Mixed emotions today.

Decided yesterday, as I am now only have 50,000 words to go to the highest peak, I would make a first bid attempt for the summit of a million words by Christmas Day. The second beyond by New Year’s Day, then mid January and last beginning of February. Yes … 2,302 words written so far over two days so in line with mid January deadline.  Even my least ambitious deadline in February requires me to average over 750 words a day, the average since I started. It will be an interesting test to see if the thrill of the chase produces poor quality work or inspired work. 

Tony Riches of the Writing Desk web site completed his 50,000 words in November as part of the National November Writing Month challenge. So if he can perhaps I should be able to do so ... I did 50,000 words when on a roll in January 2013 so here goes again to end the year as I started.

Last week I did a 2,200 word piece I felt well up to the best I have produced before. The technique I think is to mull some subject areas around for a few days and then set to and write to the topic is exhausted.

Perhaps I need something to give me a buzz as disappointment today. I did a short story entry for Costa Coffee 2013 and it took me some time to do and I even had it looked at by my friend Calvin. I knew it would be a very long shot, but there is always a small bead of hope. Looking at the six shortlisted I know my story did not fit the mainstream which the stories all appear to do.

Looking at the hit rate statistics on the Allrighters' web site a definite pattern emerges closely related to promotional activity.  One has to keep the fire stoked up to keep the hits going and this takes time I can ill afford to spend if trying to achieve difficult creative writing targets. Despite some really high hit rates connected with web contributions Ywnwab! sales remain slow. Even John Braine said short stories are difficult to get away.

Went to the Good Food Show on Friday wearing my Ywnwab! T shirt. At least one person stopped me and asked for details of the book, but I failed to conclude a sale. Shame.

Best wishes and wrap up warm for the weekend.

Alexander

Update on Progress

I realise during the last month you have all had a welcome holiday from my rambling on as I have been inactive on the web for this time. Two short breaks away, some good books to read, problems with computers ug!, and an attempt to catch up on my creative writing, including two short story completion deadlines have to be my lame excuses. I am now past 940,000 draft words.

I am about to return home after a few unexpected days away in Tenby. I met up with Eifion Jenkins today who I met at the Tenby Arts Festival. He has published following the traditional route a fantasy sci-fi book called - If you fall I will catch you – which I read last month. I may prepare a specific post on the topics raised and discussed.

I would love to say one reason I have not been active would be the heavy sales of my little book. Alas sales, as expected in my head, have not been good even with some helpful increases in web activity from three web postings. The comfort I derive is looking at others who I know have spend far more in time and money on marketing and promotion with disproportionately poor results.

I converted a MS word file with simple formatting through HTML into Kindle and other E book format yesterday. Given what I spent to get my book converted this is something I will develop to use on larger files and also look at the whole process uploading to Amazon and the other sites. I understand Kindle e books are outselling other platforms by eight to one. So on low sales volumes why bother with anything other than Kindle?

I have also provided five free copies of Ywnwab! to the British and other Libraries for posterity. Where on earth are they going to keep all these books? This as an overhead on a small print run is in my view significant.

During a visit to Bath I went into the Topping and Company bookshop http://www.toppingbooks.co.uk/ and came away pretty depressed. The front line competition from best selling authors expressed in all its might. Signed first editions wrapped up in cellophane at up to £100 each.

My front cover to Ywnwab! was called a good example of a poor 1970’s holiday brochure last week. It is certainly interesting to get a full range of comments!

I have also been commenting on a publisher’s book contents comment from a friend whose draft book I have read. He felt it is the hardest thing he has done. To me he is too close to the book to see the wood for the trees. This seems quite normal per a web post I picked up a few days later from an author who had written twenty or so books and learnt the hard way what to do.

I wonder whether there is room or potential for an e book marketing co-operative.

Best wishes to you all

Alexander

Please see two web posts below on ALLRIGHTERS activities so far ...

http://tonyriches.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.theindependentpublishingmagazine.com/2013/10/guest-post-whoopee-reflections-of.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheIndependentPublishingMagazine+%28The+Independent+Publishing+Magazine%29

Enjoy

Alexander

New blog site structure

After running the existing blog site for three months a decision has been taken by the Allrighters to split the blog into three to address different needs. Adverse comments have been made about the ease of use of the site within the navigation frames compared to other writer's blogs. 

