AMAZON KINDLE'S 70% ROYALTY RATE: A REPORT FROM A FUGITIVE.

Once your Amazon Kindle story is published, there's no reason to change it unless there's a reason to change it.
   If there's an illegal item in there, fix that before you are sued. You might be sued anyway.
   Should Amazon pull the rug from your flailing feet, and alter the formatting process, learn the new process and make changes before changes flatten you.
   Hyperlinks in your book? Check them regularly, to see if they still lead down the set path.
   Update. Fix. Scrub clean. Check facts. Correct errors. Maintain your e-books. Don't alter the plot, the characters, or the setting. If you plan on updating those things, write a fucking sequel.

*

Routine book maintenance went on. No big deal. It's routine for a reason. I know I fixed an item in VAMPIRES. Most likely suspect? Hyperlinking.

*

Maintenance done, I let the book cycle through the update process. Only, this time, thanks to the American economy, the book's price rose automatically. Why?

   To gain 70% of the take from a Kindle book, I can't sell it at too high or too low a price. If I go outside Amazon's limits, my slice of the cake grows thin.   My dollar-equivalent price, stacked against local yokel pennies, clashed with the lower limit thanks to the vagaries of the exchange rate.
   So the book, after calculating Value Added Tax, no longer stood at £2 for the local purchaser. Could I adjust prices, absorb the increase, and take the book back down to £2 including tax?
   Yes. If I gave up my 70% royalty rate.
   Not worth it. How is my pricing doing? For a time, VAT dropped right down and shot back up. I handled those changes with ease. Now, under a different economy, I'm seeing a shift.
   For a story around 30,000 to 50,000 words, I've charged £2. This price is close to the lower limit imposed by Amazon. I could maintain that threshold now, without VAT.
   But VAT is here to stay.
   Uniform pricing of those stories, my FICTION FACTORY series, is designed to steer readers to the omnibus. Sure, pick up a story on the cheap as a sample of my wares.
   Or save cash, and buy in bulk.
   That plan still holds true if the £2 sampler increases in price. You saved money on the omnibus. Now you save more.
   My plan to charge £2 for shorter works, £4 for longer ones, £5 for a collection, and over £6 for gargantuan efforts...
   It's still a plan. At the lower end, I'm forced to charge a little over the £2 level to maintain the 70% royalty. All the books at £4 are unaffected.
   At the high end of the scale, I can charge more for the gargantuan works without losing the 70% royalty.
   What does it mean for the customer? Once I noticed a single product at a higher price, the desire for uniformity kicked in. The enforced increase gave an odd price.
   At best, I think it was around £2.06. Each book’s cost varies slightly backstage, depending on length, thanks to an Amazon data charge…

   I consider the raw cost of the book, before the size of the file comes into it. Then there’s VAT for European customers. I muddle around with the controls, and set the final price. Inconsistency must arise somewhere. I try to keep one range of stories at the same price level in £ and $…

   Push comes to shove, and I match all the £ costs. Upshot to the customer…my books for £2 went up to £2.20. VAT swills around in that charge. The last time VAT changed, I absorbed the hike to the customer, to keep prices on an even keel.

   You can’t always take the hit, nor should you. New costs go to the customer eventually.

   Routine maintenance means keeping a wary eye on price, too.

*

No plots, characters, settings, or animals were harmed in the republishing of those stories.

KINDLE FORMATTING. SIZE-CHANGE GLITCH.

