My book is selling

deisedave

Anywhere I can torrent this :D:D O.J. congrats on the sales, Im going to order now.

Kinski

donfers wrote: »

Oh and video games are the worst for that binging practice, the amount of half-finished video games I have is embarrassing.

Ha, I never finish games either. Always get bored before the end. Especially if it's one of those JRPGs that seem to go on forever.

pickarooney

I have to make an exception, actually. I just got the programme for the summer open-air free cinema in the park season and there are about 5 films I want to re-watch on it. Or at least lie under the stars drinking beer while half-listening to.

G-Money

This might be a stupid question, but how did you get your book published?

EileenG

In this case, it was due to the publicity about the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.

I had entered it (got lots of help polishing my pitch from the boardsies here, thanks guys) and got to the Quarter final. I wasn't shy about telling people that my novel was doing well, and encouraging them to read the excerpt up on Amazon.com. One of the people who read it was involved with an indie publisher, Fantasy Island, and we started talking.

That's the e-book, which is up on Amazon now. The paperback is going to be torture, I know it. From what I gather, it will need about six edits, and months of fighting over the cover.

Oh, does anyone have any experience of filling in tax returns for money earned in America? I'm told that money from Amazon.com will have 30% retained unless I fill in the correct forms, and they're a bitch.

Dublin141

EileenG wrote: »

Oh, does anyone have any experience of filling in tax returns for money earned in America? I'm told that money from Amazon.com will have 30% retained unless I fill in the correct forms, and they're a bitch.

Eileen, as far as I know, you need a headed letter from whoever is paying you. Amazon won't do it, but if your book is uploaded to Smashwords, they will oblige once you've earned ten dollars with them. You fill out a W-7 form then send that, the headed letter and your passport (or a notarised copy from the US embassy in Dublin) to the US embassy in London who deal with tax matters for the UK and Ireland. They send you back your ITIN (and possibly some documentation), and you then fill out a W-8BEN form and send that to the American retailers who are paying you.

The tax treaty reduces the tax you pay to 0%, and it should go smoothly, but it's a bit of hassle. The forms themselves are easy to fill in, it's the other stuff that takes time. You have to chase up Amazon also, I know of a few writers who have done all of the above but because of mistakes on Amazon's part, they are still being charged 30% tax. It can be claimed back at the end of the tax year though.

ETA: Also, check out this thread on Kindleboards where there's mention of a different tax return process that might be easier? There's no resolution on that particular thread, but it might be worth looking into. http://www.kindleboards.com/index.php?topic=50768.0

FewFew

Wow, that's a hassle

pickarooney

No Artists' exemption there, eh?

EileenG

Dublin141 wrote: »

Eileen, as far as I know, you need a headed letter from whoever is paying you. Amazon won't do it, but if your book is uploaded to Smashwords, they will oblige once you've earned ten dollars with them. You fill out a W-7 form then send that, the headed letter and your passport (or a notarised copy from the US embassy in Dublin) to the US embassy in London who deal with tax matters for the UK and Ireland. They send you back your ITIN (and possibly some documentation), and you then fill out a W-8BEN form and send that to the American retailers who are paying you.

The tax treaty reduces the tax you pay to 0%, and it should go smoothly, but it's a bit of hassle. The forms themselves are easy to fill in, it's the other stuff that takes time. You have to chase up Amazon also, I know of a few writers who have done all of the above but because of mistakes on Amazon's part, they are still being charged 30% tax. It can be claimed back at the end of the tax year though.

ETA: Also, check out this thread on Kindleboards where there's mention of a different tax return process that might be easier? There's no resolution on that particular thread, but it might be worth looking into. http://www.kindleboards.com/index.php?topic=50768.0

Yikes, that's not going to be fun. But thanks for all that information.

Dublin141

Yeah, it's not the most thrilling thing in the world.

Here are links in case the details on the embassy's website are clearer.

http://london.usembassy.gov/irs/irsitin.html
http://london.usembassy.gov/irs/irsitinappy.html

FewFew

Finally have the book in my hands! Yus!

EileenG

Now I'm getting nervous about how you will find it.

FewFew

EileenG wrote: »

Now I'm getting nervous about how you will find it.

I'm delaying my Song of Ice and Fire injection, so you can see I have high hopes

Livvie

EileenG wrote: »

I've just heard that my book, Don't Feed the Fairies, is in the top 2% of Amazon sales.

People I haven't been nagging have been buying it.

Mind you, I have no idea how they calculate these things, but I'm not going to argue.

