How Deep Are Your Pockets? Ginger's nosy!

I found a slice of heaven when I discovered my current publisher.  Only "invited" authors are there, and most have taken advantage of re-writing books that weren't given the notice they deserved the first time around.  As I've mentioned before, writing is a never-ending journey when it comes to learning.  Rules change as often as my underwear (that's frequently, by the way), and to be able to apply newly-learned skills to improve a read is a joy.

As most of you, I've been signed for years with small publishers and know how many pieces of the pie get served up before I get my portion.  Suffice to say, my earnings have been slim despite the number of books I've published.

With my new publisher, I finally got the opportunity to feel like a true author.  Although I've always said I don't write for the money, I think the smile on my face when I received my first four digit paycheck made a liar out of me.  And that was for ONE book, but there was a catch....

Amazon has given many authors an opportunity to publish their own works, thus cutting out the middleman.  I haven't gone that route because I still cherish having an editor who goes through my work and finds mistakes even after it's been read by me a hundred times and passed through a critique group.  Still, I don't believe a book exists in which there isn't at least one or two errors of some form.  There just aren't enough eyes in the world to catch everything, and I believe our brains often read what we think should be there.  I've read some books lately that are fraught with mistakes that would never have been there if the author had taken an extra month and at least used a beta reader to solicit comments, but then, I know the feeling of being anxious to see your book for sale.  Still, the stigma of ebooks versus mainstream continues to sink our popularity because of some of these poorly written novels.

The KDP program seemed like an answer to a prayer, but I'm sure many are finding it was just a temporary shining star.  How do you fall from being in the one thousands in ranking to quadruple digits? Amazon has the power to change the algorithms at will, and we don’t have any say in the matter.   Amazon recently purchased Avalon and imported all of their books and authors into their pool. Wanna bet that sales are skewed in favor of in-house publishing ventures?  I think the KDP program as a ploy to get mainstream authors on board, and now that they've joined the ranks, we small press and self-pubbed people are at the back of the line again.  That doesn't mean we can't compete, it just makes it a little more difficult...and probably out of the financial reach of most of us.

 Amazon use to show our free rankings with the paid rankings, giving us an equal footing, but now that the big four pay for Amazon feature ads at around $50,000 per package, we cannot complete in their league...at least in paid promotion, but we can continue to write the very best books we can, which is why I'm thrilled to have been able to offer improved versions of some of my stories.  I thought I knew what a novel was from years of being a reader, but until you actually write your own book, you have no idea what's involved.  I wish we could get that across to those who like to desecrate the works of some in nasty, unhelpful reviews.


You can find my latest releases along with all my other work at: http://www.amazon.com/author/gingersimpson

How E-Readers Have Improved Our Writing

I started on this journey years ago, believing in and hoping fans would abandon paperbacks and get on the e-book train.  It's hard to believe it's happening.  Although I have mixed emotions about the closing of some major bookstores, I can't help but celebrate being part of this growing enterprise. 

Clearly, the sales of over one million Kindles during the holiday season last year proved that people are reading e-books.  At last, my pitiful royalty checks have grown into something worth bragging about, and I'm stimulated to write and publish more.  The old stigma about self-publishing has faded with the appearance of so many pre-contracted authors striking out on their own.  I hope to join them before long but I wouldn't trade my contracted experiences for anything.  Listing all the things I've learned would take an entire page.

My first editorial session in my debut novel focused on passive voice, historical facts, showing versus telling, and punctuation.  Although at the time, the term "show versus tell" wasn't used, I certainly learned the difference.  I was encouraged to make a great story into an even better novel by including the reader in each scene.   I'd been a "reader" for years, but I never put two and two together to figure out what constituted a great book for me.  If I heaved a contented sigh at the end, then the novel was a keeper.  *lol*

Through the years and many more editorial sessions, I've discovered numerous facets that create a great read, but with Kindle offering a generous sample of the story, authors should have figured out by now that they'd better write an engaging first chapter to hook the reader into wanting more.  Sales can be made or lost in just a few opening paragraphs, so I'm concentrating on that fact in any new or revised work that I present. 

To give you an example, here's a major revision to a book that I'm working on now for re-release:

PRESENT Version:  Each time she shifted her weight, the cold, white paper covering the examining table cracked.  She chewed her bottom lip, reached around, and pulled the flimsy plastic gown around her bare behind.   ... (after three pages) She heaved a huge sigh, trying to ignore the voice in her head that told her if she took all the pills at once her problems would be over.

NEW Version:  The nagging voice in Cassie Fremont's head urged her to end it all.  She sighed and shifted her weight, crinkling the cold, white paper covering the examining table.  Perhaps this overdue visit to see Doctor Owens would restore some sanity to her life. She shook her head to clear her suicidal thoughts and shivered beneath the overhead vent.

Why a complete examination? She only needed medication to fight her depression. It was just like her long-time physician to be thorough. Cassie chewed her bottom lip, reached around and tugged the flimsy plastic gown around her bare behind.  What was taking the man so long, and why was the air-conditioning set so damned high?

My thoughts:  In my opinion, I've set a desperate scene that drove the woman to see a doctor.  Rather than have the reader sift through three pages to find out this fact, I've moved it up to create tension and curiosity.  What made her depressed?  Why is she contemplating something as serious as suicide?  I'll make many more improvements before I'm finished, but armed with what I've learned and now recognize as necessary in an award-winning novel, I intend to be a contender.