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.

Smashwords is having their annual Summer/Winter sale all July with participating ebooks at 25% discount, 50% discount, or free. Raven Memory is 50% off and profits still go to KIPP as detailed in this post. Shadow Memories is a free download for the sale.

Find my books on Smashwords.

Thanks, and go read some books this Summer/Winter (depending on the hemisphere you’re in.)

This week, March 6th to 12th, my ebooks are included in the promotion at Smashwords. Raven Memory is 50% off and Shadow Memories is free. For 2011, I am donating proceeds from sales of my books to KIPP including from this promotion.

Find my ebooks on my Smashwords page, or browse the promotion for other ebooks.

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:

• www.smashwords.com/profile/view/dracotorre
• http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003ZMBRX4

Thanks for your support.

Support authors. Buy a book (or three.)

Below is my incomplete list of ebooks by Friday Flash participants. The best part about Friday Flash is diversity, and the same is true for this list of books. There is something for everyone.

I have read several of these titles, and the rest are on my reading list. Sure, ebooks don’t impress people like print books sitting on a shelf, but you’re a reader! (You could always take a snap of your digital bookshelf like I did.) Even if you don’t have a fancy ebook reader, you can enjoy their books on your PC, phone or iPod (and some are available in print.) Smashwords supports many formats or read online.

If you’re creating an ebook for Smashwords, consider formatting working contents supporting PDF, epub, mobi, and iPad. See my post on formatting.

Books are cheap. Buy them all! (At least sample.)

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13 Horror Stories by John McDonell (McDonnellWrite.) Sample on Smashwords.

A Breath of Life and Other Stories by Eric J. Krause (ericjkrause) is a collection of shorts. Find it at Smashwords or Amazon.

A, B & E by Marc Nash (21stCscribe) is in paperback at Amazon.

Deadlands Hunt by G L Drummond (Scath) is part of a world of stories. Sample on Smashwords .

Don’t Fall Asleep by Laura Eno (lauraeno) begins the Dream Assassin series. Find it on Smashwords or Amazon.

A Fine Cast of Characters by J. Dane Tyler (DarcKnyt) is a collection. Sample at Smashwords.

The First Tale by Icy Sedgwick (icypop) takes place in her Vertigo City from her serial shared on Tuesday Serial available at Smashwords.

From Dark Places by Emma Newman (EmApocalyptic) is a collection available on Smashwords.

Must Love Dragons by Monica Marier (lil_monmon) is a novel available at Lulu.

Password Incorrect by Piotr Kowalczyk (namenick) is a collection. Sample on Smashwords.

Prophecy Moon by Laura Eno (lauraeno) is a fantasy novella about love, wizards, and worlds. Sample at Smashwords or Amazon.

RealmShift by Alan Baxter (AlanBaxter) is a novel. Available at Smashwords and Amazon.

Something’s Not Right by Trevor Mcpherson (3S_stories) is a collection of shorts. Your biggest disappointment might be how short this book is, but the stories pack a punch. Available at Smashwords.

Strange New Feet by Shannon Esposito (soesposito) is a science-politics novella available at Smashwords and Amazon.

You’ll also find some of your favorite Friday Flash authors in these collections:

• Best of Friday Flash – Volume One edited by J.M. Strother is available at Smashwords.
• The Yin and Yang Book edited by Jodi Cleghorn and Paul Anderson at chinesewhisperings.com

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Screen shot of iPad bookshelf

Welcome to the book release party

Raven Memory cover

Grab a book marker, munchies, bubbly, and say hello. Careful of the wraith skulking about. He won’t bother anyone unless provoked.

Before this story had a title, I referred to it as my “practice novel.” Two years ago some anonymous test readers (I still haven’t met them) reported with excitement and urged me to seek publishing. I wasn’t convinced. It was in poor shape in need of editing. The strange part: after being passed around, the draft was finally returned to me a year later.

Book marker front

So, I decided to share this novel as an introduction to Draco Torre’s world. (Who is Draco Torre?)

The two main characters in Raven Memory have different, but related, memory problems (read the summary in Books menu.) Steve Reynolds uses notepads to help him keep things straight. His new employee, Julie Walsh, begins suffering black-outs, but out of order. Her kiss on Tuesday melts into a kiss the day before. A familiar medallion sparks a memory, and she begins seeing a wraith following her through time.

Back

The story asks some questions:

• Do memories define identity?
• Is it possible to remember the future or change the past?
• What happens when memories from two different people intersect?

Steve and Julie offer their views.

Raven Memory is an urban science-fantasy taking place in Roseland, a modern city home to a species with ideas of their own. Recommended for mature readers. See the teaser page for a summary at www.RavenMemory.com.

You may sample or purchase Raven Memory at

• Smashwords
• Amazon US
• Amazon UK

Celebrating the release of this novel, it is available at 40% discount on Smashwords until September 5th. Use the code: VB68E. In addition, you may download Shadow Memories story collection for free using code: NE26E

While you are at Smashwords, check out Best of Friday Flash – Volume 1 edited by Jon M Strother of Mad Utopia. It includes my story, “Mother Dove” and 66 other great tales.

How to read Raven Memory ebook

• iPad: Download the ePub from Smashwords. In iTunes, select File, Add to Library. Sync. (Coming soon to iBookstore.)
• PC: Download the ePub from Smashwords and use Adobe Digital Editions or download the PDF for printing.
• Kindle: You may purchase from Amazon or Smashwords using mobi.
• Phones: try ePub with a reader like Stanza.
• Sony Reader: get the LRF.

The contents page links work on the PDF and ePub including support for the contents feature in iBooks on the iPad. An interesting note: Raven Memory appears in the latest revision of Smashwords Style Guide by Mark Coker as a well-formatted ebook with working contents page, including screen shot. Thanks J. Dane Tyler (DarcKnyt) for the tip.

Roseland

Thanks

Thanks to the mystery readers. Without them, there would be no Raven Memory. Thanks to Mom for patience while I worked on editing and formatting this instead of writing the next story. And thanks to the readers.

Enjoy

Feel free to ask questions, leave comments, or share your thoughts. Enjoy the story. Thanks for stopping by.

~David G Shrock

iBooks on iPad Contents Screen Shot

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.