Dark Matter: Artificial

The newest Insecure Writer's Support Group anthology publication releases next week. Be sure to order your copy now so you can be among the first to read it.

Discover dark matter’s secrets…

What is an AI’s true role? Will bumbling siblings find their way home from deep space? Dark matter is judging us—are we worthy of existence? Would you step through a portal into another reality? Can the discoverer of dark matter uncover its secrets?

Ten authors explore dark matter, unraveling its secrets and revealing its mysterious nature. Featuring the talents of Stephanie Espinoza Villamor, C.D. Gallant-King, Tara Tyler, Mark Alpert, Olga Goldim, Steph Wolmarans, Charles Kowalski, Kim Mannix, Elizabeth Mueller, and Deniz Bevan.

Hand-picked by a panel of agents, authors, and editors, these ten tales will take readers on a journey across time and space. Prepare for ignition!

Amazon.com: Dark Matter: Artificial eBook: Villamor , Stephanie Espinoza, Gallant-King , C.D., Tyler, Tara, Kowalski , Charles , Godim, Olga, Mueller, Elizabeth, Alpert, Mark, Wolmarans, Steph, Mannix, Kim, Bevan, Deniz: Kindle Store

Don't forget to join us for the next posting of the INSECURE WRITER"S SUPPORT GROUP on May 5. You can check out the official blog for more news and updates on the annual anthology competition at Insecure Writer's Support Group (insecurewriterssupportgroup.com)

Have you ever submitted to an anthology? Have you read one of the IWSG publications? Which release was your favorite? 

Updated Cover Art and Release Information

HellBound Books Publishing has updated the cover design for our new release. Here is the current design and to the right is the original version, or mock artwork. What do you think?

Description and list of authors below:

For four years now, Bret McCormick and E. R. Bills have been beating the bushes and peering into abandoned wells to seek out the most terrifying tales the Lone Star State has to offer. They have left no stone unturned, no attic unexplored, and no grave undesecrated. Road Kill Volume 4 is the best and grimmest yet! You hold in your hands a grand collection of 16 goose-flesh-inducing prose. But, don't just take our word for it; these sixteen stories speak - or perhaps scream - for themselves.Featuring tales of Texas terror from:Corey Lamb, E. R. Bills, James H Longmore, William Jensen, Patrick C. Harrison III, W. H. Gilbert, Jeremy Hepler, Dan Fields, Thomas Kearnes, Sylvia Ney, Mark A. Nobles, Russell C. Connor, Elliott Baxter, Ralph Robert Moore, Carmen Gray, and Andrew Kozma. 

Now available for purchase on amazon: here.  Book signing and official launch information coming soon!

Do you recommend any new reads for this Halloween season?

Road Kill: Texas Horror by Texas Writers Vol. 3

Congratulations to my friend Melinda Pouncey and the other 12 authors selected for this year's horror anthology! The official release took place today: 

Road Kill 3: Texas Horror by Texas Writers

Publisher: Hellbound Books

Launch date Sept 29, 2018

Everything is bigger in Texas - including the horror! A Piney woods meth dealer clones Adolph Hitler. A nightmare exorcist meets an inexorable fined. An eyeball collector gets collected. The apparition of a lynching victim tracks down his executioners. A Texas lawman is undone by shades of his past. A Baphomet recruits converts as a local summer camp. The tales of the baker's dozen who appear in this anthology demonstrate why everything is scarier in Texas… Including tales of terror from Jeremy Hepler Madison Estes Bret McCormick James H Longmore ER Bills Shawana Borman And many more...

The previous two volumes of this anthology are also for sale on Amazon. For more information click here.

Have you read any of these volumes, or other works by these authors? What are some of your favorite Horror or Halloween reads?

Counting the Cost of Words

Five years ago I wrote a blog post called "Word Count Woes" which can be read here. While I feel those are certainly still an average sought by traditional publishers, what about when you are self-publishing an ebook?

Readers still have certain expectations which have been dictated by the traditional houses. In addition to quality, readers expect a certain length for the amount of money they shell out. Below is a guide to average word counts and subsequent pricing.

Remember, this is not an exact science, but only an average based on trends. Amazon pays the highest percentage for books that cost $2.99 – $9.99 and more sales seem to occur on books between $2.99 - $7

1.      Flash Fiction – less than 1,000 words  – $0.00 – $0.99 (maybe offer these for free on your blog, or bundle them together in an anthology before you charge more).

2.      Short Short – 1,000 – 3,000 words  -$0.00 – $0.99 (same).

3.      Short Story – 3,000 – 7,000 words - $0.99 – $1.99 

4.      Novelette – 7,000 – 20,000 words - $1.99 – $3.99

5.      Novella – 20,000 – 50,000 words - $2.99 – $5.99 

6.      Novel – 50,000 – 120,000 words - $2.99 – $7.99 (I collect books, so if I don’t get a hard copy in my hands to feel and touch and love, I have a hard time paying more than $7.99 for it)

7.      Epic or Super Novel – more than 120,000 words - $5.99 – $12.99 (if it’s really long, why not divide it into a series?)

What are your thoughts on e-book pricing? How much are you willing to spend?