Posts

Showing posts from February, 2012

Fun With Indie Publishing Part 6 - Uploading

You can find Part 5 - Promo File here. You're files are all ready. Cover designed. Blurb and author bio written. You are now ready to upload your first book. On File Formats. If you know how to create the different file formats have at it. Smashwords will only take .doc at this time. Barnes and Noble and Amazon will take different formats. Smashwords Smashwords only takes Word file .doc uploads. Log in to your account and click the Publish button in the navigation bar - http://www.smashwords.com/upload. Then you start filling in the fields: Title Short Description (your logline) Long Description (your blurb) Language of Book Adult Content Yes/No Set Your Price Sampling Percentage (yes, you want sampling) Categories (pick the two closest to what your book is) Tags (this would be subject, like action/adventure, pirates, historical, unicorns, etc; anything which is in your book) Ebook Formats (I select all except .rtf and .txt because they tend to mess up the forma

New Release: The Plutonians by Angelia Almos

Image
The Plutonians by Angelia Almos. A science fiction short story.  Adalena, a Plutonian, has lived undercover with her team on Earth for over one thousand years. But when the New Horizons automated spacecraft arrives at Pluto and takes pictures of one of their cities, she knows everything is about to change. Available as an ebook from Amazon , Barnes and Noble , and Smashwords . Excerpt: “They found life on Pluto!" The shout went out on July 15, 2015 at 1800 hours. And my life would never be the same. I turned to look at the giant screen television mounted over the bar in the busy restaurant. The New Horizons robotic spacecraft had captured a perfect picture of Pluto. But the image wasn’t of just an empty planet. It clearly showed our ancient city on the surface. I was horrified. There might not be Martians, but Plutonians are very real. I’m a Plutonian and have been on Earth for over a thousand years. A little genetic nip-tuck here, a little genetic manipulation t

Six Sentence Sunday - IMMORTAL by Angelia Almos

Image
New Release: IMMORTAL by Angelia Almos. A fantasy short story. Arianna seeks help from rogue adventurer, the Hawk, to save her criminal brother from the gallows. If her brother is hanged her entire family will be exposed as immortals when he doesn’t die. But is she willing to pay the price the Hawk asks in exchange for his assistance? Six Sentence Sunday Snippet: Before she saw him move, he had her wrist captured in his hand. Arianna pulled back, but abandoned the struggle, not wanting to call attention to herself. He drew her hand across the table and looked at it speculatively as he turned it over. She shivered. This was the first time in her short life a man had touched her without her permission. The Hawk pressed his lips to her palm and met her eyes. For more Six Sentence Sunday's from other authors head on over to http://www.sixsunday.com Available as an ebook from Amazon , Barnes and Noble , S mashwords ,

Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday - IMMORTAL by Angelia Almos

Image
New Release: IMMORTAL by Angelia Almos. A fantasy short story. Arianna seeks help from rogue adventurer, the Hawk, to save her criminal brother from the gallows. If her brother is hanged her entire family will be exposed as immortals when he doesn’t die. But is she willing to pay the price the Hawk asks in exchange for his assistance? Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday Snippet: The flickering torches of The Lucky Pony Tavern beckoned to Arianna in the darkness from where she paused at the base of the porch steps. Rowdy laughter and voices drifted through the closed door. She fought the compelling urge to step back into the safety of the dense forest behind her. She trembled. Fear was an active ingredient in her blood. She took a deep breath and forced the fright back. Her hands brushed down the front of her skirt in an unconscious gesture. The gown was plain, but anyone with an eye would be able to spot the fine cloth despite the simple cut. That could cause problems in a pl

