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  1. ChickenHawk

    I've got an idea, I've got the knowledge, I've got the motivation...but I don't have the money!

    IDEA 
    This is true. You can get your ebook printed with no up-front costs, assuming you can do the formatting/cover design yourself. Just go to CreateSpace.com and follow their guidelines. BTW, CreateSpace is an Amazon company, which means you can also sell the paperback on Amazon, which is a nice...
  2. ChickenHawk

    [PROGRESS THREAD] ChickenHawk's Self-Published Fiction EBooks

    GOLD! 
    Thanks so much!!!! Congrats on your success so far! About discoverability, this is a real challenge, isn't it? There's like a gazillion books on Amazon, and it can be really hard to stand out. Funny, I spent a lot of time tweaking my keywords this summer, using the same methods and tools you...
  3. ChickenHawk

    My Writing Fastlane

    PUBLISHING 
    I agree with this. Even in Microsoft Word, the grammar/spellcheck will want me to change something to make it incorrect. Maybe if nothing else, you could hire a college student (preferably an English or journalism major) to double-check and mark up anything that's incorrect or doesn't make sense.
  4. ChickenHawk

    Just got married... Now I feel restricted and powerless

    MINDSET RANT 
    SO glad to hear this -- for you, for your wife, and especially for the child. Personally, I think people hugely underestimate how important it is for a kid to have a dad in the house. Anyway, bravo on this, and for your bravery in facing the firestorm of your post. :)
  5. ChickenHawk

    Just got married... Now I feel restricted and powerless

    MINDSET RANT 
    Yes, yes, yes. But he wants HER to make the sacrifice. He wants HER to give up the money set aside for housing. That's why it's so damned important where the 10K came from. If he didn't earn it himself, what right does he have to claim it? Why should SHE sacrifice the home so he can play at...
  6. ChickenHawk

    Just got married... Now I feel restricted and powerless

    MINDSET RANT 
    You make some excellent points, and I see where you're coming from. But I believe it's not HIS money he's risking. The way I see it, he has two complaints with his wife: She won't let him spend the 10K. She wants him to get a job. About the 10K, I don't think it's his money. And boy, we all...
  7. ChickenHawk

    Self-Publishing, from $0 to $24,000 per Month

    PUBLISHING 
    To chime in here, I actually make more per copy on my Kindle versions than on my printed CreateSpace versions. Once the printing costs are factored in, sadly, there isn't a ton to spare, royalty wise for the author. But I still think the CreateSpace versions can be worth doing, because it makes...
  8. ChickenHawk

    Just got married... Now I feel restricted and powerless

    MINDSET RANT 
    Yes, but it can change your decision-making process. I think the point @Rawr was making is that it's not like they're swimming in extra money. They're shacked up with parents and have a baby on the way. This isn't the time to be risking money that's been set aside for housing. It especially...
  9. ChickenHawk

    Just got married... Now I feel restricted and powerless

    MINDSET RANT 
    Where'd this money come from? Why do I have the sneaky suspicion that the 10K was, in fact, money that your wife earned, saved, inherited, or received as a wedding gift?
  10. ChickenHawk

    Money issues

    HOT! MINDSET 
    Do you ever feel conflicted about the fact that others have to "slave" to support you? If others (meaning those paying taxes to support you) wanted to be "free" of the obligation to pay your bills, would you be okay with that? I don't mean to come across as harsh, but I think this "free" money...
  11. ChickenHawk

    [PROGRESS THREAD] ChickenHawk's Self-Published Fiction EBooks

    GOLD! 
    A funny thing...For three of my books, sales actually spiked at the 30-day mark. For the other two, however, sales peaked out of the gate, and then just kept drifting lower and lower. Regardless, unless I have a new book out, I'm not immune to the long, sad slide in rank and income. It's just...
  12. ChickenHawk

    [PROGRESS THREAD] ChickenHawk's Self-Published Fiction EBooks

    GOLD! 
    Thanks for everything, @Fotis! About the link, the new Kindle Unlimited payment structure is the subject of much discussion on writer forums. Some people, especially those who have built recent success around serials and/or short works, are pretty distressed by it. Others, especially...
  13. ChickenHawk

    Time For Some Accountability!

    EXECUTION 
    Yes!!! In related news, I believe that the recent change in Kindle Unlimited (paying for pages read as opposed to paying a flat-rate per borrow) will cut down on the noise of poorly written, outsourced stuff. This should help authors who aren't purely in the money-chasing camp. This is great...
  14. ChickenHawk

    [PROGRESS THREAD] ChickenHawk's Self-Published Fiction EBooks

    GOLD! 
    Awwww...thanks so much for that! I feel almost guilty, because I've been shamefully bad about following and contributing to other progress threads lately. I'll need to do better in the future. Happily, I'm still doing well with self-pubbing. My last two books both hit the Amazon top 100, but...
  15. ChickenHawk

    Kindle Unlimited... Authors in trouble?

    PUBLISHING 
    I agree. Honestly, I'm glad I'm not starting out now. Even though I've only been at it for a couple of years, the market has really changed. It's a lot more competitive. That being said, it's probably better now than it will be two years from now, so sooner is always better than later. :) It's...
  16. ChickenHawk

    I'm looking at you, Kindle

    PUBLISHING 
    If were me, I wouldn't bother with the Web sites (or social media either, for that matter) until you've actually had a book or pen name gain some traction with readers. IMO, that other stuff is just a distraction from what your primary focus should be -- writing a fantastic book with a great...
  17. ChickenHawk

    Kindle Unlimited... Authors in trouble?

    PUBLISHING 
    Yup! Although it wasn't me who first posted about it. It was @MTF here: https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/whats-the-current-gold-rush.57713/page-3#post-466438 Lots of interesting discussion about this, that's for sure!
  18. ChickenHawk

    Kindle Unlimited... Authors in trouble?

    PUBLISHING 
    I can definitely see why authors of short works are freaking out. The previous system gave them a huge advantage. Because I'm lazy (and to save people the trouble if they're looking for it), I'm going to re-post my full prediction/explanation from earlier in the thread. REPOST FROM EARLIER IN...
  19. ChickenHawk

    Kindle Unlimited... Authors in trouble?

    PUBLISHING 
    At the risk of sounding smug... Hah! I called it!
  20. ChickenHawk

    what to choose? KDP select for free promotion or Smahswords for my new ebook?

    PUBLISHING 
    If it were me, and I were just starting out, I'd probably go exclusive with Amazon for 90 days by enrolling the book in KDP Select. Then, after the 90 days were up, I'd distribute the book to other retailers. Here's why: If you're looking to build a new pen name, Amazon's Kindle Unlimited...

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