I'm getting reviews as well. www.tinyurl.com/eileengormley

Just bought it on Kindle.

Debut novel? Congratulations. Looking forward to reading it.

EileenG

Thank you. I'd love to hear what you think.

Livvie

EileenG wrote: »

Thank you. I'd love to hear what you think.

Will make sure I give you feedback.

Trying to edit a novel (cutting out 100k words!) atm, so not a lot of time for reading until end of August, so if you don't hear anything, it will be because I haven't been able to get stuck in!

Love the sound of it from the reviews I just read though.

EileenG

Cutting out 100k words??? I'm staggered. How long is your novel?

Kinski

EileenG wrote: »

Cutting out 100k words??? I'm staggered. How long is your novel?

Maybe she just meant 100 words beginning with k. At last, the novel that does for k what this one did for e!

Livvie

EileenG wrote: »

Cutting out 100k words??? I'm staggered. How long is your novel?

It was 240k - naivete and enthusiasm just kept it going. Then we (I have a co-author) were told that no publisher would consider a book that long from an unpublished writer. It's been quite heartbreaking really, bits we liked being cut. Like drowning puppies...

The good news is that the professional who read the first half, which was 120k words or so, did say it was of a publishable standard, so fingers crossed.

Kinski wrote: »

Maybe she just meant 100 words beginning with k.

pickarooney

Kinski wrote: »

Maybe she just meant 100 words beginning with k. At last, the novel that does for k what this one did for e!

This one does for K what this one did for E

Livvie, if it's any consolation I also had to dump 100k words from a 230k novel and once you've dumped the first 10k the rest gets easier.
I might make a 'schmuck book' of short stories with all the excised characters and plots.

Eileen, I finally got time to finish your book last night (first book I've read start to finish in 2011 by my reckoning!). How/where do you want feedback?

FewFew

Speaking of how/where to give feeback, is there anyway to export notes from one Kindle to another. Since there are no page numbers I wonder if my note making will be uber awkward to transport.

pickarooney

Go to https://kindle.amazon.com and login.
Click on Your Books and tick the boxes to make reading status and notes public.

I'm not exactly sure how other people can read your notes. See if you can find mine maybe?
I'll hide them again in a bit if you can view as I don't want everyone to see them, just the author.

You can just copy/paste from your list of notes without sharing them publicly I suppose.

EileenG

pickarooney wrote: »

Eileen, I finally got time to finish your book last night (first book I've read start to finish in 2011 by my reckoning!). How/where do you want feedback?

If it's good, post to Amazon (.com or .co.uk) and if it's bad, tell me.

Livvie

pickarooney wrote: »

This one does for K what this one did for E

Livvie, if it's any consolation I also had to dump 100k words from a 230k novel and once you've dumped the first 10k the rest gets easier.
I might make a 'schmuck book' of short stories with all the excised characters and plots.

Well if it doesn't get picked up, we could try the Kindle option and keep it at 240k.

Are you published, Pickarooney?

Monkeybonkers

Well done Eileen, a great achievement. Congratulations

EileenG

Thank you. I've just discovered that I'm number one on Amazon - in Interspecies Romance. Okay, it's not exactly a huge category, but it's nice to be able to say I'm number one in something!

FewFew

EileenG wrote: »

Thank you. I've just discovered that I'm number one on Amazon - in Interspecies Romance. Okay, it's not exactly a huge category, but it's nice to be able to say I'm number one in something!

Oh my god! Is there romance in it?! I haven't got to that bit yet, and I thought I was nearly through!

Wow, what else is in that category? I'm kinda scared.

EileenG

Actually, that's a scary category, there are fembots and things.

FewFew

EileenG wrote: »

Actually, that's a scary category, there are fembots and things.

As I'd imagine... weeeeeeird

Livvie

EileenG wrote: »

Thank you. I'd love to hear what you think.

Loving it so far!

Great characters, and it's very visual - I feel like I'm watching a sci-fi movie.

pickarooney

Is it OK to use your existing DFTF thread in Write Club for feedback?

EileenG

Fewcifur wrote: »

Oh my god! Is there romance in it?! I haven't got to that bit yet, and I thought I was nearly through!

How could you have missed it? She goes round snogging every guy she meets.

EileenG

pickarooney wrote: »

Is it OK to use your existing DFTF thread in Write Club for feedback?

Yes, as long as it's the old one. For some reason, unless my thread is active, I can't get into Write Club.

pickarooney

EileenG wrote: »

Yes, as long as it's the old one. For some reason, unless my thread is active, I can't get into Write Club.

