@ScottMoonWriter on the Tricky Business of How to Price a Book #SciFi #WriteTip #AmWriting

Wherein we discuss the most agonizing decision a writer makes since deciding to publish

Self-published authors wear many hats–writer, editor, marketing director, cover designer and more. Many of these tasks can, and often should be, left to paid professionals. The indie crowd is full of creative people who can do it all. I thought I was such a prodigy once, but realized I needed to pay people to edit and design book covers. Could I do it? With training and practice, why not? But there are issues of objectivity and time management. Like many writers, I decided to focus on my first love and put the other parts of self-publishing in the (very modest) budget.

Unfortunately, decisions are harder to contract out. Which means I have to decide how to price my urban fantasy and science fiction novels. In this post, I will list factors I’ve considered and make some general statements regarding my final decision.

Perceived value

Readers may judge a book by the price. Ninety-nine cents screams “indie author.” Legions of angry writers clamor against low priced books, calling the strategy a race to the bottom. How can the industry survive if the product is so cheap?

Business Pricing

The cost of the book is balanced against how many units must sell at a certain price to achieve a reasonable return on investment. The point is to make money. The strategy is to price the book as high as it will sell, following the rule of supply and demand.

Emotional Pricing

Selecting a price based on how much heart and soul the author put into the manuscript. Emotional pricing could also be influenced by ego; real authors use real prices. I tend to believe my writing is pretty darn amazing. Things would be simpler if everyone would just acknowledge my expertise in this area. I’m a hero author in my own mind. And my mom says I’m special.

Wherein I just make a decision

I did not set out to start a business. Like many writers, I have a generalized goal of “writing full time.” Professional business persons must cringe at this oft repeated, laughably vague declaration. It is also a bit ridiculous, since few traditionally published authors have achieved this gold standard of success. I know that I need to write great books full of interesting characters striving toward compelling goals. I know to show more often than I tell and I understand the value of hiring the best paid editor I can afford.

I also understand I must build an author platform. If I wrote non-fiction, I could build a resume based on knowledge and experience. Do speaking engagements. Lead seminars. Get a PhD in awesomeness.

How does a novelist demonstrate expertise other than to write novels that can’t be put down, or turned off, or whatever?

My first marketing concern, after writing the best book possible, is to get the word out. I want people to read my stories and be entertained.

For quite a while, I read the blogs on ebook pricing and took the welfare of the industry to heart. But in the end, the decision is really simple. The price of a book should be the price that sells. A fat advertising budget or a viral You Tube video might raise the perceived value and demand. Skyrocketing sales would drive the price up, though some might argue it shouldn’t.

At the end of the day I ask myself two questions. Is my book selling? Am I reaching more readers than I was yesterday?

This is a hotly contested topic in the publishing world, so please abuse me with your comments if you must. (But keep in mind I am an artist, and thus very sensitive.)

Lost Hero

Changed by captivity and torture, hunted by the Reapers of Hellsbreach and wanted by Earth Fleet, Kin Roland hides on a lost planet near an unstable wormhole.

When a distant space battle propels a ravaged Earth Fleet Armada through the same wormhole, a Reaper follows, hunting for the man who burned his home world. Kin fights to save a mysterious native of Crashdown from the Reaper and learns there are worse things in the galaxy than the nightmare hunting him. The end is coming and he is about to pay for a sin that will change the galaxy forever. 

Books

Enemy of Man: Book One in the Chronicles of Kin Roland was written for fans of military science fiction and science fiction adventure. Readers who enjoyed Starship Troopers or Space Marines will appreciate this genre variation. Powered armor only gets a soldier so far. Battlefield experience, guts, and loyal friends make Armageddon fun. 

Movies

If you love movies like Aliens, Predator, The Chronicles of Riddick, or Serenity, then you might find the heroes and creatures in Enemy of Man dangerous, determined, and ready to risk it all. It’s all about action and suspense, with a dash of romance—or perhaps flash romance. 

From the Author

Thanks for your interest in my novel, Enemy of Man. I hope you chose to read the book and enjoy every page. 

