Kindle and iBook

I paid a wonderful company to create file conversions so that I can publish my book as a Kindle and an iBook. The company is ebookarchitects.com and they do not even bill you until you feel the files and everything are perfect. I am pretty talented at the whole changing files stuff and tried to do it myself, but seriously don't even bother. It cost me $150 for both converted file formates which is less then it would cost me in frustration and lost writing time. I also asked LuLu about help with converting the file but they asked $200 for only the iBook format. In this situation I am glad I chose the other company. Still lov'n LuLu, you just have to take each of your needs and do your research.

Book sales are practically non-existent for me, but it has been only four weeks and I am competing with a mind boggling amount of competitors. I can only scream, "But mine is insanely fun," so loud. I just keep telling myself that this was an experiment and move on to my next challenge.

Have a great day.

Worldwide Distribution

LuLu has made my book available for purchase in the United Kingdom as part of the whole package I purchased. Unfortunately, the only reason I knew that is because I did a search on Google Books. The whole book selling engine is so enormous that you are left to sit and wait for things to happen. The book is also available at Books A Million and Barns and Noble. LuLu makes these things happen quietly.

I am still waiting for my book's conversion to iBooks' file and Kindle files. It is a roller coaster ride. : )

Lets Start a Revolution in Literature

I just read an article about how all authors, 10 out of 10, who do not go the traditional publishing do not do it because they were unable to meet the high standards of writing required by agents and publishers; the result being a poorly written book.

I wanted to just scream at the computer screen. First of all, who is to say what is good or bad writing? The agent? The CEO of the printing house? Or the author. There are many crappy novels throughout the brief existence of novels that are considered master pieces. The traditional publishers don't touch experimental literature with a ten foot pole because they might not make very much money from it. This leaves our world the sadder for it. So, people like me who are not trying to make a bazzillion dollars and who have written something that agents and publishers hope never to have to deal with again (vampires) to publish on my own. This is not a reflection on my talent.

And the people of this world NEED to purchase more books from places like LuLu.com so that authors can eat and pay rent. Read experimental literature, damn it. If we don't support the art, it will suffer and die.

Use the reviews at places like Amazon and seek out unknown authors. They may suck, but when was the last time you bought a book at a bookstore and it sucked? Ya.

Nice to Know

So, as it turns out, it is common for a book that is listed on Amazon.com to be made available before the cover art is posted. I just have to wait. Just like I have to wait six weeks for an iPad version and a Kindle version to be ready.

I am not so good at waiting.

And I would like to take a moment and beg you to please buy the book if you are finding this information helpful at all because I will have to get a real job if I don't sell some more copies.

;)

OMG An Amazon Review!

My paperback book is available at Amazon and some one has reviewed it. I am dumbfounded at how much that person enjoyed my novel. LuLu made the book available on Amazon, but for some reason the novel's cover art didn't get there too. I will send an email to my customer service guru and hopefully the issue will be solved quickly.

Got books

Part of the wazzoo publishing help from LuLu is 100 copies of your paperback and 25 copies of your hardcovers. And that my friends is a lot of money in of itself. Do I think their services were worth it? Yes, totally. I have had such a great experience with this company. I hope some people actually buy the book, but I never expected it. If you are aiming for that millionth sale, don't go this way. But if you have a project you have worked hard on and would or need to feel like you've followed it to the end, then go with LuLu. And hit up family members for fundage, cuz they might surprise you.

I have to go the post office and mail out free books to everyone who helped me through this process. It would be great if people bought a book or two- my mom needs her money back.