Category: Uncategorized

Announcements: Online Store & Patreon !

Where to begin…

I guess I’ll start by thanking you for getting this far & sticking with me on my journey as a self-published author. I’ve learned a lot of tough lessons *ahem, the Amazon fiasco where I was hardcore censored, but I’ve also grown as a writer and have gotten through several major derailing hurdles.

As you probably know, I write books where men kick ass, take names, and bang all the girls. Why? Because, sometimes, men just want to read about being a badass who can do those things. And that’s not really the IN thing right now. Amazon said I couldn’t write books where men were heroes. They aren’t exactly high literature, but they’re fun as hell and a phenomenal distraction from…other things happening in the world right now.

So, in an effort to circumvent mainstream avenues, and essentially keep control of my own books/audiobooks, I’ve discovered how to publish/sell my books in a faster, more direct way: on my author website. I recently added most of my solo projects, in addition to a few of my collaborative ones with J.B. Garner and Conner Kressley. It’s easy to visit, browse & purchase from my site.

Which brings me to my next announcement: PATREON!

I want to write books for you to read in real-time, and this is my way to try to do that. Currently, I’m working on:

The Hammer 3

The Pen is Mightier 4

The Thrice Cursed Mage 7

Super Human 4

The Forsaken Mage 2

You can subscribe w/a monthly membership and receive exclusive access to these new projects at different prices, from $5-$30. I’ve started to release a few chapters & plan on making weekly content available to most of my subscribers! Please visit my Patreon to learn more! Each membership offers a little something different.

So, check out my author website & Patreon

& thank you for your continued support!

-J.A. Cipriano

Audiobooks Available on Bandcamp

After researching different avenues to replace audible and get my audiobooks back out to you awesome fans, I’ve settled on a pretty great distributor called Bandcamp. It took a few months for me to get the rights for audio distribution, so I apologize for the delay.

Bandcamp is really easy to join and you can purchase my audiobooks for around $11.99 each, and stream them from your phone using the Bandcamp app. You can even send an audiobook as a gift to brighten someone’s day.

Currently, 15 of my audiobooks are available for purchase and that includes:

Kill it with Magic, Maverick, Soulstone (books 1-3), Star Conqueror, Super Human, The Legendary Building (books 1-6) and The Pen is Mightier (books 1-2).

I am in the process of recording other books and waiting to get the audio rights for others, so if you follow me on Bandcamp, you will be alerted when those are available for purchase.

Please visit https://jacipriano.bandcamp.com/ if you are interested in purchasing any of my audiobooks.

Thank you for your dedication and support and I can’t wait to get my audiobooks back out where they belong (to my awesome fans).

-J.A. Cipriano

You Can’t Find Me on Amazon and Here’s Why

As some of you most likely have noticed, I am no longer published on Amazon – you’ll find a few of my paperback titles, but not much more than that.  Amazon severed our relationship without any useful information and no re-course of action for me to take.  All that I know is I was kicked to the curb and it’s not a great feeling.

I will say, however, that the outpouring support I have been receiving from my fans has been my saving grace and I’ve never felt so inspired as I do now.

Since I had to move on (which could be a permanent move – sorry KU Subscribers), I have begun publishing many of my books on KOBO and Google Play.  Some of my series are available on Amazon still, but you won’t find them on my Amazon profile.  You can, however, find a few of my co-authored projects on the profiles of those I have co-authored with.  Those include Erin Bedford (Her Angels and Starcrossed Dragons Series) and J.L. Hendricks (The FBI Dragon Chronicles).  I am working on making more of my co-authored projects available.

Unfortunately for those who are avid listeners, my audible profile consists of three titles (currently) and it’s not likely that my prior titles will be available anytime soon.  Amazon is withholding my rights to these titles for the foreseeable future.

Over the past few weeks, I haven’t been publishing anything new because I am trying to figure out my next steps towards getting you my books and I appreciate your patience and understanding.  Once this mess is resolved, I’ll be back to work.

I will be making updates to my Facebook Group as I learn more and as I publish in other venues – but thank you all for your support and encouragement.  It would have been tougher on my ego if you guys didn’t care.

Back to Business

So, I’m back from our trip to New York and Canada. I’ve gotten all the required research I need for an upcoming book and am super excited to get busy on my next project. There was just one snaffu. Delta lost my laptop with about 40% of Flesh and Blood (Roy Morgan #2) so I’m a bit behind, but fear not, I will make it up.

Unfortunately, it looks like Flesh and Blood will come out toward the end of December instead of this week like it was supposed to. You can blame Delta who assure me they are doing everything they can even though they’ve already archived my ticket and told me I probably won’t get the laptop back.

Still, Annie 2 is with the editor and will be out December 12th and I’ll have the first in a new series in January. I’m so excited, I’m going to go write now!

When September Ends…

I had a weird thought the other day. I was thinking about September 15, though I’m not sure why that date stuck in my head so specifically.

Anyway, I was kind of thinking, wow by Sept 15, I should have not only Abby 3 written but Wardbreaker as well. I ought to be onto Mind Games by then.

Is it weird I’m already counting that far ahead? You know, twenty-five days or so and saying I’ll have two more books *written* Seems nuts to me. A year ago, I’d have laughed at myself. But now, I’m more like Hmm, maybe I can squeeze in another book before October ends…

Tabs

I have tabs open on my phone and every single one of them is tied to writing or publishing in some way. My favorites are similar. It’s all books all the time.

Why? Because I’ve been trying to figure out the whole marketing thing before my book is out. I know I’ll do one of those “50 things I wish I knew just 5 minutes prior to hitting the self-publishing button of doom” posts, but if I can make it 49… Well that’s a win.

I’ve been submitting my book to review sites so that means I’ve started a spreadsheet. I am slowly, but surely, compiling a list that shows the reviewer name, email, website, when I asked them to review, and what their response has been. It’s pretty similar to my agent query spreadsheet.

On that note, I was always irked by the agents who in one breath will tell you not to make a spreadsheet because they are people with real wants and needs, etc, etc. Then, in the next breath tell you they can’t even be bothered to respond to your query because they are just buried, buried under all the queries they receive as though authors are not people too.

Anyway, my spreadsheet is something I do to keep track of what I am doing. That way every day I can send out one or two feelers to reviewers so that by the time I have actual review copies I can send it to at least one or two people. (Actually, I have a couple already.)

But, as I have been compiling my list of potential people to bother with my “Hey you guys free book you can review over here” mantra, I have run into a snag.

See, I’ve long since given up on that whole traditional publishing thing. I just don’t think it is in the cards for me, and I’m tired of being rejected by people who won’t even read the book. It hurts my self-esteem, and I like my self-esteem. Why would I do things to make it sad?

Unfortunately, there are a lot of reviewers out there who won’t read indie books at all. Their website’s have bolded and exclamation marks around a statement that basically reads “Go away you indie slime, I don’t want to read your horrible book.” Then there will be some other note somewhere saying that if they do want to read your book their people will contact your people, etc etc.

It was incredibly frustrating to spend two hours going through review blogs only to find out they don’t review self-published books. I mean, hey, have you read Divergent? I could throw a needle into a haystack of indie books and probably find something better written.

And yes, I have found some great resources for finding indie books reviews. The Indieview springs to mind. But, I was trying to reach outside the box. Now I feel like I was told to get back in my box and keep my filthy hands to myself.