Selling With E-Junkie

It's worth looking into.

Panzer stopped over at the Paperback Writer to see what Lynn Viehl is up to.

He found a post about using E-junkie to sell you own book. By using your own site you get to keep 100% of the money from each sale. E-junkie does charge a monthly fee so it's not a free service, but there's no per sale fee after that.

If you're interested in learning about how E-junkie could work for you, tootle over to Direct E-sales.

Donnelley to handle Harlequin e-book services

What else is in the news?

Panzer found an interesting small press release at the Publishers' Weekly website. It seems Harlequin (yes, that Harlequin) has signed an agreement to have their books turned into ebooks and distributed by R.R. Donnelley & Sons.

If you're interested in this change to the romance ebook market, go to Donnelley to handle harlequin's e-book services.

Remember, Panzer did tell you this is a very short press release.

Poisoned Pen Press Announces Contest Winners

It's Cat. It's Cat. It's CAT!

Mystery publisher Poisoned Pen Press announced the winner in their Discover Mystery Contest and the winner is ... Dog Shows Are Murder. While Panzer wants to congratulate Eilene Brady on the win, he'd be happier if it was CAT Shows Are Murder who won!

You can read the entire list of winners at Poison Pen Press Discovery Mystery Contest.

GLOGIRLY: Cat-In-The-Bag Recipe

Oh, my paw hurts.

Panzer hurt his paw today. He stopped in at Glogirly to read his friend Katie's newest post. He was laughing so hard he fell out of the driver's seat in the Panzermobile and got his paw caught in the steering wheel. I'll have to be driving the Panzermobile until he's feeling better.

If you want to know what caused all the trouble and what cats do for entertainment when we're not home, tootle over to GLOGIRLY: Cat-In-The-Bag Recipe: Hi everyone, Katie here. You know, I've never been a fan of enclosed spaces. I realize it's almost un-CAT-like of me to have a ...

Memorial Day

May we never forget those who gave their lives for our freedom.

Kobo to Fund NPR Underwriting Campaign to Strengthen Kobo Brand in U.S.

I do like it!

Panzer doesn't want all his friends to think he only loves the Kindle. He loves all ereaders. Yes, even Kobo. We do have the Kobo app on our laptop and we do buy and read ebooks in that format. He also has his ebook Cats and Crime distributed for Kobo through Smashwords. So, when he saw this article in the Catosphere today, he just had to share it with you.

Kobo is starting an Underwriting Campaign with NPR. That means you'll be seeing "Funding provided by" ads now. Panzer says this is actually a good thing. Most people in the U.S. aren't really familiar with Kobo.

Panzer says, if you want to see why he's so excited, tootle over to Kobo to Fund NPR Underwriting Campaign to Strengthen Kobo Brand in U.S.

A Powerful Storytelling Tool: Getting Readers to Fill In Your Character’s Blanks

Ouch!

Panzer is back at K.M. Weiland's blog Helping Writers Become Authors. He found a guest post by ghostwriter Roz Morris about letting your readers fill in character blanks in your story.

Panzer and I sometimes have a hard time deciding what to include and what to leave out when writing. Sometimes things that seem so obvious to us that we don't need to include them in the first draft wind up being added during the revision process. And once or twice when we thought we'd made it obvious our readers pointed out ... ouch ... we hadn't.

So, Panzer says, if you want to make your readers happy, tootle on over to A Powerful Storytelling Tool: Getting Readers to Fill In Your Character’s Blanks

Iain Banks Update

Iain Banks is one class act.

While at Galley Cat Panzer found another important announcement. As Panzer reported here last month SF writer Iain Banks has been diagnosed with cancer. Iain has posted an update about what he's been doing and his latest medical tests. He also talks about the letters he's writing to his favorite writers.

For the latest information go to An Update From Iain Banks

ISBN's and Indie Authors

Who knew?

Panzer was out tootling around in the Catosphere. He decided to stop in at Galley Cat to see what's new there today.

He found a super important post about ISBNs for indie writers. Bowker has launched the Self-Published Author site. Did you know you can get an ISBN as a publisher without even forming a publishing company? That means we can buy ISBNs as the Panzer Publishing Company. Who knew that?

For more on ISBNs and indie authors, tootle over to ISBNs and Indie Authors

Amazon Picks Novel Competition Finalists

$50,000!!!

Amazon announced the finalists in each of its novel genres in the Breakout Novel Competition. Now it's time to pick the grand prize winner and you can help. You can read excerpts from each of the finalists and then vote on you favorite. Galley Cat has a link to each of the finalists. The grand finalist gets a publishing contract and a $50,000 advance! The runner-ups get a contract and $15,000, so your vote is important.

Panzer wants you to read each of the finalists and cast your vote, so tootle on over to Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Finalists

Amazon Fights to Keep Secrets

Interested Party?

Panzer was over at Publishers' Weekly this morning snooping around.

My bad boy found some interesting news about the Apple price-fixing trial. It seems Amazon wants to redact or seal parts of the evidence concerning the Kindle ebook program. Of course,  Apple wants the evidence un-redacted so they (and everybody else) can learn the secrets to Amazon's success.

My bad boy says, "Come on Apple. Amazon isn't even part of the case. What is this interested party stuff?  Anybody that bought a book through Apple is an interested party in the price-fixing case. You want my business information, too?"

If you're interested in the price-fixing case and how corporations fight it out in court, tootle on over to Amazon Fights to Keep Secrets in Ebook Trial

Writing the Climax

Finding your way to the end.

Panzer found a helpful video at the ... Helping Writers Become Authors blog. My bad boy stops in there each week to see what K.M. Weiland is up to.

