Monica Valentinelli's Blog: booksofm.com, page 110

My Role with Apex Book Company

Hi everyone,

As you know, I've been looking for new professional opportunities. After posting about my pursuit, I had a good discussion with Jason Sizemore who runs Apex Book Company who decided to help me out while I continue to look for a full-time job.

For a few hours a month, I'm going to be consulting and directing their marketing efforts to help coalesce their initiatives into a big picture strategy I'm designing. Apex has a really smart and dedicated team of people in place that the previous Marketing Director, a lady by the name of M.G. Ellington, helped put together. My efforts will be behind-the-scenes.

I'm really excited about helping Apex for a few reasons. Months ago I turned to a few recruiters who suggested that since this is an employer's market, in order to get a good job, I really need to keep my online marketing and writing skills fresh. I've been able to do that with my writing, because like so many writers, that's something I've always done, even when I was working. Now, I'm able to elevate my visibility for online marketing and pad my resume a bit.

Another reason why I'm happy to provide a few hours of marketing support for Apex, is because this is my chance to apply six years of online marketing knowledge to the publishing industry. Apex produces quality books, anthologies and a magazine. Jason has made it clear that I wouldn't be given any special treatment. So, if I want to publish a story through Apex, I better write a good one.

Believe me, I am doing everything I can to step up my writing and my career to new heights. I'm excited, because ever since I posted my news about how things have been going, so many people like Jason have reached out to me cheering me on. I don't know what 2011 is going to bring, but I'm ready to find out.

If you're job-hunting like I am, I really hope you consider reaching out to uncover potential opportunities–regardless of whether it's a volunteer position or a few hours a month. I know I am.

- M

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Published on December 26, 2010 12:52

First Ever Net Neutrality Legislation has Passed

Today, I watched the FCC hearing on Net Neutrality before they took their vote. I listened to speeches, both for and against the order, and I heard the vote.

I still don't know what to make of this, especially after hearing Commissioner Baker say that the order was drastically changed yesterday and delivered to her at 11:30 p.m. last night. What's more, is that this order might not stick:

The net neutrality measure is the federal government's first move to regulate broadband access. Questions remain, however, over whether the agency has the legal right to serve as the nation's watchdog over Internet access. Last spring, a federal appeals court said the FCC overstepped its authority by sanctioning Comcast for blocking access to users of BitTorrent's peer-to-peer sharing application. — SOURCE: FCC passes first net neutrality rules

Already, both sides of the fence are reacting. FCC Breaks Obama's Promise is just one of many articles on the subject.

So, my answer is: too early to tell, especially since this order excludes mobile. Once this gets caught up with legal, it could be months or years before this gets sorted out.

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Published on December 21, 2010 11:47

Alternate Cover for THE QUEEN OF CROWS

Just how important is a book's cover? Well, I'm going to find out. After a tip from Lori Devoti, I decided to try a different cover for the Kindle and Nook editions of THE QUEEN OF CROWS. I was going to add a starburst that read "bonus content included" but going to try this first.

The Queen of Crows e-Book | Alternate Cover

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Published on December 20, 2010 08:05

My Guest Article at BookLife.com: Rolling the Dice in Freelancing

To help promote THE BONES, a collection of essays about dice, Jeremy Jones is running a series over at BookLife.com about rolling the dice in freelancing. Jeremy is an excellent interviewer who writes "the best" introductions about people. Just recently, he talked about how Matt Forbeck was his hero in If You Play It Safe: Matt Forbeck on Taking Risks In Writing. (Mine, too.) After reading what he said about me, I was thinking about paying him to write my bio for me. Sheesh.

I first met Valentinelli at GenCon three years ago. I was immediately struck with her ability to distill a complex project down to its core elements and by her seemingly undying enthusiasm for whichever creative project she was working on.

Both as a gamer and as a freelancer, Valentinelli has rolled a lot of dice. Here's what she had to say about the importance of taking risks in writing and freelancing. — SOURCE: Always Rolling the Dice: Monica Valentinelli on Taking Risks in Writing

To read what my responses were, be sure to check out Always Rolling the Dice: Monica Valentinelli on Taking Risks in Writing.

Not sure who else is slated for this series, but BookLife always has some great career advice for you to read. So don't be shy and check the site out!

