Strange, Weird, HUH? with Kindle Vella Writers

[therosesword]

Oh gosh, now someone has written an article (which isn't bad at all) about being on Vella and he states that writers can put up their whole story for those who wish to binge or they can "tease" their readers into coming back by scheduling.

It's the story that brings them back, not scheduling.

I've never looked at a story here and thought: Oh look! They've scheduled it for once a week. Oh, dear, I
MUST come back to read it. No matter how much I don't like it, it is scheduled and now I am massively teased by this intriguing schedule.

sigh

[cherrystark]

Don't forget part of the problem is the boss babes' unofficial rule that every chapter should end with a cliffhanger

[therosesword]

Not just a cliffhanger but a "CLIFFHANGER"

sigh

[thedude3445]

Are these groups discussing how the stories are actually doing? Is anyone making any money, or is it just drama between authors? If it's all drama even a month after launch, I'm starting to wonder if this won't last past 2022.

[therosesword]

Oh there's constantly drama. I keep thinking these people are running around saying things like "I'm ready for my close up, Mr. DeVille."

There is some discussion how the stories are doing but it would depend on what you call discussion? there has been a sort of payout for July (money not available until Sept.) with, of course, the KU people who had a following getting their people to pile on and read, like and follow, etc. don't know what will happen after when (what's that old saying" the bloom is off the rose") or something like that.

People with serial background who are attempting to provide truth are being muted and banned a bit, don't know if it's wholesale yet, but I know our group seems to be quite the refugee center.

We think that things might die down a little but once amazon opens this to the international market all the boss babes, suburban divas and MLM people are going to be filling the ICU's with heart palpitations.

Once again @cherrystark and I will be contemplating buying popcorn futures.

It's becoming a relatively sad circus, tattered and a little on the blousy side, an old chanteuse with a problem of not letting go of her long gone youth...

oh jeez, I'm sounding like I'm envisioning Citizen Kane... which I am.

[cherrystark]

I think the platform will last into 2022 but I'm not convinced about the people. They talk about how much $$ they are making with their bonuses and complain about what Amazon isn't doing for them.

[cherrystark]

The Queen of the Boss Babes has been a popular guest on the YouTuber interview circuit lately. Her latest interview... grrrr.... She acts like she's innovating this whole style of writing.

The way she talks about her writing style - she's a pantser. But the way she talks, she waits for reactions on previous episodes to help stir where the "new" episode for the week is going to go. Plus every chapter has to have a cliffhanger, or why would a reader come back? *This part makes my cringe as a pantser.

The other part of her "interview" that made me cringe was when she started talking about her "experience" in both writing and promoting. She talks about working in the Nashville music scene for a while, she's used to promoting. And since she's been using social media as a writer for a while - she has more 'experience" and a leg up on the competition over us "new" writers.

[therosesword]

I tried watching it, I really did but, no, I couldn't.

[Zugaikotsu]

And since she's been using social media as a writer for a while - she has more 'experience" and a leg up on the competition over us "new" writers.

I feel sooooooo lazyy when people comes with this 'competition' speech... I keep yawning while watching the little rats running wild in their wheels.

Also, as a reader, if all the chapters have a clifhanger and no arc os wrapped, I feel scammed, and drop the whole thing.

[cherrystark]

And since she's been using social media as a writer for a while - she has more 'experience" and a leg up on the competition over us "new" writers.

I feel sooooooo lazyy when people comes with this 'competition' speech... I keep yawning while watching the little rats running wild in their wheels.

I get it. "Patience" is hard with growing a series on any platform but they all seem to act the mean girls at school who act all sweet until push comes to shove. They talk about "visibility" and "international readers" all the time like they are the catalysts to a successful series.

I feel scammed too with the trend of writing a complimentary serial to your book series. If there is critical worldbuilding in your books that you aren't going to readdress in the serial, I'm going to stop reading. I don't want to be confused and sure as shootin' don't want to pay MORE money for books that I'm only going to read once.

*New update. People are creating Vella Review YouTube channels. In theory, it's not a bad idea - if they picked serials at random and reviewed as fairly as possible. One of the mods in a promo group started a review channel. She posted a Google form for people to submit their series so she could "review" their first chapter.

[therosesword]

Not going to be hearing from me. If someone reads my work because they want to, fine. If they're reading it because they want to show off, no.

Here's the thing. Who is she? what qualifies her to review someone else's work? So many of these people look at other authors, no matter what genre they're writing in, as competition. Who wants to be reviewed by someone who thinks of you as competition?

If someone writes crime stories and another person writes romance: THERE IS NO COMPETITION. Unless you've got a crime romance. Anyone can see that. People read what they like to read. If you tell me your serial is a genre I have no interest in I will wish you the best of luck, refrain from reading, and we'll call it a happy day. But, these people look at everyone as competition.

