The Other Benefits of Independent Publishing (Beyond Becoming a Millionaire)



The summer is over and I’m looking back on my self publishing experiment. Three months and seven stories later, I have come to three conclusions:
1.       I started this process with the intent of becoming a writer. I now know that I am not a writer. I am actually a publisher because I have to take care of web design, cover design, marketing, sales, formatting, advertising AND writing.
2.       Although neither the process nor the product have been perfect, I am very proud of what I’ve put out there and I’m excited to write and release more work.
3.       Writing the stories is easy. Getting people to notice them is hard. Getting people to actually read them is almost impossible so far. That means achieving the same sales as Harry Potter, 50 Shades of Gray or the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is still a distant dream.
Does that mean the stories suck and I’m a horrible writer? Maybe. Does that mean my marketing sucks and I’m a horrible advertiser?  Probably. Does that mean I haven’t been lucky enough to reach the right audience yet? Definitely.
A writer for the Huffington Post named Scott Steinberg recently wrote about the benefits of self publishing that go beyond sales numbers. According to him, sales are still important but releasing your own book gives you are chance to:
1.       Increase engagement with your audience
2.       Demonstrate your talents
3.       Provide a low-risk way to test potential markets
4.       Create a unique promotional tool
5.       Promote critical fan feedback
6.       Offer an immediate way to set you apart whether you are an individual, brand or company
I haven’t found a pot of gold after writing for 90 days. I have done everything else on this list and I’m proud of that. The Great Expectations that I wrote about before haven’t changed. If anything, I see my writing taking me to places I could never reach sitting at home and watching TV. Is all this pontification just a rationalization of a failed business venture? It could be. But I would rather find some benefit in the things I enjoy doing instead of giving up because I haven’t made as much money as EL James.
Have fun.
G

The Art of Intelligence: A Book Review


by Gamal Hennessy
I try to read real word accounts of intelligence and espionage to inspire my writing so I was looking forward to reading Art of Intelligence. As I started reading it, I thought it was excellent. The more I read, the less I loved it but it is still a very good book.
The book is basically an autobiography of the author’s life in the CIA. It also is a personal account of the history of espionage from the Cold War to the beginning of the Iraq War. It’s a four part story. In the first part, Crumpton recounts his motivations for joining the CIA and his training. The second part discusses his work as a case officer and recruiter of spies in Africa and Europe. This is the most impressive part of the book. The author does a very good job of describing tradecraft and telling compelling stories without ever revealing where he was, who he met or what he was doing. If he only told stories like this for the rest of the book, I would have given it five stars.
The third portion of the book focuses on his years in the counter terrorism and the leadership role he had in the Afghan War. While this section was well done, I found myself incredulous as I read it. I felt like he took credit for every success in that conflict and predicted every eventual outcome. I felt like he pinned every failure and miscalculation on someone else. While that might be what actually happened, I find it hard to believe. Even spymasters get it wrong sometimes.
The last part of the book talks about his work in the State Department and as an academic. This was the weakest part of the book and read like a sermon from Captain America, but that doesn’t make his conclusions any less valid. Crumpton has a unique and authoritative view of espionage and the Art of Intelligence is one of the better books on the subject that I have ever read.
Have fun.
Gamal

Your First Look at Must Be the Music

The new erotic anthology from the Nightlife Publishing goes on sale in a few days. Here is a look at the cover and a preview of the story.



 
These two erotic stories are dedicated to the DJ.
 
In Let the Music Play, a man looks for love behind the turntables and finds himself lured by a beautiful woman into a risky liaison.
 
In Dance for Me, a DJ spins tracks for his lover, but what happens when his music inspires her to dance with another man? 
 
This title goes on sale on Amazon on September 4th. Authors, book reviewers and bloggers who want to write a review for this or any other Nightlife Publishing title should contact me directly at gamalhennessy@gmail.com for press copies.

Your First Look at Family Affair

The new crime thriller from the Nightlife Publishing goes on sale in a few days. Here is a look at the cover and a preview of the story.

