AuthorStand

 Hi,

Not sure if this is possible but can you buy a reading after you read it and realize it is good?

Or if you like a collection from a writer or how he she writes can you support that writer through giving?

This way it would encourage writers to write well thoughtful stories...the five star ones and aspire to be like C.S.Lewis or Alexander Dumas etc.

I don't want to pay for crappy stories though.

 You are free to read any of my stories for free and if, after reading them, you decide you like it that much... feel free to send me all the money you think it's worth

@ Roguish Fairy, :):):) I agree with you here. :):) It would be GREAT to receive a check! But I don't think it is done that way here?? 

I'm with Michael...send me everything you can spare! Just kidding, really. I don't charge for any of my stories, I just hope people will read them. I think that if I put a price tag on a story, no one would download or buy it. Why? Because nobody knows who I am. And when you can read for free, why would anyone pay for it?

Unless Michael threatens you, of course. Then you might pay. And pay dearly.

I am here to get feedback and hopefully give people a little enjoyment...

And as Stephen King replied when asked if he does if for the money: "Never have, never will." (Although we all know he's super rich!)

 Greg... don't go scaring the Lady. I'm harmless... for the most part.

And if you believe that Stephen King quote you must have missed his last 10 novels. The man pumps out trash as fast as possible counting on a rabid fan base to buy books that start out half thought out and then just die a silly death.

I was a big fan. He lost me during the gunslinger series... or should I say incomplete non-series. He's just a shill for himself nowadays.

@Mike: But, other than that, what do you think of him? :-)

My stories only cost $1000 dollars!.....I highly recommend them! HEHE!......J/K.....I'm just a nobody and they are all for free....for now.

Yeah, as long as we're nobodies, our stories are free..  *sigh*   But one day, one day, we will be somebody..  *music plays*

I've had this idea for a while and it's not limited to writers.

You become an artist's patron. Simple, huh? You find an author you like or want to support and 'ask them what they need'. 

Meanwhile, I'm just popping in to show you this.

http://www.bookrooster.com/for-authors/?ap_id=wwm

Ever heard of this? Despite the fact it SOUNDS like someone is getting paid for the reviews _I_ write, it's something to consider. I'm focusing, presently, on places like amazon to see what the process is for a writer getting paid.

But I was also thinking the other day--before I read a KDP Kindle publishing terms blurt--of putting books I create on book websites like amazon, mainly for the user access--FOR FREE. (You can't do that, though. Not continuously.)

But I am also experiencing a reality check. From a long while back, there are waaaay too many books--in whatever form; in whatever state of being competently written--on the internet. One needs to think, think, think, about ways of being read.

See you soon.

Heather

wordwan

@ Virginia, Lol!! :):):) I love your great sense of humor!! :):) YOU always bring sunshine to me even on a rainy day like today. "THANK YOU"!!! :) Someday we nobodies will be somebodies!!!!! I have FAITH!!!!! :)

@Linda..  I think the people on this site are rubbing off on me..  lol

@Heather..  I've looked into Amazon for my books as well.  I'm still undecided as to whether or not I want to go that route.  I am going to go back again soon and read more of the criteria of publishing my work that way.  :-)

Hello Virginia, :):):) I guess that is a good thing for the most part. But You need to watch a few of us here. Lol!! :):) I have been so busy here lately with project after project. Then just as things were beginning to settle down I got an idea for a short story. I finally finished it and have submitted it. So it should be posting within a couple of days, I hope. I will make a post on "My" thread when it posts. I Pray you are enjoying better weather now? :)

I don't like the basic idea of self-publishing or paying a vanity press.  But then, if that gets you an audience, maybe that's not such an evil, self -centered thing.  If exposure is important in order to get recognzied, then paying for it initially, like doing your own advertizing, is not so bad.  I've mixed feelings about it.  If I paid to be published, and then never GOT paid for any later work, that would be embarrassing.  But if I paid, and later, because of the exposure, I gained recognition and eventual big bucks, well ...  Hmmm, I don't know ...

This is an interesting question. There have been some instances where authors and musicians have put work for "sale" online with the user determining what they will pay for it. For example, a few years back Radiohead put an album on their website and let users put in any amount they wanted to pay when downloading it. Many put in $0.00. Many paid some for it. (See the original article here.)

