# Twenty-Somewhere ($2.99 or less) by Kristan Hoffman



## Kristan Hoffman (Aug 6, 2009)

Hi, everyone!

I'm new to the Kindle Boards, referred here by Lucinda Campbell. I recognize Stacey Cochran from over at the Amazon communities too though. Hi, to both of you!

Anyway, I'm looking forward to digging in (have already found some interesting threads about tagging and interviews!) but to start, I wanted to mention my Kindle offering: Twenty-Somewhere. 20SW is an original fiction series about three twenty-something best friends -- MJ, Claudia, and Sophie -- and their (mis)adventures as they try to do what anyone in their twenties does: SURVIVE. 

As the title of this thread indicates, an easy way to describe 20SW is "Sex and the City meets Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants." It's definitely about fun and friendship, but there's some romantic and professional intrigues as well. 20SW is structured in episodes, 16 of which are up on Amazon now, 12 of which are written and coming soon, and 20 more will come to finish out the year.

Here again, for anyone who is interested, is the link: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002L1462Y

I hope y'all enjoy reading it, because I really enjoy writing it!

Thanks, and I look forward to getting to know more of you!
Kristan


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## GreenThumb (Mar 29, 2009)

Just downloaded a sample!


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## Kristan Hoffman (Aug 6, 2009)

Thanks!

And what does "Status: Madeleine L'Engle" mean?! At first I thought that was Stacey's status (as in, "I am sad, I am happy, I am Madeleine L'Engle") but I'm guessing now that it's a level/ranking of some sort...

Kristan


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## GreenThumb (Mar 29, 2009)

Yeah, I was Dr. Seuss for awhile, and then Lewis Carroll, and now after 100 posts, I'm Madeleine L'Engle.  There's a post around here somewhere with the list of what name goes with what amount of posts.  I wonder what author I'll become next?  

Looking forward to reading the sample of your book, Kristan!


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## Tangiegirl (Dec 21, 2008)

Sampled...thanks!


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## Kristan Hoffman (Aug 6, 2009)

Thank _you_!


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## Kristan Hoffman (Aug 6, 2009)

Bump. Because I added another 4 episodes. And I want to show the covers! (I finally mastered the Link Maker hehehe.)


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## Kristan Hoffman (Aug 6, 2009)

New episodes: 21-24! The whole series is selling well, which is SO exciting. Thanks, everyone!


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## Kristan Hoffman (Aug 6, 2009)

Since Amazon changed the way they allow Kindle books to be linked, I had to change the link on this thread to my (brand new!) Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002L1462Y

Also, if anyone here has purchased and read my stories, I'd love to hear feedback. You can private message me if you'd feel more comfortable. 

And for any interested readers, here are the descriptions I should have included in the first place but, since I'm such a n00b, didn't!


*Episodes 1-4:*
Best friends Sophie, Claudia, and MJ have graduated college and are ready to take on the world! Or so they think. The Real World has other plans in mind. Follow these young women -- an advertising expert in Texas, a writer in the Midwest, and a scientist in England -- as they each navigate their own set of work and relationship problems. Fun and friendship guaranteed!

*Episodes 5-8:*
Things are getting complicated for best friends Sophie, MJ, and Claudia. Sophie's job at Arden Advertising is driving her crazy, and MJ faces an ethical dilemma at the graduate lab where she studies and researches. Add in a sizzling hot new coworker and some holiday chaos, and you've got the next installment of these young women's adventures!

*Episodes 9-12:*
The girls enjoy a brief holiday reunion before returning to their own homes, and dilemmas, and once again. Sophie's new coworker Diego is coming on pretty strong, but is she ready to move on from her ex? Claudia tries to make headway in her career, but it's beginning to feel like a race with no finish line. And over in England, MJ meets the man of her dreams. She indulges in a few daydreams... until she runs into him in the most unlikely (and least appropriate) of places!

*Episodes 13-16:*
Sophie is enjoying the attention of two men, Diego and X, but are they okay with sharing her? Claudia's mom comes to visit her and Eli -- and let's just say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Poor Eli. Meanwhile, MJ has a secret admirer... Is it the dashing Dr. Storm, her good friend Felix, or someone else altogether? On top of all these personal issues, our twenty-something women have to ask themselves some tough questions about their professional choices, and this time, there's no hiding from the answers.

