Category: Exposure

The Trafficking Consortium

Moderation by Amazon, again; follow-up

May 27, 2022

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about my recent experience with my advertisement for my Consortium series and suffering a Moderation by Amazon. With this article, I’d like to report on Moderation by Amazon, again; follow-up. ?‍♂️

Rinse and rewind

To those who might have missed my last post, I wrote about mother-effing Amazon moderating an advertisement I had run on their Kindle platform for years. And by moderation, they mean discontinuing distributing the advert. Suddenly, they discontinued running the ad, stating that it ‘does not comply with our current Creative Acceptance Policies.’

Their message went on to say, 

‘Please ensure your ad does not contain erotica, pornography, or explicit sexual practices or preferences.’

more “Moderation by Amazon, again; follow-up” …
Incentive in writing

Incentive

February 1, 2022

I have an additional incentive to continue writing. I am referring, of course, to my latest novel, Exposure. It’s doing well. In fact, some of you out there discovered its release and started reading it before I announced it. Across the board, my sales are up 37% since its release when comparing them to the average of the last quarter with January’s numbers.

Exposure turned out as an incentive to write more.

So what is my incentive to write, you may ask? With success like that, how can I not write my stories? I’m encouraged and excited to add to my stories. That’s good news for you, my readers. Why, you may ask?

During Exposure’s writing and editing phase, I struggled with deciding to end Avril’s story in my latest book. I could have finished it. I had even mapped out a way to end it, leaving some unresolved questions and subplots.

At least one of my reviewers complained I hadn’t, vowing never to read my novels ever again. After discussing it with my editor and beta readers, I left it as is and move on to write the sixth book in the series. I might even write more. The Consortium Series is, after all, a serialized story.

Long story short, I’m excited to write more, especially now that I have an enticing incentive. I’ve already started working on it, writing copious notes and such.

And before I forget. Thank you to all my readers for making this a success story.

more “Incentive” …

Exposure arrives

January 3, 2022

Exposure Arrives

Exposure arrives. After a tough quarter, I finally got Exposure: Hunters become the Hunted, is book 5 in the Consortium Series, published. Whew!

Exposure

What will you do after the Consortium takes you and sells you at auction?

Can you imagine your new life as owned property, with no hope of ever returning to your old life? To suffer and die at the whim of your owner.

Exposure

Can you fight back? Can you escape, or can you get help? What if aid came unexpectedly? What if the world learns of the Consortium? How can you help them help you before they kill you? Does the world even know you’re still alive or not?

Operating in the shadows, the cabal known as the Consortium finds themselves in a quandary between satisfying their cruel behaviors and their very survival. The wolf in sheep’s clothing suddenly finds themselves hunted rather than the hunters. They now scramble for their very survival. The Consortium exposure to this suspenseful and gripping dark tale threatens their existence.

Never in anyone’s memory had the Consortium run up against its greatest challenge. They’ve kept knowledge of their existence and their activities hidden from the horde they prey upon.

That’s all changed.

more “Exposure arrives” …
The Trafficking Consortium

Updates on my Writing

September 26, 2021

Updates on my Writing

Exposure

I want to pass along updates on my writing. Since my last entry, the edits on Exposure, book five in the Consortium series, are progressing nicely. I finished editing my first draft of the novel and turned it over to my editor, looking at the finer corrections that I would easily miss. 

One thing, I’m glad I did my initial edit of the book. Using my editing tools, I found anywhere from one hundred fifty to two hundred grammar, spelling, and related errors. If I had left these to the editor, it would have taken longer to resolve and cost much more money. So far, my editor is documenting less than ten corrections or suggestions. With spelling and grammar issues aside, my editor needs only to concentrate on continuity and mistakes that standard editing tools miss. 

I find this aspect interesting, as I use three different tools against the same text until they all agree. Then I reread the result. Obviously, I’m too close to the story, allowing my mind reads words that don’t exist or are something completely different. It’s amazing how the human brain can fill in the blanks, especially when too close to the material. Otherwise, editing the book will go on forever, even after it gets published. I can’t have that. I want my readers to enjoy my story and not edit it.

Her Overseer

On another event this past week, Amazon decided to unpublish my book, ‘Her Overseer.’ I published this book on Amazon in 2015. While the book is not a best seller, I know of at least one book club that featured it. I know, as I was an invited guest the months they talked about the book.

Her Overseer

Why they suddenly decided to unpublish the book on me is unknown. Amazon claims it violates its “content guidelines for appropriateness.” Yet, I know it passed those guidelines at least twice when I first published it and again a year later. I don’t remember exactly when the second review occurred, but that’s okay.

I learned over the years that there is no appeal process for this ruling, and without lots of sales, it’s impossible to get it published again.

What about the other two books in the series, numbers 1 and 3? They’re still published and available to purchase. 

Will Amazon decide to unpublish the entire series? Possibly, only time will tell. In the meantime, I’m taking a hands-off attitude.

So if you read book 1, ‘Her Client,’ and decide to read the second, and then finish the series with book 3, ‘Her Essentia,’ it is available from other distributors. I’ll be updating my website with their locations in the next week. The webpage for this book is:

https://richardverry.com/stories/her-client-trilogy/her-overseer/

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If you have read any of my books, send me a note about what you think. I’m always interested in what my readers think of my stories.

Good News about Exposure

August 22, 2021

Good News about Exposure

Good morning, my readers; I have good news on Exposure, the next book in the Consortium series.

That’s right. I have good news about Exposure, Consortium book 5. No doubt, there are lots of things in need of fixing, but I’m up for the challenge. No doubt, there are lots of things in need of fixing.

Why may you ask? 

I don’t know what other writers, novelists, and authors do. For me, it’s more important to get the story written before diving into making everything grammatically correct, maintain continuity, and clean up unnecessary or superfluous writing.

That means, write…write…write.

Writing

As much as I enjoy the creative aspects of writing, it is strenuous. Not stressful, but demanding. If I write too fast, I might get lots of words down but is it a load of crap? Sometimes. If I take too long, spending a year or more on a book, I lose continuity and the flow of the action. Plus, you, my readers, are all over me begging me to finish it. It’s a delicate balance.

So, please forgive me. There’s one thing about me, if I start a project, I finish it. I’ve known people who decide to redecorate a room, strip the wallpaper, and touch up the holes and dings, and yet, never finish painting and putting everything back together. I’ve been to their houses, where the room remains unfinished for years. I’m not one of those. Make no bones about it. I finish what I start. 

More Good News about Exposure

Good News on Exposure

That said, I am proud to have finished the story, but it’s not done yet. By the time you read it, it will have gone through multiple people editing, questioning me about the story, rewriting several parts of the book. Then there’s the book cover design and production, formatting for ebook and paper, and a host of other details that I must do before it gets published. Finally, I have to adhere to the rules and procedures to get it published. I do a lot of this work, but not all. I depend upon editors, beta readers, and others to get it out.

Do you know what’s great? It is when I get that message from my distributor that it’s been accepted and is available for my readers to download and enjoy.

Soon, my friends and readers. Exposure is coming soon.

If you haven’t read the first four books, you can find them here.Amazon Kindle logo.

Enjoy them and send me a note about what you think. I’m always interested in what my readers think of my stories.

Exposure nears completion

August 1, 2021

Exposure Nears Completion

What do I mean, Exposure nears completion? I’ve decided on the title ‘Exposure’ for the next book in the Consortium Series. If you read the epilogue to book four, you know I teased you with the story’s premise in the next chapter of Avril’s story.

I like how the book is turning out, and I only have to write a couple of chapters left before I can turn it over for editing. If all goes well, I hope to publish the book by the end of September. Wish me luck.

The Crash

Exposure nears completion

This next segment in Avril’s story deals with the crash of a cargo plane. Over one hundred of the Consortium victims were on their way to the training and auction center for sale to their membership. The two pilots died in the crash, and the Consortium lost all of its cargo.

more “Exposure nears completion” …