A Science Fiction Romance Solution For The Problem of Geographical Restrictions

In October 2010, Dear Author’s Jane wrote a post called “How Do We Solve a Problem Like Geographical Restrictions.” This post was in response to “…non US readers asking why a certain book isn’t available to them that they KNOW is out there because they have seen it on the torrent sites.” In other words, non U.S. readers can’t always purchase the books they want because certain rights haven’t been sold. As Jane put it:

Geographic restrictions, in a readers’ eye, is an unreasonable impediment to purchasing a book. A reader knows that the book is out there, in digital format, one click away, and the inability to purchase it because of some incomprehensible reason termed “geographic restrictions” fosters anger, frustration, and anxiety.

It’s a topic both complex and fascinating, and I encourage you to read the post as well as the lively discussion that follows.

As I scrolled through the comments and read about the frustration faced by non U.S. readers, the proverbial light bulb went off in my head:

* Non U.S. readers need books to read.

* Science fiction romance is a subgenre in need of a wider audience.

* Ebooks open up a whole new way of delivering stories, including directly from authors to readers.

* Ergo, science fiction romance authors could actually take advantage of geographical restrictions by selling some (or all!) of their books directly to international readers.

Basically, I’m proposing the idea of creating a collective wherein a group of authors band together to sell their science fiction romance stories, attractively priced, to readers limited by geographical restrictions. However, this proposition isn’t just about making the books available (because this way, of course, anyone could purchase them). The goal would involve specifically marketing the books to international readers.

The power of social networking media like Twitter, Facebook, and blogs would help such authors connect with readers looking for ebooks to buy. I envision a campaign centered around that one goal. Even a simple blog would be enough to link to the available ebooks.

While readers may not be able to obtain all the ebooks they want, at least they’ll have more choices. Based on my reading of Jane’s post, non U.S. readers are currently underserved. Science fiction romance could step in to help fill that need. And by creating a site/blog that features links to the available ebooks, readers wouldn’t have to search all over the Internet.

The endeavor would offer other advantages to authors:

* Authors decide pricing and retain all profits
* Authors would control things like covers and marketing copy
* Flexibility to write and sell stories of varying length
* The stories will be available for as long as authors care to sell them.
* Warm and fuzzy feelings from performing such a needed service

Seems to me that short stories and novellas would make the idea of selling directly to readers much less daunting. Variety is good, but authors could begin with shorter works to test the waters.

I’m assuming this project wouldn’t be viable or attractive for established authors in the print medium whose contracts might prohibit them from being involved. Rather, I see more appeal for e-published authors, aspiring authors, e-self-published authors, and authors with backlist SFR titles. And possibly, authors who have been dropped by their mainstream print publishers and are interested in writing for the digital medium.

This endeavor might also hold appeal for authors who have the rights to their out of print backlist science fiction romances. Kelly McClymer added a very interesting point along these lines in the comments of Jane’s post (#209):

The authors who are putting up their out of print back list don’t have to put geographical restrictions on the books. In fact, Amazon offers the 70% royalty rate only if you don’t put geographical restrictions on your distribution (Amazon gets it, and it is definitely trying to push the publishers and governments toward a more global-friendly e-marketplace).

[Emphasis mine]

That said, I’m fully aware a project like this has risks. It would consume a lot of time and energy, and there’s no guarantee authors would make a return on their investments.

Plus, the stories would have to be good. Really good. Good enough to prove to non U.S. readers who are limited by geographical restrictions that it’s worth spending their hard-earned money on science fiction romances. In order to increase the chances that a quality product is being delivered, it would behoove authors to employ the services of freelance editors and/or solid beta readers.

Additionally, there’s more to this process than just writing a story and throwing up a site. But how to learn about the nitty gritty of selling directly to readers? Luckily, I knew of one person who possessed the know-how, and who has had experience selling her books to international readers.

Author Moriah Jovan is her name. I’d previously seen her comments around the blogosphere relating to various ebook topics, and it was her comment in response to Jane’s post that piqued my interest. When I contacted her about this, she generously allowed me to pick her brain about what in her experience authors would need to know about selling ebooks directly to readers.

I asked Moriah for permission to quote her answers to my questions, and she agreed. Here are some of the key points she made about setting up an author “store”:

Assuming authors have their own rights, what you'd need is:

1. Website with a WordPress installation (but NOT Wordpress.com) OR ZenCart (or both, I guess).
2. Any one of a couple of really good WP shopping cart plugins that will hook into Paypal and has an auto-download feature OR ZenCart
3. A Paypal account.
4. Digital files.

Quite frankly, if you have a lot of titles, go with the ZenCart or another open-source shopping cart platform. Any shopping cart you get has to a) be able to hook into Paypal and b) auto-deliver individual digital files once payment is made.

