Ponderings on the state of publishing March 2020

March 18, 2020

A few days ago I sat down to blog about romance fiction industry stats and ended up on a rant. Today I will stay on topic. 

The romance fiction industry is worth over $1B a year. Yes, one billion dollars. That's about the size of the mystery and science fiction markets combined. I look at the number of mystery and adventure books that regularly place on the bestseller lists and I question this, but it's the sheer volume of romance fiction readers with multiple "must-read authors" that boosts the number. There was only one of the late Clive Cussler so of course, he would always make the lists. 

The majority of romance fiction readers are women. As a woman, I want my romance to be a character-driven love story and I'm not alone in that. I like a little sub-plot or two, but the story must be about the main couple. That couple can be any combination of genders. I like the endings to be upbeat and personally, I want it to be realistic to the couple the author just spent a good chunk of their life creating. 

So this is all well and good, interesting up to a point, but there is some bad news brewing. The American Booksellers Association reported, on Valentine's Day no less, that book sales are down. Glancing over its industry-statistics webpage, the reports of dropping sales go back over a year. Its report on March 2019 says that month was down about seven percent over sales in March 2018. 

As a writer, it's my job to figure out if the romance readers of the world have gotten jaded on what's available, or if the time available to relax and read a book has gone the way of the Dodo bird. Or is it something more insidious? 

I've long pondered the impact the ease of Amazon's self-publishing model has had on readership across the board. I've read some really poorly constructed and written stories lately. 

Have we, and by this I mean published authors, turned off our readership? It's a question worth considering. Has the market been flooded? Is it better for us to produce quality or quantity? What's the next big sub-genre we should be writing? Has our readership's age demographic changed? Did the ebook publisher model work better, after all? Are there any good epublishers still out there? 

It's a lot to consider as we continue to write the story we want to read. 

KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com

Memphis - now available!

November 20, 2019

I'm pleased to announce Memphis is now available! 

Amazon: amazon.com/Memphis-KC-Kendricks-ebook/dp/B081LNM58K

iTunes/Apple:  https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1488239233

Excerpt: https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/memphis-by-kc-kendricks.html

Booksellers link: https://books2read.com/u/mqDPEQ

The bookseller's link takes you to a page that lists all the third-party vendors where Memphis is up and available. 

ABOUT MEMPHIS:

Jake Soames is the quintessential everyman. He survived a wild youth and grew up strong. The only thing missing from his life is that one special guy to tilt his world. A man to walk beside him without playing head games with him.

With nowhere else to go, Memphis Wheeler knocked on the door of a former cellmate and found the refuge he’d been promised. His spirit is wounded, and he needs a place to rest and recover from years of physical abuse. He worries he’ll never be able to allow another man to touch him again. 

When Jake meets his buddy’s houseguest, he’s instantly drawn to the shy, retiring younger man. Memphis doesn’t say much and seems skittish around him, yet when Jake proposes they participate in a road rally, Memphis agrees to be his navigator. But there’s no timed course to traverse to reach the future Jake envisions with Memphis. It’ll take patience and understanding to help Memphis to move on from his past and say yes to more than an afternoon together. 

AN EXCERPT FROM MEMPHIS:

 “What is going on, Memphis?”

There wasn’t one fucking thing going on except that instead of panic, he felt a surge of annoyance at Jake for pushing at him. “Let. Go. Of. My. Hand.”

Jake released him. “Maybe you’ll let me hold your hand when they can’t chaperone, huh?”

He took a step back and finished ripping open the envelope. The man said to divide the money. He took fifty for himself and handed the envelope back to Jake. “And don’t argue with me about the split. I don’t want to hear it.”

“I wouldn’t dream of. I think I’ve crossed a few too many of your boundaries for one afternoon.”

So he recognized that, did he? They were both still standing. Jake because his transgressions were minor and himself because…

He liked Jake.

Admitting that was a risk. The sky could fall or something equally nasty occur, but it hadn’t happened yet.

“Okay, Jake. Let me tell Logan I’ll be home later, and we can go get me a phone and you can buy me something non-alcoholic and fizzy.”

