Archive for the ‘romance novels’ Category

30 Apr

Talent, a Truck, and a Good, Strong Back… and Reselling E-Books?

Posted by Jamie Brazil in books, publishing, romance novels, Romance Writers of America, Young Adult. Tagged: , , , , .

flamingo photo Jamie Brazil

My Smartphone is filled with songs.  Songs from artists I’ve recently discovered, songs from my youth, songs my mom used to play. I can’t think of a tune I haven’t been able to find on MUVE’s selection of 20 million songs.  Other than my monthly phone fee, I don’t pay for any of these songs.

Amazon has a similar program.  For an annual fee consumers can join a club that includes free shipping and loads of digital content delivered without any extra charges.

Last week, I read an article in Fast Company about a company that wants to help people resell the digital content they’ve purchased.  They maintain that there is no difference between physical goods and digital goods.  Two of the visionaries behind this idea are John Ossenmacher and Larry Rudolph of Redigi.

Redigi might just shake up the digital marketplace sooner rather than later.  They pay a 10-20% gratuity to the artist on the content they’ve resold. But there’s no law requiring them to offer this gratuity.  And whether or not they’ve infringed on copyrights is currently being reviewed by a federal judge. (They lost.)

Ridigi is not alone, either. Apple and Amazon both hold patents on technology that will allow their customers to resell digital content once they’re finished with it.

Since Amazon is already allowing their customers who are part of the above-mentioned program unlimited access to everything that falls under the umbrella of that program, it seems to me that:

    1. the Seattle retailer is probably one step ahead of the rest of the pack
    2. e-book authors like myself might be in  deep-shit trouble

Apologies for the profanity. I rarely use it. When I do, it’s to make a point.

Sure, experts claim a secondary marketplace only drives up sales overall.  On the other hand, even if Amazon has the technology to verify the buyer of the original content, there is zero difference between a new and used copy of my digital book. But will I be paid for the lower-priced “used” copy? (Probably not.) Who sets the price on the used copy? (Ultimately, the consumer.)  Will I lose control of my intellectual property if I publish with Amazon? (Likely.)

And what if one of the free e-books I’ve downloaded suddenly becomes popular? Can I resell it at a profit— cutting out the author entirely?

What if the popular e-book is mine?

Overall, I believe Amazon will protect authors who pledge allegiance to the company and publish exclusively with them. Hey, you can’t be king without a kingdom, right?  Plus, if history is anything to go by, Amazon has always paid their authors (other large digital content providers have fallen short).

I’ve been thinking about this resale digital marketplace a lot over the past week.  I love my unlimited FREE music.  I’ve downloaded my fair share of e-books.  I have yet to stream free movies or TV, but I certainly enjoy YouTube.  The future seems clear to me. A second life for digital books is a WHEN, not an IF.

As an author, this terrifies me.  And it also makes me kind of excited, too.

If everything in the future is virtually FREE, all the quick-buck artists hawking less-than-quality products will be run out of business.  Quality will rule the future (at least I hope so).  If everything is free, and readers enjoy what I write, they can read (AND REVIEW) my books into FREE bestseller-dom.

The only trouble with that scenario is that I still need to keep the electricity on, feed myself, etc.  Just like readers do.  Which brought to mind another possibility:

Printing my own books.  Exclusively.

Distribution: ME!

Why not?  Bands and comedians (Louis CK) are embracing direct sales to fans.  And my friend, Maggie Jaimeson (aka Maggie Faire), a true visionary in my opinion, launched Windtree Press as a way for her and other indie authors to engage and sell directly to their readers.  Why not?

So bring on the future!  In the meantime, I’ll be building my brand and searching Craigslist for a used Espresso Printing Press.  I mean, hey, the current model Espressos are already half the size and half the price of the original. By the time I get around to printing and selling my limited-edition print book, I’ll be casting about among my author friends to see who wants in.

I’ve got talent, a truck, and good, strong back… anyone have any extra space in their garage to set up shop?

