A bit of a change of plans happening this week. I was originally going to be signing books this Friday at the bike shop, but that never got arranged, sadly.

Instead, I will be signing books and doing a SHORT READING at Vino Loco in downtown Flagstaff. My reading will be short, as it will be during the very talented Hannah Pralle’s music set. Come down for some book readin’ and musickin’, not to mention some killer wine.

OTHER BIG ANNOUNCEMENT:

I have a new writing/photography/music project that I am trying to fund. This should be a really great project, and there are some great rewards in it for you if you donate. You can donate as little as $1 to the project, so why not support some really fun, interesting art? Please, please, please, visit my KICKSTARTER page to donate today.

Hey folks, as of today, I am making my new short story, “Part of Us,” available for digital download for free! Want to know how? Details after the jump…

I’m going to be trying an experiment soon that was inspired by a person I spoke with on Twitter who wrote one of his novels in 72 hours. I don’t think that’s a great way to write a book, but it might be a great way to finish one.

Look at this guy:

Havin’ fun, right? If you saw him signing books at a book store or other venue, would you approach him? I can tell you a lot of people would, because a lot of people did. But it had nothing to do with that stack of books in front of him.

I was about to start this blog post about five minutes ago, but instead I spilled my beer all over my desk, phone, and guitar. I call that a pretty successful beer spill. I’m all about efficiency.

Thanks to Flagstaff Bicycle Revolution for being a gracious host; Nate Friedman for brewing some fantastic beer; and the NAU Philosophy department for some great artwork on the walls.

The photos are all by Chris Novellino of CJN Photography…thanks for the great shots!

Of course, thanks to everyone who came out for the signing.

I’ve been reading a lot of blogs and articles about the best e-book pricing, and many of these writings are slanted toward promoting low-priced e-books. Some articles have even said $.99 is an appropriate price…for an entire book. The rationale seems to be that since the e-book publisher isn’t sinking any coin into producing the e-book (not true), the overall cost of the book should be lower than a book in print (true).

What seems to be largely ignored here is the writer and the cost and effort it took to write the book. Sure, I believe firmly that digital content should be and in most cases is cheaper. It does cost less to produce an e-book than it does to produce a hardcover or softcover book, but I think some important facts are being ignored here:

1) It does cost money to produce e-books, both for the publisher and the author. Publishers need to pay for server space, for designers to write programs for converting text to the appropriate format, for layout, etc. I’m not going to say this itself is a reason to charge more, but consider it the first rung on the ladder.

2) Here’s the more important point: writers should be business people who want to make a profit. When Itunes started selling music, there was resistance because there was so much free content online. The music industry wasn’t willing to budge on the old paradigm, so music lovers were forced to choose between paying too much for a physical CD or paying $.99 for a digital song download. Not surprisingly, the digital downloads won the day. The interesting thing here, however, is that today, many songs on Itunes are now $1.29 instead of $.99. This met with resistance, yet people were willing to pay. How much will people be willing to pay for content they want? A writer who is a good businessman will be aware of this at all times, and he or she will adjust prices accordingly. People will pay for good content…but it takes a unifying force. Don’t believe me? How are those online newspaper paywalls working out?

Will they pay? That’s the important question. Yes, you can easily price your complete novel at $.99 and sell 1000 copies, but have you done yourself or your fellow writers any good? Writers often bemoan the devaluation of writing in the digital age, yet we seem to be the biggest culprits in perpetuating that devaluation.

Writers will only get paid more money if they decide their work, collectively, is worth more money.

Plenty of counter-arguments exist, especially for self-published, unknown writers who are just trying to get a foot in the door. These are valid arguments, hence the current digital paradigm. Writers in general are wading through the heavy waters and waiting to see what the publishing industry does next, all the while trying to be ahead of the curve with self-publishing and e-books. We risk being blackballed by the industry just for trying, so a lot is on the line for a newly published writer. Why wouldn’t we sell our work for $.99 if it gets the writing in the hands of more people? It shows the industry that our writing is worthwhile, right? Makes the case for a big book deal, right?

Wrong.

It just shows that you are willing to sell yourself short. People will buy crappy writing for $.99 because it is cheap. They will buy good work for $9.99 because it is good, and vice versa. It takes more than a low price to recognize market trends. Proving yourself does not mean selling your work to the lowest bidder on the street corner. It means PROVING YOURSELF. It means writing well, marketing well, and producing content people want to pay for.

One more important note: many self-publishers and e-bookers choose these paths simply to get the notice of big publishing houses that will then pay them a big nut to keep writing. Problem is, that rarely happens at all, so perhaps this whole pursuit is akin to the “AMERICAN DREAM”, the reason a guy who makes $25,000 a year will get angry about higher taxes for people making more than $250,000 a year: there’s always the possibility that it will happen, that we will get our big nut, that we will win the big prize and suddenly make $250,o00 a year, and why would I want more taxes in my hypothetical life?

