Books – Flores Factor

Book Release: Illusion of Victory

by Richard Flores IV on 2017-07-10 4 Comments

I am so excited to say that the sequel to Dissolution of Peace is finally here!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuLsDf2VEVo]

I am very excited to finally get Illusion of Victory out to you. Many of you have been eagerly awaiting this sequel in The Serenity Saga.

Here is the back cover blurb:

Captain Christina Serenity is back from the dead, in a manner of speaking. Everyone believed that no one survived the devastating attack on the Earth Space Ship Australia. That is, everyone except Roger Mathews, the traitor that launched the attack. But the four survivors have grown tired of seeking revenge and have returned home to face the consequences of that choice.

The Zercowans are losing interest in fighting Earth’s war and demand some type of action against the threats that face their people. But after several tough decisions, Serenity learns that the term ‘enemy’ isn’t so clear and she no longer feels strong enough to handle the weight of war.

Can Serenity maintain the illusion of strength long enough to gain the victories Earth desperately needs? Or have the pressures of war and revenge already destroyed her?

You can get the book on Amazon in Paperback and for

Kindle. You can also order the paperback from Createspace.

There are also some other exciting new things to share. My new website has launched. I also had this awesome logo created. Please take a moment to go check out the site and see the new site. I plan to update some of the information in the “about” section soon.

So what is next on the writing agenda. I think I am going to dive right into Book 3 of The Serenity Saga, which will be titled Revelation of Secrets. These characters are ready for more, and I don’t want to keep you fans waiting too much longer.

As always, you can support my work by sharing this blog and all things Flores. Happy Reading!

DetCon1 is Coming Fast!

Uncategorized

by Richard Flores IV on 2014-07-01 0 Comments

If you follow me on on Facebook and Twitter, you no doubt have heard me mention DetCon1. You may have even gathered that I am pretty excited about this. And, it is just over two weeks away!

What is DetCon1?

The simple answer is the DetCon1 is the North American Science Fiction Convention (NASFiC). But for those, like I used to be, who are not sure what that means, let me clarify. WorldCon, to me, is the grand daddy of all Science Fiction conventions. Well, when WorldCon is going to be outside North America (this year it is in London), there is also a NASFiC.

This year, DetCon1 is being held in Detroit at the Marriott Renaissance Center from July 17-20th. If you have not thought about going, it is not too late. I strongly encourage any author, publisher, or fan of Science Fiction to attend.

Why should I go?

Last year I finally made it to my first convention. I went to Lone Star Con 3, last year’s WorldCon. I figured I’d go big or go home. And let me tell you, I was not disappointed. I walked away with a wealth of knowledge for my writing, my business, and my reading list. It was an entire weekend of fun and it cost me almost nothing. A small membership fee (way less than $100), hotel and a flight. But the things I learned made it all worth it.

Anyway, I made up my mind that I was going to go to every WorldCon I could attend. There are two reasons this is a good idea. First, it makes me get away once a year. Second, WorldCon always moves around. Thus making it a great way to see new places. I really loved San Antonio, and I would never have thought to go there if it wasn’t for the WorldCon.

Well, as I mentioned above, this year it is in London. And my move to Washington made it just financially impossible to go. But even if you are going to London this year, you should also go to Detroit. The conventions are at different times, just so those that can attend both have that ability.

But here is why you should go:

Panels: DetCon1 will have four days full of panels. What are panels? A group, typically 2-6 people, discuss a assigned topic for about an hour. The topics at DetCon1 are very vast. They range from Literary to Scientific, Music and Art, and on and on. You get to hear experts, novices, publishers, artists, doctors, and other qualified individuals discuss these topics and offer their advice. Sometimes, if time permits, you even get to ask a few questions. And many panelists are willing to talk to you after the panel, if their schedule permits.

I went to so many panels at WorldCon. And one thing I knew I wanted to do was to speak on a panel. Why? Well, like this blog, I like to help people, and I do that with my ideas and thoughts. Panels are a great way for me to share those. And, I applied to be a panelist at DetCon1 and they said yes! (more on that soon).

Workshops: Where panels are more of a one way communication, a lot like a lecture, workshops are more of a two way street. You work with others to develop a certain skill or item. There are a number of these and they vary in type and style. While you learn a ton of stuff from panels, you practice a lot in Workshops. These are often intense periods since time is limited. But I love the fast learning method.

Film Festival: I wish I had known about these earlier when I was at Lone Star Con, because I missed some good ones. Film Festivals show short films made by talented folks. The one I attended showed ten different short films in about an hour and half. They were amazing! This is a great way to take a break from the hustle of the convention and see some excellent media art.

Art Show: I could have gone broke at the Lone Star Con art show. And Detroit has some awesome artists. The Artist guest of honor is one of my favorites, John Picacio. My hope is to get a chance to meet him and maybe (finances permitting) pick up something of his. But even if you can only look, I can assure you you will fall in love with the art at the convention.

