tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9023937099212820339.post6109071515115654056..comments2024-03-27T01:07:03.944-04:00Comments on The Roses of Prose: Is 2018 The Year Authors Become Activists? by Rolynn AndersonAlison Hendersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12725250883303287946noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9023937099212820339.post-69493545227941239822018-01-17T15:33:19.768-05:002018-01-17T15:33:19.768-05:00Linda, thanks for weighing in on our dilemmas. Ge...Linda, thanks for weighing in on our dilemmas. Geesh, I've had that plantar horror and thought I'd never walk again! With a boot worn at night, I did get through it...and do exercises every other day, hoping it will never happen again. So glad you're marching...ours is a rally, actually...but numbers showing up tells the world of our concerns. Onward and upward!Rolynn Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09504770204968969467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9023937099212820339.post-68961875130475383702018-01-17T15:30:29.260-05:002018-01-17T15:30:29.260-05:00Janet, good to hear from you. I know you've l...Janet, good to hear from you. I know you've learned so much in your 50 years...I'd love to hear more of your insights...you got me at 'steadily increasing!' Good for you!Rolynn Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09504770204968969467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9023937099212820339.post-85281374635492469012018-01-17T15:29:12.500-05:002018-01-17T15:29:12.500-05:00Becky, sounds like you have learned how to develop...Becky, sounds like you have learned how to develop a following outside of Amazon as well as within their system. Well done!Rolynn Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09504770204968969467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9023937099212820339.post-74245335842835534642018-01-17T13:50:07.566-05:002018-01-17T13:50:07.566-05:00I'll be marching on Saturday also, but for the...I'll be marching on Saturday also, but for the first time. This time last year, I had extremely painful plantar fasciitis that kept me at home. Happy I can go this year, though without a pussy hat. I'm allergic to wool.<br /><br />As for the sales situation, I'm as much at sea as everyone else. Hope we can figure this out.Linda McLaughlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15291670592316021851noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9023937099212820339.post-34524286590684181012018-01-17T12:09:48.600-05:002018-01-17T12:09:48.600-05:00I'm with a small publisher and don't think...I'm with a small publisher and don't think I have many books on KU. My sales are steading increasing on the other markets than Amazon. As to Amazon, most of my sales are there. Not sure there is a solution. Writers have always faced this with a few getting rich and the most making a little money. I've been published for 50 years and have seen so many changes in the industry.Janet Lane Waltershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15488093917556546485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9023937099212820339.post-87183741491275662402018-01-17T09:18:45.331-05:002018-01-17T09:18:45.331-05:00Marketing and self-promotion have become significa...Marketing and self-promotion have become significantly more complicated since my first book published 5 years. I'm not sure human rights, or the political atmosphere, had anything to do with that as much as the exponential growth of available books did. I know it didn't help though. As for KU, I kept my novella erotic spy thrillers in the program (they sit at the 99¢ price point I find fair for stories of that length) and keep my full length novels out of the program. Becky Fladehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12120096212994113318noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9023937099212820339.post-83384124488626142722018-01-11T10:49:22.680-05:002018-01-11T10:49:22.680-05:00Sorry for being late, but here's my experience...Sorry for being late, but here's my experience. I use Smashwords for the books I can't put up on other vendors by myself (Apple [iTunes], Overdrive [libraries], Baker & Taylor, etc.) I put them up by myself on Amazon, B&N, and Kobo. My sci-fi romances do very well on Kobo. My mysteries, not at all, but they do well on Amazon. B&N is ho-hum. My point is that with persistence and taking time to read carefully, I can save myself Smashwords' cut on Kobo and B&N. My self-pub books do much better than my trad book. <br /><br />Marketing is so important. I've depended on DIY advertising. Now I realize I need to spend money to get more coverage. I took advantage of Smashwords End-of-the-Year Sale, offering one of my books for free and discounted the others. I hoped to hook readers with that book so they bought the others in the series. Some people bought all the books in a different series. That was a big surprise. I never put my books in KU or KDP Select because I didn't want to limit my books to one vendor.Diane Burtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03754105332297068271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9023937099212820339.post-38970763908599887432018-01-11T09:36:55.082-05:002018-01-11T09:36:55.082-05:00I know , Leah. We are such small players on a giga...I know , Leah. We are such small players on a gigantic stage!Rolynn Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09504770204968969467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9023937099212820339.post-25199274439068203722018-01-11T09:34:47.404-05:002018-01-11T09:34:47.404-05:00I had no idea this was so difficult...on I-tunes.....I had no idea this was so difficult...on I-tunes...will look into it more.Rolynn Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09504770204968969467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9023937099212820339.post-25581146587979342872018-01-11T09:30:44.563-05:002018-01-11T09:30:44.563-05:00I agree, Jannine...everyone has to make a living.....I agree, Jannine...everyone has to make a living...and has a bias!Rolynn Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09504770204968969467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9023937099212820339.post-44183193120046529752018-01-11T09:26:56.152-05:002018-01-11T09:26:56.152-05:00Margo, I like your idea of gaining one reader at a...Margo, I like your idea of gaining one reader at a time...it sounds doable that way. I got one reader here in Maz from among the golfers! :-)Rolynn Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09504770204968969467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9023937099212820339.post-10013478028912388862018-01-11T08:47:21.171-05:002018-01-11T08:47:21.171-05:00I have all