Making Money with the Kindle

Many writers are excited by the possibilities of self-publishing on the Kindle, but what's the best way to go about it? A new platform demands a new strategy.

Unless you are an established author with a following, consider starting with novellas rather than full-length novels. Price them at 99 cents and make sure your cover art is professional and eye-catching.

Not ready to give up on your characters after only 20,000 to 30,000 words? Tell your story in episodes - 20,000 to 30,000 words per episode - and market them as a series clearly in your product descriptions.

Why should you aim at low-priced short books? 99 cent titles sell very well on the Kindle, and they sell consistently, too. If your book is a good one it will sell consistently month after month.

If you write a series, you can always bundle them together later and sell the combined series for a higher price.

99 cent short novellas with catchy titles and great covers are a terrific way to test the waters with the Kindle.

Preparing to Self-Publish?

Lots of authors are choosing to self-publish their books and I think it's a fantastic idea. No other option gives you the same kind of control over your manuscript that self-publishing does.

With great freedom comes great responsibility, however. If you plan to publish your own novel, it is up to you to make sure it meets a high standard of quality. Nothing kills the mood of a book more than a spelling or grammar mistake.

Always let someone else proof your novel before you publish, and make sure your editor isn't such a good friend that she won't tell you about the problems she finds. Along with errant commas and missing words, your editor should look for plot holes, weak writing and unresolved situations. A good editor will suggest changes that tighten up your novel and elevate it from good to great.

Editor Jennifer is always here to help - whether you need a quick once-over or an in-depth edit, you can count on Jennifer to get the job done right.

Contact Jennifer now for a quote on your project!

Narration Musings

I'm so inspired by the narrator I'm working with right now. She's juggling English and Scottish accents as she reads through this book, as well as changing the tone of her voice for all the various characters. I wish I could do that.

I'm audio editing Jo Barrett's Highlander's Challenge and enjoying the heck out of it. My job is really fun when a good narrator and a great story combine. Sure, it's still a nit-picky job, but I drop right into the work and time flies.

The Highlander's Challenge audio book will release in April - I'll put up more information about it as we get closer.

It's Writhe, Not Writh

I don't mean to make fun of anyone - we all mispronounce words from time to time - but it strikes me as odd that multiple narrators have gotten writhe wrong in the last few months.

English teachers have long found humor in their students' misspellings or outright misunderstandings of our language. Editing audio has given me a whole new appreciation of how funny English can be in the mouths of the unaware. Since I've done my own fair share of narrating audio books, I sympathize with my narrators - it's not easy to get everything right - but a well-placed slip of the tongue in the middle of a sex scene (awful pun intended) can have me howling with laughter; not the intended effect at all.

For now, a gentle reminder: the 'e' at the end of writhe makes the 'i' long!