Very sorry for that, folks. I’ll definitely be more careful next time I try to blog at 3:30 in the morning! Thanks so much for your patience. Geez, I hope with all this build up, that it was worth the wait!
So “More” is now available to read! (oh, please, oh please…)
~venice
“More” was also a prompt-inspired story. The inspiration though this time around wasn’t a phrase, or word. Writers were given a portrait of a woman, some artwork, to get our creative juices going. It worked. “More” is much longer that “Shadows of Self”, it’s a little Twilight-Zone-y, I think. It’s one of my stories that always delivers a kick to my spiritual butt when I read it. I hope you like it!
~venice
Let’s do a little celebrating!
Yes—
I’m a published indie author!
And if that’s not special enough—today, November 14, I have the honor of being interviewed by my good friend Mae Clair over on her blog FROM THE PEN OF MAE CLAIR.
Mae has been in my corner from the beginning. She’s encouraged me to pursue my dreams to write and taught me so much. We’ve been friends for years, cheered each other along the way, finally deciding that 2012 would be the year we’d both take the leap into becoming published authors. Though she went the traditional route and I went indie—we both ended up debuting on the same day! Amazing, huh?
Mae Clair’s paranormal romance, WEATHERING ROCK is published by Lyrical Press, and getting rave reviews. I’m celebrating for my friend, too! She’s a wonderful writer, but she’s also a terrific marketer. The woman has become a social media wizard!
She’s also featured a lot of amazing writers on her blog, and I don’t mind telling y’all that I am doing a pretty funky Snoopy Dance over getting an invite to hang out with her to chat about indie publishing, writing, interracial romance, sweet romance, BLACKOUT IN THE GARDEN OF LOVE, what I have in the pipeline and some other great stuff!
So please pop over and join the celebration. Drop by to read, comment, or um…dance with me and my pal Mae Clair over at her blog
FROM THE PEN OF MAE CLAIR. It’s gonna be a blast!
~venice
Sixty-four and Counting! (Newbie Indie Writer Ramblings)
How are things going?
I’m up to 64 ebooks sold of my short story BLACKOUT IN THE GARDEN OF LOVE on Amazon. Yes, I know that doesn’t put me anywhere near Amazon’s top 100, but you know that’s alright. Sixty –four people out there have read my short story, and I can see the real magic in that. I’m a published author, and I’ve sold something I wrote. Sixty-four somethings! It breaks down to an average of about me selling around 2.7 ebooks per day since I published the short on October 7th.
I also uploaded BLACKOUT to Kobo and B&N Pubit. I sold 4 ebooks on Barnes and Nobles Pubit for a total of $2.08 and have absolutely no action at all going on over at Kobo so far. Actually I didn’t see that many IRs on Kobo, and I haven’t quite figured out how folks can even see my story.
Since I’m selling Blackout on Amazon for $1.29, my profit margin is just 35%. On B&N I’m making a profit of 40% for each ebook sold.
I looked into Smashwords –which would distribute it to other major online retailers like Apple, Sony, the Diesel eBook Store and others. I guess I will also upload it there too, at some point.
My October sales:
Blackout in the Garden of Love: $30.88
I have no plans to make Blackout in the Garden of Love a freebie yet. Maybe I’ll consider doing so when I publish TENDING DEACON’S GARDEN, as a way of generating more sales for TENDING DEACON’S GARDEN. I’ll keep y’all posted on that, and continue to report to you how Blackout is selling.
I’m testing the waters here as an indie writer, and if you’re a writer thinking about sticking a toe into the indie publishing pool, come on in and join me. If I can do this, I know you can.
🙂
~venice
Chase? Really?
or
What is in a name?
So when TENDING DEACON’S GARDEN came to me, I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to call my hero. He’s a bit of a modern cowboy and I played around with a few names that might be a good fit for him. Names like Wes, Luke, Jake, Reese—ya know. I couldn’t decide, but I needed a name just to get the story going, certain I’d only be using it to sketch out my draft of the story. Until I could decide which one I wanted for him. So—I used Chase. Yeah, I know, it’s so romance-novel-ly, but I was having some fun.
Now– my hero won’t let me switch it out. He tells me ‘my name is Chase’ and he’s adamant, won’t budge or negotiate with me for something more low-key. Heck, I don’t know much about cowboys, but apparently they are as stubborn as the ones I’ve seen in movies and on TV.
