If after a gazillion read-throughs, revisions and edits, you can still stand to look at it and it still makes you smile, then upload, baby! Oh and don’t forget a really cool cover.

David Dalglish -- A Dance of Cloaks

Amazon Smashwords B&N

Q: How many ebooks have you sold/are you selling?

I've sold over 10,000 ebooks on Amazon, plus another 3,000 or so on the iBookstore. Overall my sales have really taken off recently, on pace for more than 3,000 sales in December alone.

Q: What is A Dance of Cloaks about?

A Dance of Cloaks: in a dark medieval city, thief guilds wage war against the wealthy Trifect who control the nation.

Q: What advice can you offer authors thinking about self-publishing?

Take it seriously, and go all out. Don't limp into the marketplace with a mediocre cover, rambling product description, and no idea of how to promote. Find those who are selling well in your genre and then do your best to learn from them. Hit the ground running.

David Derrico -- Right Ascension

Kindle Nook Smashwords CreateSpace

Q: How many ebooks have you sold/are you selling?

I've sold over 9,000 e-books, across 3 titles. My best-selling title has sold over 5,500 copies. I reached a high point of #188 in the Kindle Store, and #1 in "Technothrillers." My best sales month was over 1,500 sales, although my sales have dipped since then.

Q: What is Right Ascension about?

Right Ascension is a science fiction novel that combines action & adventure with the exploration of serious underlying ethical dilemmas. Set in the year 3040, Right Ascension examines mankind's place in the Universe, how we ascended to that lofty position, and the horrifying price of that ascension. It tells the story of one highly virtuous man who comes face to face with an invincible adversary and is forced to choose between honor ... and humanity's very survival.

Q: What advice can you offer authors thinking about self-publishing?

I would echo many of the things that Joe has said: work very hard on honing your writing craft, and get some good editing help. Polish your work before you release it for public consumption. Act like a professional. Also ensure that you have a good-looking cover, well-written description, and pristinely-formatted e-book files. Then understand that you'll spend as much or more time promoting the book as you did writing it.

H.P. Mallory -- Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble

Amazon B&N

Q: How many ebooks have you sold/are you selling?

Since uploading my two books on Amazon in Jul 2010 and Barnes and Noble on Oct 2010, and adding a third book on Dec 1, 2010, I've sold over 21,000 books. So far from Dec 1-Dec 20 I've sold over 11,000.

Q: What is Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble about?

My bestselling ebook, Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble, is a paranormal romance (the first book in a series) about a woman who realizes she's a witch and consequently becomes a pawn in an Underworld war. And of course there's lots of flirting and sexual tension between the witch, her warlock boss and a vampire who isn't what he seems.

Q: What advice can you offer authors thinking about self-publishing?

Make sure your book is in as good shape as it can be--proper grammar, spelling, etc. Then make sure your covers are awesome. Ebooks are definitely judged by their covers. Lastly, spread the word. Don't be afraid to approach book bloggers or introduce your books in the forums.

Richard Jackson -- The Gift of Fury

Kindle

Q: How many ebooks have you sold/are you selling?

Last month I sold over 2256 copies of my book, The Gift of Fury. That doesn't include copies given away for free by Amazon. Last week, I released a new book called Fall from Grace.

Q: What is The Gift of Fury about?

The Gift of Fury follows the adventures of Count Albritton, a paranormal investigator, who helps people with supernatural problems the authorities are either unwilling or unable to deal with. It's dangerous work. Luckily he has Kara, a beautiful guardian angel to help him.

Q: What advice can you offer author thinking about self-publishing?

Take care of your readers and they will take care of you. Give them a good story. Listen your fellow authors, you'll learn a lot of things that can help you. Most importantly, keep writing and reading. It's the only way you'll get better.

David McAfee -- 33 A.D.

Kindle Nook Smashwords Kobo Amazon print

Q: How many ebooks have you sold/are you selling?

I published my first book on March 9, 2010 and so far I've sold about 6,500 eBooks. It started out very slow (in March I only sold 11), but for the last few months I’ve been selling 1,200 or so every month. Not a bad way to start, and it hasn't even been a year yet. I'm looking forward to even more growth next year.

Q: What is 33 A.D. about?

Vampires in Biblical Jerusalem who try to assassinate Jesus of Nazareth.

Q: What advice can you offer authors thinking about self-publishing?

Make sure you have a quality product. This is a trap too many self publishers fall into. Edit, revise, edit revise, etc. Run the work by a few trusted beta readers, by which I do not mean your mom or your spouse. Send it to people who aren’t invested in your happiness. Most readers will not know you, and they won’t be squeamish about telling you if they don’t like your work.

Beth Orsoff -- Romantically Challenged

Amazon B&N

Q: How many ebooks have you sold/are you selling?

I uploaded Romantically Challenged less than six months ago and have sold 2000 copies. I've uploaded two more books since then, Honeymoon for One and recently How I learned to Love the Walrus, and between the three I'm selling over 1000 e-books a month.

Q: What is Romantically Challenged about?

Romantically Challenged is the story of Julie Burns, a single thirty-something lawyer who after being dumped and disgraced by her boyfriend, decides to reenter dating hell in search of that one elusive commodity—a decent guy...who steals her heart, of course. When Julie becomes convinced that finding The One is "just a numbers game," she sets out to increase her numbers by any means necessary. From chance meetings and blind dates to dating services and the wonderful world of the Internet, Julie will try anything to meet her man.

Q: What advice can you offer authors thinking about self-publishing?

Do it. Why some books sell and others don't is a mystery. It was a mystery to me when I was a writer, and now that I'm my own publisher too, it's even more of a mystery. All you can do is write a good book, a great blurb, and design (or hire someone to design) an excellent cover. Then cross your fingers and hope for the best.


Victorine Lieske -- Not What She Seems
Kindle Nook Smashwords CreateSpace

Q: How many ebooks have you sold/are you selling?

I’ve sold over 10,000 ebooks, mostly through Amazon. I’m currently selling over 200 ebooks a day on the Kindle, counting both the US and the UK.

Q: What is your ebook about? (List your best selling ebook)

Here is a brief description of my book: Steven Ashton, a billionaire from New York, and Emily Grant, on the run from the law... and when they meet he can’t help falling for her. What he doesn’t know is that interfering in her life will put his own life in danger.

Q: What advice can you offer authors thinking about self-publishing?

1. Don’t skip the critique group process. Get other writer’s eyes on your work, and learn how to critique their work as well.

2. Your cover will probably be the first thing that attracts people to your book. Make sure it is good.

3. Network with other authors who have self-published on the Kindle. Kindleboards.com is the best place for this. Hang out in the writer’s cafe and you’ll learn a lot of great tips.

Terri Reid -- Loose Ends

Kindle Nook Smashwords

Q: How many ebooks have you sold/are you selling?

I am selling three e-books--Loose Ends, A Mary O’Reilly Paranormal Mystery (Book One), Good Tidings, A Mary O’Reilly Paranormal Mystery (Book Two), and The Ghosts Of New Orleans.

