Tag: self publishing

Is Imitation the Best Kind of Fan Flattery?

By Linh Ngan

In July, I released my 6th ebook, a labor of three years of love, a contemporary romance set in Qatar, called Love Comes Later. I waited to see what readers’ responses would be and was not disappointed at the latest self-taught lesson in writing, marketing, and publishing.

Two things stand out: 1) if academic work is for a select audience, then fiction is for everyone. And 2) if I want people near and far to have a crack at my book, then I have to stick with novels. You may disagree with me (which is allowed and please do share) but my stats don’t lie. In my previous eleven months of publishing electronic titles, I felt like a salmon going upstream. Trying to get reviews or bloggers to notice my book was tough. In the six weeks since this title has been out, there are 27 reviews and 43 likes. That’s more reviews than all the other books had a month after release and more downloads during the free period of any of my books to date.

 

I did also put quite a bit of PR muscle into this release and have to congratulate Sandra for her entry on the Kindle Fire giveaway as to how people fall in love and why e-readers are especially important for women. Maybe it was all the PR and not the genre.

 

Even so, my conclusion: People love a good novel more than memoir or short fiction. Many readers used social media to tell me they couldn’t put this book down. One said she read while she cooked. Another said she was in the process of finishing it and would have a surprise for me in a few days.

 

“What’s the surprise?” My husband asked. I had no idea. She had so intrigued him, he kept checking back with me.

 

“Did she tell you the surprise?”

 

A week later, I could say yes. She had loved the book so much, she didn’t want it to end. So she had written an epilogue for two of the two main characters! I’m sharing some of it with you here below. Her style is very different from mine – much sexier! – and as I read my characters’ names speaking lines I hadn’t written for them, I felt mixed emotions. On balance though, I’m taking it as it was intended – a positive sign that an aspiring writer took her hand to telling a story, imitating characters she admired.

 

How do you feel about fan fiction? Is it the ultimate compliment? Or like designer brands, is imitation worse than flattery?

 

Love Can Wait – Epilogue ** By DohaSu

 

Abdulla was adjusting his gutra in the mirror, when he caught Sangita looking at him.

 

“I promise we’ll find a new apartment.”

 

“Its okay, Fatima will always be a part of our lives.  As long as you’re okay with me adding a few personal touches…”

 

“Of course.”

 

Sangita removed her shayla and the pins that held her hair in a bun and shook her hair free.

 

“You know that you don’t have to wear it?”

 

“I want to. For you. I like the idea of you being the only man to see my hair and skin.”

 

Abdulla’s eyes burned with longing for Sangita and he strode over to embrace her. He’d been resisting doing this the last few weeks, as he’d been afraid that he would not be able to restrain himself. Though wounded, he’d accepted that he would not be her first but was contented to be the one and only from now on.

 

“I’ve been wanting to do this…” he said as he pulled her towards him and ran his fingers through her hair again and again.

 

 

 

 

 

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Wordless Wednesday: The Consistency of Parchment

Today I’m featuring the cover of the novel, The Consistency of Parchment, a story about our links to the past, and our often frustrated attempts to break away from the constraints that this history imposes upon us.

The cover image conveys the interconnected nature of our lives. James Tenedero, the author, explains that physical artefacts – and the ways in which these symbols provide an ongoing link to the past – is a recurring motif in the book. In the book, Cal Wendell and Kendra Velasquez see their fates joined by a random encounter, and then face the need to come to terms with their respective histories as they seek to uncover the secret hidden in a safe deposit box.

Keep in touch with James through his blog or on Twitter @jamestenedero.

 

 

 

 

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I Finally Did it in my California King Bed…

Read an eBook, that is. There was a time I would have told you that would never happen. The thought of curling up in bed with an electronic device to read was about as appetizing as, well, you know.

The Former Contenders

In our house, Kindles have not had a long shelf life. The first one, an anniversary gift, was resold, the package never opened. The second one, also the second generation of the device, I gave as a gift to the aforementioned anniversary gift giver. He turned it on for a few days and used the ‘read to me feature’. Eventually it too went the way of the first and was sold on to someone else.

Technophobe reactions from early thirtysomethings probably surprises you. After all my husband had given me the Kindle to save his own back on the international flights for which I would cram as many as six books into a carry-on. But the probelm wasn’t the technology. The problem was my experience as a reader.

My protest “but I like to hold a book in my hands” is what you’d expect from someone with a PhD in literature.

The Flirtations

Then I started publishing eBooks. Yes, digital only. There was no way for a reader to have the physical experience with one of my six titles. The irony did not strike me — at least not too hard. This past May however, on Mother’s Day, another shiny, expensive device showed up. The iPad.

“Oh, these don’t have a good history in this house,” I said to my ever patient husband.

“We’ll see,” he said. The gift, as any good ones, was really to keep our toddler entertained (and quiet) on an upcoming 15 hour flight. A little boy’s silence can only be a gift that keeps on giving to any and everyone on an airplane or in a hotel near  him — including his parents. An interesting phenomena happened. I started using the iPad. First for browsing, then for email. My fat fingers found the keys easier to manage. And then, I discovered the App store. All of these events coincided with the longest stretch of free time I’ve had in memory. For about eight weeks this summer I am responsibility free. I wanted to get caught up on that elusive to-do list….Enter eBooks stage right; straight onto the Kindle App for the iPad.

The First Time

At first the Kindle and I were like new lovers. I wasn’t sure how to keep the text from flipping sides when I turned over. And where was I supposed to tap to see the progress bar? Didn’t it know I didn’t want the dictionary? I liked sliding through pages. I read an entire book the first night suffering through jet lag.We grew used to each other over time. I’m still buying print books. But for indie authors, to review or blurb, there’s nothing like an e-reader.

You too can sign up to win a Kindle Fire during the  Love Comes Later blog tour which kicks off today for a month. For the first three days of the tour, the book is FREE on Amazon. That’s right. And if you don’t want to read in bed with a device, you can download the app for FREE your desk or laptop.

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