Monetizing your stuff

[lovecraft68]

Shouldn't that be "by whom"?
Just asking.

Yes, but he forgot to consult the old copy of the CMS he uses when he tries to pretend he knows what he is talking about.

 

[lovecraft68]

We just had that lesson at my house. Kids are doing homework. I grammar.

Bet your kids would like Pilot. All kids love story time.

 

[sr71plt]

I've never been able to understand the Who/whom business. I usually try to write around it. I've never claimed to understand it, either.

 

[patientlee]

Bet your kids would like Pilot. All kids love story time.

Currently we are having singing time. The little guy is sitting on the throne, stinking up half the house, and making up a lovely little ditty about how much he loves his mother.

 

[lovecraft68]

Currently we are having singing time. The little guy is sitting on the throne, stinking up half the house, and making up a lovely little ditty about how much he loves his mother.

Don't miss those days. Is he singing about making you a present?

But Pilot can still help! he can teach your son all those Broadway tunes he sang! You know the ones he wrote for Andrew Lloyd Webber?

 

[CountGustaf]

I've never been able to understand the Who/whom business. I usually try to write around it. I've never claimed to understand it, either.

Do you understand he/him? She/her? We/us?

 

[_Lynn_]

I see a lot of people here with links in their sig's to Kindle and digital ebooks - and I don't want anyone to take this the wrong way, but the likelihood of their being any successful sales with that approach isn't going to work.

I've actually got two (shortly to become three) Sci-fi novels on Kindle and they haven't even covered the cost of the editing pass (and that was only $250).

Now, I'm aware that self promotion is everything. It is in my day job too.

However, in this situation, I cannot put my name to this stuff. In the same way most of you here don't, if it got out that I write smut for fun, bad things would happen to my day job (whether that's ok or not is a discussion for another day). So I have to use the Jezzaz non-de-plume.

But then I look at what I've produced, and it's not that bad, and I look at utter shit like Shades of Grey, and I think "Well, if she can do it, and she can't write her way out of a wet paper bag, I should be able to as well".

But I don't have a clue how to present my stuff to a smut publisher, or if one even exists. I did try and get an agent when I was doing the Sci-Fi novel the first time around, but unsurprisingly, out of 87 attempts, I got 87 rejections, so I don't really hold out much hope of that.

I could just gather up related stories do Ebooks and see what happens that way, but I just feel, why bother? It's a lot of work, getting covers together and all that, and I've already been down that route once and it wasn't fruitful. If I could, I'd rather get a publishing deal.

What's the experience here? What are you guys doing?

E-publishing allows anyone who thinks they can write to put their story on the market in hopes of making a few bucks. On the other hand, e-publishing is a great way for those who can write to showcase their stories.

My opinion on e-books is that it's a lot of work that takes time away from my writing. My production dropped a great deal last year (although some of that was due to health issues). Coming up with covers and writing blurbs can take longer than writing an entire story. I lost some of the enthusiasm for writing because everything was a chore. If I wanted to design covers, that's what I would be doing. I don't.

You can ask fifty people and you'll have fifty answers. You might find more prefer one way of publishing than the other, but in the end, you still have to go with what's right for you.

 

[RejectReality]

What's weird about me is that I already do all that on my stories. I design covers, write blurbs ( used on my website ), etc., but the thought of doing that in a pay situation makes it feel like a job and turns me off the whole idea.

E-publishing allows anyone who thinks they can write to put their story on the market in hopes of making a few bucks. On the other hand, e-publishing is a great way for those who can write to showcase their stories.

My opinion on e-books is that it's a lot of work that takes time away from my writing. My production dropped a great deal last year (although some of that was due to health issues). Coming up with covers and writing blurbs can take longer than writing an entire story. I lost some of the enthusiasm for writing because everything was a chore. If I wanted to design covers, that's what I would be doing. I don't.

You can ask fifty people and you'll have fifty answers. You might find more prefer one way of publishing than the other, but in the end, you still have to go with what's right for you.

 

[lovecraft68]

What's weird about me is that I already do all that on my stories. I design covers, write blurbs ( used on my website ), etc., but the thought of doing that in a pay situation makes it feel like a job and turns me off the whole idea.

And that is what it becomes and it does cut into the fun.

When I get aggravated I step back and just write for a time

Running my comic store ruined my love for them and it became all about money.