Kids Programs: This year I am going alone. But last year I went with my whole family and the Kids programming was a life saver for my young kids. DetCon1’s programming appears to be the same way. Kids can only take so much adult stuff before they go nuts. Kids programming is built just for them and includes a number of crafts.

Dealers: Merchants of as much variety as you can imagine come to the convention to show and sell their stuff. Of course you won’t leave without a book or two, but there are also shirts, comics, patches, jewelry, and other great things to buy. I don’t know what dealers will be at DetCon1, but my wallet is already opening.

Also, I discovered some great writers by browsing the Dealer room. The books are excellent and I wound up grabbing a few new names because that was the point. To experience something new.

So much more: Exhibits, Parties, Masquerade, Gaming, and so much more. DetCon1 is certain to have some great exhibits to check out. I missed the Masquerade at Lone Star, so I hope to attend this one (but I have a busy schedule already). I also missed out on a lot of parties last time. I didn’t find out about them until late Saturday. So I hope that I can attend a lot more this time.

So you see, there are more than enough reasons to to go to DetCon1. You can register online for the full four days for just $75 for adults, $25 for kids (4 and under are free!). So if you can get to Detroit, you see the value is there. Not sure if you want to register online, you can do so at the door too. They also have one day memberships that vary in price based on the day. So please, go check it out!

I almost forgot the biggest reason you all should go!

I’ll be there. I applied to be a participant this year, and was so honored when the programming staff selected me as one of their participants. I am even more honored by how many panels they have have assigned me to. So it would be great if a few of my fans, and fans of Plasma Frequency could come out and see me.

Please note, the below list of panels is not final. Although the programming staff say it is “done” (their quotes, not mine), these things are always subject to change. You’ll want to check the program when you check in.

Of course when I am not on a panel I will be attending them, and also I will be around looking at all there is to see.

So here is where they have me scheduled (*again subject to change so check the final program).

THURSDAY (17th)

The Very First Thing: Story Titles

Description: How do writers choose story titles? What makes a good title? Who gets to decide what the title will be? And which comes first, the story or the title?

My thoughts: I am lousy at titles, and I have had to adapt to that failing. So I hope to get a chance to discuss how I break down my title block and finally put a title on my stories.

Time: 7pm in the Nicolet A Room*

FRIDAY (18th)

Iron Author Detroit – Late Night Edition

Description: Watch four authors compete for the title of Iron Author Detroit! Witness their efforts at turning the Mystery Ingredient Word into an SF/F short story in five minutes or less. Judge the resulting tales through the magic of the Audience Applause-O-Meter. Who will reign supreme?

My thoughts: I am the Moderator or Emcee for this one. I am excited about this one too. I love short fiction, which is why I publish them. So, getting to see four authors write a story in five minutes or less… oh man this is going to be great.

Time: 10pm in the Nicolet B Room*

SATURDAY (19th)

What am I Looking For?

Description: Agents and editors talk about the sorts of projects that interest them individually and answer general publishing questions.

My Thoughts: I am so honored and so excited for this panel. Obviously I will be representing Plasma Frequency on this panel. But,as of right now the other panelists are Diana Pho of Tor books, Kate Baker and Neil Clarke of Clarkesworld, and Sam Morgan who is an Agent. Now, Clarkesworld has always been a publication I have admired and has been what I aspired for by opening Plasma Frequency. So to sit on a panel with Neil Clarke and Kate Baker. Man, I really hope they are there and that aspect doesn’t change. However, I am also excited to represent the semi-pro market on this panel. This is a good one to attend if you’ve wanted to know what it is we are publishing and why.

Time: 1pm in the Mackinac East room*

+/- a Shirt: Starting a Business

Description: How to lose your shirt (or maybe get rich) in starting a business.

My Thoughts: This one wasn’t on my initial itinerary, but I am glad they added me. Plasma Spyglass, my company, is my second business. So I am excited to talk about what I learned from my first failure, and what I know from Plasma Spyglass to be successful.

Time: 3:00pm in the Ambassador Salon 1*

Reading: Flores/Haynes/O’Riordan

Description: Richard Flores IV, Michael Haynes, and Daniel O’Riordan read from their work.

My Thoughts: Of all the items on my list, this one I am the most nervous about. I don’t know which novel I will read from, but I am leaning towards my most recent one, Broken Trust. Readings are a great way to hear a book in the author’s voice. That was how I discovered the Split Worlds Series by Emma Newman.

Time: 6pm in the Joliet A room*

SUNDAY (20th)

Hobbies as Research

Description: The best way to write about something is by attempting to do it. But the problem with doing this is that it can be easy to let the research take over the story. How do we balance the story with the fun factoids and tidbits we learn while doing things we plan to incorporate into our novels? How does doing it ourselves lend authenticity and credibility to the story?

My Thoughts: This is a subject about balance. Obviously research is a big part of writing. But knowing what parts to share and what to leave out is a difficult thing. This will be a great knowledge builder for new and experienced writers.

Time: 11:00am in the Mackinac East room*

*Remember these are the times and rooms as they are scheduled today. DetCon1 can change these, so please check your programs. And please come see me.

