GraySapien: Blog

Not sure what went wrong; I just checked the manuscript of Chapter 15 that I submitted and none of the errors mentioned by the several readers who told me of the issue were present.
I read through it again, moved a word or two around to make myself feel a little better, then resubmitted the chapter.
I also posted Chapter 16, so both should show up shortly.

Something to remember, going forward: Jacob Jennings is based on true events. The main characters and a few of the supporting characters are fiction, but when you start doubting I suggest you consult one of the excellent histories of this amazing state.
Here's one: https://texashistory.unt.edu
Why mention it now? Because the story is about to start reading like fiction, and imaginative fiction at that!

I chose 'True'as a category, because Jacob Jennings is based on real events and for the most part, real people.
But I didn't like the idea of putting words in the mouths of real characters, such as Noah Smithwick. He wrote his own book, it's available now, and I have a copy! Instead, I used his story and the stories of a lot of other people. I condensed them into a few fictional characters, Jacob, Jean-Louis, Tom, Isom, and a few others.
Major events in the story? They happened, and I wrote them as faithfully as I could.
So, since SOL only offers a choice between 'true' and 'fiction', I chose True. Had there been the possibility of 'Partially true'...well...

I've gotten strong hints that many of you want me to continue writing Matt's saga here on SOL by publishing The Trek. I can't, and there's a reason.
I publish on Amazon as Jack L Knapp, and Amazon has rules. You can buy one of my books in ebook, print, or audio formats, but for most you can also 'borrow' them at no additional charge if you subscribe to Amazon's Kindle Unlimited.
But not Darwin's World, because before I could publish it on SOL, I had to remove it from Kindle Unlimited. That's Amazon's rule, and if you fail to do that they can ban you from the site.
Some have been banned, and since Amazon is now the largest publisher of ebooks...well, you can figure it out. I can't afford to take that chance.
Economics comes into play too. By removing Darwin's World from Kindle Unlimited, I lost most of the ebook income from it. To make up for it, I have to advertise more, and advertising costs money, so much money nowadays that I was forced to raise my purchase to $6 per book. Simple economics; advertise, or your book is just one among millions that Amazon publishes.
The rest is mostly for authors, or at least wannabes.
I advertise on Amazon Ads, a bid-based service. Bid high enough, when a potential reader searches for 'Survival' on Amazon, your book will show up in the list. If you don't bid high, it will be listed at the bottom...if at all. If they search by author, Robert A Heinlein for example, your book may appear below Heinlein's in the 'Also bought' section, but that's only the start.
Where your book appears, or doesn't, depends on how much you bid. If a potential reader clicks on your book, Amazon collects, up to the maximum you bid. If the other books are lower, they collect less, but by bidding you risk the total amount of your bid.
As of this morning, Amazon's suggested bid for the targeting word 'Adventure' is $0.96. For Andre Norton, it's $1.99 and for Anne McCaffrey, it's $2.23. Just one click on your book can cost you your entire profit, assuming there's a sale (most of the time, there wasn't), and if there are two, three, or more clicks...
Amazon profited, you lost money that day, maybe your entire book income.
About that potential buyer: he clicks on your book, and there's your cover page and blog. Interesting? He/she may be willing to borrow your book free, because as an independent you're never going to show up on the NY Times Bestseller List, but will they pay $6 for your book?
For professionals authors, that bridge you cross every day is shaky and the bottom of the canyon is a long way down.
If you're interested, email me at jlknapp505 (at symbol) msn.com. I'll send you what I've learned about advertising, and I never charge a fellow writer for any help I can give.

I just submitted Chapter 34 and the Epilogue to the moderators for posting. I suggest you read both in order and save any comments until after you've done that. Consider it my Christmas gift to readers on SOL!
I've decided to start a new novel today, Jacob Jennings. I plan to post another chapter tomorrow, then take the weekend off.