Short Story Collections – A Good Investment?

September 14, 2016October 22, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 20 Comments

I realize it’s been a few days since my last post, but I’ve been busy working on a short story collection. At present, the collection is out to beta readers which has given me time to toy with cover designs (via Canva) as well as consulting with profession designers.

This is my first foray into self-publishing, and while I’m excited about the prospect, I’ve also discovered the process can be costly, especially when you factor in ISBN’s, Editors, and cover designers (if you choose to go the professional route).

Which brings me to my question – Is it a worthwhile investment?

Short story collections are a huge category on Amazon, ranging from literary, romance, erotica, Christian to crime. You’ll find collections and singles from classic authors like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Mark Twain, and Ernest Hemingway, to name a few and a large selection of Kindle Singles and Kindle Short Reads listed by reading times (from 15 minutes to 2 hours or more). How cool is that?

In doing my research, prices ranged from free to $9.99 for the Kindle version with other formats running as high as $22.47.

Now, I’m no Fitzgerald or Hemingway and probably won’t break even for a long time to come, but it’s not about the money – it’s about sharing my stories.

I’ll tell you more about my short story collection in the coming weeks but in the meantime, here’s a hint.

“Darkness dwells within even the best of us. In the worst of us, darkness not only dwells but reigns.” ― Dean Koontz (Tweet This).

What do you think? Short story collections- are they a good investment?

I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story and look for me on Facebook at SheilaMGood, Pinterest, Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilamgood, Contently, and Instagram. You can follow my reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.

EDITING 101: 02 – Description Depression…

September 9, 2016October 22, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 3 Comments

Descriptions, like backstory can be difficult for writers. When and how to introduce a character, setting, or motivation, if not done well comes across like a glob of information dumped in the middle of the page. When this happens, the readers often skips ahead or stops reading.

Chris the story reading Ape, does a great job discussing descriptions in the post below. Be sure to let him know you like it.
Also, for additional help with descriptions, check out the Physical Feature Thesaurus and The Urban/Rural Settings Thesaurus at http://writershelping writers.net.

Thanks Chris!

Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

Originally posted as the Dun Writin’—Now Whut? series on this blog, EDITING 101 is a weekly refresher series for some of you and brand new for others.

Courtesy of Adirondack Editing

Do You Have Description Depression?

Are you a writer who uses rich, lush descriptions for their settings and characters? Or one who just wants “the facts, Ma’am, just the facts”? Is it an effort to decide how much description to use, where, and exactly what?

If you struggle with Description Depression in your writing, you’re not alone. There isn’t a “correct” way to use description in fiction, although, in my humble opinion, you’re better off using too little than too much.

In over describing, a writer runs the risk of annoying their readers. Many readers admit to skipping over large amounts of description. It didn’t used to be that way. Before the age of movies, television, the Internet, and smartphones…

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How to Use Your Kindle Device for Easy Editing

August 29, 2016October 21, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 15 Comments

Editing is a daunting and necessary task for writers. Often I find myself reading and re-reading a piece until the words blur. I let the story rest, read it aloud, and run it through editing programs, but after so many times, it’s easy to become immune to errors that may be glaring to our readers. I have, however, discovered a trick that helps me avoid overlooking mistakes – I send the piece to Kindle.

As I listen to the mechanical voice read my work, I’m amazed at the things I missed or new aspects I notice. It might be grammar errors, the way a sentence flows, or even story continuity; yet, this simple technique provides me with a different perspective. Highlighting the things I want to change with notes and comments, I can then return to my manuscript and make the necessary corrections.

How to Send to Kindle:

The these easiest way to do this is to use the Send to Kindle App.

1. Add you Kindle device to your account if you haven’t already.

2. Your device will automatically associate with a Kindle email: @kindle.com. You can find this email by going to the Manage my content and Devices and click on your device. Remember, you will need to use the email account associated with your Amazon account.

3. Download the Send to Kindle App. I keep my app on the dock for easy access.

4. Take your WORD, PDF, or Mobi file and drop it onto the app. Minutes later, the document will appear on your Kindle.

5. Use Notes and Comments to highlight issues. Press and hold the word, text, or an image to create notes or comments for use in editing.

There you have it, an easy way to edit via your Kindle. Have you found a method to make editing easier? Share with us.