Hey all, here with another update, though it has been some time.  Let me assure you’ve I’ve not been idle in that time.  I just haven’t been doing the typing as much.  Let’s get right to it.

Pages: 125

Word Count: 44790

That’s close to 50,000, the ~word count from Eternal Retribution.  I’ve got 15 and 16 written already as well, and between them, I should definitely have enough to get past that number. 

I’ve done a bit of ‘planning’ and calculating, which is not usually the way I write.  Putting together the proposed chapters I’ve got left, I determined that if I manage to finish writing each of the remaining chapters in 5 days or less (notebook, not typing), then I can be finished with Homecoming by Halloween.  Chapter 16 was finished in 4 days, so I’m ahead of schedule so far.  It’ll put a cramp on my reading, but I think this is going to be a nice final push to get the book done.  If I can manage to finish other chapters within a shortened time as well, I may be able to squeeze some typing in along the way.

Anyway, that’s what I’ve got for now.  With this schedule I’ve got going, I don’t know when I’ll update again, but hey, you guys all know this page has its periods of dormancy anyway.  Thanks for stopping by.  Leave a comment, drop me an email, shout at me on twitter even.

Peace Out, Rock On.

Hello again, all.  I can say ‘all’ now and feel like it actually pertains, thanks in large part to twitter.  I recently joined a group called World Literary Café that has this great program called Tweet Teams.  Each author posts a couple tweets linking their book(s) and/or website, and agrees to tweet one of the tweets for each of the other 9 authors on the team, and they’ll all do the same for you.  Thanks to this, my website hit record high views last week.  Even more important is the amount of new twitter friends I’ve made throughout the process.  I’d say a rough estimate has me at around 40 new followers.  Do we all chat all the time?  Of course not.  But I’ve had conversations with a number of them; it’s more than just a mutual follower who RTs for me and I for them.  (These RTs are outside of WLC, btw.)  If you’re interested, check out #WLCAuthor on twitter; you might find a book or two you really like.

Thanks to everyone who has followed me and retweeted for me over the past week and a half, and for all of you in the future.

Now, to get into the part where I need some help.  A little background first: I self-published my book at the beginning of 2010.  At the time, I only really knew of the one way to self-publish, and I went with what I knew.  I’m starting to think I was wrong.  Now, as I said, I didn’t know of any other options back then, but now (thanks again twitter, tweeps, etc.) I know of a number of what I can only describe as better options.  There are websites available where I can publish books (or republish, as I’m currently considering with Eternal Retribution) for free.  This is over a grand less than I paid out originally.  What’s more, with these new options, I get to set the price.  (DISCLAIMER: Xlibris does offer a ‘set your own price’ option, but it costs extra.)  However, I get to set the price at a rate that doesn’t scream ROADBLOCK at potential buyers.  The kicker?  The royalty percentage is a lot higher.

I don’t write for the money (I can’t seem to find a journalism job to save my life).  It may sound like that with all this talk of higher royalties, potential buyers, more sales…  But really, I write because I love to write.  I want to contribute to the literary world, and hope I have a positive effect on readers.  I’d be lying if I said getting paid for doing something I love isn’t part of the draw, but it is by no means the lion’s share.  All the positives to the things I listed (financially, at least) are really just icing on the cake.  At the lower prices, I can get my work into more readers hands (or e-reading devices).  I write what I want to write, not what someone tells me to write.  Everything about my story and future entries remains my decision to make.  Why have it any other way?

Okay, so now to get into the part where I need some help. This is mostly directed towards others indie authors, but any other reader who wants to do research and weigh in is more than welcome. The question comes down to this: Go with Kindle Select, which is through Amazon and I’ve been told and read holds the majority of ebook sales for indie authors, but holds exclusive ebook publishing rights for each 90-day period you’re enrolled, or don’t use Select, but still have Amazon coverage, and also go with Smashwords who do ebook sales for the iStore, B&N, Sony, etc.

There ya have it.  I hope to hear back from some people with their thoughts.  Thanks in advance, and for stopping by.

Peace Out, Rock On.