 

 

23 Apr

Shut Up and Roll the Dice!

Posted by Jamie Brazil in friendship, publishing, romance novels, Romance Writers of America, women. Tagged: , , , , , .

@A-Papantoniou-Dreamstime Stock Photos

@A-Papantoniou-Dreamstime Stock Photos

Friendships with other women can be perplexing.  My personal history is filled with both longtime relationships enduring decades, and foolishly choosing “friends” who, in the end, were anything but friends.  When I was younger, the nature of my female friendships could be prone to drama.  As I grow older, and watch my mother-in-law at 92 years old navigate her social circles, I hope I’m glimpsing my own future.

Like her, I’m social by nature — though with fewer quarter-ante card games, and more Facebook. The romance writing group I belong to has been a tremendous experience. Discovering a large and diverse group of writers (mostly women) who wish each other the best– even when their personal views are in deep conflict with each other — has been enlightening. Not that anyone in the organization is supposed to talk about politics, religion, etc.  I’m just saying that when we gather, some opposing views are obvious.  Like a steadfast Christian author sitting across from a writer who specializes in demonic possession erotica.

But guess what? It doesn’t matter!

We meet to find common ground, and that’s what I love about the Rose City Romance Writers. We’re all trying to navigate this new and shifting publishing landscape. We are sisters of the new frontier.

Which brings me back to my mother-in-law.

While many of my friendships revolve around writing, her core group is made up of World War II widows who remarried.  Since the 1950′s, they’ve met several times a month to lunch, gossip and play pinochle, canasta, dominoes and bunco. Does her group have conflicts? Drama? Oh yeah!  Once, in the 1960′s, one of the “girls” got tipsy and made a play for another’s husband. It’s still a hot topic. There are also spats over senior dating, their children’s sexuality, and score keeping. At least they all agree on one thing… the value of that quarter!

I guess when it comes to groups, conflict is always bubbling under the surface.  It’s a gamble I’m willing to take.  Like my mother-in-law, I’d rather play for long-term friendships than focus on passing disagreements and squabbles.  We don’t all have to be the same to be friends. What’s most important is respect and trust… bonds than can last for decades.

So I’m going to take my own advice, be open to new friends and roll the dice.

 

 

24 Feb

The Future Mrs. Elton John

Posted by Jamie Brazil in 2013 Resolutions, author discoverability, publishing, romance novels. Tagged: , , , .

Recent upheavals in my schedule made me regroup recently.  My publishing dreams are evolving, and “the plan” I started 2013 with isn’t the plan I have today. Balancing digital and print aspirations, along with social media and life (as in having one) is harder than ever.  It made me think about my guest post on Linda Mercury’s site last month.

So I’ve reposted here.  Because I needed the reminder! Because I need to see some new possibilities.

The Future Mrs. Elton John

As a kid growing up on the Canadian prairies with no cable television and six-foot-high snow drifts surrounding our home in winter, I obsessed over Elton John, the writer of the greatest rock and roll song ever written, Crocodile Rock.

Elton always wore sparkly outfits and his trademark wild sunglasses.  He was the man of my dreams, and at eleven-years-old I knew, and I mean KNEW in an absolute and certain way… in my hearts of hearts… in the very depth of my soul… that I would marry Elton John.

I was the future Mrs. Elton John.

You can imagine how devastated I was when he married Renate.  When I saw the photo of her sitting on Elton’s lap I wept.  I bawled like a baby.  He was supposed to be mine.

Turns out, he wasn’t Renate’s either.

Years later, I take solace in the fact that Sir Elton married fellow Canuck David Furnish and I wish them all the happiness in the world.  Even if there’s now little chance of my childhood dream coming true. Some sunglasses, once removed, cannot be put back on.

