[Sam Rivers]

A couple of months ago I decided to start publishing my books on Amazon.  I didn't know how to go about doing it or if they would even sell. I have been writing novels and short stories for over 30 years so decided to share them.

After minor rewrites and proofreading by myself and my wife, I started putting them on.  My short story collections and shorter novels got some sales so I started putting on my full sized novels too.  Then they started selling too.

But last night I put my last finished book on Amazon.  So I am caught up.  I am writing on another of my parallel universe novels, but it will take a few months to get ready.  Also there are a few short stores that I can complete.

So now I have 26 books published.  As that wise woman said, my granddaughters will be getting royalties from my novels long after I am dead and gone.

If you have any short stories or finished novels, I strongly encourage you to get them published on Amazon.  They may or may not sell, but at least you can be satisfied with your accomplishment.

I haven't sold tons of books, but the sales keep climbing so I am encouraged.

So are you published out?

 

[RobertY]

I guess you could say that I am published out. At one time I had numerous short stories, flash fiction, poetry, and even a few novella's. But a fire took every thing away from me. I did not write after that for many many years. What I have published is what I can remember of my earlier works which is not very much.

So, it is now like I am starting fresh all over again. But this time out I am happy because of being able to go the ebook route. No fire can ever destroy my works again. 

 

[39179]

I guess you could say that I am published out. At one time I had numerous short stories, flash fiction, poetry, and even a few novella's. But a fire took every thing away from me. I did not write after that for many many years. What I have published is what I can remember of my earlier works which is not very much.

So, it is now like I am starting fresh all over again. But this time out I am happy because of being able to go the ebook route. No fire can ever destroy my works again.

Wow, Robert, what a devastating thing to have happened. Much kudos to you for being able to bounce back and begin writing again all these years later. Another plus is that now you have more life experience to pull from in your writing. Much continued success to you.

 

[Jon Olson]

I guess you could say that I am published out. At one time I had numerous short stories, flash fiction, poetry, and even a few novella's. But a fire took every thing away from me. I did not write after that for many many years. What I have published is what I can remember of my earlier works which is not very much.

So, it is now like I am starting fresh all over again. But this time out I am happy because of being able to go the ebook route. No fire can ever destroy my works again.

I'm moved by this, too. Good luck to you!

 

[Sam Rivers]

Pretty much the same things happen to my author sister.  She had 15 printed books published over the years.  She stored the books on the old floppy discs and CD's.  She would like to publish them on KDP, but the discs are too old and her computer can't read them.  So I guess they are gone.

If she wants to publish them as Kindle books, she will have to retype them from the printed novels she has.

That is a shame since it will be very time consuming to do that so she probably won't do it.

 

[stepartdesigns]

Pretty much the same things happen to my author sister. She had 15 printed books published over the years. She stored the books on the old floppy discs and CD's. She would like to publish them on KDP, but the discs are too old and her computer can't read them. So I guess they are gone.

If she wants to publish them as Kindle books, she will have to retype them from the printed novels she has.

That is a shame since it will be very time consuming to do that so she probably won't do it.

There are companies online that can transfer the data from those old discs. Search Google to see if you can locate some companies locally. I had some data on floppy discs and managed to transfer them before they became too old.

Katrina

 

[kellymcclymer]

I'm published out of the backlist novels that I have the rights reverted for. And by the end of next month, I'll be published out on the YA that no one could ever seem to get the editorial marketing team behind. And then I have another book in the wings. And another.

I suppose I will put up my short stories in between the revising, editing, cover design of the novels...

Geez. A house fire would be devastating to me right now. Most of my stories have been scanned in, but not quite all of them yet.

Good way to think about it. I don't expect to ever be published out.

 

[kellymcclymer]

Pretty much the same things happen to my author sister. She had 15 printed books published over the years. She stored the books on the old floppy discs and CD's. She would like to publish them on KDP, but the discs are too old and her computer can't read them. So I guess they are gone.

If she wants to publish them as Kindle books, she will have to retype them from the printed novels she has.

That is a shame since it will be very time consuming to do that so she probably won't do it.

She can retype them, if she thinks they need serious revision. If not, she can have them scanned in from the printed copy (I did this myself with several of my backlist books, but there are companies who will do it for a very reasonable fee; anywhere from $15 per book for a scan that needs a lot of clean up to about $75 for a cleaned and proofed version).

 

[Todd Russell]

A long way from being published out here. Have several novels and a bunch of short stories that aren't published yet. Meanwhile, I'm working on new stories.

 

[Michael Parker]

I had nothing published between 1984 and 2007, then suddenly I was back in print again with a reputable, London publisher. I have seven novels to my credit now, but only one made it into paperback in 1985, and then promptly disappeared without trace. My publisher doesn't deal with paperbacks, so I asked for the rights of my novels so I could forge ahead on my own. I now have two available on Amazon, incl. Kindle, and am in the process of bringing the third one out in September. I have a hardback coming out in December with my publisher and plan to have all eight of my novels in paperback & Kindle in due course. By then I may be all published out, but at my age I may not care! And as for getting your printed books on to Amazon, I had to scan one of my hardbacks because I'd lost the Word file (don't ask). It was tedious, but effective.

