PLEASE NOTE: This blog contains adult subjects and content, and because of Google/Blogger's recent nonsense, I HAVE MOVED TO WORDPRESS. For my enlightened friends who wish to visit me in my new home, it's https://ericalscott.wordpress.com. Please bookmark it!

The rest of you? Please take your judge-y selves somewhere more wholesome, like here: www.wonderbread.com

Go on.... shoo!



Sunday, August 21, 2011

This is IT, kids, Part 2

Hope everyone had a nice weekend (including my Spanking Court pals at the Tampa Tanners party).

OK, so you already know my book is available in paperback here and here. Now it is also available in a Kindle version, also on Amazon, here. I joined Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and followed their instructions for converting my book file to an e-book file.

Personally? I don't care for the Kindle version; the paperback has more personality, I think. For one thing, it has the cover. Also, when you're formatting for an e-book, you can't have headers or footers, or bullet points. And of course, there aren't page numbers, so the Table of Contents is useless.

I had three black-and-white ClipArt pictures imbedded inside the book: 1) a long-stemmed rose on the title page; 2) on the Part I page, a partially opened rosebud, and 3) on the Part II page, a rose in full bloom. However, when it went to Kindle, those three pictures became black squares. I didn't know how to fix that, so I deleted them.

I know there is some way to generate a Table of Contents in an e-book, where instead of page numbers, you have hyperlinks. So when you want to go to a particular chapter, you click on it in the TOC and it takes you there. Neat trick, but I was damned if I could figure out how to do that and every time I tried, I messed it up. Instead, I deleted the TOC altogether.

So it's not as good as the printed book, IMO. But a lot of people aren't old school like me; they love their gadgets. I had to make a gadget-friendly version.

I brought the first perfect copy to John this weekend. Tomorrow, I should be getting the other four copies I'd ordered and I can give/send them off. One will go to the young man who proofread the book before it went to final -- he did say he'd leave it to me whether or not I wish to credit him, but I figure if he hadn't wished to remain anonymous, he would have commented on the blog at some point. So I will keep his name to myself. But speaking of him, he also wrote my very first review on Amazon, which I'd like to share here.

Late Bloomer is an intriguing answer to the question "Who is Erica Scott?" Written by Ms Scott herself, the book takes us on a fascinating and intense journey through the author's life, starting in early childhood and concluding sometime near the present. The book is divided into two distinct parts. In the first we learn about Erica's early years where we're introduced to her world, her family and the conflicts (internal and external) which define the backdrop of her life. In the second half of the book we see Erica bloom and turn her mere existence into a life of taking chances and fulfillment.

Throughout Late Bloomer Ms Scott maintains a well-paced and witty narrative. She has a knack for presenting to us the Big Picture and then zooming in to explore specific moments in time, fleshing out the details. Then we're pulled back again to look at how the Big Picture all fits together. It's a well organized pattern and it keeps the story flowing.

Often times the first half of Late Bloomer covers serious, dark subject matter. Ms Scott tells us that she did not lead a happy and balanced youth and she doesn't pull any punches. To her credit she doesn't let the story get bogged down either. The reader isn't asked to feel sadness or to pity the writer, facts are simply presented and then we move on, all the while treated to Ms Scott's singular wit.

The story takes a sudden turn in the second half and we're treated to a brighter version of Erica, one in which she is full of adventure, humour and, yes, more wit. Fans of Ms Scott's other works will know she's a fan of spanking, of being spanked, and we get to experience her introduction into that pastime, into that world. Her descriptions are engrossing, amusing and detailed. She doesn't hold back, sharing with us both the good times and unpleasant, the funny stories and the shocking. We get to follow Ms Scott into her film career, to the spanking parties; we meet her co-workers and her friends. She shares it all.

Late Bloomer is the ultimate introduction to Erica Scott, she lays her whole life out on the pages in a beautiful, articulate display. We see many sides of Erica's life, the sad times and the fun, the lonely moments and the euphoric - all of it wrapped up in a humble, honest and humorous style. Late Bloomer is a story of hope, of being dealt a bad hand and staying in the game anyway. It's a touching tale of discovering late really is better than never. It's about an amazing woman who struggled, held on and ultimately shaped her life into an exciting adventure. I recommend reading Late Bloomer and, through it, getting to meet the wonder that is Erica Scott.
Thank you.   I am honored, and hope others like it as much as you did.

So... Kitty of Kitty's Exotic Paddles has generously offered to make some room at her Shadow Lane vendor table if I'd like to sell some books there. I have to decide fairly quickly, since I have to make sure to order them in time. What do you guys think -- should I? I have never sold anything at a party before. Someone suggested I get 50 copies... there is no way I'd sell 50 copies. I was thinking more along the lines of 10 or 12. If I do it at all.

John took me out to a lovely seafood dinner last night to celebrate, and we have the SL party in two weeks, right around our 15th anniversary. Fun times. :-)

Still pinching myself...

