Author Archives: Tiffany Turner

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About Tiffany Turner

I am a teacher by day, writer during the evening and weekends. I've written a children's fantasy series called the Crystal Keeper Chronicles. I've learned a lot as an Independent author. I want to share that now through blog posts, interviewing fellow authors, and reviewing other children's books. If you don't see it out there, build the blog yourself. I'm hoping to create a resource for people to find quality children's books that don't always fall along the lines of mainstream.
Jul9

No Limits: How To Write That Good Book

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IndieLife7If anyone could pull a book out of their butt, they would. That’s why writing a book is hard. Harder still is writing that good book that will sell to the top of bestseller lists. Everyone wants that. What is the formula?

Well, I can’t say that I’ve got a book on the Top Bestseller list, yet. I’ve had my books pop up on the smaller bestseller Amazon lists for different categories with a different genre. They helped spur my sales for a few days. But that could be another blog post in the future. Plus, my other books are Middle Grade novels. I love writing children’s books, but they just don’t sell as well as adult books. So, I’ve been waiting for the right recipe. Something to gel.

What I’m going to share today is how to write a good book to get on those lists. You can get people to buy your book with a good cover or write up. What will get them to tell others to buy your book? The secret is write a good book at the start. The secret of writing the “good book” is every writer’s dream. I’ll share what I’ve learned so far, and let you pull what you need.

My current project is a Time Travel Romance. I’m feeling a need to share this since making the magic of a book click together is so difficult. I should know. I’ve tried for almost 3 years to write Young Adult or even New Adult. They are bigger markets, and really are the areas that are doing well in self published ebooks.

I’ve also heard that sometimes books do write themselves. I never knew until over the last few weeks, I’ve started to churn out not one, but two Romance Novels. How? I let myself “Just Write”. I stopped telling myself that the book had to be with a certain character, setting or plot. I’m just letting the book be. Here is the process I am using to write them.

Recently, I pulled a Romance Novel introduction out of my butt. I woke up, grabbed my laptop, and wrote the intro to what seemed to be a Romance Novel. It felt good to just have the scene roll from my mind to my fingers typing. When I was done, I thought to myself, “Well, it’s not crap.”

But the day went forward, and the next day, I kept writing. The day after, I finished Chapter 2 and kept writing. Wooh. This was unusual. I’d tried so hard to write a YA or something for the adult market that might sell a bit better than Middle Grade novels. After a failed YA about Mary, Queen of the Scots, this Time Travel Romance novel was just flowing from my fingers. Why was it working this time? Why was it gelling?

I do write Middle Grade Novels. In fact, I’ve now written three MG novels in a fantasy/adventure series. I’ve got a system down for writing a book. I have a freelance editor, a support group of friends and family, and I hang out a lot on Kboads.com/writerscafe which is essentially my writer’s group online. I also joined a children’s writing organization (SCBWI) when I wanted to learn the genre. Note these four things: 1) Family and Friends 2) Join a Writers Organization for Your Genre 3) Find an Editor 3) Writer’s Group. These are the first four steps to gain a stable writing environment that will drive you to write the good book.

The first step you may already have. But I recommend not showing your first draft to anyone until it is done. Sit butt in chair and finish the book. It could be absolute crap, but it needs to be done to be a book. Remember, you can always change the ending, add plot devices, or as the phrase says, flesh it out. You need the bare bones of the first draft.

To get that done, I’ve promised myself to write for at least one hour a day. Just get the butt in the chair and do it. The rest is just details. Then, I read back as I’m writing and fine tune as I go. A good first draft should be reread at least twice before letting others see it. At least, that’s how I feel. Some people might enjoy more feedback as they are writing. I do ask people questions and research things that come up. But in the end, it’s better to keep one cook in the kitchen, and get it done.

Step Two is find a writer’s organization that can help you with the genre. If you have been writing already for awhile or belong to a group, I’ve gone the option of just studying the new genre. I found out that the type of Romance I am writing is Time Travel. I also started a new project a few days ago that is clearly a Paranormal Romance. I’ve been downloading examples and getting advice from other Romance novelists on what books to look at from my writer’s board. It’s almost like researching for a term paper. But a lot more fun.