*Episodes 17-20:*
Despite the economic downturn, Sophie decides enough is enough and finally quits her job! But strength of conviction won't stock her fridge or pay the rent... Claudia has some expertise in the area of being a poor and struggling twenty-something. But does she have what it takes to finish her manuscript and get published? MJ's problem has less to do with her career and more to do with her relationships. After swearing off men, MJ realizes her lab partner Felix wants to be more than a friend. Can she let him in without breaking her newfound stride? Does she even want to? And finally, when Sophie has to choose between Diego and X, she begins to consider MJ's No Boys policy...

*Episodes 21-24:*
After making some tough decisions, Sophie finds herself both unemployed AND single. What was she thinking?! And how on Earth will she pay the bills? Certainly not by starting a fashion blog... Meanwhile, Claudia befriends another aspiring writer and finally feels like someone understands her struggle. But are they helping each other out, or competing for the same opportunities? Last but not least, MJ has to decide whether to confess her feelings for Felix, or support his new relationship. As a serious science student, she knows she doesn't have time for this kind of drama, but how can a girl ignore her heart?


The plan is to go to Episode 40, but I'm still unsure whether I will continue posting in 4s or if I will put 25-40 up as the final bundle. I started a separate thread asking for advice on that, but if anyone reading this thread has an opinion/suggestion, I'd be happy to hear it!

Thanks, everyone!
Kristan


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## Lynn McNamee (Jan 8, 2009)

I just don't like buying things in episodes.

I don't even read magazines for kind of the same reason.

Also, if I can buy an entire book for $.99, why would I pay the same for one chapter?


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## Tippy (Dec 8, 2008)

I'm with Red -- episodes are not my  deal -- not to be confused with a series -- like Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I don't want something episodic -- especially if I'm not sure it's ever going to end.  (I don't watch soap operas either.)

And I don't like "chick lit".


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## Kristan Hoffman (Aug 6, 2009)

Thanks! This is really helpful! Keep it coming!

Kristan


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## AnnaM (Jul 15, 2009)

In my world TV shows have episodes.  Books have chapters. I understand that "chick lit" is often written like a TV sit com (I've read just a few of them -- don't like them much), so maybe your target audience understands this format.

From dictionary.com :  episode: one of a number of loosely connected, but usually thematically related, scenes or stories constituting a literary work.

So, are the episodes connected or do they stand alone (separate unconnected stories)?

I don't understand what you are attempting to present with this format. Perhaps your product description could give the customer clarity. 

The length of the first work (episodes 1-4) shows as 17 KB.  At approximately 1 KB a page, you are giving me maybe 20-30 pages for 99 cents . . . so 4 episodes (each 5 pages in length).  Is that correct?

You need to explain that these are short stories (1500 words each?) if that is what they are.

By breaking it up into 20 or 30 page segments at 99 cents each it looks like you are trying to maximize your profit (a 300 page book is selling for $10)  ??

Anything this unorthodox will be confusing to the customer. The Amazon paradigm is selling book length works (most sales are books, not serials), and that's what most customers have come to expect from Amazon.  Presenting a different product is risky (and it is confusing).

My .02.  Why not write a complete book, price and present it as such?


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## Kristan Hoffman (Aug 6, 2009)

AnnaM-

Thanks for your two cents! I wish I'd known it back in July, haha, but I still appreciate it now. I think it will help me moving forward.

Just to answer your questions:

I decided to write Twenty-Somewhere in episodes precisely because I _was_ thinking of it like a TV sitcom. A Sex and the City for women in their 20s (with no sex and no NYC, lol). So the episodes are definitely connected -- the same 3 main characters, MJ, Claudia, and Sophie -- and are, as you say, sort of like short stories. I tried to make all of this clear in the product descriptions, and I think that's why I've had no returns: the people who bought were interested in this format. I totally get that it's not everyone's thing, though.

As for length vs. price, I explained this in a separate thread but basically that was just lack of understanding and foresight. There are going to be 40 episodes, and if I were doing this again I'd probably bundle them 10 at a time for 4 bundles instead of 4 at a time for 10 bundles. It's not about profit at all (frankly I wasn't sure I'd sell one copy!) but rather inexperience.

(Aside: My whole foray into the Kindle market was due to John August, a screenwriter who put his short story The Variant up for 99 cents. Naive of me, but since he did it, I thought it was more common.)