I've Been Tagged

Been a while since someone has tagged me with a blog award or one of those other things. Not that I'm complaining. :-) Thanks, Taurean at Talking Animal Addicts and Kat at The World Crafter's Inkspot for the Tags. The Tag rules: 1. You must post the rules! 2. Answer the questions and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you’ve tagged. 3. Tag eleven people and link to them. 4. Let them know you’ve tagged them. Questions: 1. If you could live in a fictional world, where would that be? (Taurean) I always wanted to go to the world of Star Wars and hang out with Luke and Leia. But then again everyone they know either dies or is tortured so probably not the safest place to go. 1. If you could be a book character, who would it be? (Kat) I wanted to be Sheila in the Secret of the Unicorn Queen series when I was a kid or Nancy Drew. 2. Do you read in noisy or quiet places? (Taurean) Both. I read when I can. 2. Superpower? (Kat) When I was a kid I always w

Fun With Indie Publishing Part 5 - Promo File

You can find Part 4 - Cover Design here . Each week I'm covering a different aspect of Indie Publishing and sharing some of my experiences to help other people skip some of the mistakes I've made. :-) Okay, your files are formatted for Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords. Your ebook cover should be designed. Now I want you to make a promo file: Title Promo. In your promo file, you will put in your Blurb (Back Cover Copy), Logline, and Author Bio. These are your marketing tools for selling your book. This is the last thing you will need before you upload your files. Blurb You will want to write an engaging blurb telling the basics of your story. Go out and read the back cover copy of books in your genre. Get an idea for how they are written. A good rule of thumb is to write your blurb in active present tense. This gives it tension. You can go long or short with your blurb. I tend to go shorter, but I know a recent study released pointed to longer blurbs being better. But go with w

Six Sentence Sunday - IMMORTAL by Angelia Almos

Image
New Release: IMMORTAL by Angelia Almos. A fantasy short story. Arianna seeks help from rogue adventurer, the Hawk, to save her criminal brother from the gallows. If her brother is hanged her entire family will be exposed as immortals when he doesn’t die. But is she willing to pay the price the Hawk asks in exchange for his assistance? Six Sentence Sunday Snippet: He was just as Mother Serena had described. Shaggy blonde hair, warrior’s body, and a pretty face making him look younger than his years. What she hadn’t described was the inner menace leaping off him in an aura making him far more threatening then all of the other men in the tavern combined. Squaring her shoulders, she walked determinedly across the floor to his table. The Hawk didn’t look up from his ale, “Keep walking.” Ignoring his clear warning, she sat down in the chair across from him. For more Six Sentence Sunday's from other authors head on over to http://www.sixsunday.com Available as an ebook

Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday - SPECTORS by Angelia Almos

Image
Spectors by Angelia Almos.  A space pirate almost loses everything she cares about when she’s blackmailed by the military into running a dangerous mission. Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday Snippet: She just wanted to get this summons over with. It didn’t make sense that the MSA would be looking for her. She worked her butt off to stay under their radar. There was more profit to be had by not being on a most wanted list. The MSA didn’t go to the trouble of tracking down a single ship for smuggling. They focused their attention on the consortiums and the privateers. Which meant it had to be about her. She didn’t like that idea any better and would have preferred a different conclusion. She finished up her preflight check and fired up the engines of the Gryphon . For more Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday authors go to http://scififansat.blogspot.com . Available as an ebook from Amazon , Barnes and Noble , iTunes , Sony , Kobo and Smashwords .

Fun With Indie Publishing Part 4 - Cover Design

Image
Thanks for stopping by for part 4. You can read Fun With Indie Publishing Part 3: Front and Back Matter here . Cover design can be one of the funnest and most agonizing part of the indie publishing process. You have complete control. Yay! Your vision is the one which will be picked. Yay! But your idea could be bad or you might not have the skills needed to pull it off. Bummer. But that's okay. 1) You can hire out for a cover or 2) You can design it yourself. Hiring Out 1st Tamra cover. 2nd Tamra cover. 3rd Tamra cover. 4th Tamra cover. There are many, many talented cover designers out there available for you to hire to design your cover. Cover design fees can range from $20-$1,000+up. It depends on if you're using stock photography and already made images or if you're having custom images made (drawing, painting, photography). Fees will also be based on if you are contracting for just an epub cover or if you also want a print cover. I recommend yo