This glitch took a little while to spot. I believe authors should know their work front to back and back again. Because I checked my books that way, I found this quirk on Amazon's Kindle platform...
   Sometimes, seemingly for no reason, when going back through a book, the size of text would balloon all by itself.
   Reading a page in a small font...
   I'd find myself staring at a piece of text that was filling the page.
   Then I'd find myself back on the much smaller size I'd originally selected.
   So I adjusted the text itself to see what difference that made. Advice? None. Unless you count...
   Ask Alice.
   The problem is thrown at you when reading text that's broken into blocks. And only then, when reversing through the book by more than four pages.
   THAT is why it took me a little while to fathom. You could track back through three pages. Nothing.
   The problem appears more frequently if adding scripts to a work. Writing some form of movie script or running a section of a play.
   Here's the grief. Regular paragraph returns, employed to show space, don't work one after the other. They only show up on the Word file, and not on the converted file built for the Kindle.
   Multiple manual line breaks do show up, but you don't want to use too many of those. Especially if you are compiling one-line lists of things - in a table of contents, for example.
   A single regular paragraph marker will show up as a space if it is preceded by a manual line break. That can cause complications. Fortunately, the reverse arrangement works. Paragraph marker followed by manual line break.
   Somewhere in all these combinations, you'll uncover awkward quirks. To avoid awkwardness when compiling blocks of text, use manual line breaks for all but the last line of text. As shown here...

   In the block running from VAMPIRES through to chapter THREE, each line ends with a manual line break. (Press shift and return together for that effect.) However, the last line must end with a paragraph marker. (The return key, alone, for the end of the chapter THREE line.)
   My entries for blogs are single sections, and are treated as last lines for purposes of choosing the finishing symbol - a paragraph marker in each case.
   Sticking to that pattern avoids all sorts of quirks and gremlins. With the notion of providing a script caught between sections of text...

   ...the line of dialogue ends with a paragraph marker. And the space between lines is registered using a manual line break. UNTIL the last line of dialogue before the next block of regular text.
   Then the position reverses. The line ends with a manual line break and the space is registered by a paragraph marker. See Moff Larkin's line about integrity in Hull for the shift.
   That change removed a lot of gremlin-based activity from my work. It'll only apply to your work if you provide one-line lists, or slices of text resembling a play.
   Look out for spaces in Kindle formatting. How to apply those spaces between blocks of text. And run through your work, page by page, once you've slapped a prototype copy on the Kindle.
   Back the way, as well as forward.
   Keep experimenting with formatting. Find what works for you, based on the tools you use and misuse.

KINDLE FORMATTING. CENTRED CHAPTER TITLE GLITCH.

In the last post I mentioned placing a paragraph mark at the start of a chapter, to negate an awkward formatting glitch. That glitch applies to centred chapter headings. Here's the tale...
   Does this happen in your Kindle books?
   When using Kindle to jump from the table of contents to any chapter, the centred chapter heading flicks to the left of the page. Go back or forward one page and return to the chapter start and the heading changes size slightly as it reverts to the centre.
   Adding an extra paragraph mark to the Word file at the top of the page kills this glitch off. Here's how...
   My stories use manual chapter links. (As opposed to the automated feature provided by Microsoft.) For ease of navigation, I set up my own table of contents and list chapters and special features there.
   Each heading has a hyperlink leading to a bookmark attached to the actual chapter title further in. To save bother, I set that stuff up in template form.
   For example, my FICTION FACTORY stories are in seven sections. VAMPIRES, shown below, started in the template as...

TITLE.

ONE.
TWO.
THREE.

BEHIND THE SCENES – CONSTRUCTING THE STORY.
ALSO AVAILABLE.
ABOUT ME/CONTACT ME.

   I just fill in the blanks by writing the story. Using Microsoft Word, you must go through the menus Tools, Options, View, Show. Tick the box for Bookmarks.
   Then you'll see bookmarks you've added. They show up as grey square brackets.

[CHAPTER TITLE.]

   Each chapter title is hyperlinked back to the table of contents. Hence all the underlined blue text in the Word file. So what's the problem?

   You can see by the purple text that I accessed the first chapter in that shot of the manuscript for VAMPIRES. I was double-checking the glitch was gone.
   If you generate a chapter with a centred title on one line...

[CHAPTER TITLE.]

   ...then you create a curious glitch when using the table of contents to reach that chapter. Clicking on ONE. NO STRINGS SOME RULES. leads to...