Step three is finding a good editor. There are great freelancers out there. I think the best thing to do is go to a place you know people could recommend a good, reputable editor. I found mine on my writer’s board by simply posting, “I need an editor” and explained the project. But I asked for a sample edit first. This is crucial. You want to see if their style of writing/editing will work with yours. It is usually just a few pages.

I had one editor that was recommended through my writing group that wanted to charge $250 for a sample edit. I ended up going with the editor willing to work to see if we fit before shelling out cash. So, find out if they have done previous work in your genre and if they can work for you. I loved chosing my own editor. I think it was a better fit that way.

Step Four: Get that writing support you need by joining a writing board or writing online group. Really. This is crucial. Writer’s are lone creatures, but very delicate. If you have a problem with your draft, questions, or a shoulder to cry on from bad reviews, this is the place you need to post to feel safe and vent. I go to kboards.com in the Writers’ Cafe. It’s great to post if you are an Indie Writer starting out, a hybrid author self-publishing older manuscripts, or what ever might be writing related. It’s kept me from throwing the computer through the window several times.

After these steps are in place, give yourself no limits. I recently had my third MG novel, The Lost Secret of Dragonfire, win an honorable mention in the children’s category at the 2013 San Francisco Book Festival. At the ceremony, the winning overall book was called The Power of Starting Something Stupid by Richie Norton. The whole premise of the book is that when you have a stupid idea, and you got all these reasons maybe not to do it; that’s the time you should follow through. Don’t put up a wall or limit yourself because it sounds stupid. That probably means it’s the best idea in the world.

So, the last and final step is don’t limit yourself. If it’s stupid, but it’s working, do it. There will be a reason why you’re writing it later. Get it out of your system and figure how it fits in later. In the end, it might be your best writing of all. It could be the good book that becomes a bestseller. Remember, no limits, and keep writing.

**This post is part of the monthly
“Indie Life” posts linked on the Indelibles Blog.

The Lost Secret of Dragonfire is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

The Lost Secret of Dragonfire is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

***Tiffany Turner has just released her third book, The Lost Secret of Dragonfire, in her Crystal Keeper series. She continues to teach fourth graders in California while writing fantasy adventure middle grade novels. She actively plays the Gaelic Harp at Renaissance festivals throughout Northern California.

Jul2

Vacation Pairs With Learning in Allie Gator and the Seven Stones

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Allie Gator And The Seven Stones by Sean Eckenrod

Allie Gator And The Seven Stones by Sean Eckenrod

The next installment for the summer reading book review series is Allie Gator and the Seven Stones by Sean Eckenrod, a Middle Grade novel that will inspire learning while visiting that next river or beach. Allie is frustrated with being the only kid while the grown ups drag her to different activities only adults would love. She’d rather be swimming in the Myakka river, throwing stones, or exploring in her purple with orange flower flip flops. Her love for the river is revealed as fate, when she falls in and discovers a world in turmoil. The animals of Charlotte Harbor need her help to save them all.
Featured Indie Book and Author

Featured Indie Book and Author

Allie discovers that seven stones must be recovered to put the real world to right. With an alligator companion, a catfish, gar, and three wood storks, Allie faces each new challenge to find the seven missing stones. She must overcome her self doubt, puzzling characters and obstacles, and learn that sometimes the best way to solve a problem is to deal with it head on.

I enjoyed this Middle Grade novel since it helps teach about the animals in Charlotte Harbor, Florida combined with self confidence. Anyone that has felt like the black sheep of any family may relate to Allie. As she goes through each challenge, new habitat and animals are revealed.

It was a learning experience for myself. I learned what a gar is. It’s a bottom feeder fish that lives mostly in brackish water. So, I have to say, everyone will learn a new nugget of wisdom while reading this book. I felt I was along with a park ranger in the form of an alligator while experiencing difficult tasks with Allie.

For more information and maps on the areas of Florida that are in the book, please visit Sean Eckenrod’s website. Book Club questions can also be found. Also on the website are chapter links that tell about each animal featured for each chapter in the book.

Turn the summer into an opportunity for learning about new habitats, animals in Florida, and a little kindness towards other living things. It’s a lesson that is so important to share.

**** Rating

Allie and the Seven Stones can be purchased at Amazon.com as a paperback or Kindle ebook.

To continue with your INDIEpendence Day Blog tour event, link back to the Indibles Writers Blog.