You could also conceivably put a link to a paypal account at the end of the stories you post online for free with a message that says "If you enjoyed this story please send $1.00 to mypaypal@address.com, then pass the story along to a friend." That would allow the reader to see if there is value in your story and pay after reading.

As far as being "embarrassed" about not selling many copies of your work in whatever format you choose, I would say don't fixate on the sales process as much as the work itself. It has been a common theme throughout literary history for money earned from writing to be a supplement to the author's main income source. Poe was one of the first Americans to try making a living solely on writing and while he did fairly well critically he never saw large sums of money while alive. I would say definitely keep trying to figure out how you can maximize what you make off of your writing, but don't obsess about it. Obsess about the writing itself. The number one thing that any business person can do to help sales is improve their product. As pedestrian as it may sound we are all "manufacturers" of a product. The better the product, the more chance you can sell it in whatever system is currently available.

Build a better mousetrap, sell more mousetraps. That's the way the world has and will always work at it's base level.

Joe Niewierski, your suggestion reminds me that years ago a law as created (I think) that requires an advertiser to offer "something" for the money he was soliciting.  The reason, as I think I remember it, was that someone was making lots of money with an ad that simply said, "Send one dollor to the following address for your surprise."  The surprise was that you didn't get anything for your money.

Sigh, this is the world we live in...

I was thinking of more Christmas in July event where for a week stories that has four-five stars must be posted for a dollar or two.  No new stories, just any stories a week before the event.   This way people can read them, review them, then rate them freely, not knowing which one will be the four-five star ones, so they do it unbiasly.

Then when the week come, that week stories with four or five star will be posted for $1 and so if people wants it they will download it to keep.

To make it more interesting, the writer can also send with people's purchase their autograph note.  So it is an incentive to purchase what was written well, not just for the story but for the acknowledgement of the writer themselves.

That way for a week the writer will feel like a star!

And people who knows the writer can treat him or her coffee though they are miles apart by downloading their favorite stories.

I think this is an ingenious idea....people can add to this, but it is up to the AS staff to have their final say.  Surely, if this is successful, then more good writers will flee to this site (wink wink)

What do you say?

TL

P.S.

I say July or Aug because Christmas sucks a lot of money out of people already.  I am prepared with $10 to buy my ten fave.  So I am not just doing the talk.

@The Rougish Fairy - Our user agreement leaves pricing completely up to the users, so we could not enforce any type of change of pricing. You could however, organize something in the forums and try to get other members to participate voluntarily.

Gonna try and hit at some feedback. Not sure where you all ARE in your progression in this. If you're not comfortable talking about stuff like this in a forum, feel free to talk to me in PM. Okay?

I've been interested in writing for a while but haven't been working at it lately. Been studying the music industry online, lately, which is, pretty much the same thing. How to get eyeballs for your work. How to get paid.

Lately, i've just been living my life. But if I can come up with something, I'll pass it on.

I feel ebooks are making it a whole lot easier for anyone to get exposure for their work. Bricks and mortar are fine, if daddy owns the building, but I tell ya, honey, MY daddy's dead. And there's just me and a whole lotta rum runners out there ready to play on my anxiety about  'getting exposure'.

The only money you should spend is money you can afford to kiss goodbye. And, if anything, you use it for promotion. Cos you've already got the product. And you don't need any help on this.

Wanna know why AuthorStand caught my eye? He was letting you 'sell' books for free. Which, I think, is a good starting point. And personally, what you might consider doing is PROMOTING AUTHORSTAND. Least til you see a better situation. An anthology of stories, each of you offering your best and someone deciding which ones to use, would be a good 'off-world' approach too, if you're not able to do it on other websites, like amazon, yourself.

But reading some notjohn's posts on Amazon KDP, I sense there's little more than 'notepad' required to put your stuff on Amazon. I'm still looking into the money situation. Amazon has to be making money on me somehow. I imagine, ME providing content to their 'ads' is probably one way. Just like the Metro newspaper, being 'sold' for free, here in Winnipeg.

Go check that the next time you're on Amazon. Is there a 'paid' ad on everything you see? I wonder.

You wanna be Stephen King and be rich and famous? Nothing wrong with that. But you'll have to take the brix and mortr route--a very narrow doorway to access--to get there. OR find a youtube approach and go viral like Justin Bieber did. Understand my point here, this person got famous doing something on youtube and, figuratively speaking--if you are that good--you could do to.