If you have already read Enemy of Man, how was it? Reviews are appreciated! 

Have a great day and be safe.

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Genre – Science Fiction

Rating – R

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The Soul of the World (Legends of Amun Ra #2) by @jg_silverman #Excerpt #Fantasy #SciFi

Kem dives to the ground in desperation, covering his head and neck from the rocks raining down. I didn’t see that coming. I thought I was quiet, he thinks.

The announcement of Cadmus’ elimination booms over the intercom. Well, at least I don’t have to worry about a vengeful brother.

The dust and debris settle from the crumbled wall. Find Kesi. Kem trots towards the end of the path. Before he gets there, he sees a shadow along the wall.

Dio turns the corner and spots him. She’s already throwing blue spheres before he knows what happened.

Kem hits the floor hard, dodging the first two. Dio hurls more at him.

His heart beats like a jackhammer in his chest. He is covered in dirt and sand. Kem swerves left, then right, ducking from a shot aimed at his head. He looks back at Dio, who walks with determination, shooting at him. Will she not let up a little? Got to slow her down.

Buy Here

Genre – Science fiction, Fantasy

Rating – PG-13+

More details about the author and the book

Connect with Joshua Silverman on Facebook & Twitter

Website www.legendsofamunra.com; www.joshuagsilverman.com

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Getting to Know Leah Rhyne @Leah_Beth #Horror #SciFi #AmReading

Why do you write?

Why? Because if I didn’t the voices in my head would beat me up.

OK, that’s a bit of a cop-out. But honestly, now that I write, I don’t see a way to stop. Stories and characters keep coming, and I find myself needing to tell their tales.

Have you always enjoyed writing?

Yes, to an extent. I was never one of those compulsive writers you hear about, with novels and journals and all kinds of stuff written before high school. I was more of a late-to-the-party fiction writer.

That said, I was an English major, and writing papers and such always came easily to me.

What motivates you to write?

Right now? The fans of my stories…I want to give them MORE!

What are you most proud of in your personal life?

Having a daughter who’s confident and smart and spunky and awesome. Also, running three half-marathons, though I’m not yet proud of my time. I want to break 2 hours.

What books did you love growing up?

I loved ALL THE BOOKS!!!! A Wrinkle in Time, Little Women, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Anne Frank’s diary, anything by Christopher Pike, everything by Stephen King (the classics), Pride and Prejudice…I could go on for hours!!

Who is your favorite author?

Harper Lee, Jane Austen and Stephen King – they’re all inspiring for all kinds of reasons.

What book genre of books do you adore?

I write mostly speculative fiction, but I read a TON of non-fiction these days. Lots of history books. Our past is so interesting; it seems a shame not to read about it.

What book should everybody read at least once?

Anne Frank’s diary. It’s such a brilliant picture of a life lived in extreme circumstances, and it’s so well-written. She was an amazing, beautiful girl whose life was cut far too short.

Is there any books you really don’t enjoy?

Romances and erotica. Nothing against them, it’s just that I blush easily. J

What do you hope your obituary will day about you?

I hope it says that I was a nice person. That I was the kind of person you could count on to help you out if you were in a bind. That I was a good mom and wife. And that I wrote a bunch of really cool books.

Millions died when the zombie plague swept the country. For the survivors, the journey has just begun. Jenna, Sam, and Lola are still alive. Jenna avoids human contact, traveling East Coast backroads with her boyfriend, a dog named Chicken, and a Louisville Slugger. Sam escapes to the mountains, where he's conscripted into a zombie-slaying militia sent on nightly raids to kill the undead...and innocent civilians. Lola's imprisoned in the "safety" of a zombie-free New Orleans hotel, but life grows more dangerous when her brother gets bitten by a zombie. 

Jenna arrives in the French Quarter, lured by the false promises of New Orleans' drunken leader. There, she's ripped away from her boyfriend, drugged, and dumped in a death camp after refusing Franklin's sexual advances. Jenna and Lola's lives collide there, where the dead live and the dying are victims of gruesome medical experiments. Escape isn't easy: release the genetically-enhanced zombies from the lab to create a diversion, slip away, and don't get eaten. When Sam arrives, will he join the right side of the battle?