A good business person wants to make money now. He does not want a rain check on possible profits later. Ask any CEO of any corporation and he will tell you the same thing. Writers need to be smarter about their writing, and about their marketing, and about how much they value their work and ostensibly themselves.

I, for one, think my writing is worth more than a $.99 download. Am I above pricing my stuff that low? No, not at all…but I would post a short story for that price, not a complete novel. My writing is good, my writing is worth the money. And while it may not cost Amazon much to produce my e-book, it costs me time, money, effort, and every ounce of emotion I pour into it. My writing is not any lower in quality because it’s on a screen rather than a page.

Of course, I run the risk of being THAT GUY, the one with the ego so big he thinks he can get away with charging ten bucks for a digital download of his book. The truth is, I want to be that guy, because that’s the guy that will change the paradigm. He may not make money right away, but the investment just might pay off. It’s a risk; maybe it won’t pay off. But big risks can win the day. Ask Steve Jobs or Bill Gates, or even that girl who became the Youtube sensation with a terrible song about “Friday”. I think her name’s Rebecca Black. Song? Terrible. Marketing? Fantastic. That girl’s making the big nut because she and her handlers decided she was worth more than free content on Youtube. They decided she was a star, and so she is.

I’ll be THAT GUY if I must…but perhaps you should be, too.

I’m going to try to make this a recurring post: 5 THINGS will be a list of useful tips, strategies, books, product, or whatever else I have found to be useful to me in writing, reading, photography, music, or generally just goofing off.

To start, I want to talk about 5 BOOKS EVERY WRITER SHOULD READ.

Now, I know this topic has been beaten to death, so I’ll spare you the listing of Strunk and White. If you don’t know that one already, I’m not sure you’re a writer yet. I firmly believe you can learn the most from non-instructional books, so here are my 5.

1) On Writing by Stephen King.

Okay, okay, I know I said I wouldn’t write down obvious ones, but King’s semi-memoir will offer you so many gems of great information it’s hard not to list it. This book is entertaining, useful, and motivational, even if you despise Stephen King’s work. Anyone who has picked up a pen with any intention of writing serious fiction needs to read this from cover to cover. Don’t skip the somewhat tedious revision stuff at the end, either. Every writer needs to take his advice.

2)Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer.

I include this for both the lovers of Foer and the haters. I, for full disclosure, love his work, but there are some who call his work gimmicky. Well, that’s important, isn’t it? Because gimmicky got him noticed. I’m not saying you should be gimmicky; what I am saying is you need to take risks. Foer took monumental risks with both ELIC and Everything is Illuminated, and it paid off. You can write a novel, I am confident of that. But can you write a novel that matters? That gets noticed? That stands out? Read Foer and you’ll know what I mean.

3) Tinkers by Paul Harding.

I have to admit that this was not my favorite book in the world, and I’d rather mention “A Prayer for Owen Meany” by John Irving here, but I mention Tinkers first because it was very good, and second because Harding’s prose is exceptionally tight. He takes a concept that can turn very tedious and too self-aware into an agonizingly self-reflective tale. I was impressed by his writing, even if I did find it a bit aloof and at times inaccessible. Overall, this is a book a writer should read to learn to understand that every word counts, as does pacing.

4) The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie.

Wow.
When I finished reading this book, I think that’s the only word I could think for a solid ten minutes. Wow. This book is long and difficult to read, but the complexities are fascinating. The landscapes Rushdie creates are sometimes akin to a Tolkien-esque world, except with a frightening depth that reflects directly on the real world. Read this book to find out what it means to be LITERARY. The writing is dense, poetic at times, playful, heavy, and engaging. There were entire sections of this book I did not love, but I was engaged the entire time. Oh, and if you’re having trouble with metaphors, read this. And re-read it. And re-read it again.

5) In Cuba I Was a German Shepherd by Ana Menendez

I have read this book several times and taught it to seniors in high school as well. It may be a bit too advanced for high school readers, which is why I think many of my seniors liked it. Pay special attention to my favorite story, “Miami Relatives”. Writers should read this book to understand how intrinsically tied to culture all writing can be. These stories are historical, thick with metaphor, funny, touching, and engaging throughout. Pay attention to stylistic prose in each story, and take note of how each story uses a distinct writing style to convey a particular emotion.

Do you have feedback on my choices? Let me know! Post a comment and tell me what I should add or subtract from the list.

I want to leave you a quote from “Miami Relatives,” just to make you salivate a little:

The Aunt Julia climbs to the top of the table and holds her arms out for silence.
‘Today I ate the sun,’ she says. ‘The darkness was delicious.’
We sit staring at her until she opens her mouth and blinds us.

In case you are considering a self-publishing effort, I wanted to share with you a few things I’ve been doing as far as marketing goes to let you know what’s been working and what hasn’t. I’ve mostly found that things work exceptionally slowly, even though I feel like I spend a good chunk of every day on marketing. Be prepared for a big response…but expect a small one, at least at first.

