E-book Challenge Read/Critiques

Way back when I issued the E-book challenge, I promised to randomly select 20 of the entries, read them, and offer the author a private critique. I apologize for my delay in keeping that promise, but I wanted to see how many e-books were submitted, if I could rearrange the schedule, and do a little better than 20.

Turns out I can, so I'm going to read and offer private critiques on all of the E-books in the challenge.

I should be able to read my way through the entire list by mid- to late-December (I'll draw one e-book at random from the list at a time until I read and crit them all.) Also, I will not be reading any other type of fiction until I finish this project, so you guys are now my TBR stack.

As for the type of critique I'll send along, it will be basically the same thing that I get from my own editors: any technical errors I find, what I liked, what didn't work for me, and any suggestions or ideas I have that I think might improve the story. Keep in mind that any critique is an opinion, nothing more, not to be chiseled in stone etc.

I'll be e-mailing my critiques to the e-book authors' e-mail addresses that were used to send me the challenge entries. If that information has changed, do let me know by sending a note to PBWChallenge@aol.com. Also, if for whatever reason you'd rather not have a critique from me, just let me know -- I'll still read it, but I'll keep my opinions to myself.

Congratulations, and thanks again to all the challengers.

PBW's E-book Challenge

Here it is, the list of books and authors who took my E-book Challenge. This is one of the largest collections of free e-books by a group of writers as diverse as we are, so there is probably something here for every type of reader.

If you find any links that don't work, please report them in comments to this post. If you sent me an entry and it's not listed here, please e-mail me at PBWChallenge@aol.com and we'll get you on the list.

Congratulations to everyone who contributed; you all did a fantastic job with this challenge.

Happy reading and Happy Halloween!

Free E-books by Our Challengers

Going Back by Jenny Aspin
Something snaps and you make choices that will turn your life upside down. New experiences await, now you're living and there's no going back.

One on One by Sandra Barret
In a competition between conscience and libido, will anyone get the girl in the end? (Romance)

Pelican Point by Rachel Brown
Contemporary Christian romance set on the Australian Central Coast. (Christian Romance)

The Horse Master by Joely Sue Burkhart
The Horse Master leaves the stables to tame his High Queen. (Fantasy Romance)

The Office Mercenary by Molly Burkhart
A dark satire about the perils of office work and the depths to which we stoop to survive it.

To See You With by Zoe Cannon
A woman breaks free of her family’s curse… or does she? (Horror)

The Weaveling, by Dean Cochrane
Olivia has killed her husband. To escape the hangman, she must enter a dark world, and things take a turn for the weird. (Dark Western Fantasy)

Stroke It by Cassandra Curtis
Erotic romance writer recouperates at luxury hotel after grueling book tour and gets the massage of a lifetime by handsome massuer with a secret technique. (Erotic Paranormal Romance Short Story)

Collected Tales from the Second Saturday Psychos (sent in by Paul Darcy)
A collection of ten tales by diverse Canadian hands inspired by life, death, candy and once a month events . . . but not those events. (Horror, Humour & Heartbreaks)

A Matter of Tradition by Andria Davis
Bryane spent five years in exile before the King's death drew her home - into the hands of a murderer. (Fantasy)

The Familiar’s Witch by A.E. Dillings
Unsuspecting young woman helps friends, finds true destiny, studies witchcraft, fights hell hounds, while trying to break curse. (Urban Fantasy)

At the Foot of the Throne, by Noel Lynne Figart
Rags to riches and finding True Love is not always all that the fairy tales say. As two countries stand on the brink of war, a young villager finds herself thrown into the center of the conflict.

Moonlit Desire Anthology by Becca Furrow
Escape into the dark with three short paranormal romances. (Erotic Paranormal Romance)

Cooper's Promise by Susan Gibb
When everything goes wrong, look to God...and something you did in your past when you thought no one was either listening or watching. (Literary Fiction)

PSI by Lazette Gifford
Two strangers join forces to stop a madman from creating chaos on Terra Nova...but can they keep their own dangerous secrets hidden? (Science Fiction)

Trick or Treat by Rachel Gossett
Even though Aidan was born into a family of magic, he denies its existence. That is, until it becomes too hard to deny. (Fantasy)