Jun21

Get On The Train To Health

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Chew Chew The Food Chain Train by Janet Michelson

Chew Chew The Food Chain Train by Janet Michelson

As part of my summer reading series, I’m starting off this first post with a great book to get your children or grandchildren eating healthy for the summer. “Chew Chew The Food Chain Train” by Janet Michelson is a wonderful picture book to help keep your little one on a healthy track. Speaking as a teacher, this is a great book to introduce children to the idea of eating healthier. Kids always want ice cream and candy. Teaching them why they need to eat other snack foods will help save many of today’s next generation from obesity or diabetes.

This story gives the role model to grandparents as they take their grandchildren out to a special restaurant that features “Chew Chew”, a buffet train, that rolls by with healthy snacks such as fruit, vegetables, and nuts. The children have to select healthy food choices for their dinner. This is a great way to promote why healthy snacks are a better choice. Plus, how to choose those foods is always hard to explain to little ones. This is a great way to do so, and have fun exploring some of the knowledge after the book is read.

“Chew Chew The Food Chain Train” is a great way to introduce younger children on how to eat healthy foods. Choice is important, especially in helping to preserve the health of the new generation. Teaching wise snack choices is necessary, and this is a great way to do it.

**** Four Star Rating

“Chew Chew The Food Chain Train” is available on Amazon.com as a paperback and Ebook. It’s available at Barnes and Noble for the Nook. Bilingual editions available in German and French.

Jun12

The Dos of Promoting Your New Indie Children’s Book

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IndieLife7The self publishing road is never easy. In the past, I noticed a note of distain in some people if I happened to mention my book was self published. At many writing conferences, mentioning you were self published would be the first step before getting a traditional publisher.

But these days, the rules are changing. What matters is that you published a good book that people want to read. The hard part is getting the word out about your book. It’s all a new frontier. Since the rules are being rewritten, I’m keeping track of my round three try at promotion, and seeing what sticks. It all could be new additions to the rulebook.

I’ve been self-publishing my books since 2005. I’ve learned a lot of dos and don’ts, and really put together a well thought out third book with a freelance editor and illustrator. With my previous book, I’d learned a lot of how to promote and where not to promote. This time around, I’m following as many dos as possible, and picking up a few new dos along the way.

Excepting the Honorable Mention Award for Children's Books at the San Francisco Book Festival 2013

Accepting the Honorable Mention Award for Children’s Books at the San Francisco Book Festival 2013

My second book didn’t win awards or get as much notice as I would like. It might have been because I was still learning. It got reviews, some mentions on reader blogs, and helped some people to continue with the fantasy series I’ve created. I think of it as a bridge to understanding in many ways. It helped lead to a greater understanding of where to promote for my next book.

With the release of my third book, The Lost Secret of Dragonfire, I decided to try some new areas to promote, awards, and target areas that welcomed self published books. I talked to local bookstores, and found a very receptive owner that immediately welcomed me into her Indie community. I felt that this new approach was starting to finally be my niche.

I entered the deadlines for Indie awards in the spring using a fellow blogger award list. I won honorable mention in the San Francisco Book Festival. In mid May, I drove to San Francisco for the weekend, and accepted my first literature award. I am since working with the promotional company to get the word out about my win, and of course, have a seal to affix to my third book.
While having a conversation with Bruce Haring, the marketing manager of the SF Book Festival, he pointed out, “Ahh, you’re the author that plays the harp.” Immediately I realized that just being an author or a teacher wasn’t making me stand out as an author. It was that I played the Gaelic Harp that was making me stand out from the crowd.

Lead into my first book signing for the third book at Booksmart in Morgan Hill, CA. I had already plastered the flyers with the fact I would play the harp, read from my new book, and answer some Q and A about the Crystal Keeper series. I was greeted by the owner warmly when I entered, with a table and all my books set up. There was a regular crowd, some of my diehard fans, and those people that had come in from the heat for ice cream.

Tiffany Turner signing her third book, The Lost Secret of Dragonfire, at Booksmart in Morgan Hill, CA.

Tiffany Turner signing her third book, The Lost Secret of Dragonfire, at Booksmart in Morgan Hill, CA.

I started with playing the harp including walking around the store to let people know about the talk going on. I did mention about how I play at Renaissance Festivals, which helped me make a connection with people that had attended.