Why not a whole novel? Well I am writing those. In fact, that's what I want to do professionally. So while I work on those and look for an agent, Twenty-Somewhere is an outlet for me to produce something different, and something more immediate/frequent, that I hope people can identify with and enjoy.

But perhaps the people best suited to enjoy it are not Kindle readers. That's something I simply didn't know going in.

Thanks again!
Kristan


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

kristanhoffman said:


> But perhaps the people best suited to enjoy it are not Kindle readers. That's something I simply didn't know going in.
> 
> Thanks again!
> Kristan


Well, be careful drawing generalizations. I've seen articles where the author assumes Kindle readers ONLY want to read short things and articles where the author assumes Kindle readers NEVER read short stuff. I don't think either assumption is valid. Also, remember that, although KB members are willing to offer opinions and our membership is probably fairly balanced, membership is only just over 4000; that's a relatively small and not necessarily statistically valid sample of all Kindle owners.

Since you've explained your idea of "episodes" I have a better understanding of what you're selling: collections of 4 short stories featuring the same few characters and you anticipate 10 sets of 4. So, if I was a short story person I might try the first one for 99¢. Frankly, the word "episodes" made me think I wasn't going to be getting complete stories but just long chapters with some sort of 'cliff hanger' type ending of each designed to make me want to go on to the next, well, episode.  Fair enough. . .but there are only 6 books available: what if you never go past that? I don't want to be left without an ending. And, how do I know you'll stop at 10? What am I really committing to? I was seeing your books as 'serialized' and thinking harder now, I see the distinction, but it wasn't obvious to me at first.

Still, I am totally NOT a 'chick lit' type of person, nor a huge fan of short stories. So even with a better understanding of your thinking, I'm not inclined to buy the books.

But that's JUST ME!


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## Kristan Hoffman (Aug 6, 2009)

Ann in Arlington-

Yeah, as AnnaM mentioned and your comments seem to be corroborating, one of the biggest problems I'm facing may just be the confusing/unusual nature of what I'm offering. Of course it's clear in MY head! But obviously not in everyone else's. Another lesson, you know? 

How does someone know I'll make it to 40? They don't!  I can only hope that my adding the next 4 episodes every week or so gives me some credibility. And how does someone know I'll stop at 40? They don't! But I will, haha. Episode 40's title is "The End."

(I think those questions are relevant to any author with any type of series. The reader either develops trust, or they don't. Of course, the author can and should do things to merit that trust.)

And no worries, haha, I totally get that chick lit and/or episodic fiction is NOT for everyone.

Thanks so much!
Kristan


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## Kristan Hoffman (Aug 6, 2009)

Posted more! Only 12 more episodes to go!











Claudia gets a first taste of blood -- her own! Backstabbed by a fellow writer, Claudia has to decide whether to confront her "frenemy" or avoid the conflict like usual. MJ, on the other hand, is the one holding the knife when she finds herself embroiled in a love triangle. A holiday in Spain seems like the perfect escape, but it may end up pushing her right into the arms of someone else's man! And poor jobless Sophie has no money and no prospects. She fills her long empty days by blogging about fashion, which seems like a huge waste of time. That is, until her former employer, Arden Advertising, realizes the sway that her blog holds over fashion-conscious women...

Episode 25: The back and the knife
Episode 26: Breaking up, waking up, and shaking up
Episode 27: Confrontation, negotiation, and reconciliation
Episode 28: Unexpected


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## Kristan Hoffman (Aug 6, 2009)

The latest in my chick lit series Twenty-Somewhere just went live!











Things are coming together and falling apart at the same time for our three heroines, MJ, Claudia and Sophie. Sophie's fashion blog Capital S is finally picking up steam -- but with that growth comes the strain of maintaining her anonymity. Should she tell her parents? Her friends? What will they think? Speaking of secrets, Claudia hasn't told anyone about her troubles with long-time boyfriend Eli. Things are getting pretty rocky between them, to the point that Claudia feels they "need some space." But how far away will she have to go? And will Eli ask her to come back? Speaking of escape, MJ wants to. Competition at the lab is heating up, and so are things between her and Felix. And between her and Dr. Storm. Wait! That's one guy too many. Or is it TWO many for MJ to handle? At long last the three women reunite -- in Paris! -- to take a break from their troubles. But it isn't quite the European getaway they imagined...

