After much writing and much more writing and then tons of editing and re-editing, and then doing research on marketing etc., my book has finally made it to the eBook publishing stage.
I’m excited, and although I know it takes time to promote the book and generate sales, the road to getting here and now travelling the path to publishing it, I’ve come to realize that it’s the whole process that I’m obsessed with. Every step has brought its fair share of challenges to overcome, but I’ve enjoyed it every step of the way.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had my days where I thought, why am I doing this or why did I have to re-write this twelve times before I got it right. In the end, my drive to succeed and my enormous love of the craft is what makes it all worthwhile.
My first love lies in writing fantasy, so writing a contemporary thriller was a whole new experience for me. The language was the biggest challenge to overcome. I found myself often slipping back into writing in the style of my fantasy novels. The thriller genre did give me a taste of something new. The one thing it did have in common with my fantasy genre is that I felt passionate about all my characters. I think it’s this passion that forces me to tell their story regardless of the genre.
The Sussex Deal was initially to become my first “chapter story”—a story for my readers where I put out one chapter at a time—but we decided to use it as my first step into eBook publishing.
Now, the task begins to market the book. Will it be a success? Time will tell. For me, the euphoria comes in writing the book and bringing it to its completion. I hope to give my readers that same euphoria when reading it. I’m already working on my next book and loving it.
Totaled Ferrari As a Coffee Table – By E-Junkie Info – http://goo.gl/sN61g – What else would you put in your coffee table?
How publishers gave Amazon a stick to beat them with – By Mathew Ingram – Gigaom – http://goo.gl/SGW0p
What is Your Novel Missing? Strong Verbs, Unique Words – By The Writers Alley – http://goo.gl/L4FMz
The Marvels And Messes Of A Month Of Writing – by Erin Morgenstern – npr – http://goo.gl/q1UJP
How to Show (Not Tell): A Writing Lesson from John LeCarre – By Mary Jaksch – Write to Done – http://goo.gl/qSIEN
3 Simple Steps for Staring Down Writer’s Block – By Mark McGuinness – copyblogger – http://goo.gl/b4N8j
Quote(s) of the Day
The unread story is not a story; it is little black marks on wood pulp. The reader, reading it, makes it live: a live thing, a story. – Ursula K. Le Guin
“To know is nothing at all; to imagine is everything.” – Anatole France
Writing Contest
Writing Contest – Pen/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction – By Pen American Center – Deadline Dec. 31. 2011 –http://goo.gl/RMthb
Writing Contest – VCU Cabell First Novelist Award – Deadline January 15, 2012 – http://goo.gl/0ldGF
Featured Book
Sci-fi/Fantasy – Republic of Thieves – By Author Scott Lynch – Coming soon for Christmas.
After their adventures on the high seas, Locke and Jean are brought back to earth with a thump. Jean is mourning the loss of his lover and Locke must live with the fallout of crossing the all-powerful magical assassins the Bonds Magi. It is a fall-out that will pit both men against Locke’s own long lost love. Sabetha is Locke’s childhood sweetheart, the love of Locke’s life and now it is time for them to meet again. Employed on different sides of a vicious dispute between factions of the Bonds Sabetha has just one goal – to destroy Locke for ever. The Gentleman Bastard sequence has become a literary sensation in fantasy circles and now, with the third book, Scott Lynch is set to seal that success.
Special Tribute
MCC Thrift Shops – This charitable Mennonite organization focuses on meeting local needs for those who have less. – http://goo.gl/DL4Zb
“We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” – Frederick Keonig
For Your Information
Giving Thanks, Yet Again – By Joel Friedlander – The Book Designer – http://goo.gl/EU1SO
After I create my stories, I begin the mammoth task of researching; making sure that all the content in my story is correct and gaining material to expand on topics where I lacked the knowledge. I find research to be vital, adding authenticity and correctness to a story.
My Thoughtmover series needed an incredible amount of research that I had done on everything from types of landscapes, modes of transportation, suitable weapons, appropriate fashion, and the list goes on. I even researched the names of characters, places, and things in the story, to pick names that were fitting to their role.
For me, research is more than getting information from a book or retrieving it from the Internet–that I learned the hard way is not always correct–but to obtain the information from people who hold personal knowledge and experiences in that area, people who have ‘been there and done that’. Even in fantasy, content must be depicted as real and accurate as possible.
For The Alkahest, an area that required research was tall ships. Lacking personal nautical experience, I met up with a sailor, who was kind enough to share his experiences with me on tall ships, information that is not easily obtainable elsewhere. This type of personal information includes unique feelings and thoughts that arise on board and how the senses are touched by actions or events that occur on these ships.
I use this personal information to create conditions on a ship that allow the reader to feel as if they are riding aboard that ship, experiencing the life and challenges of the characters. I think a writer’s greatest accomplishment is when he or she can take their readers and put them into the world of the story, to travel with the characters on their journey.
Researching for my books is one of my favorite tasks in writing next to the creation of my stories. It has not only given me knowledge in areas where it lacked, but it has allowed me to meet wonderful and skilled people that have made my life richer and my stories better.
I’m excited, and although I know it takes time to promote the book and generate sales, the road to getting here and now travelling the path to publishing it, I’ve come to realize that it’s the whole process that I’m obsessed with. Every step has brought its fair share of challenges to overcome, but I’ve enjoyed it every step of the way.
Now, the task begins to market the book. Will it be a success? Time will tell. For me, the euphoria comes in writing the book and bringing it to its completion. I hope to give my readers that same euphoria when reading it. I’m already working on my next book and loving it.
