The Process
When going wide, your decision is whether to go direct with a retailer or go through a consolidator. There are numerous consolidators out there for ebooks (very few for audiobooks); and each have their own advantages/disadvantages.
A lot of time, the decision between direct or consolidator is between what you can earn in $ difference by going...
2023-03-15 17:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostOf course it was not as simple as that. Where the sect cultivators might have undertaken a simpler series of tactics to deal with the village, perhaps even pushing forwards with fierce determination and only a single plan for retreat, the special unit undertook much more elaborate preparations.
Almost immediately, Bich Trang started barking orders to the two utility cultivators, Minh Trac...
2023-03-14 13:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostAn hour later, the group was nearly two thirds of the way to the ghost village. Wu Ying and Dinh Don had flitted ahead of the group searching for scouts. The wind whispered a warning to Wu Ying as he gusted along, and the wind cultivator flickered over to his prey. A single strike, coming from above towards the top of the head was sufficient, the creature’s vertebrae crushed in that single at...
2023-03-10 14:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostSo I promised a much broader update, rather than the brief one we did in (late) February. As usual, I'm late because life (and in this case, work and illness) got in the way. Apologies, but here's where we are with everything.
System Apocalypse
Lots going on. Firstly, the 2023-03-09 16:07:53 +0000 UTC View Post
I've recently seen a lot of discussion about going wide (i.e. moving away from exclusivity for audiobook and ebook and being listed on other retailers). I figure I should make a post about it all here, with what I know since I've been doing this for a bit and made a ton of mistakes.
What Does Going Wide Mean?
In essence, when self-publishers talk about go...
2023-03-08 17:59:01 +0000 UTC View PostDay after day, encounter after encounter. Battles became routine as they delved further, going from every few days to every other day to a daily occurrence. The team took turns doing battle, Bich Trang taking the opportunity to understand how the new additions to his group fought as well as integrating them into the battle themselves.
Wu Ying watched and learnt as well, gaining an underst...
2023-03-07 14:29:26 +0000 UTC View PostThe rest of the day passed in relative peace – if you called warding off intrusive personal questions from Minh Trac peaceful. The man seemed to not understand why anyone would be unwilling to provide personal details, muttering about the lack of accuracy in his fortune telling without such information. Be Long had no choice, and Tou He was content to provide his own details with only the mil...
2023-03-03 14:00:01 +0000 UTC View PostWe talked about writer conferences, your goals and what you should do. You might note I'm not discussing how you should conduct yourselves. There are a million and one such articles out there, so if you don't know, read them. In short - be professional, be kind and don't be a predator.
That being said, here's a list of conferences I've either heard are good or attended myself along with r...
2023-03-01 17:59:26 +0000 UTC View PostThe System Apocalypse Short Story Anthology Volume 2 is now available for you to read!
With over ten stories from exciting new voices and a few veterans of the universe, the second anthology highlights the lives and struggles of humanity's best and worst years after System advent.
Download your copy here: 2023-02-28 22:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post
Since we are now at 290 patrons after numerous people have cancelled which brings us back down below the 300 mark, I'm going to postpone the live stream for now.
I'm so sorry and thank you for understanding.
“How much did he take you for?” Yang Mu pressed, the next day. The trio were on horses, waiting near the southern gate for the arrival of the special unit members. By internal agreement, the trio had chosen to arrive earlier than the agreed upon time, on the off-chance that the Colonel sought to leave without them.
“Too much,” Wu Ying replied to the merchant’s daughter, his hand...
2023-02-28 14:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostWith the expedition leaving the next morning, Wu Ying hurried through the streets on a final errand. Yang Mu was handling any last minute negotiations with the unit which there were, surprisingly a significant amount. It amazed him how much talk there was for such a small unit, but the military had their way of doing things and it involved a lot of paperwork.
Spending so much time discuss...
2023-02-24 14:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostAlright, we talked about the type of writer conferenes there are in the previous post. Let's talk about goals and unexpected results.
Goals
Simply put, why are you going to the conference? Some people just go to writer conferences because they miss their friends. If you have the money, there is absolutely nothing at all wrong with that. B...
2023-02-22 16:59:01 +0000 UTC View PostWow, can't believe that we're almost at 300 patrons.
It was less than a year ago that we were just celebrating reaching 200 Patrons!
If we can get to 300 Patrons, I'll do a live writing/Q&A session for Patrons only. Ask me anything and see how I create the stories you love and support.
We've increased the number of patrons to 60 for the Master Class (Audible Codes) tier! This the only tier that is limited due to having only a limited amount of codes from Audible.
If you are a member of this tier and don't plan on using Audible, you may want to switch to the Master Class (Non-Audible Codes) tier.
One dinner, a couple of frank conversations and numerous visits to the various schools around the city and the arrival of the special unit later, and Wu Ying and his friends found themselves summoned to a meeting with the city lord, army command and the head of the special unit itself.
The meeting was held in the central residence of the city lord, a building that stood multiple story’s...
