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Posts Tagged ‘serialization’

Procrastination

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , on August 21, 2013| 2 Comments »

It runs in the family. Dad was a champion at it.

Promotion is outside my comfort zone and it’s so easy to just keep working on things I enjoy more–like writing–and push off the promotion stuff until tomorrow. It’s always tomorrow.

But that’s the point. I have to reach the point where I’m reasonably comfortable with promotion. It’s not optional. Writing without some promotion is just shouting into the wind. Not very many people will hear you.

Last week, I had an excuse. WriteOnCon. And that was definitely not time wasted. But that was last week.

As of yesterday, the official launch of BLOOD IS THICKER is three months away. Time to get serious.

Blood Is Thicker Cover

I need to start dedicating an hour or so a day to this–whether I want to or not.

In other news, I got the proof of the paperback version. And, you can read the first eight chapters of BLOOD IS THICKER free on wattpad. (The next chapter coming up is a fun one.)

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Taking Stock

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , on August 18, 2013| 4 Comments »

It’s time to take a step back and figure out what I want to do next with THE BARD’S GIFT. This is a tough one.

When I first sat down to write TBG, I had a choice to make. I could either write the story as straight up second-world fantasy or I could do a lot of research and write it as historical fantasy or alternate history. I chose to stretch myself as a writer and go with the historical–a story with fantasy elements set in 14th-century Greenland.

On some levels, this may have been a mistake, but I’m not sorry I did it. I really like the way it turned out. And, frankly, some elements of the story would have been different–maybe not as good–if I hadn’t done that research.

However, it looks like a young adult story set in 14th-century Greenland is a tough sell, at least to agents. Since the very first book I queried, I’ve never had so little response to a query.

It’s odd, though. I’ve had half a dozen or so of those repsonses queriers will tell you that you never get–personalized rejections. These rejections from agents who read a part of the beginning along with the query have complemented the writing, the main character, what they know of the plot–and then gone on to say that they just can’t take it on. I have to conclude that it’s the historical setting.

So, here are my choices:

  1. I could shelve it. But my gut and those peronalized rejections are telling me that’s not what I need to do.
  2. I could rewrite it as a second-world fantasy and try again. See if that gets any better response. I’m thinking about this one, but it doesn’t quite feel right.
  3. I could try sending it directly to some small and medium presses that accept unsolicited manuscripts and see if I get the same response from editors, but–wow that could take a very long time. Unlike agents, editors generally want exclusive submissions. And they may take months to get around to reading an unsolicited manuscript.
  4. Or, in today’s digital marketplace, I could just go ahead and epublish it myself. I’m leaning towards this one.

Meanwhile, following WriteOnCon, I’m ready to start querying MAGE STORM. Hopefully, this second-world middle grade fantasy will get a better response.

And, of course, I have to really dig in and start to prepare for the launch of BLOOD IS THICKER.

Blood Is Thicker Cover

Also, Chapter 8 is now available free on wattpad.

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Update

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , on August 13, 2013| Leave a Comment »

I’ll be “at” WriteOnCon all day tomorrow, learning a lot (as usual) so I’m posting a bit early. And I’m going to keep it short.

I discovered something new this week. I prepared the combined manuscript for Blood Will Tell and Blood Is Thicker (for that promotion I want to do around the launch of Blood Is Thicker).

http://www.dreamstime.com/-image10567743

(I’m starting to really love that cover.) I went to upload the file to Smashwords and guess what? They have a new function, still in beta, that allows you to set the launch date. The book will appear for preorder on several of the sites Smashwords distributes to. Readers will be able to download a sample. But it won’t actually be available until (approximately) the date I set. Woohoo! Love this.

Also, you can read the first seven chapters of Blood is Thicker free on wattpad.

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Bundling

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on August 11, 2013| 3 Comments »

Part of my plan for the launch of BLOOD IS THICKER is to offer a bundle of both BLOOD WILL TELL and BLOOD IS THICKER at a discounted price. This will be helpful with some reviewers, too.

First thing I need is a cover. Here’s a sneak peak at what I’ve got now:

http://www.dreamstime.com/-image10567743

It’s kind of a mash up of the two covers.

That’s the progress on launch preparations for now. I’ve also been working on my rewrite of THE SHAMAN’S CURSE, although my forward motion on that slowed down a little last week.

Next week is WriteOnCon. If you write, or even think you might want to write, middle grade, young adult, or new adult you really should check this out. It’s online and it’s free. I’ll be hoping to attract some attention for MAGE STORM, so wish me luck.

The first seven chapters of BLOOD IS THICKER are now available on wattpad.

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Progress

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , on August 7, 2013| 3 Comments »

Last post I said I needed to buckle down and get serious about preparations to launch BLOOD IS THICKER–and I did.

Blood Is Thicker Cover

I fixed the minor formatting problem with my Smashwords file. Yay! As I suspected, I had to just go back to the original and step through the formatting process again.

