books – Page 7 – Author James Schannep

Amazon Makes the Best Kool-Aid

My walls have been kicked down. Oh Yeah!

It is with bittersweet anticipation that I announce INFECTED will be only available on Amazon.com very soon. Some of you are nook users or buy using itunes, kobo, etc — if you’ve been waiting to get the book, do so now. I’ll leave it active for another week or so. If you already bought a copy from another site, don’t worry, you’ll still have your book on your ereader.

Why go exclusive? If you haven’t heard of KDP Select, allow me to sum it up for the layperson: Amazon offers benefits for those who go exclusive. Most notably, five promotional free-giveaway days per 90 days of exclusivity. What? Giving away your book for free is a benefit? It is — and I’ll explain that in a moment. You’re also allowed to lend the book to Amazon Prime members, which makes it free for them to read (Amazon still pays you) and that sounds like a real win-win for readers and authors.

I already have two short stories available through KDP Select, and this week I’m using all five of my giveaway days on “Corporate Zombie” a short story. Please, check it out and download it free:

Click me. I'm FREE this week only. — Click me. I’m FREE this week only.

I’ll report back on the success of my “Corporate Zombie” giveaway later, but even now it’s being downloaded by new readers. I’ve already had half as many downloads this morning as I’ve had *total* sales, and that’s by just tweeting about it. Sure, it’d be nice if those were paying customers, but not many people buy short stories and I’m happy just to have it read. Plus, when you look at the short, it tells you that people who’ve purchased “Corporate Zombie” have also purchased INFECTED and the main benefit is that (I hope) people will like the story and want to check out my book. Cross some fingers for me.

It’s always seemed counter-intuitive to me to go exclusive with one platform, especially when the intended benefit from such an action is ease of giving your work away for free. Indie publishing, if you’re doing it right, can get expensive. I’ve spent money trying to make INFECTED a professional product, and if I’m paying a copyeditor, cover artist, formatter, etc — Don’t I want to try and earn some of that back? Aren’t you devaluing your own work by giving it away for free? Yes and no. I firmly believe that if you want something to be permanently free, the best place for it is your own website. But a free promotion gets… complicated.

After reading these two articles, I can no longer debate the power of a free promotion:

I’m planning a giveaway of INFECTED to coincide with the release of the next book in the series. Since I’m (hopefully) only 3-4 months away from releasing Click Your Poison #2, I need to go exclusive. Much like the second article I posted, I’ll be transparent about my success and share with you how it goes.

So… thoughts? Good idea? About time? Noooooooo? What do you think? I’d love to hear from you in the comments. And if you’re going to download “Corporate Zombie” — Enjoy!

19 March 2013 by schannepj Categories: INFECTED, MURDERED, MusingsTags: amazon, books, corporate zombie, ereader, exclusivity, free, free giveaway, Giveaway, kdp, kdp select, Kindle, kindle direct publishing, self-publishing, writing, zombie apocalypse 3 Comments

My Big Week in Texas

If you follow me on twitter, goodreads, facebook, or have checked out my “events” tab in the last month, you probably know I went to Ft Hood, TX for a book signing (Or, to be more accurate, I went to Texas for my sister’s wedding and scheduled a book signing around the same time. Congrats Melissa and Craig!). Well, for a self-published author, this was a big week.

Knowing it would be a 3-day signing event, but not knowing what to expect, I ordered 3 boxes of books (24 each) and brought the 10 I had sitting at home, just because I was feeling optimistic. So, with 82 books, I was hoping I wouldn’t have to leave too many at my parents’ house.

First stop was to our hometown newspaper, where I was interviewed. I’m still new enough to the game where little things like this are novel and exciting. If you like, you can read the article here.

Source: “Heights High School grad pens zombie book” from KDHnews.com

Next stop? I’d heard that Hastings has a “local author” section, so I decided to give it a try and see if I could leave a few copies there. Much to my surprise, not only was I accepted at Hastings in Killeen, but I was placed on the “zombie” shelf right up front as well as out in the general “horror” section. Whoa! That in itself was a huge life event–my first brick-and-mortar store.

Note to self, stop having an "S" last name. — Note to self, stop having an “S” last name.