You don't need X-factor. Matt Cardle can tell you that. But the exposure ON an X-factor, obviously, doesn't hurt. 

I believe there's another way to do this. I do. And I'm gonna keep digging til I find it.

Cos in MY view? A lot a good writers never get read. And the bestseller lists are awash with mediocre writing. Just my view. Always feel free to tell me yours.

 Derryl Berry

The thing about ANY process that starts with the idea that someone ELSE gets paid before you do, defeats the purpose of writing for a living in my view. Try this: Is a plumber out there working for, I'll be silly, FIVE YEARS, paying people to 'be allowed' to fix their sinks?

I was even wondering why places like Amazon--or even this website--can manage 'storing' your content without payback. Now, think about this for a minute; I'm not just talking you and your one story; imagine several hundred stories taking up real estate on some website and SOMEONE has to pay for the utilities or bandwidth or whatever...you know?

You see anything, let me know.

Thanks.

Heather

wordwan

Paying for promotion is fine. In fact, that would be the first thing _I'd_ do with 50 bucks. But (and I'm writing this out loud so some of you see this point) fifty bucks is all you spend--if you can afford THAT, even. You can buy a lot of french fries or dog food or toilet paper for 50 bucks. Compare the two purchases. Which will serve you better RIGHT NOW?

This is about surviving and being happy while you're working at getting where you want to be.

When I hear Linda or someone talking about spending upwards to 5000 dollars to have a short story published, I wanna get out my elephant gun and shoot the bastard publisher who would even suggest such a thing. I could almost guarantee that if anyone asked YOU for this kind of money (spending five minutes hearing how you can't afford the gas in your car) they are probably a blocked artist taking their passive aggression out on YOU, an artist with words flowing out of you like tap water!  Or they're the typical shoe salesman who sociopathically figures everybody needs a 150 dollar pair of Adidas. I can't change the way the world makes you spend money; I can only tell you what _I_  plan to do.

And to me, this is about getting out in the world and promoting your work.

The idea of having a button on AuthorStand that offers a user the option to PRICE AND PAY whatever they wish would be a great idea. It follows that idea of being a patron, to me.

This woman on Amazon I mentioned? Know one reason why she wants to quit? Amazon offers a five day period, where you can offer your book for free. (Excuse me if I get the details wrong; I am JUST starting to read on this.)

She got SEVEN THOUSAND DOWNLOADS of her book. When offered for free. And when she went back to, like two dollars a book, the people stopped coming.

Which leads me to two questions. Are those users doing something with that book besides reading it? And..Does Amazon 'track' that 7K users? Can I have the user data on that? That would be an excellent resource. We can't keep giving our stuff away with someone else holding the media list. An email contact list, generated on ONE person's book? That should go to the person. In a sense, he's PAID for that.

But you know what? Amazon gets that data. Am I right? Now I'm back to my question on why does someone stock your book for free.

I'll start a list. Add to it if you can think of things.

Why would someone store your book on their website for FREE?

------------1. Ads on your book content page.

The dealer puts ads on your book download page: His own ads for his own products (which, fine, he isn't getting paid for) and ads that OTHER entities supply (and just like a free newspaper, he DOES get paid for. Right at the gitgo.)

Is he 'sharing any of that revenue with you?

NO.

SO...Theoretically, if he can make money RIGHT THERE would he CARE IF YOU MAKE ANY MONEY ON YOUR BOOK DOWNLOADED?

And when you sell a book on amazon, he takes a percentage. To cover his utility bill.

Wouldn't you love to see the 'balance sheet' at that instant? Amazon--140 bucks. Wordwan 60 bucks. See my point?

They need a reason to help you. What is that reason?

Heather

wordwan

Heather Lovatt,

I think it is a poor comparison between a plumber and a writer, unless a particular plumber has another day job, and would like to "eventually" become a well known plumber because he thinks plumbs as well as the best of them, giving entertainment to others, and thinks that he can contribute something creative to the "plumbing world".  I don't think so.  In my worthless opinion, plumbing and writing are not the same.  But I do see what you're getting at.

 I, also, have wondered how sites like Amazon and Yahoo can store massive amounts of date for people from whom they get little or no money.  I've used Yahoo as my e-mail provider for years, and I've not paid them a dime.  I have beaucoup pictures on Shutterfly, and although I HAVE paid them for several large prints of my photos, I wonder how they justify my taking up so much real estate.