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – NA-Horror, Sci-fi

Rating – PG-13

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Connect with Leah Rhyne on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.leahrhyne.com/

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Brandon Overall's #SciFi #Novel SUPERHUMAN NATURE

The guard behind him tried to hit Neil in the back of the head with the butt of his rifle, but he felt nothing from the blow.  Anger consumed him.  The guard had shot Sung in cold blood.  There was no arrest, no trial, and no judge.  He didn’t deserve any mercy, and Neil wasn’t going to give him any.

Neil lifted the guard off of the ground several feet and slammed him hard onto the pavement.  The distinct sound of snapping bones would have made anyone cringe, but Neil did not have enough humanity left to care.  The guard behind Neil yelled something, but he wasn’t paying any attention.  The guard was raised into the air again, and slammed down once more.  Every time Neil slammed the guard down, the bones disintegrated under the immense force.  The guard screamed in agony.

The guard behind Neil fired several shots from his AK-47 into Neil’s back, but his body reacted automatically to the threat.  The bullets bounced off of his back like nerf darts.  Neil was still too focused on the guard that he was repeatedly slamming into the ground to worry about the crushed projectiles falling to the ground behind him.

As the guard lay bleeding and broken on the ground, Neil walked up to him slowly.  He could see the fear and pain in his eyes.  He cried, knowing what was going to happen to him.  The guard behind Neil was still firing, but it didn’t distract Neil from what he was about to do.  He raised his foot above the guard’s head, and brought it down, again and again.  He was gurgling and blood poured out of his mouth.  He stopped crying.

Neil turned around to focus his attention on the guard that had been shooting him in the back.  At the sight of the gruesome execution before him, the guard dropped his rifle and sprinted away, trying to escape.  He didn’t get far.  Neil severed his Achilles tendon, and he tumbled face first into the ground.  He screamed as the tendon shot up into his body like a rubber band.  He was completely helpless, as his calf muscles were no longer attached to his foot.

The man desperately tried crawling away.  He was crying as he chanted something while inching forward, pulling his body along the road with his hands.  Neil didn’t have to speak Korean to know what a prayer sounded like.  As he approached the man, Neil’s shadow loomed over him, blocking the last sunlight he would ever feel.

Neil slowly and deliberately pulled on each limb of his body.  The muscles stretched, the tendons began to tear, and a soft pop could be heard as the joints at the shoulders and hips separated.  He shrieked with pain, but his suffering wasn’t over.  The skin connecting each limb stretched several inches without giving way.

Pools of blood began to form inside his body where the internal arteries were severed.  Finally, the skin couldn’t stretch any more, and it tore.  The pooled blood spilled out onto the ground.  With each beat of his struggling heart, a line of crimson shot out of each severed artery where a limb was supposed to be connected.  The beats became slower as the life drained from his body.  The screams turned into soft moans.  Finally, the noise stopped, and the blood stopped pouring.

Superhuman Nature is Brandon Overall's first novel. It was written and published during his first deployment to Afghanistan as a 2nd Lieutenant in late 2013.

Neil Hitchens was a senior ROTC Cadet in college. He was just weeks away from graduating and becoming an Officer in the United States Army, until a strange dream set off a chain of events that would twist his life into something he could have never prepared for.

In the days following his dream, several strange happenings occurred that he began to suspect were the result of his own actions. Before long, he discovered that he had the ability to control the world around him with his mind.

What started out as an unpredictable ability quickly evolved into an extraordinary power that had the capacity to change the world. It didn't take long for the government to find out what Neil could do.

They knew having such limitless potential on the side of the US Military could give them limitless political influence, and they would stop at nothing to get Neil to do their bidding. They would find out what happens when you back a dangerous animal into a corner.

Neil spent his whole life believing he would amount to greatness, but he never expected how greatness could corrupt even the most innocent of minds.