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Published on December 15, 2010 13:00

Leafy Links for Mon, Dec 13: Writing, Blogging and Publishing

Thought I'd pop in and offer you some reading material. This is a mix of links about query letters, publishing, blogging and writing. A virtual link salad filled with leafy goodness to feed your head.

Why You Can't Make Money Blogging from Copyblogger.com – I stumbled upon this late yesterday, and I absolutely have to put this one at the top of the list. The message of the article really resonates with my own observations about being online. To quote the article: "If you don't offer customers something they dearly want, whether it's to gain some great pleasure or escape some great pain, you're not going to make any money." Amen.

Seth Godin's Domino Project – Hot off the heels from the PR frenzy that this marketing guru left his publisher, Amazon.com is now backing a new publishing venture. Why am I watching this? For two reasons: one, Godin is a brilliant marketer and strategist. Two, I'm more interested to see how other people will react and whether or not someone will apply this to fiction. To be clear: The Domino Project will be run by a small press comprised of hand-picked people specifically for non-fiction.

10 Tips for Writing Flash Fiction from Bethestory.com – Flash fiction is extremely popular right now. Writer's Digest featured a ton of markets you can sell your flash fiction story earlier this year. More and more—this format is turning into a great way to offer a free sample of your own writing. These 10 tips are a great wrap-up for helping you shore up this fun format. I love writing flash!

How to Write a Query Letter from Writer Beware – Victoria Strauss is one of my virtual heroines. If you haven't checked out Writer Beware, then you're doing yourself a disservice. In this post, she gives a step-by-step process for writing a query letter

Top 10 Query Mistakes from Rachelle Gardner – This article is written from a literary agent's perspective and gives you the skinny on what mistakes to avoid. Be sure to check out the comments, too, for more information.

Write and Wrong from Ari Marmell on Suvudu.com – I've known Ari for a while via the gaming industry. He's a really personable guy who has managed to expand his publications to include his original work. In his article this week on Suvudu.com, he talks about why you should be cautious when reading books giving advice on writing. If you're interested in learning more about Ari's work, be sure to check out his preview of THE CONQUEROR'S SHADOW on FlamesRising.com.
Daily Blog Tips – There's quite a few sites and personalities out there that talk about blogging, but I was impressed with this one because of articles like How to Build Your Credibility as an Expert While Blogging and 30 Traffic Generating Tips, which was written by several, different contributors. And, they have a whole category devoted to "Strategy." A site after my own heart!

Writing Conferences for January to March 2011 from the How To Write Shop – I don't know about you, but I hate having to hunt down news about writing conferences, conventions and events. This is a list compiled by my friend Lori Devoti covering writing conferences that are going on around the U.S.

Galley Cat on Mediabistro.com – You may already read publishing news from Publisher's Weekly ; keep up-to-date with Galley Cat and I guarantee you'll be well-versed in industry news. I've backed off from reading industry news unless it comes sprawling in my lap, just because I want to pay attention to what's relevant to what I'm pitching or doing now. News about bankruptcies, the changing market, etc. can really get depressing, but I'm a long ways away from being affected by the flux.

Hope you enjoy your link salad!

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Published on December 13, 2010 08:00

[Video] Why We Don't Put Up a Tree

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Published on December 11, 2010 10:05

Zombie Week at FlamesRising.com and Contest

Just wanted to drop by and mention that FlamesRising.com is having another week of themed content. This time around, we're all about braaaaaaaaiiiinnnnnnnsssss.

What's New at Zombie Week?

Here's a round-up of a few articles you might be interested in.

Lori Devoti: Contest and Her Thoughts on Romance and Zombies – This past year, Lori released Zombie Moon, which was published by Silhouette Nocturne. How do these unlikely elements go together? Read Lori's thoughts and find out! If you enjoy reading paranormal romance, be sure to enter our contest for a free novel from this talented author, too.

Walking Dead Television Reviews – Eric Pollarine has reviewed several episodes from this popular TV series. Be sure to check out his reviews of the Walking Dead: Premiere, Walking Dead: "Guts" Episode, and Walking Dead: Episodes 3 & 4.

Top 10 Zombie Interviews, Reviews and Previews – To kick Zombie Week off, we scoured our archives to bring back our reader's favorite articles.