Then there was the signing. My sister Alison had the idea to dress up like a zombie on Saturday, and my other sisters soon caved to the peer pressure. After all, I offered a free t-shirt and a professional makeup job. I’d play Friday straight, have my zombies with me on Saturday, then offer a sale on Sunday in hopes of reducing my inventory. I needed to leave some books behind for Hastings, but not too many…

IMAG0311

Friday, day 1: People were very receptive to INFECTED! In fact, I sold 21 books–almost a full box. Not bad, maybe I could sell the same on Sunday and try for a full 30 on Saturday when my zombies were with me. That would leave 10 books for Hastings. My nervous fears that I’d be ignored for three days were proving to be unfounded. I even met some very nice people who were excited for me to sign a book for either themselves or a zombie fan in their family. At lunch, my fortune cookie sagely reminded me:

Whoever wants to reach a distant goal must take small steps.”

Saturday, day 2: Thanks so much to my sisters–love you guys! The book sold like hotcakes. There was often a queue at my signing table, zombie fans eager for a book and a photograph with our crazy family. I sold 47 books. I had to tell my family members not to buy any for themselves, otherwise I’d be in danger of selling out. I had already dropped off 9 at Hastings, so I was left with only 5 left for Sunday… gulp.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Don't worry, my family scares me too. — Don’t worry, my family scares me too.

Sunday, day 3: I sold out in about an hour. Boy, did I underestimate. I should’ve brought two more boxes at least. I think I could’ve hit Friday’s numbers at least, then I would’ve had some left over for Hastings after I left. Instead, I had to direct disappointed would-be customers to either this store or amazon.com. After checking with Hastings, turns out they sold out of my book as well–making it their #1 book for the week. Even beating out “50 Shades of Grey”! Granted, E.L. James wasn’t in Killeen promoting like I was, but it still felt like victory.

This was an appreciated confidence booster, and it was fun to be a minor celebrity for a weekend, but I still have lots of work to do before “Click Your Poison” is a household name. So what’s next? Of course there’s book #2 to work on, but I’ve also been invited to come back to Fort Hood any time, and I probably will. Maybe for book #2? Maybe around Halloween when the zombie craze is at its peak? In the meantime, I need to ship more books to Hastings and see about getting other stores out there to carry INFECTED. Maybe there’s a Big Week in California in my future? Who knows–but wherever life takes me, the future looks bright.

Thanks to all who attended!

16 January 2013 by schannepj Categories: INFECTEDTags: books, brick and mortar store, clear creek exchange, clickyourpoison.com, daily herald, fort hood, ft hood tx, harker heights, hastings, inspiration, killeen, local author, self-publishing, texas, writing, zombie apocalypse, zombies 3 Comments

Fresh Ink Spilled

I’ve officially begun “Click Your Poison #2” and the subject is (drum roll, please)…

A mystery! And I don’t mean, “I’m not telling you, it’s a mystery.” I mean a literal murder mystery novel–a solve-your-own mystery, in fact. Which, I believe, is the first of its kind. I don’t think anyone has ever tried a literary puzzle of this scale, letting you (the reader) attempt to piece together the clues yourself. As part of my preparation, I read “The Elements of Mystery Fiction” by William G. Tapply (which is written more for a novice writer than it is for someone who has studied writing but is new to mystery fiction) and in it he says:

Avoid the second-person point of view… I know of no mystery novel that’s done it successfully–or of any serious writers who’ll admit that they’ve even tried.”

Well, Mr. Tapply, rules are made to be broken. In CYP #2, YOU will have to crack the case or the killer will get away with murder. I’m also sticking with the “3 Unique Storylines” convention that I started with INFECTED, but I can’t promise “50 endings.” I’m going to let them occur organically, like I did with CYP #1. Maybe there will be less, maybe more; we’ll see.

BUT! I’m excited. I know the plot and I’ve buried it under layer upon layer of subterfuge, red-herrings, and what-could’ve-happeneds.

Like onions (and ogres), mysteries have layers.

I know the characters, locale, and major turning points, and now it’s time to jump in and let the possible decision points guide the path of the book. It’ll probably be around 8-10 months before I can publish this book, but I’m too excited not to share. Don’t worry, I’ll post various updates (and samples) in the months to come, so if you haven’t already subscribed now is a great time to do so.

In the meantime, I’ve got work to do.

13 December 2012 by schannepj Categories: MURDEREDTags: author, bill tapply, books, click your poison, cyp, literature, murder, murder mystery novel, mystery, ogres are like onions, point of view, red herrings, second person point of view, second-person, self-publishing, thriller, william tapply, writing 1 Comment

Top 10 Worst Christmas Present Gift Ideas

Just for fun, I created this Listmania! list on Amazon:

Worst list 1

Worst list 2

12 December 201212 December 2012 by schannepj Categories: MusingsTags: books, christmas, funny, gag gift, holiday spirit, humor, humour, listmania, prank, secret santa, shopping, top 10, white elephant, worst gift ideas 3 Comments

What’s Happening?

