eBooks: Do longer or shorter books sell better?

Recently, Smashwords’ blog revealed a survey showing what could help you as an eBook publisher, sell more of your books. I was particularly drawn to the section on longer books versus shorter books. Here is a snippet of what the survey found and then I will explain:

The top 100 bestselling Smashwords books averaged 115,000 words.  When we examined the word counts of books in other sales rank bands, we found the lower the word count, the lower the sales.

Now consider how authors can use this finding, combined with the knowledge of the power curve, to make smarter publishing decisions, and to avoid poor decisions.  Often, we’ll see an authors with a single full-length novel break the novel into chunks to create a series of novellas, or worse – they’ll try to serialize it as dozens of short pieces.  When you consider that readers overwhelmingly prefer longer works, and you consider that bestselling titles sell exponentially more copies, reach more readers and earn more money than the non-bestsellers, you can understand how some authors might be undermining their book’s true potential.

Young adult literature has gotten heftier.

Okay, so it seems the chunkier the book the better the sell. I see evidence of this with current YA titles in Walmart or the library. Back in the day young adult books were roughly 150-300 pages long(maybe more, maybe less). But as I pick up a popular teen book now…whoa! I mean, it is like holding the Holy Scriptures- almost 700 pages of hefty goodness is disseminated to readers and of course the teens who we think hate to read are gobbling up these monsters.

I did my own digging…

So, with this survey it is saying that the longer the works, the more it will sell. Serials are a no-no.  I took the liberty of finding this out on my own, so on Smashwords I searched the bestselling category. It did not matter about genre or subject matter.

The search spit out hundreds of eBooks that sell really well and with four or five star rating…and guess what? Many of them had words of 80,000 or more- so Mark Coker is right on that particular aspect.

Don’t be discouraged however, because I have published a really short(but free) story on Smashwords and have received both five star reviews and over 350 downloads and a couple of one star reviews. The one star reviewers said, “This book was too short”. Which is all well and good because at least it was free and not a waste in dollars for them.

Why don’t readers like short books?

I can only venture a guess, but as a reader myself, if a book is in a genre I enjoy, I really don’t mind the book being lengthy. Other factors include:

• The author’s writing style
• Falling in love with the story/character/plot
• Needing to be entertained a little longer
• Enjoyable subject matter

Can you think of more reasons why big books are so exceptional?

What can writers do about this and can short books sell well?

After the “bestselling” search, I went on and selected “bestselling” and “fewer than 20,000 words” and found something interesting: There were books less than 9,000 words selling for anywhere from $1.00 and up and with good ratings and good sales! I don’t think I paid attention to genre although the categories ran anywhere from African American to Nonfiction to Fantasy.

Here are some things I have done and witnessed concerning selling short fiction:

• My short fiction “Mark of Fortune” began as a short story and I placed it on Smashwords as such. It got a lot of readers, but I am now labeling it as “Prelude to Mark of Fortune series” this should let readers know that “Hey, this isn’t a full length book but will lead to one slightly longer or much longer than it.”
• Research on what a novella versus a novel is. For now, I know that a short story or flash fiction is 1,000 to 20,000 words. A novella is about 17,000 to 40,000 words. There are different opinions on this from both scholars and readers alike and if you’d like more clarity please visit this hub: “The Difference Between a Short Story, Novellete, Novella, and Novel“
• Try writing a novel. As a poet and short fiction writer I choose to write in small verses and chunks, but I delight in reading a novel and I have full length books brewing in my mind to write. It could be that the stories come up short when you have not planned well for them.  Two simple exercises can remedy that: 1) Try the Star Point System for Writing a Novel or 2) Grab up your favorite novel in the genre you like to write and pour through every page- take notes on the writer’s voice and style, characters and plot.(Will blog on this really soon).
• Try writing short fiction pieces for magazines and small presses. Head over to pw.org to seek out databases of folks who’d love to read what you’ve written.

I’m not saying this will cure all your ills but at least you don’t have to be something you are not. If you are an expert at writing only short fiction then stick to it, because if it’s good-

It’s good

If you found this post helpful to you, please reblog it, or share it on your social networks. I also welcome comments as the feedback helps me know what I am doing right and wrong.

Thanks!

Samosa and Stone’s bizarre union continues in ‘Kiss of Stone’

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Genies, passion, faith, and sacrifice…

Samosa and Stone try to live together as a normal couple but quickly learn that is not quite possible. Stone is a genie and Samosa is a divorcee trying to complete school.  Their sensuous relationship brims over into something that can  kill them both. Samosa’s ex, her own unnatural cravings and Stone’s secrets  prove to be stumbling blocks.