Updates: Moving, Depression, and Failing to Write

by Richard Flores IV on 2013-12-30 2 Comments

The Bad

As a pessimist, I’ll start with the bad first.

Some of you may know from previous posts, and if you follow me on social media, that I recently underwent a major move. I moved from my hometown of Vacaville, CA to Auburn, Washington. I’ve rarely left the State of California for vacation. The farthest I lived from Vacaville was about 5 years in Folsom, CA about an hour away. So needless to say moving two states away was a big move, and a little bit scary of one too.

To top it off, I’ve gone from a four bedroom house to a three bedroom apartment. This is another big adjustment. I am not used to neighbors walking around above me. Or having to walk forever to the trash. Or even the smaller size of an apartment. My family has had to adjust to the smaller spaces and the lack of a yard, or other things we are used to having in a house.

Family is another thing that has changed a bit. This move was originally planned for the middle of June. When the kids would be out of school and there would be time for my wife to transfer her job. But my landlord told us we needed to move right before the holidays. I had already been fired from my job. So after a long talk with my wife, we decided that it was practical to move twice. Once locally and then again six months later in June. So we had to accelerate the plans.

So Amy and I drove all our belonging up to Washington. Amy flew back to California and I was left up here alone. I got really sick (I had already been fighting a cold). And in the end I didn’t get anything done in the first week. Things like getting a job didn’t happen. Then Amy brought our kids up after they finished out the schooling and started winter break. Then Amy went back to California. She has to keep working down there until her job transfers, a date that hasn’t been set yet. So I spent Christmas with the boys. This is the first Christmas Amy and I haven’t had together in over 10 years. Even thought one of us always seemed to have to work, we saw each other.

So it has been hard. I have been suffering form a bit of depression and though I know that is normal, I can’t really slip past it. I find myself sleeping late, moping around the house. I force myself to go out, but it isn’t as much fun as it should be. And the main thing that has suffered is my writing. I haven’t written anything in almost a month. I haven’t even opened any of my projects to review.

There have been a lot of delays to add to a already depressed Richard. For example, I had planned to have responses from beta readers on Broken Trust by December 1. All but one reader bailed out on me and hasn’t even bothered to respond. So now I am looking for a new set of readers to look over this. If you beta read for me, I’ll send you a signed paperback copy of the book when it is released as a Thank You gift (US Residents). Contact me if you are interested.

The fixes on Dissolution of Peace are still delayed by the editor. She is doing the absolute best she can, but delays keep jumping up all over the place. Hopefully the second edition can be released in January, but I can’t make any more promises on that.

The sequel to Dissolution of Peace is slow going. Perhaps I should explain why. Aside from the depression and busy life I’ve had, I am not sure I like how the sequel is progressing. Originally I wrote the manuscripts for three novels. The first is now Dissolution of Peace. The second occurred after a lot of time had passed since the end of the first. I made a decision that I owed the readers the story that occurred during this time lapse. So I decided that was what I would write as the sequel. The problem is, it isn’t progressing the way I thought it would. I think part of this is my own self being critical of my work. Depression and a lack of interest in writing anything is probably a huge factor too.

What I really needed to to was to break the slump in my lack of writing. With all this free time on my hands, I should be writing more not less. And I should be writing for my own sanity. Since most of my books are still packed, I need this escape. As I have mentioned several times over writing is my stress relief. But honestly, it seems to be the first thing I am distracted from when I get upset.

The Good

I’ve wanted to move to Washington for over four years. I’m finally here. That part I am thrilled about. This is very beautiful country. I love the rain, the evergreens, the natural beauty, and the state parks. Yesterday I discovered Flaming Geyser State Park which is only about 20 minutes from me. I think I could spend a long time sitting there writing while listening to the rivers and streams. And I’ll be exploring some more of the State Parks later this week. My own apartment complex is nestled in the hills surrounded by trees and it is a beautiful setting. I’ve posted a few pictures here.

The downsizing has also been good. I’ve managed to purge a lot of stuff I probably should have thrown out years ago. I made a lot of charitable donations before I left Vacaville with the stuff my family no longer needed. It has also allowed me to better organize myself since my office has to be shared with my bedroom. And when Amy does move up here, she won’t want my office clutter everywhere. There are a few pluses to living in an apartment too. Things like no yard to maintain, no trash or water bills, and generally lower electric costs. The lower rent also helps. Unlike Vacaville, the apartment rents in Auburn are cheaper than the house rents. And the saved money will be going into our “buy a house” fund. Something that is on my two years goal list.

There is good news from Broken Trust. I have cover art for the novel ready. Mallory Rock, a great cover artist, did this cover for me. I had a lot of trouble with this cover. I really wanted to see certain things from it. But I couldn’t hit the mark. Mallory managed to hit the mark with this one. Even thought it didn’t hit all the check boxes I wanted, it did give me what I needed. A cover that was amazing and reflects the feel of the novel. Don’t forget, you can get a free signed copy by being a beta reader for this book. Read an early copy of this book, give me your thoughts and suggestions, and not only will you help shape the book. I’ll send you a free copy, signed by me.

