Publishing Journeys – Page 3

Picture Imperfect Progress Report

I have website updates to do!

My sassy suspense, PICTURE IMPERFECT, is currently getting uploaded to various eBook retailers for pre-order, and the release date has been set for October 18th. That’s a 2 week pre-order period. I have some fun stuff planned, but need to wait until the pre-orders are all live.

Meanwhile, the print files are getting prepped and review copies are going out. I can’t wait to get my hands on a proof copy of the print book! But right now I’m waiting for the printer to approve the files before I can order a proof.

Here's the title page to give you a little taste of the upcoming Cover Reveal! — Here’s the title page to give you a little taste of the upcoming Cover Reveal!

Oh, Dear, Summer Happened Again!

I know, I know. I had high hopes for blogging over the summer. What can I say? Once Eldest Son comes home from China for a few precious weeks every year, I lose sight of everything else. And it seems most everyone is on social media these days rather than blogs.

Well, today ES and DILly 2 departed for Shanghai again, and I won’t see them for another ten months. So it’s back to writing–and hopefully back to some semblance of blogging. I have good intentions, I really do. But right now I’m delving into formatting for PICTURE IMPERFECT, which IS coming out this fall! This is my first time trying to format, both eBook and print. I have a professional in the wings, should it come to that. But I really would like to be able to change out my backmatter, etc., as needed without hiring out, so it’s time to get technical.

Gulp.

WHERE SHE BELONGS and Kindle Unlimited

I haven’t had one of my books in Amazon’s KDP Select program for two and a half years. Then, it was WHERE SHE BELONGS, the same book I enrolled in Select near the beginning of July to experiment with changes to the Kindle Unlimited program. The book comes out of the program in early October.

For anyone who’s not familiar with KDP Select, the “Select” program gives Amazon the exclusive right to sell books enrolled in the program for a three-month term. Readers can buy the book outright (if you like to re-read ebooks or collect them, this is the best option) or readers enrolled in Kindle Unlimited for their country can “borrow” the right to read how many books they want for a set price per month. But you can’t keep the books on your ereader for re-reading.

Last time I was in Select, authors were paid per “borrow” of an entire book for the Kindle Lending Library or authors were paid a royalty if readers purchased the book outright. Enrolling in Select can really help an author’s visibility, because Amazon algorithms might favor books enrolled. But it’s not just enough to be enrolled in Select. You need the right advertising when you’re running a promotion to really get Amazon’s algorithms to work for you as an author. Otherwise, Select might do nothing for you and might actually hurt you, because you’re losing out on buyers looking for your book on Kobo, iBooks, NOOK, etc., and not finding it.

Kindle Unlimited came into being last summer, and I and a whole lot of other authors saw a huge drop in Amazon royalties as readers were being tempted into the subscription model. I also write under a pen name, and sales for that pen name with an established e-press literally plummeted after Kindle Unlimited came into play. Back then, authors were still paid per “borrow” if enrolled in Kindle Select, which meant that short stories earned an author the same royalty as a borrowed 400-page novel. So KU became flooded with short pieces, evidently. And the changes to the program this July were a result of that. Now, authors are paid per page read, so if a reader downloads a book through Kindle Unlimited and quits reading it halfway through, the author only gets paid for the pages actually read.

I’m not here to debate the pros and cons of the system, I just wanted to explain it to potential readers. I believe the best course of action is to place one’s books on as many e-platforms as one can, and that is how I’ve operated since I began independently publishing. But I am a slow writer, and this summer I decided, what the heck, I’ll experiment with the new Kindle Unlimited program. I have to say, I have been pleasantly surprised, because as of a day or two ago, over 100,000 pages of WHERE SHE BELONGS have been read in August, which, for ME (not necessarily for any other author) is a huge success, but not a success I could have achieved had my book not been accepted by places like BookBub and EReader News Today for advertising.

The KENPs–Kindle Edition Normalized Page count–for WHERE SHE BELONGS is 384 pages, which means 260 copies of my novel have been read through the borrowing program so far in August (nothing to an NYC bestseller, but a ton for an author who hasn’t had a new book out in a…long time). The book also reached over 100,000 pages read for July, which I was thrilled with, because the borrows didn’t come into play for me in any real fashion until the four free days and following up with a price point of $0.99 (for purchased copies), so beginning around July 23rd.