Jake side-stepped him and waved his arm. “Logan! I’ll have him home before midnight.”

Before Memphis could protest, Jake grasped his elbow and pulled him towards the car. Logan took two steps in his direction before Mick stopped him. Memphis waved and smiled, mouthing “it’s okay” at the guys.

He was going to have some explaining to do when Jake finally took him home.

Jake opened the car door for him, again. He flashed him a smile and dropped into the passenger seat.

“Where are we going for this phone,” Jake asked as he started the engine.

“Cheapest place in town, please. I need to start small until I actually get a job.” That was embarrassing to admit, but he didn’t have a choice. His small allowance from the government wouldn’t go far or continue for too many months.

Jake put the car in gear and headed toward Centerville. “I think I know where to go.”

In only a few minutes they arrived at a shopping center with a big box store on the north end located on the outskirts of town. An hour later, Memphis had a basic phone and a cheap monthly plan. He pushed buttons as Jake guided him back to the Camaro. It didn’t have many frills, but it would do.

He leaned against the car as Jake fished his keys out of his pocket. “Thanks, Jake. Tell me your number and you can be my first contact and call.”

Jake unlocked the car door and straightened. He put his hands on Memphis’s shoulders and closed the distance between them. His focus on his new toy, Memphis realized his intention a split-second too late. He licked his lips to speak but never got the words out as Jake’s lips touched his.

Everything inside him froze. Blinding white panic welled up inside him but bled away as Jake’s soft lips moved over his. He inhaled sharply, breathing in the scent of the man beneath his soft musky cologne. Jake’s heat reached him a moment before his arms drew him into a loose embrace. He did the only thing he could do. 

* * *

Memphis is available at iTunes, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Rakuten kobo.

I hope you enjoy Memphis.

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

K is for K-cups (and Kentucky 98 Proof by KC Kendricks)

April 13, 2015

Day 11

The 2015 A to Z Blogging Challenge

Many Sundry Things

*_*_*_*

K is for K-Cups

I remember the coffee from my youth, and I hated it. That’s right. The politically incorrect H-word. I hated coffee.

My parents were tea drinkers and I think I know why. It was better than the motor oil their parents drank. Think about it - back in the day the only way to make coffee was to put the grounds in top of the do-hickey and boil water through it on top of the stove.

AND THEN you let the coffee get cold and if you want another cup later in the day, you REHEATED it. OMG why are we not all dead???? Talk about something horrible!

Thank heavens the world has turned. Twenty or so years ago my partner moved into my place and he brought with him a Mr. Coffee coffee maker. I remember saying “whatever” to him and he pouted. He had this lovely little mental picture of us sitting at the table in the mornings drinking coffee.

Oops. Should have mentioned that before you moved in, hon.  

The world keeps turning and we occasionally share weekend mornings at the dining room table. And yes I do drink coffee now. The K-kup coffee brewer has changed my life. It makes one perfect cup at a time that is COFFEE, not 10W40 motor oil.

I can admit (since he won’t read this) that he was right. There is a sort of bonding that happens when we take the time to sit down by the dawn’s early light and enjoy a cup of coffee together. Sometimes we barely talk and that’s okay. After all these years together we communicate even in silence. Other mornings we chatter back and forth, sometimes with disharmony but that’s okay, too.

But most mornings we’re in agreement of what we’re going to do that day, or the next, or even far into the future. It no longer seems strange to me that such a small ritual can be so important to our day. I hope we’re able to continue well into the future.

Long live the K-cup.

_*_*_

Once again this year I have to do a little book promo along the way. You won’t know about my books if I don’t tell you about them, right?

K is also for Kentucky 98 Proof  - a #1 Bestseller

Victor Carter knows his grandfather only from a handful of black and white photographs, so his surprise when the man’s will is read is genuine. What’s he going to do with seventy acres on the side of a Kentucky mountain? More importantly, how’s he going to survive living there for a year to satisfy the conditions of the will so he can sell the property? Even worse, it’s not like the hills of Kentucky are teeming with gay companionship.