Six Sentence Sunday Snippet - HORSE CHARMER by Angelia Almos

Image
I could have sworn I scheduled a post for today, but it seems to have disappeared. Hmmm. So sorry this is a couple of hours late. Horse Charmer by Angelia Almos. A young adult fantasy. A sheltered princess discovers her remarkable gift with horses while on a dangerous quest to find her father's murderer. Six Sentence Sunday Snippet:  Steeling her nerves, she tiptoed across the room to the door, her eyes on the sleeping lump. It appeared she wasn't the only one to go to sleep early. At the door, she hesitated. What if there was a guard standing right outside? She huffed out a breath and pulled the handle as silently as she could. The door hinges creaked lightly and she flinched as the sleeper stirred. For more Six Sentence Sunday's from other authors head on over to http://www.sixsunday.com Available as an ebook from Sony , iBooks , Diesel eBook Store , Smashwords , Amazon , Barnes and Noble . Available in print from Create Space , Amazon , Barnes and Noble

Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday - Spectors by Angelia Almos

Image
Spectors by Angelia Almos.  A space pirate almost loses everything she cares about when she’s blackmailed by the military into running a dangerous mission. Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday Snippet: “Fine.” She turned to him with an overly sweet smile. “I apologize.” “That’s better,” Wilhelmina purred. “Don’t you both feel better now?” Kristy was given a reprieve when the comm beeped. Glenn Cadoc’s voice came over the speakers. “Kristy to the bridge.” She jumped up and headed out the opposite door more eagerly than she would have normally to see what Glenn wanted. Anything to escape the touchy-feely session Wilhelmina was gearing up for. For more Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday authors go to http://scififansat.blogspot.com . Available as an ebook from Amazon , Barnes and Noble , iTunes , Sony , Kobo and Smashwords . 

Fun With Indie Publishing Part 3 - Front and Back Matter

Image
Thanks for stopping by for part 3. You can find Part 2 here . Now, I'll talk about the front and back matter of what to put in your master file. I put my cover on the front page. Page Break.  Title page comes next. Example would be: WHITELIGHTER by Angie Derek **** Smashwords Edition **** Page Break Published by Thoroughweb Press. Whitelighter Copyright © 2011 by Angelia Almos Cover design by Tamra Westberry. All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author or publisher except for the use of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews. **** This is a work of fiction. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events or locales is purely coincidental. **** Li

Six Sentence Sunday - Whitelighter by Angie Derek

Image
Whitelighter by Angie Derek. A steamy paranormal romance novella. A young witch's special powers make her a target to any vampire who catches sight of her. Six Sentence Sunday Snippet: Everything Brenda had taught her flew right out of her head. Pure terror filled her as if she was drowning. He stepped over Brenda’s lifeless form, his gaze sliding past Lily to where Sophie continued to make small keening sounds. “She’s a tasty morsel, but you’re delectable. I'll save her for dessert.” The terror fled as the power within rose up at his words.  For more Six Sentence Sunday's from other authors head on over to http://www.sixsunday.com Available in multiple ebook formats from Smashwords , Amazon , Barnes and Noble , Sony , Kobo , Diesel .

Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday - Spectors by Angelia Almos

Image
Spectors by Angelia Almos.  A space pirate almost loses everything she cares about when she’s blackmailed by the military into running a dangerous mission. Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday Snippet:  He had to at least try to get the Marauder up and flying. The sounds of metal sparking greeted him and he cursed. They were cutting his hatch to pieces with a torch. He’d almost made it to the bridge when he heard the unmistakable sound of metal ripping and a huge crash. They’d gained entry. There was a second of silence as he spun to face the new threat. He hesitated and lost his chance to get to the bridge as a shadow moved in the opening. It would take a full minute to warm up the Marauder ’s engines. He opened one of his crew’s quarters and placed himself in the doorway on one knee raising the rifle to his shoulder and waiting for the first one to come through the door. For more Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday authors go to http://scififansat.blogspot.com . Available

Naming Characters

Image
My series on the Fun of Indie Publishing will be back next week. Since I had posts Monday, Tuesday, and a guest post today I decided to push it back a week. Until then head on over to Anne E. Johnson's blog to see how I named some of my characters and some tips on naming characters.