Loose Ends - released in August - 2925 books sold

Good Tidings - released Thanksgiving 2010 - 1158 books sold

The Ghosts of New Orleans - released October 2010 - 815 books sold

Q: What is your eBook about?

Mary O’Reilly, Chicago cop, dies in the line of duty. On the other side, she’s offered the chance to come back to life. When she returns, she discovers she can see and communicate with ghosts. She moves to a small town and opens a P.I. Agency investigating cases that involve ghosts. Solving the twenty-five year old murder of a local girl makes Mary the target for a serial killer tying up his loose ends.

Q: What advice can you offer authors thinking about self-publishing?

Make sure you edit and edit again. You should only publish your very best!! Give your book to people who aren’t afraid of hurting your feelings and have them edit it for you. Don’t give it to someone who is going to tell you how they would have written it--that doesn’t help you. If you are part of a writer’s group - be sure you send each other your work--reading it out loud doesn’t give you the review you need.

Market your book--through your local paper, Facebook, interviews, forums, blogs--whatever it takes. Be bold!! Believe in yourself! Ask your friends to post the links to your book on their Facebook page too. Be available to speak at local libraries or at writer’s groups or book clubs.

Ellen O'Connell -- Sing My Name

Kindle Smashwords

Q: How many ebooks have you sold/are you selling?

My first ebook was published in February of this year; the second in April; and third in late November. In those 10 months I have sold 6,500 ebooks. Average sales for December to date are 45 a day.

Q: What is Sing My Name about?

Sing My Name, a historical romance, tells the story of Matt Slade, who fought in the bloodiest Civil War battles under Robert E. Lee, and Sarah Hammond, who avidly followed war news with her abolitionist family. Matt and Sarah should never have met, never have fallen in love, but they did, and the consequences nearly destroyed them both. Years later, Matt and Sarah meet again. Can they put their lives and their love back together?

Q: What advice can you offer authors thinking about self-publishing?

Use information from other authors for encouragement, ideas and support, but find your own path. I published my first ebook at an older age than many and will never have the body of work of someone who started younger. Necessarily, my ambitions are different than they would have been at 30 or 40. Even so, my first goals are already specks in my rearview mirror.


C.S. Marks -- Elfhunter
Kindle

Q: How many ebooks have you sold/are you selling?

I have sold over 12,000 eBooks, but I've only joined the "Thousand-book-club" recently, mostly due to sales in the UK. We've been averaging about 60 books a day.

Q: What is Elfhunter about?

There are three books in a single trilogy; the best-seller is, naturally, the first book. Elfhunter is a classic epic fantasy suitable for readers of all ages. It concerns a monstrous entity, known as Gorgon Elfhunter, and heroine Gaelen Taldin, who has vowed to rid her world of the Elfhunter even as she is hunted by him. The resulting conflict blurs the line between light and darkness, love and hatred, free will and fate.

Q: What advice can you offer authors thinking about self-publishing?

Don't rush your books into print before they are ready. Be ready to make the investment in proofing/editing, quality cover art, and formatting. Remember, self-publishers must assume all the roles of a traditional publisher, including promotion and marketing. This will require investment of time and money--the higher your sales goal, the greater the investment. If you have produced a quality product, the return may also be great. :-)

Chris Graham -- Free Books for Kindle

Kindle Amazon UK

Q: How many ebooks have you sold/are you selling?

My first and, so far, only book has sold around 4,000 copies since October. Sales have really taken off in the last few weeks though after it made it into Amazon.co.uk's top 20.

Q: What is Free Books for Kindle about?

Free books for Kindle: The secrets of how to get the world's greatest books for a radical price is a short guide to getting free books. I originally wrote it for a couple of friends with new Kindles. One of them said I should publish it - so I did.

It's very much aimed at new Kindle owners who don't want the hassle of trawling Google or get to grips with lots of ebook jargon.

Q: What advice can you offer authors thinking about self-publishing?

Being found is perhaps the hardest thing. If you're listing your book on Amazon - then it's worth thinking about what people might type into the search tool if they were looking for your book. Then you might use these words in your title, description and even tags.

Think carefully about pricing and experiment to see the impact it has on sales.

Finally don't forget Amazon.co.uk - most of my sales and reviews have come from there.

Keith Lenart -- Simple Word Find

Kindle

Q: How many ebooks have you sold/are you selling?

My top title sells at a pace of around 900 copies/month. My whole portfolio (of 14 offerings presently) is ~ 1400/month with steady weekly growth. I've achieved these numbers in an incredibly short period as I only started self-publishing about 5 weeks ago.

Q. What are your eBooks about?

All of my offerings are focused on puzzles & games. My top seller Simple Word Find is word search puzzles custom tailored for Kindle displays. The puzzles are simple and fun and that's why I think the series (I have 7 volumes now) has become a hit so quickly. They provide a nice break from reading or a quick time-filler when you only have a few minutes available.

Q. What advice can you offer authors thinking about self-publishing?

1. Not every offering will become an immediate hit, so don't get discouraged. (One title in my portfolio accounts for nearly 65% of my total sales.)

2. Focus on the formatting of your material so that the reader has a great eBook experience. Know the ins and outs of eReader technology or partner with someone who does.

3. Serious consider pricing at the 0.99 price point to gain more exposure for your content.

Michael J. Sullivan -- The Crown Conspiracy

Kindle Nook Smashwords Amazon print

Q: How many ebooks have you sold/are you selling?

In just over 2 years I’ve sold almost 26,000 ebooks. With the release of the fourth book (April 2010) sales were around 1,000 per month. In October I released book 5 and sales have jumped to 7,500 a month.

Q: What is your ebook about?

The Riyria Revelations is a six-book epic fantasy series starting with The Crown Conspiracy. There is no ancient evil to defeat, nor orphan destined for greatness, just two thieves in the wrong time and place—accused of murdering the king. This series harkens to the roots of fantasy presenting light, fast-paced reads filled with drama and humor. Conceived as a single tale, it is divided into individual episodes each with their own conflict and resolution.

Q: What advice can you offer authors thinking about self-publishing?

Develop an exceptional product and present it with the same professionalism as any produced by a major publisher. Pay close attention to title, cover design, and back of the book blurbs as this is the first thing that captures a buyer’s eye. Make sure you have a compelling story that excites people to become your cheerleaders and recommend your books to others. Encourage fans to leave reviews to provide independent validation of the books appeal.

Stephan Windwalker -- Kindle Free For All

Kindle

Q: How many ebooks have you sold/are you selling?

I have about 25 ebooks available for download from my Amazon Author Central page at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001J919XI, ranging from fiction to a Kindle guide that was the #1 bestselling book in the Kindle Store for the entire calendar year 2008, and, most recently, KINDLE FREE FOR ALL and the Kindle Nation Daily blog. And, oh yes, my senior honors thesis from college, Vision and Revision in the Fiction of D.H. Lawrence: A Consideration of the Manuscript Development of Lady Chatterley's Lover, has sold over 600 copies in the Kindle Store, which has more than paid my Gnomon Copy bill from 1973.