 
 
Harrison Trent is a freelance operator who is haunted by his past, paranoid about his present and uncertain of his future. When an alluring acquaintance tempts him to kill for her will he be consumed by his own demons or killed by his predatory enemies?
 
This title goes on sale on Amazon on September 4th. Authors, book reviewers and bloggers who want to write a review for this or any other Nightlife Publishing title should contact me directly at gamalhennessy@gmail.com for press copies.

How Often Do You Give Up on a Book?



I just stopped reading a book after only reading about 25% of it. It was dull, half baked and overall it was pretty pointless.

Part of me feels like I'm wasting money by abandoning a book that I paid for before I'm even halfway through it. Part of me feels like I'm wasting time reading a book that bores me.

Do you finish every book you start? If you don't what makes you turn away from a book mid read? I'd like to know because I want to avoid doing things in my own writing that turn people off.

Thanks in advance.
G

What to do When Bullets Start Flying (Responding to an Active Shooter)

By Gamal Hennessy
Most of my writing deals with crime fiction, but I often come across things in my research that can be helpful in real life, especially when you consider recent events.
The news over the past year has emphasized the idea that brutal massacres are not limited to war zones or ghettos. They are happening in summer camps (Norway), movies theaters (Colorado) and now churches (Wisconsin).
While the mainstream media will trot out the usual suspects from the pro and anti gun lobby, it is unlikely that meaningful debate or change will come out of the latest crime. There will be no major change in American gun laws because there is no political will to enact such a law. Even if a more stringent law could be passed, there is no practical way to collect and manage all the firearms in circulation. It would be easier to find and confiscate everyone’s iPhone at this point than take away their gun.
US society is not moving toward a period of fewer guns. If anything, recent events will inspire more amateurs to arm themselves in the naïve belief that a weapon alone will make them safer. This means more people will be armed on a regular basis. The standard response by government authorities and corporations is to implement armed security to respond to future threats. But armed security is only a deterrent to a rational actor. Many of the lone domestic terrorists among us are not rational and will not be deterred by security. They will simply find a new less secure target.
As members of an armed society with potential murderers who could strike at anytime, we are faced with two choices; hide in our homes or adopt principles that can help us avoid danger that might occur. This essay is meant to be an introduction to concepts of escaping an active shooter and increasing your chance of survival.
Defining an Active Shooter
In this essay, an active shooter is any individual firing repeatedly into a crowd. He is not threatening to shoot. He has already started shooting. He is not shooting at someone specific (as far as anyone can tell). He is simply trying to kill as many people as possible. There are other concepts that are applicable with other scenarios, but I’m going to focus on the scenario that has popped up with more and more frequency.
Preparing for an Active Shooter
If a gunman can appear at anytime in any location then it is impossible to be completely safe at all times. But there are preparations you can take to increase your ability to get out of danger.
  1. Get your body used to moving: If you never run you can’t expect to instantly become Usain Bolt if bullets start flying. There is a certain amount of energy that comes from fear but the more you learn how to use that energy before hand, the better off you will be. The type of running I’m referring to isn’t the jogging you do in the park to fit into your skinny jeans. This is running as if someone is shooting at you. Periodically sprinting (and not in a straight line) will give your body more exposure to the type of movement it has to do in an active shooter situation.
  2. Dressing for a retreat: The lady in the super tight skirt with the six inch heels and two purses isn’t going to be able to move very fast. The guy with the heavy backpack and the gym bag strapped to him on the train is in the same boat. I’m not suggesting that you only leave the house in Under Armor and track shoes, but you have to balance your wardrobe and luggage with the reality that you might have to leave it behind, assuming you actually have a chance to get rid of it. Lighter is faster and faster is better.
  3. Decide where you are going: Being able to move isn’t very helpful if you don’t know where you’re going. Trying to find the exits in the chaos of a human stampede trying to escape an active shooter is challenging at best. Whenever possible, it is prudent to locate the exits in your surroundings before you settle into whatever activity is on the agenda. This is also a good time to figure out if there are multiple exits or just one. If trouble occurs you can move yourself and your loved ones to the exits without any discussion or thought.
Reacting to the Active Shooter
The best writing I have found on this subject comes from a site called No Nonsense Self Defense. Violence expert Marc MacYoung has identified three main steps in avoiding an active shooter.
  1. Get out of the line of fire: move to a place where the barrel of the gun isn’t pointing
  2. Get out of the shooter’s field of vision: move to a place where the shooter can’t see you and will be less likely to aim at you and put you back in the line of fire
  3. Get out of the area where the shooter is located: move so far away from the shooter that he cannot continue shooting at you.
Becoming the Rabbit
In their seminal book On Combat, Dave Grossman and Loren Christensen divide the world into three types of people using the analogy of a sheep herd. The civilians who are potential victims are sheep. The criminals who prey on society are wolves. The police, military and first responders who have to deal with the criminals are sheep dogs.
It is difficult to determine where the wolves will strike next. The sheep dogs can’t be expected to be every where we need protection so we need a new script. I’m not suggesting increasing the number of armed civilians and creating a society of wolves. I am advocating a different model all together. Instead of lying down like sheep waiting for the slaughter, we can choose to be come rabbits. We are not involved in committing or stopping crime. We are only interested in getting out. Hopefully it is a set of skills we will never have to use.
Of course, following these steps cannot guarantee your safety if you encounter an active shooter. There are many variables that could hinder your escape including your own paralysis, a lack of exits, a lack of warning or a combination of all these factors. But consciously deciding how you will react and preparing for that reaction increases your chances of living through a horrible incident.

