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Lin Meili

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    Boarders writing a novel

    in Literature

    Posted

    2 hours ago, The Grey Wolf Strikes Back said:

    @Lin Meili

    I am so sorry if I offended you! When I asked Lord Patrek for his input I was thinking more along the lines of how to implement your advice, not second-guessing the validity of it!

    Anyway, for what its worth, here is what I came up with:

    "Thirteen amazing short stories plus other written extras.

    Hero and villain. Fugitive and citizen. Irregulars have been all these things over recent years, especially the ones in Mistland, a Neo-Victorian kingdom out of place and time. But beyond that universe lay countless others. A world where dragons terrorize whole nations from the skies, a world where malcontents scheme for power just beyond the Round Table’s reach, and more. So kindle your hearth, sit down, and open the door to a new adventure. You won’t be disappointed.

    Because between these pages you will find/there is medieval skullduggery, tragic interspecies romance, gritty war drama, comic book adventures, gothic alternate history, and everything in-between. For/Indeed Tales from Mistland & Other Oddities has something for everyone...including/especially you, (curious traveler?)."

    It's fine!

    If you want a less hype blurb, then go with something more like this example:

    Journey to worlds near and far… <--- This bit here is the headline. This example keeps it simple.

    The Great Beyond anthology is a compilation of timeless space adventure tales. From humanity's first footsteps into space, to galaxies far away, to alternative versions of Earth, these fun and hopeful tales will transport you far from our present reality. <--- A statement of genre (space adventure), setting/s, and tone (fun).

    Featuring bestselling authors as well as fresh new voices, begin your journey into the great beyond. Grab your copy today! <---- Again, as per the usual format, a call to action. It doesn't have to be over-the-top if you don't want it to be.

    Stories include: <---- You can do this, too, if you like.

    "The Long Way Home” by Mark Henwick

    “The Mixon Drive” by J.R. Handley

    “A Fair Trade” by A.M. Scott

    “Weightless” by Raven Oak

    “Improbable Meat” by Richard Fife

    “The Captain’s Yacht” by Marcus Alexander Hart

    “Star Cadets” by C.W. Lamb

    “The Day the Earth Was Graded” by P. Andrew Floyd

    “Reservation Earth” by David Alan Jones

    “Integration” by A.K. DuBoff

    From https://www.amazon.com/Great-Beyond-Anthology-Classic-Adventure/dp/B08BF44JQD/

    I know it seems a pain, lol. You can just stick with your current blurb if you're happy with it.

    2 hours ago, Derfel Cadarn said:

    I’d like to clarify the blurb was written by my publisher, it was they who called it ‘masterful’. :)

    I'm sure we all knew that.

    Boarders writing a novel

    in Literature

    Posted

    3 hours ago, Lord Patrek said:

    Not sure there's anything wrong about the blurb, to tell the truth.

    To try to make it sound like it's as good as Ted Chiang or Wildcards is more likely to make people laught at you, me thinks.

    It's a sel-published anthology by unknown and unpublished writers. Trying to make it sound like the works of award-winning authors will not likely generate more interest. . .

    Well, you can also look at Derfel's blurb. You don't have to be Ted Chiang to have marketing phrases on your blurb. Everyone does it. Yes, even unknown authors.:read:

    If you think Ted Chiang's example is too much, here's an example that hits closer to home.

    Quote

    Resurrection Men is the first book in David Craig’s Sooty Feathers series, a masterful gothic tale about a supernatural war for control of the Second City of the British Empire

    Note that our own Derfel's book also uses the formatting that I mentioned - the bolded line on top, then the content, then the final summary paragraph - https://www.amazon.com/Resurrection-Men-Sooty-Feathers-Book-ebook/dp/B07G6CM2BS.

    Anyway, at the end of the day, it's really up to you. If you're satisfied with your blurb, you don't have to change it. But you did ask for suggestions on how to sell more books, right? So that's my suggestion.

    Boarders writing a novel

    in Literature

    Posted

    3 hours ago, The Grey Wolf Strikes Back said:

    @Lin Meili

    I'll see if I can tweak or expand my current blurb accordingly. (I take it I shouldn't mention the poems or vignettes in the bolded line?)

    @Derfel Cadarn

    I feared as much. Oh well. No harm done.

    No idea for your specific case. I was just giving and example of the format and the mood. I write more on the comedic side, but you should do something appropriate for your book. :)

    Boarders writing a novel

    in Literature

    Posted

    13 hours ago, The Grey Wolf Strikes Back said:

    @Lin Meili

    1) 3 of the short stories and all the vignettes are set in a shared comic book superhero-like setting known the Mistland Universe (so named after the fictitious Neo-Victorian country). A fourth short story is set in one of my co-authors' version of King Arthur, which we hope to expand with more stories in the future.

    2) There honestly isn't really a theme beyond all the stories being different examples of fiction and the tone being generally somber. In fact, that's what I'm hoping will be one of the main draws. That there's something in it for everyone. To give a few examples, there's gritty war drama, alternate history gothic, tragic interspecies romance, and medieval skullduggery.

    Okay, but the blurb on Amazon is basically marketing copy.

