CM Simpson: Writer & Gamer

If you are going to go independent, then you need to make a few decisions. It’s not just about where you want to release your work, but also when, and in what formats. My advice is simple: Publish as widely as possible. Distribute as widely as possible. Follow the instructions on each platform carefully. Be aware of where each platform distributes your work—you don’t want duplication in your distribution. It leads to confusion. I keep a spreadsheet for this, and I upload directly wherever possible. OmniLit, for instance, is self-contained, apart from its sister-site AllRomance, but Smashwords distributes widely. Smashwords has an opt-out button for each distributor, for each title, and you’re best to opt-out when you set up a title for publication. Do not agree to exclusivity for any platform, as it limits the readers your work can reach. Publish in as many formats as you are comfortable with. These include: e-book forms (PDF, .mobi, .prc to name a few); print forms (Create...

My science fiction-fantasy short story, The Medusa's Starman, has now been assigned a cover, and uploaded for pre-order. It will be available on March 3, 2017. When the battlespike Oliver is flying is hit as he seeks shelter in the warp, life as he knows it ends. On the other side of the warp waits a new world, a new life, and whole new set of dangers, and Oliver is going to have to pick things up fast, if he is to survive. Will the lady from the caves be his salvation, or will she finish what the crash began?

A new cover for my science fiction short story, Banquet at Magic Mountain, has been approved. And here it is: I hate camp. Every year yada yada yada. The only bright point is Luka, the Wild Man of Camp Mellinjo, an orphan and a stray grown up. When he bolts out of camp with the ook on his tail, I take off to see if I can save him, yet again—and that’s when I discover Camp Melinjo isn’t what it seems, and neither is Luka. But seriously, guys, would my parents really sell me out?

Last week, I created four covers, released one short story, and put three other short stories up for pre-release ordering. It was pretty busy, and not a lot of writing got done, but if you don't publish what you write, you'll never find your readers. These are the stories now available for order, or download: Available Now: When Melange feels the pull of utter dread emanating from a road train parked at a rest stop near her home, she investigates. She had no intention of being trapped in the cab on the driver’s unexpected return, nor of being stuck in the truck when he is murdered during the first delivery. But she can’t stay there. She’s discovered the prisoners that were the source of the dread, and the trolls are coming to take them away. With time running short, she must find a way to avoid capture, and summon help, and that means getting past the troll and humans standing guard. Available for Pre-Order; Release Date: January 21, 2017: It was meant to b...