Boy do I get asked this a lot!

Boy do I get this question a lot. Why the choice not to list your books with Christian retailers?

Let me just say that I won't answer this question completely as the full answer will come in my interview to be posted in Written in Blood next year. I will say that I never had a choice to list or not to list books with "Christian" retailers or rather CBA or ECPA affiliated "Christian" bookstores as they only place heavily targeted niche market books that come through a fee-paying CBA/ECPA affiliated publisher like Zondervan, Thomas Nelson, Bethany House, Tyndale, Harvest House (far too many to list.) These niche market and discriminative bookstores, once Baptist Bookstores, never planned on putting anything other than books from affiliated publishers on their shelves.

Believe it or not, though this seems like a thorough answer, it isn't!!!

Wait to read the entire answer in Written in Blood coming out May 2011. ;)

Side note: This is why I get so irritated each time I see affiliated books listed alongside mine. None of my publishers discriminate and neither do I. Don't list my book with those from publishers who do discriminate. *Sue makes her best angry face!*

And this is too funny. Right after I posted this, an ad came up on my sidebar for having your "Christian" book published through Xilibris. LOLROFL GIVE IT A REST!!!

*Sue shakes head back and forth* Choice? There is no choice. You'll only get listed with CBA/ECPA "Christian" retailiers (the predominant and sadly discriminating market) if you PAY to belong and write with in resrictive denominational guidelines with the exception of a very few non-affiliated publishers who produce very targeted work but don't pay to belong. And when I say few, I mean you can count them on your finger. I'm not saying which finger either. HA! Be nice. ;)

HorrorFind 12! Be there or be sorry.

HorrorFind 12 *The Sppokiest Show on Earth* in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania starts Friday September 3rd. Sue Dent (that would be me) will pick-up world renowned horror author Nicholas Grabowsky for the ride up in my mini-hearse. There will be a meet and greet with Black Bed Sheet Book authors (you may go to www.downarden.com to learn more.

I'll be there promoting Electric Angel and selling copies of Never Ceese and Forever Richard hoping to get rid of some books before BBS prints the special editions.

Come one, come all.

To my readers from that niche market CBA/ECPA serve I'd like to say that like the original versions of Never Ceese and Cyn No More, these books will not come through a CBA or ECPA affiliated "Christian" publisher as they don't publish horror. That means you still won't find these books in "Christian" bookstores as they only carry work by fee-paying affiliated publishers or non-fee paying publishers whose fiction is very denominationally targeted.

Also I won't seek to have these versions approved for distribution to the "Christian" market as it's a waste of time and energy. The good news is you'll be able to find my books everywhere else in the world.

For my general market readers, please don't pay any attention when books from CBA/ECPA niche market publishers show up as being bought with mine. I can't seem to keep this from happening. It's very disappointing at best as it cast a dim light on the quality of my work.

Here's a little video to get you in the mood:



But yes do come to HorrorFind and let's chat!!!! ;)

Love my fans!

Yep. Love them fans! This from an "already" big fan (Love ya, Rochelle):

You have a new fan (my husband). Read both your books in three days then turned to me this morning and said: where's the other one? I said: She's working on it. He was like: SHE'S WORKING ON IT??!!!! LOL Calm down dude; she's working on it... sheech... see what you did! Another crazy like me loving your stuff and can't wait for the 3rd installment. :D

So, *Sue does math* that's a day an a half for each book. Not bad. ;D

Sorry but Epublishing is NOT the way things are headed.

Nope. Not the way things are headed at all. Epublishing is just another convenient way to get your books. As far as us small press writers are concerned it holds the same pitfalls as non-epublished books. They can be and are returned. And more times than not. Yep! Kindle's the worst. You have seven days to read a kindle, decide you don't like then return it. Oh and you can leave a pitiful review to boot and it will stay with the book even though you returned it to get your money back.

Bottom line, I don't want to hear one more person GRIPE because they spent 99 cents for a freakin' book they didn't like. Go ahead. Send it back!!!! You've got seven days. Us small pub authors aren't going to make any money anyway. It's the same ol' same ol'. Big publishers will do fine. No other publisher will. Thanks Amazon. You so rock as usual.

Straight from Black Bed Sheet Books

Bookmarks for Electric Angel as done by Black Bed Sheet Books Nicholas Grabowsky.

. . . and bookmarks.