    Instead of "Includes 13 short stories, 5 vignettes, and 2 poems," people normally put something like "Nine stunningly original, provocative, and poignant stories" (from Ted Chiang's blurb).

    You could try the usual format of Amazon book blurbs: one line in bold to catch people's attention, then one paragraph about the content, then one final sentence to bring it all together. Example - https://www.amazon.com/Wesleyan-Anthology-Science-Fiction/dp/0819569550/

    For your book, it would look something like this:

    Thirteen stunning stories of speculative fiction full of action and laughs.

    Put one or two paragraphs here describing the stories, make sure it's hyped up. Sell the book. Something like: In the Mistland Universe, superheroes rub shoulders with supervillains in a bustling post-war city brimming with magical drugs and high-tech weapons. You know add something exciting or interesting.

    Then here a final line to sum things up: From comic-bookesque adventures and interspecies romance, to a gothic alternate history escapade, and a tale of medieval skullduggery, Tales from Mistland & Other Oddities is book that both excites and intrigues as it plumbs the depths of imagination and comedy.

    Boarders writing a novel

    in Literature

    Posted · Edited by Lin Meili

    Well, I normally wouldn't post something like this, but since you asked:

    The Amazon page needs a little bit of work.

    When someone like me views the page and reads the blurb, it is not clear to me what genre the book is. That is very, very important.

    • Is it a shared world? Do all the stories take place in Mistland?
    • Is there a theme? What is the theme?
    • In short, why are these stories compiled in one book?
    • Is it steampunk fantasy? Gaslight? Detective noir fantasy? Is it even fantasy or is it scifi? I don't get it. IMO, you need to make that very clear.

    So for your blurb I need to know those things, especially what world it's set in and what the common thread is among the stories. Here is the blurb for GRRM's first Wildcards volume:

    Quote

    There is a secret history of the world—a history in which an alien virus struck the Earth in the aftermath of World War II, endowing a handful of survivors with extraordinary powers. Some were called Aces—those with superhuman mental and physical abilities. Others were termed Jokers—cursed with bizarre mental or physical disabilities. Some turned their talents to the service of humanity. Others used their powers for evil. Wild Cards is their story.

    For marketing, blogger outreach is good. Keep at it. :)

    Edit: I hope my tone doesn't come off as too harsh. It's hard to fix when it's just text.

    Boarders writing a novel

    in Literature

    Posted

    On 11/23/2021 at 6:32 AM, The Grey Wolf Strikes Back said:

    Figured out how to insert that space (chapter first paragraph) but the drop caps look bad and in the case of one story ruin the formatting so I'm not sure how to proceed. I did practically everything else (title page, copyright page, etc.).

    You could try this: https://reedsy.com/write-a-book

    You'll have to create an account, but it's free so it's okay to try, IMO. You upload your file then you can edit it online like Google docs. Then you export the file as an ebook which you can then use on KDP or wherever to self-publish.

    Boarders writing a novel

    in Literature

    Posted

    On 9/30/2021 at 7:49 PM, The Grey Wolf Strikes Back said:

    Is uploading a separate manuscript more difficult than converting one to the other?

    My goodness! I have no idea. :cheers: I use a free service that does the manuscript formatting for me (Reedsy).

    Of course, you have to upload a separate manuscript on Amazon's KDP publishing page because paperbacks are formatted differently. If you mean if it will be different on your formatting software/service (like if you use Vellum), no idea but I'm sure it's not that hard.

    Wait, I have something to show you! If you have a lot of images you commissioned, then you can use it on your Amazon page so it doesn't go to waste. 

    https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GCKLH8V7ULLD5EXY

    You can also use it on your website. I assume you have one?

    Boarders writing a novel

    in Literature

    Posted

    On 9/27/2021 at 7:57 PM, The Grey Wolf Strikes Back said:

    @Lin Meili

    I'd be cutting it close even if I did raise the price that high and since this is going to be my first book I'd like to keep the price low to attract a wider audience. Therefore, I've decided to include at most the map as well as the four pics that go with "Sun Tiger" and "Anathema (Part I)", which would add up to roughly 2.3 megabytes. Since the text is less than 200 pages I assume the final size of the file will therefore clock in at around 3 megabytes. Of course, if I pick only the map or the four pics that'll go down to 2 megabytes. Decisions, decisions...

    I think if it's the paperback there is no delivery fee. You could uh maybe put all the images in the paperback version but not in the ebook one? Unless you print it color, it probably costs the same since Amazon only charged printing costs by the page, not by file size.

    Boarders writing a novel

    in Literature

    Posted

    :read: You would need to reduce the file size of the images by compressing them. Yeah, it won't be as pretty but, let's face it, most people will be reading the ebook on their devices where they wouldn't get the full effect anyway.

    9 hours ago, The Grey Wolf Strikes Back said:

    Just checked. Including everything is impossible. On the bright side, I can include the four pics I commissioned for "Sun Tiger" and "Anathema (Part I)", which add up to 1.2 megabytes after resizing. On the other hand, that still leaves me with a bunch of unusable artwork I'd like to share with fans and followers.

