The Continuing Chronicles of Katrina Kyle

Anyone who has been at this writing schtick for any amount of time knows there are rules. Average word count is one of them. Sixty-thousand is too low for a mystery; anything over 100k is too much (and even with 100k you’re pushing it).

My books clock in at 88k, 87k, and 89k, respectively.

By pretty much any opinion, those are decent word counts for a mystery. Average, most would say. But I plan to cut a minimum of 15k words from each. My reasoning: E-books don’t have to adhere to those averages.

I’m not saying that if you’re planning to e-publish you can ignore industry standards. I’m saying that those industry standards are based on a print-book model. When a reader is handing over their cash in exchange for something they can touch and feel and showcase on their shelves, they want to at least feel they are getting value for their money. Totally understandable. I’m a print-book reader and I won’t put out for anything less than 75k. I like length. Yes, I understand the pleasure one derives from books, much like penises, can’t be judged by measurements alone. The owner’s skill is more important than quantity. I know that. But for someone in the market to escape reality for a while, well… I’m just saying.

I’m also a rather prolific e-book purchaser. I’m pretty sure I was one of the customers the genuises at Amazon had in mind when they conceived the Kindle. And like any addict, I want my fix as cheap as I can get it. That doesn’t mean I don’t value quality; it just means that I—like 99.99% of readers out there—have a limited entertainment budget. With all the options out there, I have a choice, and I, more times than not, will choose a cheaper option. I know it’s not the sentiment authors want to hear, but that’s me, the reader, speaking.

Does this mean that I won’t buy a book priced higher? Absolutely not. I have authors I will pay full-price to see naked in print and on my shelf. The average price of the e-books I’ve purchased over the last two months is $3.51 (God, who doesn’t love Excel?), which proves cheap isn’t my primary motivator. But it’s in the top two.

I think my philosophy is best summarized by a quote from one of e-publishing’s stars, John Locke, author of the Donovan Creed mystery series, who prices all of his books at 99 cents (I’m paraphrasing because I can’t find the exact quote I read): “I don’t have to prove I’m better than the bestseller with the e-book at $9.99; he has to prove he’s ten times better than me.”

Seriously, is there any aspiring writer out there who reads that and doesn’t get goosebumps?

I need a stiff drink.

I started this post four hours ago. I thought—“a post with a lot of links, very little narrative. Easy, right?”

Yeah, like world peace  is easy. Like getting your husband to stop trolling Google Images looking at Jeep porn is easy.

I will admit, I have Internet ADD. I never saw a link I didn’t love. Throw in a pithy comment or an interesting statistic and you can bet your first-born I’m clicking through. Which is why, once I had made The Decision, I allotted myself a full week of research before starting in on the heavy lifting.  During that week, I searched the Internet relentlessly, downloaded several self-help books, and read every single email that came through on the writers’ loops I am on. Read the rest of this entry »

Before I dive into the nitty gritty of my personal experience on the road to becoming a self-published author, I wanted to share my first revelation with you and how I am addressing it.

When I first decided to take the plunge, I already had a decent idea of what was involved, and what was involved was a lot. Based on this deep understanding, I knew I couldn’t just wing this like I do with, say, parenting. I needed a plan.

Let me just state upfront that I am a fan of spreadsheets. Actually, that’s probably an understatement—if spreadsheets were a band, I’d be its most ardent, big-haired, tight-skirted, tattoo-sporting, Jagermeister-swilling groupie. Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to the inaugural post of my blog. If you’re here—whether by charity or accident—I appreciate you stopping by.

I’m a mystery/thriller writer who has decided, after a couple of close calls with the Big Boys, that it’s time to take my show digital.

This blog is a chronicle of the steps, tasks, and challenges that comprise this quite possibly wild-ass idea. My intent is to share the knowledge I gain, the do’s-and-don’ts I learn, the resources I discover, and to hopefully meet like-minded people, or just anyone interested in this new frontier called e-publishing. Read the rest of this entry »