1. The existing main diary and news blog site will be used to post general updates on progress, longer posts, short stories and comments about once or twice a month. the content will be much the same as now

2. A new comment site will contain much more regular but shorter comments and chat at some times even daily or more. The new blog site should allow you to make comments more easily than on the main web site. The two will be both linked soon to a navigation point where the existing blog is now.

Please go to - http://allrighter.blogspot.co.uk/ and sign up for a trial, you can stop receiving e-mails at any time.

3. The third site will contain longer posts made on other's web sites. These may be referred to on the first two sites above, but this third site will contain a full copy. This site is still being set up.

Alexander

Ywnwab! now available as Kindle e book on Amazon - 15 10 13

Four weeks since publishing Ywnwab!

Some milestones and emotions:-

• Lovely memories still of feeling and holding a copy and a pile of one's own published book.
• First book purchased.
• First books placed in book shops. Nice to see cover facing out on a book shop shelf.
• Copy sent to Isobel my long standing friend who said I would never write a book! A generous telephone message response. "I would like to speak to the well known writer and author of a certain book. I cannot believe it ... absolutely marvellous. So well done. I am glad I spurred you on. Many congratulations on completing a written work.  Keep going ..." Thanks Isobel.
• Proof read e books. Hoping to have a back cover.
• Long wait for the wheels of Nielsens and Amazon to turn. They have ... so hard copy is available now on Amazon. Preferred supplier is York Publishing Services Book Shop on the following link -  http://www.ypdbooks.com/short-stories/933-ywnwab-autumn-story-book-YPD00864.html
• First review.  Thank you T.
• Positive e mails exchanged with Lord Archer who provided some initial encouragement in an exchange of e mails about his prison Diary books in 2011.
• 920,000 draft words mark passed.
• As well as progress on other small short story and factual books some progress on Look! which we plan as our first long book. Current 55,000 words being self edited and some gaps being filled in for a final word count of about 60,000 words.
• Re-reading John Braine's book 'How to Write a Novel'. Very blunt to the point advice. He says word count is important.
• Once e book is available some posts will be made on other web sites about our writing experiences since 2010. Other draft posts prepared on cover design and also book review and ranking for Amazon.
• Read The Citadel by John Delahunty who was also told he would not be able to write a book. Saxon's Bane by Geoffrey Gudgion also published in September - includes some nice ethereal and spiritual writing. Started The Stone Cutters a recommendation from Mary Tod who's first self published book Unravelled seems to be selling well in Canada her home market. About to start a 'final reader's review' of draft of Turning Point by Calvin Hedley.

Current mood in some easy music - Toto africa - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMbc5746HUo

Best wishes from the Allrighters

First Book Sold

Another milestone.

Penfro 2013
Attended first book fair Penfro 2013 yesterday Sunday 15 September, quite an experience. Horrible weather so the regulars said less people than last year. However, met lots of interesting people - buyers, potential buyers, other writers, contributers for future books, publishers and book shops. Being a one book stand did not help in comparison with other trader's tables full of books.

On an awful journey down to Tenby heard Mungo Jerry Summertime and my foot started to tap. Found the You Tube version of three very hairy men in London Park Lane area many years ago. The song captures my mood well this morning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG0oBPtyNb0

The fair next Saturday is shorter and being in Tenby should have a higher footfall ... yes I am learning the lingo of selling and marketing. A "black art" my first professional editor said when I told him I had published.

I took some second hand books to fill up my table and made some quick reviews on Amazon the 100th being for Ian Mcewan's Amsterdam. I have started the two books go for every one I buy. BODOT  - Buy one dispose of two.

Could not go to a book fair and not buy. So six books to chairty!

"A wheel adventure." - Lone cyclist peddles across the world to Afghanistan, Nepal and India. 
"Penfro Poets 2013" - A little wire bound book
"The Suspicians of Mr Whicher" on second reader book table. I heard the story on the wireless a few years ago.

Ywnwab!
Ywnwab! is now up on the York Publishing Services web site for purchase.

http://www.ypdbooks.com/short-stories/933-ywnwab-autumn-story-book-YPD00864.html

I am writing this watching Click on BBC2 and the progress of phone tablet and watch technology. Attending a book fair in remote Wales seems light years backwards.

Good reading and writing this week

Alexander