So, Gentle Reader, I spent most of the day Tuesday struggling and battling to learn and put up my very first . . . self-published ebook! (Well, to be perfectly correct, eshort.)
As I have mentioned before I struggle mightily with technology. So, as you might well imagine, this was an epic battle requiring a great deal of tea and chocolate. On more than one occasion I had to pointedly walk away from my computer, so it would think I was not involved, and thus work properly. Sometimes I have to be trixy with my technology.
But, in the end: accounts were made, new coding learned, three new programs acquired, cover art designed, and the struggle was fruitful. I could not have done it without J. Daniel Sawyer my cover artist and consummate guide through the mire of epub. I don’t know if I am more inept than everyone else, but ebooks are hard.
So, I decided to start, as is my wont, with the beginning. For $0.99 you can read the very first short story I sold to a professional market, “My Sister’s Song.” For the writers out there, you can see how my voice is just beginning to develop. It’s different from the Parasol Protectorate stuff, but still has that underbelly of comedy, and I do hope you enjoy it.
I’m going to try to put one short up a month through the rest of the year. To keep me on my toes and you entertained while you wait for Timeless. These will represent my small backlog of previously published works. After that, I have one of two unpublished pieces I might put up. One of these features Alessandro Tarabotti. They’ll take more work, since I am a perfectionist and I wouldn’t want to present a product that hadn’t been carefully checked over and copy edited.
To answer the inevitable print question. . . I’ve no intentions to self pub a print collection of these shorts. There is no unifying theme and I have never considered myself a short story writer. They are available in all possible electronic formats, though, so you can download and read them on your computer if no other way.
Book News: More from my interview with the Airship Ambassador.
Quote of the Day: “Good cuisine is the result of nonconsensual relations with invading armies.”
~ Tony Bourdain
Hi Gail,
Just found out about the Parasol Protectorate series, and am intrigued by your eShort. I had already picked up Soulless, so I figured what would it hurt to drop another 99 cents on this? I'm also thinking about trying out the same eShort approach in the coming year, so I'll be following your blog with great interest to see how it pans out for you, especially with the self-publication and marketing angle. Best of luck!
Jonathan
http://jonathandallen.com