Tag: Forgive Me Alex (Page 4 of 4)

Trying to Cash In on the Social Media Madness

November 16, 2011 / Lane Diamond / 2 Comments

How shall readers connect with those who write, and with their material? And how shall authors build a following?

It hardly matters what you do for a living, or which hobbies interest you, or which sports teams or movie stars or musical acts or authors you like—a social media presence is pretty much a given in modern life. Unless you live in under a rock, or you’re a seasoned citizen who never quite got the hang of them dang computer contraptions (in which case you’re not reading this anyway), you have at the very least a Facebook or Twitter account.

We communicate through the internet. That’s just the world we live in. Even if you only use it to “keep in touch” with that long lost brother who last phoned you in 1992, and who, on those rare occasions when he sees you, has to snap his fingers and scratch his head and say, “What was your name again?”

Yet it’s moved well beyond that. The internet is increasingly where we do business. We look for work on the internet, or seek potential new hires for our company. We study on the internet, or catch up with the news. And yep, we buy and sell on the internet.

Never has that been more evident than in the world of books. EBooks are revolutionizing the way we read and write. If you’re a booklover, you’re already finding old-fashioned bookstores harder to find—a trend that will continue. EBooks and eReaders are here to stay, and to that, brothers and sisters, I say, “Amen!”

For an author like me, it opens up a whole new world of possibilities. That’s the good news. The bad news is that I must now spend a lot of my time not writing, but reaching out to readers. It’s not that I don’t appreciate the opportunity to communicate with those who like my work. I do. I mean, seriously, what author doesn’t want to hear from readers how his work has affected their lives?

Nonetheless, it’s more work—another ball we must juggle… or ten.

It means I must not only embrace the new technologies, I must also educate myself on their proper use. Opinions vary so widely on how best to do this, it seems largely a matter of trial and error for most. However, some folks have already established some expertise in this arena, and they can help you. One of those is Dan Zarrella, whose blog I heartily recommend.

For readers, the new market also considerably changes the dynamics. If you want to keep up with what authors are offering, to remain apace of all that’s happening in the world of books you love, you’ll have to stay tuned-in to various online activities. One of the communities that’s most geared towards readers’ needs is Goodreads. Here, not only can you discover what’s new in the world of books, you can also find out what other readers—potentially millions of them—think about specific books, and engage with them in an interactive community. If you’re a true booklover, you need to be on Goodreads. And I say that not as an author, but as a fellow reader.

You can also peruse reviews at the big eBook retailers such as Amazon (for their Kindle) and Barnes & Noble (for their Nook).

Naturally, where readers go, writers must go. It’s not that we’re stalking readers, it’s just that… well… okay, we’re stalking readers. Really, we just want readers to know about our work. How else can they make an informed decision about whether or not to buy it?

I’ve set up my own Goodreads Author’s Page, as well as a Publisher’s Page for Evolved Publishing, our indie publishing business. I have an Amazon Author’s Page too. Yes, I have a presence at social media sites everywhere (well, seems like everywhere). As an author, I can’t escape it.

Then, of course, there’s this blog, which provides a more detailed and more personal forum to connect with folks. All part of doing business in the 21st century.

Yet what is enough? What is too much? Should I drive, drive, drive people to buy my books, constantly hammering them over the head? Pfft! Like that won’t send readers running to the hills! As a reader myself, I hate that kind of constant barrage.

No, I think a softer approach is required, a gentle touch—followed by huge portions of patience and perseverance. I’ll be talking about the “Soft Sell” in an upcoming blog post, so please stay tuned.

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eBook Pricing – The Market Is Still Sorting Itself Out

November 10, 2011 / Lane Diamond / 1 Comment

Kristen J. Tsetsi has posted an article at her blog, The Cost of Kindle Books – Pay up or Shut Up, which has drawn quite a lot of discussion. If you’re an author or a reader, I recommend you check it out. I’ll first post my response below, and then I’ll expand just a touch at the end.

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This clearly displays the frustration on the part of authors who are not making a heck of a lot of money. The problem is exacerbated, of course, BY AUTHORS. Every time an author gives away her work, another author feels pressured to do the same in order to compete. Authors have been giving away their work forever. Anyone tried to place a story in a literary magazine lately?

