Sue Dent's Official Blog Spot

Barnes & Noble falling down, falling down, falling . . .

2012-02-02T06:27:00.000-08:00

*Sue sings.* Barnes & Noble falling down, falling down, falling down. Barnes & Noble falling down . . . I sure hate it. NOT!

In light of the goings on this morning, the press release that B&N (Bullies & Narcissist)is going to "not" sell any more of Amazon's self published e-books I have only this to say - Bahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Oh and this, "What's the matter B&N? Nobody buying your "wittle" self-published e-books. You can't compete with the Narcissistic Amazon." Read the little snippet below for a real good laugh. It's from an article I found published in 2010:

Barnes & Noble unveiled its new self-publishing service PubIt on Wednesday, following in the footsteps of its competitors to take advantage of explosive growth in digital publishing.

"Barnes & Noble sees an opportunity to grow its traditional customer base with customers who think they have something worth publishing," says Kelly Gallagher, Bowker's vice president of publishing services. "It's one way to stay connected to their customer base."

Barnes & Noble, which expects to launch this summer, is the latest company to enter into the self-publishing market.

Really, I have more to write but I've seriously got to stop laughing. *Sue wipes tears from her eyes. Catches her breath.* Okay. So B&N can't sell their crappy (crappy meaning low quality, no quality) self published e-books so they're kicking Amazon and their "crappy" self-published e-books out. Since I really don't have a dog in the hunt--by choice--I really should just sit back and watch the fun. But I just can't seem to keep quiet about it. Perhaps B&N and Amazon should join forces. They could get Emeril to be their spokesman and they could call the joint venture
"BAM-AZON!"

Hey B&N. Why can't I set up an event at your stores? That's right! Because I make my books NON-RETURNABLE according to that outdated, only for the "big dog" publishers return policy. Us little guys don't get the books you return back, you jerks. Sorry, but I didn't sign on to publish books only to have them stolen and resold to "return from the bookstore retailers" such as Books-a-Million. Have fun "duking" it out with Amazon. Y'all deserve to be in the same fight. You're both losers.

Sue Dent's NEW kickstarter project!

2012-01-31T17:51:00.000-08:00

Ya, cancelled the other one. LOL Gonna start out small. Right now all I need is to purchase "Final Draft" for creating the Graphic Novel story. You can help by clicking on the donate button over there to your left. You can donate up to $20.00 for three signed bookmarks, one for each of my books or for $20.00 get a signed copy of Electric Angel with shipping paid in the US and $4.00 going toward any international shipping.

For $25.00 you get your choice of Never Ceese or Forever Richard, signed of course and same shipping as above. The goal amount is $250. Y'all help a sister out! LOL But seriously help me. Here's the link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/suedent/sue-dents-electric-angel-novel-to-graphic-novel

Thanks in advance for your help.

Sue Dent's first "horror" movie!

2012-01-27T07:44:00.000-08:00

Y'all check it out! My first order of Forever Richard came in the mail today! So of course I made a movie about it. My first "horror" movie in fact! HA! So, yes, CEO of Black Bed Sheet Book, Nicholas Grabowsky, I did get my copies just like you said! And they are awesome. Now y'all get your butts in gear and order from http://www.blackbedsheet.goshopper.net OR get a signed copy from me at http://www.SueDent.net while supplies last. ;) You can get a copy anywhere books are sold though but your best chance is to get them where I said.

All my books are on Amazon and Barnes & Noble blah, blah blah!!!

2012-01-25T14:09:00.000-08:00

All my books are on Amazon and Barnes & Noble and blah, blah blah!!! OOOOOOOMMMMMMGGGGGG! If I have to read that ONE MORE TIME, as if this is something to be heralded in the publishing industry!!! Yes, if I read that one more time . . . well . . . well . . . . *Sue balls up her fist* Clearly I'd be an idiot to put anything dire here as I will undoubtedly see this again and again and again and would then have to carry out whatever dire deed I propose!

First off, EVERY single book and EVERY single ebook and anything you stick an ISBN on, all the way from "A Pedophiles Guide to Love and Romance" (yes, I went there) to books even more "illegal" (yes I went there too) are listed on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and EVERY OTHER ON-LINE vendors site!!!!! So being on these sites doesn't prove anything except that perhaps a "large piece of fecal matter" could publish a book if it knew how to write and get an ISBN.

I'd like to state right here and now that ALL my books are on these sites as well and even some that shouldn't be there because they no longer exist. And if they are being sold then the one selling them is selling stolen goods and making money where I never did.

I'm on Amazon and don't have a choice about it. I'm on B&N and every other book site as well and don't have a choice about it. I don't even want to be on these sites. Half of the time they don't even post accurate information about my books. Half of the time they're selling books I no longer and never did make any money off of and they're getting away with it.

If you want to support me and the work I put out then you purchase my books through my publisher at Black Bed Sheet Books and not anywhere else. Oh. You can use the links on my site at http://www.SueDent.net as well. That's where you'll find all my physical books and e-books.

Do not trust any other site or even brick and mortar bookstore to carry my books. Research the quality of what I write based on the solid reviews from unbiased reviewers and the fact that all of my work is professionally edited. I put out a LOT of my own money so you can ENJOY a good story. I would never list my books on Amazon if I wanted to get that money back.

I DON'T HAVE A CHOICE!!!

How about them apples?

A new kind of Amazon Advantage!

2012-01-19T11:05:00.000-08:00

A new kind of Amazon Advantage only an author actually makes money off of this one and Amazon loses money, all the way around. I've already done it once and plan on doing it this time unless y'all beat me to it.

Here's how it works. Amazon shows TWO more copies of Never Ceese the BLACK BED SHEET VERSION in STOCK!!! I bought the last four they were brave enough to buy.

You know what that means don't you?

That means y'all BETTER NOT buy them. Wait until Amazon can't sell them, that's usually about a couple of weeks, and they'll start dropping the price because *drum roll please* my books are non-returnable according to the "industry standard" return policy, a definite plus.

Amazon cut the price on the last FOUR down to TWO DOLLARS AND SEVENTY ONE CENTS when the books didn't sell in the designated selling time and I bought them all because that's cheaper than even I can buy them from my publisher.

So here's how the game goes, we wait until Amazon starts dropping the price again and Y'ALL try to beat me to buying them. It's a win-win situation for you and I. A lose-lose for Amazon. But hey, I didn't tell Amazon to stock my non-returnable by "industry" standard POD books. ;)

Just know, when the price starts dropping, I'm on it!!!!! You won't get my books before I do, I promise you that. I'll even earn royalties off the sales and my publisher will make money as well. Amazon merely gets to write it off as a loss. YAYNESS! Their loss, my gain. ;)

I love "messing" with Amazon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A video I made dedicated to "large" publishers. ;)

2012-01-17T20:38:00.000-08:00

Actually, I just wanted to use some photos I had done at my last photo shoot with Jim Sorfleet of SnS-photo.com and this was a neat way to do it. ;)

Are Independent Bookstores really any different than Barnes & Nobles and other large chain bookstores?

2012-01-16T08:57:00.000-08:00

Are Independent Bookstores really any different than Barnes & Nobles and other large chain bookstores?

Sadly, they aren't. For the most part, they're exactly like the bigger bookstores, at least for us Independent authors who are attempting to utilize our supposed Independent bookstores to get sales.

Here's an example. My daughter wants to go to a book event that Octavia Bookstore in New Orleans is hosting. We have to buy a ticket or rather pay for a book before we get there. The event is being held at a larger facility because the author is a NYT best-selling author (not an independent author) who will undoubtedly draw a pretty big crowd NO MATTER IF OCTAVIA BOOKSTORE ADVERTISES.

I called to find out when we needed to arrive to make sure we got there in time to get the book we paid for. I also asked what did it take to set up a similar event as I was an author attempting to put a book tour together. Immediately (or perhaps it was just my imagination) the tone of the one I was speaking to became somewhat condescending. They rattled off all the "big published" authors who had just graced the steps of their "independent" bookstore such as Stephen King. Wow! Really? Why is he doing an event at an Independent bookstore? The large bookstores are for the larger published authors. The Independent bookstores are supposed to give us independent authors a chance or at least that's the way I understood it.

That's not to be though. Because when I asked what would it take for me to put Octavia books on my book tour, I was told that "they" would have to look at my book and "they" would have to see if it was something their store would want to carry. WHAT!!! And I'd have to "give" them a review copy to "look" at. WHAT!! And then "they'd" get back with me. WHAT!!! They didn't bother to ask my name, my credentials or anything. Just wrote me off (at least that's my opinion.)

To this day I will NEVER understand why INDEPENDENT bookstores CLAIM to be there for the small published author or small publishers nor will I EVER understand why they humor book events by large published authors. Those authors don't need the help. Their "large chain bookstores" won't even allow small published authors in to do events (sometimes they will if the books are returnable by that "industry standard" return policy that ensures your books will be stolen and resold.)

For the love of God and for the sake of the authors Independent Bookstores pretend to be helping, would somebody tell them to WAKE UP! We're dying here and most of us don't want to see brick and mortar stores go. We'd like to help but they won't even give us a chance.

*Sue takes deep breaths. Tries to breath without spitting.*

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

And so it starts!!!

2012-01-14T18:05:00.000-08:00

Yes, to date, I've invested a lot of my own money into getting my books published. However, you can't get blood from a turnip. Yet I still need capital to keep moving forward. So I was told of this nifty little program called Kickstarter and thought I'd give it a try. You can learn all about the project I'm seeking funding for by going to this link. I do so hope you'll be inspired to help me out. Thanks for all who've already done so by buying my books or spreading the word with wonderful reviews. ;)

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/suedent/sue-dents-electric-angel

Having fun with Amazon!

2012-01-09T13:29:00.000-08:00

Hey Indie authors. Want to take Amazon for a ride? If we all do it, it might actually make a difference. Here's how it works.

So your book is POD.

Don't stop there.

Go all the way. Make it non-returnable as well. Here's what will happen. If you've been at the publishing game for a while as I have, and you have a bit of a name, Amazon will order a few of your books to keep in stock (even though they don't have to because your book is POD.) When those books don't sell in the allotted time, Amazon will attempt to send them back for that "industry standard return policy" money back guarantee. Well, of course you've made your books non-returnable according to that industry standard so, OH MY, Amazon is stuck with them.

What Amazon does next is sheer lunacy. They start dropping the price insanely and write the loss off. I just bought four of my Never Ceese, Black Bed Sheet Edition for $2.76 EACH. That's cheaper than I can get them from my publisher.

Y'all better keep an eye out for whenever Amazon says they have any of my books in stock. That means in about 2 weeks they'll start dropping the price to get rid of them because they can't return them. Hahahahahahaha! Also, you should beat me to getting them because I know I'll be watching for this to happen and I'll buy every last one they have. Not only do I get my books for less, I earn royalties and my publisher gets paid also. Amazon is the only one who loses in that deal and of course they just write it off!!! Can't beat that with a stick. ;)

Stephanie Meyer speaks: Get ready for heartbreak [authors.]

2012-01-06T10:19:00.001-08:00

It's so very nice to find little tidbits like this. And if you're wanting the link from which the quote was taken, well, here it is: Twilight Stephenie Meyer

Now here's the quote:

How did you get it published?
Stephenie Meyer: "Sheer luck or fate or what have you. I had the easiest publishing experience in the entire world. I sent out 15 courier letters to agents, got five no replies, nine rejections and one I want to see it. A month later I had an agent. Another month later I had a three book deal with Little Brown. And it does not happen that way. If you [an author] expect that going in, get ready for heartbreak."

. . . and the truth shall set you free. I have preached it until I can preach it no more. The odds of hooking up with an agent that can do ANYTHING but waste your time are 1 in a 1,000,000,000,000. You may like those odds. I don't. And I don't have time to waste pretending I'll win this lottery before I've passed on. Also, if I'm not mistaken and didn't hear wrong. Ms. Myers had a few connections with her husband working and/or published by either her first publisher or one of the big "six." Don't hold me to that. Whether it's true or not, the facts remain as they are. Agents are trash collectors for large publishers who got tired of looking at MS's a looooooooooong time ago and decided to turn the job over to "agents." A dirty little game I'll not be playing.

Y'all! This is heeeelarious. You have to read it.

2012-01-01T21:46:00.000-08:00

Okay. So I decided to stop moaning about Amazon selling my Black Bed Sheet Edition of Never Ceese for $3.00, less than I can get it for, and instead went to purchase about $25 dollars worth of them so I could qualify for Super Saver free shipping like the ad reads. But now the books are selling for TWO DOLLARS AND FORTY ONE CENTS OMG!!! I've hit the jackpot. Hey, any way to make a buck, right? So I add 20 copies to my cart and all at once it says I can get $10.00 off my purchase if I sign up for an Amazon.com Credit Card. REALLY!!! Wow, I was about to REALLY CLEAN UP on this deal!!! So I sign up, I get my $10.00 off and hit purchase . . . . *wait for it* . . . What's this? There aren't twenty books available at that price???? My book is Print On Demand. What are they talking about? So I go back to the book page to see that there are *wait for it again* . . . . FOUR copies available for that price. Guess how many copies Amazon says are in stock . . . FOUR!!! Amazon actually ordered four of my Print on Demand non-returnable books and when no one bought them (because I ask everyone not to buy my books through Amazon) they had to eat them. Oh I'm laughing so hard tears are rolling down my face!!!! I didn't qualify of course, for the free shipping. And the shipping was more than the books costs all together BUT I got ten dollars off my purchase!!!!

I'm howling with laughter now!!!

I just purchased four copies of my book for $7.97 or $2.65 each! False advertising morons. They tell you it's available for Super Saving free shipping if you buy $25 dollars worth of a product and they don't even have $25 worth of what they're selling. So nevermind Amazon isn't giving any deals that you won't find at my publishers site. But every now and then it seems they'll be silly enough to order a few of my books and when they don't sell them, they'll let 'em go for next to nothing. I cleaned up on these four because I'll also get a royalty for the books sold. I know I can't wait until Amazon actually purchases more of my non-returnable books!!!! LOLROFL Gotcha AMAZON! Gotcha good!!! Go ahead. Buy some more. I dare you. ;)

For the record, shortly after I purchased the four books Amazon ordered, they show that Amazon doesn't even sell a new copy of the Black Bed Sheet Copy of Never Ceese. Well, imagine that.

Small Press Pubs CONTINUE to be abused on Amazon

2011-12-31T08:05:00.000-08:00

**** I just learned that Amazon ISN'T setting prices on my books. They actually ordered four of my POD non-returnable copies of Never Ceese and couldn't sell them and were attempting to get rid of them. Read my newest blog to learn more. I'm sure the price will go straight back up to retail now as I bought the books myself. My work there is done. LOL However I stand by the Small Publisher Abuse claim. Amazon could care less about that.******

Looks like Small Press Publishers will continue to be abused at Amazon in 2012 as the only changes being made are for "big mouth" large publishers who are sinking fast under the weight of ignorance and Amazon's fine attitude that "we break the rules because we can unless you have more money than us."

Oh, you want an example? Sure.

My book Never Ceese, published by Black Bed Sheet Books, distributed by Lightning Source Inc, Ingram's POD publishing arm, retails for $16.95. LSI demands that you give folks like Amazon a 55% discount. And that's EVEN IF you make your books non-returnable so you at least don't have books floating around out there that LSI claims they destroy when they are returned-from-the-bookstore after one or two large bookstores decides to "take a chance" and ordered a few copies (why not. They don't have to pay for the books if they return them. That's what that crappy Industry Standard Return Policy states.) For the record, I don't believe LSI ever sees the "returned-from-the-bookstore books again to destroy then. When I asked to come visit the site where the destruction is done, they wouldn't tell me. Just said, "take our word for it, they're destroyed." Bogus!

Anyway, at a 55% discount Amazon gets the books for $3.00. I have three books on Amazon. All are listed for sale by Amazon at retail or a bit less. At this particular moment, Never Ceese is listed at *drum roll please* $3.00!!!! Hmmmm . . . I recall a similar incident where large publishers were peeved because Amazon was selling their e-books for waaaaaaay less than what they wanted to sell them for. And oh MY, the big publishers got their way, threw out their money and brought their lawyers in. Oh well good for them. Small Publishers barely have enough money to breath much less time to deal with Amazon's maze of operators put in place to baffle and confuse.

So you say, "But Sue, you'll sell more books." Since my books are non-returnable, I know each and every time a book sells and to whom. Would you like to know how many have sold through Amazon at $3.00. None. You can tell this because Black Bed Sheets version has no sells ranking on Amazon. Would you like to guess which book of mine on Amazon does have a sales ranking? The hardback of Never Ceese that Amazon won't take down even though it is no longer available through Baker & Taylor, my first publisher's distributor, and even though I, Sue Dent, the legal rights holder has asked them to remove it. I have the official documentation to prove the reversion of rights and have supplied it to Baker & Taylor at their request and yet Amazon still sells the hardback for retail and "AS NEW." The only place Amazon can get the book is through those liquidators my first publisher sold over 4000 copies to -- for like ONE DOLLAR or less!! Amazon is selling books that they are acquiring for probably less than a dollar for RETAIL and they won't pull the book at MY request. So don't any of you tell me that if you don't like Amazon, pull your book!!!!! You can't. And the reason, I suspect, is that without small publishers, Amazon would go down fast and hard. Yes, I could work and work to get my books off Amazon but unless it is a mass exodus, it won't matter one bit. Well, it will matter to me, one of the many starfish on the beach that perhaps saved myself. But what's the point in that?

Amazon hearlds their lending/stealing library.