Dissolution of Peace got a very nice shout out on Twitter from @CWVanderReyden. His rave reviews of my book led to another person buying the book. This is the first time that I have known of a direct recommendation resulting in the buying of my book. And it was a simple word of mouth review. I appreciate those types of reviews and praise a lot. In many cases they can be more valuable that the professional reviewer. So please leave a review of my books on Amazon and Goodreads. And tell a friend. They can really make my day when I find out about them.

I forced myself to blog today. That means I finally wrote something. I’m hoping that means that when I am done here (and done making my kids lunch), I’ll start writing again on the next novel. I need to crank that out and get it going for release in 2014. I had a lofty goal of releasing three novels in 2014. I think it can be done with how far along Broken Trust is. But it will be a challenge just the same. But the only way it will be done it to write.

And though my wife is not here with me, I do have the advantages of Google+ hangout to see her. And she will be flying up to see us to the end of January. And we will just keep our fingers crossed that her job transfer comes quickly and we won’t have to wait out too much longer. There are a lot of couples who have to spend countless time apart, and I just have to remain optimistic that this will all work out in the long run.

And that about summarizes this move for me. We moved to Washington to make a change that we couldn’t do in California. And now that we have made the move, I have to remain optimistic that this was the right choice and that it will all fall into place soon enough.

Listen to Your Critics

by Richard Flores IV on 2013-09-23 1 Comment

Wait, what? No I didn’t typo the title of this blog. I really do plan to talk about reasons you should listen to your critics. Sure there are countless blogs posts about all the reasons you should ignore your critics. I have even written one (or two). There are lots of great posts on how bad reviews and the critics of your work should be ignored. You can’t please everyone and you can’t win them all. But, after careful consideration, I am not sure that is really the best tip to provide authors, or any artist for that matter.

Working in the art industry, and we can’t forget that writing is an art, attracts all kinds of people. You have the people who love just about everything. You have the people who hate just about everything. Then you have the people who really don’t know what they like or hate. And finally you have the ones who know what they like and why they like it (and they usually know why they don’t like something too). One might argue that you can also attract the jealous artist. The one who wants to do what you do (and probably could) but they never bothered to really work at it.

In the past two years I have written a ton of book reviews. I realized that reviewing a book on Amazon and Goodreads really helped authors. Soon I was writing them for Plasma Frequency, and now I am writing them for my own blog. And in all those reviews, I used to feel guilty when I wrote something critical about a book. I felt like maybe I was being a jerk. And I knew how critical reviews bothered me sometimes. But I’ve realized that I am only sharing my opinion. Other readers, and the author, can take it or leave it. It is just my opinion, and I am but one reader.

But over the past few weeks, especially after all the inspiration I got from WorldCon, I have realized that perhaps I am thinking about reviews the wrong way. That ignoring the bad ones, and basking in the good ones, was not necessarily the best method.

First, we should get this out of the way. There is one review that you can always ignore. That is the review that just bashes your book to bash it. There is no logic to the reviews. That would be the “This book sucks because I said it sucks but I won’t tell you why it sucks” kind of review. Any blog reviewer worth your time won’t publish a review like that. But on Amazon and Goodreads you will see those from time to time. When I say you should ignore those reviews, I mean just that. Don’t bother with it. Don’t waste your time getting it removed or asking all your friends to vote the review as being not helpful. I just mean ignore it. It isn’t worth the time you put into it.

Recently I have seen an explosion in sales and reviews for Dissolution of Peace. I was lucky to sell five copies each month in the past six months. And I thought five was a great month. I also seemed stuck at 12 reviews for a long time. But now, I find myself looking at my 18th review on Amazon. And 28 text reviews on Goodreads, which is great in my opinion. I’ve also sold an average of 1.75 books per day (not counting my free promotion earlier this month).

So things are going well right? Yes, and no. There are some critical elements in these reviews.

I’m consistently seeing reviewers that love the story line of my book. There has been a sprinkle or two suggesting better character development, and another sprinkle or two that love the characters. There have been a few that hate the ending. There have been a few that love the ending. But one critical comment has been consistent. They don’t like the grammar and spelling. They seem to find errors that I didn’t catch.

Anyone who follows this blog knows that I am very self conciseness when it comes to grammar. So my first step in dealing with this was to follow the advise we see across the blogging world. I simply ignored it. In fact, anything critical, I ignored. Anything that people loved I relished in, I noted it for the sequel. I even bragged about it.

But that is a disservice. Not just to the reviewer, who took time to review the book (which we know many readers do not do), but it is also a disservice to yourself.

Every artist can grow. And listening to your readers is a great way to learn where you might want to focus your growth. It also tells you what you can fix to increase your sales. For example, I’ve hired a new editor to review and fix the mistakes in Dissolution of Peace that I simply can’t catch. Once she fixes those, I’ll update the book with a new version.

