Resources

Amidst my procrastinating on my latest book I have been I have been working to get “A Vendetta’s Wage” ready for print. A bit of re-editing and enhancing some scenes and fretting over how I am going to prepare the PDF file: a headache. But reviewing my Create Space account I found that they have greatly advanced the cause of self publishing with their interior review feature where you can upload documents as .doc files as well as other formats and review how it will look printed.

The Create Space blog that one can follow on Facebook is also a valuable resource I should be spending more time reading. Lulu has a blog. These blogs as well as a link to the “Chicago Manuel of Style” are linked to in the sidebar.

The most recent resource I was put onto is the website for “Writer’s Review.” My cousin recommended the site and again …I should be spending much more time research it. I will add it to the sidebar.

When I asked my cousin what he thought of social networks for writers, he said writers need to focus their time on writing not socializing. Good advice. Maybe I should delete my Facebook account.

Yes, the latest Chuck Hammer has been started but I have spent a good deal of time creating the world for the next story. Character need to be developed. They need jobs and schedules and a purposeful place in the story. A whole pile of scraps of paper I keep sorting through to double check for consistency. Can’t have someone with brown eyes suddenly have blue eyes. Well actually I can. I am the author. Maybe they are a robot or some hideous shape shifter.

Some highly recommend, think it a absolute necessity that a complete outline be developed. I have the world in my mind, know the beginning and end and essential scenes to the story and then let it grow from there as I write it. I heard an interview of an Iranian author on the BBC and it sounded like that is how she wrote her stories also.

Many thanks to those who have read my books. I will try harder to make my production efforts more efficient. I have been swamped with financial concerns and even getting the print version ready completely on my own, cover and all, with Create Space’s free tools, I still need as much as $1,000 to get copies (250 of Chuck Hammer and 100or more of Struggles) produced. I will sign and number them and use them for promotions.

Raising the Price

The fact that I make more money from a person who would borrow “Chuck Hammer and the Invisible Squadron; A Vendetta’s Wage” than one who would purchase it outright for Kindle presents a quandary.

To promote my work I allow it to be borrowed by Kindle device owners for free. There is a monthly fund to be divided between all the lenders per how many times their work had been lent in any given month. It averages something over $1 according to what I could glean from Kindle’s e-mail news letters.

Also to promote my work I have put the price of my largest work to date at $0.99. This would provide me with about $0.33 per sale; far less. The $0.99 price has been a topic of many discussions and criticisms. The main issue being that after putting in thousands of hours of work into a novel, if one would work fairly consistently on one’s novel for over a year, a $0.33 return per sale will never bring a return close to the value of ones investment of time and creativity unless perhaps one is among the top ten Kindle sales leaders.

I value my labors and feel it is only proper that I raise the price of “Chuck Hammer and the Invisible Squadron; A Vendetta’s Wage”. By the end of this month of March the price will be raised to $3.99, so if you were thinking of purchasing it time is running out to save a bit of coin. Of course you Kindle device owners will still be able to borrow the work for free. Yes it seems pricey for a short novel when others can acquire it for free, but you could always buy yourself a Kindle, which is the goal of the Kindle Owner’s Lending Library. A promotional print limited edition will be out soon. If anyone is interested in signed copies let me know.

The second of the Fortunes of Chuck Hammer Series will hopefully be out by the end of the year.

Kindle Select

Good news. You can now read my latest e-book, “Chuck Hammer and the Invisible Squadron, A Vendetta’s Wage,” for free.

Yes, …but only if you own a Kindle device; an e-ink reader or Kindle Fire.

Kindle has created a ‘Kindle Owner’s Lending Library’ where a device owner can borrow an enrolled book for free with no return date once a month. A fund set aside each month is divided among the corresponding authors per how many times their book was borrowed out of the total number of borrows. Just by borrowing a book you are eligible to post a review.

So make Chuck Hammer your first choice.

An eligible e-book must be exclusive to Kindle. I am not clear as to the exclusivity of printed versions. The FAQ say I am free to promote a printed version but that was not what I understood from the terms and conditions. I may make my first book available also.

And yes we have a new dog. Ike was too much for my brother, or at least for his wife, as they have two toddlers also. Lots of energy and slightly troubled as he didn’t get out of his kennel too much of his first year, now 17 months. He’s being a bad dog, sneaking into the bedroom and jumping up on the bed. He’s just pretending to be sleeping.

Borrow Chuck Hammer today. Just click on the “Prime” button on the sales page.

Second Edition

The second Kindle edition of “Chuck Hammer and the Invisible Squadron; A Vendetta’s Wage” is published. Bigger an better this version has been greatly improved. Only $0.99 Add it to the Kindle’s you are gifting this Christmas.

One truly needs to step back from ones work at least a month to refresh the eyes to one’s own work. The first edition was put out a bit to hastily as I was making my last stand to try to avoid bankruptcy.

I received some help from a former editor. He reviewed parts of the book and based on his corrections and advice I revised the entire work. I identified some confusing passages and corrected them. It reads smooth and easy, packed chuck full of adventure and intrigue that most ages can enjoy.

A print version may be a year away. At times I will review this work again as I work on future volumes of The Fortunes of Chuck Hammer Series. I hope to be working on all of the next three volumes in the series by the end of the new year. After the print edition of this first volume I would hope to get another volume out each year or so. I have come to realize a book will take two years at best to produce. And the future volumes will be much longer than this introduction to The Fortunes of Chuck Hammer Series; “A Vendetta’s Wage.”

The following volumes will be;

Chuck Hammer Rebooted, Loyalty’s Fertile Soil

Chuck Hammer, Judgment Day, A Journey for Home

Chuck Hammer With Absolute Resolve, Surviving the Monsters

I also have another short story from the Great War developing along with “The High School” and “The Last Day.”

As my writing improves in the future I will put out a second edition of “Struggles,” but rather than “A Pair of Short Stories” it may be “A Book of Short Stories” At that time I will take the current book out of circulation, increasing its value if my books should actually draw a following.

Coming Soon

Many look at these current days of hope, promise and potential devastation as a sign of the last days. Different groups have different interpretations of how the last days will unfold and to where they will lead.

But until that day, a second Kindle edition of “Chuck Hammer and the Invisible Squadron, A Vendetta’s wage” will be coming out soon; most likely by the end of the week. Gone will be the over use of the passive voice. The content has grown and clarity has been added to a few areas that didn’t read well.

Where as I have received some help from a former editor on the upcoming second edition, I cannot say that this edition has been professionally edited either.

Should be available by next Monday if not sooner for $0.99; a price reduction.