Tag Archives: novel

Discount Sale on Urban/Dystopian Fantasy Sparks Price War Between Amazon and Google

So, like many folks, my novels occasionally go on sale. Right now, Reparation’s ebook is on sale until October 3 (links at bottom of this post). Usually, this is where I would give you the book’s slugline, which is:

ReparationEbookHaruki Murakami’s 1Q84 meets Mark Helprin’s Winter’s Tale as a man battles sinister forces associated with a Native American peyote cult.

I would also inform you that the work has won a national award, and that the usual ebook price is $9.99.

Now, here’s where things get interesting.

The sale price was made available through two ebook channels: Amazon and Google Play. Both provide worldwide distribution, and both offer fast and easy access for readers.

Usually the buying choice is entirely about habits and preferred methods. Some folks like to run all their purchases through Amazon. Others prefer Google, while another set don’t display any particular loyalty.

Today, with Google’s continual efforts to pry their way further into the book market, we see one clear step they are taking to gain more share: beat Amazon’s price. Importantly, this will be done without dropping the revenue earned by the book. So, everyone wins…especially the ecosystem that provides readers with more choice through more distribution channels.

Where will you buy today? Let me know, and we’ll see if the sales figures back you up!

Now, finally, about Reparation!

A beautifully written supernatural story—the work of a master craftsman.”
“Endlessly compelling. A fascinating fusion of forms.”

“Whatever is dangerous, let me do it…I am supposed to die.”

When Aidan Little Boy leaves his ailing mother’s side to visit his sister on a peyote church property in South Dakota, he encounters a religious cult run by an apparently superhuman leader. Suddenly his nondescript life becomes tangled in a world that has grown disturbing and strange.

In a series of remarkable events, the ancient beings of Native American folktales are manipulated by people with strong connections to the parallel world of spirits. Soon Aidan uncovers evidence that his sister and the rapidly growing congregation are in danger. He must understand these unknown powerful forces before the Reparation, a ceremony that will slaughter thousands of innocents.

This complex and surreal novel merges folktales, history, and contemporary lifestyles with magical realism in a hypnotically addictive original tale.

Honorable Mention, Writer’s Digest 2016 Ebook Award

Currently discounted on Amazon and Google Play. At the time of this post, Google is beating Amazon’s price by $0.48!

Grab it now, because these deep discounts won’t last long!

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Book Giveaway

Enter here for a chance to win one of two signed copies of Message Stick, a novel of Australia and winner of two national awards.

If you are interested in receiving an ebook of this novel in return for writing a review on Amazon, email me. Available for review only for a short time! Do share with others who might be interested. And thank you!

The Uninvited by Cat Winters

The Uninvited by Cat Winters

William Morrow Paperbacks 2015

Here’s a well-researched and well-drawn historical novel. I received an ARC from the publisher. Set during the 1918 flu epidemic, a twenty-something woman leaves her family after her father and brother commit a horrific act of violence…and revel in the blood. They claim to be patriots, and have murdered a member of a German immigrant family during WWI.

When she leaves her family behind, she stays in town, striking out on her own for the first time in her life. She falls for the brother of the murdered man, and begins driving an ambulance for victims of the flu. She has survived her own bout with the illness and so is safe. The work takes her into every social and economic strata of her town, allowing readers a detailed look at life during this time.

Oh, and she sees ghosts, the “uninvited” of the title.

While the book provides readers of historical fiction with what they crave, the prose is a bit pedantic…not dense so much as precise to the point of stripping out the deeper elements of voice and tone. This affects the book’s atmosphere and makes for a surprisingly dry read. However, since this is an artistic choice (because it’s related to the author’s voice), it can be chalked up to something that strikes me personally rather than as a flaw that might put other readers off.

Overall, the work is well written and the story is interesting. If you like historical novels, check out this book and the author’s other works. She’s written extensively across many time periods, so it’s likely that one or more of her books will resonate with you.

4 stars

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Traditional Publisher Interested in Self-Published Books

Paper Lantern Lit is a boutique literary development company bestselling author Lauren Oliver cofounded with former HarperCollins and Razorbill editor Lexa Hillyer. They look through self-published books to find those that deserve more attention then rerelease them under their name. Now they’ve added The Studio, a digital imprint, to produce ebooks.

If you’ve already self-published one or more of your books, check out Paper Lantern and The Studio. It might open new doors!

New Crime Imprint

Crime novelists Lee Goldberg and Joel Goldman have launched Brash Books with a debut list of 30 titles by award-winning crime novelists. Brash’s books are available through an exclusive partnership with Amazon that offers special marketing opportunities.

They focus entirely on award-winning novels. If you have received an award for an unpublished manuscript, give this imprint a try.

Is New Adult Only YA + Sex?

New Adult became an official category in 2013 when it received its own Book Industry Standards and Communications Code. The genre is generally considered to be stories that feature primarily college-aged heroines learning to deal with life in their early twenties…with a special emphasis on romance and sex.