Electric Angel - Book Cover

Okay well, here's how Nicholas worded it on FaceBook anyway: We proudly announce our working cover art for Sue Dent's ELECTRIC ANGEL, coming Christmas 2010!

And at some point this weekend it will go off to Arlene W. Robinson for edits, the very editor that helped me with my 2007 Bram Stoker Short-Listed, 2009 Pluto Award Short-Listed Never Ceese. ;D

Oh I feel all tingly inside. So here's the cover!

HorrorFind 12

Bob will be driving me to HorrorFind 12 and Nicholas Grabowsky as well should he not find another way to Gettysburg. Ha! Who wouldn't want Bob to drive them. ;D

Bob is really enjoying his mini-hearse. LOL

If you see this car tag . . .

Then honk because it's me! ;D

Books-A-Million, oh please. *giant eye-roll*

Oh yes. Do go look at the wonderful false representation of what Books-A-Million CLAIMS to have IN STOCK.

Books-A-Million *ahem* ad for Never Ceese the Paperback!

Misrepresentation number 1: BAM doesn't stock anything but returned-from-the-bookstore books, you know, books that OTHER larger bookstores (Barnes & Nobles etc . . .) buy then return for a full refund because they can, SOOOOO they don't carry Never Ceese the paperback because I made Never Ceese the paperback non-returnable so it couldn't be stolen by bookstores. (I'm cool like that. ;)

Misrepresentation number 2: BAM didn't mean it was in stock at their stores, (it isn't. See above) what they mean is there are some used dealers who have it available.

Misrepresentation number 3: Of the four used dealers listed only one shows having Never Ceese while the other 3 say the book is no longer available. They don't specify that they mean they're the only idiots that can't get it because they don't want to order it, they infer the book is out of print. It isn't! It's selling just fine and earning fine reviews except when Amazon screws things up as they always do. HA!

So while it is a most pretty ad, do know that BAM will never be able to stock Never Ceese as it will never be available through the distributors they use. I will never make it returnable. You can buy Never Ceese the paperback through any other bookseller though, they'll just have to order it for you first.

Books-A-Million always gives me a good laugh. I'd like to see you try and stock Never Ceese the paperback. You can't have it!!!!!

Being remembered on Friday the 13th!!!

So very elated to see bloggers remember and post about me on Friday the 13th! Especially those bloggers wh0 recognize that "Christian" readers deserve a good story as much as the next guy. Though this blogger and I don't see eye to eye from time to time, we do both agree on the issues that matter or at least we seem to.  ;)

So check out this blog post:

http://davidbrollier.blogspot.com/2010/08/august-cfrb-tour_13.html

Oh and happy Friday the 13th!

Shroud Magazine's October Issue 2010

Just a heads up, because I forgot to post about this when I first learned of it. Nicholas Grabowsky, owner of Black Bed Sheet Books best known for penning Halloween IV and more recently Red Wet Dirt was commissioned to do an article for Shroud Magazine's Halloween edition. Of course who better to ask than Mr. Halloween himself and author of Halloween IV. ;)

Because BBS is also currently my publisher, I learned that Mr. Grabowsky, who was offered a small monetary payment for his article, opted to write a story for the magazine instead should they want that. The person who contacted him from Shroud agreed that this would be a great idea. 

Unfortunately, and I do mean unfortunately, the story won't be in Shroud magazine after all. And this is in spite of Mr. Grabowsky putting absolutely everything aside for the sheer joy of creating a story that he thought would be worthy (and of course no matter what he writes, it would be worthy.) No. According to his contact at Shroud he didn't get the story submitted back to them in time?  And that contact had to "pick from other stories, that were just as good that did come in on time." 

*Sue sits quietly for a moment while she considers that.*

So Mr. Grabowsky is worthy enough to seek out so that he might be prodded to write an article for Shroud's Halloween edition. Worthy enough to have a story of his substituted for payment but he's not worthy enough to be spared the same rhetoric an author just starting out might receive.

*Sue sings a little diddy to herself. R-E-S-P-E-C-T Find out what it means to me.*

Okay. Sure. That makes sense. Whatever. 

For the record, Mr. Grabowsky is quite pleased to have an article going into Shroud magazine. I know I can't wait to read it. ;) I suppose I'm the one that's bothered by the way things happened. Ah, but that's publishing I guess.