 

[Kevis Hendrickson]

I guess you could say that I am published out. At one time I had numerous short stories, flash fiction, poetry, and even a few novella's. But a fire took every thing away from me. I did not write after that for many many years. What I have published is what I can remember of my earlier works which is not very much.

So, it is now like I am starting fresh all over again. But this time out I am happy because of being able to go the ebook route. No fire can ever destroy my works again.

Lost my latest novel to a virus after I was well on my way to completing it and had to rewrite it from the ground up. I can only imagine the horror of losing all of my work. The fact you're still soldiering on, Robert, is truly an inspiration.

 

[Derz7sk]

I've just put up the first of the Jistabout novels, which was not a bad deal as I only had to format
the typescript that already existed and which I couldn't get any legacy publisher to express an opinion in seeing, even.  I am now working on a short story about the same world which I may put on as 99 cents or free.  I have lots of notes about this world and a few short-shorts but
after putting this first book up I'm rarin' to expand on it.  
Sorry to hear of the loss by fire, RobertY--nightmare of us all.  A near-hit (or splat on) magnetic asteroid would be the only thing that could wipe the KDP kiddies though, what?

 

[Kathleen Valentine]

So, it is now like I am starting fresh all over again. But this time out I am happy because of being able to go the ebook route. No fire can ever destroy my works again.

Robert, in 1923 Ernest Hemingway lost EVERYTHING he had been working on -- short stories, essays, poems, the beginnings of novels -- when a suitcase containing all his work was lost on a train. He was devastated and couldn't write for quite awhile afterwards but then, gradually, began again. Years later he said it was the best thing that could have happened to him because it broke his attachment to early work that was not of exceptional quality. Sometimes disasters are blessings in disguise.

I don't mean to sound rude but I'm a little uncomfortable with Franklin's statement, "After minor rewrites and proofreading by myself and my wife, I started putting them on." Now when indie's are struggling to gain credibility by only publishing work that has been very well edited and proofed, I'd hate to think Franklin is encouraging writers to just throw everything out there without serious attention to quality. That's not a message I would like to support.

Best wishes to all.

 

[EGranfors]

Agreed! My sales are way down, but I know I am on the right path.

 

[Sam Rivers]

I don't mean to sound rude but I'm a little uncomfortable with Franklin's statement, "After minor rewrites and proofreading by myself and my wife, I started putting them on." Now when indie's are struggling to gain credibility by only publishing work that has been very well edited and proofed, I'd hate to think Franklin is encouraging writers to just throw everything out there without serious attention to quality. That's not a message I would like to support.

The novels had been proofed many times before so it was just a last proof that was necessary.

 

[Kathleen Valentine]

The novels had been proofed many times before so it was just a last proof that was necessary.

I'm glad to hear it. I don't think those of us who are indies can do enough to stress that we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard if we are going to taken seriously.

Lately I've noticed a lot of comments on book discussion boards to the effect of "...it wasn't bad for a .99 book" or "it wasn't best seller material but for 2.99 I thought it was pretty good." Those kind of remarks are really starting to annoy me.

 

[valeriec80]

Pretty much the same things happen to my author sister. She had 15 printed books published over the years. She stored the books on the old floppy discs and CD's. She would like to publish them on KDP, but the discs are too old and her computer can't read them. So I guess they are gone.

If she wants to publish them as Kindle books, she will have to retype them from the printed novels she has.

That is a shame since it will be very time consuming to do that so she probably won't do it.

She might want do to an internet search and see if anyone has pirated the books. If so, she'll be able to get a digital copy for free. Which is a silver lining for pirating, I guess.

 

[RobertY]

Thank You all for the words of encouragement. But to put it in perspective there has been a 30 year gap. (beside the one story in the 90's) With so much time passing I could not remember hardly anything. Then in the early 90's I did my first writing since the fire. I used an old PC and saved it. That work was my current work that I wrote for my then young son. "Dragons Fire and the Brave Little Prince." A few months after I had it saved it got lost also. Hard Drive crash. AAARRRGGGG!!!! Back then backing up was not heavily thought of. But that was enough to once again silence me. I figured that someone up there does not want me to write. LOL! Then last year I heard of ebooks. I was able to recall Dragons Fire almost word for word as I told it at bedtime so many times. Then a few of my other shorts came back to me. Ebooks has been a God send for me. Never again can I lose my work.

My goal is simply... I now want to entertain the World. 

Well also what I have done is very recently started using SugarSync as a precaution. LOL!

 

[marshacanham]

Pretty much the same things happen to my author sister. She had 15 printed books published over the years. She stored the books on the old floppy discs and CD's. She would like to publish them on KDP, but the discs are too old and her computer can't read them. So I guess they are gone.

If she wants to publish them as Kindle books, she will have to retype them from the printed novels she has.

That is a shame since it will be very time consuming to do that so she probably won't do it.

Two of my older books were on floppies, which of course, no computer these days can read...but I dragged out my old old (two puters ago) PC and voila. I was able to email myself the docs, one chapter at a time.

I guess there is something to be said for not throwing things away when they become outdated LOL. Well, except for idiot ex husbands, that is. *snort*

 

[NoahMullette-Gillman]

Published out? Hell no! I published two new books today!!!