So here’s a few bullet points for you:

FACEBOOK

I have a Facebook fan page, and while I don’t have a ton of fans, this has been one of the best tools for getting information out about the book and other products. It’s easy to use, it’s often fun, but again, it’s a tricky piece of social media to use effectively: I’m finding out that people don’t like a thousand posts about your book or products. They want useful information, discounts, and so on. I’m trying to re-focus my Facebook campaign to reflect this.

TWITTER

I must admit, I’m still baffled by Twitter. Yes, you can reach a vast audience, but you have to be careful once again about what you are offering for Tweets. I haven’t seemed to get much of a response from using Twitter, but I feel like it’s something that will take some time to pay off. I tweet, and I try to avoid too many Tweets about the book. I figure this is a social media tool for connecting with fans (if I have any!) on a more personal level rather than for tweeting about discounts or sales ranks. I will still include the occasional tweet about the book, however.

Follow me on TWITTER BY CLICKING HERE.

GOODREADS.COM

I’ve used Goodreads.com for a few years now, and I just upgraded to the free author account. I created an ad for placement on the site, and I organized a book giveaway (see my previous blog post). So far I feel like Goodreads has been a pretty effective marketing strategy because it allows me to connect directly with readers. The giveaway contest already has 60 entrants, and I just posted it yesterday.  I have yet to see a bump in sales from posting on goodreads, but I’m hopeful. This is a good investment of time for any writer, I think.

GOOGLE ADWORDS

My general reaction so far to this one has been negative, but again, I’m hopeful. Google sent me a coupon for $100 in free advertising, so I figured I’d give it a shot. The gentleman who helped me set up my account was very helpful and efficient, though he wanted me to invest far more than I was comfortable investing. With the free credits, I was good to go for a little while, and he assured me I would see results. So far, I’ve only gotten two clicks as a result of Adwords, and I got an e-mail this morning saying I was somehow in violation of their arbitage clause…whatever that means. It’s been three days and I’ve already got a headache from dealing with this. Not a good start.

PRESS KITS AND PRESS RELEASES

I sent out press releases very recently and have no gauge for how effective they’ve been. I sent them out to newspapers and magazines and have yet to see any response. Press kits went with them; my press kit includes the basics of a press release, sell sheet, cover letter, and bookmark. On other occasions, I will include a book or two, as well as a t-shirt and/or hat if necessary. I feel like I should have a press kit, though I haven’t had many places to send them yet. Recommendations are appreciated.

FLIERS

I designed a pretty nice poster and hung several of them around town. The next day many of them were already torn down. Others are damaged. A few business owners told me I could hang the poster in their businesses, though the spots they gave me for hanging were often in dark corners, obscure parts of the room, and so on. Not sure this has been an effective marketing strategy…so far it feels like a waste of money.

LOCAL BOOKSTORES

Surprisingly enough, these have been the stores with the least positive responses. I attribute that to a glut of authors going in and asking for bookshelf space, reading and signing space, and so on. I was not treated as a legitimate author in some of these places, and other places simply had no interest in helping out a writer. The attitude was fairly surprising. The only bookstore in town to stock my book was Starrlight Books. They bought one copy, and for that I am glad.

LOCAL STORES (OTHER THAN BOOKSTORES)

I was also surprised with the response here, though pleasantly so. Currently three stores in town that do not sell books as their primary stock are stocking Confusing the Seasons. Blackhound Gallerie, Flagstaff Bicycle Revolution, and AZ Bikes all offered to stock some copies of the book. They are there now, getting eyes on the cover as we speak. Perhaps it’s because they’re outside the industry, or because they felt less threatened than bookstores about yet another author trying to make it…I don’t know. But they’ve been especially supportive.

LOCAL PRINT AND ONLINE PUBLICATIONS

I’m hesitant to say this, because it’s still early in the marketing campaign, but the reaction from local print and online pubs has been lackluster as well. Several requested copies of the book to read and review, none have come through as of yet. As I said, it’s early, but some of the reaction I got from local pubs bordered on incredulity: “You’re not one of the local favorites we feature ALL THE TIME!” They seemed to say. “Why would we pay attention to you? You’re not in the club!”

To be fair, I think some of those outlets are genuinely interested in writing a review or story about me, and not a lot of time has passed. I’m hopeful that I can break through the glut of authors, artists, and characters in this town that seem to be in regular rotation in the local zines and papers…We’ll see.

RADIO

I think this is kind of cool: I contacted a gentleman using the HARO mailing list (Help A Reporter OUT) and he chose to interview me on his streaming radio show on May 13. This is a great list that shows up in my inbox about three times a day, and it has a wealth of opportunities in it. If you’re a writer or artist, sign up. It’s a great way to get some free publicity.

Hey folks, just a quick note to let you know I’m giving away 3 free copies of Confusing the Seasons on goodreads.com. Just click on the link above to enter to win. You don’t have to buy anything, you don’t have to rent a timeshare, you just have to click ENTER!