Friday, June 1, 2012

My first published ebook



I have finally done it.

What have I done?

I have published my first story online.

Funny enough there was a talk on our local radio station yesterday giving advice on E-publishing.  I don’t want to brag or anything but I knew everything that these guys knew.  Note I know very little myself, just saying I knew all the things that they knew.


  1. They talked about the troubles getting a tax number from the States, it took them 4 months.  Apparently South Africa has the most advanced tax system in the world.  We do all our taxes online.  Wake up America! I have in the interim published my story choosing to let Amazon take 30 percent of my sales for taxes.  I will some time mail that form to the IRS (they don’t accept emails CAN YOU BELIEVE IT, the SA version SARS prefers email correspondence.)  My maths is good so I know that 30 percent of 0 = 0. 
  2. They talked about how expensive it is to edit and boy oh boy the editors on offer on Amazon are very expensive.  I used somebody previously to edit a story for me that I wrote for a client.  I messaged her on the freelance site Odesk.  I offered her $20 to edit my story.  I know that is a disgusting amount to pay for the amount of work that she did for me but if ever she edits for me and a story sells, I will be giving her commission.  If I ever make more money I will pay her more as well.  I do not believe in exploiting people.
  3. They talked about creating the cover for your book.  I chose to use Create Space (the Amazon publishing help part) to design my cover.   I tweeked the design to be my own and I like it.  Yes it was ALL FOR FREE.They talked about your book looking sloppy but Create Space does all the work for you and it looks very professional.  I found it very user friendly. 
  4. They spoke about marketing; none of the suggestions were new to me.


I have no illusions that my long short story will sell.  If one person buys it I will be freakishly happy.   I know it is not great literature.  I am thrilled that I have started.  Perhaps I will never sell a novel but I have published.  I have completed.  Things that even a year ago I thought I would never achieve.  YEAH ME.
This is my first published offering, available on kindle:




11 comments:

  1. Oh my word, Viv!!! I cannot tell you how impressed I am with you!! I will be knocking on your door should I decide to publish. Now get that beautiful and talented eldest daughter to put fingers to keyboard!!

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  2. Awesome!!! Congrats! 

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  3. Thank you Jayn and regarding Camen I agree.  I don't want her to wait until she is 42.  

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  4. How exciting! Congratulations!

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  5. Congratulations! I am working on a manuscript to publish--I LOVE your cover. It certainly doesn't look as if it were done for free! Maybe there's hope for me! 

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  6. Awesome!  Congratulations!!!!!

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  7. Thanks Jennifer, I must admit although design is not my thing, I did manage the print department of a promotional gift company.  I had to do a lot of design work.  Although I don't enjoy it near as much as I enjoy writing I have the necessary skills.  If you need help please email me.  vivpits@gmail.com

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  8. Good on you Viv, that's an amazing achievement and just the start love!! Well done!

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