Sunday 10 February 2013

Lost my way again.

As always when I begin a painting, I start with one idea which then just goes off on it's own merry way. Originally that was going to be a pretty pastoral scene. 

    My latest novel has gone the same way. My character was going to be a baddie. He would spend four hundred years tearing lumps out of people and then come to a sticky end in a high-tech display of electronic wizardry.

    150 pages in, and none of that has happened. He's actually quite a good guy, when he's not dispatching slave traders and other assorted medieval rat-bags. Methinks I'll abandon my earlier fifty page outline of the novel and just tag along for the ride. Then when the end comes, I can always trash it if it doesn't work, and then just start all over again with plan A.

   There again, I could always write both versions and see what people think.

   In the week that my novels have been in smashwords, I've sold more than in the last month with Amazon. Hopefully that will continue. Since of all the sales I've had in the past eight months, I've yet to receive a penny. And even if I did, the conversion fee would probably put me in the debit, anyway.

10 comments:

  1. Keep your chin up. I've been pimping my paperback and have sold 47 so far. There have only been 4 ebooks sold on Kindle. But on Fe.19th, 20th, and 21st, I'll be giving it away for free and some other items.

    Hugs and chocolate,
    Shelly

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    1. Like me you have to continue doing it for the love because the Porsche is still nowhere near.

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  2. And you thought YOU were the author? I've learned that the developing book is actually the author and takes you where it wants to go. Sometimes I think I'm nothing but a typist.
    congrats on Smashwords. That's great news.

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    1. Yes, these days i just hang around to see what happens and try not to make a nuisance of myself.

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  3. oh, forgot. Love the painting. Serene, yet looks like volcanic ash covered much of the area.

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    1. I don't know what the painting is supposed to be.I think I'll get rid of the rocks and start all over gain.

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  4. I love to have structure, so I carefully outline, then when my characters take a wrong turn, I just adjust the course. They know the way better than I do. Amazon has a 3 month lag time before they even start paying out royalties - it could be up to six months before you see your first dime.

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    1. Well in that case I'll planning the colour of my Porsche. But I won't hold my breath at the same time.
      Isn't it great when the novel takes a new course you never planned? I love it.

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  5. Like the painting! Yeah, i sell more through smashwords' distribution channels normally than I do amazon.

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    1. That seems to be the way. Yet the books I'm selling with smashwords are the only one I never had any sales with on Amazon. Go smashwords!

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