2011-12-26T08:07:00.000-08:00

This is a blurb from Amazon! You'll see it when you log in today. It reads:

"In November we introduced our newest Prime benefit, the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, where Kindle owners can borrow and read thousands of books for free, with no due dates. The library has grown to over 50,000 titles and includes more than 100 current and former New York Times Bestsellers such as the Hunger Games trilogy, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and Moneyball. It also features Kindle Direct Publishing top-selling authors like J.A. Konrath, C.J. Lyons, and Julie Ortolon. We've also worked hard to make Kindle devices affordable, and they start at just $79 for Kindle and $199 for Kindle Fire.

Small publishers are dropping like flies due to this stealing library. Amazon uses the guise of a "lending" library to get around asking the "kindle" publisher whether they want this to happen or not. They claim they do ask but the bottom line is if you don't allow them to "steal" your e-book, you don't get to publish. The window of opportunity to opt out is short and most "kindle" authors don't even know about it until their fate is set.

Worse than that, why are e-books lent out in the first place? Most only cost NINETY-NINE CENTS!!! Oh yes, I suppose reading an e-book for free is WAAAAAYYY better. Most every publisher I know offers at least a free first, and sometimes even second chapter preview. Plenty of time for a reader to decide whether they want to "break the bank" and support an author's hard work. Amazon is trying to sell Kindles. They're doing it at the publishers expense in a desperate attempt to avoid the inevitable, the absolute and complete death of proprietary e-books and e-book readers. This is why I won't publish a kindle on Amazon EVER! You may find Kindle versions of my book at http://www.blackbedsheet.goshopper.net

Once again history repeats itself. IBM was the first out of the gate to attempt to keep the competition at bay with their propitiatory software and personal computers. Look where we are today. If you're a publisher or an author, you'd be wise to stay away from allowing Amazon to steal your work for their own benefit. Just saying! Barnes & Noble too but apparently their lending/stealing library is too complicated for customers to care about.

Sue Dent and Mark Twain

2011-12-20T12:34:00.000-08:00

I foretold of an interview not that long ago, between myself and a quite reputable columnist who contacted me via email likening me to a maverick of sorts in regards to making a resoundingly fantastic impression on "Christian" (quotes means evangelical Christians and not all faiths that are supposed to be housed under this broad label) readers as well as General Market readers (general market actually has more "Christian" readers and Christian readers than the unofficial official "Christian" market.)

Anyhoo, the interview was amazing and I'm looking forward to the column. In the meantime, you can read a little about the impression I made during the interview here: I recently discovered, by reading a blog, about Sue Dent, a southern novelist who has a fascinating story. I will write about her soon in this space, and I dare say many writers can learn from her. That wouldn't happen if Sue had not taken on the added task of utilizing social media.

Read more: Mark Twain lives again!

The only thing I'd like to add about the article in general is that an agent is mentioned and heralded as a "great" one. Unless something has changed, this agent is and always has been an agent for the "Christian" market meaning that this is where he's "great." For those writers not wanting to target the "Christian" evangelical specific, extremely closed market of readers, then you should definitely to someone else. I of course would advise every writer not to seek an agent at all as at this point in publishing history an agent can't actually do anything but waste your time. In fact, I actually contacted this agent once due to the fact that it sounded as though he had access to some non-targeted publishers. He did not. It's just about change though. It will all come out in the wash. ;)

As Large Bookstores Drop Like Flies . . .

2011-12-14T07:04:00.000-08:00

As Large Bookstores drop like flies and theories are thrown around as to why this is happening, please keep in mind that a theory is just that but the facts remain what they are.

Fact 1: Large bookstores are outlets for the books large publishers continually spew out. They don't and never have cared one thing about small publishers that now, thanks to technology, make up the largest part of the publishing market.

Fact 2: Thus the "Industry Standard" return policy put in place during the depression (first by Simon & Shuster) to save these bookstores doesn't work for small publishers as they weren't around during the depression to be considered.

Fact 3: In spite of Fact 2, small publishers are forced to sign on to that "Industry Standard" return policy in order to have their books placed on the shelves of any large bookstore which actually rarely happens as large bookstores only cater to large publishers. Because after all, that's who they serve.

Fact 4: If anyone still believes that e-books are the reason for the demise of the large bookstores then they're simply ignoring the facts. Get a grip!

As I've stated before, I've asked my publisher to make my books non-returnable according to that "Industry Standard" return policy as it will successfully take any small publisher down, eventually. I've been with two publishers who met their demise because of it.

This of course means that B&N and other large bookstores won't order my books for their store and therefore won't humor any book event (which actually means very little to me.) B&N used to do consignment for local and small publishers who don't sign on to that "outdated" return policy but they no longer even do that. I do find it interesting that the very publishers who saved their bookstores back in the day are currently throwing their bookstores under the train.

At any rate and for the record, you may purchase my Black Bed Sheet published books anywhere in the world from any bookstore in the world as you can ANY author who has an ISBNumber. I just want you to keep in mind that this means the BEST books out there will NEVER be on the shelf of a large bookstore. I wonder how long it will take for large bookstores to realize that there will be no rescue for them this time as large publishers cut and run. ;)

I'd like to feel sorry for them but I simply can't bring myself to. Not unless they change the way they operate which is to humor a return policy that actually works for ALL publishers large and small. But if they did that, I wouldn't have to feel sorry for them because they wouldn't be going anywhere. Such a simple solution.

British Fantasy Society's review of Forever Richard

2011-12-12T14:55:00.000-08:00

Since the original review pointed to an edition of Forever Richard that is no longer available, (or at least wouldn't be if Book Masters hadn't dumped books belonging to my publisher to "returned from the bookstore" vendors), the BFS has kindly updated the book information on Maryann Boo's fabulous review. This is wonderful news considering all that is corrupt in the publishing industry. Thanks Book Master's, you so RAWK! I thought it was under handed for you to send signed and dated returned-from-the-book-store books to me as NEW!!!! I never dreamed you'd be as underhanded as to actually sell returned from the bookstore books to second hand vendors as opposed to returning them to a publishers stock as you say you do. At any rate, here's the awesome review. Just click the logo below. Love me some Maryann! ;D

Forever Richard finally here . . . AGAIN!

2011-12-11T08:06:00.000-08:00

It is my pleasure to bring to you the re-published and re-vamped, Black Bed Sheet Books Edition of my 2009 British Fantasy Society long-listed, (hey, it meant something to me) 2009 Pluto Award short-listed Forever Richard. My Thirsting for Blood Series is now officially under one publisher and a damn good publisher at that. Any copy of Forever Richard that you see for sale out there with any ISBN other than: 9780976994770 is stolen and I don't make any money off of it. Book Masters, my second publisher's distributor states they send all "returned-from-the-bookstore" books back to the publisher. When my publisher left Book Masters they were supposedly sent all these books and actually had to pay for them. But apparently Book Masters lies as some of these books (many in fact) are still showing up for sale as new. The rights reverted back to me and I can guarantee you that I've not republished that version of the book. Just the same old same old. Distributors stealing because they can get away with it.

But enough of that!

Go straight away to www.blackbedsheet.goshopper.net and get you the only legitimate copy of Forever Richard out there!!!! Just in time for Christmas!!! Also, as soon as I get my copies I'll offer signed copies from my site. ;)

Black Bed Sheet Books Black Friday Weekend

2011-11-26T10:26:00.000-08:00

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BOOK GIVE AWAY ALERT!!

2011-11-19T19:03:00.000-08:00

How cool is this?! And author friend of mine is having a fantabulous book give away which includes but is not limited to ONE e-book copy of Electric Angel, winners choice of format and ONE print copy (that is the format HA!) so rush right over to:

Rachel Wade's blog

blog to see what you have to do to participate. Trust me. This isn't going to happen often. At least not with my books so you best check it out for your best chance. ;D

Horrorphilia.com reviews Electric Angel!

2011-11-16T20:42:00.000-08:00

Here's another link where you can read the review at:

Horrorphilia.com

I dare you to read this review!

2011-11-16T11:34:00.001-08:00

ELECTRIC ANGEL

“I got Whiplash and Paper cuts from reading ELECTRIC ANGEL...Could…Not put it down!

Char Hardin

Oh. You need the link don't you:

Mavens of Horror

You do have to be a big boy or girl to read it on the site though. Meaning that yes, you'll have to click that you understand you might see adult content. If you're under 18 and want to read this review just make sure your legal guardian checks it out first. Then make sure that legal guardian orders a few copies from Black Bed Sheet Books for you to read (because the content of Electric Angel is actually fine for any age reader.) Hey, I'm a mom too! You kiddies best follow the rules!!! Now go eat your veggies! ;D

Wowsers and thank-you!

2011-11-09T09:05:00.000-08:00

Another review from the Black Bed Sheet edition of Never Ceese: ISBN-9780976994749 that I encourage you to ONLY purchase at:

Black Bed Sheet Books even though you can buy it anywhere fine books are sold. ;D

I'd like to preface this review, (as I call it,) by saying that you won't see such reviews on Amazon or any other review site as they pull their reviews from Amazon. Quite bogus but I could really care less. Now on with the review or rather one readers opinion of the words that I wrote.

From MikkeyVamp:

". . . I know it has been some time . . . but I promised myself that I would finish your book Never Ceese within two weeks, starting a couple of days before Halloween. I just closed the book and I have enjoyed this story fully. I now understand why you called this story your "baby." It truly was overwhelming, especially in the end when you feel so much emotion for both Cee Cee and Richard. I feel as though I can call her that after the emotional roller-coaster she put me on! lol. I am sorry it has taken so long for me [to finish reading] as we all let life "busy" us too much to take moments to enjoy a quiet read. I have been wanting to send you messages over these two weeks but I said that it would be better to finish and then tell you how wonderful this story truly is! The faith element is what brought me some added peace . . . Sometimes we truly are tested and we have to wrestle alone with God to find out what it is he wants us to do . . . I'm glad for this little divine intervention with your book. I may be singing that little prayer to myself every so often. I do wonder who Penelope's daughter is and is she alive or did she die and is that why Cassie is adopted? I do hope Richard is happy to see his father again and I look forward to reading the next book!!! Of course poor Josh,that Henderson is a real piece of work!! Perhaps also, Rodney and CeeCee will become closer? I wonder so many things now!!! Let me know when the new book is available!! It is a must have and I will be sure to this time to offer myself "time" to enjoy that quiet read...Much more success to you and have a great and Blessed Thanksgiving!!"

Yes, wowsers and thank-you indeed. And all your questions let me know that I in fact did the job I wanted to do with Never Ceese. Those are the EXACT questions you should have and are eager to want to find out the answer to.

Also let me interject that one can write a story that is in fact spiritually uplifting without writing what is called "Faith based" fiction which is in fact targeted fiction for a very "targeted" Christian audience and certainly not designed to appeal to anyone but that "targeted" market. My work is general market work. The only agenda I have is to write a story that LOTS of folks will enjoy. It's comments like the above that let me know I've done just that.

Thank you so much for enjoying Never Ceese Mikkey Vamp!!! Oh and Electric Angel! ;D

Whatever doesn't kill me . . .

2011-11-07T07:39:00.000-08:00

Don't believe Amazon.

2011-11-04T07:46:00.000-07:00

You'd think that a site set up to "help" publishers and authors sell their books would at least post information that wasn't misleading. For instance, here we are in November and they show my new release from Black Bed Sheet Books as taking 6 to 9 weeks to deliver. Here's where it says this on the book page:

More flighty information from Amazon.

This books availability is no different than any other book they list. There's nothing odd or peculiar that would make it any different than any other book where they "don't" post how long it will take to ship. If you want this book sooner go anywhere else to buy it. You may go to SueDent.net and purchase an autographed copy where shipping is waived if you're here in the US from the sidebar to the left or if you're viewing this article while on SueDent.net just look to your left. And of course you can go to:

Black Bed Sheet Books

You get the book for the best price, because no seller gets a better discount than any other seller, and you can purchase e-books here as well. Non-Amazon, non-smashwords Kindles, non-B&N Nooks and any other format.

I've no idea why Amazon continues to make it difficult for small publishers to make a sale. For real!!! Get a life Amazon!

Did you know . . . ?

2011-11-01T17:27:00.000-07:00

DID YOU KNOW that no site that advertises they have my books, either Never Ceese or Electric Angel or the soon to be released Black Bed Sheet version of Forever Richard, can actually sell my books for less than what my publisher can sell them for? Nor can any site be competitive with the other. They all get the standard discount. If they list the book for less, you will pay the difference in shipping. If they offer free shipping, they will up the price of the book. There's absolutely no benefit to buying my books from anyone other than:

Black Bed Sheet Books

DID YOU KNOW that you will never find an e-book copy of the Black Bed Sheet version of Never Ceese or Electric Angel listed anywhere EXCEPT at Black Bed Sheet Books where you can get a non-Amazon, non-Smashwords KINDLE or a non-B&N Nook? That's right. Amazon, Smashwords and Barnes & Noble ALL allow for the e-books they list to be given away for free through their nifty lending library WITHOUT the publisher's permission. Smashwords does so by allowing B&N to list an e-book if it meets certain easily obtainable requirements. Black Bed Sheet e-books are instantly downloadable and oftentimes filled with nifty extras! ;) And you can also read a sample chapter to make sure it's of the quality you expect before you purchase. So there's no point in looking anywhere other than at:

Black Bed Sheet Books

DID YOU KNOW that no large-chain bookstore, and specifically Barnes & Noble, will order a copy of Never Ceese or Electric Angel for their store even though I've been short-listed for a Bram Stoker Award in one instance and long-listed for a British Fantasy Award in another instance, have had wonderful, resounding reviews from best-selling authors and from some of the best fans in the world? Nope. They won't order any book for their store if a publisher doesn't make their books returnable according to an "industry" standard return policy designed to save failing bookstores during the depression. A return policy that was never designed to work for small publishers and barely works for large publishers anymore. You can order my books through the large bookstores all day long though. However, they don't get any more of a discount than anyone else. So absolutely no reason to buy anywhere else than straight from my publisher at:

Black Bed Sheet Books

DID YOU KNOW that because I have so many readers from one particular targeted market of Christians that I had my books approved by Spring Arbor so those targeted "Christian" bookstores could carry my books as Spring Arbor suggested they would? Didn't work though. Large "Christian" bookstores only order books for their store that they feel doesn't offend their target market. Not only will they not order my books, even though they've been approved, but if someone orders it through them, the book is sent straight to the customers home and the customer has to pay shipping. So I had my books unapproved as I don't play that! Again, just another reason to purchase my books at:

Black Bed Sheet Books

DID YOU KNOW that even if I write something here today that inspires you to go straight to my publisher and order my books and you do so in mass and even in numbers greater than any best-selling author as sold books before, I'll not make the New York Times best-sellers list as that list is compiled only of books that sell to bookstores and not customers? And guess who won't buy my books for their store? That's right, large bookstores and most Independent stores only do so on consignment and in small numbers because they can't afford to do anything else. So PLEASE, for the love of GOD and all that is right and good, or all that is bad and evil whichever is your preference, DO NOT BUY MY BOOKS ANYWHERE OTHER THAN FROM:

Black Bed Sheet Books

DID YOU KNOW that so far I've lost more money than I could ever hope to make back because none of y'all believe the publishing industry is the way I say it is. Can't afford to lose much more. If you don't move fast and buy my damn books you're going to be stuck reading authors such as Meyer and Rowling for the rest of your days. If nothing else that nightmare scenario should spark you into action. At least 75% of the publishing world is made up of Small Published Authors. It stands to reason that this is where some of the best authors are as well. Wouldn't it be neat if you could actually get their books and Small Publishers and authors could actually make money selling them? Think about that when you go to bed at night and happy nightmares.

The Mini-Hearse is ready to roll again!!!

2011-10-26T14:55:00.001-07:00

The Mini-Hearse is ready to roll again! This time to "Bellbrook on Lockdown" to finally meet up with my good friends Chris Matheny and Kimberly Brouillette of RIP!!! Y'all come. But if you can't, don't tell me why you couldn't. LOL I'll see you if I see you. ;)

Headed out tomorrow. If y'all see me on the road . . . show me your V-fangs-V!!!! ;D

Honest Amazon strikes again!

2011-10-25T12:17:00.000-07:00

Wow! I wondered why a notable "Best Selling" author in that circle of publishing that targets a specific denomination took down the resounding review of Never Ceese they left on Amazon. It had been up for nearly two years.

Not only do I wonder that, I also wonder HOW they did it.

I thought it was because perhaps they were done doing reviews but I just learned that this isn't the case at all. They just posted a new one.

How then? I can't even get Amazon to remove a 1 star review of a book that isn't even published anymore and no longer exists!!!!!

So how does this author get to remove a resounding review?

Hey Amazon!!!! What gives? Playing favorites again? Of course they are. This novelist scribes for one of those "bigger publishers" just in that targeted "Christian" market. That's how they earned the title "best-selling" novelists.

Oh well. So goes life.

Congrats Amazon! I'd shake your hand only I don't want to get it all slimy and stuff!!!

Oh and this author also put my name in the back of one of their books in a list of acknowledgements: those who helped support their writing. I was neither asked if my name could be put there nor do I support their writing as at the time they wrote for a large Christian publisher, Thomas Nelson, who openly discriminates against writers who don't write for their targeted audience of Christians.

Now, thanks to my name being there, my books show up with theirs wherever they're listed on-line!!!! ARGHHHHH!

John Grisham on FOX!

2011-10-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

I love to see and hear large published authors such as John Grisham get on Fox news and try to talk about their massive literary windfall as though it were something they earned. Oh yes. There are just that few "great" authors in the world. And they're just "gosh-darn" glad to be one of them.

Only a handful get in with a big publisher (and rarely through an agent) where they can be sure to make a gazillion dollars. Really? Is the world that starved of literary talent? Just makes me sick to my stomach when I think of all the "grand" talent that will never get the chance.

Did you ever wonder why you never hear of authors who just make a living writing and selling their books?

It's because there are none. It doesn't happen. You either find a *cough, cough* way in with the big dogs or you go flat broke.