Q: What are your eBooks about?

My current bestselling book was released just this week and is averaging over 500 copies a day so far! It's called KINDLE FREE FOR ALL: How to Get Millions of Free Kindle Books and Other Free Content With or Without an Amazon Kindle (For Use with the Latest Generation Kindles and Kindle Apps), and with excellent editorial help from April Hamilton I think we've hit the sweet spot for the most complete resource yet for finding free Kindle content.

Q: What advice can you offer authors thinking about self-publishing?

The five most helpful things I can say in less than 75 words are (1) read Joe Konrath's A Newbie's Guide to Publishing blog; (2) read Joe's book of the same title; (3) connect with readers; (4) be grateful when people try to help you, because it's a smaller world than you think; and (5) cast a wide net, because it's a larger world than you think. Case in point, I'm making five grand a year from the Japanese paperback translation of my Kindle guide, and who knew?

Scott Nicholson -- Disintegration
Kindle Kindle UK B&N Smashwords

Q: How many ebooks have you sold/are you selling?

I averaged 2,500 ebooks a month overall for U.S. Kindle last year, with most of the sales in the last few months. Disintegration hit #30 on the overall Kindle bestseller list and sold about 9,300 copies in November. I also have books that sell few copies.

Q: What is Disintegration about?

Disintegration is a mystery/romantic suspense novel. Identical twins vie for control of a family empire built on deceit, dark secrets, and blood, and two women vie for their place on the family throne. It's been praised and condemned for having no redeeming characters. Sort of like real life. Only with more sex and less violence.

Q: What advice can you offer authors thinking about self-publishing?

Start yesterday. Get professional help. Have standards as high as New York's. Realize the reader is your customer and your boss. Serve the reader.

Ellen Fisher -- In the Mood
Kindle

Q: How many ebooks have you sold/are you selling?

I've sold over 12,000 total since February. The amount sold every month has remained fairly steady, but this month I've gotten a nice boost from B&N. It's the first time I've sold any significant amount of books there, and as a consequence this will be my best month for sales since I started.

Q: What is In the Mood about?

In the Mood is a light and fluffy contemporary romance. It's about a boy who meets a girl... stop me if you've heard this before:-). Seriously, it's about a male romance writer and the female fan who helps him grow more comfortable with writing love scenes by, er, tutoring him. I honestly can't guess why this one has sold more than my other romances, but I'm not complaining!

Q: What advice can you offer authors thinking about self-publishing?

Make sure your manuscript is perfect. That's the most important thing-- to make sure your book is truly worth reading. Publishing poorly edited junk doesn't show respect for your readers, or for other indie authors, for that matter. Respect your readers, and yourself, by creating the best product possible-- a good manuscript, a good cover, and courteous behavior wherever you promote.

Vicki Tyley-- Thin Blood

Amazon B&N Smashwords

Q: How many ebooks have you sold/are you selling?

30,069 since May 2010 (@ 22 Dec 2010)

Q: What is Thin Blood about?

A stockbroker’s wife disappears. Blood on his hands and an adulterous affair with the missing woman’s younger sister sees him charged with murder. With no body and only circumstantial evidence he walks free. Ten years later, journalist Jacinta Deller decides to investigate, only to become embroiled in a warped game of delusion and murder.

Q: What advice can you offer authors thinking about self-publishing?

1 - Make sure your book is the best it can be, from the cover through to the editing and formatting. If you don’t have the skills to do it yourself, pay someone to do it. It’s an investment in your future.

2 - Believe in your product.

3 - Learn from the experiences of Indie pioneers.

4 - Have fun!

Kindle Nation

Kindle Nation has been a friend of this blog for a long time. Stephen Windwalker is tireless in his efforts to promote the Kindle and ebooks, and he's graciously featured and showcased many of my titles over the past two years.

Many authors have asked me what they can do in order to promote their ebooks. I can testify that appearing on Kindle Nation has helped boost my sales.

Here's Steve to explain what I'm talking about:

Over Two-Thirds of Our Kindle Nation Sponsors Climb into the Top 3,000 Overall, and Sponsorships Are Available

By Steve Windwalker, editor of indieKindle and Kindle Nation

The peak annual period for shopping in the Kindle Store begins at around 5 pm Eastern on December 24 and continues for the next two weeks, and as it approaches we've been paying close attention to the results that Kindle Nation Daily sponsors have been getting in their efforts to connect with more Kindle readers. Our December 2010 Kindle Nation Sponsorship Results spreadsheet is available for all to see and has now been updated through December 20. Here are some of the benchmarks:

• 14 out of 55 sponsoring titles overall have climbed into the top 1,000 in Kindle Store sales rankings
• 29 out of 55 sponsoring titles overall have climbed into the top 2,000 in Kindle Store sales rankings
• 37 out of 55 sponsoring titles overall have climbed into the top 3,000 in Kindle Store sales rankings, including
  
  
• 8 out of 8 Free Kindle Nation Shorts sponsors/excerpts
• 18 out of 21 daily Free Book Alert sponsoring titles
  
  
• Among titles priced at $3.79 and up, 4 out of 9 have climbed into the top 5,000
• Among titles priced at $0.99, 15 out of 17 have climbed into the top 2,100
• Among titles priced at $1.99, 2 out of 2 have climbed into the top 1,500
• Among titles priced at $2.99, 18 out of 29 have climbed into the top 3,000

Finally, 10 out of 18 of our newer and less expensive Ebook of the Day sponsoring titles have climbed into the top 10,000, but we're working to strengthen the presentation on this and we see progress: 3 of the last 4 have climbed into the top 5,000, 2 of them into the top 2,000.

I personally don't believe much in advertising, but I do believe in connecting, and I see these sponsorships as a way of connecting with readers who are engaged and responsive.

What might an author or publisher get from sponsoring Kindle Nation, other than a warm fuzzy feeling for helping a hard-working guy like me?

There's never a guarantee of success, and definitions of success can vary widely among authors and publishers. But if you have written or published a book of real distinction and you want to increase exposure and connect with more readers, we work hard to help you in that effort. We have over 10,000 regular readers between our several platforms, and we often refer to Kindle Nation readers as the greatest readers in the world. If I had to describe their reading habits, I couldn't do it, but I can tell you that as readers they are prolific, savvy, price-conscious, ecumenical with respect to genre, and they don't care for trashy books, trashy covers, and trashy reviews (I know, because I've written a few!).

I hope that helps.

Currently there is availability in early March for daily Free Book Alert sponsorships and Free Kindle Nation Shorts excerpt sponsorships, and in January for eBook of the Day sponsorships. We continue to offer a Silver package that knocks $10 off the price of a combo of the daily Free Book Alert sponsorship and the Free Kindle Nation Shorts excerpt sponsorship. See our sponsorship info page for more information and sign-up.