For those of you who are maybe thinking about epublishing, I always start with Smashwords for several reasons:

  1. Smashwords has a very comprehensive style guide (free). It takes a couple of hours to step through the process, but I have never had a formatting issue with any other upload once I’d gotten the Smashwords file right.
  2. Smashwords always knows that it’s my  book. I can download any version I want as many times as I want. Free. This makes it possible to check the various formats that come out of Smashwords meatgrinder.
  3. Smashwords makes it very easy to just upload a corrected file, so it really makes sense to check files and make corrections here.
  4. Smashwords lets me generate coupons for anything up to and incuding free, so I can offer my writing pals a free copy and hope for a review in return.
  5. Smashwords will, if I want, take care of the distribution of ebooks to almost everywhere but Amazon.

So, now that I’ve got a good Smashwords file, it only takes a few revisions to make the file for Kindle, which went live early this morning. You’re the first to know. Well, except for the person who apparently already bought a copy.  

It’s now on Goodreads and I’ve started the process for the paperback version on CreateSpace, too.

It’s a paradox. In order to prepare for a launch, you actually have to go ahead and publish about three months ahead in order to have something to offer reviewers and to use for giveaways. (Goodreads, for example, will only allow giveaways of actual books, not ebooks.)

So now I have to prepare to do the exact same thing for the dual version, both BLOOD WILL TELL and BLOOD IS THICKER in one volume. Part of my promotion plan is to offer both for the price of one for a period surrounding the official launch in November.

Meanwhile, you can still read the first six chapters of BLOOD IS THICKER free on wattpad.

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Getting Serious

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on August 4, 2013| Leave a Comment »

I won’t say I’ve been slacking off, because I’ve certainly been keeping busy. But I have sort of dropped the ball on promoting FIRE AND EARTH

Fire And Earth Cover (Provisional)

and planning the launch of BLOOD IS THICKER.

Blood Is Thicker Cover

I recently read a post by a traditionally published author about the critical launch period. It’s helped clarify things for me. I think I have a better idea of what I need to do when, now.

Since I really need to start at least three months ahead, so I’m pushing my launch date out to November 18. However, in order to line up book reviewers, I’m actually going to have to make it widely available well before that. We’ll just pretend the launch is in November–and you’ll know that it’s really out there before anyone else. Well, except me, of course.

So, what I have to do first is get the various versions out. The catch in that is that I haven’t been completely happy with the formatting of BLOOD IS THICKER. It’s something small. Just a couple of chapter headings that are different than all the others. But it’s not right  and it’s been bugging me. I haven’t succeeded in fixing it, so I’m going to have to go back and just redo the Smashwords formatting. Then I can go ahead and do the Amazon and CreateSpace formats.

I need those to be able to get books to reviewers and start planning some giveaways.

I need to start devoting a specified amount of time every week to these things, even when I’d rather be writing.

Meanwhile, I’m about to wrap things up with THE BARD’S GIFT. In another week or two, I’ll be pulling it back. Then I’ll have to decide what I’m going to do with it–major revision or go indie. I’m getting ready to start querying MAGE STORM. Fingers crossed for WriteOnCon in a little over a week. And I’m still working on the rewrite of THE SHAMAN’S CURSE. So, yeah, keeping busy.

The first six chapters of BLOOD IS THICKER are now available free on wattpad.

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Audience

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , , on July 31, 2013| Leave a Comment »

One of the ways we divide up stories, along with genre, is audience. We label stories as being for middle grade (8 to 12-year-olds), young adults, or adults. Some stories, of course, like Harry Potter, cross over multiple audiences. It’s a convenient distinction for traditional publishers and book stores, but maybe it’s becoming less important in the age of digital publishing.

Now, it’s not an issue for a lot of stories. MAGE STORM is a solidly middle grade book (though, of course, I would love it if someday it also crossed over to gain a wider audience).

Other stories don’t fit so neatly. After reading this post, I’m starting to question whether I should call THE BARD’S GIFT young adult. Not for any of the reasons cited in that post, though.

THE SHAMAN’S CURSE has always been a problem this way. Yeah, it starts with a fifteen-year-old protagonist. But the original version spanned eight years–ending with the hero at twenty-three. In the current rewrite, I’m trying to shave a year or two off of that, just to tighten things up. It’ll still take him outside the young adult age rage. And that doesn’t count the three potential sequels.

I made a couple of attempts to carve this story up to fit into either the middle grade or young adult audience, but it just doesn’t want to fit that straight jacket. And now, I have the freedom to let it be what it wants. I like that.

Reminder: You can read the first five chapters of BLOOD IS THICKER free on wattpad.

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Too Much Fun

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , , on July 28, 2013| 2 Comments »

I’m having a lot of fun with my rewrite of THE SHAMAN’S CURSE. I’ve never stopped loving this story or the characters. The execution the first time I wrote it–now that needed a lot of help. It’s amazing as I use the original written in 2008 as a very extended outline.