I think authors should never — and I mean NEVER — work for free. Do plumbers work for free? Do teachers work for free? A loss-leader promotion to drive traffic to other products is one thing, but simply giving it away is nuts.

However, eBooks should cost significantly less than a paperback; the economics of production are a guiding factor in the pricing of any product. As an author, I can make more on my $4.99 eBook than I could make on my $27.99 hardcover through a traditional publisher. And I can “produce” it with far less up-front investment, in far less time.

Ultimately, the market will decide (and yes, that means the buyers) what a product is worth. Authors can help themselves by not giving away their work and establishing those expectations, but they must respond to market conditions. As for me, I’ll be selling my eBook for $4.99, because I think that’s a fair price all around. That means J. won’t be buying my book, but I can live with that.

In fact, that $4.99 price point is the amount above which I’ll likely balk at buying an eBook. I might pay more, but man, it would have to be something special. We all have our limits.

And to the publishers who price their eBooks at the level of their paperbacks, thereby asking eBook buyers to SUBSIDIZE their paperback business, I say, “No thank you very much.”

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It’s important, particularly for indie authors who are wading into “business” for the first time, to understand the dynamics of market response. The customer is king. Always.

At some point, if authors are unhappy with the customers’ decisions about what they’re willing to pay, they’ll have a difficult decision to make: A) Price it lower to meet customer demands, and to sell more books, or; B) Keep the price up, and settle on the fact that they’ll sell fewer books.

Either is a legitimate approach, driven by the author’s true goals. I think that, ultimately, holding the price up, but having a large selection to offer your readers, will be the key. Yes, you may sell fewer copies per book, but the sheer number of books you offer will ramp up your income.

I am loath to give away my book, after spending 5 years toiling over it, and I’ll likely choose Option B above. I plan to price my eBook at $4.99, which I think is eminently fair—an absolute bargain.

Indeed, as co-owners of Evolved Publishing, D.T. Conklin and I have concluded that $4.99 should be the regular, non-promoted price for all our books. Some of our authors may feel differently at times, and we’ll allow them some flexibility, but I think anything higher is inappropriate in most cases, and anything less begs the question, from a business perspective: Why bother? Every business asks that question at the beginning, and again each step along the way.

For readers too, that last question must be part of the decision-making process about what to buy, and how much to pay. If you want great books from great authors, you’ll have to pay enough to make it worth their while. Yes, you can get a lot of eBooks today for $0.99-$2.99. Have you sampled some of those? I have, and I’ve not been terribly impressed. Ultimately, in this business as in any other, you get what you pay for. In my experience, the best books are those selling for $4.99-$7.99. And guess what? Many of those authors are succeeding nicely.

The issue isn’t price alone; it’s about value. It’s a subject I’ve addressed in two previous posts: Quality Matters and Quality Counts when Publishing eBooks.

I think we’ll be sorting out this eBook pricing thing for a couple years. The entire market remains in a state of flux. Ask 20 people what they think, and you’ll get several different answers.

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The New Look of My Website

November 9, 2011 / Lane Diamond / 0 Comments

Yep, I updated the banner across the top of this site—finally got rid of the template image and put in something that makes sense to Lane Diamond, Author. How does it look?

I also added a link at right if you prefer to follow this blog via Networked Blogs on Facebook.

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Random Musings from Lane Diamond’s Not-So-Idle Mind – Part 1

November 6, 2011 / Lane Diamond / 0 Comments

I’ve received three emails the past couple days asking essentially the same thing: “Hey, Diamond, no blog posts this week? Wass’up with that?”

Well… err… um… let’s see… I’ve been just a bit busy.

So I thought I might add to a relaxing Sunday (well, I’m working, but that’s okay) an update on projects under construction.

The biggest chunk of my time the past couple weeks has been dedicated to editing. I’m happy to say that, excepting a few minor, last minute adjustments by Megan Morrison, we’re ready to release her debut memoir, And Then It Rained: Lessons for Life. It will be available as an eBook on November 12th.

The second big piece I’ve been working on is Ruby Standing Deer’s debut historical novel, Circles, which features a charming cast of Native American characters from 500 years ago. We have a ways to go, but her eBook will be available before Christmas.

I’ve also been working with three authors “off-line,” as it were, in the hopes they might eventually join our Evolved Publishing family. They’re not quite ready—needed a little “online writing class” first, to address a few nagging bad habits—but this process will make them better prepared to complete or edit their WIPs. Even if they don’t join EP in the end, I hope they’ll find the exercise helpful.

This weekend I’ve been putting the finishing touches on all our current project contracts for EP. I spend a lot of time on our business these days—no surprise there. Marketing research and strategies have accounted for a lot of that time, and we’re looking at a couple of potential new authors for our group. We’re hoping to add perhaps an author every month or two—not sure we could handle more than that at the moment, given our workloads.

As for the EP release schedule, in addition to the two books mentioned above, please, let us not forget my book. Forgive Me, Alex has been a long time coming—much longer than I would have liked—but I’m finally setting aside the time to finish the final polish. I hope the eBook will be available by Thanksgiving, but it may be a week or so later. I’ll keep you posted.

This coming week I’ll be a little more engaged in this blog and in some social media sites I’ve neglected recently. So little time, so much COGNAC WORK.

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New Book Cover Art for Psychological Thriller Novel, FORGIVE ME, ALEX

October 1, 2011 / Lane Diamond / 4 Comments

Josh Evans, one of the great artists with our Evolved Publishing group, has created the new book cover for my debut novel, Forgive Me, Alex, due out in November 2011.

He captured the themes well, of both the Psychological Thriller genre and the book itself, and worked with me to make the actual content of the image relevant to the story. I think he did a great job. I hope you’ll agree.

‘Til next time, and as always, remember: To write well, you must work hard. To succeed in this tough gig, you mustn’t be lazy (or discouraged).

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Lane Diamond’s New Facebook Page

August 30, 2011 / Lane Diamond / 0 Comments

I’ve set up a new Facebook “Page.” This means you must “Like” my new page if you were a “Friend” to my old one.

As I prepare to launch my novel, Forgive Me, Alex, in November, I figured it was time to “go pro” on Facebook.

Whether you were a “Friend” before, or you’re a new visitor, I hope you’ll “Like” my new page: Lane Diamond, Author – Facebook Page

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Guest Blog – Tony Hooper #2

August 23, 2011 / Lane Diamond / 3 Comments

To kill another person is… such an easy thing. Sometimes, it even feels good. For a moment. Then, like paper through the office shredder, your soul is torn to the core.

I can almost remember a time when I slept through the night. Almost. I have to remind myself that it’s only been twenty years. Sure, only more than half my life. It’s June 7, 1995. Last night I said goodbye to Linda at the bar, but first I agreed to meet her for breakfast today. She didn’t invite me to her hotel room, nor did she ask to accompany me home, nor did I breach the subject in any way. There was an underlying tension, a thought that we might rekindle the flame from three years ago. I sure felt it, and I believe she did too, but in the end, we said goodnight and went our separate ways.

Until now.

I’ve anticipated this meeting from the instant she offered to buy me breakfast, yet as I drive to her hotel, the lingering effects of another restless night distract me. My dream of Alex, reduced to a puff of smoke in a gale-force wind, still cuts me to the bone. I struggle to regain my composure, but my emotions remain on edge, as though the smallest catalyst will tumble me into the abyss, the black chasm of my mind. I’ve long stood upon the precipice, waiting—almost hoping—for the ledge to collapse beneath me.

I attempt to suppress the memory in a blast of music from a cassette, an upbeat, kick-ass mixed tape designed to improve my mood and get me going on days like this. Robin Zander of Cheap Trick screams that he’s All Wound Up. I could use a little of that myself.

Linda said last night that she wanted to talk about Mitchell Norton. What’s to talk about? I want to return to the job I started seventeen years ago and failed to finish. I want to slit his goddamned throat.

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“Forgive Me, Alex”

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First 5 Chapters of “FORGIVE ME, ALEX” – A Psychological Thriller

August 8, 2011 / Lane Diamond / 0 Comments

Some of you may have already read the opening chapter of my upcoming novel. Well, now I’ve added Chapters 2-5 on the novel page at this site. Just click here, and please leave a comment at the end after reading.

Thank you.

‘Til next time, and as always, remember: To write well, you must work hard. To succeed in this tough gig, you mustn’t be lazy (or discouraged).

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