*Storm trooper speaking* "Nothing to see hear. These aren't the droids you were looking for."

Yes. Just keep believing that.

And the fact that anyone can "name a few authors" who in fact make a living only works to define the disaster.

A few?

There should be so many you couldn't possibly name them all.

What a shame!

Leaving for "Lockdown at Bellbrook" Thursday!!

2011-10-24T07:45:00.000-07:00

Here's the linkage "Lockdown at Bellbrook" to prove I'll be there along with my friends of RIP Chris Matheny and Kimberly Brouillette. You can check the link to see who else will be in attendance. Much of what is going on this "spooktacular" weekend will be televised--well that should be interesting--for your viewing pleasure.

I of course will be there selling and signing my books, one of the rare opportunities you'll have to actually visit and talk with me and we all know you want to do that!!!!!

Why rare?

Well because no large bookstore will let ANY author in unless they sign on to make their books returnable via a return policy (designed to save bookstores during the depression) that will sink all small publishers eventually and is actually taking its toll on large publishers now. Yes. My books are returnable but not in regards to that insane "industry standard" return policy so not even the local Barnes & Noble in Dayton Ohio will allow me to visit you there. Way to go B&N!! You so RAWK! *Sue wipes sarcasm spittle from mouth with back of hand.*

So Bellbrook is just another effort on my part to "get out there." So come visit and come buy. I'll have my 2007 Bram Stoker short-listed Black Bed Sheet books edition of Never Ceese as well as that "electrifying" Electric Angel.

For the record, even though B&N won't order my books to carry in their store, you can order ALL DAY LONG at Blackbedsheet.goshopper.net (you can order it at ANY bookstore including B&N I'd just prefer if you not order it from those scumbags if you're going to order.) In fact, this is the only place you should buy my books as they can give you the best price AND you can order any of my books in a variety of instantly downloadable e-book formats there as well including but not limited to Kindle and Nook. I don't list my Kindle e-book on Amazon and never will. I don't list my Nook e-books on B&N and never will. Of course that means it will never show up on a "best sellers" list even though it may sell well enough to deserve to be there but HEY, it ain't about the numbers anyway. Or is it?

Enough already! ;D

Come to "Lockdown at Bellbrook" and we can talk there!!!

All for now!

B&N and Amazon Bullies are Fightin' it out!

2011-10-09T07:02:00.000-07:00

Check it out for yourself:

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/barnes-noble-dc-comics-kindle-fire,news-12815.html

Classic line from Big Bully Barnes & Noble:

"We will not stock physical books in our stores if we are not offered the available digital format. . . "

Classic "bully" behavior and they keep getting away with it. What next? Are they going to ask and get a government bailout when their bullying ways finally, and very soon, send them down the proverbial road Border's just went down because Large publishers aren't going to lift a finger to help bookstores the way they did during the depression.

You reap what you sow and Amazon isn't any better when it comes to the publishing industry. Exclusivity isn't the answer and neither is it part of the problem. It IS the problem. DC comics - "What are you doing?" UGH! Did we learn nothing from the IBM personal computer era?

A fantastic blog reply from Goodread!

2011-10-07T09:47:00.000-07:00

First off the comment was left by a fantastic author Werner Lind who wrote Lifeblood, a book I thourghly enjoyed.

Werner said in regards to my blog on the "industry standard" return policy blues:

WHOA! That's an eye-opener! I'd always surmised that "returned" books were called that because they were at least actually returned to the publisher for re-sale. But leave it to Big Business to create ever more Orwellian distortions of language. The "industry standard" return policy is beginning to stink even more pungently!

Here's my response:

I can't believe how many times I've posted about this problem and still folks act surprised. LOL That "industry" standard return policy allowed for bookstores to NEVER return books to the publisher. There was a "great" uproar about this when bookstores started trashing the books behind their bookstores as opposed to having to store "unsold" copies. All the bookstores were required to do according to that "industry standard" return policy was to return the book cover!!! That's why you see this printed in books sometimes: Do not buy this book if the cover has been removed. LOL Yeah, right!

Distributors such as Lightning Source don't work a "new" deal for small publishers either. They don't even offer for the small publisher to get the "returned from the bookstore" book back. They print you a "new" copy and charge you $2.00 for shipping which in reality is just to cover the cost of reprinting the book. So if you made 1.25 off a book you sold to B&N, you eat seventy-five cents when it's returned. AND you never see the returned-from-the-bookstore book again.

Bookmasters, a much larger distributor, says they return "return from the bookstore" books to the publishers inventory but I can tell you that they don't do this in every instance. If they did then nearly 50 copies of my now out of print Forever Richard wouldn't have ended up at Books-A-Million, a store that only shelves "returned from the bookstore" books. My publisher didn't sell the books to BAM.

Bookmasters also sent me "returned from the bookstore" books when I ordered author copies of Forever Richard. How do I know? They were signed by me and had a B&N sticker on the dang cover that said, "Signed By Author." They said I could keep them and they'd send me "new" copies. Then they asked if I'd send them back so they could show their folks what to look for next time. I said, "no thanks." I'll keep them and I'll spread the word that Bookmasters doesn't operate according to their contract. Yes it's real fun out there. UGH!

"Industry Standard" Return Policy Blues.

2011-10-05T07:18:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered why large chain bookstores have sooooo many books by large published authors and not so many from any other publisher?

There's a very simple answer.

In the beginning there was no such thing as a small publisher. It took a LOT of money to produce a book and to produce just one didn't make sense. Therefore, (yes, in the beginning) large publishers printed out TONS of books and counted on bookstores to help them stock the excess inventory. The "industry standard" return policy put in place during the depression, first by Simon & Schuster and then the other publishers to keep bookstores from going under, had bookstores purchasing those books and then not charging to have them sent back. In fact, large publishers didn't care if they ever saw the book again.

Jump into the present now. It's no longer necessary to print TONS of books at a time to save on printing cost. The "Industry Standard" Return Policy for SURE doesn't work anymore, not even for the "big dog" publishers who created it. It does still work to get ALL of their authors on the New York Times best sellers list though as this is determined by book sales to "bookstores." But not even large publishers can afford to print that many books at a time and survive which is why large chain bookstores are going under (I suppose I should add, "in my opinion.")

Since printing on demand is now feasible and certainly the way to go, it would certainly make sense to "invent" a new "Industry Standard" Return Policy and put it in place. Until that happens large bookstores will only ever be havens for books put out by large publishers--until they go under the same way Borders did (again, in my opinion.)

Barnes & Nobles is one large chain bookstore I know of that no longer purchases ANY books from any publisher that doesn't sign on to that antiquated "Industry Standard" return policy. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the very publishers that created that "return" policy during the depression to save bookstores seem quite content to throw the same bookstores under the train now.

I think now is the time for Independent bookstores to rise to the occasion. There needs to be a return policy between publisher and bookstores that works better than "on consignment." Perhaps just changing the "Industry Standard" Return Policy up a bit would be best. The biggest problem I can see with the return policy as it stands is that it's anybody's guess where the "returned from the bookstore" books go. Small publishers rarely if ever see their returned books again. My guess is that since bookstores aren't required to send books back to the publisher they shuffle them of to wholesalers who dabble in "returned from the bookstore" books otherwise where would Books-A-Million be getting all of their stock since they only purchase from wholesalers who sell such books.

A "Kindle" Author interview that disses Amazon's Kindles?

2011-10-03T08:08:00.000-07:00

So I queried David Wisehart about doing a "Kindle Author" interview with authors who sell their e-books through their publisher and not through Amazon and he said, "sure!" So here it is! Thanks agazillion David Wisehart. You are da man!

So here's a link to:

A most unlikely Kindle Author Interview

The truth will set you free and hopefully it will allow small published authors and self-published authors actually make the money that is rightfully theirs. At least those of us who are attempting to make a living with our God given talent as opposed to giving it away for free.

Bellbrook on Lockdown Press Release

2011-09-30T13:04:00.000-07:00

Not due to go out until Sunday but you get the scoop here first:

Horror Author Sue Dent is Scheduled to Bring It to Lockdown at Bellbrook, OH Oct. 28-30 Accompanied by The Paranormal Investigative Team of Chris Matheny and Kim Brouillette of What Lies Beyond?

The entire town of Bellbrook, Ohio will be on lockdown for this paranormal expo. There will be numerous events; guest speakers, paranormal investigations, vendors and so much more. Sue Dent will be in attendance with her Black Bed Sheet Books titles.

With large bookstores such as Barnes & Noble asking all publishers to abide by an "industry" standard return policy that is antiquated, outdated and unworkable, not to mention put in place during the depression to save flailing bookstores of that era, small published authors have had to come up with some very creative ways to get their books to their reading public.

"I've started doing horror conventions," Sue says, "as well as events like "Bellbrook on Lockdown" just so I can set up to sell my books. When my friends Chris Matheny and Kimberly Brouillette told me about this event, I was definitely interested."

Sue, being an outspoken advocate for small published and self-published authors went on to say, "I try to make it easy for my fans to get my books since large bookstores won't carry them due to the fact that small publishers can't make their books returnable by that unworkable "industry" standard return policy and survive. And now, since large bookstore chains such as Barnes & Noble no longer take books on consignment, I've had to work even harder. Quite disillusioning indeed since I'd say that over 75% of the publishing "industry" is now made up of small publishers and self-published authors and large bookstores still ignore us as if we don't exist or matter."

"Not to worry," says Sue. "There are plenty of other places to find my books. Most of the time I'll be on hand to sign them too as is the case here."

"Lockdown at Bellbrook" looks to be an exciting, fun and spooky time for all except for possibly the faint of heart with special appearances by folks such as SyFy's Booth Brothers and ghost hunter extraordinaire Keith Age. Also the SyFy channel will be on hand for a special reveal. You can find more about that here: http://www.beyondtheveilparanormal.org/bellbrook2011.php and here: http://bellbrookonlockdown.webs.com/

"You'll also get to meet Chris Matheny and Kimberly Brouillette of What Lies Beyond? Do visit their blog at http://whatliesbeyond4u.blogspot.com/ to learn more about them as they'll be leading and orchestrating a few Ghost Hunts themselves," Sue says, "including one at The Kickstand Lodge, a Bed & Breakfast in nearby Spring Valley where we'll be staying. The hotel was built in the 1800's and guests have reported hearing odd noises from time to time."

Sue adds, "Because I'm going to be in the area, I did attempt to make it easier for my fans in Dayton to come see me by contacting a local Barnes & Noble. But of course since I've opted not to abide by that "industry" standard return policy that sinks all small publishers, they won't hear of it. And as I said above, they absolutely no longer allow any author in for an event unless that "industry" standard death certificate is adhered to."

So come on out to the "lockdown" and help support all small publishers such as Sue's publisher Black Bed Sheet Books. Good reads for the season and any other time as well. "You can always stop by The Kickstand B&B to get an autographed copy of any of my books or to just talk shop. Let me know when you're coming and I'll be glad to accommodate being there for you."

Sue will have her Black Bed Sheet published and 2007 Bram Stoker short-listed Never Ceese with her as well as her newest release from BBS, Electric Angel.

"I would like to add that you may order my books from any bookstore including B&N. Though no large brick and mortar bookstore will ever carry my books due to my not signing on to that insane return policy, they can order them for you."

# # #

A "leetle" about Sue Dent.

2011-09-30T06:40:00.000-07:00

Just to be sure!

2011-09-29T10:49:00.001-07:00

Just to be sure, you CAN ORDER my books from ANY Barnes & Noble BUT because I refuse to make my books returnable by an "industry" standard return policy that no longer works for the "industry" as it is today, I'll not be allowed in to do an event. Also B&N will NEVER order any book to put on their shelf if it isn't returnable by that "industry" standard which is outdated and doesn't work for anyone. Well, except B&N and large bookstores.

This is not an issue with my publisher. I ASKED them not to make my books returnable by this antiquated, unworkable "industry" standard as all small publishers will eventually fall due to this policy. I've been with two that have and yes, it was due to that "industry" standard return policy.

B&N employees are nice enough and not to blame but I do not enjoy talking to folks who've NO CLUE what they're talking about.

"Just get your book added into the B&N system," they chirp.
"But I'd have to agree to abide by an unworkable "industry" standard return policy."
"Yes, your book has to be returnable."
"No. My book has to be returnable by that unworkable "industry" standard return policy."
"Yes, it has to be returnable."
"--by an antiquated, out-dated, non-working, put-a-gun-in-my-hand-and-point-it-at-my-head return policy that will sink all small publishers."
"We have lots of small publishers in our store."
"You don't have any that don't agree to that return policy. And several authors have reported that B&N won't order their books for their stores EVEN if their publisher did sign on."
"Well I guess it depends on what one's definition of a "small" publisher is."

Oh my GOSH!! Did they just say that to me? I think they did. Rawk on B&N!!! You're sooooo coool!! Indeed I suppose it DOES depend on this. Just so all of y'all will know, that "industry" standard return policy is NOT standard in ANY other industry and was designed to save failing bookstores during the depression. It needs to be done away with. But I think B&N should hold on to it since it will pull them under quicker. Good grief!

It's past time for a revolution.

2011-09-28T08:08:00.000-07:00

Please support all small published authors and self-published authors and don't shop at large chain bookstores such as, but not limited to, Barnes & Nobles. They no longer even humor small published or self-published authors. They don't allow them in for events and will definitely NOT put them on their shelves. There is absolutely nothing at any of these bookstores that you can't get anywhere else.

To Barnes & Nobles and the other few large bookstores chains still left (and operate this way)-- "Going under does not give you the right to be a bully. Small publishers and Self-published authors have only ever tried to help you. We can't do that if you choose to belief that over 75% of the publishing industry doesn't exist."At one time B&N used to order books from small publishers if they signed on to that non-working Industry standard return policy (designed for an "industry" that no longer exists as it was once defined.) But apparently they don't even do that anymore.

****Update Just to make sure my facts are straight I occasionally contact a rand B&N and ask them if they let authors in on consignment any more. The store I contacted said, "No. I have to be able to return your books." I said, "I understand that but you mean return as in the "industry standard return policy" that doesn't work for most publishers. She replied, "I just have to be able to return your books to the distributor." B&N does not distinguish between a return policy that works for All publishers and an antiquated one that barely even works for their large publishers anymore. I told her my books are returnable just not by the antiquated industry standard return policy. Yeah. You guessed it, no go! Another heads up--I told her several small publishers I know do make their books returnable according to that antiquated return policy and can no longer get in themselves, so I was just checking. "They just have to be returnable." Poor CRM sounded like a broken record. Repeating the same thing over and over. Not answering any questions. So sad. Update over.****

Things that disturb me.

2011-09-27T07:12:00.000-07:00

Since I'll be in the Dayton Ohio area for "Lockdown at Bellbrook" I decided to see what "Independent" bookstores I could find in the area since Barnes & Noble won't let any less-than-large publisher in to do an event anymore, not even on consignment.

I found the St. Mark Bookstore and decided to check it out since it sounded Catholic and not "Christian" or rather "evangelical" or rather what would have been a Baptist Bookstore back in the day.

It sounded like a really neat store but I had to flinch at the wording on their Mission Declaration page. It reads:

St. Mark Bookshop, Inc. is an ecumenical Christian bookshop dedicated to presenting the best of all publishers and manufacturers of Christian and Roman Catholic books, media and religious gift items. We serve all of our customers with courtesy, honesty, efficiency and expediency.

An ecumenical Christian bookshop with ecumenical meaning, the aim of unity among all Christian churches throughout the world. The part that disturbs me greatly is this. The store acknowledges a desire to be an ecumenical Christian bookshop. And their dedication is to present the best of all publishers and manufacturers of Christian and Roman Catholic Books?

Are Roman Catholics not Christian? And you can't use the label Christian anymore in publishing without it marking only "one" group of publishers who write targeted fiction for a very discriminating Christian audience.

Hard to be ecumenical if these are the only publishers a bookstore pulls stock from.

No publisher as ever labeled themselves a Christian publisher except those who provide "targeted" fiction to one denominational audience. The proof is in the pudding. Catholics do indeed fall under the broad label Christian yet those publishers don't call their work Christian fiction or Christian non-fiction. They mark it as Roman Catholic or Catholic.

So yes, I remain disturbed by this.

Is the average Joe disturbed by this? Probably not but if you're an author trying to compete in this market, you should be.

EXACTLY how I feel . . .!

2011-09-26T10:18:00.000-07:00

Exactly how I feel. . . about B&N and OTHER large bookstores, including large "Christian" bookstores such as Lifeway and Mardel's who discriminate but don't make that clear. And yes most definitely Amazon as well!

Chain retailers bent on eliminating Independent bookstores?

2011-09-26T07:09:00.000-07:00

Yes, that includes large "Christian" chain bookstores as well. Just another reason for small publishers to not sacrifice their business by attempting to get books inside a Barnes & Noble or any other chain bookstore. My source is the Gale Encyclopedia of US history:

In the 1970s, national chain bookstores such as Barnes and Noble and Waldenbooks began to open retail outlets in malls across the country. By buying in volume, chains could earn more profit on each copy of a book sold, allowing them to pay higher rents. Buying in volume also meant that they could negotiate deeper discounts from publishers. By passing this discount on to book buyers, the chains were able to attract customers away from the smaller independent bookstores.

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/publishing-industry#ixzz1Z4FaOsSM

"By passing this discount on to book buyers, the chains were able to attract customers away from the smaller independent bookstores." What? What? What?

Gee, what ever happened to working together for the common good of the well, umm, AUTHOR!!! So B&N and OTHER chain bookstores are actively seeking to lure business away from "smaller" independent bookstores. Innocent enough I guess unless you consider, B&N and OTHER chain bookstores won't even let small publishers in and has recently taken the stand that a small publisher can't even get in on consignment EVEN IF they sign on to abide by an "outdated" and unworkable industry standard return policy.

