Do You Squidoo?

Update (Aug. 24, 2014): Squidoo is shutting down! Roughly a week ago Squidoo's founder released a statement that the site is going the way of the dodo and will be selling it's content to rival HubPages. It's not a huge surprise if you were familiar with some of the things that were going on there (such as what's noted in my blog post below), but I feel sorry for all the people who devoted hundreds or thousands of man-hours to the site - especially in the past year or so.

Before I turned to writing books, I spent some time trying to earn passive/residual income from other writing activities. While the terms are often used interchangeably (I do it myself), there is a slight difference between passive income and residual income.

Passive income can be viewed as income a person earns without actively being involved in its generation. A good example would be corporate dividends: you made an initial investment that consisted of buying stock in a company. After that, you don't have to do anything in order to receive your regular dividend check.

Residual income, on the other hand, refers to some up-front endeavor or work which continues to produce income after the initial labor is complete.  Writing a book, for example. As long as the book keeps selling, the author can continue to receive royalties.

In my case, I knew of several online sites that offered revenue-sharing for writers willing post content on said sites.  One of those sites was Squidoo.com, and I eventually posted close to 40 articles there.  I never earned a great deal of money there (I think the most I ever got was something like $40 one month), but it was fun and there was the potential for my earnings to increase down the road.  Plus, my work was going to be out there earning something forever. But it turns out that "forever" wasn't as long as I thought it was.

A few months back, I received an email from Squidoo saying that one of my lenses was going to be unpublished because it violated Squidoo's terms of service.  ("Lenses" is what they call articles on Squidoo.) Mind you, they didn't tell me what I did wrong (much less how to fix it) - just that I was in violation. (Oh yeah, they did give me a long laundry list of violations I might possibly have committed, but nothing definitive.) 

So basically, I was expected to go through my article, make a bunch of random changes, then submit it again for review.  There was another issue, though: even had I made any changes, there was no way to resubmit what I'd written!  I tried writing emailing Squidoo to get more info - what the problem was, how to fix it, how to submit it again for review - but never got a response.

In essence, without more info, I didn't know how to fix the problem.  And then I received another email from Squidoo saying that a second lens was being locked (although in actuality it was essentially the same email, with only one change: the name of the lens) - again for reasons unknown. And then it happened to a third lens. Then a fourth. Long story short, I looked today, and roughly one-third of my content on Squidoo is locked and unpublished.

Thankfully, I still have time (I think) to do something with all of the now-unpublished content I have on Squidoo, thereby bringing us to the crux of the matter (and the reason for this post):

To the extent that it is appropriate, I will probably bring some of my Squidoo content here to my blog. The rest I will probably migrate over to another revenue-sharing site like Hubpages.com or Inforbarrel.com. 

Of course, I'm not the only person this has happened to. There seems to be an endless parade of folks having the same issues at Squidoo (not knowing what the problem is with their content, not knowing how to fix it, and so on). I believe I read somewhere that Squidoo is doing all this in response to changes in Google's algorithms, but there has to be some means by which they can be more responsive. There needs to be method to this madness.

In retrospect, there are a lot of lessons to be learned here - particularly about how quickly favorable things can turn against you with respect to your writing. Right now, what Squidoo is doing is almost analogous to be rejected by a publisher: "Sorry, kid. Maybe next time..."  But what's probably more important is to persevere, and for me - at this time - that means saving the content on Squidoo that I labored hard and long over.  Likewise, for those struggling with their writing, it's important to understand and accept that not everyone will perceive value in what you are doing or your final product, but that doesn't mean it's worthless - far from it, in my opinion. Keep believing in the value of what you have to offer, and keep believing in yourself.

Book Release: Extraction (A Kid Sensation Story)

I'm pretty excited about finally publishing the latest Kid Sensation adventure, Extraction, which is a short story (although technically - based on word count and length - I think it actually fits the definition of a novelette). 

As with the first two novels, the cover art was done by Isikol.

The story itself is kind of a holdover - something hinted at in the second book, Mutation. However, rather than fold it into the action taking place in Kid Sensation #3 (the third book), my gut instinct was to make it a stand-alone adventure (which I hope fans of the series will appreciate).

As with the second book in the series, I once again failed miserably in terms of announcing a publication date, doing a cover release, and so on. Frankly speaking, it's probably my process that prevents me from taking any of the aforementioned actions. 

