Hello,

We've had a recent spat of Russian spambots to our little website. It added several dozen spam accounts to the site and caused all kinds of wonderful havoc. Because of this, we're shutting down the Registration for the website for a while to stop the bots from doing what they're been doing. I also deleted a LOT of accounts that I believed to be part of the tsunami. If I inadvertently deleted your account, please forgive me and contact me to let me know. We'll get you back onsite asap.

Best wishes everyone!

Brent / Argy / ArgyrosfeniX

Crystal Core

The Young Ancients, The Young Ancients: Erotic Moments & The Young Ancients: Second Cycle series.
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PS Power
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Crystal Core

Unread postby PS Power » Wed Jan 17, 2018 1:26 am

The rough draft is done.

*I am nearly certain that many people will hate this book. It's not bad, but it subverts so many expectations about how stories are supposed to work...

I'll start on the editing tomorrow. I want to use my new editing system first, before foisting it on anyone else. (Which will still be needed. Why can't I be perfect? WHY!)

:)
Then, as soon as that is done, I'm working on a three book series. "Once a Demon" about a young woman who has to make some hard decisions, and some life changes... While trying to stay alive in a world that hates her for being. (Keeley Thomson)



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Re: Crystal Core

Unread postby Mojo » Wed Jan 17, 2018 1:30 pm

Sounds like Keeley is going to have to decide what type of demon she wants to be or even if she wants to be one.



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Re: Crystal Core

Unread postby PS Power » Thu Jan 18, 2018 4:42 am

Keeley and about half of the old Greater Demon society have already defected. With the dropping of the veil over the minds of humans, they aren't needed in their old positions.

The transition will not be smooth. Worse, things long forgotten are waking up and coming back...



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Re: Crystal Core

Unread postby David » Thu Jan 18, 2018 6:45 am

Can't wait, but I must!



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Re: Crystal Core

Unread postby MarciaA » Thu Jan 18, 2018 7:59 am

Happy dance! Can't wait!



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Re: Crystal Core

Unread postby rockhazard » Thu Jan 18, 2018 6:21 pm

Yeah. It's been a long time.



"If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason." --Jack Handey
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Re: Crystal Core

Unread postby PS Power » Sat Jan 20, 2018 4:41 am

A long time since Keeley had her own book? I suppose that's marginally true... About three or four years, I think?



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Re: Crystal Core

Unread postby PS Power » Tue Jan 23, 2018 2:08 pm

Update: First edit done. Begining second edit today. Then it will be off to the first (other than me) editor, then I plan to go through it again, then, out to the people here that want to take a look. (Hopefully at a decently clean copy by then!)

That's the plan, at least.

I'm feeling pressure to get the book out NOW, but it has to be good. Or at least well written. :)



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Re: Crystal Core

Unread postby Mojo » Tue Jan 23, 2018 2:54 pm

I'm just curious. What does it cost you for editing and for the cover art? I don't think people always understand that this stuff isn't free.



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Re: Crystal Core

Unread postby PS Power » Fri Jan 26, 2018 12:13 am

Ha! I actually do most of the editing myself (Which is common, but I put in a lot of extra effort.) On top of that I have someone that donates a first edit for each book, putting in a huge amount of work, which IS for free. Then (this is new) I go over it again when I get that back, which leaves my blind spots. Then the people here help with that, to keep the costs down that way.

So, thanks to the people being willing to read and mark things here, that part actually is free. For me. Most authors don't have that kind of backup.

The book covers cost about a thousand dollars apiece, however. That's my largest book production expense, as long as I don't need a new computer or legal copy of word. Little things really do add up, so every bit of help makes a difference.

(Thanks, everyone!)

My goal right now, with editing is to get good enough that I can reduce or eliminate the need to bother others for that kind of thing. Improvements have been made, over time, but it's still really helpful. (Which, just means that, when I get good enough, I can trade advance copies for reviews, so people can still get their's free, if they want.)

In the last days, I did a review of all time sales and... I haven't had a book sales drop off, like I expected! In fact, things are about the same, ever all.

At the same time, the income coming in has dropped by a little over half.

What's going on here? Well, it's Kindle Unlimited. I have just as many books going out, over time, but the slow speed of reading (compared to the big ratings push of a book being bought) combined with the lower amount made per book in KU AND the recent (last summer, I think) retooling of what is counted as a page, has lowered the amount coming in a lot.

*Then, we all knew that things like that would happen. It probably will, until authors flee Amazon and they are losing out on new sales because they lack books for it.

To fix this, I'm actually trying to work out sensible (as opposed to wasteful... Which I have done as well...) advertising strategies, as well as a release program that will, hopefully, double or tripple the amount of books being sold and borrowed.

To give everyone an idea of how significant this is, about 70% of all books read right now are coming from Kindle Unlimited.

Which is why, from now on, everyone will be pestered a bit when books come out to leave reviews, if they like the book as well as to actually tweet about it and to mention it online and to their friends! If I do that kind of thing, I'm the annoying author... If you do it, then you're a good friend who is actually helping others find good reading material!

That isn't a small point either. If I told ten thousand people that I have a new book out and it's good, I'd get about twenty or so sales. If someone else does the exact same thing, that goes up to about a hundred. That's power, there.

This is a business, even if I'm not that great of a businessman. (What with the willingness to give things away and all that.Plus, I honestly feel that sales coming from advertising are cheating, on a deep level. Which is silly, but still there, inside of me for some reason.)

Eventually, the book writing business will be done, as for being able to make a living at it. Probably within the next fifteen years. I'm hoping to keep going through that time, while setting up what I need for a graceful transition to something else. That's just life though, and we all need to be aware that things are changing in ways that will require adapting too. having a head start is a great advantage!

*Also, Crystal Core is out for the first "other eyes" edit, right now. I figure I'm three or four days from being able to have it for people here to look at, which is taking a lot longer than I like, let me tell you! (It's all me, trying to be very careful as to editing, as mentioned above.)

The next three books will, hopefully be coming at a faster pace. :)




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