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The E-book Revolution: Growing with Readers and Writers

It’s the next big thing.  It’s a risk, and it’s one I’ve decided to take.  A lot is at stake in the ebook revolution, at least as far as authors go.  You’re putting your work out there, published, done.  No more agents, no more rejection letters, no more long lines at the amusement park for a disappointing ride in the end.  No going back.  I’m sort of new to embracing this, so none of this is new news to most of you.  Still, the same question is on a lot of people’s minds: marketing, networking, sales, the separation between quality and quantity shit.  I’ve decided to take the plunge, and though I’ve only been at it for a short time, I’ve seen some results; not enough to quit my job yet, of course, but the results—the spikes in sales, reviews—are in and still coming.  I’ve even met some damn fine, supportive people along the way willing to read, review, and spread the word.  That’s priceless.  You can’t buy that.  This, from total strangers?  Really?  I keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best.  I feel like I have something to offer.  And I think that’s a good thing, the most important thing—the most important thing, which is: Story.

But deep down, I’m still a traditionalist.  I believe a writer should write.  I don’t think you should forget the story, the imagination, the art for the sake of publicity and sales.  Over the past few weeks and months, I guess, I’ve read every article I can find on marketing, selling, and publishing your ebooks, because let’s face it, when you love what you do that much, and when you see other people making a living at it, you ask yourself: “Why can’t I?”  I labor, I work, I pen with all the guts and passion integrity requires, and I love my ideas.  I read everything I get my greedy, nerdy hands on.  Most seem to come down to the same thing:  have a great cover, have a great blurb, have a great story—the last being most important, obviously.  You have to have something to offer.  You have to have something good, and you have to find your niche.  Through many of those articles, I rarely saw anyone talk about story, and I found that odd.  And what else is there?  Story is all there is.  Story is everything.  KDP Select offers to get your work into hundreds and thousands of people’s hands.  How many actually read your work and write reviews is a whole ’nother…story, obviously.  But as far as readership goes, and building and audience, what other choice is out there with quicker results?  It beats waiting for the long line at the amusement park.  There are supposedly one billion Kindles being used today if I read one particular article correctly.  That’s a helluva lot of people.  There is talk of algorithms (which, I only faintly understand), and visibility, because let’s face it, I’m no marketing guru.  I would rather understand the deeper complexities of the imagination and stirring people’s hearts and minds than what the numbers mean.  It’s how you make people feel in the end that counts.  There is so much out there, I wonder how much distraction plays a role.  I think it’s a big role, because in today’s world, with so much out there, there is plenty to distract you.  The problem is there is so much!  So many books, books, books!  So, you take the plunge and hope for the best, hoping and praying that maybe in some way, in some light, you will rise above what surely must be an insane amount of drivel and shine!

But like most people, I believe in the traditional aspect: you can’t write to make money.  You write because you love it.  Hopefully, you love and feel confident enough about your work that you want to share it and have it be a part of the literary world.  Everyone dreams of Bestsellerdom.  Everyone thinks their stories are separate and different than the rest.  But we can’t all be right, can we?  The writer’s job is to write, but these days, we are asked to do a little more.  No, we are asked to do a lot more.  Now, we are entrepreneurs of our trade, when most of us wanted to just sit in the dark hollow of the cave and nurse our imaginations and characters to life without the bustling, noisome distractions of the world outside.  And then, we weren’t writing, we just wanted to bury ourselves between the covers of someone else’s brain.  But that is the ordeal.  I have written so many letters to agents, sent off so many stories for so many long years, all the while waiting, usually months on end for the standard form rejection letter.  Disappointed doesn’t describe it as any writer knows.  No why, no personable thoughts.  Just, sorry I don’t have time to respond to this letter the way you would like, even though you spent hours researching me, shaped your letter to my needs, and waited anxiously for my response, which is here before you now with about as much life as a bad onion.  Writers who labor and suffer for their craft deserve a little better than that, I think.

I work at Barnes and Noble in receiving, and I see the books come in daily, and most of the time, I sit there and think to myself, “Could the publishers go anymore out of their way to not put any thought into these covers?”  In some parts, it is sad.  But in others, like with ebooks, you can create your own.  You can capture the feel, the essence of your novel with one picture.  You can write your own blurb, design it yourself, and send it out into the world.  Just because its digital doesn’t mean it won’t see print someday.  Some of those authors are finding major success.  Some are even signing deals to traditional publishing houses because of it.  So, it’s just a different road, a different time, and it’s one I’ve decided to embrace.  You have nothing to lose.  The bottom line is, you are a writer, and you love to write, and you love your stories more than anyone will ever love them.  And you can get those stories into people’s hands.  Lots and lots of people.  And some of those people are behind you one hundred percent.  Some are reading your work, reviewing your work, and looking for more.  People are paying to read you, and some—God Bless ’em—are even liking what they see.

