The SQUEE GOOD NEWS Thread

Because that novel isn't going to delay itself
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cheekychook
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Re: The SQUEE GOOD NEWS Thread

Post by cheekychook » July 26th, 2012, 11:48 pm

Remember when I was squeeing a month ago because my first novella, ALWAYS YOU, became a finalist in the RWA Passionate Plume contest?? Well I just found out tonight that it took FIRST PLACE. WOOHOO! :thud
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Passionate Plume 1st Place Winner 2012 - ALWAYS YOU
Published with Ellora's Cave, Turquoise Morning Press & Samhain Publishing

Margo
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Re: The SQUEE GOOD NEWS Thread

Post by Margo » July 27th, 2012, 12:30 am

Mark.W.Carson wrote:Congrats, Margo

Some day, you must tell us how you did it (OK, line stolen from 1776)
I put in my million-word apprenticeship. I write commercial, escapist reader-based fiction instead of writer-based projects (meaning that it's more important to write what they want to read than pander to my own ego by writing something obscure, inaccessible, and muse-driven). I write a LOT. I release OFTEN. I brand my covers to make them stand out and make them easily recognizable, but I also remember to use appropriate visual cues for the genre (a concept which appears to be a total mystery to a lot of writers). I minimize the time I spend on blogging, tweeting, updating my website, etc, and spend that time writing instead. Ummm, yep, that's pretty much it.

Some genres are better than others for self-publishing and making a midlister's living. Romance, yep. Literary, not so much. Large audience = more opportunity to make a living from it, but you also have to know enough about the state of the genre to know what prices convey quality without straying outside what is acceptible to the audience. For instance, in my experience, writers who routinely price their work at 99 cents are slapping a "crap" label on their work whether it's good or not, and readers go in with a pre-set expectation. I've seen good books that went free or 99-cents that have a slew of bad reviews from people who never would have bought the book at a reasonable price, and crap books priced higher that have good rankings and no reviews or a handful of good reviews. Packaging and presentation not only matter but affect the preceived value of the book. Some of my bestselling novellas sell for more than a full-length paperback. So, yeah, one more tip for self-publishers. Don't sell books for 99 cents unless it's the occasional promotional title, something like the first book in a series. I get a lot of flack for saying that and telling writers that social media is a waste of time compared to the return of writing more, but they can grumble all they want. I'm busy writing and having to hire an accountant to deal with the cashflow. They're...writing blog rants.
MattLarkin wrote:But when can we see more Urban Midgard?
Look, a squirrel! 8-)
cheekychook wrote:Remember when I was squeeing a month ago because my first novella, ALWAYS YOU, became a finalist in the RWA Passionate Plume contest?? Well I just found out tonight that it took FIRST PLACE. WOOHOO! :thud

WOOHOO! YAY! I think I'm going to celebrate by reading it again.
Urban fantasy, epic fantasy, and hot Norse elves. http://margolerwill.blogspot.com/

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Re: The SQUEE GOOD NEWS Thread

Post by Claudie » July 27th, 2012, 10:42 am

cheekychook wrote:Remember when I was squeeing a month ago because my first novella, ALWAYS YOU, became a finalist in the RWA Passionate Plume contest?? Well I just found out tonight that it took FIRST PLACE. WOOHOO! :thud
That is soo cool! Congratulatioons, cheeky! :)
"I do not think there is any thrill [...] like that felt by the inventor as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success... Such emotions make a man forget food, sleep, friends, love, everything." -- Nikola Tesla

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Re: The SQUEE GOOD NEWS Thread

Post by MattLarkin » July 27th, 2012, 11:02 am

Margo wrote:
MattLarkin wrote:But when can we see more Urban Midgard?
Look, a squirrel! 8-)
I'm not interested unless it's Ratatosk.
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Re: The SQUEE GOOD NEWS Thread

Post by dios4vida » July 27th, 2012, 12:31 pm

MattLarkin wrote:
Margo wrote:
MattLarkin wrote:But when can we see more Urban Midgard?
Look, a squirrel! 8-)
I'm not interested unless it's Ratatosk.
Oooh, well played, Matt!!

Seriously, though, my brain is easily distracted at a chronic level, but to choose between Urban Midgard and a squirrel...I'd take the squirrel Midgard any day. :)
Brenda :)

Inspiration isn't about the muse. Inspiration is working until something clicks. ~Brandon Sanderson

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Re: The SQUEE GOOD NEWS Thread

Post by trixie » August 4th, 2012, 11:56 am

KAREN!! Holy crap--that's amazing news! Congrats!

And MARGO--honestly. May you always be able to count more zeros on those pay statements. ;) Yes, I miss your Tweets and blogs as well, but it sounds like you've hit one helluva stride right now. Congrats on all your successes!

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Re: The SQUEE GOOD NEWS Thread

Post by writersink » August 6th, 2012, 5:00 am

cheekychook wrote:Remember when I was squeeing a month ago because my first novella, ALWAYS YOU, became a finalist in the RWA Passionate Plume contest?? Well I just found out tonight that it took FIRST PLACE. WOOHOO! :thud
YAY! Congratulations! That's amazing!