Episode 29: Escalation
Episode 30: Words unspoken
Episode 31: Wanna get away?
Episode 32: Paris, City of Fights

Thanks and happy reading!
Kristan (my Amazon author page)


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## Kristan Hoffman (Aug 6, 2009)

No new episodes yet, but exciting news: Twenty-Somewhere was just named a winner of the St. Martin's "New Adult" contest!

More info at http://sjaejones.com/blog/2009/st-martins-new-adult-contest/

Now I'll be submitting the manuscript (which consists of a total of 40 episodes) to St. Martin's Press to see if they're interested in publishing it. Stay tuned!


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## Kristan Hoffman (Aug 6, 2009)

Soooo I still haven't heard back from St. Martin's (publishing is like the slowest business ever) but I went ahead and put up the final chapters on Amazon since people are still buying these and I think they deserve the ending.

For anyone reading, I hope you enjoy!!











Paris is a nightmare. After getting into an argument at a night club, Sophie and Claudia stop speaking to one another. Not wanting to get trapped in the middle of their fight, MJ runs away instead. While her friends give each other the cold shoulder, she wanders the streets of Paris, and runs into some trouble in an alley... Can Sophie and Claudia make up in time to salvage their vacation? More importantly, will they stop bickering long enough to realize MJ is in danger?

Episode 33: The Eiffel sour
Episode 34: French frights
Episode 35: Au revoir, adieu, a plus
Episode 36: Homecoming











When the girls get back from Paris, a lot has changed. Maybe most of all, within themselves. Claudia realizes that she hasn't been fair to Eli and decides to freelance in order to help him support their household. To her surprise, her magazine articles attract a fan -- who might be able to get her foot in the publishing door. Meanwhile, MJ's graduate program ends and she returns home to look for jobs. While she waits for offers that don't seem to be coming, she agrees to substitute teach at her cousin's school. And for the first time in years, she actually enjoys what she's doing. Last but not least, Sophie reveals the truth to Reggie: she is Capital S, the famous fashion blogger he's been working with. Now that her secret's out, will she lose a friend, or gain the world?

Join Claudia, Sophie and MJ for the final chapter of their story -- but definitely not of their lives!

Episode 37: Comfort food
Episode 38: One step forward, two steps back
Episode 39: A little bit crazy
Episode 40: Milestones


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## ReeseReed (Dec 5, 2009)

Any thoughts of doing one with women in their 30's?  While your 20-ish characters are appealing, I have to admit I'd be much more interested in reading about women in my stage of life.


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## Kristan Hoffman (Aug 6, 2009)

ReeseReed said:


> Any thoughts of doing one with women in their 30's? While your 20-ish characters are appealing, I have to admit I'd be much more interested in reading about women in my stage of life.


Totally understandable, and in fact that's why I wrote 20SW: because I felt like women in my stage of life weren't being represented. That said, I love these characters, and I'm pretty sure I'll follow them into their thirties and maybe even forties. 

(Which doesn't necessarily mean readers would have to wait 1-2 decades to get those stories! I haven't started anything yet, but your comments have the wheels turning in my mind...)

Kristan


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## ReeseReed (Dec 5, 2009)

kristanhoffman said:


> Totally understandable, and in fact that's why I wrote 20SW: because I felt like women in my stage of life weren't being represented. That said, I love these characters, and I'm pretty sure I'll follow them into their thirties and maybe even forties.
> 
> (Which doesn't necessarily mean readers would have to wait 1-2 decades to get those stories! I haven't started anything yet, but your comments have the wheels turning in my mind...)
> 
> Kristan


Awesome! We 30-somethings have so much to come to grips with...trying to age gracefully while wrestling with feeling younger than we are, bodies ravaged by pregnancy and childbirth/rearing, physical, mental, emotional exhaustion. Well, there's good stuff, too. Really. Catch me on a better day and I'll come up with some. Today's not the one.  lol.


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## Kristan Hoffman (Aug 6, 2009)

So, I decided to experiment with Smashwords, and have now compiled all 40 episodes into 1 book for just $1.99:










https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/16851

Do you guys like Smashwords? Or do you prefer going through Amazon?