Look out large chain bookstores your "true" colors are showing. Go ahead. Keep pandering to those large publishers. How long do you think you can stay in business when over 75% of the publishing industry today is made up of SMALL PUBLISHERS and you don't do anything to make getting into your stores workable and now, not even doable. As it stands, NO small publisher can even get an event at a B&N period. And oh my, you should here the way they try to explain this. If it weren't so sad it'd be funny.

Indie stores, make your move! Create an new industry standard return policy that fits the market today. I'm going to be in Dayton Ohio Halloween weekend. I can't get into a B&N to do an event. I don't honor the industry standard return policy as it is but you can certainly work with my publisher to devise a return policy that is beneficial to both parties.

"The song has been sung. The time is upon us," or you could just sit there, "cowering your bathwater." ;)

Smashwords now falls into my "bonehead" category.

2011-09-23T20:48:00.001-07:00

So I chose to distribute some e-book copies of Never Ceese through Smashwords. I learned that if you qualify for premium distribution your book will show up for sale on B&N as a Nook, whether you want it to or not. Well I don't want it to because B&N accepts returns of e-books which should be a function of the publisher and they make a nook available to their lending library where nooks are given away for free for an extended period of time, again a decision to be made by the publisher. So NO I don't want my nook on B&N. Due to this problem, I pulled my books from Smashwords. Here's how Smashwords handles me no longer using them as a distributor. Here's the link: Never Ceese

At the bottom of the page under reviews it reads: This book is no longer published, and is no longer accepting reviews.

LIE! That doesn't even make sense. And it would make even less sense if they add no longer published at Smashwords. No book is published at Smashwords. Smashwords is a dang distributor not a publisher. The book is published and sold through my PUBLISHER. So are all the e-book versions now. Just go to Black Bed Sheet Books to purchase any version you want.

Smashwords says all day long, "oh, we're not the publisher. You are. We're just a distributor." So which is it, Boneheads?" I'd appreciate it if you'd remove the inaccurate statement off the bottom of my book page on your site.

Haper Collin goes POD!!!!!!

2011-09-23T11:32:00.000-07:00

Oh this is far tooooo good not to share. Here's the link to the story called:

HarperCollins Publishers Making 5000 Titles Available Print on Demand

Here's my comment if you could care less about what the articles says but want to see my comment. Of course! Who wouldn't?

"Even as digital book sales grow, bookstores continue to be an important place for customers to shop for physical books. The goal of this initiative is to give the local bookseller the capability to provide customers with a greater selection of HarperCollins titles in a physical environment," said Brian Murray, President and Chief Executive Officer of HarperCollins Publishers.

Large bookstores are only an important place for large publishers as no small publisher can operate under the "industry" standard return policy that "sinks" all small publishers should they sign on to it, (which they have to for large bookstores to carry their books) and now it's barely working for large publishers.

How HILARIOUS that Harper Collins (and I'm sure the others will follow suit if they've not done so already,)is considering that "great evil" POD publishing! Hysterical.

Here's an idea. Since large publishers are responsible for that insane "industry" standard return policy, why don't they ALL work with "their" bookstores to fix it so All publishers large and small can compete!

Too funny. That return policy was created to save bookstores during the depression, put in place by Simon & Schuster and then by the other few large publishers of the day. Now those SAME publishers are throwing "their" bookstores under the train! I guess they're beyond saving.

My thoughts: bookstores should stop pandering to large publishers and create an "industry" standard return policy that works for the "industry" today--before it's too late--if it's not too late already. I guess large publishers today lack the "perseverance" and moral fortitude they had back in the day. Borders is already gone because of this problem. Who will be next?

Here's a comment that I posted on my Facebook page which in no way is to infer that I like Facebook it's just that it's free and I don't mind that they make money selling information that I want out there to begin with:

Is it not the most hysterical thing you've ever read!!! Harper Collins are the ones that gave CBA affiliated Zondervan their OWN imprint so they could discriminate in large bookstores as well as within large "Christian" bookstores, making the publisher, once owned by Family Christian but then disowned for their "evil" ways (because after all Harper Collins are the ones who distribute the "Satanic" bible) suffer for their wicked ways. Zondervan's response to the complaints from their one time owners, "It was a hostile takeover. We had not choice." LOLROFL Oh yeah. Like they couldn't "just say no." *Sue hums then sings* Money, money, money, money--Monnnn aaaaa!

Bellbrook on Lockdown!

2011-09-21T07:25:00.000-07:00

And check this link out to learn waaaaay more about What Lies Beyond and myself!

Don't buy my books from B&N or Amazon!

2011-09-19T06:34:00.000-07:00

Wow, really? An author is asking readers NOT to purchase their books from Amazon or B&N. Most authors expound upon the virtues of having their work available through these "wonderful" venues.

A.) NO ONE asks to be listed on B&N or Amazon it automatically happens whether you like it or not. Secondly, why would I want to be listed on B&N on-line when they won't even consider carrying my books in their brick and mortar stores therefore making it impossible for me to plan an event there. And all because I chose "NOT" to agree to the "industry" standard return policy that sinks ALL less-than-large publishers. They don't even pursue setting up a separate return policy that works better for ALL. But that's because large publishers, back in the day, designed the warped "industry" standard return policy not the bookstores. So in B&N's defense, it's the large publishers that truly suck. Even so, I won't support any bookstore that doesn't support small publishers.

Oh and B.) why would I ask to be listed on Amazon when they blatantly list two of my books as available through them as "new" THROUGH AMAZON when there's no way for them to "legally" get them. They're both out of print and quite unavailable. My correspondence with them has been a circular discussion of biblical proportions and I'm forced to sit back quietly because I can't afford a lawyer and, well, it's hardly worth it.

Either way, I didn't ASK to be listed on these sites, no author does, it's automatic once you apply for a ISBN through Bowker and stick it on your book. How nice!

Of course you may purchase ANY of my books ALL day long through Black Bed Sheet Books and well that would be wonderful. I also offer it for sale on my site at SueDent.net and it's available at many other on-line sites OTHER THAN Amazon and B&N . . . THANK GOD!!

Lighting Source's definition of "Return Policy."

2011-09-18T08:59:00.000-07:00

Let's begin.

From LSI's contract

BACKGROUND ON RETURNS

Typically publishers grant booksellers the right to return unwanted and/or overstocked copies ofbooks. These books are considered “returnable”.

Sue's thoughts: Pay very close attention to this. The ONLY publishers who grant booksellers the right to return unwanted and/or overstocked copies of books are large publishers AND not only do they give bookstores that privilege but grant them other privileges as well. It is part of that warped "industry" standard return policy Simon & Schuster [and soon the other few large publishers] set up during the depression to keep bookstores from going under. The problem: once the depression ended and bookstores were able to stand on their own again, no one changed the blasted return policy and in fact, it became the "industry standard."

As books are returned, booksellers charge publishers for the cost (i.e. their purchase price) of any books returned and expect to be reimbursed. The cost of returned books is either deducted or netted against the proceeds of book sales of the publishers’ titles in the month returns are shipped to the publisher.

Sue's thoughts: If only that was how it worked. It isn't and you can research for yourself to see that there is WAY more to it than that. What's listed above is only a very, very, very small part of how it really works. Keep in mind it's part of that "warped" industry standard return policy. The only part that makes a modicum of sense.

Some booksellers will only purchase books on a returnable basis;

Sue's thoughts: Let's go ahead and say it right now. No larger bookseller such as Barnes & Noble will purchase your book unless you make it returnable by that warped "industry" standard return policy EVER, no matter what. MOST small booksellers will which is refreshing as this means a very workable "return policy" is used.

therefore, there is a probability that sales may be reduced if a title is designated as non-returnable.

Sue's thoughts: LOL You bet sales will be reduced. No large bookstore will ever order your books period! But then, when you make your book returnable according to the "industry" standard, even when a large bookstore buys your book they aren't technically buying it because they get to send it right back whenever they want to and they get to do so for FREE! They don't even have to pay shipping, according to that warped "industry" standard return policy.

Publishers must weigh the risk of returns against the potential for increased sales and be prepared to reimburse booksellers for the cost of returns as they occur. Publishers who make their titles returnable typically place a designated percentage of their proceeds from sales into a fund (or reserve account) that is used exclusively to pay for the cost of future returns.

Sue's thoughts: For the publisher, and I'm not talking about the large publishers who that warped "industry standard return policy works I mean the small publisher, there is GREAT risk of returns and the absolute unbelievable hard truth is that small publishers typically NEVER get their returned books back so they're out the print cost of the book. More on that in a moment. Needless to say, the above statement is only speaking about larger publishers.

Having said that, here are the choices you get to make as a publisher if you use Lightning Source, Ingram's POD distributor. Pay very close attention.

Returns Designation Meaning

No - Select this designation if you do not want to allow your titles to be sold on a returnable basis. LSUS will not accept returns from booksellers for any title so designated.

Yes-Deliver - Select this designation if you want to allow your titles to be sold on a returnable basis and you would like to receive a physical copy of the book upon its return. If you select this option, you will be charged for the current wholesale cost of each book returned, plus a $2.00 per book shipping and handling charge. LSUS does not guarantee the condition of the book being returned

Yes-Destroy - Select this designation if you want to allow your titles to be sold on a returnable basis and you would not like to receive a physical copy of the book upon its return. If you select this option, you will be charged only for the current wholesale cost of each book returned. No shipping and handling fees will apply. LSUS will destroy any returned books that it receives if this option is selected

Sue's Experience with Lightning Source: No matter what option you choose, you NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER will see your "returned-from-the-bookstore" book. I chose Yes-Deliver and expected to see my returned book sent back to me. Hahahahahahaha! Yeah right. I thought this because of this statement " and you would like to receive A physical copy of THE book upon ITS return."

I'm going to give you a few seconds to decide what YOU think that means . . . . . . . . . . okay, times up. If you thought it meant you will get your "returned-from-the-bookstore" book back, guess again. YOU WILL NEVER SEE IT AGAIN! It isn't even an option. When I contacted LSI to ask them "what up" they had this to say. And yes, I have the emails:

"No you don't get the book back, what we do is print you a NEW copy and charge you $2.00 shipping for it."

I said, "where is my returned book?"

"Oh we destroy that."

What? What? What?

"I didn't choose "Yes - destroy" so I want my damn book back like your contract states."

"Well, that wording really needs to be changed."

At this point I just sit in silence thinking WOW! And this is legal. They've no fear whatsoever. Their contract is full of wording that infers one thing but means another. Unbelievable. I did tell them at that point that I felt this was illegal and they blew me off. I told them to tell me where it was they destroyed the books as I wanted to "see" my book before it was destroyed as I didn't believe it ever came back to them as they "inferred." Their response, "oh trust me. We take care of it." I never did get a location I could visit.

Bottom line is, LSI never sees the returned books. They don't want to pay to have it shipped back and neither do they want to pay to destroy it. Since they won't divulge the location were the destruction of the book occurs, I'm going to assume they don't destroy them either. Were do said books go . . . hmmmm . . . there's lots of money to be made selling returned-from-the-bookstore books to wholesalers who dabble in such things.

Now before you go on and think I've got it "in" for LSI, ALL POD distributors operate this way and it's due to that warped "industry" standard return policy. LSI is so bold about it because apparently they think the well-they're-doing-it-too mentality will protect them. So far so good.

If you're a publisher and you make your books returnable according to that standard then you're basically sunk. I've asked my publisher to make ALL my books non-returnable according to that "industry" standard. But basically my books aren't non-returnable at all. If you'd like to work out a return policy that benefits both the publisher and the bookseller he'll be more than happy to work with you. Hopefully my decision will help keep my publisher alive and kicking for a LONG, LONG WHILE.

But to be so bold as to sit there and tell me that I don't ever get my returned book back when the contract clearly read that I will . . . wow, just wow!

Dayton Ohio Barnes & Noble

2011-09-17T08:53:00.000-07:00

As you should know by now, and if not you will be hearing more soon, I'll be in the Dayton OH area Halloween Weekend for "Bellbrook on Lockdown" with my friends Chris Matheny and Kimberly Brouillette or What Lies Beyond. What you don't know is that about five minutes before scribing this note, I contacted the Dayton Ohio Barnes & Noble to set up an event. Of course I knew what they'd say and almost wish I'd written the words down somewhere so I could prove it to you. I told them I would be in the area and was interested in setting up an event. Here's how the very short conversation went:

"What type of an event?" The story manager asked.

"I'm coming to sell books," I replied.

"Are there any in our warehouse?"

"Of course not. I've asked my publisher to make my books non-returnable according to industry standard as the industry standard return policy doesn't work for small publishers at all. In fact they lose money."

"I'm sorry. We can't do an event unless the books are returnable[industry standard returnable not a return policy that benefits BOTH parties.] "

"In other words no small publisher can do an event unless they make their books returnable according to industry standard which will eventually put them out of business."

His classic response. "Yes."

So, if any bookstore in the Dayton, OH area is interested in hosting an event, and actually cares about giving small publishers the same chance large publishers get, I'll be in the area. Do I expect a response? *Sue laughs to herself.* Nope. Not one bookstore will even feign interest. So I'll see y'all at Bellbrook. It's your best chance at getting a signed copy of my books because in spite of my work being just as good if not better than most of the crap large publishers put out, I don't get to sell my goods in larger bookstores even if I wanted to. Not unless I sign my life away and well, that just ain't happening.

Thanks Barnes & Noble!

Thanks for nothing!

ELECTRIC ANGEL BY SUE DENT: BOOK REVIEW | Book Reviews | Open Book Society

2011-09-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

ELECTRIC ANGEL BY SUE DENT: BOOK REVIEW | Book Reviews | Open Book Society

Okay I lied! ;D

2011-09-12T13:50:00.000-07:00

Here's the first "official" review of Electric Angel to come rolling in done by the Open Book Society. I have to admit, the first paragraph of the review had me going "What?" I was sure she hated it. Aw, not to be! ;)

My favorite line from the review:

"There were several parts that had me nearly giving myself papercuts to turn the page fast enough."

Now go read it for yourself if you'd like. Here's the link: Open Book Society reviews Electric Angel.

Reviews of Electric Angel!

2011-09-12T07:15:00.000-07:00

You won't see reviews popping up on Electric Angel overnight as is the case with soooooooooo many books an author publishes. The reason: A) I'm not with a large publisher therefore news of a new release takes a LOT of time to get out there. B) I don't solicit reviews therefore they come in their own time.

I also do not think reviews do anything to help sell a book and shouldn't. It's nice to know someone read my book and enjoyed it. And the kind words are certainly appreciated. But reviews aren't moderated and in most cases can't even be left unless the fan "joins" the site or at least "purchases" another product from that site. For instance, to leave a review on Amazon, you have to have bought a product in the past or purchase a product straight away. And that's to leave a comment on a product you bought SOMEWHERE ELSE!!! And Amazon is where most other bookseller sites go to get reviews. Either there or Goodreads, a site heavily sponsored by large publishers who don't give a "darn" about small pubbed authors period.

So to learn the "truth" about what "real fans" say about my book, you best start looking here as I'll post responses as I get them. Mainly because it's so dang encouraging to me. ;) Here's the latest:

Laurie Froehlingsdorf, part owner of Shoutlife.com says of Electric Angel: "I started reading it last night and I am hooked! Love the fact I can read it on my kindle."

In reference to authors/publishers/readers of that targeted "Christian" market that so frequently ignore the fact that I exist AND appeal to their readers ergo offer NO support whatsoever publicity-wise or in any other way: "still sucks that people are so closed minded!"

Love me some Shoutlife!!!

Love ya, Laurie!

Ghost Hunters, Paranormal, Sue Dent, Oh MY!

2011-09-10T09:32:00.000-07:00

Check it out! Yours truly has been added to the guest list along with Chris Matheny and Kimberly Brouillette of RIP/WLB! Watch for the press release coming soon! Yeah Baby cuz it ain't Halloween unless you entertain some spirits . . . and settle down with some "fitting for the season" reads!

OBS does Chapter by Chapter Review of Never Ceese.

2011-09-07T07:52:00.000-07:00

In October of 2009 the Open Book Society contacted me about doing a chapter by chapter discussion of Never Ceese along with an interview. It was great fun and a wonderful way to see just how folks get excited about my Thirsting for Blood Series. Here's the link to read the fun and learn more about Never Ceese. I will tell you though, MANY, MANY spoilers here!!! ;) If I'm not mistaken, you can still add your own input to the questions. Here's the link: OBS Reviews Never Ceese. I've added the link to the sidebar on the left as well.

Goodreads ain't good enough.

2011-09-06T11:53:00.000-07:00

Someone asked me today if I was on Goodreads and since I'm a published author with some modicum of success (not of the financial kind of course) I almost laughed. Of course I'm on Goodreads whether I like it or not. See I joined up to have SOME say over MY published works.

"So, Sue, what sort of gripes do you have against Goodreads?" Well, since you asked I'll tell you. I will state right away that if I weren't an author I probably wouldn't know enough about the publishing industry to have a gripe. But since I am, here's my biggest one. Goodreads states that their main goal is to help support authors. Without knowing any more about how the publishing industry works than most do, that sounds like a noble cause. However, the cause is too broad. You can't help all authors if you don't differentiate between large published authors and Indie and self-pubbed ones. If discussions about large published authors are allowed to happen or books by these publishers listed (and don't even mention large publishers SPONSER the damn site) then these are the only authors who will be helped. All Indie and self-pubbed authors are like dogs at a cat show.

Indie and self-pubbed authors can't get into the same venues (meaning large brick and mortar bookstores) that large publishers can and neither have access to the monies large publishing houses have access to in order to pimp their authors as voraciously. Therefore no site can claim to help promote "authors" and actually be successful at doing that.