What’s a writer to do when her hunky alpha male puts his boot down, y’all? I’d like to think I know what’s best for my story but does Chase know what’s best for him? Will I miss the opportunity to really get to know this guy and the essence of who he really is by finding and replacing everywhere ‘Chase’ appears in my draft with Wes, or with ‘Luke’?
Is there a chance I will forever change the heart, mind and soul of this man by giving him the name Jake?
I can’t be the first or last writer who has had a disagreement with one of their characters. I wonder if there are writers out there who went ahead and blocked out a character’s demand, published their book only to regret that they hadn’t listened to that demand?
Let’s face it, the guy might be wrong. Maybe his character will soar to new heights and have more depth with a moniker like Houston or Buck. He acts like I’m trying to call him Chester, or Palladin.
Perhaps it’s all because Chase has been Chase for quite a few months now. And while I’ve created the world he’s been living in, and the romantic tension that is driving him looney—I’ve also given him the chance to find true love and a happy ever after. Maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised that he’s fighting so hard to be the one my heroine gives all her sweet lovin’ to.
While the jury is still out on this, I’ll let him keep giving me that hard stare as I begin working on this novella, and just maybe he’ll convince me – he really is Chase and not a Wes, or Jake, or a Luke.
~venice
What’s Happening?
Well, I’m officially a one week old indie writer–that’s what’s happening!
Not bad. If you would have asked me on last Monday, if I thought I’d take on the author profile on Goodreads and publish on B&N, I sure would have said, “Nope, I’m fine with getting through pubbing to Amazon. Now I’m looking at the pros and cons of selling on Smashwords vs Lulu vs Kobo vs… oh boy, there’s no turning back now.
The main thing is I’m learning a lot. I was beginning to doubt my choice of debuting with a short story, instead of something more substantial and plot-twisting. But this is a great way to get some hands on learning, like doing a trial run. Maybe, I’m not making the big bucks this time around, but how fortunate that I get to learn how to do this indie-publishing thing while making some cash. Most important though, I don’t have to be moping around, sulking, and wondering how all these other writers were living out their dreams.
I’m amazed that I’ve been able to do this!
Oh, and I’ve posted a Freebie Short Story, check it out here.
Onward, right?
So what else is coming from this Venice Kennedy chick?
Well, I’m going to jump on the next volume in the LOVE BLOOMS SERIES. While I’ve got my WIP novel “I See You” that I’m revising and hoping, no PLANNING to publish in 2013, I don’t want folks to think I’m one of those ‘publish one short story and then go MIA writers’. I’m in this for the long haul. I have to write, and I’m more than invested and willing to see where this writing thing takes me.
The next story in the LOVE BLOOMS SERIES, “TENDING DEACON’S GARDEN” is more a novella then short story. It’s also a much darker story. Darker in the sense of where my characters are emotionally and in regards to the story I’ve put together to connect them. I’m already sweet on my male lead; he’s just a hunk extraordinaire, with a broody exterior, and a heart of gold. He’s all broken and vulnerable, and has a very big reason to be that way. Something horrible happening only makes those truths about him surface. I hope I can bring him out to you guys the way I ‘feel’ him. I’m pairing him with a woman who is equally as scarred (more about her later). What happens when two broken-hearted and angry people have no one to turn to but each other? Well, I guess we’ll find out. Lots of tension and yes, passion thrown into the mix. When I say passion I’m not talking about hot sex, sorry. There will be romance, though. And I hope readers will still feel the sizzle!
I think it’s a prudent and wise for me to push myself to get this story out there ASAP. I like the contrast of this more dramatic and heavier story to the lighter BLACKOUT IN THE GARDEN OF LOVE. And I think I’ll even attempt to get my feet wet on marketing the story in advance, throw some snippets of it on here, and chat it up a little bit. My confidence is growing, and my purpose in sharing my writing is becoming clearer to me. Purpose? What is Venice up to? Nothing too complicated, or revolutionary.
I do believe I’m trying to do something here. Not exactly sure why though, let’s just say— I’m compelled– to write sweet IRs. Simply, I want to give folks who like sweet IRs a quality story to read and enjoy. It’s not more complicated than that.