Left Turn, by Samantha Gossett
Left turn: Technique for successfully negotiating a maze, no matter who or what is in there with you. (Fantasy)

Jasfoup's Dribbles by Rachel Green
100 collected drabbles that examine the lives and loves, and sardonic humour, of the demon Jasfoup and his almost-mortal friend Harold. (Satire, Humour, Dark Fantasy)

The Trial by Mervi Hämäläinen
A girl of 16 is accused of murdering a nobleman and a Knight of justice and peace has to find out the truth. (Fantasy, Crime Fiction)

Octoberland by Cynthia Harrison
Small business owner Laura hones her telepathic powers to help her family survive in a town beseiged by an unseen evil. (Paranormal)

Postpartum Euphoria by Bethany Hiitola
With a sip of morning brew, Leslie does what every corporate employee dreams--climbs atop her desk shouting obscenities. Has she all but lost it? (Women's Fiction)

Fire by Tamara Siler Jones
Lars Hargrove has his first case. (Coming of Age/Crime)

Maybe Forever by May K

Unforgiven Pleasure by Tempest Knight
In the war between the Sentinels and the night creatures, the unforgiven pleasure will start with a kiss. (Erotic Paranormal Romance)

Demon Rescuer by Racy Li
A touch telepath whose ability fades the more she trusts. Only strangers can be trusted...Still, there's something odd about this mystery man... (Erotic Paranormal Romance)

A Half Life of One by Bill Liversidge
How far would you go to save your family from ruin? Nick Dowty went all the way...

Kelsey's Secret by Jennifer Macaire
After a car accident that cost her life, a woman wakes up in a little girl's body. (Science Fiction)

Dark of the Day by Selah March
She's dying, and wants to take the easy way out. His mission is to convince her to her keep fighting. Can he do it? Or will she choose death over love? (Erotic Paranormal Romance)

My Lucky Charmer by Patrice Michelle
An unlucky woman’s life turns around the day after she ditches her sexy blind date. (Romance)

Ingeld's Daughter by Carla Nayland
An heiress and a mysterious swordsman set out to free her lands from her evil husband. (Historical)

Body and Soul by Carter Nipper (Speculative Fiction)

DayStrider by Jaye Patrick
Preternatural hunter and the human cop who hates her, hunt a serial killer monster... who is waiting for her. (Dark Fantasy)

Testimonies 1910 & Elementary, My Dear Twain by Bill Peschel
Two short stories; one about a supernatural form of revenge, while Mark Twain calls on Sherlock Holmes to unravel a knotty problem. (Crime Fiction)

Stories from the Back Forty by E. M. Phelan
A compilation of short horror taradiddles from the homestead. (Horror)

Vampire Mom to the Rescue by Victoria L. Pierce
A soccer mom becomes Vampire Mom then tries to save her family from being murdered with the help of the man who turned her. (Paranormal Romance)

Three and a Half Lines by Megan Powell
An Edo woman longing for divorce is spurred to action by a strange friendship. (Fantasy)

The Betrayed by Joanie Raisovich
Four strangers find themselves accused of morality crimes and face a lifetime of living on the fringe of society. (Speculative Fiction)

Freeing Miha by Jodi Ralston (Dark Fantasy)

Beginnings by Nat Rogers

Yellow Brick Roadkill by Michelle Rowen
Girl meets boy in a magical land. She also meets a talking mouse, a snobby robot, and an evil beeyotch who wants to kill her. (Fantasy)

The Frain Legacy by Darlene Ryan
Reid Frain got the family charm, talent, and great hair genes. Will he have to commit murder to get the rest of The Frain Legacy? (Mystery)

Museum Rendezvous by Lia Sebastian
When Olivia attends a museum opening, she isn't expecting to meet a man...or to enjoy an evening rendezvous. (Erotic Romance)

Little Girl on the Beach by Tracy Sharp
A young couple happens upon a quaint bed and breakfast during a Saturday drive and decide to stay for the weekend. They check in, but will they ever check out? (Horror)

While We Wait by J.M. Snyder
A brief encounter with a gay couple in a doctor's office waiting room causes Jason to take an uncomfortable look at his own lonely, promiscuous lifestyle. (Gay Fiction)

Jungle Heat by Sydney Somers
When a hunt for a priceless medallion turns deadly, the only person Calypso Reed can count on is the one man she wants to forget. (Adventure/Romantic Suspense)