Thanks for your support!
Kristan

I did the same thing at Amazon; now Twenty-Somewhere is available as one ebook at Amazon for $1.99:









_--image link added. Betsy_

_3 best friends navigate life after college. Bold and alluring Sophie Lin, goody-goody writer Claudia Bradford, & boy-crazy nerd MJ Alexander are ready to take on the Real World -- or so they think. As relationships sour, careers sputter, & ethical dilemmas arise, the girls turn to the one thing they can always count on: their friendship with each other. But even that will be put to the test...

Twenty-Somewhere is a women's fiction novel told in 40 "episodes." Think Sex and the City meets Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

* * *

About the author: Kristan Hoffman is a 24-year-old fiction writer. Her first novel The Good Daughters was a quarterfinalist in the 2008-2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards. At the request of a major publisher, Kristan is currently developing a second, non-episodic novel based on the 20SW girls.

For more about Kristan or her writing, please visit http://kristanhoffman.com!
Kristan's Amazon author page can be found at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002L1462Y_


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Kristan--

Congratulations on the new compilation!

You've been a member awhile, but I don't believe you ever received one of our welcome posts, so I'm doing that now!

I've added an Amazon image link to your last post.  We invite you to use your book cover as your avatar and have links to your book and website in your signature. Although self-promotion is limited to the Book Bazaar, most of our authors have found the best way to promote their books is to be as active throughout KindleBoards as time allows. This is your target audience--book lovers with Kindles!

You probably will want to bookmark this thread so that you'll be able to find it again. Be sure to read the fine print below for more information about the forum.

Thanks for being part of KindleBoards! Feel free to PM us if you have any questions.

Betsy & Ann
Book Bazaar Moderators


The fine print: 
_Please add to your existing book thread when you have news about your book rather than start a new one, it helps the members who are trying to follow you. You may have a separate thread for each of your books. We recommend you bookmark your post so that you can find it in the future.  You may respond to all posts, but if there have been no member posts, we ask that you wait a week before "bumping" the thread by posting back-to-back posts of your own. And we ask that Amazon reviews not be repeated here as they are easy to find at your book link. Also, full reviews from other sites should not be posted here, but you may post a short blurb and a link to the full review instead. All this, and more, is included in our Forum Decorum. From time to time our site rules may change; be sure to check Forum Decorum for the current guidelines and rules. _


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

To answer your question, Kristan. . . .I prefer going through Amazon as I've not been best pleased with the quality of stuff from Smashwords.  Not the writing, mind you, but the formatting and metadata. . .  probably a function of something that happens when updated, but I'm a bit gun shy.  (I have also picked up a few free books there that looked interesting but were 'not ready for prime time'. ) AND, I have so much waiting to be read now that there's no point in searching out places other than Amazon to find stuff.


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## Kristan Hoffman (Aug 6, 2009)

Thanks, Ann, that's really good to know!

I did publish to Amazon first because, I agree, there's a sense of quality there that can sometimes be lacking in other e-bookstores. But I have to say, Smashwords has an excellent guide on how to format your ms properly for them. My guess is that a lot of people just don't read it. :\ I know I put it off for months because it seemed daunting (even though it really isn't once you sit down and do it).

Thanks!
Kristan


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## Groggy1 (Jun 21, 2010)

40+ old dude, not really interested,,,   (Not to mention the creepy old dude factor....HA!)


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## Kristan Hoffman (Aug 6, 2009)

Groggy1 said:


> 40+ old dude, not really interested,,,  (Not to mention the creepy old dude factor....HA!)


LOL fair enough. Maybe someday if/when you have 20-something daughters and you want to know what kind of hijinks they get into... OR you can do like my dad and just let mom handle it. 

Kristan


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## izzy (Jun 12, 2010)

I just downloaded the sample. I'll let you know what i think of it. It looks interesting.


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## Kristan Hoffman (Aug 6, 2009)

Thanks, izzy!


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## Kristan Hoffman (Aug 6, 2009)

Twenty-Somewhere is now available in the iBookstore, also for $1.99!

My boyfriend got his iPad about 6 weeks ago, and when I went through the iBookstore I was a little disappointed in their interface for "browsing" books. I found it very difficult to find things by genre or similar authors/topics. But if you just search "kristan hoffman," my book pops right up.

If anyone has other tips for me on how to better browse the iBookstore, I'd appreciate them!

Kristan


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