So I suppose I'll have to set up my own book site, perhaps call it "BetterReads" and only promote Indie and self-pubbed authors. That way when a large publisher releases their latest and greatest from some obscure author who happened to be in the right place at the right time, and that book shoots immediately to the NYT #1 best-sellers list, because large bookstores did the obligatory buying of millions of copies to put it there, the Indie and self-pubbed authors on my site won't have to be subjected to the circus that follows. How deflating to have to sit on a site and watch all the chatter about a book that only got attention because thousands of them sold to large bookstores who subsequently sell just enough of said book to readers to satisfy the status quo, if they're lucky.

Sort of stinks, doesn't it!

GoodReads?

Only there because I can't keep my books from being listed. I do accept friend request but trust me, it's not worth your time to add me. Friend me on FB or follow my blog at SueDent.net which subsequently posts to Goodreads. ;)

Electric Angel NOT available as an Amazon Kindle!

2011-09-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

Electric Angel is NOT available as a Kindle on Amazon. Therefore it's NOT free and you can't LEND it out to friends without the "true" publishers permission so that the "friend" can read it and NOT buy it afterwords (because who would after they've read it.)

Distributors shouldn't be able to take liberties with e-books that only a publisher should have. Purchase a Kindle of Electric Angel at Black Bed Sheet Books

Once again I must reiterate that my publisher actually does publish many books on Amazon's Kindle but respects the hell out of my decision NOT to and for that I respect the hell out of him. ;)

Kindle Author Interview? Can this be?

2011-09-04T18:02:00.000-07:00

There's this nifty little blog hosted by David Wiseman where Mr. Wiseman interviews and features Kindle authors. Well, I thought it was a particularly attractive blog and asked Mr. Wiseman if he ever considered interviewing authors who had a Kindle book but not through Amazon and if so, could said author be interviewed. He responded with, "yes. Lets!"

So I got the questions today and turned them in today! At some point here in the very near future you will see an interview with me about Never Ceese, the Black Bed Sheet "KINDLE" Edition available only through Black Bed Sheet Books and possibly some other venues my publisher may choose but not through Amazon (because I choose not to. Yeah. My publisher's cool like that.)

Wow! Now that's cool! In the interview I explain why I personally don't use Amazon to publish my books in Kindle format as well as the advantages of not doing so. I'll let you know when the interview is up otherwise you can just keep checking David Wiseman's Kindle Authors blog! ;)

WTF2!

2011-09-01T11:32:00.000-07:00

A little bit more abut just what WTF2 means!

WTF2

Click above if you dare. ;)

WTF2!

2011-08-31T06:56:00.001-07:00

That's right. I typed it and I'll type it again.

WTF2!!!!

More to come soon!!!

Want your book in a B&N Brick & Mortar store?

2011-08-30T12:03:00.001-07:00

Then sell your soul to the devil. Here's one example of how that works. Pulled from Barnes & Noble corporates website.

Your willingness to place your book with a book wholesaler may determine whether or not we carry it. Wholesalers normally expect a 50-55% discount, pay in 60-90 days, and expect books to be returnable. Some expect free freight. Placing your book with a wholesaler will simplify your billing (one invoice to one location). It also allows Barnes & Noble to place larger orders and put the book on automatic replenishment. Wholesalers are used by many segments of the book industry: publishers, libraries, and booksellers. Other bookstores order from the same wholesalers used by Barnes & Noble. We can help put you in touch with an appropriate wholesaler.

Amazing isn't it?

They say, "Your willingness to place your book with a book wholesaler may determine whether or not we carry it."

Just forget the word "may." If you or your publisher do not work with a wholesaler/distributor such as Ingram's Lightning Source or BookMasters, you can forget about your book ever seeing the inside of a B&N. You can bank on that.

They say, "Wholesalers normally expect a 50-55% discount, pay in 60-90 days, and expect books to be returnable."

Not the case at all. Barnes & Noble expect a 50-55% discount, pay in 60-90 days and expect the books to be returnable according to "industry standard" rules. They're the ones asking for that not the wholesalers/distributors. Like the way they put that off on the "other guy."

They say, "Some[wholesalers/distributors] expect free freight."

LOLROFL Somebody has to PAY for freight. B&N NEVER does because their large publishing houses do. Oh bad distributor/publisher of small press books!!! Bad, bad, bad!!! How dare you expect B&N to operate like a "real" business.

They say, "Placing your book with a wholesaler will simplify your billing (one invoice to one location). It also allows Barnes & Noble to place larger orders and put the book on automatic replenishment."

Barnes & Nobles only place larger orders with their big publishers. They just want you to sign on to that ludicrous "industry standard" return policy so they can send your poor book back the second it comes in the door, (for free because they didn't have to pay freight and they don't have to give your publisher their money back for 60 to 90 days and you'll never get the book back.)

They say, "Wholesalers are used by many segments of the book industry: publishers, libraries, and booksellers. Other bookstores order from the same wholesalers used by Barnes & Noble. We can help put you in touch with an appropriate wholesaler."

Translation, "Others do business that way too so it must be okay." What a way to justify something so messed up. Good grief.

Want to set up an Author Event at a brick and mortar B&N?

Okay, here's what B&N corporate has to say about that:

National touring authors are typically organized and supported by publishers through our home office. Most store events, however, are arranged through our stores in coordination with publishers.

If you would like to be considered for an author event, call your publisher or contact the community relations manager or store manager at any local Barnes & Noble store. Use our Store/Event Locator to find the store nearest you.

Here's what I say. I called about getting an event set up having done a few in the past, one of which I've yet to be paid for but I too poor to sue over a few books sold. Of course they know this so what do they care. Thanks local B&N for all your wonderful support. Anyway, corporate B&N told me that CRM's are no longer being used in this capacity. Funny they haven't changed that on their site yet. And the CRM position was being done away with. Well, there goes ANY chance of anyone OTHER than a large publishing house scheduling ANY event at a Barnes & Noble.

National Touring Authors are with big publishers. Of course B&N gives them events. No one else gets in ever. Getting rid of the CRM to me is like getting rid of the dead wood as the ship goes down. But yes, that's what coporate B&N told me.

Once upon a time, on a Social Network far, far away . . .

2011-08-29T08:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, so maybe not far, far away . . . LOL Yet round about when Never Ceese started to appeal to readers of a market I NEVER IMAGINED would like my work, I began looking for ways to get to where they shopped. I found Shoutlife.com and after being more or less banned from similar sites or being creeped out because "Jesus" friended me (seriously!) I sort felt like I was wasting my time.

Then I found Shoutlife and their response to my joining was to put me up as a featured author and make me Staff Pick. Well, well, well . . . GUESS WHAT? I sort of stopped hanging out there because I was soooooo busy writing and I can only handle so many Social Networks at a time. I just popped back in to began pimping Electric Angel and . . . wait for it . . . I am currently the Staff Pick on the Author's page AGAIN and currently number eight on their list of authors!!!

Here's the link to the page where they list their featured authors: Shoutlife.com

Yes you'll have to join to see it but it is free AND I promise you that Jesus won't attempt to add you to his page . . . well maybe he won't. LOL It's a pretty laid back and accepting site. Family friendly is their motto. So anyway, thought I'd share.

Still a Chance to win a FREE copy of Electric Angel!

2011-08-28T08:05:00.000-07:00

Yes, I do understand that the blog you have to go to is most likely the LAST place you thought you'd see me doing an interview. But I have readers from this "closed" market and I can't get to them through the venues that matter because I DON'T write specifically for the "discriminating" publishers that supply them with fiction.

Lena Nelson Dooley is one of the FEW bloggers/authors who will even humor me so I can let those fans know I've a new book out. Y'all don't have to like that sort of fiction to post (I know I don't.) You don't even have to agree with the way these targeted Christian publishers do business (again, I know I don't.) BUT go load my interview down with comments so it will keep those readers looking. Love y'all!!!

Here's the link: LenaNelsonDooley.blogspot.com

And yes, I still write general market horror/fantasy etc . . . Yeah! Yeah!

Go over there and talk up Zombies and werewolves and vampires. That should do it. LOL

Mainstream Christian Fiction?

2011-08-27T07:10:00.001-07:00

Why can't the "evangelical" publishing houses come up with a name? EGADS! They came out of the gate in 1950 abusing the label "Christian" fiction when the work they put out (according to their own words) was "targeted" fiction for their store visitors ONLY (the then Baptist Bookstores and now Lifeway, Mardel's etc . . .) and not fiction that would appeal to ALL readers who fit under the umbrella Christian. Even today they mark their demographic as evangelicals and SOME Catholics. Not sure what that is about. Weird huh?

The label seems to be mutating now into ALL kinds of different things to thoroughly confuse anyone who is interested. Here are some examples:

Edgy Christian Fiction
Mainstream Christian Fiction
Family Friendly Fiction

and the list goes on and on and on with new ones popping up every day.

What's wrong with just picking a name and sticking with it? Can you imagine if Harlequin had the same problem? LOL We might be seeing markets like:

Mainstream Romance Almost
Scripted Romance
The First Kiss Always Happens on Page 32 Romance
Romance You Don't Have to Predict So You Can Enjoy the Story

But Harlequin doesn't have this problem. Their branding says it all. They have a HUGE readership and will keep it because some folk LOVE that style of writing. Take note "evangelical" publishers. PLEASE! You're driving me crazy.

And for the record, if C. S. Lewis actually started his writing career today, no Christian publisher would take him but of course he would soar in the general market as that's the market he wrote for. I suspect he'd be as ardently against such publishers being wishy-washy about their branding as I am. I suspect he'd be more like William P. Young in telling them to buzz off once they actually came to him after turning him down BEFORE his "own" marketing efforts garnished him a significant number of sales.

Simon & Schuster Celebrates Banned Book Week!

2011-08-26T10:54:00.000-07:00

Here's the LINK: Simon & Schuster Celebrates Banned Book Week! or in this case, "here's your sign."

So the publisher responsible for the ludicrous "industry standard return policy" between bookstores and distributors that ensures ALL small publishers will fail if they abide by it, is now celebrating banned book week!

Is anyone really waiting for their true color to show?

Good Grief!

I SAID Interview up!!!

2011-08-26T07:24:00.001-07:00

LOL Aw, I know it's early but do go check out my answers to Lena Nelson Dooley's interview questions. This is a very popular blog among those who enjoy the fiction put out by publishers who serve that very targeted demographic of Christians that I don't write for but appeal to.

Here's the link: Lena Nelson Dooley's Blog

Lena is one of the few bloggers who humor authors who come through general market publishers so let her know y'all appreciate it. I do because it's one of the RARE opportunities I have to reach those readers as most of the venues won't even list work from authors who don't write targeted fiction much less talk about them AND let them speak their mind!

Lena rawks!

Now go let her know it. ;)

You're incentive . . . you could win a copy of Electric Angel from just posting.

Interview up!

2011-08-25T13:56:00.000-07:00

I've just been informed that my interview with Lena Nelson Dooley will be up tomorrow morning on her blog at http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/ Lena is one of the few Christian bloggers who will let me post about any of my books even though all of my work is approved for distribution to the Christian market and I do appreciate her for going out on that proverbial limb. I have acquired many fans from that closed market and have very little opportunity to get to them. I appreciate every chance that comes my way.

I will also tell you that the interview was edited a bit as Lena did not feel some of the information I wrote about the publishing industry would interest her readers. I belief that there is power in knowledge though and think readers need to know how the publishing industry really works otherwise how will things ever change. At any rate, it is about selling books and letting folks know I have a new one out. So watch for that interview tomorrow and in case it isn't clear in the interview: no, I don't write for that targeted market that the blog caters to. I do write general fiction of the horror and fantasy variety. I do appreciate Lena giving me a spot on her blog though so y'all check it out.

Oh incentive . . . there's a free copy of Electric Angel up for grabs!! I think you have to comment to be in the drawing. ;)

Get them directly from the author!

2011-08-25T10:47:00.000-07:00

About this time, if one were with a large publisher, large chain bookstores would be receiving the customary onslaught of books that would push said title to the top of the New York Times Best sellers list without ONE person buying the book (just from what bookstores buy because you can't accurately track sales through a register.) I know, right?

The display above is hardly representative of the number of books large publishers will DUMP into ALL their large bookstores just to get those numbers. Not long after that the books they sent (and in most cases never even taken out of the box)are sold to wholesalers who dabble in "returned from the bookstore" books, wholesalers that sell to stores like Books-A-Million.

This is a sad scenario that plays out every day in the publishing world. Regular Joe authors are adored and held on a pedestal due to their ability to write so fantastically that they made it to the New York Times Best Sellers List. Small publishers don't have that set-up with bookstores so there's no way they can even compete on this level of . . . well . . . I like to call it deceit. Needless to say, you won't find this authors books flooding into large bookstore chains because large bookstores don't operate like this with small publishers. In fact, they never see their returned-from-the-bookstore books to even benefit from selling them to wholesalers.

What you see above is MY STOCK of Electric Angel, all fifty that I've ordered so far. As much as I could afford. Three are gone out for review and what you see are ready to sell. You buy it from clicking the book cover on your left and it will be sent out straight away. I'm going to take a picture every few days to show you how many have gone out. I won't restock until most of these are gone because . . . well . . . I can't afford to. The price is retail $12.98 but that includes shipping. Also it is only for those in the US.

Yes you can order Electric Angel anywhere books are sold. But this way you get one signed if you like that and you get the assurance that it will arrive quickly. That's my warehouse right there at the top of the screen. LOL

Spring Arbor Bound.

2011-08-23T06:31:00.000-07:00

Yes, my publisher confirmed that Never Ceese and Electric Angel have both been submitted to Ingram's Spring Arbor for approval (at my request.) Never Ceese was once approved by Spring Arbor already but I pulled it because I felt that my work showing up on sites selling books specifically for that "targeted" Christian market (that so many folks shun and for good reason) wasn't really all that good for me.

HOWEVER, I have many readers from that market that deserve to be exposed to something very different and so I've taken the plunge once more since they seem to like my work. Doesn't mean I won't still be bullied or rather not allowed on blogs where "targeted" Christian fiction is being pushed as general market fiction or treated like a dog in a cat show when it comes to awards I'd possibly stand a chance at winning if the rules were actually designed to consider all general market work as opposed to only work put out by publishers who provide fiction for that "targeted" Christian market but that's -- okay. ;)

Do keep in mind I consider Spring Arbor a very bad joke as they massage the theory proposed by CBA and ECPA that CBA and ECPA are "THE" Christian market when they can't possibly be since they only provide fiction for a very specific demographic of Christiandome (though they now include SOME Catholics or so it says on their site CBA.org Whatever that means.)

So when my books show up on these sites just know it's so those readers that like to support these sites (I don't but it's about making your work available, right) can order my books. Funny thing is that even though Spring Arbor approval is "supposed" to make your work available to "the" Christian market, unless you write "targeted" Christian fiction for that ONE demographic, you won't show up on sites that really get the sales ie . . .www.ChristianBook.com because they only pull from CBA and ECPA's database and not Spring Arbor. It's their way of discriminating and they just keep getting away with it. It's sad but that's life I suppose. All the large Christian Bookstores like Lifeway and Mardel's are the same way, not that many shop there for their fiction anyway because they've already learned, but no, they don't automatically carry books approved for their market by Spring Arbor. They still go to CBA and ECPA ONLY and occasionally non-affiliated publishers whose work is just as "targeted."

Please let anyone and everyone know that I only ever write general market (whatever genre I choose) and not for any "targeted" market at this time. If I do choose to write "targeted" fiction for any market, you'll know what market I'm targeting. Why wouldn't I tell you that? That's the entire purpose of writing "targeted" anything. Good Grief!

Awards and all that!

2011-08-21T11:20:00.000-07:00

When you consider books that place in ANY awards please do your homework and figure out how they even got noticed in the first place. Since more than half the battle of new authors and publishers is being heard over the noise the large publishers can make with all their money and all their supposed "clout," for most awards what's written below is the BEST most can do to find the talent that's out there. Read on:

Hugo Awards

Submitting Your Work

How do I submit my book (or story or movie) for nomination for a Hugo Award?

The short answer is, “you can’t”. If the Hugos were judged by a small panel, as is the case with some other awards, then you could send your work to the award jury. But the Hugo Awards nomination process is open to every member of the current and previous Worldcon. That means that the “jury” often consists of more than 5,000 people. You don’t want to send your work to all of them, even assuming you could.

There is no submission process for the Hugo Award. You do not have to register your work with anyone to be eligible. There is no submission or entry fee. The Hugo voters are good at finding and nominating good works, and do talk among themselves, so word spreads. There are also third-party web sites where people can make recommendations for Hugo Awards. Some of these sites are listed on the sidebar at the right. (Listing here does not imply official endorsement. If you know of a site that accumulates recommendations, let us know so we can add it to the list.)

They say: "The Hugo voters are good at finding and nominating good works, and do talk among themselves, so word spreads." I'm not suggesting I know another way but there certainly needs to be another way. This is truly disturbing . . . to me anyway. You may be just fine with it. What if we were determining who the best doctor of the year is? There would be criteria. There would be qualified candidates . . . or we could just base it on whatever doctor we "heard" the most about. Good grief! Sorry. Authors are no different. There's a way to determine the best and this is not it. Just my opinion. Nevertheless, to the Hugo Award winners I will say congrats. If for no other reason than just for getting "noticed."

New York Times Best Selling E-books.

2011-08-20T07:26:00.000-07:00

Oh yes, let's clear things up for those who don't bother to read how the New York Times Best Selling book list are compiled. This is for e-books.

"About the Best Sellers

These lists are an expanded version of those appearing in the August 28, 2011 print edition of the Book Review, reflecting sales for the week ending August 13, 2011.

Rankings reflect weekly sales for books sold in both print and electronic formats as reported by vendors offering a wide range of general interest titles. The sales venues for print books include independent book retailers; national, regional and local chains; online and multimedia entertainment retailers; university, gift, supermarket and discount department stores; and newsstands. E-book rankings reflect sales from leading online vendors of e-books in a variety of popular e-reader formats."

