Thursday, September 29, 2011

New Release: Shadow of Innocence by Ric Wasley

Imajin Books is proud to announce the release of Shadow of Innocence by Ric Wasley. This is an especially exciting release for us as I first met Ric when we were both published by the same publisher (now closed) a few years ago. This is the new revised second edition of Shadow of Innocence and if you've read the original, you'll find Ric has made the story even better.

And now...SHADOW OF INNOCENCE.

In the turbulent, exciting year of 1968, "Mick" McCarthy and his pretty, petite but tough-as-nails lover, Bridget Connolly, are thrown into a tangled maze of dark secrets, drugs, sex, rock & roll...and murder.

Blair Prentiss Vanderwall, the beautiful, pampered, pseudo-hippie daughter of a wealthy socialite family summering in Newport, Rhode Island, is found dead on a beach and the last person to be seen with her is the cousin of Mick’s army buddy, Smitty.

Backed by the last few bucks from McCarthy & Son Private Investigations, Mick and Bridget fire up Mick's motorcycle and head to Newport to retrace the last weeks of Blair's life, from the marble mansions of Newport to the free-flowing, free-love hippie crash pads and smoke-filled bars on Cape Cod, and backstage at the Newport Folk Festival.

As the shadows in Blair's life begin to take on a terrifying persona, threatening all who seek to shine a light on the mystery, Mick and Bridget must ask the real question―not who would have loved to wring Blair Vanderwall's pretty little neck...but who wouldn't.

Check out the reviews:

"Colorful and exciting. Wasley is well versed in the 1960s New England music scene (he was a folksinger and rocker), and he is able to make us feel as though we are in that time and place." ―Booklist

"Here's a recipe for a page-turner: Take a moment of high American drama―the tumultuous year of 1968. Add some cool New England locations―Harvard Square and the Newport Folk festival. Throw in a wisecracking Boston detective. No, wait...make that a whole family of Boston detectives. Let Ric Wasley cook it all up for you. Then sit down and enjoy. You'll be glad you did." —William Martin, New York Times bestselling author of Back Bay

"P.I. Michael Prescott McCarthy, half Irish and half Boston Brahmin, and his partner Bridget Connolly go to Newport, RI, to rescue the cousin of his Vietnam army buddy. A killer in the tony resort is murdering people in vicious ways...Wasley uses his knowledge of music and personal experience in the Sixties to bring a certain reality to this tale." ―Library Journal

"If you enjoy mystery, there's plenty to go around, action too, and if you're into sixties music the scenes will resonate all the more." —Art Tirrell, author of The Secret Ever Keeps

Available at Amazon and Smashwords in ebook edition.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Amazon lowers Kindle ereader prices and introduces new Kindle ereaders

Amazon has announced 4 new Kindle products, and you'll be happy to see that part of the "new" is a LOWER price. Finally, we have Kindle ereaders for under $100, just as many (including me) have been predicting. And what perfect timing--just in time for early Christmas shoppers.

First, the all new Kindle with wi-fi. It's lighter, smaller and faster. And the price is only $79 US!

Next up is the Kindle Touch with wi-fi and audio. It has a simple touchscreen and is activated by a tap or swipe. Price: $99 US.

The Kindle Touch also comes with wi-fi AND 3G, which works globally with no annual contracts and plays audio and mp3s. Price: $149.00 US.

And lastly, an all new product, the Kindle Fire, a full color multi-touch, multimedia Kindle that plays movies, TV shows, music, books, magazines, apps, games, web browsing and more. Price: only $199 US.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Imajin Books speaks out about the new Amazon Kindle library program

With the news release about the new library program that supplies Amazon Kindle ebooks to public and school library patrons comes the obvious question the many authors are asking: How the heck do I get paid if they're giving away my ebooks?

This is what I was told:

Only ebooks distributed through OverDrive will be available as library books for this program. As there are other benefits to being distributed by OverDrive, I've tried applying to them twice in the past year or so and was turned down both times—most likely because all the books published at the time were my own, which is no longer the case as my company Imajin Books now publishes other authors and operates much like a regular traditional publisher.

If your books are carried by OverDrive, your books are then available for this new library program. Currently this only applies to US public and school libraries.

It’s my understanding that once you've been accepted by OverDrive, they would pay either the publisher or independent author. But I'm still unclear as to how they operate. Do they only loan out an ebook one at a time and wait for it to be returned before it's loaned out again? Or are they sending out an ebook multiple times?

As an author and publisher, this program raises some red flags for me. And I'm not sure it's a bad thing that we aren't using OverDrive. I want my authors to be paid for their works. I want to be paid for mine too. And our publishing company relies on sales--not giving away our products.

I'm not alone. 