I don't follow... if you click the link under my avatar does it not bring you to Write Club? Sounds like you might have bookmarked the wrong page?

EileenG

Ahhh! Feel free to wallop me upside the head. I never thought of that!

kickarykee

Wow, congrats!
I'm really happy for you!!
It's the dream of every writer

EileenG

Well, I spent about three quarters of an hour being delighted and thrilled and accosting strangers to tell them. Now I'm worried that people won't buy it or they will buy and hate it and want their money back.

CD.

I read the sample and it was really good, ended at a good moment too, I just have to get my sister to let me use her credit card. Amazon won't accept laser and i don't have a credit card, thank god, because i know i am too irresponsible, my reaction would be along the lines of FREE MONEY YEAH! and then at the end of the month: so...just how do i go about declaring bankrupcy?

Anway, as soon as i get it and read it (may take a week or too, have a few books to read) I will leave a review on amazon (or i can PM it to you if you prefer)

EileenG

Well, I'd love to know it, but I can't post your review to Amazon, only you can do that.

As far as I know, you can use those pre-paid credit cards for things like Amazon. I got my daughter one with €50 on it for a birthday present so she could buy stuff on-line.

CD.

I got one for my birthday from my sister a few years ago, the 3V card, it was great but I can't find it.
The system I have with my sister works out great, mainly because I don't buy things that often needing a credit card, but when it is needed, it usually isn't much.

Anyway, off to buy it now!

Kinski

CD. wrote: »

I got one for my birthday from my sister a few years ago, the 3V card, it was great but I can't find it.
The system I have with my sister works out great, mainly because I don't buy things that often needing a credit card, but when it is needed, it usually isn't much.

If you open a bank account with Ulster Bank or Permanent TSB, you will get a Visa Debit Card, which is acceptable everywhere that takes credit cards. You can only spend what's in the account, so you can just put enough money in there whenever you want to buy something online. I started doing it about 18 months ago, and so far as buying new books is concerned I never shop offline anymore - it's a lot cheaper on amazon and book depository.

EileenG

pickarooney wrote: »

No Artists' exemption there, eh?

I've been talking to people about the Artist's exemption, and it's even worse than the Tax thing. You have to prove that you have produced a work of imagination and cultural significance, so SF or fantasy is likely to be out automatically.

You have to send three copies of the book to the assessors, or if it's a painting or sculpture, you have to arrange a time for a certified expert to have a viewing and take video. No-one has ever got it for an e-book.

However, having said all that, I've just someone who got it for an incredibly crappy self-pub that has grammar errors in the title. He carries his exemption cert around with him!

EileenG

Livvie wrote: »

Great characters, and it's very visual - I feel like I'm watching a sci-fi movie.

If you feel like doing a review, that would be a great line!

ThePinkCage

That's good to know about the tax exemption.

I'll have to apply for mine.

Did you do anything in particular to promote the book on Amazon?

EileenG

Amazon are clamping down on shameless acts of self-promotion, so there's a limit to what you can do. I occasionally get involved in a discussion and try to slip in a reference to my book, but I find it hard to get too boastful about it. And I'm not at sure it is productive.

I wonder about twitter. People keep telling me that I should be twittering away about it, but I think most tweets are very boring, and I can't say I'd be tempted to check out a book someone had tweeted about. (I can't believe my spell checker is accepting those words).

I am planning to get postcards made that I can give people, something with the link written down.

Antilles

If you are selling eBooks, social media is much more powerful than anything physical.

Desire.

CD. wrote: »

I read the sample and it was really good, ended at a good moment too, I just have to get my sister to let me use her credit card. Amazon won't accept laser and i don't have a credit card, thank god, because i know i am too irresponsible, my reaction would be along the lines of FREE MONEY YEAH! and then at the end of the month: so...just how do i go about declaring bankrupcy?

You should order a 3V card. They're free (they were anyway) and you just top them up whenever you want to use them. When buying online, just select Visa at the checkout and you're sorted.

Jarren

Hi Eileen

I just downloaded your book to my Kindle and am awaiting to read it this weekend

Congrats again

EileenG

Antilles wrote: »

If you are selling eBooks, social media is much more powerful than anything physical.

True, but I do want something that I can show or give. My parents don't really believe that I have written a book, just because they don't have one in their hands. But I agree that most sales are likely to result from someone clicking a link.

EileenG

jarecki1976 wrote: »

Hi Eileen

I just downloaded your book to my Kindle and am awaiting to read it this weekend

Congrats again

Great. Let me know what you think. Don't worry, I have a tough skin.