Do you some stories on AuthorStand that I can read ... and review?

Joe is right. Polishing your product is the best way to work this. Just let me be hearing that you're spending as MUCH time on promoting your work, once you've spent time polishing it.

Promoting a product. This is the world we live in, presently. And if you want to be Stephen King, as I mentioned, please take note that THAT world requires that a very narrow focus of writers 'win'. A pyramid structure, if you will. The idea that one guy hits the big time and the rest are running second, or last.

And the idea of a paypal account; this could be the simplest solution going. I realize you pay for a paypal account. But I bet you don't pay as high as the percentages asked for at Amazon.

Then it's back to the original issue: promoting your work.

And there is ALWAYS be someone to shill you, Derryl. You think at that level, you create that level of reality.

Everyone with a product to sell offers a money back guarantee. That's no different than asking for a dollar for your book.

The big issue? Most of you are older and believe someone ELSE has to do the work. A bricks and mortar, a publisher, a sales or promotion person.

You know what? That's one reason so much of our power has been subtly taken away from us. For 'believing' in experts.

Tell me something: Is anyone more an expert on your story than you?

Heather 

Derryl, as I mentioned when I first arrived, I am in no hurry to post writing here. *smile* Understand me, I've done this quite a bit in the past.  As even my POSTS will attest, I do not suffer from writer's block. *grin*

To be honest, I think I'm in a systems mode, right now. Haven't looked at the online book industry for QUITE a number of years. I've been online since 1997 and got involved with a computer programmer and we were looking at ideas for websites--writing being one of them. A lot has changed since then.

I got real serious about writing in 2000 when I moved from Brandon to Winnipeg. (I am from Toronto, before that.) I was on a lot of writers' sites and talked to some famous writers as well. I did a LOT of reading too. Online and off. Personally, I mostly did poetry and short stories back then.

But a whole lot of life has past since then, even. Lately, I've been thinking about singing and writing songs. Lyrics might be the natural progression from poetry. There's WAY too much poetry online that no one reads. *grin*

Presently, I am serious about posting for pay, somewhere, and I'm still doing a lot of youtube watching, presently--watching the X-factor and looking at and thinking about how the music industry works. As I mentioned to Michael in PM, I do a bit of songwriting and have covered some songs on youtube, presently.

I have one project I am noodling on called cadeeka House. Not sure where I may go with it. But I've done enough thinking on it, to, now, be considering, seriously, what I could DO with such an idea.

Maybe become an Oprah Winfrey sort. Or an Ellen DeGeneres. I noticed ELLEN is helping a lot of people, in interesting ways. Maybe I will too. *grin*

If you wanted to 'read'  or see me, I bet you could pump Heather Lovatt or wordwan into google and find me somewhere, but beyond that, presently, I'm not putting up any work yet. Especially not OLD work. *grin*

How long have YOU been on the internet posting writing? Is AuthorStand your first group website?

Heather

 yanno what I wish? That pieces posted had the 'date created' on them.

How many of you are just transfering stories from other websites? We used to call that 'cross posting'. *grin*

This is why I first commented on wanting to follow people who are actually here. I'll add to that. I want to deal with people who are presently WRITING. *grin*

This is what I'm getting at. I've DONE writer websites. I'm looking for people in the process of writing. NOW. Not months or years ago.

*grin*

Heather

wordwan

Heather Lovatt,

You seem to be bursting at the seams with creativity.  You certainly don't seem to have any trouble getting a lot of words and ideas on "paper".  I'm guessing that you're feeling a bit frustrated.  I can identify with that.  What is my rejection limit, I have wondered.  I don't want to give up on this creative outlet yet.  But I'm always been plagued by the concern of ROI (Return On Investment).  I've recently given up on pottery, because I couldn't make what I wanted to, and I could sell (enough) of what I made.  Same with photography.  It doesn't help much to hear people say, "Wow, you're really good."  The proof of their opinion would be their taking out their check book.

 Having been "encouraged" to retire in 2009, and visiting all the North Carolina wineries I care to, and a year or so at pottery again at the local arts center, I submitted some poems last September to a poetry contest of sorts.  They "selected" one to include in a yearly book.  I knew it wasn't even the best in that bunch.  They wanted me to buy the book, with my poem included, for forty dollars or so.  I saw the vanity scam in that, so I declined.  If that poem gets published, goodie.