Moriah went on to point out the limitations of a closed system in some cases. For example, customers can’t download directly to their Kindle from the author’s shopping cart platform. They’ll have to download the ebook(s) to their computers and sideload.

During her own research into selling her own ebooks as well as the various formats involved, Moriah “finally decided that the only important ones were PDF, EPUB, and MOBI (Kindle).”

She also shared that

I bundle up all my formats in a ZIP file (which isn't the best way in the world) in lieu of having an ever-available bookshelf. I would LOVE to provide a bookshelf where people can load formats individually, but I can't afford it yet. So they get ALL the formats, but they have to unzip and sideload.

The short of it is, non U.S. readers need only be able to Google to find the science fiction romance books they want and have a credit card to purchase them.

However, there’s still the challenge of converting the story to a digital file in one of the above formats. You can Google in order to find free ways to convert to PDF, but what about the others?

When I asked about this aspect, Moriah shared that she offers conversion services. To give you an idea of related costs, I asked if she wouldn’t mind me sharing her rates, and she agreed:

Base prices (relatively clean file; includes linked table of contents and embedded cover image that client provides)

Kindle $125
EPUB $125
Smashwords $60

Add-ons

Word document extracted from a PDF ("clean" extraction $25; price goes up from there, especially if I have to retype anything)
Table of Contents with more than 30 links (12.5c per link)
Footnotes converted to endnotes and reciprocally linked ($10 for conversion + 25c per reciprocal link)
Images (2.50 - 3.50 each)
Indices (25c per link)
Rush charge ($250+ surcharge for a 24-hour turnaround time)

As a point of reference, my normal turnaround time is 2 weeks; others are up to 90 days.

So unless you know someone capable and willing to do the conversion for free, this would involve some up-front costs. Doing the math for one ebook in one format, say, EPUB, and priced at $2.99, an author would have to sell roughly 42 copies before recouping initial costs. And that’s not including paying someone to do a cover (if the author so chooses—otherwise it’s DIY), paying a freelance editor, or other extras.

Geographical restrictions are going to exist for some time. Therefore, I envision this proposal as a long term project, one that might be months or even a year or two in the making. But I wanted to blog about it in case some entrepreneurial-minded authors might see value in such a venture.

Whether you are an author or a reader, what do you think about this idea? Are there any other pros or cons?

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Steampunk Romance Interview at RT Book Reviews

Over at the RT Book Reviews blog, Morgan Doremus has a terrific interview up: Three Ladies Who Love A Good Steam. The interview is with the three authors behind Samhain Publishing's steampunk romance anthology, Silk, Steel, & Steam. They are: Mari Fee ("Bluebeard's Machine"), Sahara Kelly ("Flavia's Flying Corset"), and Tilda Booth ("Stealing Utopia").

The questions were so thoughtful, I found myself contemplating them after I finished reading the authors' responses:

Morgan Doremus: In "Stealing Utopia", some of the characters believe that by cracking a human’s neurochemical code, scientists could measure the true capacity of the human brain and therefore found a perfect world. However, Jane believes that “no good has ever come from tinkering with the human condition in such a way.” Which side do you fall on in this debate?

Anyway, I'm passing on the link for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Is Conflict A Dirty Word In Science Fiction Romance?

Since action-adventure components are found in many science fiction romances, and because the SF elements are often very serious in nature (e.g., war, new technologies run amok, the dangers of space travel, political unrest), I expect a lot of conflict in this subgenre. Not just external plot conflict, but specifically internal and relationship conflict. I want them as heated as some of the love scenes these stories also offer. Unfortunately, my wish doesn’t always come true.

I wonder, why is that? I suspect the romance part of the equation sometimes has a dampening effect on the conflict level. It’s also possible that I have a high tolerance for conflict, and I’m reading stories that, while entertaining, aren’t intended for someone with my particular tolerance level.

Mainly, my concern is when there’s a promise of really stupendous relationship conflict, but then it’s resolved way, way, way too early in the story. Then usually what follows are complications rather than true conflict. I start to disbelieve a character who claims she/he shouldn’t fall in love with this person when their behaviors/physical reactions make it a done deal by page 20.

There are times when I wonder if there are obstacles to maintaining conflict between heroes and heroines in an SFR, especially given that authors are expected to deliver the romance and love scenes in a timely manner—timely meaning according to genre expectations. In SFR, I get lots of great action sequences, explosions, galactic chases, and people being maimed and killed, but I don’t always experience that same level of tension between the hero and heroine. Or at least not for as long as I’d like.

Wahh.

For example, hero and heroine are at odds. Maybe they’re enemies, with one or both set up to detest or even hate the other. But the physical attraction they experience periodically undermines this initial promise of conflict. Essentially, it boils down to “I hate his guts for [insert atrocious act], but he’s so dreamy!”