Resolutions for Writers 2011

Every December I do a post about resolutions for writers, and every year I add more of them. This year is especially interesting, because my latest advice goes against some of my earlier advice...

2006

Newbie Writer Resolutions

• I will start/finish the damn book
  
• I will always have at least three stories on submission, while working on a fourth
  
• I will attend at least one writer's conference, and introduce myself to agents, editors, and other writers
  
• I will subscribe to the magazines I submit to
  
• I will join a critique group. If one doesn't exist, I will start one at the local bookstore or library
  
• I will finish every story I start
  
• I will listen to criticism
  
• I will create/update my website
  
• I will master the query process and search for an agent
  
• I'll quit procrastinating in the form of research, outlines, synopses, taking classes, reading how-to books, talking about writing, and actually write something
  
• I will refuse to get discouraged, because I know JA Konrath wrote 9 novels, received almost 500 rejections, and penned over 1 million words before he sold a thing--and I'm a lot more talented than that guy
  

Professional Writer Resolutions

• I will keep my website updated
  
• I will keep up with my blog and social networks
  
• I will schedule bookstore signings, and while at the bookstore I'll meet and greet the customers rather than sit dejected in the corner
  
• I will send out a newsletter, emphasizing what I have to offer rather than what I have for sale, and I won't send out more than four a year
  
• I will learn to speak in public, even if I think I already know how
  
• I will make selling my books my responsibility, not my publisher's
  
• I will stay in touch with my fans
  
• I will contact local libraries, and tell them I'm available for speaking engagements
  
• I will attend as many writing conferences as I can afford
  
• I will spend a large portion of my advance on self-promotion
  
• I will help out other writers
  
• I will not get jealous, will never compare myself to my peers, and will cleanse my soul of envy
  
• I will be accessible, amiable, and enthusiastic
  
• I will do one thing every day to self-promote
  
• I will always remember where I came from
  

2007

• Keep an Open Mind. It's easier to defend your position than seriously consider new ways of thinking. But there is no innovation, no evolution, no "next big thing" unless someone thinks differently. Be that someone.
  
  
• Look Inward. We tend to write for ourselves. But for some reason we don't market for ourselves. Figure out what sort of marketing works on you; that's the type of marketing you should be trying. You should always know why you're doing what you're doing, and what results are acceptable to you.
  
  
• Find Your Own Way. Advice is cheap, and the Internet abounds with people telling you how to do things. Question everything. The only advice you should take is the advice that makes sense to you. And if it doesn't work, don't be afraid to ditch it.
  
  
• Set Attainable Goals. Saying you'll find an agent, or sell 30,000 books, isn't attainable, because it involves things out of your control. Saying you'll query 50 agents next month, or do signings at 20 bookstores, is within your power and fully attainable.
  
  
• Enjoy the Ride. John Lennon said that life is what happens while you're busy planning other things. Writing isn't about the destination; it's about the journey. If you aren't enjoying the process, why are you doing it?
  
  
• Help Each Other. One hand should always be reaching up for your next goal. The other should be reaching down to help others get where you're at. We're all in the same boat. Start passing out oars.

2008

I Will Use Anger As Fuel. We all know that this is a hard business. Luck plays a huge part. Rejection is part of the job. Things happen beyond our control, and we can get screwed.

It's impossible not to dwell on it when we're wronged. But rather than vent or stew or rage against the world and everyone in it, we should use that anger and the energy it provides for productive things.

The next time you get bad news, resolve to use that pain to drive your work. Show fate that when it pushes you, you push right back. By writing. By querying. By marketing.


I Will Abandon My Comfort Zone. The only difference between routine and rut is spelling.

As a writer, you are part artist and part businessman.

Great artists take chances.

Successful businessmen take chances.

This means doing things you're afraid of, and things you hate, and things you've never tried before.

If, in 2008, you don't fail at something, you weren't trying hard enough.


I Will Feed My Addiction. Life is busy. There are always things you can and should be doing, and your writing career often comes second.

So make it come first.

Right now, you're reading A Newbie's Guide to Publishing. Not A Newbie's Guide to Leading a Content and Balanced Life.

You want to get published and stay published? That means making writing a priority. That means making sacrifices. A sacrifice involves choosing one thing over another.

If you can't devote the time, energy, and money it takes to pursue this career, go do something else.


I Will Never Be Satisfied. Think the last resolution was extreme? This one really separates the die-hards from the hobbyists.

While an overwhelming sense of peace and enlightenment sounds pretty nice, I wouldn't want to hire a bunch of Zen masters to build an addition on my house.

Satisfaction and contentment are great for your personal life. In your professional life, once you start accepting the way things are, you stop trying.

No one is going to hand you anything in this business. You have to be smart, be good, work hard, and get lucky.

Every time you get published, you got lucky. Don't take it for granted.

When something bad happens, it should make you work harder. But when something good happens, you can't believe you earned it. Because it isn't true. You aren't entitled to this career. No one is.

Yes, you should celebrate successes. Sure, you should enjoy good things when they happen. Smile and laugh and feel warm and fuzzy whenever you finish a story or make a sale or reach a goal.

But remember that happiness isn't productive. Mankind's greatest accomplishments are all tales of struggle, hardship, sacrifice, work, and effort. You won't do any of those things if you're satisfied with the status quo.

Who do you want on your team? The kid who plays for fun? Or the kid who plays to win?

If you want this to be your year, you know which kid you have to be.

2009

This year I'm only going to add one resolution to this growing list, but if you're writing for a living, or trying to write for a living, it's an important one.

I Won't Blame Anyone For Anything. It's tempting to look at the many problems that arise in this business and start pointing fingers. This is a slippery slope, and no good can come from it.

Do agents, editors, and publishers make mistakes? Of course.

You make mistakes too.

Hindsight is 20/20, so we can all look at things that didn't go our way and fantasize about how things should have gone.

But blaming others, or yourself, is dwelling on the past. What's done is done, and being bitter isn't going to help your career.

So try to learn from misfortune, forgive yourself and others, and make 2009 a blameless year.

2010

I Will Be Wary. The medium in which stories are absorbed is changing in a big way, and it will continue to change. 2009 will go down in publishing history as Year Zero for the upcoming ebook revolution. Writers should explore this new territory, but we need to understand that Print is still King, and any goals and dreams a writer might have regarding publication should be focused on getting into print.

That's not to say that ebooks shouldn't be explored and experimented with. They should be, and in a serious way. Erights are a very long tail--one that can potentially continue long after our lifetimes.

Don't forsake print for ebooks without understanding what you're giving up, and don't give away your ebook rights to get a print deal.


I Will Be A Pioneer. Remember the old saying about how to recognize a pioneer? They're the one with the arrows in their backs and fronts.

I've tried to be forward-thinking in my career, rather than being content with my role as a cog in a broken machine. Your best chance for longevity is to question everything, test boundaries, experiment with new ideas, and be willing to change your mind and learn from your mistakes.

Your job is to survive, by any means necessary. So pull out the arrows and forge ahead. Discover the difference between determination and stupidity by being an example for one or the other or both.