Boone Mosely is Kentucky born and bred with a proud family heritage he can trace back to his home state’s founding. Following in his uncle’s footsteps, Boone’s in his second term as sheriff of Four Points. He takes the job seriously and doesn’t suffer fools - or crime - in his town.

When city slicker Victor Carter arrives on Shepherd Mountain, Boone knows he’s got a whole new brand of trouble to deal with. And this time, the badge isn’t going to help him at all.

Kentucky 98 Proof is available at Amazon
www.amazon.com/Kentucky-98-Proof-KC-Kendricks-ebook/dp/B01E7JEXJ8

**UPDATE January 7, 2017**  Although All Romance eBooks has closed its storefront that does not negate the fact Kentucky 98 Proof was a bestseller at that venue. 

*_*_*

Kentucky 98 Proof

Contemporary gay romance

Available at 

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E7JEXJ8

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01E7JEXJ8

Amazon CA:  https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01E7JEXJ8

iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1098677948

Barnes & Noble/Nook

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kentucky-98-proof-kc-kendricks/1117193113?ean=2940153237954

Rakuten/Kobo: www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/kentucky-98-proof-1

Universal link to additional booksellers: https://books2read.com/u/bp8BXb

Kentucky 98 Proof webpage: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/kentucky-98-proof-by-kc-kendricks.html

_*_*_*_*_

KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Life through the eyes of Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

It's all about the research

May 6, 2010

Do you know how many books have been written over the centuries? Me, neither. I won’t even venture a guess. I’m not even sure what brought the question to mind, except that I needed to do a little research last night and twiddled away three hours. Seriously. Three hours! And I never left the Amazon website! What was I researching so studiously? Book titles.

It’s amazing that with all the books out there, more titles don’t overlap. It’s reassuring in a way, that there is still some uniqueness in the market place, and what an author comes up with for a title can stand on its own. It also helped me repopulate my prospective title list, especially titles for the shapeshifter stories. Fallon still has a lot to learn about his new shapeshifter lover, and Sundown doesn’t give up his secrets easily, not even to Fallon. (And then there’s the fact that his clan needs Sundown for procreation. Can’t go there yet. That’s just a little tease for what’s ahead.)

So what did I find? That the word ‘under’ generated over 90,000 hits on Amazon. Guess that won’t be part of anyone’s title after they read that, eh? I scratched it off my list in a hurry. The word ‘seducing’ garnered 228 hits. That’s not bad. I’d use ‘seducing’ if I hadn’t already done so, which made me curious.

Sorting those 228 hits by ‘bestselling’ found SEDUCING LIGHT at number 31 of the ‘seducing’ titles. That’s thirty-one. T-h-i-r-t-y-o-n-e.

Yes, I looked twice. Three times, even, and it didn’t change. Do you begin to see how I frittered away the hours?

While it might seem like a total waste of time, it wasn’t. We authors spend a lot to time debating what’s the best title for our stories, all the while knowing that once we sign the contract with the publisher, they have the right to change the title. I’ve not had that happen, per se. The head guru at Amber Allure has discussed titles with me from time to time, and we have always agreed on the little tweaks. A good publisher is one helluva good resource.

The information absorbed last night will rest in my subconscious until I need it. I may not even be aware of it, when debating a new title, but that’s okay. For today, I’ll just be happy with the knowledge that SEDUCING LIGHT is doing well, and that Amazon is good for more things than taking my money.

Yes, I bought a few things last night, strictly for [enjoyable] research.

KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Life through the eyes of Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

Life is Balance

March 28, 2010


I’ve been remiss about my blog. It’s been a while since I checked in. I can only report I’ve been busy. (Note to editor: yes, I see that’s three usages of ‘been’ in three sentences.)

Actually, I rather like the aforementioned editor. As someone whose time is valuable, I appreciate her approach. She keeps things very business-like, but every once in a while her sense of humor shines through.

So what’s kept me busy? The man and the home front most certainly. With the arrival of spring, we’re gearing up for home and garden activities. This year, finally, we’re installing central air conditioning. It’s been [ack! another ‘been!] a long time coming, but paying off the mortgage was more important. Now that I’m mortgage free, it’s time to do some things to feather my nest in preparation of becoming a full-time writer.