Kiss of Stone is the continuing saga of  a human and a genie and the obstacles they must overcome in order to survive.

Kiss of Stone will be available May 2013.

Review: ‘Crank’ by Ellen Hopkins

Crank by Ellen Hopkins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What an interesting book! Fiction told using verses.

Kristina seems to be the Speaker/Protagonist in this work. She comes from a pretty normal family but in spared words tells us: her sister is a lesbian and her brother is too young to be a confidant and her mother is more focused on her looks and writing her books and her boyfriends.

Eventually, she spends a few weeks with her dad and she finds his neighbor is a hot looking guy named Adam but people call him “Buddy”- so she hooks up with Adam and he introduces Kristina(who calls her alter ego, “Bree”) to crank. A.K.A. crack or cocaine. She begins a downward spiral drinking beer, smoking cigarettes and eventually moved on to something more hardcore towards the end of the book. But all the while, Kristina-“Bree” is battling more than one Monster: her hormones, her thoughts, the boys,and her family.

The subject matters tackled: Teen drug use. Teen abuse. Family matters. Sex. Certainly a book worth reading.

As I understand it, “Glass” and “Fallout” are the sequels to this very powerful book.

View all my reviews

*For an in-depth review of the Crank story and how men play a vital role in Kristina’s life, please head to “Crank Review” on my hub

‘Ring of Stone’ Update: A Verse… “Sad(new)Creature”

40s Beauty by Jan Farthing for Flickr.com

From Samosa’s POV: Samosa appears in “Mark of Fortune” which is the prequel to Ring of Stone. Ring of Stone is underway right now, until then, these poems will be clues to Samosa and Stone’s new life together; it will be as dramatic and as sensual as the first!

Sad (New) Creature

You made me hungry with

and enticing, sugary kiss

and I was made to know you

on that velvet night-

you set me free

and now I stand

a part of you

apart from you

a new creature who smiles

for no reason

and who is catty with her remarks

concerning you and

this is new

even Mom is afraid of

what have you done to me

Stone?

I am now a mirror of

my own bad habits left off

from something whittled off

a stump.

*If you would like an exclusive peek and free download of the first chapter of “Ring of Stone” when it becomes available, please sign up to subscribe to this blog

Bless You!

‘A Noiseless Patient Spider’; Whitman flings his soul somewhere

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‘A Noiseless Patient Spider’ (1881) delivers a powerful, two stanza poem comparing the body and soul to a spider and its web. The speaker of the poem. After two readings it appears that the Spider=Speaker’s Body and its web=Speaker’s Soul. We will also look at language, symbols, and tone/mood. Check out the poem below:

A noiseless, patient spider,
I mark’d, where, on a little promontory, it stood, isolated;
Mark’d how, to explore the vacant, vast surrounding,
It launch’d forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself;
Ever unreeling them—ever tirelessly speeding them.

And you, O my Soul, where you stand,
Surrounded, surrounded, in measureless oceans of space,
Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing,—seeking the spheres, to connect them;
Till the bridge you will need, be form’d—till the ductile anchor hold;
Till the gossamer thread you fling, catch somewhere, O my Soul(by Walt Whitman 1819-1892)

***

Objects and Symbols

*A Spider

*The Soul

*A Bridge

There may be more objects you spot, but the poem’s title mentions a spider and the Speaker seems to be observing this little creature closely. The Speaker then says, “Oh my Soul…” in the second stanza which has some significance which we’ll explore later and finally there is the mention of a bridge being needed which will be formed in due time.

*Language/Rhyme

Here is where we get to more meat and potatoes of the poem, where they flow of the words and their positioning gives juicy meaning. Remember, this is what I gleaned from my reading, it may not necessarily be what you discover.

*”Noiseless, Patient”(line 1-slant rhyme)

*Mar’d…mark’d(lines 2-3; repetition)

*Vacant, Vast(line 3-alliteration)

*Filament, filament, filament(line 4-repetition)

*measureless oceans(line 7- slant rhyme)

*”Ceaseless musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect with”(line 8-9- ‘ing’ sounds-slant rhyme)

Plenty of slant rhyme and repetition. Slant rhymes are families of words that are not “whole rhymes(like “cat”-”hat”) but have endings that almost rhyme in sound. Like noiseless and patient- hear the “ent” sound? Also the repetition have a particular wave to it. Think of what a spider does. A spider throws out its thread, seeming never-ending and so of course there will be repetition here as the Speaker tries to establish a rhythm similar to a spider sitting and tossing its thread.