But grammar isn’t the only critique I have got. I am looking into how I develop my characters and the way I end my novels. I am looking into what it is that people really enjoy about the way I write stories. I’m listening to my readers, even the critics. Because that is how I will grow as a writer. That is how I will become better. And once you think you can’t get any better, you’ve become to arrogant and your readers will eventually notice there is no progression in your work and you will fade out.

So while critics are everywhere, they are also extremely helpful to the arts. You, as the artists, may not take all their tips. I am not saying you have to. But I am saying you should at least listen. You will benefit from that. If the majority of readers have a consistent complaint, I would suggest correcting that aspect of your writing. Either in your current book, or in future works in progress. For those more 50-50 splits, the choice is yours as an artist. It could be something to change, or it could be that your style is not their style.

But if you want reviewers, you have to listen to them. You can’t bash them and ignore them. You can’t accept only the good. You have to listen to your critics.

Last Day to get my books free!

Uncategorized

by Richard Flores IV on 2013-09-02 0 Comments

Today is the last day to get both Volition Agent and Dissolution of Peace are 100% free for Kindle. Please pick up a copy and share the links with your friends.

Book Review: Serving Time by Nadine Ducca

by Richard Flores IV on 2013-08-16 2 Comments

Hopefully Nadine Ducca doesn’t take offense when I say that before she sent a tweet to me about my Author Features, I hadn’t known about her book. But when I saw this cover art, I was instantly drawn into the idea of this story. I’ve said it before, but cover art matters, and this art work was stunning.

Serving Time follows two brothers, Tristan and Eneld Cross. Eneld finds himself abandoning his ambitions and helping his brother (with the help of a demon’s “visit.”). Tristan is far from a good person who goes from a murderer for hire to a drug mule. Together they hope to escape persecution from StarCorp.

This is a Space Opera on the grandest of scales. The world that Ducca has created is so in depth that it has to be real. You have no choice but to believe the story is one of legends rather than fiction. I have to say that the thought that went into this world and how it behaves is phenomenal.

There is not a character in this book that I don’t like. Tristan is real. He is a struggling man trying to find away to change his life against all odds. A character I can relate to. His brother, Eneld is not much “better” than his brother. He is fighting his own addictions and struggles to be the guidance counselor his brother needs.

I think Time is my favorite character in this book. Goddesses are so rarely intriguing to me. But her character is strong, she has her own problems that I can relate to, and I believed her as more of a person than a Goddess.

Robert, Time’s butler so to speak, is introduced in the prologue and I began to question why he was introduced. He doesn’t have much involvement until the middle of the story. But I like Robert, he craves power, but he wants acceptance too.

The best part about these characters is that there is no defined evil characters. There are no good guys and bad guys here. You want them all to succeed in their own way and that makes for a more believable story. In real life, good and bad are so much harder to define. The same is true of the characters in Serving Time.

The story was deep. There is so much more going on in this story than what you read in the words on the page. There is a universe full of activity going on in this story. We follow Tristan and Eneld’s story. But there is Robert’s Story, Time’s story, and even Verin’s (a demon) story. If you are looking for a story that will suck you right in, you’ve found it with this one.

If I was to put down a issue, it would come with the ending of this story. There is a strong punch at the end and it felt good to see it. Then is trails off for a bit before hitting me with the second blow and ending the book. I’d have preferred more of a one, two punch at the end. But trust me, I was far from disappointed.

Nadine Ducca has a way with words that I envy. Her prose is astounding. I only wish I could harness half her talent with words. Her descriptions engage all your senses and she has a way of describing things that most would not think of. But is works. She really makes you feel like you are part of this story.

This book is only 99 cents on Kindle. Ducca is practically giving is away at only a dollar. The bottom line is you will read this book more than once. I’d easily have paid more for this. If you’re a book collector, you’ll want to buy the paperback. As soon as I can, I’ll be adding the paperback to my collection. Some books you just have hold, Serving Time is one of those books.

This is one of those books where I wish the sequel was out now. I really don’t want to wait to read the next one. If you love science fiction, especially the depth of a true Space Opera, you’ll want this book.

About Nadine Ducca:

Amazon Links for Serving Time: Paperback / Kindle

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

The Ups & Downs (and way downs) of Being an Independent Author

by Richard Flores IV on 2013-07-16 7 Comments

Author Being an Independent Author sounds easy. It sounds like a ton of fun. First, you get to write. I love that part. Second, you don’t have to deal with the hassles of agents, query letters, chapter submissions, and the countless months waiting for answers. I love that part, too. And with the invention of KDP, Nook Press, and Smashwords (just to name a few) it is fairly easy to get your work published. All this adds up to a very quick time from finishing a book to having it available to readers. All of these reasons are exactly why I went the Independent Author route. I had stories I wanted to tell and I wanted to reach readers quickly without the hassles of the traditional route.

Sounds easy doesn’t it. A lot of people say it is easy. Well that isn’t entirely true. No one ever told me it would be easy. They made is sound easy, they made it seem like the right path. But no one ever said, this is the easy way to go. And, I’m telling you right now… This is not the easy way to go.

