C h a z z W r i t e s . c o m

As I write this, "erotica" is still available on Amazon US but, as reported by The Telegraph at the link below, it’s deleted as a category from Amazon UK. If readers want it, they have to go searching by book title instead of by category. No word if this will happen elsewhere on Amazon. Perhaps this is a trial balloon to gauge reader reaction. Policy formation at the mighty Zon is an opaque thing, so if it happens, it happens to you without warning, polling or discussion. 

That’s their right, but this is an odd choice on several levels, and hypocritical at that, since Fifty Shades is still for sale loud and proud. I’m confounded. Amazon generally gives people what they want. That’s why they are so much more successful than other players. The move is a blow to reader choice, author free expression and zaps my backup plan for the fall if This Plague of Days doesn’t take off.

B&N has had issues with erotica, too, limiting an erotic book’s ability to rise past a rank of 126, as Wool author Hugh Howey discussed on his blog recently. I’ve never understood this conundrum: all kinds of violence is fine but get sexy and we have to put a leash on you.

(Thanks to loyal blog reader M.L. Sexton for the tip about Amazon UK!)

~ Chazz

At the link you’ll find an interesting list by Jeff Bullas of jeffbullas.com. I was pleased to see I’ve read four of the books he recommends. (4-hour Workweek; On Writing by Stephen King; Rework; and the War of Art. You’ve probably read those ones, too. If not, hearty recommendations!)

One thing that caught my eye in particular was e-junkie. An evolutionary step I believe we must take as authors is selling more of our stuff straight from our websites. Mr. Bullas notes that e-junkie is for downloadable content. I’ve heard good things about e-junkie. However, I’m planning on selling t-shirts, print books and some e-content, so perhaps I need something a little more comprehensive.

Are any of you selling stuff from your sites and what’s your experience? I’m considering Shopify. (I want to source the shirts myself, so I’m avoiding the usual suspects. For instance, my experience with CafePress was underwhelming. Also, someone in the know told me they didn’t care for CafePress shirts’ graphic reproduction. Someone else informed me that Zazzle raised their rates recently so they take a deeper cut.)

Any thoughts on which e-store tool is best for authors? 

Click the link below to see the full article by Lauren Indvik at Mashable.

I’m linking to this FYI, but not because I think it will work. It’s kind of the Kindle Singles program without the power platform, numbers, audience and store experience to push the ebooks. They’re only taking "three to five works" of 5,000 words or more six times a year and trying to sell them for $1.99.

For this to take off for Nook, the scheme will require name authors. However, authors with a brand would already have a platform and a more compelling deal elsewhere (probably on Amazon). Perhaps that’s one reason why the stories are only exclusive for 60 days.

Am I missing something? It’s far too early to call the attempt a fail, but it does look like a weak flail. There are good practices to imitate across the various sales platforms. This latest from Nook seems half-hearted and priced wrong.

Brace yourself! Author Derek Haines has some bad news for us all at the link to The Vandal below. Warning! Scary numbers ahead!

However, Derek also gives us ideas about what we can do for the sorry state of our book sales. Put away the rope, wipe your tears of frustration and roll up your sleeves. There’s a lot we must do to stand out from the stampede.

Also remember to subscribe to The Vandal. Derek was among the first to welcome me to Twitter and the indie club. His blog is always excellent, helpful and thought-provoking.

~ Chazz

Following up on yesterday’s post to optimize the spread of your divine blogging word, see the useful infographic at the link below.

Since seeing this, I added digg to the array of social media buttons here. I use StumbleUpon sporadically and will make a point of using it more often.

I always click the G+ button. If you like anything here, I encourage you to use the sharing buttons on each post, too. Thanks!

~ Chazz

Stephen Woodfin is high on boxed sets and I’m high on serials (though I plan to do boxed sets down the road, too.) The commonality is, write more great books so you can engage in smart marketing practices like grouping and discounts. (Stephen’s article is at the link.)

Some will worry that we’re rushing to press and quality will suffer. I don’t think that’s necessarily so if you know what you’re doing. Stephen King does two passes and a polish. Mickey Spillane often wrote two novels at a time, keeping two separate typewriters hot and clacking. The working person’s ethic is back. I like that we aren’t too precious about our writing.  Some will make a fetish out of "years in the harness, paying our dues." I’ve paid my dues several times over, thanks very much. Many of us have. Endlessly tinkering does not necessarily equal quality. Endless tinkering might be procrastination in disguise.

Some authors write fast and others don’t. No shame or name-calling, either way. However, when one author who won a writing contest confessed that he’d rewritten his book more than 57 times (!) my reaction was not admiration. Instead, his arduous process suggested to me he didn’t know what he was doing. Maybe that sounds harsh, but the end product didn’t really show all that work. That book contest win was quite a long time ago and I haven’t heard of that author since.

I think we need to look for efficiencies when we’re writing. Maybe that means outlining first or using our time better. I rarely hear aspirants complain about writer’s block, though most of us will admit to procrastination. Every hour we procrastinate, we’re farther away from doing smart things, like box sets of multiple books. 

I said it in Crack the Indie Author Code and Write Your Book: Aspire to Inspire. I say it here again: The one sure strategy is to write more good books so readers can find you.

At the link, you’ll find an interesting article on how non-fiction migrates into fiction by percolating through the mind of authors. That’s a key to creating compelling fiction: providing a context of verisimilitude. As I write, I’m frequently in deep research mode to give the reader a context that makes it easy for them to suspend disbelief. (Yesterday I spent the morning with a hiking and survival expert plotting a journey for Season 2 of my horror serial.) Have a look and learn at the link.

This might turn out to be the summer of zombies. (Gee, I hope so.) Between the release of the new Brad Pitt film, horror author Armand Rosmalia’s Summer of Zombie Blog Tour and my release of This Plague of Days, it’s going to be zombie-riffic! (Horror fans should check out Armand’s blog at armandrosamilia.com.)

Full disclosure: I use the term "zombie" loosely in This Plague of Days. It’s more 28 Days Later and rabies/rage virus-oriented than it is The Dead Won’t Die! Also, my infected cannibals are fast and it’s a terror/disaster thriller with a strange autistic twist. So there’s that.

Find out more about my coming serial at ThisPlagueOfDays.com.