    The delivery fee is 15 cents per megabyte (Mb) for US sales. You could just eat the expense and price it higher. 

    Hmm, I tried to look at examples and I found this book - https://www.amazon.com/Night-Lonesome-October-Roger-Zelazny-ebook/dp/B0936MN3K6/

    It has a lot of illustrations but they are small black and white ones. The file size is 3958 KB which doesn't seem too bad though the book is priced higher than most.

    Boarders writing a novel

    in Literature

    Posted

    On 9/21/2021 at 2:57 AM, The Grey Wolf Strikes Back said:

    Can anyone give me advice regarding how to format artwork (maps, full-page illustrations, etc.)?

    I haven't done it myself, but people normally add (insert) the images on their Word file.

    https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200645710

    But one thing to keep in mind is that the size of your e-book is important. If the file size is big, Amazon adds a delivery fee for your e-book.So you have to keep your image file sizes small.

    Boarders writing a novel

    in Literature

    Posted

    On 8/7/2021 at 11:53 PM, Centrist Simon Steele said:

    It's not my style of cover--but I can absolutely see it works and is excellent work for the audience. Your cover looks like a professional Manga cover.

    Thanks. 

    Quote

    My guess is I'll never "break even" after spending a chunk on editing, but if a handful of people were to read my book and love it, that's more important. And to provide them a quality product for their time is more important to me than a cover. 

    I say, spend whatever you want on your work. There are people who pay over a thousand dollars for one collectible figure, and I think it's better to spend money on your own creative work than to buy other people's stuff. If you can afford it, why not. I'm jealous! I wish I had money to spend on editing, but I don't.

    I was able to sell seventy-five books (e-book and paperback) which just about covers the cost of the art.:cheers:This does not include the money I got from Patreon.

    By the way, I'm not sure if the authors here already know, but Patreon is a good way to earn money. The successful writers on Scribblehub and Royal Road can earn mid-to-high four figures there.

    Boarders writing a novel

    in Literature

    Posted · Edited by Lin Meili
    grammar

    On 7/26/2021 at 6:08 AM, Aurelius Talhoffer said:

    if you don't mind me asking, how old were all of you when you started writing more purposefully? 

    Me, I'm fresh off avoiding to celebrate my 40tieth. 

    What I fear is, given my not so tender age, does it even make sense to give it a go?! 

    Not gonna lie, I was actually around nineteen years old when I first got paid for an article I wrote for a national newspaper. I was "hired" as their student contributing writer since all of their other contributors were over the age of thirty.

    However, it was all down to luck and because I knew the editor personally.

    You're probably talking about fiction writing. In that case, I am in my mid-40s, which is, in my opinion at least, a great age to start fiction writing. I've now got the experience that I didn't have when I was a teenager and I'm excited to see what I can do.

    Boarders writing a novel

    in Literature

    Posted

    11 hours ago, The Grey Wolf Strikes Back said:

    @Centrist Simon Steele

    I know you didn't ask me specifically but here are mine:

    Version 1: https://artistsnclients.com/uploads/5jo/jobs/641611_Ebook cover 1.png?0
    Version 2: https://artistsnclients.com/uploads/5jo/jobs/642273_Ebook cover back.png?0
     

    Lovely!

    17 hours ago, Centrist Simon Steele said:

    Sometimes a person just clicks with you--I published my first novel back around 2010, and though I've since pulled it (I want to get it professionally edited as well--I found that to be a truly meaningful expense), the cover just with me. It's one I look at now and still love it.

    The cover's super important though, and I'm really eager to get a new one.

    Do you have covers you're willing to share?

     

    Haha, yes! I cater to the light novel/manga readers so my covers reflect that.

    Covers as they appear on amazon:

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B094DDCGBX

    The artwork I commissioned:

    I actually added the text myself with Canva.

     

    Boarders writing a novel

    in Literature

    Posted

    On 7/7/2021 at 11:04 AM, Centrist Simon Steele said:

    I will say, I hate the cover, but having it professionally done and suffering from two conditions--namely, being perpetually broke, and perpetually nice--I just went with what I got. I'm putting some cash together to recommission the cover down the line. It's a bummer too--the artist had lots of good covers, but I just feel like mine ended up super different from what he normally did.

    What can you do? :)

    I also tried many different covers. It really is difficult!

    Boarders writing a novel

    in Literature

    Posted

    7 hours ago, Ordos said:

    I am just about halfway through writing my alternate history novel. While I would not consider my book a dystopia, I did my best to set up an authoritarian government. Anyway, this will probably be my only experiment with the genre as I'm more comfortable with my regular novels set in the real contemporary world. 

    I still don't know how to convert my word file into an ebook and then how to contact an online distributor/publisher. 

    I will print my book on paper, but that's only for my bookshelf.

    I have written notes for my book, but my Dad suggests using powerpoint to create a plot flow chart. I'm actually doing fine without one.  I don't have writer's block, but I do have some gaps in my story between events that I'm not entirely sure how to link up.

    I'm well on my way to beating my own imposed February deadline.

    May I suggest you write the entire book first then worry about formatting later? You can just any docx or odt file to make into an ebook.:thumbsup:

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