Marketing as an independent author is hard, bordering on impossible. There are so many authors standing on the roof tops yelling, “Buy my book!” that no one really listens anymore. I am a member of several Facebook groups, and they are filled with nothing but “Buy my book” posts. Now I wonder if anyone going to these groups looks for books to buy, or are they all coming to these groups to tell me to buy. And your Facebook page and Twitter page will only reach a limited audience, and if all you do is try to sell you’re follower numbers shrink even more. I love my blog audience, but again this is a tiny group of people.

Independent Authors talk a lot about the way we should share each others posts, help build the word of mouth, but in actuality they rarely step up to the task. Is that bad of them? No, they should only share what they want to share. Not just share because I say they should. But the point being is that social media is not the selling tool everyone thinks it is. It is not a direct selling method. That is to say that if you expect to tweet your book link and get clicks and sales from that, it won’t work. But if you expect people to follow you for you (because they like what you post about), well then you just might get somewhere.

Don’t even get me started on how Facebook has destroyed the ability for the Indie author to reach out. Let just say, now that only roughly 10-25% of my followers even see my posts, it has really killed my ability to use them for anything.

With the release of Volition Agent, a novel which I thought was anticipated by my readers, I have found that there are many down sides to being an Indie Author. My sales numbers for Volition Agent have been so low I’ve found myself fighting off a bit of depression. It is hard when you’re very excited about a novel, and the release day comes and you get no love. It stings actually. No, stings isn’t the right word. It makes you sink so low that you wonder if writing is even your calling. It makes you want to throw everything away and yell “FUCK IT” and walk away.

Then you get your first review on Amazon. I was so happy to see a five star rating on Amazon.com. It was a short review, “Although I’m only a third of the way through the book, I’ve found the ideas and writing style to be so good that I want to read more. Highly recommend this.” But that review lifted me up. They like the book, they like it so much they want others to know before they even finished it. So naturally I shared this with all the writing groups I am on.

In one particular group, another user commented. That user said. “Only a third of the way through the book, and already recommending it? Based on what I’ve seen I would wait for it to come the the library, rather than pay money for it.”

Talk about a slap down to Earth. This hurt for several reasons: First this is an authors and artists group. Not one other Author in that group spoke up in my defense. Not even the admin. It is a fairly standard rule the constructive criticism is acceptable, but there is nothing constructive here. The comment was meant solely to crush my positive review. What happened to the Independent authors banding together? Of course now, I find it funny that he would criticize a review simply because they passed judgement when they were 1/3 through, but he passed judgement without reading a word.

Then I go to seek comfort in my sales numbers, to which I found no comfort. I simply slipped way down into the depths of a depression and the “screw it” mentality that I stopped planning anymore writing projects. I simply shut down, and had enough. Being an independent author hurts and there is no respect in it. I’ve tried a lot to get some hype built. My giveaway on Goodreads is doing well enough. My giveaway on Rafflecopter is a laughing matter, with only 7 entries. The photo contest will likely be canceled because of no entries. I’m still trying to get people to click on my Goodreads ads (with no luck and a lot of money still tied up). And neither book has even broke even yet.

It isn’t about money for me. It never has been. I just want to be read, and accepted by readers. I just want people to enjoy my stories, but how do I make them aware I even exist. I love the fans I have, and I am sure some of them are telling their friends to get my books, but I want to find some new readers. For the independent author this is the hard part.

So between this new level of depression and the 60 hour work weeks of my day job, I haven’t bothered to care about writing anything. I know I am not the only indie author that feels this way. I know I am not the only one that feels like they’ve tried everything to get people excited and talking about their work, only to find that no one cares. I know I am not alone, but it certainly feels that way.

There are ups too. Like getting an Amazon review, a Goodreads review, and especially a blog review. Yesterday I got a very nice, actually it was excellent, review from the Devoted Mommy of 3 blog. I know of a review coming for Volition Agent, though I don’t know when yet. And I’ve had a few positive words from others about my books. So, I started another novel. I’ll keep writing because I have faith that eventually readers will discover me, and when they do they will want to read as much of what I have written has they can find. So for them I keep writing, and for them I will stay on the independent path for now.

Now many of you writers might be reading my blog and thinking; Oh man, Independent Authoring sucks! I’m going traditional. Well, that is a choice that is up to you. I think every author needs to ask themselves three questions before deciding if traditional or Independent in the right choice for them.

Why do I write? If you are writing to get your stories out to readers as quickly as possible then that leans to the independent side. If you are writing to get “discovered” and make a good living on it, you might want to think about the traditional route. That doesn’t mean that indie authors don’t get discovered, it just means that your odds are lower.

Where do you want to see your books sold? If you want to see your books in B&N stores nationwide, traditional. If your writing to see your works published quickly on the major online retailers, indie. If you are happy with local book sellers, you might try the indie route, but be prepared to do some convincing. If you want book tours, book signings, and all that fun stuff, traditional is your choice. If you want blog tours, indie is good.