2023-02-21 14:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostApologies. I know I do these post at the start of the month normally but things have gotten away from me this month.
I'm going to keep this super short, since I'll just a proper one next month in a week and a bit.
So, very briefly:
- finished first draft of ATL 9. There's a bunch that I need to write and fix in it, so I expect there's about 20% of the work left to do. It's not...
2023-02-20 15:59:14 +0000 UTC View PostThe rest of the day saw Wu Ying browsing the stacks after taking the cutting and placing it within a storage box. When he was certain none were watching, he replanted the cutting in his World Spirit Ring, watering and tamping the ground before turning his attention to the library.
As good as his word, the Principal had been fast to assign Wu Ying a Senior Librarian whose intimate knowledg...
2023-02-17 14:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostAlright, since I've been doing a lot of writer conferences lately, I thought I'd talk about them. In general and specific.
In my view, when you travel to a writer's conference (and when I say writer's conference, I mean a conference whose focus is the development of the writer, rather than as a method for a writer to reach fans); this is a business event. As such, you need to know - as wi...
2023-02-15 16:07:30 +0000 UTC View PostPlans thwarted by the simple fact that Captain Ky would not be available till later in the day, Wu Ying left the gate behind. The smell of early morning congee and buns, fresh produce rolling in from the surrounding farmland and breakfast consumed or being consumed as labourers hurried to work filled the morning, along with the underlying taint that Wu Ying had come to realise was becoming part...
2023-02-14 14:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostBy the time the fire had consumed the massive tainted bodies, late evening had fallen. Their return was uneventful, with only a minor argument resulting when Wu Ying provided them the smaller core as payment. It took the intervention of the southern gate lieutenant before the argument was complete to the dissatisfaction of everyone, leaving Wu Ying less two more beast cores and the massive, mid...
2023-02-10 14:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostLaunches for sequels or the launch for A Thousand Li: the Third Realm (book 8 ).
Something I should point out, I actually don't do a huge amount for launches because I believe very firmly that consistent and ongoing promotions and building your fanbase during the downtime via advertising and promotions during non-launch...
2023-02-08 17:59:01 +0000 UTC View PostThankfully, dealing with the last few earth elephants was significantly simpler. Many had expanded their energy to protect themselves, with Tou He able to send the untainted fleeing. After that, the rest of the fight was unsurprising, if a little more difficult to complete.
“These tainted cores. It makes them powerful – stronger than what you’d expect a creature of the same level to...
2023-02-07 14:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostWu Ying flexed his own aura, sending the wind to contest the falling earth dome. It shrieked through the surroundings, gale force winds pounding into the earthen walls, a cyclone forming as it scoured and diminished the earthen walls that enclosed them all. The air filled with dust, the waters beneath their feet churning.
To no one’s surprise, it was a losing proposition though he manag...
2023-02-03 14:00:01 +0000 UTC View PostBeen thinking about Amazon Marketing Services (AMS) and how to make it work better. One of the things that a recent seminar made me think about was the way the ads in AMS have different roles to play in the sales funnel.
Specifically, how category ads aren't really about sales, but actually about generating awareness. You're not trying to sell someone on your book when you're bidding on c...
2023-02-01 15:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostGrumpily, Wu Ying came to a stop as they neared the edge of the forest to the east. After discussion as they exited the city, the pair had chosen to deal with the elephants that were plaguing the forest. Not only were they more dangerous to the mortals who needed to work amongst the vast trees, Wu Ying was curious. He had read of these creatures before in passing, but had never met one in-perso...
2023-01-31 14:00:01 +0000 UTC View PostWu Ying dropped from the rooftop into the courtyard below silently. Cotton shoes made not a sound on the rounded paving stones, even as he bent his knees and ankles a little to take the shock. His arrival drew the attention of those in the food court, numerous tables scattered between the bordering food stalls selling a variety of succulent dishes. Dark eyes regarded Wu Ying, a few city and mer...
2023-01-27 14:00:01 +0000 UTC View PostI keep seeing this crop up, and I'll be blunt - the overall concer of random individuals coming in, generating AI novels and kicking us out of business is unlikely in the short term.
Realise that 'full self driving' has been promised for years now, and that final mile of development still hasn't happened. Theres a limit to the way the current tech works, which requires a significant cha...
Once they had passed out of sight of the gate, Yang Mu clicked her tongue and guided her horse beside Wu Ying. Around them, the soldiers who trained, cared for the fortification and stood guard watched the pair with bored interest, the pair having retracted their own auras upon entrance. Wu Ying watched the surroundings with only mild interest, more concerned with the way the wind whispered sec...
2023-01-24 14:00:01 +0000 UTC View Post
There is a restaurant in Toronto.
Its entrance is announced only by a simple, unadorned wooden door, hidden beside dumpsters and a fire escape. There is no sign, no indication of what lies behind the door.
If you do manage to find the restaurant, the décor is dated and worn. Homey, if one were to be generous.
The service is atrocious, the proprietor a grouch. The ...
2023-01-20 18:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post