Thanks to the writing and editing work of Wellvyne, a new Mailgirls Anthology has just been released, available in either Kindle or paperback editions. The book features seven Mailgirls stories by seven different authors, including Donnylaja and myself. Those who frequented the old Indian Outlaw board may remember a story I started there called “Donny and the Mailgirls”. I revisited that story, which I had abandoned for various reasons, doing some revisions and continuing on until it had a more proper ending, and added it to this collection.
Check it out here: Mailgirls: The Anthology https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QZ2MK2F/
Thanks for posting about this!It should also be mentioned that sbjdanielshas a story in here also, as well as Stacey Shackleton (for fans of the Dress Off series on LE). For our friends outside the US, here is a universal link to the book and I hope you all enjoy and cannot wait to hear what you all think: https://geni.us/MGA1
Oh wow, this is awesome. Very cool to see some members from our very own naked fiction storyboard joining together to form a combined publication. I’ll have to check that out!
Congratulations! Maybe you guys can share some tips and gotchas on the Amazon publishing process with the rest of us.
I would be more than happy to help anyone publish on Amazon!
Part of the fun of putting this anthology together was to help some of the newer authors establish themselves on Amazon. If you have or anyone has any particular questions, feel free to reach out on chat here or email me at wellvyne@gmail.com – I am always happy to help.
As to the publication process in general, it’s a pretty broad subject with a lot of nuance but also a lot of resources – I like Chris Fox’s books (Write Faster, Write Smarter series) as a way to begin the indie author journey.
There has already been quite a bit of interest in a Volume II, so, if I do a second, I will certainly make a post about it here and try to get more folks involved.
Thanks for the tip Wellvyne. Yes, I think it would be cool to post details about the process and demystify it a little here. I might do that eventually if I find myself publishing anything. In terms of just putting something on Amazon I can’t imagine there is a lot to do. But I was wondering if they support images within the story itself. Not sure if you have experience with that.
Amazon makes it pretty easy to add pics to your books from the look of it (I’ve never done it myself), but I know that it would change the cost of a print book, so your profit margin would be tighter if you include images in a paperback.
Thanks for the info. I’m actually not looking to make money or print anything. But rather just encapsulate the chapter in a nice standard format so that a few people can easily find it and enjoy it on an ereader or in an ereader app. It’s my first story so I’m pretty casual about it. I think it’s more important to just do it and enjoy both completing the process and having something published. I mean, if it’s free to toss it on Amazon – why not? After that, when I start my next writing project, I will have more confidence and have a better sense about what things to focus upon.
I really like that idea and think it would be a great way to dip your toe into the amazon waters. If the stories are available anywhere else digitally, you won’t be able to offer it through Kindle Unlimited, but you will certainly be able learn all the amazon ropes. As I said, feel free to reach out to me directly for any help with this- the more we get on amazon, the better it is for all of us!And the nice thing for you is that I’m sure Arthwys could put together an amazing cover for you!
Let me add my voice to praise “Mailgirls: the Anthology”. On the intro page on my site (for “Mailgirls”) I recorded my view that Mailgirls is a ridiculous, unsustainable idea, at least if set in a free society. The only Mailgirls story I had written (“Five Mailgirls”) mostly ran away from the concept and ended up being more of a Tami Smithers story. But the Anthology has enough different takes that it’s convinced me that this genre can be played with. I thought it was necessarily a silly “mindless submissive female” concept but I was wrong.
In the Anthology my contribution, “Apokni”, is the last story. I thank Wellvyne for giving me that slot!
Ahh so you mean if it’s offered elsewhere as an ebook? Like goodreads? Or do you mean like posted on this website? And by kindle unlimited, you only mean that one thing? Or any kindle publishing at all?
Good job donnylaja. I’ll pick up a copy soon and enjoy the stories you all put in there.
If the book is available anywhere else digitally, it cannot be available on Kindle Unlimited, but it can certainly still be available on Kindle for purchase. Several sites will help make landing pages for your book so that readers can find it on their preferred platform. For example: Buy Mailgirls: The Naked Truth
Perhaps I will start a “publishing on amazon” thread here soon and do a quick rundown and answer questions…
I had fun contributing to this anthology. It’s very nice we can do these things together as a community. Maybe people will get interested, maybe they won’t, but there is nothing wrong with shooting your shot.Give writing a go ReaderMan! I write for myself mostly, money when I need to, but overall enjoy the creative proccess.
Appreciate the tips. And I agree sbjdaniels. Yes I will give it a shot after I get caught up with work, health and writing, lol. In the meantime, I would like to thank you guys for inspiring us!
So I just read ‘The Mailgirl Incident’ by Sarah-Beth Daniels, one of the stories in the Mailgirls Anthology. Initially, I was a little worried about the non-standard format of an ‘Incident Report’ for a piece of fiction, but I was quickly won over by a fun, unique, well written story. My wife was sitting beside me in a donut shop as I consumed this story with a grin on my face. I won’t spoil the details, but it was a realistic and human feeling story. Thank you Sarah, you really made my day!
Though I am familiar with the Mailgirls Universe, I have not read any of the titles included in this anthology before. To attract a wider audience might I suggest, as many other Amazon authors have done previously, that in the description of the book you include a short synopsis of the plot of each title in the anthology. I am sure people would be tempted to buy this book if they understood a little more about the stories contained within. Merely saying “Don’t miss these scorching stories that expand the genre in exciting new directions,” Does little to tempt a buyer to invest in its purchase.I can hear potential buyers now asking “Yeah, like what new directions?”I doubt that a little more information will “spoil” the stories within. Just a thought from a huge Kindle reader who so far hasn’t made up his mind on this one – despite the authors that contributed. Sign me, “Been burned before buying books with vague content descriptions.”