Please note that the E-book rankings reflect sales from leading online vendors of e-books. This would be places like Amazon and Barnes & Noble, places that smart publishers stay away from as both take liberties with e-books that only a publisher should have. They offer returns of e-books without asking the publisher and they automatically put an e-book into their lending library where buyers can lend out e-books to MANY friends for up to 14 days for FREE without asking the publisher. In Amazon's defense they do make an effort to tell you about the lending library but the window of opportunity to "opt out" is short lived and the link is broken and to the best of my knowledge no one has EVER been able to "opt out."

"E-book sales are tracked for fiction and general nonfiction titles. E-book sales for advice & how-to books, children’s books and graphic books will be tracked at a future date. Titles are included regardless of whether they are published in both print and electronic formats or just one format. E-books available exclusively from a single vendor will be tracked at a future date."

Oh right!!! LOLROFL Let's all hold our collective breath on that and see how many of us perish before it happens!

"The universe of print book dealers is well established, and sales of print titles are statistically weighted to represent all outlets nationwide. The universe of e-book publishers and vendors is rapidly emerging, and until the industry is settled sales of e-books will not be weighted."

Which means the only e-books making the list are e-books you publish through Amazon or B&N and not any from anywhere else--not until the industry settles anyway (that elusive date again.) So at least two "exclusive" distributors of e-books get to flaunt their stuff. Sound familiar?

"Among the categories not actively tracked at this time are: perennial sellers, required classroom reading, textbooks, reference and test preparation guides, journals, workbooks, calorie counters, shopping guides, comics, crossword puzzles and self-published books."

OMG! Did they actually type that!!!! Titles not included are self-published books! I think they did. Right up there with crossword puzzles, calorie counters--welcome to the publishing world author! ;D Your work is crap EVEN if you work with the best editor in the business and turn out an e-book that sells more than any on the New York Times Best Seller List! Big Dogs a barkin'! Step aside and listen to them howl!

"The appearance of a ranked title reflects the fact that sales data from reporting vendors has been provided to The Times and has satisfied commonly accepted industry standards of universal identification (such as ISBN13 and EISBN13 codes). Publishers and vendors of all ranked titles conformed in timely fashion to The New York Times Best Seller Lists requirement to allow for independent corroboration of sales for that week."

Need I say more. WHAT A CROCK! Yep, go grab your New York Time Best Seller e-book now. Support exclusivity and all it brings with it OR you can just go to the publisher's site and buy e-books there. Mine will be exclusively available at Black Bed Sheet Books--in ALL formats known to man DRM free because we all know if somebody wants to steal something there going to get it anyway so why make the paying customer suffer!

This just in from INGRAM!

2011-08-19T08:24:00.000-07:00

Received this via Ingram because I've got an edition of Never Ceese published through Lightning Source. Oh do read on:

August 19, 2011

Dear Publisher:

Earlier this week Microsoft announced the discontinuation of the Microsoft Reader effective August 30, 2012. This includes download access of the Microsoft Reader application. Users can continue to use the Microsoft Reader application and their .lit eBooks after full discontinuation on August 30, 2012. Ingram and Microsoft will continue to provide technical support until July 10, 2012.

At Microsoft's request, Ingram will cease making .lit eBooks available for initial download on November 8, 2011. Users will still be able to re-download .lit eBooks from original links through August 20, 2012, but no new purchases can be made after November 7, 2011 (US).

If .lit is the only format currently submitted to Ingram, we recommended replacing those files with industry standard EPUBs (http://idpf.org/epub) or PDF's.

For questions or more information, please contact your Account Manager.

Sincerely,

Ingram Content Group

What does this mean? It means you should go straight away to Black Bed Sheet Books to buy ALL your ebooks because they WON'T stop offering .lit format. Many folks still use MicroSoft Reader and will for quite some time. Here's a bigger question: if ebooks are in such demand, why is microsoft getting out of the ebook business? Because e-books aren't in big demand. Amazon and Barnes & Noble and Apple just want you to think that so you'll buy their "exclusive" reader. All of Black Bed Sheet Books e-books are DRM free. No exclusivity here. ;)

Oh, the link: http://blackbedsheet.goshopper.net/

And to reply on this claim: "At Microsoft's request, Ingram will cease making .lit eBooks available . . . " More like, Ingram decided all by themselves to do this. Why would Microsoft care? They don't. But it's a nice spin that keeps Ingram from looking bad I guess.

Oh and notice how INGRAM came right out and said the "industry" standard was EPUB or PDF. Oh, I'm laughing my butt off at that. *sniff, sniff* I smell "big dog" publishers marking their territory. Hear that Amazon. MOBI isn't the "industry" standard according to Ingram. You better go set them straight. LOLROFL Oh, I love starting things.

Hey Ingram, did you know that the New York Times Best Selling e-book statistics are pulled from AMAZON Kindles ONLY!!! So much for your idea of what "industry standard" is and so much for anyone who chooses NOT to publish a Kindle through Amazon (because they take returns on ebooks and offer ebooks published through them out for free without the publisher's permission) ever making that list. RACKET!!!!

My mock-beta reader of Electric Angel has finished the book!!!!

2011-08-16T19:56:00.000-07:00

And just give me a second for the head swelling to go down!. LOL

"I have completed chapters 15 through 30 and what a ride you have me on woman! Again, I don't want to spoil but the 20 year jump into the future and all that has gone on and the lives of those involved has really opened up a very real and unreal world. The balance of reality in current events and the fantasy of the characters intermingles to the point where you can actually imagine this happening! There is a lot of logic and scientific fact in this story and Sue,you have done your research! I feel like I am right there along with those guys in the car at the end of chapter 30 and I feel like we are so close to finding you know who!!!I can't wait! . . . .There is a quote that I just love between Zachary and Reg when Zach says, "You're comfortable molding situations to fit your ideology. I prefer to mold my ideology to fit the situation." That was bloody brilliant!"

I have to say I was blown away that she picked up on that quote as if you'll recall, that's the one I posted on FB when it came to me. I told y'all it was good! ;) Okay. Now for the rest.

" . . . I didn't realize that I only had about 10 more pages to read so I just finished the book! What a tremendous and very touching ending! I want to also say that if you have any interest in pitching this as a movie, I think you should do it!!!This would make a great film and at the very least a SyFy mini series or something like that!!Go for it! Keep up the great writting and I can't wait for your new books to come out! Now I can get back to Never Ceese!"

Thank-you soooo much Michelle for giving such a thorough response. I feel much better not about promoting this. So yeah. Y'all go buy the book. ;) Oh and off course the ebooks that you purchase through Black Bed Sheet Books has three photos taken of Ron Fitzgerald by Jim Sorfleet as the character "Jeri." Good stuff!

Required reading for Forever Richard!

2011-08-16T11:49:00.000-07:00

Well since schools back in, around these parts anyway, and Forever Richard is about to be re-released upon the masses, being currently out-of-print no matter what Amazon claims, I think there should be "required" reading as a prelude to Forever Richard. This required reading will definitely be a nice prelude to Cyn No More as well. So I suggest Robert Kirk's, The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns & Fairies!

"Late in the seventeenth century, Robert Kirk, an Episcopalian minister in the Scottish Highlands, set out to collect his parishioners' many striking stories about elves, fairies, fauns, dopplegangers, wraiths and other beings of, in Kirk's words " a middle nature betwixt man and angel. " For Kirk these stories constituted strong evidence of the reality of a supernatural world, existing parallel to ours, which he passionately believed, demanded exploration as much as the New World across the seas.
Robert Kirk was the seventh son of James Kirk, minister of Aberfoyle . . . Kirk published the first Gaelic translation of the Psalms and oversaw the preparation of the first romanized version of the Gaelic Bible . . . "

. . . that Richard's father Meri has a copy of? Well, now that is interesting. But equally as interesting is the fact that the half-werewolf Brendan carries with him the knife of the Akedah or rather the knife biblical Abraham used to "almost" slay his son Issac with. Rumor claims it has the power to slay vampires.

Oh yes, Forever Richard is quite the read as well! September will be here before you know it. Make sure you get your copy from Black Bed Sheet Books! Republished and a little different than the original version published by The Writers Cafe Press.

Just trying to look out for my readers.

2011-08-16T07:52:00.000-07:00

** Well, I was actually able to get on the product page for my hardback of Never Ceese on Amazon to day and put information regarding the true status of this edition. Not so see if Amazon allows what I wrote to stay. Did the same for my out-of-print edition for Forever Richard that Amazon claims to be selling as "new." Good grief!***

My first publisher, Journey Stone Creations, about a year and a half after starting up, liquidated most of their stock and went under. Though I offered to buy over 4000 of my hardback Never Ceese from them at a respectable price, (a good bit over the less than $2.00 price they had them printed for in China) my offer was turned down and the books sold out from under me.

Que sera, sera.

But I did manage to get a letter out of Journey Stone that said the rights of that hardback would revert back to me on a certain date. When that day came I contacted Baker & Taylor (Journey Stones distributor of choice) to let them know that if Journey Stone was still filling orders they were doing so illegally and in turn so was Baker & Taylor. Baker & Taylor asked me to fax them the letter and so I did.

All indications are that Baker & Taylor no longer distribute my hardback and so Journey Stone no longer makes money off my book without passing any of the money on to me, the author.

HOWEVER, Amazon, (yes, I know. They're so on top of things) still shows that they can "get" the hardback new AND they're selling it for $17.95. I asked Amazon about this and got the wonderful news last night that "their" distributor of Never Ceese the hardback has permission to distribute worldwide. Well of course many folk have the right to distribute Never Ceese the hardback worldwide even though I make no money off the sale. It's part of the publishing game. But Amazon is selling these books at RETAIL!!!!! OMG!!!

So here's my helpful little tip to you. Buy the hardback for a dollar or two if you can. Don't worry about me making any money or not. It's not a big deal. BUT DO NOT BUY THAT HARDBACK FROM AMAZON!!! No one is selling that book for anything over $3.00 and Amazon isn't paying more than that for any copy of the hardback of Never Ceese that they have. They aren't that stupid. Any outlet that is selling the hardback for more that $5.00 is taking you for a VERY LONG RIDE. Don't worry Barnes & Noble is doing it too and BAM as well because NOW Never Ceese the hardback has made it to the "returned from the bookstore" wholesalers that BAM buys from.

So where should you buy Never Ceese, Book One of Sue Dent's Thirsting for Blood Series. You guessed it!

From Black Bed Sheet Books where you can also buy it in any ebook format!!!

And so the Amazon shenanigans begin!

2011-08-16T07:11:00.000-07:00

Yep. Go check this out:

Electric Angel, temporarily out of stock at Amazon!

Yes, the madness started yesterday when the listing came up as, "let us know if you want to be told when this book becomes available at Amazon." LOLROFL Really? By the end of the day it was showing up as "In Stock" which in itself is a lie because no one stocks books that aren't made returnable by "industry standard." They only order them when an order is placed. But it's a lie that Amazon puts up all the time. They aren't singling anyone out. They'll say that since Lightning Source (the distributor) shows there is an availability of 99 books (when there isn't. The books are POD and aren't printed until an order is placed. That's Lightning Sources lie) then Amazon can "claim" the book is in stock at Amazon. And really who does that hurt, I guess.

But today Amazon has gone out of their way, or not, to show Electric Angel as being "temporarily out of stock!" Well, that sort of puts my first theory to rest. I'm laughing so hard now my sides hurt. Oh, yes. You missed out! Electric Angel, which is never stocked by Amazon to begin with is now temporarily "out of stock."

Well believe that lie (or mindless misrepresentation of the facts) if you want to, Electric Angel is available ALL DAY LONG at Black Bed Sheet Books in all DRM free ebook formats including but not limited to: non-Amazon Kindle, non B&N Nook which is also readable on your IPAD etc . . .

Even B&N will order it for you in their Brick & Mortar stores and on-line and for right now at a darn good price unless shipping takes it back up to more than the $10.00 you can get it for at Black Bed Sheet Books.

And keep this in mind, no publisher has a choice about whether their books show up on Amazon. It's an automatic. It's a gift from Bowker that comes when you purchase your block of ISBN's. When you assign the number the book is automatically listed on Amazon on-line and Barnes & Noble on-line. Some gift. Sort of like that Christmas present you just smile an nod at but know that it will go straight in the garbage as soon as the giver leaves.

Electric Angel at Amazon . . . um almost?

2011-08-15T09:28:00.000-07:00

No need to sign up to know when this becomes available as asked for here:

Electric Angel arrives at Amazon

As it is already available here:'

Electric Angel at Barnes & Noble (of course you can only order it as it's been made non-returnable according to "Industry Standard" to protect my publisher from losing money. Therefore B&N won't allow it in their stores. I know. How nice?)

And has been available here:

Black Bed Sheet Books for some time and Black Bed Sheet Books is the official and only distributors of all the e-books!

Want IPAD E-book versions of my books?

2011-08-15T06:50:00.000-07:00

Done! And here's a snippet to help you understand a bit about that:

List of iPad Book Format

ePub - ePub is the main file format for iPad books downloaded from Apple's iBooks Store. It's the most popular ebook format along with PDF, though books purchased from the iBooks Store include DRM to prevent unauthorized copying and sharing. The books themselves are in the ePub format - with the extra layer of copy protection. You can also convert ebooks into the open ePub format and then sync them via iTunes to your iPad.

PDF - PDF is the reigning downloading document format on the website, so you're likely to find ebooks in this format. The iPad lets you convert PDF to iPad compatible format and read them on iPad via third-party apps.

iBooks - The books purchased through the iBooks Store are actually in ePub format, but include DRM to prevent unauthorized sharing or copying. In iBookstore, you can download the latest best-selling books or your favorite classics - day or night. Browse your library on a beautiful bookshelf, tap a book to open it, flip through pages with a swipe or a tap, and bookmark or add notes to your favorite passages.

Kindle - Amazon's Kindle isn't just an ereader that competes with the iPad, it's also an ebook format. Though you can't read Kindle books through the iBooks apps, you can read them on the iPad using Amazon's Kindle app.

Now you have a clear mind of iPad eBook formats. Just feel free to download and enjoy books on iPad wherever you go!

So there you have it. At Black Bed Sheet Books you can purchase ANY of my books in ANY of the formats listed above WITHOUT DRM protection. Bottom line is that DRM protection doesn't matter anyway. An idiot could take the file if they wanted to even with the DRM protection. Having it DRM protected doesn't make it less illegal. DUH!

Any ebook of mine will be exclusively sold through Black Bed Sheet Books and maybe through Lightning Source since that's who my publisher uses to distribute (my non-returnable according to "industry standard" print books.) Where you WON'T see my ebooks for sale. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, the Apple Store or Smashwords. At least not unless the folks want to work a separate deal with my publisher that excludes my work from their "lending/stealing from the author" library or their e-book return policy?

Get it while you can!

2011-08-14T07:22:00.000-07:00

Barnes & Noble has Electric Angel listed at $7.41!! That's because Ingram's Lightning Source tells publishers with Lightning Source to offer the big bookstores the deepest discounts so they'll buy their books.

Weeeeellll, since I've made my books "Industry standard" non-returnable, B&N won't buy them anyway (only order it when a customer ask) so guess what? I'm going to ask my publisher to take their deep discount away. ;)

It will take a bit for it to take affect but it will take affect.

So you better get it while you can for $7.41 because it isn't going to last!!!

*This just in. B&N isn't getting any deep discount. LOL If you add the shipping in it's just as much as what Amazon is selling for. Sooooo for the best price at $10.00 got to Black Bed Sheet Books to order this wonderful book. Cha-ching!*

B&N on-line beats Amazon!

2011-08-13T15:24:00.000-07:00

Well they all get the information about the same time so I think it's worth celebrating who lists what first. LOL So here's the link:

Click here to buy Electric Angel at Barnes & Nobel.

"But," you say, "Sue I thought you detest B&N. Now you tell us to go purchase the book there." I detest the way they discriminate against any publisher that doesn't sign on to that ludicrous "industry standard" return policy by not ordering a book for their shelf if a publisher decides to NOT participate (thus insuring their survival.)

You still won't EVER find ANY of my books on their shelf because I've asked my publisher to save himself and make ALL my books non-returnable. But you can order ALL day long and B&N has to get it for you. ;) So do it and enjoy Electric Angel! It's a great book.

You won't see a nook version for sale on B&N though. You'll have to go to Black Bed Sheet Books for that. Otherwise B&N will make your nook lendable (or rather gives YOUR work away for free without asking) and makes your nook returnable (also without asking. What is that about?!!!!)

Large bookstores where you WON'T find and CAN'T order my books!

2011-08-13T12:16:00.000-07:00

Yes there is one large chain bookstore where you won't find my books and can't order them. This information will also help when you're trying to find a lot of your favorite small published authors. There's actually only one large chain that I know of that operates the way this one does and it makes sense why you can't find the work of small publishers if you consider the facts. They only sell "returned from the bookstore" books.

Yes, I'm referring to that wonderful Books-A-Million AKA BAM. They in fact ONLY carry books that have been returned from other larger bookstores. In other words, after large publishers do the initial flooding of books to large bookstores to earn their "New York Times Best-Seller" spot, most of the books, if not all of them, are then sent back to the publisher, most without even ever coming out of the box. These books are then sold to wholesalers. BAM buys from these wholesalers.

Now here's why you'll never see my books in a BAM. A.) I've made my books non-returnable because small press doesn't get to see their "returned from the bookstore books." They're supposedly destroyed so says Ingram's Lightning Source. B.) Because BAM only buys books from three separate wholesalers who specialize in "returned" books.