Gamal Hennessy

Why Women Have Sex: A Book Review


The sexual motivations of women have consumed men since the Middle Ages (and probably earlier than that). We have created laws, religious restrictions and fairy tales in an attempt to define it and control female sexual expression. But we haven’t done very much to understand it. Buss and Meston try to shed some light on this enigma in their 2010 book “Why Women Have Sex”. Using a combination of anonymous surveys, lab experiments and multi-discipline research the two psychologists break down sexual motivation from a variety of different angles.
So why do women have sex? The answer is…complicated.
According to Buss and Meston, there are nineteen major motivations for female sexual expression including:
  1. Sensual attractors
  2. Physical pleasure
  3. Social status
  4. Emotional/ spiritual connection
  5. Mate capture/ Mate retention
  6. Mate poaching
  7. Responsibility in relationships
  8. Guilt in relationships
  9. Curiosity
  10. Variety
  11. Mate Evaluation
  12. Barter
  13. Trade
  14. Ego Boost
  15. Deception
  16. Punishment
  17. Abuse
  18. Health benefits
  19. Procreation
In addition to this list, the authors point out that several motivations could be present at the same time in any woman’s sexual choices even if those motivations are in conflict. Another complicating factor is that the motivations could be subconscious and fluid over the course of a sexual act. Finally, the choice of each woman has to be understood in the context of her age, peer group, religion, upbringing and previous sexual history. In other words a person may have no idea why a woman might decide to have sex and the woman herself may not be cognizant of the factors underlying her choices.

I originally decided to read this book to put more authenticity into the sexual motivations of the female characters in my books. For the sake of clarity in my work (and my own sanity) I won’t try and definitively nail down the sexual motivation of any character. But reading this book will add more variety and resonance to their sexual expression and hopefully improve the quality of my writing.
Have fun.
G

Asset Management and Sharing Secrets is Now on Sale

Sex Lies and Spies is offering two new stories on Amazon today.
We are offering one espionage story in Asset Management and one erotic story in Sharing Secrets.
Amazon Prime users can download the books for free. If you are in the press, a blogger or a book reviewer & you'd like press copies of my August books please let me know.

Asset Management: ($1.99)
Rose Mendoza is an ambitious young executive looking to make her mark at the security firm of RSVP. One of her first projects is getting rid of an enticing veteran operator named William Baker.  But as Rose learns about Baker’s plans and his connection to the brutal vigilante Ria Marlen she is pulled into a crisis that could end her career or even end her life.




Sharing Secrets: ($.99)
There are two seductive daydreams in this collection:

The Open Window combines voyeurism and exhibitionism on a cold winter night in New York City that burns away the chill for everyone involved.

Toy Story describes a visit to a sex museum that leads to a man’s first encounter with his lover’s personal playthings.