Do you want to make this your career? If you plan to write for a career, I don’t know that Indie is your choice. It certainly isn’t the faster way to do it. I am still in the negative for Dissolution of Peace, which I have spent roughly $500 on to date. I think I have made about $150 on the book so far, I am still -$35o on the book. I’m already into Volition Agent for around $350, I’ve just now hit $15 into that. You don’t get rich in the indie market, at least not easily. All marketing, cover art, editor, and promotional costs are on you. I haven’t even included the free books I’ve give away in the costs above. You won’t make a lot of money easily. But, there is no guarantee you’ll make it big in the traditional method either. Even if you make a sale, most books don’t earn out their advance and start earning royalties.

Typically this would be the part where I tell you that you can help me in a few simple steps. You know the drill because it is on every Independent Author blog. You know, write reviews, tell a friend, blah blah blah. I’m going to skip all that. You’ve heard it before and either you are doing it, or you are not. That is your choice to make.

The point of this blog is simple. Being an independent author is not easy. If you are planing to be one, or are one, because you thought it would be the easier way. You’ll get a rude awakening. The independent author road is filled with a lot of ups and downs, and the down can be really bad. But don’t give up either. There will be critics, there will be praise, and most commonly there will be readers who will say nothing. Just breath, get out of the funk, and start writing the next one. I’m glad I saw that and started my third novel.

Official Volition Agent Book Trailer!

Marketing

by Richard Flores IV on 2013-06-04 0 Comments

As you know I have been hard at work getting Volition Agent ready for publication. Well, actually over the last week I haven’t done much with the book itself. You see my editor has it, so she is hard at work getting it ready for me to get ready to publish. So in the mean time I went to work on a Book Trailer for Volition Agent. This one was a lot harder for me than the Dissolution of Peace book trailer. The main issue being that Lexia has already been so perfectly defined by Joy Anna’s portrayal in the cover art. This left me with more of a challenge. No stock footage I could find of women with guns fit the image of Lexia. So I scrapped that idea all together and went in this direction.

I really like the music I found to accompany this. It is a stock piece for one of the stock material sites I visit often. You may also notice a date has been picked for the release. I know when I originally announced the novel I said the first part of June, but these things take time and so July 2, 2013 is the official release date. Though there will likely be some Advanced Reader Copies arriving a little before that. If you are a book reviewer, or review blogger, and want to review this book before it comes out let me know. So without further chatter from me. Here is the trailer (I recommend HD).

[youtube=http://youtu.be/L7cxwbEllBs]

Dissolution of Peace Blog Tour

by Richard Flores IV on 2013-04-06 2 Comments

Dissolution of Peace Spring Blog Tour is official!

I am going on a blog book tour with Dissolution of Peace. The book and I will be traveling through the virtual world to attend various blogs to spread the word about my book. I’m excited about this since it will allow me to share a little bit about me and the book with a new audience. You can visit these blogs and see interviews, guest posts, and book reviews. I will be on tour from April 8th until May 13th this year!

Dates:

As I mentioned above I will be traveling blog to blog from April 8th until May 13th. There are still a number of dates available so if you would like to get in on the tour, it isn’t too late. There are still several open dates available. If you want one, just go here (link) and pick a date. Then scroll to the bottom of the page and you will see “Would you like to host this author on your blog?” Click the link and sign up.

The folks over at Orangeberry Book Tours are hosting this tour for me. They’ve taken a ton of the work out of it so I just get to hang out at various blogs. While I will try to keep the listed dates below updated, for the most current dates and locations visit my Tour page.

While I hope you will go check out each blog host before and after my posts, I will be posting links to blog tour posts throughout the tour on my Facebook and Twitter pages. So if you don’t follow me there, please do.

Terms:

Book Feature: A quick feature just announcing the basics about Dissolution of Peace

Twitter View: A interview with me over Twitter. I’ll be off work so I am going to do my best to answer these questions live.

Twitter Blast: A collection of book quotes sent out via Twitter. Please RT the heck out of those. 🙂

Book Review: Just that, a review of Dissolution of Peace

Author Interview: An interview with me, posted on their blog.

Guest Post: This is a post I write for their blog, as a guest.

Tour Dates and Locations:

8th April – Book Feature at Peace from Pieces

9th April – Twitter View with OB Book Tours

10th April – Twitter Blast with OB Book Tours

11th April – Author Interview at Mommy Adventures

12th April – Guest Post at The Bunny’s Review

13th April – Twitter Blast with OB Book Tours

14th April – Book Feature & Author Interview at The Reading Cat

15th April – Guest Post at Blog-A-Licious Authors

16th April – Book Feature & Author Interview at Author’s Friend

17th April – Guest Post at Kindle Nook Books

18th April – Book Feature at Paws on Books

19th April – Guest Post & Book Feature at Anya Breton‘s blog

20th April – Book Feature at Book Professor

21st April – Author Interview & Book Feature at Michael R McDuffee‘s blog

22nd April – Guest Post at Books Are Magic

23rd April – Author Interview & Book Review at Pages 2 Pages

24th April – Guest Post at Disincentive Reviews

25th April – Book Feature at Book Professor

26th April – Guest Post at Quality Reads

27th April – Author Interview at Fantasy Books

28th April – Book Feature at eInk Reviews

29th April – Book Feature at My Love for Books

30th April -Book Feature at Brainy Reads

1st May – Book Feature at Pages to Chapters

2nd May – Book Feature at Living for Books

3rd May – Orangeberry Pick of the Week & Sidebar

3rd May – Guest Post, Author Interview & Book Feature at Talisman Book Publishing

