Mystic Warrior Release Date

Today is the official release date for the third book in the Mystic Isle trilogy, MYSTIC WARRIOR. In the strange land that is publishing, that means the sales over the next few weeks of this last book of a series will influence the number of books printed for the first book in my next series, AN HONEST SCOUNDREL, A Younger Sons Novel, which won't be out until next July.

So anyone who wants to see me returning to Regency England, run out and buy WARRIOR now.

To show how far out in time NYC works, I'm revising SCOUNDREL (July 2010) now while publicizing WARRIOR (July 2009) and writing the first draft of the second book, tentatively being called A CIVIL ROGUE (July 2011). (Please feel free to chime in on titles! SCOUNDREL is probably set in stone but ROGUE is still in my head)

And while I'm at it, I'm supposed to be whipping up an exciting sales blurb for the series and each of its heroes. Piece of cake, right? Make it chocolate. I'm pulling the covers over my head.

Fictionwise bestseller

I have no idea what this teaches beyond that having one's cover on the front page of Fictionwise sells books, but last night THIS MAGIC MOMENT was #8 on their romance bestseller list, and #17 on the overall list. Check out http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/c9/Romance/?si=0

While you're there, poke around a little bit. Look at the wide range of prices. Some of the books are directly published by authors. Some are there through other publishers like mine. Some may come through the big NYC print publishers. Every one of those prices represents a different payment to the author. Fictionwise will not sell a book at full cover price, and they take a large slice of the sale price for themselves. The balance is split between me and Belgrave House. For those selling through their NYC print publishers, the royalty rate is likely to be much lower.

It really is the Wild Wild West out there.

And don't forget, MYSTIC WARRIOR should be on your brick-and-mortar store stands now.

E-Publishing

Provided I can get blogger to actually add the image, this is the cover of one of my recent e-publications, selling at www.regencyreads.com

So I have a vested interest, no matter how small, in the RWA vs e-pubbed author controversy. I've been following it from a distance since the RWA lists are filled with emotional rhetoric that I don't have time to decipher.

I must confess, even after following lengthy discussions, I can find no easy middle ground. I agree that e-publishing will become a major part of our industry eventually. Right now, it's little more than a hobby income for most authors except for those in the erotica subgenre. The biggest concern is that e-publishers pay no advances. To me, that means an author is gambling with the many months s/he spent writing a book, not knowing if they'll sell it to a publisher or if the sales will provide an income. For authors who cannot sell elsewhere, and who have books languishing "under the bed" as we call it, or who have out of print books not being sold elsewhere, e-publication is an opportunity not offered by print publishers. Still, it's hobby income and not a living wage.

But as a standard business model, I cannot accept gambling for a living. Yes, I understand that e-publishers can produce books far faster than print publishers---for now. There is no guarantee that will last. What I fear is that if e-book authors accept no advance as a standard business model, that print publishers will pick up on this and begin offering their own e-books with no advance. That outcome will mean that all new authors or authors without the numbers publishers would like to see will have to write their books and hope someone will publish them and pray the income will trickle in later. This is a recipe for starvation.

So while I totally agree that RWA needs to keep their membership informed on digital publication, I cannot see how they can find a policy that will allow e-publishers to be recognized for whatever purposes. (again, I'm staying out of the Ritas because that's way beyond my ability to comprehend) Many means have been suggested, and they all fall short of what a writing organization can accomplish--unless authors actually want to turn over their royalty statements for examination. I don't advise this method, but I'm a private person. Maybe others are willing to tell all. I just don't think RWA has to accept such an unorthodox method unless they're desperate to include e-pubbed authors, and I think they've made it clear that they're not. They have enough problems with the ones they have. "G"

So I'll leave the forum open for comments, but I don't think I've clarified a thing. Sorry!

Twitter for Romance Readers

Lest my readers think me too serious:

Here's a great twitter site for those who twitter: Twitter.com/Alyssa_day

She runs a list of romances that are coming out each month, plus, she's a NYT author who writes great books. I bow in awe...

RWA CONTROVERSY

Because this is a blog for readers, I hesitate to get into a discussion about RWA, which is an organization of writers. But there’s a hot topic going around that will ultimately effect both readers and writers, and I’m dying for a place to discuss it without the animosity I see elsewhere.