Night Rhythm by Charlene Teglia
Valentine waited centuries for his lost love to be reborn. But now that he's found her, can he persuade her to love him again? (Erotic Romance ~ Vampire)

Exposed by J.A. Terry
A gripping tale of what happens when two souls collide and their worlds explode. (Romantic Suspense)

Midnight Blues by Lynn Viehl
Lonely vampire cop fights to save human nun from immortal sadist who wants them both. (Dark Fantasy)

The White Room: Control by Sasha White(scroll down Past Travel Stories, Writing Articles to Erotic Fiction)
Two erotic short shorts to tease and please those who find control, or the loss of it, exciting. Includes excerpts for coming works. (Erotica)

Under A Midnight Moon by Cora Zane
After their two Werekind packs merge into one, Chase Tillman spots Betsey at a party and learns territory isn't the only thing worth fighting over. (Erotic Paranormal Romance, Shapeshifter, Werewolf Fiction, Adult)

Final E-book Challenge Update

We've come a long way since August, when I originally posted the E-book challenge. Since then, we've talked about maintaining story quality, making your own cover art, getting the word out and interesting readers, types of fonts to use, and finishing what we start. Halloween, the challenge deadline, is five days away.

For the challengers: you've accomplished a lot in eight weeks. You've written or buffed up a story from start to finish. You've gone through most of the steps all professional writers, editors, cover artists and publishers do with producing print books -- and you've probably done most or all of it alone. You've created a marketing tool, but you're also adding to the free content on the internet, something we all love. Bravo.

For those of you who for whatever reason couldn't join in: don't beat yourself up over it. Let me! Seriously, I understand that day jobs, families and life's other-than-writing responsibilities have to come first, so don't sweat it. This challenge has been so much fun that I'll definitely be having another one in 2007.

Editors and agents: you're always on the hunt for new talent, right? Here's an easy, non-postal, no pressure way to find it. Please take a few moments when you can and stop by to have a look at our challengers.

Readers: This is all free, and all for you. If you like what you read, please check out any other work the authors have available in print or online. If you find some stories that you think a friend would enjoy, please pass along the links. If you've got a blog and want to link to the challenge or any of the individual entries, please do -- these writers have worked hard, and anything you can do to help promote the results will be greatly appreciated.

Challenge Instructions (which will be posted again over the weekend and on Monday):

E-mail me at PBWChallenge@aol.com with the following by midnight EST on Monday, October 30, 2006:

The title and byline for your e-book

Example: Midnight Blues by Lynn Viehl

The URL for your e-book download file, or the URL for where your e-book can be read online.

Example: http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com

Optional (this will be included with your link listing on PBW):

A short (25 words or less) premise, teaser or description of your e-book.

Example: Lonely vampire cop fights to save human nun from immortal sadist who wants them both.

What genre, if any, your e-book is written in.

Examples: Dark Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Crime Fiction, etc.

Note: Do not send me the file for your e-book or any attachments.

E-book Challenge Update

Writers are strange creatures when we're under the WIP. Sometimes the pressure makes us doers, achievers and innovators. Other times it turns us into wafflers, procrastinators and fraidy-cats. Add in a rapidly-evaporating deadline, and writers turn into word slingers juggling story dynamite that's oozing rewrite nitro. One wrong move on the page and BOOM, it all falls to pieces.

Folks, we've got less than two weeks left. It's Tough Love time.

I wanted to use this post to assure the self-doubters out there that you don't have to finish anything. The easiest thing in the world to do with a WIP is to shove it in a drawer and make the usual excuses: "I didn't have time to polish/finish/do it right, but I'll get back to it/try again/give it an overhaul another time." No one will bitch at you for missing this challenge, not even me. The world is very understanding about the artist's struggle. Nothing bad will ever be said about a half-finished manuscript in a drawer that no one will ever see. Win/win/win.

Actually I think it's a very smart way to write. You can do whatever you want and you don't have to follow through or finish it. You'll never have to go out on a limb, or be subjected to ridicule, or risk rejection. Your suffering and struggle will snag you lots of sympathy. You'll never get published, and me and the other published writers out here will never have to compete on the shelf with you, but you'll be safe. Maybe after you're dead someone will discover all those partials and do something with them. Litter boxes and bird cages always need liners, right?