Buy @ Amazon & Smashwords

Genre – Science Fiction

Rating – PG-13

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10 Things You Didn’t Know About The Soul of the World by @jg_silverman #scifi #fantasy

10 Things You Didn’t Know About The Soul of the World (Legends of Amun Ra, #2)

1. Atlantia’s family is from Messenia District of Thoth. Did you know that Messenia is named after a real place in Greece?
2. The Erebus forest was named after the Greek primordial god, “Erebus”, which means ‘darkness’ in Greek.
3. The title of The Book of Six Pillars is inspired by Japanese samurai swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi’s Book of Five Rings, written in the year 1645.
4. The Heart of Gold is also called the Philosopher’s Stone.
5. Atlantia is called a helot or slave, which is a reference to real Greek history. In 735 BCE, ancient Sparta conquered Messenia, making them slaves.
6. The character Lycurgus is named after a real person in Greek history.
7. Pythia, the sphinx in The Soul of the World, is named after a real oracle in ancient Greece.
8. Rhesus, the Archon of Plataea, was inspired by Benjamin Franklin?
9. Although the Staff of Thoth was an artifact in Greek/Egyptian mythology, the Sword of Thoth wasn’t.
10. Undal is named after a person specifically mentioned in the Emerald Tablets of Thoth.

The ancient powers lost to Potara have returned. The Brotherhood of the Black Rose rises to bring Thoth into disorder. And, while the Brotherhood reclaims their power, chaos reigns among the survivors. Six individuals have emerged from the aftermath struggling for control over their lives and a divided land. Kem and Shirin, who abolished the five thousand year reign of the Amun Priests, rule from the golden throne of the Oracle’s Chair in the Hall of the Nine. Dio and Axios struggle to piece together a resistance worthy to challenge the ancient magic which resides in the Great Temple of Amun, and Leoros and Atlantia try to remain true to their hearts and their cause despite tragedy.

But when the Book of Breathings is discovered, the path to immortality is revealed. Leoros and Kem race to capture the Soul of the World unaware of the challenges awaiting them. This time, the gods themselves will intervene.

In a tale where boys become men and girls become women, where treachery and deception are around every corner, and where primeval mysticism finds its way back from the grave, victory is reserved for neither the good nor the evil, but the powerful.

Buy Here

Genre – Science fiction, Fantasy

Rating – PG-13+

More details about the author

Connect with Joshua Silverman on Facebook & Twitter

Website www.legendsofamunra.com; www.joshuagsilverman.com

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#Free The Alpha Choice (The Te'an #Trilogy) by MD Hall #SciFi

Three thousand years ago, the Vespoid Khitine are about to learn they must live with the disappointment of trade negotiations collapsing - or at least most of them will have to live with it - Chindara has other things to occupy her mind.

Their erstwhile partners to be, the Te, have their own plans. This is merely one more conquest, hardly different to scores that have gone before, Well, that isn't quite right; it's the first time they have had their actions halted by the appearance of a tiny electric blue light, a Custodian. Never have they watched, helplessly, as two of their battle cruisers blinked out of existence, before receiving a polite, but firm warning: attempts to circumvent the, hitherto unheard of, Accords will result in their complete destruction.

Twenty-one years ago, in the Gallsor system, the warning all but forgotten, Commander Jaron makes a choice that will have unimaginable consequences, the least of which follows his return to Te'ath, when the Supreme Council are prompted - on the urging of the most dangerous of the three heads of the covert Agency, Garnoth - to sanction a plan circumventing the Accords. The target? Telluria (Earth).

Garnoth's most able protégé, Tala, is tasked with leading the expedition, the success of which is dependent upon the Tellurian, Hugo Black (a Boston corporate attorney) heading up a multinational corporation, TeCorp.

Only two people can disrupt Garnoth's plan: Gorn, a twenty-one year old Te'an prodigy, whose brilliance is matched by his self-doubt and social ineptitude. He is recruited, when particularly vulnerable, to the cause of the Te'an rebellion by the single minded Narol. Gorn will betray his best, his only friend and, if he succeeds in his 'mission,' condemn his people to almost certain destruction. While taxing his mind over the choices to be made, he is completely unaware he has been marked for assassination.