I just want to take the time to show my gratitude and appreciation for every artist who gave me permission to use their beautiful covers, for the people who spent their hard-earned money shelling out a few bucks for a tale I penned.  I want to thank the people who made the time to read and review my stories, who participated in the successes I’ve had, and hopefully liked what they saw.  The results are in.  And it’s a beautiful thing.  It is music to a writer’s ears to know that people are liking what they see and that they want more.  Do I have more?  You’d better believe it!  It’s been lined up on the table for years, so I figure sacrificing a few tales to the ebook revolution compared to what I already have in the trunk is nothing.  That’s what I’ve been doing for the last twenty-plus years.  And I want every reader to know that I give every tale every ounce of blood, sweat, pain, and joy I can, because if you are going to spend money on my work, you deserve my best efforts, no?  Do I think my stories are perfect?  Far from it.  That beginning of To Disturb the Dead still raises an eyebrow.  When We Were Dragons could have been a series, maybe?  Body of Immorality deserves a few other tales that found homes in anthologies first.  Hmm.  Well, regardless.  It is the tale, not he who tells it, as Stephen King is fond of saying.  I tell the tale the way the tale tells me to tell it.  Nothing more, nothing less, but it’s my job to shape the tale and give it everything I have, all the life, color, vibrancy, and emotional impact I can, so that you, the reader, can say, “That was the best .99 cents I ever spent, or 1.99, or 2.99.”  That’s all I’m trying to do.  Share my work with you and make you feel like you’re getting what you paid for.  I think that’s a pretty fair trade, and it works for both of us.  With some of the comments I’ve seen, it seems I’m doing my job.  So, the big shout out is this:  THANK YOU ALL—ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR WONDERFUL SUPPORT, LOVE, ENCOURAGEMENT, AND GENEROSITY!  It is truly a beautiful thing to be a part of and grow with, and I certainly look forward to more!

http://www.amazon.com/Brandon-Berntson/e/B0075FG106/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

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To Disturb the Dead’s First Review

“Unsettling, disturbing, freaky and yet somehow still funny. This short story had me laughing at some of the phrases but then immediately disturbed and creeped me out. I couldn’t help but feel sad for Bobby. Kathy was a nut case with serious issues that landed her in a “heap load” of trouble. I wish there had been more details about the story but for a novella it was good. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a freaky fast paced read with the undead.” – Barbie Shannon

To disturb the dead Cover

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Castle Juliet Review:

A great review for Castle Juliet captures the essence of my novel more than the blurb I wrote for it.  But I’m okay with that:

“Watch and learn” says Jack to Alice. ‘Castle Juliet’ might just as well have been called ‘Your Guide to Childhood.’ If you’ve forgotten what it was like, this charming novel will help you recall all the beauty, pain, challenges and joys of the growing-up years and the important, if unlikely bonds that can sustain us over a lifetime.

In the magical town of Storyville time is malleable. Tigers and aliens co-exist alongside clockmakers and cowgirls. Here, best friends Jack and Alice explore a world of pink lasers, snowflakes, wizards and a pony named Christmas. Yet they also struggle with the realities of school, bullying and the absence of a parent.

The lure of a mystery entwines the story. It is the ultimate mystery–the meaning of life. In moments of intense presence, Alice and Jack find pathways to deeper wisdom and understanding. The wonders of their imaginary world give way to the even more profound wonders of our existence.

“Do you think we’ll always be friends?” says Alice. Oh yes, they will. Because every boy needs his Alice, his true companion, and every girl needs her Jacky-boy–her champion–to surprise her, to build her castles and to help her see the magic.

Castle Juliet Cover1

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Corona of Blue

COMING SOON!

Rayleigh Angelica Thorn is being haunted and going mad. Her parents have just introduced her to the perfect gentleman. She owns her own dark, cryptic bookstore, The Broken Spine, while its single occupant, Junky, a black cat with a chip on his shoulder, roams its halls.

But it’s all about to come crashing down. A message on her phone unearths a torrents of memories – a voice from the past that should have been buried long ago. Ghostly visitations from a young girl who looks exactly like her, but somehow isn’t, haunt her evenings at home.

Rayleigh’s mental state is in the balance; she drinks too much, and on top of everything else, she might be falling in love.  In order to save herself, and those around her, she must go home again – the small town where she grew up.  But with the onslaught of memories suddenly assaulting her, and her fragile state of mind, Rayleigh isn’t sure she’s up for the task.

Teeming with sass and attitude, Corona of Blue is a ghost story thriller like no other.  While packing a wallop of chills and frightful shivers, it still manages to brim with love and compassion. Long after the final page is turned, Rayleigh Thorn will haunt you still.

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