I typically don't even begin thinking about a cover until I've finished the manuscript. In fact, the first time I turn my mind to what should be on the cover is usually when I'm reaching out to my artist, Isikol, to say that I've finished a new book and would like to commission some cover art. 

Moreover, since Isikol also does the typography for me, I usually have to spend a little time trying to come up with a descriptive blurb for the back of the book before he finishes. (If I haven't mentioned it before, I usually do both an ebook and a print version of my books.)

In short, my thinking simply isn't advanced enough yet to contemplate doing all the things that established authors do. (Just to show what a Neanderthal I am, I was putzing around trying to wait for the book to show up as "published" on Amazon when the first sale came through.  Apparently, books become available to readers before Amazon even lets authors know that the publication process is complete. I'm also racing like the dickens trying to get it up on other publishing platforms.)  Regardless, I'm glad to have this one out there and hopefully readers will enjoy it.

In other news, with this baby now put to bed, Isikol can focus on the cover for the Warden sequel. As I previously posted, the text for that one is already done; depending on when the cover art gets finished (and I don't plan to rush my artist, no matter how quickly I'd like it done), it will probably get published in a week or so. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that readers will feel that it was worth the wait.

The Shape of Things to Come

I was very excited to get a message tonight from someone asking about the sequel to Warden. While it hasn't been selling as well as my Kid Sensation series, the book has been a steady performer and appears to have a growing fan base.

I had originally intended to have the next book in the series published in August, but that schedule got mangled like an innocent bystander in a Stephen King novel. However, I'm happy to report that the sequel is actually finished.  I got it back from my editor last week and have just gone over it again myself. I'll probably review it one final time this weekend, so by Monday it should be ready in terms of text.

In terms of cover, however, my artist (the great Isikol), is currently at work on the cover for a new Kid Sensation short story that I recently completed. Once that is done, I hope to have him turn his hand to Warden #2. With any luck, the publication schedule looks something like this:

Kid Sensation short story - probably in the next week or so

Warden #2 - by the end of the month  

(FYI: the actual title of the sequel is Warden (Book 2: Lure of the Lamia).  As I did in the first book, I tried to take some supernatural creatures that don't get a lot of air time and let them run amok. The truth of the matter is that there are a lot of fantastic, legendary creatures out there, and it's a lot of fun to write about them.)

Beyond those two, I'm a little unsure of where to go next in terms of writing. I've got another Kid Sensation novel in mind, so that is likely to take the next spot in the queue (and of course I've been thinking about some other Warden books), but I also have some ideas for other novels and series. The questions is, at one point do I start sliding those in?

Right now, I'm just kind of oscillating - going back and forth between writing Warden and Kid Sensation. Thankfully, I've still got ideas for the major characters in those, but I've also got some stories I'm thinking about for other characters in those books.  For instance, several people have mentioned wanting to know more about the character Mouse from the Kid Sensation series.  Oddly enough, I have have Mouse's story pretty much outlined in my head; it's just a matter of putting it to paper.

Anyway, for those interested, the shape of my future writing schedule will probably be as follows:

Kid Sensation #3

Warden #3

Kid Sensation #4

Warden #4

Mouse novel (from Kid Sensation series)

Other books will probably include a dystopian series, a paranormal series, and whatever else comes to mind. Hopefully any fans of my work will stick around for the full ride.

Labor Day Weekend and Lessons Learned

After a somewhat slow July, I was blessed to have an absolutely tremendous August, with over 3500 ebook sales.  The numbers received an obvious boost from the release of Mutation, and - needless to say - I'm over the moon about the results and thrilled that readers seem to be enjoying my work.

Of course, my journey as an author is only just getting started in earnest, but I couldn't help reflecting back on the path I've taken thus far.  With that in mind, I thought it might be worth sharing some of the things that I feel were helpful to me on a number of levels in terms of my writing:

Find inspiration wherever you can - especially in the little things

Before I published Sensation, I would occasionally get this nagging thought that I shouldn't be wasting so much time writing. To a certain extent, it seemed like a healthy, creative outlet for which I merely had grandiose dreams, so doubts about how successful I could be in this endeavor would sometimes flit through my brain.

Anyway, I was getting ready for the day job one morning, with the doubts and nagging thoughts pecking away at my resolve to have a writing career, when I heard these words:


"There are people who find their own path. Chart their own course. Who never stop moving forward, and never, ever back down. Entrepreneurs; journeymen; mavericks; and pioneers who believe the American Dream doesn't just happen--it's something you have to work for."

