Artistically Bound review

A new-to-me review (thanks to Google alerts) from Seanachie at iReadRomance:

I don’t know how Alessia Brio and Will Belegon managed to pack so many sexual fantasies into one short novella. But who cares? It’s a naughty peek into the sex life of a deliciously open-minded couple who seem to have a never-ending supply of equally open-minded friends to indulge their fantasies with. What’s your fancy? Three-ways? Phone sex? Three-way phone sex? Eating out [cough] in public places? A little tie-me-down-and-spank-me action? Then Artistically Bound is your tour-de-force.

Grab some fresh batteries, and enjoy!

What a lovely discovery on a cold, winter morning. (This title will soon be re-released via our self-publishing label, Purple Prosaic. One of its two novellas, Artistically Inclined, is already available as an ebook.)
 

TwoLips Reviews Sapphistocated

Sapphistocated: 4 Tales of Mirror Geography is an anthology of lesbian tales.

The first tale, Double Decker by Alessia Brio, tells of karaoke singer Tess as she competes in a bar completion. With few viable competitors she plays the crowd and gets a hold on them, especially one girl. But Tess is not after an audience member but one specific woman. Will she ever get that woman to recognize the love Tess feels for her?

I liked the build up of this story. It was not rushed although occurs in one day. I loved the planned seduction Tess has for the woman of her dreams but her uncertainty in her actions make the story realistic. The build up makes the story hot even though there is very little sex. I could identify with Tess. There was an emotional connection, not only between the characters, but with me, the reader, as well. I wanted to see if Tess won in the relationship department. Fantastic read! [Emphasis MINE!]

Rating: 4.5

Preditors & Editors Readers' Polls

Happy New Year, everyone -- especially the three people who regularly read my blog. I wish you health, happiness, and prosperity throughout 2010 and beyond!

It's polling time again over at Preditors & Editors, and I would greatly appreciate your votes in the following polls:

Print/Electronic Erotica Novel published in 2009
Sapphistocated
http://critters.org/predpoll/novelerot.shtml
* STANDINGS *

Romance Short Story published in 2009
San Diego Sunset
http://critters.org/predpoll/shortstoryr.shtml
* STANDINGS *

Poem published in 2009
Is It?
http://critters.org/predpoll/poem.shtml
* STANDINGS *

Anthology published in 2009
Coming Together: For Her
http://critters.org/predpoll/antho.shtml
* STANDINGS *

Author published in 2009
http://critters.org/predpoll/author.shtml
* STANDINGS *

Poet published in 2009
http://critters.org/predpoll/poet.shtml
* STANDINGS *

Artist publishing in 2009
http://critters.org/predpoll/artist.shtml
* STANDINGS *

Print/Electronic Books Publisher
Purple Prosaic
http://critters.org/predpoll/ebookpublisher.shtml
* STANDINGS *

Book/e-book Cover Artwork published in 2009
The Taming of a Vixen
http://critters.org/predpoll/bookart.shtml
* STANDINGS *

Print/Electronic Book Editor
http://critters.org/predpoll/bookeditor.shtml
* STANDINGS *

Thanks, y'all.

peace & passion,

~ Alessia

Aurally Yours...

I am delighted to announce that I've signed a contract with AudioLark to produce an audiobook of my novella "Wetter Has Never Been Better" which was previously published by Phaze Books as part of my debut collection, fine flickering hungers, and is currently available as a single-title ebook via all major ebook vendors.

Tasked with crafting an ad campaign to make the rainy season an attractive tourist destination, Stormy Delgado travels to Costa Rica and discovers exactly why Wetter Has Never Been Better.

WARNING: The protagonist in this story has plentiful, uninhibited sex with a variety of partners… all in the rain. And, because this is fiction, it’s all wonderfully satisfying and hotter than hell.

$4.99
Author: Alessia Brio
Coming 3/2010

Second Verse, Double the First

If you recall, I posted that my first month's self-publishing earnings SEXtupled the last author royalties reported by my primary publisher, Phaze Books. Well, I am delighted to report that my second month doubled the first!

I re-released several new titles in November, but it was October releases that carried sales -- with the lesbian fiction again leading the way. One title (Boiling Point, a $1.99 short story) accounted for  half of my revenue through ARe, and it has become the #1 bestselling lesbian title on that site. Two other of my lesbian fiction titles are in the Top 5, as well. :-)

As with October, Kindle sales were again led by a heterosexual romantic comedy short entitled Legally Binding. It's erotic but not explicit, and it's so short (1750 words) that I was embarrassed to price it at 99 cents. (That's the lowest Amazon's Digital Text Platform allows.) The lesbian erotica does well on Kindle, but nowhere near as well as on ARe.