While I agree that this category targets primarily female readers between 18 and 25, the YA + Sex idea is too restrictive. Putting aside the idea that sex is usually tied to some emotional response (whether the characters admit it or not), NA is much more than YA + Sex.

Just as YA broke boundaries by working with content that reflected the real coming-of-age struggles of teenagers approaching adulthood, NA can have the same impact. Publishers like Atria went from producing zero NA titles in 2012 to its current goal of releasing 15-20 each year. As the category finds its readers and more publishers move into the arena, NA stories will expand to encompass much more than teen angst plus sex.

Anytime there is a new movement like this in publishing, it’s important to be part of the first wave. Yes, your entry into publishing will be more difficult because publishers (and booksellers) right now are not sure where the category might go. So show them! Send out your unique NA manuscript. Be the first, and reap the rewards by launching your career by leading the way.

 

12 New YA Imprints

Here’s a list of YA publishers that have launched recently (within about the last 5 years).

Akashic/Black Sheep Books wants stories with engaging, realistic, and diverse characters that young adults (and adults, the critical second audience for YA stories) can relate to.

Amazon/Skyscape seeks engaging stories for teens and adult crossover readers from diverse genres including contemporary, fantasy, and romance.

Capstone/Switch looks for a  wide variety of genres and formats including graphic novels, westerns, romance, illustrated memoir, historical fiction, realistic fiction, science fiction and nonfiction, including how-to.

Carolrhoda Lab wants distinctive, provocative, boundary-pushing fiction for teens.

ChiTeen seeks dark, well-written genre fiction that includes science fiction, fantasy, magical realism, and horror; stories that don’t necessarily have a happy ending.

F&W/Merit Press looks for a Millennial version of classic YA novels: deeply emotional stories about ordinary kids caught in extraordinary circumstances, coming of age in a complex contemporary world.

Harlequin Teen wants commercial YA fiction of all genres.

Month9Books seeks speculative fiction where nothing is as it seems.

Poisoned Pen Press/Poisoned Pencil looks for edgy mysteries and complex stories that capture “the vibrant teen cocktail of superior wisdom, immediate need, and sometimes hidden honesty.”

Soho Teen looks for mysteries and thrillers.

Sourcebooks Fire wants innovative storytelling in all genres in authentic teen voices.

Triangle Square Editions/Seven Stories Press looks for works that combine social justice and good storytelling. Tagline: “Telling personal stories of courage and commitment.”

Zondervan/Blink likes storytelling that inspires, enriches, and uplifts.

2013 Bestsellers

Great news for authors working with fiction: 2013 again proved that fiction is the top choice among readers.

The books ranged from juvenile lit like books from the Wimpy Kid series to the YA Divergent series. Ebooks also held fiction in the prime spot; the top 20 bestselling Kindle books were all novels.

Book Clubs for Men

I have posted here before on The Oprah Effect, how authors might rise after receiving a nod from this powerful club. But Edward Nawotka, Editor in Chief of Publishing Perspectives, says Oprah isn’t talking to men.

His book club, he notes, is as serious as any populated mostly by women. They read widely, in a variety of genres…and only read fiction. This goes against the standard wisdom publishers hold out that says women read as much as 80% of all fiction published in the U.S. today.

He asks when publishers will begin to take male readers as seriously as men take themselves.

If you’re writing for a broad type of reader, know that men are just as engaged with your work as women.

The Oprah Effect V. 2.0

Oprah’s book club was rebooted to the relief of many publishers and authors alike. The bump that could come from being selected for the club made a number of careers.

Now it looks like there is the potential to go further with a pick from her team. She has her own TV channel, a popular monthly magazine and digital components that expand on both.

The Oprah Effect didn’t lift every pick to bestseller lists, and it’s likely that not every book in the revived club will benefit. But it is one of the few avenues left for readers to find great books…and for authors to be found.

Self-pub or Traditional?

One of the biggest questions facing authors today is whether to go indie or pitch their work to a heritage publisher. In 2013, the Big Six (now the Big Five) commanded 89.6% of the titles in hardcover editions. That is a big chunk of the game.

Always remember that if your pitch to publishers fails, you can always self-publish. And nowadays, you can self-publish and still approach publishers with the same manuscript. So your options aren’t actually either-or. Nowadays, it’s a matter of how many paths you’ll take to publishing rather than which single path you’ll chose.

Great News in Publishing

In 2013, more new titles landed on the bestseller lists than ever before. That year beat out 2012, which also had more new titles than any previous year. That’s great news for authors who are interested in approaching traditional publishers with their manuscripts.

Mass market again saw the most first-time titles, with 290 books. This category was followed by hardcover fiction with 251 and trade paperbacks with 187 new titles. Nonfiction had 269 in their hardcover category.