Sadly both Never Ceese and Forever Richard were returnable at one time and the books my publisher never saw when they were returned were sent on to these wholesalers that BAM deals with. Some of those books will show up at BAM and NO neither I nor my publisher ever made any money off those and never will. But I've fixed that by making my books non-returnable. Do let me know if you see Electric Angel or any of my books published by Black Bed Sheet Books in a brick and mortar BAM as this will mean they are in fact VERY stolen!!! *gasp*

BAM will be selling my books on-line but that's a whole 'nuther story. So there ya have it. You would be able to at least order my book from BAM but they don't dabble in new books. Don't let them make you think they do. You can google their wholesalers or rather where they buy their books. All of them only dabble in "used" books. So if you wonder why I don't support my local BAM by having a book signing or saying, "go find my books here," it's because they are a "used" bookstore and they won't carry books straight from the publisher. How sad! :(

The broken "Industy Standard Return Policy" put in place by large publishers.

2011-08-10T11:04:00.000-07:00

It was a deal made between one publisher, Simon & Shuster, and small bookstores of the day. The depression hit everyone hard. The way publishing worked then, ALL publishers (there were only five or six larger ones) had to print a LOT of books at once to make printing profitable. They therefore had to have an outlet for these books and it looked like the depression was going to take that outlet away.

The policy that Simon & Schuster proposed: any bookstore could return bought books whenever they wanted to for a full refund. And they didn't have to pay shipping either way nor did the bookstore have to worry about what shape the book came back in. In fact, this policy mutated into something even more horrific. Bookstores soon only had to return the front cover. The rest of the book they could throw away in the dumpster. Which is why you see warnings now about buying books without covers. You don't hear it so much today but you do still hear it.

Wow! What a deal though? How do you take something like that back? Apparently you don't. No. Instead it becomes the "industry standard."

But what if the industry changes as it has?

What about that?

You think bookstores are going to change this policy? And all large publishers would have to work "together" if they were to make the change and why would they do that when it would stand to let the competition get a foot hold. It's not a horrible policy for them anyway. It is devastating for new publishers though. It's devastating because they don't have the relationship with bookstores that larger publishers have. When small publishers opt in for this "industry standard" return policy they NEVER see the returned book again. So there out the print cost of the book and in most cases the distributor makes them pay to have the books they'll never see again destroyed. They're being forced into an "industry standard return policy" that will ensure they're demise.

This is why I say to any bookstore that my books are indeed returnable. You get with my publisher and work out a deal. I'll not sign my publisher's death certificate. I know the facts. I've experienced them with two separate publishers. Not again. I respect my publisher more than that! I just wish other small press authors knew the facts. If bookstores are allowed to continue to operate this way, it won't matter anyhow. All the bookstores will be gone. But not because of ebooks. They'll be gone because of greed and stupidity. I can't think of one person who'd do business with a company that says, "yes, we'll order your product and put it on our shelf to sell. But only if we don't have to pay you for 90 days and we get to send it back before we even pay you. But of course we'll want a full refund straight away. And no, we won't be responsible for getting the product back to you. Neither will it be our responsibility to get it back to you at all."

Sadly, that's not an exaggeration. That's exactly how it happens every day if you make your books returnable as proposed by the "industry standard."

So yes, if you care to do business in a business like manner then you can contact my publisher. I'm sure he'll be happy to work something out with you--on my books only though. All their other authors still believe that opting in for an "industry standard return policy" is the way to go. Go figure!

Pope recommends reading Sue Dent!

2011-08-10T08:48:00.000-07:00

The article: Pope recommends summer reading for Faithful

Okay, okay not exactly but I was honored that one certain reader (a reviewer from the British Fantasy Society) added a comment to this shared article on Facebook that read :

". . . I also enjoy reading Christian Novels. Author Sue Dent is one of my fav. writers. She has a diff. mordern twist on Christianity."

Yep. It's the little things in life that make that difference. And NO, I'm not a "Christian" author. I don't write for that "niche" market and never will as I don't plan to write with an agenda. My work however will always reflect my values as every authors work does. And now you can see it appeals to Catholic Christians. That's great!!! ;D

Actually my books ARE returnable!!!

2011-08-09T11:33:00.000-07:00

Actually my books ARE returnable!!! Just not "industry" standard returnable. In other words you may talk with my publisher and they'll be glad to work out a return policy that suits both parties.

I know, right?

You buy any of my books and you can return them if they don't sell. Talk to my publisher about details. I'm sure they can work something out. Perhaps they'll pay the shipping to your store and back should you want to return them. Or maybe they'll require you to keep them for a set period of time before you return them. Of course the books will have to be in a resellable condition and you'll have to pay for them up front. And you'll definitely have to pay for unreasonable damage should there be any. Feel free to discuss that further with my publisher. ;)

Yeah, something like that.

I'll wager a bet that there will be very few if any calls to my publisher regarding this. That's okay but if someone doesn't change the "industry" standard on returns, the big dog publishers are going to take us all down. That stupid policy no longer helps them either but it at least keeps their competition from getting ahead of them--for now. Wake up and smell the coffee folks. Please.

Any Independent Bookstores out there willing to help.

2011-08-09T07:50:00.000-07:00

To the best of my knowledge all Indy bookstores work very much the same way large bookstores do with the exception that they will take books on consignment (at least some will anyway.) Sadly this means I'll have to CALL any Independent Bookstore to chat with them about the "possibility" of them taking a few books to put on their shelves for my readers to find. And yes, my readers will have to FIND my books if they are placed as all the coveted shelf space goes to the large publishers even in Independent bookstores because bookstores have to put out soooooo much money just to get these books to begin with. Meaning they have to actually buy so many just to stock them. Of course this isn't a real problem because bookstores can then send unsold books back for a full refund, eventually. But it is a lot of money for them up front just to carry books by large publishers. Not to mention fees and all of that and I think they have to actually qualify.

So in the meantime us small publishers who've put as much money, time and energy (some who've even earned legitimate awards) have to peddle our goods in a way that keeps us from making any real sales. At least we do unless we make our books returnable.

Only there's a very real problem with making ones books returnable if you're with a small publisher. The only distributors small press can afford, like Ingram's Lightning Source, they don't allow for small publishers to ever see their returned books again. Therefore small publishers lose product if the book is returned (or destroyed which is what Lightning Source SAYS they do with ALL returned books.) Large publisher's returned books are resold to second hand booksellers like Books-A-Million so that large publishers actually make money off books that didn't sell when they first flood their large bookstores with their latest books to drive those books to the top of the "New York Times" best-sellers list. Yes. A win-win situation for them. Sorry crooks.

Lightning Source doesn't even give you the option to see your returned book again. They make claims that the books have been through so many hands that it isn't something you'll want back. So they conveniently destroy them (or so they say. They wouldn't tell me, when I asked, where I could go to see where the destruction occurs.) They offer to reprint you a "new" book for "half" the price. Oh wow! Now their customers only eat "half" the recovery cost. I've seen returned from the bookstore books. I've not seen one that wasn't in impeccable condition. They have to be because they're a commodity. Books-A-Million will scarf them right up and so will other second hand resellers.

Bottom line is, Lightning Source isn't the only distributor that operates like this. My second publisher went through Book Masters. When I ordered new author copies from them I was sent books that I'd hand delivered to a Barnes & Noble in Louisiana. Books I had signed and books that had an autographed by author sticker on the FRONT COVER!!! They had been sent back and were being resold as NEW through Book Masters who claim ALL returned books go to "returned books" inventory for the publisher to deal with. They claimed what happened to me was an accident and next time they'd be more CAREFUL!! There was a sticker on the front of six of the books I ordered. These books shouldn't have been with new books. EVER!

Due to this sort of activity I've made my books non-returnable. It makes my job tougher as far as getting my books into brick and mortar stores and onto the shelves but at least my books aren't stolen and at least my publisher doesn't lose more money than they stand to make.

How can Independent Bookstores help? Give us small published authors the time of day. Many of us are going to start making our books non-returnable just to survive. Give us the same chance you give any publishers who play a game they can't possibly win.

Check out this facebook page!

2011-08-06T12:04:00.000-07:00

Y'all go like my Electric Angel Book page on FaceBook so it can have a name. Apparently one only has to have 25 likes. Aw, what better way to spend Saturday. ;D

Check out this facebook page!

A chapter by chapter blow of Electric Angel - sort of.

2011-08-05T22:47:00.000-07:00

Dang it if somebody's gonna give me a chapter by chapter account I'm gonna write about it. Actually it's more like a synopsis of several chapters at a time because most can't read my stuff a chapter at a time but eventually they have to come up for air or eat! LOL And that's when I get reports like this:

So now I'm deeper in and my mind is abuzz with chapters 9 though 15!!!! I cannot believe the turn of events which has been thought out so carefully! Wow,I am yet again amazed by the depth of the dichotomy between the two boys!!! Again, I wish not to give away too much but,I am on the edge of my seat! I do believe that I know who Paul is!!!! And I just love the twins and the things they do! Makes me look at my twin boys all the more cautiously! Haha! Not to mention their age, so close to my own and the secret language they have between themselves! Again, LOVE THIS!!!!

Aw, you made me miss the story so much I had to go back and read what you were just writing about. ;) Yeah, so y'all see what you're missing. Too bad. All you have to do is order the book and read it. And now you can go to my site at www.sudent.net and get a signed copy. And of course you can get one on sale at Black Bed Sheet Books for just ten dollars unsigned. I'm so glad you're enjoying Michelle.

More good words!

2011-08-05T19:08:00.000-07:00

An ardent fan none-the-less, here's what Raquel Soto had to say about Electric Angel thus far:

Oh Author Sue Dent! Why did you have to make such a captivating new book? I had to cancel my plans to go out and run errands because I'm enjoying it[Electric Angel] so much! It's a day of heaven on the earth when I can curl up with my, err, computer and read an amazing story with little interruption. On chapter 14 and have to check on dinner. Darn my tummy! LOL

Yep, yep! That's what those non-Amazon and non-B&N Kindles are good for. ;D

My latest letter to Amazon's Author Central

2011-08-05T13:19:00.000-07:00

This is my latest correspondence with Amazon just because I like for all to see how they actually function:

Journey Stone Creations no longer holds the rights to Never Ceese ISBN 1-59958-017-9. They have reverted back to me. A letter was sent to Baker & Taylor the distributor and the book is no longer available. Barnes & Nobles no longer sells it thus telling me that Baker & Taylor has followed the rules and made the book unavailable. I suggest Amazon make it unavailable as well as there is no legal way for Amazon to get Never Ceese ISBN 1-59958-017-9. Please do not humor me with your double-speak that says I need to talk to the publisher and do not tell me that you have no information regarding what I just told you. I'm telling you now, Baker & Taylor has the letter that shows the rights reverted back to me (as they asked to have it faxed to them.) If you continue to say that you can sell the book then you are breaking the law and I'll be forced to take action.

Sue Dent

Everyday I go on Amazon and see Never Ceese the hardback being sold by Amazon for $17.99 knowing that the only way they can sell it is to get it via the original distributor, Baker & Taylor who has been notified that the rights to the book have reverted back to me and had me fax the letter over that states such. Doesn't really matter that only one or two sell. It's the principle. I'm just amazed at how Amazon gets away with the things they get away with. This is NOT the first time I've told them the situation. Why would they stop selling the book. They know I'm not going to prosecute. It's not worth the one or two hardbacks they do "steal/sell."

*** Amazon's reply. They have some of the hardback in their fulfillment center and that's why it's showing up as available by Amazon. My reply, that seems odd because they never stocked Never Ceese or any other book by small press. They only order when the book is ordered. Okay so maybe they felt lucky and ordered one or two and that's all they have. Well, I want to know and so I've asked them to tell me just how many are in their fulfillment center. Let's see if I get a reply. Hmmmm . . .

Signed copies of Electric Angel available!

2011-08-05T12:22:00.000-07:00

I have officially ordered author copies of Electric Angel. I do not get a ginormous discount. There is no special I can offer you other than offering to sign your copy. Please place how you want the books signed in the comment section when you order through paypal or use the email there to send me a note to tell me how you'd like it signed.

I do not have the books in hand yet. It will probably be a week or so before I do. If you're eager you may go to Black Bed Sheet Books and order it as a non-amazon kindle or non-B&N Nook or any other ebook format. However, this is the only way to get one signed by me presently. And hot off the press. SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!!!

This is for my US fans only and shipping as been worked into the cost which is

$14.98

two dollars more than retail. Sorry, but even at that price I'll still eat some shipping. Here's your link and happy ordering. ;)

Electric Angel experience continues . . .

2011-08-04T10:15:00.000-07:00

Latest update from Michelle T McCarthy my now designated BETA "Electric Angel" reader:

"Okay so I've now completed Chapters four through eight and this [the story] just keeps growing, like the entity itself!!! There is an urgency as you read that collaborates with the characters. I at times have felt my own heart race as I discover along with the characters. That's why your writing is truly brilliant because you have taken into consideration to make the experience what I would call 3-D! Your own imagination helps to create the images but your writing creates the emotion and the other senses to come alive! Looking forward to MORE!!!!

Did I mention that I love my readers!! ;D

Also Electric Angel, like Bram Stoker Short-listed Never Ceese, was edited by the lovely Arlene W. Robinson. I LOVE working with Arlene. She is AMAZING!!! Keeps me on my toes too. Also, since Arlene is a professional editor with credentials to prove her ability, I suggest you spare leaving any comments regarding your opinion that the edit job was poor. I mean you can but it will just make you look hmmm . . . ignorant. Arlene is awesome!!!

To all and any Independent Bookstores . . .

2011-08-04T07:11:00.000-07:00

To all and any Independent Bookstores interested in carrying my books please note that while I have distribution through Ingram's Lightning Source, which means you can order my work, I DO NOT subscribe to any return policy crap invented by large publishers to keep bookstores of the day up and running. The policy was barely workable then and certainly doesn't work for Small Independent houses who can't afford to EAT the print cost of any "returned from the bookstore" books because Ingram's Lightning Source "destroys" them (actually I'm not convinced Lightning Source EVER sees ANY "returned from the bookstore" books as who would pay return postage for something AND THEN DESTROY IT!

Nevertheless, that's the deal. You can work through my publisher to set up a deal that's workable for both parties or at the very least one that has the publisher and author NOT losing money. ;)

Someone is reading Electric Angel. ;)

2011-08-03T22:08:00.000-07:00

. . . and this is what they have to say:

I'm three chapters in and I really am enjoying this story!I love how descriptive your writting is.I feel like I'm right there walking into Mountain View Inn and talking to Martha and Anna! Love THIS!!!!

Go get your copy now at Black Bed Sheet Books for only $10.00!! On sale for a limited time. You'll be able to get it everywhere else in a couple of days but I wouldn't wait if I were you. They can't offer you this kind of price!!!

Don't forget you can also purchase a NON-AMAZON kindle version and a NON-Barnes & Noble Nook DRM free version at the same place. And those have three additional pictures in them taken by Jim Sorfleet of SnS-Photo.net of Ron Fitzgerald the cover model. Enjoy!! My Kindle will NEVER be available on Amazon and my Nook will NEVER be available through B&N as both GIVE kindles and nooks away via their lending library PLUS they actually allow for RETURNS!! WHAT? WHAT? WHAT? Aw, they make me laugh.

Barnes & Nobles no longer supports local authors-sort of.

2011-08-02T17:26:00.000-07:00

Just so you know, I'd LOVE to host a book signing at my local B&N (well, at least I would if they'd pay me for the last one) but NO Barnes & Noble will allow any author in that doesn't make their book returnable. In other words they don't do signings on consignment anymore.

"But Sue, that doesn't mean they don't support local authors? That just means you have to make your book returnable. Duh!"

Most small publishers (the ones most local authors have to use) have FINALLY come to realize that they won't survive the ludicrous return policy set up by big publishers to save small bookstores during the depression (most large publishers can't even survive it anymore but it's a little late for them to do anything about it.) Therefore most small publishers no longer make their books returnable. With that being the case and B&N no longer doing booksignings on consignment, B&N does not support local authors or even small press.

That being said, they can still order ANY book that is distributed through Ingram or Ingram's Lightning Source or Baker & Taylor so you can purchase my books through them. Keep in mind they will jump write over that little rule if your books start selling in numbers they can't ignore.

But yes, that's why I don't rush right over there so my local fans can conveniently get a copy. They won't let me. Funny thing is, Never Ceese was once returnable and they did allow me to do signings. Same book made non-returnable and now it's like diseased or something. LOL You're so funny B&N. You make me laugh.

And it's my understanding, from a CRM at one B&N, they're getting rid of the CRM position all together. Right now they have them out selling to places like the LIBRARY if you can believe that. Could be just me but isn't getting rid of the dead weight a sure sign of a sinking ship? No CRM's mean no one to set up events. Hmmm . . .

Electric Angel on special sale at Black Bed Sheet Books

2011-08-01T12:17:00.000-07:00

Electric Angel is officially available now. You may purchase a print copy or a "non-Amazon" Kindle/DRM free copy, non-Barnes & Noble copy/DRM free copy or any other kind of ebook reader format known to man at Black Bed Sheet Books.

The regular price will be $12.95 but it is currently on sale at Black Bed Sheet Books for $10.00!

Shortly you will be able to purchase at all the usual locations, wherever books are sold, but they won't be able to offer you the same price. And while all brick and mortar large bookstores can carry the "physical book" they won't because a) I'm not with one of their large publishing houses (just a good one) and b) because I've made ALL my books non-returnable so I'm protected from a return policy that sinks all small houses and even the larger ones now. That's right, technically it's POD which by the way isn't a dirty (three) words but rather the ONLY way to survive in this industry and just barely at that because there's no way to get in front of customers when the big bookstores like Barnes & Noble etc . . . could care less about carrying your books because you didn't come through one of the large publishing houses.

