This is the time of year people start mentioning those
things for which they’re thankful—not that this is the only time of year we
have those thoughts. I’m especially happy because this last release means I
have twenty-five titles for download. Some are books, some novellas, and some
boxed sets that duplicate some of the first two. This might not sound like a
big deal to readers, but this is an accomplishment that reassures me I won’t run out of ideas—or
readers.
I love, love, love readers. If I could, I’d thank each
person who’s ever bought one of my books. I can’t, so please know that I
appreciate each time you read one of my books. You give meaning to my job.
There are millions of books online. Thank you for choosing one of mine. Bless
you!
Although my pocketbook doesn’t show I’m a success by any
means, at least I know I can produce titles that some readers enjoy. Writers
want readers to love our books. Yes, we crave your approval. We want you to buy
title after title and prove you enjoy our writing. That’s certainly true for
me. And if you leave a review, that’s even better!
Most of us sit alone at a desktop or laptop for countless
hours creating our stories. Then we pay someone to edit them, someone else to
create the cover, and some people pay another person to format and upload their
books. I’m fortunate that my husband formats and uploads my books for me, and
that reduces a part of my cost. Kim Killion does my covers now and she is a
very creative professional.
Some authors may have a thousand dollars or more and
hundreds of hours invested before their book ever becomes available online. And
then there are the ads and marketing costs, prizes, and the investment of time
in social media or cost of paying an assistant and/or promotion person. Hear
the costs rising? See me cringe and shiver? Decidedly, I’m a low budget
operation, but I do have my share of expenses.
Honestly, all I wanted to do was write my stories for readers.
And I do, day after day. I love my job. After all, I can come to work in sweats
and no makeup and still travel to other places and times. What a job!
But here’s the thing, some readers expect that work for free
or 99 cents every time. Authors might experiment with those prices to promote a
series or for a special promotion, but you can see that we can’t stick with
those prices for the long haul. Nope, can’t do it. Have to recoup some of our
time and expenses. Writers have to pay bills, too.
Still, I’m not complaining. I love what I do and hope
readers love my writing. I want to entertain readers. I don’t resent people
accusing me of writing mind candy. Since most of my books are historical, I
intend that taking you to another time removed from ours will amuse you and provide
an escape from whatever is troubling you or making you weary. Everyone deserves
a happily-ever-after, even if it’s only for a few hours.
I intend to continue writing stories involving characters I
love. Right now, I have two releases about which I’ve told you recently:
STONE MOUNTAIN CHRISTMAS is my first Christmas novella.
Christmas is my favorite time of year. Not the day, but the anticipation
leading up to the day. I love shopping for the perfect gifts to please those on
my list, the decorations, the carols, the festive spirit of the season. Buy
links for this novella are:
Amazon http://amzn.com/B00OQUTDXA
Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00OQUTDXA
Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stone-mountain-christmas-caroline-clemmons/1120622158?ean=2940046278842&itm=1&usri=2940046278842
WILD WESTERN WOMEN is the other recent release. Kirsten
Osbourne, Callie Hutton, Sylvia McDaniel, Merry Farmer, and I each have a
novella in this boxed set plus two short stories. My book is SAVE YOUR HEART FOR ME and my short story is "Stone Mountain Reunion".Buy links for this boxed set are:
Amazon USA http://amzn.com/B00O35YY0U
Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00O35YY0U
Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wild-western-women-kirsten-osbourne/1120671175?ean=2940150665682
Now I’m at work on WINTER BRIDE, but don’t yet have the
cover back from Kim Killion. It’s one of the Stone Mountain series and features
Sheriff Butch Parrish as the hero. What a guy! I can’t decide when to release
this book. Probably I’ll wait until the middle of January. What do you think?
If you want to be kept up to date about new releases and
contests and giveaways and launches, please subscribe to my newsletter. You’ll
find the entry if you click on the envelope at the top of the blog's right sidebar. I
don’t send frequent newsletters, just when I have a release or contest. No
salesman will call. Really.
In the meantime, thanks for stopping by!
No comments:
Post a Comment