Now, most of the people I was speaking for were children and their parents. So, I preceeded into a prior knowledge questioning strategy before my read aloud, and then read a part of the new book that fit that audience. Yes, it was a very teacher thing to do, but I find using some teaching strategies during book talks works very well during my author talks to my readers, usually ages 8-12.

The turn out sold 22 books at last count. This is considered a good turn out, and I had a lot of fun. I even had one parent ask about speaking at their school and trying to get kids interested in books. Of course, this is my middle name, wanting to get kids interested in books. I gave her my card, and said we’ll talk about how I can help with that, explaining that I was mostly available for talks in the evening.

So, what has this Indie author learned about promoting her book in this round 3 event? Pretty much, the best way to promote a book is to start with yourself. What can you give to a signing or event? You also have to start with a good book. Get that editor and illustrator to help. Then, when it comes time for promotion, don’t think in terms of just your book, but yourself as an author. Promote yourself with your new book.

The one thing I had trouble realizing was that it wasn’t the book but the author that needed promotion. You will write more books. If you get a following for yourself, then the readers will come. But they come back for you and your new book.

Plus, don’t go down the roads that deny self-published books. If you book is a good book, you will be read and accepted as the good book it is. A lot of websites or awards will specialize in self-published books. There is a community forming on the new frontier, the internet. Figure something to promote yourself, some tie in or skill you might have to go with your book, you’ll get noticed out of the tidal wave of new books released. Getting yourself noticed is hard, but having the tools and reliance in yourself will get the work done for you. Remember, if you’re self published, there is the Indie book store and self published community that has grown over the years to help. Come find us. We’ll play!

Here are some links to start:

Groups for Independent Authors

1)Association of Independent Authors-Authors Group
http://www.independent-authors.org/

2)Indie ReCon-Great Online Resource and Writing Conference
http://www.indierecon.org/

Indie Award Links

3) Independent Publisher Book Awards (Ippy Awards)
https://secure.independentpublisher.com/ipland/IPAwards.php

4) Indie Excellence Awards
http://www.indieexcellence.com/

5) San Francisco Book Festival
http://www.sanfranciscobookfestival.com/

In the end, there is a lot out there to promote with, awards, book reviewers, and book bloggers. But targeting to specific reviewers and awards that except Indie and self published books has really helped set myself apart. Plus, just getting to know how I can help sell myself as an author has made all the difference.

I’m still working on getting books out for review, but now I have editors I know from review sites already. I’m targeting my review copies to them. Plus, getting ideas from my writing boards, such as kboards.com, always is a way to get new ideas. I might have to add “To Be Continued” for this part of the story. Round 3 will continue.

**This post is part of the monthly
“Indie Life” posts linked on the Indelibles Blog.

The Lost Secret of Dragonfire is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

The Lost Secret of Dragonfire is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

***Tiffany Turner has just released her third book, The Lost Secret of Dragonfire, in her Crystal Keeper series. She continues to teach fourth graders in California while writing fantasy adventure middle grade novels. She actively plays the Gaelic Harp at Renaissance festivals throughout Northern California.

Jun10

The Lost Secret of Dragonfire Wins Honorable Mention In The San Francisco Book Festival

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The Lost Secret of Dragonfire is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

The Lost Secret of Dragonfire is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

I am happy to announce that The Lost Secret of Dragonfire has won honorable mention in The San Francisco Book Festival on May 18. I was privileged to go to the awards ceremony and accept the award. It was my first walk up to a podium. After over 7 years of trying, I’ve finally gotten recognized for creating a great work of fiction. There can only be more.

I enjoyed meeting everyone at the book festival during the day. I met Patti Ptak Kogutek, the author of “A Change of Habit”. She has an outgoing personality, and I wanted to find out the story of her journey from Sister Mary Kateri to Sister Mary Vodka. So, I bought and enjoyed reading her book.

Accepting the Honorable Mention Award for Children's Books at the San Francisco Book Festival 2013

Accepting the Honorable Mention Award for Children’s Books at the San Francisco Book Festival 2013


I also enjoyed listening to the informative panels of authors through out the day. There was a panel on marketing and promotions, children’s authors, and ebooks. I even met up with an author, Lloyd Lofthouse, that is on one of my yahoo writing groups. It was awesome to finally meet one of the people I’ve talked to through the internet for so long.

