Thread: My first works are published.

I'd like to give those wondering a little run down of the story about why this book is published as an ebook for the time being.
It wasn't really about control or that I didn't think it was good enough to get picked up by an agent. Its more that we live nearly out in the middle of nowhere making it hard to contact certain people. Though I did contact agents through the internet, finding places to get to agents that weren't scams was a little difficult.
The funny thing is, when I first heard of an eBook I always thought well, that's stupid. Who the heck is going to read a book on the computer or a little device?
Ever since I was 11 years old I always wrote my books in a binder with notebook paper and always by hand. I thought for sure someday I would have that wonderful feeling of holding my printed book in my hands. Even if I didn't read it, I could stare at the cover and just turn the pages.
A few years ago I finally got used to writing everything on the computer. Do you want to hear something funny about that? One of the books I had written in the binder with a pencil and notebook paper was a whopping 273 pages. Well, of course this was an illusion. Once I typed this little devil up on a computer it only came out at about 41 pages.
So anyway, once I started learning the ways of Microsoft Word 2003 on my good old Windows XP laptop I started realizing how much time I spend looking at a computer screen. I started reading stuff online and I remembered this just months ago when I began wondering about publishing eBooks. Will it ever be as big as printed books? I don't know, I'm not even sure if it'll truly take off. Is it growing? Yes, yes I believe it is.
The funny thing is, I don't currently own a device that can read an eBook besides my MacBook Pro but someday I plan on picking up one of those base level iPads. I would go with another eReader but I need something that does a little of everything else, too.
I realize I'm kind of trailing off here but anyway, a good friend of mine kind of put it in my head. If I manage to make enough money just by putting every book I finish out there for a low price and get the word around I could have enough money to get printed copies and give them to the libraries.
Do you hope that I somehow become successful enough to get picked up by a traditional publisher? Sure but, I'm also not going to let it blind me into thinking I'm on my way.

So, without further a due, here is the link to my book. There is a 50% free sample and the price is $1.99. I am excited (and nervous) to hear honest opinions and constructive criticism. Though it is already finished and sold a copy, I probably wont be pulling it down to make any changes.
For a heads up, it is a young adult book. It was supposed to be short and simple originally but it wound up being longer. It's partially based on real life events but I wont say in order to avoid spoiling anything. However, if this book isn't your cup of tea it doesn't mean you wont like my other works in progress. I plan to write all kinds of different genres.

Thanks in advance and don't be afraid to really let me have it if it's horrible.


LINK: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/15725

Download the free mobipocket reader or the free Kindle emulator and you can read the mobi files right on your computer in the same way people with devices do.

Congrats on getting out here to be read. dude.

Hey man thanks for the tip! I'll do that right away! I learn something new every day!

Just a little update. My book titled 'Dangerous Drop' is now available in the iBook store. I am not aware of the current price because sadly I don't yet own an iPad.

Sucks, huh? Ive been doing some blind design, as well. That's one reason I'm looking for people (in that thread) who have the gear to maybe give some feedback to tech-tards like us.

Congrats on being out there, by the way, and on getting on the iBook store.
So you can have a site button to that book or app or whatver, right?

I don't believe so. iBooks is a app (application) for iOS 3 and 4 that runs on Apple's mobile devices (iOS is basically a brother to Macintosh OS X). As far as I know you need an iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch and you just download the app from the iTunes store for free and it lets you search, download and read eBooks. I'd assume to find the book you would just need to search Dangerous Drop.

However there is sort of a little information thing Apple gives about iBooks on their website here: http://www.apple.com/ipad/features/ibooks.html

I'm trying to encourage future readers of Dangerous Drop to leave a review or a rating even if it's good or bad so I know where I stand. Without ratings the book doesn't go anywhere in the swarm of books besides down. Sadly it's turning out to be a tad more difficult than I had imagined. Fortunately I'm not a quitter, haha.

CB Gibbon, congrats. I read the first few pages. I am at work. It reads well, concise and is nearly an informative fiction. Surely there is a market for this book considering all the youngsters dealing with diabetes.
Have fun!
Steph

Thanks for your reply! Sorry to all of the writing forums for being a hermit for so long. But yes. The challenging part of ebooks is finding a market. I've managed to garner 46 sample downloads and two purchases which, as low as that amount is I didn't expect it to do much at all. I'm confident that once I'm around a while and have more books, get some money saved up I can invest more time and everything else into spreading the word around about these books. The sequel is done however I don't expect it to see publication until early next year because of the long editing process. By that time a completely new book will probably be finished and ready for editing.

Spreading the word is quite the important part of selling these books but alas, I've spent far too much time writing more books. I figure once I have a good some of books published it will make spreading the word easier. Instead of focusing on selling one book I will have more books to lead to the other.

Thanks again for your reply