Though this may seem at odds with the previous resolution about being wary, it's actually quite simpatico.

Q: What do you call a wary pioneer? A: Still alive.

I Will Read Books. I'm surprised I haven't mentioned this in previous years. If you're a writer, you must be a reader. I don't care if you read on your Kindle, or on stone tablets. Reading, and giving the gift of reading to others, is essential. Period.

I Will Stop Worrying. Worrying, along with envy, blame, guilt, and regret, is a useless emotion. It's also bad storytelling. Protagonists should be proactive, not reactive. They should forge ahead, not dwell on things beyond their control. Fretting, whining, complaining, and bemoaning the state of the industry isn't the way to get ahead.

You are the hero in the story of your life. Act like it.

2011

I Will Self-Publish

Just twelve short months ago, I made $1650 on Kindle in December, and was amazed I could pay my mortgage with ebook sales.

This December, I'll earn over $22,000.

The majority of this is on Kindle. But I'm also doing well self-pubbing in print through Amazon's Createspace program, and will earn $2700 this month on nine POD books. I'm also finally trying out B&N's PubIt program, which looks to be good for over $1k a month, and I'm doing okay on Smashwords, with Sony, Apple, and Kobo combining for another $1k.

This is nothing short of revolutionary.

The gatekeepers--agents who submit to editors who acquire books to publish and distribute to booksellers--are no longer needed to make a living as a fiction writer. For the first time in history, writers can reach readers without having to jump through hoops, get anointed, compromise integrity, or fit the cookie-cutter definition for What New York Wants.

I'm not saying you should give up on traditional publishing. But I am saying that there is ZERO downside to self-pubbing. At worst, you'll make a few bucks. At best, you'll make a fortune, and have agents and editors fighting over you.

But remember: even if you are being fought over, you still have a choice.

DO NOT take any deal that's less than what you believe you could earn in six years. If you're selling 1000 ebooks a month, that means $144,000 is the minimum advance you should be offered before you consider signing.

It blows my mind to think that way, let alone blog about it. I got a $34,000 advance for my first novel, and even less for my last few.

Currently, I have seven self-pubbed novels, each earning more than $24k a year. In six years, at the current rate, I'll earn more than one million bucks on those.

But I don't expect them to maintain their current sales.

I expect sales to go up.

Ebooks haven't saturated the market yet. But they will. And you need to be ready for it. Which leads me to...


I Won't Self-Publish Crap

Just because it's easier than ever before to reach an audience doesn't mean you should.

I can safely say that I'm either directly or indirectly responsible for thousands of writers trying out self-publishing. The majority of these writers aren't making the same amount of money that I am, and are scratching their heads, wondering what they're doing wrong.

Luck still plays a part in success. But so does professionalism.

Being a professional means you make sure you have a professional cover (http://extendedimagery.blogspot.com), and you have been professionally formatted for ebooks (www.52novels.com) and for print books (http://yourepublished.blogspot.com.)

Being a professional means you're prolific, with many titles for sale, and that you diversify, exploiting all possible places to sell your work (Kindle, Createspace, Smashwords, iBooks, iTunes, Sony, Nook, Kobo, Borders, Android, and no doubt more to come.)

But most of all, being a professional means you won't inflict your shitty writing on the public.

Self-pubbing is not the kiddie pool, where you learn how to swim. You need to be an excellent swimmer before you jump in.

If your sales aren't where you'd like them to be, especially if you've done everything else I've mentioned, then it's time to take a cold, hard, critical look at the writing. Which segues into...


I'll Pay Attention to the Market

To say I'm excited about the ebook future is putting it mildly. But that doesn't mean I have carte blanche to write whatever the hell I want to, and then expect it to sell.

Yes, writers now have more freedom. Yes, we can now cater to niche tastes, and write novellas, and focus on more personal projects.

But if you want to make a living, you still have to understand your audience, and how to give them what they want.

Self-pubbing is not an excuse to be a self-indulgent egomaniac. On the contrary, it's a chance for you to learn what sells.

For the very first time, the writer can conduct their own real-world experiments. By trying different things, learning from mistakes, and constantly tweaking and improving, we have more power than ever before to find our readers.

A lot of folks know how much money I'm making. But how many know:

I've changed or tweaked cover art 45 times.
I've reformatted my books five times each.
I've changed product descriptions over 80 times.
I've changed prices on each book two or three times.

Unlike the traditional publishing world, where published books are static, self-publishing is dynamic. If something isn't selling as well as you'd like, you can change it. The work doesn't end when you upload your ebook to Kindle. The work is never-ending, and vigilance is mandatory.

Self-publishing is a wonderful opportunity to learn and to grow. This means you MUST try new things.

2011 is going to be a turbulent year for publishers and bookstores and editors and agents. Change is coming, and many of the stalwarts of the industry aren't going to be around for much longer.

But savvy writers will be safe from harm. In fact, they'll thrive like never before.

For the first time in the history of publishing, we have control. Embrace that control, and make 2011 your year.

Go get 'em, tiger.

Interview with Robert W. Walker

Robert Walker's an old friend, and earlier this year I helped him get his backlist of 30+ out of print novels onto Kindle.

Now he's got a new ebook out: Titanic 2012 – Curse of RMS Titanic. In the spirit of that, here's a fanciful interview and an excerpt from his latest...

It was no easy task locating author Rob Walker. It required my chartering a helicopter to go out over the North Atlantic to be set down on the Scorpio – Rob’s amazing science fiction NOW salvage ship which set out to pillage the wreck of Titanic in 2012, a hundred years after she sank…to pillage her of any remaining treasures found inside.

The principal characters have the technology to safely descend to amazing depths and actually dive the wreck thanks to liquid air they breathe and their space-age suits.

I found Rob in the control room aboard Scorpio, and while glad to see me, the man was busy with mapping out the dive, determining last minute decisions for the dive team. I could not imagine the weight on Rob’s shoulders and couldn’t help but notice the deep creases in his features since last I saw him at a bar in Chicago some years before. He’d aged of course, but this was more than normal aging; this was the stress of pulling off the impossible, to in a sense ‘raise the Titanic’ in terms of raising awareness of what really happened that night in 1912 aboard the ill-fated ship he nowadays refers to as his “mystery ship”.

Somewhat annoyed at my suddenly showing up, despite the fact we had an appointed time, Walker reluctantly turned over duties to Captain Juris Forbes, and he led me to a specific area back of the ship where he insisted we sit at a table outdoors a mile and a half above the wreckage of Titanic. It was here that the impossible happened, and I was completely taken by surprise, as we had stepped into a force field activated by nature itself, one that placed us onto the deck of the Titanic in 1912.

Walker slyly winked at me and said, “My novel is Dr. Who meets Conan Doyle and Michael Crichton on the steampunk ship Titanic.”