    In the Word file, you'll see that the chapter title is on one line, and that's true of the hyperlink too, but the grey bracketed bookmark is spread over two lines thanks to that extra paragraph mark inserted at the start of the page.
   If that bookmark isn't split, there's a glitch. You get that annoying unannounced alteration in size of text and a shunt to the left.
   So. Keep your title in one piece. And keep your hyperlink in one piece. But add an extra paragraph marker at the start. Highlight that AND the title line for inclusion in the bookmark when you go to add the bookmark.
   No more glitch page problems.

*

Note...

   There are spaces between blocks of text on this page. Normally when going from paragraph to paragraph, I use paragraph markers by hitting enter. Return. Carriage return.

   However, when creating one-line lists, I press shift and return together to generate a manual line break. That works until the last line in the block, which must be a paragraph marker. The space between blocks is then activated by another manual line break.

   Doing that avoids a devious glitch, which I'll cover in the next blog post. It's only really of concern when creating lists, or scripts for plays and movies.



VAMPIRES.

Still plugging my work on a weekly basis until I run out of items to plug. Then I should publish JAPANESE MONSTERS. With illustrations. Actually, why not throw in a sample here...



   That image is after Monet. The character depicted is Wataru the Wave-Man. More on him later. For now, here is the weekly plug for a book you can check out on Amazon...

FICTION FACTORY. Welcome to my mini-self-publishing imprint for short stories running around 30,000 words. These stories are not collected or bundled with other tales. If you buy WITCHES, you won’t suffer disappointment in later life by finding WITCHES reheated for a collection called TALES TO IMPRESS PALAEONTOLOGISTS. Be thankful for that small mercy.

VAMPIRES.

Crashing parties used to amuse Vance. He hurled himself into a world of no commitments. When the synthetic blonde offered more of the same, guided by brusque phone texts, he didn’t see the harm in another meaningless fling.

“Rule 1. If I text and you are busy, that’s fine. The rule runs in both directions. No pestering.”

He was okay with that.

“Rule 2. We never attend social functions. I don’t do weddings, though I will crash parties.”

Suited him, just fine.

“Rule 3. No gifts.”

Saved money.

“Five rules. Rule 4. If we see each other with strangers, no questions. No introductions to family, friends, neighbours, colleagues, serial killers…”

Vance had no problem with the fifth rule. He thought his problems began next day.

There, in red lipstick, she’d left a mirror message.

WIPE THIS OFF. STICK TO THE RULES. SEE YOURSELF OUT.

The bar? Reasonable. Didn’t try too hard to be trendy. He knew no one here – not on a Wednesday night. Vance watered at the venue on the odd weekend. Open the door on a world without strings. In.

Scene. The jet minx in front of him shook hailstones from her bobbed coiffure. Melting pellets bounced off his heavy coat. By contrast, she appeared to be wearing a black plastic bag for no protection from the night.

He eyed her tight black jeans. Painted on. Sheathed legs stopped at bare ankles and shiny stab-me black shoes. Hang about…

37,000 words, plus notes.

 

USING HTML CODE ON YOUR AMAZON PRODUCT DESCRIPTION.

The thing I hated about creating book blurb for Amazon? I'd use a combination of an excerpt from the book and a commentary about the story. Fine. Except that the slice of fiction lost italics.
   How to fix that problem?
   Encode the book description with HTML.
   Hugely Tiresome Muddling Laborious code.
   I've just been experimenting with the code, altering my Amazon Kindle blurb.
   Here's a link to the official Amazon page. OFFICIAL. That page shows the HTML code acceptable in a book's content, but there's a sub-heading for code you can use in the blurb. BLURB.
   There's not a lot of code available. When I say that, I'm talking about official code. Supported code. Code the Amazon publishing factory will permit you to use.
   Even the Amazon publishing factory doesn't like the code that is supported. I'll return to that.
   So how do I use the HTML code to change the look of my Amazon blurb?
   I want to make the title VAMPIRES. appear in bold italic type. And it looks that way in the Word document. Cut and paste that text into Amazon's publishing factory, and the effects are stripped away.
   Those effects must be reintroduced using HTML code. Find the code for the effect you wish to use. Type it where you want that effect to start.
   There is an off-switch for that code - add a slash to the code when you are finished. Example...
   VAMPIRES.
   The code for bold text is <b> and the off-switch is </b>, so I'd set this up...
   <b>VAMPIRES.</b>
   That's it. Once you've arranged this fiddly piece of work, Amazon will raise an objection. Here's an example...