Interview with Game Designer, Daniel Davis – Daniel worked on a series of games that I've also contributed to called All Flesh Must Be Eaten from Eden Studios. This interview, conducted by editor-in-chief Matt M McElroy, offers an in-depth look at some of the trials and tribulations Daniel experienced while writing and developing new material for this popular line.

Hope you get the chance to drop by FlamesRising.com and check out Zombie Week. Brains not required! Er…

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Published on December 09, 2010 07:41

Daily Bites of Flesh Now Available

Just wanted to drop in and mention that DAILY BITES OF FLESH: 365 DAYS OF HORRIFYING FLASH FICTION is now available! My story entitled The Saint, The Pickpocket and the Manticore is the entry for July 15th.

Here's a little bit more about the anthology:

DAILY BITES OF FLESH 2011: 365 DAYS OF HORRIFYING FLASH FICTION is a 2011 flash fiction calendar anthology, with a 500 word or less horror short story featured for every day of the calendar year. Filled with 365 short stories, this is a fun and practical anthology designed for busy readers of the horror genre.

The book is 552 pages long and features dozens of authors. Each of us wrote a story with a flesh-eating creature as part of the theme. Besides being available online, you'll also be able to pick it up in several bookstores as well.

Hope you enjoy it!

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Published on December 07, 2010 08:00

[Video] So You Want to Write a Novel?

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Published on December 07, 2010 08:00

25 Mantras on Writing and Professionalism

As a follow-up to my previous post about "bad news," I decided to write my thoughts on what I feel it means to be a professional writer. You may disagree with me, and that's okay. I firmly believe that your path is not the same as mine. Take what you want and leave the rest.

1. Any advice, news, tools, or people that distract you from getting words down on the page is not valuable to you as a writer, regardless of how positive or uplifting you feel afterward.
2. Having a writer's platform is meaningless if you don't have any readers, because your brand's awareness does not always equate to sales.
3. Avoid any bandwagon that declares publishers or retailers are bad or evil.
4. Know your own worth but be realistic about it.
5. Learn the tools, but don't make your platform your primary focus if you have nothing to sell.
6. Don't quit your day job. Don't quit your day job. Don't quit your day job.
7. If you submit a story, pitch or job application, don't wait to hear back before starting on the next one.
8. Respect and support other writers that are more experienced that you are.
9. Writing is NOT a competition. What (or who) one reader or employer likes is going to be very different from someone else. Sometimes, you aren't a good fit for the job. Sometimes, an employer doesn't want to re-train a new writer to work with them. There's a lot of slots to fill; find the ones that work for you and keep looking.
10. Understand that some people will be happy for your success and some people won't. Learn to tell the difference and distance yourself from those who are jealous or are willing to sabotage you.
11. Don't talk shit or make boasts you can't back up. You never know how that will come back and haunt you — until it does.
12. Remember that there are misconceptions about writers and, in some cases, there is nothing you can do about it.
13. Know that success is relative. One writer's accomplishments are not your successes, so quit worrying about what someone else is doing. Their "greatness" doesn't mean you're a failure.
14. It's okay to have a bad day! Experience that bad day, then get over it and get back to work.
15. If you are a writer, be flexible but write what you're interested in and work for the people you have a good relationship with. Do not become a slave to your job.
16. If you can't afford to be a full-time writer, explore your options and find a part-time job or something else to do. Being a poor artist isn't virtuous or ideal — it sucks.
17. Always keep an eye out for new jobs or opportunities and network, network, network.
18. Don't be afraid to say "No" when you need to.
19. Resign yourself to the fact that you may never be as popular or wealthy as Steven King. The, focus on the readers that you DO have.
20. Learn how to resolve interpersonal conflicts and identify people who can't. If you wind up on the receiving end of something like this and your assignment/job/project is affected, know that even though it might feel like a personal attack, it's more of a reflection on the person who can't resolve the conflict.
21. Get it in writing.
22. Realize that you are not a machine. Some days you'll write faster than others.
23. Recognize that everyone functions differently and cultural nuances affect not only how people work, but how they respond to people and what they do at work, too. If someone doesn't get back to you right away, it's not because they're ignoring you.
24. Understand that your rejection letters may not have anything to do with the quality of your work or "you" as a person. Don't take them personally.
25. Keep up-to-date on technology and don't be afraid to learn new things that make you more marketable.