And so, despite be shaken up in realizing I had gone back in time, being the pro that I am, I started in on my interview of Rob Walker while stewards aboard Titanic came and went with tea, coffee, sweets, and politeness. We were at the stern at an outdoor café aboard, just above the ship’s powerful wake, the sound of which created a beat to our discussion.

JA: Rob, after all that has been written about this ship we’re somehow on, topped by Cameron’s film, why did you wish to tackle what your publisher told you was a ‘tired subject, done to death’?

Rob: Where did you hear that? Man, try to keep things quiet in this business. OK, yeah, my traditional publisher who did my Alastair Ransom City Series was not interested when I suggested that Alastair needs be placed on board the Titanic now that the Chicago World’s Fair titles had ended in a trilogy.

My editor, understandably doubtful, was not interested. In fact the idea had been floated the year that Cameron’s film came out minus Alastair and was turned down by agents and editors alike as not a good time to deal with the ship. A bad time to be in love with Titanic. But honestly, there is and always will be a huge audience of readers fascinated with every aspect of the Titanic story.

JA: So you took it to Kindle and published it yourself, right? How has that worked out for you?

Rob: I found this so serendipitous that a story chockfull of technology and science fiction is being self-pubbed. In fact, my last five booklength works, one a how-to, have been Kindle original titles.

I say serendipitous because my dream as a writer had always been to publish as I produce – no nine month gestation period, no year and a half wait for print, but pubbed the day after completion, hot off the brain. Technology in the real world has caught up to my dreams, and in the novel, technology has caught up to the dreams of my shape-changing creature who is among the divers going down to Titanic, a hundred years after surviving the sinking of the ‘unsinkable’ ship. How coincidental is that?

Walker paused to sip at his coffee, then pulled out a flask and topped it off with Jack Daniels, offering me a tweak, which under the circumstances and still reeling from our time travel, I gladly took. It improved the 1912 coffee to no end.

JA: But your answer does not cut to the real issue—who are you, Robert Walker, to take on the Titanic? You are known for your serial killer and police procedural and medical examiner novels and forays into the horror category.

Rob: I brought all the categories I have ever written in on this novel: mystery, history, autopsy, horror, science fiction, coming of age, suspense, generational, thriller, steampunk, romance—

JA: Sounds meaty.

Rob: The novel is meant to cut across time, space, and genres or pigeon holds and traditional publishing holes. The novel has more layers than an onion, and as they are peeled away it falls into place like a puzzle in two time zones—past and future. Drink up. You’ll need it, Joe.

I felt the entire ship groan and we both looked up to see a wall of black ice in the night sky and it began to rain down chunks of ice.

JA: What’s happening?

Rob: This is the scene where the orders from Captain Edward Smith are being carried out—to run the ship into an iceberg, but apparently they’ve botched it. It was supposed to be a dead on hit. Now we can stay here or go into the Ballroom and raid the bar. Either way, Titanic is going down.

JA: Are you kidding? I know the ship must go down but you’re telling me it was intentional?

Rob: Just as intentional as Inspector Alastair Ransom getting drunk, sitting in on a card game in an attempt to win a new pair of shoes to die in, and managing to get into a fight as Titanic is going down, yes.

JA: But why would Smith wish to destroy Titanic? His own ship?

Rob: That is what the novel’s pivotal question is all about, and I refuse to give it away. This interview is over!

JA: Hold on! You can trust me. I can handle the truth.

Walker was heading for the bar by now, and I following.

Rob (turning on me): But can readers handle the truth? I am toppling a lot of pedestals in this novel, raising questions about the questions that have plagued us for a hundred years.

JA: Tell me.

Rob: Smith sunk the Titanic...to kill something onboard.

Walker's words sank into me, and then the deck beneath my feet lurched, groaning terribly.

JA: Any chance, Rob, we can get off this ship and get back to the more stable deck of Scorpio? Feels like the ship is coming apart.

Rob: Frankly, I’d be happy just to have us go to Chapter 30 – not aboard Scorpio but INSIDE Titanic.

EXCERPT:

…David helplessly watched in the same instant as his dive partner imploded, his suit fragmented from the force of the implosion. Compressed pieces of his flesh rained around David like blood-red flakes of fish food.

The autos and the ghosts within them, a fatherly figure at the wheel, wife beside him, children in the rear, were by now filling screens topside, fueling the imaginations of some, the greed of others. Books and films were inevitable deals in the works, for sure, thought David. Scorpio’s monitors would create the first glimpse mankind would have of these buried treasures—thanks to Mendenhall’s rash action when in fact their orders had been to locate Kelly and Swigart, and to reunite with them. But the allure of seeing up close and personal Dr. William O’Laughlin’s Renault touring car had taken a sudden deadly turn.

The impact of the implosion spawned a shock wave that hurtled David end over end, and as David righted himself, he saw a number of eerily preserved bodies tumbling in ragdoll fashion across the floor, tossed out of the shadows. A normal-appearing dead man in the water was enough to shock a man, even black-water divers working for police departments, but these hundred-year-old perfectly preserved mannequins in the dead zone, flesh turned to a kind of Jell-O, their clothes like sheets—moving with the eddies, these ghosts of Titanic proved even more disturbing as parts of them stretched out to David as if drawn to the only living being in the water now.

These were bodies that had lain hidden behind cars and in the shadowy reaches of the cargo hold. Some of these grim figures still sported hair and nails. One in particular cascaded into him as a drunk might stumble from a bar—this one without shoes.

It was as if the dead wanted both of them to join them here for eternity.

Almost perfect in their preserved bodies, the disturbed dead now seemed everywhere. Bodies preserved due to the pressures and containment within the once sealed cargo hold sported intact exaggerated features, their mouths open like so many banshees. Men, women, and children staring out of glassy eyes that made them appear as grisly wax figures. Their equally preserved period clothing only added to the surreal nature of this place.

David pushed away the growing number of bodies that came at him, or rather the exit behind him—each one more surreal than the one before it, and all of them like so many mannequins in appearance. He thought of what he, Jacob, and Scorpio had just accomplished, for no one had visited or seen these people for a hundred years. These were first class passengers aboard Titanic who sought refuge not in drink or music or prayer but in their latest acquisition. Those who, in a last ditch hope to die rich, David imagined, wanted to cross over with their most valued possessions firmly in hand—their motorcars.

JA: Eerie scene, Rob.

Rob: Now I’d best get you back to Scorpio and your chopper, Joe. I know how very busy you are and time is money as the say!

With that, I found myself back at the table at the stern on Scorpio as if we’d never left. Coffee still warm and Rob pouring a shot of whiskey into my cup. I didn’t ask after the fantastic technology that made the previous events occur, but rather shook Rob’s hand, and Rob pulled me into him for a ‘man hug’ and a slap on the back to send me off.

As the chopper blades drowned him out, I saw Rob mouth the words, “I love ya’ man!” to which I saluted and shouted back the same as the chopper lifted off. As we rose, I looked down at Scorpio only to see that it had again turned into the Titanic, and I saw a dark and sinister hound of hell lurking about the top deck which made me wonder about Robert W. Walker’s fantastic tale of a creature that made of Titanic a plague ship…a mystery called Titanic 2012 – Curse of RMS Titanic...