As I understand it, and I’m quite willing to be corrected, RWA has set minimum standards for RWA acceptable publishers, standards that exclude most e-publishers. This means authors published only by e-pubs cannot enter their books in the Rita contests, but because they’re published, they cannot enter the contest for unpublished authors either. The Ritas are a controversy I’m not interested in, but the fact that e-published authors are enraged not to be recognized as published authors by RWA straddles the line between past and future. As a student of history, this has to fascinate me.

Historically, it’s human nature to protect the status quo, to guard against any weakening of a solid foundation, and to resist changes perceived to be a breach of these barriers. I can certainly identify with the fears of all published authors that the business as we know it might ultimately crumple and leave us unable to pay the bills and feed our families.

E-publishers generally do not pay advances and do not guarantee sales or distributions, which effectively means a book sold to one of these publishers is perceived as a hobby by the IRS and RWA. The IRS defines a business by the owner’s intention to make a profit. Not just earn money, but make a profit. Based on the few dollars I make on my reissues in e-book form, I couldn’t even afford the computer to format them. If I were only e-pubbed, I would have to call my writing career a non-profit-making hobby.

To that extent, I understand where the RWA board comes from. As published authors and conscientious executives, they are responsible for drawing the line between the business of writing and an expensive hobby—even if we look at no other argument, like the potential to destroy our livelihoods. The organization is set up to help writers learn the business, and for now, that is essentially print publishing. Contracts, industry professionals, marketing, every aspect of the two publishing formats are different. RWA has no incentive to accept e-publishers as things currently stand.

You will notice all the punches I pulled in that last paragraph: “to that extent,” “for now,” “currently stand…” And so forth. That’s because I realize we have reached the dividing line that we’re now straddling. I want to tackle the other side of the line next. I don’t know the e-publishing business as well as I do print, so I welcome any input from those more knowledgeable than I am. Without information from more experienced people, I can only express the e-pub side of the picture based mostly on third-party experience and conjecture.

So if you have any interest in the RWA controversy or the World After Print Crumbles, drop a line and as HLN says, let us know what you think. My ultimate goal is to promote enough discussion to reach an understanding so we can learn from each other, instead of fighting over the inevitable.

Blogging on Ninc

I don't know why I do this to myself. I'm insanely writing two books at once--ideas coming faster than I can write. And I'm supposed to be promoting the new July release.

So I may just drop off links to other blogs in a mad effort to keep up. I've just been reminded I'm supposed to be blogging at ninc.com on Thursday. The linke ought to be: http://www.ninc.com/blog/index.php

There's some great stuff in there, by a lot of good writers, so it's a good place to browse anyway!

Urban Fantasy

I’ve been asked to define Urban Fantasy, as if I’m actually some authority. Let me make clear—I’m not even an authority on how to make a bed. I love analyzing and plotting, but mastering a topic requires more work than I care to do!


So here’s my very limited take on the genre: it combines mystery, horror, and fantasy, often with a touch of romance, but not necessarily any satisfactory resolution to the relationship. Paranormal romance is all about the relationship. Urban Fantasy is all about the world building and the escalating threats to the protagonist and to her world. Up until recently, it’s been dominated by werewolves and vampires and fairy tale creatures in a very interesting mix. Now, editors are looking for new avenues, which is where I come in…



I’ll list the urban fantasy authors I enjoy, but keep in mind this is a mere tip of the iceberg. I happen to like books with lots of excellent writing and characterization, not blood and guts. So if that’s your preference, try: Kelley Armstrong, Patricia Briggs, Charlaine Harris, Kim Harrison, and Carrie Vaughn. Then come back and let’s talk about them and any others you discover!

Spring

Pity I'm not a better photographer or know how to use photoshop so I could focus better on the flowers instead of the background! But I couldn't resist the glory of my clematis. It's more spectacular than this picture, I swear. I had to walk through the neighborhood just to admire all the spring blooms. It's so good to see the sunshine again!

And I still haven't painted the kitchen, so I can't show pics of a finished product yet. Keep in mind that the patio steps have been scheduled for painting for the last three years...

I wish blogger allowed images in comments. I'd love to see everyone's spring flowers!