The second potential fly in the Te'an ointment is history lecturer, Jonathon (Jon) Tyler and his recently acquired, rebellious young companion, Emily. Spirited from his bed, in the dead of night, he meets the physical embodiment of the electric blue light; a woman, whose beauty reminds him of a classical statue, an impression heightened by a cold and humourless aspect enhanced, in turn, by her inhuman electric blue eyes, completely electric blue eyes. Jon is told that an Artefact exists - a sentient, artificial life form, which may, or may not choose to help - and his job is to bring it to the attention of those who speak for Earth. How difficult could that be?

He is allowed to glimpse the consequences of converging forces, far beyond the danger posed by the Te'an threat, and guesses this to be the real reason for Custodian interest in his planet. For now, he has no choice but to act as a Custodian pawn in an opening gambit, on a board only just beginning to take shape, and where all the pieces have yet to arrive.

Amazon Kindle US | Amazon Kindle UK

Rating – PG13

Genre – Sci-Fi

5.0 (8 reviews)

Free until 16 January 2014

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Post-Human Series #Books 1-4 by David Simpson @PostHuman09 #Fantasy

LIMITED TIME OFFER! This collection of the first 4 books of the Post-Human Series tells the epic and fast-paced story of the future of humanity and the extraordinary benefits--and profound dangers--of powerful artificial intelligence.

Book 1: Sub-Human

(Age Range: 14 years and up)

Before he was Old-timer, he was Craig Emilson, a young doctor, sucked into military service at the outbreak of World War III. Enlisting to become a Special Forces suborbital paratrooper, Craig is selected to take part in the most important mission in American military history--a sortie into enemy territory to eliminate the world's first strong Artificial Intelligence. The mission is only the beginning of Craig's story, and for the story of humanity as well, as they accelerate towards a world that is post-human.

If you're already a fan of the smash-hit Post-Human Series, this prequel to Post-Human, Sub-Human, will answer the previously unanswered questions of how the post-human world came to be. And, if you're new to the series, Sub-Human will serve as an engrossing introduction to a possible future that has enraptured tens of thousands of readers in 2012 alone!

Book 2: Post-Human

(Age Range: 12 years and up)

The future should have been perfect. Microscopic robots known as nans could repair any damage to your body, keep you young by resetting your cellular clocks, and allow you to download upgrades like intelligence, muscle strength, and eyesight. You were supposed to be able to have anything you wanted with a simple thought, to be able to fly without the aid of a machine, to be able to live forever. But when a small group of five terraformers working on Venus return to Earth, they discover that every other human in the solar system has been gruesomely murdered. Now, James Keats and his four companions must discover what happened to the rest of humanity and fight back if they wish to avoid the same, horrifying fate. Welcome to the post-human era.

Book 3: Trans-Human 

(Age Range: 12 years and up)

In this sequel to Post-Human, humanity will be forced to face a future more advanced than it could have imagined if it wants to survive. Nineteen months have passed since the A.I. turned against humanity and was subsequently destroyed. In the meantime, James Keats has turned over the A.I.'s powers to a non-intelligent, easily controlled operating system. He and Thel have left the planet and spent six months vacationing on Venus, which has been newly terraformed without the consent or knowledge of the Governing Council. The A.I. has been deleted, but the message it sent out into the abyss of space in search of a companion has been answered. An alien force dwarfing the Earth is on its way to find out why the A.I. has stopped communicating. Keats and company can only assume its intentions will be hostile when it finds out the truth. Only one thing is for sure: nothing will ever be the same again. Welcome to the Trans-Human era. Welcome to the singularity.

Book 4: Human Plus 

(Age Range: 14 years and up)

The Post-Human Trilogy is done, but the Post-Human series is just heating up! Human Plus is Book 4 in the smash hit science fiction series. Not exactly a sequel, not exactly a prequel, Human Plus will defy expectations. No matter what you thought was coming next, you're in for a surprise! 

JUST ONE CAUTION: When you're finished, you're going to want to share the surprises with everyone online...Please don't! Please respect future readers and let them enjoy the surprises just as much as you did!

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Genre - Science Fiction

Rating – PG

More details about the author

Connect with David Simpson on Facebook & Twitter

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