my SP books in KU, and I ran some Amazo...I have all my SP books in KU, and I ran some Amazon ads and it greatly increased my pages read, so it was totally worth it. I have periodically tried the other platforms, and I always use D2D, which is fabulous and sooo much easier than Smashwords (and, it's right here in Oklahoma! :)). However, I have gone months without selling a single book on any of the other platforms. And, my Amazon sales go down (well, I don't have the pages read advantage), so it is not worth it for me to do anything other than KU. It might be disheartening that Amazon has so much control of the market, but as an author, I have to do what I can to get the most sales and get my books in the hands of the most readers, and KU is it for me.Alicia Deanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12003539473772776004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9023937099212820339.post-88033619870312977952018-01-11T07:47:19.980-05:002018-01-11T07:47:19.980-05:00Leah, for Draft2Digital, you just upload your Word...Leah, for Draft2Digital, you just upload your Word doc. Easy-peasy. My first self-published book was with Smashwords and I vowed never, NEVER to go through that formatting process again. Draft2Digital also just added distribution to Amazon, but I figured I'd continue to do that directly since it's not that cumbersome. Christine DePetrillohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00527942532875216883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9023937099212820339.post-26184075262314106882018-01-11T06:53:41.764-05:002018-01-11T06:53:41.764-05:00Chris, you make a good point about iBooks. If anyo...Chris, you make a good point about iBooks. If anyone can challenge Amazon right now, it's Apple. I have published directly on the iTunes store before, but the last time, which was about 18 months ago, we needed to use their proprietary software which was only available for an Apple product (Mac, etc.). (We did find a workaround where we sort of rented a Windows-based application to get the files formatted and uploaded.) I wonder if that's still the case. I need to learn more about Draft2Digital. Smashwords is a great company but the formatting process is such a pain.Leah St. Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11004006100786260893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9023937099212820339.post-60736063246887400072018-01-10T22:14:11.217-05:002018-01-10T22:14:11.217-05:00Brenda, we’re thinking about you and your mom...th...Brenda, we’re thinking about you and your mom...thoughts your way of the positive kind. We’re sparking each other!<br />Rolynn Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09504770204968969467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9023937099212820339.post-53478089851280076502018-01-10T22:04:31.455-05:002018-01-10T22:04:31.455-05:00I’d love to make apple work for me! What did you d...I’d love to make apple work for me! What did you do to make it work for you?Rolynn Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09504770204968969467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9023937099212820339.post-24047873508818355252018-01-10T22:02:24.692-05:002018-01-10T22:02:24.692-05:00Awkward response😛I’m determined to do well on thi...Awkward response😛I’m determined to do well on this course and the margaritas they serve on the second nine really help my game😉Rolynn Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09504770204968969467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9023937099212820339.post-56166990228424904802018-01-10T20:51:38.841-05:002018-01-10T20:51:38.841-05:00I can't read the articles right now. I'm a...I can't read the articles right now. I'm at my Mom's and dealing with her health issues. I read through all your comments. I'll definitely get back to this. Great spark.Brenda Whitesidehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04162555468154752820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9023937099212820339.post-73092043269497633572018-01-10T20:48:35.783-05:002018-01-10T20:48:35.783-05:00I started out doing just KDP, then realized I was ...I started out doing just KDP, then realized I was missing a whole host of readers by doing that. I then started releasing to other retailers through Draft2Digital and have found that while Amazon is still my top selling arena, Apple is doing some nice things for me too. If I went exclusive to Amazon, I'd be missing out on those iBooks readers. Cast a wider net has worked for me.<br /><br />Also, as someone said earlier, the idea of you have to spend money to make money is soooo true. Christine DePetrillohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00527942532875216883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9023937099212820339.post-10799018505631211302018-01-10T18:55:00.561-05:002018-01-10T18:55:00.561-05:00Friends...too many margaritas-2 day’s on the cours...Friends...too many margaritas-2 day’s on the course...I better say loess than more 🤡Rolynn Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09504770204968969467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9023937099212820339.post-77536860951231889502018-01-10T18:51:17.420-05:002018-01-10T18:51:17.420-05:00I applaud your efforts in your niche!I applaud your efforts in your niche!Rolynn Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09504770204968969467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9023937099212820339.post-42927725849376490202018-01-10T18:49:54.135-05:002018-01-10T18:49:54.135-05:00I really need to hear this, Vonnie. Thanks!I really need to hear this, Vonnie. Thanks!Rolynn Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09504770204968969467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9023937099212820339.post-29463831742268543392018-01-10T18:48:35.184-05:002018-01-10T18:48:35.184-05:00You made me realize the power of A Z... checking i...You made me realize the power of A Z... checking it out Rolynn Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09504770204968969467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9023937099212820339.post-32857223934559218072018-01-10T18:46:42.767-05:002018-01-10T18:46:42.767-05:00Wait.., Girl Scout cookies at a POT conference? I...Wait.., Girl Scout cookies at a POT conference? I like your situation!<br />Rolynn Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09504770204968969467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9023937099212820339.post-6589481851050288682018-01-10T18:44:07.123-05:002018-01-10T18:44:07.123-05:00Betsy, let me know what happens to your efforts. W...Betsy, let me know what happens to your efforts. We’re in this together 😏Rolynn Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09504770204968969467noreply@blogger.com