For nearly a decade, I’ve been working on stories in Draco Torre’s world, or more accurately, translating stories as told by Torre and friends. Keeping the stories to myself seems selfish, so I decided to share them.

Draco Torre stories follow the lives of the last remaining survivors of a lost civilization crossing through time to discover their past and themselves. The stories include time travel, memory shifting, androids, and strange creatures.

Raven Memory Cover

The first novel in Draco Torre’s world is Raven Memory, a science-fantasy available late summer on Amazon and Smashwords. I finished this novel two years ago, and after some polishing it’s finally ready. You’ll find a brief summary under Books on the menu and repeated below. Visit www.RavenMemory.com or Draco Torre Books Fan Page on Facebook for information updated as the book release approaches.

On AudioBoo, I read a section from the first chapter each weekend. See http://audioboo.fm/Dracotorre to follow along. Keep an eye out for a written chapter sample, artwork, and more.

My second novel (which was originally going to be the first) is nearly completed. It’s a dark fantasy in a similar setting to 19th century America. My Friday Flash stories with Sebastian Rhemus are glimpses. If all goes well, this second novel will be ready next year.

Raven Memory Brief Summary

Julie Walsh’s new employer, Steve Reynolds, is a professional killer with a memory problem. She wants to help him keep things straight, but her days mix up. A kiss on Tuesday melts into a kiss last Sunday. Next Thursday, a wraith frightens her out of her chair on the previous Monday. Realizing that only Steve remembers her favorite novel, she questions her own memories. Caught within the Raven Project, she searches for her identity. Julie Walsh is a construct wrapped in darkness, dripping the blood of a memory.

From Publishers Weekly “A Bookselling Tail” from 2006 noting 2004 Bookscan data

• 80% of books sell fewer than 99 copies
• 96% of books sell fewer than 1,000 copies
• Average American book sells 500 copies

According to Editorial Ass in 2008

• Sell 7,000: “you’re a star.”
• Sell 4,000: “strong seller.”

From Association of American Publishers on publishers.org

• 2009 eBook annual sales up 177% overtaking audio books
• 2009 overall book sales down 1.8%

From Bowker

• 288,355 new traditional books in 2009
• 764,448 new non-traditional books in 2009, up 181%
• 45,181 new traditional fiction books in 2009, down from 53,058 in 2008

From New York Times citing Bowker 2009 data

• Hardcover: 35% of total sales
• Trade paperback: 35% of total sales
• Mass market paperback: 31% of total sales
• eBook: 2% of total sales
• All e-commerce sites at 20% total book sales

Nearly 300,000 new books each year is tough competition. 700,000 new books in a year is a great deal of noise. In “What’s Louder than Noise?” Kristine Kathryn Rusch claims that the great American novel is now an impossibility making the point that it is now harder than ever for even established authors to get noticed. Instead of searching for the new book that will sell millions of copies, publisher should promote a thousand authors that each sell a thousand. Writing fiction isn’t a good career choice. The majority of authors never make any money.

The fiction author must set good goals: writing for family and friends, sharing with their community, selling a 100 copies, marketing to a specific niche, or simply getting a story out there. Write for love. Write for the skill. Write for the pursuit of knowledge. Write for your mom.

The love that goes into the telling makes a story worth reading.

Why do I write? I write for Torre.

[Update: The Digital Reader post claims Amazon Kindle book sales pass hardcover and the numbers imply 2009 sold Kindle books at 50% of hardcover sales. According to this TBIResearch post, Amazon controls 90% ebook market. Given Amazon sales are less than 20% of market, this claim makes sense since.]

I started a Facebook page for Draco Torre Books where I’ll post about my books. On the main page (www.DracoTore.com,) I added a “Like” button so Facebook users can start following. The Facebook icon at the top of the sidebar links to the page. This way you don’t need to try to be my Facebook friend. Just follow the page.

Click the the “Like” button. It’s fun!

Shadow Memories available on Smashwords

My book of short stories, Shadow Memories, is available in digital format at Smashwords.

Nine dark tales delve into the shadows stirring up memories from another world. Meet a memory-eating wraith searching for his lost love. Join a giant-sized man on his first quest to solve a mystery of a monster. While running from an invisible attacker, Tigris discovers her former master’s dark secret. Susan chases after her runaway pumpkin through a toy store and into the street.

View my Author Profile: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/dracotorre

Sample or purchase Shadow Memories: http://smashwords.com/b/17029

Notes

The contents page works on the iPad, and the links work if using Adobe Digital Editions or PDF. My drawing of Tabitha shows up nice, too. Soft Whispers published a flash version of “Memor Mora” in Deadly Love, Be Mine anthology. Within Shadow Memories, you will find the original full story in all its darkness. “Suffocation Bell” features a minor character from my novel, Raven Memory. Other stories include a selection from my #FridayFlash participation

Stories

• Mother Dove
• Darkness Was Her Dress
• Suffocation Bell
• Runaway Jack
• Memor Mora
• Young Secret
• A Grave Giant
• Dunston Monster
• The Only Color

Purchase Shadow Memories at Smashwords for $0.99 (USD) or get it free using the coupon code until July 4th, 2010.

Coupon Code: GJ34A

Enjoy!

While you’re at Smashwords, fill your cart with great books by #FridayFlash writers such as:

• Eric J Krause
• Shannon Esposito
• Laura Eno
• Trevor Mcpherson

New to digital books?

I recommend downloading the book in ePub which you may read on your PC with Adobe Digital Editions, read on your iPad by using iTunes “Add to Library” and sync, or read on your iPhone using Stanza. If you prefer paper, you may download in PDF and print. Other versions are available. See the instructions for your reading device.

In a previous post, I argued that “Consumers Pay for Content.” Many publishers try to sell content, but this is not the best marketing strategy. Sell ideas. Sell souvenirs. Sell an escape from reality.

Watch the video of Seth Godin, “10 Bestsellers: Using New Media, New Marketing, and New Thinking to Create 10 Bestselling Books.”

Two important points by Godin:

1. Conversation sells.
2. Good books sell themselves.

The first point is a big one: word of mouth (WOM.) If people are talking, tweeting, posting about the book then other people will talk about the book. And some of them will buy the book. Getting the conversation started means giving content away.

The second point helps make the first point happen. Start by writing something worth talking about. Readers are hungry for good stories seeking out conversations to find new morsels. Good content sells itself.

Never sell the content. Sell passion.