SB Wight

Getting really close to publishing my first book!! Thinking about doing a direct-from-author presale of a limited edition version with some extras, and wondering what other indie authors have done/seen. I'm thinking this will be a 50-book, artisan-quality (same as the regular printing (probably to come in at $18 retail), but higher quality all around including heavier paper), "signature"-stamped and hand numbered, probably with matching bookmark w/single-use discount code to be applied to Book 2 when purchased direct from the author, shipping covered in the continental U.S. Maybe also some cover-art stickers? 1) What would you estimate this to be worth for a first-time indie author's first book in a completed (written and working towards publishing subsequent books at approx. 1 book/year) 5-book fantasy series? 2) Any other thoughts on more or better perks? 3) Has anybody done this through their own author website and how did you go about it? Thanks for any input!! #WritingCommunity #indieauthor

@StevenTBoers63 @EnnsLindy I'll be announcing when my limited-edition run is out and then when the retail is. Always appreciate the support! (Hopefully I'll make some sales so I can start buying some more from my moots on here!)

@sb_wight @EnnsLindy Both sound fun! They'll be going on my list 😁

Indy thought: I still consider myself fairly new in the Indy community. I've published a few books and have read only a small handful of Indy books. So, let's share a couple. My book: A Game of Pawns. A rec I didn't write: When Shadows Fall by @EnnsLindy How bout you?

@Lyons_Pen Apparently! I have noticed that at least this scam exposes us authors as a group as generally supportive. It always seems like we're falling for the "Can you help me out?" scams rather than the "Hey, come help yourself out." scams.

I feel like asking authors to not click links is akin to asking seven year olds not to get in vans when strangers have puppies and candy

@KoalaQuillHQ Sounds familiar! Me: *writes 700K+ word series that culminates in about 10 interlacing POVs* Also Me: "Huh... What is this even about?!"

@sb_wight Sorry, I can only make a decent summary when I'm off the clock. When I'm actually TRYING to write a synopsis, my brain stops working altogether 😅

Alright... Back on this theme of "what is your book about?" Or, what are the underlying themes, or moral structure, etc.? Here's the thing with my series: there are moral threads that run through my books, but they're inconsistent, and that's the point. Life brings us challenges, it throws things at us that force us to confront reality in ways that can easily turn us from our moral paths or clarify those moral paths. The good man who values life arguably above all else will, when given the "right" set of pressures, willingly take a life. The joyful child with a heart of gold will slaughter countless innocents when that golden heart is broken. The poison that would drive a moral woman mad will transform a villain into a good person. The meakest wield the greatest power. The strongest falter under apparently trivial stressors. But not always. Sometimes it happens the other way around or somewhere in between. The point is to find out why individuals react the way that they do -- what makes them them, what will drag them down and what will lift them up. Whether the cliff will stop them in their tracks or teach them that they can fly. Not all successes are victories, not all failures are defeats, but sometimes they are, and the depth and breadth of "human" perseverance and tenacity can be easily limited to outright paralysis in one moment and limitless in another. There's plenty else going on -- the strength of family and community, the effects of an imposed peace, the price of bringing back a life and the cost of taking them, and on and on -- but the ultimate reaction of the individual to what life throws at them is the continuous thread throughout the entire tattered cloth that makes up all of the connected lives in this world. Tagging @DanNEO_SS , since it was him who pushed me to figure all of this out. #WritingCommunity #IndieAuthor

@KoalaQuillHQ That's a very succinct way of putting it! You don't happen to write synopses for a fee, do you? 😂🤣

@sb_wight This is a really compelling way to frame it... less about fixed themes, more about testing what survives pressure.

This was the very old pear tree out in our front "yard" (some would call it a field) about 4 years ago -- a remnant of a long-gone farm orchard. Two years ago it got some sort of disease and it's been reduced to one tiny branch that's alive, but the rest is dead. Today I've made the decision to cut it down. I'll save what I can for future woodworking projects, but it still makes me sad. Godspeed, grandma Pear.

@JasonWMizer Howdy! I've been picking away at E.L. Lyons "Starlight Jewel" (very limited reading time, but I manage to find 15-20 minutes every day or two). You?

What has happened to my feed? I have no feed. Everyone say hi and what you read last. If you haven't read anything, what instructions did you not follow last?

