Indie Author as Cash Cow

wealthy authorAs you know, Laurie Boris and I met up at this year’s Self-Publishing Book Expo in New York a few weeks ago. Meeting Laurie was pretty freaking awesome. But I’ll be honest: the event left me with a bit of a sour taste.

It wasn’t because of Mark Coker, who delivered a timely and useful keynote speech (much of which he later recapped on the Smashwords blog). What gave me heartburn was the exhibit floor, which featured a whole bunch of companies that would love to help indie authors succeed – for a price. (Laurie has already touched on this in her report on the event.) Continue reading “Indie Author as Cash Cow”

Thrifty Thursday: Rushing for Savings

tackling shoppers for ebook savingsThis holiday shopping – it’s a real free-for-all, isn’t it? Well, don’t you worry, here at Thrifty Thursday, no one’s going to tackle you as you try to get that great deal. So sit back, relax, and browse the great eBooks we have just waiting for you!

Readers: look in the comment section below. If you see one you like, click over and buy it. How easy is that? (If you don’t see the book covers, adjust your browser’s adblock settings.)

Authors: if you have a book priced at 99¢ or less (that’s right, post your free eBooks here, too!), follow the instructions below and post it right in the comment section. Got more than one bargain book? Go ahead and post them all if you like, but only one book and ONE link per comment please!

We will convert your link to a clickable book cover. Do not attempt to insert an image in comments on your own. Just put the following information in the comment section:

1. Book title
2. Author name
3. A one sentence
blurb (~140 characters/tweetable in length)
4. ONE link to download the book (only secure retail sites – Amazon, Smashwords, B&N, Kobo, Apple/iStore, or Sony)
5. Whether your book is free or 99 cents (and for how long/what dates)

Then let your friends and fans know your book is available here today. Use the share buttons below, or copy the link in the address bar above and share the news on your favorite social media platforms. The more, the merrier, right?

So let’s give it a try, shall we? Please make sure to follow the RULES above. Now, go ahead and tell the world about your cheap read. IU is a safe-for-work site. PLEASE do not post links to erotica, religious, or political titles.

(Post your FREE eBooks here, too!)

[Note: if the book cover images below do not display properly, please check your AdBlock settings.]

Which “Superdude” Flash Fiction Story Gets Your Vote?

Vote5It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s… Superdude? We need you to tell us which of these stories should fly away with Flash Fiction Champion honors. It’s super easy – choose your favorite and cast your vote below.

Remember, the winning entries will all be included in the next edition of the IU Flash Fiction Anthology.

Check out this week’s entries here. Make your decision, then use those share buttons at the bottom of the post to spread the word.

Voting polls close Thursday at 5 PM Pacific time.

Which Superdude story was your favorite this week? Vote below.

  • Angela Luo (39%, 19 Votes)
  • Howard Johnson (31%, 15 Votes)
  • A. L. Kaplan (12%, 6 Votes)
  • Nancy DeCilio Gauthier (4%, 2 Votes)
  • Jon Jefferson (4%, 2 Votes)
  • Kathryn El-Assal (4%, 2 Votes)
  • Obodai Sonny (2%, 1 Votes)
  • Nathan Rokus (2%, 1 Votes)
  • D L Brown (2%, 1 Votes)
  • Sharon King (2%, 1 Votes)
  • Drew Taylor (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 49

Loading ... Loading ...

NOTE: Entrants whose submissions exceed the 250 word limit are eliminated from the poll. ONE VOTE PER PERSON, please. Duplicate votes will be deleted. The results displayed above are unofficial until verified by administration.

Book Brief: Feast of Fates

Feast of Fates by Christian A BrownFeast of Fates
by Christian A. Brown
Genre: Epic Fantasy
212,000 words

Morigan lives a quiet life as the handmaiden to a fatherly old sorcerer named Thackery. But when she crosses paths with Caenith, a not wholly mortal man, her world changes forever. Their meeting sparks long buried magical powers deep within Morigan. As she attempts to understand her newfound abilities, unbidden visions begin to plague her—visions that show a devastating madness descending on one of the Immortal Kings who rules the land.

With Morigan growing more powerful each day, the leaders of the realm soon realize that this young woman could hold the key to their destruction. Suddenly, Morigan finds herself beset by enemies, and she must master her mysterious gifts if she is to survive.

Feast of Fates is available for Kindle and in print through Amazon.com and Amazon UK.

Christian, how did you come up with the title for your book? Does it have any special meaning?
Feast of Fates, as a phrase, actually appears in the book. The moment it popped out of my keyboard, I scrapped the working title of the draft and just knew that FoF the name of my little darling. I’ll spoil the broth if I tell you anything more about the context in which it is used.

Who was your favorite character and why?
My children! I love them all! Even the wicked ones (sometimes, especially them). Morigan and the Wolf are simply epic, and they’d be the easy answer. Mouse, is a fan favorite: tough as nails and full of sass. I choose the mysterious quasi-villain, Elissandra: a woman who wears many masks.

Does your book have any underlying theme, message, or moral?
The highbrow answer: Love is what binds us in brotherhood, blinds us from hate, and makes us soar with desire.
The lowdown: Celtic werewolves, Immortal Kings, more magic, adventure, passion, intrigue, and plain old panache that you can shake a wand at (there are no wands in FoF).

What would/could a reader or reviewer say about this book that shows they “get” you as an author?
Compelling and engrossing characterization and world-building. Also, I delight in converting the: “I don’t read that” crowd. Fantasy can be an amazing window through which to view social and emotional commentary. The book has undertones of death, acceptance and love that I experienced during my mother’s illness (lymphoma) and passing.

Give us an excerpted quote from your favorite review of this book:
“Each character was so well written that I became very emotionally attached to them. I felt all of the emotions, fears and hopes of each of them while reading.”

Where can people learn more about your writing?
http://christianadrianbrown.com/