There were a few sales on Smashwords, and 1 Romance eBooks nudged onto the charts with the sale of two titles (which is enough to warrant my uploading more titles). Nothing on Lulu or Scribd, and no direct sales. Although all my titles have been approved by Smashwords for "premium distribution" (via Barnes & Noble, Fictionwise, Shortcovers, and Sony), very few of them have actually appeared on those sites. I look for a spike in Smashwords revenue once that distribution occurs. Reporting of such revenue, however, I expect to be... um... delayed.

December will bring a new distribution channel: My Bookstore and More. I signed the contract late last month and just received the upload instructions yesterday. I'll begin uploading titles this week. MBaM is Samhain Publishing's shopping cart, so I'm hoping for a sales boost there!

Oh, last thing: Print sales are not included in these figures (because sales are negligible).
It's all about the e, baby! Until next time...

peace and PURPLE passion,

~ Alessia

Your comment is awaiting moderation.

I left a comment on Allison Brennan's post about Harlequin Horizons over at Murder She Writes. Several comments have appeared after mine, yet mine is still awaiting moderation. Well, I don't feel like waiting to chime in, so I'm *ahem* self-publishing it. (And, because I can whore my work on my own blog, I've added links.) Here 'tis:

Thanks, Allison, for an insightful post.

It absolutely baffles me to think that an intelligent being would opt for HH’s platform when there are several established and reputable digital publishing platforms that ask NOTHING to host a self-published book. They take a percentage of each sale, but that’s true of HH and its distribution channels as well.

I started self-publishing last month (and, Shiloh, I’m happy to report that that 100 copy sales benchmark definitely does not apply even to re-released work) and places like Smashwords (with its "premium" -- and FREE -- distribution to Barnes & Noble, Sony, Fictionwise, and Shortcovers) make it easy to succeed. Amazon’s Digital Text Platform is free and will get your book on the Kindle rolls. And the folks at All Romance eBooks, where my sales are greatest, are absolutely wonderful to work with.

An author doesn’t have to use self-publishing as a last resort. For some, it’s a lucrative and viable alternative to jumping through the “traditional” publishing hoops.

by Alessia Brio November 19th, 2009 at 8:34 am Your comment is awaiting moderation.

The Emperor's New (Media) Clothes

This past weekend, I attended—for the 4^th consecutive year—the La Jolla Writers Conference. I have always come away from this small conference with a renewed enthusiasm for the art of writing as well as the business of publishing. I have met some wonderfully generous authors, agents, and industry professionals who served on the faculty—without compensation. People like Robyn Carr, Mark Clements, Jane Green, Alan Russell, Steve Berry, James Grippando, Margaret Weis, Linda Lael Miller, Ken Kuhlken, Lisa Gardner, Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush, Warren Lewis, David Morrell, Stephen J. Cannell, Eldon Thompson... to namedrop but a few. There are more. Many more.

In past years, self-publishing received a wee bit of attention from self-made mogul Greg Godek.  Print self-publishing, that is. Print-on-demand might have been mentioned… in passing.

This year, however, was the first time digital publishing appeared—officially—on the agenda.  I was thrilled. In fact, the new media session went a step further than even I'd anticipated, bypassing small press and epublishers completely. Author and podcast guru, Steven R. Boyett adamantly forecast a time in our NEAR future when the layers (agents, publishers, distributors) between artist and consumer would go the way of the dodo.  It's already happening in isolated instances. He should know. His podcasts are a good example.

Having just launched my own self-publishing label, Purple Prosaic, a month ago, this was—as you can imagine—music to my ears.  In my first month of operation, I earned SIX TIMES my last royalties check* just on re-packaged and re-released short stories, so I know first hand the accuracy of Boyett's assertion: the savvy new media consumer doesn't give a rat's ass about the so-called stamp of legitimacy bestowed by a middleman. That's just what we've been led to believe by those who have a vested interest.  Whatever services those middlemen do provide (and there ARE unquestionably value-added services in the mix), legitimacy in the eyes of the new media generation is not one of them.

At a time when most authors are still defining the formula for success as the traditional agent plus New York contract, this news might sound ominous. To the new media entrepreneurs and consumers, well… it can't happen fast enough.

I'm ready.

peace and passion,

~ Alessia Brio

* One third of the way into its 2nd month, Purple Prosaic has earned two-thirds of its 1st month revenue.