What it DOES involve are two topics dear to me heart: 1) my latest novel and 2) my existing novels!
1) The first draft of Camadin Station Two: Last Stand is COMPLETE! Finished it a couple of days ago and I'm in my cool down/re-charging phase before beginning edits. I've also got to come up with a cover idea to give to Sean to create an artistic masterpiece (as he does). So for the next couple of weeks, I'll be sketching (yeah, I know, scary huh?) some ideas. Of course, I'm a writer, not an artist so it'll be VERY rough.
Camadin Station Two: Last Stand WON'T be a mystery. The best way I can describe it is...SPACE OPERA, much like the works of E.E. "Doc" Smith or Edmond Hamilton of years past. I want it to be a fast pace, roller coaster ride through part of a massive war in space.
2) On another front, I've recently made my current books (with the exception of the Terra-Bravo Saga compilation book) available as Print-on-Demand. I've already purchased three of my books (the Terra-Bravo Saga) and received two of them. They are nicely printed and bound, easy to read, and professionally done. (Props to Kindle Direct Publishing's Print-on-Demand division!!!)
However, I'm NOT pleased with the pricing of the new books which average about $3.00 - $5.00 more than a conventional paperback. A big part of this is the size of the books. I've chosen 5" x 8" which is slightly wider and larger than conventional paperbacks (and their smallest dimensions). But I was reading a paperback by favorite author G. Harry Stine and I came to a realization...I goofed!
In reformatting from e-books to P-o-D, I forgot to adjust my font size and line spacing! Examining a number other paperbacks in my library, I've determined that many use an 11 font size and a line spacing 1.1 to 1.2. I'd carried over my 12 font size and 1.5 line spacing. It may not seem like much, but in modifying my Word files for each book, I've been able to reduce the size of the books by an average of 33%!
That alone would reduce each book by 100 pages or more and fewer pages means it would cost less for each book to be printed. As the print price is incorporate in the purchase price, this will help me reduce the purchase price and encourage people to buy my books because they are priced closer to conventional paperbacks!
So, I'm working over this Independence Day Holiday to get my books reformatted and uploaded to Amazon's KDP ASAP to bring a better value to readers of paperback books!
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As I just mentioned, Independence Day is almost upon us. While some call it the 4th of July, once again I think people are forgetting the "reason for the season". We're not celebrating that it's the 4th day of July; we're celebrating American Independence from England! We broke from our mother country and began a journey into history that has seen this nation reach some pretty awesome heights (like the Moon and deep space, if you are a space buff like me!). Did we have some stumbles and bumbles along the way? Yep. And so have other nations. No one is perfect; but this nation has accomplished so much and, if we don't get side tracked, can accomplish so much more.
So I wish each of you a safe and fun Independence Day! Let's be careful out there...the fingers and ear drums you save may be your own!
Jeffrey
Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2017
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