Things happen to author's books that sometimes are stranger than fiction. Let me share with you my latest surprise.

The Kindle edition of my book, Behind These Mountains, Vol. I: People of the Shining Mountains Where The Clark's Fork River Churns, went on sale April 17, 2013 at Amazon.com.

Within a week, things began happening to copies of my out-of-print regional history book: The price of the few used print copies listed at Amazon escalated dramatically. From $50 (used) to the highest I saw for a second hand copy of that history book about western Sanders County, Montana: An astounding, "$1,894.95 plus $3.99 shipping from London, UK."

The seller, Livrenoir, has a seller rating of 98% positive during the past 12 months, with 34,720 total ratings. Nevertheless, by early Sunday afternoon, April 28, not a listing remained. By evening, a few used copies were advertised ~~ if you located the right Amazon webpage.

Although authors receive nothing from second hand book sales, as you know, I've checked for my books at Amazon periodically during the past few years, just to get an ego buzz by seeing used copies for sale at double and more the original price.

What author could ignore the temtation ~~ when the going price for used copies of best selling authors range from 25 cents to $1 at yard sales? ;0))

What tweaked my curiosity about the Livrenoir listing was the fact that when the 1,500 soft cover books were published in November 1986 by Statesman-Examiner, Colville, Washington, Dorien Hampton Wolfe, Arthur and Fanny Hampton's daughter, who lived at Plains, Montana, bought a copy and took it to England to give to the family's English relatives.

Edward and Mary Hampton settled at Noxon in the late 1800s before Montana gained statehood. Their niece, Dorien, and Bonnie Hampton Sharp, a grandniece who settled in Thompson Falls, Montana, where she was a teacher, have always also been movers and shakers in their respective communities.

The copy Dorien Wolfe took to England is the only soft cover copy I'm aware of that went to the UK, although I sold and shipped copies of the original out-of-print edition throughout Sanders County, and elsewhere across the United States, Canada, and Australia.

So naturally, I wonder it that could be the book listed on Amazon for the highest price?

I learned of the book reseller only after Amazon released the Kindle edition of Behind These Mountains, Vol. I: People of the Shining Mountains Where The Clark's Fork River Churns", which sells for $19.95 and is far, far superior in every way to the original paperback edition.

Fellow members of Internet Writing Workshop were invaluable in helping me edit and revise all 80 chapters in the trilogy, and by using PhotoShop ProX2TM and Picasa3TM the photographs are now excellent. Kindle editions of Behind These Mountains, Volumes II and III are scheduled for publication later this year.

It's safe to say that availability of original soft cover copies of the Behind These Mountains trilogy swings like a pendulum. Anyone who owns a first edition may be interested to know that prices on Amazon for used copies keep rising, and the last Volume III I saw ~~ listed in excess of $500 ~~ was gone within days, as was a copy of Volume I listed for $435.62.

Former Noxon, Montana, resident, Katherine Kay, whose business includes selling used books on Amazon, said people do pay that amount and more for certain rare out-of-print books. In this case, an autographed volume, with the original marketing brochure and bookmark that were included, increases the value considerably.

However, after checking into Livrenoir, Ms. Kay was unable to ascertain that the book actually sold for the listed price.

My advice? Keep your rare-out-of-print collectible copies, but enjoy a digital edition.

As soon as arrangements are complete, in addition to the Kindle edition on Amazon, Behind These Mountains, Vol. I: People of the Shining Mountains Where The Clark's Fork River Churns will be available at Apple iBookstore, and at as many other ebook outlets, such as Barnes and Noble, Sony, etc., as possible. At some time in the future, Print On Demand (POD) versions may become available if some organization or publisher becomes interested.

Mona Leeson Vanek
Author, Behind These Mountains, vols. I, II & III

News from Edith Parzefall on the Co-writing Frontier

Guest post by Edith Parzefall 
 

Montana Scribbler asked me for an update on what's been happening since she hosted me here with a guest post on the experience of co-writing a year ago: Perks and Pitfalls of Writing With a Co-Author.

The second book in the Higher Ground Series, Knights in Dark Leather, was released in October 2012, and Golden Submarine, the third book, released this month. I co-wrote this series together with Francene Stanley, and you can read excerpts at Double Dragon Publishing.

Long Doom Calling, the fourth book in the series is completed, and scheduled to be published the fall of 2013.

Francene Stanley's paranormal romance, Still Rock Water   was published in November last year by Solstice Publishing. This is the first book in her Moonstone series. The sequel, Tidal Water, will be released later this year, also. 

In September 2012, my thriller Strays of Rio was published by
MuseItUp Publishing and is currently on sale at Amazon  for $0.99 until April 13. (Tag line: Death squads, drug lords, homeless kids, and one woman vigilante: an explosive mix on the streets of Rio.)

During the winter months, I translated Strays of Rio into German and the book is doing well in my home country. My psychological suspense, Crumple Zone, a road trip through the Atacama Desert in Chile, was released earlier in 2013 at MuseItUp Publishing (Tag line: When Chilean trucker Enrique bumps into jobless workaholic Lara, he thwarts her flight from life and his escape from reality.)