Plus, I learned that having some way for you to get noticed helps to break free from the crowd. I finally got to meet Bruce Haring, managing director of the SF Book Festival. One of the first things he mentioned was, “Hey, you’re the author that plays the harp.” For some reason, I’m guessing not many authors may pluck and write in their spare time as I do. So, pretty much, I’ve discovered a marketing break through. My harp playing as a hook. Really, so many legends connect harps and fairies. Harps are supposedly the way to call fairies to you. Combined with my new award win and harp playing, I feel the carving of a niche in the Indie book world.

Overall, it was a great experience for any writer. I accepted an award, met and exchanged information from others in publishing, and had a great time. Truly, there is something to be said about entering as many awards as possible. You might win one of them. So, keep trying, keep writing.

May11

The Lost Secret of Dragonfire Has Been Released

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The Lost Secret of Dragonfire is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

The Lost Secret of Dragonfire is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Hear ye, hear ye! I am proud to announce the release of the third book in the Crystal Keeper Chronicles, The Lost Secret of Dragonfire. It has been a long time in making. After three long years of work, I’d like to thank my editor, Shelley Holloway. She helped me navigate the twisty paths of narrative verb agreement. Plus, a big thank you to Rich Wallace, the talented artist that does my cover and interior illustrations.

To celebrate, I will be doing a book signing at Booksmart in Morgan Hill on June 1 from 3pm to 5pm. Come hear me play the Gaelic harp, read an excerpt of the book, and chat with me about the series. I’ll be happy to sign any other books in the series as well. Booksmart is located at 80 East 2nd St. in Morgan Hill, CA. It is near the corner of 2nd St. and Depot St. Their phone number is: 408-778-6467.

Here is a little about the new book:
Fairies are still real. Don’t have doubts. Their world can be dangerous as well. Wanda is too familiar with this. As a Crystal Keeper, she helps the fairies of her realm. But the evil sorcerer Balkazaar has other plans. He’s kidnapped her friend and fellow Crystal Keeper Edina. Wanda is faced with the mystery of her disappearance while trying to figure out Balkazaar’s next move. Haunted by dreams of dragons, Wanda must find a way to save her friend. But problems don’t end with just one path. Will she find the right one to save the Fairy World? Or will Balkazaar have other plans? Join her in the third book of the Crystal Keeper Chronicles.

An excerpt as Wanda faces Balkazaar again:
“‘You always have great timing, Balkazaar.’ Really. I was mad. I didn’t even think to be scared. I was sick of this guy ruining my day, my life, and for taking my friend. ‘So, what have you been up to? Sick of Eddie yet? Can you bring her back like a good villain, or do I have to get rough?’

He gave a chuckle at that. ‘Really, Wanda. Of all the Keepers, I seem to like you best. I think it’s because you seem to watch so much of that contraption in your world. What is it called, a television? I think it gives you too many ideas. Really, you should study more of the books Castrotomas and Brewford give you.’ He twists his mustache. ‘I’m not your average villain, you see. I have plans for you.'”

***The Lost Secret of Dragonfire can be purchased at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com. It is available for the Nook and for the Kobo Ereader.

Apr16

Standing At The Finish Line

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Runners at a Sydney Marathon at the finish line.

Runners at a Sydney Marathon at the finish line.

Sydney, July 2012. I’m standing in one of my favorite places as a tourist. My husband and I are visiting for our second trip, and we are lucky enough to come across a local marathon with the finish line in The Rocks, an area of Sydney, Australia. Looking around, I take a picture of the runners transfixed by their moment of triumph. I almost can’t pull away. I’m sucked into the moment.

But I’m not a runner. If anything, I’d have to walk a marathon. But I have the fullest respect for these people that take on a challenge such as this. Plus, I have friends back home that would appreciate seeing a marathon in Sydney. It’s for these friends, mostly work colleagues back in the United States, that I post pictures on Facebook of the event. I know they would enjoy watching these runners cross the finish line.

The Finish Line of the race spotted in the Rocks, Sydney.

The Finish Line of the race spotted in the Rocks, Sydney.

