Posting Your Novel Online...

From Alan Rifkin for LA WEEKLY:

So I ended a kind of dysfunctional, common-law marriage to an agent who’d spent five years not committing to my book. The agent had said, “The problem seems to be that I can’t decide ultimately if this is a great novel or just a novel with great writing in it.” He said everything but No. On the day I broke it off, he wrote that I was more than justified, for he still couldn’t commit to the novel — but that he wasn’t absolutely sure, and, “I might even be talked out of this position.” It freed me. I finally got the joke.

Then came the cosmic avalanche. Out of nowhere, I met Jerry Burgan, co-founder of We Five, the electro-folk ’60s band that recorded my all-time favorite song (“You Were On My Mind”), and we began collaborating on Burgan’s memoir. When I told him I was going to post my full novel online, he offered me an original song to accompany it. I heroically resisted tainting my literary work with a stunt like that.

Except that it just made so much sense. The novel is, after all, about a country rocker.

From the Comments

Stephen Blackmoore commented on my post re: You Need Some Kindle-ing to Start a Fire and in the interest of furthering discussion on the topic and disseminating views, I brought it up to a post.

For the longest time people were saying the short story market was dead...I think perhaps its resurrection is all-digital.

Couldn't agree more. As magazine sales disintegrate more and more short fiction is appearing on the web. Sites like Plots With Guns (http://plotswithguns.com) and Thrilling Detective (http://thrillingdetective.com) have always been web based, but even more traditional print mags are moving to the web as their markets collapse.

When the NY Times finds it could save money (and by money I mean millions) by giving its subscribers a Kindle and having them download the paper every day then you have to say the gong is ringing loud and clear.

And it's not just short fiction. Interesting post at Joe Konrath's blog about his releasing one of his novels onto the Kindle for $1.59.

And how he shot to a #1 bestseller with it.

I will investigate this further, and see what I find out. John August has already dissected some of the manipulation going on over at Kindle as to how something gets on their bestseller list. Certainly I'm not saying that anything underhanded is going on, just that the methodologies employed give readers a skewed idea of what "bestseller" really means on Kindle's charts.

He's not making huge money ($1250.00) by any means, but it's an experiment and he rightly points out that an advance for a first time novel is traditionally about $5K.

And since he's putting it out himself all he's losing is the cut Amazon takes.

He could easily make $5K in a few months if sales remain strong.

Sure, he's not going to get royalties, but as you say it's about marketing. He needs to keep his brand fresh and strong and if he does that and works to maintain it then the royalty issue becomes moot.

Well, if he's selling it on Kindle and has built an audience, then he could easily do a print version via Createspace with added material and so forth - for the collector types. Again, I have to slice through his post. But, it points a way for new writers to get their work out there which is both a blessing and a curse. I do think that editors and designers will become more more important in this new paradigm. At least for those wishing to produce something of professional quality that stands out from the pack of books available.

And I don't know about you, but an extra $15K couldn't hurt (3 novels at $5k each/ year) and the fact they will always be "in print" means they are working for you. Then of course, there's the translation rights for other territories, the media and merchandise tie-ins... you get the picture.

He makes an excellent point about the advance a novelist would get in that it can either be spent on whatever or looked at as a business loan for your company and rolled back into it.

And ahem, certainly their will be companies hiring writers to work on Kindle novels based on outlines. The pulp publishing novel. Strictly percentage based, but a way to put callouses on your fingertips. This is how Tom Swift and Nancy Drew were created.

There are a lot of different ways to go about this, obviously, and I know a lot of people who are freaking out about it.

Certainly no need to freak, just start making plans and executing them. If you're an established writer - this is a new market for your work. If you're a newbie writer who needs experience, this is an opportunity. If you're a webcomics person, this is a way to sell your comics while you gather material for the GN. If you're and editor or graphic designer this a chance to ply your skillset to people who will need your services.

It's past time that self-publishing raises the bar on its offerings and quality.

And if you're like me, you're already working on this and tying it into web video (movies and serials), audio, comics, social networking and merchandising.

Danni Daring TM and copyright (c) 2009 by Bill Cunningham and New Pulp Media. Artwork used for example purposes only - no rights implied.

Coming Soon to a Blog Near You!

Sitting in my file box right now is my interview with the crazy guys who want to take you on a Mysterious Adventure. I will post it next week after my fingers quit bleeding from the script I'm writing.

But go ahead and order now.

Tell them a bastard sent ya.

H/T to Rolf.

(and remember if you see something pulpy cool, drop us a line here at the HQ and let us know)

The Future of Pulp is a Double Espresso

From Legionnaire Extraordinaire Jim Henshaw comes this post regarding book rights, authorship and the future:




Don't be a monkey. Be an 800 lb. Gorilla (or is that Guerrilla?)

Addendum to the discussion.

Unleash Hell...

Blog2print.com is a website that allows you to print your blog as a professionally published "Blog Book."

While I take exception to the term "professionally published" - I think this might be a good idea to file posts. However I do not like the pricing and I think that should keep most folks away from this service. Only 20 pages for $14.95 ? Should be 200 pages for $14.95.

Catch a "Daemon" by its Tale...or Lesson Learned from Daniel Suarez's Daemon.

From Content Agenda:

You may never have heard of Daemon author Leinad Zeraus, but get ready to hear a lot about Daemon author Daniel Suarez.

A computer systems consultant and fan of computer games, Suarez self-published his debut techno thriller in 2006 using a pseudonym he created by reversing the spellings of his first and last names.

Thanks to Daemon's growing underground popularity with techies and bloggers, followed by an April 2008 Wired magazine article about Daemon's snowballing fan base, Suarez got a two-book contract with a major New York publishing house. Dutton will publish Daemon on Thursday.

Daemon is the story of a billionaire computer game designer who plans to take over the world -- after his death. As soon as his obituary is posted online, a dormant computer program (a "daemon") sets in motion a dastardly plot involving identity theft, financial crises and murder.

The action takes place in the world of multi-player online games and incorporates existing technology including laser-beam weapons that deliver lethal electrical charges, unmanned vehicles used as killing machines, zombie computers and Web bots.

"I was really keen on using real technology," says Suarez, 46, who lives in Los Angeles. "To me, that was the whole point."

Suarez built his property where he knew there was a fan base - gamers, techno geeks, thriller-readers and futurists - and where he knew he could reach them - online.

He used real world technology readily available right off the shelf or online store. He made it all plausible, but just as important it allowed people to jump in and say, "Wow, I have that model computer, phone, etc..." thus igniting possible discussion.

He got the book into the hands of taste makers - people whose opinion the rest of the audience respects.

He branded himself as well as his book by creating a pseudonym that was distinct and searchable only to him...

And then he worked it. Now he has a movie option from producer Walter Parks and a sequel coming out from his new publisher Dutton.