I am careful not to let that happen here

 

[lovecraft68]

E-publishing allows anyone who thinks they can write to put their story on the market in hopes of making a few bucks. On the other hand, e-publishing is a great way for those who can write to showcase their stories.

My opinion on e-books is that it's a lot of work that takes time away from my writing. My production dropped a great deal last year (although some of that was due to health issues). Coming up with covers and writing blurbs can take longer than writing an entire story. I lost some of the enthusiasm for writing because everything was a chore. If I wanted to design covers, that's what I would be doing. I don't.

You can ask fifty people and you'll have fifty answers. You might find more prefer one way of publishing than the other, but in the end, you still have to go with what's right for you.

Glad you brought blurbs. It amazes me that I can write a 40k ebook then struggle on describing it in a paragraph

 

[sr71plt]

What's weird about me is that I already do all that on my stories. I design covers, write blurbs ( used on my website ), etc., but the thought of doing that in a pay situation makes it feel like a job and turns me off the whole idea.

I get to do whatever I want toward a cover design and I do write the blurbs, but then someone else cranks it out and gets it posted at all of the distributor sites (and pays for it up front to the extent that's required).

 

[SecondCircle]

I suppose I agree with our fair Mistress, that each has his/her own way, and we should do what works best for us.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Glad you brought blurbs. It amazes me that I can write a 40k ebook then struggle on describing it in a paragraph

Blurbs are HARD. In my opinion, the shorter the medium, the less forgiving.

 

[lovecraft68]

Blurbs are HARD. In my opinion, the shorter the medium, the less forgiving.

Smashwords has 2 descriptions a short and a long. The short is 400 characters. Not words characters. That includes spaces and punctuations.

It took me a couple of days to put up a 400 character description of my Circle novel which is 240k word.

It's pretty annoying to have that short of a limit. Amazon has a long one as do most others.

 

[PennLady]

Smashwords has 2 descriptions a short and a long. The short is 400 characters. Not words characters. That includes spaces and punctuations.

It took me a couple of days to put up a 400 character description of my Circle novel which is 240k word.

It's pretty annoying to have that short of a limit. Amazon has a long one as do most others.

I have had similar problems with blurbs, but the problem is you can't simply re-tell your novel. I find the blurbs to be interesting exercises, if difficult. You want to hit the highlights, but as the writer, I think many of us tend to view more plot events as highlights than they really are. So it does make you think, what are the really important points you want people to know.

 

[sr71plt]

What's the dilemma of the work? That's usually where you can find your blurb. If you can't identify an overarching dilemma, you've probably got bigger problems than writing a blurb.

 

[lovecraft68]

I have had similar problems with blurbs, but the problem is you can't simply re-tell your novel. I find the blurbs to be interesting exercises, if difficult. You want to hit the highlights, but as the writer, I think many of us tend to view more plot events as highlights than they really are. So it does make you think, what are the really important points you want people to know.

There is an author I saw on Smashwords who's short blurb is always the title the type of sex it features and "see below for more"

 

[lovecraft68]

What's the dilemma of the work? That's usually where you can find your blurb. If you can't identify an overarching dilemma, you've probably got bigger problems than writing a blurb.

Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Mine happens to be deciding how best to describe a long work with several plot lines in 400 letters

Throw away stuff like "Mom is bound to please" is pretty easy.

 

[CountGustaf]

Movie script

What I'd like to do, instead of e-books, is to rewrite the stories I submit in movie script format -- already done with my first submission, Hot Shower -- and offer to producers. Does anybody have experience of that, or other knowledge, advice or contacts?

 

[jezzaz]

Glad you brought blurbs. It amazes me that I can write a 40k ebook then struggle on describing it in a paragraph

Dude, I struggle SO MUCH with the one line description for each chapter here on Lit. I don't want to give away what happens, but I need to describe _something_ so the reader knows the story is moving on.

It's very hard. When I was pitching agents, summarizing my sci-fi stuff in a paragraph was night on impossible.

As for the rest - I'm just gonna be blunt here, because this is fucking heart breaking.

If you can't be sociable and be nice, then PLEASE just GROW UP

I asked a question - I was hoping that perhaps some people might share their experiences. Instead I got Lovecraft, Pilot and LadyVer arguing out a fucking different thread. I, like everyone else here, am not interested in your personality fights. If all you guys can do can jump in a thread and fight, then what value are you bringing to anything? All you are doing is driving people away. I certainly won't ask a question on this forum again because of your behavior.