That said, I don’t think it’s easy to strike the balance of attraction and repulsion between a hero and heroine who begin the story on opposite sides of the intergalactic fence. A big part of the appeal is learning at what point they’ll begin to see each other in a new light. However, there are story situations that demand sustaining the conflict longer than a few pages (e.g., when someone’s life, safety, or freedom is threatened). Or, if internally the attraction is strong, my hope is that the characters’ outward behaviors will keep the conflict going until they’re given a real reason to trust the potential lover.

Now, if the story dictates that the hero and heroine can’t keep their hands off one another, I still expect very real, very intense, and even hurtful kinds of conflict alternating with the growing attraction. I want my emotions manipulated so that I question the HEA just about every step of the way. As in, “Well, they’re making out now, but there’s no way this will last.”

So while I expect there to be some glimmer of attraction or insta-lust in some stories, I also expect for the hero or heroine in question to manage his or her feelings and behaviors convincingly until irrefutable proof exists that they can trust the other person.

When in doubt, hit me up with tons of conflict in science fiction romance. I won’t flinch away from it. In fact, I love it. I want conflict between the hero and heroine so intense that my heart threatens to jump out of my chest. While they don’t have to be constantly sniping or in physical combat with each other all the time (not that I would complain anyway), there can still be plenty of anguish-laden relationship trials and tribulations on the road to their HEA.

Done well, the characters won’t come across as mean or brutal. They’ll come across as justified in their behavior. Even if they make mistakes out of anger, fear, or hate, I know that because it’s a science fiction romance, they’ll make atonement and find redemption.

In conclusion, I don’t see a need to hold back on the conflict simply because SFR is a blend of romance and “what if?” concepts. If anything, that’s about a volatile mix as one could imagine.

Joyfully yours,

Heather

The Pure Awesomeness Of Futuristic Military Uniforms

Who doesn’t love a man or woman in uniform? Especially, I might add, those worn by characters in a space navy of some kind. There’s something deliciously appealing about a well-designed uniform, and even more so if it’s in a science fiction/science fiction romance story. In film, the costume designers are responsible for bringing something fresh and futuristic to military duds. In books, of course, it’s all up to the author regarding how to describe them.

Over the years, my fascination with characters in military uniforms has been bordering on a fetish. After all, I’ve been known to salivate over heroes dressed like this:



Bring it home, Kodai!* So frankly, anything with even a bit more style than that retro 70’s futuristic flair is a win in my book.

I’d been looking forward to Lisa Paitz Spindler’s THE SPIRAL PATH for some time. So when Carina Press offered to send me an eARC, I was like, “Where do I sign?!”

Now, I should probably be blogging about the story’s unique, original setting. And Lara Soto, the space pirate heroine (you know how I feel about them). Hmm, and also the nice details like “exotic matter” that make the skiffy elements both intriguing and accessible. Oh, right, there’s also the Chimerans and their special abilities. And so on.

Well, sure, I could blog about all of that…if a certain military uniform didn’t keep making my heart beat so rapidly with its seductive call. Read the following (non-spoiler) excerpts and you’ll see why I was powerless to resist:

“Mitch Yoshida, in his perfectly groomed black Union uniform—pulling just so over those broad shoulders…”

“…Lara looked him over. Black Union uniform complete with leather sleeves, belt cinching a trim waist, knee-high boots perfectly polished.”

“Rigged out in dress blacks that included several honor decorations, he moved through the room with ease.”

I mean, hot diggity dog! Did this author nail it, or what? I felt like she wrote the story with me in mind—me and all the readers who have been looking for more uniform action in their science fiction romances. It’s a shame Mitch couldn’t have been wearing his dashing outfit on the book’s cover. If I hadn’t known anything about the story, seeing him in dress blacks on the cover would have been like beckoning me to my favorite milkshake evah: rich chocolate ice cream mixed with smooth caramel and a double shot of espresso.

Pure indulgence.

However, my attraction isn’t just to the character in the uniform (and for the record, I've gone gaga over both male and female characters wearing one), but also to the uniform itself. The details are very sensuous, in a way that, for me, goes beyond their promise of sexiness and romance. The depiction of a military uniform in such a way offers a romanticized vision of the military in space. It’s a little bit glamor, a little bit larger-than-life. I’m sure it’s not for everyone, and I like the gritty stuff, too, but this approach captures the romanticized tone I enjoy experiencing in science fiction romance.

In other words, that’s a fancy way of saying I think Mitch’s uniform is cool!

Have you come across any cool uniforms lately?

Joyfully yours,

Heather

*Susumu Kodai of SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO

HarperCollins Special Ebook Offer On Two Joss Ware Titles

Starting today, HarperCollins is offering specially priced ebook editions of the first two books in Joss Ware’s Envy series, BEYOND THE NIGHT ($1.99) and EMBRACE THE NIGHT ETERNAL ($3.99). This limited time offer will be available for two weeks, through February 8.

Happy reading!

Joyfully yours,

Heather