S.J. Reisner's Blog, page 116

Video Book Tour Planning

Now that the major writing and revision is done on the novel, I can concentrate on marketing.

I'm planning my virtual book tour for Outer Darkness. This time around, however, I'm going to be doing something unique. I'm not just going to schedule interviews, guest blogs, or anything like that. No - I'm also going to be giving a virtual reading from Outer Darkness, and I'll be opening a video Q&A dialogue with my readers, and I'll be doing a virtual signing (i.e. by sending out signed bookplates...

Creature of Chaos - Creature of Habit

Or perhaps habitual chaos.

Last weekend over brunch a friend of ours told her friend, "Stephanie is a very disciplined writer. She keeps word counts and writes so many words a day."

I almost laughed because disciplined is not a word I'd ever use to describe myself. My husband will tell you I'm kind of like the Tasmanian devil. Thoroughly undomestic, always in a hurry, and sometimes even haphazard. We don't keep schedules at our house.

Normal people, disciplined people, may do house cleaning on...

Aim High? Or Be Realistic?

How about both?

I can't begin to tell you how many new authors start out with the well intentioned fantasy that they're going to be the next Stephen King, Nora Roberts, Robert Jordan or [insert well-known author name here:].  While I never say stuff like that can't happen, I do say you shouldn't count on it.  One should not become a writer with the idea that being the next famous author is the absolute end goal or the ultimate reward (or that it absolutely will happen for you) because undoubted...

Coffee Shop Writers and Literary Fiction

I just read another author's blog post about writing in public. What's up with that? Since when, to be a real writer, do you have to practice your art in front of everyone?  I've always viewed people who purposefully write in public as pretentious and more in love with the idea of being a writer rather than actually writing.

I do my best work alone with a pot of coffee in the comfort of my own home. I don't have time to dreamily hang out in a cafe or coffee shop just to show the world I'm act...

Wow. A Bestseller and Bestselling Author!

Was just informed today via my publisher that my book The Complete Book of Demonolatry is a small press bestseller and that S. Connolly (me) is a bestselling author on Lulu. Which means of all the hundreds of thousands of authors on Lulu, my book sales are in the top 10%. (DB Publishing uses Lulu as a printing service and storefront.)  After that, I reviewed my sales reports over the past five years.  My response - Wow. Who knew that many people were interested in Demonolatry? I honestly had ...

Wow. Bestseller!

Was just informed that my book The Complete Book of Demonolatry is considered a small press bestseller (by one of the printers I use). My response - Wow. Who knew?  Also heard it referred to as a "Sleeper Hit" recently.

And yes, this means I am now considered a Bestselling Author. Well damn! I'd always hoped it would be with a large publisher and fiction, but I'm certainly not complaining.

::blinks:: 

::Pinches herself::

Yep, I'm awake. Hmm.

Productive Writing Weekend & Other Writerly Observations

I got a great deal done on the second book in the OTS series this weekend. I just had a flood of inspiration. Some of the edits on Outer Darkness got done, too.

I also read three novellas. While I was shopping for some shorter fiction on Amazon I realized something disconcerting though. Why is it self-published authors think they should be getting paid top dollar for their Kindle books? Especially when they're overpricing their books for their genre and of similar length? No offense, but Step...

Cats, Home Projects, and Books, "Oh my!"

Yesterday I took our three cats to the vet for their shots (it's more efficient to take all three at once). Two of them also got lion cuts. For the first time in months, DH and I didn't have to vacuum, clean up wet hairballs, nor chase a cat around trying to get poo out of its fur. As they get older it seems they're having a harder time keeping that fur clean and mat free as well. The cats were a bit disoriented last night since this is the first time they've had the lion cut. Of course as DH...

Changes

Many of you will notice that this blog has changed. That's because my writing website got an awesome revamp so it only made sense my blog followed suit. Now mind you the blog is still called "Malkuth of Me" (as I really like that name), but the header does now say S. J. Reisner. Note that I'll be using this blog for ALL my pen names. I just don't have the time or patience to keep three writer blogs + personal. Yeah, the spiritual and crafty blogs will stick around. Might get rid of the craft ...

Down With The Block

Writer's block is one of those things I don't talk about a lot and there's a reason for it. I very rarely - if at all - find myself with writer's block.

Now there have been times I've had writer's exhaustion. Those are the days where I really just don't want to write because I'm physically or mentally exhausted. Or I've gone and burnt myself out. Periods like this rarely last long for me. One to two weeks is the average.

I've been writing professionally since 1996. I learned quickly that profes...