Introducing the “Events” tab! See it up there? At the top; next to “Blog.” Go ahead, click it.

Now, whenever there’s a writerly event, you won’t have to miss out. Also, if you have an event and want me there, let me know. I’ll bring the party:

30 November 2012 by schannepj Categories: MusingsTags: author, blogging, book signing, books, community, events, hogh culture, mayan apocalypse, parties, self-publishing, writer party, writing, zombie apocalypse, zombies Leave a comment

Thankful for Your Brains

Happy Thanksgiving, all! I have a lot to be Thankful for this year. Not the least of which is for you, the reader.

This website, which just celebrated its one year anniversary yesterday, has introduced me to many wonderful people: Thank you for your comments and thanks for reading. I’m equally thankful to those who read in earnest silence; the lurkers! I’m Thankful to have published my first book this year, and touched that so many of you not only spent your hard-earned money on something I wrote, but also that you enjoyed it enough to share with your friends and family. I’m thankful that people value the written word, that you appreciate when time and effort is put into writing, and I’m glad to live in a society where it’s possible to earn a living from my passion (not that I’m there yet, maybe next year, ha!).

Now, to show that I’m thankful for your brains, enjoy this ten-course zombie thanksgiving feast:

Zombie Pilgrim — http://www.underwatercitypeople.com/HappyThanksgiving.html

Zombie Feast — https://www.facebook.com/zombiedatingguide

zombie turkey — http://zombieportraits.com/happy-thanksgiving-zombie-turkey/

zombie pinup — http://blingee.com/blingee/view/118668988-zombie-thanksgiving

zurkey — http://shewalkssoftly.com/2011/11/

braaaaains — http://joonbug.com/newyork/scenetracker/Pre-Thanksgiving-Zombie-Walk-2011/vu5W9wOVb6R

z-t-day — http://shewalkssoftly.com/category/art/page/13/

zombie eat — http://popculturecrusader.blogspot.com/2011_11_01_archive.html

10)

zombie ani — http://peoplesrepublicofpaul.wordpress.com/tag/zombie-thanksgiving/

And, of course, I’m thankful to have gotten married this year. None of this would be possible without you, Michaela — LOVE YOU!

(Dessert)

zombie bride — http://www.joyboe.com/2010/10/creative-costumes-as-art-form.html

* I don’t own any of these images and therefore all art is linked to the original source. Thanks to the artists for making this a HAPPY ZOMBIE THANKSGIVING!

22 November 2012 by schannepj Categories: MusingsTags: blog, books, Giving thanks, self-publishing, thankful author, thanksgiving feast, writing, zombie feast, zombie thanksgiving, zombie turkey Leave a comment

INFECTED Paperback Giveaway!

That’s me, with the proof of the book. INFECTED will be out in paperback just in time for Thanksgiving, and to give “Thanks!” to all my readers, I’m hosting a giveaway. And in the Holiday spirit, share share share this link: a Rafflecopter giveaway

16 November 2012 by schannepj Categories: INFECTEDTags: books, free, gamebook, Giveaway, holiday spirit, interactive, paperback, rafflecopter, writing, zombie apocalypse, zombies 2 Comments

INFECTED is Evolving

Happy Monday! It’s time for an important announcement. The impossible now becomes… possible–INFECTED is moving from being available only as an ebook. It’s growing up. Evolving. By the end of this month (probably right around Thanksgiving), there will be a paperback version. Just in time for Christmas shopping! Zombies… the gift that truly keeps on giving.

Granted, the ebook format lends itself to a more streamlined reading experience, and that will still be available, but there’s demand for a print edition as well. I know what some of you are thinking; it’s called Click Your Poison, what am I “clicking” in a paperback? Nothing, Captain Smartypants. The Click Your Poison brand stays, this is simply the “eAversion Version”. And as a bonus for this edition, rules for the Party Game are included along with a Reader’s Guide in the back of the book.

So stay tuned, zombie fans, because there will be a paperback giveaway for my blog followers upon release. Subscribe on the upper left and make sure you don’t miss out!

