PUBLISHING ON THE AMAZON KINDLE:  MY EXPERIENCE

I’m not going to lie, I’ve been in somewhat of a writing rut lately.  Don’t get me wrong, I did finish a new story and am working on a new one as we speak, but this was a pretty nasty rut.  I was getting rejections for all of my short story submissions and I don’t care how many times you get a rejection or how used to it you’ve become, it still stings and can really leave you feeling unmotivated.  I think that was my problem for a while.  Sure, there’s the drive to write because I’m passionate about it and it’s what I enjoy doing, but feeling like I wasn’t getting anywhere with my submissions left a dent in my desire to write.

And then, it hit me.  I found out that Amazon has a self-publishing program where you can self-publish your writing exclusively for the Kindle free of charge.  Not only that, but you get to have more of a say when it comes down to pricing, something I was never comfortable with on my previous short story collection, Falling Apart.  I was proud of the book and all (and still am), but I was never comfortable with the pricing of it, which is why you don’t see me plugging it all that much.  Hell, I even think the Kindle edition of it is still nowhere near the price range I’d like it to be—and it turned out horrible looking (it’s readable, but it should’ve turned out a lot better).

That’s when the desire returned.

I decided I was going to give this new adventure a try.  What the hell?  I certainly wouldn’t be losing money on it like with my other self-publishing experiences.  I love the Amazon Kindle and I know a lot of people who now own one (you can also download a free Kindle app for the PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Blackberry and Droid).

IN DECLINE as seen on the Kindle

So, I have put together a new short story collection called, In Decline.  I submitted it to Amazon dtp (Digital Text Platform) once I had everything all sorted out.  At first, I thought this would be a small project, maybe consisting of five stories or so.  Then, I ended up having total of nine.  I was a lot more selective this time around than I was with Falling Apart, since that was more of a physical publication I felt like I had to make sure it was at a reasonable length.  Since this is an e-book, I really didn’t have to worry about how long the overall book would be.  There are stories that didn’t make the collection, but not because they aren’t good.  I just picked the ones that I felt went together well.

Remember, even movie reviews can be an exercise in writing!

REVIEWING FILM

Are you a film lover? Do you get passionate over certain movies and are always willing to discuss or debate with others? You may want to consider reviewing movies, if that’s the case. You don’t have to be a certified critic to do it. There are plenty of non-paying places like Amazon where you can have your voice heard, or you could seek out other places that may offer payment or free movies for you to review (if you’re looking for the second option, then it’s good to practice reviewing on sites like Amazon, that way you have some examples you can send).I’m a film lover. In no way am I a professional critic, but I think I have the chops to write out a review here and there when the mood strikes me. Plus, it’s another grand excuse to write. Remember, writing anything is better than nothing. It’s a great outlet if you’re stumped on whatever writing project you’re tackling at the moment, as it still forces you to exercise your writing skills.So how do you properly review a film? Well, there are many ways. I’m not here to tell you how to specifically do that. Again, I’m no professional, so I really have no right to tell you how to conduct a review. What I can do is offer some suggestions and walk you through on some of the things I consider when I’m doing a review. In no way is this meant to be a how-to. My only hope is that some of my caffeinated-induced babble will help so I can sleep better at night thinking that I’m actually doing something helpful. Seriously, that’s the truth right there.

WHATEVER YOU REVIEW, BE PASSIONATE!

If you’re doing reviews for fun and you’re in complete control of everything that you want to review, always choose something you’re passionate about. Writing a review for something that you really feel indifferent about can be rough. It makes sense. What kind of movie is easier for you to talk about with others? Something that left no impression whatsoever on you, or something that was able to get a rise out of you? And when I say be passionate, it doesn’t have to be positive. You can passionately hate something, too. We’ve all seen a movie here and there that left us with so much hatred that all we could do was rant about it for days and days. Write it in a review! Trust me, your friends will thank you for not having to hear you scream about the movie for the millionth time.

IF IT “ROCKS,” SAY WHY. IF IT “SUCKS,” SAY WHY.

While some professionals may frown if you use those two terms, it’s actually quite acceptable. You can say something sucks. You can say something rocks. However, explain why something sucks or rocks. Don’t say, “This movie sucks,” and leave it at that. “This movie rocks!” is equally annoying when there’s no explanation for it. Give reasons behind those opinions! “This movie sucked because the performances weren’t there and the writing was not only hacky, but also one-dimensional,” at least tells the story.

PLEASE, DON’T PULL A HOMER SIMPSON.

If you’re a fan of “The Simpsons,” then I’m sure you remember the classic scene where Homer went with Marge to see “The Empire Strikes Back” and comments to her as they’re leaving the theater that he couldn’t believe that Darth Vader was Luke’s father, only to meet the unpleasant groans of movie-goers who were waiting in line to see the next showing. As funny as that scene is, spoilers are no laughing matter. In fact, people often avoid reading reviews for fear of the reviewer giving away too much of the plot or secrets. Do your best to avoid this, and if you must give away something crucial, at least warn the reader before doing so. Also, there is nothing wrong with letting the reader know that your review is “spoiler-free.” Giving away spoilers is the most common sin that is committed when it comes to reviews, and even the professionals are guilty of this crime. Re-read your review many times just to be sure that you haven’t given away something that should be discovered when it is seen on the big screen for the very first time. I know, it can be rough not to give away details. Hell, when I wrote my review for “Inglourious Basterds” I had to restrain myself from giving away too much of the plot and story. Would my review have been better if I went into more detail? Certainly, but the person reading the review would have to suffer for it. Think carefully when it comes to writing about the story and plot. To me, that is the most important rule… and it is also the most difficult to follow.

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