If I happen to think you're better than that, that you have more spine than that, then I could just be wrong. Sometimes I am. Not often, but sometimes.

I know a lot of you have already finished and have your links ready for me, so now for the all-important link e-mail instructions (which will be repeated again next week and in the days just before October 31st):

E-mail me at PBWChallenge@aol.com with the following:

The title and byline for your e-book

Example: Midnight Blues by Lynn Viehl

The URL for your e-book download file, or the URL for where your e-book can be read online.

Example: http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com

Optional (this will be included with your link listing on PBW):

A short (25 words or less) premise, teaser or description of your e-book.

Example: Lonely vampire cop fights to save human nun from immortal sadist who wants them both.

What genre, if any, your e-book is written in.

Examples: Dark Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Crime Fiction, etc.

Note: Do not send me the file for your e-book or any attachments.

E-Book Challenge Update

This week, let's talk about the type of font to use for your e-book. According to Shlomo Perets' article, Fonts Can Make or Break PDFs, "intelligent use determines display and/or printing success." I totally agree. Some fonts are way better than others for electronic documents, especially for those of us who have eye problems, wear corrective lenses or spend a great deal of time on the computer.

Often if I like the layout and fonts in an e-book, I'll check the Document Properties to see what the author used. To do this with Adobe Reader 7.0, I click on File, then Document Properties, and then click on the Fonts tab to get the list. That's how I know that Times New Roman fonts were exclusively used for Sasha White's novel, Abduction, which has a nice cohesive look to it and is quite easy on the eyes.

How much difference does the font style make? Since PBW is also an electronic document of sorts, let's have a look at a couple right here*.

Arial:
The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dogs.

Comic Sans MS:
The lazy dogs went after the quick brown fox.

Copperplate Gothic Bold:
The quick brown fox's fine bod attracted the attention of an alien.

Courier New:
(All Sasha White's fault, naturally.)

Enviro:
The interested alien abducted the quick brown fox.

Eurostile:
The dogs were now lazy, pissed, and out one fox.

Lucida Sans Unicode:
But there you have it. Aliens 1, Dogs 0.

MS Reference Sans Serif:
Thus the quick brown fox became gorgeous mammal specimen #989, destined to be auctioned off as a pleasure slave on a fem-dominated world.

Times New Roman:
Now you'll never be able to type the quick brown fox sentence without thinking of erotic alien abduction.

I've been mostly using Arial, Eurostile or Courier with my stuff, but I'm also experimenting with this e-book, so I'm going to try some new fonts. Would be nice to get a bit of an antique look to my text. A font like Copperplate Gothic Bold or Enviro, however, can be hard on a reader's eyes, so lately I've limited using fonts like them strictly as accent fonts (good for short things like titles, bylines, chapter headers, URL linkage, etc.)

What's your favorite e-book font? Least favorite?

*Note: If you'd like to learn the html code to mess with the fonts on your weblog or web site, take the online tutorial here.

E-Book Challenge Update

I think e-books are terrific marketing tools, and I've been self-publishing my own since 2001. Anyone can write and self-publish an e-book, but to make it work as a marketing tool, the author has to 1) get the word out to readers, and 2) hook readers and make them want to read it. For you challengers out there, that means two more things to think about in the weeks ahead.

I. Get the Word Out to Readers

Links: You can count on one link: right here, at PBW. If you write it and put it online by the challenge deadline, I'm going to link to it. If you have writer, editor and/or reader friends willing to post links on their weblogs or web sites, ask them to link to your e-book as well. The more links you get out there, the better chance you have of attracting readers.

Writing-related sites, discussion boards, newsgroups and newsletters: The most unobtrusive way to spread the word at places like these (unless it's specifically against the rules) is to add a link to your e-book to your signature line. Keep it simple, i.e. "Read my free Darkyn novella, Midnight Blues" with a URL link. If you're sending out a newsletter for the month of October and/or November, definitely do a write-up and link for your e-book (if you have writer friends with newsletters who would be willing to do the same, ask them.)

E-mails: If you have a reader e-mailing list, or just want to get the word out to friends and family, e-mail an informal announcement. Ask the folks on your list to pass the word about your e-book along to others they think would be interested. Definitely don't SPAM people or do a mass mailing to people you don't know.

