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Fire Season on Kindle Part Two

April 5, 2011 Uncategorized

While I'm not overly obsessive, for an author whose book just came out in another format worldwide, I did just want to put the official press release in below.While nice to read, and flattering it has also reminded me that the launch event is in less than two weeks. If you will excuse me, I'm off to the pub to soothe my nerves. What happened to the days when all authors had to do was write?--- Press Release ---Due to the success of the short story prequel Arrival, downloaded over eight thousand times, the e-book release of Fire Season was moved up to 2nd April 2011. Fire Season is now available for download internationally, from both Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com, and priced in the UK at £2.97. A gripping flight adventure, Fire Season is the debut novel by British author VH Folland, which

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Meet an Author Monday

March 21, 2011 Uncategorized

First a quick update. There are now 66 items up for auction at the Indie Author Relief Fund, all raising funds for the Red Cross. The auction closes tomorrow, so please get your bids in.More importantly if you can't donate, you can still fundraise. If you use this link,Lens about the Indie Authors Relief Fundand then click on an ad or through to the Relief Funds page, you are fundraising for rescue.org's Japanese appeal, supplying goods and funds to Japanese charities on the front line. If anyone would be interested I will set up a chain of the other lenses donating 100% to Japan - simply by clicking thorough, visiting an ad, buying something from the lens or donating directly, each of these lenses raises funds for Japan.The other thing to report is my first attempt at taking part in a

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Indie Authors Relief Fund Pt II.

March 19, 2011 Uncategorized

The Indie Authors auctions are now underway, with 43 lots currently offered. To bid, just visit their blog and comment under the item you want to buy.All this is for the Red Cross, raising funds for Japan disaster relief. And to deal with people who said this was off-topic for the blog:Lot #24 - Fire Season Signed Copy AuctionEven if you can't donate, you can still help. If you can promote the campaign, tweeting it or mentioning it on messageboards/forums please do. There are a full range of banners on the blog, and an RSS feed is available for syndication. And finally there's this Lens. If you can't afford to donate, visit that page and click an ad, or even just through to the Indie Authors Relief Fund main site and you will be raising funds for the International Rescue Commitee.

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Publisher v. Indie v. Small press

March 14, 2011 Uncategorized

Fire Season has been out for two months, and in some ways I am beginning to wonder if it would have been easier to go self-published rather than indie press. The reasons aren't obvious until you run into them, but almost certainly would affect other authors with small press, or startup publishers.If you self-publish, there are a whole range of awards, dedicated book blogs and a resurgence of interviewers dedicated to the field of self-publishing.If you are published by a publisher, there are a range of formal awards, dedicated blogs and media dedicated to mainstream publishing.It seems that everyone should fall into one of the two, surely.The problem is with the definition of "publisher". Some locations define it as a publishing house with five authors, others as one with at least twenty

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Coming Soon on Kindle

March 5, 2011 Uncategorized

A very quick announcement: I have just seen the first draft of Fire Season on Kindle. It should be on general release soon.Unfortunately I have also suffered a severe PC crash, of the type that requires a new computer. I've probably been overusing it over the last few weeks, but while I get things set up and working again, releases and work on a new title will be slowed right down. Another Twitter story is also under discussion, so I'll update on that once I have it set up again.

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A recommended read…

February 23, 2011 Uncategorized

...thanks to Waterstones.The card below it hasn't come out very well, but it displays several complimentary comments about my book.And my apologies for the delayed update: I'm still not over this illness and every time I get back towards a normal workload I end up spending more time recovering. The doctor said six weeks, which gives me three more to go before normal blogging will be resumed.

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On the shelves…

February 16, 2011 Uncategorized

My book's in store at Waterstones. When I found out, I did as any budding author would and promptly headed down there with a camera to record it for posterity, the blog, and any long-suffering friends I could corner. The alternative was to purchase a copy just to get the receipt for my scrapbook, but that might be going a little to far. When I arrived, I wasn't disappointed.This was good:This was unexpected and even better: My book is face-out on Waterstones shelves, right next to the author of one of my favourite books. For the suspicious among you, I didn't turn it that way. I found it like that. If you want to buy Fire Season from Waterstones, here's the link to order online or check if it's curently in your local:WaterstonesEven if it's not you can also order it from any Waterstones

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Books on shelves

February 9, 2011 Uncategorized

My apologies for the delayed update. After, rather optimistically, trying to work through flu, I managed to give myself pnuemonia. Fortunately I am recovering (while considering myself to be a right idiot), but updates will be erratic for a while.Well, the books are currently working their way through Waterstone's stock systems. Meanwhile there are now a few independants where the book can be obtained.Farthing Books, Coulsdon (details) is selling the book following up from its good review in the local magazine. If you want to support a local independent, here's a place to start.

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Local Author Adventures – Part Three (Interviews)

February 3, 2011 Uncategorized

The interesting chat with the bookshop was followed up by an interview where the first two questions were:

"How much did you pay to be published?" (Err...nothing, they pay me.)

"Which bookshop can we get your book from?" (All of them? It's on Nielsen.)

I was rather taken aback, but it does bring home how flexible the definition of published is. Unfortunately the reaction of local press to local author can be understandable sceptism - after all is it more likely someone in their area sold a manuscript or that they vanity-published?It also indicates the number of enquiries the press get from "local authors" who either live a few hundred miles away or have a book that for various reasons the press may not want to cover (quality, subject, editing etc.). Unfortunately this adds an

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Local Author Adventures – Part Two (booksellers)

February 2, 2011 Uncategorized

While "self-published" might strike fear into reviewers' hearts, it seems the phrase "Local author" does the same to booksellers.I just had a very depressing discussion with a local independent bookshop. I went in at the arranged time and went up to the lady behind the counter.

"Hi, I'm X, I made an appointment to discuss my book." I was surprised when her face fell, and then set into an apologetic expression.

"We don't stock POD books." I blinked slightly.

"That's fine. It's sale or return. Usual trade discount." She looked rather sceptical.

"Well, that's good but you'll need to arrange a distributor."

"It's with Central Books. You can order through Nielsen." I was absolutely stunned by the smile I got, as she headed behind the counter and asked for the ISBN. I

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