Wow. Dialog mechanics. Yeah, I didn’t understand that at all. Obviously had no idea what a beat was or how to use it. (For non-writers, a beat, in this context, is a bit of action or body language paired with dialogue which acts as the dialog attribution as well as allowing the characters to interact with each other and the environment. It isn’t necessary to use “he said” for every single line of dialog.)  Showing vs. telling. Yes, I have a much better handle on that on several levels.

I may be having too much fun with this, though. I’ve been playing instead of doing the harder work of planning the launch for BLOOD IS THICKER.

Blood Is Thicker Cover

Blood Is Thicker Cover

I may have to push the launch date out to compensate for this. I also haven’t done what I need to on promoting FIRE AND EARTH.

Fire And Earth Cover (Provisional)

Writing is just so much more fun and it goes fast when you have essentially a 100,000-word outline to work from. That’s the good news. I’ll have this first draft done in record time.

I suppose it doesn’t hurt–could even help–to take a little break every now and then. But I seriously have to force myself back to the work that is outside my comfort zone.

Meanwhile, you can read the first five chapters of BLOOD IS THICKER free on wattpad.

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Lucky Sevens

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , , , on July 21, 2013| 2 Comments »

Both @Sheena Dabel Boekweg and @Melanie Sweat Crouse have tagged me in this meme on Facebook.

Unfortunately, I’m not actually doing Facebook right now, other than to share these posts. (It’s not just that Facebook can be a huge time-suck. My computer and Facebook aren’t getting along well at the moment. Probably something to do with my older operating system (Windows XP) or my layers of anti-virus/malware software. But I haven’t had a chance to sort it out, so I mainly just go onto Facebook long enough to share these posts.)

The rules:

The rules… Go to page 7, 70, or 170 of a current work in progress or a recently published work and choose either the first complete paragraph or 7 lines of dialogue to share. Paste it to FB and tag 7 other authors to do the same.

All right then. From page 7 of MAGIC AND POWER:

“So? Did you ask her?” Cergio asked as he and Savyon led their horses into the palace stables.

Savyon scowled. “No. You let the others get through too soon. I didn’t have time.”

“How much time does it take? It’s a simple yes-or-no question, isn’t it?”

Savyon’s posture stiffened. “You can’t just blurt out a question like that without a little . . . preparation.”

Cergio shrugged. “No, you mean you can’t. I mean, if you’d’ve been doing this right, the proposal shouldn’t come as a complete surprise to her.”

Savyon’s ears turned pink.

Cergio choked back a laugh. “Oh, no. You’ve still been going on as if you’re just childhood friends, haven’t you? Have you even tried to kiss her?”

For good measure, from page 70 of BLOOD IS THICKER (which is available before formal release on October 21 at Smashwords):

“Be more careful, Cristel,” Rolf said, shaking his head. “You and Vallie. Neither of you know when to quit.”

Vallie smirked. “Oh, and you do. How many days did you spend pouring strength into me in the hospital to keep me alive?”

Rolf rustled his wings. “That was different.” Under Vallie’s level stare he added more softly, “Sort of.”

Cristel turned toward the bronze egg. “Did it work?”

The egg was unmistakably brighter. Rolf put his hand on it, sensing something Cristel couldn’t see.

“Yes, it seems to have,” Rolf said. “But don’t hold on so long next time. Just a little bit at a time.”

Cristel nodded. “I understand.”

“See that you do. After all, we won’t be here to stop you. And you can’t stand up for our eggs if you can’t stand up.”

Since I’m not actually on Facebook as I type this, if you’re a writer and you feel so inclined, consider yourself tagged.

Also, the first four chapters of BLOOD IS THICKER are now available free on wattpad.

 

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At Loose Ends

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 17, 2013| 2 Comments »

Well, not really. There’s plenty for me to be working on. But . . . but I’ve finished most of the revisions I was planning to carry me into next month.

  • BLOOD IS THICKER is done and already available on Smashwords. (By the way, my other published stories are on sale on Smashwords through the end of the month. Some are even free. Check them out here and remember to use the coupon code listed right below the price.) You can also read the first three chapters of BLOOD IS THICKER free on wattpad.
  • MAGE STORM is basically done, although I’m still waiting for feedback from a couple of beta readers. I still need to work on the query and pitches some more. The synopsis could probably stand a bit of polish, too.
  • And, surprisingly, I feel like the third draft of MAGIC AND POWER is probably just about the final draft–at least until I can get it in front of a few beta readers. After the last pass, there’s just one more thing I think I need to take a look at. I suspect my characters do a lot of taking deep breaths and breathing out. Using a physical response to show emotion is good, but I probably need to introduce a little more variety there.

So, it looks like I may be starting that weird Oz story about a month sooner than I’d planned. I’m going to have to spend a little time getting myself into the right frame of mind. This one will be in first person and my character has (I hope) a distinct voice. But I don’t like taking more than a few days without doing some actual writing. Gotta keep those writing muscles in shape.

Of course, I also need to continue preparing to officially launch BLOOD IS THICKER (October 20). And continue trying to promote FIRE AND EARTH, mostly by trying to line up reviewers.

Maybe I’m not at such loose ends, after all.

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