Be sure to check out our other crime, erotica and espionage stories for your Kindle, iPad and smartphone.

Afraid of the Dark (Crime fiction)
Bedtime Stories (Erotica)
The Replacements (Crime Fiction)

Have fun.
Gamal

I Reject Sexual Violence




Sometimes it pays to be a very small business.

Last week was a perfect example. My business development department (Me), sat down with my advertising department (Me) to talk about the results of the new ad campaign.

Business Development: So how are things going?

Advertising: Well, I’ve got good news and bad news…

BD: What’s the good news?

Ads: The good news is that market awareness for the brand has gone up 380% in two weeks.

BD: That’s fucking awesome. So what’s the bad news?

Ads: The bad news is that the vast majority of our growth has been among demographic groups associated with misogyny and sexual violence. Based on the sampling, the marketing department (Me) thinks that people like the FB page because they think our material is about sexual violence, particularly against women.

BD: But that’s not our message! There is no sexual violence in our products. Everything we put out is sex positive and if anything it portrays women from a position of sexual power.

Ads: I’m not disputing that. I’m just telling you what marketing is getting from the data.

BD: Can we be sure about that assessment?

Ads: Nope. But management (Me) doesn’t want to take any chances. We already got that angry letter from that university doctor at launch, remember? The PR department (Me) doesn’t want the Sex and Violence brand to blow up in our faces, so we’re going to scrap it. Management wants us to rebrand the series, tweak the ads and get out in front of this thing before things get out of hand.

BD: Fine. But can all that be done before the August launch? We’ve already got two books in the pipeline and the launch date is Friday.

Ads: It’s not a problem. The creative department (Me) is working on a new tag line and new graphics. The PR department is changing all the bios and I’m going to change the ads as soon as everything is in place. We should be set by the start of business Monday, as long as we don’t get any push back from Facebook.

BD: Fine. So what do you need me to do?

Ads: Go get editorial (Me) to write a blog post about the name change and find a way to make it entertaining…

BD: What’s the new name?

Ads: We’re calling it Sex, Lies and Spies. Later on we’ll shorten it to SLS, but we’ll probably wait for Christmas to do that.

BD: We’ll it’s not as catchy as Sex and Violence…

Ads: It’s not as toxic either and it probably won't get us into any trouble. So get going. We need to have this done before the 26th…

So here we are. Let me restate this just to be perfectly clear; some of the stories I write contain explicit sexual scenes. Some of the stories I write contain emotional, physical and psychological violence. But there is no sexual violence in my work. My affection and admiration for women is too high for me to abuse women, even in fiction.

Luckily, my company is small enough to make changes without too much trouble. This is one instance when having a split personality is actually helpful.

Have fun.
G

Sample Pages for Asset Management and Sharing Secrets


If you’d like to get an early sample of my August releases, you can download the PDF’s from the links below.

Asset Management: ($1.99)
Rose Mendoza is an ambitious young executive looking to make her mark at the security firm of RSVP. One of her first projects is getting rid of an enticing veteran operator named William Baker.  But as Rose learns about Baker’s plans and his connection to the brutal vigilante Ria Marlen she is pulled into a crisis that could end her career or even end her life.

Sharing Secrets: ($.99)
There are two seductive daydreams in this collection.

The Open Window combines voyeurism and exhibitionism on a cold winter night in New York City that burns away the chill for everyone involved.

Toy Story describes a visit to a sex museum that leads to a man’s first encounter with his lover’s personal playthings.

The full versions officially go on sale July 26 for Kindle. Amazon Prime users will be able to download the books for free.

Have fun.
Gamal

Five Lessons I Learned from the Colorado Dark Knight Shooting


Reports online are stating that a PhD student named James Holmes opened fire in a theater during the premier of Dark Knight Rises in Colorado last night. At this point, none of us know what really happened or why but there are five things that
1.       Appreciate the people in your life today, because they might not be here tomorrow.
2.       Live and love as if you might not be here tomorrow.
3.       Know where the exits are and watch your six, to give everyone a better chance of being around tomorrow.
4.       You can tell a lot about a person’s self interest by the way they respond to events.
5.       I’m going to see Dark Knight next week because my fascination with fantasy heroes is stronger than my fear of realities villains.


