Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Cost Question Answered

FYI, after several emails back and forth with an independent publisher, I've come to realize that the cost of the print book will be fine. After all, it is the MSRP (manufacturer's suggest retail price) which means it isn't necessarily the price they'll charge in the store.

Which makes me feel better. A lot better. Better enough to say that if my manuscript is accepted by this particular publisher, then I will be a VERY happy camper and I'll share my experience with you here. As well as let you know when the big publishing day will be, etc.

This would be a great time for some artwork to be finished. Really.

Saturday, May 26, 2012

A Question of Cost

This whole "taking control of my writing by self publishing" thing has presented me with a brand new set of questions and problems. Finding the right publisher who is fair and truthful has not been an easy task. While there are plenty of good independent publishers out there, finding one I can afford has caused me no small amount of frustration.

Then there's the pricing of the book. While some e-book publishers will allow me to set my own price, there are others who have a minimum amount you can charge for your own work. Am I the only one who thinks that's a little strange? Shouldn't authors be the ones who decide what to charge, at least for e-books? Personally, I balk at paying more than three dollars for an e-book (and even then, my eye starts twitching). How about you? When does your inner accountant start screaming when you're browsing the e-books?

Unfortunately, the other common glitch I'm running into is the price for print books. This is the retail price I'm talking about, not my wholesale cost. They want 14.99 (USD) for a 250 page book. Maybe I'm just part of a minority of people who think that's an exorbitant price for a book, but I do have a hard time paying that much.

Am I just cheap after living on a public school employees salary for so long, or is that really a lot of money? It's a matter of perspective, and mine is a little skewed so I'd love some input from others.

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Big News

Welcome to The Citadel Chronicles blog.

Here's where you'll find the latest information on the series, starting with Book One: A Queen Reborn. After much research, soul searching (which will be a pretty funny joke once you read the book), and hair pulling, I've decided to go the e-publishing route.

That decided, I had to figure out which service would meet my needs, and not cost me, or my readers, an arm and a leg.

Right now, I'm just waiting for the cover art to be finished. Once that's done, we'll have another read-through to pick the last of the nits from the manuscript, then we'll be ready to announce the new arrival.

In the mean time, I'll just be over here, pacing the floor and handing out cigars. Stay tuned, it's gonna be a blast!