It’s a very busy summer around here–I have a son getting married soon–so I have decided to leave the price of the book at $0.99 for the rest of the summer, into the first week of September. At that point, the book will return to its regular price of $3.99, and I do intend to take the book out of Kindle Select in early October and return it to wide distribution (iBooks, Kobo, NOOK, and I’ve gotta get on Google Play one of these days). I can tell that my page reads (and also sales) are going down as time passes since the advertising that sent my book on the upswing. If not for the advertising, my book would not have had anywhere near as successful a summer. I need to become much more prolific to really make a foray into indie publishing.

But I am counting my Summer of Kindle Unlimited as a rousing success.

WHERE SHE BELONGS #1 In Kindle Free Store!

WHERE SHE BELONGS is currently FREE exclusively on Amazon today and tomorrow (July 25th), and this morning it hit #1 on the entire Kindle FREE store! It’s also #1 in Romance, Contemporary Romance and Women’s Fiction. I had to take a screenshot, because this won’t last long!

The book is in Kindle Select (exclusive to Kindle) until early October, which means if you are a member of Kindle Unlimited, you can read WHERE SHE BELONGS for free as long as it remains in the program. But RIGHT NOW it is free to everyone! And it’s FREE on Amazons around the world, so check your country’s store!

Download WHERE SHE BELONGS for free!

WHERE SHE BELONGS in Kindle Unlimited for Three Months

That about spells it all out. Until October, the ebook edition of my contemporary romance, WHERE SHE BELONGS, will be available exclusively from Amazon. I’m testing out the changes to the Kindle Unlimited program to see if it’s beneficial for me as an author (particularly one who’s a turtle writer and needs to find ways to keep my name out there while finishing The Beast, as I’ve come to think of my single title mystery romance that is now at 122,000 words). (That’s not the title, just a nickname, although it would make a good title, just not for this book).

Unfortunately, enrolling in KDP Select, which includes Kindle Unlimited, means WHERE SHE BELONGS is temporarily unavailable from other e-retailers. But! If you’re a member of Kindle Unlimited, you can now read WHERE SHE BELONGS for free.

All my other books and stories remain for sale from multiple e-tailers.

Now back to The Beast!

Spotlight on Kate St. James and TEASE Sizzling Romps

My writing pal, Kate St. James, has joined the self-publishing ranks with her series of erotica short stories and short novellas, TEASE Sizzling Romps, set in Vancouver, B.C.

Today Sugar Rush, Story 2 of the series, released from Amazon, and Tea for Three, Story 1 (originally published with Ellora’s Cave) has been available since the end of December.

Right now, Sugar Rush is only 99 Cents for a limited time and Tea for Three is FREE today and tomorrow, February 9th and 10th!

Just a note, these are sizzling hot stories, so if reading about super-hot erotic encounters between consenting adults offends you, it might be best NOT to download or purchase Kate’s stuff. If, on the other hand, you love naughty tales, have at ‘er!

Tea for Three – FREE Today and Tomorrow! (Always Free for Kindle Unlimited Subscribers)

It’s gonna get steamy!

Uninhibited tea shop manager Layla Aziz adores her scorching hot relationship with blond and buff construction worker Gil Cuthbert. Her worry is that over the years she’s slept with countless dudes who tickled her libido. Now, can she go the distance with one guy?

Then Gil surprises Layla by arranging a ménage with his best friend, dark and serious Hunter Cole. Gil, it seems, will do anything to keep Layla satisfied. That includes sharing her with ultra-sexy Hunter again and again—not only for a passion-filled night, but for many more to come.

As long as Gil is in charge of her sensual needs…sign her up!

Sugar Rush – 99 Cents for a Limited Time! (Free for Kindle Unlimited Subscribers):

Her sweetest addiction…is him.

Tea barista Siri Jorgensen believes in monogamy—until she discovers her ex is a cheat. What bothers her most is she tolerated his lackluster moves in bed. Never again! From now on, if a guy doesn’t satisfy her craving for extra-sweet, extra-hot loving right away, he’s out the door.

