David Fingerman writes SPYDER:

a street-wise antihero of inner city society.

Experience his strange wisdom, and his twisted sense of humor.

Thirty-year-old Spyder doesn't waste time thinking how much lower he can sink. When he finds his girlfriend dead as the result of drugs he supplied, Spyder contemplates his life and decides it’s time to do what he's avoided most of his days—join mainstream society. All he needs to do is kick the drug habit, find a job, a place to live, and earn some money. Easy. He’s done it hundreds of times, but never all at once. As always, Fate steps in and knees him in the groin. All the dregs he's ever known want their say. George won't stop his pestering, Sal needs a huge favor, Coon is hunting for a certain arachnid, and Spyder's dealer doesn't want to lose one of his best customers. As things spiral out of control, Spyder tangles himself in a web so tight that even he might never be able to escape.

Meet the author David Fingerman at:

Website: http://davidfingerman.com/

Blog: http://www.blogger.com/home?pli=1

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/davfin23

Buy SPYDER at the following outlets:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

All romance/omni books

SPYDER is published by L and L Dreamspell, a small independent and POD publisher. Fingerman appeared on my blog introducing his collection of chilling shorts called Edging Past Reality, and a novel that was on the verge of being released called Silent Kill.


David Fingerman very kindly wrote a guest post about self-publishing. Something I've been blogging about recently. Check out the post: Here.


Let's speak to David Fingerman!
Hi Louise ~ thank you so much for letting me appear on your blog.


You’re very welcome. Tell us how are Edging Past Reality and Silent Kill doing?
Edging Past Reality is still doing pretty good, especially in downloads. Downloads are way outselling hard copy which tells me that's where the future is. With Silent Kill I'm really not sure - I'll know more when I get my next quarterly statement from the publisher. Going strictly by Amazon rankings, I'm a little disappointed that it's not doing better. I'll keep marketing that at the same time as Sypyder.
 
So, who or what inspired you to write Spyder?
Oh, this is embarrassing. There used to be this persnickety old woman who attended the same writers' group I did. She drove me nuts. When it came time to critique she would interrupt and go on and on about how it wasn't anything compared to her life. No matter what the person wrote, she could somehow twist it into how her life was so much better, worse, etc. It got to the point where we'd run out of time before everyone got a chance to read even though the moderator would explain we were here to critique the writing. It didn't matter ~ to her it was a social gathering.


My goal was to write something so insulting that she'd be speechless and Spyder was born. It was a short story (now chapter one in the book) and it worked. For the first time since I'd started going to the group, she had nothing to say. I thought that was the end of Spyder, but no. One day I was researching guidelines and found a small press in England that was looking for raunchy inner-city stories. I sent it in and the editor loved it. He asked that if I had any more Spyder stories, I should send them. With that encouragement I wrote another and sent it in. I got a letter back saying that he liked that one even better than the first, but unfortunately the magazine was going under. By that point I was having way too much fun writing Spyder stories.

Pros and Cons of self-publishing

Self-Publishing Snobbery

 

There's a lot of snobbery in the air when someone mentions self-publishing. A lot of pursed lips and tut-tutting. It's the last resort of a poor writer having been rejected by countless agents and publishers, isn't it?

 

Many think so, sadly.

 

I've read a few SP books and loads of traditionally placed books and have found errors in both. Funny, they are called spelling errors in SP books, but printing errors in books with a publishing house behind them.

 

I suppose I'm biased having written and POD-published my last two books. I regret not finding a decent designer for the Eden but I discovered Jane Dixon for A Proper Charlie who supplies fantastic covers to your design at a great price.

 

Self-publishing, POD, vanity, Indie, whatever you call it is second best but only because you are editor, promoter, and writer all rolled into one neat ball, and being all of those is a lonely and time-consuming business (especially when all you want to do is write!).

 

The real downside is the confidence thing. You always wonder if, because you're ON YOUR OWN, you're good enough. It's always there at the back of your mind.

 

I have made a list of the pros and cons of self-publishing to help you make up your mind.

 

Pros (the Latin word for “for”) 

1. The author keeps the majority of the profit. 
2. If you pay for an ISBN number you’ll automatically be on Amazon and other on-line shops. 
3. No-one can demand you change this or that before publication. 
4. An excuse to use social networks because you're promoting your book. 
5. There's no deadline to work to. 
6. Print on demand (POD) is cheap nowadays. No need to use an expensive vanity press.
7. POD is easy and straightforward with sites like Lulu or YouWriteOn.com 
8. No more rejections.

Cons (Con is an abbreviation for the Latin word "contra" that means against.)

1. There is a lot of prejudice about being a POD/Indie/self-publisher. In the end this may get you down.
2. You may find the entire process daunting. From the outside it does look difficult.
3. You’re totally on your own. No-one cares about your book other than you.
4. Marketing on social networks is one thing, but how are you at giving talks, book signings and getting shops like Waterstones interested in stocking your book?
5. You risk having your book out in the big wild world with all its faults if you have not properly edited.
6. Once you’ve self-published landing an agent or publisher with that particular book is very unlikely.
7. Having a garden shed full of books (if you’ve chose vanity publishing).
8. Lacking time. You want to write, not chase publicity.