My vision of creating a literary life has been permanently altered, too.  The writer I wanted to be when I began writing is not the writer I am today.  I had some success with my Renate (nonfiction), but Renate was not my true love. Fiction was. Yet the world of million-dollar advances for first novels doesn’t exist anymore.  A digital landscape exploding with possibilities took its place.

So what’s a girl to do when her old dreams bite the dust, when she accepts there is no going back to the way things were?  I’m taking a lesson from Elton.  I’m buying new sunglasses and reinventing myself.  I want my new shades to have frames as large as my dreams, and rose-colored lenses to see the wave of digital opportunities in the best light.

And Crocodile Rock is still the best song ever written!

Let’s stay connected on Facebook

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19 Feb

THE NEXT GENERATION OF YA STARS (Twitter is my second job)

Posted by Jamie Brazil in author discoverability, publishing, romance novels, RWA, writing conferences, Young Adult. Tagged: , , , , .

In the coming weeks I’ll launch the first of three young adult manuscripts.  So when I saw the Publishers Weekly Webcast hosted by reviewer John Sellers, I knew I had to sign up.  His guests, Harlequin Teen editor Natashya Wilson, and Disney-Hyperion editor Emily Meehan, were upbeat and informative from the get-go.  (And they had distinctive voices so it was easy to tell who flamingo photo Jamie Brazil was saying what, a BONUS for listeners.)

The webcast will post to the archives about a week from now, but in the meantime, I’ve compiled highlights from my notes.

Building the Next Generation of YA Stars:

A social media discussion kicked off the hour.  Natashya Wilson (NW) touched on the internal social media program offered to Harlequin authors, and noted that a build to a launch is 6-9 months out from the release date.

To bridge the gap between books, Emily Meehan (EM) talked about using social media to keep fans engaged via short stories and novellas.

Most effective, according to EM, were group author events and festivals to promote author discoverability.

Not a name brand author yet?

Blog tours (author of The Darkest Mind used as an example)

Get creative with blog content (glossary, etiquette guide, etc.)

NW liked the use of teasers and uses the HQN platform heavily for cross-pollination of her authors.

Is social media changing in terms of promoting books?

Both editors agreed, “Twitter is my second job.”

EM added she wants to tell her authors to, “Get off Twitter and finish their revisions.”

She also mentioned her company was starting monthly author video chats via Shindig.

A “Wear Your book” Pinterest campaign is high on NW’s list.

In the next segment, both editors promoted upcoming titles.

For Disney-Hyperion, costume drama is all the rage.

Cinders and Sapphires by Leila Rasheed

All Our Yesterdays, a time travel, by Cristin Terrill

Project Paper Doll: The Rules (told in two points of view)

Harlequin Teen:

Dare To You by Katie McGarry (NW said this was a great example of breakout author campaign with the title boasting 9200 to-reads on Goodreads)

INK by Amanda Sun

And the zombie-slaying Alice in Wonderland, Through the Zombie Glass 

John Sellers turned over the rest of the hour to reader questions. 

New adult – hype or what?    

NW is a huge fan of new adult and feels it’s a growing market.

EM seemed reserved on the subject. She prefers to focus on a good story instead of publishing through a trend.

What’s the next big thing?  Is dystopian over?

In a nutshell, nobody knows.

EM: “Many dystopian books are still selling well.”

NW: “Every second submission is dystopian.”

How are you finding new authors? (Wattpad was mentioned in the question)

Both editor take only agented submissions. It was noted there is a strong trend toward self-pubbed authors now repped by agents.

“On our own, we go out and look for authors who have created a buzz.”

NW has requested pages from non-agented authors via Yahoo chat and conferences.

Both editors always love hearing from people on Twitter.

Wish lists:

Funny…time travel… something that feels unique… because they don’t like to compete with themselves on the shelves.

Thanks for reading! I hope you’ll have a chance to check out the archived webcast, but in the meantime, head to Twitter if you want drop these ladies a line.