Guest Post by Selena Kitt

Like many others, I've been keenly watching Amazon.com, and their current efforts to delist ebooks dealing with certain taboo topics. It seems as if Amazon is taking down ebooks and print books that focus on incest erotica.

Though I have no skin in this game (unless I ever revisit my long-delayed project My Hard-On Belongs To Daddy) I am a bit concerned. As a company, Amazon has every right to choose what it sells and doesn't sell. In my opinion, this isn't a censorship or freedom of speech issue. It's a retail issue.

That said, because Amazon isn't being specific about what they consider inappropriate, this could easily turn into a slippery slope.

Since I'm not affected by this, I asked one of the authors who is affected, Selena Kitt, if she'd like to chime in. Selena wrote this essay (also posted at The Self Publishing Review) and kindly let me repost it.

I look forward to the heated debate in the comments section.

Amazon in the Book Banning Business
by Selena Kitt

On December 9, 2010, I was contacted by CreateSpace (Amazon’s Print on Demand service) who publishes my print books. They informed me that my title, Back to the Garden, had been removed for violating their “content guidelines.” When I consulted their guidelines I found them so vague as to be useless—were they saying my content was illegal? Public domain? Stolen? Offensive? (All of these were on the list). When I inquired as to the specifics of the violation, they were not forthcoming, and sent a form letter response stating that Amazon “may, in its sole discretion, at any time, refuse to list or distribute any content that it deems inappropriate.”

On Sunday, December 12, the print title that had been removed had now disappeared from the Kindle store, as well as two of my other titles, Naughty Bits and Under Mr. Nolan’s Bed. I have over fifty titles selling on Amazon, all of them in erotic fiction categories. The only thing these three singled-out titles had in common, besides being written by me—they were all erotic incest fantasy fiction.

About this time, I heard that two other authors, Jess C. Scott and Esmerelda Green, both had erotic incest-related titles removed from Amazon's site. After some research, I discovered one of Frances Gaines Bennett’s incest-related books had also been removed. As the night wore on, and public outcry about censorship and banned books began on Twitter at #amazonfail and #amazoncensors and on their own Kindle Boards, more and more incest-related erotica titles began to disappear from the Amazon site, so that the “Kindle Incest” search page began to look like swiss cheese. Teleread covered the story soon after.

When some of my readers began checking their Kindle archives for books of mine they’d purchased on Amazon, they found them missing from their archives. When one reader called to get a refund for the book she no longer had access to, she was chastised by the Amazon customer service representative about the “severity” of the book she’d chosen to purchase.

As of this writing, Amazon has refused to respond to my emails or phone calls in regards to this matter and has refused to further clarify what, if any, content guidelines the books in question violate. If Amazon had clear guidelines that were applied to all publishers across every platform and enforced them consistently, this would be a moot issue. By not clearly stating their position and choosing books either arbitrarily or based on searches of top-rated titles which are the most visible titles in the genre, they seem to be deliberately hiding a clear case of discrimination and what amounts to censorship (albeit ipso facto) because of their lack of transparency.

I want to be clear that while the subject of incest may not appeal to some, there is no underage contact in any of my work, and I make that either explicitly clear in all my stories or I state it up front in the book's disclaimer. I don't condone or support actual incest, just as someone who writes mysteries about serial killers wouldn't condone killing. What I write is fiction. It's fantasy, not reality. And I'm not saying what I write isn't controversial, but it's not illegal (at least in some states) or a threat to national security, and seems as undeserving of censorship as... well...

As fellow author, Will Belegon, noted, if Amazon is going to start pulling books with incest in them: "I just re-read Genesis 19: 30-38 and realized that Lot's daughters got him drunk, had sex with him and bore sons. I demand you follow your clear precedent and remove The Bible from Kindle."

Or perhaps Amazon should create a new television ad after they follow their clear precedent and ban the book the woman is reading in the advertisement on her Kindle ("Sleepwalking" by Amy Bloom) which tells the story of a 19-year-old boy who has a sexual encounter with his stepmother, which, in some states, is legally incest.

While it can be said that, for an author or celebrity, any press (including bad press) is good press, for a bookseller and publisher, that does not necessarily hold true. Can Amazon afford the bad press about book removal which may spark outcries from many corners, including self-publishing authors, the fastest-growing segment of their Kindle ebook distribution?

In speculating on the motivations of Amazon’s actions, as they have not been forthcoming with any statement or explanation, I am concerned that they may be acting out of reactionary fear. This may be based on pressure from a small number of vocal and complaining conservative and/or religious right extremists who object to and are afraid of sexual fantasies and erotic printed material (including incest fantasies). It may also be based on threatening governmental pressure related to the recently removed WikiLeaks. More speculation may point to overzealous lawyering as Amazon moves from just-distributor and bookseller to publisher.

While I am not a lawyer, constitutional scholar or legal expert on free speech and intellectual freedom, I am an author and publisher and know that, regardless of the technical legalities of Amazon's actions, buckling to this pressure and the removal of books will hurt their bottom line. It will damage relationships with readers, authors, publishers and organizations such as the American Library Association and the ACLU, among others, who are interested in supporting free speech. I should also note that I am a professional psychologist and, while no longer licensed or working in the field, it’s clear that when individuals and organizations fail to recognize the difference between fantasy and reality, problems such as this result.

The Bestseller Shift

In just a week, Amanda Hocking has sold over 10,000 ebooks.

Who is Amanda Hocking?

She's a self-published paranormal romance author. Check out her blog.

Not counting sales of Shaken, Afraid, or my Jack Daniels ebooks, I've sold about 2200 ebooks this week. And I've got about three times as many titles for sale as Amanda does.

Now, this isn't a competition, and writers should never compare their numbers, but I'm bringing Amanda's numbers up because I think it's indicative of a paradigm shift within the industry.

In the traditional publishing model, the most important factor in how many books sell is distribution.

A bestseller, by definition, has to sell a lot of books. In order to sell a lot of books, the book has to be available in a lot of places.

There's a chicken/egg thing happening here. Do authors become bestsellers, and then get huge distribution? Or is the huge distribution the reason they are bestsellers?

James Patterson is available in every airport, big box store, drugstore, supermarket, and non-bookstore outlet. Within the bookstores, his books get coop so they are available in mass quantities, for a discount.

Of course he sells a lot. If you're looking to read a thriller, often he's one of the only choices you have. The more places you are for sale, the more places you'll sell.

Some folks may say that Patterson sells well because he's an established brand. People know him, and that's why they buy him.

The multi-billion dollar advertising industry would like you to believe that it is essential to become a brand name, and for your product to become recognizable. Certainly Patterson has ad revenue behind him. He has TV commercials, for heaven's sake. It isn't difficult to draw a connection between how much he sells, and how well known he is, and advertising plays a part in how well known he is.

So let's get back to Ms. Hocking.