Here's the deal: there is a Constitution that dictates how this process must happen to be legitimate. This Constitution is the ultimate law of the state and it too was voted on. Virginia lawmakers willfully violated this ultimate state law. There should be legal repercussions for this behavior.

Here’s the deal: Virginians voted.

Allowing people to twist our norms does cause harm. Motherhood is valuable and special; celebrating being a mother when you are not diminishes and demeans actual mothers. How about let's not normalize these ridiculous delusions?!

@deaflibertarian Someone else celebrating Mother’s Day as a pet owner doesn’t affect you. I said what I said.

Owning a pet does not make you a mother. I said what I said.

Lots of what I write is inspired by real life moments/events/observations. But there's one that's particularly amusing: my mother, after having read about the first 1/3 of my first book as I was writing it, challenged me to include the word "smidgeon" (or "smidgen", but that spelling really bugs me) in my book. I ended up creating a whole character named Smidgeon who I thought would be minor, but ended up playing a major role throughout the entire series.

Writing thought: Does anyone take things from real life and insert them into their book? I guess, if I think about it, I have, but it was such a minor thing. Are those inserts stronger because they're more real? Or does it matter? What do you think?

Yeah...pretty much. "Overthinking" is my middle name.

@sb_wight What I can conclude is that you must suffer as much as I do when writing synopses. Overthinking is the way!

@4thOfJuly365 I did this when I was a kid. Then I grew up and realized that scrambled eggs can be really good and not overcooked into oblivion, requiring the addition of something like ketchup. Still, ketchup on scrambled eggs is yummy! I wouldn't judge anybody who does it.

Am I the only one who puts ketchup on scrambled eggs? I’m genuinely shocked every single time I see someone stare at my plate like I just poured motor oil on it. I swear this is an old-school move. My grandparents and their generation did it without thinking twice. It was cheap, it was fast, it made basic eggs exciting during tougher times. It’s wild how something this simple divides people so hard. Team Ketchup On Eggs!

My question would be sensitive to what? Sensitive to whose sensibilities? For example, chasing whatever flavor-of-the-moment of "political correctness" is a losing game before you even start. Authors should write what they write and let the rest sort itself out. Jeez, I am ranty today. Maybe time for a little break to recharge.

Do you believe authors should be sensitive to the times we live in? What if the story they write has characters from countries shrouded in controversy? I don't write books set in the real world and am curious.

I'm literally thinking about this and I've got: Perseverance! No, wait...too many people want to kill themselves and some do. Good defeats evil! Yeah, no. Well maybe a little, but no. Family and community! That's in there! But is it what the series is about? Not really. A philosophical look at creation, gods, and control? Seems like a stretch. And a pretentious one at that. Maybe morality and the fallibility of the individual? Eh, maybe. I'm spiraling down to: It's an introspective look into the hearts, minds, and personal motivations of a range of individuals under all manner of stressors and motivators. Don't know that that qualifies as what it's "about", but it's at least a purpose. And the story is entertaining...I think. I'm going to drive my wife crazy this evening, and I'm blaming you. 😉

@sb_wight There are things in life that you cannot explain; they simply happen. Perhaps it is the subconscious, or the heart speaking. But I strongly believe that every writer has one or more messages that inevitably repeat throughout their work. I noticed mine from the very beginning.

Except for little Martin, every writer will love their books more than anyone else ever will. That’s why I don’t understand people who say they don’t know what their own book is about; that’s a different issue from not being able to explain it in a few words for a synopsis.

I just had to repost this! My response is in the replies, for anyone interested. I'm...fascinated by this! And really curious how other authors will respond!

To be fair, these stats do show a strong correlation between relative economic status and crime within racial class, but the racial disparity is insane! So, again to be fair, he's not wrong that reducing poverty would reduce crime, but, and to your point presumably, there's far more at work here than economics influencing crime. Gotta say, though, my mind is a little blown by this! Where is this chart from?

Poor white people have lower rates of criminality than rich black people Poverty does not cause crime

@TeamKClark Do you honestly believe that Virginia's state Constitution has anything to do with Florida? Or are you just lying to enrage stupid people?

Let’s be clear: If this standard applies in Virginia, it should apply in Florida too. Two different standards for democracy is not justice.