Today, April 15, 2013, in Boston. Two bombs are set off near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. I’m at a loss for words. I think of the people harmlessly watching the event, cheering on the runners that are still finishing after over 4 hours. I don’t think I can possibly imagine the rest. It’s too horrific.

But I know more has happened then this tragic event. Every time something like this happens, something is lost. The freedom to stand near the finish line of a race, or a sports event, at a concert, could this fear be passed on? Should fear take the place of the pure joy of experiencing? No. I will not be terrorized from the inside.

Security may change at events. Airports have proven this worldwide. But I do not feel that, even though my heart aches for the people in Boston, this harmful event will stop the freedom of people enjoying the simple act of experiencing the triumph of others. I will continue to sightsee, stand in a crowd, and cheer the winning or losing team. There is one person that said something that keeps repeating in my mind today. It was said by Anne Frank.

“In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.” -Anne Frank

Apr10

Why is Self-Publishing Working?

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IndieLife7There is a revolution going on in publishing right now. Self-publishing is taking off in different directions. At the forefront of this revolution are the innovative authors that share their ideas, articles, and experiences at a certain writing board that is popular for the Bohemians of this revolution. The writing board, KBoards.com, known before as Kindleboards.com, is a gathering place for a lot of the cutting edge Indie authors with ebooks listed on Amazon.com. Many problems are solved, innovations discussed, and ideas abound in a modern day Bohemian life search for getting ones book out and noticed. Four years ago, another self published author directed me to this board to get advice. And it has been a blessing in disguise. I am grateful for this writing board’s help and attention, and I’d like to share some of the advice I’ve found there, and how I’ve made self-publishing work for me.

As usual, there are voices always out there trying to share experiences of self-publishing. One such voice has been humbly sharing all of his processes including his recent signing with Simon & Schuster. His name is Hugh Howey. His book, Wool, is currently on the new release table at Barnes and Noble. His book, Wool(Omnibus edition) was voted runner up in the 2012 Goodreads Book of the Year for the Best Sci-Fiction category. Basically, he started with a good book and self-published. In the end, he’s kept his digital rights pioneering a new frontier for all authors. But then I digress. This is what happened this last week.

Hugh, being tired of seeing such negative comments about self-published authors, presented an article to Salon.com using the Kboard.com thread to research his article, Self Publishing is the Future-And Great for Writers. Basically, he wanted to point out that there are people out there making a living at self-publishing, mostly what would be considered mid-list authors. His basic point was that there are people making a living, or paying the basics such as rent, bills, and other critical things that help you launch as a writer.

There were the normal, negative comments. But there was a surprising amount of support from other self-published authors. Really, it proved to me that there is an underground community, a sense of realness and artist survival shared by many. There were many other stories shared, or even just income per month, on the success of being an Indie Author. It made me think; you just can’t sit around and wait at the drugstore counter to be discovered like everyone else. You have to go out and make self-publishing work for you.

Why is it working for many of us? It has to do with the royalty percentage. Ebooks are still relatively new. Most royalty percentage for self-published companies are 50-60%. My current publisher, Trafford Publishing, gives 50% of the ebook net sales. I have no agent to share this percentage. My average sales is about 10 ebooks a month. Now, this is not terribly impressive compared to some of the other numbers I’ve seen. I also know that children’s ebooks sales are slowly growing. Plus, I am selling books. This is better than collecting dust on a shelf. Most of the 5-6 figures of income of self-publishing authors are Romance and Mystery. Throw in sometimes Sci-Fi, and it is working for many people. It is working better than some people can imagine.

There are some advantages to self-publishing my book. In 2007, I published my first book, The Lost Secret of Fairies. In 2009, I published the second book in the series, The Lost Secret of the Green Man. As the third book, The Lost Secret of Dragonfire, releases this spring, all my previous books are available on the virtual shelf. Readers can go back and buy the earlier books at a listing price of $1.99 or $2.99. But that leads to the next point.

Being successful also depends on your selling price of the book. I saw indie author experiments with pricing influence the price of books. I tried my own with my Amazon Price Matching Experiment last year, and posted on my blog about it. In October 2012, Amazon had a settlement with the US State Attorney to reimburse customers for price fixing with three different publishers. Prices were no longer fixed at $9.99 for ebooks.

