Where are we going now?

Recent posts from the Office of Letters and Light - the people behind Nanowrimo - Self-Publishing vs Publishing: How To Choose Your Path by Lynn Viehl, and Mark Coker at Smashwords have discussed the ongoing debate between traditional and self-publishing.

Lynn Viehl considers the options as either or and perhaps both depending on the circumstances and the writer making the choices. Mark Coker's posting after the San Francisco Writer's Conference, where eBook publishing held the centre stage referred to a constantly and rapidly changing landscape in the publishing world. His presentation, How The Ebook Revolution Will Transform Your Career, explores ten trends in publishing and how they impact on the traditional and eBook sides of the story. In an earlier post at Smashwords blog and an interview on NPR Mark Coker remarks on the shift in perspective where self-publishing was considered the option of last resort. The refuge of the vain and the desperate, and now the goal posts have been uprooted and appear to be wandering around the pitch. Writers are deliberately opting for self-publishing as a first choice not the last chance saloon, and traditional publishers are trawling through e-published works for the next best seller - the Fifty Shades spectacular last year - eyeing up the also viewed and most download Stats at sites across the net.

Whatever lies in the future and considering the changes that have taken place in the last five years that is a movable feast of the most magnificent proportions; the old way is gone forever. Books will continue to be created and enjoyed, cherished and loved, published and read with every emotion that reaches out from the written word. We will argue over which is best, discourse and discuss the words on the printed page, the iPad, Kobo and Kindle screen, in whatever format we have or favour, and is the truth of it not that we love books -  though undeniably true - rather that in any shape or form we adore stories, and the people who create them; the Writers, of million sellers or for a select readership. The story is what counts and today, writers, along with publishers (self or trad), agents and book sellers are the characters in a story as profound as the impact of the movable type.

A slightly shameless plug

OK, I'm a writer with books out, and I shall indulge in shameless plugging, slight adjustments to the blog now contain links to my books at Smashwords (over to the left a bit and click on the image), Two are completed, and the third, What You Ask For (first mentioned in Nanowrimo 2012 with Not Without My Cat and both are Nanowrimo 2012 winners,) is a work in progress and is free to download and  follow the action  . Check the post of 15th February for a link to Not Without My Cat, to read the whole story there. End of plug.

Not Without My Cat - update

Nanowrimo winner Not Without My Cat cleared the checks for Smashwords premium catalogue and is on its way through the distribution channels, already visible at Kobo, here, and before long should be appearing on the other retailers supplied by Smashwords.com,   with the usual list of characters, iTunes, Sony, Diesel, B&N, but it's still with the back room boys. If you're heading for Smashwords, call at Anne's Blog and collect a discount code (valid until 31st March) - it makes the book a freebie. A.M Russell, like myself is one of the many thousands of writers and publishers who have found an outlet for our work at Smashwords, because we care about writing, we enjoy it, and want to share our stories with you, because a story is nothing if you can't tell it to someone, and running with that idea I have a couple of discount codes for  my novels; TA34B for Iceline and BU95A for Control: Escape, to run until the 31st of March.

Not Without My Cat is a science fiction adventure, Iceline and Control: Escape are thriller adventures, follow the links, check in the codes and you'll have three cracking reads, and the discount codes will save you enough money for a really good coffee or three. . 

Plan A, B, C?

Best laid plans of mice and men, Robert Burns threw that old cliché together, and then muttered about it all gang awry.
What You Ask For is not as complete at as I hoped it would be by now, let's put it down to technical difficulties, and project a completion date for late Spring. I'm aiming for the checked, proofed and edited text to be available at Smashwords, and then through their distribution channels to Apple, Sony, Kobo, et al
Whoever you are out there, reading your way through What You Ask For, stay with it, the story is continuing, and thanks for reading.

I mentioned this one earlier - new book out

Last November amid all the excitement of Nanowrimo 2012 I talked about a work in progress by an Indie Author I know - a writing buddy as they're known at Nanorwrimo, the book is now finished and published at Smashwords.com - Not Without my Cat (when fish is not enough) in the author's own words

Sam is a detective, who along with his smart but troublesome cat Camille, uncovers an impossible crime. With the scene of the unusual event too close to home for a man already harassed with a Mad Ex and difficult new clients, this proves to be the challenge that he needs to overcome his deepest fears, find out what electric tin openers are really used for; and save a Lady from mortal peril.

A Science Fiction Adventure with Alternate Realities, Well Made Cocktails, a missing scientist or two, and Cheese and tomato sandwiches. And Let us not forget the Glow in the dark, dimension jumping Cat....

Nip across to Anne's Blog for a discount code valid at Smashwords and enjoy the book, tell your friends; the book is currently passing through the review system at Smashwords and will soon be on its way through the distribution channels to major ebook distributors, Apple itunes, Sony, Kobo, et al!