And awesome Margo! wooooo! Livin' the dream!

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Re: The SQUEE GOOD NEWS Thread

Post by HillaryJ » August 14th, 2012, 12:28 am

Rock ON, Margo!

And congrats, Cheeky! That's freaking awesome.
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as Regan Summers - The Night Runner series from Carina Press

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Re: The SQUEE GOOD NEWS Thread

Post by Margo » August 15th, 2012, 11:21 am

Thank you, guys. Much appreciated.

I saw an interesting list yesterday of the top 100 indie authors (aka self-pubbed, not small press) on Amazon for August 2012. The sales numbers were self-reported, and I know about a half-dozen writers with numbers that would have put them higher than I'd be on the list, but even with that adjustment, I'd be in the top 40-50 indie authors on Amazon. Get this...my numbers beat Konrath. By a LOT. :D
Urban fantasy, epic fantasy, and hot Norse elves. http://margolerwill.blogspot.com/

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Re: The SQUEE GOOD NEWS Thread

Post by bcomet » August 16th, 2012, 3:01 am

Hi Margo! Still catching up with the news around here, but saw THIS about YOU! Congrats! You inspire us all!
Wonderful wonderful news!

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Re: The SQUEE GOOD NEWS Thread

Post by Mark.W.Carson » August 18th, 2012, 7:02 pm

My news may not be quite as good as everyone else's lately. However, I do have this. After struggling for a while, rewriting and restarting my first novel, I got challenged to find where it should really begin, and found that I flip flopped the telling of the story. Now, I have a much better story to tell, and had a chance to hone my writing to the point I am getting happy with it.

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Re: The SQUEE GOOD NEWS Thread

Post by bcomet » August 19th, 2012, 9:20 pm

Mark, That IS great news!! Congrats!

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Re: The SQUEE GOOD NEWS Thread

Post by bcomet » August 19th, 2012, 9:21 pm

Margo,

How did you find the/make the art for the covers for your Amazon.com books? Did you work with other professionals on editing, formatting, layout, marketing, etc. too? Would love to learn more about your process. Your success is very inspiring!

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Re: The SQUEE GOOD NEWS Thread

Post by Margo » August 20th, 2012, 2:04 am

bcomet wrote:Margo,

How did you find the/make the art for the covers for your Amazon.com books? Did you work with other professionals on editing, formatting, layout, marketing, etc. too? Would love to learn more about your process. Your success is very inspiring!
I'll try to answer briefly and hit the highlights.

When I write under my name, I have a cover designer and an editor. That's a labor of love that makes no money.

When I write under my pen name, my priority is profit. I have to walk the line between getting something done well and getting it done fast.

I buy licenses for stock photos and do the covers myself, following a basic template I came up with that establishes a certain look (aka brand) to all my covers. Using Book Cover Pro, I can put a cover together in about 30 minutes. Other successful writers have commented on how distinctive and attractive the covers are. That is mostly due to the fact that I have an eye for a certain look, and I maintain the style.

I don't use an editor--too costly and time-consuming. Yes, I end up with minor typos, etc., that an editor would catch. I've only had one comment on it from a reader, and the reader was very forgiving, the sort of review that goes, "Yes, there were a couple of typos, but it was still great." I don't do six or eight drafts. I do two at most (though my first drafts are exceptionally clean).

I have developed a standard format from observing what others have done, and all my titles follow that format. I keep it very simple but always include a clickable table of contents.

I do no marketing. Seriously, it is an utter waste of time. The release of my next title is the only marketing that counts. THAT is what keeps up visibility. I put a couple of exerpts from older titles in with newer ones, so older titles continue to generate interest.

When I started out, I wrote a LOT, and that is extremely important. For months on end, I did 55-60k words a month. Now, I can slow down, because I've established an audience and some momentum, but I still need to release titles regularly. For someone writing full-length novels, I'd suggest four books a year, three minimum. Six would be ideal. For someone writing novellas, one or two a month. For someone writing short stories, at least one a week, though two would be better. I also suggest pricing higher rather than lower. Price conveys a message (positive or negative) about quality.

I hope that info helps.

Edit: I also suggest getting really REALLY good at writing first. That way, when you (figuratively speaking) dial it down a notch to account for the necessary output, you're still better than the average bear.

Edit again: I should also mention that, with my pen name stuff, I am MERCENARY about giving readers what THEY want, not what I like to write (though I am having fun). So...no artistic flights of fancy. No "but my muse says this I should write it like this". No, "but my character wanted to do this instead".
Last edited by Margo on August 20th, 2012, 1:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Urban fantasy, epic fantasy, and hot Norse elves. http://margolerwill.blogspot.com/

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Re: The SQUEE GOOD NEWS Thread

Post by Sommer Leigh » August 20th, 2012, 12:21 pm

I finished a 5K race this weekend! This is huge because I have spent most of the summer injured and unable to train. I am dog tired still even today and I'm achey everywhere, but I don't regret it for one tiny minute. I even beat my time from my first 5K race back in April!

Thank you Tricia for inspiring me all this time!!!! I might have a bandaged foot, but I also have my second race under my belt. OMG, next year I'm going to come run a half with you!
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