Meetings and Conferences: If you plan to attend a writer's organization meeting or conference in upcoming months, you can print up some flyers, bookmarks or business cards with a short description and/or cover art for your e-book along with the URL (if your local library allows it, drop some off there as well.) If your meeting is small, and you have the time and budget to do it, you can make and hand out free CD copies of your e-book.

II. Hook Readers and Make Them Want to Read It

In my experience, and from feedback you all have given me over the years, these are the best hooks to attract readers:

Provocative Title: Provocative titles need not be explicit, but they should provoke interest, curiosity and/or temptation in your potential reader. I chose Midnight Blues as a title because two vampire cops who work the night shift are a central part of my story; it's also a play off two cop show titles (Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue.) Robert Gregory Browne's Kiss Her Goodbye, Rosina Lippi's Tied to the Tracks, Holly Lisle's Last Girl Dancing, and Sasha White's Bound are excellent examples of provocative titles.

Hot Premise: Write one or two lines about your e-book's story that give the potential reader a taste of what's in it, i.e. Can a lonely vampire cop protect a lovely human nun against an immortal sadist who intends to have both of them?

Eye-catching Cover Art

Copy or Teaser: When possible, give your potential reader a taste of the e-book via copy (those blurbs you read on the back cover of a book) or a teaser (an actual excerpt from your story.) I recommend keeping copy to 250 words or less, and a teaser to 500 words or less. Again, think provocative.

One more note, this one for published authors with books coming out in print after the challenge deadline: think about including a short excerpt from your print book in your e-book, and use that as part of your hook. Anyone who reads my e-book Midnight Blues can look forward to reading an exclusive excerpt from Night Lost, book four in my Darkyn series.

E-book Challenge Update

Some of you have made or are thinking about making your own cover art for your e-book. It's not a challenge requirement, but a book cover is a nice perk for your reader and a creative opportunity for you.

Creating cover art need not be complicated. There's no law that says you have to depict any character or element from your story; the title and your by line against a plain or patterned background will serve very well.

I am certainly not the world's greatest cover art designer, but I try to have a good time with what I do. For the cover of my short story collection, Do or Die, I combined a cut-out filtered self-portrait and a neon-glow filtered image of a huge moth I'd found one day outside my apartment:



I added a title and byline text, and I had my cover:



Online art generators can help with composing elements and text involved in your cover art. Here's one I made with FlagrantDisregard.com's customized magazine cover maker for our pup's digital photo album:



If you decide to make your own cover art, my advice is to start simple and build on that. One last trick -- I save multiple copies of my art at every stage of construction, in case I do something to mess it up or want to do comparison side-by-sides of two different looks.

You've got four weeks left until the challenge deadline, so there's still plenty of time to play. Have fun with it.

Some online generators* and freeware that may help you:

CoolText.com can generate some interesting free text graphics for your title and byline.

Get mathematically graphic with the free trial download of Fractal Draw.

For interesting art you can make online, try the Jackson Pollock Online Art Generator and ArtPad.com's Painting Generator.

FlagrantDisregard.com also has a very cool Photo Collage Generator that breaks down a digital photo into a collage of Polaroids.

Need image software but can't afford it? Get a free trial download of Adobe Photoshop.

Make cover backgrounds with the Random Texture Generator

Skip all the hard stuff and make your romantic cover with Glass Giant's Romance Novel Cover Generator.

The Perception Laboratory's Face Transformer can alter portrait photos and images in a variety of ways.

My post: Ten Things about Making Your Own Art

Zoner's page of free to try and freeware graphics dowloands.

*Most of the links found over at The Generator Blog.

E-Book Challenge Update

This week's e-book challenge nag: remember quality.

With this challenge, you're not just writing a story, you're creating a promotional tool that should showcase your talents. Readers like free stuff, but not if it wastes their time. My philosophy is that whether it's for a seven-figure contract or a freebie giveaway like this one, you should always give the readers your best work.

Now, onto things to consider adding to your e-book:

A bibliography page: make it simple, easy to read, like a shopping list for your reader. If you write under more than one name or in more than one genre, as I do, group your titles logically. Indicate what titles are out of print. List any future releases and when the reader can expect them to hit the stores.