 

Editor Sean Hayden talks to us about ORIGINS

A Demonkin Novel

Ashlyn Thorn was born different. She was born with all the characteristics of a vampire, but in a world where vampires, elves, and werewolves work, play, and die side by side with normal humans, everyone knows vampires aren’t born, they’re made. The only thing she ever wanted is to know her true Origins. Ashlyn’s tale takes her on a quest to find out what makes her different and to find out the truth, but with every question she gets answered, she uncovers more uncertainties.

 To make things worse she makes enemies of the most powerful vampires of the city who consider her powers to dangerous to let go unchecked. She is saved by the government only to be trained and used to serve their purposes, and Ashlyn finds herself torn between two worlds. She can either be a monster, or help fight the monsters.

 
 
 
Not only did Sean Hayden bag a contract to have the Demonkin Series published with Echelon press he was offered a job too, which eventually became a senior editor within the company. Now that’s what I call a book deal! See

post about Echelon Press where he shares his knowledge of "life as an editor".

He says, "After an extensive search for an agent and publisher, debating self publishing, and massive amounts of hair loss, I finally found Echelon Press, a small Indie publisher out of Maryland."

 

Sean started writing about a year and a half ago. His debut novel, Origins is an urban fantasy about vampires, how they came to be, why there are different breeds, and the main character Ashlyn. If you want to look at what the book is about, Sean has a website devoted to the series as well as an author website.

Torc of Moonlight by Linda Acaster, plus her thoughts on POD and ebooks.

Torc of Moonlight by Linda Acaster

Cross-Genres Embracing New Technology

Linda Acaster is a three-times mainstream published novelist and writer of over 70 short stories covering an array of genres published in the UK, USA and Europe. Her latest novel, Torc of Moonlight, she indie authored as a POD paperback, and has subsequently published two of her rights-reverted backlist novels as ebooks. I asked for her thoughts of the process of becoming a POD and an ebook author:

Torc of Moonlight is a contemporary thriller with supernatural overtones, what my past agent and various publishers’ editors described as a cross-genre novel. No matter how they applauded the writing, it wasn’t going to find a UK publisher because it didn’t fall neatly into one of the industry’s pigeonholes. Such is life for the UK writer. Writers in the USA don’t have this problem. Cross-genres are embraced by a plethora of publishers, large and small, with the best novels coming across to the UK under licence and given the sort of publicity budget and self space that leaves Brit writers breathless.

But new technology is starting to level the playing field. Print On Demand paperbacks have been around for a while, but like all new technology its costs were high. In 2008 the first of the lo-cost POD publishers started up, and in 2009 Legend Press opened a POD arm, New Generation Publishing. Torc of Moonlight was sitting in a drawer, so I submitted it.

Lo-cost POD publishers work by leaving typesetting and editing to the author. They claw back their investment when a novel sells, much the same way as does a mainstream publisher, and the royalties paid to authors are similar. ‘Typesetting’ is simply a case of following instructions. Editing is a whole different matter and why self-published fiction, either as POD or ebooks, is still fighting suspicion.

I’m lucky in having a lot of experience in this field, and in being a member of a local authors’ support group which pulls no punches. However, there’s little excuse for any writer being slap-dash – it’s all down to a careful eye during proofreading. But if your writing skills are in the early-medium stages of development it could save a lot of heartache later to pay for an analysis now. No editor can make a silk purse from a sow’s ear, so handing over a full script for ‘editing’ can be an expensive flop. Sending the first 50 pages for a critique, rather than an edit, will show up flaws, and armed with that knowledge a novelist is in a better position to make future decisions. Websites such as Authonomy.com offer something similar via peer evaluation, but your writing might be at the mercy of a peer at the same stage as yourself. As a first step, though, what is there to lose?

David Fingerman on the Pros and Cons of Self-Publishing

David Fingerman would like to introduce two novels:

EDGING PAST REALITY and

SILENT KILL

Get ready to expect the unexpected when you read this collection of chilling short stories by David Fingerman. The short stories of Edging Past Reality will take you to the precipice of reason and then push you over the edge. If you think you can always believe your eyes, and you're sure that what you believe is true, it's time to check your certainties at the door ... and start Edging Past Reality.

Imagine an inviting, lush meadow that turns shockingly deadly. A mirror that holds more than mere reflections. A trial where your life hangs by a call-in vote.

David Fingerman, a master of the unforeseen and unpredictable, will take you on a number of seemingly ordinary journeys and then smoothly veer off course, surprising you with twists and turns that propel you toward destinations that are not only unexpected, but often terrifying.

Edging Past Reality has received rave reviews so far, so if you like your stories short, sharp and terrifiying then why not give the book a go?

Coming soon is Fingerman's next novel, a suspense/thriller titled Silent Kill. Keep checking his website for its release date. Out now!

