Tuesday haiku #31

I think it’s number thirty-one.  I’ve been popping them into other posts lately and not kept the sequential titling going.  Sorry!

Leaves, golden and bronze,

Frost rimed and tossed in the wind.

Soon they’ll all be gone.

Results from Talent Seekers’ first free day

Thursday last week was the first free promotion for the Talent Seekers and I thought it went reasonably well.  Since Traveler was out, Amazon, or Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), or both, have changed a number of features of free days – the main impact of which seems to be fewer websites promoting them for authors and mixing them up with ‘bargain’ books as well.  In addition, there are now a huge number of authors self-publishing –  from the ranking levels where my books usually linger during ‘quiet times’ I would say there are probably twice as many as there were this time last year.

Working on the overall story

Believe it or not, there is an overall story happening in the Princelings series.  In the trilogy part it was obvious and complete, but as the stories continue, they are working towards an end point in my mind.

Having trouble with my homework

I’m struggling with the course as well, but this week’s homework for the Creative Writing Course is to take the name of an old boyfriend or similar, and write a 300 word piece of prose using only words made out of the letters of his name. All the names I could remember were equally unhelpful.  I’ve cheated slightly by using an alternative spelling for Alisdair.  That at least gives me  d but no e is a pain. If I gave him the middle name Henry it would be a piece of cake. K would be useful too.

A sort of Review of some Book Reviews

I’ve not been writing book reviews for long.  If you find my first one on this blog, well that’s about as long as I’ve been writing them!  So I’m still learning.  I read other people’s reviews as much for they way they say things about what they’ve read as what they’ve said about them.

Reading, writing and…

Despite it being the hectic run-up to Christmas I have been both reading (other people’s work) and writing, well editing, the second book in the trilogy, generally known as Pirates for short.

Princelings makes progress

Princelings of the East has now been downloaded 22 times on Smashwords (including 3 by me, in different formats to check), all in its first week.  All of those are samples rather than purchases but I hope they’ll want to read more in time.

The Kindle version on Amazon has 2 US sales and 5 UK sales at the end of its second week, which is terrific. Thank you, friends.

Princelings on Smashwords

I had a very minor difficulty publishing Princelings on smashwords.com and that was getting the format of the chapter illustrations right.  They kept trying to insert themselves within the Chapter title.  Once I’d solved that (by reading the style guide properly, duh!) it sailed through the conversion process and onto the Smashwords page site.  The chapter headings being uninterrupted meant that it also has a correct internal contents page, so works properly on Kindle.

Thank you, Readers!

How thrilling!  In my first week of being published, five loyal people have downloaded my book.  Four in the UK and one in the US.  I can make a good guess as to their identity.  If you feel up to it, would you like to post reviews on the Amazon website?  I know you’re already telling your friends.

Thanks a million xxx.

I’m a published author!

The Princelings of the East has been published, on Amazon, for Kindle….  I know it’s not a hard copy book, but it is published!

In case you want a link… the US site is http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006F3SME2

and the UK one is http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006F3SME2/

If anyone would like to review it, I’d be more than happy for you to add your comments on the Amazon site.  Thank you!

Oh, and I’ve also done a page at Amazon’s Author Central… with the picture of Fred and me that is on the Author Biography here.

Towards a published book

It’s interesting, self-publishing.  The number of decisions that you have to make with very little idea of the implications.  For example, I was wondering what to put down under ‘Publisher’.  I was thinking of putting my ‘other’ business name down but found that there were other people using it in the USA, so it might cause confusion or worse.  Fortunately the idea I’d already had of calling it Princelings Productions or Princelings Publications was more promising.  Both seem to be available.  Just as well I’ve claimed copyright under my own name really.

Kindling some illustrations

I’ve been editing the first book, as a result of the workshop and some reading of other authors.  I decided it needed a more punchy opening, not the purely descriptive way it started before.  I’ve also expanded some areas and retold some areas that I’d originally done in flashback, and added an extra incident which I rather enjoy!  I think it’s nearly ready for its Kindle edition, and I’m started working on some chapter illustrations.

From the W&A Workshop

I went to a Writers & Artists workshop at the weekend.  It was excellent and by tea-time I was thoroughly re-invigorated, re-working the synopsis of my story in my head and full of energy and positivity to push on in my quest to become published.

The last session was really depressing.  I know the panellists were giving their considered opinions and I am sure they are completely right.  But it was a big switch from the vitality and enthusiasm of what had gone before.

Hopes flying through the ether

Well, I’ve read Writers & Artists yearbook.  I’ve listed all the agents and publishers I think might wish to look at my work.  I’ve read the websites of the agents I’ve listed and prioritised them.  I’ve read what they wanted submitted and put synopsis and sample chapters and covering information together for my first agent and emailed them off.

Now to wait six weeks to see if they are interested.

And thank you, Dawn, for all your help :buddies: