Many of us say that the reviews don’t matter.  Reviews don’t encourage us to read a book or not.  Reviews don’t discourage authors.  Well, many of us lie too!  There isn’t a single self-pub’ed author out there who doesn’t check out their reviews on Amazon.  We may not always like them, but whether it’s two stars or five stars, we pay attention and read them. And while we shouldn’t take a bad review to heart, they still have an effect on us.

Now, don’t worry.  LLBR isn’t about to become a self-reviewing site for self-published books.  Heck, who would give their own book a bad review anyway, right?  This is meant to be a fun experiment.  But we aren’t looking for pitches either.  Don’t try to sell us on why we should read your book. Just as if you were reviewing some other book on your own, tell us what you liked about it and why you’d read it.  Tell us the good parts.  And tell us the bad parts if you think there are any.

Start by writing your review.  Try to keep it to a good 10 to 20 sentences.  Email it to us at llbookreview@gmail.com along with a cover pic of your book, an author headshot if you have it, and include a link to where your book can be purchased (Amazon.com is a good one if your book is available there).

We’ll post a couple of reviews each week, calling this series Read My Book!  Readers and blog surfers out there can chime in too.  Read the reviews and post comments letting us know if you would read this book based on the review from the author.  We all know that unfortunately Amazon.com’s star rating and reviews can make or break a product.  Here’s your chance to see if your own review of your book would help gain any readers.  Be creative!  Heck, tell us who shouldn’t read your book and why!

So, take off the author hat and put on your reviewer book.  Step outside the galley proof and take a good look at your book.  Then, write a quick review and send it to us.  Tell us why we should read your book!

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Here’s an interesting email that landed in some Lulu’ers box last night.  If you were having trouble finding your book in Lulu’s Search Option, apparently they were under attack by Gremlins but have now got it all sorted out.  I have no idea what the 25% off at the top means, when they later say they’ll be sending you a 15% off special in a few days.  Oh, and is it just me or does Lulu suggest you forward the special email to a bunch of people who drink.  Why not nurse maids, dog groomers, and trash collectors? Just saying.

(Your Book’s Title)

Take 25% off

You recently published (title of book) and made it available to the world in the Lulu Marketplace. Thank you. We’re thrilled to have such a remarkable work in our catalog!

Unfortunately, the world didn’t get to see it as quickly as they should have. A hiccup in our system kept your book from showing up in search results immediately after you published.

The short of it is the gremlins got us. Fortunately, we found them – big, hairy devils with beady red eyes and the complexion of toad – and dispensed with them. (We’ll spare you the details). Our systems are back to the Lulu standard and all books in our catalog now appear in our search results.

We want to give you a new start on your sales. In the next few days, you’ll receive a custom e-mail from us that will display your book’s cover and a 15% discount on the list price. We’ll design the e-mail so that you can easily forward it to friends, family, colleagues, neighbors, coffee shop baristas, waiters, bartenders and anyone else you meet. It’ll be a handy way to encourage them to buy your book. And don’t worry – that 15% discount will come out of our profit, not yours. We just want to make things right.

Thank you again for choosing Lulu.

Sincerely,

Your Friends at Lulu

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In January, Amazon announced details of a new program that will enable authors and publishers who use the Kindle Digital Text Platform (DTP) to earn a larger share of revenue from each Kindle book they sell. Authors and publishers who choose the new 70 percent royalty option will receive 70 percent of list price, net of delivery costs. This new option will be in addition to and will not replace the existing DTP standard royalty option. This new 70 percent royalty option will become available on June 30, 2010.

The 70 percent royalty option is for in-copyright works and is unavailable for works published before 1923 (a.k.a. public domain books). At launch, the 70 percent royalty option will only be available for books sold in the United States.

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The 2010 winners of the ABNA (Amazon.com Breakthrough Novel Award) have been announced.

Congrats go out to Patrica McArdle whose novel, Farishta, takes home the General Fiction award.

And Amy Ackley’s book, Sign Language, snagged the Young Adult Fiction win.

Here’s what  Molly Stern (editorial director at Viking Books) had to say about McArdle’s book:

“For all its problems, Farishta has an undeniably fabulous setup. Far too long and burdened by overwhelming detail and an underwhelming plot, Patricia McArdle’s novel does magnificently portray the experience of a soon-to-be-washed-up foreign service diplomat working at a military outpost in Afghanistan just after the 9/11 attacks. As the novel opens, Angela Morgan is, at 47 years old, considered past her prime. When her supervisor calls her with a last assignment–she is instructed to use her considerable language skills to learn Dari in a matter of weeks and work at a remote outpost on a one-year assignment with the British army–she knows she must accept or be forced to retire for good. After the devastating loss of her husband during a bombing in Beirut and the subsequent miscarriage of their child twenty years earlier, Angela has never quite recovered from her post-traumatic stress disorder. Panic attacks are always one unexpected loud noise away. And jumping into a war zone is almost more than she can imagine. But with the promise of a future post in London, and not much to keep her stateside, she packs her bags and begins a fascinating personal and professional odyssey. Instructed to keep her knowledge of Dari secret, Angela is charged with determining whether the army’s interpreters are passing along accurate and truthful information to the soldiers as they navigate the dire lawlessness of this embattled country. What follows is the fine-grained, deeply knowledgeable portrait of the life of a lone woman among soldiers in a military camp in rural Afghanistan.

Farishta’s principal accomplishment is its fascinating window into military life at the center of a complex conflict that will be relevant for years to come. McArdle is a confident, unaffected writer, and Angela is believable and compelling, even heroic, as a woman finding purpose at a later stage in life. Unnerved and sad at first, Angela finds an energizing bonhomie in her relationships with the soldiers who surround her; the Mr. Darcy–like figure in the form of the younger Major Davies, who inflames her; the interpreter she befriends but must deceive; and the native people she becomes determined to help.

However, a fine sense of place does not a great novel make. In fact, the novel’s most potent asset is also its undoing. The narrative is seriously lacking in discipline, with no detail spared, no regional ritual excised, no minute element of military-camp protocol truncated. At 550 pages, Farishta is 150 pages too long. The Jane Austen–esque love affair is preposterously drawn out, and crucial events are anticlimactically telegraphed rather than dramatized. And yet I am intrigued by the potential here. Though missed opportunities abound, buried as they are beneath the author’s good intentions and her rather astonishing ability to evoke the culture, I do firmly believe that with a strong editorial hand Farishta could be a hugely successful, even revelatory, novel.”

And Ben Schranks’s (President and Publisher of Razorbill) thoughts on Ackley’s title:

“This is a melancholic coming-of-age tale about standing by and watching a loved one die. Abby is 13 years old when her father is rushed to the hospital, where it’s discovered that he is battling kidney cancer. The North family–Abby, her brother, her older sister and their mother–nurse him to no avail. This novel moves at a slow burn, with plenty of loving attention given to even the smallest details. Abby watches her father move from the early stages of illness to a time when he’s on morphine and living in a hospital bed that the Norths have moved into their living room. The author’s focus on the haze of misunderstanding and illogic that surrounds death in the family is wonderful, and Abby’s struggle with faith gilds her character. Unable to find succor in God, she turns to a Magic 8 Ball that answers her big questions. ‘Abby wondered how many little girls were out there fooling themselves into believing they had guardian angels that watched over them, and if any of them had asked for a sign of life before and actually received one. Abby wondered if any of their dead mothers or fathers had given them something to hold on to, whether they were loved more than Abby was.’

The book moves at a steady pace and chronicles Abby’s journey from a bewildered and frightened girl to a strong young woman. Her grasp on reality tightens and, eventually, she processes the loss of her father and is ready to emerge on the other side of grief. What this book lacks in narrative tension, it makes up for in finely drawn details and sincerity. This one’s the winner in my book.”

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This week I’ve been reading a book called Kick-Ass Creativity by Mary Beth Maziarez. If you need some help focusing your creativeness or just need to get your creative juices flowing in general, I highly recommend it.  Mary Beth acts as a cheerleader for you and writes in a very personal and humorous style that made the book a quick read for me.  She focuses on how to harness your energy and use it to the best of your ability.  A big problem for me has always been structure and focus.  Mary Beth provides simple steps and routines to keep you on track no matter if you are a painter, a crafter, or writer.  This book is for all creative minds!  I’ve never been much of a “self-help” reader, but I do recommend this one. So, check it out.

We’re approaching the summer months and if you are like me, you want to get out doors.  Memorial Day weekend is right around the corner.  Then, Independence Day.  Next thing you know, it’s vacation time and then Labor Day and then summer is gone again. If you find yourself spending more time away from the computer, that’s not such a bad thing.  We all need a break from time to time, even if it’s a whole season.  But there are ways to stay focused on the writing that you will eventually get back to.

• First, take notes.  Put a one subject notebook in your suitcase when you go on vacation or a small notepad in your pocket when you go to the family barbecue.  When thoughts hit you, and if you are like me they always do, grab that pen and paper and write it down.  Write down random words, names of places and people you like, or pieces of conversation you overheard. You never know but you may just end up with a nice outline for a whole new chapter, or even a new book, by the time summer is over.
• Second, take photos.  Chances are you’ve got that camera right there anyway.  When you aren’t shooting the kids at Disneyland or the cousins in the swimming pool, takes photos of whatever catches your eye.  It might be a flower in granny’s garden or a statue in a park, maybe someone walking down the street wearing funny clothes (be discreet!).  I once snapped a photo of some artwork on the side of a KFC.  I was waiting in the drive through line of a brand new KFC and there was some interesting artwork on the side intended for marketing.  It caught my eye and luckily I had my camera with me, so I snapped a shot of it.
• Third, collect postcards and brochures if you are traveling.  This is a good step to follow if you don’t have a camera with you or you are in a place where you can’t use it.  When you check into a hotel, check out the brochures in the lobby or buy postcards in the airport gift shop.  I”ve been known to rip pages from magazines that are lying around in car garage waiting rooms.  By the time you are done, you’ll have a collection of local flavor and useful information that might help you establish place and setting for a new book.
• Lastly, blog or journal about what you’ve done or what you saw. If you have time at the end of the day, whether it be on the laptop your wife doesn’t know you brought or in that notebook you packed, recount your day and write it down.  What did you eat today?  What did you see?  Who did you talk to?  What did they say?

So what if you aren’t pounding out chapters these next few months!  Like I said, we all need a break from time to time and summer is a perfect time to take it. So, take notes, take photos, collect things that inspire you, and when you get home lay it all out on the table and look at what you have.  Read your notes and thoughts.  Take a deep breath and then sit down and get back to writing.  You’re rested and rejuvenated and you’re armed with a whole array of inspiration. Harness that energy and use it!

Summer is here!  Enjoy it!

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As technology sponsor of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, CreateSpace would like to congratulate the 2010 Finalists! Out of an initial field of thousands, Amazon has narrowed the pool down to three entries each in the Young Adult Fiction and General Fiction categories. To find out more about the contest visit the CreateSpace ABNA contest page at www.createspace.com/abna. For more about the finalists, including an extended excerpt from each of their manuscripts, and reviews from the expert panel, visit the Amazon contest page at www.amazon.com/abna.

Voting is open until Tuesday, June 2nd at 11:59 PM EDT. Make sure to cast your vote for the Grand Prize winner in each of the two categories.

General Fiction:

Fortune Cookies by Jennifer Handford

Farishta by Patricia McArdle

Dove Season by Johnny Shaw

Young Adult Fiction:

Sign Language by Amy Ackley

Service of the Crown by Alex Airdale

Days Like this by Alison Stewart

Voting ends June 2nd.  Winners will be announced June 14th.

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It took several months for the book to become available on Amazon. Six months in fact.  Having emailed Lulu support several times during that wait period and after getting no help, I decided to give up on the project and I retired the book immediately.  It loaded to Amazon anyway though and while I have never promoted it, I did go ahead and load it to the Kindle where it has been downloaded enough to gain a sales rank in genres such as Writing Skills and Authorship.

Since the project was retired, but live on Amazon, I also expected never to collect any royalties from the sale of hard copies.  My fault for letting my anger get the best of me. But that’s where good ole Lulu didn’t fail me…at least I hope they didn’t fail.  To date, I’ve collected royalties for a total of just 5 copies: 3 in the US and 2 in the UK!

After much inner debate, I’ve decided to “unretire” the book.  With that decision, I’ve lowered the list price of the paperback to just $9.50 on Lulu and the E-Book to just $4.50, cutting most of my royalties. This may or may not affect the current list price at Amazon where the book is $12.50, but can be purchased starting at $9.50 from third party marketplace sellers. I don’t care.  More than anything, I want the book to be available to those who need it most…indie authors who may not have a lot of money to invest in their work, but have a lot of heart already invested in it. And may just need some help in the right direction.

The information presented in this book has not been changed.  In fact, I have reviewed it against Amazon and the information is still as current today as it was a year ago when I compiled it.  While I’m sure I could build upon the material, the purpose of the book was always to be a “quick” reference for indie authors.  I do not feel the need to broaden it, and I believe it can be a very important “go to” book for authors who are out of money and looking for quick ways to market their own book on Amazon.com, the world’s largest online book seller.

So, to kick off the “rebirth” of my POD Pocket Guide, I’m offering ten free copies!  That’s right!  Ten free copies!  To be eligible, just leave a comment with your email address on this post. On June 30th, I’ll pick ten winners at random. Yes, there’s a catch.  First, you must live in the United States.  Second, you must commit to leaving a review of the POD Pocket Guide on Amazon.com once you’ve read or used it.  If you can meet these two requirements, then leave a comment on this post to enter the raffle.

Can’t wait till June 30th for a free copy?  Buy or download it right now at Lulu.com!

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Emily Veinglory, the founder of PodPeep, has started a new Self Publishing Forum.  Like many, myself included, Emily grew tired of the forums over at Lulu and a few other places, so she created her own.

Check it out!  It’s free and already has several topics growing.  Emily is also looking for moderators and co-admins.

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The publishing industry is undergoing change in how books are delivered. It is not unreasonable to presume that in a decade electronic devices such as the Apple tablet or the Kindle will be the premiere platforms delivering text to millions of readers. On the other end of the spectrum there is the democratization of the publishing process itself. Once reserved only to a chosen few, publishing has become available to anyone wishing to publish his or her book either through traditional means or as an ebook.

The purpose of this symposium is to assess the state of self-publishing and speculate on its future. Is it Utopian to believe that self-publishing can become anything more than what the publishing mainstream sees it to be, essentially a slush pile? Can self-publishing become a realistic publishing option and produce recognized names?

I’d like to ask you to speculate about the present and the future of self-publishing…The questions below are intended to start the conversation.

And here are my answers…

How does self-publishing differ from traditional publishing?

This is a question that by now, I’m sure most already know the answer to. I could first post the obvious which pretty much defines what self-publishing is in general:  The author is mostly responsible for the editing, formatting, and marketing of his own work.  Self-published books usually cost more and are sold nonreturnable.  Self-published books are not usually stocked by traditional bookstores unless specifically ordered for an event or special order. But, by these definitions alone, someone considering self-publishing would probably frown upon it. These days, thanks to e-publishing, the expense and retail cost is much more affordable, and often free. E-publishing bypasses the brick and mortar bookstores all together, and puts the self-published author in the electronic forefront where bookstores are losing their customers anyway.  Authors also  keep the rights to their work which means they don’t have to pay a big publishing house, editors, and agents, so they can keep more of the profit to themselves.  Those margins might still be small, but most self-published authors still find it to be just as rewarding.  In the end, we have a slush pile just like traditional publishing does.

Do self-published book review blogs help to raise the reader awareness of self-published books?