Well done. You've driven away someone else. I hope you feel better about your own behavior.

sr71plt - you did at least try and make some points but the fact is, not everyone is going to agree with you. Going after people because they don't isn't helpful or useful, it's just sad and dilutes from the rest of the message.

Lovecraft - give it a rest. Seriously. You seem to have some real issue with pilot - and no, I don't care what it is; nor does anyone else. The axe being ground is old.

Frankly, if you were my kids, you'd both be in a time out, thinking about what you are doing.

It. Doesn't. Have. To. Be. Like. This. And for the rest of us, it's more than a little tedious and tiresome.

 

[sr71plt]

You've gotten discussion on your question, and as far as I can see, you've given nothing back here, so come and go as you please--like everyone else does.

I can't help it if Lovecraft68 won't get out of attack mode.

And be so kind as to show me where I posted that you have to take any of my suggestions? If you didn't want experienced responses to weigh, you shouldn't have asked. I don't remember having received a consultancy check from you.

As far as being social, you put me off with the very first paragraph of the OP: but the likelihood of their being any successful sales with that approach isn't going to work, which I thought was belligerent and a bit clueless.

 

[jezzaz]

ANd now you want to attack me for pointing out that all you do is attack everyone else.

Ok, well, if that's the way it has to be - pretty simple to deal with. Block.

Now I never see your words, which kinda removes any power you might imagine you have. How sad is it that someone would want to do that? That your words are so pointless and rude that some would just remove you entirely?

In case anyone else is interested, click on user CP, the click on buddy / ignore lists. Then just add the user names of those you want to block. Very simple.

 

[sr71plt]

Umm, no. As I pointed out, you started off on the attack. You asserted something negative about what some of us were doing here with no possible way of knowing what you were asserting other than whatever limited experience you had with posting links to your published works here--and I can't see that you had any experience in that. To coin a phrase, I thought you were being pointless and rude--and still I provided discussion on your question.

From there, you got discussion on the topic. Heated, perhaps, but a whole bunch of relevant information to consider.

Is there some reason you feel you need to bite the hands of those who gave you free discussion here on the topic you brought up? You don't own this thread, you know--but maybe you sent a check to cover it to the Web site(?)

Why do you need to worry about the ignore function if you're so thin skinned that you're leaving? Conversely, why do I care if you put me on ignore? It's not like you've contributed anything to my knowledge or fuzzy feeling of well-being. I most certainly didn't attack you personally on this thread until you personally attacked me--I just let the rudeness and belligerence of the first paragraph of your OP pass and tried to respond to your questions. So, I suggest that you look to your own posting behavior before appointing yourself the mother here.

 

[sr71plt]

I haven't forgotten that you've failed to respond to my challenge to show where I have to have everyone agree with me on how to e-book or promote it. Have you even bothered to read the Literotica essay I referenced on this thread on approaches to e-booking?

I do disagree with you on what you've posted about promotion, because I have the experience of having more 100 e-books in the market--and you haven't given me the impression that you know anything at all about it--which didn't stop you from asserting flatly what promotion wouldn't work.

 

[lovecraft68]

I haven't forgotten that you've failed to respond to my challenge to show where I have to have everyone agree with me on how to e-book or promote it. Have you even bothered to read the Literotica essay I referenced on this thread on approaches to e-booking?

I do disagree with you on what you've posted about promotion, because I have the experience of having more 100 e-books in the market--and you haven't given me the impression that you know anything at all about it--which didn't stop you from asserting flatly what promotion wouldn't work.

And this is where you continually contradict yourself.

On one hand you always say "that's why I have publishers they handle that so I can just keep writing"

Okay fine that would be the benefit of a publisher.

But although you claim they do the work you then say you know everything about it. You're part of marketing them, you're part of cover design , you're etc... etc...

You do it all or they do it. Which is it?

That by the way is a rhetorical question because the answer is which suits you best in an argument.

I've said it and others have as well. Anyone with the level of success/experience you claim to have would not be wasting their time here, let alone arguing incessantly and always looking for self assurance by hoping people go "wow, you're so awesome."

Don't get much of that here do you?