So you won't see a huge press release. I can't afford the kind I'd need to rise above the noise the large publishers generate. Mainly because I put everything into my book so that it appeals to as many people as possible. And oh yeah, the proof is in the pudding: Bram Stoker short-listed with my debut novel, British Fantasy Society long-listed with my second. Both previous books being up for a 2009 Pluto Award with one making the finals.

Electric angel will be just as original and fresh as my other stories. Go buy it today. And don't forget, if you like to pay cash then go to Barnes & Noble or any bookstore and order it. You won't find it on the shelf. If you do then it will be because I've succeeded in getting the large bookstores attention by selling books without "their" help. Sad thing is, if that ever happens, I'd never want them to carry my books but there's nothing I can do about it.

Cutting out the middle man is the only way to survive. So let's do it!!! Go buy Electric Angel and Never Ceese and very soon, Forever Richard. YAY!!!

The Publishing Industry - Just so you'll know.

2011-07-31T15:21:00.000-07:00

This very enlightening article explains it all in great detail and leaves no question as to why the publishing industry is the way it is presently. I quote it often and will continue to do so. The link I initially gave is a bit weird now though. So I've found a new link to the page:

This is the new link.

Though I've discussed it before it seems when I post about it again that new readers are immediately shocked and surprised. If you're an author and you want to understand more about why things are the way they are then you need to go to the link above and read it thoroughly.

For your viewing pleasure I will only quote some excerpts:

"The 1920s saw the founding of such important publishing houses as Simon and Schuster, Random House, Alfred A. Knopf, and Viking Press. Although Random House would grow to be the largest and most successful publisher in the country, and would hold that position into the twenty-first century, Simon and Schuster introduced some important industry innovations with long-term consequences."

*Sue scratches head* I wonder what those "important industry innovations" were?

"The Great Depression of the 1930s hit the book publishing industry as hard as it hit every other sector of the American economy. Booksellers at that time were mostly small local businesses, and to help them survive the economic hardships of the depression, Simon and Schuster invented a system allowing booksellers to return unsold copies of books for credit against future purchases. Other publishers quickly had to follow Simon and Schuster's lead, and the practice became the industry standard."

Well, I guess it was a good idea at the time. But I like the way this "industry standard" is described here: http://www.creativemindspress.com/business.htm

Back in the Depression, when bookstores were going under right and left, publishers realized they had to do something radical to keep booksellers in business. They came up with the idea of returns—a system whereby any bookseller may return any book, with little regard for how long the book was kept or what condition it was in. No one told the book business the Depression ended 70 years ago. We still have a system that—not to put too fine a point on it—sucks. Few other industries operate on what amounts to a giant consignment scheme.

LOL SUCKS! Really? Not only that but small publishers don't even get to see their returned books. The only way to survive is to make your books non-returnable. That way large bookstores can still order your books but not take you down with the ship. I sort of hate to say it but unless this return policy mess is straightened out, Barnes & Nobles is next. Good thing there are Independent Bookstores to pick up the slack. Independent bookstores that don't abide by Industry Standard that is. ;D

Do let me clarify something.

2011-07-30T12:36:00.000-07:00

I, Sue Dent, will never publish a Kindle through Amazon, a Nook through Barnes & Noble or anything through Smashwords or an e-book through any other venue other than my publisher, Black Bed Sheet Books.

This is something I wanted though. Black Bed Sheet Books however, has many titles through Amazon's Kindle and Smashwords and has no issue with this. But that's what I love about Black Bed Sheet Books, they respect my decision. They also respect my decision to make ALL my titles non-returnable so they wouldn't have to eat shipping and print cost for "returned from the bookstore" titles that they'll never see again. That decision however, they like a lot. What publisher wouldn't? ;D

Electric Angel NOW available!!!

2011-07-29T13:31:00.000-07:00

***This just in: One customer, when ordering, had to use Internet Explorer as the WONDERFUL Google Chrome couldn't cut it. So if you're having problems ordering, ditch the Chrome if that's what you're using. ;) ***

In case you miss it when you order an e-book, this is how it works at Black Bed Sheet Books:

THE WAY IT WORKS:

Make a selection and proceed through your shopping cart purchase. We will process your order and send your purchase as an attachment to your email address within 2 business days, but most likely sooner, like within 24 hours, but we say 2 days in case of emergency.

All ebooks available on this site, no matter what format, costs five U.S. dollars plus twenty-five American cents, or cheaper, ladies and gentlemen, or what equals that amount in foreign currency.

This is front and center on the E-book ordering page. This information does not print out on the receipt you get. In an age where instant gratification is usually key to securing a sale, I felt it was important to point this out. The check out program Black Bed Sheet Book uses doesn't presently support instant download capability but will very soon. If you think BBS should get a better check out program then buy their books so they can pay for one. For the record the receipt may very well boast the same message shortly. Again, thanks for being patient as we iron out the kinks.

On sale starting today for a VERY limited time at Black Bed Sheet Books!

ONLY $10.00

It will be available for sale anywhere books are sold but NONE of those sites or stores will be able to give you this kind of deal!!! And NO, you won't see it on the shelf of any large bookstore because I refuse to shoot myself in the head with my own gun by making my books returnable which is the only way one gets into large bookstores.

They can order my books so that's all you need to know. Folks, small publishers do not see the books that large bookstores order, and then return because they can,and are therefore out the print cost of the book and the shipping cost for the book which they never see again. I WILL NOT subscribe to such lunacy just to say my book is in a large bookstore. Get over it!!!

For all my good Christian readers, the ones who favor work put out by targeted denominational publishers like Thomas Nelson, Zondervan etc . . . Electric Angel will also be available through Spring Arbor. That means large Christian Bookstores CAN order it but like large general market bookstores won't put it on the shelf.

Best bet, go to Black Bed Sheet Books to place your order. And here's a nice perk. Electric Angel is also available in Kindle format, Nook Format, Microsoft Reader Format WITH additional pictures added from the photo shoot with Jim Sorfleet of sNs-photo.net of Ron Fitzgerald the cover model. For an additional amount I will even sign the e-book copy of your choice.

No the Kindle won't be through Amazon and the Nook won't be through Barnes & Noble. Why would I do that when they give away an authors e-book for free. Don't think that's gonna be happening.

Here's a link to the page at Black Bed Sheet Books where you can purchase a Kindle or Nook or whatever! :D (Thanks Caprice!)

But yes, I put a LOT of time, effort and money into each MS, including paying for a high-quality professional edit with reviews from past work to prove that it's worth it. So I ain't gonna say it again. Go buy the darn thing! ;D

** Please be patient as we're still working out a few kinks we didn't know about in the ordering process. You can now order an e-book WITHOUT having to choose a shipping method. LOL It is charging tax though but I believe this will be fixed shortly. Also a message will be added, once you purchase the e-book to state that the file will be sent to you within 24-48 hours after purchase. It does say this on the Black Bed Sheet site but one can easily miss this so the message will be added to the receipt you recieve. Thanks so much for all y'all's patience!! Especially you Caprice. ;)***

Let me clarify about large bookstores like B&N.

2011-07-27T13:16:00.001-07:00

They actually DO put books by small published authors on the shelf IF the publisher makes the books returnable. That way they can order the books without a worry in the world. Put them out for the book signing or event and then box them back up (if they even unboxed them which is unlikely) and send them out free of charge (and signed as well if the author did that) back to the distributor the publisher uses. The small publisher will think they've accomplished some grand thing until they see the bill THEY have to pay because the books were returned AND to top that off the elusive "returned from the bookstore books" are never seen by the publisher again so they're out the print fee too.

The return policy on books was set up in the depression by Simon & Shuster to keep bookstores from going under. If you're a big publisher the policy can work for you. There is absolutely no way this policy will EVER work for small publishers. EVER! My current publisher actually makes most of their books returnable. I asked him specifically NOT to make mine returnable. I've been with two publishers who went under due to this insane policy that needs to be reworked for small publishers. I'll not take another publisher down. But yes, you can find small published authors in large bookstores and yes, they will humor you and let you do events so long as you make your books returnable because that way they aren't out anything but you sure as hell will be when you see what you have to pay for the books that are returned to your publisher -- minus the books most of the time so you've lost your printing fee too!

Yep. Things need to change but large bookstores don't care about that. Small publishers aren't the ones who made them what they are. Large publishers "own" them.

Want me to do a book signing at your B&N?

2011-07-26T12:42:00.000-07:00

**I would like to add that ALL large bookstores operate like this. If a small publisher makes their books non-returnable (to survive) they will not be put on the shelf by large bookstores for any reason (they can be ordered though. How nice!) Several small published authors, myself included, have had limited success with a few ventures at B&N but all in all they end in disaster!!!! Complete and utter disaster. The model is set up to deal with large publishers. Corporate could care less about small pubbbed authors. My local B&N actually let me do a book signing then refused to pay me for the books I BOUGHT IN AND SOLD because CORPORATE told them they didn't allow for this kind of signing anymore. Two years running and I still haven't been paid. They're not picking on me. This is how they treat all small pubbed authors. Small publishers are the new large publishers. Deal with it B&N or don't and you can end up just like Borders**

Want me to do a book signing at your Barnes &Noble?

Too bad.

Barnes & Noble is an outlet for large publishers ONLY! Always has been. Always will be. And they don't seem to be budging on the matter. In fact, they're only tightening the reins. Before they'd allow their CRM or Customer Relations Manger to humor small published authors who didn't have distribution through the "big two" Baker & Taylor and Ingram. They'd let the author bring their own copies to sell.

NOT ANY MORE!!!!

And to make matters worse, they don't allow book signings for any author who makes their books non-returnable which is the only way for Small Press to survive. If a small publisher doesn't make their books non-returnable, large bookstores like Barnes & Noble will order at will without a care in the world because of the deal they have set up with large publishers that Simon & Schuster started during the depression. They can return ALL books ordered whenever they want to for free, no matter what shape they're in and no matter when they do it AND they get there money back.

That's where all the books you see in Books-A-Million come from since they are only a reseller of "returned from the bookstore" books. Sadly, this model works for large publishers but will "sink" any small publisher because when the books are returned (as they ALWAYS are) the small publisher has to pay shipping and has to return any money to the bookstores!!!!! And guess what folks, nine times out of ten the books aren't returned at all. They're "supposedly" destroyed because the distributors don't want to pay the postage to have them returned. I say supposedly because I've had books show up for sale at Books-A-Million when BAM is a reseller of "returned from the bookstore books." That can't happen unless someone is lying. And no, I make nothing off the books sold from BAM.

To keep this from happening anymore, I've made my books non-returnable. But like I said, Barnes & Noble won't let me in to do a booksigning because this means they don't get to give the books back and charge my publisher shipping.

They can ORDER my books for you if you ask them even though most of the time they'll tell you they can't just because they don't want to mess with it.

So there ya go.

And you wonder why I hate Barnes & Nobles and ALL large bookstores.

Jerks!

Ya, so if you want to order ANY of my books, please visit Black Bed Sheet Books or my website suedent.net I invest a LOT of MONEY in making my books the best they can be. I can't keep doing that if they don't sell. Support small press. Don't support Barnes & Noble or other large bookstores. At least not until they support small press and quit "pooping" all over them. Big FAT bullies!!!!!

Non-Amazon KINDLE & Non-B&N NOOK of Electric Angel

2011-07-24T19:39:00.000-07:00

That's right. As early as tomorrow because I've got to make certain of the price BBS wants to ask for Electric Angel the Nook and Kindle version, I'll wait to post the links to purchase said copies. Just know that while you can purchase a Kindle version it will NEVER be on Amazon for sale as I don't welcome them GIVING my work away for FREE!!!!! And the Nook will never be on sale at B&N for the very same reason.

You'll have to purchase through Black Bed Sheet Books or any link I might put up which is actually also Black Bed Sheet Books. It also won't be selling for 99 cents. I'm pretty sure it will be more like $6.99. The reason: I put a good bit of money into every book I put out and somebody has to pay for it.

Do know that since best-selling ebooks are determined by what kindle's sell through Amazon, (I know, right! What a racket) I won't be making that list anytime soon either. As if that matters. So yes, if you want an ebook copy of Electric Angel don't look for it at on-line venues. I don't deal with thieves if I can help it. ;)

Smashwords is out too because if you make it into their Premium Catalog, which I always do, they let Barnes & Noble give your book away in their little "lending" library. Oh yes, B&N is all about helping small published authors. NOT! Sorry Smashwords. You really should pay more attention.

Hachette Book Groups Christian Division

2011-07-19T07:20:00.000-07:00

As I continue on my publishing journey, I like to keep authors informed about what I've learned as knowing and understanding the different markets can keep you from wasting precious time and yes, even money.

As one can learn from reading previous post, I'm very interested in getting my work into bookstores where my Christian readers shop. I'm not all that interested in getting into the larger Christian booksellers however as I've come to learn they've only ever shelved books produced by publishers affiliated with the two gatekeeper organizations they created, CBA and ECPA. At least, that's the way things have gone here in the U.S. They do now take non-affiliated publishers work now IF the book is denominationally slanted toward the evangelical side of writing.

An interesting trend seems to have developed over the past few years though. When Ingram aquired Spring Arbor, CBA and ECPA's only distributor at the time, they began to allow non-affiliated Christian books into distribution. The larger Christian Booksellers almost immediately balked at this and even stopped carrying some affiliated books seemingly questioning the very organizations they created.

As a result, the Christian publishing industry, originally defined by CBA and ECPA affiliated product, began to open up. And finally we have readers recognizing that there is more to Christian publishing than books provided by a very large niche market.

Here's how Hachette books tries to "unconfuse" things. I've added a bit after each FAQ based on what I've learned. Again, just my opinion based on my experiences so far.

Hachette Book Group FAQ to read the FAQ in its entirety.

Christian Division of Hachette Book Group

Why did Hachette Book Group start a Christian publishing program?

Some of the country's most popular books in recent years have been Christian titles. The Left Behind Series (40 million copies sold) and The Prayer of Jabez (10 million copies sold) have dominated secular bestseller lists. Christian authors like Jan Karon, Jerry Jenkins, John C. Maxwell, T. D. Jakes, and Bruce Wilkinson have huge followings. Their books are carried by mainstream retailers as well as Christian bookstores. As a result, several New York houses have entered this market.

Sue's input: Just keep in mind when the term Christian title is used here it refers to titles put out for the specific Christian market CBA and ECPA serve only (evangelicals, Baptist and now "some" Catholics according to CBA's market definition on their site.) All the books mentioned were not written for the general market. And yes, they were carried by mainstream retailers but are usually mixed in with the general market books and sometimes in the Christian section the larger bookstores now provide. Niche market books mixed in with general market books. Very confusing.

Why does Hachette Book Group have a separate division for Christian titles?
Publishing books for the Christian audience is similar in many ways to publishing for the general audience. The editorial, marketing and sales functions operate in much the same way, but there are many subtle differences. First, the editorial content requires an understanding of Christian theology and worldview. Christian books, even novels, emphasize a spiritual message and context. Second, Christian titles are also marketed through religious media (television, radio and periodicals). Third, Christian books are sold in religious bookstores, in addition to general market retailers. There are approximately 2,000 Christian stores nationwide, most of whom belong to the Christian Booksellers Association (CBA). Thus, separate editorial, marketing and sales expertise and focus are needed to reach this audience.

Sue's input: Whose theology and worldview? Up until recently, only the theology and worldview of folks who visit Christian Bookstores. Targeted fiction until the merge of Ingram/Spring Arbor. Christian books are sold in religious bookstores but the larger Christian booksellers only shelf titles produced by CBA and ECPA publishers. Oddly enough, they are accepting titles from large CBA affiliated authors who are now publishing through Center Street who is not a member of CBA or ECPA. How bizarre is that? Karen Kingsbury and Ted Dekker are two examples. I haven't seen it happen yet where a previously unaffiliated Christian author published by Center Street got onto the shelf of a bigger Christian Book Store so I can't really comment further on that. So far it just seems Center Street is tying to gain noteriety by publishing a few successful CBA authors. That's just my take.

Does Hachette Book Group use a separate imprint for its Christian books?

Books that are specifically and exclusively written for Christian audiences are identified with the FaithWords imprint. However, many Christian authors today are writing for a broader audience and those books are published under the Center Street or Hachette Book Group imprints. The determination is based on the content and intended audience of the manuscript. In addition, Hachette Book Group has the Walk Worthy Press imprint for the Christian African American market.

Sue's input: Thus Faithwords is Hatchette Books CBA imprint. Many Christians authors today are writing for a broader audience? Many Christian authors have always been writing for a broader audience so why cator to them now? I won't share my input here.

Who handles Hachette Book Group's sales into the Christian retail market?

There was no real answer here. Just a number you could call but unless the world is spinning in a different direction and I completely misunderstood the question Spring Arbor will be handling Hatchette Book Group's sales to the Christian retail market. That's what they do.

Another very interesting thing I learned is that Hatchette Books actually created an Imprint from William Young's Windblown Media. I know I'm confused now. LOL What market will this be for?

Also Center Street on their about me page claims they are a general market publisher. In their FAQ they elaborate that Center Street is actually publishing for the broader Christian market. In the whole schem of things, General Market and Broader Christian Market are in most cases two very different audiences.

Okay, back to your regularly scheduled blog reading. *and that's for the one or two who actually read what I write. :)

Dead of Night Interview

2011-07-14T22:15:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to listen to my Dead of Night Interview with Master Ron Fitzgerald. ;) You'll hear a kick-butt reading from Never Ceese done by producer Leslie Osbourne. Click here to go to the page to listen.

Electric Angel Book Trailer

2011-07-14T10:09:00.000-07:00

I give you the official book trailer for "Electric Angel." The book should be sent off to be printed in about a week. You may still pre-order here or at www.downwarden.com/blackbedsheet. If you pre-order by clicking on the "Electric Angel" tab on this page then you will get a signed copy. ;)

Now on with the trailer.

Enjoy! I know I did.