In fact, the price points started to drop, you guessed it, to $0.99 to $3.99. In April 2012, Mike Coker did a post on his blog showing what price points worked on his website, Smashwords.com, $0.99 and $3.99. He had all the Indie Author data of experimentation to back him up. That’s when others started to listen. Data is starting to show self-publishing can work. It’s not hard to connect the dots that self-publishing is not only working, but having it’s data and experiences used by other publishers.

Being tuned into all of this uprising is like a front row seat to some of the biggest change happening in publishing. Those of us who have nothing to loose, no overhead, and no corporate structure to answer to can try new things on a whim. I tried the Amazon price matching idea and watched my first book, The Lost Secret of Fairies, be downloaded for free over 9,000 times to build a whole new reader base. Three months later, Amazon switched to two separate buying lists so free downloads wouldn’t top their best seller lists. But it worked for me, because I was an indie author that had control of my pricing and distribution. This is a whole new concept for authors, and exciting to be at the forefront.

To add to this, I know where my ebooks have sold. I can log on and see how many sales I’ve had in the US, UK, and Canada. I’ve even had a few books sell in Japan. This is using listings for Kindle Direct Publishing and Smashwords.com. Smashwords distributes to Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Apple, and several other ebook retailers. These are just the ones that I use. Other avenues are available too.

In a way, I’ve been trying to make self-publishing work for me. My new book, The Lost Secret of Dragonfire, took three years to write. I spent the last year editing with a fabulous freelance editor named Shelley Holloway. I’ve hired an artist, Rich Wallace, to do the cover and inside illustrations for the last three books. In the end, I learned it really doesn’t matter to your reader how your book gets to them, but that it does. Whether your book is self published or traditionally published, a reader will want your book if they like it. So, the most important thing is to write a good book. That is what any successful author does. Write a good book that people will want. If your book is good and available, people will want it, no matter how it is published.

**This post is part of the monthly
“Indie Life” posts linked on the Indelibles Blog.

dragonfiretbnailjpgTiffany Turner is a self-published author the children’s fantasy adventure series called The Crystal Keeper Chronicles. Her current release, The Lost Secret of Dragonfire, is the third book in the series. She has been an elementary teacher in California for 16 years.

Mar6

Read an Ebook Week March 3-9 on Smashwords

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Available at Smashwords for 50% this week in celebration of "Read an Ebook Week".

Available at Smashwords for 50% off this week in celebration of “Read an Ebook Week”.

It’s that time of year again. No, not for wearing green, but to head over to Smashwords and pick up those free and hugely discounted ebooks. This is probably the biggest promo that Smashwords does all year round, and it is a great tradition to be a part of. If you are a children’s author and have your books distributed on Smashwords, please leave a comment of where your book can be found. If you’re a fan of ebooks, or just want to see what they are all about, check out the many deals going on this week.

Smashwords has several formats that you can download for an ebook. If you want to pick up some bargains in children’s ebooks, Smashwords is the place to shop this week.

Plus, I’ve just received an official release date for my third book. The Lost Secret of Dragonfire is due for release in May this year. So, both books in the Crystal Keeper Chronicles are 50% in support of Ebook Week. Pick up the first two books in the series at an extra discount, and you’ll be ready for the third book in May.

Happy “Read an Ebook Week”. It’s a great way to celebrate literature in the digital age.

*The Lost Secret of Fairies and The Lost Secret of the Green Man are available this week only at Smashwords for 50% off.

Feb11

A Special Way to Say “I Love You”

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I Love You! by Calee M. Lee

I Love You! by Calee M. Lee

When searching for the perfect Valentine’s Gift for your child, try sharing your love over and over again through a unique picture book. I Love You! by Calee M. Lee is a wonderful way to tell your youngster those special words for Valentine’s Day. The book is unique in that it repeats all the different ways love can be expressed. From a secret pillow fort to a birthday crown, the pages flow through kid friendly events to share over and over.

I really loved the illustrations and layout for this book. The text looks as if it is written on mini-notebook paper, and the pictures are adorable.The illustrator, Tricia Tharp, captures the whimsical charm of every kid event with cartoon style images. You’ll want to read this book over and over. It’s a great way to tuck your little one into bed this week. It’s a great Valentine’s Day gift that can be enjoyed all year long.

***** 5 Stars
Available as a paperback and ebook at Amazon.com Also available at Barnes and Noble as a paperback edition.