2012 January » Leah Cutter -- writer/traveler

Returning to the dark side. ..

Uncategorized Comments Off

Jan 302012

One of my goals for the year is to read more fiction, as in, books. As well as short stories.

I read a lot. I read online. I have a huge RSS feed that I read every day. But that isn’t the same.

Last year for Christmas I bought myself a Kindle. And I liked it a lot at first. It made it easy to read and knit while I was in NOLA.

However, I just made arrangements to return my Kindle. I’ve gone back to reading books on paper.

One of the discoveries I’ve made is that I’m more likely to read if it’s on paper. I think that’s due to a number of reasons: I’m online all the time, and I want to interact with things that are not electronic. I found myself resenting having yet *another* device that I needed to charge. During my last 2 trips my Kindle has died on me at the most inconvenient time, which left me with nothing to read at the worst time.

This isn’t to say that I’m anti-ebooks or that I’ll never buy another one — that Kindle Fire looks awfully sweet. If my life changes (and it might) I may get one for traveling, again. I just need to figure out what’s right for me, what I’ll actually use.

Now, when my burgeoning publishing empire really takes off, I’ll probably buy a bunch of different ebook readers for testing of new material. Though my sales have been good for the month of January, I’m not anticipating doing that this year, but maybe next year, maybe the year after that.

In the meanwhile, I’m thoroughly enjoying, “Embassyville” by China Mieville.

Trade Paperback version of Tell Me Again available!

Uncategorized Comments Off

Jan 172012

Tell Me Again — my collection of three reprints plus one original short story — is now available as a trade paperback!

I’m kind of excited by my burgeoning publishing empire, quite frankly. By the end of the month I hope to announce the trade paperback version of the Baker’s Dozen collection, and sometime in February I should be able to announce the new paperback version of Paper Mage. I’ll do all the novels in print versions, and I will be putting together new collections as well. I still have that next Hell story to write, after which I’ll make that collection available as both an ebook and paperback. So many opportunities, both to fail, as well as succeed. I love this new world.

I’m an idiot

Uncategorized Comments Off

Jan 132012

But ya’ll already knew that, right?

My original plan for the year involved working on material already generated in some aspects. I was going to spend at least the first three months of the year merely rewriting.

The good news is that I recognized fairly early that this was a bad idea. Within three days finishing “Hell For The Holidays” I started getting twitchy that there was no new material on the horizon. I told myself to stick with the plan, though. I do want to get those novels out, I do think the work I’m doing is good work and worth the time and effort.

I also noticed that I was starting to get depressed. I told myself that it would be okay–I just needed to get into the rewrite.

In the past that advice worked. I was able to sink deeply enough into the rewrites that it scratched the writing itch.

However, my writing itch is no longer the same. A mere rewrite isn’t good enough. So I decided to spend this weekend writing a short story (the next in the Hell series.) Then I’d work on the novel all week, and the short story again next weekend.

Then I heard about a call for submissions to an anthology. Tonight I wrote an ~3000 short story to meet that call.

I cannot describe how good I feel. There’s nothing like this high. I needed this hit so badly. Make no mistake. Writing changes the chemicals in my brain. This was a hit. And I needed it.

So now it’s time to revise the plan again. Because while I’m an idiot, I’m not that much of an idiot. Right now I’m aiming at a couple short stories a month, taking the time to binge write in between rewrites.

And this is merely one of the blessings that doing the Baker’s Dozen challenge has given me–the sure knowledge that I can just sit down and write a short story in a day or a weekend. This is one step further away from “Writing As Event”–which is what having a strict writing time/schedule is for me. Instead, it’s just writing, when I can, when I want to, when I need to.

And hopefully be less of an idiot about it in the future.

Lies, damn lies, and statistics

Uncategorized Comments Off

Jan 112012

This is a very preliminary report about my epub sales for last year.

NOTES:
I won’t have final numbers for Smashwords for 2011 for 6 months — so July.
I won’t have final numbers for Amazon until at least January 15th (I think, though it may be 2-6 months as well for some of the foreign sales.)

So the most important number — that grand total at the bottom.

$97.04

I am aware that this isn’t an earth-shattering number. It certainly isn’t Jon Konrath numbers ($100,000 in the last three weeks).

Yet.

This is three months of primarily short fiction sales. I’d always heard that novels sell better, and that’s certainly reflected in my sales.

Speaking of which — here are my sales to date:

And again, those important numbers: 44 short stories, 2 “long” stories (anthologies, etc.), 21 novels, 67 total sales.

The reason why I consider the novel numbers better, though they’re smaller, is because I only had 1 novel available in November, 2 novels available in December.

Again these aren’t crazy, time-to-retire numbers.

Yet.