5 November 2012 by schannepj Categories: INFECTEDTags: book giveaway, books, christmas shopping, eaversion version, ebook, entertainment, infected paperback, Kindle, news, top stories, zombies Leave a comment

When Your Work Rises From The Dead

This is an essay I wrote for the blog Fictional Candy to coincide with a book giveaway.

Indie writers have a bad rap. There’s a stigma that these authors couldn’t cut it in the real world of publishing, and therefore used the resources of the internet to bypass the gatekeepers of talent. Some writers, admittedly, deserve this stereotype. For your first story, you probably shouldn’t publish it. You should email it to friends and family for their enjoyment, ask for feedback from strangers online, and grow before you try to stake a professional claim.

But what about projects rejected for reasons other than talent? Those rejected because they are considered “not marketable”? Marketability is actually more important than talent to the business side of publishing. Don’t believe me? How else can you explain this? Sure, at some point, talent is marketability, but not always. You could’ve penned the best vampire novel ever written, but the odds of getting accepted by a publishing house are extremely low—the market is flooded with vampires and therefore it might be rejected based on marketability.

Vampire Kid — You could try writing a Twilight prequel! Or not.

So they will kill your work before it’s even born, and it’s up to you to resurrect it. You have the power. It’s no longer “Can I?” but “Should I?” Short stories are a perfect example. You can’t market a single short story as a publishing house, but you sure as hell can self-publish it online as an indie author. And if it’s good enough, you should.

Which brings me to INFECTED and “Click Your Poison” books. No, it wasn’t rejected by a publishing house—it wasn’t even submitted to a publishing house—it was rejected by Hollywood. Back in 2008, INFECTED was a screenplay. It made some ripples in the pond, did well in contests, and even won me a little money. What it didn’t do was attract studio attention. Why not? It was good, I was told, but it needed to either be based on existing intellectual property or be a zombie musical rom-com. Read: Marketability. Not wanting to compromise my story, I shelved the project.

Cut to four years later and an idea to make a “Choose Your Own Adventure” series for grown-ups.* I knew right away that INFECTED needed to rise from the dead. A book where the reader can finally find out for themselves if they would survive the zombie apocalypse? Marketable! I believed this so much so, in fact, I decided not to even attempt the traditional publishing route. It’s the new Wild West in publishing, and that makes indie authors the new outlaws. But soon, very soon, “self-published” will no longer be a dirty word.

*Choose Your Own Adventure® is now a registered trademark of Chooseco, LLC, and is not associated in any way with Click Your Poison™ books.

Head on over to Fictional Candy to enter the giveaway for a free copy of INFECTED!

3 November 2012 by schannepj Categories: MusingsTags: books, choose your own adventure, click your poison, entertainment, Fictional Candy, Free Kindle Book, Giveaway, Guest Post, hollywood, indie writers, infected, self-publishing, Twilight, writing, zombie apocalypse, zombies Leave a comment

Zombies & Spirits Unite!

Welcome zombie blog walkers and internet shamblers! This post is a special one, made for the “2012 Virtual Zombie Walk” hosted by zombieseverywhere.org Undead aficionados are joining their bony, fetid hands for one day only, in celebration of all things zombie. You can see a full list of the blog walk (and follow the tour yourself) at this bottom of this page.

For my own contribution, I’d like to highlight a drinking game I created for my gamebook, INFECTED. It’s Friday, it’s zombies, lets adult this thing up and make it a zombie stumble. You can play the book by yourself, seeing if you have what it takes to survive a full-on apocalypse, but it’s a hell of a lot of fun with a group too. The full rules have a permanent home on my page, but for those just visiting, the quick and dirty version is below:

The game! — Gather ’round, friends. For this book will help you forget how to read…

1) Load INFECTED on your ipad, tablet, ereader, etc.

2) Pass the book in a circle, each person reading aloud until you reach a decision point, and decide as a group what path to take. Narrator has final say for that choice.

3) Chug every time you kill a zombie, take a shot every time you die.*

4) Try to survive.

That’s it! Enjoy. Annnnnd please be responsible.

*If you’re not of legal drinking age, chug Mountain Dew (Code Red) and take shots of hot sauce. Trust me, whoever’s parents are hosting the slumber party will love this idea.

45285_10151245617366635_1107890493_n — Want to intensify your game? DRESS UP AS ZOMBIES!

If you’re into parties, this is a great way to start one. And what better season to give it a go than right before Halloween? Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of the zombie walk!

PS — Not into parties? Take the high road here.