Since I founded LLBR (www.llbookreview.com), I would certainly say yes to this question. But generally I find more authors visit the site than readers who are non-writers.  Now, we all know that when authors aren’t writing, they should be reading.  So, hopefully it’s a win-win situation.  Authors, new and old, learn more about the POD experience from these review blogs.  And they also find books to read and can support other authors like themselves. Most non-writing readers don’t care about the emphasis put on self-publishing; they just want a good book to read. I think sometimes we put too much emphasis on the self-publishing part because we think POD fans are the only ones reading us.

How do you respond to the following statement? –Self-publishing is not a serious way to get one’s work into print now and never will be.

I would probably respond by saying, “Did you ever hear of a book called The Joy of Cooking? It was first self-published. Or do you know who Upton Sinclair, James Redfield, Oscar Wilde, E.E. Cummings, Benjamin Franklin, Mark Twain, Walt Witman, Ezra Pound, Gertrude Stein, and Edgar Allan Poe are?  Do you know what they all have in common?  Yep, they self-published.”  Self-publishing is not taken seriously only because of the stigmas that surround it, most of which were created by the traditional publishing companies anyway. But that is changing.

Has the golden age of self-publishing already passed or is it yet to come?

I think it has yet to come, but we are getting there. As E-publishing becomes the norm, and more people buy into e-readers, it’s only going to get better.

What about the challenges posed to the self-published writer by having to promote and edit his or her own book?

Well, anyone who is considering self-publishing seriously should know they can’t do it alone. A lot of POD companies offer editing and formatting services.  There are also a ton of reputable editors-for-hire out there. I’m guilty of trying to do it all by myself, and my biggest advice to anyone out there who wants to is don’t take that “self” part literally.  Get some type of professional assistance whether that be with formatting, your book cover, or editing.  Hire someone. Take a writing class. Join a writing club. Or take advantage of your POD company’s extra services if you can afford them.

Why is it that a self-published author has yet to emerge into national recognition as a self-published author? (As opposed to being given a mainstream publishing contract after a self-published book attracts attention.)

They have.  You just don’t hear about them. But it’s because Americans are guilty of all reading the same thing. There are millions of books out there and millions more being published every year.  Ask any non-reader to name a popular book though and they will probably say Harry Potter, or Twilight, or the latest by Stephen King, or whatever has been made into a movie this week.  That’s because as a society, we’ve always wanted what our neighbor has.  We want to fit in.  We want to do what everyone else is doing.  So in the end, we are also all reading the same books.  And so our society as a whole has an effect on what we see on the news or read in the papers.  Because that’s what is making money.

Take Christopher Paolini’s book, Eragon, for example. He began writing it when he was fifteen. Few people probably know it was first self-published.  But fewer probably even know it was a book at all because Hollywood made it into a movie. I’m sure Mr. Paolini still cashed some nice paychecks though; today he’s only 27 and has published a whole series of books.  Still Alice by Lisa Genova is another self-published book picked up by the mainstream that has done very well.

My point is that most self-published authors don’t have the finances or collateral that’s needed to get that national recognition. If you could afford a massive marketing campaign, then it might happen for your self-published book.  Still, it might not.  For now, the self-published author is lucky to get the local color page in the community paper or a signing at their B&N, and for some, that’s recognition enough.

Has the experience of self-publishing changed the way you write? (If you have self-published.)

Absolutely.  I tend to format a new Word document to a 6×9 page right from the start, leaving blank pages for the front matter.  I also format the margins and page numbers.  All this even for a first draft!

What are the dangers of self-publishing? Are self-published authors, in other words, more likely to be attacked for writing material that is challenging or outside of mainstream?

Well, self-publishing has always been the scarlet letter of the writing world. Self-published authors are attacked for more than their content.  I think the freedom from traditional publishing restrictions is exactly why authors self-publish.  I’ve seen and read a lot of non-traditional books as far as design, content, and even illustrations go.  That’s one of the beauties of self-publishing that I enjoy.  It’s artistic freedom in a way that has broken the mold on  not just the way we publish, but also the way we write and read.

________________________________________________________________________________________

These are my personal opinions and don’t necessarily reflect the views of LLBR or my fellow reviewers. Questions or comments are welcome.  And if you wish to read others’ answers to the Symposium questions please visit The New Podler Review of Books.

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