Thank you for being my readers.  Edith

 

 

 

Patrick Wensink's POV on Writers and Riches

The Internet abounds with stories these days about ebook authors being ripped off, so I thought it refreshing to provide you with a truthful, down-to-earth reality story, for a welcome change.

Patrick Wensink, author of Broken Piano for President, tells it like it is in My Amazon bestseller made me nothing.

Learn from John Borchardt at WritersWeekly.com

It's time for a reminder: Bookmark and return often to Angela Hoy's "WritersWeekly.com," http://www.writersweekly.com/

Every issue provides updated and new markets, thought provoking articles, and stories that demonstrate how to become a financially successful writer. Learn how John Borchardt, author of more than 1,400 articles published in newspapers, magazines and online, capitalized when his usual markets declined.

The information is still very relevant, even though it was published August 22, 2012 , Writing for Real Estate Publications - John K. Borchardt, http://writersweekly.com/this_weeks_article/007523_08222012.html.

 Borchardt is the author of "Career Management for Scientists and Engineers." He also blogs frequently for the American Chemical Society.

 

Ramona Forest's Persistence Results in First BPublished Book, "Stranger on the Tonto,"

Ramona Forrest kept busy after retiring from her career as an Registered Nurse. Having written a few stories while in college, she knew her writing was interesting. However, her English and grammar usage were poor at best, she said.

"It was not unusual to receive an "A" for content and a "C-" for my grammar."

Nevertheless, she determined to become an author. Undeterred when her first book, a real fantasy love story, and her next, Hannah, about a young girl who went West to marry a rancher, and altogether eight manuscripts didn't yet have a publisher.

"Jaded, and without hope," Ramona said, "I was delighted when Black Opal Books offered to publish my book, Stranger on the Tonto, a western set in 1893 Arizona."

One of the publisher's requirements was that Ramona join the internet writing, and critiquing group workshop at the University of Pennsylvania, Internet Writing Workshop.

"A positive experience it has been for me," she says. "They [members] are helpful, and for the most part, very kind. Black Opal Books saw enough improvement in my work, that they have taken all eight of my manuscripts thus far. Stranger on the Tonto is my first published work. Am I excited . . Yes!"

Stranger on the Tonto is available now at Black Opal Books, and will be available on e-books, Nook, at Amazon on Kindle.

"Maybe even in other places since it will be in Ingram's system and could be ordered by libraries, stores and such," Ramona said.

Ramona Forest's interesting background provides a wealth of experiences for her to draw on. She retired from a very active life of working in foreign countries, and in Arizona, plus extensive travel. She was lost in Kenya and rescued by Maasai tribesmen, and danced with an astronaut who walked on the moon.

She currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona, and enjoys family and friends.


 

Montana Scribbler

Montana Scribbler

How To Become The Expert Everyone Goes To

Decide on the topic for which you'll become the expert everyone seeks. Then follow these steps, and expect to devote more time than you anticipate. Do your homework first!

Interviewing:

People LOVE to be interviewed, but keep it 10 minutes or less.

Do your homework first. You'll get five questions asked -- if you're lucky.

!!! Have them ready before you dial the number !!!
 

Interview the experts - the ones who know about the subject you want to write about. A journalist is known by his/her Rolodex of contacts.

• Ask, "Who KNOWS?" "Who is the expert?"
• Systemize your questions; entry level soft. Prime the pump.
• Expect to talk to the EXPERT 5-10 minutes on the phone. Don't be caught unprepared!
• Ask fast, effective questions only.
• If you're going for pertinent information that is only available from this one person, try for a personal interview.

A good guide for asking questions in their order of importance in an interview session is ranked by the amount of time you'll have:

1. "Quickie" = #1, #2, #3. (Five to 10 minutes.)
2. "Leisurely" = #3, #4, #1, #2, #5. (Fifteen to 30 minutes.)
3. "Unlimited" = #7, #8, #5, #6, #4, #3, #1, #2, #9, #10. (Thirty minutes, upward.)
4. If you have lots of time - Save the hardest and most controversial questions for last.

Ø If you write a letter, be READY for a phone call in return.

Researching:

Look up books on the subject, in the library and online. To learn who are the EXPERTS, read the bibliography (generally in the back of the book)

Ø Make lateral researches to related fields.

Ø Target the TOP LIST OF EXPERTS in their FIELD. Then contact them with a prepared list of questions.

Ø Create a BRANCH of who knows what about your topic.

Ø To get an interview with the expert, ask the potential publisher of your piece to put you in touch with "..........." (who you've found in the bibliographies).

Ø Gain wisdom about EXPERTS by beginning with the least expert you know. Paul Garfinkel says, "I raise my level of intelligence exponentially."

Ø Bounce your questions from one expert after the other. Example, "So and so says... what do you think?"

Ø Get point and counterpoint so your story can reflect it..."Dr. so and so says.. (otherwise)."

You, the writer, become a chameleon, glomming onto gathered wisdom, and assimilating each scrap of knowledge you learn from each expert.

BUILD ON THE KNOWLEDGE BASE YOU'RE BUILDING... to the next higher-level expert until you, then, are The Expert!