The video is short but gets right to the point of how to organize your climax. Although the title of the video refers to killing your bad guys this isn't just for bang bang shoot 'em up stories. The tips in the video will work for any kind of story.

Panzer says if you need some help getting to the climax of your story, tootle on over to Are Your Bad Guys Dying In The Right Order?

Letter From Me To Me

I would if I could.

Panzer was out in the Catosphere checking in at his favorite blogs today.

He found a great post by writer Allison Amend over at Glimmer Train. Allison wrote a letter to herself when she was a beginning writer.

The letter includes instructions for surviving that first piece of kitty dodo novel we all write. We send it out and are devastated when no one sees our cat greatness and publishes it. Then years later we re-read it and are so glad no body did publish it. That's just one example of what's in this letter.

Panzer says, "If it were only true we could do this!" He wishes he had a letter from his older more experienced self when he was a kitten. It would have saved a lot of kitten anxiety.

If you want to know what to put in your letter to your younger self, go to Letter To A Younger Self

Microsoft to Buy Nook? Part Two

No! No! No!

Okay. Panzer is still searching around the Catosphere to chase down those rumors about Microsoft's purchase of a controlling stake in Nook Media.

Here's the supposed final word on the rumor: No, it's just a rumor. The unnamed source in this article has some excellent reasons why it won't/can't happen.

If you want to read the newest twist to the rumor, tootle over to Microsoft will not buy Nook Media.

Kittens, Kittens and More Kittens

Kittens? Kittens!

This is so cute it even makes my bad boy chortle!

Writer's block? Not here. This site is meant to keep you writing and writing and writing! You'll need to scroll to the bottom of the site to set your word count and then you're ready ... to start writing and see what happens.

Go to Kitten, kitten, whose got the kitten to see what we're talking about.

Anthony Nominations Announced

Missed out again.

Panzer was out tootling in the Catosphere today and boy is he excited!

The nominations for the Anthony Awards have been announced.

He's not as excited as he was when he first found the nominations ... he did NOT get nominated!

 But ... he is being a good sport about it and he's happy for his friends who did get nominated.

If you want to see who did get nominated, tootle over to Anthony Nominations.

Happy Mother's Day

From All Of Us!

Gemma Halliday Writing Contest

A Paperwhite? Really?

Panzer found some exciting news for his mystery writing friends today!

Award winning author Gemma Halliday is having the the Femme Fatale Writing Contest. You'll need to submit 2,000 words from a short story, novella or novel; but it needs to be your best work. The winner will get a Kindle Paperwhite and a publishing package that includes some great prizes.

And ... it's free to enter!

Panzer says, "You'll have to hurry. The deadline is June 30."

So, hurry on over to Gemma Halliday Writing Contest.

Microsoft to Buy Nook?

Say it isn't so!

Okay, Panzer is stepping into the discussion on Microsoft's offer to buy a controlling interest in Nook Media.

My bad boy has been out in the Catosphere chasing down rumors. He's come up with some interesting information over at Publisher's Weekly. While there's no definitive answer here on the Microsoft offer, it's worth noting that Barnes & Noble is planning to DISCONTINUE the tablet business anyway. Yup. No more Nook tablet.

So, if you're interested in the issue, tootle over to Will They or Won't They?

Cats Do Rule The Book World

Evinrude is my kind of cat!

Panzer stopped in at the Killer Characters blog today. Evinrude is the featured (cat) character this week.

Evinrude is telling the story behind the story in Lucy Burdette's new book Topped Chef. If you travel down the post and look to the left, you'll see a photo of Evinrude and, if you go all the way to the end of the post, you'll find a link to the book trailer.

Panzer says tootle on over and see his friend Evinrude where cats rule.

Complete Edgar and Agatha Award Winners Lists

You will be sorry!

Panzer was out prowling around the Catosphere tonight. He found the complete lists of winners of the Edgar and Agatha Awards over at the Criminal Element blog.

My bad boy is sulking in the corner because he wasn't even short-listed for either competition.

Panzer says, "How could nobody in either group not recognize my ultimate cat greatness?"

For the complete results tootle over to Edgar and Agatha Awards.

David Gaugham on Author Exploitation

Don't mess with me!

 Panzer found an important post at David Gaughran's Let's Get Digital blog he wants you all to read and re-blog.

Gaughran is posting about Author Solutions and the other scummy vanity presses. He paints a picture of their business and financial practices involving would-be writers. He tells how Author Solutions and their brethren are the users of hopeful naive new writers who are trying to make it into the publishing world. He has links to articles and lawsuits to illustrate his points.

Worst of all, these same vanity presses take advantage of writers and hide behind the screen of the traditional publishers that own them. Yes ... you read that right. Traditional publishers have been diving into the mucky end of the pool and snapping up the vanity presses.

Panzer says, if you want to know who owns who ... and who you need to avoid, tootle over to The Author Exploitation Business.

Dennis Lehane Wins an Edgar

It took you how long?

Dennis Lehane, one of Panzer's favorite mystery writers, has finally won an Edgar at this year's Edgar Awards Banquet!

It has taken the Mystery Writers of America long enough to recognize his talent and contributions to the genre. After all, it's been 18 years since his first novel!

Panzer says read about all the winners at Publisher's Weekly.

Amazon Tools For Marketing Your Ebook

You need to read this.

Panzer is still traveling around the Catosphere gathering marketing tips. Today he's doing the happy cat dance! He found more marketing information for you at Joseph Kunz's blog.

Kunz's post includes seven tips for using Amazon's own tools as marketing vehicles for your book. Panzer will tell you the truth. There are two of those seven he didn't do until he read this post.

Panzer says, if you want to add more marketing tools to your kit, tootle over to Amazon Tools.