23 comments:

  1. I LOVE PART 2!

    I'm going right on over to Fetlife and posting that "Amazon" review under the cover pic on my profile right now!

    I say take 20 copies with you to SL - I like nice round numbers. (grins)... You can even sign the books for buyers... Need me to make you a nice little placard for the table?? (grins) - you could laminate it! Put it on a little easel.. <--did I spell that right? LOL

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  2. Zelle -- you are too good to me! It's OK, hon... I really don't know if I'm going to bring copies or not. Part of me feels like I just want to enjoy the party without fussing over whether or not the book is selling. But I'll think on it a little more. (and yes, "easel" is correct! LOL)

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  3. YOU SHOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF KITTY'S wonderful offer! (says the lil marketing queen) :-)

    It's only a few hours out of your play-day! :-)

    THINK OF THAT VENDOR FAIR at SL .. as the start of your BOOK TOUR.... you know.. the one you'll be going on (with me as your valet) once the buzz is out and you're on the NY TIMES Best seller list.. and we all get invited to a really big Premier Party you'll be throwing out in Hollywood... cause you know the powers that be WILL BE MAKING THE MOVIE ....

    "Hmmm? Now what beguiling actress shall play YOU?

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  4. LOL! I dunno... some unknown indie actress with a big nose? (snort)

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  5. Do you remember the show "SOAP" - and Jessica Tate?? We'd damn sure need us a wisecracking Katherine Helmond of modern day.. to play your part. LOLOLOL

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  6. Hi Erica, I LOVE PART 2 AS WELL :-)Is there anyway i can send you the money and you can send me the book with your autograph? :-)It's special to me with your autograph cause your a VERY dear friend of mine, I can't wait to read it this is so EXCITING :-) I LOVE YOU SENDING YOU BIG HUGS ALWAYS From your naughty girl Jade XOXO

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  7. Definitely take books with you. Those people are your people (so to speak). Take advantage of the easy marketing opportunity.

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  8. Jade -- we'll work something out, I promise.

    Anonymous -- I guess I should, huh.

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  9. I agree with Zelle--take 20 books and take advantage of Kitty's offer. Make the most of this golden marketing opportunity!

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  10. Dana -- perhaps I'll split the difference. Zelle says 20, I say 10; maybe I'll make it 15.

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  11. I'm sure NOBODY has ever called you INCORRIGIBLE... have they?

    roflmao!!

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  12. Zelle -- why, as a matter of fact, they have. Also recalcitrant and obstreperous, and a few other things I can't recall at the moment. :-)

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  13. NO???!!! REALLY??!!! I'm so surprised!

    *NOT!*

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  14. I just downloaded Late Bloomer and can't wait to get started reading. I suppose you're getting ready for NG right about now.... Happy spanks!

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  15. Dana -- yay! Thank you! Yup, hair is wet, I'm running around straightening and tidying...

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  16. That review makes me even more excited to get my copy. I got the shipping confirmation today and will post all about it on my blog once I read it. :-) I think you could definitely sell some at SL, go for it!

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  17. Lea -- it seems to be unanimous; OK. I will order some books for the party. :-)

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  18. Love the book! Its so great to be able to read a fellow spankos tale. Nearly finished it ^_^ Your book has been placed next to niki flynn's (you two are my fav). Well wishes to you and I hope you have a great day.

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  19. Evann -- wow. That is high praise indeed, being up there with Niki's book. Thank you so much! :-)

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  20. I read about your book on another blog, went to Amazon and saw there was a Kindle edition, but I was concerned because the Kindle cover is not the same so I wondered if it was legitimate, so I came to find your blog to see ...
    You say about the paperback
    "For one thing, it has the cover" - yes but when you load the Kindle you are given the option of uploading a cover pic, and you can embed the cover pic at the start of the Kindle book. You say also "I know there is some way to generate a Table of Contents in an e-book, but I was damned if I could figure out how to do that". If you use the free Mobi-Pocker Creator program to generate the Kindle version then all you need do is make every chapter heading a Header1 or Header 2 in your Word document and Mobi will auto generate a TOC from those -- in fact, just as MS Word generates a TOC from the Header1 2s etc.

    Anyway, having found the Kindle version is legit, I am downloading it. (and an advantage of the Kindle is it is available in the UK whereas Amazon.co.uk isn't listing your paperback, so you make a sale you otherwise wouldn't have got. :)

    Rex Talbot

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  21. Rex -- thanks for this info! You know, I tried that Mobi-Pocket thingamajig, and I could not get it to work. I had a TOC created in Word from the headers, but somehow, I could not get it to transfer to the Mobi. I ended up with a page that read Table of Contents with nothing on it, and then chapter hyperlinks that didn't work.

    I suppose I could have figured it out, but by then, I was so tired of screwing around with this, I just wanted to get it out there. :-)

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