Cyber by David Sloma, read by the author.
And, read by computer!
Audiobook: I read my short story Cyber
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Author Archives: David_Sloma
My ebook publishing journey – part 3
My first ebook, of my short story Cyber, has just been accepted into Smashwords Premium Catalog! This is exciting, because it means that Smashwords will now distribute to it all of the major ebook sites out there, within a few weeks. Also, Smashwords has just announced that all Premium Catalog books will be also be distributed as their own Apps for smartphones! It’s such a great time to be a writer/publisher!
I just recorded myself reading my short story Cyber and will post it up online later today. This is my first foray into audio books, so another exciting milestone for me! Sure, I could find a voice actor to read my work, but I’ve always thought there was something special about an author reading their own work (it’s almost like going to a book reading without leaving your chair!). So, I’m going to present that; plus it saves me the trouble of finding someone else to record it! 😉
I’m thankful that I have the skills needed to take full advantage of this digital publishing convergence. After writing my books, I can format them, make the covers, record the audio book (and make it into a video file to distribute), and then have the ebook distributed to major outlets. I can then format the file to become a paperbook if I want to go that way with it, too. There are so many options now available for those who want to put the time and effort into doing it. Not everyone is going to have the skills or the interest to do all of these things themselves, but for those who can, they can get their books out very fast and cost-effectively. For those without the skills, or the interest, you can hire out the work you need done and still retain creative control.
Not that I’m feeling tied to having to do everything myself; I’m not, and I do contract some work out when needed. But, having control over how your work is presented a very good thing. For my upcoming novel (working title Skinjobs), for example, I am having a great local artist I know do the cover. I’m happy to delegate work out when I need to, or when I can. But, in the end, it’s a great thing to be able to put your project together they way you want, with the proper care and respect that your hard creative work deserves.
Haiku for May 1st – Worms and Rain
Worms and Rain
May rain on the grass,
Many worms come up to drink:
Robins don’t scare them.
by David Sloma, May 1, 2011
My ebook publishing journey – part 2
As of now, I’ve put 2 of my short stories up online for sale, “Cyber” and “Ugly Night.” They were published on Smashwords, an ebook distributor. Smashwords is the only venue I’ve published my ebooks on so far, so I’ll be dealing with their process for now. I do have an account on Createspace, which is the distribution system for Amazon.com, and I will be adding my ebooks there soon – so more on the Amazon/Createspace process when I have actually done it successfully. I published my ebooks on Smashwords through my publishing company Web of Life Solutions – more on the reasons for using a publishing company to publish your ebooks a bit later on. There are some very good reasons to have an umbrella company to publish your ebooks, either a separate company of your own, or someone else’s.
The two short stories that I’ve put up on Smashwords were stories I’ve had sitting around on my computer for some time, ready to go. I wanted to use them as my trial runs for making ebooks, before I published my longer works. This was suggested by a number of authors, as there is quite a lot to learn in epublishing, and it’s better to make “mistakes” on a shorter piece, than a longer piece. Though, the term “mistakes” is not really accurate.
Since ebooks are in the digital format, everything about them can be changed at any time. Mistakes can be fixed easily, but they will slow you down. As, to make a change in your ebook, you must go back to the original file, then upload the corrected version. In the case of Smashwords, your uploaded file in translated into at least 7 ebook versions, each of which (ideally) should be checked for any formatting errors introduced during the conversion process. So, you can see how updating a file, while an easy and quick process to do in terms of getting the file to Smashwords is concerned, costs you quite a bit more time in the review process.
My eBook Ugly Night is now available
My short story Ugly Night is now available as an eBook.
He was out in the big city for a blind date but saw more than he bargained for that night – things that would make him question his view of relationships and the world. A short story.
You can read a free excerpt here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/55152
Smoothie for April 24, 2011
http://blip.tv/file/5064365
Want to share your smoothie and be a guest smoothie star in a video? Drop us a line!
Bird encounters today
I had some amazing bird encounters today in the country! Check out the video I shot!
My eBook Cyber is now available
My short story Cyber is now available as an eBook from Smashwords. Other outlets coming soon. Your purchase helps support this independent author (me!). Please share the link with others. You can read a free excerpt and buy the ebook here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/55055
Published by Web of Life Solutions.
You can hire them to format, design and create your eBook. They can even setup your online account with distributors to get your eBook to market. http://www.weboflifesolutions.com
Starting my ebook publishing journey
I’ve been on the ebook publishing learning curve lately. There’s quite a lot to know, but I find it a very exciting process! My first real ebook (actually a short story called Cyber) is formatted and has been sent to the distributor. It will be available from the major online retailers soon, after I test out the various formats for quality control.
I’ve had some of my writing available in PDF format before, but now I’m moving into true ebook publishing for devices like the iPhone, iPad, Kindle, Nook, Droid, and others. The main difference between a PDF and a true ebook, is that with a PDF the text style is locked down, while an ebook is dynamic. The text flows and reformats according to the screen size of the device it’s read on, and to the preferences of the reader.
I’m using Smashwords for distribution, as they will get my books to all of the major players like Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Sony, Borders Australia, Angus & Robertson Australia, Whitcoulls (New Zealand), the Diesel eBook Store, and they are adding more all the time. Next, I’ll look into epublishing with Amazon (I already have a DVD for sale there).
It’s an amazing time to be a writer!
Coming soon: Short Stories – volume 1
I realized that I have a backlog of stories that need to get out there, so I’m working on a collection of some of my short fiction. I’m planning to have it for sale here on my site as an eBook, and also through the regular outlets such as Amazon/Kindle, Apple, Smashwords and the like. Also, I’m planning a print version through Amazon. This will be my first short story collection. That’s pretty exciting; at least I think so! I hope you will, too.
Published by Web of Life Solutions.