Then we come to the Speaker’s comparison of his/her body to a spider and its web. Lines 6-7 mirrors line 4.  Check it out:

Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing,—seeking the spheres, to connect them;(line 8)

It launch’d forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself;(line 4)

Tone/Mood

In Line 8 the human being has its soul tossed from it and it seeks its source. This could be Heaven. In line 4, the spider throws out filament after filament, seeking what it may catch and hold on it. Now, this poem can have double meaning. I am speaking of the afterlife but what if it’s about venturing out on one’s own to discover what is out there?

The speaker seems to moan, “Oh my soul” a couple of times in this poem. The Speaker cares about this unseen property in the body and the Spider is an object he/she can properly compare it to. I can’t say the poem is sad, but the Speaker is seeking something.

After your reading, is the Speaker sad? Ambivalent? Joyous? Or other?

I love responses!

*Key Terms*

Promontory-a high piece or point of land

Filament-a single thread or flexible thread

Gossamer- film of cobwebs

Ductile-capable of being drawn into wires

Uncomfortable characters in ‘The Thirteenth Sacrifice’ by Debbie Viguie

In “The Thirteenth Sacrifice” Samantha Ryan’s past haunts her-which manifests itself in her dreams complete with screams, blood, and cutting rituals  and now it is affecting her job and those she care about.

Samantha Ryan is a witch. From one of the most powerful coven. However, she is now a Christian and Boston cop by choice and refuses to use her powers for any reason.

Until people start showing up dead on college campuses and everywhere else.

Now, I am not really into Witchy books but after reading the “Crusade Series” by Debbie Viguie and Nancy Holder, I thought I’d try this one out. Also, Viguie’s Kiss Trilogy is good. The Thirteenth Sacrifice was fascinating with added suspense and the unexpected twist in the end. A couple of things made the book a page turner:

Uncomfortable characters.

Samantha Ryan is not a comfortable character, meaning she is like you and I but she is a witch and when she is asked to go undercover;  she  uses her spells and magic to try to capture the killer. She employs old sets of skills, rehash old nightmares to seek clues and do even more diabolical things I will not even mention here.

Eventually she meets Anthony who owns an Occult museum and he is handsome has intense green eyes…and hates witches with a passion. Samantha finds herself in a complex situation given that he hates witches and they begin liking one another. Samantha’s partner, Ed is a comfortable character and is married. However he handles Samantha’s secret will determine if he is a partner worth having.

Power sequences.

Since reading action filled books like Crusade, Halflings, and other novels, I find that scenes with people using powers requires imagination and maybe some science. I was thoroughly interested in how Samantha would get herself out of sticky situations. Is she stronger than the High Priestess? Is there more power she can tap into?

Was there more I wanted to see from The thirteenth Sacrifice?

Yes.

I wanted more than just a sprinkle of romance. It is quite there and a few pages do sizzle with possibilities but at least the book held my interest and I am definitely going to read Book 2: The Last Grave.

*To You: Are you more into action, romance or the perfect balance? Why?

Review: ‘The Book Publisher’s Toolkit’ a helpful resource for independent publishers

The Book Publisher’s Toolkit: 10 Practical Pointers for Independent and Self Publishers by Independent Book Publishers Association

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What every self publisher want to know, and no longer have to hunt for: an eBook on practical book promotion tips straight from the IBPA(Independent Book Publishers Association).

If you’re like me, then you may have found helpful websites here and there to help you along your self publishing journey. But to have a gem in your hand that you can refer to for helpful tips is already here. Sure, it has tips we have all heard before like, “Get a Twitter account!”, “Be social” “Get involved in online conversations”
The real tokens were the advice of how other readers will perceive us and how to tap into the real magic of Twitter.

For example, “we have to watch what others tweet about”(11). Just posting tweets will no longer do. We have to watch what others are saying so we can jump in with our valuable advice. This goes for blogs, Facebook, and other social networking sites.

Librarians. Now these are a picky folk. Why? Libraries are run on budgeted dollars, so they will choose only what they would want to read and what patrons wouldn’t pick up as well. Some things librarians look for before they decide on your book:

•Blogs: What do bloggers have to say about your book?
•Patron Requests: Are people reaching out to have your book in the catalog?
•Cover Art: Is the cover art dynamic, unique, and pertains to the story?

Other advice in the book explained the importance of knowing your rights as an independent publisher and how to build your platform to enhance your brand or begin your brand.

Overall, it’s a neat little 57 page book filled with some items and advice we may have never thought of. Some tips we can even expand on.

*Book received for free for my unbiased review from Netgalley

View all my reviews

3 Great ways to get your self pubbed books noticed

We wish there were more self published authors that are striking gold and platinum in the news but there remains the very few who have made.

We wish even more that we make it ourselves. All of our time spent publishing on CreateSpace, Amazon, Smashwords, Lulu.com and other sites seem to be bringing in very little if any money at all. After working on self publishing my own books and reading some online articles, I find there are a few things that will keep you from popularity and/or earnings and these same few things can be your saving grace.

