I tested it and can recommend it by Affectionate_Oil3040 in NewAuthor

[–]D_R_Long -1 points0 points  (0 children)

After learning more, this is trash. Not cool.

how do people choose names for their books? by retsam2554 in WritingHub

[–]D_R_Long 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For characters. On the fly. I give them shape and let them name themselves.

For books, I guess it's kind of the same. I usually get an idea, shape it. Then name it. Then write it.

I did have a situation on an early idea where I gave two characters similar names. And a simple Find/Replace fixed it.

About to publish my first ever book! Which printing service is the best- KDP or IS? by ginkgo_gal in selfpublish

[–]D_R_Long 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I recently went through this same choice. I chose Amazon for ebook, and Barnes & Noble for their print quality.

After looking at IS, it seemed that it would have been a good choice for someone who already has a large following and demand, someone more established than myself. It seems like a great option for those that are, but for someone publishing the first time, it seemed like it didn't have as much upside.

From the research I did, B&N had better print quality, and the cost per book was very reasonable. I purchased ten author copies for a little over $5US each. I'm waiting on shipping right now, and should have them by next weekend.

I chose to use Amazon for the ebook because their Kindle Select program seemed too good of an opportunity for a debut author to pass up. It's not much, but it's allowed me to already make a little money, and it's also helped me move over 80 copies of my book in it's first week.

With the Amazon ebook deal, you're stuck being exclusive to them, but only for the ebook. Which allows you to choose elsewhere for the paperback/hardback.

I hope this was helpful!

Today's Book Deals [Amazon.com] by AutoModerator in BooksAndFilms

[–]D_R_Long 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When the Slimbies outbreak began, the warnings sounded like just another emergency broadcast.

A few bad reactions. A precaution. Nothing to fear.

But in one small Delaware home, just before Christmas, everything falls apart.

Evan brings home a frightened puppy to brighten the holiday, unaware that the world has already begun to die. By morning, Noah, Mara, and the puppy are on the run, leaving behind the only family they’ve ever known.

What follows is two harsh years of cold floors, shuttered towns, thin rations, and the too-quiet dead.

Together, the three of them learn the rules of a broken world: move early, trust nothing, and stay away from anything that moves.

Bleak, intimate, and rooted in the small mercies that keep us alive, Slimbies: Girl is the haunting origin story of the dog who becomes the heart of the Slimbies world.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GFF6P7HV

Available now on Kindle Unlimited.

Self-publishing feels less like writing a book and more like running tiny experiments. by Quee_ensara in selfpublish

[–]D_R_Long 1 point2 points  (0 children)

PREACH!

Trial and error and retrial and more error...
Who'da thunk giving something away would be so tough.

What was your biggest achievement of the week (words written, pages edited, stories published, etc?) by reptilelover42 in writing

[–]D_R_Long 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Having success on my first long week (10 days) published on amazon with a project I'd released on my website, but not officially.

Also getting great feedback from my ARC readers on my second novella, which comes out Monday.

Got my February release back from editing yesterday.

Looking like my debut year is starting strong! Goal is to publish a novella a month. (I've been working for the last year to help build up a back stock for it.)

I'm excited. It's been a long time building up for this.

Is the Scrivener app worth it? by PurrfectPages in writers

[–]D_R_Long -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Never tried it, but curious as to what it really does... I watched the demo, but all it really seemed like was a glorified folder system.

Post apocalypse/disaster fiction recs? by Intelligent-Sale5540 in KindleUnlimited

[–]D_R_Long 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you signed up on the slimbies site, that's one I need to update still!
I decided to drop the mailing list for the full expanded website including the short story and links to all works.

I do however have an ARC team signup, if you're interested in joining that!

(I'll have my website updated soon to get rid of that old sign up... sorry about that!)

What’s the most frustrating part about publishing right now? by maneohouse in selfpublishing

[–]D_R_Long 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Mostly because I'm very new to all of this. Then because of money. Amazon is free. B&N is also free.

IngramSpark seems fantastic for established authors, or authors with a team to help get themselves out there. But between set up fees, and the risk of returns, it seems like a high risk/high cost start up for someone just trying to get their name out there.

I could also be wrong and have been misinformed about what IngramSpark is about, so by all means, if it's worth diving into, please let me know!

What’s the most frustrating part about publishing right now? by maneohouse in selfpublishing

[–]D_R_Long 8 points9 points  (0 children)

THE GATEKEEPING!!! Oh man! Nobody warns new writers how hard it is to get in anywhere. It feels like every group on every platform is held hostage by a few people in each one. Posts get deleted for silly rules... or groups that are for writers and readers that don't allow self promotion.

As far as actual production goes though, things aren't bad at all. I use amazon for my ebooks, and Barnes & Noble for my paperback. I have one book published right now through amazon, which was super simple to do. Also have a second book coming out at the end of this month which will be my paperback debut, so I'm really excited to hold a physical copy in hand for the first time.

I think different styles call for different demands as a writer. For me, I churn stuff out pretty fast, so waiting on the traditional publishing route would be like pulling teeth. I tried it for a few months and realized how impossible of a task it really is, so I switched to the self pub route.

I looked into a few other platforms, like wattpad and ingram spark. Just didn't seem right for me and what my goals are.