This story just won’t rest, it seems. Unless something major happens, this will be my last update regarding A Light To Starve By. It’s been a beautiful trip. Over the past few months, aside from a couple of people I’ve contacted myself, reviews have been coming in from all over the place. I figured I’d gather them all in one post, have a nanosecond of self-indulgence before I go back to the blank page. I would like to thank all the folks out there who’ve reviewed this dark little e-story, either via Amazon, Goodreads, or various blogs and websites. Not to forget all the kind readers who have sent me very sweet emails or asked what else have you written? I haven’t found a single negative review so far - and trust me, I’ve looked. For that, I am truly grateful. And I mean, it’s always cool to see this happen:
(Sales were even higher than that, cracked the top 50 in horror e-books, but I somehow lost the screenshot somewhere in the digital abyss. A shame.)
Reviews and articles:
- Booksquawk
- Thunderdome
- The Velvet
- BigAl’s Books And Pals
- Jay Slayton-Joslin
- Obscuradrome / Bob Pastorella
- What Does Not Kill Me / Richard Thomas
- Booked Podcast
- Sean P. Ferguson
- Goodreads
- Outsider Writers Collective And Press
- Under The Cover #1: Boden Steiner
The question I’ve been asked a few times, and asked myself, too: would I do this again? Take a story that appeared in print, didn’t get the attention I wanted, and sell it for pennies in digital format? The answer is complicated. Yes, no, perhaps, maybe. We’ll see what the future has in store. We’ll see where the publishing industry is headed.
In the case of ALTSB (that sure is one long acronym), the situation was so unique I just had to take the chance. Because the original print anthology it was featured in received so little attention, and by little I mean none, I felt the whole Kindle-thing was an adventure I ought to try. The story was long enough to not be considered a short story, yet way too short to be a novel. And it was a thrill to try something new.
At the end of the day, though, I’ve never seen myself as one of those Kindle authors. Nothing wrong with it, no judgement call here. I think some of them might be pioneers, way ahead of their time. People like Anthony Neil Smith are incredible at it. He turns the endeavour into an art form. Just take a glance at his Twitter.
It just doesn’t work for me, though. I need, and want, an editor to call me out on my shit when needed. I want proofreaders to put band-aids on the wounds I unwillingly inflict on the English language. Because I love print, and the feel of physical books. Most importantly, though, it all boils down to exposure. Don’t get me wrong - I greatly enjoyed pimping out the story for a few weeks. Getting a chance to work with and feature Boden Steiner’s gorgeous art on the cover (you deserve all the credit in the world, my friend), using social media platforms, spamming Twitter, setting up reviews, purchasing ad space, maniacally tracking click-through rates and sales rank. I actually found marketing fun.
But if relentlessly promoting my own work means time spent away from writing - thanks, but no thanks. That’s not what I’ve been put on this Earth for. Twenty four hours in a day. If I have to work and keep a roof over my head, attend to my duties, have a healthy relationship, a social life, and above everything, write - there’s no time left. I’d rather have an agent, a press and/or a marketing team (mostly) handle the publicity for me. So, in short: maybe it’ll happen again, but it’s highly unlikely.
Last thing. I’ve also noticed the story being stripped of its DRM and shared on a couple of websites. I won’t link them here, because I’d hate to bump up their Google search results. Still, I can’t find it in me to be mad. I’ve looked at the number of downloads and seeds, studying the whole thing from a very geeky angle. While I generally do not “approve” of piracy, and while it’s sometimes a struggle for me to actually afford food. I’m just glad folks out there are reading my work. That’s all it comes down to. Ideally, I would rather have people purchase it - not for the financial angle, but for the reviews, Amazon ratings, and general word of mouth, the sales ranking. Things that can lead to more exposure, more readers. It’s not like the 30 cents I make on each copy sold will give me a chance to pay rent any time soon, right?
If you can part ways with less than a dollar, you know where to go. Read it on your tablet, phone, computer, it all works.
In the US? Here: http://www.amazon.com/Light-Starve-ebook/dp/B004OR1U5O
Or here for Brits/Europeans: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Light-Starve-ebook/dp/B004OR1U5O
If not - go ahead, unleash your Google-fu and scream yaaarrr as you steal my words. It’s okay. I hope you enjoy the ride, and hey, an extra Amazon/Goodreads review wouldn’t hurt, you know? Doesn’t matter how you acquired the story. I know, I know. Time is money but since you just saved some money, perhaps you can spare some time. Thanks. I love you. Godspeed.
-Axel
P.S: Yes, there’s a sequel coming. SPOILER ALERT: werewolves.