Author bio: Traditionally a bio is printed on a back page or somewhere on the back cover; you can do the same by adding one to the last pages of your e-book. Bios are customarily written in third person, but I've read a few in first person that were fine. I'd recommend keeping it brief, because unless it's about an extremely interesting person, a bio is boring to read. Resist the urge to be cute, too; it can sound really amateurish. A good rule to remember is never put anything in a bio that you wouldn't include on a business resume or C.V.

E-mail or other contact information: this is optional, but nice for the reader who wants to respond and great for the author who wants feedback.

Links to your other online publications: If you've got more out there on the net, offer it to your reader.

Weblog and/or web site links: If the reader likes what you write, they'll probably check out your sites.

For those of you who are just coming across the challenge, it is still open and anyone can participate. Click on the challenge link below for more details. For those of you who are procrastinating, there are still fifty days left until the October 31st deadline, but if you're not writing yet, park your butt in that chair and get moving.

More writers are joining the challenge every week, so from now until October 31st Thursdays here at PBW will be devoted to different aspects and topics involved with promotional e-books. Next week I'll discuss creating ways to create copy and advertising for your e-book, so stop in if you have a chance.

Take PBW's E-book Challenge

E-book Challenge Update

I've outlined Midnight Blues, hit the ref. books and have finalized everything in my head. I like my cast of characters and because this is a promotional project, I can do exactly what I want with the story (always a nice bonus for the author.)

Novella writing puts a choke-chain on any temptation to indulge in elephantitis of the keyboard. The chain's a bit longer than a short story's, but it still comes to an end a lot sooner than you think. While I'm writing a novella, I have to zero in versus wide-angle; some authors can juggle a lot of subplots in this form but that doesn't work for me. I don't like to count character heads when I write, but too many of them in a novella can also eat up story space, so my cast tends to be on the conservative side.

I like the pressure to keep the story in a shorter-than-novel form. Tight and focused prose is the key here; no time for prissing around with a lot of exposition and other novelladeedah. I think when novellas are done right, they can pack more punch that novels or short stories, too. They're the perfect form for P.I. stories, two-alone romances, or any story with a strong premise and lots of energy and tension in a confined arena (whether that arena is setting, timeline, conflict-related or other.)

I expect to have the novella finished by October 15th or thereabouts. How are you guys doing with your projects?

Take PBW's E-book Challenge

PBW's E-book Challenge

However you feel about e-books, I think they can be great marketing tools for writers. I discovered that writing and self-publishing original stories, novellas and novels on my old web site was an effective way to give something back to my loyal readers. It also allowed the curious but unconvinced to sample my work without having to plunk down $6.99 or $22.95 upfront.

I haven't put together a freebie e-book in a couple of years, and tinkering and reformatting all the old ones has me itching to write another. Since Night Lost won't be hitting the shelves until May '07, I've decided to write a Darkyn novella and give it away as a free e-book here at the weblog on Halloween this year.

I'm also challenging all you writers out there to do the same: write and publish a new short story, novellette, novella, or novel of your own in e-book form* and post it for download on your weblog, web site, or any host site on October 31, 2006. I'm using Adobe .pdf format because that's what I've always used. You're free to use alternate formats, but I'd go with something that allows everyone to read it. Your e-book can also be any length and any genre; the only requirement is that you provide free access to it (it doesn't have to be a permanent addition to your weblog; if you have file storage issues I suggest leaving it up for a week or two.)

What you get in return: When Halloween arrives I will post a list of links here on PBW to the e-books of everyone who completes the challenge. I will also pick twenty e-books at random from all those who participate in the challenge and give the authors a private critique of their work via e-mail (so if you ever wanted me to read something of yours, this would be a definite shot.)

Some things to help you make your e-book:

My post on .pdf maker services free online or for free download (with great suggestions in the comments section, too.)

No way to read .pdf files? Download the latest version of Adobe Reader.

Make Your Own Art ten list.

The Romance Novel Cover Art Generator.

The best collection of story, art, blog, and other fun generators on the internet, The Generator Blog.

*Added: If it's easier to put your challenge story as a post on your weblog or web site versus making an e-book for download, that's fine (it's still a form of e-publishing, which is the whole point of the challenge.)