Lost Revision?

Well, first thing is first. The designer for the book cover is contracted late April 2019 to have the second book in the Legacy of Atlantis trilogy done. They’re booked out a while. So, sorry it will be 2019 when the second book will be released. That just gives more time for editing. Really excited for this book.

Now on to what I would like to talk about. I had an in-depth conversation with one of my beta readers about Lost. She was very insightful and honest with her feedback, which is what I really need. If people are too afraid to offend me, then neither myself nor the book would improve as rapidly. She really felt as if I were trying to satisfy two different groups of readers. At first glance, it might look like a Harlequin Romance or a more sexually intimate book than what the book really is. It is far from that. She really loved the ending but did not enjoy the first part of the book.

The more I think about it, the more I think she is correct. I have seriously been thinking of re-writing the first part of the book to reflect more of my purpose for writing that book. I was really looking to explore can a man and a woman really be one when they are so very different. It was at a time when I was really hurting and trying to figure out relationships. I believe that I can expand on the book and make it even more meaningful but still keep the romance without losing the values instilled in the book. I had labeled it as an Adventure/Romance but I am thinking that it is going to turn out to be more of a Thriller with so much life-threatening occurrences in the book. I will most likely rename the book because I have had some pushback that it is too related to the TV show. That ticks me off a little since I thought of the title before the TV show and it is so appropriate with both characters being much more than just physically lost.

The rewrite will have to wait until after the second book of Legacy of Atlantis is published. I can then rewrite Lost and get to the final book in the Legacy of Atlantis trilogy. This has been a fun and exciting ride. If any of you are thinking about writing, I would strongly recommend it. There is so much fulfillment after putting in so much effort and work into such an endeavor.

Until next time,

Bryan

Kindle Unlimited

I tried an experiment with my first two books. Edge of Atlantis I only sell on Amazon because it is enrolled in the Kindle Unlimited program. If you enroll in Kindle Unlimited then it is exclusive to Amazon and you aren’t able to sell your book through other channels but you are paid by each paid read through Kindle Unlimited. Lost I did not put on Kindle Unlimited and also pushed it through other channels through Smashwords to get it distributed through Apple, Barnes & Noble, etc.

Amazon is the monster in the room that you can’t ignore and has to be addressed. Amazon has given tremendous opportunity to aspiring authors and other channels for established authors. The interesting thing for me is that when Edge of Atlantis was released, there were quite a few payments through Kindle Unlimited but now that it is over a year since release, I don’t get many royalties through Kindle Unlimited anymore.

On the other hand Lost sold a few books through Smashwords but the large majority of sales are through Amazon even though the Kindle Unlimited program is not activated. Amazon is definitely a must but I am still debating on whether to enroll the next book in the Kindle Unlimited program. For what it is worth, I am leaning towards keeping the first book in a series on the Kindle Unlimited program and quite possibly having a limited sale on book 1 when book 2 is released.

It has been an interesting experiment and a fun ride.

Thriller vs Adventure Romance

I have been interested in watching which type of book of mine has better sales, the thriller or the adventure romance.  I like to read both types but wondered what type of market demand existed for either.  It is interesting to me that Lost is selling better than Edge of Atlantis.  I wonder if it is because Lost is a full story and Edge of Atlantis is the start of a trilogy and people don't want to wait for the next book or if that is what people want to read more.  I am really loving the second book in the Legacy of Atlantis trilogy.  These are the types of thrillers that I really enjoy reading but I have enjoyed writing both genres.

Progress on Book 2: Legacy of Atlantis

I took a few months break after publishing the two books last year but I'm back to writing the second book in the Legacy of Atlantis trilogy -- the book that I have been excited about writing for a long time.  I have had this planned for a while and love how the story is developing.  I always had the story line all mapped out.  It was just filling in the pieces.  This series has always been a planned trilogy and I don't see that changing.

Can't wait to share it with you!

Big Island of Hawaii

Just a quick picture of a recent travel while I am writing book 2 of the Legacy of Atlantis series.  My family traveled to the Big Island of Hawaii.  One of the coolest (hottest) experiences ever!

My Journey as an Author

Took a month off to travel with the family, but now I'm back.  I started this blog to share my experiences with writing, so I will share what I can.

Many people want to write a book, but it requires sweat and persistence, more than most people are willing to give.  For my part, this has been a project ten years in the making.  I gave up watching television, movies, and sometimes sleep.  I started by learning the basics:  I read self-help books on how to establish setting, point of view, write dialogue, develop characters, and create a plot.

I learned early on that writing requires being able to take criticism.  Completing my first draft took years and then I had to endure endless rewrites – first imposed by myself and then by professionals who were never satisfied.  Even my brother critiqued me.  He didn’t like my plot structure.  He said that I arrived at the destination too quickly, that it was more about the journey than the destination.  I didn’t like what he said since the most exciting part for me at the time was the destination - the location of Atlantis. In the end I realized that he was correct, the large majority of the story is about the journey – much like life.

While an author can do much of the work, it takes other contributors to create a marketable product.  I was strongly admonished to never skimp on editing or creating a book cover, which meant money out of my pocket.  Being able to write a good story is not enough.  A successful author must make many business decisions. A major decision for me was whether to self-publish or submit the book to a publisher or book agent who would handle the business side of publishing in return for a percentage of the profits.  I dabbled with major publishing houses and queried agents but I didn’t generate much interest.  In this day and age, I received the strong impression that they were looking for authors with established reputations.  So in the end I decided to self-publish, establish a sales record, and then try the professionals again at a later time.  Doing things myself, I had to make a myriad of business decisions.  I had to obtain editing, an ebook cover, a paperbook cover, marketing banners for social media, and a website.  Added to that was formatting both versions, marketing to get the product into the hands of the consumer, and many other issues involved with self-publishing.

I am grateful for the experience. It has taught me a tremendous amount about myself and that a lot of our experience is as much about the journey as it is the final destination – whether writing, reading, or life.  If you are thinking about writing – do it – It’s all worth it.

Legacy of Atlantis: Book 2

I have had a lot of inquiries in regards to when will Book 2 in the Legacy of Atlantis series be available.  I had a rough draft many years ago and I am rewriting it now.  This has always been a planned trilogy but I labeled it a series just in case.  As of today, it still is a planned trilogy.  The anticipation of this second book has been higher for me than any other.  I am excited to share with you what has happened to Reed, Kate, Danielle, David, and the rest.  The goal is to release it near the end of 2018.

Lost: A Novel

What I hope to accomplish with this blog is share what I have learned along the way to help others as they struggle to write.  Also to keep you updated with what is happening and upcoming events.

Lost is a novel that I had never planned on publishing.  Over the past 10 years, it was a practice book as I learned how to write.  I enjoyed writing it so much that I had to publish it.  I know that Stephanie is a figment of my imagination and is not real but I am so in love with her.  I hope that you enjoy reading this novel as much as I enjoyed writing it.

I look forward to many years to come with you :)