Macmillan and Simon & Schuster are not supplying ebooks to this library program, as the New York Times reported. Adam Rothberg, a spokesperson for Simon & Schuster states, "We haven’t yet found a business model with which we are comfortable and that we feel properly addresses the long-term interests of our authors."

I feel the way Rothberg does. Some of our ebooks ARE  currently available via Booklending.com, but not through this latest library program, and I'm not sure there is any advantage to Imajin Books or our authors to get involved. We work far too hard on these ebooks; we just can't be expected to provide unlimited content for free.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Cheat the Hangman is now available in trade paperback


Cheat the Hangman by Gloria Ferris is now available in trade paperback!

"Southern Ontario Gothic at its spine-chilling, provocative, hilarious best."
—John Moss, author of Reluctant Dead 

Lyris Pembrooke unearths a terrible family secret in the old mansion she recently inherited. Investigating the tragedy, she delves into the psyche of a damaged WWII soldier, aided by her irrepressible spirit guide and the family psychic.

Available at Amazon and Createspace.

Check out the reviews so far:

"A refreshing and chilling paranormal mystery you won't want to miss."

―Jeff Bennington, author of Reunion

"A dazzling blend of the bizarre and the domestic, horror and humour, nostalgia and intrigue."
—John Moss, author of Reluctant Dead

"Satisfying and romantic…an excellent, enjoyable read!"
―Catherine Astolfo, author of the Emily Taylor Mysteries

"Entertaining and well written...No wonder it was shortlisted for Canada’s Unhanged Arthur Ellis Award."
―N.A.T. Grant, author of Race Without Rules

“A powerful, layered story told with clarity, pizzazz, and humour.”
―Eileen Schuh, author of Schrödinger’s Cat

Pick up a copy of Cheat the Hangman today!


Also available in ebook edition at Amazon and Smashwords.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Kiana Davenport's publisher demands she stop self-publishing

I "met" Kiana Davenport a while ago online and recently read about her battle with one of the Big 6 publishers. On August 25th, Kiana blogged about her ordeal on her blog post: Sleeping With the Enemy: A Cautionary Tale. As an author, I was horrified by how her publisher treated her and by their unfair and unrealistic demands, which directly affect her income. As a publisher, I just don't get their thinking...or lack of it.

Here's a recap:

Kiana signed with a major publisher in January 2010 for a novel that was to be published in 2012. She had self-published one book before even signing the contract with this publisher. In July, she self-published another title. Both  are collections of short stories, many of which had been published already in other anthologies.

As an author, I know that most traditional publishers aren't interested in previously self-published works, or works that have been published numerous times. Kiana's chances of having her major publisher take these collections would be slim to none, based on my observations and experiences.

When her Big 6 publisher discovered the two self-published works, "they went ballistic," states Kiana in her post. "The editor shouted at me repeatedly on the phone. I was accused of breaching my contract (which I did not) but worse, of 'blatantly betraying them with Amazon,' their biggest and most intimidating competitor. I was not trustworthy. I was sleeping with the enemy."

Here's where I think this editor suffered from Alzheimers. Amazon is NOT the enemy to a publisher. They are an important PARTNER. Most publishers are happy when their books are sold through Amazon, which is responsible for a huge percentage of book sales. Yes, Amazon offers self-publishing opportunities. Not everyone wants that, as is evidenced by the number of manuscript submissions we get now with barely any advertising--and we're a NEW publishing company.

Kiana's publisher then demanded that she "immediately and totally delete CANNIBAL NIGHTS from Amazon, iNook, iPad, and all other e-platforms. Plus, that I delete all Google hits mentioning me and CANNIBAL NIGHTS."

It would be different if her publisher had already secured the rights to that work, but they hadn't. As for deleting Google hits, I'm not sure where they found this editor, but it concerns me that a major publisher has hired someone who doesn't understand the Internet, how it works or Google hits.

So why has Imajin Books taken Kiana Davenport's side? One major reason: authors should be free to earn income with their other works if a publisher hasn't already secured those rights. PERIOD. And they should be free to publish any damn way they want to. Does this shock you, hearing this from a somewhat "traditional" publisher like us?

Here's why we think this publisher is being unreasonable and farsighted:

1. A happy author is a huge plus. Make your authors happy and they'll produce more publishable works.
2. Authors need to earn income to be able to continue doing what they're doing. Earning money will make them happy and productive, which will make US happy.
3. No publisher should have the right to tell an author they cannot seek other forms of publishing, including self-publishing--unless they have secured the rights to every work the author produces, in which case I sure hope the author didn't settle for less than a 5 million dollar advance.
4. Her publisher is completely missing the boat on the potential for more sales. If Kiana is reaching a wider audience by promoting her other books, some of that audience will spill over to her traditionally published book.
5. The more prolific a writer is, the more people want to read them. This means more sales overall and more money for her publisher. Doh!