This is also the year to repaint the bathroom. I firmly believe a coat of fresh paint is a marvelous thing, so every other year, I paint a room. It’s a cheap pick-me-up for the house. I’m changing the shade a wee bit this time around, and that’s not all. It’s time for new towel racks, and maybe even a new light if I can find one I like.

On the writing front, I finished my first shapeshifter story and got it turned in. I missed my self-imposed deadline by three days, but I got the edits for “A Hard Habit to Break” early. I spent exactly three days on the edit process, so there ya go. With those two things accomplished, I’ve turned my attention to the story for Amber Allure’s new themed series.

I got a haircut, did website updates, went for a bicycle ride, participated in a chat, had some of the in-laws down for dinner, and filed my taxes. With all that swirling around in me, it’s no wonder I didn’t get the chance to blog.

None of that is a complaint. I feel very blessed to have so much in my life. The activity keeps my brain functioning and my senses alert. I appreciate the quiet times more by having the pendulum swing in the other direction, too.

April is just around the corner. There’s Easter, my young cousin’s baby will arrive, my best friend is going on a vacation and I get to watch her cat, and the release of “A Hard Habit to Break.” That’s the tip of the iceberg, so forgive me if I don’t check in too much.

Like all things, it will balance out somewhere down the road.


KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
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I guess I should have listened

February 1, 2010

Here’s the outsiders view, looking in. I’ve been buried in a story, so following all the little online dramas has been out of the question. Writing comes first with me. Always. But here’s my take on the latest in the Amazon.com saga.

A few days ago, Amazon pulled all of a particular [really big, big] publisher’s ebooks off their website. Why? Because the publisher apparently thought the ebooks were under priced (at somewhere around ten bucks a pop, say what?).

It seems Amazon, that hulking giant that makes a fortune every day by selling [fill in the blank] to the world, must not know its customer’s financial limitations. I find this curious since Amazon’s only business is selling product. If there is one thing those folks know, it’s the cyber marketplace.

Not that they haven’t stumbled - George Orwell, anyone? Have your Kindle hacked, anyone? Bury the glbt books in a back cyber-room, ya dumb shits? But I think the powers that be there are capable of learning by their most public foibles. Embarrassment is a great teacher.

Today I read where those ebooks removed a few days ago are coming back, and at the higher prices the publisher wanted. Well, maybe not all the way up there pricewise, but higher than they were, okay just go with me here. As a writer, this should make me happy, right? Not exactly.

For those authors whose ebooks have just been priced out of range for so many people who are part of the ebook buying public, hey, I feel bad. I might be in the minority, but I think it far better to move five hundred copies at two bucks a download than three hundred at three dollars a download. Do the math. That’s two hundred more READERS. Without the readers, you’re done, no matter how much money you do, or don’t, make.

When I first started writing, ebooks were in their infancy. Every ebook author I came up with spent a lot of time telling people what a good thing ebooks are for planet Earth. I happen to believe that, too. Yes, a few of my stories have been put into paperback compilations, and guess what? My ebooks sell better.

Why? I think it’s the pricing more than anything else, but going green has a bit to do with it. In our current ‘green’ culture, people want to do what they can to help. Buying an ebook is a small gesture with ultimately big results when combined with millions of other people doing the same thing. I’ve saved a lot of trees, and I’m damned happy about it! Trees are the greatest air cleaners we have.

And then there is the cost of producing those five hundred ebooks as compared to five hundred pulp books. Hmm. We’ve all thought about that. No pine forest to manage. No loggers cutting trees down on reality television. No god-awful stench from water polluting paper mills. Yes, it costs to produce an ebook, just not that much.

I don’t know what the ebook royalty rate is on those previously available in hardback only books, but I wonder who gets the biggest slice of the pie. I bet it’s not the author. And that’s a shame, because for once, I think Amazon had it right. I think ten bucks is too high for an ebook in our economy today, and someone over in their New York ivory tower is going to end up wishing they would have listened.

Yeah, burn me at the stake now.

KC Kendricks