One other thing — marketing. Ya’ll have seen me tweeting about how I have all this stuff for sale, right? Or badgering people on Facebook? Or making endless posts? (Okay, the Baker’s Dozen challenge I was making a post a week.) You haven’t? That’s because I haven’t. Most of these sales are the result of 0 marketing. Just writing the next piece.

Speaking of which — web hits.

Normally my web site generates very, very little traffic. Maybe 5 hits per day. (I should probably keep track of my LJ stats as well — maybe this year.)

Days when I posted free fiction, and days when I announced the novels available as ebooks, those spiked to about 50 hits per day. I assume that at least a dozen of the Kindle sales came from those posts or my links — I can tell because I’m an Amazon associate, and if someone buys via one of those links I get an additional kickback.

What does all this mean? For me, I need to keep writing, keep posting, and not be impatient. Because honestly, this is an AMAZING start as far as I’m concerned. It’s small, but it’s just a start. First three months of a 10 year plan.

The Jaguar and the Wolf now available as an ebook!

Uncategorized Comments Off

Jan 102012

I’ve completed the hat trick — all three of my traditionally published novels are now available as ebooks.

We know Vikings reached North America. What if one Viking ship goes down along the coast, into the Gulf of Mexico, and lands on the Yucatan Peninsula? This novel is told following two story lines: the conflicts between the two groups of humans, and the conflicts between the two pantheons of gods, Norse and Mayan.

Available on Amazon (Kindle)

Available on Barnes & Noble (Nook)

Available on Smashwords

I did a heavier edit on this novel compared to the other two. Part of that was because the files I had didn’t include the copy edits I’d received from the publisher. Part of it was because the language, in some parts, was just too clunky. I was using a lot of new language tools. I’ve used those tools for many years now, so am much better with them than I used to be.

The Caves of Buda was difficult for me to edit because that novel is so autobiographical. This one was even more difficult. I was very unhappy when I wrote this novel, much more unhappy than I realized at the time. After I finished this novel I wrote some short fiction, that when I look at now, I recognize I was literally screaming for help. This novel was the precursor to those. I wasn’t screaming but I was yelling pretty hard. I don’t know if that’s obvious to anyone else. I hope it isn’t. But I can see it.

So now I’m moving forward, with Clockwork Kingdom, a novel where I’m having fun and it’s obvious. Yes, I’m doing heavy edits on it, but I think I’m making it so much better as a result. I’m aware of my voice and I think I know enough to leave that alone while making much needed improvements.

I keep thinking about writing original fiction again. And I will, soon. I may take time this weekend to do a few pages, just to keep my hand in, just because.

Baker’s Dozen Anthology!

Uncategorized Comments Off

Jan 082012

The Baker’s Dozen anthology is now available!

Travel to cold Seattle and the see the world from the viewpoint of a private investigator who just happens to be a ghost, then go down to the creole fairy courts of Louisiana, learn the secrets of 9s and how the raven warriors take care of their own. Here are thirteen tales of fantasy and wonder, sweet and savory, to fill you up just right.

Tales include:

“Hell By Any Other Name”
“Magpie”
“True Vision”
“Slipping the Leash”
“Golden Charms”
“To Hell and Back”
“Hunting Ghosts in the Machine”
“Were-Teen”
“The Secrets of 9s”
“The Other Story”
“The Doom of Alokai Temple”
“The Third Raven”
“Hell for the Holidays”

Available on Amazon (Kindle)

Available on Barnes and Noble (Nook)

Available on Smashwords

It feels incredible to be able to make this post, to have completed the anthology, all those short stories. I’m really proud of most of them. I know I did some very good work with them. I’ve gone through and edited all of them one last time. At some point I’ll probably upload updated versions of the stories, but not this week.

I’m waiting until the third novel is available via Amazon before I make a general post about it, but it’s currently up on both Smashwords and B&N.

I keep trying to edit “Clockwork Kingdom.” I’m finding it very difficult, however, because my brain really wants to write the next short story (“High-Stakes Hell”, another of the “Hell” stories. Yes, bluffing against creatures who don’t feel passion like the living makes poker very interesting.) I’m not sure how to accomodate it. I’m not sure how to work on both. I’m afraid if I start writing the next story, I won’t pay enough attention to “Clockwork Kingdom” and really, that novel deserves more. So I’m thinking about it, trying to make it all work and keep my writerly brain happy.

This morning I went to yoga. It’s such a lovely way to start the day. This afternoon I have my first east coast swing dance lesson. In between I have house stuff and writing stuff and believe it or not, I’ve actually started my holiday cards (the new due date, for me, is the end of January.) I hope that ya’ll are having as wonderfully relaxing and productive a day as I am.