Hand me over to a professional reviewer and I'll say yes. Hand me over to someone who's just a KU writer, no way, no how.

[cherrystark]

I think I figured out the source of the boss babes "ways" when it comes to serial/online fiction. It's the name "Vella". I read a post that said that said since Vella obviously came from "novella" - so the best "season" length should be novella-length. They don't openly bash if you decide to go longer, but it kind of puts things into perspective. A lot pushed 1K- 1.5K word chapters and times by 30, you're in novella length territory.

[nostalgicroxas]

working in the Nashville music scene for a while, she's used to promoting.

Those two things do not equate to INTERNET promotion.

A lot pushed 1K- 1.5K word chapters and times by 30, you're in novella length territory.

I can see that sort of... But then by that logic, Tapas should be called "Tapvella" and stories should not be, like mine: 200,000+ word territory.

[cherrystark]

working in the Nashville music scene for a while, she's used to promoting.

Those two things do not equate to INTERNET promotion.

RIGHT!!! They also push a website called "Bookfunnel" to help boost subscribers. They have a NO IDEA if it'll work for serialized fiction but it brought subscribers to their newletters!!! I had never even HEARD of the site before the groups, but it's supposed to make a difference.

A lot pushed 1K- 1.5K word chapters and times by 30, you're in novella length territory.

I can see that sort of... But then by that logic, Tapas should be called "Tapvella" and stories should not be, like mine: 200,000+ word territory.

I get it. Before I pulled my series down for rewrites I was in the 160k word territory and am adding a second story arc that wasn't even in my original Tapas version. I'll probably be in the 200k range by the time I end my FIRST "season"

[cherrystark]

Now this story is more amusing than anything.

Before the official launch, two "how-to" books were released on "How to Kindle Vella". (A plucky "reporter" even pestered me about "how to Kindle Vella like a rockstar" but that's a story for another day.) From the free sample, the books were reguritating everything that bloggers were posting for free online.

One of our least favorite users in the groups posted that he had written a non-fiction Vella serial. I used my "spidey powers" to look it up and oh boy... oh boy... oh boy... This USA Today bestie who went from "i know nothing about serials" to "I know everything" decided to post a "serial" about "how to write". The kicker to his "serial" - you could email him any questions you had on writing. He didn't say if he would respond back answering your questions but he'd use your question to help formulate a new chapter.

Seems really pointless, yes?

[therosesword]

They're just getting wackier and wackier.

[cherrystark]

@therosesword and I do threads in our group called "Dear Author". It's just an opportunity to "vent" about things that are super common in online fiction, like a girl just out of college with no prior experience becoming the personal assistant to a billionaire. Most people in our group take it in stride and we've had no problems.

Today, @therosesword starts a post with a comment about how writers often mislabel deltoids. One girl in the group asked for "resources". Oy vey.

[cherrystark]

We're now almost two months into Vella. For those wondering about how readership works, it works exactly the same way as starting a new series on an established platform. July, I had maybe 100 reads, in August about 300 reads (definite growth)

Now since about the first of August, the boss babes have been complaining about how Vella is a flop and they are leaving. Fine with me. A woman posts the other day declaring that she's leaving Vella and might come back once Vella has worked out its bugs.

Come to find out later, she's put absolutely ZERO effort into marketing her serial. Since Amazon isn't allowing them to buy ads and they can't attach the serial to their Amazon author page - there is NO way to feasibly market their series. So Vella is a fail.

There was one comment in this lively discussion that made me a little salty. A woman commented that people are getting frustrated because Amazon isn't "helping" them get reads. $3-$4 is great but they have bills to pay. They can't afford to wait to Vella to take off. Vella is fine for "new" writers or writers who don't rely on book sales. Veteran writers (like her) don't have the luxury of waiting for Vella to take off.

*Honestly, it was her wording. When I hear "veteran" used in non-military terms, I always associate it with experience, quality - like a "master craftsman". No one said they couldn't work on other projects to make $$ while we waited for Vella. We've had since April. No one said it would be an instant moneymaker. But calling yourself a "veteran" in a writing style you aren't familiar with seems extra jerky.

[cherrystark]

I know it's been awhile since we shared a story from the Vella groups. It was announced that Kindle Vella is a sponsor for this year's NaNoWriMo. The boss babes are now worries about the "quality" of new stories that are on the horizon to come to Kindle Vella, especially if the new writers release "unedited" work.

Needless to say, I was taken aback. I know a lot of writers both online and IRL who do NaNoWriMo who work their butts off to create the best stories they can. Even if they decide to come to Vella, they'll be posting the work they slaved over, regardless of formal editing. *The people worried are the people openly saying they are posting their unedited first drafts on Vella to earn money while they finalize it for "traditional" publication.

[DesiredUsernameTaken]

....Wow. That's more saddening than anything