Are you 20 people who bought “BLACKOUT IN THE GARDEN OF LOVE” with me?!! Then let’s keep it moving people!
😉
Thanks guys!
~venice
~Newbie Indie Writer Ramblings~
Intervention, please!
Yep, three days into this indie publishing thing on Amazon’s KDP, and I’m already addicted to clicking on the Month-to-Date Unit Sales report thingy. I need help!
Is there already a support group out there somewhere? Somebody drop me a link, please?
My fingers are getting numb…
🙂
~Newbie Indie Writer Ramblings~
Well, twelve appears to be the magic number. Twelve kindle editions of BLACKOUT IN THE GARDEN OF LOVE– sold! Yep, that’s 12, not 1200, not 12,000. Am I disheartened? Nah. Am I disappointed? I’m not sure. I’m still totally jazzed over the fact I’ve got a book (short story) up on Amazon. That I’m a ‘published’ author. And when I do a search for my first book, it keeps popping up, and my name is right next to it. 🙂 I don’t know how those twelve folks came to decide to click that ‘Buy now with 1-Click’ button. Point is – Woo hoo!—they did! Truth is I haven’t done a lick of marketing. Definitely going against everything I’ve read on what you’re supposed to do when you indie-publish a book. I haven’t even blasted a proud shout-out that my new book is available for purchase on the two IR forums I’m active on. Interesting. I’m busy with work, and caretaking an eighty-four old year dad, who every day reveals to me and my sibs a new reason why he needs to be ‘supervised’. But– I could have scrambled to do at least some of that critical marketing other writers are out there doing. For me, this first book has been more like taking a deep cleansing breath while looking out at the journey before me. I have a lot of road to travel, I get that. It’s only just recently that I started feeling like I could own this ‘being a writer’ thing. It might be the reason why I’m here. Not on WordPress, blogging–but in the world. A good friend asked me today—so how does it feel? Being a published writer? Despite the fact I haven’t hit the internet highway to sell my wares, and done all of the marketing I should have – I’m at peace for now with what I’ve accomplished. I was blessed to be led back to my gift after decades of neglecting it, and to be returning to it during a time when a newbie can step out and live their dream to be published, is a wonderful place to be.
I know there have to be a few other writers out there, like myself, green as hell—but slowly making their way. Who are stumbling, and going off the Indie publishing 101 script because their days are full of the unexpected. You guys feel me, right?
BLACKOUT IN THE GARDEN OF LOVE was a private victory lap. Someday I hope it’ll hit sales of 1200 – or 12,000!! But for right now, to these twelve people who have bought BLACKOUT IN THE GARDEN OF LOVE, I just want to say – Hey, come back around, I’ve got more and better stuff comin’ your way! And what are you twelve folks waiting for – LIKE my book and give me a few five star reviews, too while you’re at it, will ya? 😉
~venice
Twelve Hours!
That’s how long it’s gonna be until my first indie published book, a short story titled BLACKOUT IN THE GARDEN OF LOVE shows up for sale on Amazon.
Wow!
My intention, when I first started this blog back in March, was to talk about my journey to indie publishing. As you can see, it didn’t exactly happen that way. But—I did end up publishing something in 2012!! Amazing! It’s been a few months of one thing after the next working to distract and put mental and physical roadblocks in my way, so I don’t mind admitting that I’m a bit shell-shocked that I just hit that publish my book button.
I’m wise enough to understand this is a single step. I hope, of course, lots of folks buy and read BLACKOUT IN THE GARDEN OF LOVE—hey, I’d love that!! BLACKOUT IN THE GARDEN OF LOVE was supposed to be an entry for a short story contest for a new-on-the-scene interracial romance publisher. I went back and forth weighing if as a new writer, I’d have a better chance to get publish by looking for publisher or if I should jump on the bandwagon and go the indie publishing route. That new IR publisher sending out a call for writers didn’t appear to get off the ground, and well— that fallout was the last bit of encouragement I needed to leap into the indie pool. In some upcoming posts, I’ll share more about writing BLACKOUT IN THE GARDEN OF LOVE, which is Vol#1 in my new series called LOVE BLOOMS, which I’ll be talking about, too. I just had to put a marker – right here and now that, sigh—I’m twelve hours to officially becoming a published author.
How cool is that!
~venice
~Love Blooms~ 
