What has Smashwords done for me? What can Smashwords do for authors?

Smashwords: Smashwords Author Brian S. Pratt to Earn over $100,000 in 2011

This is a Smashwords Blog interview with Brian S. Pratt, a very successful author publishing on Smashwords.

I personally certainly don't expect that kind of success, but even a small part of that would be nice. I can say, however, that many thousands of my books have been downloaded through my publishing on Smashwords.

Happy Reading,

Wil

69th Anniversary of attack on Pearl Harbor

I am posting this almost exactly to the hour of the 69^th Anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Just looking at the reality of 69 years makes a person realize that there are now dramatically fewer living survivors of that day, December 7^th, 1941, when Pearl Harbor was attacked and the United States consequently went to war. Of course, for those in Europe, the Second World War started in September 1939, and many Americans actively or more quietly supported the allied effort.

I have recently been actively researching that interval of September 1939 to December 1941. The reason? Why else does an author do research? For a book, of course. Perhaps even a series of books.

The Courage of Combat: Volume 1 – The Flying Fighters

This new fiction book, very much a departure from my previous efforts and genre, will introduce some characters that I will follow from 1938 to 1941. In possible further books in the series, I hope and intend to follow the characters from 1941 right through to the end of the war in 1945, and perhaps beyond. The book(s), while fiction, will be based on historical fact, and I hope to introduce readers to some lesser known facts, situations, and locations that formed part of the overall fighting in WWII.

Some of the characters will include accurately portray Americans who traveled to Canada and to England, to join up with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Air Force in order to get into the war and fight. After the US went to war in December 1941, many of them returned home to join the US Army Air Corps, but many stayed with the RCAF and RAF until 1945.

I hope I will be able to bring that dramatic period of history to life for my readers.

The planned release date for the first book in the series, The Courage of Combat: Volume 1 – The Flying Fighters, will be December 7^th, 2011. Of course, that date will also be very significant; the 70^th Anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Happy Reading,

Wil

What can kids do? You'd be surprised!

The adults might be surprised, but the kids won't be. If you give them half a chance, kids will astound the adults around them with what they're capable of.

One of the reactions I get from my books is something like: 'Yes, but your character is awfully young to do what you've got them doing.' That reaction is usually muted and subtle, as in: 'Well, I like the story, but...'

So, I tell those adults who have read my stories that I've based my youthful characters on real kids. Maybe kids I know today, or kids I grew up with, or, just perhaps, a tiny bit out of my own past. I also find, much more frequently than I expect, news stories about youthful characters, real ones, who are doing amazing things at young ages.

I have started to Tweet about those young people, when I spot a story that supports my point of view.

A 10-year-old who wrote a book to help other kids deal with their feelings when dealing with a personal tragedy. A 12-year-old running his own company (okay... I posted about him). A 13-year-old baseball player in the Baseball Hall of Fame (yes, I posted about her, too). The 13-year-old who climbed Mount Everest. 14, 15, and 16-year-olds sailing around the world. 14 and 15-year-olds who survive 50 days lost at sea drifting in an open 12-foot boat. A 16-year-old hero who risks his life to save a 10-year-old boy from a partially frozen, rapidly flowing river. The list goes on.

Ask any young person, and many of them will tell you what they could do, if only given a chance, if only the adults in their lives would let them and support them. The next question is: Do the adults support them? Or, perhaps, do the adults say something like, 'Oh, you'll have to wait to do that' or 'You really think you're ready for that?'

So, what's your point of view on this? Do you think I'm exaggerating? Do you think my youthful characters are doing too much, or am I feeding back what is really happening?

I absolutely and firmly believe my youthful characters are fully capable of the feats, successes and actions that I've put into my stories. I believe it because I know it. I hope you agree. If you don't, then I welcome the challenge. Do you agree?

Wil

What about this "Smashwords?"

Smashwords is the secret to my success, or at least the secret to my books being read. I have posted about Smashwords a lot over the last year, since I first published with Smashwords on 12/12/2009. In that time, my books have been downloaded/purchased many thousands of times.

Smashords is the reason. Smashwords is the answer to authors who ask: How can I get my books out there?

How does this happen? Here's a Smashwords presentation, by the founder, Mark Coker. Have a look at this Smashwords slideshow (below), and,

Happy Reading.

Wil

Introduction to Smashwords - Ebook Publishing and Distribution Made Easy

View more presentations from Smashwords, Inc..

12-year-olds running their own companies

Yup, that's right. 12-year-olds running their own companies.

In real life, have a look at the CNN story about a 21-year-old hi-tech CEO who started running his first company when he was just 12.

Another 12-year-old running his own company is Cameron Connors, the hero of my fiction story SONS and BROTHERS in SEATTLE. Cameron also becomes CEO of a large hi-tech company at a young age.

Interesting.

Now FREE for a very limited time: fiction title SONS and BROTHERS in SEATTLE at Smashwords is FREE by entering coupon code AQ88L at the checkout.

Happy Reading,

Wil

National Author's Day

Oh, no. This is an oops. I missed "National Author's Day" on November 1st. Actually, it's a great idea, and it started over 80 years ago, when it was adopted by the General Federation of Women’s Clubs. In 1949 the US Department of Commerce awarded the observance a place on its list of special days, making it official.

Resolution
“By celebrating an Authors’ Day as a nation, we would not only show patriotism, loyalty, and appreciation of the men and women who have made American literature possible, but would also encourage and inspire others to give of themselves in making a better America…”

So, a belated happy Author's Day. I think I feel inspired to carry on writing.

Wil

Aiden's Arrival

Here it is! As promised, the first four chapters of AIDEN'S ARRIVAL are now posted as a sneak preview. The book will be published on Smashwords near the end of December.

Please have a look, and enjoy. As always, feedback is welcome.

Wil