Give Anne Rice a break!

Oh for Pete's sake! Anne Rice confesses that after her conversion back to Catholicism, she's finally had it with the rhetoric spewed out by those who we're all sick of listening too. You know the drill: same sex attraction is evil and of the devil, fighting and bickering over doctrine instead of loving and accepting, twisting scripture to fit twisted beliefs etc . . . etc

So what's up? 95% (random number generated by my own limited research) of us dislike this fraction as well. We just ignore them. So Anne Rice has decided to ignore them too AND to go public with that decision . . . well, to at least air them out on FaceBook which FOXnews.com seems to think is public enough. The headline reads: 

Anne Rice Quits Christianity 

Well. I've been to Mrs. Rice's FB page and I can't see where she's quit anything. From what I read she's very much a follower of Christ. But this is FOX News so . . . well . . . I'm just saying *cough, cough Shirley Sherrod cough, cough* I'm sure it won't be long before it goes viral. So when it does just remember that Anne Rice hasn't said anything that the rest of us haven't been saying for well--FOREVER!!

Jesus himself was never more frustrated than he was with this group that Anne Rice has now confessed she too is unhappy with. 

Oh but it does make for a catchy headline, doesn't it? ;)

The kind of review that just makes you go--WoW!

*Note: I believe Flo is using CBC in connection with CBA. The acronyms are confusing. And actually I'm talking about CBA Christian Booksellers Association and not CBA Catholic Bible Association. HA!*

See. I know there is a God when I get reviews dropped in my in-box that read like this one. Not that I ever doubted HE exist. Not that I'll ever doubt it. ;) But oh my LORD what a thing to hear this morning. LOVE YOU FLO!!! Do read on:

Hey, I just wanted to let you know that I just finished "Never Ceese" for the second time. I so enjoyed it this time. I don't know if you experience this, but sometimes if I read one author or one style for a long time, then switch to another, it doesn't sit with me well. Honestly, that's what happened to me the first time around. But this time, it was awesome.

I was reading your blog and noticed that you were getting ripped off by publishers, and I have to say, with great remorse, I bought both books, Never Ceese and Forever Richard off Amazon. I am so sorry that you did not get the benefit.

I was curious as to why CBC is at odds with you, you seemed to indicate it's due to "denominational" differences. Honestly, I'm surprised as I see them publishing many writers I wouldn't think of having in my house. I thought they seemed pretty loose in their "denominationalism". I am not overly impressed with much of the fiction that comes from them. I quit the "Left Behind" series, because I got to the point where I was pleading for the return of Jesus to put us out of the misery of the abysmal writing. (Much as I plead for the return of Jesus in real life to put us out of the misery of this abysmal world.) I went through my prairie reading days, but got sick of traveling across America over and over again, women getting pregnant, dying, babies dying, unmarked graves blah blah blah ad nauseum.

Anyway, thanks so much for taking the time to author and do some really creative work. And thanks for keeping vamps and werewolves evil ... I am finding that even vampires just "have a disease" now (cough, twilight, cough, cough), the world is even trying to deny the evil of our fictional creatures. yikes!!!

Have a great day.

Flo

If Flo isn't a writer she should be one!!! I absolutely loved this line from her review:

I quit the "Left Behind" series, because I got to the point where I was pleading for the return of Jesus to put us out of the misery of the abysmal writing. (Much as I plead for the return of Jesus in real life to put us out of the misery of this abysmal world.)

ROFL Exactly! All affiliated publishers such as Thomas Nelson, Waterbrook/Multnomah and even some non-affiliated houses who use the label "Christian Fiction" to define their work write for a highly targeted niche market of Christians and not general market readers at all. It's a very real problem for those of us authors who are also Christians, but write for a broader market of Christians. If we use the label Christian in any context we're thrown in with this CBA niche market of watered down denominationl writing. Sad, sad, sad. *Sue dries her eyes and moves on.*

But do pay attention to what Flo wrote here:

Anyway, thanks so much for taking the time to author and do some really creative work. And thanks for keeping vamps and werewolves evil ... I am finding that even vampires just "have a disease" now (cough, twilight, cough, cough), the world is even trying to deny the evil of our fictional creatures. yikes!!!

I bolded the significant points. ;D 

Flo you are wonderful! Absolutely wonderful. I'm not even sure you know how wonderful you are but you made my um . . . year!

