99 CENT E-BOOKS ARE BACK!!!

As of August 1, 2012, my nine novels are on sale for only 99 cents.  This is a limited offer to help introduce a new e-book seller, http://www.eprintedbooks.com/Store/.  I’ve been working closely with Steve Caresser, the owner of this enterprise.  We’ve bounced a few ideas back and forth with the result being.  An e-book retailer that offers authors eighty percent royalties and said royalties are paid immediately.

If you ever considered owning all nine of my novels, now is the time.  As I mentioned above, this is a limited time offer and also exclusive to Steve’s new store and Amazon Kindle store.  http://tinyurl.com/csgjaj8

http://tinyurl.com/ccoa5c6 .   

QUICKSAND AHEAD!

As an independent author/publisher I’m able to view the future of the publish industry with a certain objectivity.  I’m not contracted to the standard AGENT/PUBLISHER/PUBLICIST paradigm. 

At one time I was part of that program as I had no choice.  It was sad and unrewarding; traveling to all the bookstores; sitting in some corner signing my novels and then waiting six months to be paid by the publisher.  Paying the agent and publicist out of my meager revenue and then proving to the IRS that; Yes, I did sell four-thousand books but I lost eighteen thousand dollars because of the travel expenses involved. 

Also, many of the sales to bookstores were bogus.  The big box stores order the books but they have the right to return them if unsold.  The author gets slammed and has to return the royalty. Well, the big box stores are going under.  That is their quicksand.

That was then – this is now.  No one is taking my e-books off the shelf.  I can adjust the prices anytime I choose, and my royalties are paid monthly. My e-books are sold around the world and are not limited to store hours. E-books can be downloaded to almost any reading device; Kindles, Nooks, PC’s, Mac’s, tablets, and even some cell phones.  I use my kindle but also have several e-books downloaded on my android cell phone.

The near future for e-books looks grand.  However, our quicksand will come somewhere in the distant future.  Reading is already on a downward spiral due to video games and other forms of electronic entertainment. 

TRADITION SUCKS!

I normally don’t comment on sporting events; most don’t affect my life one whit.

I enjoy watching certain sports.  I’m a baseball fan, I like some professional American football and I’m enthusiastic about Rodeo, Boxing and Bullfighting.  I try and watch some of the tennis grand slam tournaments as well.

This year, Wimbledon, is an all out cluster F…k! My take on this “Traditional” grass court event was never opinionated except for the repulsive uniforms of the officials, linesmen, and ball boys. 

This year, however, their judgment calls regarding dealing with the rain and their convertible center court, their start and stop times demonstrates why there is no longer a British Empire.  Great Britain (oxymoron?) is hosting the Olympics that begin in just a few weeks.  I suspect if Wimbledon, a professional event, can used as an example, the Olympics will be FUBAR! 

NUMBER NINE IS ON THE BOARDS

Writing a novel, either good or bad is a personal achievement of grand proportions.  From the original idea or inspiration, one has to develop characters, establish an outline, and then start the story; one character after another.  Being cognizant of where the plot points need to be, when to telegraph red herrings, and which characters you want totally exposed.  These tasks need to be determined ahead of all the other factors involved before one word is written.

REVOLUTION OF FOOLS was released by Amazon Kindle and B&N Pubit over the last two days. This novel is the sequel to MURDER IN PANAMA. 

Check out my page on Amazon.com http://tinyurl.com/csgjaj8

Join Jimmy Hart and his crew of zany characters as they thwart the takeover of the Panama Canal, take on South America’s bad guys and outperform all intelligence agencies, and avert an all out war in the Americas.  Set in tropical yet volatile Central America, Panama is the plum that other countries want to pick.  55,000 words of action-adventure. 

ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY

Whether we admit to it or not, writers are part of the entertainment industry.  Every word uttered in a play, a song, a commercial, or a movie is the result of someone penning it on paper.  Every lecture on history or a documentary on a particular event or situation has been scripted by someone or adapted from a book.  Even so-called reality shows are scripted.  Political speeches are seldom written by the politician; someone writes every letter of every word.

All that being said, it’s galling to see most authors; especially fiction writers ducking the “Tag” entertainer. Personally, I like the tag.  I’m entertained when I write the story; even entertained when I’ve read it for the fortieth time. When I’m really entertained is when I’m releasing a new novel or screenplay.  That’s happening in several days.  REVOLUTION OF FOOLS, the second of my Jimmy Hart series will be released within a week.  MURDER IN PANAMA has been moderately successful.  Not earth shattering but it remains in the top ten percent of Amazon e-book sales.  Hopefully REVOLUTION OF FOOLS will receive that same moderate success.

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

That period of time between the final rewrite of a novel and the last changes after editing is a very calm time; like sending your kid to a babysitter.  Most writers take a break or begin scheduling promotions; writing letters to publishers or agents.  Indie authors, like me don’t mess with that process.  We know we will be published somewhere in e-book format. There are no negotiations of royalties; it’s laid out by the various e-book retailers. An indie writer can choose one or all retailers. Currently I have my work for sale on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords. (only 3 titles). 

I’m about to launch all my work( 9 novels & 6 screenplays) with e-PrintedBooks.  This new store is currently being developed and it pays directly to the author when a sale is made.  The split is 80/20 in favor of the author.  Being paid upon the sale is a HUGE advance in the retailing of e-books.  Right now we are waiting for some last minute programming and testing processes. Mid-June is the scheduled launch date.   This is another CALM BEFORE THE STORM.  There are 700,000 plus indie authors.  I'm confident that over time most of them will add their inventory to the e-PrintedBooks retail store. It costs them nothing and one would hope every author would help promote the site to their readers. A win/win/win.  Those readers that don’t have a credit or debit cards can buy books via PayPal.

I’m excited for Steve at ePrintedBooks.  Check out his site.   http://www.eprintedbooks.com/ebookservices.html    

A NEW TIME AND A NEW TWIST

My first novel, OIL SPILL, was handwritten on whatever paper scraps I could find while working on the Alaska Pipeline in 1975.  I later typed it on an old Olivetti portable and used carbon paper so I would have a copy.

A lot has happened in the past thirty-seven years; including the world of authors.  Technology has improved past anyone’s imagination, so collaboration can be accomplished from worlds apart. 

I’m about to embark on a joint venture to write a novel with another author.  So far we haven’t done any more than communicate via e-mail. Our communication will ramp up as get closer to the final concept.  The other author is a woman who lives in London. We’re about to embark on a project that will meld the minds of two people that have never and could be not be more different; even their writing styles.

Why would we do this you may ask?  Simple – because we can.  The technology and the markets are here.  E-books and internet retailers make this possible. The only reason we would fail is the loss of desire and discipline. I believe both of us have those character traits.