In short, Kiana's publisher is being narrow-minded and paranoid. They need to step out of their tiny box and start moving with the tides. The industry has shifted. Old models aren't productive or prosperous as they once were. Get with the program...or get out!

What does this teach writers:

Do your homework and don't skimp on getting an entertainment lawyer to go over the contract with you. Make sure you understand what you can and cannot do with your other works. Ask if you can publish elsewhere or self-publish and get this in writing, or at least make sure your contract does not restrict you. When in doubt, ask. There are no dumb questions.

Don't discount ALL traditional publishers. Not everyone thinks the way Kiana's former publisher does. Some are far more forward-thinking. At Imajin Books we embrace our authors' successes, no matter where else they are published or if they choose to self-publish as well. We've even signed contracts for previously published (traditional AND self-published) works.

Kiana, we'd be happy to consider publishing your works. And you can self-publish other works on the side all you want.

As far as I'm concerned this whole situation is just one more nail in the prehistoric coffin of old-school traditional publishing models that simply don't work anymore, and it's time that authors are treated like the partners they are, not purely as cheap slave labor.

Cheryl Tardif,
Publisher at Imajin Books and Bestselling Suspense Author

Monday, September 19, 2011

What the Imajin Books logo represents

A few days ago someone asked me why I chose the specific design of our logo and what it meant, so today I thought I'd share my thoughts on this simple design, which consists of a prismlike crystal and a yin-yang symbol.

To me, the triangular crystal represents the polishing of something to make it shine; in our case it represents the polishing of a manuscript to make it shine. The crystal also represents light fractured in many directions, which signifies how we're eager to explore all options--ebooks, print and more--and how our various genres by many authors reach different readers. It means polished diversity.

The yin-yang is an ancient Chinese symbol and there are three main components:

1. The outer circle is like the 'circle of life', the circle that connects everything and everyone, our unity.

2. The black and white teardrop shapes represent the feminine and masculine, the black and white, that there is always an opposite to everything, but that together there is balance within the unity of the circle. To me, it represents the balance of genres and audiences we want to reach. It says we have have something for everyone, and if we don't yet, we will soon. We strive for balance in all things, especially in how we treat our authors as partners, just as the two halves of the yin-yang are partners.

3. The smaller circles within each teardrop represents that we can't have the black without the white, and vice versa. To me, this represents that we can't have a successful publishing company without great authors.

In summary, Imajin Books strives to polish the works of our author partners, to create something stunning and magical together, and that we will, as partners, reach the peak of the crystal together.

Friday, September 16, 2011

What Fears Become is now available in trade paperback

The critically acclaimed anthology What Fears Become: An Anthology from The Horror Zine is now available in trade paperback edition. Buy the trade paperback from Amazon.

From classic horror and pure suspense to Twilight-Zone-style dark fantasy, WHAT FEARS BECOME relentlessly explores our basic fears and leaves you with twisted endings that will make your skin crawl…

This spine-tingling, international anthology contains contributions from the critically acclaimed online horror magazine, The Horror Zine, and features bestselling authors such as Bentley Little, Graham Masterton, Ramsey Campbell, Joe R. Lansdale, Elizabeth Massie, Ronald Malfi, Cheryl Kaye Tardif, Melanie Tem, Scott Nicholson, Piers Anthony, Conrad Williams, and many more.

Edited by Jeani Rector of The Horror Zine and featuring a foreword by award-winning, bestselling author Simon Clark, it also contains deliciously dark delights from morbidly creative writers, poets and artists who have not yet made it big―but will very soon.

Come and discover…

WHAT FEARS BECOME

Buy the trade paperback from Amazon or Createspace. Soon to be available via Barnes & Noble.

Buy the ebook from Amazon, Smashwords and other ebook retailers.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Cheryl Tardif from Imajin Books talks about e-publishing in a WOW--Women on Writing article

A little while ago I was interviewed by Chynna Laird for an article that is now on WOW--Women on Writing. The article is titled Getting the Skinny on e-Publishing: Top e-Publishers Tell Us What You Need to Know.

In this article a small group of publishers share our thoughts on the new age of publishing.

Read Getting the Skinny on e-Publishing.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Summer Sizzles with Imajin Books Events Are Over

We hope you had a wonderful summer and that you enjoyed our three major summer events: the ebook sale, the reviewer giveaway and the exciting scavenger hunt.

Congratulations to all the winners in our draws, and to Tammy, winner of the $130 Mystery Prize/Amazon Gift Card, and to Barbara, winner of the Kindle grand prize in the Scavenger Hunt.

Jade, a book lover who participated in our events says: "The Scavenger Hunt was perfect! Lots of great sites...still many I have yet to get to but I look forward to doing so! Fun new places to explore and lots of new (to me) authors to look for! Keep up the good work!"

We'd love to hear from YOU. Please tell us which events you participated in. Which was your favorite event and why? Should we do this again?