   You'll see I've used codes for bold, italic, and a line separating sections of text. I don't recall adding a slash inside the <hr> code for a line. But there it is.
   The red text is a warning you can ignore, provided you are using basic things like commands for bold.
   Note the number of characters left. Usually, I'd write a short blurb for Amazon products. Occasionally, I'd go into more detail.  HTML coding counts against the number of characters.
   Remedy? Make it fit. Edit the text. You are in the writing game, after all.
   If you go surfing the web on a spider's surfboard, and pick up other HTML coding that's not supported by Amazon, you'll risk receiving the second red warning.
   The first one is okay. Ignore it. Save your publication page. The second warning kills your work off - and Amazon refuses to save changes made.
   If that happens, resort to trial and error message. Keep chipping away at the nasty code until Amazon accepts the saved changes.
   Then publish. Wait for the product to cycle through Amazon's system. The updated blurb will appear long before Amazon e-mails you to say the book is ready.
   Get it wrong? Wait for the book to become available on your publishing bookshelf, and make changes. That's the most annoying thing - the cycle-time if you have to fix errors.
   I had nine products available on Amazon when I decided to upgrade my book descriptions. The first one was HTML-encoded the night before, so I could sleep on it and see the effects come morning. Then I switched to production.
   Here's the before/after look to the blurb for WEREWOLVES. I didn't go over the top with dancing figures and spotlights. At that reduced size, you can still see the differences. Which is my point...

 

    In publishing for Amazon, we often live in a thumbnail world. View everything at reduced size, to see if you can see differences.
   Click on the cover below to see the updated blurb for WEREWOLVES.

VAMPIRES.

I've just released VAMPIRES on the Kindle. To celebrate, there'll be a sale of Neon Gods Brought Down by Swords today, Monday 17th June, and tomorrow, Tuesday the 18th. Get Neon Gods FREE on Amazon while you can.

Crashing parties used to amuse Vance. He hurled himself into a world of no commitments. When the synthetic blonde offered more of the same, guided by brusque phone texts, he didn’t see the harm in another meaningless fling.

“Rule 1. If I text and you are busy, that’s fine. The rule runs in both directions. No pestering.”

He was okay with that.

“Rule 2. We never attend social functions. I don’t do weddings, though I will crash parties.”

Suited him, just fine.

“Rule 3. No gifts.”

Saved money.

“Five rules. Rule 4. If we see each other with strangers, no questions. No introductions to family, friends, neighbours, colleagues, serial killers…”

Vance had no problem with the fifth rule. He thought his problems began next day.

There, in red lipstick, she’d left a mirror message.

WIPE THIS OFF. STICK TO THE RULES. SEE YOURSELF OUT.

The bar? Reasonable. Didn’t try too hard to be trendy. He knew no one here – not on a Wednesday night. Vance watered at the venue on the odd weekend. Open the door on a world without strings. In.

Scene. The jet minx in front of him shook hailstones from her bobbed coiffure. Melting pellets bounced off his heavy coat. By contrast, she appeared to be wearing a black plastic bag for no protection from the night.

He eyed her tight black jeans. Painted on. Sheathed legs stopped at bare ankles and shiny stab-me black shoes. Hang about…

37,000 words, plus notes.

NEON GODS BROUGHT DOWN BY SWORDS. FREE ON KINDLE 10TH AND 11TH JUNE 2013.

To celebrate a return to publishing material, I’m holding a two-day sale – Neon Gods Brought Down by Swords is free on Monday the 10^th and Tuesday the 11^th of June, 2013. The release of INSANITY signals a mini-publishing spree. Look for VAMPIRES to make an appearance on the 17^th of June.