Louise Miller is a Minneapolis Police Officer whose friend and fellow officer is found murdered. Being gay, Louise has is plagued by homophobic comments from her fellow colleges, and being only a regular street cop she's not privy to inside information. She and her brother Andrew, a deputy sheriff, team up to track down the killer. As the body count rises, they're led into a maze of violence and killing where all the clues seem to revolve around a rottweiler.

David Fingerman on self-publishing:

Although Silent Kill is my first novel, Edging Past Reality is my first book. I was under no illusions, or at least became very quickly aware, that a traditional publisher would never have any interest in a book of short stories. That's not to say that I didn't try. Along with the form letter rejects, I got some very nice and complimentary personal rejects.

It's then that I started researching self-publishing. My plan was that self-publishing would get my name out to the masses, and then I would try the traditional route with my novels. I was stunned at how many companies wanted to publish my book. The price ranges I found went from $0 to over ten thousand dollars. I quickly decided free was not the way to go for me. After days of turning my brain to mush, I opted for a local company and chose a package I could afford. What I liked about going local was I actually drove down to their office and got to meet the people face-to-face. That's certainly not a necessity, but it made me feel better about my choice. About five months later, Edging Past Reality came out, and I must say that it looked every bit professional as any traditionally published book

Here are a few advantages and disadvantages I found with self-publishing.

Advantages: (again, do your research – not all of these will apply with every company)

(1) You retain total control of your book.

(2) You set the price of your book.

(3) You keep a much higher percentage of royalties.

(4) Your book will be out much faster than with a traditional publisher.

Disadvantages:

(1) Good luck getting your book into major bookstores. (I got "EPR" into some wonderful indi bookstores, but B&N and Borders wouldn't even talk to me.)

(2) There's still the stigma that self-publishing = crap. It's not as bad as it used to be and getting better, but the label still there.

(3) It's very possible that the money you invest will not be made up in sales (welcome to the world of marketing, but that's another blog for another day).

Self-publishing is a great viable option. I don't know if I'll go that route again, but my over-all experience was good. I've also read some excellent self-published books that, if traditional publishers rejected them, it's their loss.

Anyway, as far as my plan, I have no idea if it worked. It doesn't really matter. Silent Kill found a fantastic home with L & L Dreamspell, a non-traditional, but not a self-publishing company. I don't think they had ever heard of me before, so in that respect I guess my plan failed. In another respect – so what?

Before anyone heads down the self-publishing route check out these sites first: Writer Beware and  Predators and Editors. They are invaluable websites to assist in research.

Self-Publishing Snobbery

There's a lot of snobbery in the air when someone mentions self-publishing. A lot of pursed lips and tut-tutting. It's the last resort of a poor writer having been rejected by countless agents and publishers, isn't it?

Many think so, sadly.

I've read a few SP books and loads of "ordinary" books and have found errors in both. Funny, they are called spelling errors in SP books, but printing errors in books with a publishing house behind them.

I suppose I'm biased having written and POD-published my book. I regret not finding a decent designer for the book cover, but other than that it's my debut book and I'm proud of it, God dammit!

So, would I do it again?

Yep, is my answer. Self-publishing, podding, whatever you call it is second best but only because you are editor, promoter, and writer all rolled into one neat ball, and being all of those is a lonely and time-consuming business (especially when all you want to do is write!). But I'd still do it again. I've learned so much along the way, and met so many wonderful people.

The Pros and Cons of self-publishing can be found in the links highlighted. But, at all costs, make sure your book is the best it can be if you follow the SP route (by any route, really). Pay for a detailed edit/proof-read. Pay an artist for a good cover: these don't have to be expensive. Shop around.

Thanks to Lulu.com, youwriteon.com etc self-publishing (POD - print on demand) isn't expensive anymore, so don't get suckered into paying more than you can afford.

Vanity publishing is not to be confused with self-publishing. These are companies out to get as much money from authors as they can. You'll end up with a garage full of books and an empty bank account, so be aware.

But be prepared to sell yourself; pimping on Twitter, Facebook etc. You'll make a lot of friends from all over the world, as I have found, but you'll also encounter a lot of snobbery.

Have you self-published? Thinking about it? I'd love to hear from you.

Self-Publishing snobbery

There's a lot of snobbery in the air when someone mentions self-publishing. A lot of pursed lips and tut-tutting. It's the last resort of a poor writer having been rejected by countless agents and publishers, isn't it? .

Many think so, sadly.


I've read a few SP books and loads of "ordinary" books and have found errors in both. Funny, they are called spelling errors in SP books, but printing errors in books with a publishing house behind them.

The Pros and Cons of self-publishing can be found in the links highlighted. But, at all costs, make sure your book is the best it can be if you follow the SP route (by any route, really). Pay for a detailed edit/proof-read. Pay an artist for a good cover: these don't have to be expensive. Shop around.

But be prepared to sell yourself; pimping on Twitter, Facebook etc. You'll also make a lot of friends from all over the world, as I have found. I may not make my fortune from Eden but I'm sure going to have fun selling it!