Happy summer, everybody in the northern hemisphere. It never ceases to amaze me that I need to qualify that kind of greeting because some of you are in the throes of winter. For you winter isn’t coming, it’s here. Bundle up! 🙂
I’m currently hiding in the cool cellar of my home, closeted with the word processor and trying to get this contract job off my desk.
So far, I’m now on the fourth start–appropriate for the Fourth of July–but hardly conducive to actually finishing it. I was actually hoping to get Double Share and Captain’s Share released by now, but I don’t feel right about publishing my own work when I have a contract job overdue. Sorry about that.
Here’s the news in brief:
Medical:
The good news: I’m getting new glasses next week. The eye surgeries went very well. It’s odd to look into the mirror now and actually see my own eyes clearly. Before, I had to wear glasses to see them–which obscured them. Now, well, I was able to get the “corrective lenses” restriction removed from my driver’s license. Now I just need some spectacles that match the implanted lenses.
The bad news: My arthritis is kicking up. I’m not sure if it’s just a resurgence of my diagnosed strain or if I’m now developing a different flavor of pain. Medications help with the inflammation but don’t do much for my ability to focus.
Psych: The stress related depression is abating slowly. Last weekend was the graveside service for my sister who passed in mid-winter. Unfortunately, I didn’t learn about it until the last minute and was unable to get a flight east. I had my own small memorial here and now it’s time to move on. Thanks for all the good wishes.
Publishing: If you’re of the Nook or Kobo persuasion, keep an eye on those stores. I’ve established my direct publication account there and started easing the backlist up there as time allows. Sooner or later I’ll be up to date and will be publishing to those venues at the same time as Kindle. No, I will not be publishing through Smashwords. I might be publishing to Apple through Direct2Digital–the jury’s still out.
New Narrations: I’ve posted two new (to me) links for recent narration work–one from last November and one from this week. I did the “Observation Post” story by Alan M. Steele so long ago I’ve almost forgotten it. It was a good story and I was honored to read it. You can find that over on Star Ship Sofa. Crime City Central posted my reading of “Blue Murder” – another story I recorded back in the dark ages of last year. There are some others in the hopper and I’ll post them as I see them.
In the next week or two, a radio play I contributed my voice to should be released. The final mixdowns and renderings are coming along. As a full cast audio production, it had to have been a lot of work. I’ll let you know when I see it come up.
That’s about it from here. Remember that I post a daily (almost) podcast for those who want to know more about what I’m thinking and doing from day to day. I’m trying to be more consistent with that after a bit of a choppy winter and spring. Find out more at Talking On My Morning Walk.
That’s all for now. Safe voyage.
Sounds like you could use some cheering, so I’ll quote:
First Law of Project Management
The first half of any project uses 90% of avail time, etc.
The second half uses the other 90%.
Welcome to the real world 😉
I know what its like with arthritis – I get swollen like a balloon. I got diagnosed 2 years ago, age 26 now.
Your books have helped keep me going in the worst of it. Wish you well- mason
Here’s hoping that you finally get a breakthrough on your contract story. It is always a pain to be struggling with a story and not knowing how to get it to move forward.
Doc
Keep the faith!
Glad to hear you’re on the mend (in all facets) and we’ll be faithfully awaiting the stories you’re willing to share when your obligations, condition, and basically just plain ‘ol LIFE allow…
Thank you again for sharing your visions…
If your arthritis is bothering you, perhaps you should do a bit more Tai Chi. It has always helped me relax and focus.
@Tony, I like this idea…I just need to find a new sifu.
I hope you publish again with BN. I already have Quarter – Double Share from BN and would like to get Captain’s Share and your other books via BN. I have purchased a lot of ebooks from BN and want to just stay with BN instead of also using Amazon and their Kindle reader.
@kevin – I’m committing to Nook Press and Kobo in addition to Kindle. I’m still on the fence over iBook. To get there, I’d need to use a 3rd party intermediary and I’m just not convinced that Apple understands the ebook market as well as they do the music biz.
Do you have a Mac, Nathan? If you do, you can use iBooks Author to get into the iBook store directly. Unfortunately, that would mean re-mastering the book for the iBooks store. I must admit I haven’t taken a serious look at the iBooks Author licensing agreement to see if there are any unpleasant clauses there.
Just a thought.
Doc
I use Linux and Window machines, Doc. As nearly as I can tell there are no more oddities in the Apple agreement than any other. I can use Draft2Digital to replace the Smashwords access. I might do that.
I wish you would publish “captains share” and “owners share” as a kindle ebook as you must have it written out.
I love the “solar clipper series” and think there could be more stories. Owners Share was very interesting from a psychological/economic/political perspective without being preachy. i like that you keep the series clear of profanity and overt sexual overtones.
thanks
@jon smith. I do have them “written out” but they are not yet “cleaned up” for grammar, spelling, continuity, etc. Taking the “reading aloud” version of the text and publishing it would be a huge mistake.
Both Double Share and Captain’s Share have been edited but neither has had the editing changes incorporated in the text. Until I get this contractual obligation out of the way, I cannot – in good conscience – work on those other books. Written contracts come first. It’s just a rule. As soon as I fulfill my contract, I’ll start rolling out the other books. Owner’s Share is with the editor now so – with any luck – I’ll have those edits back soon as well.
You have my word that I will not hold the books up for any kind of marketing or promotional reasons. As soon as I can get them out, they’ll go.
First, my deepest sympathy on your loss. Second, have you tried Aspercreme for your arthritis? My whole family uses it to ease the pain.
Third, my sister told me about your series and I wanted to say I have enjoyed your whole series as podcasts and then started buying the books on Kindle as they were released.
I think what I enjoy most is that your stories are good, clean fun without being silly. There are no wars with bad aliens (who get meaner with every book), no killing wholesale, etc.
Thanks for writing books that give me great reading pleasure.
Linda
Linda, I haven’t tried aspercreme. I probably should get some for those “really bad” days.
Guess pronouncing detritus “de’ tree us” is wrong also, lol. But I’m not going to stop using it. These little quirks provide much amusement to my family & friends. Especially because I’m an avid reader.
Listened to your morning walk, from the day of your sister’s memorial, a few days late. It turns out that you were speaking the day my mom was dying. It emphasized to me that we are all going through these same experiences. Thanks for sharing.
I guess the lenses insurance companies will pay for when you have cataract surgery are only good for distance. Dollar stores sell cheaters that work great, and bigger chains have them for $5. At those prices you can experiment & find that different strengths work well for different chores. You could even go wild & only put them on when you need them. It’s fun not wearing glasses, and truly joyous not paying $700 for glasses ever again.
Whoops, didn’t get my question typed. In trying to keep up with the many forms stories come in these days,
I can’t understand how authors can make a living at the prices I see. Kindle can be free, .99, 2.99, etc.
Podiobooks can be free. How can you all make $ at those prices? Surely Amazon gets a cut? I think it’s
great for the readers. We can preview & listen, or read, then only buy the books we want to keep in our libraries. Aren’t book sales more profitable?
@Shauna – Actually, at $4.95 I sell more than enough books to earn a very comfortable living — as long as the books get released on time. Amazon take’s 30% + 15-cents for one of my kindle books. I get about $3.50 now. With Ridan it was more like $2, so I just got a raise 🙂
The 99-cent price is often a “loss leader” to introduce new fans to an author. Or a very short work. The author only gets about 30-cents for those.
The 2.99 price is the base level where the Amazon cut goes from 75% to 30%. You can sell 1/6th the number of books at 2.99 as at 99 cents and still earn the same amount. This is where a lot of people price novellas and short works.
At 3.99 you get a nice revenue boost and very little reduction in sales volume. Often sales increase at this price–particularly for longer works.
I use 4.95 because I think that’s the new “mass market” price point. I sell a lot of books and make a nice cut from each sale–and one that I’m not embarrassed to admit. 🙂
Above that and I think sales would decline and I’m more interested in maximizing my readership than in maximizing my income. When I can sell 100k units of a single title within three months of release, I’ll consider raising the prices, but .. honestly … when I can do that? I won’t need to.
Thank you for explaining. Your work results from talent, of value to those who get much enjoyment from it. May you have continued success. Whatever the price, I’ll be getting Captain’s & Owners Shares in print. Plus, whatever comes next, of course.