Friends, Romans, Countrymen...Lend Me a Dollar (Or A Review)!

Well, not exactly lend, but you get the point...

As I have finally made progress is completing Unwritten, so I can finally get Stories from the Forester: Volume One ready for public consumption, I've had to make some tough choices, mostly economic.

That, of course, means, the end of Dilemma being free. The PDF, like the Kindle version, is now 99 cents and in on sale at Lulu.com. That's the bad news. Then again, it may not be if you're one of the people who were good enough to download a copy.

For those people, I have another mission. Please post your reviews on the Dilemma Amazon page and the Lulu.com page. And no, I don't care if you think it was the worst piece of garbage you've ever read. As far as I'm concerned, there's no such thing as bad publicity!

So, go ahead. You know you could use the diversion!

New Release Date for Volume 1: July 25, 2009

This shouldn't really surprise anyone.

As I continue to stare at a blank screen where a chapter of Unwritten should be, I have come to the realization (as if it wasn't already realized in my April 20th post!) that there's really no chance in hell that Stories from the Forester: Volume 1 will be completely ready for public consumption on June 21, 2009, as promised.

But fear not. While visions of other stories and other projects continue to race through my head (albeit not the screen!), I won't be giving up on getting Volume 1 done and ready for the masses! So, instead of canceling, I have bumped up the release date to July 25, 2009!

In the meantime, folks, I'm really looking to do this one right, and in order to do that, I'm going to try and get Lulu.com's Published by You option. However, as you know, that requires money; money that I currently don't have.

So, with that, I'm going to go ahead and ask for your help!

To keep from having the push my release date and further, please go ahead and purchase a copy of Flagrant Foul, available for the special Web site price of $19.99! Click on the link on the side bar to buy it! Of, if you have an Amazon Kindle or Kindle app for your iPhone, please buy Dilemma, available for only $0.99! Click here to purchase!

Thank you, and wish me luck!

Flying Solo By Choice (aka Why I Stopped Looking for a Literary Agent)

A little more than two years ago, soon after I finished my first draft of Flagrant Foul, I did essentially what most aspiring writers did. I searched around the Internet seeking contact information for literary agents. And I was on my way, armed with e-mail addresses, an e-mail query and some sample chapters.

I get it. You're going to hear a lot of rejection. It comes with the territory. But after some thought, I began to wonder if it was really worth my while to send out inquiry after inquiry to no avail. Most of the inquiries I either never heard any kind of response or received the boilerplate "Sorry. This isn't a match. Good luck with your future endeavors" letter.

So last year, instead of wasting time trying to gain notice among the sea of manuscripts, I went solo, posted Flagrant Foul on Lulu.com, converted that and Dilemma into Kindle books, and started jumping on every social network I could think of.

OK, I have no book sales, electronic or otherwise. I'm struggling to find an identity and key demographic and I'm suffered from an ugly case of writer's block that has kept me from finishing Stories from the Forester: Volume 1.

But it's out there. Had I went the literary agent route, there's a good chance nobody would have ever known that I had written anything.

The choice is yours. We all go our different paths. I'm not sorry I went mine.

You never know, though. Perhaps I'll let a stray inquiry letter loose in the future.

The Kindle iPhone App - Yes, Virginia. There IS Santa Claus!

Dear Apple,

But I didn't get you anything!

Sincerely,

Bob McDonald

For some time now, I have written about the emergence of the Amazon Kindle (and now its subsequent upgrade) and how my target demographic wouldn't exactly plunk down the $359 for one when there are cooler gadgets like, say, the iPhone, for their enjoyment.

Well, apparently Christmas has come early. Amazon has released a Kindle app for the iPhone!

So, what does that mean for the Quest? A great deal, I hope!

First of all, like the throngs of music downloads that undoubtedly populate people's iPhone, so, too perhaps, they can add some e-books, like, oh, I don't know, Dilemma, which is now on sale for 99 cents?

I have noticed that iTunes hasn't gotten to the point where they're selling e-books outright. But, of course, when they do, you know I'll be there!

Stories From the Forester - Volume 1 Drops June 20th

The Quest has begun anew...

In connection with my 1,000th update on Twitter, I thought I'd add a little spice to the occasion by throwing in this major (well, at least for me) announcement:

Stories From the Forester - Volume 1, which includes the stories Dilemma and Unwritten, will be released on June 20, 2009, first exclusively on my Web site, www.flagrantfoul.com, then to bookstores everywhere!