Having a Classic, but Unique Storyline.

Romance, romance, and more romance.. Guys won’t admit it but action flicks with love interests are cool too. According to Guardian’s report on books that earn well:

Romance authors earned 170% more than their peers, while authors in other genres fared much worse: science-fiction writers earned 38% of the $10,000 average, fantasy writers 32%, and literary fiction authors just 20% of the $10,000 average.

Networking…On the Networks.

Another blockage could be that you are not really talking about your book. If not you, then who? Personally, I don’t like having too many social media places to visit, yet its fun and addicting at the same time. One thing I do is frequently let people know that I have free items. I love free. You love free. We all enjoy free stuff. Why not offer free copies of your book? Make one of your shorter works free to download? Let people know on Facebook, G+, Pinterest, wherever. Hiring someone to do it for you is an option to although I prefer networking on my own. Yes, it can be time-consuming which is why you have to plan.

For instance, most days  I am writing or editing anyway. Blogging, social networking, etc. may be done only twice a week or once a week. Or maybe just take a half hour. Either way, I’m trying to network.

Editing, Copyediting, and Professional Looking Covers.

This is spoken from someone who doesn’t always have the professional money for “professionals” but if you would like to see more sells and downloads of your work, having a nice cover for your book and having your manuscript at least copyedited is a must. This will put you right up there with those high sellers of self pubbed books.

Confession: Before,  I found editing books from the public library very helpful until I could actually afford an editor for my books. You can practically Bing or Google freelance editors or try C.S. Lakin at livewritethrive.com-   I hope to work with her soon Lord willin’.

I hope this has encouraged you as a writer to write more. It is a tough world out there and publishing even tougher. Becoming a published author means facing keen competition and just know I am right here for you. I too am writing my heart out and have actually seen some of the benefits, but to have readers matters more than money.

Even though money is quite nice.

*Other article to consider: “Another Self pubbed Author Strikes Gold” http://thewriteweb.wordpress.com/2012/02/16/another-self-pubbed-author-strikes-the-gold/

As we wait on ‘Ring of Stone’ here’s some pics of Stone’s birth home…

As ‘Ring of Stone’(Book 2 to Mark of Fortune) is being prepared, I thought I’d share a few pics of the place where Stone of the Ice Rings is from. He was born on the “outskirts of Saturn” which can mean the ice rocks on the ring belt on some other place during that ancient time. Either way its beautiful- enjoy!

Click on the “The Basics of Saturn” to enjoy interesting, mind boggling facts on this gas giant!

*Disclaimer: All images are from NASA.org and some may be artist’s concepts.

Dawn on Saturn

Cassini at Saturn’s Bow Shock

Tracking an Author: Ring of Stone, and what’s Pinterest got in store for writers?

tblc.org

Social Media. What would we be doing without the array of tools writers use daily to connect with their readers and why do I suddenly enjoy Pinterest specifically?

For those unfamiliar with Pinterest, it is a site where you digitally “pin” your favorite images and photos. What’s amazing is that you can grab images from the web or upload your own and the site has a way to link the image back to its own host site. You just pin up and go. Think of it as an online bulletin board. It also allows you to arrange and plan your ideas visually for interior decorating, food recipes and yes…Books!

Even now my posts and pages on this blog come with a Pin It! button so you can easily pin what you see on here to your boards(first join Pinterest)

How does this work for me as a writer and how can you use it to further reach your audience?

• I found that for my free short story “Mark of Fortune” I can search images of people on the web who resemble my characters. That part is so much fun because I feel as if I’m a director looking for the perfect person to play as [blank]
• Even images of scenery, houses, interior rooms- whatever, I am able to find and place them on my own Pinterest Boards.
• For planning, I may consider going online first to find settings, scenes and characters to inspire me to write my fiction and poetry. How neat is that! Getting inspiration visually before putting fingers to keyboard is wonderful beyond words.
• There are some pitfalls, writers can fall into if they are not careful. Mainly, do not post up all of your “goods” for everyone to see- let some story plots and secrets be discovered. In fact, a neat article on Poet’s & Writer’s explains more of what writers can and shouldn’t do on Pinterest. Please check that out.

In other news I am pleased to announce that “Ring of Stone”- the second part to Mark of Fortune is under way and is going through some editing right now and also choosing an eBook cover takes some time, but at least its technically finished- just need some polishing. It will be published on Smashwords.

Also my new website is about done as well as one dedicated to Mark of Fortune and the world of genies. Excited about that too!

Stay tuned for a Sneak Peak of Ring of Stone!