 However, that got me back into the crazy thought that I might be able to publish some ideas that have been festering in my mind and computer files for decades.  Only a couple are here on AuthorStand.  The rest are pieces that came to me out of the blue, since last year, like "Five Shots".  I'm up to twenty-eight rejections so far, some pieces by three magazines or reviews.  Today, I got the rejection from Tin House for "Bigfoot Goes to Washington", which was rejected by The New Yorker.  Hey, I am high.

 I would like to read some of your work, short stories or poetry.  I have a feeling they would be intense.

 Good luck here and elsewhere.\

P.S. Be assured that I am "writing now".  Although, I have submitted some of the pieces here to other websites, like Writers Digest and Flash Fiction Online, as well as to The Southern Review, Shennendoah, The Gettisburg Review, Ploughshares, The Oxford American, Crazyhorse, Glimmer Train, Antioch Review, Three Penny Review, Gargoyle, etc., etc., etc.  I guess they're still laughing at my efforts.

@Heather..  Pretty much everybody here is in the process somewhere with writing..  lol   I'm working on a few short stories I hope I can finish soon and post them.  I want to rework a few I've already posted by using my reviewer's suggestions which I see can work well with what I have.  As soon as they are tweaked, I'll repost them and let everyone know.  :-)

Nope, I'm not frustrated. I'm just getting back to writer crowds. Haven't dealt with any writer types for quite a while. Hearing a lot of the same old excuses from people as to why they do what they do--or don't do. Amazed to hear some people still don't know some things and sharing old thoughts. And new, as I find them. And I'll looking at the current business models.

If you need an ear, I'm available. But my middle name is Simon Cowell, let's be clear on that.

Just watched this. Amazing concept!

The art of asking:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMj_P_6H69g

Heather

wordwan, undeterred, at this point, by fire extinguishers

Derryl Berry

Why so few posts in the forum? You've been here since December, is it?

Heather

wordwan

Heather Lovatt,

Why so few posts in the forum?  I assume you mean posts from me.  I didn't "discover" the forums for a while.  I was reading the work of other people by sorting by genre like mine, etc.  I realized that few people seemed to be reading mine, even though I reviewed the work of those who did review mine.  So, I guessed that my name was not getting around, and not everyone browses like I do.  I thought the forum might give me "exposure" of sorts.

Heather Lovatt,

There might be some here who, like me, have dabbled a bit in writing over the years.  They may have the same questions and concerns now as they have had for a long time and never addressed them with others.  Perhaps, you could consider that some here have not been down the same road as you and have not be as enlightened.

 I am reminded of when I was big into photography many years ago.  I read every photo magazine every month for two or three years.  I was surprised to see the same type of "how to" articles showing up again and again.  "Why are they publishing that again?  I already know that."  Then I realized that like myself a few years earlier, there will always be another batch of newbies who never read the articles that I did.

Periodically rehash the same stuff a different way for a new group of folks wanting to learn.  Viewed that way, it made sense to me.  You're fortunate that you now know so much.  Give others a break.  You were once like them.

Heather Lovatt,

I must come clean with you. 

I am an expert and highly revered author with dozens of world renouned titles to my credit, including ready-for-Hollywood epics and a vast collection of short story collections, under my name and a slew of nom-de-plumes. 

I've won the prissy Pulitzer Prize I don't know how many times and the noble Nobel Prize for Literature quite a few.  I've been published in every major and most minor national magazines and regional reviews. 

I can't tell you how many pleas I have turned down for senior editor positions at prestigious periodicals. 

I know everything about grammar, punctuation, and capitalization and abbreviations, early, modern, and soon-to-be English, as well as character development, plot outline, denouement with unexpected twists that were cleverly hinted at throughout the story, tension and release, etc., etc., etc.

I write children's stories, fantasy, mystery, tear jerkers, hilarious humor, psychological thrillers, and depressing war novels, even travel logs and hotel reviews and ads for Walmart.  There's not a genre that I haven't mastered. 

I'm also a dreamer and a liar.

Did I mention westerns and SI-FI?  Zane Grey and Lous L'Amour would have been intimiated.  Dan SImmons and Orson Scott Card would be embarrassed by their efforts.