Books | Graphomaniac – A. Elizabeth West

By now, you’ve probably heard that Amazon drivers are striking for better working conditions. Good for them! I hope they win.

I’m an indie author with my own small press (of a sort) who distributes through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). Currently, it’s my only outlet. You can’t get my stuff in bookstores (yet) or on any other platform. WordPress long ago skunked my ability to sell anything directly through this blog without paying for a business account I can’t afford given the small amount of money I make. I’m not great at independent marketing, and Twitter, where I’d picked up a little bit of steam, is not what it used to be.

Maybe I should do it like this instead.

I know Kerblam (IYKYK, lol) sucks. I don’t blame anyone who doesn’t want to buy through them. I went through KDP initially because it was free for me, and I had no money. Like, none. They can afford to do that because they make more off my sales than I do. (This is pretty much the case for everything, tbh. Writers, particularly indie ones, don’t usually make bank.)

If you still want to buy my books, I would highly recommend that, at least right now, you get the e-book version. No delivery necessary. Plus, instant gratification!

Who doesn’t love a little retail therapy?

Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

I’ll also be fine if you decide not to. My luck changed; I landed a good day job, and when I got laid off, I found another one (being in a larger city helps). Right now, anyway, I don’t need book sales to survive. I also live in a state that has protections my old state doesn’t.

When I finish the last book in this trilogy (I WILL, I PROMISE), I want to expand the options for buying. Unfortunately, Kerblam has the market majority, so I can’t avoid them completely. But I’d like to make it easier for YOU to avoid them.

I’m hoping to make it so you can order them from bookstores and support your favorite small booksellers. For now, if you want to, you can get them here.

I’m here! I’m alive!

LIFE UPDATE

I began my new job on March 13. It’s been a bit of a rough start:

My training has been pushed back for reasons (nothing to do with me).
The commute, which normally would be 30 minutes, is 45-50 because of construction (I’m mostly working from home now).
Parking (safely) is more expensive than I expected.
Friday of my first week, I tripped on the curb going to the parking garage, fell, and gave myself a third-degree friction burn on my knee from the inside of my jeans. At least they didn’t rip. I’m fairly sure no one saw (I hope, lol).

Man tripping on a beach with a sword flying out in front of him. — Like this, but with no beach and no sword.

Image by Harmony Lawrence from Pixabay

Currently, I’m in the St. Louis office, but at the end of next month, I’m moving to Boston. I have an apartment secured and a moving pod scheduled. Now the list looks like this:

Empty out all my belongings from the storage place BY MYSELF
Cram them into the pod at the house BY MYSELF
Drive 1200 miles to my new place
Unload the pod up two flights of stairs (outside) BY MYSELF (Edit: I do have two guys for two hours on the other end; I hope it’s enough.)

All of this while also at work 40 hours a week. No, I did not receive any relocation assistance (it’s entry-level). The short timeline means that it’s going to be tough financially. If you would like to help, you can donate here.

No, I will not be driving to work in Boston. Unlike St. Louis, that is unnecessary; I can catch a bus across the street from my apartment to a train station, from which I will alight around the corner from my office. It takes about an hour but I can also work from home.

With trains and buses, you don’t have to worry about parking and you can sit and read (except at rush hour). The only time I ever get to ride public transport is when I go to the UK. I know it’s not perfect and MBTA is not TfL, but it’s so much easier (and cheaper, and better for the environment) than driving everywhere.

A colonial-era building of red brick with a white cupola sits nestled among skyscrapers. In the foreground is a glass building with a patio table in front of it. — This is Faneuil Hall Marketplace downtown; it’s very close to my office.

Image by David Mark from Pixabay

BOOK 3 UPDATE

In my head, things are happening. On paper, not so much. I’m trying to get this move over with ASAP so I can concentrate on writing. Once both my butt and my things are in place, a personal version of NaNoWriMo can commence.

Essdran will just be in the text with a glossary at the end as it was in Confluence, though the list of words and phrases will be longer since we’re actually in Ilarrya. There’s a map here along with a lost chapter from Tunerville you can download for free. I know how the book will end.

There may be a set or some kind of discount for all three books; I’m not sure yet. I would like to offer a box set of paperbacks. IngramSpark transfer and distribution did not happen yet but it will.

There’s one more thing I want to do when Book 3 is finished: to have a table at a con. I don’t know which one, probably something local and probably not until 2024. The first Tremendicon in Springfield was a blast—I would love it to be that one, but due to catching up moneywise, it might end up being something within driving distance. If anyone has any suggestions for small sci-fi/fantasy cons in New England, feel free to drop them in the comments.

Now I’m off to start moving boxes (ugh).