Category Archives: Writing

Annual Book Sales

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I spent more on writing fiction than I earned. No surprise. I write for Torre. This was also a very busy year at MotiveQuest where I spent extra hours upgrading software to meet demand leaving me with very little time for writing or reading. Somehow I managed to finish Dee Count for iPad and Kandy Fangs story, both projects started in 2010.

All of my stories are available for free (on blog, download, or by asking,) and I consider paid ebooks as donations (and supporting retailers) in appreciation of fiction. Find where to download my ebooks for your favorite reader on my Books page.

2011 Sales

At the beginning of the year, I announced that I would donate my 2011 ebook proceeds (as of Dec 15th) to Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP.) For transparency, here are my 2011 sales numbers for my books as of December 15, 2011.

Shadow Memories

  • Paid: 3, 1 each at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo
  • Free: 28 at Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale

Raven Memory

  • Paid: 2, 1 at Amazon and 1 at Sony Reader Store

Kandy Fangs

  • Free at Smashwords: 198
  • Free at Barnes & Noble: 161
  • Free at Scribd: 3 (embedded reads + downloads)

For comparison, in 2010 I sold 7 Shadow Memories, and 4 Raven Memory ebooks plus 30 free downloads.

Donation to KIPP

On behalf of readers, I donated my proceeds from paid ebook sales (ignoring my writing expenses) plus 10 cents for every free ebook download listed above to KIPP. This works out to be $4.62 for paid ebook sales plus $39.00 in thanks for free ebook downloads for a result rounded up to $50. I matched for total of US $100 donated to KIPP.

Thanks for reading my stories.

Still Standing

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Standing Work Desk

After four years of watching my health decline even while exercising during my off hours, last year I decided I had enough. I kicked the chair and traded up to a standing desk (see “Get Off Your Butt.”) A year later I’m still standing at my workstation, and not going back to sitting for hours at a time. Commuting by bicycle isn’t enough to offset the negative impact of sitting for an entire work day.

I feel better. I’m more productive. Chairs are for resting.

Including the studies I’ve read with my experience, my conclusion is that humans were not designed to sit in chairs beyond a brief respite.

Stand up and get some work done.

Source Citation Fail

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While reading a technical book, I came across a footnote referencing a source citation with a Wikipedia URL. I frowned upon seeing an encyclopedia as a source. A book or article would be more useful to me. Ignoring the arguments about the quality of Wikipedia versus other encyclopedias, let’s look at problems on how this turns into a source citation failure.

It turns out the specific URL has changed, and Wikipedia redirects to a the same topic on another page. However, there is no mention of the specific point referenced by the book as someone has since updated the entry. The page also boldly states at the top that the entry “needs attention from an expert on the subject.”

The author of the book is an expert on this topic, but chooses to cite an encyclopedia entry in need of improvement, and the point in question has since been edited out. No value to the reader.

Please cite a solid source that provides more information to the reader.

Donating 2011 Ebook Proceeds to KIPP

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I will donate all proceeds from my 2011 ebook sales to Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP.)

What is KIPP?

Knowledge is Power Program is a national network of open-enrollment, college-preparatory public schools. KIPP improves academic quality by offering more classroom time focused on achievement with great educators. Learn more about KIPP at www.KIPP.org. Also see what Give Well has to say about KIPP.

Donation Details

My ebooks, found on the Books page, are available for free at Scribd. If you would like another format, you may choose an ebook and select a retailer. On December 15, 2011, I will submit a total donation to KIPP, and post the results on this blog.

Here is the breakdown of purchase price, and how much of your purchase will go to KIPP.

Shadow Memories

For $0.99 purchase, the following donated to KIPP:

Raven Memory

For $2.99 purchase, the following donated to KIPP:

Kandy Fangs (available in March) is free, and not included. If I release another ebook this year, it will be included.

If any retailers make adjustments during 2011, including sales or fees, I will stick with the numbers above for donations.

In summary, I will donate proceeds of my ebook sales during 2011 on December 15, 2011 to KIPP.

2011

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2010 was a busy year for me in the software world, but I did manage to post a couple books to Smashwords and other places. I will continue to write fiction.

2011

This year and beyond, I will post most of my short fiction at www.KandyFangs.com, including going beyond the novella such as this week’s FridayFlash, “Quiet Storm.” This blog will be for news or posts on reading, writing, software, science, or technology. Look for longer fiction at Scribd.

My current projects for this year include:

  • Kandy Fangs novella and other stories
  • a novel featuring Torre
  • iPad development
  • Art

Donations

My fiction is free. If you enjoy my stories and feel like donating, you may do so by purchasing an ebook from Smashwords, Amazon, or another retailer. Your purchase also supports these retailers in delivering works by your favorite authors. See Books page for details. Find my ebooks at:

Thanks for your support.

Ninth at 12 Days 2010

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“Ninth” is at 12 Days 2010 among twenty-three other short stories. Hosted by Jim Bronyauer, 12 Days 2010 features two stories for each of the “Twelve Days of Christmas” posted two at a time for 12 days. My story is on the “nine ladies dancing” theme where a man walking home meets the nine spirits from a local curse.

Read “Ninth” at 12days2010.wordpress.com/2010/12/22/ninth-day-9/ and enjoy all the stories finishing up on Christmas.

Update

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  • A story is coming up for 12days2010 hosted by Jim Bronyaur. Look for it in December.
  • Kandy Fangs returns on 28 November over at www.KandyFangs.com, and the ebook will be out early 2011.

I’ve been working nearly non-stop at MotiveQuest for the last few weeks. It’s an exciting time watching things fall together, building for the future, but also a very busy time. I am also studying iOS (iPhone/iPad) development in my spare minutes. I’m terribly behind, but hopefully I don’t get strangled for being late.

All this means I haven’t done much reading or writing. There’s a stack of books waiting for me. Winter is a great time for reading and writing. It is also a time for reflection and planning. There’s a few projects I’ve been thinking about, and if things start falling in place then exciting adventures could be on the horizon.