4th May – Book Feature at Gentleman Reads

5th May – Book Feature at Working For Books

6th May – Book Feature at My Love for Books

7th May – Book Feature at Aspiring Book Reviews

8th May – Book Feature at Reading My Addiction

9th May – Book Feature at Imagination in Books

10th May – Orangeberry Book of the Day – Gentleman Reads – Excerpt /

11th May – Author Interview at Up In Smoke

12th May – Guest Post at Richard Stephenson‘s blog

13th May – End of Tour Celebration post! at Flores Factor.

Blog Tour Giveaway!

This book tour will include the largest giveaway I’ve done to date. There will be some great prizes including: Signed Paperbacks, Free Paperbacks, Free eBooks, and an Amazon Gift card. This is hosted by Rafflecopter and there are multiple ways to enter. The giveaway will end on May 19th. Check back with the giveaway often because as more blogs post, more entries will be possible. In fact, you get five entries just by entering this GIVEAWAY CODE: “E.S.S. Australia”

You can find the Giveaway on my Facebook page: CLICK HERE FOR A DIRECT LINK

I can’t wait to see you all on the tour!

Novel Announcement: Volition Agent

by Richard Flores IV on 2013-03-27 3 Comments

If you follow me on Facebook and Twitter, you’ve undoubtedly seen a few teasing posts about my next novel project. I’ve teased with a few hints, surprises, and more. Well the teasing can come to an end, I have decided to finally let the cat out of the bag.

My next novel, titled Volition Agent, is a fast paced SciFi Thriller set in the near future. The highly secretive Agency has a Volition program. They take everyday people who are physically fit and recruit them as Volition Agents. They are implanted with a control chip so that a highly trained “handler” can control their every action. If a Agent is captured the loss to the Agency in minimal. Agents are sent on missions from intelligence gatherings to assassinations. Volition Agent followed Lexia, one of the agents.

Here is a tentative blurb:

Lexia Santarelli is part of a top secret group of Volition Agents. These untrained, unremarkable, everyday people are recruited by the agency to be literally controlled by their “handler” through a device implanted in their necks. It is an exciting life, and despite some of the annoyances, Lexia enjoys it.

That is until the Agency decides to let Lexia take the fall for a mission gone wrong. Her link with her handler, Lance is severed. Suddenly Lexia finds herself alone, unprepared, and hunted by the very people she trusted.

With few clues, minimal training, and an unlikely ally Lexia sets out to discover what really happened on that botched assignment. Determined to set right the wrong she created, nothing can stand in her way. Not even the Agency itself.

I have some great cover art for this novel, and I can’t wait to share it with you all. So here it is:

The cover art is shot and designed by Kristin Irons (website). I’ve worked with Kristin before, she designed the logo for Plasma Spyglass Press. Kristin is a very talented photographer and when I explained what I was looking for she said she had an idea. The next week was a bit of a whirlwind. Kristin found a model, the very beautiful and talented Joy Anna, to play Lexia in a photo shoot. She then teased me relentlessly with images from that photo shoot before showing me the image she had in mind for the cover art. I am a very picky and hard to work with person when it comes to cover art, but she kept taking my ideas and reworking them until we came up with the cover above. And I couldn’t be more thrilled by it.

Let me tell you why this cover is so special to me. This is the first time I’ve had anyone “play” one of my character in any way. Joy Anna, whose modeling pictures I had only seen briefly before this, jumped into this project head first. I understand they captured a ton of images and I’ve only seen a few of them. As a writer, I was excited to see what might come from this. I’ve never met, or even talked to Joy Anna but I thank her for her time because the results are absolutely amazing.

A big heartfelt thanks to Joy Anna, Kristin, and her assistant William Harris. So many folks use stock art, or stock photos to make custom cover art. But I have a real custom cover for this novel. Please take a moment to check out the people that helped with this cover, give them a like, follow, or whatever else to show them some support. Kristin Irons: Facebook, Twitter, Website Joy Anna: Facebook William Harris: Flickr

This is the first story I have written where it had a title before I ever wrote it. The whole idea came from hearing the word volition and it’s meaning; the ability to make a choice or decision. So Volition Agent was an easy enough title for me to come up with. I think it works well given the themes in this novel.

So when is the release date for Volition Agent? One hasn’t been set just yet. But I have a deadline of the first week of June 2013. So expect to see it no later than this. I hope to have it out a little sooner, but you can’t rush these things. I’ll be sending it out for Beta Readers in the first two weeks of April. Then my editor will get this. I’ll be working with a new editor this time, since Robert is booked up for the foreseeable future. As always, watch this blog, my Twitter and Facebook for updates.

I’ll leave you with a few other images from the photo shoot: