The EPUB Connundrum

For readers and publishers both, the EPUB format has everything one could want in a 21st century digital publication — except for one thing: Uniformity of presentation as described by the IDPF Standard. This post looks at some of the more common failings to be found in the EPUB reader ecosystem, and proposes changes that the IDPF could make to the EPUB Standard that would help it live up to its goal of being "the industry standard" for digital publications.

The Final Hours

Dead Man’s Trigger is still holding its own at #2 in Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure > Fantasy – but we’d sure like to see it go back to #1 on the last day of its KDP Select promotion.   Have you read the reviews? 4.8 stars overall!   “The overall tension and speed of events cranked up […]

Try Before You Buy

Have a sample chapter from Raven’s Tears. Here’s one from Dead Man’s Trigger. The reviews have begun to come in, and they’re fabulous! There’s just about a day and a half left on the ebook giveaway. You’ve got that long to get your free copy of Dead Man’s Trigger from Amazon, and use the coupon code you’ll find inside to download a free […]

The ARC and the Covenant |

In our frantic search for replacement beta readers for Dead Man’s Trigger a few months ago, I was asked about making advance reader copies, or ARCs, available to a selected audience before publication. At the time – neck-deep in a troublesome manuscript edit that I wasn’t sure I could complete on schedule – it wasn’t a prospect I could entertain with any […]

ICYMI: The Monday Report

Here’s a quick round up of what’s been going on here at Metaphor Publications. Michael’s first novella from Menelon’s Great War, entitled Operation: Fire Mission 1: Bagedaan (see the right column) is on sale for the rest of this month for 99c. Alesia and Michael are interviewed by Kurtis Amueller at MFGCast and you’ll find a link to the iTunes […]

Updates: Deadman’s Trigger & Bagédaan

Yup! A new cover for Bagédaan. How about that! There are more changes coming to the novella too, but they’ll have to wait for later, after we’ve finished Deadman’s Trigger! For those who don’t know, Deadman’s Trigger is the second book in the Raven & Iris series. You can buy the first book, Raven’s Tears  by clicking the link (to Amazon).  We’ve been working feverishly for […]

Book Givaway at Cmash Now Live

About a month ago we were asked to do a guest post for the good folks at Cmash. Today that guest post, coupled with a give-a-way of Raven’s Tears went live. Click the link below to go check it out. And while you’re there, sign up for the give away! (Expires February 12, 2014) The  first  questions  we  get  asked  are […]

The Slush Pile Flood

It seems to be the issue that won’t go away. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of new titles are being uploaded to Amazon every day. Books and shorts that never would have seen the light of day under the ‘old regime’ can now be tossed up on the web, virtually for free, by anyone who thinks they’re the next Mark Twain. Just […]