I'd had the television on a morning news program while I was getting dressed, and what I'd heard was from an ad for this Southwest Airlines commercial:

I know it sounds hokey, but those words resonated with me. I'm not saying it was like Robert the Bruce getting motivated to drive the English out of Scotland by watching a spider build a web, but I felt inspired. I must have rewound that commercial and watched it twenty times in a row (I'm not even sure if I paid attention to the rest of it). I left for work that morning with a completely different mindset. 

Basically, I think you have to find inspiration wherever you can (yes, even in a commercial) and use it as a driving force in your work, regardless of whether that work is writing or something else.

Treat writing like a business

Back when I was in college, there was a restaurant not far from campus that purportedly had some of the best food in town (for student budgets). However, they never seemed to have consistent operating hours. Regardless of the posted opening/closing time, the owners just seemed to open their doors whenever the mood hit them - and they'd close in the same fashion. For example, if the cable went out in the restaurant so that they couldn't watch TV in the back office, they might close so that they wouldn't miss The Price is Right or some BS like that. Obviously not a great way to do business.

Likewise, if you are intent on becoming successful as an author, I think you have to treat writing like a business, with yourself as CEO. (In fact, that are many successful writers who say that this is a must.) You want to produce a quality product that the general public will want to buy. At the same time, you need to be writing regularly and consistently. I don't know that you need to write every single day, but you should probably be typing something 5 or 6 days per week. (Taking a day off every week is probably a good way to recharge your batteries and stay fresh.)

In short, you have to keep regular hours, keep your shelves stocked with product, etc. - the same things you'd do with any other business. If you treat it like a hobby - building model planes and whatnot in your spare time - then you'll get hobby-like results.

There's more than one yellow brick road to Oz

Everyone has their own definition of success and their own means of getting there. There are lots of successful writers who willingly share what they feel is the secret of their winning ways, and I'm grateful for that. Occasionally, however, the advice of one author may conflict with that of another.  In my book, it doesn't mean that either of them is wrong; truth be told there is more than one path to success in this business. I think it's worthwhile to see what a number of successful authors did and then cherry-pick the ideas, strategies and tactics that make the most sense to you.

In short, there's not just one yellow brick road to Oz; there's a million of them. You just have to find the one that works for you - and it may be a road that hasn't been laid yet.

Make your own luck

A while back I had dinner with one of the senior people at my office, and we got to talking about what makes a successful career, and how it's not always about who's the smartest or most talented.  In hearing about some of his experiences, it seemed to me that sometimes his success came as a result of catching a lucky break, and I said as much.  He laughed and agreed, saying, "Sometimes you get lucky. And sometimes, you make your own luck."

Those last five words really caught fire in my brain, because I felt like I knew exactly what he was talking about. To me, there are occasionally doors that open a crack - opportunities that present themselves for a limited time - and you need to have positioned yourself to take advantage of them. 

By way of example, I know of a company (we'll call this one Little Co.) that put in a bid for a big project and got selected for a second round of interviews with the corporation (let's say Huge Corp.) soliciting proposals. When Little Co. came in for their interview with Huge Corp., they said, "We don't want to sit around and talk about our proposal. Instead, we'd like to spend that time working for you, showing you what we can do and the quality of our product. Then, when we finish, you can decide."  Huge Corp. agreed, and (as you might have guessed) Little Co. ended up with the work - despite the fact that they were not as established or well-known as some of the other bidders.  They made their own luck - and so can you.

Greatness awaits

Finally, for those of you doubting yourselves, I ask, "Who are you not to be great?"

Mutation Progress

Here's one you don't see every day (at least mooks like me don't) - the two books in my Kid Sensation series are ranked #1 and #2 in one of their categories:

Best Sellers in Superhero Fantasy eBooks

• Top 100 Paid

• Top 100 Free

 

1.

Mutation: A Kid Sensation Novel (Kid...

by Kevin Hardman

4.4 out of 5 stars   (9)

Kindle Edition

$3.99

2.

Sensation: A Superhero Novel

by Kevin Hardman

4.2 out of 5 stars   (44)

Kindle Edition

$3.99

To a certain extent, it feels like Thunderdome: Two books enter; one book leaves...  Seriously though, all I can say is that I feel blessed that the books seem to be finding an audience, and I'm continually floored by the level of support my writing has received.  Over the past week Mutation broke into the Top 1000 in the paid Kindle Store (the highest rank I saw it get to was #691), and I even find myself with an Amazon Author Rank that's in the Top 100 for Fantasy and Science Fiction. It really does feel like I'm on some wild ride, but at the moment I'm really loving it!