Enter Caribbean-born architect Lucas Haines, the star of her wildest fantasies. With Lucas, Siri yearns to scorch the sheets—the armchair, the counter. She isn’t picky. For one incredible night, he more than satisfies her lusty addictions.

But when he wants dozens of replays, can she resist?

A Little Q&A with Kate:

Me: Congratulations on the release of Sugar Rush and Tea for Three, Kate! Can you tell us a little about the series?

Kate: Thank you, Cindy, and thanks for having me on your blog! Tea for Three introduces Layla Aziz, Siri Jorgensen, and Grace Delgado, each of whom appears or is mentioned in Tea for Three, Sugar Rush, and Grace’s eventual story, Sweeter than Cream. Each story focuses on its heroine’s sexual adventures–along with some emotional surprises along the way. So there’s some girlfriend bonding and dishing, but these stories, ranging in length from 10,000 to 15,000 words, are focused on the women’s physical relationships and sexual journeys.

Me: Tea for Three is a menage story, right?

Kate: Yes, my first menage story. Before Tea for Three, which is decidedly erotica, I wrote erotic romance, three novellas and a single title romance (information on these can be found on my website) from both the hero and heroine’s points of view. However, Tea for Three and the other TEASE Sizzling Romps stories are all/will be told solely from the heroine’s point of view.

Me: In Tea for Three, Layla is already in a relationship with Gil when he introduces her to Hunter, and in Sugar Rush Siri meets Lucas during what she thinks will be a one-night stand, but Grace is already married in Tea for Three. What do you have planned for her?

Kate: Grace is married to a hot Argentine tango instructor, Nico Delgado. The reader gets little peeks into their relationship in Tea for Three and Sugar Rush, but Sweeter than Cream will focus on Grace and Nico’s marital adventures.

Me: Such as…?

Kate: Well, let’s just say their first anniversary is rapidly approaching and Grace is busy brainstorming erotic ideas to enhance their special day. But Nico is going to get more than he bargained for. Just because you’re married doesn’t mean sex has to be boring!

Me: Oh, sure, don’t answer my question! Do you have excerpts for Tea for Three and Sugar Rush?

Kate: Yes, on my website. Just scroll down on the Tea for Three page and the Sugar Rush page, and you’ll see excerpts for both stories.

Me: Great. How can readers find out more about your books or keep tabs on the development of Grace’s story?

Kate: I don’t have a blog (so thanks again for having me), but readers can keep up to date with me on Facebook or Twitter, and I have a newsletter called Kate St. James’s New Release Alert that I only put out when I have a new release or other important news to share. Signing up for the newsletter is the best way for readers to ensure that they hear my news.

Me: I think I’m on that newsletter list! So, Kate, will TEASE Sizzling Romps feature just the three stories we’ve discussed here or do you have anything else in the works?

Kate: Originally, I conceived of TEASE Sizzling Romps as three stories, but as I wrote Sugar Rush, I discovered a new couple and a new heroine who might want her own story, which would become the fourth story of the series. However, I’ve also had readers request more of Layla, Gil and Hunter (Tea for Three). That’s the wonderful thing about indie publishing. I have a lot of choices, and I have a lot of control. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve enjoyed working with my various publishers over the years, but the TEASE Sizzling Romps series has the potential to go in different directions and indie publishing allows me a lot of leeway as to how I proceed. Will I write a second Layla, Gil and Hunter story following Sweeter than Cream? Or will I write a fourth heroine’s story? There are so many options. I really don’t want to box myself in. Sweeter than Cream will come next. That’s what I know for now. 🙂

Me: What about a cover for Sweeter than Cream?

Kate: There’s a small version of the Sweeter than Cream cover on the Coming page of my website. All three covers were designed by Kim Killion of The Killion Group. We did a lot of brainstorming to come up with the series concept, and I love it!

Me: They are gorgeous covers! Thanks for dropping by the blog, Kate. I’ll end with your contact information.

Kate: Thanks for having me!

~~~~~~~

Tea for Three on Amazon

Sugar Rush on Amazon

Kate’s website

Subscribe to Kate’s New Release Alert Newsletter

Kate on Twitter

Kate on Facebook