For those of you scoring at home, Dilemma is the first story of the series, in which Reggie McCaffrey, fresh from a full-time newspaper gig, returns to Forest State University and the school paper defeated, down-trodden, but hopeful of winning the affection of Brenda Alvarez, the Forester's News Editor. The second story, Unwritten, centers around the inevitably of graduation for Reggie and Editor-in-Chief Jim Case, and their uncertain futures.

But there's more! Because Dilemma has been finished for some time, I am giving it away as a PDF e-book absolutely FREE and as a Kindle Book for only $0.99! Apparently, Amazon doesn't want me giving stuff away, so I apologize in advance!

So, with four months until the release, there's plenty of time to get ready, as opposed to the rushed approach taken with Flagrant Foul. Maybe I can avoid repeating the same mistakes twice!

On thing's for certain, I will be doing some promotions, which I will announce in the coming weeks. Two events I know for sure will be happening, with more on the way. And the more the merrier! Advance copies of the entire book will be available in early May, so anyone interested in reviewing can go ahead and drop me a line, and I'll have you on the mailing list!

And with that, off we go!!!

Where the Readers Are...

Marketing books is full of all kinds of small, tactical errors, especially when doing it on your own.

This, however, may be the worst...

For months, I've been banging my head, like many Questers have undoubtedly have done. And then the lightbulb comes on.

I've been doing it all wrong! Most of the places that I've been plugging both Dilemma and Flagrant Foul are decidedly not anywhere near my demographic, and therefore probably about as likely to read these books as I am to go to a Billy Ray Cyrus concert.

So, where are these people that I seek?

Well, I found a couple of answers: Goodreads and Shelfari.

First, there's Goodreads. Not only can users come together and talk about popular books, authors can join in the conversation! All it takes to create an author account is to search for books, click on the author name and submit a form, explain which books you've written. Once you get confirmation, you're ready to go!

Shelfari, which is now owned by Amazon, has a similar set-up. The only difference, at a glance, is that Shelfari does not have the author account application that Goodreads does. No matter. As long as you have your book on Amazon, just add it to your profile and share!

That said, I'm on both, here and here. Feel free to add me as a friend. And even better, drop in some reviews!

Writing Rule No. 1 - Keep On Writing

All Questers probably have this in their memory banks already, but it does bear repeating.

Just keep writing.

And it doesn't really matter where. And it also doesn't matter if you're getting paid or not, though I'm sure some money would be nice (Yes, I saw Almost Famous recently). And, if you are writing pieces for blogs, you may get noticed even more. The Lulu Blog has a good story about blog promotion that's worth a read.

But the most important thing for Questers is this - No matter if you're writing to the masses, putting the finishing touches on your next book or even scribbling a short story that only you will ever see, you're still writing. You're still practicing your craft.

I'm sure I don't have to tell you that writing is a labor of love. We aspire to make it our full-time profession because we love doing it so much. And if it doesn't happen, we can always take comfort in the fact that nobody can tell us we can't write anymore.

That's what I'm doing right now. Despite not really getting too far with Flagrant Foul or Dilemma at the moment, it hasn't stopped me from pressing on with the next book, Unwritten. It also hasn't stopped me from posting more Quest entries, or even the new blog I am working on, the Crossroads Career Transition Blog.

And it shouldn't stop you. In fact, I'm sure it hasn't stopped you.

Early Adopters vs. Target Audience

You always wonder if you've made the right move.

With the advent of devices like the Amazon Kindle and the Sony Reader, and with news of another competitor, Plastic Logic. projected to come to market next year, it's no real secret that authors like myself are slowly but surely trying to latch on.

Amazon's made it the simplest by allowing authors to self-publish their work using their Digital Text Platform site or, in another end-around, using Mobipocket, which was snapped up by Amazon in 2005, most likely as a precursor the the development of the Kindle.

But the early adopters, are they really my demographic?

Amazon hopes so.

BusinessWeek had this story about Amazon prepping for the next version of the currently-bulky Kindle and how the company's gunning for the college crowd. They're banking on the same crowd who gobbled up iPods and iPhones like they were going out of style will find the new Kindle a viable alternative to the hundreds of dollars in books they're currently lugging around.

For me, however, this prospect, which may include a price drop from the current $359 down to as low as $249, doesn't necessarily benefit me now.

So what shall become of Flagrant Foul and Dilemma? Oh, they'll be there...