Here's your chance!

Please help me out. ;) Never Ceese is currently published through S D Enterprises due to my first traditional publisher selling out. S D Enterprises is me and I currently distribute through LSI. I've made Never Ceese non-returnable so larger booksellers can't take advantage of me and steal my books. I've asked it to be un-approved by Spring Arbor because having it approved means nothing. Absolutely nothing and I'll not support Ingram and CBA and their lies by pretending to believe them.

Forever Richard is currently not being published by anyone. I do have the rights back but do not see the point in paying to make it available through LSI when it looks like Black Bed Sheet Books will take up the series. It is still approved by Spring Arbor because I can't unapprove it. If I could I would. I'm sorry I ever went that route. If you buy Forever Richard presently, by ordering through a legitimate bookstore or from whoever, I get no money. The books are technically stolen. ;) Yes. It's still considered selling stolen goods even if you don't know they're stolen. And yes since my last publisher paid BookMasters to destroy all unsold books any copies of Forever Richard being sold, as far as I'm concerned, are stolen.

Soooo, how can you help me. I'm selling Never Ceese and Forever Richard through the "buy it now" button at the bottom of this page. Twenty dollars plus three dollars shipping to anywhere in the US for both books.

You can still order Never Ceese the paperback anywhere and I benefit but you can get both books today while they last by clicking the "buy it now" button. Hopefully by the first of next year Black Bed Sheet books will have a special edition copy of Never Ceese and Forever Richard out there along with Electric Angel. How cool is that!!!

Click the button and no I can't cut the price. I've given enough of these away already. 

Love y'all! 

Need your support to survive. ;)

Autographed to: (name here)

 

Oh my! I'm on the "blacklist!"

LOL You know how sometimes you receive newsletters from authors you don't remember signing up to receive newsletters from? You just click on the link to say you don't want one anymore and that's usually that. 

Well one of the ahem "larger" published CBA authors just dropped a newsletter in my inbox. So I of course clicked on the link to unsubscribe. This particular link, as some do, offered a place to put a comment about why you want to unsubscribe so I shared. I said that I may have inadvertently signed up for a newsletter when I knew nothing of CBA's discriminating ways but I no longer want to hear from authors who write for houses that discriminate on any level. In this instance denominationally. I then clicked enter and straight away received confirmation that I was unsubscribed only this is how it was worded:

This is the last email you will receive from us. We have added you to our
"blacklist", which means that our newsletter system will refuse to send
you any other email, without manual intervention by our administrator.

 In their defense they did preface this with Goodbye. Sorry to see you go. LOLROFL You CBA Christians. Y'all are too funny. *A precious smile* Sorry to see you go. *followed by exorcist type voice* You're now on our "blacklist." 

Oh my gosh! This made my night!

Stop dissing Self-Pubbed authors!!!!

I see so many little guys who have a book out through a "small" press and suddenly think they're qualified to determine that all self-pubbed books are crap and that the author should seek to be published just as they did. It's very sad because these authors actually think they're a step above a self-pubbed author in many respects. 

Well, here's a wake up call. You aren't. In fact your about five steps below them because you actually think that you're "traditionally" published when you aren't. All you've actually done is--nothing. You don't have access to anything a  self-pubbed author has access to. You don't have a grand edit, as most small presses can't even afford an editor. Most small presses only offer a line edit and a sad one at that. An author with a small press is a self-pubbed author with a small press. It means nothing more than that. 

I recently went to two "small" presses after my second publisher offered to give me back the rights to Forever Richard as they were moving in another direction. One had the gall to tell me that I needed them more than they needed me!!!! LOLROFL Really! I I'm not lying this is what they said. The other was very interested but wanted to re-edit two books that were award winning with one being short-listed for a Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel and the other being long-listed for a British Fantasy Award!!! They actually wanted to re-edit both professionally edited books!!! Wow! 

Of course Nicholas Grabowsky of Black Bed Sheet Books was HONORED to publish me and they have my heart! He's also on board with making my book non-returnable so bookstores can't steal my books and sink my publisher. ;D

So to all you small press authors who don't want to promote self-pubbed books because they haven't been "traditionally" published, you best go look in the mirror because you aren't "traditionally" published either. Ask self-pubbed authors about their edit if you want to learn how serious they are about writing and having their work appeal to readers. Other than that, get over it.