She has no name-recognition. If you look at her blog, she only has a few comments per post. She has no traditional publishing background, either.

Compare that to me, who has some name recognition, and a prior platform in the print world. I've been doing this longer than she has by years, have a large installed fanbase, have a blog that gets a million hits a year, and it's tough to find a discussion about self-pubbing or Kindle that doesn't mention me.

Yet Amanda is creaming me in sales.

So what's happening here?

What's happening, I believe, is a shift in how readers decide what to read.

The old distribution method of print books isn't valid in the ebook world. While Patterson can get into tens of thousands of retail locations with his books, his ebooks and Amanda's ebooks (and my ebooks) only have a few sales venues; Amazon, Apple, B&N, etc.

The playing field is even. On an even playing field, anyone can win.

While Patterson no doubt sells a good number of ebooks based on brand recognition, Hocking is a perfect reminder that a lot of things influence why people by things, not just a famous name.

Many items that aren't name brands can still sell very well. In fact, for every Sam Adams, there are dozens of popular microbrews who would perhaps give Sam a run for the money if they had wider distribution.

As ebooks take over as the dominant format for fiction, we're going to see a shift. Those who succeeded in the old print model will no doubt carry some of their fans along with them, but they'll see a drop in sales and profits, simply because their publishers price their books too high, give them too little in royalties, and because there is now a lot more choice for readers.

It's no longer a question of going to Walgreens and only having fifteen books to pick from.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, authors like Amanda Hocking, and Zoe Winters, and Karen McQuestion, and Selena Kitt, and Lorelei James, are making big money without the brand recognition, advertising, or distribution of James Patterson.

Years ago, publishers used to "grow" authors. They'd build them up, year after year, until they had a sizeable backlist, and then take a shot at the bestseller list by having a big print run and a big marketing campaign. Many of the authors you see on the NYT list got there through this method.

These days, authors can grow themselves. By writing good books with good covers, and pricing them low, readers can discover them.

No widespread distribution, advertising, coop, brand recognition, or famous name needed.

In the future, the bestseller lists won't be dominated by name authors.

They'll be dominated by good books.

Konrath Self-Pubbed Sales

I haven't posted my numbers in a while, so here they are.

In the past six weeks, my twenty self-pubbed titles on Amazon Kindle have earned over $26,000.

In November, I sold over 9000 ebooks on Kindle. That averages out to 300 a day.

In November, I also sold 266 print copies of nine self-published titles, earning royalties of $1000. This number is skewed, since most of the titles weren't available until the middle of the month.

I'm not allowed to disclose sales of Shaken, which was published by Amazon Encore. But I'll say that it puts my self-pubbed sales for November to shame.

I attribute the boost I've gotten on my self-pubbed titles to Shaken's success. It hung out in the Amazon Top 100 for a month, and is now ranked at #148.

So is this as good as it gets? is the ebook bubble about to burst?

Not even close.

Amazon put their Kindle 2 on sale for $89 on Black Friday. It sold out in four seconds.

I predict in 2011, the Kindle 3 will be under $99. The market will begin to shift from early adopters to mainstream consumers. Millions of ereaders will be sold this holiday season, and next season will be even bigger.

In 2010, my January sales had a nice bump, from new Kindle owners trying out their new gadgets. 2011 will begin the same way.

I've also noted before how ebooks are like a pyramid scheme. Once they're live, they keep earning money, and more people review them and tell others about them, growing their fanbase. As an author, I add fuel to this fire by writing even more titles, biggering my potential for discovery and for new readers.

In 2011 my two Timecaster sci-fi books will be released. So will Stirred, the last Jack Daniels thriller, that I'm writing with Blake Crouch. I'm also doing a follow up to Serial Uncut called Killers Uncut with Crouch, and a spy thriller with another writer friend. Plus I'm still working on that secret project that will land me on the NYT list for the first time.

All of this new material will keep my backlist viable. In the past 20 months, I've sold over 100,000 self-pubbed ebooks. I bet I can sell more in 2011.

Now lots of folks are quick to point out that I'm an anomaly, an outlier. I believe this label is premature. With every new trend, someone has to be first. But others will follow.

I've mentioned many authors, newbies and seasoned pros, who are self-publishing with some success. In 2011 watch how many pros begin to release their backlists, and their shelf-novels, on Kindle. Also watch to see if any write specifically for Kindle, bypassing traditional publishing completely.

Right now, the profit margin for traditional publishing is slim. If enough authors strike out on their own, it will cause an industry-wide collapse. Fewer books published means fewer sales, which means bookstores close, which means publishers close.

Now let's take a few questions.

Q: You really believe gigantic publishing companies won't survive?

A: Hardcovers sales are down 40% from last year. Ebook sales are up 158%. But publishers are screwing authors on ebook royalties, and charging too much for ebooks. If they change tactics, they'll survive. If they don't, more and more authors will leave tradtitional publishers to make more money on their own.

Q: Don't they realize that will happen?

A: Some of the smartest people I know work in the publishing business. These are motivated, savvy people who love books. But it is notoriously difficult to change a business plan in a large corporation, and history shows that new technology leaves massive casualties. I'm sure the average NY editor has ideas on how to fix things, but their hands may be tied.

Part of the problem is precedent. For over a hundred years, authors had no choice but to deal with publishers. Publishers had all of the power, and they've taken it for granted that they always will. Now the balance of power has truly shifted, but rather than realize their ENTIRE product line comes from artists, publishers instead continue to treat them in the same old way, and expect them to be grateful for the attention.

That won't fly anymore.

Q: How do libraries fit into this future?

A: Libraries are adapting better than bookstores are. Many already have ebook lending available, and more will follow.

Q: How about bookstores?

A: Chapters in Canada is a bookstore chain doing well while others are struggling. If I ran a bookstore, I'd diversify by not only selling non-book items, but by selling used books, POD books (with an Espresso Book Machine on site), and figure out how to sell ebooks in-store and host ebook authors for signings.

Bookstores should also be selling online, both print and ebooks. But their online presence should be community-oriented with lots of user-aggregated content. BN.com and Borders.com are places to shop. Amazon.com is a place to hang out.

Q: I'm an author with ebooks for sale, and I'm hardly selling any.

A: What are you doing to sell your ebooks? Do you participate in any ebook forums online? Have you tried changing your cover/price/product description? Do you actively promote your ebooks? Are you sure they're properly formatted? Is everything you have available for sale? And, finally, are the books any good?

I know authors who are sitting on books, holding out hope for a print deal. I know authors who insist their covers are good when they are really sub par. I know authors who charge too much, and authors who have formatting errors on the first page, and authors who haven't updated their website in two years.

Ebooks aren't a Hail Mary pass that win the ball game at the last second. Ebooks are a career. All careers mean hard work.

Q: You're really making $620 a day?

A: That's just on Kindle. If we include other ebook venues, Createspace, my print deals, and royalties and subsidiary rights, I'm probably one of the better-paid authors working today. Who woulda thunk that you can actually make decent money writing?