Needless to say, Amazon has been - and continues to be - a big part of my success. At the same time, however, I'm attempting to establish a foothold on other platforms: Barnes & Noble, Kobo, etc. (Trying to avoid putting all my eggs in one basket, so to speak.) Truth be told, though, I'm struggling to find ways to market to those with Nook and Kobo e-readers. Most of the powerful promotional tools seem geared towards the Kindle (and you can't blame them for that), but I'm still so new to all this stuff that I'm probably overlooking something.

Praying that Lightning Strikes Twice (and Then Some)

I mention all the time about how limited my knowledge of self-publishing is, so I'm still prone to making rookie mistakes.  One of the things I've neglected to do until fairly recently was work more on selling print copies of my books.

I know that there are many who eschew print altogether (and make a very good living focusing only on ebooks), but for me it's another market to sell to. Public libraries, brick-and-mortar bookstores, etc.  They're all out there - numbering in the hundreds of thousands - and since it costs practically nothing to do print versions, why not?

That said, getting into physical libraries and bookstores can sometimes require a little more legwork. Independent bookstores may only work with you on a consignment basis, and - other than those located near you - the large chains may only be interested if they can get your book through one of their distributors/wholesalers such as Ingram.  (For libraries, this would primarily be Baker & Taylor.)  Moreover, outside of something like Creatspace's Expanded Distribution, you really need your own ISBN number.

Bearing all that in mind (and the fact that I was getting double-digit sales of print copies on Createspace), I decided a few weeks back to sign up with Lightning Source, which is a division of Ingram. Lightning Source offers print-on-demand services, and through them my books are available via Ingram, Baker & Taylor, and others. Granted they are more expensive than CS's Expanded Distribution (and the set-up is more complicated), but I have more control in terms of setting the discount for wholesalers (20%-55%), as opposed to the automatic 60% at CS. (Not to mention the fact that CS won't make your book available to libraries/universities if you use your own ISBN.)

Thankfully, things appear to be working out in that I recently checked my Lightning Source account and saw that I had my first order. With any luck, it will be the first of many.

Book Release - Mutation (Kid Sensation #2)

I am proud to say that Mutation: A Kid Sensation Novel (the sequel to Sensation) has finally been released!

The cover art was again done by Isikol, whose work on the first novel in the series was simply spectacular. 

Needless to say, I'm happy to finally have the book out there.  Fans of Sensation have been very vocal in their request for a sequel, so hopefully they will enjoy this next adventure of Kid Sensation.

Of course, I probably should have done a better job of getting the word out about the sequel: done a cover release, announced a release date well in advance, etc. In all honesty, though, I'm just so new to all this (self-publishing, that is) that it well probably be a while before I get my sea legs under me and figure out enough of the ins and outs that I don't look like a total idiot every time I do something.

To be frank, though, I'm really a simple-minded fella, so I'm nervous about having lot of a pomp and circumstance surrounding a book release, and then having readers consider it to be the literary equivalent of the Johnny Depp Lone Ranger movie.  Thus, I've kept the fanfare to a minimum.

In other news, Sensation and Warden are finally out of KDP Select.  I think Select was great at one point and a powerful tool in an indie publisher's arsenal, but it seems to have lost a lot of its pop. Maybe Amazon will tweak it in some way to bring back it's sex appeal, but it feels like the train has left the station for good.  That being the case, I have loaded my work up to numerous sites - B&N, Smashwords, etc. - and am already starting to get sales (which I pray will steadily increase).

Finally, I'm still trying to wrap up the Warden sequel and get it to my editor, but have found my efforts derailed of late because of numerous factors.  But, as with Mutation, I'm leery of announcing a release date at this juncture (especially since I haven't even put it in my editor's hands yet).  All I can say is "soon."


Mutation is available at Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble, Kobo, Smashwords (for Sony, Apple and more), DriveThruFiction, and XinXii


*And on a side note, a lot of authors have stated the need for a mail list to announce book releases to readers, so if you are interested in being informed of such (and that is all I plan to use it for) please click on the link in the upper right corner of my blog.  Thanks!