If you enjoyed this post, let’s stay connected on Facebook and Goodreads.  And, of course, comments are always welcome.goodreads_icon_100x100-bff70f2a14699328631d91f1b40e2d5a123facebook

8 Jan

Resolve 2013: Loving in the Closet

Posted by Jamie Brazil in 2013 Resolutions, diet, fashion, romance novels, shopping, women. Tagged: , , , , , .

art-resolve2013Today is the second-to-last day of our nine-author blog-a-thon (gosh, there are a lot of dashes in this sentence) and it’s been a fun journey.  A couple week’s go, today’s guest, Maggie Jamieson, and I had a chance to sit down and indulge in hours of girl talk.  Of course, the topic of clothes came up, but we also chatted about publishing, family, and life.  Maggie is smart, and kind, and the sort of person you can start having a conversation with and lose track of time entirely.  Our morning of chatting made me think of one of my favorite quotes: Do not make excuses to stay, but reasons to return.

Resolve 2013: Loving in the Closet

Author name: Maggie Jaimeson

Book title: ETERNITY

In order to shrink my closet I have to shrink me first. Either that or decide what size I’m going to be the rest of my life.  Like millions of women who approach New Years, I always have a resolution to lose weight.  AND I always do, somewhere between 20 and 40 pounds.  AND I always gain it back.

maggie-wordstock-sittingThis then relates directly to my closet.  As I lose weight I give up my “fat” clothes and buy new clothes.  If I’m “in the money” I go to the mall. If I’m not, I go to the thrift store. But the reality is I ALWAYS buy new-to-me clothes as I lose weight. The problem is when I gain the weight back I then buy fat clothes again. But I don’t get rid of the other sized clothes because, being the perennial optimist, I’m sure that weight is coming off soon and I’ll need them.

So my tips below are in the form of do as I say, not as I do.  Maybe by writing them down I’ll find a way to stick to these too. There has been three times in my life when I did get rid of lots of clothes. When I did that I set up sorting rules so that I could approach it as unemotionally as possible.  There are only three rules because I can’t remember more than three things at a time. Here are those rules.

1. If I haven’t worn it in more than three years it goes to Goodwill, no matter what size it is or how wonderful it is. There is a reason I haven’t worn it and hanging on until I change my mind about it is ridiculous.

2. If it is something that fits (usually a blouse in my case), but every time I put it on I find myself taking it off again because it “doesn’t look quite right” for this occasion, then it goes to Goodwill. No excuses. Likely it was something I bought on a whim or when I was depressed or anxious and it will never work.  It’s amazing how shopping while depressed never yields something I love to wear.

3. If the item is more than two sizes smaller than my current size it goes to Goodwill. Yes, I still believe I will get there but when I do I know I’ll want to buy something new to celebrate.  So saving it is ridiculous.

I am not a fashionista like you so I don’t have other cool things to go through like purses and scarves and hats and sunglasses.  But the first two sorting rules still apply to those items too.

Now, here  comes the really big thing. Run, don’t walk. Or drive immediately to Goodwill or wherever you are taking it.  If you don’t, you will be tempted to retrieve things.  You really DO NOT want to do that. AFTER you return from Goodwill give yourself a little grieving time and a treat (not buying something else) for being such a good caretaker of your closet space.

Then grab your husband and duck inside, now that you have all that space, and do something naughty/nice/fun. Take your pick.

Good luck and Happy New Year!

Contacts: Website | GoodReads | Facebook | Twitter | Blog

Spread the word, THE RESOLUTION TOUR – January 1 – 9, 2013, is off and running!  If any of the resolutions below sound familiar, you might want to check them out:

Maggie Jaimeson – Take a Vacation

Jessa Slade – Get Organized

Paty Jager – Volunteerism

Linda Mercury – Creating a Literary (or Creative) Life

Jenna Bayley-Burke – Eat Healthier

Cassiel Knight – No More Procrastination

Cathryn Cade – Take Time for those OTHER Creative Passions

Susan Lute – Reduce Stress: Find and Follow Your Bliss

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