...and maybe a couple of additional Kindle Books along with them, perhaps?

After All That???

Now that it's the beginning of August, I must take personal stock in how the Quest is going.

Um, not so good...

Sales so far:

Flagrant Foul (from lulu.com): 0
Dilemma (from lulu.com): 0
Dilemma (from Mobipocket/Amazon): 0
Average daily hits on http://www.flagrantfoul.com/ (Main site, not the Quest): 1.17

So, I take this to mean one of three things. Either...

A. I'm not applying myself.
B. My books really are crap.
C. This is a tough, tough racket to break into.

For the time being, I'm going to choose Answer C, and press on. And instead of moping, I'm going to just turn it over to you guys. How has your Quest been going? What's your experience been like so far. I've got a couple of different Quest reports posted already. Come join in! I know I'm not the only one!

The Gaping Hole...On The Cover

As if watching the last month or so drift away weren't enough, revisiting the cover of Dilemma, the book I've chosen to used to take advantage of the Published by Lulu distribution package, has been a struggle?

The problem? Getting that center picture right. So far, two tries, and two strikes.

I think I may some professional help on this one.

Paging Dr. Yarbrough...

The Lost Week...

Well, after my interview with Pete Klein on BlogTalkRadio (which you can still listen to here!), the rest of my week has, to be honest, been completely shot.

...no promotion...

...no writing...

This is not a week any Quester should have! But here I am!

So, it's time to get back up and keep on moving! After all, I still have my proof copy of Dilemma to look over. Plenty of work to be done!

Plus, it looks like I've got to give Flagrant Foul yet another once over. You would think after five years it would be perfect! Sheesh!

Then Again... Maybe Not!

I finally received my proof copy of Dilemma in the mail. From a self-publishing standpoint, it's good, because you have final say on what becomes public...

Then I looked at it...

...and looked at it...

...and looked at it...

Then I begin to wonder...

Is this really worth $14.50?

Realistically, I like the story and all, but the retail mark-up for this short a book is killer!

Not that I blame Lulu, really. Pocket books, of course, aren't really that big a revenue generator for anyone!

And as I've already mentioned, Dilemma was to be just one of two stories in Volume 1 of the Stories of the Forester.

That's not to say that I'll be taking Dilemma off the shelves. Once I approve it, it'll be available everywhere!

All I'm saying is, erm, download the e-book, either through Lulu or as an Amazon Kindle book. It's way cheaper!

Get Back in Line!

As I'm patiently waiting for my proof copy of Dilemma to show up at my doorstep, I am often brought back to the original question of why this book got in front of the ISBN line instead of Flagrant Foul, which is the basis of the Quest. As I've posted previously, I thought it to be a test of what an ISBN could do to increase exposure (Paraphrasing, of course).

But now, maybe that's not the real reason...

While the Quest, along with every other bit of promotion (radio, reviews, etc.), is primarily dedicated to Flagrant Foul, Dilemma remains, in fact, the first story in the Forester rotation. And as such, there is ample justification as to why it is already available on Amazon as a Kindle Book, along with the aforementioned Published by Lulu venture.

Regardless, the Quest will continue, now for both books. The question that remains, of course, will be which one will come out of the gates of popularity first?

A Quest Test - Dilemma - Published by Lulu

As some of you are aware, Lulu.com recently announced that they will now be offering their Published by Lulu Distribution Service free of charge. My guess is that this was likely a reaction to the fact that Amazon's Createspace was doing the same thing. In a nutshell, the Published by Lulu service allows users to have an ISBN, with Lulu as the named publisher.

While this sounds quite appealing to me, since, after all, this is what my Quest is all about, I'm a little leery of the deal. This is undoubtedly the mindset of many out there. So, instead of arbitrarily dropping Flagrant Foul into this program, I'm going to test it out with another story of mine.

For those scoring at home, I have been offering the first story from the Forester series, Dilemma, as an e-book, not only through Lulu.com, but also through Mobipocket and Amazon for their new Kindle device. To be honest, I had never intended Dilemma to be a standalone book, rather one of two stories that I was going to enventually package together in one volume (In case you were wondering, I'm about a quarter of the way through writing the second story, Unwritten. Stay tuned!).

However, with this new development, what's the harm in seeing what comes of it? So, after re-formatting the Word file and re-designing the front and back cover, the print edition of Dilemma will be on my doorstep later on this week for me to look over and approve.

So, we'll see how it goes!