Have fun.
G

Your First Look at Sharing Secrets

The new erotic anthology from the Sex and Violence series goes on sale next week. Here is a look at the cover and a preview of the story.

There are two seductive daydreams in this collection.
The Open Window combines voyeurism and exhibitionism on a cold winter night in New York City that burns away the chill for everyone involved.
Toy Story describes a visit to a sex museum that leads to a man’s first encounter with his lover’s personal playthings.
This title goes on sale on Amazon on July 29th. Authors, book reviewers and bloggers who want to write a review for this or any other Sex and Violence title should contact me directly at gamalhennessy@gmail.com for press copies.
Have fun.
Gamal

Your First Look at the Asset Management Story

The new thriller from the Sex and Violence series goes on sale next week. Here is a look at the cover and a preview of the story.

Rose Mendoza is an ambitious young executive looking to make her mark at the security firm of RSVP. One of her first projects is getting rid of an enticing veteran operator named William Baker.  But as Rose learns about Baker’s plans and his connection to the brutal vigilante Ria Marlen she is pulled into a crisis that could end her career or even end her life.
This title goes on sale on Amazon on July 29th. Authors, book reviewers and bloggers who want to write a review for this or any other Sex and Violence title should contact me directly at gamalhennessy@gmail.com for press copies.
Have fun.
Gamal

The Artist’s Struggle with the Normal


“Writing ought either to be the manufacture of stories for which there is a market demand -- a business as safe and commendable as making soap or breakfast foods -- or it should be an art, which is always a search for something for which there is no market demand, something new and untried, where the values are intrinsic and have nothing to do with standardized values.” Willa Cather
I often get the impression that society uses the government, the mainstream media, priests, and psychologists to enforce the concept of normality. They claim, without any real authority, the power to define what is normal. They use surveys, statistics and selective historical trends to create the illusion of a “typical” man or woman. They preach that normal is inherently good and that all of us should strive to fit our bodies, hearts and minds into the mold that they dictate. Everyone who is willing to forge a new path or question the conventional is discouraged, punished or rejected completely.
At the other end of the spectrum artists, dreamers and hedonists resist this process. We reject what is normal and forge paths that are often bizarre, disturbing and completely fascinating. They are often misunderstood or unappreciated but the power of their voice is undeniable. For better or worse artists fight against the tide of normal in an attempt to forge new paths and create a new reality.
The irony of this struggle is that many of the people who bend to the pressure of normality spend their lives looking up to the rebels…desperately wishing they had the strength and the insanity to join them. Billions and billions of people striving to be normal have lived and died, forgotten in the spectacle of existence. It is the artists and the rebels who lead us, shape our world and live in our collective consciousness long after they are dead.
My hope with the Sex and Violence series is to pull further away from the grip of normal life and forge my own path. I might only succeed in being discouraged or rejected but if there is a chance that someone might appreciate it one day then I can’t ask for more than that.
 "To be nobody-but-yourself--in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else--means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting." E. E  Cummings
Have fun.
G

First Impressions


The Sex and Violence store has been opened for about a week at this point. Although the books will be on sale as long as Amazon is in business and my experience as a professional writer is in its infancy, there are a few things that I have already learned. There have been some good things, some bad things and some lessons that I have learned. I’d like to share them with you now.
Positives
1.       I set a start date of June 29th and I’m happy to say that the whole project launched on time. I was able to create the website, set up three online stores, set up a FB page and populate all of it with content. When you consider that every other business venture I have ever attempted has been delayed, pushed back or dumped altogether, this is a big accomplishment.
2.       The Amazon.com store is fantastic. There have been no hiccups or issues with the service or the availability of the books. Amazon isn’t really helping me sell the books yet, but that’s really not their job. That’s my job.
3.       I sent an email invitation to 2,500 people last Friday. So far, 500 people opened it. That means 500 people are roaming through the world who know I’m selling thrillers and porn. That might not seem like a lot, but with email marketing the most you can reasonably hope for is a 12-15% open rate. The fact that I got almost double that is impressive.
4.       Once I sent the email some people even wrote back to congratulate me on my new venture. That felt good. There isn’t really much to say after that except Thank you.
5.       A friend of mine who has an online radio program invited me for an interview. Publicity is always good and I’m not a man who turns down the invitation to talk, so that’s a win/ win. More details on the radio interview will be posted soon.
6.       A young lady who read Bedtime Stories and gave me the following verbal review:  “Your erotica is very voyeuristic. I felt like I was in the room with you looking over your shoulder as I was reading it.” I think that’s what I was going for. Score one for the writer.
7.       Other writers on Author’s Den really like my profile picture. That’s understandable, considering how sexy my legs look in that particular shot.
Negatives
1.       In the first week, I’ve only sold a ½ dozen copies. Boo.
2.       In the first three weeks, I have only been able to get 1 dozen likes on FB. No bueno.
3.       So far I have sent out two dozen review requests to independent book critics. All of them were ignored or rejected. Ouch.
4.       I found out the hard way that there is no way to contact top Amazon reviewer directly to request a review
Lessons Learned
1.       I am quickly coming to the conclusion that trying to get online reviews might be a waste of time. This might be accurate, or I might just be bitter because I can’t get a review.
2.       FB ads might be a better bet to generate sales, but so far even though 40,000 people have theoretically seen the ad, only 4 people have clicked on it and no one has bought anything. If you ever see one of my ads on FB, please let me know. I’d like to get independent proof that my ads are actually out there.
3.       If you are an independent writer, your “writing” time is divided in the following manner: DIY publishing is 40% back office work, 40% marketing, 15% research and 5% actual writing. I clearly need as assistant and a sales team. If any of you have any ideas on how to get that for free, I would be happy to steal your idea.
I’m sure I have a long way to go and a lot more to learn about the art and business of writing, but so far the positives outweigh the negatives. I can’t really ask for more than that.
Have fun.
G

And So It Begins...


I am happy to announce that the Sex and Violence Series launches today with three new short stories:
Afraid of the Dark $1.99
Bedtime Stories $.99
The Replacements $.99
 All three titles are available for the Kindle and Nook Apps.
If you decide to read these launch titles, please feel free to review them and leave comments. Feedback can only make my work better, especially if you think they are perfect.
Have fun.
G


 

Sample Pages for the Replacements Now Available


If you’d like to get an early sample of my new story The Replacements, you can get a PDF here.
The Replacements Description: Three young men travel from the suburbs to the city in search of forbidden pleasure. They think they are prepared to commit a crime, but are they ready for the surprise that their dealer has set up for them?
The full version goes on sale June 29th in the Amazon, Nook and Smashwords store for $.99.
Have fun.
Gamal

Sample Pages for Bedtime Stories Now Available



If you’d like to get an early sample of my new compilation Bedtime Stories, you can get a PDF here.
Bedtime Stories offers two erotic dreams. In Sleeping Beauty, a thoughtful lover tries to comfort a tense and tired woman without waking her up. And when angry words of rejection are coupled with hungry acts of passion some people know how to enjoy the Mixed Signals.
The full version goes on sale June 29th in the Amazon, Nook and Smashwords store for $.99.
Have fun.
Gamal

Sample Pages for Afraid of the Dark Now Available



If you’d like to get an early sample of my new story Afraid of the Dark, you can get a PDF here.
Afriad of the Dark
Eve Elder has millions of readers in 2017 and she lives for their attention. Her latest story uncovers a government conspiracy, mass murder and a tortured soul who might not let her live long enough to write it.
If you like the sample, you can buy the full version goes on sale June 29th in the Amazon, Nook and Smashwords store for $1.99.
Have fun.
Gamal

A Few Words On Censorship...

...from Jon Stewart...


Because Sex and Violence contains a lot of explicit material, I expect some people to have a problem with it. I don't mind negative reactions based on the quality of my work, but I have no interest in catering to people who reject something without even reading it.

For everyone who decides to read Sex and Violence, I hope you enjoy it.

For everyone else, this picture is for you.

Have fun.
G